River Turbines On Floating Dock Could Electrify New York City

A New Jersey Institute of Technology professor and a student have developed a proposed design for floating docks that capture energy from river flows plus provide recreational space.

Charles Choi for LiveScience and MSNBC.com reports:

"Each dock could generate power off the city's river currents. Three vertical turbines fastened out of sight to the underside of each station would harness the 4 mph currents, with each module generating up to 24 kilowatts of constant energy from the Hudson and East Rivers.
These stations would plug into the conventional piers of the city, extending them into the rivers. They could alleviate the need for conventional power to light the city streets, with each module supporting 350 LED streetlamps.

These docks could eventually get extended further up the rivers to both generate power and increase recreational green space and tidal pools for wildlife, said researchers at the New Jersey Institute of Technology and at GRO Architects in New York. They currently have a provisional patent on the idea." See full article.

Taiwan Convention Center To Feature Solar-Powered Facades And Natural Ventilation

Beijing-based MAD Ltd. unveiled its solar eco-skin design for the Taichung Convention Center in Taiwan.

Green Diary.com reports:

"The Taichung Convention Center seems to blend mountainous architecture with sustainably soothing green technologies. Designed by the Beijing architects MAD, the buildings will have facades studded with photovoltaic panels to help provide them with abundant solar power. The concertina surface will create a natural passage for natural light and air as well. While it will cut down the expenses relating to heating and cooling solutions, the overall energy consumption also will follow suit. The architects have been specially commissioned by the Taiwanese government to suggest an eco-friendly model for the proposed construction and they’ve done a commendable job indeed." See full article and photos:

Google Earth Maps Carbon in The Atmosphere

Google Earth has teamed up with science experts to help people better understand CO2 in the atmosphere through dynamic mapping.

Physorg.com reports:

"A better understanding of the carbon cycle has implications for energy and environmental policy and carbon management. In June 2009, Michalak described this research at the NASA Earth System Science at 20 symposium in Washington, D.C.

A snapshot from Erickson's Google Earth application shows green tracks representing carbon dioxide in the lowest part of the atmosphere close to Earth's surface where vegetation and land processes can impact the carbon cycle. Red tracks indicate particles at higher altitudes that are immune from ground influences. The application is designed to educate the public and even scientists about how carbon dioxide emissions can be traced. A network of 1,000-foot towers across the United States is equipped with instruments by NOAA to measure the carbon dioxide content of parcels of air at single locations." See full article.

New Lightbulb Technology Combines CFL, LED and Incandescent

A Seattle-based company is developing a new line of lightbulbs with higher energy efficiency that are also mercury-free.

Sandeep Ravindran from Popsci.com reports:

"The ESL bulbs generate light by firing electrons to stimulate phosphor, and the whole setup is encased in normal light-bulb glass. The bulbs are estimated to last up to 6,000 hours, which is comparable to CFLs, and three to four times as long as incandescent bulbs.
Unlike CFLs, they do not contain mercury, which is a potent neurotoxin, and can be disposed of as regular trash. Burned-out CFLs need to be disposed of with hazardous waste or returned for recycling.

LEDs are still the most efficient bulbs, lasting 40,000 to 50,000 hours per bulb, but they are a lot more expensive. For example, Panasonic's new Everleds LED light is likely to retail for around $40 per bulb, or twice as much as the expected cost of the new ESL bulbs.
According to Vu1, another advantage of the ESL bulbs is that, unlike CFL and LED bulbs, they produce light that is nearly identical to incandescents, as seen in the infomercial below. The company also says that the new bulbs have a smaller carbon footprint over their lifecycle than CFL or LED bulbs." See full article.

China Is Developing A Massive New 2GW Solar Plant

China has plans for the largest solar power plant to-date. It would cover 25 square miles and power 3 million homes.

Sandra Acaro at Gizmag.com reports:

"The Chinese government has announced its intention to construct a 2-gigawatt solar power plant in Ordos City, Inner Mongolia. Mike Ahearn, CEO of the Arizona-based company which will construct the plant, describes the unprecedented project as “an encouraging first step forward toward the mass-scale deployment of solar power worldwide to help mitigate climate change concerns.” As outlined in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between First Solar and the Chinese government, the project will be developed in four phases over a nine-year period, with Phase 1 beginning 1 June 2010 and Phase 4 to be completed by 2019. Phase 1 will initiate a 30-megawatt demonstration project, while Phases 2, 3 and 4 will consolidate a further 100 megawatts, 870 megawatts and 1000 megawatts respectively.

The magnitude of the development is many times greater than any solar plant in operation or even contemplated, including projects such as the 290-megawatt Starwood Solar Iand the 500-megawatt solar thermal project in the Mojave Desert. If successful, the Ordos plant will cover a staggering 25-square miles, cost billions of dollars and power 3 million Chinese homes." See full article.

REVive: Is Electric Car Company From India Ready To Roll Out A Remote Wireless Recharge?

Reva of India is suggesting that they are ready to unveil an electric car thatcan be recharged from a remote wireless station. Could it be true or will it be wireless directions on where to find a plug-in charge?

Popsci.com reports:

"India's Reva electric car company has a UK hit on its hands with the diminutive G-Wiz, an increasingly common addition to London traffic. This year, the company will introduce a new model, the Reva NXR -- a four-seat, three-door hatchback -- and plans to unveil a two-seat sports car, dubbed NXG, at next week's Frankfurt motor show. But what's got the electric-car world talking is something the company calls REVive -- a new feature purported to allow a driver who finds himself with insufficient battery charge to get an "instant remote recharge."

Could Reva be ready to roll out an inductive recharging system that would work over the course of miles instead of just a tabletop"? See full article:

Plug-in Prius Test Fleet Coming in Early 2010

The much-discussed Prius plug-in is coming. The unveiling will be at Germany's Frankfort auto show.

Popsci.com reports:

"This week the company offered its first tangible evidence of a plug-in Prius, at least in two dimensions. The company released the first official photo image of a new Prius concept car that can get juice from the electrical grid. Toyota hasn't yet offered any details on the car, except to say that around 150 units of the plug-in Prius will arrive in 2010 at the doorstep of selected fleet customers in Europe as part of an extensive field test. The lease program will subsequently migrate to Japan and the US. More details on the plug-in Prius concept will arrive next week ahead of the Frankfurt Motor Show, where the concept will be unveiled." See full article.

Solar Panels Built Directly Into Roads

A design proposal would cover roadways with solar panels.

Adrian Covert at Popsci.com reports:

"The Department of Energy just gave $100,000 to upstart company Solar Roadways, to develop 12-by-12-foot solar panels, dubbed "Solar Roads," that can be embedded into roads, pumping power into the grid. The panels may also feature LED road warnings and built-in heating elements that could prevent roads from freezing. Each Solar Road panel can develop around 7.6 kwh of power each day, and each costs around $7,000. If widely adopted, they could realistically wean the US off fossil fuels: a mile-long stretch of four-lane highway could take 500 homes off the grid. If the entire US Interstate system made use of the panels, energy would no longer be a concern for the country." See full article.

Hummer Challenges Chevy Volt On Fuel Economy: For Real?

Can you imagine a fuel-efficient Hum-V?

Jeremy Hsu at PopSci.com reports:

"Hummer H3e claims its green version can get 100 mpg on average. And what's a little boasting without taking a shot at the competition? Raser Technologies calls its revamped Hummer a "Prius-Stomping Green Machine," based on an E-REV powertrain that supposedly enables large vehicles to drive the first 40 miles in all-electric mode. The company calculates that a typical driver who goes 65 miles per day would average about 100 mpg, and that driving over 200 miles per day would still get about double the fuel economy of a regular Hummer.

The electric Humvee developer has also not hesitated to join the crowd questioning Chevrolet's claim of 230 mpg for the upcoming Chevy Volt hybrid. Fast Company reports that Raser claims a Hummer would get 190 mpg in city driving conditions, based on the same methodology used to calculate the Volt's fuel economy." See full article.

Solar Sunflowers: A New Design For Solar Power

An art exhibit and alternative energy project near Austin Texas is turning heads with a enw design for solar energy: the sunflower.

PopSci reports:

"Designed by Massachusetts art duo Harries/Heder, the SunFlowers are an art exhibit at heart, and stand over 30 feet tall. They collect power from the sun by day, and use that energy to power their blue LEDs at night. Up to 15 kilowatts of surplus power is sent back to the grid as payment for any maintenance fees the SunFlowers incur." See full article.

Chevy Volt Looking At 230-Mile In-City Range

Recent tests are indicating that the Chevy Volt will have a greater range between charges than originally expected.

Darren Quick at Gizmag.com reports:

"With the anticipated production date of 2010 rapidly approaching, GM has announced that its extended-range electric vehicle is expected to achieve city fuel economy of at least 230 miles per gallon. The figure is based on development testing using a draft EPA federal fuel economy methodology for labeling for plug-in electric vehicles. The new methodology being developed weights plug-in electric vehicles as traveling more city miles than highway miles on only electricity and uses kilowatt hours per 100 miles traveled to define the electrical efficiency of plug-ins." See full article.

Laser-Guided Wind Turbine Technology For Greater Output

Emerging laser technology can help wind turbines be more efficient.

Jeff Kart at CleanTechnica.com reports:

"The Manassas, Virginia-based Catch the Wind has signed an agreement to work with the National Renewable Energy Lab in Boulder, Colorado, to test the company’s Vindicator laser wind sensor. Catch the Wind will provide a test unit to the U.S. Department of Energy facility for up to three years. The lab will use the Vindicator to measure wind speeds and direction with a goal of optimally aligning turbines and turbine blades. The idea is to cut stress loads on turbines and up their energy output." See full article.

Fusion Power Breakthrough: Energy In Ten years?

"Low budget" in fusion reactor terms means $1 billion. A new design may bring fusion power to the world sooner than anyone ever thought.

Physorg.com reports:

"Currently, most nuclear fusion power plants are large, expensive projects that will take decades to benefit from. But a startup company in Vancouver, Canada, called General Fusion is taking the fast track to fusion, with a plan to build a working prototype fusion power plant within the next decade at a cost of less than a billion dollars." See full article.

Meet The Amphibious Hybrid

More fuel-efficient vehicles -- by land and by sea!

Jeff Salton at GizMag.com reports:

"The Amphibious Hybrid concept vehicle - is a case of Bond meets the Transformers with its automatically adjusting tire design that morphs to ensure maximum grip on any given terrain including ice and water, where it becomes a kind of three wheel paddle boat. The team that designed this car thought it should be able to navigate on land, ice and water and, hence, its tires have the ability to change shape automatically to suit the terrain. For instance, when the terrain sensors located within the ‘intelligent wheels’ detect the vehicle has moved from normal mode (bitumen roads) to a slipperier surface, like snow, the tires open up a little. The more traction required, the wider the tire. When on the water, the tires resemble something more akin to a propeller." See full article:

A Review of Home Energy Monitoring Devices

There are a number of new programs and devices designed to help consumers and homeowners know more about energy of their use HVAC systems and appliances.

Paul Lester at GizMag.com reports:

"Perhaps the first step on the road to being green comes from learning a bit more about the various appliances in the modern home and how much energy they actually use. There are a range of home energy meters available for just this purpose, reporting not only current usage in monetary terms, but also estimated CO2 emissions, power consumption and historical data that can be used to identify and cut down during periods of excessive consumption." See reviews:

How Does the "Cloud Ship" Idea Strike You?

A new climate change-fighting idea being "floated" in the "global engineering" realm is to build a fleet of ships that pushes sea water into the sky to make reflective white clouds.

Kevin Jess at the Digitial Journal reports:

"A flotilla of 1,900 cloud ships would be needed to cruise the Pacific Ocean in order to create clouds that would deflect the sun rays and curb global warming. The project, now being worked on by U.S. and UK scientists is the favorite among many schemes aimed at fighting climate change. It would see wind-powered ships travelling the ocean sucking up seawater and spraying minuscule droplets of it out through tall funnels to create large white clouds." See full article.

MIT Tackles Making An Electric Car That Recharges In Ten Minutes

The overall practicality of electric vehicle tranportation depends on the speed of battery recharge. Many EVs take six to eight hours. MIT is going for something closer to what people might experience at the gas pump.

Michael Mulcahy at GizMag.com reports:

"Sometimes in science, it helps to set the bar high. That seems to be the attitude of the MIT Electric Vehicle Team (EVT). By their reckoning, one of the biggest impediments to the average driver adopting an electric vehicle is recharge times. So ....their next project is to produce a prototype family car that will achieve 0-60mph in under nine seconds, have a range of 200 miles, and fully recharge in under 11 minutes. Dubbed the elEVen, this latest project is an attempt to build an electric car that meets the expectations of mainstream drivers, including a “refill” time comparable to that at a gas pump. The engine will be replaced with a 250-horsepower, 180kW AC induction motor, donated by SatCon and originally designed for use in a 16.5-ton electric transit bus. Given the sedan will only weigh about 2 tons, it should easily achieve their acceleration goal and, better, manage a top speed of about 100mph." See full article:

A Battery That Stores Enough Solar to Run A House For 24 Hours

A new battery is helping to store enough power to greatly improve the overall effectiveness of alternative energy.

Times of India reports:

"A Utah-based company has found a new way to store solar energy – in a small ceramic disk which can store more power for less. Researchers at Ceramatec have created the disk, which can hold up to 20-kilowatt hours, enough to power an entire house for a large portion of the day. The new battery runs on sodium-sulfur — a composition that typically operates at greater than 600°F. “Sodium-sulfur is more energetic than lead-acid, so if you can somehow get it to a lower temperature, it would be valuable for residential use”, Ralph Brodd, an independent energy conversion consultant, says. Ceramatec’s new battery runs at less than 200°F. " See full article.