December 29, 2008
Johnson City to Evaluate Wind Power
Officials in Johnson City, Tennessee, are evaluating the possibility of using wind power as a viable energy source. Phil Pindzola, the director of the city’s public works said that the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy would carry out extensive tests in the Buffalo Mountain region during the year 2009. The director said that the tests would check if there was enough wind to make investments in wind turbines worthwhile. Buffalo Mountain was chosen after the tests in Jonesborough failed. The alliance has obtained the go ahead from authorities to install antennas that will measure the wind in five areas of the region.
The Leaf Chronicle
Xcel Energy Develops Batteries to Store Wind Energy
Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy, a utility company, has begun tests of a technology that enables batteries to store wind energy. The tests are being held in an 1100 MW wind turbine facility in Minnesota. Xcel has obtained a 1 million dollar grant from the state’s Renewable Development Fund and aims to have the plant in operation within the first three months of 2009. The technology uses a sodium-sulfur battery, approximately the same size as a couple of semi trailers, and can store close to 7.2 MW hours of electric energy. The battery weighs about 80 tonnes, and can power 500 houses for seven hours when fully charged.
ZDNet
Chevrolet’s Fuel Cell Program Reaches Important Milestone
Ed Peper, Chevrolet’s Vice President and General Manager said that Project Driveway, the company’s fuel cell vehicle program, now had over 100 cars on the road, and would have clocked a total of 500,000 miles by Christmas. Project Driveway had been initiated in October 07 and is slated to continue till 2010 end. The project allows drivers access to Chevrolet’s fuel cell-powered Equinox. People drive the cars at media events and special programs, or through long term loans. Marybeth Stanek, the company’s director for fuel cell commercialization said that the cars were performing well and a lot of data had been collected to make the program work in a real life scenario.
Yahoo
Proton Energy Wins Hydrogen Generator Contract for Qatar Plant
The Qatalum Plant in Qatar which is scheduled to open in 2010 will receive Hogen hydrogen generators from Proton Energy Systems, which has recently been awarded the contract by Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction. The Hogen units will generate quality hydrogen gas, which can cool four F class GE gas turbines. The total output of the turbines will be close to 1500 MW. Hogen generators use solid polymer electrolyte technology, which extends the life and dependability of the turbines while decreasing the risk of property damage by exposure to chemicals, and physical injury to the workforce. Proton Energy will provide the installation and operation support required.
Energy Business Review
NCS Sugars Plans to Start Zero Discharge Ethanol Unit
A zero-discharge ethanol unit is planned by NCS Sugars (a subsidiary of NCS group) at Bobbili, Vizianagaram. The plant, the second of its kind, is expected to cost Rs 60 crores (1 crore = ten million) and will take up to a year to set up. The group’s MD Mr. Nageshwara Rao stated that the requisite approvals had been obtained from the AP Excise Department and the Pollution Control Board. Since sugarcane production is expected to decrease this year, raw sugar will be imported from Brazil, which will be used to make up for the shortfall. NCS Renewable Energy, another group company, plans to set up a PV module unit. The investment is yet to be finalized.
Business Standard
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December 29, 2008
Here is a new website which bring a new feature to the alternative energies information sources.
http://www.altfuelprices.com/
(I’m not this website owner)
Charles
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December 24, 2008
1 acre of Kudzu can generate 10 gallons of ethanol equivalent, Kudzonol
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/28325775#28325775
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December 24, 2008
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/28317641#28317641
Can go in many more locations than traditional wind turbines.
“Grace in carbon fiber rotors”
$50,000 each, but can power 3 McMansions.
Quietrevolution, the company behind this product, is from Wales
http://www.quietrevolution.co.uk/
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December 24, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. - (Business Wire) First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) today announced the completion of its first 10 megawatt (MW) ground-mounted photovoltaic power plant for Sempra Generation near Boulder City, Nevada. This project is the largest thin film solar power plant in North America. First Solar served as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for this PV power plant and will provide monitoring and maintenance services for the plant over its lifetime. This project was constructed in less than six months.
The project was developed by Sempra Generation, which will own and operate the PV power plant. First Solar constructed the 10 MW PV power plant adjacent to Sempra’s existing 480 MW El Dorado Energy power plant about 40 miles southeast of Las Vegas. The solar modules deployed in this ground-mount project were produced at First Solar’s manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, Ohio.
First Solar is the world’s leading supplier of thin film PV modules, stemming largely from the superior product design and unique semiconductor technology that makes First Solar modules the most cost-effective on the market. Underlying First Solar’s success is a commitment to product life cycle management, as illustrated by the solar industry’s first comprehensive module collection and recycling program. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment.
“The build out of this 10MW solar power plant from start to finish in less than six months marks the successful completion of our first utility scale EPC project,” said John Carrington, First Solar executive vice president marketing and business development. “We applaud Sempra’s commitment to expand their renewable energy portfolio—investing in clean energy infrastructure while creating green jobs and addressing climate change and energy independence.”
“This is a significant step in the development and deployment of renewable solar power,” said Michael W. Allman, president and chief executive officer of Sempra Generation. “It reflects the commitment by Sempra Generation and western U.S. utilities to meet the challenges posed by climate change with reliable, renewable energy. The size and scope of this new solar generation facility clearly demonstrates that we can build projects on a scale that helps utilities meet their renewable energy goals.”
About First Solar
First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) manufactures solar modules with an advanced thin film semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive PV solutions that significantly reduce solar electricity costs. By enabling clean, renewable electricity at competitive prices, First Solar provides an economic and environmentally responsible alternative to existing peaking fossil-fuel electric generation. First Solar PV power plants operate with no water, air emissions or waste stream. First Solar set the benchmark for environmentally responsible product life cycle management by introducing the industry’s first comprehensive collection and recycling program for solar modules. From raw material sourcing through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on creating cost-effective renewable energy solutions that protect and enhance the environment. For more information about First Solar, please visit www.firstsolar.com, or www.firstsolar.com/media to download photos.
For First Solar Investors
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance. Those statements involve a number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including risks associated with the company’s business involving the company’s products, their development and distribution, economic and competitive factors and the company’s key strategic relationships and other risks detailed in the company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. First Solar assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.
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December 23, 2008
41 MPG! All-New Ford Fusion Hybrid Is Now America’s Most Fuel-Efficient Mid-Size Car
- Ford Fusion Hybrid certified at 41 mpg in city and 36 mpg on highway - beating the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in city and 2 mpg on highway
- Advanced hybrid propulsion system allows Fusion Hybrid to reach speeds of up to 47 miles per hour in electric mode - faster than the Camry Hybrid and all other hybrids currently on the road
- New smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery produces 20 percent more power than the previous hybrid system and a new regenerative brake system allows for approximately 94 percent energy recovery in city driving
- On sale this spring, new Fusion Hybrid can travel more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas in city driving
DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid is now officially America’s most fuel efficient mid-size car with a certified 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway.
“The new Ford Fusion Hybrid not only significantly exceeds the competition but also embodies Ford’s 100 percent commitment to fuel efficiency leadership, quality, innovation and advanced technology,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The Ford team set the bar high — to develop America’s most fuel efficient mid-size sedan — and that’s what they delivered.”
The 2010 Ford Fusion’s final fuel economy certification was completed this week at Ford’s testing laboratories in Allen Park, Mich., and the vehicle will carry an EPA label of 41 mpg for city driving and 36 mpg on the highway when it goes on sale this spring. The Fusion Hybrid, which beats even the much smaller Honda Civic hybrid by 1 mpg in city driving, can travel more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas.
To deliver the class leading fuel economy performance, Ford’s engineers spent the past three years developing in-house the vehicle’s next-generation hybrid propulsion system. It allows the Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrid to travel up to 47 miles per hour in pure electric mode, faster than the Toyota Camry and all other hybrids currently on the road. In addition, the system’s Advanced Intake Variable Cam Timing allows the Fusion and Milan hybrids to more seamlessly transition from gas to electric mode and vice-versa.
“The Fusion Hybrid’s ability to run at a much higher speed in electric mode allows drivers to maximize fuel efficiently in many driving situations,” said Praveen Cherian, Fusion Hybrid program leader. “For example, this would allow drivers to travel around their subdivision and parking areas in all-electric mode.”
Fusion’s advanced hybrid system features:
– Smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery, which produces 20 percent more power than Ford’s previous hybrid system. The battery’s improved chemistry allows it to be run at a higher temperature and cooled using cabin air.
– New 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine (155 horsepower / 136 lb.-ft. of torque), which is mated to an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission.
– Enhanced electronic throttle control, which reduces airflow on shutdowns, reducing fueling needs on restarts.
– Smart climate control system, which monitors cabin temperature and only runs the gas engine as needed to heat the cabin. It also includes an electric air conditioning compressor to further minimize engine use.
– Regenerative brake system, which captures the energy normally lost through friction in braking and stores it. Nearly 94 percent energy recovery is achieved by delivering full regenerative braking, which means only 6 percent of braking is through traditional friction brakes
SmartGauge Teaches Eco-Driving
The new Fusion Hybrid literally teaches drivers how to make the most out of their vehicle, thanks to Ford’s SmartGauge with EcoGuide. SmartGauge is a unique instrument cluster that helps coach drivers on how to optimize the performance of their hybrid.
SmartGauge with EcoGuide features two, high-resolution, full-color liquid crystal display screens on either side of the vehicle’s speedometer. The screens can be configured to show different levels of driver information, including fuel and battery power levels, and average and instant miles-per-gallon.
When set in tutorial mode, the instrument panel “grows” leaves and vines on-screen to reward fuel-efficient driving. The more leaves and vines that appear, the more efficient the driving behavior is and the more fuel is being saved. In some recent tests, automotive journalists have reported exceeding 50 mpg with the Fusion Hybrid.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid also is distinct on the outside with Ford’s “road and leaf” badges on both sides and the rear, unique 17-inch, eight-spoke wheels, and a unique engine cover. On the inside, Fusion Hybrid features eco-friendly seat fabric made from post-industrial 100 percent recycled materials and a standard 110-volt power outlet.
Fusion Gasoline Model Also a Fuel Leader
In addition to the hybrid, Fusion will be offered with three fuel-efficient gasoline engines — the Duratec 2.5-liter I-4 and enhanced 3.0-liter flex-fuel V-6 and 3.5-liter V-6 Duratec engines. Fusions equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine are expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry.
The new Fusion will be building off the strong quality reputation of the current model, which has gained important third-party accolades, and will offer class-exclusive features, including Ford SYNC(TM), SIRIUS(R) TravelLink(TM), BLIS(TM) (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert and Sony-branded audio.
In addition to the Fusion, several other Ford vehicles are fuel-economy standouts on the road today. They include:
– The Ford Focus with 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and manual transmission delivers 35 mpg on the highway, 5 mpg better than the Toyota Corolla’s 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and 2 mpg better than the Honda Fit’s 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, both also with manual transmissions.
– The all-new 2009 Ford F-150 - which just recently was named Motor Trend magazine’s Truck of the Year - achieves 3 mpg more than the Toyota Tundra pickup on the highway and 1 mpg better in the city with its 4.6-liter V-8 engine, compared to Toyota’s 4.7-liter V-8. The F-150’s larger 5.4-liter V-8 achieves 2 mpg better on the highway than the Tundra’s larger engine.
– The 2009 Ford Escape with new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine achieves 28 mpg on the highway, the same as Toyota’s RAV4 and 1 mpg better than the Honda CR-V, both with 4-cylinder engines, too.
– The Ford Expedition achieves 20 mpg on the highway, beating Toyota Sequoia’s 4.7-liter V-8 engine by 3 mpg and its 5.7-liter V-8 by 1 mpg.
About Ford Motor Company:
Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) , a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 224,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
Source: Ford Motor Company
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December 23, 2008
U.S. Energy Corp. Enters Geothermal Arena
U.S. Energy Corp. has acquired a 25% stake in Standard Steam LLC (“SST”), a Denver-based geothermal energy developer, for $3.445 million. Geothermal plants are attractive acquisition targets since they have ‘zero emissions’ and thus conform to renewable energy standards which have been introduced in varying degrees across twenty six US states. SST has accumulated nearly 60,000 acres of land in three states. The land, held across seven sites, has been secured through a combination of state leases, fee leases, and BLM. Land rights are a key resource for a geothermal developer. Consequently, acquisition of land is a continual process and requires large amounts of capital.
MSNBC
Green Star Alternative Energy Partners with Notos
Green Star Alternative Energy Inc. (“GSAE”) has tied up with two Serbian companies, Notos d.o.o., a wind developer and trading outfit, and Sirius Regulus d.o.o., a company involved with real estate holdings. Green Star will own 51% of the energy assets built by this joint initiative. This initiative will be based in the Netherlands to take advantage of tax benefits and avoid Serbia’s complicated foreign ownership laws. Green Star will raise the money required for financing the project. Sirius Regulus will provide the land required for the projects and Notos will be responsible for overseeing and executing the construction of the projects.
CNBC
Iowa City’s First Geothermal Fire Station
The Fire Department of Iowa City has installed a new geothermal system in one of its fire stations. This new system has been introduced at the department’s Fire Station No. 2. This station, which was built at a cost of $2 million, has been certified by Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This is the first time that such an honor has been bestowed on a facility at Iowa City. The facility covers an area of around 10,300 square feet and the new system is expected to help regulate its temperature. This system has been described as a good combination of low maintenance and sustainability.
Alternative Energy Retailer
LG to Release Solar-Powered LCD Display
LG will be introducing its 14.1 inch solar-illuminated LCD notebook at Las Vegas next month. The product will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show scheduled to be held there. The panel has a backlight that is adaptive. It can be switched to the normal transmission mode from a transreflective mode (which is meant to be used outdoors, with light from the sun) by using a button. While the transreflective mode in itself is not an innovation, this is the first product which will not only use the technology but also allow users to switch seamlessly between the two modes of display.
CleanTechnica
New Holland to Unveil Tractor Powered by Fuel Cells
New Holland will roll out the first tractor in the world to be powered using hydrogen fuel cells in February 2009. The tractor has been named NH2, and it will be unveiled at the French SIMA show. The vehicle, which has a fuel cell instead of a diesel engine, also comes with three lithium ion batteries that connect it with the drive train. NH2 is environmentally friendly since it only produces one side product – water. This is an important step since biofuels are currently regarded as an improvement on conventional energy sources due to their large storage capacities and lower emissions.
The Green Optimistic
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December 23, 2008
US Energy Fleet to Win War To Save Our Planet and Economy:
With the government now in the banking, infrastructure, and auto business, why not the energy business?
My background has included developing and testing the hydrogen fuel cell electrical power systems for the challenging Apollo program. Now, over 30 years later, GM and other car manufactures around the world spent millions and have developed hydrogen automobiles with refined hydrogen fuel cell power plants. The only waste byproducts from these “green” cars are water. The fuel cell electric powered cars do not depend on large expensive batteries as do current electric automobiles for long range and big power.
The giant challenge to this no carbon emission automobile is we need massive amounts of hydrogen to run them at a reasonable cost of no co2 byproduct production and distribution. My vision is for our government to build an “energy fleet” consisting of ships that would travel the world producing and selling hydrogen. We would be selling energy and hydrogen cars to foreign markets instead of buying them like we do now. Germany is now undertaking this idea using wind power on board ships to produce hydrogen.
In my vision, the hydrogen is produced from sea water using state of the art high temperature nuclear reactors cooled by sea water. On board production is done far out to sea away from population centers and sensitive eco systems. The government has large stock piles of nuclear material from the end of the cold war that can be converted to hydrogen. Nuclear waste can be deposited in the safe depths of the Arctic Ocean where Russia has been safely doing so for years. With cheap clean nuclear power the hydrogen can be liquified for effecient distribution.
This relatively newly developed nuclear technology can produce energy to run our cars with the cost efficiency close to that of oil. This newer method described above could bring costs for production and distribution under $3 a gallon equivalent. Even factoring in the cost of uranium and refinement.
Think of all the people we could put to work building this energy fleet of ships and the hydrogen powered automobiles. And put this investment back into our treasury from the proceeds coming from foreign trade. Selling stock in the government, i.e. Treasury bonds, like we did so well during the Second World War, could help fund this program.
Remember the Liberty ships? The US built over 2700 ships in four years to support the war effort. Imagine a fleet of over 2000 nuclear powered US Energy Fleet cruising the world. Their only emissions are large amounts of hot water used to cool the reactors. Our weather scientists could have a field day with the possibilities of controlling weather patterns by altering ocean water temperatures. That is another subject.
But now we have a greater war to win, not save our liberty, but to save our planet and our economy. Even with all the projects Roosevelt started to bring us out of depression, it took the Second World War effort to bring prosperity back to our country. This is the kind of all out effort we need now. No chanange too hard, no chalange too big for the heart and minds of all americans.
Adrian Floreani retired Apollo Engineer.
adrian@floSkis.com
P.O. Box 5781
Vail Colorado 81658
970 688 0261
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December 23, 2008
There is a serious question as to whether Toyota can make money on the Prius. Is it expensive to make because of its complexity?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/28354001#28354001
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December 23, 2008
Suggests investing in battery technology, solar, and electricity grid.
Close to battery breakthroughs that propel car a distance and not generate heat.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/28349334#28349334
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Energy Power.
