15May
Solar Lily Pads in Scotland
Scotland based firm ZM Architecture was recently awarded a prize by the International Design Awards for its promising solar technology concept known as the solar lily pad. What makes the most sense about this concept is that it can be implemented with very little environmental impact while saving precious land resources for other uses. Project manager Peter Richardson hopes to implement the technology on the River Clyde in an effort to supplement Glascow's electricity needs while creating a unique waterfront experience. Glascow City Council has already approved a small test site for construction of a pilot project. 2 Comments
Inventions, Solar Power
The government of California is backing an initiative between the Linde Group and Waste Management to build a liquefied natural gas facility that will produce clean liquid fuel from landfill gas using minicipal waste incinerators. The facility is expected to open in 2009 and will produce up to 13,000 gallons of fuel per day. The ground-breaking project will be the largest of its kind and will enable California to tap into a valuable renewable source of clean energy while greatly reducing our dependence on fossil fuels. 
The X-Prize Foundation, most commonly known for it's space exploration challenges, has launched a new generation of contests that they hope will have a global impact aned encourage a positive influence on global warming and progress toward clean, green, renewable energy. $100 million will be awarded to prize concepts that promote a world where energy is no longer a source of conflict and pollution, such that energy will someday be affordable and abundant, clean and renewable, and used efficiently and equitably. The project will start with a nine-month process to select the best prize targets. 
Eugene Tsui has designed a concept city called The Ultima Tower that would help solve the global population crisis. Acting as a human termite nest, and costing $150 billion, these two mile high green towers would house over one million people in a one mile wide area. Instead of floors, the building's interior would consist of a multi-dimensional ecosystem complete with neighborhood districts and 30-50 meter high skies. Lakes, streams, rivers, hills and ravines comprise the soil landscape on which residential, office, commercial, retail and entertainment buildings can be built. 
Scientists from the Vulcan Project at Purdue University have created an extraordinary piece of software that tracks the carbon emissions of the entire continental United States. This exciting virtual map has the potential of becoming an effective way to analyze and try to solve the climate change puzzle. The current data map only contains emissions from 2002, but more recent years are being analyzed and the project's ultimate goal is to "build a computer-based world in which all processes that emit fossil fuel carbon dioxide (CO2) at the planetary surface can be simulated, visualized, analyzed, and used by multiple stakeholders as they engage the climate change problem." 
The word "nuclear energy" always inspires awe, and sometimes fear, because we always associate terms like "nukes" and "radiation" when we talk about something nuclear. But it is not as ominous as it sounds and in fact, for some countries it is a major source of energy. 75% of energy in France is generated by nuclear power and even in the United States, 19% of electricity is derived from nuclear energy. 
The Scuderi Group will be presenting a scale plastic model of their highly anticipated split-cycle air-hybrid engine during this week's Engine Expo 2008 in Germany. The company plans to display a demonstration model of the valve train at the show. The computer models that the Scuderi Group are using to develop the Air-Hybrid Engine are producing concrete engineering results that work as expected when prototyped. The new engine is expected to increase fuel-efficiency by 1/3 in regular gasoline engines, and have even greater efficiency in diesel engines. 
This fall, Wisconsin's Mid-State Technical College will be offering three new renewable energy degree programs. These will include biorefinery technology, renewable electricity technician and renewable thermal energy technician training. Ronald Zillmer, associate dean of MSTC's technical and industrial division hopes the courses are the beginning of new trend in green energy education. "The college is investing in programs for jobs that will be here 100 years from now. This is not a short-term endeavor; folks feeling the effects of globalization and being displaced from their jobs are looking for stability." 
Recently we posted an article announcing the production of a portable solar charger for airplane avionics. At the end of that article we asked if you thought airplanes could one day be powered by solar. Since then we discovered a whole slew of existing solar airplane concepts and projects that we thought we'd share with you. Click through the following links to visit the related websites. At the bottom of this article you'll find another opportunity to vote your opinion and leave your comments about the feasibility of solar powered flight. 
Pacific Gas and Electric has announced plans to work with BrightSource Energy to three four or more huge solar thermal electric generators in the Mojave desert. The first plant will be operational by 2011 and will produce almost 250 megawatt hours of renewable electricity per year. Brightsource Energy’s president John Woolard claims it is “the biggest commitment ever in the history of solar”. PG&E is motivated by a California law which requires them to produce 20% of its power via renewable sources by 2010. 
According to a study by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the recent and rapid increase in large-scale liquid biofuel production in third world countries could marginalize rural women by threatening their livelihoods. Traditionally, small farmers (women in particular) have had limited access to the large-scale plantations that are required for the production of biofuels like bioethanol and biodiesel. These include land and water, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. 
Thanks for participating in our recent energy poll, where we asked you to choose your favorite renewable energy sources. Voting is still open, but so far it looks like solar power is the most popular choice, with wind power in second place. We recently came across another interesting NWA news article that examines the differences between solar and wind and concludes that wind energy is more actually more efficient than solar energy. Among other factors, they quote UCEI director Severin Borenstein as stating "wind power still remains much cheaper to produce than solar." What do you think? 
The Bahrain World Trade Center (BWTC) has completed the construction of the three wind turbines that will generate electricity between it's twin towers. The BWTC design blends maritime aesthetics with the functionality of traditional wind-towers. The buildings are the tallest in Manama and the turbines officially make it the world's first wind-powered mega structure. The three wind turbines are horizontally supported between the towers by three bridges weighing a substantial 65-tonnes each, and will provide 11-15% of the electricity needs of both towers. 
The concern for our environment no longer remains in the realm of NGO activism and student projects. It is a real-time concern that stares us in the eye at every moment. Global warming, changing seasons, depleting forests, expanding deserts, melting glaciers and ice at the poles and increasing sea levels, food shortage, climatic aberration and suffocating pollution are glaring manifestations of an environment on the brink of turning into a global catastrophe. 
Powerenz, a manfacturer and retailer of portable solar power systems in Georgia, has designed a system to help pilots power up their light airplane avionics without having to start the engine. It can power up the aircraft avionics silently, without smoke, and without wasting aircraft fuel. The unit can be used for approximately 90 minutes before the portable battery required recharging. The entire system can be housed in either a heavy-duty tool-carrying case, a military tanker’s tool bag, or in a hard case. 
A new hybrid vehicle prototype could make cargo transportation a lot more energy efficient. The add-on system uses a special trailer that provides a power assist on hills and uses regenerative braking technology to recharge the onboard battery system. The system works similar to a hybrid car; the motor generators produce electricity via regenerative braking instead of normal friction brakes, and a bank of batteries can be mounted under the trailer chassis to store this energy. When the truck/trailer combo needs to accelerate or go uphill, electric power flows from the batteries to the motors to provide some or all the power needed to propel the truck. It is one of several potential systems that aim to increase fuel economy and reduce the carbon emissions from heavily polluting tractor trailers. 
Our recent polls on biofuels and solar energy have shed some interesting light on the public's opinion of these energy sources. So far, it looks like a majority people believe solar energy has great potential as an energy source, while opinions about biofuels are split almost 50/50. If you browse through our articles you'll notice many more opinion polls posted at the bottom of each of our articles on topics like tidal energy and more controversial issues like geo-engineering. While all of these polls are great, we thought we'd dedicate a post to finding out just which energy technologies people are most excited about. 
The amount of energy the sun sends towards our planet is 35,000 times more than what we currently produce and consume. Some part of this energy -- better known as solar radiation -- is reflected back into space but a lot of it is absorbed by the atmosphere and other elements surrounding the inner atmosphere. This energy can be easily harnessed for practical purposes such as heating homes, lighting bulbs and running automobiles and even airplanes. The uses can be as varied as the uses of energy itself. And the great thing is that we are never going to run out of this massive energy resource even for thousands and thousands of years. 
The recent explosion in green websites has prompted us to post this survey so we can get an idea of just how many sites are actually green. A few months ago we switched to Pair Networks because of their carbon-nuetral status. While they have always been known for their quality and support services, the decision last year to reduce their carbon footprint to zero has caused a growth in business. Their clients now include several top green websites like TreeHugger.com. 
An environmental engineer/developer has plans to construct a unique lifestyle “Green” condo development on the banks of the main channel of the Mississippi River in the historic River city of McGregor in northeast Iowa. The site is within a 4 hr drive of Chicago, Minneapolis and Milwaukee & Madison, WI. While close to several urban areas, it is tucked away in the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge; 240,000 acres and 260 river miles of protected wooded islands, marshes and backwaters. The developer notes that there is a human desire to recreate and to be in contact with nature however this has placed unsustainable pressure on the very places we seek out to enjoy. 
