Future Energy

We are already experiencing the ill effects of greenhouse gases in the form of global warming, glaciers and polar ice melting, rise in the sea level and sudden, unpredictable variation in weather, turning catastrophic sometimes. The eventual effect of global warming is sending a chill down the spines of environmentalists. Several teams of researchers are working overnight on carbon capture technology. It intends to remove undesirable amount of carbon dioxide, the main culprit in global warming, from the atmosphere. 3 Comments

Remember the Solar Lily Pads? Well, Swiss inventor Thomas Hinderling has taken that idea to the next level with his solar islands concept (check out the video). The 5km wide, 20m height island concept would be mobile and would adjust according to the sun's movement across the sky. Each island would generate hundreds of kilowatts of electricity that would be almost five times cheaper than current electricity rates. A company called CSEM is financing construction of a prototype this year in the United Arab Emirates, and they are hopeful that full production of these islands could begin as soon as 2011. 6 Comments

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. 11 Comments

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. 16 Comments

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. 26 Comments

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. 7 Comments

Today's TED Talk is brought to us by Juan Enriquez, chair and CEO of Biotechonomy, and an authority on economics and the political impact of science. Enriquez proposes that we look at 'growing energy' by accelerating the biological processes that produce fuel crops. He believes increased agricultural productivity and energy production can be achieved by understanding the role biology plays in producing traditional fuel sources like coal and oil. He also argues that we should stop extracting energy with 'brute force' and start using biological science and technology to process crude fuel sources in a sustainable way. 10 Comments

Residents of Dubai may one day experience a unique and constantly changing skyline thanks to Dynamic Architecture's wind powered rotating skyscraper. The main idea behind their concept involves a central concrete core surrounded by 59 independently rotating levels. The skyscraper would generate its own electricity from the massive horizontal wind turbines that would be stacked in between each floor. This idea may seem outlandish or impossibly expensive, but the oil price boom in Dubai has already funded many other similarly massive and complex architectural projects. If oil prices continue to increase these rotating wonders may be seen on Dubai's horizon within the next few years. 24 Comments

There is great potential for free software like Google SketchUp to play a role in the development of future small and large scale alternative energy technologies. Google SketchUp is free software that can be used to create complex 3-D models. The software interface is simple and easy to use. The possibilities are limitless! Anyone can now create a 3-D version of their idea or concept! The models can then be imported into programs like Google Earth. More specifically, SketchUp is the perfect software to help us in our quest to develop new energy technologies. 1 Comment

The Masdar Initiative is an environmental urban ambition by Foster + Partners to develop a sustainable city. They recently released these beautiful images of their conceptual walled city where residents would enjoy a carbon and waste-free environment. The 6 million square metre project is based on the principles of an ancient walled city, combined with modern alternative energy technologies. The mixed-use, high density city will include a University, Innovation Center, Company Headquarters and several economic zones. The company plans to launch the project at Cityscape Abu Dhabi 2007. The initiative is being driven by the Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company. 5 Comments

It is time for our civilization to rethink the way we live, work, travel, design, build and consume. To think that we are doing our part simply by driving a hybrid car and recycling our paper, bottles, and cans is a dangerous illusion. For years, environmentalists have been telling us to do more with less in order to make change happen. This is simply not enough. We are going to have to fundamentally change the way we design our products, industries and cities. Our current recycling methods are inefficient and only serve to perpetuate the "cradle-to-grave" manufacturing model that we've been using for hundreds of years. 8 Comments

Minnesota based JPods LLC and Swiss-based Festel Capital have signed a letter of intent to begin raising capital to commercialize JPods' patented form of Personal Rapid Transit (PRT) in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The JPod system supplies power to the JPod vehicles via power conductor cables supported from the rail support structure. The system is designed to endure the worst extremes of weather and can travel at speeds up to 30-40 miles per hour. The load capacity depends upon the type of vehicle. A standard people JPod can carry 4 people with a generous margin on normal weight. 2 Comments

China is gaining speed as a world leader in the development of renewable energy technologies. Its booming population is straining the energy infrastructure and putting ever increasing pressure on the government to allow research into alternative energy solutions. The majority of China's current energy needs are met by non-renewable sources such as coal. The country's lack of natural resources and growing need for fuel and electricity are giving rise to a new Chinese industrial revolution in clean energy. A new energy market is opening in China which will provide alternative energy investors with the opportunity to invest in renewable energy companies there. 4 Comments

Retired Aircraft Engineer Gary Reysa has published plans on how to build your own solar heating system. Complete plans and instructions are available online including detailed information about how the systems operates, how it performs and what costs are involved. The plans are complete with a list of necessary materials and some helpful construction tips on how to build and modify the project according to your home heating needs. The instructions detail how to assess your home's needs in order to determine what size solar panels your home will require. 2 Comments

The Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition (OREC) was founded in 2005 by Sean O'Neill (founder of Symmetrix) and Carolyn Elefant (Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant). The mission of OREC is the advancement and commercialization of offshore renewables, including offshore wind, ocean wave, OTEC and ocean and stream based tidal and current (hydrokinetic) technologies. In 2006 OREC lobbied for federal funding for offshore renewable projects and tax incentives to stimulate private investment. 1 Comment

The Water/Fuel Converters Project is specifically designed to clarify how hydrogen based fuels can be used to enhance carbon based fuels. The purpose is to educate the general public about the simplicity of on-demand electrolysis technology and the ease of integration into already existing infrastructure. A main aspect of the project is to provide free information whereas other website attempt to capitalize on the situation. By presenting free information the general public now has the best possibility to become informed about how the near future of the energy industry will evolve. 4 Comments

BioPower Systems is developing a new ocean energy technology in Australia that will use bionics to mimic natural systems in order to produce energy. Both bioSTREAM and bioWAVE technologies use biomimicry, which refers to the adaptation of biological traits in engineered systems. BioPower Systems has copied many of the beneficial traits from natural systems in the development of the new ocean energy conversion systems. The company is researching this new technology for application. Laboratory testing will be completed in 2007, and full-scale ocean-based prototypes will be tested in 2008. Commercial units are expected to reach the market by the end of 2009. 1 Comment

BMW has announced the start of production of the new BMW Hydrogen 7, the world's first hydrogen-powered luxury saloon car. Destined to make its first public appearance on 28 November at the Los Angeles Motor Show, the Hydrogen 7 will be built in limited numbers and offered to selected users in 2007. The BMW Hydrogen 7 is based on the existing 7 Series and comes equipped with an internal combustion engine capable of running on liquid hydrogen or petrol. In hydrogen mode the car emits nothing more than water vapor. Powered by a 260hp 12-cylinder engine, the Hydrogen 7 accelerates from zero to 62mph in 9.5 seconds before going on to an electronically limited 143mph top speed. 13 Comments

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is sponsoring an exciting environmental design competition for undergraduate and graduate students. It's called the "P3 Award" (People, Prosperity and the Planet), and it fosters cutting-edge, sustainable solutions to environmental challenges. Through this national design competition, students and their faculty advisory submit cutting-edge, sustainable solutions to environmental challenges and compete for $10,000 to develop their designs. Winners from the first phase of the competition advance to the National Sustainable Design Expo in Washington, DC, in the spring of 2008 where they compete for the chance to win up to $75,000 in funding to move their designs to the marketplace or implement them in the field. No Comments

Small tidal power companies are taking advantage of the rising interest in alternative energies. Large amounts of coastal waters are being reserved on both coasts of North America by small companies who plan to take advantage of ocean energy technologies, in the hopes that these sites will become profitable sources of electricity. Celeste Miller, spokeswoman for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, says that interest in tidal power technology began about two years ago. Her agency issues permits that give companies exclusive rights to study the tidal sites. Permit holders usually have first dibs on development licenses. No Comments