Skip to main content

Home/ Clean Energy Transition/ Group items tagged alternatives

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Colin Bennett

Clean Alternatives to Everyday Machines: On/Off/Switch? : CleanTechnica - 0 views

  •  
    To wrap up my ode to John Henry (and a more sustainable lifestyle) I am going to cover a few more everyday household plug-ins by giving the current ON the grid offering, it's OFF the grid alternative, and weigh in on whether a switch is warranted.
Colin Bennett

Top 10 Alternative Energy Lobbying Groups in 2008 « Earth2Tech - 0 views

  •  
    The Top 10 alternative energy lobbying groups are largely biofuel, solar and wind trade groups, though the biggest contributor by far is the "American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity,"
Hans De Keulenaer

Alternative Fuels: A Primer - 0 views

  • Alternative fuels aren't a perfect alternative to gasoline. They have less energy than gas and cost more; it's improbable that production will be ramped up for more than a fraction of America's vehicles; they have corrosive effects on normal fuel systems; and it's not certain we'll get the technology to work soon.
budi santoso

Alternative Energy«Greentech|Green Living|Green Vehicle » Propeller - 1 views

  •  
    When looking into alternative energy car people are focusing mainly on electric power cars, ethanol cars and hybrid plugins as the cars of the future but I really think we have overlooked one power source that has always been here right on top of us and that the constant solar power that is coming at us from the sun.
Hans De Keulenaer

Ten Alternative Energy Speculations for 2008: Batteries, CHP, and Transmission | Altern... - 0 views

  •  
    This article is a continuation of my Ten Alternative Energy Speculations for 2008, with picks #8, 9, and10 published last Thursday. If you haven't already, please read the introduction of that article before buying any of the stock picks that follow. These companies are likely to be highly volatile, and large positions are not appropriate for many investors. My least risky picks (#8,9, and #10) are part of that same article; my most speculative plays (#1-3) will follow in a few days.
Energy Net

DOE Loans to Make Nevada the "Saudi Arabia of Geothermal Energy" | Inhabitat ... - 0 views

  •  
    "The Silver State-based company has developed the Faulkner 1, a 49.5 MW geothermal power project at NGP's Blue Mountain site in northwestern Nevada. Currently, the project is planning two new injection wells to enhance the distribution of injected fluids and further augment the plant's power output. As such, the DOE is acting as loan guarantor for up to 80 percent of the $98.5 million loan to NGP for the scheme. As part of the Obama administration's Recovery Act, alternative energy has seen a real increase in investment with projects such as the Cape Wind Farm being finalized. Recent tragedies such as the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have only solidified support for alternative energy. Geothermal projects haven't dominated headlines like solar and wind projects have, but US Senator Harry Reid hopes to see that change. Speaking about the DOE's support, Senator Reid said, "I am glad to see economic recovery funding being used to put Nevadans to work on a project that will help us achieve energy independence" He went on to say, "Northern Nevada is the Saudi Arabia of geothermal energy.""
Colin Bennett

Comparison of Innovative Tranportation Technologies - 0 views

  •  
    a comprehensive list of more than 100 ready and emerging alternative transportation technologies.
Peter Fleming

Moon Mined for Earth's Alternative Fuel? - 1 views

  • "Just 40 tons of this stuff has enough potential energy to meet the total U.S. electricity demand for a year." Does this mean we will be mining the moon for Helium-3 any time soon to fuel the earth? Probably not, since the cost to extract Helium-3 from the moon would be enormous and it would require "hundreds of millions of tons of soil" to "be processed to extract a ton of helium-3".
    • Peter Fleming
       
      Seems a long way off. I can't see it working before tipping points if we don't use the money for viables.
  •  
    Mining for helium-3 on the moon is being considered as another alternate fuel source.
Colin Bennett

ApplianceMagazine.com | Sustainability in Home Appliances - Europe Report - 0 views

  • The buzzword these days is sustainability. A few years ago, this meant responsibility in a broader sense. Now, the focus is more on actual products. So, which alternatives can the industry offer to the appliance industry’s well-known products? And are these actually large, revolutionary steps? In white-good appliances, there are several alternatives. Europeans switched to high-efficiency horizontal-drum washers a long time ago—a revolutionary technology that left little room for improvement. The next big step might be to heat the water with gas instead of electricity. Martin Elektrotechnik is one German company that offers an automatic external water selector. It detects activation of the heating element and switches accordingly. However, at 285 euros, sales have been limited. The same unit can also be used for the dishwasher. The clothes dryer is another story. These appliances use 3–4 kWh per run, and there are more-efficient alternatives—the gas dryer and the heat pump dryer. Europe has a few gas dryer manufacturers, including UK-based Crosslee with its White Knight brand and Miele. Despite the advantages of efficiency and shorter drying time, they have not caught on in the larger marketplace. They only come as vented units, not as condenser units, and connecting the gas is just too much of a hurdle for many consumers, even when there is a click-on gas connector system available. Heat pump dryers are relatively new. Electrolux started in 1997 with an almost hand-built model under their premium, environmentally oriented AEG brand. At a price point of 1500 euros, even wealthy German consumers would not buy many of them. In 2005, the company started selling a redesigned model, called Öko-Lavatherm. It claimed energy savings up to 40% for around 700 euros, which is more in line with the cost of other premium models. Other manufacturers of heat pump dryers include Blomberg, the German brand owned by Turkish market leader Arçelik, and Swiss Schulthess. In cooling, there have been no large breakthroughs. Years ago, there was talk of vacuum-insulated panels, but no models were produced. Instead, there have been a number of smaller-scale efficiency improvements, and today, the industry suggests that consumers simply buy new, extraefficient models. AEG offers a typical case: a 300-L cooler/freezer in the A++ efficiency class now uses only 200 kWh per year, whereas a 10-year-old model used as much as 500 kWh. And what about the heating industry? Remember that in chilly Europe, heating is the largest energy user. The advice here is almost the same as for white-good appliances—just replace old equipment. There are still many noncondenser boilers on the market and a significant percentage of houses are insufficiently insulated. German Vaillant is calling its efficiency initiative "Generation Efficiency." But, like the home appliances market, progress is gradual. Current boilers are already highly efficient. Other technologies, such as solar panels, combined heat-and-power units, and heat pumps, catch on more slowly. Still, there were 1.1 million renewable energy units sold in Europe in 2006 compared with 440,000 just two years earlier. Some of the company’s smaller steps forward were seen at ISH. The small Vaillant ecoCOMPACT combiboiler now has a high-efficiency pump, which is said to reduce electricity use by 50%. Hot water output is higher for user comfort, and there are new modules for remote access for better preventive service. The main obstacle for customers wanting a heat pump is the installation, as sometimes complex drilling is needed. Vaillant solved that issue by taking over a drilling company and offers all of the services for a fixed price, just like its competitor, BBT Thermotechnik. Across the board, it seems manufacturers continue their efforts toward sustainability. The question now seems to be whether or not consumers will take advantage of the technology.
Gary Edwards

The American Spectator : A True Energy Policy - 0 views

  •  
    Excellent over view of shale gas and compressed natural gas dynamics including conversion kits for automobiles and truck fleets. THE ONLY LOGICAL ANSWER to bridge the conversion from oil based fuels to paradigm alternatives lies in the conversion of personal transportation to the use of natural gas. Consider the following reasons: (long list) ONE WEEK AFTER Obama's energy policy speech, March 31, 2011, at Georgetown University, a bi-partisan group of more than 150 Members of Congress introduced HR.1835, with Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) as the primary sponsor. The NAT GAS Act (New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions) Act, is the culmination of efforts of T. Boone Pickens to promote his "Pickens Plan" for changing the focus of American energy consumption. The NAT GAS Act provides incentives for using natural gas in vehicles, purchasing natural gas vehicles, installing natural gas refueling stations, and producing natural gas vehicles in America. The problem is that Obama and his energy secretary do not actually support HR 1835!  The speech was just a ruse.  Watch what he does, not what he says.  CNG-Compressed Natural Gas
Phil Slade

Ammonia Fuel Network (AFN) - 2 views

  •  
    "Mission: To promote the implementation of anhydrous ammonia as an affordable, sustainable, carbon-free fuel for transportation and stationary power applications, thereby enhancing economic security, reducing fossil-fuel dependence, and helping save the environment. Anhydrous ammonia is an ultra-clean, energy-dense alternative liquid fuel. Ammonia is the only fuel other than hydrogen that produces no greenhouse gases (GHG) on combustion. Ammonia will power diesel and spark-ignited internal combustion engines, direct ammonia fuel cells, and even combustion turbines. And, ammonia can be manufactured from simply water and air using clean renewable energy."
Energy Net

Tide turns for wave power - Times Online - 0 views

  •  
    WIND POWER faces difficult obstacles, but its supporters can at least point to wind farms already in operation. By contrast, tidal power, often touted as an environmentally friendly alternative, has struggled. A firm quoted on London's Alternative Investment Market believes it is on to the next big thing in carbon-neutral energy - wave power.
Jeff Johnson

Pickens sees answer to energy crisis in the wind (Los Angeles Times) - 0 views

  •  
    The billionaire oilman and onetime corporate raider says the U.S. must wean itself from foreign oil, and he's betting some of his fortune on harnessing domestic energy alternatives.
Colin Bennett

Solar powered Invisible Streetlight - A superb alternative to power wasting street ligh... - 0 views

  •  
    the Invisible Streetlight is a solar powered street light that imitates leaves and can be hidden among natural plants on the sides of streets.
Sergio Ferreira

MIT Develops Way to Bank Solar Energy at Home - 0 views

  • During photosynthesis, plants use sunlight to break water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms and later on the atoms recombine and produce energy. MIT scientists have tried to duplicate this method of plants to store sun’s energy.
  • The main constituent in Nocera and Kanan’s procedure is a new catalyst that generates oxygen gas from water and another catalyst produces hydrogen gas. The catalysts are cobalt and platinum. These new catalysts work at normal room temperature in neutral pH water and the whole system can be installed easily.
Colin Bennett

Top 7 alternative energies listed - environment - New Scientist - 0 views

  •  
    The energy sources that Jacobson found most promising were, in descending order:
Hans De Keulenaer

Railway Gazette: UltraCaps win out in energy storage - 0 views

  •  
    REGENERATIVE BRAKING is widely practised, but there have to be other trains around to absorb the surplus power being fed back into the catenary or third rail. Processing the output from trains and pushing it back into the local grid is possible with an AC power supply, but very expensive with DC traction. Too often, power produced by traction motors in braking mode ends up heating resistor banks. The elegant alternative is to store the braking energy on the train. This not only avoids the electrical complications of regenerating through the traction power supply network. It reduces the rated power requirement of that network by lopping demand peaks during acceleration, saves energy by reducing losses in the catenary or conductor rail, and by limiting voltage drop it allows substations to be further apart. NiMH batteries have the necessary energy storage density in terms of kWh/kg, and are slightly more expensive, but their life in terms of charge/discharge cycles in no way matches the LRV requirement for 2million cycles over 10 years. Flywheels have been tried but never caught on for several reasons.
Hans De Keulenaer

Top Stories of 2007 - 0 views

  •  
    Each year, things seem to get more exciting for the renewable energy industries, and 2007 was no exception. Although there was much disappointment about the exclusion of important provisions for renewables in the recent U.S. energy bill, the overall global picture was positive. With 31 gigawatts of renewable energy developed around the world, 17 billion dollars in global market transactions and 21 billion dollars in global venture capital invested in new companies in 2007, clean energy can no longer be considered an "alternative" -- it is simply the natural evolution of energy.
1 - 20 of 172 Next › Last »
Showing 20 items per page