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we put so much focus on new power generation, arguably a more sexy topic when we talk about wind and solar, and seem to forget that maximizing renewable output means improving the way the grid operates and expanding its reach.

One of the leading alternatives for producing clean power from coal -- Integrated Combined Cycle Gasification (IGCC) technology faces a precarious future due to rising capital costs and regulatory uncertainty. A process of gasifying coal that allows capture of carbon dioxide emissions, IGCC has tremendous potential for meeting future baseload generation demand but project momentum has slowed dramatically in 2007, according to a new study from Emerging Energy Research (EER). Despite delays or cancellations of several prominent IGCC projects in 2007, 48 projects with a combined capacity of over 25,000 MW remain in the global IGCC pipeline, according to EER.

COAL-FIRED power stations should not be privatised but bulldozed over the next 20 years to curb greenhouse gas emissions, one of the state's leading energy academics has told the Iemma Government.

And that's not all. We reported recently on this site on the solar powered car making its way around the world. We also covered the concept of solar roads to capture usable energy. We even reported on a sail boat powered with a solar sail. Now the BBC reports   that the U.S. military has held a test run in Arizona of a UK-made solar plane, the Zephyr-6. The plane flew for more than three days, running at night on solar charged batteries. The more than 83 hour non-stop flight was the longest of any unmanned aircraft.

The Weza is a fully sustainable  green source of power. It can however, be plugged in to recharge its 12V, 7Ah lead acid battery. This product is capable of starting vehicle engines ,(jumper cables included), and powering many other devices. It is portable, easy to carry, great for boats, motor homes  and campers.

And I promise you this: This nation, the United States of America, will take the lead internationally.

With input from people around the world -- much of it on this website -- an international group of leading technological thinkers were asked to identify the Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century.  Now their conclusions are revealed on this website.

Most importantly, the material is most effective between 450 and 950° Fahrenheit. This is a typical temperature range for many power systems, including car engines. Many experts argue that up to 60 percent of a gasoline engine’s energy is lost through waste heat, so a thermoelectric device using lead telluride would be a welcome addition to any car. Such devices have no moving parts; this means that wear and tear is virtually non-existent.

Two separate teams, one at Caltech and the other at the University of California, Berkeley, reported that they could increase silicon's ability to convert heat into electric current by as much as 100 times. If they can use what they've learned to improve silicon even further, or translate their findings to other materials, the discovery could lead to new ways to cool computer chips, build refrigerators, or get more power out of car engines.