An idealized application for superconductors is to employ them in the transmission of commercial power to cities. However, due to the high cost and impracticality of cooling miles of superconducting wire to cryogenic temperatures, this has only happened with short "test runs". In May of 2001 some 150,000 residents of Copenhagen, Denmark, began receiving their electricity through HTS (high-temperature superconducting) material. That cable was only 30 meters long, but proved adequate for testing purposes. In the summer of 2001 Pirelli completed installation of three 400-foot HTS cables for Detroit Edison at the Frisbie Substation capable of delivering 100 million watts of power. This marked the first time commercial power has been delivered to customers of a US power utility through superconducting wire. Intermagnetics General has announced that its IGC-SuperPower subsidiary has joined with BOC and Sumitomo Electric in a $26 million project to install an underground, HTS power cable in Albany, New York, in Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation's power grid. Sumitomo Electric's DI-BSCCO cable was employed in the first in-grid power cable demonstration project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and New York Energy Research & Development Authority. After connecting to the grid successfully on July 2006, the DI-BSCCO cable has been supplying the power to approximately 70,000 households without any problems. The long-term test will be completed in the 2007-2008 timeframe.

Take a good look at panels that have been installed for several years and you will notice discontinuities and shiny areas where the components have been damaged and where the power production is reduced.

Though there are no visibly moving parts in a solar PV panel, there are many parts of the system where continuous chemical and physical reactions take place that can eventually lead to system degradation and failure.

Leaves and snow are particular nuisances for rooftop solar panels, but sand and bird droppings can be important in some areas as well.

GE Energy Financial Services has released a study estimating that the federal production tax credit (PTC) for wind power that is set to expire December 31, 2008 more than pays for itself through tax revenues from the projects' income, vendors' profits and individual workers' wages.

A solar power system that provides enough electricity for 10 homes was unveiled yesterday at Navy housing, part of a broad effort to find energy alternatives in the nation's most oil-dependent state.

Potenco’s Pull-Cord Generator (PCG) keeps portable electronic devices working all the time while providing freedom and independence from traditional power sources.Simply hold the PCG in the palm of one hand, pull the cord with the other hand, and generate instant energy. The PCG safely powers rechargeable batteries and provides energy for a variety of critical electronics such as lighting, cell phones, radios, GPS, PDAs, and water purifiers.

In just one year, the whens and wheres of lithium battery packs for hybrid and electric cars have come into much sharper focus

Navigant Consulting, Inc. (NYSE: NCI) today announced the launch of a major multi-client study on the convergence of the Smart Grid with Photovoltaics (PV). This comprehensive and focused study is helping the eighteen participating organizations identify the key technology components of a PV Smart Grid; understand how the Smart Grid could create additional value for distributed PV; gain insight to the implications for utilities; and identify trends and valuable market opportunities.

So, the moral is: Sometimes it appears that the lunch is free, but the bill eventually comes anyway - when you have to replenish the catalyst.

This article demonstrates that the large feed-in tariffs currently guaranteed for solar electricity in Germany constitute a subsidization regime that, if extended to 2020, threatens to reach a level comparable to that of German hard coal production, a notoriously outstanding example of misguided political intervention. Yet, as a consequence of the coexistence of the German Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) and theEUEmissions Trading Scheme (ETS), the increased use of renewable energy technologies does not imply any additional emission reductions beyond those already achieved by ETS alone. Similarly disappointing is the net employment balance, which is likely to be negative if one takes into account the opportunity cost of this form of solar photovoltaic support. Along the lines of the International Energy Agency (IEA 2007:77), we therefore recommend the immediate and drastic reduction of the magnitude of the feed-in tariffs granted for solar-based electricity. Ultimately, producing electricity on this basis is among the most expensive greenhouse gas abatement options.

A zero emissions street legal Electric Motorcycle for light commuters and motorcycle enthusiast alike. The 14.2 kilowatt electric drive system and Hi-Power Lithium batteries allow this light weight electric motorcycle to briskly accelerate to freeway speeds.

A novel type of tank for hydrogen storage has been developed by BMW Group Forschung und Technik and partners. The tank is made of composite material for storing liquid hydrogen. Through this development the weight of the entire tank system can be reduced to a third compared to conventional cylindrical tanks made of steel.

The chart above shows domestic fuel prices for Great Britain from 1914 to 2007. The data up to 1985 was compiled by Horace Herring and Rodney Evans using this source and been updated with more recent figures from UK government statistics. It is expressed in UK pounds for the year 2000, adjusted by the retail price index (i.e the price of energy related to other 'real' goods such as food).

In support of the State of California Renewables Portfolio Standard, the California ISO (CAISO) has worked with Participating Transmission Owners, the California Energy Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, industry experts, adjacent control areas and owners/developers of renewable resources to identify integration issues and solutions for the integration of large amounts of renewable resources into the CAISO Control Area.

While capital cost is an important economic parameter, it should be realized that the total ownership cost (including the impact of equipment life and O&M costs) is a much more meaningful index for a complete economic analysis. For example, while the capital cost of lead-acid batteries is relatively low, they may not necessarily be the least expensive option for energy management (load leveling) due to their relatively short life for this type of application.

"Grid-scale storage is here now. Storage should be deployed now at the gigawatt (GW) scale...where capacity, ancillary services and energy time-shifting are clearly needed."

The paper discusses the use of a dual energy storage system based on batteries and supercapacitors in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV). The battery has a large energy density, enabling an all-electric driving range of 100 km, while the supercapacitor has a large power density and provides peak power during acceleration and regenerative breaking. The paper discusses the benefits and drawbacks of both storage systems and the specific requirements imposed by the hybrid drive train. Coupling such a HEV to the grid allows interaction between grid and HEV, providing the grid with a controllable load. Depending on the communication between the hybrid fleet and the grid, this load can be controlled by adjusting the electricity price in order to allow a higher penetration of intermittent renewable energy sources such as wind parks in the grid and if the communication allows the transmission system operator to reduce the load imposed on the grid by the hybrid fleet, the hybrid fleet can become part of the secondary frequency control reserve. In case of sudden demand or supply fluctuations, the hybrid fleet can assist in primary control of the grid. Due to the dual energy storage system the HEVs can also provide fast load tracking to keep the voltage in microgrids at the desired set point. An experimental setup with a battery, grid coupling and induction machine proves the feasibility of the concept.

At Four Dollars per Gallon Almost Three Quarters of Americans Report Changing Driving Habits to Cope with Gas Prices

Renewable energy is an essential part of Australia’s low emissions energy mix and is important to Australia’s energy security. It plays a strong role in reducing Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions and helping Australia stay on track to meet its Kyoto target and beyond. Australian Government support for renewable energy assists industry development, reduces barriers to the national electricity market, and provides community access to renewable energy.

Iceland is about to launch its first hydrogen-powered ship ... well, at least the lights on it are powered by hydrogen. Of all nations, Iceland is probably the best provided-for in terms of sustainable energy, since it sits on the north Atlantic Ridge, and can draw ample geothermal energy from the molten lava that flows underneath it.