Copper end use trends

The two kinds of disruptive clean technologies

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.

Dream Car 123

Party balloons may be the next big thing in solar power. Cool Earth has made some giant balloons with gizmos inside that will convert the collected sun and focus it onto a cell. They have been given a big chunk of moola to make 10,000 balloons to cover 80 acres in California and hopefully in a couple years be generating 10 megawatts of power.

This year, the European Business Summit's theme is "Greening the Economy". However, instead of inviting companies that are pioneers in environmental technologies, the programme boasts some of the most polluting companies in the world and some of the worst performers in their sector. Instead of green leaders, the EBS presents dirty laggards. With an action and exhibition at the opening of the European Business Summit, Friends of the Earth Europe exposed the greenwashing practices of the businesses taking part.

I found this commercial for the Madrid Metro via the Carfree USA blog.  This stunning ode to urban life and subterranean transit shows that in some places the kind of money and time that goes into car advertisements also goes into promoting mass transit. 

nanotechnology solid state thermal energy converters

We’ve seen all sorts of cool homes on Trend Hunter, like tree houses and shipping container homes. We’ve also seen a rising obsession with aqua culture, so it’s neat to feature something that combines the two with this extreme house boat concept, the Trilobis 65.

The wind turbines that recently went up on Louis Brooks’s ranch are twice as high as the Statue of Liberty, with blades that span as wide as the wingspan of a jumbo jet.

A new report has found that thin-film cadmium telluride solar cells have the lowest life-cycle emissions primarily because they consume the least amount of energy during the module production of the four types of major commercial PV systems: multicrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, ribbon silicon, and thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe).

MONACO (Reuters) - Energy storage is an unglamorous pillar of an expected revolution to clean up the world's energy supply but will soon vie for investors attention with more alluring sources of energy like solar panels, manufacturers say.

A Norwegian company called Sway is developing a deepwater system that will allow turbines to be situated farther out to sea where winds can be steadier and stronger, and where the turbines are hidden from all save a few passing ships.

Severe shortages of silicon have plagued the solar photovoltaic market over the past few years. According to a Frost & Sullivan press release a turnaround can be expected this year with polysilicon catching up with the demand

A European Union report is calling for immediate support for hydrogen energy projects, saying member states could gain an ecological and competitive edge by starting work now.

The Thunderbolt Electric Scooter Concept by Henrik Björkman does not break new grounds when it comes to technological advances, but this sexy environment-friendly scooter has a loud and clear message for you. Down with combustible engines! The scooter’s design emphasizes a curvy hole where the engine is traditionally placed. The result is a not-so-subtle protest against combustible engine use. The Thunderbolt has a range of around 70 KM/H on a three hour charge.

Natural Gas and Hybrid Vehicles Lead Annual Green Rankings The natural gas-powered Honda Civic GX is once again the greenest new car sold in the United States, according to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The ACEEE's Green Book Online, released on February 19, places the Honda Civic GX on top for the second year in a row, followed by the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid. Other hybrids in the top-twelve list include the Nissan Altima Hybrid in sixth place and the Toyota Camry Hybrid in tenth. The ACEEE's annual evaluation of the current model year vehicles ranks them primarily in terms of air emissions and fuel economy.

DOE and SuperPower, Inc. commemorated on February 21 a $27 million project to install a 350-meter high-temperature superconducting (HTS) cable between two electrical substations in Albany. While that might not sound like much cable for the money, the project is the first demonstration of a technology that could someday be used to build a more energy efficient power grid. The HTS cable reduces energy loss by up to 10%, and wires using the same technology could potentially be integrated into generators, transformers, cables, and fault current limiters, making most of the equipment that produces and delivers power more energy efficient. On the other end of the power line, HTS wires can be employed in motors, providing an energy efficiency improvement for one of the largest electrical loads served by electric utilities.

Although the mention of a magnetically levitating train outside of US borders won't grab too much attention, saying that phrase here most definitely perks up ears.

They should have this up in all waiting rooms in hospitals and offices. Philips Electronics introduced their Imagination Light Canvas— an interactive light wall that uses touch screen and Philips technologies to animate 1,420 LED (Light Emitting Diode) lights, at the new Mercy Medical Center in Rogers, Ark.