Technology to harness the power of rising hot air will be tested in the Arizona desert. EnviroMission is working to fund and build its proposed project. …
… “the technology has been proved by a smaller version that worked for seven years on the plains of Spain. It created 50 kilowatts of electricity per day …” …
Via CNN: Free Fuel.
Electricity competition brings choice to Philadelphia energy consumers in the new year. …
… “You can even buy 100 percent renewable energy at a discount off Peco's price. “ …
Via Philadelphia Inquirer: Consumer Choice.
for Duke Energy. James Rogers, CEO of Duke Energy, shares his company’s mission,
principles, and challenges with business students at Appalachian State University. …
… “With an average plant life of 40 years, Rogers said that by 2050, Duke Energy’s entire fleet of generating plants will be replaced. ” …
Via Appalachian State: Sustainable Power.
ChargePoint America’s free home and public electric vehicle charging stations will be deployed by Coulomb Technologies as part of an accelerated project within a
government initiative. The project plan is targeting installation of over a thousand charging stations by year end and the balance by the third quarter of 2011.
… “The ChargePoint America program will provide nearly 5000 charging stations to program participants in nine regions in the United States: Austin, Texas, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Orlando, Fla., Sacramento, Calif., the San Jose/San Francisco Bay Area, Redmond, Wash., and Washington DC and is a strategic partnership with three leading automobile brands including, Ford, Chevrolet and smart USA.” …
Via Coulomb Technologies: Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (Link).
The electric vehicle charging infrastructure is being funded by the Dept of Energy’s Transportation Electrification Initiative . The charging stations will be deployed in the nine targeted metropolitan areas of the US.
Businesses can apply for a public charging station here.
Individuals can apply for a home charging station here.
The general public can recommend a public charging station be installed at specific locations.
ChargePoint is ready for tracking by iPhone users (iPhone App).
Technology behind the charging stations is integrated to drive efficiency into the electric vehicle infrastructure. RFID cards will support quick payments and processing. SMS and email will notify owners when charge is complete through the Chargepoint Network. Smart grid integration will optimize the charging load to get best pricing.
ChargePoint America will provide 4,600 public and private ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations by October 2011. What do the levels mean?: The level of the charging refers to the voltage used by the charging station. In the US, standard outlets are at 110 – 120 volts. All Level I charging is done at this voltage.
Research will target innovation into new pathways to renewable energy. DOE spreads the love with funding across a number of energy themes, such as this one: electrofuels. …
… “Electrofuels - Biofuels from Electricity --- Today’s technologies for making biofuels all rely on photosynthesis – either indirectly by converting plants to fuels or directly by harnessing photosynthetic organisms such as algae. This process is less than 1% efficient at converting sunlight to stored chemical energy. Instead, Electrofuels approaches will use organisms able to extract energy from other sources, such as solar-derived electricity or hydrogen or earth-abundant metal ions. Theoretically, such an approach could be more than 10 times more efficient than current biomass approaches. “ …
Via Department of Energy: Transformational Energy Research Projects.
Sampling of organizations and their electrofuel research topics:
PSE&G, a New Jersey based utility, will double its current solar capacity with a program called "Solar 4 All."
Components of the program are (1) utility pole mounted solar cells and (2) roof top solar installations.
"... invest $515 million in 80 megawatts of solar projects ... creating green jobs ... expects to complete the installations by the end of 2013."
" ... installing a solar unit ... on 200,000 utility poles in PSE&G’s service territory ... the largest pole-attached solar installation in the world ... power ... sold into the PJM wholesale grid."
" ... effectively double the size of New Jersey’s installed solar capacity ... more solar capacity than ... any state other than California ..."
Everyone is talking about the smart grid and how it will improve our energy delivery system. Every wonder just what the smart grid is ... and is not? It has "smarts" and sensors ... but what is it? 
"
... data flowing to consumers will be eventually be near realtime ... amount of their bill to date and their rate ... will be alerted during peak power demand so they can cut back their consumption and save money ..."
" ... benefits ... consumers can manage their consumption and defer appliance use to off-peak hours for rebates ... grid is better for the environment and utilities save scads of money building and running fewer power plants ..."
Check out this video for more information ...
Via: Smart Planet LINK
There are multiple approaches to using solar to create power ... one option is PV (photovoltaic) where panels convert sunlight directly to DC current ... another is CSP (concentrated solar power).
CSP is a form of solar power that uses mirrors to focus the suns rays on panels ... these panels have a heat transfer fluid in them that then is used to generate steam which drives a trubine to produce electricity.
>>> Basically a nuclear type approach with solar replacing the nuclear energy source.
" ... mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers ... DOWTHERM™ ... heat transfer fluids collect the heat ... converts water to steam, which in turn drives turbines to make electricity. ... DOWTHERM™ A, has the high temperature stability required to collect, transport, and store that solar generated heat."
" ... Dow ... commitment and leadership in energy efficiency ... Over the last 14 years, Dow's efforts to conserve power globally have resulted in saving more than 1,600 trillion BTU's of energy and prevented the release of about 86 million metric tons of carbon dioxide."
Via: Dow Chemical Company LINK
... "The electric grid is the largest and most complex machine in the world and in places it is now critically overburdened. Impacts of climate change, available technology, and the current economic crisis represent the final tipping point for a much needed overhaul. The Smart Grid Maturity Model will serve as a strategic framework for utilities, vendors, regulators, and consumers that have a role in smart grid transformation -- from technological to regulatory to organizational. " ...Via IBM: Smart Grid Framework
Microgrids may offer part of the answer to an aging Power Grid. A microcgrid is ..." ... A localized grid powered by a cluster of on-site generators, backup batteries, an array of solar panels or other sources of energy. ... can operate in parallel with the larger grid or independent of it. ... If the high-voltage grid we all rely on fails, the clusters of buildings or residences powered by a microgrid could keep operating normally until power is restored on the failed grid.
""
" ... much of the work on microgrids today lies in the research side, real-life applications are beginning to spread. Clean Edge says Wal-Mart (nyse: WMT - news - people ) has two stores running on microgrids, one in Colorado and the other in Texas, ... Sacramento, Calif., Municipal Utility District, ... announced in November that it plans to install a demonstration microgrid with a 310-kilowatt load at its headquarters. Another microgrid backup power system will be installed at the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County, Calif., linking to the 1.2-megawatt solar photovoltaic system and a one-megawatt fuel cell already at the jail.
Via: FORBES Link
... "General Motors will work with EPRI and the utility companies on everything from codes and standards to grid capability to ensure that when the Volt goes to market, the infrastructure is ready - and customers can realize the full potential of these revolutionary vehicles as soon as they leave the showroom. Details of the alliance, which is by far the largest and most-comprehensive between an automaker and the electric utility industry, were announced today in San Jose during the Plug-In 2008 Conference. Among the many things the coalition will address include ensuring safe and convenient vehicle charging, raising the public awareness and understanding of plug-in electric vehicles, and working with public policy leaders to enable a transition from petroleum to electricity as a fuel source. " ...Via GM: Major Collaboration to Commercialize Plug-in Vehicles
... "They should aim to develop machines that consume energy in proportion to the amount of work performed. Such energy-proportional machines would ideally consume no power when idle (easy with inactive power modes), nearly no power when very little work is performed (harder), and gradually more power as the activity level increases (also harder). " ...Via IEEE Computer: Energy-Proportional Computing
BP is committed to alternative power solutions. In addition to manufacturng Solar panels they have partnered with several groups to make it easier to buy (with Home Depo).
>>> Read on for more.
In 2005, "... expanded state-of-the-art facility in Frederick, Md. to more than double our production of solar panels. ... contains all of the elements of solar product manufacturing processes. These are vertically integrated to ensure the overall quality of the finished products. ... In fact, BP already is one of the world's largest producers of solar panels."
See photo at right.
"Residential customers in southern California can visit one of many of The Home Depot® centers and purchase a complete home solar system via the BP Solar Home Solution program. ... [also] available in New Jersey, California and New York."
Aug 30, 2007 -
"... Governor Edward G. Rendell today unveiled plans for ...
a new solar energy power station that will be the fourth-largest facility of its kind in the country and the largest east of Arizona when operations begin next April."
"... announcement shows that affordable, secure and alternative sources of power are available
now and will result in a cleaner environment, competitive energy prices and the reduction of our
dependence on foreign fuel," said Governor Rendell. ... "
"... Rendell announced that Exelon Generation Company LLC 
has signed a 20-year power purchase
agreement for the energy ... with EPURON LLC, a subsidiary the
world's largest solar integration company Conergy AG. ... plans for more than 16,500 solar panels to be built on 16.5-acres, ... capturing the sun's rays and converting them into electricity."
"... will produce approximately 3,700 megawatt hours of power, enough to meet the annual energy requirements of 300-350 homes ... emission levels of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide
... reduced by the equivalent benefit of planting 33 acres of trees every year."
For more info on EPURON GmbH, Link
For more info on Excelon Link
For more information on Governor Rendell's Energy Independence
Strategy, visit http://www.depweb.state.pa.us.
Via: PR News Wire Link
"Marine Current Turbines Ltd (MCT) is developing radically new technology, backed by the UK government, for exploiting tidal currents for large-scale power generation. We do not have any commercially available products at present, but we aim to achieve this by 2007-8."
"The basic requirements for cost-effective power generation from tidal streams using MCT's technology are a mean spring peak velocity exceeding about 2.25 to 2.5m/s (4.5 to 5 knots) with a depth of water of 20 to 30m - the red spots on the map (right) show some of the locations meeting these criteria around the UK and northern France."
"Our technology represents a novel method for generating electricity from a huge energy resource in the sea. ... even rarer if the technology, as in this case:-"
"produces no pollution and has negligible environmental impact"
"delivers energy to a predictable timetable"
"has the potential to make a major contribution to future energy needs"
"... the relentless energy of marine currents has been obvious from the earliest days of seafaring, it is only now that ... this a technically feasible and economically viable possibility."
Via: Marine Current Turbines Link
... "The Biogas Energy Project is the first large-scale demonstration in the UnitedStates of a new technology developed in the past eight years by Ruihong Zhang, a UC Davis professor of biological and agricultural engineering. The technology, called an anaerobic phased solids digester, has been licensed from the university and adapted for commercial use by Onsite Power Systems Inc. The goal of this innovative public-private alliance is to divert organic matter -- stuff made from plants and animals, such as food waste and yard clippings -- away from landfills and into the energy grid. That reduces greenhouse gas emissions from landfills and turns trash into a substantial source of clean energy. " ...
Via UC-Davis: Food Into Electricity
"June 4, 2007- University of Utah physicists developed small devices that turn heat into sound and then into electricity. ... holds promise for changing waste heat into electricity, harnessing solar energy and cooling computers..."
"We are converting waste heat to electricity in an efficient, simple way by using sound," says Orest Symko, a University of Utah physics professor who leads the effort. “It is a new source of renewable energy from waste heat."
"Symko expects the devices could be used within two years as an alternative to photovoltaic cells for converting sunlight into electricity. The heat engines also could be used to cool laptop and other computers that generate more heat as their electronics grow more complex. And Symko foresees using the devices to generate electricity from heat that now is released from nuclear power plant cooling towers.
Follow the link below to learn more ....
Via: University of Utah Link
... "According to GRU, biomass now costs about $3.50 per million British thermal units, a measure of heat that is used as a way of comparing the price of equivalent amounts of a fuel. " ...
Via The Gainesville Sun: Power Plant Plans
