Green Technology

Michigan Technological University adds talent to its roster of research-oriented educators in order to achieves its energy objectives.  The University’s strategic initiatives include development of future energy systems, with objectives in energy generation, mitigation, materials, and production modeling.  …

…   “Joshua Pearce will greatly add to Michigan Tech’s expertise in the area of renewable energy generation and photovoltaic materials. He received his PhD from Penn State in 2004 for research on the development of low-cost solar photovoltaic technology.

Since then, he has been recognized internationally for his work in advancing renewable energy. He is working on projects that range from fundamental photovoltaic materials development and device physics to more applied systems design and performance.”   …

Via Michigan Tech: Energy Initiatives.

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The installation of five million smart meters have been concentrated in specific states according to update from the Dept of Energy.  …

…   “Nearly 90 percent of the meters installed to date are in Florida, Texas, California, Idaho, Arizona, Oklahoma, Michigan, and Nevada.”   …

Via Department of Energy: Smart grid modernization efforts.

Visibility in the US smart grid initiatives.

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The Dow Chemical Company and Cobblestone Homes have collaborated on a second highly energy efficient  home.  This one is at 5018 Butterfield Dr. in Midland, Michigan - home to Dow.

The home was build for approx. the price of the average new home in the U.S. - $250,000 - bringing energy efficiency closer to the mass market.

The home is called “InVision Zero” and is expected to " ... to save $2,441 in energy costs and avert 30,233 pounds of CO₂ annually ...".  These figures are achieved using a number of Dow technologies and products resulting in a very "tight" home that is free of drafts (and the resulting heat / cooling losses).

The home has a DOE HERS (House energy rating) value of -4.  Energy Star Homes have a rating of about 85 and Net Zero homes rate a 0.  This home is very energy efficient.

Via:  Dow Building Solutions  LINK

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Michigan’s solar car, the Quantum, is entering its test phase in preparation for the eighteen hundred mile World Solar Challenge, which will take place in the Australian outback in October, 2011. 

The University of Michigan team are champions of the North American Solar Challenge.  The 2011 design has been developed using modeling software to simulate competition conditions.  …

…   “Quantum is a cutting edge electric vehicle with an aerodynamic and light carbon fiber body, a high-performance battery and energy-efficient regenerative braking.”   …

Via University of Michigan: 2011 Quantum Solar Car.

The Michigan Solar Car Team.

Technology behind the success of the solarcar.

World Solar Challenge.

North American Solar Challenge.

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team wins the American Solar Challenge for a third consecutive North American title, by completing the race by more than two hours ahead of its nearest competitor.

Troy Halm, University of Michigan mechanical engineering student, discusses his experiences with the Quantum solar car team.

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The Dow Chemical Company and Cobblestone homes have collaborated to build Michigan's FIRST Net Zero Energy Home.  The home uses techniques like  "...insulation, sealants, geothermal heating and solar generation."

The home is @ 3118 Summerhill, Bay City, Michigan LINK

This home showcases some cutting edge technologies ... but all homeowners can make a positive energy impact on their homes but choosing CFL or LED for lighting, and making sure storm windows fit ... and of course using the right amount of insulation.

Via:  Vision Zero Home LINK

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Future entrepreneurs eye solar power and smart grids as growth opportunities for new business models.  …

…   “He sees tremendous opportunity in solar energy — noting a steady decline in costs and technology advancements — and smart grid systems that monitor and manage electricity usage.”   …

Via Univ of MIchigan, Ross School of Business: Entrepreneurship.

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Can your car - or your hybrid - help power the grid?

" ... exploring plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) that not only use grid electricity to meet their power needs, but also the car's potential to store electricity from the wind or sun, or even feed electricity back into the grid, earning money for the owner."

" ... vehicle-to-grid (V2G) integration ... improve the sustainability and resilience of the transportation and electric power infrastructures ... new era in which vehicles and electric "fuel" infrastructure become a system."

" electric cars become "distributed" storage, doubling as mobile holding tanks for electricity, ready to serve in their down time."

Via:  University of Michigan LINK
 

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" ... solar-powered sensor system developed at the University of Michigan is the smallest that can harvest energy from its surroundings to operate nearly perpetually."

" ...could enable new biomedical implants as well as home-, building- and bridge-monitoring devices. It could vastly improve the efficiency and cost of current environmental sensor networks designed to detect movement or track air and water quality."

" ... can run nearly perpetually if periodically exposed to reasonable lighting conditions, even indoors ... "

" ... could enable less-invasive ways to monitor pressure changes in the eyes, brain, and in tumors in patients with glaucoma, head trauma, or cancer. In the body, the sensor could conceivably harvest energy from movement or heat, rather than light, the engineers say."

 Via:  University of Michigan  LINK

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... "Clairvoyant Energy is working with Oerlikon to bring the Swiss company's solar manufacturing technology to the United States. Clairvoyant plans to make utility-size solar panels at the site. Xtreme Power builds large-scale battery systems for storing renewable power. " ...

Continue reading "Renewable Energy Park for Ford Wixom Plant" »

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" ... Putting idle servers to sleep when they're not in use is part of University of Michigan researchers' plan to save up to 75 percent of the energy that power-hungry computer data centers consume.... Thomas Wenisch, ... and students David Meisner and Brian Gold will present ... on March 10 at the International Conference on Architectural Support for Programming Languages and Operating Systems in Washington, D.C."

" ... PowerNap, the plan to put idle servers to sleep, and RAILS, a more efficient power supplying technique. (RAILS stands for Redundant Array for Inexpensive Load Sharing.)"

"Data centers waste most of the energy they draw. The facilities are inefficient because they must be ready for peak processing demands ... typical industrial data center, the average utilization is 20 to 30 percent."

"While PowerNap would require a new operating system to coordinate the instantaneous sleeping and waking, most of the other technologies that would make this possible already exist, Wenisch says."

Via:  University of Michigan Link

Continue reading "PowerNap for Data Centers Can Save Energy" »

Posted by Green Dude at 06:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Shai is also building the stations in Israel where batteries for cars can be recharged and is expanding this effort in countries around the world. We want to reduce our state’s and our nation’s dependence on foreign oil, and the advanced battery has the potential to do just that. " ...

Posted by Green Tech at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Ann Arbor expects to install more than 1,000 LED streetlights beginning next month. The City anticipates a 3.8-year payback on its initial investment. The LED lights typically burn five times longer than the bulbs they replace and require less than half the energy. Each fixture draws 56 watts and is projected to last 10 years, replacing fixtures with bulbs that use more than 120 watts and last only two years. Full implementation of LEDs is projected to cut Ann Arbor’s public lighting energy use in half and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2,425 tons of CO2 annually, the equivalent of taking 400 cars off the road for a year. Detroit Edison, Ann Arbor’s local utility provider, will meter the new LED streetlights with the intent to gather sufficient information to develop new LED-based tariffs. " ...

Continue reading "LED Lighting Generates ROI for Ann Arbor MIchigan By Halving Energy Use" »

Posted by Green Tech at 08:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

... "Michigan continues to move aggressively to increase the production and use of ethanol and biodiesel fuels, which can have a tremendous impact on decreasing our dependence on foreign oil, Granholm said. It also can help create jobs and diversify our economy in the future. We're doing this one pump at a time, but this is part of a larger effort that is critical for our environment and our economic future. " ...

Via State of Michigan: Alternative Energy for Michigan's Economy, Launches Ethanol in East Lansing

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... "The new HySeries Drive powertrain featured in a Ford Edge uses a real-world version of the powerplant envisioned in the Ford Airstream concept unveiled earlier this month at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The HySeries Drive powertrain delivers a combined city/highway gasoline equivalent fuel economy rating of 41 mpg. For those who drive less than 50 miles each day, the average jumps to more than 80 mpg. The plug-in hybrid is powered by a 336-volt lithium-ion battery pack at all times. The vehicle drives the first 25 miles each day on stored electricity alone, after which the fuel cell begins operating to keep the battery pack charged. This provides another 200 miles of range for a total of 225 miles with zero emissions. Individual experiences will vary widely and can stretch out the time between fill-ups to more than 400 miles: drivers with modest daily needs would need to refuel only rarely, drivers who travel less than 50 miles each day will see fuel economy well over 80 mpg, while those with long daily commutes will see somewhat lower numbers as the fuel cell must run a larger fraction of the time. The Ford Edge with HySeries Drive can travel at speeds of up to 85 mph. An on-board charger (110/220 VAC) can refresh the battery pack when a standard home outlet is available, making the concept a true plug-in hybrid. When the battery pack is depleted to approximately 40 percent, the hydrogen fuel cell – supplied by Ford partner Ballard – automatically turns on and begins generating electricity to recharge the batteries. " ...

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