Alternative Energy

PETE Process Promises Successful Technology Fusion

Alternative Energy — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 08:38:58 +0000

A new joint venture research work at Stanford and SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, supported by Department of Energy and DARPA has come up with a new solar energy conversion process that can potentially double the efficiency of solar cells. Stanford engineers have discovered this new and totally different process to harvest energy from sun. [...]
Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

Audi Testing Water in Electric Car Production

Alternative Energy — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:10:54 +0000

The entrepreneurial Audi is planning to take advantage of changes portended in the automobile market with an eye towards emission-free vehicles. Until now Audi has not shown any interest in electric car production but now that there is a growing demand for small and electronically-driven cars, Audi is keen to join the race. [...]
Posted in: Electric Cars, Industry, Transportation

Wind Energy Instruments getting Bigger & Better

Alternative Energy — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 21:33:13 +0000

Renewable energy production and demand growth is gaining momentum in many ways across the world. There is a booming demand of wind power today and all wind energy equipment manufacturers are gearing up to meet the demand and take advantage of it. Wind power capacity growth will be reaching 447GW in the next five [...]
Posted in: Wind Farms, Wind Power, Wind Turbines

Graphene: Solar Cells of the Future?

Alternative Energy — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:48:40 +0000

A southern California University team has come up with what could be the alternative new breed of economical and flexible solar cells. For some decades now, organic photovoltaic cells (OPV) have been acclaimed as the new solar cell prototypes and extolled for their light weight, flexible substrates, low cost and easy manufacturability. Research [...]
Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

USPS Goes Green

Alternative Energy — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 21:20:01 +0000

In strict adherence to guidelines released by the Department of Energy, the United States Postal Service gets on a fast track to reach the goal for energy reduction. Green roofs, green buildings and an optimally efficient management system of energy consumption form part of the energy-reduction strategy. Power Guzzlers: Use of air conditioning is one [...]
Posted in: Environment, Industry, Transportation

First Factory Built Solar Charging Station

Alternative Energy — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 21:41:37 +0000

International Green Energy Expo Korea 2010 was chosen as the venue where SunPods SP-300 was first displayed. This is the first factory built-to-order solar-powered integrated electric-vehicle charging station – ready for powering up immediately. This ready-to-use solar power platform from SunPods is called EV Plug-N-Go. Perfect launch pad: Deagu, South Korea, played host to [...]
Posted in: Industry, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

Hybrid Organic Solar Cells Now More Efficient

Alternative Energy — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:05:41 +0000

Success greets the research team of National Research Council’s National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT) and the University of Alberta. The plastic solar cells have now an operating life of 8 months instead of mere hours. And they are low-cost, environmentally efficient, unsealed plastic dollar cells – a green energy source. Developing economically viable plastic [...]
Posted in: Industry, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

Breakthrough in Thin-Film Solar Cells

Alternative Energy — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:46:40 +0000

Scientists at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have come out with positive news about increased efficiency of thin-film solar cells. As we know that scientists are trying to increase the efficiency of the solar cells so that they can be considered as serious alternative to the fossil fuels. Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz [...]
Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

Economical Solar Panels to Yield More Energy

Alternative Energy — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:13:49 +0000

There has been research work going on to increase the efficiency of the cost-effective amorphous solar panels. TU Delft has been the center where this research work is being developed. The research will directly help in increasing the efficiency of amorphous solar cells – from a 7% to a 9%. Crystalline silicon is most [...]
Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

New Battery Warranty for Chevy Volt Owners

Alternative Energy — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 07:16:50 +0000

The Chevrolet Volt is giving its extended range electric vehicle customers a great deal with an eight year/100,000 mile (whichever comes first) warranty for its lithium-ion battery. The battery pack has some 161 components, nine modules and 288 cells. The warranty is offering coverage for all the parts. The battery is basically made up [...]
Posted in: Electric Cars, Industry, Transportation

Fuel Additive Production Takes the Green Route

Alternative Energy — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:35:48 +0000

Research is on for the organic production of isobutene (isobutylene). Thomas Bobik, Professor of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and David Gogerty, a doctoral student are doing pioneer research for producing isobutylene with the help of a new but natural enzyme rather than from the traditional petroleum-based products. The enzyme is awaiting patent process [...]
Posted in: Ethanol

More Power to Electronics Thanks to Nano-scale Wires

Alternative Energy — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 07:07:01 +0000

Today a long-standing electronic dream has become a reality thanks to research done by a team of scientists from Bar-Ilan University, Israel, supported by U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Producing superconducting nano-scale wires to facilitate faster and more powerful electronic devices has been the long-time ambition which had eluded achievement [...]
Posted in: Future Energy, Industry, Inventions

Cell Phone Chargers to go Green

Alternative Energy — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 20:52:25 +0000

Today cell-phones have become an integral part of our life and are the most used mode of communication. More prevalent the use of cell-phone, more imperative is the need to curtail eco-pollution that emanates from the huge number of still-in-use and out-of-use cell phones. Toxic products like lead, mercury, cadmium and other materials pose [...]
Posted in: Future Energy, Industry, Solar Power

Scientists Revisit Power from Potatoes

Alternative Energy — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 07:02:57 +0000

This could very well be the magic formula for future power generation. Yes, scientists are busy crafting what is now called as “solid organic electric battery based upon treated potatoes.” These are absolutely eco-friendly batteries – based on the hidden powers of potatoes – which will be an economical answer to the growing power [...]
Posted in: Ethanol

VIDEO: Solar Stereo Speakers

Alternative Energy — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 07:22:04 +0000

Imagine a cool poolside with golden sunlight, lifting music and relaxing time – sounds great, no! Now great music, wireless speakers, and excellent audio quality – all these are possible with Devotec Solar Sound 2 Stereo Bluetooth Speakers. Almost all phones, MP3 players and music players can be connected to these speakers wirelessly to [...]
Posted in: Industry, Inventions, Solar Power

Costs for Thermo-photovoltaic Cells Significantly Reduced

Alternative Energy — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:54:50 +0000

Thermo-photovoltaic (TPV) cells are great for converting radiation from any heat source to power. These cells can generate power from the wasted heat which gets released when glass or steel is produced. Adding these TPV cells to domestic power systems can help generate power along with heating water. TPV systems are also too complex [...]
Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Waste Energy

The Ultimate Solar Cell?

Alternative Energy — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:14:33 +0000

The ultimate step in utilizing solar power is to convert maximum energy from sun into electricity. This will make solar power highly cost-advantageous compared to other traditional power sources. Capturing energy wasted as heat from the sun can increase solar conversion efficiency greatly. Research funded by the U.S. Department of Energy is on-going to [...]
Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

eCRP Electric Motorcycle Launches for TTXGP

Alternative Energy — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 07:14:32 +0000

A trip around the eCRP plant headquarters at Modena: The eCRP is the first of its kind of purpose-built electric superbikes, and today it is pitting against the legendary gas-powered Ducati, MV Agusta et al in the Italian TTXGP. With classic gorgeous looks and efficiently designed high performing parts, Moto2 bikes are packed with [...]
Posted in: Electric Cars, Industry, Transportation

New Process to Boost Hydrogen Fuel Cell Usage

Alternative Energy — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:17:10 +0000

A new process is being tested by chemical engineers of Purdue University to get high hydrogen production at fuel-cell temperature-level with no catalyst use. This is full of promise for vehicles powered by hydrogen and other portable electronic items like dig-cams, medical diagnostic devices, defibrillators, cell phones and notebook computers. The research funded by [...]
Posted in: Fuel Cells, Hydrogen Fuel, Inventions

Fresh-Water Wind Farm on Lake Erie

Alternative Energy — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:08:09 +0000

A fresh-water wind farm is taking shape at Lake Erie and when completed will provide 20 megawatts and get on to about one gigawatt power by 2020. Huge individual turbines 300 feet tall, to be built by GE will be erected off Ohio, Cleveland. Better designs: These are special gearless super-efficient turbines, with three [...]
Posted in: Industry, Wind Farms, Wind Power