Energy For Us All

GE is working on many ways to increase the efficiency of wind power, such as  looking at new materials to make turbines and developing computer programs to determine optimal placement of turbines.

By adding more carbon composite to turbine blades, GE can add 16 feet to their length, which translates into a significant boost of energy.

Although it’s four times more expensive than fiberglass, carbon also gives blades more flexibility, allowing them to operate at higher wind speeds.

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With plug-in electric cars soon to be available, a inrease in wind energy production could produce enough electricity to power most of these cars.

One of the attractions of pairing wind energy and plug-in hybrid cars is that it would not require new infrastructure. Indeed, a study by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory points out that the existing grid, using its off-peak capacity to recharge cars, could provide electricity for more than 70 percent of the U.S. fleet if all cars were plug-in hybrids.

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The first silver LEED-certified home in Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi was certified on August 28th.  A total of 748 such homes are expected to be built on the base.

“It really looks at the whole package,” inside and out, said Patrik Lazzari, director of sustainable services with Yates Construction. The landscaping is native and drought-tolerant; inside, recycled insulation and energy-efficient appliances are used to lower utility bills.

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Raser Technologies has begun construction on New Mexico’s first geothermal power project.

Phase one will put out 10 MW starting in early 2009, with phase two expanding that output to 20-25 MW – a fair amount of electricity for a new technology. It will be one of the first in the US to use low temperature geothermal power generation. Because of this technology, the site being used is actually a well drilled more than 20 years ago, but wasn’t hot enough for the capabilities of the time. So previously unusable sites are now able to produce useable energy at a competitive price.

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Japan’s Nippon Yusen KK in investing in a the first large ship to be partially propelled by solar energy.

The 40 kW solar panel system will be installed on a 60,000 tonne car carrier for Toyota, which is scheduled to be completed later this year. It will provide 0.2% of the vessel’s propulsion energy, reduce fuel oil usage by 6.5% and CO₂ emissions by 1-2%.

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The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels has set the first international standards on biofuel production.

The guidelines require biofuel producers to consider the life cycle of their crops from plans for water management to enhancing soil health, minimizing air pollution and reducing GHG emissions from production over time.

The standards also emphasizes the use of marginal, degraded, or previously cleared land for growing biofuels.

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Nwe Jersey’s Energy Storage and Power plans to develop an underground compressed-air storage system for wind turbines.

With Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES), air is pumped into underground formations, such as depleted natural gas wells or salt caverns, using a natural gas-powered machine. The pressured air is released later to drive a turbine to make electricity.

The system allows for several hours or even days of stored energy, which allows power producers to deliver electricity during peak hours when the demand for electricity–and price–is highest.

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Japan’s Mitsubishi Electric plans to spend 50 billion yen ($458 million) to increase the production of solar power cells by 2012.

The group said it will build a new facility on the site of an existing plant in Nagano Prefecture to step up production of photovoltaic cells “in response to a sharp increase in demand for solar power generation systems.

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Scientists at Virginia Tech have developed a new process in which a biofuel byproduct, glycerol, is used to produce Omega-3 fatty acids.

After growing the algae in the crude glycerol, researchers can use it as an animal feed. Wen has partnered with Steven Craig, senior research scientist at Virginia Cobia Farms, to use crude glycerol-derived algae as a fish feed. Results so far show the fish fed the algae had significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.

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Constellation NewEnergy will be help make the US Open in Flushing, New York eco-friendly with wind power.

CNE will supply an estimated 2,000 Green-e certified wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to the United States Tennis Association (USTA) to match the electricity consumption at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center for the duration of the US Open held Aug. 25-Sept. 7, 2008.

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