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News:Archive:2008:April

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PESWiki News -- April 2008 Archive

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2008

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May

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April

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April 30, 2008

  • Featured
    EV > Plug-Ins > Hybrids > Plug In Your Prius (http://pesn.com/2008/04/30/9500478_Prius_Plug-in_IEEE/) - Jonathan Sawyer spent $30,000--and voided the warranty--to add a plug to his Prius hybrid, which can now travel more than 1000 miles on a single 12-gallon tank of gasoline. (PESN; Apr. 30, 2008)
  • Top 100:
    Batteries > A123 > An Electrifying Startup (http://www.technologyreview.com/read_article.aspx?ch=specialsections&sc=batteries&id=20570&a=) - A new safety-tested lithium-ion battery from A123 Systems could help electric cars and hybrids come to dominate the roads. The company's batteries store more than twice as much energy as nickel-metal hydride batteries, the type used in today's hybrid cars, while delivering the bursts of power necessary for high performance. (MIT Technology Review; May/June 2008)
  • Solar > Stringing it out: Innovative solar module assembly technology (http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/reworld/story?id=52032) - Within the framework of CrystalClear (http://www.ipcrystalclear.info/Paginas/About%20the%20project.aspx), a large European project on the development of low-cost, highly efficient silicon solar modules, a new manufacturing process has been developed that allows modules to be made using very thin solar cells. (Renewable Energy World; April 29, 2008)
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April 29, 2008

  • Engines > Revetec X4v2 Cam-Drive Engine - The Revetec X4v2 cam-drive engine was independently tested at Orbital Australia. During testing, the engine achieved a best Brake Specific Fuel Consumption (BSFC) figure of 207g/(kW-h) or 39.5% engine efficiency on petrol. The efficiency level rivals most diesel engines. (Thanks Brad Howell-Smith, April 27, 2008)
  • Light Emitting Diodes > 13W LED Bulb Replaces 100W Incandescent (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/13w-led-bulb-replaces-100w-incandescent.php) - Can apparently last as long as 50,000 hours. The price point is still high, coming out at a whopping US$109, but for those early adopters who just hate changing light bulbs, this might be worth a try. You Tube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5ppqz6zGCE) (TreeHugger; April 22, 2008)
  • Oil > Opec says oil could hit $200  (http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4200dc9e-1521-11dd-996c-0000779fd2ac.html) - Opec’s president Chakib Khelil as Algeria’s energy minister warned oil prices could hit $200 a barrel and there would be little the cartel could do to help. (The Financial Times; April 28, 2008)
  • Solar > Solar Thermal Power in North-Africa: How Much Land to Power the World? (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/04/solar-thermal-power-photos-how-much-world-europe-germany.php) - Spiegel Online published a series of pictures titled "Desertec: Strom aus der Wüste" (translation: Desertech: Electricity from the desert). It includes this image of how much land would be needed to power the world, Europe or Germany with solar-thermal power. (TreeHugger; April 28, 2008)
  • Organizations > The American Energy Security (http://www.americanenergysecurity.org/index.html) - site was developed to inform us about America's liquid fuels crisis and the tremendous challenges and opportunities ahead and has published the free 248-page (5.89 MB PDF) American Energy Security (http://www.americanenergysecurity.org/studyrelease.html) report from 2006.
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April 28, 2008

  • Featured
    Directory:Global Warming > Review: The 11th Hour (http://peswiki.com/index.php/Review:The_11th_Hour) - Actor Leonardo DiCaprio's must-see documentary on the global environmental crisis paints a portrait of a planet at risk while also offering some exciting and radical solutions for making life on earth sustainable. Our planet may be in crisis, but that doesn't mean it's too late to change. (PESWiki; Apr. 27, 2008)
  • Global Warming > Melting Methane (http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,547976,00.html) - Researchers have found alarming evidence that the frozen Arctic floor has started to thaw and release long-stored methane gas. The negative feedback loop results could be a catastrophic warming of the earth, since methane is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. (Spiegel.de; Apr. 17, 2008)
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April 27, 2008

  • Featured
    Hydrogen Injection > 2008 Hydrogen Booster Rally Report - Event organized by County Commissioner, Larry Jarboe, drew three cars that traveled from St. Mary’s County to the Florida Keys using hydroxy gas generated by on-board electrolysis units. The contestants included a "Smack Booster" and a Prius fitted with Bob Boyce' system that achieved 64 mpg. (PESWiki; Apr. 27, 2008)
  • Electromagnetic > Free Energy Home Generator? TV Coverage Raises Interest - Ever since the Sky News Australian TV segment aired last year, we've gotten a couple of emails a week from people alerting us to this video. In case you're wondering, it's Lutec, in Australia; and no, we still don't know of any independent validations of their claims. (PESWiki)
  • Oil > The Seven Myths of Energy Independence (http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2008/05/the-seven-myths-of-energy-independence.html) - Paul Roberts articulates a defeatist view that energy independence is not only not possible, but that pursuing it is creating new problems. Do you agree? (Mother Jones; May/June 2008 Issue)
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April 26, 2008

  • Solar / Biofuels > Solar Powered Microbes Manufacture Biofuels (http://www.utexas.edu/news/2008/04/23/biofuel_microbe/) - A newly created microbe produces cellulose that can be turned into ethanol and other biofuels, report scientists from The University of Texas at Austin who say the microbe could provide a significant portion of the nation's transportation fuel if production can be scaled up. (U of TX; Apr. 23, 2008)
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April 25, 2008

  • Wave > Riding the power of undersea waves (http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9927340-54.html) - The WaveRoller by AW-Energy (http://www.aw-energy.com/) is a plate anchored on the sea bottom, whose back and forth movement caused by bottom waves, is collected by a piston pump. Ideally, the 4-meter-high plates will be anchored in water 10 meters to 12 meters deep. Proposed installation method: clear out the water, like when building a bridge. (CNet; Apr. 24, 2008)
  • Grid > Organized Crime Penetrates Energy Sector (http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042308R.shtml) - International organized crime groups control 'significant positions' in global energy and strategic materials and are expanding holdings in the US materials sector, the US Justice Department said on Wednesday. (TruthOut / Reuters; Apr. 23, 2008)
  • Organizations > Time for an International Renewable Energy Agency? (http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52254) - At the invitation of the German Federal Government, representatives from more than 60 countries met in Berlin, April 2008, to discuss the founding of the The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) (http://wagingpeace.org/articles/2008/04/15_jagger_irena_speech.php), an intergovernmental organization that will exist to exclusively promote the adoption of renewable energy worldwide. (Renewable Energy World; April 23, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
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April 24, 2008

Watergas - how water can be burnt (http://www.cheniere.org/correspondence/042208a.htm) (April 22, 2008)
More on self-powering asymmetric magnetic motors - DoE suppression? (http://www.cheniere.org/correspondence/042208.htm) (April 22, 2008)
Royal Rife, healing, watergas, and precursor engineering (http://www.cheniere.org/correspondence/041608.htm) (April 16, 2008)
Do longitudinal waves exceed the speed of light? (http://www.cheniere.org/correspondence/041508.htm) (April 15, 2008)
Use of sharp pulsing to cure cancer and disassociate sea water into water gas (http://www.cheniere.org/correspondence/041408.htm) (April 14, 2008)
Simple Production of A Self-Powering Permanent Magnet Motor (http://www.cheniere.org/correspondence/031808.htm) (March 18, 2008)
  • Solar Sails > Finnish Electric Solar Sail Nears Implementation (http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/04/23/1741221) - The Finnish Meteorological Institute has produced plans to build an electric solar sail that will circle the Earth, gaining speed to test its acceleration. One possible flagship mission would be a flight out of the solar system to measure the gas, dust, plasma and magnetic field in the undisturbed interstellar space. (Slashdot; Apr. 23, 2008)
  • Hybrids > The World's Largest Hybrid (http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/1570/69/) - The wheels of this haul truck are bigger than your car. The driver has to climb a flight of stairs to get to his seat. And, if GE has their way, they might soon be painting it (at least metaphorically) green. (EcoGeek; Apr. 23, 2008) (Thanks Hank Green (http://digg.com/users/hankmt))
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April 23, 2008

  • Featured / Top 100:
    Concentrated Solar > eSolar Utility-Scale Solar Power (http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:eSolar) - eSolar thermal power systems use reflected sunlight via heliostats as a heat-source to drive electric generators. Using small heliostat size and the advantage of mass production, eSolar systems were designed to minimize cost, realizing economy-of-scale at 33 MW, becoming cost competitive with fossil-fuel-powered plants. (PESWiki; Apr. 22, 2008)
  • Conservation > Green IT Can Be Virtually Free (http://www.greenercomputing.com/reviews_third.cfm?NewsID=55903) - Ken Brill, the executive director of the Uptime Institute, spoke with GreenBiz Radio recently about some of the surprisingly easy ways to boost performance and drop IT costs at the same time, and what the Uptime Institute (http://uptimeinstitute.org/) will unveil at its 2008 Symposium in April 2008. (Greener World Media; April 23, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
  • Biofuels > $1/Gallon "Green Gasoline" In Sight (http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/04/22/2120218) - NSF-funded researchers at UMass Amherst just completed the first direct conversion from cellulose using a new method of hydrocarbon refining, which they claim can be commercialized within 5-10 years and essentially make fuel out of anything that grows. (Popular Mechanics; Apr. 22, 2008)
  • Conservation > Biodegradable Picnic Ware - Litter around without any guilt (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/biodegradable-picnic-ware-litter-around-without-any-guilt/) - This biodegradable picnic set is reusable, recycled and easily disintegrates within a week if left standing in water, or decompose in a few months if left on a compost pile. (EcoFriend; April 23, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
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April 22, 2008 Earth Day

  • Methane Hydrates > Scientists unlock frozen natural gas (http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/415215) - For the first time, Canadian and Japanese researchers have managed to efficiently produce a constant stream of natural gas from ice-like gas hydrates that, worldwide, dwarf all known fossil fuel deposits combined. (The Star; Toronto; April 16, 2008)
  • Oil > Emerging Market Oil Use Exceeds U.S. as Prices Rise (http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=a_YCEx7do3LQ&refer=news) - China, India, Russia and the Middle East for the first time will consume more crude oil than the U.S., burning 20.67 million barrels a day this year, an increase of 4.4 percent, according to the International Energy Agency in Paris. U.S. demand will contract 2 percent to 20.38 million barrels daily. (Bloomberg; April 21, 2008) (Thanks Mark Dansie)
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April 21, 2008

  • Geothermal > Geothermal Videos - We have compiled a collection of videos of various types of geothermal energy generation methods and uses.(PESWiki; April 21, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
  • Wind Largest > Texas oil tycoon aims to harness power of the wind (http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/texas-oil-tycoon-aims-to-harness-power-of-the-wind/2008/04/18/1208025477683.html) - Over the next four years, T. Boone Picken intends to erect 2700 turbines across 80,940 hectares of the Texan panhandle. The scheme is five times bigger than the world's current record-holding wind farm and when finished will supply 4000 megawatts of electricity, enough to power about 1 million homes. (The Age; April 19, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
  • Solar > The future of solar-powered houses is clear (http://www.physorg.com/news127042045.html) - People could live in glass houses and look at the world through rose-tinted windows while reducing their carbon emissions by 50 percent thanks to Queensland University of Technology, which is developing transparent solar cells that act as both windows and energy generators in houses or commercial buildings. The cells are expected to be available in a few years. (PhysOrg; April 10. 2008)
  • Engines > Nonelectric Hybrid Engines (http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/20494/?nlid=976) - A prototype hybrid engine, dubbed 2/4SIGHT, being developed by Ricardo UK (http://www.ricardo.com/engineeringservices/engine.aspx?page=researchandtechnology), can switch between four- and two-stroke modes, thereby reducing fuel consumption by more than 25 percent. (MIT Technology Review; Apr. 1, 2008)
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April 20, 2008

  • Propulsion > Ion Engine Enters Space Race (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7346789.stm) - A new ion engine is being developed for use in an ESA spacecraft. Ion engines make use of the fact that a current flowing across a magnetic field creates an electric field directed sideways to the current. This is used to accelerate a beam of ions of xenon away from the spacecraft, thereby providing thrust. (BBC; Apr. 17, 2008)


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April 19, 2008

  • Featured
    Algae as Fuel Videos - We have complied a collection of videos and video links regarding the turning of algae into oil, hydrogen, ethanol and other useful fuels. (PESWiki; April 19, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
  • Fuel Efficiency Alternative Fuels > Freedom Fuels (http://www.mofilms.org/freedomfuels/index.html) - Takes an in-depth look at renewable fuel sources, such as bio-diesel, ethanol and vegetable oil. It explores the interaction of the petroleum industry and alternative fuels over the last 150 years, and examines the global impact that bio-fuels can have on our future. Free Download. (MoFilms; 2006) (Thanks RLP)
  • Brown's Gas > Brown's Gas ("HHO") - Clean, Cheap, and Suppressed Energy (http://www.opednews.com/articles/life_a_jibbguy_080415_brown_s_gas__28_22hho_22_29_.htm) - Water can be cheaply disassociated into Brown's Gas / HHO gas (monatomic and diatomic Hydrogen and Oxygen) using efficient electrolyzing techniques which require very little power to operate, or sophistication to build. (OpEdNews; Apr. 18. 2008)
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April 18, 2008

  • Solar > Solar Power Boom Continues in Europe (http://www.energytribune.com/articles.cfm?aid=859) - The recent growth of photovoltaic energy in countries like Spain and Germany is triggering a reassessment of incentives in Europe to foster a cost-effective, consumer-friendly approach to solar power. (Energy Tribune; April 16, 2008)
  • Biodiesel > Biodiesel Videos - PESWiki provides a list of online videos relating to biofuel and biodiesel use and production. (Thanks RLP) (PESWiki; April 18, 2008)
  • Solar / Grid > Municipal Solar Power Plants (http://www.nanosolar.com/blog3/2008/04/16/municipal-solar-power-plants/) - Martin Roscheisen, CEO of Nanosolar (http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Nanosolar_Inc), argues that a meaningful scale for solar will come foremost from utility-scale solar power plants, in particular from municipal solar power plants of 2-10MW in size; avoiding the building costs associated with residential applications on one end of the size spectrum, and the substation transformer costs of larger plants on the other. (Nanosolar blog; Apr. 16, 2008)
  • CO2 Sequestration > Scientists Would Turn Greenhouse Gas into Gasoline (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/19/science/19carb.html?_r=1&oref=slogin) - Two scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory are proposing a method for removing carbon dioxide from the air and turning it back into gasoline. Air would be blown over a liquid solution of potassium carbonate, which would absorb the carbon dioxide, which would then be extracted and subjected to chemical reactions to turn it into fuel. (NYTimes; Feb. 19. 2008)
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April 17, 2008

  • Fuel Cells > Millennium Cell's POWERSKIN™ Technology (http://www.millenniumcell.com/fw/main/PowerSkin_Fuel_Cells-189.html) - PowerSkin fuel cells operate on various sources of hydrogen, providing flexibility and realizing the benefits of alternative energy. Sample units for Original Equipment Manufacturers are available. (Millennium Cell; April 17, 2008)
  • Refrigeration > Pot-in-Pot Non-Electric Cooling System - Nigerian inventor, Mohammed Bah Abba's award-winning, simple-to-implement invention of and evaporative cooler, consisting of one pot inside another, with wet river sand in between and a damp cloth on top. When kept in a dry, well-ventilated, and shady location, water evaporates, cooling the inner container. (PESWiki; Apr. 15, 2008)
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April 16, 2008

  • Lightning > Laser Triggers Electrical Activity In Thunderstorm (http://news.softpedia.com/news/Researchers-Trigger-Lightning-with-Laser-Beam-83301.shtml) - A team of European scientists has deliberately triggered electrical activity in thunderclouds for the first time by aiming high-power pulses of laser light into a thunderstorm. During two passing thunderstorms, the researchers used laser pulses to create plasma filaments that could conduct electricity. (SoftPedia; Apr. 14, 2008)
  • Biodiesel from Algae Oil > OILGAE TEST DRIVE: Algae Power Hits the Road (http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/15/oilgae-the-next-biofuel-from-algae/) - Algae produces 30 times more energy per acre than corn or soybeans and can grow in salt water, our worlds most abundant source. There are several startups bringing pond scum to fuel tanks, among them Solazyme who were caught driving around Sundance Film Festival this year with an oilgae-powered car. (Inhabitat; April 15, 2008)
  • Biodiesel from Algae Oil > WMU Researchers Create Biofuels from Waste Oil & Algae (http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52163) - Researchers at Western Michigan University (WMU) are working to develop two biofuel production processes; Bronco Biodiesel, is to perfect a process to convert trap grease, used vegetable oil from restaurants and other facilities and the second project will attempt to find a viable algae strain that could be used for both waste treatment and as a feedstock for biodiesel or ethanol production. (Renewable Energy World; April 15, 2008)
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April 15, 2008

  • Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines > AeroVironment (http://www.avinc.com/wind.asp) - AV has developed a small, modular Architectural Wind™ turbine system designed for installation on buildings in urban and suburban areas. The design eliminates the support tower, reduces noise and vibration, and is modular housing that installs quickly and easily without penetrating the roof. (Video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=cdeDV6ek8fM)) (Thanks RLP)
  • Fuel Efficient Vehicles / Prizes > At Eco-marathon, teen driving team races to 2,843 mpg (http://www.news.com/8301-11128_3-9918198-54.html?tag=cd.blog) - The team from Mater Dei High School might be only months (or less) removed from driver's ed, but it pulled off a nifty feat of driving over the weekend. One of its entries in the Shell Eco-marathon Americas won the $10,000 USD grand prize for motoring to a record 2,843.4 miles per gallon. (CNet News; April 14, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
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April 14, 2008

  • Global Warming > Greenhouse Gases - Provides graphs, charts and other information on water vapor, CO2 and various other Global Greenhouse Gases. (PESWiki; Apr. 14, 2008) (Thanks RLP)


  • Denmark’s electric avenues (http://www.plentymag.com/blogs/edge/2008/03/denmarks_electric_avenues.php) - Project Better Place (http://www.projectbetterplace.com/) is partnering with Renault for the electric vehicles, Nissan Motor for its lithium-ion battery pack, and the Israeli and Danish governments, which are offering tax credits on zero-emissions vehicles. (Plenty; March 28, 2008)
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April 13, 2008

  • Hydrogen > How sweet it is: 'Revolutionary' process points to sugar-fueled cars (http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-04/acs-hsi031208.php) - Chemists are describing development of a "revolutionary"; process for converting plant sugars into hydrogen, which could be used to cheaply and efficiently power vehicles equipped with hydrogen fuel cells without producing any pollutants. (EurekAlert; Apr. 9, 2008) (Thanks RR)
  • Hydrogen > Hydrogen Videos - Directory of videos of various types of hydrogen generation methods and uses, including from algae, Brown's Gas; and for engines, fuel cells, heaters, storage, and vehicles. (PESWiki; Apr. 11, 2008) (Thanks tallex2002 and(Thanks RLP))
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April 12, 2008

  • Featured / Top 100:
    Ethanol > Coskata Turns Waste to Ethanol via Bacteria - Coskata, Inc. is a biology-based renewable energy company that has developed a technology that uses proprietary microorganisms and transformative bioreactor designs to produce Ethanol for under US$1.00 per gallon anywhere in the world, from carbon-based feedstock. (PESWiki; April 8, 2008)
  • Batteries > Earth Batteries - Directory of technologies and resources relating to the generation of electricity from earth (dirt, with plants, minerals, moisture, earth's magnetic field, etc.) The Earth Battery technology is actually 150+ years old, and was a major source of power during the 1800s. (PESWiki; April 11, 2008)
  • Biofuels > Ethanol > Review: Alcohol can be a Gas - Brian Hughes reviews new book by David Blume that argues for alcohol fuel, and what should and should not be used in making it. Also addresses the history, pointing out that alcohol was used as fuel before gasoline, and the politics that hinder it yet today. (PESWiki; April 10, 2008)
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April 11, 2008

  • Natural Gas > Clean Energy Systems Kimberlina Power Plant Test Facility (http://www.cleanenergysystems.com/technology.html#zepp) - Making "Power without Pollution" with zero emission power plants (ZEPP), the system utilizes the oxy-fuel combustion process with existing power turbine technology and provides full CO2 sequestration when using natural gas, syngas from coal, refinery residues, landfill gas, bio-digester gases, and renewable fuels such as glycerin from bio-diesel production facilities. Video (http://www.cleanenergysystems.com/tech_video.html) (Thanks RLP)
  • Solar > SOLAR BALLOONS: SunHope Renewable Energy (http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/10/sunhope-solar-balloons/) - A project by Dr. Joseph Cory of Geotectura (http://www.geotectura.com/New/geotectura.htm) and Dr. Pini Gurfil of Technion (http://www.technion.ac.il/) is a low-cost deployable system that would harness solar energy. Awarded for "Forward Thinking" by the Re:Vision (http://www.urbanrevision.com/results_volt.php) competition. (Inhabitat; April 10, 2008)
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April 10, 2008

  • Hybrid Vehicles > Poulsen Hybrid® Power Assist System (http://www.poulsenhybrid.com/poulsen.html) - Creates a PHEV by retro-fitting electric motors, DC motor controllers, storage batteries and an on-board charger to a conventional new or used automobile. The PMAF motors specially developed by Alpha-Core, Inc. (http://www.alphacore.com/) for Poulsen Hybrid are rated 5kW or 7 horsepower each at 1000 rpm (app. 60 mph). X-Prize Contestant. (Thanks RLP)
  • Biofuels > Green Gasoline Could Power Future Cars and Jets (http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52115) - Researchers have made a breakthrough in the development of "green gasoline," a liquid identical to standard gasoline, yet created from biomass sources like switchgrass and poplar trees. (Renewable Energy World; April 10, 2008)
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April 9, 2008

  • Biodiesel > Jatropha is 10x More Efficient at Making Biofuel Than Corn in Florida (http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/05/new-biodiesel-crop-jatropha-taking-sw-florida/) - My Dream Fuel LLC is cultivating the Jatropha curcas at a nursery in LaBelle, Hendry County in Southwest Florida. Nearly 1 million seedlings are in the ground and promoters are looking for farmers – here and across the country – to raise them as oil-producing plants. (NaplesNews; April 5, 2008)
  • Advertising > Flogos - Advertising In The Clouds (http://www.flogos.net) - Francisco Guerra, an Alabama inventor and owner of Flogos, makes clouds into effective advertising of any shape with the SnowMasters cloud machine. Flogo clouds (proprietary surfactant soap-based foam formulations) can hover at various heights, depending on the amount of helium and oxygen mixed into the formula. (RapidPress; April 9, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
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April 8, 2008

  • Featured
    Hydrogen Injection > Smack Booster hydroxy injector - Another on-board electrolysis system provides hydroxy gas at a rate of 100 liters per hour, to go into the air intake, which is said to improve mileage and decrease emissions. The Smack booster plans are available for free, and it costs very little to build yourself. Also, a kit is available for $200. (PESWiki; April 8, 2008)
  • Global Warming > Scientists Unveil High-Res Map of the U.S. Carbon Footprint (http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/04/scientists-unve.html) - The work, known as The Vulcan Project (http://www.purdue.edu/eas/carbon/vulcan/index.php), has already yielded a significant discovery: Previous CO2 estimates that used population as a proxy for emissions overestimated the Northeast's greenhouse-gas generation, while underestimating the coal-heavy Southeast's contribution. Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJpj8UUMTaI&feature=email) (Wired; April 7, 2008)
  • Solar > 12 New Solar America Cities Chosen (http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/04/07/americas-12-new-solar-cities/) - The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 12 new Solar America Cities, bringing the number from 13 to 25 in total, and moving along the $2.4 million initiative to provide up to $200,000 per city to build solid solar infrastructures. (Inhabitat; April 7, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
  • River Energy > Earn Your Keep, Mississippi (http://www.plentymag.com/blogs/edge/2008/04/earn_your_keep_mississippi.php) - Free Flow Power (http://www.free-flow-power.com/), wants to generate hydropower on the Mississippi seabed without disrupting shipping traffic or, they say, upsetting local ecosystems with possibly 160,000 turbines. (Plenty Mag; April 4, 2008)
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April 7, 2008

Peng Lim, CEO, MTI Micro
  • Fuel Cells > MTI Micro pushing fuel cells for portables (http://www.news.com/At-MTI-Micro%2C-pushing-fuel-cells-for-portables/2100-13840_3-6236716.html?tag=nl.e703) - MTI has come up with a Methanol fuel cell that snaps onto the bottom of an SLR camera and will last twice as long as Li-ion batteries, eventually replacing them. The company is tooling up this year for production in 2009. (CNet News; April 7, 2008)
  • Lithium Ion Batteries > Longer-Lasting Batteries for Laptops (http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/20524/) - Researchers at Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, IL, have developed composite battery materials that can make such batteries both safer and longer lived, while increasing their capacity to store energy by 30 percent. (MIT Technology Review; Aprl 7, 2008)
  • Nuclear > Nanomaterial turns radiation directly into electricity (http://environment.newscientist.com/channel/earth/energy-fuels/dn13545-nanomaterial-turns-radiation-directly-into-electricity.html?feedId=energy-fuels_rss20) - It will be at least a decade before final designs of the radiation-to-electricity concept are built, but carbon nanotubes packed with gold and surrounded by lithium hydride are hit with radioactive particles that slam into the gold, pushing out a shower of high-energy electrons, allowing current to flow. (New Scientist; March 27, 2008)
Jeffrey Drese, Georgia Tech
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April 6, 2008

  • Tidal Power Largest > Largest Tidal Stream System Installed (http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2008/04/largest-tidal-s.html) - Marine Current Turbines (http://www.marineturbines.com/), has successfully completed the first installation phase of the 1.2MW SeaGen Tidal System into the fast-flowing waters of Strangford Narrows off the coast of Northern Ireland. (The Energy Blog; April 6, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
  • Grants > $50 million in clean diesel grants up for grabs from EPA (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/04/06/50-million-in-clean-diesel-grants-up-for-grabs-from-epa/) - That's the amount that the EPA announced (http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/dc57b08b5acd42bc852573c90044a9c4/9cdf7d0a360a15c58525741f005517bc!OpenDocument) it will spend on clean diesel research, especially on "school or transit buses, medium and heavy-duty trucks, marine engines, locomotives and nonroad engines." (AutoBlog Green; April 6, 2008) (Thanks RLP)


  • Biodiesel from Algae Oil > Algae: 'The ultimate in renewable energy' (http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/04/01/algae.oil/index.html#cnnSTCVideo) - Some types of algae are about 50 percent oil, suitable for biodiesel. The U.S. government has been experimenting with algae off and on for 18 years. There may be hundreds of thousands of species not yet identified. (CNN; March 25, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
  • DIY / Wind > How to Make a Wind Powered LED Out of a VCR (http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-a-Wind-Powered-LED-Out-of-a-VCR/) - It is a device that combines the renewable energy of the wind with the amazingly efficient and modern LEDs to make sure that you get spectacularly good lighting. (EcoFriend; March 25, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
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April 5, 2008

  • Electric Vehicles > Boeing tests battery-powered plane (http://www.theage.com.au/news/news/boeing-tests-batterypowered-plane/2008/04/04/1207249411282.html) - "For the first time in the history of aviation, Boeing has flown a manned airplane that was powered by a hydrogen battery," Boeing chief technology officer John Tracy told a news conference at the firm's research centre in the central Spanish town of Ocana. (The Age; April 4, 2008)
  • Wind > Floating > Wind Power that Floats (http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/20500/?nlid=978&a=f) - Several companies are on their way to demonstrating off-shore, floating platform wind power systems by borrowing heavily from oil and gas offshore platform technology. (MIT Technology Review; April 2, 2008)
  • Abiotic Oil > “Fossil” Fuel and Abiotic Oil (http://www.maccompanion.com/macc/archives/April2008/Greenware/Fossil.htm) - Who came up with the theory/concept/idea that petroleum-based products came from the dead remains of dinosaurs (dino-juice)? (MacCompanion; Apr. 2008) (Thanks RLP)
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April 4, 2008

  • Weather Control > Weather Engineering in China (http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/20463/?nlid=961) - How the Chinese plan to modify the weather in Beijing during the Olympics, using supercomputers, airplanes, and artillery to prevent rain over the roofless 91,000-seat Olympic stadium that Beijing natives have nicknamed the Bird's Nest. (MIT Technology Review; March 25, 2008)
  • Fuel Efficient Vehicles / Natural Gas > Fill Up Civic GX at Home (http://automobiles.honda.com/civic-gx/) - Honda Civic GX, awarded "America's Greenest Car", runs on clean, domestic natural gas. The Phill home refueling unit hooks into the home natural gas supply, and pressurizes it for fuelling the vehicle, taking 16 hours when empty, giving a 220-250 mile range. (Honda)
  • Hydrogen Storage > More Solid than Solid: A Potential Hydrogen-storage Compound (http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/539304/?sc=dwhp) - Researchers at NIST have demonstrated that a novel class of materials potentially could enable a practical hydrogen fuel tank for cars. Heavy hydrogen molecules adsorbed in MOF-74 pack into the tubes more densely than they would in solid form.. (NewsWise; Apr. 2, 2008)
  • Prizes > The Saltire Prize (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Energy/saltire-prize) - The Scottish Government has created the opportunity to award one of the biggest international innovation prizes in history through its plans for the Saltire Prize - a £10 million ($20 million) challenge prize for advances in clean energy. Details to be released November 30, 2008 on St. Andrew's Day at Edinburgh Castle. (April 3, 2008) (Thanks RLP)
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April 3, 2008

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April 2, 2008

  • Featured
    Magnet Motors > Mike x's CD Magnet Motor - On March 30, Mike x posted a video to YouTube showing a CD with magnets attached on its surface, spinning with just one rotating stator magnet to keep it going. This is an all-magnet motor, with no electrical input. He's presently working on repeating the effect. (PESWiki; April 2, 2008)
  • Ethanol > A Research Report on Cellulosic Ethanol Investment (http://www.altenews.com/CellulosicEthanolReport.pdf) (PDF) - Report says that cellulosic ethanol promises to be superior to corn-based ethanol in every way, to make renewable transportation fuels more widespread and more affordable. Provides data regarding future growth, supply and demand, and contains profiles of the significant companies participating in the industry. (AltENews (http://www.altenews.com/researchreports.htm); 2008)
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April 1, 2008