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News:Archive:2008:June

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PESWiki News -- June 2008 Archive


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2008

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July

See News:Archive:2008:July - going forward in time

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June

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Monday, June 30, 2008

  • OTEC >
    Xenesys Inc thermal electric ocean energy systems (http://www.xenesys.com/) - Xenesys has acquired an exclusive license for the patent on the "Uehara Cycle", developed by Saga University with higher efficiency than the conventional method, and is implementing demonstration testing using an OTEC mini model plant. (Video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQmfRNzLNQs))
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Sunday, June 29, 2008

  • PHEV >
    AP Interviews Andy Grove on PHEVs; PBS Newshour on Plug-In Cars (http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/967.html) - To push the technology along, Grove suggests tax incentives to take the risk out of battery development and help offset the costs of conversion kits. Utilities, he says, could subsidize the early adopters of plug-ins by providing free electric power to the vehicles for the first year to 18 months. (CalCars; June 28, 2008)
  • Wind > Offshore >
    The War Over Offshore Wind Is Almost Over (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_27/b4091052403644.htm) - US Federal regulators hope to release detailed rules for utilizing wind, wave, and tidal power by yearend, at which point the path will be cleared for applications from a dozen or so wind projects in federal waters, with nearly as many under way in state areas. (BusinessWeek; June 26, 2008)
  • Global Warming >
    Feeding the Masses: Data In, Crop Predictions Out (http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/magazine/16-07/pb_feeding#) - Lansworth (http://www.lanworth.com/) sorts 100 gigs of intel every day, adding to a database of 50 terabytes and counting. It's also moving into world production-prediction — wheat fields in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine are already in the data set, as are corn and soy plots in Brazil and Argentina. (Wired; June 23, 2008)
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Saturday, June 28, 2008

  • Featured: Magnet Motors >
    David Hamel Motor - Supposedly, the 3-cone device gives forth the principle of what Hamel alleges to be "perpetual motion...the usage of duality/magnetism and of vibration. Chaos physics induced through 3-body physics." Working prototypes are held by hand. (PESWiki)
  • PHEV >
    Uncle Sam Rolls In a 100-MPG Solar Plug-In Hybrid (http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/06/uncle-sam-rolls.html) - Tom Markel, a senior engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory runs a 2006 Prius that has a lithium-ion battery six times more powerful than the nickel-metal hydride pack Toyota put in it. But what makes the car really cool is the solar panel on the roof. It generates enough juice to go 5 miles. (Wired; June 27, 2008)
  • Hydrogen / Fuel Cells>
    The California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP) (http://www.fuelcellpartnership.org/index.html) - CaFCP is a collaboration of 31 organizations that believe fuel cell vehicles powered by hydrogen have the potential to change the future of transportation. Members are operating more fuel cell vehicles and hydrogen fueling stations in California than any other region in the world. (CaFCP site; June 28, 2008)
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Friday, June 27, 2008

  • Natural Gas > Vehicles >
    Natural Gas Vehicle Cooperative launches in three western states (http://www.autobloggreen.com/2008/06/26/natural-gas-vehicle-cooperative-launches-in-three-western-states/) - The newly-formed Natural Gas Vehicle Purchasing Cooperative, started by CALSTART (http://www.calstart.org/) and operational in three states (Arizona, Nevada and California), will help fleet managers "to quickly identify, locate, and purchase a wide range of light, medium, and select heavy-duty natural gas vehicles at the best prices." (AutoBlog Green; June 26, 2008)
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Thursday, June 26, 3008

  • Featured: Fuel_Efficiency > Engines >
    Turbine Truck Engines, Inc - Owns an exclusive license for the manufacturing and marketing of a highly innovative, environmentally-friendly 300 to 1,000 horsepower turbine-based truck engine. Known as the Detonation Cycle Gas Turbine engine, its patented cyclical detonation technology is poised to revolutionize the heavy-duty truck engine market. (PESWiki; June 25, 2008)
  • Solar > Vehicles >
    The Island Pilot DSe Hybrid (http://www.dsehybrid.com/index.html) - The DSe requires a total of 6 kW to cruise at 6 knots and 10 kW to cruise at 7-1/4 knots (see sea trial results (http://www.dsehybrid.com/html/dse_hybrid_sea_trials.html)). The superstructure is designed to maximize the horizontal surface for the 6 kW photovoltaic solar array. (See Energy Flowchart (http://www.dsehybrid.com/html/dse_hybrid_flow_chart.html)) (Company site) (Thanks Jim Hughes)
  • EV > Hybrids > Plug-Ins >
    Needed: A Plug-In Hummer (http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2008/0602/046.html) - Who's getting rich off $4-a-gallon gas--and who's feeling the pain? This is a question that Forbes Magazine asked in their Special Investment Guide Issue that hit newstands this June, listing winners and losers. (Forbes; June 2008)
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Wednesday, June 25, 3008

  • Featured: Conservation >
    Does Blackle Conserve Computer Screen Energy? - Do we save or use more power when we use black as a background on a computer screen? If you still have a CRT display, then Blackle makes sense. If you use a flat-screen display, which has been the majority for a few years, the opposite effect takes place. (PESWiki; June 24, 2008)
  • Solar > PhotoVoltaics / Heating >
    Solar Energy Cogeneration (http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/06/23/new-submission-14/) - A new system from SolarWall (http://solarwall.com/en/products/solarwall-pvt/solarduct-pvt.php), the SolarDuct PV/T, offers a combination of solar photovoltaic and solar thermal in one assembly providing a means to heat and power from the sun with one product. (Inhabitat; June 23, 2008)
  • Thermal Electric / Solar >
    Transpacific Energy's low-heat conversion technology (http://www.transpacenergy.com/new_page_2.htm) - Uses an advanced Organic Rankine Cycle to produce electricity from waste heat or other low temperature heat sources such as solar. It uses a proprietary, environmentally sound multiple refrigerant mixture, that can easily be adapted to low and medium heat sources and used where ammonia, propane, butane and other CFCs cannot be used. (PR; June 22, 2008)
  • Solar / Water >
    Mobile MaxPure solar-powered water purification system set for Iraq duty (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/mobile-maxpure-solar-powered-water-purification-system-set-for-iraq-duty/) - WorldWater & Solar Technologies Corp's (http://www.worldwater.com/), the stand-alone Mobile Max Pure® unit is a 7-foot cube that opens up at the press of a button to reveal a solar array that can deliver around 3.2 kw of electricity, which combine with the company’s patented AquaMax controls to pump out and purify over 30,000 gallons of water per day. Optional back-up generator. (EcoFriend; June 23, 2008)
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Tuesday, June 24, 3008

  • Solar > Concentrated
    MIT Students Develop Revolutionary Solar Dish (http://www.dailytech.com/MIT+Students+Develop+Revolutionary+Solar+Dish+That+is+Hot+Enough+to+Melt+Steel/article12153.htm) - RawSolar (http://www.raw-solar.com/) is a company formed by MIT students to develop their concentrated solar thermal design that is exceedingly simple and inexpensive. The new dishes would return their costs in a mere couple years, concentrating sunlight 1000x to produce steam to run a turbine. (DailyTech; June 21, 2008) (Thanks JQP)
  • Green Building / Conservation >
    Valspar touts energy efficient aluminum coating (http://media.cleantech.com/3009/valspar-energy-efficient-coating-aluminum-industry-first) - Valspar (http://investors.valspar.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=80086&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1167969&highlight=) has developed the industry's first enhanced solar reflective paint for the aluminum extrusion and wall panel market. Their black paint absorbs as little heat as a normal white paint. (See Flurospar(R) SR coatings (http://www.paintandcolor.com/pac/pdf/flurospar_sr.pdf)). (CleanTech; June 19, 2008)
  • Fuel Cells > Carbon Conversion Fuel Cell >
    Hybrid fuel cells show improved efficiency (http://www.rsc.org/Publishing/ChemTech/Volume/2008/07/hybrid_fuel_cells.asp) - John Irvine at the University of St Andrews and colleagues made a hybrid direct carbon fuel cell containing solid oxide or molten carbonate electrolytes to transport ions between the electrodes. (Chemical Technology; June 19, 2008)
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Monday, June 23, 2008

  • Featured / Top 100: Communities >
    Clean Energy Road Show Launch Imminent (http://pesn.com/2008/06/23/9500485_Clean_Energy_Road_Show/) - Laurel White's year-long road show will educate people about easy-to-implement clean energy solutions available now, many of which can actually save money; and to give hope about the future by reviewing some of the most promising clean emerging technologies. (PESN; June 23, 2008)
  • Electric Cars >
    5 electric cars you can buy now (http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/autos/0806/gallery.electric_cars_now/index.html) - With gas prices soaring, plugging in has its appeal. But there are trade-offs: high costs and low speed. (CNN Money; June 18, 2008)
  • Batteries >
    E-One Moli to Introduce New High-Power Li-Ion Cell (http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/06/e-one-moli-to-i.html#more) - E-One Moli Energy’s (http://www.e-one.com.tw/index.html) will be introducing its new generation of manganese spinel-based high-power lithium-ion batteries in China this week. The new generation of cell features better rate capability and cycle life, and is intended to match iron phosphate materials with longer cycle and calendar life. (Green Car Congress; June 20, 2008)
  • Biodiesel >
    Biodiesel will drive Eastern Washington train during summerlong test (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008011135_biodiesel22.html) - The project is one of the first biodiesel tests on locomotives in the Northwest. So far, few trains use biodiesel, though there have been experiments in some passenger-train systems in Europe and U.S. shortline railroads. (Seattle Times; June 22, 2008)
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Sunday, June 22, 2008

  • Waste to Energy >
    Trash-fed generator deployed in Iraq (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9972359-54.html) - The U.S. Army is testing two prototype generators in Iraq that run on garbage, rather than diesel fuel. The Tactical Garbage to Energy Refinery (TGER, pronounced "tiger"), was co-developed with Purdue University (http://news.cnet.com/Portable%2C-trash-powered-generator-ready-for-deployment/2100-11395_3-6155753.html) and deployed in May at Victory Base camp in Baghdad, where it will be tested until August 2008. (CNet News; June 19, 2008)
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Saturday, June 21, 2008

  • Prizes >
    American Express Members Project 2008 (http://membersproject.com/files/toolkit.pdf) (PDF) - Starting 7/22/08, submitting your ideas for projects through the American Express Credit Card system could change our world. Voting begins 9/9/08. AMEX card members decide which projects get funding. On 10/14/08, American Express funds the winning projects with $2.5 million.
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Friday, June 20, 2008

  • Fuel Efficiency > Capstone Turbine >
    Capstone Turbines Double Bus Fuel Efficiency (http://thefraserdomain.typepad.com/energy/2008/04/designline-orde.html) - Capstone MicroTurbines will be deployed in ECOSaver IV hybrid electric buses manufactured by DesignLine International. Tests have shown up to 100% improvement in fuel economy. DesignLine has ordered 150 of the turbines. (The Energy Blog; April 4, 2008)
  • Solar / Air Conditioning >
    GreenCore Solar Air Conditioner by AquaCell Technologies (http://www.greencoreair.com/) - Off-grid solar powered air conditioner combines photovoltaic technology with DC engineered air conditioning. Model gc10200 provides solar powered cooling and heating for approximately 600 square feet of living space. (Other Coverage - August 11, 2008 - 'TreeHugger (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/greencore-solar-powered-air-conditioning-ac-cooling.php))
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Thursday, June 19, 2008

  • Featured: Magnet Motors / Wind >
    Shinyeon Magnet and Wind Systems - Shinyeon Energy Research Center of Korea has two highly exotic prototypes. One is a piston-based permanent magnet motor called the Magforce engine, that doesn't require fuel or electricity. The other as a tower-based induction wind generator. (PESWiki; June 18, 2008)
  • Waste to Energy >
    Jenbacher Biogas Engine (http://ge.ecomagination.com/site/products/jenb.html) - There are presently 457 GE Jenbacher gas engines running on biogas, with a total installed capacity of 285 MW. The captured gas is used to generate 2.28 million megawatt-hours of electricity each year. The latest are installed in Limena, Italy on a cattle farm. (Ecomagination Press Release; June 4, 2008)
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Wednesday, June 18, 2008

  • Featured: Oil >
    Fuel Watch Worldwide - Directory created to keep an eye on fuel costs worldwide. Why do we see prices from 12 cents USD up to over $11 USD per gallon for the same product from around the world? (PESWiki; June 17, 2008)
  • Biomass / Alt Fuels >
    Designer fuel offers more mpg, less emissions, less cost (http://www.gizmag.com/designer-fuel-offers-more-mpg-less-emissions-less-cost/9467/) - Swift Enterprises’ (http://www.swiftenterprises.com/) 104 octane SwiftFuel© is comprised of synthetic hydrocarbons derived from biomass, runs fine in any existing plane or car, and has low emissions. It has 15-20% more energy than petrol and sells for $2 a gallon less than gasoline. (GizMag; June 13, 2008)
  • Top 100: Waste to Energy / Plasma > W2 Energy >
    W2 Energy in Waste-to-Diesel JV in Thailand (http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/06/w2-energy-in-wa.html) - W2 Energy Inc., the developer of a Gliding Arc Tornado plasma reactor for gasification for power and fuels generation, and Better World Energy of Thailand are forming a joint venture to build one waste-to-energy plant which will convert 40 tons of municipal waste into electricity and 70 cetane synthetic diesel. (Green Car Congress; June 16, 2008)
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Tuesday, June 17, 2008

  • Oil / Non-Fossil Oil >
    Scientists find bugs that eat waste and excrete petrol (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4133668.ece) - LS9 (http://www.ls9.com/) claims that this “Oil 2.0” will not only be renewable but also carbon negative – meaning that the carbon it emits will be less than that sucked from the atmosphere by the raw materials from which it is made. (Times Online; June 14, 2008)
  • Fuel Cells / Fuel Efficient Vehicles >
    Volkswagen HyMotion fuel cell vehicle (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13746_7-9967606-48.html) - built into Volkswagen's new Tiguan crossover model, uses hydrogen to create electricity, providing power for the car's electric drive motor. It also has a lithium ion battery pack for extra electricity storage, and gets the gasoline equivalent of 42-to-62 miles per gallon. (CNet Reviews; June 12, 2008)
  • Fuel Efficiency > Air Cars >
    Go-Karting Goes Green With Compressed Air (http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/feeding-on-air-go-karting-too-goes-green-with-speed/) - Students modified a snowmobile engine to run on compressed air stored in two scuba tanks, producing power similar to a gas engine. They attached the engine to a go-kart that can go 43 km/h full out. Although it runs out of air quickly, the zero local emissions make it attractive for indoor operations and the tanks are easy to refill. (EcoFriend; June 11, 2008)
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Monday, June 16, 2008

  • Algae for Oil >
    Turning algae into ethanol cheaply (http://media.cleantech.com/2961/algal-biofuels-algenol-ethanol-solazyme-sonora-mexico) - Algenol Biofuels (http://www.algenolbiofuels.com/) licensed deal for an $850 million project with a way to inexpensively bring third-generation biofuels to industrial scale with a seawater-based process that can generate up to a billion gallons of algal ethanol per year from a facility in Mexico. (CleanTech; June 11, 2008)
  • Waste to Energy > Plasma > >
    Minnesota Town to Launch Plasma Gasification Project (http://www.goodcleantech.com/2008/06/minnesota_town_to_launch_plasm.php) - The Renewable Energy Clean Air Project set out to perform a feasibility study of what will likely be one the first commercial plasma gasification projects in the U.S. The demonstration system will process all the County's municipal solid waste, at rates of over 100 tons per day. (GoodCleanTech; June 11, 2008)
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Sunday, June 15, 2008

  • Water Distillation >
    Greening the desert by squeezing water out of gypsum (http://biopact.com/2008/06/greening-desert-by-squeezing-water-out.html) - Gypsum, a rocky mineral abundant in desert regions where fresh water is usually in very short supply, could become a new resource out of which trillions of liters of clean drinking water can be squeezed through solar power or oil well flares. (BioPact; June 12, 2008)
  • Conservation >
    World Energy Leaders Launch Energy-efficiency Initiative (http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52745) - The IPEEC (http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/08/380&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=e) declaration states that energy efficiency is one of the quickest, greenest and most cost-effective ways to address energy security and climate change while ensuring economic growth. (Renewable Energy Worldwide; June 12, 2008)
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Saturday, June 14, 2008

  • Featured / Top 100: Running Vehicles on Water / Hydrogen >
    Genepax water fuel system - Genepax intends to provide 1kw-class generation systems for use in electric vehicles and houses. Instead of driving electric vehicles with this system alone, the company expects to use it as a generator to charge the secondary battery used in electric vehicles. (PESWiki; June 14, 2008)
  • Solar / DIY >
    Converting a Gas Mower to Run on Solar Power (http://www.arttec.net/Solar_Mower/index.html) - Project entails replacing the gasoline engine of a used 22" gas powered mower with a 12 Volt electric motor and battery - along with gauges, circuit breaker/power switch and charging connector. (Art Tec; June 2005)
  • Batteries > Nickel Zinc >
    PowerGenix Introduces NiZn Cells for HEV Market (http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/05/powergenix-intr.html) - PowerGenix (http://www.powergenix.com/) introduced its nickel-zinc (NiZn) rechargeable D cells for hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) in a retrofitted Toyota Prius. NiZn packs can deliver 30% more power and increased energy density, as well as reduced size, weight and cost relative to existing Nickel Metal-Hydride (NiMH) technologies. (Green Car Congress; May 15, 2008)
  • Solar / Competitions >
    The Frisian Solar Challenge (http://www.frisiansolarchallenge.nl/eng/page.php?nodeId=98) - As a sunny variation of the legendary Eleven Cities Skating Race (Elfstedentocht), 48 Dutch and international teams will navigate the Frisian waterways over a distance of almost 200 kilometres, past eleven Frisian cities, in custom-designed and built solar-powered boats from June 22 - June 28, 2008.
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Friday, June 13, 2008

  • Featured: Fuel Efficiency
    Tai Robinson on Clean Fuel Conversions - New Energy Congress founding member gives an overview of how to convert existing vehicles into clean fuel vehicles, running on multiple local fuels. A look at the process, costs, and other considerations regarding alternative fuels in general. (FreeEnergyNow.net; June 9, 2008)
  • Tidal >
    Worlds First Megawatt Tidal Turbine Installed (http://www.gizmag.com/seagen-tidal-system-reaches-completion/9412/) - Construction of Marine Current Turbines' (http://www.marineturbines.com/) 1.2MW SeaGen tidal system has now been completed. The world’s first megawatt scale tidal turbine will now enter a 12-week period of commissioning and testing before it starts regularly feeding power into the Northern Ireland grid. (GizMag; June 4, 2008)
  • EVs > Electric Cars >
    Vancouver inventor charged up about electric car (http://www.columbian.com/news/localNews/2008/06/06072008_Vancouver-inventor-charged-up-about-electric-car.cfm) - Milner Motors (http://www.milnermotors.com/) developed the ElectriCar, a four-door, four-seat, plug-in hybrid car ready to hit the highway in about a year. The first 100 cars will be sold as “kit cars,” assembled and driven away one at a time, for between $20,000 and $30,000 each. Mass production will come later. (The Columbian; June 7, 2008)
  • Batteries > Nickel Zinc >
    Xellerion (http://www.xellerion.com/) has developed a rechargeable Nickel-Zinc battery that has solved the dendrite formation problem, thereby unleashing Nickel-Zinc battery's superior electrochemical potential of both high power and high energy, for applications such as electric and hybrid vehicles.
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Thursday, June 12, 2008

  • Conservation > Water >
    Cleaning up the laundry industry (http://media.cleantech.com/2941/cleaning-up-the-laundry-industry) - The Xeros (http://www.xerosltd.com/index.htm) polymer pellets act like a magnet, attracting the soiling and the dirt out of a small amount of water. The technology has already been proven in controlled lab experiments and has also been tested in commercial scale dry cleaning facilities. (CleanTech; June 9, 2008)
  • Algae > Algae for Oil >
    Biotech pros press algae into biodiesel production (http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9964587-54.html?tag=cd.blog) - Aurora Biofuel (http://www.aurorabiofuels.com/), started by University of California at Berkeley students, has a process that it says can create biodiesel at yields that are 125 times higher and have 50 percent lower costs than today's production methods. (CNet News; June 10, 2008)
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

  • Featured: Fuel Efficiency > Lubricants >
    Silver Series Lubricant - The silver contained in the oil finds it's way onto working surfaces, where it reduces friction and wear. When wear attempts to remove it, more silver is plated onto the surface, so it is the silver that wears and not the original surface. (PESWiki)
  • Building / PhotoVoltaics / Wind >
    NANO VENT-SKIN: CO2 Filtering Solar Micro-turbines! (http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/06/04/agustin-otegui-nano-vent-skin/) - Nano VentSkin (http://nanoventskin.blogspot.com/) sheath for existing structures is a zero-emission material that soaks up sunlight via a photovoltaic layer; and its tiny turbines employ “polarized organisms” to create chemical reactions, generating power each time the turbine makes contact with the structure; and the organisms present in the inner skin of each turbine soak up C02. (Inhabitat; June 4, 2008)
  • Fuel Efficiency >
    MPG for Speed (http://www.mpgforspeed.com/) - Your car's gas mileage decreases once it gets past its optimal speed. For most cars, this is around 55-60 mph. This means that every time you go over this speed, you're essentially wasting gas and money - and creating unnecessary greenhouse gases.
  • Current Events / Hydro >
    EnergyOcean 2008 (http://www.energyocean.com/) - The 5th Annual EnergyOcean conference co-located with SubSea Survey 2008 (http://www.subseasurvey.com/), June 24-28, 2008 in Galveston, Texas, will be focusing on renewable and sustainable energy from the oceans.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008

  • Featured / Top 100: Wind > Horizontal Axis >
    Broadstar Wind Systems - BroadStar's AeroCam is claimed to be the first turbine to break through the $1/watt cost barrier. It enables distributed power generation in almost any setting, including densely populated urban areas and can capture abundant surface-wind energy in wind farms. (PESWiki; June 8, 2008)
  • Biofuels >
    Biofuel Backlash: High prices, pollution worries hit consumers (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004464783_biofuels08.html) - Prices of biodiesel have almost doubled to about $6 per gallon, and many experts blame biofuel production for driving up food prices worldwide. Prominent scientists have questioned whether growing crops for biofuels produces more greenhouse gases than it prevents. (Seattle Times; June 8, 2008)
  • Electric Scooters > DIY
    Make a Powered Bicycle (http://www.hackaday.com/2008/06/01/powered-bicycles) - Beta site lists a few electric bike Do It Yourself projects with videos from around the Internet with emphasis on "How-To" Hacks. The site also includes other transportation hacks (http://www.hackaday.com/category/transportation-hacks/). (Hack A Day; June 1, 2008)
  • Current Events / Hydrogen >
    Hydrogen Energy Implementation Conference in US (http://www.uwyo.edu/news/showrelease.asp?id=22637) - The University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources will host the Hydrogen Energy Implementation Conference that will take place July 22-24 in Laramie, Wyoming to address the technology, economics, policy, government activities and international team-building necessary to build a hydrogen economy.
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Monday, June 9, 2008

  • Waste to Energy / Plastic and Energy >
    Bio-plastics from animal protein waste (http://www.sciencealert.com.au/news/20082705-17382-2.html) - A new process, developed over two years by University of Waikato chemical engineers can turn animal protein waste like blood meal and feathers into a biodegradable plastic using industry-standard plastic extrusion and injection moulding machinery. (Science Alert; May 27, 2008)
  • Hydrogen >
    Lawrence Livermore Prototype LH2 Tank Maintains Extended Thermal Endurance (http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/06/lawrence-liverm.html#more) - An insulated cryogenic pressure vessel developed and installed in an experimental hybrid vehicle —- a Prius converted by Quantum for hydrogen use -- by a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory research team can hold liquid hydrogen (LH2) for six days without venting any of the fuel. (Green Car Congress; June 5, 2008)
  • Current Events >
    Energy Summit 2008 (http://www.waveenergytoday.com/wave08/Wave) - The world's first wave-exclusive event - June 17-18, 2008, Royal London Garden, London UK. From the lab to the sea - secure investment and scale up your wave energy device ready for deployment.
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Sunday, June 8, 2008

  • Fuel Efficiency > Skeptics >
    Do Fuel-Saving Gadgets Take You for a Ride? (http://s.wsj.net/article/SB121253615580242807.html?mod=fpa_editors_picks) - (Naysaying by Mainstreamers). Auto-industry officials and federal energy experts say most fuel-saving add-ons don't work. The EPA and FTC have tested products that claim to boost fuel economy and found they generally don't improve vehicles' efficiency -- and they sometimes actually harm performance and increase emissions. (Wall Street Journal; June 4, 2008)
  • Geoengineering / CO2 Sequestration >
    Climos under siege? (http://venturebeat.com/2008/05/31/climos-under-siege/) - Potentially throwing a wrench into future ocean fertilization trials, which are intended to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by storing carbon deep underwater, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity called for a moratorium on the practice of adding nutrients to the oceans. (Venture Beat; May 31, 2008)
  • Prizes >
    Millennium Promise Competition (http://www.design21sdn.com/competitions/13) - $10,000 prize will be awarded to the party who presents the most clear, compelling and empowering message to educate the general public about the main objective of the UN's Millennium Development Goals: to improve the lives of the world’s poorest. Entry deadline of June 17.
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Saturday, June 7, 2008

  • Fuel Efficiency > Transmissions / Hydraulics >
    Hydraulic Transmission Doubles Mileage (http://www.goodcleantech.com/2008/06/new_transmission_tech_doubles.php) - Artemis Intelligent Power (http://www.artemisip.com) claims to have developed a new kind of transmission capable of doubling fuel economy and reducing CO2 emissions by as much as 30 percent. The High Efficiency Digital Displacement Automotive Transmission (HEDDAT) is a hydraulic hybrid engine modulator said to be more durable, lighter and cheaper than its electric counterparts. (GoodCleanTech; June 5, 2008)
  • Solar >
    Transparent Transistor Solar (http://earth2tech.com/2008/06/03/solar-startup-xtreme-energetics-licenses-hps-tech/) - Xtreme Energetics (http://www.xesolar.com/) says it will make a more efficient solar panel that can convert up to 43 percent of the sun’s light into energy at a cost of $1.50 per watt. The clear transistor panels are clear and can be tinted to whatever color might match or compliment the building. (earth2tech; June 3, 2008)
  • Engines > Cyclone Power Technologies >
    Cyclone Waste Heat Engine (http://engineeringtv.com/blogs/etv/archive/2008/06/02/cyclone-waste-heat-engine.aspx) - The Cyclone Waste Heat Engine (WHE) is a self-starting engine that operates in a low pressure, low temperature range. This feature allows the engine to run on waste heat emanating from an external source, such as the exhaust from an internal (or external) combustion engine, or the direct burning of biomass(Engineering TV; June 2, 2008)
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Thursday, June 5, 2008

  • Fuel Efficiency > Vehicles >
    GM's "Project Driveway" (http://www.chevrolet.com/fuelcell/articles/index.jsp?id=4/) - If you live or work in metropolitan New York City; Washington, D.C.; or Southern California, you may be eligible to test-drive 1 of 100 Equinox Fuel Cell SUV vehicles or share your opinions directly with The GM Fuel Cell Team. (Chevrolet; 2008)
  • Solar > Solar Vehicles >
    Golf Cart Solar Roof Panel Kit (http://www.frugaldougalsgolf.com/solarroofpanel) - A photovoltaic roof allows the golf cart to go one mile for every 1.68 hours in peak sun. Affordable way to convert your Club or E-Z-GO golf cart. (Frugal Dougal's Golf Cart Accessories; May 30, 2008)
  • Solar >
    California School Sees Benefits of Solar Energy (http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=52624) - California is home to some of the best solar resources in the U.S., a fact not lost on its residents and policy makers when it comes to adopting and supporting solar energy, such as for powering schools. (Renewable Energy World; May 30, 2008)
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Wednesday, June 4, 2008

  • Waste to Energy >
    Landfill Gas to Energy: A Growing Alternative Energy Resource (http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/05/landfill-gas-energy-biogas.php) - Landfill gas is comprised of approximately 50-60 percent methane and 40-50 percent carbon dioxide. Waste Management (WM) has over 100 sites that have landfill gas to energy (LFGTE) facilities that collect methane and use it to fuel onsite engines or turbines, generating electricity to power surrounding homes and neighborhoods. (Treehugger; May 30, 2008)