Solar sparkle for arizona

admin /27 May, 2009

Solar Sparkle for Arizona

The team behind a new solar heating plant recently unveiled in Arizona expects the performance not only to be “sensationally high,” but that this may turn out to be the solar array with the best output worldwide. The plant provides industrial process hot water — a sector that could be set to grow very rapidly.

Concentrated solar power could generate ‘quarter of world’s energy’

admin /27 May, 2009

Concentrated solar power could generate ‘quarter of world’s energy’

Industry groups call for solar thermal technology to expand in ‘sun belt’ around world as Spain leads the field

• Alok Jha, green technology correspondent
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 26 May 2009 16.57 BST
• Article history

Solar thermal is best suited to desert regions. Photograph: Ho/Reuters

 

Solar power stations that concentrate sunlight could generate up to one-quarter of the world’s electricity needs by 2050, according to a study by environmental and solar industry groups. The technology, best suited to the desert regions of the world, could also create hundreds of thousands of new jobs and save millions of tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

 

Concentrating solar power (CSP) uses mirrors to focus sunlight onto water. This produces steam that can then turn turbines and generate electricity. It differs from photovoltaics, which use solar panels to turn sunlight directly into electricity and can operate even on overcast days. CSP only works in places where there are many days with clear skies and is a proven, reliable technology.

 

At the end of 2008 CSP capacity was around 430MW, and worldwide investment in the technology will reach

€2bn (£1.8bn) this year, according to Sven Teske of Greenpeace International and co-author of the report. He said investment could increase, under a relatively moderate scenario, to €11.1bn by 2010 and provide 7% of the world’s generating capacity by 2030. By 2050 investment could reach €92.5bn, creating almost 2m jobs by 2050 and saving 2.1bn tonnes of CO2 every year.

“bottletop” technology could slash aviation emissions by a fifth

admin /26 May, 2009

‘Bottletop’ technology could slash aviation emissions by a fifth

British researchers hope to cut airline fuel bills by placing hundreds of thousands of tiny holes in the surface of a plane’s wing to reduce mid-flight drag. From BusinessGreen.com, part of the Guardian Environment Network

• From BusinessGreen.com, part of the Guardian Environment Network
• guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 26 May 2009 12.01 BST
• Article history

Airbus is said to be keen to accelerate the project and it is hoped that new wings could be ready for trial as early as 2012. Photograph: AIRBUS INDUSTRIE/EPA

A team of British researchers reckon they have hit on a way of cutting airline fuel bills by up to a fifth by harnessing the same principle that applies when you blow across the top of a bottle to make a sound.

Speaking to BusinessGreen.com, Dr Duncan Lockerby, from the University of Warwick, who is leading the project, explained that placing tens or even hundreds of thousands of tiny holes in the surface of a plane’s wing should dramatically reduce mid-flight drag, cutting fuel bills and carbon emissions by up to 20 per cent in the process.

With Billions at Stake, Trying to Expand the Meaning of ‘Renewable Energy’

admin /25 May, 2009

With Billions at Stake, Trying to Expand the Meaning of ‘Renewable Energy’

Left: Leah Nash for The New York Times; top right: Sean Gallup/Getty Images; bottom right: Rick Smith/Associated Press

The meanings of “renewable” and “alternative” have been expanded in some states. Wind, flammable pellets made from garbage and the burning of waste coal have all been designated renewable energy, or an equivalent, in at least one state.

Spate of batteries announced

admin /24 May, 2009

The drive for commercial releases of electric cars has launched a spate of announcements about battery technology. The weight of existing batteries, the toxic chemicals employed in their manufacture and the limitations on the amount of power they can store makes the battery a limiting factor in the widespread adoption of electric vehicles. This week Continue Reading →

Wales legislates for zero waste

admin /24 May, 2009

The small British country, Wales, has passed laws which commit future government’s to a zero waste future and one hundred percent of energy to be obtained from renewable sources. The package is the most far reaching legislation in Europe and is pegged for a twenty year time frame. Recycling is mandated for 70 per cent Continue Reading →