Archive for October, 2007
« Previous EntriesIBM pioneers process to turn waste into solar energy
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007In a press release issued today, IBM announced that it has developed an innovative new process to reclaim scrap semiconductor wafers and turn them into a form usable to make silicon based solar panels. Since there currently exists a shortage of the silicon used to create solar panels, any news that would increase [...]
Georgia picks pine over corn
Sunday, October 28th, 2007As ethanol derived from corn creates more and more of a controversy (see UN Expert seeks to halt biofuel output), alternate ways of producing ethanol and biofuel from other than corn and food stocks are becoming more and more important. Groundbreaking is about to take place on a new ethanol plant down [...]
Green Energy News: Reinventing the Wind Turbine
Saturday, October 27th, 2007GreenEnergyNews has a nice article on some new innovations in the wind power area. Since there’s a practical limit to the size of the wind turbines, the only way to get more power from turbines is to look at other parts of the design. GreenEnergyNews lists a bunch of the latest [...]
Start-up says it can make solar panels out of dirty silicon
Friday, October 26th, 2007C|net – CaliSolar, a solar startup based on research done at UC Berkeley, says that they have come up with a way to make efficient solar cells out of upgraded metallurgical silicon, which is much cheaper than the standard electrical grade silicon used in most photovoltaic solar cells.
Electrical grade silicon costs about $150 to $250 [...]
Best of both worlds: The Bluenergy vertical SolarWind Turbine
Saturday, October 20th, 2007GroovyGreen.com reports that Bluenergy AG, a German company, has created what appears to be the first “integrated solar vertical axis wind turbine.”
Bluenergy vertical axis SolarWind turbine
So when the wind isn’t blowing but the sun’s out, you still get electricity from the Bluenergy SolarWind due to the solar panels built into the blades of the turbine [...]
Kohl’s unveils plans to go solar in Wisconsin
Friday, October 19th, 2007The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reorts that Kohl’s Corp is installing hundreds of solar panels on two of its stores and a new photo studio in the Milwaukee area.
The project will make Kohl’s the largest generator of solar power in the Midwest, according to We Energies.
Green Motors and Toyota at Tokyo
Thursday, October 11th, 2007Time has an article about General Motors and hybrids. “After dismissing them for years as a niche unworthy of attention, GM will release an average of one new hybrid model every three months for the next two years, beginning with the industry’s first full-size hybrid SUVs late this year.” The Time [...]
Report urges US to pursue space-based solar power
Thursday, October 11th, 2007From Space.com -
WASHINGTON – A Pentagon-chartered report urges the United States to take the lead in developing space platforms capable of capturing sunlight and beaming electrical solar power to Earth.
Innovalight predicts its silicon ink will dramatically cut cost of solar power
Thursday, October 11th, 2007According to the Mercury News, Innovalight has developed a nanotech silicon ink that the company says will let them make solar cells that are cheaper and more efficient than current solar photovoltaic cells. Today, Innovalight announced $29 million in new funding as well as plans to open a 30,000 square foot solar cell manufacturing [...]
Toyota getting hit after opposing toughest fuel-economy legislation
Saturday, October 6th, 2007Lots of bad press for Toyota after the carmaker sided with US carmakers in opposing the toughest of several fuel-economy proposals now being debated in Congress. Toyota, despite its lead in the hybrid race, opposes the proposed 35 mpg by 2020 proposal in the Senate n favor of the Hill-Terry House bill that [...]
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