A mobile wave power generating system proposed by Fraunhofer Center for Manufacturing Innovation would install wave generators along with banks of storage batteries onto ships or barges for portable wave power generation. The ship would go to sea and deploy its generators, and then return back to port and connect its batteries to the grid when it was fully charged.

These ships would need to be outfitted with millions of dollars worth of storage batteries, and would have storage measured in megawatt-hours. One advantage an integrated power system incorporating this kind of vessel would have is that it could also serve as a grid-tied power storage system. If other renewable sources were producing additional power, there might be times when it would make more sense to keep the barges tied up at the dock and providing their storage capacity instead of sailing out to generate additional power.

The basic premise for this has been around for a few years. Existing ships might be able to be repurposed for use as power stations, rather than requiring that new vessels be built. Additionally, while permanently installed wave power systems need to be robust enough to withstand the strongest storms, the mobility of the ship-based system would allow it to be moved back to safety in a harbor when severe weather threatened, which would allow for lighter weight construction.

The cost of electricity generated in this way has been estimated to be as low as 15 cents per kilowatt-hour, as compared with 30 to 65 cents per kilowatt-hour with other wave power systems. There would also be considerably fewer regulatory hurdles that would have to be overcome since the generators would be vessels, rather than permanently installed structures.

via: ecomagination

Jay Leno, probably the most famous Volt driver so far, has raved about his experience with the vehicle and reported that he’s racked up 11,000 miles in the car without ever having to fill up the gas tank.

Leno drives his Volt from his home to the studio and back every day — a 35-mile trip each way.  With the Volt’s battery range of 40 miles, he’s able to make the drive to work, plug in to recharge and then drive home again at the end of the day all without using any gas.  In fact, the half tank of gas that was in the vehicle when it was delivered to him is still there, untouched.

The big idea behind the range-extended vehicle was just this scenario:  people could make their regular commutes on battery power only, but have the option of filling up on gas for longer trips where EV chargers weren’t as easily accessible.  Jay Leno has basically just proven that the idea totally works.

via Inhabitat

A consortium of 20 different companies has been behind the development of this vehicle concept, which was recently unveiled at the Frankfurt International Auto Show. The design team began with the idea of a vehicle that is intended for primarily short trips, and could then be priced accordingly. While it has a limited range, the Street Scooter has a top speed of 74 miles per hour (120 kph).

The modular approach undertaken by the design team focused on each partner applying their expertise to the area they knew best and having to coordinate only where the different systems interconnected. Production is supposed to begin in Europe in 2013 and then to follow to the United States later on.

The original site is in German, but this link gives a Google translated version that can give you some idea about the project.

via: Slashdot

The city’s street sweepers have applied the adhesive to air pollution hot spots around the city and particulate levels in those areas have dropped 14 percent.  The project has cost the city $1.4 million so far, which is pretty expensive, but 14 percent is a pretty substantial reduction from glue alone and a far cry from a payout of $450 million if they didn’t meet the standards.

London will be taking other action to reduce air pollution, including rolling out cleaner buses, retiring the most polluting taxis, enforcing stricter emissions standards and planting trees.

via Grist

The increase in investments in the sector, even while in a down economy, has led to price drops in equipment and renewable energy power, making solar and wind power far more competitive with coal power.

Renewable energy subsidies deserve a lot of credit for the spending increase:  about $66 billion in subsidies were handed out last year.

It’s a great bit of news as another round of global talks on the climate crisis is likely heading nowhere as we speak.

via LA Times

Last year, SMU gave us a sneak peak of the research they’ve been doing by releasing a geothermal energy potential map for West Virginia.  Surprisingly, the state is a hot spot for geothermal energy recovery, a wonderful development in an area where coal power has dominated for a long time.

The study limited its analysis to the top 6.5 km of the earth’s crust to accurately portray what was actually drillable, recoverable energy.  When the researchers applied limits to depth and excluded areas that were inaccessible due to being in large urban areas or national parks, the technical potential versus theoretical potential for geothermal energy production was revealed.  The technical potential was about 14 percent of the theoretical potential, yet still enough to crush our current coal power capacity ten times over.

via Climate Progress

This rice, which is not genetically modified but a hybrid crop, uses 60 percent less water than conventional rice crops.  It only needs to be watered once a week even in arid climates and can go as long as 15 days without water.

From a nutritional standpoint, the rice has 14 to 15 percent protein compared to seven to eight percent in conventional rice.  It also can be harvested more quickly with a similar yield to conventional rice, making it ideal for feeding the world’s growing population.

So far, only about five percent of rice fields are using this new type of cultivation, but researchers are hopeful that as word spreads about this approach to rice, it will spread to more areas.

via DNA India

The LDAHV4L27CG bulb has the output equivalent of a 20-watt incandescent, but uses only 4.4 watts. It has a color rendering index (CRI)of 80 and a color temperature of 2700 K (similar to a soft warm light bulb). And its lifespan is long, as with other LED bulbs, with a rated life of over 40,000 hours. It has a light angle of 300 degrees, so it has a coverage area similar to an incandescent.

via: Architect Magazine and Gizmodo