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There looks like there's been a breakthrough in
the production of Solar Cells. At UCLA,
Engineers have developed a method of making
solar energy cells out of everyday plastic.
The cells can be produced for 10-20% less than
current cells and the engineering team at UCLA
hopes to have the cell's efficiency up to around
15-20%. These cells could be commercially
available in just a few years. It seems that
UCLA is in a race with
New Mexico State University and Wake Forest
University to create affordable solar cells
using plastic. Using nanotechnology, NMSU
and WFU
have already achieved an efficiency level of 5.2
percent. |
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The plug-in hybrid vehicle
may be a
reality sooner than you think! When
articles start appearing in
Time Magazine, you know that the mainstream
press is finally taking notice.
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An article this morning by the Wall Street
Journal confirms that
solar energy is becoming more financially
attractive to homeowners. |
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A new study by the Energy
Foundation indicates that
residential solar energy could be poised for
tremendous growth in the next decade if, and
this is a big if, the cost can be reduced to
between $2.00 to $2.50 per installed watt.
Currently, the cost is around $3.60 per
installed watt. |
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Universal Electric Vehicle Corp has announced
that they are nearing
completion of prototype of their commuter car,
the COM-V3. They are hoping to begin
production by October. They are also close
to getting their sports car, the Spyder, into
production in early '06. Mark Clayton, writing
in PetroleumWorld.com, takes a look at whether
or not
hybrids can save us from foreign oil. |
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A federal appeals court heard arguments on
Friday in a five-year battle over
whether the Environmental Protection Agency has
the authority to regulate carbon dioxide
emissions from motor vehicles. The
plaintiffs want the EPA to regulate carbon
dioxide emissions. This same dynamic has
been playing out in California, where the state
wants to reduce the levels of CO2 that is
released by automobiles. Automakers argued
that this would require them to increase fuel
efficiency, which by law only Congress can
regulate. If the judges find for the
plaintiffs, it could mean higher fuel economy
standards. GM seems to be coming around to
Hybrids. At a recent
conference in New York City hosted by Morgan
Stanley auto analyst Stephen Girsky, GM's vice
chairman for product development, Bob Lutz,
offered some
candid comments on industry trends and vehicle
technology. |
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Scientists at Rutgers University in New Jersey
have developed a method for
capturing hydrogen from ammonia using
nanotechnology. Pure hydrogen could be
extracted under the vehicle's hood as and when
it was needed for fuel cell powered vehicles.
Also in the news, Ballard Power Systems,
developer of fuel cell technology, is predicting
that
its technology will be commercially viable by
2010. |
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26 former national security officials have
written President Bush, urging him to
take action to reduce U.S. oil consumption.
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| Higher gasoline prices are
making Ethanol and attractive option, where it's available.
Waste vegetable oil is also catching on in
the Midwest. |
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Co-op America's
Solar
Catalyst Group and
Clean Edge,
Inc., have released a report proposing a
three-pronged federal program to regain American
leadership in the high-growth global solar
photovoltaic (PV) industry.
The
Diesel vs. Hybrid debate is also in the news
this morning. A specialist with Honda
predicts that both will be short term trends on
the road to FCVs or all Electric Vehicles. |
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Last month JD Power and associates released a
report predicting that hybrids will never gain
more than 3% of the US market. But a
respected engineer predicts that
Hybrids will catch on despite the higher
cost of these vehicles. |
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I've added a new section to the site called
"From the Mailbox." As the name suggests,
it I'll be periodically selecting an email I
receive and commenting on it.
Click on the link on the right
to read about the new VXe EV from Vectrix. |
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The Newhouse News Service has an article this
morning on
the pros and cons of Nuclear energy.
It is well balanced and required reading for all
who have still not made up their minds on the
issue. For me, it comes down to the
radioactive waste they produce. We already
have 103 operating reactors in the US and the
waste is currently stored at each location.
There's been an effort to dump the waste in
Yucca Mounting in Nevada, but as you can
imagine, the citizens of Nevada are fighting to
prevent this (I can't imagine why).
Bottom line is that we will always have Nuclear
energy as an option. But let's exhaust all
other options before resorting to Nukes.
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AboutPolitics.com has highlighted this site
as a "Site of the Day." I'm honored and
excited that so many of you out there find this
site useful in staying on top of the latest news
in alternative energy. Thank you!
A company in British Columbia has begun
producing "BioOil," a substitute for
petroleum diesel, from biomass.
Biodiesel usage in
Washington State is about to explode,
reports the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER.
The fuel is now being used in ferries, buses,
garbage trucks, passenger cars, tractors, Army
trucks, sailboats and more. |
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Electricity obtained by harnessing ocean waves and currents
may soon become a reality. New
technologies are being developed, and
New York and San Francisco are two cities looking seriously at
harnessing the power of the ocean to generate electricity. |
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In Westchester county, New York, there is an ongoing debate over the fate of the
Indian Point Nuclear Reactors.
While I'm not a big fan of Nuclear energy, these two reactors generate 1,000 Megawatts
of electricity each. The County executive is waiting on a report to determine how necessary these plants are and whether other
alternative energy sources can replace them. Stay tuned.
The New York Times is reporting that
Honda has requested that the federal government
raise fuel efficiency standards for cars.
The fact that an automaker would make such a
request is unheard of. |
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