Green Tech

"It may sound like a sci-fi vision, but Japan's space agency is dead serious: by 2030 it wants to collect solar power in space and zap it down to Earth, using laser beams or microwaves. The government has just picked a group of companies and a team of researchers tasked with turning the ambitious, multi-billion-dollar dream of unlimited clean energy into reality in coming decades." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"The Espoo-based CSC IT Center for Life Science is one of the Finnish companies that has switched over to green electricity. “We noted that we can take environmental issues into consideration in a positive manner simply through our electricity acquisition contract,” says Tero Tuononen, the company’s head of data management. Subscribing to green electricity led to a 1.5 percent increase in CSC’s electric bills." - A.T. from Bookmarklet

"Mavizen has decided to offer a new electric bike based on the previous winner of the TTXGP so that other teams can have a solid foundation to build on for next year. The TTX02 is based on the KTM RC8 with a Agni powerplant. The twist is that they call it a "laptop on wheels" because of all the electronics it packs on top of what is strictly required to control the electric motor (dash-mounted computer that runs Linux, has wifi connectivity and a web-server, etc)." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

Liked everything except the price. Hopefully Moore's law can help pare that once these bikes start to scale. - Eric Logan

"Facebook has confirmed that it has leased additional data center space in San Jose, Calif. in a new facility operated by Fortune Data Centers. This is the fourth data center expansion of 2009 for Facebook, which has signed two leases for additional data center space in Virginia and two more in Silicon Valley." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"Hydrogen fuel cell research is in the midst of a tumultuous debate. Proponents of the fuel continue to sink money into research and marketing—citing promising statistics and lab-grown developments. Opponents refute optimistic claims with their own numbers, asking that researchers shift time and money to more promising technologies, like batteries. So what exactly is the state of hydrogen fuel cell research? Unfortunately, that depends on whom you ask." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

To be (embarrassingly) honest, the mere fact that Bush & oil companies endorsed hydrogen as the solution to all our woes made me automatically skeptical of the technology. - Lo

"With all the new lighting products hitting stores — from advanced incandescents and compact fluorescents to light-emitting diodes — the simple act of buying a light bulb has become daunting." - A.T. from Bookmarklet

"President Obama emphasized the opportunities -- and acknowledged the challenges -- in a speech at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston on Friday. "From China to India, from Japan to Germany, nations everywhere are racing to develop new ways to produce and use energy," he said. "The nation that wins this competition will be the nation that leads the global economy. I am convinced of that. And I want America to be that nation." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

5) Gas turbine leaders: GE, Siemens, Mitsubishi ... Only GE is American - LANjackal

"This month, the state of Texas granted its first-ever offshore lease for a wave-powered energy system to Renew Blue's Seadog Pump. The system, which will be used to power a desalination plant for ocean water, is more than halfway constructed; its executives expect it to be up and running by the winter. PM sat down with Mark Thomas, founder and CEO of Renew Blue, to talk about how this technology works, whether wave power will ever be competitive with wind and solar and why it has failed to be successful so far." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"The Desoto Next Generation Solar Energy Center will power a small fraction of Florida Power & Light's 4-million plus customer base; nevertheless, at 25 megawatts, it will generate nearly twice as much energy as the second-largest photovoltaic facility in the U.S." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"...Dell decided to harvest all that wasted energy by installing these solar panels in their parking lot. Now they're keeping cars cool and putting that sunlight to good use. The structure generates 130 kilowatts of solar power, enough to offset 145,000 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions annually. There are even charging terminals available for electric cars, but only two can be charged at a time." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"Compared to 2007, there were fewer than half as many exhibitors at this year's Tokyo Auto Show, thanks to the global economic slowdown. But the companies that were here made headlines with a compelling group of alternative-powered concepts and production debuts. What made this year remarkable—other than the empty floor space—was the fact that the majority of the reveals were hybrids, fuel-cell and EVs. The automotive industry is undergoing a radical change and the cars on display definitely slammed that message home. Here are the most interesting concepts from Nissan, Mitsubishi, Toyota, Subaru, Mazda and Honda at the show." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"After months of debate, Congress has passed a bill that will pave the way for manufacturers of electric three-wheelers like the Aptera 2e to qualify for funding from the Department of Energy. Here, Gas 2.0 breaks the story." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"We test America's most fuel-frugal cars. Which ones meld efficiency, practicality and driving fun? We took the Audi A3 TDI, Toyota Prius V, Smart Fortwo Passion, Honda Insight Ex Navi and Ford Fusion Hybrid on weeklong mileage tests to see which ones perform best on city streets, lonely desert highways and twisty back roads." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"Municipal transit agencies have tried to reduce the carbon footprint of their bus fleets using a range of options over the years, from biofuels and hydrogen to batteries and hybrid-electric diesel. Now a Chinese company and its U.S. partner say that ultracapacitors could offer the greenest and most economical way of powering inner-city buses." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

Great idea to setup charging stations at each bus stop. Kind of like subway's third rail, except the ultra-capacitor holds a charge between stops. NICE. - Jason Huebel

"The Murakami chair's attached lamp is powered by kinetic energy produced from the chair's rocking back and forth—deliciously simple and elegant. Oh, and that lampshade? Not a lampshade. That's the actual OLED light source, shaped like a lampshade." - Shey, Jamaican of FF from Bookmarklet

The OLED lamp even senses when it's light or dark out, and if it's light, stores the energy produced by rocking in a battery pack until nightfall. The chair, designed by Rochus Jacob, rightfully shared first prize at the DesignBoom Green Life Competition - Shey, Jamaican of FF

"To see how the newest innovations in solar power and energy efficiency can be incorporated into homes, head down to the the Solar Decathlon on the National Mall in Washington DC. Sponsored by the Department of Energy, the competition has pitted 20 college teams against each other in a showdown of architecture and engineering. All 20 homes are open for free public tours through Sunday, October 18." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

This Solar Decathlon has been really interesting so far. Loving the tech (and effort to build economically) going into the homes. - Jason Huebel

"American Superconductor Corporation (NASDAQ: AMSC - News), a global energy technologies company, today announced that Superconductor Electricity Pipelines have been chosen for The Tres Amigas Project, the nation’s first renewable energy market hub. Superconductor Electricity Pipelines comprise transmission-level direct current (DC) superconductor power cables powered by AMSC high temperature superconductor (HTS) wire and high-powered voltage-source AC/DC power converters. The Tres Amigas Project, which will be announced today in Albuquerque by New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, focuses on uniting America’s three power grids for the first time to enable faster adoption of renewable energy and increase the reliability of the U.S. grid." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"Harvard scientists believe in the power of the good earth — literally. A team at the Boston-based college have created microbial fuel cell (MFC) batteries that derive energy from naturally occurring bacteria in soil. If the product takes off, the eco-friendly batteries could provide power for some of the 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa who lack access to electricity." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

Is anyone else worried about the possibility of electrified Grey goo? - J. Abdul-Qahhar

"Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., unveiled the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act last week, a bill that aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions 20 percent by 2020. The massive bill—it was 821 pages long—covers a range of programs aimed at cutting U.S. emissions, including clean transportation, waste management, water protection and even the ecological effects of wildfires. A number of emerging technologies show great promise in addressing climate change. The following innovations weren't fleshed out in the new climate bill, but they deserve attention." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"On Wednesday, Popular Mechanics visited Virginia Tech's Solar Decathlon entry, the Lumenhaus, on the National Mall in Washington. The team was putting the finishing touches on the house, in anticipation of the event, which opened to the public yesterday morning. All the Solar Decathalon houses will be exhibited to the public from today through October 18." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

"The Mercedes-Benz S400, the first production hybrid to use lithium-ion batteries, has been declared eligible for the IRS' Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit as a Qualified Hybrid Motor Vehicle. For the S400, this credit is worth up to $1,150. This puts the S400 near the bottom of the list, with vehicles like the 2009 Ford Escape Hybrid 2WD worth $3,000 and the Nissan Altima Hybrid getting $2,350. In addition to the li-ion battery pack, the S400 offers auto-start-stop, electric assist, and regenerative braking capabilities. The EPA rates the S400 at 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway" - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"While scientists work to increase the efficiency of photovoltaics, designers are striving to make them sleeker, more adaptive, and easier to install. Case in point: SRS Energy’s Solé Power Tile, a beautiful solar shingle that is designed to fit into standard Mission style roofs while generating electricity." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"Not since Tesla electrified the auto world with its lean green supercars has an all-electric vehicle gotten pulses pounding this quickly. Germany-based auto manufacturer E-Wolf recently unveiled images and specs of their new e2, a 537 horsepower plug-in sports car that boasts slick Italian styling and a 0-60 speed of under 4 seconds." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"Our economy sure could use the Next Big Thing. Something on the scale of railroads, automobiles or the Internet — the kind of breakthrough that emerges every so often and builds industries, generates jobs and mints fortunes. Silicon Valley investors are pointing to something called cleantech — alternative energy, more efficient power distribution and new ways to store electricity, all with minimal impact to the environment — as a candidate for the next boom." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"On Sunday, the world’s largest solar powered footbridge was opened to the public in Brisbane’s Central Business District. About 36,500 people are expected to use the new Kurilpa Bridge each week to walk or bike across the Brisbane River between the CBD and the arts precinct at South Bank. The bridge, which has been described as looking like knitting needles, is not only one of the longest footbridges, but also features a sophisticated LED lighting scheme that is powered by the sun and can produce a number of different lighting effects." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"If the Cash for Clunkers incentive wasn’t enough to curb your unsettled feeling about owning a new gas guzzler, you might want to start saving for one of these truly awesome air-powered eco-rides. Sometimes called PHEV (pneumatic-hybrid electric vehicle), these cars are most typically powered by a compressed air engine combined with an electric motor. The engines are similar to steam engines as they use the expansion of externally supplied pressurized gas to perform work against a piston." - imabonehead from Bookmarklet

"The project is progressing with its goal of boosting the range of rechargeable batteries for all-electric cars to 500 miles." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

That's definitely good progress with electric cars. - imabonehead

"With a wide variety of new biodiesel kits, it's easier than ever to turn used fry-oil waste into diesel fuel. Here's how to make clean, high-quality biodiesel for cheap." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet

Now, how many slices of bacon do I have to fry to get my SUV to move one mile? - Ian May

"For the Solar Decathlon, 20 teams of college students strive to build the most technologically savvy sun-powered house. For two weeks in October their homes go head to head in a contest to consume the least energy." - Jason Huebel from Bookmarklet