Algae-based batteries could revolutionize energy storage industry

Unwanted blooms of Cladophora algae throughout the Baltic and in other parts of the world are not entirely without a positive side. A group of researchers at the Ångström Laboratory at Uppsala University have discovered that the distinctive cellulose nanostructure of these algae can serve as an effective coating substrate for use in environmentally friendly batteries. The findings have been published in an article in Nano Letters.

"These algae has a special cellulose structure characterised by a very large surface area," says Gustav Nyström, a doctoral student in nanotechnology and the first author of the article. "By coating this structure with a thin layer of conducting polymer, we have succeeded in producing a battery that weighs almost nothing and that has set new charge-time and capacity records for polymer-cellulose-based batteries."

Despite extensive efforts in recent years to develop new cellulose-based coating substrates for battery applications, satisfactory charging performance proved difficult to obtain. However, nobody had tried using algal cellulose. Researcher Albert Mihranyan and Professor Maria Strømme at the Nanotechnology and Functional Materials Department of Engineering Sciences at the Ångström Laboratory had been investigating pharmaceutical applications of the cellulose from Cladophora algae for a number of years. This type of cellulose has a unique nanostructure, entirely different from that of terrestrial plants, that has been shown to function well as a thickening agent for pharmaceutical preparations and as a binder in foodstuffs. The possibility of energy-storage applications was raised in view of its large surface area.

"We have long hoped to find some sort of constructive use for the material from algae blooms and have now been shown this to be possible," says Maria Strømme, Professor in Nanotechnology and leader of the research group. "The battery research has a genuinely interdisciplinary character and was initiated in collaboration with chemist professor Leif Nyholm. Cellulose pharmaceutics experts, battery chemists and nanotechnologists have all played essential roles in developing the new material."

The article in Nano Letters, in effect, introduces an entirely new electrode material for energy storage applications, consisting of a nanostructure of algal cellulose coated with a 50 nm layer of polypyrrole. Batteries based on this material can store up to 600 mA per cm3, with only 6 per cent loss through 100 charging cycles.

"This creates new possibilities for large-scale production of environmentally friendly, cost-effective, lightweight energy storage systems," says Maria Strømme.

"Our success in obtaining a much higher charge capacity than was previously possible with batteries based on advanced polymers is primarily due to the extreme thinness of the polymer layer," says Gustav Nyström.

AW-Energy First Wave Energy Company To Sign $4.4M Contract With The New EU Project

AW-Energy, a Finnish cleantech company developing a unique and patented wave energy technology brand named WaveRoller, has signed a $4.4M (3 million euros) contract with the European Union to demonstrate its technology. Ocean energy technology represents the largest untapped business potential within the renewables sector.

The contract between AW-Energy and the EU is the first one under the "CALL FP7 - Demonstration of the innovative full size systems." Several leading wave energy companies participated to the CALL. The contract includes a 3 million euro grant agreement, providing significant support to the demonstration project.

The goal of the project is to manufacture and deploy the first grid-connected WaveRoller unit in the Portuguese waters. The exact installation site is located near the town of Peniche, which is famous of its wave resources and also known as "Capital of the waves." The nominal capacity of the WaveRoller unit is 300 kW and the project includes a one-year testing period.

The consortium led by AW-Energy includes companies from Finland, Portugal, Germany and Belgium. Industrial heavy weights like Bosch-Rexroth and ABB, together with renewable energy operator Eneolica and wave energy specialist Wave Energy Center, are delivering their best know-how to ensure successful implementation of the project.

"The experience of our dream team consortium is a significant asset to the project, and we are thrilled about this real pan-European co-operation. AW-Energy has been working hard the last three years with two sea installed prototypes, tank testing and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations. Now we have the site, grid connection permission, installation license and the technology ready for the demonstration phase," says John Liljelund, CEO at AW-Energy.

Xeros washing machine that uses just one cup of water

Researchers at the University of Leeds have developed a new way of cleaning clothes using less than 2% of the water and energy of a conventional washing machine. The revolutionary technology will provide alternatives to both domestic washing and dry cleaning, heralding the world’s first “virtually waterless” washing system.

Xeros, a University of Leeds spin-out, is commercialising the technology with some of the biggest names in the washing and dry-cleaning industries.

The process is based on the use of plastic granules (or chips) which are tumbled with the clothes to remove stains. A range of tests, carried out according to worldwide industry protocols to prove the technology performs to the high standards expected in the cleaning industry, show the process can remove virtually all types of everyday stains as effectively as existing processes whilst leaving clothes as fresh as normal washing. In addition, the clothes emerge from the process almost dry, reducing the need for tumble-dryers.

Xeros' technology uses as little as a cup of water in each wash cycle and could also bring benefits to other industrial processes such as wastewater treatment and metal degreasing.

According to Waterwise, a UK NGO focused on decreasing water wastage in the UK, washing machine use has risen by 23% in the past 15 years, up from 3 times a week in 1990 to an average of 4 times a week per household today. The average UK household uses almost 21 litres of water each day on clothes washing - 13% of daily household water consumption. This accounts for approximately 455 million litres of water daily, enough water to fill 145 Olympic size swimming pools.

Tests are currently underway in the dry-cleaning market with a view to replacing certain solvents that are currently used in dry-cleaning. Some of these solvents are potentially harmful, having been linked with certain types of cancer and some are now facing a ban in various states in the USA. The company believes that its new proprietary technology would eradicate the need for these solvents from dry-cleaning providing safety and monetary incentives for the dry cleaning industry.

The new technology could be on the UK market as early as 2009. Xeros has recently received funding of £500,000 from the University’s commercialisation partner, IP Group, subject to certain milestones being met.

Xeros was established in February 2007 to exploit a new patented washing method invented and developed in the School of Design at the University of Leeds. Company founder, Professor Stephen Burkinshaw, is an internationally-recognised expert in the science of textiles and dyeing.

Professor Burkinshaw, Professor of Textile Chemistry and director of Xeros, said: “The performance of the Xeros process in cleaning clothes has been quite astonishing. We’ve shown that it can remove all sorts of everyday stains including coffee and lipstick whilst using a tiny fraction of the water used by conventional washing machines. The investment from IP Group will help us to accelerate the commercialisation of the technology and I look forward to seeing new washing and dry-cleaning machines that use the Xeros technology.”

A typical washing machine uses about 35kg of water for every kg of clothes that are washed - as well as large amounts of energy to heat the water and to dry the clothes afterwards. With environmental concerns becoming increasingly urgent and water becoming an increasingly scarce resource, there is an urgent need to reduce the amount of water and energy used for washing clothes.

Dr Rob Rule, Managing Director of Techtran Ltd, IP Group’s Leeds business, and a director of Xeros, said: “This is one of the most surprising and remarkable technologies I've encountered in recent years. Xeros has the ability to save billions of litres of water per year and, we believe, the potential to revolutionise the global laundry market. ”

The potential revenues for machines based on the Xeros technology are considerable. There are more than two million washing machines sold in the UK annually, valuing the UK market alone at around £1bn.

New solar-powered water heater is on the way

A research team composed of teachers and students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kun Shan University in Tainan County have developed a solar-powered water heater that gets its energy by tracking the sun. The device not only boosts the efficiency of water heaters but is also able to heat the water to 50 degrees Celsius. The commercial viability of the water heater is currently being tested.

The project was led by Chen Chang-jen, an instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Students taking part included Yen Tze-che, Pan Chun-hao, Tsai Cheng-tsung and Wang Chen-pu. They came up with the sun-tracking device with repeated tests and experiments. Previous solar-powered water heater could only absorb the power based on the path that the sun takes throughout the day. The new sun-tracking system takes advantage of the sun at various angles in the sky and adjusts its reflective panels to the most ideal angles to catch the light.
Chen says that most solar panels are traditional flat panels that are fixed in a certain position. As such, the sun's light is hard to catch at certain angles, even on bright days. The new sun-tracking system, however, enables the efficiency to be three times greater than that of the traditional solar panels. As a result, it is not only more efficient in collecting energy, but also in using energy, Chen says.

Yen Tze-che, one of the students involved in the project, says that a number of precision instruments have been installed on the top floor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering to collect data on the efficiency of the water heater. Preliminary findings are quite positive, but the water heater is still in the testing phase, said Yen, adding that the key principle behind the water heater will have applications in other appliances such as solar-powered cooking devices and other products aimed at saving on energy. He said students and teachers in the department are currently working on the technology for these items and testing their efficiency.

Word has gotten out about the preliminary success of the product, and some manufacturers have already contacted the department to discuss related R&D details. Industrialists are now looking into the possible commercialization of the solar-powered water heater, which if successful could ultimately become a common household item. The development of this and other related products not only help to save energy, but are also effective in promoting a greener environment.

Philips Light Blossom: Solar and Wind Powered Streetlight

One solution to the urban lighting problem is a new concept called "Light Blossom," designed by Philips Electronics. Light Blossom is an intelligent LED lighting system that can provide bright light when it senses people walking nearby, and decrease its luminosity when people aren't around. The technology is also energy-efficient and operates off the grid, gathering solar and wind energy during the day to use for light at night.

During the day, Light Blossom works similar to a flower, opening its "petals" to collect solar energy. As the sun moves across the sky, the petals gradually reorient themselves so they're facing the sun head-on to operate at maximum efficiency, similar to a sunflower.

On cloudy days when the wind is strong, the Light Blossom automatically converts its petals into an upward, open position that allows them to catch the wind. As the petals rotate, they transfer the motion to a built-in rotor that converts the motion to energy.

The Light Blossom continuously switches between solar and wind modes depending on weather conditions. It also displays its energy-collecting flow on its "trunk," or pole, with a decorative light for passers-by to see.

When the sun sets, the Light Blossom's LEDs automatically turn on, illuminating the ground below it. Philips claims that the downward-facing lamp design minimizes light pollution enough to enable people to see the stars in some areas. When people pass by the light, proximity sensors detect their movement and the LEDs switch from dim stand-by mode to a higher-intensity light.
Philips says that the Light Blossom's energy-efficient LEDs use just half of the energy of a traditional street light to produce the same light output. Because the device doesn´t require power infrastructure, rural communities without electricity could install Light Blossoms without investing in grid infrastructure. In urban communities, the devices could even supply power back to the grid when they generate an excess of energy, making the Light Blossom a light pole that generates rather than consumes power.

Antares Accomplishes First Fuel-Cell Flight

The last day of September, at the Stuttgart airport, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) presented the first manned airplane that can take-off and fly exclusively with a fuel cell. The innovative fuel cell, based on a high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM), generates power for the electric engine of the motor glider Antares DLR-H2. The aim of the project is to evaluate the potential of the technology for future applications in commercial aircraft.

In airplanes on ground, turbines or ancillary aggregates generate the energy for air conditioning. During flight, a part of the energy generated in the main turbines is used for a variety of electrical applications as well as for air conditioning. In the future, fuel cells could be an environmentally sound and energy efficient alternative for an aircraft’s electrical requirements. As an auxiliary power supply, a fuel cell would generate electrical power, heat and even potable water for on-board usage. Thus, fuel cells would help reduce weight and electrical power failure risk as several distributed fuel cells replace the turbine generators. For the foreseeable future fuel cells are not expected to be used for large commercial aircraft propulsion.

Before being adapted for aircraft, however, the technology needs further development and testing. The DLR is a leading partner for the aircraft industry for this effort. First results from the DLR testing demonstrate excellent performance of the high temperature PEM fuel cells even under difficult low pressure conditions. This technology is based on Celtec®-membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) by BASF, a technology easily integrated into aircraft auxiliary power fuel cells.

Three partners are cooperating in the evaluation of the high temperature PEM fuel cell: BASF, as manufacturer of the only commercial membrane electrode assembly for this fuel cell type; the Danish company Serenergy A/S, supplier of the compact, air-cooled stack; and, DLR, responsible for the integration of the stack in the fuel cell system and subsequently in the airplane. DLR will also conduct the testing according to the special requirements of aviation.

High temperature PEM fuel cells operate at 120 to 180°C, need no humidification, require only a simple cooling system, offer a broad operating window and tolerate impurities in the hydrogen fuel gas. The latter characteristic is especially important if, in the future, impure hydrogen is sourced from jet fuel reformation on board the aircraft.

Nissan doubles the power density of next generation fuel cell stack

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. has developed a new fuel cell stack with double the power density of the previous generation stack. The new fuel cell stack also achieves a 35% cost reduction mainly due to half the use of platinum, a key material used in the production of fuel cell stacks. Test fleets incorporating the improved fuel cell stacks will be operational by the end of this year.

MEA (Membrane Electrode Assembly): Double the power density is achieved through improved conductivity of the electrolyte layer within the MEA, where the main chemical reaction occurs, coupled with a more densely-packed cell structure.

Cell Structure: A more densely-packed cell structure is achieved through the replacement of the carbon separator with a new thin metal separator. The separator functions to break down the hydrogen, oxygen and cooling water necessary for the chemical reaction. A specific coating applied to the separator helps improve conductivity and prevents chemical corrosion, leading to increased efficiency and durability throughout the fuel cell stack’s life-cycle.

Electrode: Higher durability electrode material results in a 50% reduction of the platinum required compared to the previous generation. This in turn, provides a significant breakthrough in the cost of these components.

Stack size and cost: The combined improvements in the cell result in double the power density, which enables a downsizing of the fuel cell stack size by one-third and significant cost reduction, without sacrificing performance. Compared to the previous generation, the new generation stack’s power output is increased 1.4 times from 90kW to 130kW, which can power larger vehicles. Stack size is reduced by 25% to 68L from 90L, which allows for improved packaging flexibility.

The next generation fuel cell stack is amongst a range of eco-friendly technologies being pursued by Nissan under its Nissan Green Program 2010, aimed at developing new technologies, products and services that can lead to real-world reductions in vehicle CO2 emissions, cleaner emissions, and recycling of resources.

Hybrid SolarWall PV/T System in Olympic Village

The Beijing Olympic Village is now home to cutting-edge solar technology, one of the world's first SolarWall photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) hybrid systems.

Mounted on the roof of one of the central buildings, which will be a service centre for athletes during the Olympics, the SolarWall® PV/T technology is unique in that it is one of the first commercially viable hybrid solar systems. The technology produces both electricity and heat energy from the same surface area, generating 200-300 per cent more energy than a conventional PV system. It combines SolarWall® air heating technology with photovoltaics to create a total energy solution in which the payback period is reduced and the CO2 displacement is maximized.

As an added benefit the SolarWall® panels act as a racking system to the PV; removing the heat from the back of the modules and channeling it into the facility’s traditional heating system.

The building is also home to a conventional SolarWall® air heating system, which was integrated into the architecturally unique front façade.

The project was done through the Canadian SolarWall office, with Conserval Engineering working in partnership with Natural Resources Canada and the Olympic Village developer to incorporate these innovative solar technologies into the site.

Bamboo rechargeable battery

Specialists of the Institute of Chemistry of the V.V. Kuibyshev Far-Eastern State Polytechnic University (Far-Eastern Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences) have designed an experimental facility for producing anodic matrices for rechargeable lithium-ion cells. The rechargeable cells are made of renewable vegetable stuff – bamboo sprouts and cane-sugar.

Dynamic evolution of portable electronics is impossible without rechargeable lithium-ion cells. They take a leading place in the area of self-contained power supply. Irrespective of the rechargeable cells shape and dimensions, anode, cathode and electrolyte make part of the cells. To produce them, researchers are trying to select the less-expensive and nonpolluting materials, keeping in mind, however, the quality of the article. The Far-Eastern researchers suggest that the cells should be produced from bamboo sprouts and cane-sugar of Chinese manufacturing. To produce anodic material, the raw stuff is cleaned and then heated up several times at high temperatures (from 800°Ñ to 1100°Ñ), cool off and reduce to fine particles. In the course of manufacturing, the material is processed by soda, calcium, sodium and potassium chlorides, and sodium hydroxide. As a result, carbon dust is obtained, its particle size making about 14 microns.

The obtained anodic materials fit for both lithium-ion and lithium-polymer rechargeable cells. As the investigations have proved, the obtained carbonic modifications contain oval-shaped particles of a layer structure resembling graphite layer structure. The obtained carbonic structures are practically similar to the structure of commercial anodic materials (graphite modifications), i.e., they have a crystal structure. They possess very good operating qualities and even exceed some commercial materials. Nevertheless, to enable carbon modifications (obtained from cane-sugar and bamboo sprouts) serve as the anode material for lithium-ion (polymer) rechargeable cells, their processing characteristics should be refined.

See-Through Solar Hack Could Double Panel Efficiency

If there's one thing most people know about solar cells, it's that they are too expensive.
Now, MIT researchers think they may have found a way to double the performance of solar arrays with cheap dyed glass and some tricks borrowed from fiber optics.

Their so-called solar concentrator could be placed on top of existing solar arrays. It could capture some wavelengths of visible light and guide them to high-voltage solar cells on the edges of the array, while still allowing the infrared light that largely powers current solar systems to pass through.

"If you stick one of these on top of existing solar panels, we think we could nearly double the performance of these systems with minimal added cost," said Marc Baldo, the lead researcher on the work.

The new research, published tomorrow in the journal Science, is another major advance in solar energy, a field that's received renewed interest due to concerns about climate change and rising fossil fuel prices. The new MIT technology marries the science behind two of the most promising ways of harnessing solar energy: light concentrators and thin-film solar cells.
Companies like SolFocus, which has raised $95 million, are using mirrors to concentrate sunlight on small amounts of photovoltaic cells. They can generate a lot of power, but rely on expensive sun-tracking mirrors. Another hot research area of solar research is thin-film solar, which uses dyes to print solar cells on cheap plastic. Putting the two technologies together could be a new way of making solar power cheaper. Current PV generation costs about 20 cents per kilowatt hour, several times more expensive than coal, wind and natural gas power generation.

If Baldo's technology scales up and can get past the inevitable engineering hurdles, it could help drive that kilowatt hour price closer to the market price for electricity, which would undoubtedly drive uptake.

"If they can solve the engineering issues, then this would very much help with the efficiency and cost of solar cells," said Marc Bünger, research director at Lux Research.

Baldo's concentrators consist of a simple piece of glass coated with dye. The glass concentrates the sun's rays by directing light almost like a fiber optic cable does. Sunlight enters the glass and is absorbed by the dyed molecules in the glass. When the dye molecules reemit the energy, it enters waveguides that send the waves to the edges of the glass.

Fundamentally, Baldo said that his organic concentrators, so named because their dyes contain carbon, help solve a fundamental problem that solar arrays have had: They have two very different functions that require different types of materials.

"Solar cells have got to absorb light and generate electricity and what we tried to do was separate those functions," Baldo said. "It doesn't make sense to use a really beautiful electronic material like silicon in huge fields to absorb light. Lots of things can absorb light, like paint."
Using a cheaper material to do the light absorbing allows the most efficient energy generating materials to be used in much smaller quantities.

Beyond driving costs down, the see-through nature of his technology means that it could integrated into buildings or products. That gets designers and architects excited but Baldo's not so sure that's the most effective way of deploying the concentrators.

"You could put them on plastic and roll it up. You can tune the color to what you'd like. Architects get really excited about this stuff," Baldo said. "But as an engineer, I'm not sure how cost effective it is to to do solar windows."

Because the technology is simple and inexpensive, Baldo thinks it will be easy to manufacture and could be deployed in the field within three years. Towards that end, colleagues of his at MIT have spun out a new company, Covalent Solar, to commercialize the technology.

via Wired

StatoilHydro to build first full scale offshore floating wind turbine

StatoilHydro has decided to build the world’s first full scale floating wind turbine, Hywind, and test it over a two-year period offshore Karmøy. The The company is investing approximately 400 million NOK. Planned startup is autumn 2009.



The project combines known technology in an innovative way. A 2.3 MW wind turbine is attached to the top of a so-called Spar-buoy, a solution familiar from production platforms and offshore loading buoys.

“We have drawn on our offshore expertise from the oil and gas industry to develop wind power offshore,” says Alexandra Bech Gjørv, head of New Energy in StatoilHydro.

The rotor blades on the floating wind turbine will have a diameter of 80 metres, and the nacelle will tower some 65 metres above the sea surface. The floatation element will have a draft of some 100 metres below the sea surface, and will be moored to the seabed using three anchor points. The wind turbine can be located in waters with depths ranging from 120 to 700 metres.

“Taking wind turbines to sea presents new opportunities. The wind is stronger and more consistent, areas are large and the challenges we are familiar with from onshore projects are fewer,” says Alexandra Bech Gjørv.

Contracts signed
The pilot project will be assembled in Åmøyfjorden near Stavanger and is to be located some 10 kilometres offshore Karmøy in the county of Rogaland. The wind turbine itself is to be built by Siemens. Technip will build the floatation element and have responsibility for the installation offshore. Nexans will lay cables to shore, and Haugaland Kraft will be responsible for the landfall. Enova is supporting the project with 59 million NOK.

StatoilHydro is allocating in excess of 400 million NOK to building and developing the pilot, as well as research and development of the wind turbine concept. The goal of the pilot is to reduce costs so that floating wind power can compete in the power market.

“Floating wind power is not mature technology yet, and the road to commercialization and large scale development is long. An important aspect of the project is therefore research and development,” says Alexandra Bech Gjørv.

The company has entered into a technology development agreement with Siemens for the project. The wind turbines must function optimally even in large waves.

Need for further R&D
“The wind turbines must work satisfactorily even when subjected to movements, and it must also be possible to carry out necessary maintenance to the highest of safety standards,” says Bech Gjørv.

Tested in a wave tank
A three metre high model has already been tested successfully in SINTEF Marintek’s wave simulator in Trondheim. The goal of the pilot is to qualify the technology and reduce costs to a level that will mean that floating wind turbines can compete with other energy sources.

“If we succeed, then we will have taken a major step in moving the wind power industry offshore. Floating wind turbines can make a major contribution to providing the world with clean power, but there are major technical and commercial challenges that need to be resolved. If we are to succeed, we will need to cooperate closely with the authorities. As with other technologies for renewable energy, floating wind power will be dependent on incentive schemes to be viable,” says Alexandra Bech Gjørv.

Magenn power air rotor system tested at TCOM

The prototype for a new wrinkle in the wind-power industry was in Weeksville last week for airborne tests.



Known as MARS, an acronym for the Magenn Power Air Rotor System, the device is a lighter-than-air turbine that captures wind, converts it into energy and then conducts it via a tether into a power grid or wherever it's needed.

The prototype for the MARS is being developed by Magenn Power Inc., a company based in Ottawa, Canada.

Pierre Rivard, president and CEO of Magenn, said the MARS is intended as a renewable energy source for industrial customers seeking to replace diesel generators or who need to use energy in remote locations.

"We see our product as creating new demand for wind, as opposed to tapping into" the current wind-energy market, Rivard said.

Eventually, however, the MARS could be utilized where conventional wind power is already in use.

A difference between the lighter-than-air turbine and the conventional turbine, Rivard said, is its mobility. Unlike fixed turbines, it's not as dependant on factors such as the availability of open space. It also can be floated above tree lines to access strong and constant wind, he said.

Traditional wind power works best on flat land, where there are fewer obstructions to block wind flow. However, only about 15 percent of the earth's land mass is flat. Rivard says the MARS technology can help provide wind power in areas that aren't flat.

At 30 feet long and 10 feet in diameter, the MARS is held aloft by a conductive tether between 300 and 1,000 feet above ground.

The power generated by Magenn's turbines is also competitive with traditional wind energy, Rivard said. Power from the MARS is projected to cost less than 50-75 cents a kilowatt hour, which is average for energy from traditional wind turbines.

Rivard said the MARS is still in the development stage. Last week, the turbine was inflated and tethered inside the TCOM hangar, then transported to a customer in Virginia for a demonstration.

"We just had our inflation trials last week indoors within the TCOM facility," he said.

Magenn, which registered its MARS patent in 2004, plans to deploy the lighter-than-air turbines at four locations in the next year, Rivard said.

He said his company chose to rent hangar space from TCOM because of the company's expertise in airships and aerostats. Magenn also sought advice on deployment procedures from TCOM, he said.

"TCOM is really one of the most advanced companies in the world for airships," Rivard said.

via Dailyadvance.com

PSA presents H2Origin fuel cell prototype

Intelligent Energy and PSA Peugeot Citroën today presented the results of their H2Origin collaborative research project, which has successfully integrated fuel cell technology into a zero emissions urban delivery vehicle with an electric powertrain.

The three year partnership between the two companies has culminated in the delivery of a demonstrator vehicle powered by an electric battery with a highly successful hydrogen fuel cell range extender. The demonstrator is based on one of PSA Peugeot Citroën’s van range, the Peugeot Partner Origin.

The Intelligent Energy 10kWe fuel cell system was specifically designed for the vehicle. The fuel cell offers the following advantages:
- the range of the electric vehicle is trebled thanks to the fuel cell to 300km;
- the fuel cell is compact enough to fit under the bonnet of a small delivery vehicle;
- the vehicle can be started at temperatures as low as -20°C.

PSA Peugeot Citroën’ offers a novel hydrogen storage system. Compressed hydrogen is securely stored in an exchangeable rack, which provides a practical alternative to refuelling at a traditional fuel station, thus overcoming a major hurdle. Henri Winand, CEO of Intelligent Energy, commented: “Our fuel cell expertise and systems integration capabilities have been proven yet again in developing the power system and incorporating it into this vehicle. We have made the fuel cell system robust and compact enough for real-world clean motoring applications, and have gained invaluable experience through the collaboration with PSA Peugeot Citroën.”

Jean Pierre Goedgebuer, Scientific Director of PSA Peugeot Citroën, said: “As a leader in low carbon vehicles, we have already demonstrated several zero emissions vehicles. The Intelligent Energy fuel cell in the H2Origin extends its range from approximately 100km to three times that distance. This sort of range increases the attractiveness of electric vehicles for urban delivery, which is one of the most promising future markets for electric vehicles.”

Two leading US Cleantech investors launch joint venture with Norwegian electrical vehicle company Think

The Norwegian electric car producer Think reaches across the Atlantic and establishes TH!NK North America in partnership with the leading clean-tech investors RockPort Capital Partners and Kleiner Perkins, Caulfield and Byers.

“The TH!NK city is the world’s only crash-tested and highway-certified EV and is ideal for markets such as California where we will initiate demonstration projects offering an exceptionally safe and fun car to drive” says Jan-Olaf Willums, CEO of Think Global. –“We are therefore proud to partner with the two pioneering investors in the clean tech field and to launch TH!NK city in North America with them.”

The new venture was announced at the 2008 FORTUNE Brainstorm Green Conference held in Pasadena, California, that brought chief executives from all over North America together to talk about the business opportunities of “going green”.



Ray Lane, a Kleiner Perkins Managing Partner and Chairman of TH!NK North America, says, “The transportation industry is undergoing its largest transformation since Henry Ford built the model T. Today we are witnessing a seminal event - the first highway-capable electric vehicle intended for mass production, representing a big step towards a zero emission transportation industry.”

“We believe there is a dramatic shift underway of how people think about mobility. Global consumer demand is forcing industry to come up with sustainable solutions, including the development of zero emission vehicles” says Wilber James, a Managing General Partner of RockPort Capital Partners, and acting President of TH!NK North America.

TH!NK city is an environmental vehicle, emission free and 95 percent recyclable. It reaches a top speed of 100 km (65 miles) per hour and can drive up to 180 km (110 miles) on a single charge.

TH!NK city meets all European and US federal motor vehicle safety requirements.
At the Geneva Motorshow earlier this year, Think announced a strategic partnership with energy giant General Electric, also an investor in Think. At the Show, Think unveiled its future car, the TH!NK Ox, the first 4/5-seater fully electric vehicle which is slated to begin production in 2010/11.

Think has also established partnerships in the US with battery suppliers A123 and EnerDel.
The TH!NK city is currently produced in Norway and international sales are slated to begin in Scandinavia, with Switzerland and France also being the initial focus areas. Sales other than initial trial and demonstration projects will begin in The North American market in 2009.
Vicki Northrup, an electric car veteran, has been retained by TH!NK North America as Operations Manager and will initially be based out of TH!NK North America’s Menlo Park Office.

1336 Technologies: $12M raised for a solar start-up

Solar technology startup 1336 Technologies, Inc. announced the close of its first round of institutional venture capital financing, receiving $12 million.

1336 Technologies is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology spinout company that has a new cell architecture that uses low-cost fabrication methods to increase the efficiency of multi-crystalline solar cells.

Plans include building industrial-scale, 100 megawatt plants around the world. Their architecture, developed at MIT, improves surface texture and metallization to enhance silicon solar cell efficiency by 25% (from 15 - 19%) while lowering costs. 1366 Technologies will partner with solar companies and government agencies, licensing its technology to accelerate the ongoing global transition to solar.

North Bridge Venture Partners and Polaris Venture Partners co-led the funding round. The company said it would use the proceeds for further development and to acquire manufacturing space.

Australia: UltraBattery sets new standard for hybrid electric vehicles

The odometer of a low emission hybrid electric test vehicle today reached 100,000 miles as the car circled a track in the UK using the power of an advanced CSIRO battery system.

The UltraBattery combines a supercapacitor and a lead acid battery in a single unit, creating a hybrid car battery that lasts longer, costs less and is more powerful than current technologies used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs).

“The UltraBattery is a leap forward for low emission transport and uptake of HEVs,” said David Lamb, who leads low emissions transport research with the Energy Transformed National Research Flagship.

“Previous tests show the UltraBattery has a life cycle that is at least four times longer and produces 50 per cent more power than conventional battery systems. It’s also about 70 per cent cheaper than the batteries currently used in HEVs,” he said.

By marrying a conventional fuel-powered engine with a battery to drive an electric motor, HEVs achieve the dual environmental benefit of reducing both greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel consumption.

The UltraBattery also has the ability to provide and absorb charge rapidly during vehicle acceleration and braking, making it particularly suitable for HEVs, which rely on the electric motor to meet peak power needs during acceleration and can recapture energy normally wasted through braking to recharge the battery.

Over the past 12 months, a team of drivers has put the UltraBattery to the test at the Millbrook Proving Ground in the United Kingdom, one of Europe’s leading locations for the development and demonstration of land vehicles.

“Passing the 100,000 miles mark is strong evidence of the UltraBattery's capabilities,” Mr Lamb said.

“CSIRO’s ongoing research will further improve the technology’s capabilities, making it lighter, more efficient and capable of setting new performance standards for HEVs.”

The UltraBattery test program for HEV applications is the result of an international collaboration. The battery system was developed by CSIRO in Australia, built by the Furukawa Battery Company of Japan and tested in the United Kingdom through the American-based Advanced Lead-Acid Battery Consortium.

UltraBattery technology also has applications for renewable energy storage from wind and solar. CSIRO is part of a technology start-up that will develop and commercialise battery-based storage solutions for these energy sources.

Nanosolar sells first flexible solar cells

After five years, more than $100 million, and the financial blessings of some of the biggest names in Silicon Valley (the founders of Google, eBay and others), Nanosolar is finally selling something: the first megawatt of its solar panels will be used as part of a power plant in eastern Germany.

Printed like a newspaper directly on to aluminium foil, solar cells are flexible, light and, if you believe the company, expected to make it as cheap to produce electricity from sunlight as from coal. The technology is particularly exciting because it can be used nearly everywhere.

"This is the world's lowest-cost solar panel, which we believe will make us the first solar manufacturer capable of profitably selling solar panels at as little as 99 cents a watt," said Roscheisen.

IBM Pioneers Process to Turn Waste into Solar Energy

IBM announced an innovative new semiconductor wafer reclamation process pioneered at its Burlington, Vermont manufacturing facility. The new process uses a specialized pattern removal technique to repurpose scrap semiconductor wafers -- thin discs of silicon material used to imprint patterns that make finished semiconductor chips for computers, mobile phones, video games, and other consumer electronics -- to a form used to manufacture silicon-based solar panels. The new process was recently awarded the “2007 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention Award” from The National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR).



IBM estimates that approximately three million silicon wafers worldwide are scrapped each year by the semiconductor industry – representing a significant solar recycling opportunity:
Stretch for 375 miles if placed end-to-end
Cover 22.5 acres of area
Weigh 187.5 tons
Generate 13.5 megawatts of solar energy
Produce 57 million kilowatt hours in solar panels (12-hour day x 365 days)
Power 6,000 houses (9,500 kWh per year per house)

Nissan Pivo 2: a great green car ?

Nissan unveiled the Pivo 2 an advanced electric concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show. Pivo 2 builds on the popularity of the first Pivo, shown at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. Powered by advanced Compact Lithium-ion Batteries and featuring a unique rotating cabin - meaning no reverse gear required - the first Pivo became a cult hit at shows from Beijing to Geneva.

Reasons to love Pivo 2:
- Electric power from Nissan's advanced Lithium-ion batteries
- A robotic agent to share every trip
- 'Revolutionary' technology with 360 degree turning cabin and 90 degree turning wheels

Pivo 2 takes the idea of an environmentally friendly electric urban commuter vehicle and delivers fun, functionality and a unique relationship between the car and driver. Pivo 2 is powered by advanced Compact Lithium-ion Batteries and employs 'by-wire' technologies for braking and steering.

Where the first Pivo, with its fully rotating cabin design, made reversing obsolete, the Pivo 2 takes that easy mobility concept to a new level. Each of the four wheels are powered by Nissan's advanced electric In-wheel 3D Motor and can turn through 90 degrees to allow Pivo 2 to drive sideways as well as forward.

Thanks to the highly innovative Robotic Agent, you are never alone in the Pivo 2. With conversations possible in Japanese and English, the Robotic Agent has been created to work with Pivo 2 to make every journey less stressful. It provides a unique interface through which to communicate with Pivo 2 on everything from basic vehicle functions through to the nearest available parking.

Energy from the sea : the Pelamis wavepower

Portuguese surfers keeping an eye on the weather will be joined this month by engineers and businessmen, but they will be hoping for very different reports. The men and women behind the latest renewable energy project will be looking for a flat, calm sea.

Portugal is poised to open what will be the world's first commercial wavefarm, and while the coastline's formidable surf will be a source of electricity, the engineers need a decent "weather window" to be able to get their machinery out to sea.

The Pelamis machines, named after the Latin for sea snake and developed by a Scottish company that leads the world in one of the newest renewable energy fields, are a series of red tubes, each about the size of a small commuter train, linked together, and pointed in the direction of the waves. The waves travel down the tubes, causing them to bob up and down, and a hydraulic system harnesses this movement to generate electricity.

The three "sea snakes" will soon be towed out to a spot some three miles from the coast of northern Portugal at Agucadoura, from where the electricity they produce will be pumped into the national grid.

But the hi-tech venture has not been without its problems. The latest date for inauguration of the wavefarm was to be Wednesday, but a combination of bad weather, bad luck and the pitfalls of developing any new technology has meant the machines are still on dry land, awaiting the next calm spell to be taken out to sea.

The machines were designed and built in Scotland by Pelamis Wave Power (PWP), but it took the intervention of the Portuguese to give the project real impetus. The renewable energy company Enersis ordered the wavefarm, recognising that it would not initially be profitable, and the Portuguese government has set tariffs for wave energy well into the future, ensuring that profitability is not the key question. "What we are assembling here is the first wavefarm in the world," says Antonio Sa da Costa of Enersis, and that is not without risk. But Portugal is the ideal testing ground: it has a long coast compared with its size of population and resources, and, with the government's support, developers are keen to invest.

Enersis had planned to expand the Agucadora wavefarm to 30 machines next year, but the setbacks forced it to scale back its aims. If progress in production, development and installation can match its ambitious plans, Enersis would like eventually to have several hundred machines floating off the coast to produce 500MW of electricity. That would be enough to light up 350,000 homes and, Enersis claims, for the whole project to become profitable.

Max Carcas, PWP's business development director, says the company expects to improve efficiency once the system is operating: "Typically costs fall by some 15% for each doubling in installed capacity."

But Teresa Pontes, of the National Institute of Energy, Technology and Innovation in Lisbon, believes it is too early to be sure that these systems will work and be taken up around the world. She is positive about the potential for wave power in Portugal because of its geography, but compares the current state of the technology with that of wind power a decade ago. "Wind energy is a simpler technology than wave power - and it took many years for that to mature.

"Research needs to be continued. Maybe the best system has not been deployed yet - if you think of the first aeroplanes, they are very different from what we use now."

As PWP struggles to get its machines into the water, competitors are springing up. While PWP has signed deals to provide sea snakes for projects off the coasts of Cornwall and Orkney, other models are being developed. A Canadian company is assembling a project based on buoys that it hopes will harness waves off the coast of Oregon. In Australia, a system of buoys tethered to the sea floor has been undergoing tests for years.

But Portugal's enthusiasm for renewable energy has given impetus to wave power. The Socialist prime minister, Jose Socrates, recently increased the country's renewable energy target for 2010 from 39% to 45%. Until now Portugal has relied mainly on wind power, but it will eventually run out of land for the windmills and needs the sea if it is to meet its target.

via The Guardian