Green Energy News Items - 6/15/2008
DOE Invests $30 Million in PHEV
A 3 year cost-sharing venture would hasten the development of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and is being shared by General Motors, Ford and General Electric.
The short-term goal is to come up with a PHEV that can travel at least 40 miles on a charge, which is the average commuter’s round-trip distance per day. The project will also work on improving the batteries, drivetrains and other features that keep the PHEV from being ready for mass-market sales. More from CleanTech …
And The Winner Is…
Norway’s $100,000 Sophie’s Prize went to Stanford biologist and writer Gretchen C. Daily for writing about the economic benefits of protecting the environment.
She was selected by the jury for her “visionary and focused finding on practical solutions…” and for her authorship of many books and articles that have made her one of the most visible figures in the debate around global warming and sustainability. More…
Rotating Wind-Power Tunnel Construction Starts
In Dubai this month, the world will see the start of a project that boggles the mind and takes a giant step in alternative energy production. A tower with 59 floors, each of which can rotate completely independently will rise and between the floors will be wind turbines.
Solar panels on the roof and the turbines between each floor will generate 10 times the energy the building needs. With earthquake resistant construction and floors that rotate at the push of a button, the tower will truly be one of the wonders of the world when it’s completed. More from EcoGeek …
New Wind Turbine Design Increases Productivity
FloDesign, a small MA based company, has come up with something that the big wind turbine companies haven’t thought of and it may revolutionize the wind energy business. Their “shrouded turbine” also pivots without a motor, thus bypassing the problem of motors that overheat and even catch on fire.
The company has allegedly even gotten the attention of Al Gore with its arresting design that’s based on jet engine technology, which is what FloDesign’s parent company has been involved in.
More …
Will Algae Work As Ethanol Source?
One of the criticisms of ethanol is that it contributes to food crop shortages. A company in Maryland claims that they have a solution to that: growing algae in tubes to produce “algenol”.
While similar companies claim that they could even use the leftover biomass from producing algae-based ethanol to feed animals, no one has yet refined the process enough to actually implement it in the real world. Can Algenol Biofuels achieve that goal? More …