Researchers at Stanford University have discovered a new way to extend the life of a lithium-ion laptop battery from 2 hours per charge to 20 hours using nanowire technology. This breakthrough technology is based upon a tiny thicket of silicon nanowires that measure about 1/1000 the thickness of a sheet of paper. Typically, lithium-ion batteries • Read More »
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LED Christmas Lights for a Green Holiday Season
December 24, 2007 | By Kevin | No Comments | Filed in: Energy Conservation.This is the year that LED Christmas lights have finally taken root. George W. Bush has decided that the White House gets the green light when it comes to LED lights around the National Christmas Tree. LED Christmas lights are said to consume only one-tenth the energy of regular incandescent bulbs. The LED lights around • Read More »
Home Depot Offers Residential Solar Panels
December 21, 2007 | By Kevin | No Comments | Filed in: Solar Energy.The Home Depot, in 55 stores throughout Arizona are offering residential solar panels and installation to customers. This is a clear sign that solar energy is finally coming of age. Home Depot is also offering residential solar in most stores throughout California as well. New York and New Jersey markets are expected to follow. The • Read More »
Nanosolar Cheap Solar Cells Are Shipped
December 20, 2007 | By Kevin | No Comments | Filed in: Solar Energy.Nanosolar has come up with an alternative that few other solar cell makers have. And, that is to not use the scarce supply of silicon in their solar devices. Nanosolar makes thin film solar cells that are flexible and include CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) instead of silicon. The San Jose, California based Nanosolar has • Read More »
Bush Signs Energy Independence Bill
December 19, 2007 | By Kevin | 1 Comment | Filed in: News.Today, President Bush has signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This long-awaited bill spearheaded by Representative Dan Lipinski (D-IL) passed the House 314 to 100 and includes three major parts including the Bright Energy Savings Act, the H-Prize and new CAFE standards. The Bright Energy Savings Act calls for all government offices • Read More »
MIT Students Use Pedal Power to Run Computers
December 18, 2007 | By Kevin | No Comments | Filed in: Pedal Power.MIT student cyclists are using pedal power to run computers and burn calories. Back in November of this year, MIT students were given an assignment as part of a course in civil and environmental engineering to build a device that “converts mechanical power into electrical power.” So, the students came up with an ingenious idea • Read More »
Phoenix Motorcars Titillating Lithium Titinate Batteries
December 17, 2007 | By Kevin | No Comments | Filed in: Electric Cars.Phoenix Motorcars may just be the Next Big Thing in electric vehicles. And, these next big things will likely be produced in Mexico according to the latest reports. Last week, I talked about the promise for lithium iron phosphate batteries (LiFePO4) taking over the electric vehicle market. But, there is a different kind of lithium • Read More »
Fisker Plug-In Hybrid May Hit Market First
December 14, 2007 | By Kevin | No Comments | Filed in: Plug-In Hybrids.While there has been a lot of hoopla about hybrids of the plug-in variety from the large automakers such as Toyota, GM and Ford, there is a newly formed automaker who may just beat the other three to market. Fisker Coachbuild has teamed up with Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide to form a new company • Read More »
Plug-Ins Tapping Into Public Consciousness
December 13, 2007 | By Kevin | No Comments | Filed in: Plug-In Hybrids.When Toyota was developing the marketing campaign for the Prius, its number one goal was to educate consumers that this was a gasoline-electric hybrid vehicle that didn’t have to be plugged in. Their thinking was that people really didn’t want to plug in their cars. This was either a miscalculation on Toyota’s part or the • Read More »
Hawaiian Algae Shells Out BioDiesel
December 12, 2007 | By Kevin | No Comments | Filed in: biodiesel.Sally sells algae by the seashore. Or does she? Actually, Sally works for Shell Oil Company and will be heavily involved in farming algae on the shores of Hawaii that will in turn create biodiesel for cars and trucks. Shell has teamed up with HR Biopetroleum, Inc. in a joint venture named Cellana to grow • Read More »