The Last Frost

A new solar cell technology which was funded by the Department of Energy, has become the World's most efficient solar cell. It converts sunlight to electricity at a whopping 40.7% efficiency. Traditional cells have an efficiency somewhere in the teens. More efficiency means cheaper solar energy.

The new technology utilizes a technology called multi-junction cells. Basically they have multiple layers which convert more of the solar light spectrum into electricity, not just the visible spectrum. They also utilize solar concentrators to capture more of the sun's light and direct it to the cell's themselves.

The DOE hopes to get this technology to the marketplace as soon as possible, but who knows when that will be. It can't happen soon enough. 

New World Record Achieved in Solar Cell Technology - [Department of Energy]

A cargo shipping company based in Bremen, Germany is utilizing a new technology to save money on the open seas. By installing a large kite on their boats, they will be able to harness the power of above surface winds which they estimate could save the company up to $1,500 a day on fuel costs. It also reduces harmful emissions which is a wonderful thing for everyone. One boat in their fleet, the "MV Beluga SkySails", is already being fitted with the kite as well as a steering device. They hope the boat will make it's first oceanic trek in the next few months.

The technology has been in testing for the last 4 years so it's actually very late in the development process. The founder of the company that developed the kite technology, SkySails GmbH & Co. KG, had this to say about his project: "It was important for me to prove that you can make money working hand-in-hand with nature and not against it, I think there could be a lot more linking of ecology and economy." [via CNN.com]

High-tech sail to cut costs, emissions - [CNN.com]

Who knew that a little bit of software code could be so effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It certainly provides a new way to look at an activity that you, me, and millions of others are doing every day; using our computers. Or more importantly, leaving them on when we're not using them.

This article breaks down the potential energy savings that Microsoft alone could ensure by simply releasing a software update to their ubiquitous Windows platform. The update could set the default energy savings options to their most efficient settings. 

Why stop with Microsoft though? Imagine what could be possible if electronic manufacturer's eliminated standby modes from appliances. The article estimates that dozens of power plants could be rendered obsolete by Microsoft's hypothetical software update, imagine what the whole global electronic and software industries could accomplish if they placed a higher priority on the energy consumption of their devices. I think Apple Computer has the right idea, it's not sheer processing power that's important in a computer chip, it's processing power per watt.

Efficiency, it's always been green.

Microsoft could save 45 million tons of CO2 emissions with a few lines of computer code » [FP Passport]

A new tidal energy conversion system developed by an Australian firm is a novel new way to generate power with zero emissions, and little to no environmental impact. The system resembles a very large fish fin, and was in fact inspired by it. It's a great idea to tap the power in the tides, and it's a shame it hasn't happened sooner. 

The company, BioPower Systems has a couple power plants both inspired by nature. 

Shark biomimicry produces renewable energy system » [MongaBay.com]

An interesting report commissioned by London Mayor Ken Livingstone shows that new waste treatment technologies could be utilized to produce enough hydrogen gas to power London's entire bus fleet. Household trash would be heated and through processes of gasification and anaerobic digestion could create gases suitable for conversion to hydrogen.

The report estimates that the technology could produce up to 141 tons of hydrogen gas every day by the year 2020. It will also reduce waste buildup in landfills, and prevent the release of methane into the atmosphere from typical waste decomposition. 

Houshold waste "could power London buses" » [LetsRecycle.com]

Due to the accelerated rate at which Greenland's glaciers are slipping towards the sea, scientists have been able to detect changes in the Earth's gravity above Greenland. Sounds ridiculous but it's true.

Two scientists have analysed data from a pair of satellites in polar orbit around the earth. The two satellites follow the same orbital path, but one is about 200 yards ahead of the other. By monitoring minute changes in the distance between these two satellites, scientists can map gravitational changes on the Earth. You can read about the GRACE satellites here.

What they've found is that Greenland is losing it's ice very rapidly. The scientists estimate that Greenland is losing about 20 percent more ice annually than is replenished with snowfall. Also, glaciologist Eric Rignot points out, "None of this has been predicted by numerical models, and therefore all projections of the contribution of Greenland to sea level [rise] are way below reality." [Scientific American]

Gravity Measurements Confirm Greenland's Glaciers Precipitous Meltdown » [Scientific American]

The documentary, Who Killed The Electric Car is available in it's entirety on Google Video. You might want to check it out while you can.

Who Killed The Electric Car? » [Google Video]

YouTube.com has a neat little clip via the Discovery Channel on a new solar lighting technology being developed for release in early 2007. The installation consists of a mirrored-dish solar collector connected to fiber optic cables which distribute the light to the interiors of the buildings. The resulting light is then paired with fluorescent lights for when the sun isn't shining.

Although the system is going to cost around $10,000 when it's first released, the cost should drop shortly thereafter as demand increases and production is stepped up. The potential energy savings are huge and the quality of light is great as well. I can't wait for the uber-cheap Ikea version to come out.

Hybrid Solar Lighting » [YouTube.com]

Celsias.com will be the world's first website that pays users to save energy. The site is expected to go live in early 2007.

How does it work you ask? Listen to the Nick Gerritsen, the site's director:

“You can create a carbon footprint for your home, your business, your community group or any other entity. You can then create carbon credits for yourself by learning how to reduce your energy use and by using our search service to find more energy-efficient products and services. You can then put your carbon credits on the Celsias.com trading system and when someone buys them, you get paid. It’s that easy.” [Scoop.co.nz] 

The true warriors of climate change won't trade their credits either, but instead hoard them. The more your hoard, the less carbon can be released by law into the atmosphere. It's unclear if people around the world will be able to use it, but they suggest that users trade internationally so it sounds like you can. It's an interesting idea… I hope it works. 

Kiwis create world first website » [Scoop.co.nz]

It's good to know that we have found another potential solution for the storage of excess atmospheric CO2. But do we really want to go down the road of filtering C02 out from emissions and sequestering them at the bottom of the sea? This is the kind of bright, sweep the dirt under the rug kind of thinking that I think gets us as a species into trouble. 

Wouldn't the more intelligent thing be to transition our energy reliance over to a fuel that doesn't create the nasty stuff in the first place? Then we wouldn't have to worry about whether the liquid CO2 could escape from the sea floor, or what effect it might have on ocean life. Hydrogen baby, that's the future, not ideas like this that severly lack in the forsight department. 

Deep-Sea Sediments Could Store CO2 Safely » [News Blaze]