Sustainable Energy

There’s a promising new entry in the race to build cheap batteries for storing energy from solar panels and wind turbines. Stanford researchers led by Yi Cui, a professor of materials science and engineering, have demonstrated a partially liquid battery made of inexpensive lithium and sulfur. Cui says the battery will be easy to make and will last for thousands of charging cycles.

Cui believes that the material and manufacturing costs of the battery might be low enough to meet the Department of Energy’s goal of $100 per kilowatt-hour of storage capacity, which the DOE estimates will make the technology economically attractive to utilities. Existing batteries can cost hundreds of dollars per kilowatt-hour of capacity, although several companies are working to commercialize cheaper ones (see “Ambri’s Better Battery” and “Battery to Take On Diesel and Natural Gas”).

The wind of fortune has swept into Arfons, a village in the Tarn region of southwestern France, whose budget has rocketed fivefold in the past three years from 400,000 euros to 2.3 million euros (£1.94 million) – or 12,169 euros per person.

In any case, they most certainly get some points for being on the right side of this “subsidies for fossil fuels” issue.  In fact, if this article is an accurate depiction of their stance on the subject, they’ve nailed it exactly: the world’s attempt to make gasoline artificially cheap is ruining the planet, by encouraging its use, as well as by destroying any viable process for the development of alternative sources of energy.

Energy efficient lighting, windows, and air conditioning get more productivity out of less energy and save money at the same time. This also reduces the surging energy demand that leads to frequent blackouts.

NRDC’s India Initiative works with Indian partners to spread the benefits of efficiency across the nation. Our team just released a case study showing how Godrej & Boyce—one of India’s largest industrial corporations—transformed its South Mumbai headquarters into an energy-efficient flagship.

Critics of wind power keep coming back to the same old complaint: what happens when there’s no wind? A new design from researchers at MIT could finally offer a solution to this renewable energy conundrum. Engineers have conceived of an offshore wind turbine anchored by hollow concrete spheres that could also turn seawaterinto electricity. The turbine would allow offshore wind farm managers to store excess energy for a time when there’s no wind.

Plummeting European Union carbon prices following a key EU vote seem to demonstrate in the clearest terms that cap and trade is doomed to fail. After all, “if carbon trading can’t make it in Europe, it can’t make it anywhere,” said Bryan Walsh of Time.

But declaring the death of carbon markets and cap and trade policy over Europe’s struggles is a knee-jerk reaction which overlooks significant developments for carbon trading around the world – ones which could ultimately rescue the EU and cement cap and trade as a global climate change solution.

The main obstacle facing cleantech generally is that it tends to be more expensive than what it’s replacing, but here’s an example of the opposite case.  2GreenEnergy associate Lindsay Oliver sent me this article on “green” bondsthat are gaining favor in the market, and are used to fund the development of renewable energy projects.  They’re selling like hotcakes, precisely because investors love the value: the three-year, triple-A rated bonds, unwritten by Citigroup, J. P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley, currently yielding 15 basis points above the comparable U.S. government securities.

Working in conjunction with the Technical University of Munich, industrial and electric power giant Siemens has determined that Europe is incorrectly siting its renewable power projects -- and wasting an estimated 45 billion euros in the process. Siemens claims the projects should be shifted to locations with higher yields, calling the choice of site "crucial to the efficiency and economy."

Some engineers are dusting off an old idea for storing energy—using electricity to liquefy air by cooling it down to nearly 200 °C below zero. When power is needed, the liquefied air is allowed to warm up and expand to drive a steam turbine and generator.

The concept is being evaluated by a handful of companies that produce liquefied nitrogen as a way to store energy from intermittent renewable energy sources. Liquefied air might also be used to drive pistons in the engines of low-emission vehicles.

After premiering its 2.5-megawatt, 120-meter rotor Brilliant wind turbine in February, GE is now announcing the commercial installation of the first three models that will integrate energy storage capability.

The energy storage system is meant to be used in tandem with distributed solar installations with storage systems developed in Germany; the funds come with a maximum size requirement of 30 kilowatts. The batteries must have a warranty of at least seven years to gain the subsidy. Another requirement is that the PV installation sends 60 percent of its capacity to the grid over the lifetime of the plant. The battery subsidies will apply retroactively when connected to solar systems installed in 2013, according to reports in PV Magazine.

Seattle’s Bullitt Center, opened on Earth Day, is being hailed the world’s “greenest” commercial building. Not only does it have a rooftop array of photovoltaic panels that will produce an estimated 230,000 kilowatt-hours per year and composting toilets, it also has strict energy-usage limits for its tenants - and no onsite parking.

Ruth Rosselson is an environmental pioneer. The freelance writer and community trainer is one of the first homeowners to sign up with the Manchester-based Carbon Co-op for a programme of energy-efficiency improvements that will transform her cold and draughty house into a warm and toasty low-energy home.