Sustainable Technologies

An interesting look into how energy can be drawn from unique resources and used very efficiently and practically to power small, everyday items. This kind of research could lead to a mass reduction in disposable batteries, which are more often than not, not disposed of correctly. This leads to toxic leaks in our already full landfills, and with a push away from traditional power, we may see increased research into increased storage capabilities.

Oxford PV have announced that they have achieved a new efficiency high-watermark for their new photovoltaic technology of 15.4%, continuing the march towards scale-up and commercialisation.

Spun off from Oxford University in an attempt to put all of founder Dr. Henry Snaith’s intellectual property under one roof and solve the issues of satisfying global solar demand — “namely high cost, dependence on scarce elements and toxic materials, short lifetimes, and complex manufacturing processes” — PV Oxford, in their purpose built product development facility at Begbroke Science Park near Oxford, have been working steadily towards commercialising their perovskite solar cells.

“Our plan was to continuously optimise our perovskite solar cells towards a goal of more than 20% efficiency but these results are ahead of expectations,” said Snaith. “I see no reason why we can’t aim higher now and accelerate the transfer of our technology into production.”

Offshore wind farms and tidal energy facilities harness the power of the wind and the ocean – but why should we have separate turbines for each task? Offshore technology company Mitsui is developing a hybrid wind-current power generating system that combines a floating vertical-axis wind turbine with an underwater turbine that generates power from ocean currents. The clever apparatus would cut down on material waste, and it could produce twice as much energy as a conventional wind turbine
.

Renewable energy developers strive for improved efficiency in the solar, wind and hydro power industries – and the hybrid wind-current system effectively doubles the efficiency of a typical wind or ocean current turbine. Mitsui Ocean Development & Engineering Company says the system will provide cost-effective power generation while having very little impact on the environment.

The turbines will be large in scale; according to NHK News, the wind turbine will be 47 meters (154 feet), and the underwater portion will have a diameter of 15 meters (49 feet). The turbines will be tested off the coast of Japan later this year. If they work as well as advertised, each turbine could generate enough energy to power 300 households.

These vertical turbines can work in low and high winds and are so much better than the three spoke type. 

Sustainability in New Orleans - good idea!  Connecting to major universities is key.  

When New Orleans began to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina, NOBIC was back on track, helped by the state, which—like other states—had discovered the economic potential of attracting biotechnology incubators. The goal was to create a collaborative environment in which fledgling start-ups could grow into successful enterprises and spread the wealth.

A good summary of the range of applications now addressed b 3D printing.

Crazy cool!

Researchers at Sandia National Labs, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, are working to create affordable biofuel from algae. One researcher, Jerri Timiln thinks an algae answer may be closer than anyone thinks. “I see it as a when situation, not an if. We have no choice. Our fuel sources are running out and we have to make a change in how we’re living.” Her research mate, Aaron Collins, tests different types of algae in the Albuquerque lab, while monitoring algae ponds hundreds of miles away in Gilbert, Arizona. State of the art sensors feed information to his computer screen in 5-minute increments. CCRES ALGAE TEAM