Some of our natural sources of alternative energy, like wind and wave power, just won’t cooperate by producing power when we, or utility companies need it.  One solution – stop wasting energy produced in low demand situations, like nighttime0 – and store the energy for a time when it is most needed (or you can charge more for it).  Beacon Power, a Massachusetts company, is using a $43 million Federal loan guarantee to build a $67 million energy storage facility in Stephentown, NY.

Beacon’s Smart Energy 25 design is centered around a flywheel storage system that works by accelerating a cylindrical assembly called a rotor (flywheel) to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as rotational energy.  The energy is converted back by slowing down the flywheel. The flywheel system itself functions as a kinetic, or mechanical battery, spinning at very high speeds to store energy that is instantly available when needed.  Beacon’s Smart Energy 25 flywheel has a high-performance rotor assembly that is sealed in a vacuum chamber and spins between 8,000 and 16,000 rpm.  At 16,000 rpm the flywheel can store and deliver 25 kWh of extractable energy.

Beacon Power has designed a grid-scale system it calls the “Smart Energy Matrix” which is a multiple integrated system of (10) Smart Energy 25 flywheels interconnected in an array, or matrix, to provide energy storage for certain utility applications. (more…)

Art Haines, a mechanical designer from Maine, came up with the idea of building a solar powered car.  When he pitched the idea of having local high school students help him build the car to his local civic group, it was well received.  He and eight students from the local high school discussed the project and the students came up with a list of the specifications for the solar car.  Mr. Haines then designed the solar car’s prototype on his computer, and the Sunnev – Solar Neighborhood Electric Vehicle was born.  Though not all of the original specs were implemented in the final version of the Sunnev – it turned out to be (more…)

Japanese carport maker Sankyo Tateyama Aluminium has developed a new carport with a solar power generation system installed on its roof.  With the burgeoning electric vehicle market calling for a big investment in charging stations and EV infrastructure, this could offer an interesting solution. (more…)

India-based car maker, REVA, is showcasing two new electric models created for the European market.  The company is launching  the REVA NXR (NeXt Reva – above), a new lithium-ion powered electric car which is scheduled to go into production early 2010. Also being unveiled for the first time is REVA’s next generation electric showcar, the REVA NXG (NeXt Generation – below), which is the company’s 2011 model.

REVA NXR is an M1 category three-door, four-seater (more…)

The idea of harvesting solar power from space has been circulating for quite some time.  The advantages are obvious – constant sunlight independent of weather conditions; so, what we normally factor into the feasibility of solar panels on Earth – such as the geographic region, weather patterns, and equipment placement – no longer applies.  Given such ideal conditions, it’s no surprise that the solar energy in space is ten times that on Earth, making solar satellites sound like a not-half-bad idea.

In an announcement last Tuesday, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation and IHI Corporation are teaming up with 14 other companies to develop a solar power generator based in outer space.  The project, led by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), will consist of four square kilometers of solar satellites housed 36,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.

The technology in development will be able to convert the harnessed energy into radio frequency energy, and then wirelessly transmit it to a receiving station back on Earth, erasing the need for any cables.  Its completion is set for 2030 with the launch of its first prototype set for 2015, and is estimated to generate one gigawatt of energy, enough to power nearly 300,000 homes.

The project, however, comes with a hefty price tag, costing an estimated $21 billion.  And, of course there is the issue of whether the energy these solar panels can generate is worth that of the energy and costs to produce and transport them into space.  A fan of the idea, but I’m on the fence when it comes to feasibility.  What do you think?

Will our future highways be paved with solar gold?  Solar Roadways, a small Idaho start-up, just got a $100,000 grant to produce a prototype for its Solar Road Panel, a system of solar panels that could one-day turn roadways and parking lots into energy generating power sources.  The panels could contain embedded lighting systems for lines and signage, sensors to warn of animals or objects in the road, heaters to melt snow and ice and enough potential energy production to make a major contribution to the power grid.  Great idea.  We’ll see…

Is the future of wind power floating off the Norwegian coast? The world’s first full-scale floating wind turbine – StatoilHydro’s Hywind pilot – was officially launched yesterday in the North Sea.  Floating wind towers may someday allow turbines to be installed far offshore out of view from land, outside shipping lanes and where ocean winds are strongest.

Hywind is a 2.3-megawatt wind turbine installed on a traditional floater of the kind previously used as production platforms and offshore loading in the oil drilling business.  The turbine was manufactured by the Siemens Wind Power in Denmark, while France’s Technip built the floater and Nexans produced and laid the power cable to land.

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The folding bike specialists at Dahon have come up with an energy efficient way to charge your iPod, iPhone, MP3 player or handheld device – bike power. The FreeCharge transfers power from a bike’s generator hub to a high-capacity battery, which in turn supplies steady current to your USB powered small device.  The FreeCharge unit secures to the bike’s frame in a silicon case.  Duhon is including the charger on a couple of its bike models in the near future and as a stand-alone accessory sometime around March 2010 for an estimated $99.

Nice concept.   via: bikehugger

This new Novothink Surge solar charging case slides neatly over iPhone 3G and 3G (S) phones.  The slim hybrid charger can store power from the sun or through your computer’s USB port (from which you can also load tunes from iTunes.)

Features a button activated LED status display, volume and headphone access and a wide choice of colors.  Solar panel is on the back and will store power to dispense as needed.  The Surge will cost you around $70 when it becomes available in late 2009.

via: appmodo related: sunblazer

The sexy itHouse is a design system created by L.A. based, Taalman Koch Architecture.  The eco-friendly home is comprised of a series components manufactured off-site.  The home, which is designed to be flat packed and easily shipped, is prefabricated to better control the construction waste, labor, and quality of the finished product.

Designed with glass walls and an open floor plan, (no neighbors, please) itHouse is intended to maximize the relationship of the occupant to the surrounding landscape while minimizing the home’s impact on the local ecosystem.

Passive heating and cooling, site orientation, cross ventilation, radiant floor heating, hi-efficacy appliances and the use of solar photovoltaic and thermal panels enhance the home’s energy efficiency and off-the-grid potential.

more pix after the jump

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