The Green Optimistic

New Korean Li-Ion Battery Lasting 8 Times More

admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:33:51 +0000

South Korean professor Jaephil Cho (and, of course, a team of his students) from Hanyung University have developed a lithium-ion battery that lasts eight times longer than the actual models do. Quantumsphere, on the other hand, presented last september a Li-Ion battery with a new that lasts five times more than traditional ones.

New Electron Cooling Discovery to Extract More Energy from Solar Cells

admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:05:40 +0000

Do you know that electrons can be "cooled"? The cooling of an electron, in lay language, is the transitory state in which the electron passes from a high-oscillation state to a low-oscillation, normal state. The high oscillation state is given by an external stimulus, i.e. electric voltage.

Hydrogen to be Produced Cheaply With 19th Century Invention

admin — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:51:14 +0000

G.D. Botto, an Italian inventor and physicist, performing experiments on a technique for hydrogen generation, has discovered that a chain of iron and platinum wires, wrapped around a wooden stick and alternately connected as thermocouples, can be used to convert a temperature difference into an electric voltage.

Electricity to be Generated From Garbage Landfills Using Plasma

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:33:49 +0000

Unlike incinerators, which use combustion to break down garbage, there is no burning, or oxidation, in this process. The heat from plasma converters causes pyrolysis, a process in which organic matter breaks down and decomposes. Plasma torches can operate in airtight vessels. Combustion requires oxidization; pyrolysis does not.

New and Cheap Way to Make Graphene for Hydrogen Storage

admin — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:16:58 +0000

A team of UCLA scientists (Yang Yang and Richard Kaner), located at the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), have discovered a technology of making graphene sheets in big quantities and at a low price. Graphene is being used to soak up hydrogen and store it efficiently.

DEKA Revolt: First Hybrid Stirling Engine Car - Powered by Anything!

admin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:03:45 +0000

Dean Kamen, a UK inventor, has just released to the public a modified electric Ford Th!nk, hacked in his DEKA labs. DEKA is his company located in Manchester Millyard. Kamen's modified electric car has a Stirling engine onboard, into the trunk. He uses the stirling engine mainly to defrost and heat the car, because the systems doing that are huge power consumers.

Flexible Charge Pump: Harvesting Mechanical Energy Through Zinc Oxide Wires

admin — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 10:13:19 +0000

Researchers from Georgia Institute of Technology developed a new type of small-scale electric power generator, based on stretching and releasing zinc oxide wires encapsulated in a flexible plastic with two ends bonded.

H2GO: Run Your Car On Water & Gasoline System Unveiled at SEMA 2008

admin — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 10:27:10 +0000

For whoever laughed at those inventions and inventors claiming that they run their cars on hydrogen, or improve their mileage using hydrogen generated on-board their cars, here's a piece of news that's going to raise an eyebrow.

Gliocladium Roseum: Rotten Grapes Fungus Produces Diesel

admin — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:28:56 +0000

Gliocladium Roseum is a fungus from the Patagonian rainforest, that also grows on wine grapes. It cannot be burned directly, but it seems to produce diesel fuel (or at least molecules found in diesel), out of cellulose.

Tiniest Solar Cell Invented to Power Microscopic Devices

admin — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:00:32 +0000

The green energy movement has brought, like wars brought technological advances, a wave of alternatively-powered inventions, among which it is the most recent miniature solar cell, designed to power microscopic machines.

How To Heat Up Your Room Using Just a Candle: Kandle Heeter!

admin — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:47:30 +0000

Doyle Doss, a Northern California Inventor, has created a candle powered space heater. It sounds like science fiction, but it really is a simple and green energy device, that could save you a lot of money by only lighting a candle, in the long run. The CO2 output of a candle is too small to mention, and the materials that this device is made of are all here since the Earth exists.

New Hydrogen Storage from Metal Alloy 40% Lighter Than Batteries

admin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 07:35:17 +0000

Robin Gremaud, a researcher from Netherlands, found out through experimentation that an alloy of the metals magnesium, titanium and nickel is absorbing hydrogen very well. What's most interesting about his discovery is that the three metals form a very light alloy, about 40% lighter than a Lithium Ion battery pack at the same size (for example, a Prius battery weights 317 kg, while this hydrogen tank would only weight 200 kg).

New Anti-Reflective Coating Make Solar Panels Absorb 96.2% Sunlight

admin — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 20:19:29 +0000

I like the way science evolves and still, for years, nobody seems to look at the new inventions. This may be the case with solar, because almost weekly we discover news about useful inventions in the area of solar power. Instead, old and inefficient methods are still being commercialized and "promoted", at their high prices, like it's wanted to decrease their real usage in real life conditions, not promote it.

DIY: How to Build a 100W Vertical Axis Wind Turbine From PVC Pipes

admin — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 19:15:40 +0000

In this consumerism ruled times, the world needs to know ways to do stuff. When electricity generation is predicted to become more expensive (it's like they predict an invasion of electric vehicles), people need to build their own power generating systems for their independence.

Solar Powered Cellular Networks: Good Idea, Expensive Security

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:53:30 +0000

ABI Research analysts say that the future of mobile telephony will be sun powered. They say all BTSes (cellular base stations) will be equipped with solar panels, backed up by diesel generators.

Taiwanese Chlorophyll Battery - Works With Any Liquid!

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:22:11 +0000

Chungpin Hovering Liao from Graduate School of Electro-Optic and Material Science of National Formosa University in central Taiwan discovered a battery that he claims to be the world's first chlorophyll organic battery. He says his battery can be filled up with almost anything, including water and urine, and it can provide electricity from two to seven days.

Project Surya: Cooking Solar Power for The Masses

admin — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:22:36 +0000

This solar-powered cooker allows the poor people, on the one hand (which I support) to reduce the forest cutting and save their money, by using free solar energy, and on the other hand to eliminate the risk of choking with the smoke their wood chimneys make in their homes.

Fraunhoffer Unveiled Pressure Sensors Powered by Self-Produced Green Electricity

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:34:26 +0000

Fraunhofer researchers from Stuttgart have developed a new technology that enables the production of energy-autonomous and thus low-maintenance sensors.

Bakersfield`s First Solar Thermal Power Plant Launched Last Week

mihai — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:55:02 +0000

Last week in Bakersfield, California, was launched the first solar thermal plant in nearly two decades. This plant will focus sunlight on tubes that contain water, a different process, compared to other solar photovoltaic systems that convert sunlight into electricity.

How Termites Help Producing Ethanol From Wood

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 05:49:25 +0000

Michael Scharf, an assistant professor of entomology at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and his colleague Aurélien Tartar describe the way that the enzymes produces by termites and the micro-organisms living inside them, or their "symbionts" could help the scientists produce ethanol from straw or wood by providing some basic chemical processes.

A New “Open Rotor” Jet Engine That Could Reduce Fuel Consumption

mihai — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:04:40 +0000

NASA and GE Aviation are testing a new “open rotor” jet engine with with a different design that puts the fan blades on the outside of the engine. The jet fuel consumption will be reduced by more than 30 percent.

Blacklight`s Free Energy Device Finally Verified by Rowan University

admin — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 09:56:13 +0000

As far as I know from 7th grade, hydrogen is the only chemical element that has only one electron spinning around the nucleus. It seems, though things are going to change here, since a medical doctor from New Jersey has discovered a different reality on it. The company Randell Mills founded is called Blacklight Power, and it has been written all over the internet about it a few months ago, when they firstly announced their "free energy" device discovery.

Video: How a Solar Furnace Melts a Piece of Steel

admin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:20:05 +0000

By writing the previous article and doing some research on steel and solar power, I came across a YouTube video showing what a solar furnace (or solar concentrator) can do to a piece of steel. While cooking a hot dog is "a child's play", melting steel is something you must seriously think about.

How to Make Hydrogen from Water and Slag: Watch Tata Steel

admin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:09:04 +0000

Have you ever imagined you could get energy from melted steel? Probably not. The engineers from Tata Steel (a sister of Tata Motors) in India have obtained hydrogen from pouring water on melted steel at 1600°C.

Video: 2011 Chevy Volt Test Drive

admin — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 13:50:10 +0000

Here's a video we've been expecting for so long: a real image of a real car, expected by so many electric vehicle enthusiasts. Enjoy...

Latest Trend: Human Movement Powered Devices

admin — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:51:45 +0000

Remember those movies presenting slaves hundreds of years ago spinning a huge wheel to provide the emperor with water and energy? They did not do it for fun, yet nowadays there are two recent mediatized inventions that caught my eye. Curiously enough, they are being developed by two telecom operators: Orange and NTT.

Venturi Volage: The Future French Rival to Tesla’s Roadster

admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:19:15 +0000

The French piece of electric cake is called "Volage Roadster", and is being developed by Venturi, also a French company. Primary performance analysis with today's presumptions about immediate future technology says that Volage will be capable of reaching 160mph and going about 200 miles with the onboard battery.

First Chinese Solar Powered Cars Unveiled

admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 13:41:41 +0000

Unlike the Americans or the Europeans, the Chinese know their way into the cleaner future everybody dreams of. They probably began understanding a long time ago and now bringing into practice the cleanest possible way of transportation: a solar powered electric car.

Revolting: 114 mpg Avion Sports Car Rejected for Fuel Being “Too Cheap”

admin — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 10:06:53 +0000

There was a sports car built in 1984 by Craig Henderson and Bill Green from Bellingham, Washington, and at that time it was able to set a record of 103.7 mpg for Guinness Book(in European terms, that's 2.27 liters/100km). Now they're reviving it with the help of the X-Prize Competition.

How to Get Almost Free Energy From Wood-Iron Friction

admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 19:01:39 +0000

If this truly works (and I don't see why it shouldn't), it is the greatest home-produced energy discovery since the wheel has been founded. Lloyd Tanner uses an incredibly simple assembly of two 4x4 inch wood pieces, and an iron wheel spinning in between.

Organic Battery Design Mimicking Eel - 28% More Efficient

admin — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:20:59 +0000

Yale University researchers created a blueprint for artificial eel-like power cells. Their design is even more efficient and powerful than the natural one they're mimicking, and could one day be used in powering small medical implants.

The Spin Seebeck Effect to Offer Low-Loss Thermoelectric Effect

admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 18:19:18 +0000

Eiji Saitoh experimented with a heated magnetized metal (nickel-iron), and found out that the electrons with up spins (aligned with the rod's magnetic field) created an agglomeration on the hot side, while the ones with down spins (unaligned to the rod's magnetic field), created an agglomeration on the cooler side.

Harvard`s Black Silicon: 100 to 500 Times More Powerful Than Old Solar Cells

admin — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:26:30 +0000

Kept in secret until yesterday, a newly appeared company, named SiOnyx, unveils an invention of some Harvard researchers, that is going to revolutionize the whole industry. Harvard has been studying their "black silicon" for almost ten years, but nothing has come out of their lab, due to internal policies regarding the output of their discoveries to commercial companies.

Solyndra Cylindrical Solar Panels: Cheaper and Powerful

mihai — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 11:50:07 +0000

Solyndra, a company situated in Fremont, CA, has invented a new type of cylindrical solar panel, cheaper to install and more powerful compared to the conventional panels, which are made of flat solar cells.

Sewage Could Be a New Way For Cheap Hydrogen

mihai — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 06:51:36 +0000

In the field of hydrogen fuel cell production, Oregon State University researchers have discovered that sewage can produce cheap hydrogen. In comparison with traditional electrolysis technology, sewage can produce hydrogen at a lower cost.

Trametes Versicolor Fungi Could Make Fuel Cells Cheaper

admin — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 10:29:43 +0000

Fungi grown on rotten wood could one day be harvested and genetically engineered for providing future fuel cells with an alternative to the platinum that they nowadays have inside, playing the role of a catalyst.

Nicole Kuepper`s Inkjet-Printed Solar Cells: The World’s Cheapest

admin — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 10:17:36 +0000

Nicole Kuepper, a 23 year-old Australian scientist has invented a method of making cheap solar cells out of simple materials, that any DIY-er could find in his home.

The Ultimate Hydrogen Storage - Made of Corncobs!

admin — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:01:03 +0000

One thing is to be noted here: one gram of carbon made from corncobs has its molecular internal surface equal to a football field, plus it has been proved that boron doping will further increase this capacity in great amounts.

Mazda Postpones H2 Car Because of Poor Existing Storage

admin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:36:54 +0000

They don't want to use hydrogen in a fuel cell device, but rather burn it and use the power. The principle is the same with the one in BMW 7-series from last year, but they have something different on hand. Mazda doesn't use the classic piston-engine, which can backfire sometimes if fueled with hydrogen. Instead, they use a Wankel rotary engine.

Graphene-Based Hydrogen Storage Tanks Open New Limits

admin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:35:05 +0000

Not only US and Japan can take initiatives in this area, and here's the proof: a couple of researchers from Greece designed a material that almost meets the 2010 standards set by the US Department of Energy (DOE) for hydrogen storage, in terms of weight/pressure supported.

Silver-Zinc Rechargeable Battery to be Unveiled Today at Batteries 2008 Conference

admin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:39:00 +0000

Today, dr. Ross E. Dueber, the CEO of ZPower, a battery producing company, discusses the technology of making the silver-zinc battery for consumer electronics at the Batteries 2008 conference in Nice France. The conference just started today and is of great interest for the alternative energy blogosphere.

Highly Efficient Flexible Silicon Solar Cells Invented

admin — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:26:12 +0000

Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University invented a silicon solar cell. The interesting fact is that it's flexible and it can be printed on a curved surface or a fabric. Although solar paint has been produced, there are a few situations where you'd rather use more solid solar cells (like porous surfaces, where paint cannot be applied well).

Discovery: Clathrates Thermoelectric Materials Offer Better Efficiency

admin — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:39:18 +0000

Some researchers from the University of Århus, Denmark, have studied promising thermoelectric materials from the group or clathrates, which create crystals full of 'nano-cages'.

Vatican Started Installing Their New Solar Panels

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 08:32:06 +0000

The workers say that the newly installed solar panels will save about 200 tons of CO2 in just 2 weeks (the equivalent of 70 tons of oil). It's just nice. In fact, the Vatican is the only place I don't think these expensive things will get stolen. The project is estimated to about $1.5 million.

Toshiba`s SCiB Battery: Charging in 5 Mins/No Plans for Use in EV Soon

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 05:58:38 +0000

Toshiba has developed an advanced type of Lithium-Ion batteries, the SCiB (Super Charge ion Battery). They say it has the capacity of charging within 5 minutes at 90% of its capacity, and it is being able to bear 5000 to 6000 charges until it starts losing capacity. They used the battery to demonstrate these on a laptop.

Solar Paint soon to be Marketed as The Cheapest Source of Energy

admin — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 16:28:50 +0000

Some recent partnership between UK university researchers and Corus Colours, also a UK-based firm, brought to the surface a promise of future commercialization of cheap dye-based solar panels.

Free Piston Engine: Worth Investing In It to Power Future Electric Cars?

admin — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 08:29:17 +0000

Since the idea of economy started in humanity's mind, everybody wants to reduce the expenses, mostly on energy dependence. Nowadays, when hybrid cars and, generally, electric vehicles are starting to play a huge role in car industry, and electric technology is starting to get cheaper yearly, there still are scientists that get inspired by the old explosion engine principles, albeit they are being used for more than a hundred years and their power source is mainly based on fossil fuel.

BASF DLR-H2: First Manned Fuel Cell Airplane Took Off!

admin — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:10:41 +0000

This spring, Boeing announced a flight powered by fuel cells, only that the take-off was powered by a Li-Ion battery. This autumn, on Sept. 30, the Germans did it from head to toe by using only hydrogen! Wow!

The Magnetic Air Car: a Step Towards Free Energy Devices?

admin — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:28:22 +0000

San Jose's West Coast Green conference from last week had a point of attraction: the world's first fuel-less car, made by Magnetic Air Car. They even say it will be produced beginning with 2010.

100 Year-Old Aerodynamics Problem Solved: Could Increase MPG Dramatically

admin — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:06:10 +0000

MIT researchers discovered the solution to a problem put 100 years ago by Ludwig Prandtl. It refers to the situation when, for example, a car accelerates up and down a hill, then slows to follow a turn, and the airflow around it cannot keep up and separates from it. This aerodynamic phenomena creates an additional drag, slowing the car, and forcing you to push harder on the pedal, consuming more gas.

New Electric Field Device Reduces Car Fuel Consumption by 20%

admin — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:40:59 +0000

Professor Rongija Tao, from Temple University, invented a device that, applied to the vehicle's fuel line, near the injectors, creates an electric field that reduces the fuel's viscosity, so that smaller droplets are injected into the engine, leading to better combustion and increased fuel efficiency as much as 20%.

Mercedes S400: True Hybrid Car, or Just Greenwashing?

admin — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:12:47 +0000

Is this "greenwashing" phenomena affecting everybody lately? I understand we're in the middle of a hybrid-crusade, and beginning with all the movie stars and all celebrities, everybody wants to produce and buy a hybrid car, but to bring out a hybrid car only to stick the "hybrid" green stamp on it seems a little overwhelmingly green-washing style.

Solar Cube: Saving Lives With Solar and Wind Power

admin — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:53:18 +0000

What can you buy for $38,000? Two second-hand Priuses? No. A smaller airplane? Neither. I'll tell you what you can have for that money: a solar powered desalination device.

New York`s Tidal Turbine Powering a Supermarket

admin — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:23:15 +0000

New York city wants to build about 300 turbines in their waterway. NY's East River has strong, fluctuating currents, allowing an efficient generation of electricity. Once built, the wave-powered system can generate enough for 10,000 homes.

LiFePO4 Batteries: Chevy Volt`s Future Energy Sources

admin — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:22:14 +0000

The Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries are based on Lithium Ion, but they offer many advantages over LiCO2 (Lithium Cobalt), frequently used in laptops, mp3 players and cell phones. They also offer a greater range, power and safety, in an electric vehicle - they will not explode or catch fire if overcharged.

Einstein`s No Electricity/No Freon Fridge Revived at Oxford

admin — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:37:34 +0000

It seems like Einstein did his best not only in quantum physics, but also in classic, immediately-helpful science. Back in the 1930's, helped by his friend Leo Szilard, he invented a refrigerator that used no electricity at all. Scientists from Oxford are struggling to revive his invention today.

Mobion: High Power Fuel Cell Batteries for Your Gadgets Starting 2009

admin — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:00:11 +0000

Just two days ago, MTI MicroFuel Cells Inc. has made a press release for their third generation Mobion chip, a portable fuel cell powered device aimed for small-scale devices, such as iPods, media players and mobile phones.

Scientists Making Hydrogen Efficiently from Water Steam

admin — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 09:03:08 +0000

Trying to make hydrogen a viable fuel, economically and energetically, a team of researchers from Idaho National Laboratory splits water steam into hydrogen and oxygen using electrolysis, but from steam, and at a high temperature.

Fuel Cell Powered Wheelchair by Mitsubishi

admin — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 17:56:40 +0000

From now on, the people with motion disabilities will go green. Mitsubishi Gas Chemical exhibited last week a fuel cell power unit suited for small applications, such as powering an electric wheelchair. It has the size of a microwave oven, weighs 22 kg, and outputs 300W.

William Yuan, a 12 year-old, Invented New Type of 3D Solar Cells

admin — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 06:32:29 +0000

This is great news. William Yuan, a 12 year-old from Beaverton, Oregon, has made an innovation in the 3D solar cells production that could provide 500 times more light absorption than commercially-available solar cells and nine times more than cutting-edge 3D solar cells. It may sound weird, but, at his age, he studied nanotechnology.

Question: Will Chevy Volt Run Windows?

admin — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:43:27 +0000

I guess that the Chevy Volt has been one of the most hunted electric cars from the beginning of this year. GM has done all their possible to keep the secret from the press(?), but it seems that several images and specs have "leaked", acting as a teaser for the information thirsty public.

New Graphene Layer to Double Ultracapacitors Storage Capability

admin — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:18:52 +0000

Engineers and scientists from the University of Texas at Austin, led by Rod Ruoff, a mechanical engineering professor and physical chemist, have created a one-atom thick layer of carbon, called "graphene", and they put it to use in electrical storage systems, such as ultracapacitors, a viable way to clean and efficient energy storage.

Prius PHEV Testing Started on French Roads

admin — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 18:43:03 +0000

They are testing their Toyota PHEVs with the help of their employees in a real urban environment. They have already built a charger infrastructure and a method for charging the users' pockets, incorporated in the vehicle's software.

Tesla Roadster Has New Gearbox: 10% more Miles/Charge

admin — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 17:55:56 +0000

The Tesla Roadster just got better: its manufacturers equipped it with a new gearbox, a more efficient one, that has about 30% more torque on a single gear ratio and achieves 10% more mileage on average.

Satellite Solar Power Demonstrated Between Hawaii Islands

admin — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:41:16 +0000

If you remember, not a long time ago we had an article talking about NASA's plans to send a satellite to space which could capture pure Sun energy and resend it to Earth in the form of microwaves.

Prius vs BMW M3 vs MPG at Top Gear: Who Wins?

admin — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 16:00:20 +0000

I really didn't like what Top Gear guys did the last time to a Prius, but this time I think they have a point (partially). They're going to race a Toyota Prius (1.5L)versus a BMW M3 (4L). Of course the BMW will win the competition... but wait... not the speed competition. The BMW will get 19mpg and the Prius only 17mpg. Why is that? Does it prove that the Prius is more gas-guzzler than the BMW? No.

VW Golf BlueMotion TDI - 74MPG - Better Than Prius?

admin — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 18:52:15 +0000

The most known German car maker Volkswagen, and the most popular car in Europe, VW Golf, hits again these days as Volkswagen unveils their latest BlueMotion car. They already have unveiled other BlueMotion machines, but this time it is Golf's time to be in the spotlight.

Toyota and Subaru to Sell Electric Cars

mihai — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:35:15 +0000

The electric vehicles market will start to vary from next year. While Subaru promises a four seated electric vehicle, Toyota confirmed for the first time the plans that put to sale an electric vehicle before 2010.

Hydraulically Stored Wind Power Increases Efficiency Dramatically

admin — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:11:38 +0000

A blog whose articles I read daily, cleanbreak.ca, has published some news about a company from Alberta, Canada (Lancaster Wind Systems) that wants to bring an innovation to the classic and old wind turbines. The company itself hasn't described the exact method by which they are going to improve the efficiency of the wind turbine, but the main idea is that they're going to store a few hours of energy in a hydraulic system, so when the wind doesn't blow, you'll still have energy, converted at a higher rate.

DIY: How to Build a Solar Furnace from a Satellite Dish

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:51:24 +0000

This is about how to build a solar furnace out of a satellite antenna dish and mirror broken in many pieces. As you may know, satellite dishes have a focal point (that is a point in which the electromagnetic energy focuses at its maximum power).

Nissan Nuvu Electric Concept Presented at Paris

mihai — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:59:20 +0000

Nissan will introduce a new completely electric concept at the Paris Motor Show. Nissan's vision for the future of urban transport has been put into practice through the new Nuvu model, an ultra-compact vehicle that could be driven at the middle of the next decade.

“Civilized” People Setting Priuses on Fire - Whose Fault is It After All?

admin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 20:19:27 +0000

I don't know why people do that, but it seems like lately there are more and more vandalism acts on Priuses. For example, as Edmunds.com writes, a woman's Prius has been hit several times with a hammer. Stone age-like acts, really...

How to Extract Free Energy From a Mountain Spring

admin — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 19:16:38 +0000

This is a short video showing a device made up of a simple bicycle wheel to create electricity for your tent in the mountains.

Japanese Green Energy Power Plants on Water

mihai — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 15:42:25 +0000

Japanese scientists explore the usefulness of clean-tech energy generators that are floating on the sea as a source of energy for the whole country, announced a Japanese newspaper.

Honda Presents Its Low-Cost Hybrid at Paris Auto Show

mihai — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:10:36 +0000

Honda Motor Corp. will introduce its long expected low-cost hybrid model at the Auto Show from Paris next month. The Japanese auto maker announced that the car will be launched on the market at the beginning of next year.

Citroen`s Hypnos Competing With Peugeot for Best Hybrid Car

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:52:30 +0000

In the more and more crowded market of hybrid cars, Citroën will unveil their Hypnos, a new diesel-electric hybrid crossover concept, at the Paris Motor Show coming up this October.

Energy Ball: New Swedish Wind Power for Your Green Home

admin — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:38:27 +0000

A Swedish company called Home Energy is working with alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and bio-energy. One of their products is called the Energy Ball. It is practically a small wind turbine. The wind turbine they designed is suitable for home of small office use. So, if you have a passion for going green these days, this could be a way to follow it!

Nanowires May Boost Solar Panels Efficiency and Lower Prices

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:28:17 +0000

Gang Chen from Cambridge University has done research on making a new solar cell structure, that would rise its efficiency by not reflecting light, but absorbing it through the intrinsic nature of the nanowire material.

Convert Your Car Into a PHEV With Poulsen`s Hybrid Innovation!

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:08:37 +0000

Based on the fact that only 10 to 15 hp are required to run your average compact or mid-sized car along a level road at 60-70mph, Poulsen Hybrid have made up a system that helps your gasoline or diesel engine in its run and save you lots of money, turning your car into a plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV).

New Fuel Battery Has 3 Times More Energy Than Gasoline!

admin — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 08:34:53 +0000

It's not breaking news anymore, but some scientists from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and others, led by Stuart Licht, discovered a battery that could kick out fossil fuels at the chapter of energy storage capacity.

Gold Nanoantennas Could Harvest Solar Power at Night Time

admin — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 08:04:03 +0000

While the most high performance classic solar cells only use up to 20% of the solar power falling onto them, researchers from DoE, the laboratory from Idaho, found out a way to capture much more energy from the Sun's energy, from the invisible spectrum, even at night.

ABC News Reports the Progress of Developing the Chevy Volt

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:20:58 +0000

There are a lot of speculations around the future Chevy Volt, the series car that it's said to revolutionize the car industry. Although there hasn't been much proof that they have the battery to power the electric-hybrid car, they're confident in their success, or at least that was wanted to be seen on this abc news video clip. Watch it. I think they're going to make it, because probably they're going to be using the EEStor technology or something equivalent, technology that has only recently been unveiled.

Haynes Releases Toyota Prius Repair Handbook

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:04:10 +0000

Now, in the times of hybrid cars that nobody knows how to repair, they are also trying to make a name by releasing a Toyota Prius repair handbook. Even if you're a rookie in car repairs, or an advanced mechanic (or electrician), you can learn how to fix the very complicated hybrid car.

DIY: How to Make a Wave Powered Boat

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 06:47:16 +0000

You may use small wood boards, or toy boats "borrowed" from your kids. Or as well you may teach your little ones how to build a free energy device.

Francois Kneider’s Wave Powered Boat Working Principles

admin — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 20:54:05 +0000

While about a month ago I was presenting an article about Suntory Mermaid II, a boat powered only by the movement of the waves, I am now presenting an inventor, named Francois Kneider, who in his seventies, continues to amaze the people who know him by the number of ideas he has and the innovations he brought to life. In 2005, he focused on building wave powered systems for boats.