Category: WORLD

Green house built by The Fab Academy

Built by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC), Fab Lab House is a fully constructed project to provide energy efficiency and sustainability.
One of the features that impressed with this project is that the house is capable of generating up  to three times more energy due to rooftop solar panels. A detail of the construction are the plywood panels that are standardized (1220 x 1440mm) and used throughout the project in this dimension.
The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia is one of the leading educational and research center dedicated to the development of an architecture to address the global challenges in building comfort in the 21 century. Based on the 22 @ district of Barcelona, one of the main cities in the world of architecture and urban planning, IAAC is a platform for sharing knowledge with teachers and students from over 25 countries including USA, China. India, Poland, Italy, Mexico and Sudan. The students work on multiple scales
(urban, design, production) and in various fields (ecology, energy, digital manufacturing, new technologies), to pursue their  own research to develop an integrated skills to effectively in their home country or the world.
IAAC organizes the Master in Advanced Architecture of Vicente Guallart, Willy Müller and Marta Malé Alemany, in collaboration with the Polytechnic University of the UPC. Open-process inventory is open to students of the Master of Architecture PhD worldwide. The Fab Academy is part of the worldwide network of Fab Labs with the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms connected.
Source:www.ecosystemdiscovery.com/2011/02/eco-fab-lab-house.html

UK needs to recycle its stockpile of waste plutonium into fuel

Former chief scientific adviser to the government Sir David King has today urged the government to recycle its giant stockpile of waste plutonium into fuel for new-build nuclear reactors, as part of a major new report calling for an overhaul of the UK’s nuclear energy sector.
The report from the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University investigates how the UK should manage its huge stocks of separated plutonium, reprocessed uranium and spent fuel.
It examines the costs, risks and environmental impacts of four possible scenarios, three of which analyse different options for recycling spent fuel into new fuel, and one that considers what would happen if the UK continued to treat spent fuel as waste for disposal.
Speaking at the launch of the report this morning, King insisted that there is no need for the UK to delay or scrap the new nuclear build programme in light of the crisis in Japan, arguing that there is “a massive economic economic opportunity for converting plutonium, which is a potential danger, into fuel”.
The report warns that all four scenarios would be expensive, but maintains that there is no cheaper “do nothing” option because the UK must deal with its stocks of nuclear materials and spent fuel.
Significantly, the report suggests that the cost of recycling waste materials could be paid for by the private sector and offset by the value of the new fuel produced. In contrast, treating spent fuel as waste would not generate any income and the cost would almost inevitably fall to taxpayers.
However, the report also warns that the government must adapt its nuclear policy and establish incentives to encourage investment in order to start recycling fuel.
Source: www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/2038151/uk-urged-recycle-spent-plutonium-power-nuclear-reactors

The new Wave Power Device

Ocean Power Technologies Inc. has announced that it has completed the first of its new generation utility-scale PowerBuoy device, the PB150. The PB150 Powerbuoy has a peak-rated power output of 150 Kw and is the largest, most powerful wave power device build by the company.
Ocean Power Technologies Inc. is a leader in wave energy technology. The PB150 PowerBuoy will have the equivalent to the energy consumption of approximately 150 homes – the PB150 is designed for use in arrays for grid-connected power generation projects worldwide, according to a press release.
The device is currently being prepared for ocean trials at a site approximately 33 nautical miles from Invergordon, off Scotland’s northeast coast. These sea trials are expected to commence as soon as weather conditions permit. The company is seeking additional financing for the commercial utilization of the buoy after the trial phase is completed, including its possible deployment at various potential sites.
A second PB150 is already under construction in the US for a proposed utility-scale project in Oregon, and the company is involved in other planned projects in Australia, Japan and Europe that may utilize the PB150.
Source: http://www.tomorrowisgreener.com/the-next-generation-wave-power-device/

The Risø energy report regarding RE

It is now certain that the current energy systems and technological advancements available in the world are not sufficient to make the planet free from the carbon dioxide that is emitted from those resources. To solve this problem, there is a scope to build new technologies and to bring the existing technologies together to get maximum benefit from the entire energy system including energy production, transformation, to energy transportation and distribution. Work in this direction will have to be taken at both macro and micro level.
The world will have to switch to renewable energy resources very fast, because despite the availability of renewable energy resources, a large part of the world is still dependent on traditional energy sources such as coal and gas. This over-dependence of these traditional resources will lead to a situation where by the end of 21st century, resources like coal and gas will become extinct from the world. Thus, continuous efforts need to be made to switch over to renewable energy resources. This switch can help many countries make a successful environment policy and reduce the consumption of imported oil and gas.
If Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy is to be believed, by the year 2050, the world will be in a position to use sources of energy with very low or no carbon emissions. The global energy system with low emissions will now have to use this new energy system in such a way that the cost of using these resources is also reduced.
The Risø energy report 9 gives a list of a number of energy technologies that will be commercially available for use in times to come. These technologies with no emission of greenhouse gases will help in reducing pollution.
The Risø energy reports, which have been prepared by the joint efforts of Danish and international experts look at energy issues of today and tomorrow from the perspective of the needs of Danish people, the region and the world. These reports are monitored by an independent panel of international experts and are based on scientific material that is internationally recognized.
Source: www.alternative-energy-news.info/renewable-energy-macro-micro/

Biodiesel fuel from ‘chicken feather meal’

If we go by the stats, every year 11 billion pounds of poultry industry waste accumulates annually, because we have gigantic appetite for poultry products. They can’t be stuffed into pillows. Mostly they are utilized as low-grade animal feed. Scientists in Nevada have created a new and environmentally friendly process for developing biodiesel fuel from ‘chicken feather meal’. Professor Manoranjan ‘Mano’ Misra and his team members at the University of Nevada discovered that chicken feather meal consists of processed chicken feathers, blood, and innards. Prof. Misra has been honored as the 2010 Regents’ Researcher by the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents.

Chicken feather meal is processed at high temperatures with steam. This feather meal is used as animal feed and also as fertilizer. Chicken feather meal has high percentage of protein and nitrogen. The researchers have paid attention to the 12% fat content of the chicken feather meal. They have arrived at the conclusion that feather meal has potential as an alternative, non-food feedstock for the production of biofuel. They have extracted fat from chicken feather meal using boiling water and processing it into biodiesel. Another advantage of extracting fat from feather meal is it provides both a higher-grade animal feed and a better nitrogen source for fertilizer applications.
Stats tell us that if we take into account the amount of feather meal generated by the poultry industry each year, researchers could produce 153 million gallons of biodiesel annually in the U.S. and 593 million gallons worldwide.

Source: www.alternative-energy-news.info/fuel-from-chicken-feathers/

3rd Wind Power Africa Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition

AFRICAN WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION is proud to announce the 3rd annual Wind Power Africa Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition to take place on 9-11 May 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The 3rd Wind Power Africa Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition is the premier international event on wind energy in Africa hosted by the African Wind Energy Association in partnership with other African and international organizations. A powerful networking platform, the event will bring together key African and international stakeholders from the public and private sectors with the aim to unlock Africa’s wind energy potential.
This event will examine the current and future wind energy markets in Africa and highlight attractive business opportunities, with in depth analysis and country case studies. The 3rd Wind Power Africa Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition will take place from 9 – 11 May 2011 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in Cape Town, South Africa featuring a high-profile Conference & Renewable Energy Exhibition, Site Visits, a Networking Cocktail, Gala Dinner and Spouses Programme over the 3-day period.
Source: http://www.afriwea.org/events/wpa2011

I-GET project – regarding geothermal energy

People utilize geothermal energy to heat their homes and to produce electricity. This is achieved by digging deep wells and pumping the heated underground water or steam to the surface. But we can also use the stable temperatures near the surface of the earth to heat and cool buildings.
Dr. Ernst Huenges is the head of Geothermal Research at the institute GFZ – German Research Centre for Geosciences. He is of the opinion, “The new methods deliver important decision-support for the selection of sites for future geothermal projects. With this we can considerably reduce the risk of expensive misdrills,”
Geothermal energy is making its presence felt worldwide and Iceland is the best example of the utilization of geothermal power. In fact Iceland leads the world in the development of geothermal utilization. They have doubled their annual power supply capping it up around 500 MW as far as electricity supply is concerned. Germany is also emerging as a major user of geothermal energy. Germany is deriving its 100 MW of heat from geothermal energy. Italy is not far behind. A team of European scientists, in the region of Travale (Italy), is planning to tap the potential of localized geothermal reservoirs. If this project is completed it will produce energy akin to a potential of around 1,000 wind power plants. This is one of the projects discussed at the international final conference of “I-GET” (Integrated Geophysical Exploration Technologies for deep fractured geothermal systems) in Potsdam.
The European Union is also feeling the “heat” of geothermal energy. European nations are waking up to the potential of geothermal energy. This conference aimed at the development of state-of-the art technology with potential geothermal reservoirs. Seven European nations participated in this “I-GET” conference. They want to explore more and more geothermal reservoirs and utilize it for clean and green energy. The project “I-GET” could be a substantial step towards renewable energy source.
The newly developed techniques have been tried at four European geothermal locations. They are combining different geological and thermo¬dynamic conditions. High-temperature reservoirs have been examined in Travale/Italien having metamorphic rocks and in Hengill/Island (volcanic rocks). They are also examining two deposits with medium-temperature in deep sediment rocks in Groß-Schönebeck/Germany and Skierniewice/Poland.
The implications of the results of “I-GET” would be felt worldwide. Geothermal experts from Indonesia, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and the USA also participated in the “I-GET” project. There were 120 scientists and industry representatives from the 20 countries.
“Reliable geothermal technologies are in demand worldwide. Even countries with a long experience in geothermal energy such as Indonesia and New Zealand are interested in the results acquired in I-GET,” says Dr. Ernst Huenges. Therefore, we hope that this “I-GET” will give the necessary push to the geothermal research. GFZ is currently establishing an International Centre for Geothermal Research, which will, focus on carrying out application-oriented large-scale projects on a national and international level.
Source: www.alternative-energy-news.info/geothermal-energy-intelligent-use-of-earths-heat/

Geothermal projects get started in USA

The United States’ geothermal industry is cautiously celebrating the return of investors to hot projects that had cooled off with the recession.
The Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) expects at least a half-dozen idled projects to finally begin construction in the next three years thanks to $6 billion in renewed investments, including a $96.8 million U.S. Department of Energy loan guarantee announced last week for the 23 MW Neal Hot Springs power plant in Eastern Oregon.
“There are probably more geothermal projects under development today in the United States than there has ever been in U.S. history,” said GEA Executive Director Karl Gawell.
The GEA hopes to release better estimates at the end of the month, so it is still unclear how many projects will actually get enough funding for completion. For now, Gawell says he has accumulated anecdotal evidence that more investors are picking up where they left off in 2008 and 2009.
Though exploration has all but stopped, the industry is hopeful that the extension of the Section 1603 Tax Credit program could provide a cash incentive for new development. Some say federal grants could also help jump-start investment in rapidly advancing low-temperature technology, creating the potential for a new wave of next-generation projects.
Some of the biggest geothermal developers are not yet convinced that 2011 will be the time to invest in the costly drilling of new exploration wells. Since the U.S. has become mired in the politics of climate change, there are no guarantees that cash grants through a one-year tax credit extension will sustain growth beyond 2011.
Yes even amid all the uncertainty in the U.S., Ormat and other developers are focusing attention overseas, where developing countries view geothermal resources as less expensive alternatives to coal power plants.
“When things are slow in the U.S. … our sales folks are developing projects in the ring of fire region in places with prolific geothermal resources, like Indonesia,” said Ormat spokesman Paul Thompson.
GEA estimates the addition of at least 1,000 MW of U.S.-based geothermal projects in the next three years.

Source: www.renewableenergyworld.com