http://phys.org/technology-news/energy-green-tech/ en-us Phys.Org provides the latest news on energy sciences and green technology, energy technology, energy renovation, alternative energy, and green energy. (Phys.org) —A company called Contemporary Energy has unveiled a new device it calls the Solar Kettle. It looks very much like a normal coffee thermos, but has flaps on one side that open to allow for collecting solar energy, thus heating whatever is held inside. The company will be marketing the device to campers and others that need a way to boil water when electricity is not available. http://phys.org/news288543040.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 23 May 2013 15:50:50 EST news288543040 (Phys.org) —In the ongoing saga of Andrea Rossi's energy catalyzer (E-Cat) that promises clean, cheap power for the world, the latest events continue to bring as many questions as answers. Several scientists have performed supposedly independent tests of two E-Cat prototypes under controlled conditions and using high-precision instrumentation. In a paper posted at arXiv.org, the researchers write that, even by the most conservative of measurements, the E-Cat produces excess heat with a resulting energy density that is at least 1 order of magnitude—and possibly several—higher than any other conventional energy source, including gasoline. http://phys.org/news288525504.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 23 May 2013 10:58:37 EST news288525504 (Phys.org) —Fergus Ewing, Scotland's energy minister, has announced plans for the deployment of 40 to 50 Oyster hydro-electric wave devices off the country's northwestern shore. The new facility will be capable of producing 40MW of electricity, which should be enough to power approximately 30,000 homes—making it the largest such facility in the world. http://phys.org/news288520529.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 23 May 2013 09:35:47 EST news288520529 The first manned aircraft that can fly day and night powered only by solar energy set a new distance record Thursday when it landed after the second leg of a cross-country US tour. http://phys.org/news288508204.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 23 May 2013 06:10:12 EST news288508204 (Phys.org) —Highview Power Storage, a British company that develops energy storage systems for utility companies has received $18 million in funding from several backers to investigate the use of "liquid air" as a means of storing electricity for backup purposes. Liquid air is air that has been chilled to the point of liquefying—when warmed it expands, allowing for the possibility of driving turbines to create electricity. http://phys.org/news288431905.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Wed, 22 May 2013 08:59:22 EST news288431905 (Phys.org) —In the opening scene of the iconic movie of the 1960s, The Graduate, Benjamin Braddock, at a party to celebrate his college degree, is given one word of advice for his future: "Plastics." Were young Benjamin to be receiving that advice today the word would be: "Batteries." Steve Visco of Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division had plenty of encouraging words for young graduates on the opportunities to be had in next generation battery research. Speaking at the recent national meeting of the American Chemical Society in New Orleans, Visco discussed the enormous progress his own start-up company, PolyPlus, has made in developing lithium-metal batteries with unprecedented energy density, and how the ever-growing need for electrical energy storage will require continued innovation and development in battery research. http://phys.org/news288427172.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Wed, 22 May 2013 08:00:02 EST news288427172 A typical pair of running shoes generates 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to keeping a 100-watt light bulb on for one week, according to a new MIT-led lifecycle assessment. But what's surprising to researchers isn't the size of a shoe's carbon footprint, but where the majority of that footprint comes from. http://phys.org/news288426982.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Wed, 22 May 2013 07:37:15 EST news288426982 The first-ever manned airplane that can fly by day or night on solar power alone was set to soar early Wednesday on the second leg of its journey across the United States. http://phys.org/news288418418.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Wed, 22 May 2013 05:13:48 EST news288418418 Soon, it will be possible to produce electricity from heat over 30 degrees emitted from a waste incinerator, refinery, or data processor. The start-up Osmoblue has just confirmed the feasibility of this new concept. http://phys.org/news288345948.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Tue, 21 May 2013 09:05:56 EST news288345948 (Phys.org) —Enough Northwest wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month could be stored in porous rocks deep underground for later use, according to a new, comprehensive study. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration identified two unique methods for this energy storage approach and two eastern Washington locations to put them into practice. http://phys.org/news288283006.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Mon, 20 May 2013 16:00:06 EST news288283006 (Phys.org) —Saratoga California high school student Eesha Khare is a co-winner of this year's Young Scientist Award sponsored by Intel. She won the award for her battery-sized supercapacitor design which allows for recharging in just a few seconds. The award was part of Intel's International Science and Engineering Fair. http://phys.org/news288266147.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Mon, 20 May 2013 10:56:02 EST news288266147 Researchers have engineered a strain of electricity-producing bacteria that can grow using hydrogen gas as its sole electron donor and carbon dioxide as its sole source of carbon. Researchers at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst report their findings at the 113th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology. http://phys.org/news288237388.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Mon, 20 May 2013 02:56:47 EST news288237388 Hong Kong saw its first electric taxis hit the streets on Saturday in a step towards reducing the city's high levels of roadside pollution. http://phys.org/news288100940.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Sat, 18 May 2013 13:40:01 EST news288100940 Morocco is ploughing ahead with a programme to boost wind energy production, particularly in the southern Tarfaya region, where Africa's largest wind farm is set to open in 2014. http://phys.org/news288100906.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Sat, 18 May 2013 13:02:02 EST news288100906 (Phys.org) —Grant Schmitz, eyes inches from a 6.5-by-12-foot panel of ultra-high performance concrete, studied the smooth surface for tiny cracks. He and other research engineers carefully marked every one with black markers. http://phys.org/news287996147.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Fri, 17 May 2013 08:00:01 EST news287996147 (Phys.org) —The printer has allowed researchers from the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC) – a collaboration between CSIRO, The University of Melbourne, Monash University and industry partners – to print organic photovoltaic cells the size of an A3 sheet of paper. http://phys.org/news287912026.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 16 May 2013 08:50:01 EST news287912026 Norwegian research scientists will contribute to realising the concept of storing electricity at the bottom of the sea. The energy will be stored with the help of high water pressure. http://phys.org/news287903115.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 16 May 2013 06:15:18 EST news287903115 (Phys.org) —Bosch Automotive Services has announced the unveiling of a Level 2 Electric Vehicle (EV) charger which it plans to sell for just $449. Currently the company markets a $950 EV charger called the Power Xpress. As part of the announcement, Bosch claims the price of the Power Max is roughly half that of similar chargers offered by other companies. http://phys.org/news287655935.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Mon, 13 May 2013 09:50:02 EST news287655935 (Phys.org) —SheerWind Inc. of Chaska, Minnesota is claiming in a press release that its newly developed funnel-based wind turbine system is capable of producing 600 percent more power than conventional wind turbines. The new design uses funnels to channel wind to a ground-based turbine. http://phys.org/news287655561.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Mon, 13 May 2013 09:30:02 EST news287655561 The road has gotten bumpier for electric cars, with Coda Automotive, one of what had been a promising crop of electric car startups, filing for bankruptcy protection this month. http://phys.org/news287551861.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Sun, 12 May 2013 04:31:21 EST news287551861 Morocco on Friday officially launched the construction of a 160-megawatt solar power plant near the desert city of Ouarzazate, the first in a series of vast solar projects planned in the country. http://phys.org/news287424116.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Fri, 10 May 2013 17:02:03 EST news287424116 The Tesla Motors Inc. Model S electric car has tied an older Lexus for the highest score ever recorded in Consumer Reports magazine's automotive testing. http://phys.org/news287316393.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 09 May 2013 11:20:01 EST news287316393 (Phys.org) —The sun provides the most abundant source of energy on the planet. However, only a tiny fraction of the solar radiation on Earth is converted into useful energy. http://phys.org/news287311682.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 09 May 2013 09:48:12 EST news287311682 (Phys.org) —Researchers have created a new tool to detect flaws in lithium-ion batteries as they are being manufactured, a step toward reducing defects and inconsistencies in the thickness of electrodes that affect battery life and reliability. http://phys.org/news287216850.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:01 EST news287216850 (Phys.org) —Solar engineers from UNSW have developed an innovative method to dramatically improve the quality of low-grade silicon, promising to significantly improve electrical efficiency and reduce the cost of solar panels. http://phys.org/news287047422.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Mon, 06 May 2013 08:24:07 EST news287047422 (Phys.org) —Florida Power & Lighting has completed its $800 million smart grid upgrade, with installations of 4.5 million smart meters. Smart meters are digital devices that use radio frequencies to communicate with automated feeder switches and other devices on poles and power lines. The meters can measure a building's use of electricity. FPL installed 4.5 million smart meters alongside more than 10,000 sensors. FPL says the benefit to customers is that by installing the smart meters each customer can get on the Internet to see the power being used by the hour, day, and month. The customer can also see bill estimates based on current usage patterns. FPL believes more information can lead to customers making more informed choices about usage and costs. Overall, a smart grid can automatically sense and gather data about consumer habits. http://phys.org/news286952644.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Sun, 05 May 2013 07:10:01 EST news286952644 (Phys.org) —Whether you're in a city café hunting down a spare outlet or camping and worrying about losing outside contact, the problem is the same, a smartphone about to lose power just when you need it the most. What to do? A problem-solver who is into hiking and backpacking has an answer. He shows, step to step, how to construct a portable thermoelectric emergency generator. David Johansson, who used the project-sharing site Instructables for his step by step instructions, explained how he arrived at the idea, construction, and results. http://phys.org/news286808906.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Fri, 03 May 2013 14:10:47 EST news286808906 The first-ever manned airplane that can fly by day or night on the sun's power alone soared over the western United States late Friday on the first leg of cross-country journey. http://phys.org/news286801300.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Fri, 03 May 2013 12:01:48 EST news286801300 An innovative solar-powered aircraft is set to launch Friday from California on a flight across the United States, the first of its kind aiming to showcase what is possible without fossil fuels. http://phys.org/news286726197.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 02 May 2013 15:10:03 EST news286726197 A decade ago, large investors in so-called clean technology had a straightforward goal: finance companies that would help eliminate the world's dependence on oil, natural gas and coal. http://phys.org/news286722766.html Technology - Energy & Green Tech Thu, 02 May 2013 14:13:00 EST news286722766