Tesla Battery Swap?

tesla-model-s-chassis

Battery swapping has been a somewhat contentious issue within the EV world. Basically, some people love the idea, some are more ‘meh’ about it. Israel-based Better Place and its many enthusiasts most hyped the idea, and it had some grand plans. As Chris DeMorro notes below, it has (for the time being, at least) folded on much of that. The market just didn’t seem ready for such a radical idea. But there are still some clear … Read More

New Printable Graphene Ink Made Possible By Exfoliation

graphene ink for foldable electronics.

Forget about that chest wax thing you’ve been thinking about, when it comes to exfoliation a team of researchers at Northwestern Engineering has everybody beat. The team has figured out a way to peel a layer of graphene, the “miracle material of the new millennium,” from a chunk of graphite quicker than you can say “ouch!” and that’s just the beginning. The graphene is being used to develop a low cost, highly conductive ink that … Read More

BMW M3 EV From EV West On The Dyno (Video)

BMW M3 EV From EV West On The Dyno (Video)

Check out the super gearhead in this video below laughing with excitement about the ridiculous amount of torque in the BMW M3 EV. If anyone thought EVs meant “low power,” this should wake you up. Thanks to Chris DeMorro of CleanTechnica sister site Gas2 for the find and article. With major automakers now churning out EVs of their own, electric car conversion shops have taken a backseat in the news. Well, most shops at least. EV … Read More

How To Create A Net-Zero-Energy Home (New Report)

The Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility sits on the campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md. The facility allows researchers to test various high-efficiency and alternative energy systems, materials, and designs.
Credit: Young/NIST
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Net zero energy = awesome. And homes or buildings that use no energy from other locations (net, not gross) are certainly a growing trend. Check out this post below from the National Institute of Standards and Technology regarding a new report on this subject. Chances are you know how many miles your car logs for each gallon or tankful of gas, but you probably have only a foggy idea of how much energy your house consumes, even though … Read More

Investors Plan To Sue Czech Government Over Solar Power Revenue Tax

Investors plan to sue Czech government over solar power revenue tax

A group of renewable energy investors plan to sue the government of Czech Republic over a controversial tax on solar energy projects. The investors say that they feel duped by the policies of the government which had initially attracted investments in the solar energy sector through supportive policies. Eight international investors associated with the International PhotoVoltaic Investors Club (IPVIC) have announced that they will file a notice of arbitration against the Czech government. The investors … Read More

Solar Energy Industries Association & Electricity Storage Association Buddy Up

solar energy industry association

Solar power and energy storage are a couple made in heaven, like CleanTechnica and you. With both growing fast (solar & energy storage), two of the trade associations of each have partnered up. Here’s the announcement released today from the US Solar Energy Industries Association: WASHINGTON, DC – The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), the national trade association for the U.S. solar energy industry, and the Electricity Storage Association (ESA), the international trade association promoting … Read More

Eos Energy Storage Raises $15 Million, Gets Funding From NRG Energy

The Eos Aurora battery is projected to cost $1,000/kW or $160/kWh. The cycle life is 10,000 full cycles (30 year life). And the storage system has a 75% round-trip efficiency. As such, the LCOE is very competitive. (Click to enlarge.)

Eos Energy Storage has released its second big announcement of the month, a funding boost that includes funding from NRG Energy, a major US energy company. I just featured a long post on Eos Energy Storage less than a month ago, followed soon after by a post on its first pilot project (with Con Edison). Click that first one above for all kinds of details on the company’s energy storage technology. The essentials, however, are … Read More

Energy Storage On The Bottom Of The Ocean — New Pumped Hydroelectric Power Storage Design

Image Credit: Illustration by Knut Gangåssæter/Doghouse

Storing electricity at the bottom of the ocean? The idea may sound strange at first, but the new concept from the German engineer Rainer Schramm could be very effective — with an efficiency of around 80%, comparable to conventional energy storage systems. The energy storage system makes use of the pressure differential between the seafloor and the ocean surface. It’s not a new idea, either, with Lockheed Martin making use of temperature differences between ocean levels to create … Read More

Clean Energy = More Jobs

nancy laplanca

In our continued efforts to support Nancy LaPlaca’s run for a position on the Arizona Corporation Commission (while also spreading good and important information), here’s another post written by Nancy. This one was originally published on the Arizona Capitol Times (with some minor changes). The Arizona Republican Party recently issued a press release stating that I want to “eliminate 1,000 coal jobs” on Navajo land. That statement is so far removed from reality that it warrants a direct response. The … Read More