Author Archives: Nathan


About Nathan

For the fate of the sons of men and the fate of beasts is the same; as one dies, so dies the other. They all have the same breath, and man has no advantage over the beasts; for all is vanity. - Ecclesiastes 3:19

LED Streetlight System Cuts Down On Light Pollution And Improves Energy Efficiency

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Image Credit: Optics Express

A new LED street lighting system that greatly improves energy efficiency while also cutting down on unwanted light pollution has been developed by an international team of researchers from Mexico and Taiwan. The system is set up so that the high-efficiency LEDs only shine where they are needed, greatly reducing light pollution. No more bright street lights shining through your bedroom window when you’re trying to sleep. Or, for that matter, limiting your ability to … Read More

Tesla Stock Hits Record High, Again

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tesla-model-s-white

Editor’s note: Tesla’s stock opened at a record $53.74 yesterday. That follows the stock hitting a record earlier this week, as the post below from EV Obsession discusses. With another big announcement at the end of the week, and Tesla winning a dealership battle in Texas, it’s no wonder the stock rose again. And I’m sure it will rise again. For now, here’s Nathan’s piece from EV Obsession: Tesla Motors has been on something of a … Read More

Poll: Texans Support Tesla Motors’ Right To Sell Directly To Consumers

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Image Credit: Poll via Austin Business Journal

Update: tweet from Elon Musk on April 24: Texas House Committee just voted 80% pro direct car sales, closely matching public opinion. twitter.com/elonmusk/statu… — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 23, 2013 Original article: A recent poll from the Austin Business Journal is showing just how popular the idea of Tesla Motors selling directly to consumers in Texas is, and perhaps how popular Tesla’s EVs have the potential to be in the state. Over 86% of respondents … Read More

Diesel On Demand — E.Coli Bacteria Engineered To Produce Pure Diesel Fuel

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Biodiesel made from E.coli

Diesel on demand — researchers at the University of Exeter have developed a method of producing pure diesel with E.coli bacteria. The new diesel is nearly identical to the conventional form, and apparently does not need to be blended with petroleum products as other biodiesels typically do. The multinational oil and gas company Royal Dutch Shell, commonly known as Shell, contributed to the research. There are significant commercialization challenges that face the new technology, but … Read More

High-Concentration Photovoltaic Thermal System From IBM Promises 80% Efficiency, Potable Water, And Air Conditioning

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Solar thermal IBM

This article was originally published on Solar Love. How does a cost-competitive photovoltaic system that is able to concentrate sunlight 2000 times and then capture 80% of the concentrated energy sound? Pretty good, right? Such a system is currently being developed by researchers at IBM Research, Airlight Energy, ETH Zurich, and Interstate University of Applied Sciences Buchs NTB, after winning a three-year $2.4 million grant from the Swiss Commission for Technology and Innovation. And in … Read More

Solar-Powered Proteins Developed That Can Filter Antibiotics And Carcinogens From Water

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Solar-Powered proteins

A solar-powered nano filter capable of filtering antibiotics and dangerous carcinogens from large bodies of water has been developed by researchers at the University of Cincinnati. The new technology is significantly more effective than the currently used filtering technologies composed of activated carbon. The filter is composed of two bacterial proteins that are able to absorb roughly 64% of the antibiotics present in surface waters, versus the 40% that is absorbed by current technology. Many … Read More

Cargo Bikes Deliver Elderly A Breath Of Fresh Air In Copenhagen

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cycling-ageless

This article originally appeared on Bikocity. Some bicycle enthusiasts in Copenhagen recently came up with a great idea — organizing bike rides in the city for the elderly, via pedicabs. The new group, called “Cykling uden alder,” or “Cycling Without Age,” is providing free bike rides around the city to the elderly, hopefully helping to improve their quality of life. Those in care homes for the elderly are often in need of outdoor activities and … Read More

Inexpensive Solar Cell Coating May Lead To Big Increases In Solar Cell Efficiency, 1 Photon Knocks Loose 2 Electrons

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Image Credit: Christine Daniloff/MIT

A potentially very important development has just been announced in the field of solar cell technology. Researchers at MIT have successfully demonstrated a technique that allows a photon to knock two electrons loose, rather than only the usual one electron. The demonstration opens the door to solar cells with efficiencies higher than 30% in the near future, and potentially far higher than the 34% Shockley-Queisser efficiency “limit.” For the past couple of decades, the Shockley-Queisser … Read More

250 MW, Unsubsidized Solar PV Power Plant Planned For Western Spain

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Solar photovoltaic Spain

Plans for a 250 MW solar photovoltaic plant to be built in the autonomous region of western Spain known as Extremadura were recently approved by the local government there. The power plant, as with all new solar power plants in Spain, will be unsubsidized. The exact location will be in the Royanejos municipality. The local media there have reported that that the French company Dhamma Energy is behind the project. Before the project can move … Read More