CleanTechnica

Bailing Out Renewable Energy Tax Credits

Michelle Bennett — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 03:53:41 +0000

In case you missed the news, the $700B bailout included tax credits for renewable energy industries. So what are the greenest bits of the bill and what does it mean for renewable energy companies? Also, where is all that glorious cash coming from?

Renewable Energy Tax Credits:

Solar energy gets an 8-year extension on existing 30% tax credits for residential and commercial solar installations.

Solar installations for residents and utilities are no longer confined to the US$2,000 monetary cap.
Read more of this story »

Dutch City Opens World’s First Mine Water Power Station

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:26:02 +0000

Last week, the Dutch city of Heerlen opened the world’s first geothermal power station that uses water heated in old coalmine shafts. The power station works by pumping water up from 800 meters deep in the mines. At that depth, the water reaches a temperature of 35 C (95 F). It heats 350 homes and is pumped back into the mines after use, where it recirculates two to three times a year.

Read more of this story »

Scientists Reach Hydrogen Storage Milestone

Ariel Schwartz — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:52:38 +0000

Hydrogen cars may be feasible sooner than previously thought thanks to the efforts of a research team at the University of Crete in Greece. The scientists have developed a hydrogen storage model that can store up to 41 grams of hydrogen per liter— almost matching the US Department of Energy’s target of 45 grams per liter.

Read more of this story »

New Solar Cells Can Be Rolled Up Like a Carpet

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 19:24:44 +0000

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Northwestern University have developed a new type of silicon solar cell that is flexible enough to be used on a curved surface or fabric. Currently, most solar cells are rigid due to the use of plastic in their production.

Read more of this story »

New iJET Solar Cell is as Easy to Make as Pizza

Andrew Williams — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 16:37:16 +0000

An Australian scientist has developed a new method of manufacturing solar cells using nothing more than some nail polish remover, a pizza oven and a standard inkjet printer.

The iJET technique is so easy and cheap to carry out that it could revolutionize access to solar technology in the developing world.

In a recent radio interview (audio), Nicole Kuepper, a 23 year-old PhD student at the University of New South Wales, explained the process.

Read more of this story »

Italian Wind Power Company Enel Opens Biggest Wind Farm in Kansas

Andrew Williams — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:30:18 +0000

Italian wind energy company Enel SpA has announced that it has inaugurated its biggest ever wind power project, a 250 megawatt U.S. farm.

Enel said in a statement released earlier today that the Smoky Hills plant in Kansas will be fully operational by the end of this year, and will become the largest wind energy installation in the Great Plains state, and one of the largest in the entire country, capable of supplying the power needs of 85,000 U.S. households.

Read more of this story »

First Fuel Cell-Powered Plane Presented in Germany

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:40:10 +0000

Last night, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) demonstrated the world’s first manned airplane that can fly exclusively with the use of a fuel cell. The fuel cell, which is based on polymer electrolyte membranes (PEM), generates power for the motor glider’s electric engine.

Read more of this story »

Scientists Create Energy-Producing Solar Paint

Ariel Schwartz — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:58:35 +0000

A recent partnership between the steel industry and UK university researchers has led to the development of a unique photovoltaic paint that can be applied to steel.

Read more of this story »

Wind Farms Not Bane of Birds Existence

Joshua S Hill — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 18:35:31 +0000

Environmentalists and anyone else attempting to derail wind farms have often turned to the fate of birds for scientific back up. In the case of the environmentalists, I’ll let it pass, but it’s when the senators and other politicians who have never shown an ounce of interest in the outdoors – let alone an animal in the outdoors – jump on the “PROTECT THE BIRDS” bandwagon that gets me riled up (among a host of other things).

Thankfully, new research out of England has lain to rest at least some of the claims saying that wind farms, and to a lesser extent singular wind turbines, represent a real threat to bird populations.

Read more of this story »

Scientists Develop Oil Spill and Pollution Spotting Bacteria

Andrew Williams — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 15:10:10 +0000

A team of researchers have developed a color-coded bacteria that will make it much easier to detect oil-spills and other forms of environmental pollution.

During a recent sea expedition the team successfully used the bacteria, which contains a protein that glows blue when viewed though a simple light-detecting device, to detect oil.

Read more of this story »