http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OSrTKklGOI

Luhmenhaus is Virginia Tech’s 2010 entry to the Solar Decathlon Europe competition. It delivers a brighter way to live, literally and figuratively. Lumenhaus uses technology optimally to make the owner’s life simpler, more energy efficient and less expensive. On the edge of responsive architecture, Lumenhaus can operate completely self-sufficiently, responding to environmental changes automatically to balance energy efficiency with user comfort. Lumenhaus is a zero-energy home that is completely powered by the sun. Other sustainable features inside the use of passive energy systems, radiant heating and building materials that are from renewable and/or recyclable sources. I think that sustainable architecture is a great technology with actual potential to improve our use of clean, renewable energy. Realizing that the construction and operation of buildings consume the majority of the world's natural resources and energy, and contribute the bulk of landfill waste, sustainable architecture could be a way to improve the deterioration of our natural and energy resources.

Solar Cell Making Bot

Ok this is super cool. I am getting more interested in solar power now. The people at the National Renewable Energy Lab have created a robot that can not only make solar cells in record time, but also test the solar cells it has made while moving on to the next batch. This one-stop solar cell making process reduces the chance of malfunctioning or destroyed solar cells. This means that solar cells would become much more cost effective. Also, there would be no question as to the quality of solar cells due to the fact that EVERY SINGLE ONE will already have been tested by the robot. However, I have some doubts about President Obama's hope to get solar power to become cost-competitive with coal and fossil fuels by 2015. Five years is a long time but not long enough for solar to compete with fossil fuels. I am also interested in these new CIGS solar cells. If they are truly 20% efficient, then solar cells would become cost effective enough for household use.

Read for more info: http://www.nrel.gov/features/20100319_cigs.html

Fuel Cells in the Future?

Recently fuel cells have become a highly talked about subject because of their ability to provide the same energy has fossil fuels with virtually no emissions. Fuel cells convert stored chemical energy into electricity. The chemical energy comes from a fuel source, usually rich in hydrogen like methane but natural gas is common as well, which is converted to chemical energy and then passed through some electrolyte or catalyst, depending on the type of fuel cell. This technology is exciting so many people because fuel cells could potentially replace power plants. This appeals to environmentalists as well because of the reduction of hydrocarbons put into the atmosphere. So why aren't fuel cells the obvious choice for energy? Economics. So far the fuel cell is not cost effective except in industrial cases, like the Bloom Box powering the Yahoo building in California. The goal of scientists currently developing this technology is to make fuel cells cost effective for individual consumers. With the goal of fuel cells powering homes, cars, and even larger appliances we could be on our way to an energy revolution within the next ten years.



For more information on fuel cells (especially watch the video): http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/alternative-fuels/fuel-cell.htm

Electric Cars for Everyone

There are now various options throughout the market for hybrid vehicles from many different manufacturers. But the realm of zero emission electric vehicles is still a quite small one. No manufacturer currently produces an electric only car on a large scale, but that is soon to change with the release of the new Nissan Leaf. Nissan has received overwhelming amounts of interest from the public with 20 thousand reservations for purchase being made before the car has even been set out for retail sale. The cars engine is comparable to a 100hp ICE and has an estimated range of about 100miles. It seems like Nissan has put a lot of thought into this car and knows their target market well, integrating many of the features into this car that their audience is looking for. The car manages to justify its $33,000 price tag with an intelligent array of electronic gadgets that many consumers are coming to expect from a mid range car. Coming in at a price point close to vehicles of similar quality, the Nissan Leaf could prove to be a very cost effective mode of transport for many people. Almost every aspect of the car despite range is on par with conventional gas powered automobiles, this is made possible by recent advancements in battery technology that seem to have a good outlook for the future. If such trends continue it appears that the electric car will have a chance at surpassing fossil fuel vehicles in a short amount of time. For more information on the Leaf visit Nissan's website.

Soccket: Revolutionizing the Game

Soccer is the world's sport. The game's more than 3.5 million fanatics resides in most all of the world's countries. Across the globe kids gather around a single ball and enjoy hours of daily activity and community with there fellow players. Additionally, for many children living in underdeveloped nations, soccer temporarily frees them from their day to day rituals, tasks, and issues. When the game is over though, sadly 95% of kids in African countries go home to houses with no lights, no fridge, and no electricity (World Bank Millennium Goals Report, 2006).

The Soccket is an innovation with the potential to help change this. The Soccket is a soccer ball that uses an inductive coil mechanism to generate energy which can then be used to power a lamp and even charge a cell phone. Though still in the prototype stages of development, Soccket carries remarkable potential and could immensely change the lives of families across the world.

By harnessing kinetic energy, after only 15 minutes of game play, the Soccket can charge a LED lamp for three hours. With this high amount of energy capture and capability, the effects would be tremendous. Some children alone spend hours juggling a ball. After play, they could go home and use the electricity they generated to study or make a phone call that otherwise would have been impossible. The Soccket will not only improve home environments in these third world countries, but can also open up education options to children by expanding their time for studying. With the right advertisement and distribution, the Soccket can drastically improve the lives of children, expand their futures, and change the faces of nations around the globe.

This video goes into Tidal Energy's method of harvesting energy in the ocean. It should be said that the video is a promotional clip for Tidal Energy (the company, not tidal energy as a whole) so the trustworthiness of the video may go down a few notches. However, I found a lot of the information in this video to be pretty entertaining.

To sum up the video, Tidal Energy presents the advantages of their method of harnessing the ocean's underwater currents to generate electricity. They state that the ocean's current is renewable and sustainable, and their machines do not harm the underwater environment. One very interesting point to me is the fact that sea water is much denser (832 times denser) than air. This makes a great point for the implementation of tidal energy on the ocean floor. An ocean current is very reliable and will most always be in motion (unlike wind). Also, a little flowing sea water is equal to a much greater amount of flowing wind. The video does not belittle wind power, but I just found it easier to appreciate the facts about tidal energy when it was compared to another source of energy. One large advantage of using the Davidson Hill Vanturis turbines is the fact that they are completely underwater. This way, there is no defacement of an ocean scene as ell the equipment is out of sight. This opens up a lot of doors for Tidal Energy as they would most likely meet minimal opposition whenever they would want to install their turbines in a new location.

The Davidson Hill Vanturis is said to be the most efficient and environmentally safe underwater turbine on the market. It can be used in a variety of environments that include oceans, rivers and streams. The turbines can be directly inserted into the grid to supply electricity as a primary source, or lessen the burden of other energy sources to provide electric power to the public.

The Battle of the Bulbs

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/the-battle-of-the-bulbs/

Edison's creation of the traditional incadescent light bulb resulted in a revolution in humanities daily actions and methods. The lightbulb obviously allowed for all to be able to see in the dark, which allowed for the possibility of greater productions and prossibilities as work days and leisure hours could be extended. The regular traditional and inefficient incadescent lightbulb is still the primary choice of light-source after over a 100 years, as 3 our 4 lightbulbs in America are generally incadescent. However, there are many other more efficient and, unfortunately, more costly alternatives.

The specific relating topic I would like to bring to attention (as seen in the article) is the newly introduced Better Use of Light Bulbs Act. This piece of legislature would essentially remove the current standard of minimum efficiency for light bulbs. The reasoning behind this is that the minimum standard that was established in 2007, largely restricted the production of incadescent light bulbs and consequently cut many jobs in this sector of the United States.

The issue at hand is the conflict between producing light bulbs at a cheap production cost or rather more energy efficient and technologically advanced light bulbs at greater cost. As can be understood the perspective varies. What is your opinion on whether or not this act should be passed, and furthermore what kind of light bulbs must be produced?

I believe I would be against this act; as with the bigger picture in mind, retaining the minimum effeciency standard for light bulbs is a positive step forward in creating an environmentally friendly and long lasting human civilization. The issue is economic (as most things with green and efficient motives), as large initial investments would be necessary to construct an effective production facility and sale prices would be higher. I think removing the efficiency standard would be a step backwards and may not even compensate the job loss that was resulted in 2007. The amount of energy used by the United States (and the world) for just lighting is enormous and there can be huge savings in energy and in terms of money by making energy efficient light bulbs the standard. The long-term durability and savings can compensate for the initial higher paying price.

Thank you for your time, Cheers.

Is PetroAlgea the next primary fuel source?

Petroalgea is a very interesting fuel source. One of the things i found fascinating was that the micro-crops absorb carbon dioxide emissions. This means they can capture carbon dioxide emission from factories and use it for the micro-crops, as stated in this video, which is a great thing because carbon dioxide is a big problem. This video is convincing to me that petroalgea will be the next primary fuel source. Not only does it does this process produce fuel, but also food. This process consists of topics about "physics of light management combined with biochemistry." So is petroalgea the next big thing, or is it over hyped?

-Also check out this web site

Myth 9: Solar Power Will Never Pay For Itself.

"Solar panels are certainly expensive—about $100 per square foot for a typical installation—but eventually, you're destined to end up on the positive side of the equation." Time is the relative factor in the cost equation, also type of panel you buy, but it's just that which causes people to turn it down. The majority of people are near sighted and cannot see the big picture. Time of payback is shortening as technology advances and efficiency goes up, and, with the best current technology, will pay itself off within a the first year says Burr Zimmerman. Not a 100% if this is what a blog entree is it seems more or less like a rant but here it is. To know more myths of energy go to: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/debunking-myths-about-nuclear-fuel-coal-wind-solar-9

Renewable Energy From the Deep Ocean

ALTERNATE ENERGY by ColibriEnergy's Channel

This video talks about a renewable energy, Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) process. OTEC process makes energy through using the temperature difference between the cold water from the deeper part of the ocean and warm/hot water from the surface of the ocean. The cold water cools down propane and as propane evaporates, the warm water warms the propane back to its liquid state, and through that energy in the form on electricity is made. However, the OTEC process is limiting to only certain areas because cold water and warm water has to be close enough to be accessed on land.

This video states that one area that this energy may be possible is at Punta Tuna, Puerto Rico since deep water with depth further down than 3,000feet only 2miles away from the coast. The video also states that with 40 OTEC plants around the island, all electrical need in Puerto Rico will be met without ever using coal, gas, or oil. Sounds like a good solution? Well, the video makes it sound like it is; however, then why is this process not an ongoing process right now? If you pay close attention to this video, this OTEC power plant 30ft diameter pipe. It might not sound too bad, but you must consider this. Puerto Rico is a huge tourism-based U.S. territory, and Puerto Rico boasts many beautiful beaches, snorkeling sights, and fragile habitats in the ocean. Also, don't forget that 40 of these plants need to be made to meet the electricity demand. Moreover, the video does not state the pollution, amount of propane needed, and the impact of construction. If this OTEC plant gets in the way of the natural habitat in this ocean in any way, there will be people trying to stop this.

It's like what Dr. Webber said few lectures ago, there is a solution to any kind of problem, but too many things get in the way for the solution to be implemented.

Aptera Electric Car

To start out with, y'all should take a minute to look at the Aptera electric car, if you don't already know what it is. Moving on, the Aptera is a really good idea for an electric alternative to the normal cars, trucks, SUVs, and other various modes of transportation. It plugs into a normal outlet, allowing easily accessible charging stations. It also has the power to accelerate from 0-60 MPH in ten seconds which is relatively good for an electric car let alone a normal car! Yes, the design is still pretty spacey looking, and yes, you'd probably get a lot of stares while driving to HEB, but hey, at least you know you're saving not only the environment, but also some money on gasoline! The only problem with these electric cars is that it's going to take a while to phase gasoline/diesel vehicles out of everyday life, and phase the new electric cars in. Then there's the problem of using more electricity, and then we'd have to compensate for that by generating more energy, and then the renewable energy sources would come in, and now I'm just rambling. Sorry!
Anyways, thoughts on this car or even electric cars in general?

Organic Revolution-Star Wars Parody

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVrIyEu6h_E

I hope that everyone can spare five minutes to watch this funny video on youtube about the organic revolution!

I thought that this was a very interesting parody of Star Wars that took a look at the organic revolution. Although in a very simple way, it addressed the main issues and controversies that are about in typical farming practices today. The "dark side of the farm" consists of the food that is farmed using pesticides, steroids and genetic engineering to change that organic format of the biomass. Fertilizers and pesticides are an increasing problem in the environment with large contributions of nitrogen and other harmful toxins. Organic farming addresses certain environmental issues and hazards. With organic farming it has become much more popular and prevalent to buy local goods as opposed to the cheaper, less environmentally friendly goods that have had to travel long ways until they reach ones house. This movement contributes to less greenhouse gasses from a smaller "milkshed", or the radius from farm to consumer, for the transportation of food. This movement helps lower greenhouse gasses, and water pollutants from toxins in fertilizers.

My favorite Store Wars character was by far Chewbroccoli. I hope that you all enjoy this video as much as I did.

Using potatoes as organic electric batteries?

Many of the underdeveloped countries in the world lack the proper resources and infrastructure to have cheap, yet efficient electricity. What if they could grow the solution to their energy problems? In the Scientific American, there is an article about ongoing research by Hebrew University that uses treated potatoes as electric batteries. Potato batteries are conceptually much cheaper than alkaline batteries or any other traditional battery, as all you need is a potato and zinc and copper wires. Not only is this a good environmental idea, it is also pretty simple. So simple that boiling the potato before using it as a battery increases its potency by 10 times the original amount.

The potato battery can be used in lighting, telecommunications, or in any instance where electrical infrastructure is not in hand, according to the article. The article also explains that the potato is a good choice for a battery because of its salt-bridge capacity, which is apparently high compared to other materials. The other argument for the potato battery is its relative cheapness. According to the article, traditional cell batteries are 5-50 times more expensive than a potato battery. Plus, potato batteries do not need any special ways of disposing as it is 100% clean.

Now the idea of using a common potato as a battery can seem like a brilliant idea, but their are many downsides to this idea. First, in many of the nations that have these issues, hunger is a major issue. It might even be a bigger problem than electricity, so using potential food for power may not be the greatest idea. Second, the cost of transporting these potatoes to these locations actually might cost more than the benefit produced by them. The article said the potatoes needed to be boiled; but if there is no power to start with how do you successfully boil them without interfering with the cooking of food? Eventually there are too many flaws with this simple idea for it to catch on and actually be a realistic solution to the energy crisis.

Source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/power-from-potatoes/

Human Body Heat to Heat Buildings

In Paris, France the French are beginning to pipe the warm air in a subway station, created by the running trains and the collective body heat, to an apartment just above the station. This idea is useful, saving the apartment building money on energy costs and cutting its carbon emissions by a third.

This idea is not new however, as it has already been implemented in the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN and in Sweden. In Stockholm, where there are roughly 250,000 people traveling through the city's main train station a day, engineers have used the ventilation system to bring the warm air to a system that heats water. The engineers do not only use it to heat the building where it comes from however, like in the Mall of America, they pipe some of the heated water to a nearby office building, cutting the heating costs of the building by up to 20%.

Also we have obviously used our own body heat for a long time in "huddling for warmth" and with the idea of blankets, or layers of clothing to trap our heat, rather than let it escape. It is extremely interesting to me that, while schools and other buildings account for body heat when doing their heating calculations, we have not looked more into the idea of simply conserving the heat that our bodies release as a means of cutting our energy bills and carbon emissions. There has been some focus on energy-efficient windows and building materials, but it all seems on a small-scale.

Waste as a renewable energy alternative

Seems like the majority of our energy sources are not renewable. if they are, the rate at which we use the source is much higher compared to the rate at which it renews it self. so why not use a source is we already have a lot of and is constantly being produced every day? there it lots of wastes being produced by us every day, there is waste from agriculture, from animals, from industry, from municipal solid waste, from sewage, and other human activities. and there are lots of ways to use these sources and convert it into useful energy. one way is through thermochemical, that is where we take waste and burn it either through incineration, pyrolysis, or gasification. either way we take the heat from this conversion and use it to power a turbine to produce electricity. another way is through biochemical conversion, that is where we take waste and either use the anaerobic processes to produce biogas to get electricity. or we can use fermentation to produce ethanol. a final conversion process is physico-chemical conversion, that is where we improve physical and chemical properties of solid waste to produce something that can be used for energy. for example high-energy fuel pellets that can be used in steam generators.

so using waste as an energy source will have to main benefits, one is that we will have an environmentally friendly waste management and disposal system and as well as produce clean electric power. already this process has reduced environmental impacts of municipal solid waste management which include emissions of greenhouse gases. considering all the benefits we can get from using waste as an energy source, what is stopping us from using it more?

source: http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/waste-renewable-energy-source/

Hydroelectrcity, is it possible?

For probably thousands of years people wondered where lightning came from, some people even went as far as saying that lightning storms came from a Valkyrie-like god smashing down on a lightning rod with a hammer. Surprisingly, today we still aren't sure where lightning comes from, even though we have many clues. However I came across an article that may suggest where lightning comes from and also how to harness its power!

Apparently Brazilian researchers may have found proof that water droplets from lightning storms may have small amounts electricity or charges stored inside of them. If what they say is true, then maybe we can find a new source of energy from nature itself! Unfortunately the article states that, "the finding violates the principle of electric neutrality, in which the differently charged molecules of an electrolyte like water cancel out." It seems that many of the most revolutionizing findings are in violation of certain set principles. The question is, are the set principles of science that we created holding us back as well?

Source site: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=harness-lightning-for-energy-thanks-2010-08-26

Butter as a Fuel?

Dr. Michael J. Haas, a research biochemist for the United States Department of Agriculture proposed converting an 800 pound butter sculpture into usable biodiesel. He worked alongside BlackGold Biodiesel to do so. The process began with the dismantlement of the sculpture; the butter was then melted and the water was removed. The dehydrated butter then underwent BlackGold's chemical conversion process.

Butter, essentially fat, is composed of a glycerin compound with several fatty acids attached. Generally speaking, the conversion process replaces the glycerin compound of the fat with a methanol molecule, producing diesel fuel. BlackGold has used this process to convert a wide range of materials, including cooking oil, to produce biodiesel.

BlackGold’s process produced less than 75 gallons of fuel, and researches are not suggesting using more than one billion pounds of butter a year to produced fuel due to cost and supply limitations. However, BlackGold’s process can be applied to other waste fats, oils, and grease. The glycerin compound waste can be used in water treatment plants. Low grade bunker fuel is produced as a byproduct of BlackGold’s conversion process; this bunker fuel can be used to power ships. Though it may not be completely cost effective to convert butter into biodiesel, the process that BlackGold has developed has several applications, and the wastes associated with their process can be used elsewhere.

Currently, BlackGold’s technology is being used in a San Francisco biodiesel plant that aims to convert brown grease (dirtier than cooking oil) into usable fuel. If successful the plant could use approximately 12000 gallons of waste grease to create 330 gallons of biodiesel a day.

Skepticism Over New Oil Regulation, Merely Cosmetic?

The world-wide oil industry sees America as a place where regulations are rarely enforced, allowing oil corporations to do whatever they please. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, that lasted nearly 4 months, President Obama has pledged for tighter regulations to mitigate the chance that this type of ecological disaster happens again off the coast of the United States.

The problem for Obama may be Congress, which is heavily lobbied by these enormously wealthy companies which stand adamant against change. Most of the American South relies on these companies for a large portion of their economies, meaning Obama will need to convince the people in these states to side with him.

There is already evidence that this task will prove difficult. For instance, the moratorium imposed by President Obama on deepwater drilling in the wake of the oil spill was nearly overruled by a judge in New Orleans in June. Although the moratorium remained and this judge's ruling was overturned, it is clear that the states of the South who live off the oil will do anything to keep the oil industry afloat.

With the millions of dollars that go into congressional lobbying by these oil companies, tied with the American South's economic dependence on oil companies, many see Obama's promises with skepticism. A parting thought: just today, BP released it's internal investigative findings on what caused the Deepwater Horizon Oil Disaster, and hopefully to nobodies surprise, BP spread the blame for the disaster. These companies will not change there practices unless something drastic is done and the people stand-up against the lobbying and corrupt practices used throughout the oil industry. Maybe the next oil catastrophe will be in your backyard?

The Lithium Air Battery

At the Almaden Research Center of I.B.M. in San Jose, Calif., Mr. Wilcke’s team is trying to develop a new battery technology called lithium air that could allow a car to go 500 miles on a single charge. Most electric cars coming onto the market this year have a range of around 100 miles.

Such batteries theoretically could pack 10 times the energy density of the lithium ion batteries now used in electric cars because they use air drawn in from outside the battery as a reactant. That means lithium-air storage devices weigh less than lithium-ion batteries, a factor that also improves the performance of electric cars

His team had shown that lithium-air batteries could be recharged, something that had not been done before, BUT an electric car would need to pump 6,000 kilowatts to charge its battery.

The cost to drivers of plugging in to a rapid charging station might be prohibitive, given the demands that the devices place on the electric grid.

Also, the U.S. may not be the main arena for these modern vehicles. China’s forward thinking and fast pace technological developments of these electric cars has made them the focal point of these breakthroughs. The Chinese government has a goal that 50 percent of all new cars sold in China by 2020 will be battery-powered. That is what will change the game. So the U.S. needs to get on top of its game because we are quickly drifting behind many other advanced nations.

Solar Cells That Repel Dust

Wow, this technology would be excellent in bringing solar power to the forefront of energy production around the world. The extraterrestrial applications of this technology are also very promising and could help those vehicles stay powered longer and transmit more useful data down here on Earth. For more information on this, go to http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=self-cleaning-solar-panels-could-fi-2010-08-22

Cold weather and electric cars don't mix (yet)

Given the brutal summer heat in Austin, it's easy to forget that cars usually take a beating in the winter months. Older cars might take a little encouragement to get going, and engines end up running a little richer in order to get up to operating temperature.

Electric cars are no exception. The record cold streaks in the Northeast this winter put some of the electric Mini-Es to the test. As some of the testers found out, efficiency and battery capacity take a major hit as the temperature drops. This behavior is typical for the most part of electric devices, so it will be interesting to see how vehicle manufacturers handle these issues.

Normally these might be minor issues, but with reduced battery capacity comes limited range, which is already one of the primary hurdles facing electric vehicles. Perhaps electric cars will need to do a better job of insulating the battery in colder weather, or some sort of heater can be used when plugged in. Either way, limited range is one of the biggest fears of using an electric cars, and an area where there is a lot of room for improvement.

It would be nice if we could get a few Mini-Es to test here in Austin. We don't have biting cold, but our summers sure could put the batteries to the test.

Welcome to Dr. Webber's UGS blog!

This blog is based around an undergraduate seminar course taught by Dr. Webber at the University of Texas titled, "The Engineered World: Energy". Contributions are made from students based around current issues in energy - from technology to policy and everything in between.