Micro Wind Turbines for the Common Houseowner

Most wind projects that are installed today are large scale wind farms, that include more than 30 wind turbines. These wind farms are located in areas of high wind, which tend to be sparsely populated. These is similar to solar panels and how they are best suitable to remote desert areas. However, solar panels are being installed in residential areas to provide energy on a small scale. Wind turbines haven't caught on this trend due to noise pollution and visual impacts on the landscape. Is it possible to make wind energy work in residential projects? A company called Totempower Energy Systems has developed an idea to tackle this exact dilemma. They are developing micro-wind turbines which are made specially for residential and small commercial applications, with specialization in easy installation and close quarter operation. On top of that, Totempower makes it easy to own and maintain a micro-wind turbine. They claim that their turbines require no excavation to install, and run without extended maintenance. This works right into the hand a homeowner who wants to use wind energy and not deal with costly repairs and maintenance. The other aspect that Totempower offers is integrating the micro-turbine into the grid and into the home's electrical system. This lowers the overall cost for the homeowner because this one company is taking care of all these aspects. The homeowner doesn't have to research the best turbine, research how the grid integration will take place, find out the local regilations and discounts, or have to worry about installation. This deal sounds quite applicable on paper, but is it feasible in reality? Totempower claims that this turbine can produce significant electricity using a technology which allows for lower blade speed; however, is this a reputable claim? I think that this is an interesting field for wind energy in general, but it will take some actual implementation to decide whether turbines are suited to residential projects. People install solar panels on their roofs, so is installing micro-wind turbines in your backyard a good, economical idea for the future?

Source: http://cleantechnica.com/2010/10/30/new-micro-wind-turbine-company-makes-owning-wind-power-a-breeze/

Wireless Recharging for Cars

http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2010/10/29/electric-vehicle-drive-up-and-re-charge-scheme-unveiled/

You may have recently seen commercials for phone chargers on the television for a similar system; where you must simply place the phone, that is in a specially designed case, onto a pad and the phone begins to recharge its battery. Well a similar idea is being developed for electric cars using inductive power transfer to recharge the electric car's battery when parked. Essentially, there would be an induction pad integrated into the parking spot and a specially designed car, with presumably coils, to help generate the magnetic field from the parking spots current and thus in turn create voltage. The idea is rather well known as induction was discovered in the early 1800's, but applying it to the electric automotive field is still very new. I think this will become quite popular as it greatly increases the practicality of electric cars, as the tedious plugging and unplugging is eliminated. Although the technology will probably cost more, it is still a very unique concept as it further advances the utilization and practicality of the electric car closer to that of the petrol car. The idea is simple, but the scale is rather large and difficult. My concern is whether there are any safety issues that would deem this too dangerous a system? The electric car infrastructure is still relatively new, so if this is feasable to integrate it on a mass scale I think it is a great idea and may be another incentive for more and more people to purchase more environmentally friendly electric cars.

European Company Aims to Reduce Phantom Power Consumption

Electronic devices that are off, but still plugged in consume about fifteen percent of our homeowners' energy. "Steeper", an European Union backed initiative, is attempting to increase the efficiency of electronic devices by an order of magnitude and to eliminate "vampire" or "phantom" power that is completely wasted. They are focusing on the energy lost in transistors and nanowires to do this, and are combining efforts with IBM-Research Zurich and a polytechnic institute in Lausanne. Transistors that turn devices on and off are one area of study, where the researchers hope to lessen the amount of time it takes for the device to transition, which could cumulatively save a lot of power. They are also trying to limit the operating voltage of transistors to below 0.5 volts by developing new types of nano wires. With vampire power already consuming 49 terawatts a year, an amount that is expected to double within the next twelve years and triple within the next twenty, this could be huge area of savings for us all.

Here's the article:

http://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2010-10/eu-backed-steeper-project-aims-make-electronics-10-times-more-efficient

New oil found in Brazil

In Santos Basin, Brazil, a new oil field that is projected to hold up to 15 billion barrels of recoverable oil was tapped into on October 29, 2010. Even though the actual oil predicted to hold is 7.5 billion barrels, Brazil has high hopes that from this new oil field, Brazil's current proven reserves of 14 billion barrels will be surpassed. Over the past two years, Brazil has discovered billions of barrels of oil in offshore fields, and experts estimate that more than 55 billion barrels of oil can be found in all of the fields combined.

Now, this article makes me wonder how much of the projections about how we are going to run out of oil in ten, twenty, or barely thirty years (depending on the source) is true. There are many oil fields that are untapped, undiscovered, and unpredicted. Even though the growth in the use of oil is more exponential than linear, there are continual news reports stating that new oil fields are found. In the Middle East, there are probably many many oil fields that are undiscovered due to the under development in those nations. I'm not saying that I'm against alternate energy, but is it really worth it to try to find an alternate energy source that can one day replace oil then? Of course there are other reasons to develop alternate energy, such as the negative environmental impacts oil drilling cause, but are the time and effort to develop new energies really worth it?

source: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2010/10/29/business-lt-brazil-oil_8059176.html

Some solar issues seen so far

Completely off topic, President Obama is appearing on the Daily Show as I post this. Now back on topic there have been a lot of surprising facts I had no idea involved with solar energy. Instead of looking for an interesting subject I'll just list those problems I came across. 1: The thing a guy from Meridian Comp. said about if there was a thin shadow across diagonally the solar panel the whole panel would shut down. 2: Very costly- To install, maintain, design, research, etc... 3: Compared to a fossil fuels solar, with an efficiency of 15-17% at best, cannot compete; it only looks good for the company to say they promote solar energies.

Cold Fusion Possible?

The future of sustainable energy lies in the development of cold fusion. The sun, as far as we are concerned, is a sustainable energy source. The problem is we can’t build equipment that can handle the immensely high temperatures that the sun uses to produce fusion. This is why the idea of cold fusion is so enticing. For many years cold fusion was believed to be impossible, until the report by Martin Fleishmann and Stanley Pons in 1989. The problem was that since then no scientist had been able to duplicate their results. Now the cold fusion discussion is being reopened. Fusion involves creating a helium atom from two hydrogen (deuterium) atoms, which releases a lot of energy. The problem is that as of now the reactor now needed to produce that reaction (the sun) cannot be recreated on Earth. There is hope though; a $12.1 billion cold fusion reactor called ITER is being built in Cadarache, France. The project began in 2007 and is expected to be completed around 2015. Scientists working on the project believe that it could produce commercial fusion power by 2040. There are still questions other than those surrounding the science of cold fusion. Even in the early experiments energy from fusion was given off in short, very high energy bursts. The real challenge is going to be converting the energy created by the cold fusion reactor into something that can be used by something small like a car. Cold fusion has challenges and complications like every other fuel source but the upside, when it is finally achieved and harnessed, is unbelievable. A completely self-sustaining energy source.

More on cold fusion: http://freeenergynews.com/Directory/ColdFusion/

ITER website: http://www.iter.org/proj

Clean energy industry looks ahead

The billions in federal stimulus dollars spent on expanding "green energy" industries and creating "green jobs" have provided a lifeline for U.S. wind and solar companies, but renewable-energy executives are worried that the future will not be as promising. Limited funding in one area, a slow ramp-up in another, prolonged negotiations over loan guarantees and the continuing economic slump have made it difficult for the industry to make the kind of progress Obama and many others had hoped for and imagined. The future outlook on the relationship between public policy and alternative energy technology seems dismal as more and more obstacles start to appear.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/23/AR2010102303863.html

Fusion!!

Did y'all know UT plans to make a particle accelerator on campus? I know this because my friend was given an invitation to be part of the team that will develop and design the accelerator. when my friend told me about it, i thought to myself how we could use a particle accelerator to make energy? the first thing that popped into my mind was fusion!! fusion is a desirable energy source, because it inexhaustible and it doesn't produce any greenhouse gases. it does however make some radioactive waste but it is short-lived radioactivity. fusion works by taking two hydrogen atoms and combining them together to make a helium atom and a neutron. this extra neutron is what is converted into energy. as we know hydrogen is everywhere that is why fusion is inexhaustible. in fact given a gallon of water, it would be equivalent to 300 gallons of gasoline. unfortunately there is still a lot of research that needs to be done. wouldn't it be cool if we could research fusion here at UT!?

website: science.doe.gov/ofes/whatisfusion.shtml

Exxon Sinks $600M Into Algae-Based Biofuels in Major Strategy Shift

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/07/14/14greenwire-exxon-sinks-600m-into-algae-based-biofuels-in-33562.html

YouTube Commercial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mAtvRA4MBA

The article I have referenced is a bit dated (printed on July 14th, 2009), but I feel that the topic is relevant to our recent class discussions and because I saw the commercial above while watching T.V. the other day. One of the main concerns with algae is it's viability, and the fact that Exxon has invested over $600 million (plus "billions of dollars more to scale up the technology and bring it to commercial production"). By doing so "Exxon Mobil's investment validates the sector" and could lead to more investment into algae and other bio-fuels.

Up until algae, Exxon had been shunning alternative energies. Kert Davies, research director at Greenpeace, said, "They've never done anything like this before -- invested real money in the renewables sector." However, Exxon Mobile's significant investment calls for "guarded optimism" because there are many different factors at play. For instance, enate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman said that a new law passed in 2007 to expand the national renewable fuels standard to reach 36 billion gallons by 2022 is "too restrictive and could freeze emerging technologies...such as algae-based biofuels."

Overall, I think that Exxon's significant investment in algae and biofuels is a good indicator that the entire fossil fuel industry recognizes that the future of oil is limited and that alternatives need to be sought-out before we run out of oil. However, will algae be the biofuel of choice, or will some other technology emerge to claim the mantle (and profit) of petroleum?

Las Vegas Death Ray

Last week in discussion we came across the topic of what happens when things that creates energy go wrong. Such as the dam video or the wind turbine video. But when we think solar panels, what could possibly go wrong? The Vdara Hotel Building at CityCenter in Las Vegas was actually given the name "Vdara Death Ray" because if someone was to stand in a certain spot during a certain time of the day near the hotel, they could be scorched and burned. It turns out that the building's curvy architecture and glass panels reflects sunlight and causes a big amount of sunlight to converge in one single spot, magnifying the power and causing temperature to rise. In this article, the employees even claim that the sun rays could melt disposable plastic cups made of polypropylene, which melts at about 160 degrees. What could happen if someone installed a solar panel that caused something similar? I think it is definitely an issue that may cause more regulations and precautions to take when installing solar panels.

Article Source: http://www.lvrj.com/news/vdara-visitor---death-ray--scorched-hair-103777559.html

BioPower Systems

BioPower Systems is developing technologies to harness wave and tidal energy. Their conversion technology systems have been designed to mimic organisms that have been adapting to the marine environments for billions of years. The systems were created to act as if they are a part of the ocean. They can be mounted on the ocean floor to operate automatically without harming marine life. The bioWave, BioPower's wave power system, mimics the motions of sea plants. The blades oscillate back and forth to absorb energy. Under extreme conditions, the system automatically lies flat. The bioStream, their tidal power system, mimics the motion of Thunniform mode swimming species (sharks, tuna, mackerel, etc.). By moving back and forth as if it were swimming, the generator in the bioStream can create electricity. It can be aligning in any direction and because the design is modeled after naturally occurring marine species, it is streamlined.

I highly recommend checking out BioPower Systems' website. There are pictures and animations of each of the systems.
http://www.biopowersystems.com/

Can Renewable Energy Make US Military Bases More Secure?

Ok so I am deviating a little bit from my normal solar power blogs, but this was a really interesting article, especially after that presentation on energy in the military. While it may be true that we cannot slap on solar panels on a B2 and expect them to power it, they can help power the base where the B2 lands. The DOD is applying alternative energy into a prospective $42 million project on a base in Hawaii that will allow for alternative energy to help power the base on a day to day bases and store some power for disaster scenarios. Whereas there will still be a few diesel powered engines for back up, this move shows that the military is now "thinking green" as well.Here is an excerpt:

"Starting this fall, the Pentagon expects to join forces with a coalition of other agencies and national labs to create the first installation-level "microgrid" technology. The end result will be cyber secure, it says.

The $42 million project -- assuming Congress approves the money -- will integrate energy from existing diesel-powered generators alongside alternative and renewable energy sources. It will help power an installation's day-to-day operations when the base is hooked up to the commercial grid and will also allow it to function independently of that utility grid, should the need arise."

The rest of the article can be read here:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=can-renewable-energy-make-us-military

Algae as a Biofuel Still Rough Around the Edges

Upon trying to satisfy some curiosities about algae energy after Friday's field trip, I stumbled across this article in ScienceNews: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/55665/title/Algae_as_biofuel_still_rough_around_the_edges

The article essentially states what our guide at the research center was telling us. Algae is a very promising method of producing energy, but is far too inefficient at this point to compete with other alternative fuels. ScienceNews reports that a study done by the University of Virginia in Charlottesville has shown that algae plants which use fertilizers to "feed" algae CO2 actually end up in the red for their carbon footprint. Furthermore, the article states that the only regions in which algae outperforms other crop productions such as corn or switchgrass is in land use and nutrient runoff.

The article proposes an interesting solution to the trade-offs of algae production. It states that, in order to minimize the need for CO2 and fertilizers to be fed to the algae crop, the algae plant could be located next to industrial facilities that emit large amounts of CO2, or wastewater plants that can provide chemical fertilizers to the crop.

Bank of America: Setting the Standard

In One Bryant Park, located in New York, the Bank of America has invested 20 billion dollars in their new skyscraper that could be the beginning of a energy revolution. This exponentially high cost is due to the buildings green features. The Bank of America Tower is said to be one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly business buildings in the world.

There are many aspects in the design of The Bank of America Tower that makes it the standard for commercial businesses worldwide. New York City gets approximately 4 feet of rain each year, and this tower captures that rain, and uses it throughout the building. Additionally, the building creates ice at night, when energy consumption is low, and uses that ice to cool the building during the day. It is projected that the building will reduce water and energy consumption by 50%. A 5.1 megawatt co-generation system is going to take on 70% of the tower's yearly needs, and around 3.4 million gallons of water will be conserved.

Not only does the this ingenious design help the environment, it also benefits the people inhabiting it. The building will filter clean air throughout the building, as well as allow a large amount of sunlight into working areas. This results in happier, healthier employees and customers. With happy employees, productivity is increased.

The Bank of America could be starting a trend of green integration into commercial buildings. By spending 20 billion dollars, they are making a statement, and that is that a change must take place around the world. We cannot revert our old ways. We have to start new, fresh, and enthusiastic if we want to make a difference in the direction buildings are headed. One building alone will not change the world, but it can provoke ideas and actions that could result in a revolution of green architecture and engineering that could make that change. The Bank of America is taking a step, and taking a stand.

http://environment.bankofamerica.com/article.jsp?articleId=Tower

Space Observatory (NASA)

The Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) was built from scratch, without the engineers having past experience to build something like this because it is so new. The ISIM can withstand temparatures as cold as 27 Kelvin (-411 degrees Fahrenheit). Jim Pontius said, "It is the first large, bonded composite spacecraft structure to be exposed to such a severe environment." This can be a great new observatory module for NASA. What do you think about the ISIM?

Check out more details and a clip at this Web Site

Plans for the Largest Wind Farm in the World

http://www.energydigital.com/sectors/renewables/13-billion-loan-develop-world-s-largest-wind-farm

The initial steps for creating the largest wind farm in the world were recently taken as announced by the U.S. Energy Secratary, Steven Chu. He publicized a conditional commitment for a partial gaurantee for the government loan of $1.3 billion to finance the Caithness Sheperds Flat wind project. The plans for the project include 338 wind turbines to be located in the eastern area of Oregon, producing 845 megawatts to be completely sent to southern California. The wind farm is predicted to reduce 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide annually and create jobs.

This is a major step in the current U.S. administrations, partly as a result of the Recovery Act, plan to make the U.S. a leader in alternative and renewable energies in the world and to double current production in this area. Such a project is definitely very expensive; however, it certainly helps stimulate the economy in still difficult times and once the wind farm is fully operational, it will be able to make significant contributions to the large energy demand of the west coast. The wind farm, if constructed obviously, will become one of the most significant and renown features of Oregon and the United States. It has tremendous appeal and fits perfectly into the green and clean energy movement. Hopefully, the wind farm is successfully installed and is not too controvertial amongst the locals.

Chevron Energyville

I found this cool game that is sort of like Sim City but with a focus towards energy. It is provided by Chevron and is a fun and quick way to learn about different energy options. You can probably play through the game in about 30 minutes. The objective is to optimize where your city gets its power from. Although the game is very short it can be replayed a few times as the crises that occur are random and will change each time you play. Be sure to click the "Learn More" buttons throughout the game to get info on particular energy sources. Click the picture above to play the game. The challenges that the player will face are the same things that governments and society as a whole are having to evaluate today as decisions along with compromises must be made with regard to our energy future.

"Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is alchemy's First Law of Equivalent Exchange."A quote I came across while researching energy and found a sort of fantasy version of energy manipulation. Now on a more serious note, at least pertaining to the assigned post due; someone in class mentioned a light bulb on for over 100 years. It is a hand-blown bulb with carbon filament. Approximate wattage-4 watts. Left burning continuously in firehouse as a nightlight over the fire trucks it has now reached it's 109th continuous burning year. Just thought I would give some insight into this since I thought it was a myth at first. For more facts and research done go to http://www.centennialbulb.org/facts.htm

The effect of Wind Energy on local weather

Wind Energy is on the rise across the globe, with a big increase in the number of turbines installed in the U.S. in the last few years. With all energy sources, the big question is about the effect on the environment. The production of wind energy releases no greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide, into the atmosphere. This article from the Scientific American was interesting because it referenced to a study that discovered that wind turbines change the air temperature around them. With global warming progressing, this could turn out to be a problem. But there are some points to be made about this report. The study was based on data from 1989, and the turbines used were very small, 23 meters in height and with blades that were just 9 meters in length. The study discovered that the air around the turbine was cooler during the day and warmer during the night compared to normal temperatures. But, they don't have any data for the huge turbines that are installed today, that are 4 times bigger than those in the study. Also, this temperature increase and decrease cancels out, so there is no increase in the overall temperature during the day. There is actually a positive that comes from this. Many farmers need warmer air temperatures during the night, because their crops will frost over if it gets too cold. So by hypothetically installing wind turbines on their farmlands, they can help avoid frost. While this isn't proven and with bigger turbines this effect is unpredictable without more data, this could be a positive effect on the environment. With wind energy predicted growing even more in the near future, the effects on the environment need to be looked at closely.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-wind-turbines-affect-temperature

$1.4billion Ivanpah solar project

"The developers of the $1.4 billion Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System have secured the last permit they need to build the facility in California’s Mojave Desert." <-- click for link

In California's Mojave Desert, Ivanpah project plans to build a 392- megawatt solar power plant over 3,500 acres of land. This power plant is projected to provide energy for 140,000 homes in California.

This projected is favored by many because it is a "clean energy." It is projected to have less pollution compared to the coal-plants currently used for energy, provide 1,000 jobs in construction, build a clean energy economy, reliable, and most of all, it's renewable.

Even though this may create another source of energy in California, is this worth it?

For the amount of land, destruction of the desert habitat, the loss of jobs after construction, and the high cost, is it profitable to deliver 2,600 mega-watt of energy to California's utilities?

Moreover, what if there's a better way to produce solar power tomorrow?

Using Jellyfish To Create Power

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/09/27/jellyfish.solar.power/index.html

Ok guys, here we have some scientists that are basically blending jellyfish like an episode of "Will It Blend?", but the end product is a lot more helpful than the things they blend on that show. They take the jellyfish goo, which is better known as green fluorescent protein (GFP) that basically acts as mini solar panels. They've found out that they can use enough to power a digital clock, which definitely isn't a lot of power, but the way that the power is generated through the solar cell has an amazing efficiency. This could potentially be used to power internal medicinal systems. This would be an insane breakthrough in biomedical engineering. But again, the harvesting of this power on a larger scale is going to take time and research, but it's definitely a possibility for the future. Scientists have also found a way to grow the same GFPs using bacteria, but without using jellyfish, which makes for a happy ending for PETA or whoever else is worried about the safety of the jellyfish population.

Algae Biofuel

http://www.exxonmobilperspectives.com/2010/07/14/the-next-phase-of-algae-biofuels/?gclid=CJ-tyPf6u6QCFcTt7QodtFU-zQ

In this video Ken Cohen, VP of public affairs for Exxon Mobil, briefly explains the prospect of growing algae for biofuels. This test facility that he is talking about is one so scientists can research the capability of algae providing affordable fuel. There are many aspects of algae that are beneficial and exciting for the future. For one, and most obviously it would lower dependence on fossil fuels. It also could reduce carbon emissions in its own production. Arguably the most beneficial aspect is that it does not require land or water suitable for agriculture which takes away the controversy in certain biofuels because they are taking away land from food production. The downside is that this does not seem to be a feasible possibility anytime soon being that Cohen said it would take much research and development to produce.

Just thought id include a fun fact that "According to an article posted on Yahoo! Finance, Exxon Mobil’s third quarter revenue of $99.59 billion is greater than the annual gross domestic product (GDP) of both the United Arab Emirates ($98.1 billion) and Kuwait ($52.76 billion)" (http://www.dailyfueleconomytip.com/oil-prices/exxon-mobil-posts-second-highest-quarterly-profit-ever)

Cleaner Cooking

In the developing world it is extremely common for people to die young. One of the causes of premature death in many ways is cooking. Women burn biomass fuels like wood or dung on an open fire to cook their meals, and tow their children along with them through the kitchen. Not only does this indoor pollutant hurt the people working in the kitchen, but it hurts our environment as biomass fuels release a lot of carbon into the atmosphere.

A company based in Colorado is now selling clean stoves at between $12 and $25 to these underprivileged people. This company, Envirofit, had to determine the right kind of material to use in their stove that would not burn up too quickly, and through research came up with an iron-based alloy that is the cheapest and best material. They have sold over 150,000 stoves in India, one of the main places where population density and low wages have limited development.

These stoves will increase longevity in places like India and also decrease the amount of pollution an average family puts out, because they cut harmful emissions 80% from traditional cooking fires. They also cut cooking time in half and use 60% less fuel, giving women more time to do things other than cooking or searching for fuel.

Read the full article-- http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/business/energy-environment/30iht-rencook.html?_r=1

Black Light Power

Well in case you guys didn't look into Black Light Power further after we talked about it in class. Here's a brief video of an overview of blacklight published by CNN. Black Light Video . The energy does not literally come from "BlackLight". It actually comes from a chemical reaction with hydrogen. Although others have found ways to use hydrogen as an energy source, BlackLight Inc. Claims that they have found a new form of hydrogen known as "hydrinos". That's where the controversy begins. In chemistry class we all learn about how atoms are at levels of n="positive integer". But the claimed "hydrinos" apparently is hydrogen at the level of n= 1/2 or 1/3 or even 1/4 etc. If this is true though, then we can utilize the hydrogen in water in order to create energy!

Salt Water as an energy source?

So this guy, John Kanzius, was looking for a way to cure cancer, but in the process he ended up finding a way to burn salt water as a fuel. He uses radio waves to burn the water. Considering how much salt water there is on planet earth, we could power everthing with this new energy source. Plus we won't have to worry about running out of salt water there is a lot to go around. And if you are unfortunately far away from the cost and you can't get salt water, John say getting tap water and putting salt in it works just as fine. this new energy source would be very helpfull to us. but already there are poeple saying that it wont work, there are some skeptics. the skeptics point is that this process of burning salt water with radio waves, is not that big of a breakthrough. they also point out that it is not that efficient because the process is putting a lot of radio wave energy and only getting small amounts of heat. I think that if we can get this technology to work we could solve all our energy problems.

website: http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55934

Sunshine to Petrol Project

Several U.S. national laboratories and the DoD are working on a sunshine to petrol project that will convert solar energy to liquid fuel. The proof of concept for this new technology involves first splitting CO₂ and H₂O with a solar-driven chemical heat-engine. This is accomplished through a prototype device called a Counter Rotating Ring Receiver Reactor Recuperator (CR5), which will break the carbon-oxygen bond in CO₂ to form just Carbon monoxide and oxygen.

Second, the CO and H₂ are synthesized from syngas to gasoline with the conventional, already in-place infrastructure. Lastly, CO₂ and H₂O are recaptured from the atmosphere by selective absorbers and the cycle begins again. This project could lead to the chemical synthesis of gasoline from solar products (such as solar panels) as well as conventional chemistries and would keep the end-user nearly immune to changes. People will still pump a "gasoline-like " substance into their vehicle, however, the source of the substance will be the sun. Currently, the major hurdle of this project is the need for more research and development in the area of the CO₂ absorber in order for the project to become economically viable. Researchers of the device say that this project is a good 15 to 20 years away from actually being on the market. However, the wait may very well be worth it given that this project holds real promise of preserving options to keep using fuels we know and love.

Source:https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/releases/2007/sunshine.html

MARS

Meet the Magenn Air Rotor System, or MARS. Created by Magenn Power, MARS is a new technology for capturing wind energy. This inflatable wind turbine tethers to the ground. can reach winds 1,000 feet above the ground, and operates in a larger range of wind speeds than traditional wind turbines. It can be deployed quickly, deflated, and reused without heavy machinery. It is also bird and bat friendly and has relatively low noise emissions. This new turbine address many of issues associated with traditional wind turbines. By reaching a higher altitude, it can harness more reliable wind. It allows for more choice in placement by offering the option to reposition it. Environmentalists' concerns for bat and bird populations are also addressed in this design.