Energy research should get a huge boost in the next few years under
the Obama administration, whether or not economic and political factors
prevent him from keeping his campaign promise of $150 billion over
10 years for alternative energy research, development and deployment.
[more]
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News and views from elsewhere
Wired
Biofuel
Startup Strives to Meet Obama's Green Ambitions
Michael Kanellos, Greentech Media
Greentech
Innovations: A Solar Cell the Size of a Red Blood Cell
Al Gore, New York Times
The
Climate for Change
Michael Kanellos, Greentech Media
Greentech Innovations: Storing
Wind Power With Sodium Batteries
Green Car Congress
Ohio
State University Launches PHEV, EV and Smart Charging Program
New Hampshire Union Leader
Revolutionary auto already on the road
Technology Review
Laser
Sensors for Wind Turbines
Wired
Rainforest
Fungus Naturally Synthesizes Diesel
|
News
POLICY - BIOFUELS
Rating biofuels by net energy -- the amount of energy a fuel or energy
technology produces minus the energy it consumes -- is questionable,
according to researchers who say that a broader set of metrics is
needed to assess the sustainability of new energy technologies. [more]
RESEARCH - HYDROGEN
Run metal oxides through the process pharmaceutical companies use
to make drugs and you could come up with a breakthrough for generating
hydrogen from water using sunlight. [more]
RESEARCH - SOLAR CELLS
Embed silicon wires in rubber and you've got a key solar cell component
that's flexible and highly efficient. [more]
FUNDING - HYDROGEN
The US Department of Energy has awarded $1,065,000 to David Wu of
the University of Rochester to continue his research on using bacteria
to generate hydrogen and ethanol from agricultural and forestry waste.
[more]
LAB NOTE
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has teamed with Iberdrola
Renewables to measure the strength and consistency of sunlight. [more]
LAB NOTE - BIOFUELS
Center to test biofuels in engines
Queensland University of Technology has launched
the Biofuel Engine Research Facility, a research center for testing
transportation biofuels and engine designs. The center will test the
emissions, efficiency and engine performance of biofuels and will
help develop engines designed to run on biofuels.
RESEARCH - HYDROGEN
Mix carbon and nitrogen the right way and you have an inexpensive
catalyst for extracting hydrogen from water in sunlight. [more]
RESEARCH - SOLAR CELLS
Stack layers of angled nanorods on a solar cell and you can get more
light into it and therefore more electricity out of it. [more]
RESEARCH - ENERGY SCAVENGING
Attach the ends of the right kind of wire to electrodes and you can
generate electricity from motion. [more]
RESEARCH - SOLAR CELLS
Tap chipmaking techniques to make solar cells and you've got cells
that are small enough to power tiny electronic devices. [more]
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Perspective
"There is no leadership at
the national level and the misinformation that is spread by the
existing energy companies and special interest groups is exceptionally
misleading. On the other side, media hype based on press releases
or other non-refereed reports can lead to unrealistic expectations."
- from Q&A
with Robert Birkmire
|
