June 30/July 7, 2008
Perspective
"An elevated local highway interchange...
was built here a few years ago for $160 million dollars, an amount
that significantly exceeded [the National Renewable Energy Laboratory]'s
annual budget."
- Craig
Grimes, Penn State
|
News
RESEARCH
It's hard to beat liquid fuels for convenient energy storage. The
trick is finding inexpensive, renewable and environmentally sound
fuels. [more]
RESEARCH
One of the difficult problems to be worked out if we are to have a
hydrogen-based energy economy is how to store the stuff in hydrogen-powered
vehicles. [more]
RESEARCH
The first order of business for making efficient solar cells is getting
them to absorb more light. And one way to do this is to make solar
cells thicker. [more]
RESEARCH
One way to increase solar cell efficiency is to make make sure the
electrons freed by absorbed photons continue to flow freely in a stream
of useful electricity... [more]
Q & A
Hydrogen from water, the importance of nanotubes, wars and the end
of the free energy ride. [more]
RESEARCH
Zinc oxide, a relatively inexpensive semiconductor material used in
some solar cells, could become even less expensive thanks to a room-temperature
chemical process for producing zinc oxide nanocrystals. [more]
RESEARCH
A candidate material for a solid oxide fuel cell promises a new generation
of the devices that can operate at lower temperatures. [more]
FUNDING
Money for geothermal research is moving through the Department of
Energy pipeline. [more]
LAB NOTE
Demo car hits 100 mpg
Carmakers ought to be able to sell 100-miles-per-gallon cars. The
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has demonstrated the point
with a modified
Toyota Prius. The researchers converted a stock 2006 Prius into
a plug-in hybrid and added a larger lithium-ion battery and a rooftop
solar panel to more than double the car's gas mileage.
LAB NOTE
A123 Systems taps NREL to boost hybrid batteries
Battery maker A123 Systems
has inked a three-year
research and development agreement with the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) to improve lithium-ion batteries for hybrid
cars. NREL will help the company improve battery heat management,
which should lead to lighter, more durable vehicle batteries.
FUNDING & POLICY
The National Science Foundation has funded an organic photovoltaic
research project and an algae biofuel research project. [more]
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{BlogDate}
This is the debut issue of Energy Research News. Our mission is to
track the future of energy as it's shaped in the world's laboratories.
[more]
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News and views from elsewhere
Scientific American
Solar
Sell: Companies that Mass Marketed PCs Turn to Photovoltaics
Technology Review
Cheaper Solar
Power
Photon International
SunEdison
to sell output from 18 MW plant in North Carolina
Wall Street Journal
Blowing
In: What’s Behind Duke’s Wind-Power Push?
Renewable Energy Magazine
Solar
photovoltaic energy could power 10% of the world by 2035
Green Car Congress
Study:
Growing Bioenergy Crops on Abandoned Farmland Could Meet 8% of World’s
Current Energy Need
Rob Day, Cleantech Investing
Debunking
some of the myths around cleantech venture capital
|
Hydrogen
peroxide powers