Hybrid Living

Yep, another “world’s largest.” While beginning to sound eye-rolling, it’s actually pretty cool that everyone keeps one-upping each other, because that means we’re making real progress. Anyway, back to world’s largest… Oregon has given permits for setting up the Shepherd’s Flat Wind Farm, developed by Caithness Shepherds Flat LLC.

The plan is for 303 turbines to go up, generating 909 MW – a capacity that more than doubles Oregon state’s wind capacity, beats out the US’s so-far-largest wind farm in Texas, the 765 MW Horse Hollow wind farm, and makes it potentially the largest single wind farm in the world. In terms of wind farms in general, we’ll likely be hearing more “world’s largest” coming from China soon.

While the permits are out, there are no dates floating around so far for when it will be up and running. Oregon is serious about its wind power capacity, and is reviewing two more projects, one for 400 MW and one for 143 MW.

Via Portland Business Journal, Treehugger; Photo via vax-o-matic

As you look across your desk at all of the blinking lights from your computer gear, have you ever wondered how much energy your router sucks down? On the one hand, probably not that much. On the other hand it is on all the time. You could find out with a guilt-trip power strip. Or, you could turn to D-Link. D-Link is proposing a sort of middle ground by using its Green Ethernet technology on select wireless routers.

D-Link says it is the first to market with "green home network Wi-Fi routers." While that might just be a bit of marketing mumbo, it is nice to note this technology is reportedly capable of saving up to 40 percent in power usage. Several products across the company’s Xtreme N line of routers, including the D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router DIR-655, D-Link Xtreme N Duo Media Router DIR-855 and the D-Link Xtreme N Gaming Router DGL-4500, are now making use of this Green Ethernet to "decrease energy costs by reducing power consumption without sacrificing performance." Could go very well with your new green Dell computer, and sweet external hard drive.

One can apparently get even better energy savings by using D-Link’s Wi-Fi Scheduler, which provides a user-selectable radio shutdown option (adjustable by day and start/end times). Other initiatives focused on more environmentally friendly technology from D-Link include compliance with with RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) and WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) directives and optimization for Energy Star certification.

So now you have decided that it is high time that you go solar. But your question is, how do you find out just which solar panels to purchase? Your research has only lead you to more confusion because of the technical terms that you are not so sure about. What do you do exactly [...]

With fresh water less and less at the ready, desalination technology ideas are gaining popularity. Researchers at the University of Texas as Austin and Virginia Tech University have been doing their part to break down challenges with the desalination process, especially when it comes to cost. Desalination is expensive, but the research team has figured out a way to use a chlorine-tolerant membrane that could significantly reduce the cost and make fresh water more readily available for drough-affected areas.

De-chlorination is one of the more annoying parts of the desalination process, eating up time and money as chlorine is added to seawater to disinfect it and prevent the formation of a biofilm that decreases the efficiency of the polymide membrane through which the water is filtered. But chlorine damages this membrane, so the membrane deteriorates after repeated use. So water has to be chlorinated, then de-chlorinated, then filtered.

The new membrane is made of sulfonated copolymers that are not harmed by chlorine, so it stays effective all through the process. Using these will make the desalination process much cheaper through higher productivity and energy efficiency. And reducing the cost of the process is exactly what is needed to make fresh water more available. Good news for investors and thirsty people.

Via Treehugger, Technology Review

Energy consumption in Germany dropped 5.6% – the equivalent of 18.5 tons of oil – in 2007 as its economy grew 2.5%, according to BP’s latest statistical review of world energy, illustrating that economic growth is possible while clean technology is put in place and alternative, renewable energy resources are developed.

Only 48 per cent of Laotians are connected to the electrical grid. Access to electricity is limited due to lack of infrastructure and high costs so most rural communities rely on environmentally unfriendly energy sources, such as firewood and kerosene. Solar-powered systems are a logical alternative but start-up costs are high.

So it looks like the world’s cheapest car (the Tata Nano) could soon be the world’s cheapest electric car as well.

The price of the Nano is just above $2,500 and Tata’s chairman Ratan Tata says he expects demand to exceed supply. Tata’s plant in the city of Singur in the state of West Bengal will eventually have the capacity to make 350,000 Nanos a year.

Tata Motors plans to make a second generation of its four-passenger Nano with a diesel engine. But initially, it will have a gasoline engine capable of 50 miles to the gallon.

But the interesting news out of Mr. Tata’s talk to shareholders at the annual general meeting last week was that the company is competing for an Eco car in Thailand and looking at other ways to make even more fuel-efficient versions of the Nano.

Tata is working with a French firm in developing an electric Nano. The electric car will use compressed air. Tata Motors also announced earlier this year it is in talks with Chrysler on developing electric vehicles.

According to the Economic Times of India, a diesel engine for the Nano is being developed by a German company and will use a fuel injection system. Sources told the newspaper that the 800 cc, turbo charged diesel engine will be a two-cylinder and capable of at least 30 per cent more mileage compared to 800 cc gasoline powered cars.

It’s hoped that the cheap vehicle willenable more people in developing countries to be able to afford their own car. But at the same time, there are concerns about the congestion and pollution caused by more cars on the road. In India, there are seven motorcycles sold for every car, according to the World Bank.

An all-electric or efficient diesel option would certainly decrease from those concerns. However, with India being coal powered, and lagging on emissions standards, it’s not clear how much greener these cars really will be.

Via: Bloomberg and Reuters and Autobloggreen

The US Department of Energy is ready to give out grants to nine small-scale cellulosic ethanol refineries, totaling $240 million in funding. BlueFire and PlascoEnergy Group’s projects, as well as many others, show the popularity cellulosic biofuel is gaining, so it is not surprising that biorefineries are getting a little green from the government. When factoring in this federal funding along with what is gained thorough industry cost share, over $735 million will go into nine projects over the next 5 years. The DOE has set money aside for CCS ventures and solar thermal projects, so I’m glad to see renewable and sustainable energy production is on the brain. Even so, the projects are definitely more research than mass-production – they’re smaller scale, processing and producing about a tenth of what a commercial sized biorefinery handles. They’ll be using wood, energy crops, and ag waste products…none of the cool (or gross) trash-to-tank stuff that others are working on. Nevertheless, it’s progress that’s paid for.

Via RenewableEnergyWorld

In May we talked about Xcel starting up a smart grid system in Boulder. Now IBM may play a role in how that project unfolds, as well as many other smart grid pilot programs.

IBM is putting smart grids on their front burner by preparing a technical framework that will help to efficiently and effectively put new technology into the old electricity distribution grid. The framework will pull together common protocols and data formats that different utility companies and smart-grid companies can adhere to – in other words, rule books and common language to help new technologies plug in to the larger grid. The framework will help to end the hodge-podge testing of different ideas and different products that is slowing up actual change and improvements.

Why is it so important to get a smart grid up and running? Well, money. Consumers will be able to see their real time energy use and adjust their habits to reduce waste. They can also have the utility companies help them out with making adjustments, such as letting the utility company turn their thermostats to a more appropriate temperature when the grid is heavily impacted. Additionally, consumers can be charged appropriately for their energy use – lower rates during low use times, and higher rates during high use times. Basically, a smart grid can help utility companies and homes talk to one another to save money and energy. Saved energy means fewer new power plants and a better chance of renewable energy sources entering the competition.

IBM, as a large company, investing time and money in developing a framework for smart grids will help ease often-reluctant utility companies into the ring. Utility companies, and their investments, like predictability. And that can be very healthy for smart-grid start-up companies as well. So by providing something that promotes clear guidelines and structure, IBM will be assisting with getting utilities and smart grid companies to work together and get cracking on set-up.

Via cnet, Photo via bennylin0724

Motion-sensing LED lights — these lights are perhaps the most efficient lighting devices available. They switch on whenever the infra-red sensors detect movement in a room — such as when someone begins to walk down a dark hallway. I’ve been testing them in my own home, and I’ve found them to be non-obtrusive and effective. [...]