Archive for the 'EnergyBoom' Category
September 9th, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden has released a report which shows the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is creating jobs, transforming the economy, and propelling the growth of renewable energy in America. According to the report, The Recovery Act: Transforming the American Economy through Innovation, the United States is on-track for three major innovation breakthroughs in the renewable energy and cleantech industries:
Continue reading ‘U.S. Primed to Achieve Major Breakthroughs in Renewable Energy’
September 9th, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
The production of renewable chemicals does not receive a lot media attention; yet, it is an emerging cleantech industry that could have a record year for venture capital investment in 2010. According to a report from the Cleantech Group, venture capital investment in renewable chemicals is on a record pace through the first half of 2010. In the first half of this calendar year, US$361 million of venture capital investment has been dropped into renewable chemical firms.
Continue reading ‘Renewable Chemical Industry Set for Record Year of Venture Capital Investment’
September 8th, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
A new study by the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) shows the U.S. federal government is wasting US$1 billion per year on energy costs by not implementing simple energy efficiency measures. The NCLC’s latest report, Up the Chimney: How HUD’s Inaction Costs Taxpayers Millions and Drives Up Utility Bills for Low-income Families, states the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development spends over US$5 billion annually to pay for heating and electricity of public housing authorities and subsidized rental units.
Continue reading ‘Energy Efficiency Measures Could Save U.S. Government $1 Billion’
September 7th, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
Mention the name Brad Pitt and most people think “movie star.” Which is correct, as far as it goes, but did you also know that Brad Pitt (husband of Angelina Jolie and “sleeper star” of the 1991 film Thelma & Louise) is also an avid humanitarian and environmentalist, whose dedication to sustainability spurred him to create the nonprofit Make It Right Foundation in 2007.
Continue reading ‘Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation Rebuilding New Orleans’
September 3rd, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
Research from the University of Illinois has identified yeast genes that can increase the efficiency of producing biofuel from biomass. Biofuels are produced through the microbial fermentation of biomass crops such as corn, sugarcane, and jatropha. This process produces alcohol-based fuels ethanol and iso-butanol if yeast is used as the microbe to covert the sugars into fuel.
Continue reading ‘Scientists Discover Genes that Improve Biofuel Production’
September 3rd, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
When you are trying to make the case for sustainable energy, it’s good to have the cold, hard facts on your side. But many renewable energy projects don’t keep those kind of detailed records that can persuade skeptics. Now the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is preparing to get that kind of data from a geothermal installation that will be part of a new Ikea store in Centennial Colorado.
Continue reading ‘Ikea Store Could Become Geothermal Model’
September 2nd, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
In the depths of winter, on the harrowing Simplon pass connecting Switzerland to Italy 6,578 feet above sea level, Volkswagen (VW) successfully completed long-range testing of its new HY.POWER fuel cell Bora (Jetta) prototype. The goal was to see whether VW’s new HY.POWER technology could withstand strenuous demands at sub-zero temperatures, which are the major setbacks for cold-combustion hydrogen fuel cells. So far, so good.
Continue reading ‘VW Successfully Completes Long-Range Test on HY.POWER Fuel Cell’
September 2nd, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
Dust removing technology developed by NASA for robotic machines working on Mars might be an ideal application on solar panels. Large-scale solar power plants are increasingly landing in desert and arid areas across the globe. However, solar arrays in these areas are susceptible to dust and grime collection. Dr. Malay Mazumder from Boston University says a dust layer of 4 grams per square meter can reduce a solar panel’s efficiency by 40%.
Continue reading ‘Dust Removing Technology Could Increase Solar Panel Efficiency’
September 1st, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
A Canadian company has been receiving a lot of buzz about a recent announcement regarding its new electric car. Motive Industries Inc., a “full vehicle development firm focused on advanced materials, technology and innovation to create real world transportation” is developing Canada’s first bio-composite bodied electric car made from hemp. Material from hemp stock, grown in Canada, will be used in the body of the electric vehicle, the Kestrel.
Continue reading ‘Electric Car Made from Hemp – the Green Kestrel’
August 31st, 2010 by EBR_EBdaily
Journalist Mac McClelland is reporting today that oil clean-up supervisors in the Gulf of Mexico have been informed by British Petroleum (NYSE:BP) that “a 200-foot-by-2-mile swath of oil is going to make landfall on Grand Isle in the next couple of days.”
Continue reading ‘BP Warning Clean-Up Crews that a 200-foot, 2-mile Oil Slick About to Hit Grand Isle’