Electric Automotive Sector Will Make This World a Better Place

December 13th, 2010 by David

I can not speak for everyone, but there is a vast majority out there who is interested in the electric automotive sector. However, we have not seen much growth in this sector. Is it because the companies are not organized enough to support the customer demand? There is one company out there who is grabbing the bull by it’s horns and doing something about it. That company is called Better Place electric car company.

Better Place electric car company has their technology centered around cars being produced by the French automobile giant Renault-Nissan. You might even see them on the road in 2011. They are accelerating the global transition to sustainable transportation. As good as this sounds, there are those who seem to be angered with the company already. Some find them monopolizing in some places. Israel, as an example, has “favored” them as the electric car company of choice.

This view may all change with the help of another company, ETV Motors. The company just announced a radically new concept to extend the range of  the lithium ion  battery cell packs that will be fueling these cars. They are  developing a unique micro- turbine device that will be able to extend the range of  the battery cell packs to up to twice the present driving range of 130 -160 km. ETV’s COO said, “the micro turbine device will be able to “create electricity while driving.” I don’t know about you, but that blows me away! The turbine utilizes a specially series of rotary blades, which will be located at the rear of the car’s undercarriage and will provide power by a rotating “universal joint” to the battery pack in the center of the car.

Watch this video below to learn more about ETV Motors. I would love to hear your comments. Shoot me your thoughts @ExpansionMedia.

 

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Posted in Electric Automotive, Electric Cars, Electric Cars |

OnGreen Raises $1.4 Million in Series A Investment

November 11th, 2010 by David

OnGreen, a professional networking website that aims to serve as a platform for both cleantech entrepreneurs and potential investors, has raised a $1.4 million series A investment of its own from a jointly owned fund between Blue Marble Ventures in Los Angeles, and China Southern Hong Kong Investment in Shanghai. OnGreen is based in California.

Since its launch, last July, more than 300 entrepreneurs, in more than 35 countries have used OnGreen.com. The company, which describes itself as the “LinkedIn” of cleantech investing, lets investors review business plans and then, if they are interested contact the plan’s author to potentially back the venture.

OnGreen plans to generate revenue through advertizing, lead generation, events, research and other connection services.

With cleantech investing on the decline and early stage cleantech funding taking the biggest hit in a tight year of investments, cleantech entrepreneurs certainly need all the help they can get. I praise the founders of OnGreen for creating this network. Let us  hope that they are successful. We need to live in a cleaner, “greener” world. Let the networking begin.

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Posted in General, OnGreen Professional Networking Website |

U.S. and Australia Announce Joint Research to Slash Solar Cost

November 8th, 2010 by David

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced today that there will be a collaboration between U.S and Australia  on research with the aim of cutting the cost of solar energy to the level of conventional fossil fuel power within five years. This is a $50 million joint solar research program.

Everyone is noticing the decline in pricing on solar technology, but it’s not decreasing fast enough. Something has to accelerate the process. The goal is to get the price down by two to four times the cost that it’s at currently.

The Australian government’s Solar Institute will oversee the Australian contribution to research into dual junction photovoltaic devices, hot-carrier solar cells and high temperature receivers.

Clinton also announced a $500,000 grant from the U.S. State Department to Australia’s state-backed Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute to fund a global survey to identify promising technologies for reusing carbon dioxide.

“I think both the people of Australia and America don’t want to see more bickering about what should be done to reduce carbon emissions. They want to see action,” Clinton said.

In all honestly, we should all applaud this step. It’s about time we have someone in a high ranking public role putting money where their mouth is. Something is finally being done to cut the cost of solar energy. We must support this effort as well as support the coming efforts. This translates into savings in our pocket, and a greener future. Bravo Mrs. Clinton, bravo.

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Posted in Clean Air Legislation, Solar Energy Price Reduction, Solar Industry |

A Win for California’s Landmark Clean Air Legislation

November 4th, 2010 by David

This past Tuesday, November 2,2010, marked a big win for cleantech. Californians have voted “no” on Proposition 23. Proposition 23 Suspends implementation of air pollution control law (AB 32) requiring major sources of emissions to report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, until unemployment drops to 5.5% or less for full year. Valero Corp., Tesoro Corp. and others spent more than $9 million since April boosting Proposition 23. With the proposition garnering a vote of 61%against it, California continues to call for greenhouse gas emissions to fall to 1990 levels by 2020.

The voters of California made it clear that they welcome and want clean technology. In voting down Prop 23, Californians rejected the job-loss scare tactics and questionable arguments of Texas oil companies. It can’t be all good news, can it? Initially, Proposition 23 tried to attack AB 32. As I just stated earlier, AB 32 won. However a sneakier attack on cleantech progress has survived. This ladies and gentlemen is called Propsition 26.

Proposition 26 requires that certain state and local fees be approved by two-thirds vote. Fees include those that address adverse impacts on society or the environment caused by the fee-payer’s business.  This could protect polluters who might have had to pay fees for the cleanup of toxic sites.

Those of us who are in the industry are elated. Let’s keep in mind the growing number jobs available in the cleantech sector. If there was no momentum in the industry, there would be no open positions. This win is crucial to the evolution and growth of California’s economy. Let’s raise our glasses and toast this victory. We are all winners with a cleaner tomorrow.

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Posted in Clean Air Legislation |

Logitech Launches a Wireless Solar Keyboard

November 2nd, 2010 by David

I have been blogging quite a bit on solar panels for the home. It’s not everyday I can talk about solar inside the home. Sure, you can tell me that your calculator works on solar. However, this is a bit different. Logitech has just launched a wireless solar keyboard. To those familiar with what a wireless keyboard is, you will be happy to know that you won’t be replacing batteries anymore in your wireless keyboard.

The Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard K750 powers itself whenever there’s light, including indoors. The K750 has  two panels on top of the keys that charge the keyboard using ambient light. Regardless if you have the windows open with the sun shining in, or you just have the bright lights on top of your desk, the keyboard will charge.

The K750 can last up to three months on a full solar charge. A really nice feature is the on and off button which will save energy when it’s not in use. Logitech will include a desktop solar application that will let you know how your keyboard is doing. You can conveniently find out about battery levels, drain alerts, and placement tips on where to pick up the most power.

This is a keyboard that has really gotten my attention. Since I believe in and work in the cleantech sector, anything we can do to help the environment will go a long way. This is taking something so simple as a keyboard and making it earth friendly by avoiding the use of disposable batteries. I for one will pick up this item to show support to the companies who have the world in mind.

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Posted in Solar Industry |

Electric Taxis are Coming to San Francisco

October 28th, 2010 by David

San Fransisco is going green in their mass transit. Better Place has just been awarded a contract that will allow it to bring its electric taxis and battery switching stations to the San Francisco Bay area in 2011. Better place has the support from the U.S. Department of Transportation via the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. San Francisco and San Jose will further cement the region’s position as the “EV Capital of the U.S.” This $6.9 million, three-year project will result in 61 electric-drive taxi cabs and four stations where depleted batteries can be swapped in for fresh ones.

Better Place has been successfully operating an EV taxi program in Tokyo, supported by the Japanese government. The pilot project began on April 26, in cooperation with Nihon Kotsu Co., Tokyo’s largest taxi operator, and focuses on the feasibility of an automated battery switch process as means for taxis to have instant, zero-emission, range extension. In the first 90 days of the trial, the EV taxis drove over 25,000 miles using battery switch as the primary means of “instant charge” or range extension.

Better Place remains on-track in developing and deploying countrywide networks of charging and battery-switching infrastructure in its first two markets, Israel and Denmark, for commercial launch in late 2011. Better Place will begin its initial network deployment in Canberra, Australia in late 2011 as part of a nationwide infrastructure roll out.

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Posted in Electric Cars, Electric Cars |

Can There be Unity in the World of Solar

October 25th, 2010 by David

We are living in a very exciting time period. It’s so exciting that this time period was even written into the plot of the new Wall Street 2 movie. The time period I am speaking of is called the clean energy bubble.

Is clean energy really the next big bubble? Yes, it most definitely is. We have seen 2 bubbles burst recently, housing and internet. There has to be the next bubble, it’s what the economy feeds off of. This bubble has been formed and growing as the previous bubble has been deflating.

In 2010, we see that America is steering toward a new reality for renewable energy. The announcement was made a few weeks ago about the White House getting solar power. One year ago, an executive order was signed by the president that called on the federal government to lead in the establishment of a clean energy economy.

My question is, how do we get everyone in the renewable energy field to work together? We all have to work towards the same goal. If we think about it, renewable energy could provide up to 635 gigawatts (GW) of new electricity generating capacity by 2025. If we get everyone to work together, we might be able to reach that goal in 2015. We must also work together on state and federal policy. A way to go about this is by creating a national market for solar energy.

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Posted in Solar Industry |

The Garden State is Building a Solar Farm

October 21st, 2010 by David

October 20, 2010 marked a very important day in the Garden State. Ground has been broken on a $90 million solar power plant in New Jersey that will be one of the nation’s largest solar farms.  71,000 solar panels on a 100-acre farm in southern New Jersey that will generate 20 megawatts of power when operating in Spring 2011.

I respect the fact that before this plot of land was supposed to be a solar farm plant, it was slated for a housing development project. Now, this will create about 100 construction jobs, which in this economy having a job is everything. I grew up in New Jersey, I am all too familiar with all those clouds in the sky. That does not seem to effect the way New Jersey wants the state run. New Jersey officials have been pushing solar generation for a while. There are even generous tax rebates for those who chose solar for their home.

New Jersey’s reason to make such a solar farm is the state’s solar-renewable energy certificate program. The only active farm that’s larger thanthis one is the one in Arcadia, Florida generating 25 megawatts, which opened last year. Many additional solar projects across the nation are in various stages of completion. Will this cause more people to move to New Jersey now? Will the Garden State officially turn green?

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Posted in Solar Industry |

Why do we use the Term Watt Instead of Voltage?

October 18th, 2010 by David

This morning I was watching a YouTube video that was more on the instructional side rather than on the fun side. Yes, there are plenty of videos on YouTube that can teach us a thing or two rather than the ones we watch for entertainment purposes. This particular video was of a guy who wants to help others understand watts as related to voltage and amperes. This video is what sparked me to write this post.

Why do we use the term “watts?” Watts is a more accurate term to describe how much power something uses in terms of voltage and current. When we are talking about setting up solar power in our home, we have to figure out how many solar panels we will need for to be able to maintain the power requirements. We have to be able to do the conversion between voltage and amperes. This makes a lot of sense to those who work in the  renewable energy space.

There is a great article by Suparna Kadam, co-founder of GreenRay Inc., entitled, ” What’s a Watt?” Suparna writes, “ Most of us who work in the renewable energy space take for granted that many potential customers, investors and partners haven’t spent any time in academia studying photovoltaics or wind turbines. In fact, they may not have a background in general energy metrics. Terms that once belonged to the realm of industry-insider jargon are quickly becoming standard. Thus, anyone who wants to follow the renewable versus traditional energy debate needs to know what we mean when we say “watt.” Suparna does a great job continuing the brief crash course in energy lingo.

Before you go out and start shopping around for the perfect solar appliance, it’s best to familiarize yourself with all the terms. As they say, “an educated consumer is our best customer.”

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Posted in Solar Industry |

How Solar is Working for America

October 14th, 2010 by David

The Solar Energy Industries Association has come up with a fantastic marketing campaign. They have started Internet webisodes entitled “The Solar Generation USA Road Tour.”  The theme of the show is finding out how solar energy is working for America. The way they are finding out is by asking America.

The Solar Energy Road Trip takes you on a journey across the entire country for a couple of weeks. They will be meeting today’s Solar Generation: the project developers, manufacturers, installers and of course, the clients – the people who are using solar power in its various forms for their homes, businesses and public buildings.

How far has solar come in America? Here is their second webisode. You will see for yourself.

“Solar energy means jobs.” Indeed it does.

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Posted in Solar Industry |

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