Archive for September, 2007
The PS10 Project is the first 11 Megawatt Solar Thermal Power Plant in Southern Spain that produces electricity with 624 heliostats (large movable mirrors). Located 25 km west of Seville, the PS10 is a concentrating solar power plant that uses solar radiation to produce electricity using the heliostats in a thermodynamic cycle. The mirrors concentrate the Sun’s rays to the top of a 35 story tower where a solar receiver and steam turbine generates the electricity. It is designed to produce 23 GWh of electricity which is enough to supply power to a population of 10,000. Although this plant currently costs about three times as much as a regular plant, it saves about 16,000 tons of CO2 each year. Five more plants are also planned to be developed in the same area to produce more than 300 MWs of power by 2013. The European Union has been supporting the Concentrating Solar Power sector for more than ten years.
Read more about the project at SolarPaces.org
September 17th, 2007
Alex
Here is a pretty good article in The New York Times Freakonomics blog by Stephen J. Dubner. It is a Quorum where several smart people are asked “What should the U.S. government be doing about global warming, and what should individuals be doing?” It is a pretty interesting read and can be insightful when you hear about what intelligent people have to say about the topic. If you want to read about Global warming, there is an endless amount of information on the web, news, magazines, etc. I have also had numerous conversations with people from different industries, places, ages, etc. Every so often, I will have a good conversation, but a lot of the times, some people that I talk to or that I read about will always complain, bitch, and moan about what we should, what the government should do, why aren’t we doing this, why aren’t we doing that, etc. The good thing about what the people talk about in this article, is that they actually talk about what the government should do as well as mention the pros and cons of the actions. A lot of the times people talk a lot about what should be done but don’t really realize the consequences. Newton’s third law applies to everything in life and it definitely applies to this question. “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.”
Freakonomics
via Treehugger
September 13th, 2007
Alex
Lenovo just announced their Blue Sky desktop computer as their smallest, quietest, and most energy efficient desktop. The ThinkCentre A61e is the first PC to run on 45 watts of power. It can even be powered by an optional solar panel. The $399 desktop weighs 8 lbs and measures 8.5 by 11 inches and is only 3 inches thick. It is Lenovo’s first product to have a Gold EPEAT rating and is made up of 90% reusable materials and has 90% recyclable packaging. I think the coolest part is that it can be run on a solar panel. I am not sure how many people could actually run it off a solar panel since most computers are not setup in front of a window but the idea is pretty sweet. Having a desktop the size of a phone book is also pretty nice. Since the chassis is so small I assume there won’t be room for two more video cards or else this would make a great PVR(Digital or Personal Video Recorder) box.
via Gizmodo and Computerworld
September 12th, 2007
Alex
John Kanzius, a Washington County native ignited salt water with a radio frequency generator he invented. The invention was an accident as he was attempting to develop a RF generator for a cancer treatment. He was able to keep salt water in a test tube burning like a candle keeping it exposed to radio frequencies. The radio frequency weakens the bonds in salt water and is able to release and separate the hydrogen from the sodium chloride, and oxygen. The flame’s temperature exceeded 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This is an awesome breakthrough that could possibly lead to a new source of energy. Our earth is covered in 70% salt water and if there is a simple way to create energy from this resource, it will be a great source of clean energy. This has got to be one of the coolest discoveries that I have read in awhile. Hopefully, researchers and scientists will be able to create something useful with this breakthrough.
via Gizmodo via Post-GazetteNow News
September 11th, 2007
Alex
American Electric Power, a coal-burning utility company will be using batteries to smooth the power delivery from wind turbines. The batteries will charge at night when the wind is strong and price is low and give it back in the afternoon when the wind is low and price is high. The batteries can also give back energy during outages and blackouts. Currently the cost of this technology is extremely high compared to building a gas turbine alternative, but this solution does not produce any carbon dioxide. The batteries can deliver 1 megawatt of power, which is enough to run a medium sized shopping mall for seven hours. The batteries are the size of a double decker bus and can also be moved around if necessary. It is good to see that companies are using emerging technology that is good for the environment and setting a stage for others to follow in its lead.
via News.com
September 11th, 2007
Alex
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