Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Pulling Greenhouse Gases From The Air - Can It Be Done?
Pulling Greenhouse Gases From The Air - Can It Be Done?
This remains key to the appeal of air capture: Because greenhouse gases are dispersed around the globe, they can be extracted from the air anywhere. Carbon dioxide spewing from a tailpipe in Sao Paulo or a coal plant in China can be captured by a machine in Iceland or the Middle East because the atmosphere functions as a conveyor belt, moving CO2 from its sources to any sink. That’s important because while we can envision a world where most or all of the electricity we use comes from nuclear, solar or wind energy, or from fossil fuels where the CO2 is captured at the power plant, it’s harder to see how emissions from cars, trucks, trains, ships and planes can be eliminated. The beauty of air capture, Lackner and his colleagues explained, is that “one could collect CO2 after the fact and from any source….One would not have to wait for the phasing out of existing infrastructure before addressing the greenhouse gas problem.” Air capture plants, they wrote, could be located atop the best underground reservoirs for storing CO2, which may be in isolated locations. This fact is key to the business plans of all the air-capture startups. In only one regard was Lackner’s paper clearly mistaken — he estimated that the cost of air capture would be “on the order of $10 to $15 per ton,” a target that now looks wildly optimistic.
This remains key to the appeal of air capture: Because greenhouse gases are dispersed around the globe, they can be extracted from the air anywhere. Carbon dioxide spewing from a tailpipe in Sao Paulo or a coal plant in China can be captured by a machine in Iceland or the Middle East because the atmosphere functions as a conveyor belt, moving CO2 from its sources to any sink. That’s important because while we can envision a world where most or all of the electricity we use comes from nuclear, solar or wind energy, or from fossil fuels where the CO2 is captured at the power plant, it’s harder to see how emissions from cars, trucks, trains, ships and planes can be eliminated. The beauty of air capture, Lackner and his colleagues explained, is that “one could collect CO2 after the fact and from any source….One would not have to wait for the phasing out of existing infrastructure before addressing the greenhouse gas problem.” Air capture plants, they wrote, could be located atop the best underground reservoirs for storing CO2, which may be in isolated locations. This fact is key to the business plans of all the air-capture startups. In only one regard was Lackner’s paper clearly mistaken — he estimated that the cost of air capture would be “on the order of $10 to $15 per ton,” a target that now looks wildly optimistic.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
New Efficiency Record For Flexible Solar Panels
New Efficiency Record For Flexible Solar Panels
SoloPower uses innovative manufacturing technology to produce low-cost, high-efficiency CIGS-based photovoltaic cells. The CIGS cells are then packaged into unique, flexible, lightweight solar modules. The modules require less balance-of-system hardware and are easier to install than traditional solar panels.
SoloPower uses innovative manufacturing technology to produce low-cost, high-efficiency CIGS-based photovoltaic cells. The CIGS cells are then packaged into unique, flexible, lightweight solar modules. The modules require less balance-of-system hardware and are easier to install than traditional solar panels.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Unique Solar Trees Installation - Solar Energy
Unique Solar Trees Installation - Solar Energy
As property owners implement solar systems to save on energy costs and benefit the environment, they also appreciate the differentiation solar can provide the property and the city. Craig Merrigan, CEO of Spotlight Solar, the company that designed and manufactured the trees, commented that “the ultimate goal of the project is to make solar more visible and to increase the number of visitors to Discovery Place, where they can learn about renewable energy.”
As property owners implement solar systems to save on energy costs and benefit the environment, they also appreciate the differentiation solar can provide the property and the city. Craig Merrigan, CEO of Spotlight Solar, the company that designed and manufactured the trees, commented that “the ultimate goal of the project is to make solar more visible and to increase the number of visitors to Discovery Place, where they can learn about renewable energy.”
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