Adding lime to oceans could sequester millions of tons of CO2

July 21, 2008   by Jozef Winter

Since the world’s oceans are by far the largest carbon sink on the planet, they’ve been paid a lot of attention in recent years, not only as a gauge to measure climate change but also as possible repositories for excess CO2 currently floating in the atmosphere. Geo-engineering projects have been underway to increase the amount of carbon absorbed and sequestered by these waters, the most commonly known of which is iron-fertilization, a process where iron filings are dumped into the ocean to promote algal growth which absorbs CO2, dies, and then sinks to the ocean floor. That’s the idea anyway, and one which has not had a lot of success. A new method, however, shows some promise, though we will reserve our final thoughts on the matter once we see some more data.

The process involves using lime, obtained from burning limestone as pictured above, and releasing it into the oceans. Adding the lime, which is chemically calcium hydroxide, increases the alkalinity of the seawater. Since higher ocean acidity impedes the absorption of CO2, bringing it back to a more alkaline state is ideal. Shell, the Dutch oil multinational, is apparently impressed with the idea and has committed funding to determine the economic feasibility of the project, which is being developed under open source.

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750 MW wind farm development announces public offering

July 18, 2008   by Jozef Winter

A lot of us would love to get our hands on wind power, but if we can’t put it in our own back yards, there’s generally not much we can do, other than investing in an energy company that has a small portion of its electrical generation from wind. There does seem to be another option, though, with the growing reality that is the community-owned wind farm. Groups like Windshare have been producing clean energy for years with a few turbines and interest (and community profit) are growing. Another such group, Dakota Wind Energy, based in South Dakota, has announced a major development underway for which it is offering up securities to the public (though only in SD) who will open up their land and grant wind-related rights to them.

Their planned wind farm will generate a massive 750 MW of power, and will be built in 100-150 MW phases, the first of which will begin construction within 3-5 years. Those who allow their land to be used or are under the “turbine footprint” could get a traditional cash payment, though the securities offer a much greater benefit. A wind turbine need not even be placed on ones property to receive the shares, so everyone in the community can participate and has a vested interest in the continued operation and success of the plan. This potential galvanization of the inhabitants of the region could remove the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) state of mind, especially when the turbines (whether seen as ugly or not) bring a financial return with what is essentially no capital investment on the part of the owners. Not a bad deal.

Purdue brings us one big step closer to cheap LEDs

July 17, 2008   by Jozef Winter

LEDs, light-emitting diodes, are the future of household and commercial lighting, there is no doubt about that; they are way more efficient than even compact fluorescent bulbs (they also contain no mercury), use very little electricity, and last about 50,000 hours, meaning they’ll probably outlive us all. The question though, is when we’ll actually see them on the shelves next to the old news CFLs. The problem has been their cost. While you can get them, you’re probably looking to shell out around $30-50 for a single “bulb” that will put out the same light as a 60-watt incandescent, and well, that’s a tough sell for consumers. Researchers at Purdue university, however, have come up with a solution.

LEDs use a material called gallium nitride to create light, but unfortunately the current processes cost at least 20 times more than incandescents and CFLs to produce the same light output. The problem is that when LEDs shine, some of their light is lost, as the light will travel upwards into the bulb. A reflective surface would solve that problem but their reflecting surface, made of zirconium nitride, becomes unstable when in contact with silicon, causing a chemical reaction. By placing a layer of aluminum nitride between the two metals, they were able to solve that problem and redirect the light emitted to where it is needed.

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Virtually carbon-free hydrogen generation on the way

July 16, 2008   by Jozef Winter

To be perfectly honest we’ve not been fans of hydrogen around here, in fact we’re pretty much against it for most suggested applications. The problem with hydrogen is that today the majority of it is produced from by-products of natural gas combustion which releases CO2 into the atmosphere, among other things. Other hydrogen production methods involve the intense use of electricity (coal, LPG, or nuclear-fueled) to crack water into hydrogen and oxygen. This process is inefficient and it would be much better to just use the direct electricity to accomplish what you need. We do admit though, that hydrogen will play a great role in some niche markets, which do not have easy access to electricity or it is unfeasible, such as in shipping, aviation, and other heavy transport. Thankfully researchers from Penn State have come up with a virtually carbon-free method of producing hydrogen.

Nanotubes, which seem to on the forefront of a lot of major research lately, such as the storage of hydrogen in nanomaterials as pictured above, are part of the solution. While the scientific background of the design is quite complex, it boils down to having a two different groups of nanotubes arranged in a photoelectrochemical diode. As the sun hits the diodes, they produce about 0.25 mA per centimeter square, not a lot, but enough. It actually represents about a 0.3% photoconversion efficiency, the amount of energy captured from the light, while typical solar panels are around 10-15%. The diodes, made of titanium dioxide and cuprous oxide (the green stuff on copper), act as n-type and p-type materials, essential in solar applications.

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Bombardier to build greener planes in 2013

July 15, 2008   by Jozef Winter

On Sunday Bombardier, a Canadian-based company that designs and builds mass transit vehicles, business jets and passenger planes, announced that it will roll out the first of its’ CSeries planes, one that is substantially more environmentally friendly that what we find in the air today.

The CSeries will rival the well-known 737 in passenger size, offering 2 models which carry 110 or 130 passengers respectively, but at a fraction of the cost and fuel use. They expect a 15% operating savings, and fuel savings in the high 20s compared to Boeing’s aircraft. Their plane, which Bombardier calls “game-changing” will also emit up to 20% less CO2 and 50% less NOx; flying quieter to boot.

They are also setting a new benchmark in the industry as the fuel needed to carry each passenger 100km can reach just over 2 litres, a strikingly low figure. A $46.7 million apiece though, it’s a pricey plane, but companies are already ordering them, showing that with $150 a barrel oil on the horizon, perhaps the fuel savings alone over the life of the craft will pay for itself.

Full Release

Australian coal-fired plant captures CO2 from flue gases

July 10, 2008   by Jozef Winter

In a move that’s a first for Australia, the Yang Power Station, a coal-fired facility located in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, has captured CO2 directly from the flue gases in what is being called a PCC, a post-combustion-capture device, which is being tested as a pilot project. The 35 foot high device has been designed to capture 1000 tons of CO2 annually, and upon successful testing could be expanded to capture more. The CO2 is trapped in a liquid, which the gases pass through, but it was not revealed what would then be done with that CO2 laden material. As the project progresses, they expect to test various other liquids to see which are the most effective at absorbing and retaining the CO2.

The whole system has been designed and implemented by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), and has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions from power plants by 85%, quite a good thing considering that over 80% of the country’s power comes from coal. While investing resources into solar in a country that receives a considerable amount of sunshine around the year, economic concerns have forced the government to rely on the attempt to “green” coal as the employment, export revenues, and cheap power coming from coal have been too strong for the current party to ignore. Still, for those coal plants that will remain, it is a great lead forward, assuming we can convert the carbon into a solid form, or sequester it permanently.

via physorg

GM will build world’s largest rooftop solar array, with Velcro!

July 9, 2008   by Jozef Winter

General Motors has announced that they are planning on building the world’s largest rooftop solar installation, to be located on their car manufacturing plant in Zaragosa, Spain. Well, ok, GM is not actually building it, or even owning it, or operating it, so it might just be a bit of green marketing to offset their continued image as a gas-guzzling SUV-building car company, but it’s still some good news. What seems to be buried in all the releases and news reports is that Clairvoyant Energy, a US-based company, will be running the show, essentially just using the dead roof space of the GM plant. But good on GM for putting all that space to good use.

The project, currently underway and expected to be completed in September, will have a nominal power output of 10 MW, peaking at 11.87 MW. The system will be composed of a whopping 84,848 solar panels, covering 2,000,000 square feet. What’s most amazing is that the panels are made up of a flexible photovoltaic laminate attached to a membrane… by Velcro! These panels are rated for winds up to 100mph, so they are really tough. The project will use 212 miles of Velcro in the installation and should reduce about 7,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually. The plant will utilize the power and also sell excesses to the market, with the ability to power 4,600 homes.

GM actually has two of the largest PV installations in the US in two of their parts plants in California and is planning to install solar panels on one of their facilities in Russia.

via physorg

It’s now the law: EU airlines will have to cut CO2 emissions

July 8, 2008   by Jozef Winter

Airlines contribute to 3% of all CO2 emissions in Europe and an EU panel has included the industry in their Emission Trading Scheme. The scheme, which is an elaborate carbon (and other emission) trading program, allows for certain levels of CO2 to be emitted annually, and portions these amounts to companies (traditionally for free, but now more and more is being auctioned off). Any companies that have “unused” emissions credits can sell them to the market, encouraging efficiencies and environmental sustainability. The idea over the next few years is to keep reducing the allowable emissions to be released, making the credits more valuable, and thus reducing emissions levels. The airline industry, with so many emissions, has been lobbying to be excluded from the scheme, arguing that it will hurt business.

Their lobbying unsuccessful, the airline industry will be officially inducted into the plan in 2012, a move that garnered 96% of the vote from the 670 member European Parliament. In their first year, the airlines would have to cut their emissions by 3% and then by 5% in 2013. They will also need to buy 15% of their credits immediately. A spokesperson from Lufthansa claims that these measures are “ecologically counter-productive”, whatever that means. What is certain is that it will present a huge financial impact on the industry, which of course will lead to higher fares, though by how much is as yet unclear. The EU expects that this move will encourage the industry to switch to greener planes and the use of biofuels in a bid to reduce net CO2 emissions.

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Toyota Prius to get solar panels on its roof

July 7, 2008   by Jozef Winter

Like the Prius wasn’t good enough already, with its much anticipated 2010 model featuring a plug-in version, it’s getting a set of solar panels on the roof to boot! The wildly popular car, which has already sold over 1 million units and is set to sell half a million annually in the coming years, just keeps getting better and better.

The folks at Toyota have decided to start using that dead space called the roof of a car and turn it into a power center capable of partially running the air conditioning unit, lessening the burden on the batteries. It could also be used to charge the vehicle while parked away from a plug or recharging station, very handy since parking lots, sadly empty of trees and shade, make perfect areas for solar panels to operate.

The panels, which would only come on their higher-end models, should be available next year for purchase.

via physorg

‘Anaconda’ system drops wave power cost substantially

July 3, 2008   by Jozef Winter

Wave power is one of those renewable resources that everyone seems to agree on; it doesn’t create an (arguably) unsightly view, and doesn’t take up any usable land. It’s also one of those great unbounded sources of energy, and since 2/3rds of the planet is water, there is a lot of wave energy to harness. That’s why we are always happy to see improvements in this technology, and there happens to be quite a big one currently under development.

Imagine a long balloon filled with water, you squeeze one end of it and the rest bulges out. Now replace your fingers with the pressure of a wave and you’ve got a rough concept for the Anaconda, a novel wave energy harnessing device that’s a vast improvement over any wave system around. The Anaconda is a giant rubber tube, 150m in length, and 8m in diameter, filled with water and laying just under the surface of the ocean. Passing waves, “bulge waves”, as they are known, create bulges in the tube, pushing water along until it passes through a generator. A video of a prototype in action can be found here. Their calculations show that in typical waves in the North Atlantic, an Anaconda this size could produce 1 megawatt of power.

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