Two recent stories illustrate how far wind power can go in terms of efficiency and mechanics.

First, let’s take a look at what Japanese researchers have come up with.

According to Mother Nature Network, scientists at Kyushu University in Japan have come up with an aerodynamic innovation in wind turbine design called ‘wind lens’. Its main selling point is that it can triple the output of a standard wind turbine. This way, wind power becomes more competitive than nuclear, they said.

The mechanism of the turbine is simple. What makes it different and exciting is that the ‘wind lens’ can make the turbine rotate at a much higher speed (the video below explains in more detail the technical details).

In Japan wind power energy accounts for only 0.3 per cent of the country’s power generation. But as the country moves away from nuclear in the wake of the Fukushima disaster, it is looking at ways to make its energy mix more reliant on alternative energy.

Elsewhere, Marcio Loos, a Case Western Reserve University researcher, has built a prototype blade that is substantially lighter and eight times tougher and more durable than currently used blade materials, wrote Renewable Energy World.

The weight of large wind turbines is one of the challenges faced by the industry. Simply increasing the size of blades will not work because they will need more wind to turn the rotor. And they lose optimal shape to catch moving air as they flex with the wind. Working on better materials seems to be the best bet.

Loos built the first polyurethane blade reinforced with carbon nanotubes. He carried out a series of tests to make sure “the composite that was scoring best on preliminary tests could be molded into the right shape and maintain properties.” He used a small commercial blade as a template to manufacture a 29-inch blade which was simultaneously lighter, tougher and more rigid.

Preliminary tests showed that carbon nanotubes are lighter and more resistant than other materials such as aluminium and carbon fiber. The hope is that the material will be used in next generation wind turbine blades.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, a Brazilian writer and video art curator based in London, UK. He holds a BA in journalism and an MA in film and television.

Related posts:

• E Turbines Concept Seeks to Combine Wind Energy with the Open Road
• Green Energy Breakthroughs Could Boost U.S. Economy, Google Says
• Wharton Energy Conference to Explore Evolving Energy Landscape
• Home-Grown Wind Power Takes Root
• Wind Power Industry Launches Wildlife Campaign

If you ever get the chance to meet Irish-born entrepreneur, Philip Brennan, he’ll be quick to tell you, “Depending on who you believe in my family, I’m a fourth or fifth generation entrepreneur. I’ve worked for big corporations for many years and was tired of trying to turn the aircraft carrier in another direction. It is more fun sailing our hydrofoil sailboat, allowing the team to move quicker and respond faster to the changing conditions.” This is a simple way to describe his career and his current venture as a co-founder and the CEO of Echogen Power Systems LLC based in Akron, OH.

In 1992, at the age of 22, Mr. Brennan began charting his course by becoming the youngest recipient of Georgetown University’s Graduate Fellowship for the Masters in Business Administration. Over the next 20 years after graduation, Phil held various senior and executive management positions in operations, finance, manufacturing, sales and general management for Fortune 100 companies such as Pfizer, Warner Lambert, and Rubbermaid. In those roles, he led and managed a variety of businesses of greater than $200 million in sales where he conceived, developed, and launched over 100 new products.  Since then he has helped to raise angel financing and prepare a number of new companies for the next stage of venture funding.

Founded in 2007, Echogen Power Systems describes itself as energy’s scrap metal dealer. The company is developing and commercializing an innovative power generation technology that transforms waste industrial heat directly into clean, emission-free electricity. According to Brennan, “The ‘Echo’ plays off the environmental stewardship in our technology while reinforcing that the power produced is essentially energy repeated. The ‘gen’ simply stands for the generation of power.” Using supercritical carbon dioxide as the system working fluid, Echogen’s patent-pending thermal engines convert industrial waste heat into electricity, reducing the demand that energy-intensive manfacturers and large power consumers currently place on the grid. The Echogen Thermafficient® System is a lower cost solution compared to traditional power generation technologies such as steam turbines. It allows paybacks significantly below the 3-year threshold for competing products due to the smaller physical size and associated lower component costs, coupled with the broader operating range and efficiencies.

Mr. Brennan wanted to establish his company in Akron because of the entrepreneurial support shown by economic development organizations in the region, the leadership shown by the City of Akron, and the Ohio Department of Development. “From the support we’ve received from organizations such as the Akron Global Business Accelerator and JumpStart, to the direct funds we were awarded from the Research Commercialization Program, the Ohio Third Frontier has accelerated the Company’s development. This support can often make the difference between success and failure for a new enterprise,” according to Brennan.

The early success of Echogen can be attributed to the talented, hardworking team and the support that comes from grant-based investments. Echogen has received over $22 million in equity and grants; a $4.3 million grant was provided by the State of Ohio Third Frontier Program and another one from the Department of Defense Navy Small Business Innovation Research Program. Echogen also received two grants from JumpStart Ventures in Cleveland, Ohio and was issued a four-year job creation tax credit by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority. This funding has enabled Echogen to double their staff size capacity and further develop their technology. Currently, Echogen is comprised of twenty-three employees and ten student interns. They have plans to double the number of people again within the next year. Echogen is a good example of how an emerging technology can successfully capitalize on a region’s existing industrial strength, as many of its customers and potential labor force are resident in Ohio and the neighboring States.

“While we are a for-profit corporation, we are also looking to help improve the community and the country by making us less reliant on foreign resources and more committed to stewardship,
by making better use of the energy resources we have.” There is no cleaner energy source than the heat found in a smoke stack, according to the DOE. By salvaging this waste heat and transforming it into electricity, up to 20% of the nation’s projected energy needs can be met. Now that’s a reason to love the scrap metal dealers.

Article by Ari Matusiak, Executive Director of the White House Business Council.

Related posts:

• Ontario Increases Support For Alternative Energy
• Reducing Energy Costs While Creating Green Jobs
• DOE Offers Loan Guarantee to California Solar Energy Plant
• Solar Energy Career Opportunities Fluorish with First Nation Solar Park
• Solar Energy Classes Light up the Employment Sky

Nautricity is a UK company that develops tidal energy technology. Its CoRMaT tidal turbine, a 500kw device in its largest form, will be installed and tested in the Thames River alongside a former Royal Navy sloop called the HQS Wellington (see Clean Technica article).

The CoRMaT turbine is the subject of at least one international patent application, WO 2007/017629, and U.S. Application Publication No. 2008/0226450 (’450 Application).

According to Nautricity’s web site, the CoRMaT turbine is the result of R&D conducted at the University of Strathclyde, which is the owner of record of the two patent applications.

The ’450 Application is directed to a turbine (5) having two adjacent sets of coaxially mounted blades. The first set (10) is coupled with a first shaft (20); the second set (15) is coupled with a second shaft (25).

The first shaft (20) is directly coupled with a rotor (45) of a generator (50), and the second shaft (25) is directly coupled with a rotatable stator (55).

The first set (10) of blades (65) contra-rotates relative to the second set (15) of blades (66). This causes contra-rotation of the respective shafts (20, 25) and of the rotor (45) and the stator (55) of the generator (50).

According to the ’450 Application, generator performance can be optimized by arranging the blade sets (10, 15) so one set cannot be completely eclipsed by the other at any point in the power generation cycle.

Nautricity’s web site describes the turbine technology as:

two closely spaced contra rotating rotors, driving a contra rotating electrical generator. The first rotor has three blades rotating in a clockwise direction while the second rotor, located directly behind the first, has four blades rotating in an anti-clockwise direction.

According to Nautricity, the contra rotating rotor arrangement doubles the relative rotational speed compared to a single rotor turbine and splits the torque equally between the two rotors.

The torque-splitting eliminates reactive torque acting on the support structure, thereby allowing the turbine to be moored rather than rigidly attached to the seabed.

Thus, the CoRMaT can be deployed in a variety of locations at depths varying from eight meters to 500 meters.

According to Nautricity’s press release, the trial is the first stage in a large project to site hundreds of tidal turbines along the river and generate enough electricity to power 35,000 homes.

Eric Lane is a patent attorney at Luce, Forward, Hamilton & Scripps in San Diego and the author of Green Patent Blog. Mr. Lane can be reached at elane@luce.com.

Related posts:

• Energy Recovery Spins Out Energy Savings for Desalination
• Analysis Suggests Ways to Dramatically Increase Wind Farm Output
• Alternative Energy For Electric Vehicles
• 10 Common Misconceptions About Residential Solar
• China To Best U.S. in EVs But Not Hybrids

China’s omnivorous energy requirements have been attracting increasing attention as of late, as Beijing attempts to secure any and all sources of power for its growing industrial base.

Nowhere is this more noticeable than Beijing’s policies in the South China Sea, where Chinese assertions of sovereignty are unsettling the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei, all of whom have counter claims on the various shoals and islets.

China’s landward neighbors are also feeling the hot breath of Beijing’s mandarins, however, most notably its economic rival India, with whom China fought a brief war in 1962 in the Himalayas over a disputed frontier, where the alpine conflict, according to China’s official military history, achieved China’s policy objectives of securing borders in its western sector in retaining Chinese control of the Aksai Chin with India accepting the de facto borders which codified along the Line of Actual Control.

Now China and India are engaged yet again in a spat, this time over the headwaters of the Brahmaputra River. According to New Delhi China is planning up to 24 hydroelectric facilities with a cumulative power generation capacity of nearly 2,000 megawatts along Brahmaputra’s source, the Arun River, before it descends into India.

Further east, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos are alarmed by China’s intentions to build three massive dams on the upper reaches of the Mekong River, adding to six existing hydroelectric facilities. What is singularly lacking in all these plans is any regional or concerted international effort to counter China’s plans.

India’s concerns are heightened by the fact that most of its major rivers originate in Tibet, which China invaded and annexed in 1950, declaring it an integral part of “Western China.” Both the Brahmaputra and Indus rivers have their origins in a lake in western Tibet near Mount Kailash.

Complicating India’s efforts to discuss the issue is China’s reluctance to acknowledge the validity of satellite imagery, which Beijing regards as espionage, even though in 2010 China acknowledged as a result of India’s space observation that it was in fact building the Zangmu dam on the Brahmaputra, as the imagery received from Indian satellites confirmed the construction.

Indian strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney observed, “China has always been unapologetic about its refusal to enter into water sharing agreements with any states. It has always maintained that it would take into account interests of the lower riparian states but about half of the world’s total number of large dams are in China. India, with so many of its major rivers originating in Tibet, is going to be among the worst affected. The issue is usually soft pedaled by the water resources ministry, and there is never any international pressure on this though the list of countries suffering because of China’s refusal is quite long including Russia, Kazakhstan, Burma, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.”

Chellaney’s list of aggrieved states along China’s landward frontiers is extensive – what remains to be seen is whether the region’s two substantive powers, Russia and India, are willing to confront Beijing, either singly or in concert, over Beijing’s efforts to harness Asia’s river flow to power its industrial miracle. So far, the signs are not encouraging, as Chinese economic “soft power” seduces Russia and India as covertly as it does America’s economy.

Article by John Daly, appearing courtesy OilPrice.com.

Related posts:

• Israel Electric Corp. to Build $1.3 Billion Chinese Solar Project
• China Secures Major Foothold in California’s Growing Solar Market
• China to Impose Targets on Regions to Cut Carbon Intensity
• Greening China’s New Building Stock
• Energy Conservation Through Peer Pressure

I have been reluctant to join the fray on what the recent Japanese disasters might mean to this or that issue. With active clients in Tokyo, these tragedies have had a personal effect, and my first thoughts have been for the personal well-being of these clients, their families, and their colleagues. So while the most important observations are surely to be found in the resilience of the people of Japan, there are a few items worth considering within our comparatively small smart grid universe.

The highest profile issue is how the ongoing struggles at the Fukushima nuclear plant will impact the budding “nuclear renaissance” assumed for the United States and around the world. NRG Energy has already scaled back its efforts on a South Texas nuclear plant expansion (in which Japan’s TEPCO is an investor/participant). With the NRC declaring that it will review all existing and proposed plants in light of the Fukushima disaster, many believe it is 1979 all over again, when the Three Mile Island incident put the industry into a deep freeze.

The problem this time around is that while it may not be popular to admit it, nuclear expansion is the closest thing to a silver bullet to displace the 45 percent of U.S. electricity currently generated by carbon-spewing coal. The smart grid will need to get much smarter, much faster, if we want renewable energy resources to pick up even bigger slice of pie.

The other observation is the inherent vulnerability of large, centralized power generation. These natural disasters have created an instant and severe electricity shortage within perhaps the world’s most electricity dependent nation, with world-wide impact. This is a shock to what has been the world’s most reliable grid. (As an aside, it is worth noting how resilient the rest of Japan’s grid has been to the effects of the huge earthquake, which is quite remarkable). Would a grid with high penetrations of distributed renewable generation, organized as a collection of semi-autonomous microgrids, with large amounts of fine-grained demand response capability, fared better in the face of such a disaster? It is entirely possible, which is why the military is leading so much of the efforts around these technologies.

Of course, a countervailing observation can be made as well. The smart grid is all about leveraging communications and IT to derive greater efficiencies through real-time, fine-grained, control and management of distributed, ever-changing, generation sources and load sinks. This is really nothing short of a large scale, complex, resilient, semi-autonomous control system. Unfortunately, the best-in-class complex, resilient, semi-autonomous control systems in existence today are in nuclear plants. Ironically, it appears the key failure on the Fukushima disaster was a lack of electricity to run the control systems (i.e. cooling) to shut down the plant. Could we be setting ourselves up for a similar kind of “deadly embrace” in the smart grid, where we need electricity to run the controls, but we need the controls to run the electricity?

Much of this is magnified if we consider that it may not take a tremendous natural disaster on the scale of the recent earthquake and tsunami to cause such centralized (or distributed) disruptions. Most believe that cyber attacks could today accomplish the same or worse.

In any case, it is hard to imagine that any other region of the world could respond to such a challenge with any more grace and fortitude as the Japanese are doing today. May we never face that challenge again.

Article by Bob Gohn, appearing courtesy the Matter Network.

Related posts:

• Japanese Wind Farms Keep Spinning In The Wake Of Fukushima
• Siemens Promotes Smart Grid Technology Innovation Contest
• U.S. Unveils Programs to Modernize Electric Grid System
• Japan Signals Move Towards Renewable Energy
• Germany Plans to Shut Down All of its Nuclear Reactors by 2022

Bing Energy, a company that manufactures components for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs), which recently entered a partnership with Florida State University (FSU), has been subcontracted by the University of Central Florida (UCF) to develop a low-cost and high-efficiency 500 W portable PEMFC system.

Bing Energy’s two-year subcontract is financed by a grant UCF recently received from the Department of Energy to assist in the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Technologies Program – Multi-year Research, Development and Demonstration Plan. Under the contract, Bing Energy is responsible for developing high-performance 4cm x 4cm membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) and a 500W stack prototype using the advantages of the buckypaper -based solution.

The final products will be launched to the portable and stationary power generation market. These products can be applied to temporary emergency power backup (both for commercial and residential uses) and are particularly useful in hurricane-prone areas like Florida.

“The products we will develop will lead to a long-term power generation strategy that is less reliant on a few large power generation plants and the aging grid. The benefit will be clean and affordable energy where and when it is needed”, said Richard Hennek, vice president for business development at Bing Energy.

Fuel Cells

A fuel cell is an energy conversion device that can efficiently capture and use the power of hydrogen, an emissions-free source of energy. Stationary fuel cells can be used for backup power, power for remote locations, distributed power generation, and cogeneration (in which excess heat released during electricity generation is used for other applications). They can power almost any portable application that typically uses batteries, from hand-held devices to portable generators.

The agreement Bing Energy has entered with Florida State University gives the company exclusive use of revolutionary nanotechnology that will create a new generation of hydrogen fuel cells that are less expensive, smaller, lighter and more durable.

The technology was developed by Dr. Jim P. Zheng, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the Florida A&M University-Florida State University College of Engineering. The breakthrough is that it reduces the need for expensive platinum components in hydrogen fuel cells. It works with a material known as buckypaper, which is a form of carbon that is extremely light and can easily conduct heat or electricity.

Dr. Zheng has designed a thin material, or membrane, that is thinner and lighter than current components. For that reason, the fuel cell can be smaller and yet still provide the same amount of power.

Until now, fuel cells have been too expensive for mass production and use. Dr. Zheng’s breakthrough makes them viable for mass-market use for the first time, with the potential to transform both transportation and distributed power generation.

Article by Antonio Pasolini, appearing courtesy Justmeans.

Related posts:

• Denmark Boasts a 100% Renewable Energy Community
• Enzyme Mix Could Cut Key Step In Making Hydrogen Fuel Cells
• Students Think Up Hydrogen Solutions; Industry Body Asks For More Official Support
• General Motors and Oahu Shake Hands in the Name of Green Transportation
• Mussels Near Deep-Sea Vents Convert Hydrogen to Energy, Study Says

The Washington Post has announced that in 2010, not a single new coal-fired power plant was constructed in the United States. This marks the second year in a row in which this has occurred. Coal remains the most abundantly used source of electricity, accounting for half of all power generation. However, a number of factors, such as the economy, lower natural gas prices, and environmentalist opposition, have effectively halted the growth of the coal industry.

Coal is being dumped in favor of natural gas, which due to extensive exploration and production, has a significantly lower price than in the past. Much of the new gas production is in shale rock, which have recently been unlocked due to new technologies. Reserves of shale gas are believed to be vast in North America and elsewhere, rivaling the oil reserves of the Middle East.

America’s largest electricity generator, American Electric Power (AEP), plans to turn to natural gas for any additional electrical capacity. The price of natural gas straight from the wellhead stood at about $4.25 per thousand cubic feet in 2010, well below its historic average price. According to a report from Deutsche Bank, if gas prices stay below $6, more plants will be converting from coal to gas.

“Coal is a dead man walkin’,” says Kevin Parker, global head of asset management and a member of the executive committee at Deutsche Bank. “Banks won’t finance them. Insurance companies won’t insure them. The EPA is coming after them…And the economics to make it clean don’t work.”

But coal is not completely dead yet. Last year, the coal industry
managed to kill the climate legislation (cap and trade) in the US Senate, showing it still has a lot of influence in politics and public opinion. Plus, even as it declines, it remains the number one source of electricity in America.

However, the coal industry is under a heavy assault from the Environmental Protection Agency. Starting this year, new EPA regulations take effect to lower greenhouse gas emissions of power plants emitting over 75,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. Such a rule would force industry to install state-of-the-art emissions controls on new construction in order to obtain the necessary air permits. For a dirty fossil fuel like coal, the added cost of new controls can make it economically prohibitive, accelerating the conversion to natural gas.

Fights among lawmakers and in the courts can be expected as the new regulations begin to take effect. Many Republicans plan to block or hamstring the EPA’s efforts. Nevertheless, overall demand for coal power is decreasing in the United States. From 2000 to 2008, 19 new coal-fired plants were constructed. In 2010, plans to build 38 new plants were abandoned, and an additional 48 plants were mothballed. For the sake of the environment, let’s hope this trend continues.

Article by David A. Gabel, appearing courtesy Environmental News Network.

Related posts:

• Stratospheric Pollution Is Slowing Global Warming, Study Says
• Xcel to Retire 900 Megawatts of Coal-Fired Power
• TVA to Close 18 Coal Units in Settlement of Air Pollution Suit
• Electricity Co-Op Chooses “New Power” Over Coal Energy and Emissions
• Funding Limits on Coal Plants Proposed in New World Bank Policy

Ethiopia is not the first country to pops into minds when it comes to renewable energy. In fact, when thinking about renewable energy in Africa, Ethiopia still isn’t the first country that may come to mind. However, the country relies heavily on hydroelectric power as their primary means of generating electricity due to low fossil fuel reserves within the country. Despite not really being seen as a renewable energy leader in Africa, Ethiopia believes that their country has a remarkable potential to expand their renewable energy and take advantage of the natural resources that are readily available.

According to a study by Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation, the country has the potential to generate an astounding 60,000 megawatts of renewable energy is the country takes full advantage of their natural resources. According to Misikir Negash, the Corporate Communication Chief Officer of the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation, the 60,000 megawatts of renewable energy can be easily broken down to determine the source of the power. Negash says that the study outlined figures that would allow the country to generate 45,000 megawatts from hydroelectric power, 10,000 megawatts from wind energy and 5,000 megawatts of geothermal energy overall.

Based on current figures, the ability to generate the 60,000 megawatts of renewable energy would be a considerable boost to the current electricity infrastructure in Ethiopia. According to Negash, only forty one percent of Ethiopia is currently plugged into the national electricity network. With these new figures in mind, however, the Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation is hoping to increase the coverage to approximately seventy five percent in the next five years. The increase in coverage is a part of Ethiopia’s overall plan to expand their power generation from around 2,000 megawatts to over 8,000 megawatts in a five year period. To kick off the increase in renewable energy, the nation is also working on a 120 megawatt wind farm with the intention to build sister wind farms in other areas of the country.

As oil prices rise around the globe, Ethiopia is currently feeling the squeeze considering the fact that almost all of the nation’s refined petroleum has to be imported. If the country is able to boost their renewable energy generation upwards to the potential 60,000 megawatts of renewable energy from the variety of resources the financial strain from purchasing refined fossil fuels may be lessened. Of course, this is all assuming that constantly pushing to develop new methods of renewable energy doesn’t end up acting as an added financial strain in the years to come.

Potential and current financial woes aside, Ethiopia is hopeful that their plan to increase their renewable energy and electricity coverage in the next five years will be successful. Once that is completed, and working well, they can look to the future and think about how to best seize that potential.

Article by Richard Cooke, appearing courtesy Justmeans.

Related posts:

• Ethiopia Moves Toward Carbon Neutrality
• When The Water Ends: Africa’s Climate Conflicts
• Dutch Website Donates To Solar Power Projects
• Clean Web Design Boosts Clean Tech
• Investment in African Renewable Energy Reaches $3.6 Billion in 2011

An old Israeli joke describes how God led Moses through the desert to the Holy Land for 40 years, through hardships and dangers, only to lead the Israelite nation to the only spot in the Middle East where there isn’t a drop of oil.

Two thousand years later, things have remained pretty much the same. Today, Israel is considered an “island-state”, with over 99% of its capacity produced from imported fossil fuels.

In alignment with global trends, Israel has experienced a recent surge of new ventures in the field, comprising commercial, academic and regulatory initiatives. Although a pioneer and home to world leaders in the RE field, the post-80s low oil pricing era left the Israeli RE industry relatively dormant in comparison with its blossoming high-tech activity.

Recent developments in RE market volume and value have once again sparked an interest in RE-oriented R&D, as well as the initiation of ambitious domestic power generation projects. From my position as senior consultant at Ernst & Young’s RE division and later as an IDC cleantech analyst, I personally witnessed the transition of RE companies from marginal tree-huggers to hot investment opportunities. Now all that is left to be seen is if and how the country will harness recent supportive trends in becoming an energy-efficient global market leader.

As in Europe and the US, Israel is highly influenced by recent global trends such as global warming and volatile oil prices. However, due to the country’s size, climate and geopolitical status, some local parameters apply with greater force:

Need to expand the Israeli power generation capacity

Israel’s current energy consumption status reflects its unique combination of European living standards with the rapid growth in fossil-based energy demand; typical of developing countries. To illustrate, Israel’s per-capita energy usage increased by 44% since 1990, as opposed to the EU, where the average per-capita energy usage increased by only 15%.

According to a recent report by the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection, Israel has become more dependent on imported fossil fuels than ever before, while its energy intensity has not decreased. Moreover, Israel has no electrical interconnections with neighbouring countries, and must depend on its extremely low reserves to meet demand during peak hours.

As a result, the Israeli peak-demand for electricity is dangerously close to its current power generation capacity and is forecast to grow further in the coming years. Addressing this growing demand, recent statutory discussions have explored alternatives beyond the addition of fossil power plants. In this context, supportive regulation has been initiated towards greener solutions in general and turning to RE sources in particular.

Striving for energy independence – the above mentioned dependence on fossil fuel imports leads to heavy economic and political burdens; not only are fuel purchases dependent on fickle pricing, but also strengthen foreign economies which may often constitute or support governments and regimes that are hostile to Israel.

Polluted air in densely populated areas – fuel combustion for electricity generation has long been targeted as a major polluter in Israel, estimated to be responsible for approximately 50% of the country’s air pollution.

Israel is one of the densest countries in the world in terms of both population and land area, with 60% of the population of 7 million residing along the narrow coastal strip along the Mediterranean.

If pollutant emissions per capita in Israel are considered high, they are even higher when calculated in terms of emissions per square kilometre. Findings show that under a business-as-usual scenario and in the absence of a national plan on greenhouse gas mitigation in Israel, greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 may climb some 63% in comparison with 2000. Public pressure today demands a transition towards cleaner air, ground and water supplies, and the increased use of an environmentally benign power supply.

Increased sensitivity to global warming

Israel’s population density and its location at the edge of the desert make it especially vulnerable to climate change; according to the Israeli Ministry of Environmental Protection, Israel has witnessed a warming trend since the beginning of the 1970s, with average temperatures expected to rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2020 and by up to 5 degrees Celsius by the end of the century compared to 1960 – 1990. Recent years have also witnessed an increase in the frequency and length of extreme weather events, including years which are either exceedingly wet or exceedingly dry, with predictions pointing to further increases in the number and frequency of such events (e.g., drought years, floods, heat waves).

The Ministry of Environmental Protection stresses that adaptation strategies must be formulated and implemented in order to address the dire impacts of climate change which are already evident today and will be further aggravated in the near future. In addition, according to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), these impacts will be more severe in the Mediterranean Sea area than in other parts of the world.

Preparing for formal requirements for greenhouse gas reductions

Israel, which ratified the Climate Change Convention in 1996 and the Kyoto Protocol in 2004, does not currently have any binding limitation on its greenhouse gas emissions since it was classified as a developing country. When the new global agreement is expected to come into effect, Israel may well be subject to formal requirements for greenhouse gas reductions. Therefore, the country has initiated a number of steps related to both climate change mitigation and adaptation to prepare for the post-Kyoto period.

With the flourishing CleanTech environment abroad and the beginning of regulatory support from within, efforts by a wide range of academic, technological and commercial ventures in Israel have begun to make progress in addressing local and global challenges alike.

Article by Danny Lev, appearing courtesy of Green Prophet

[photo credit: Danilo Rizzuti]

Related posts:

• Israeli IQWind raises $500k from U.S. investors
• Ormat Teams With Sunday Energy on $195M Joint Venture for 36 MW of Solar
• Israel Electric Corp. to Build $1.3 Billion Chinese Solar Project
• SunPower Acquires SunRay Renewable Energy for $277 Million
• Israel Conference: Clean Tech VCs & CEOs Meet in California

The goal is to enable power generation from low-temperature geothermal resources at an economical cost. In addition to being a clean energy source without any greenhouse gas emissions, geothermal is also a steady and dependable source of power.

A new method for capturing significantly more heat from low-temperature geothermal resources holds promise for generating virtually pollution-free electrical energy. Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are testing a new innovative approach to safely and economically extract and convert heat from vast untapped geothermal resources.

“By the end of the calendar year, we plan to have a functioning bench-top prototype generating electricity,” predicts PNNL Laboratory Fellow Pete McGrail. “If successful, enhanced geothermal systems like this could become an important energy source.” A technical and economic analysis conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology estimates that enhanced geothermal systems could provide 10 percent of the nation’s overall electrical generating capacity by 2050.

The approach involves adding nanostructured metal-organic heat carriers, or MOHCs, which boost the power generation capacity to near that of a conventional steam cycle.

There are many areas of the US that would be suitable for enhanced geothermal power generation systems. Current geothermal systems have more potential for heating than for electrical power generation, so if this approach proves its ability, it will represent a significant breakthrough, and will greatly increase the practicality of geothermal power generation.

Illustration shows the molecular makeup of one of several metal-organic heat carriers, or MOHC, in the biphasic fluids being tested.

This article originally appeared on ENN, the Environmental News Network.

Watch the video: New geothermal heat extraction process to deliver clean power generation

Related posts:

• New Geothermal System Taps Heat Without Geological Risks, Firm Says
• U.S. Geothermal Potential Mapped in New Interactive Database
• Canada Could Be Powered Entirely With Geothermal, Scientists Say
• Geothermal Heat Pumps Face Strange Barriers to Adoption
• Growth of Geothermal Power Helping Colleges to Cut Energy Costs