Another view: bitcoin isn’t likely to consume all the world’s electricity in 2020 (anyone reminded of climate change discussions?)

The computer process that generates each coin is said to be on pace to require more electricity than the United States consumes in a year. This bitcoin “mining” allegedly consumes more power than most countries use each year, and its electricity usage is roughly equivalent to Bulgaria’s consumption. But here’s another thing you might want Read more about Another view: bitcoin isn’t likely to consume all the world’s electricity in 2020 (anyone reminded of climate change discussions?)[…]

China Has Launched the World’s First All-Electric Cargo Ship

Constructed by Guangzhou Shipyard International Company Ltd, it can travel 80 kilometers (approximately 50 miles) after being charged for 2 hours. As noted by Clean Technica, 2 hours is roughly the amount of time it would take to unload the ship’s cargo while docked.Other stats for China’s cargo ship include being 70.5 meters (230 feet) Read more about China Has Launched the World’s First All-Electric Cargo Ship[…]

New battery boffinry could ‘triple range’ of electric vehicles • The Register

A new battery designed at the University of Waterloo in Ontario could triple the range of electric vehicles, a new paper has claimed. The development, described by the article An In Vivo Formed Solid Electrolyte Surface Layer Enables Stable Plating of Li Metal (PDF) in energy journal Joule, is due to an improvement in the Read more about New battery boffinry could ‘triple range’ of electric vehicles • The Register[…]

Using LED lighting has resulted in more light, no energy savings

Using satellite-based sensors, an international team of scientists sought to understand if our planet’s surface is getting brighter or darker at night, and to determine if LEDs are saving energy at the global scale. With the introduction of solid-state lighting—such as LEDs, OLEDs, and PLEDs—it was thought (and hoped) that the transition to it from Read more about Using LED lighting has resulted in more light, no energy savings[…]

One Bitcoin Transaction Now Uses as Much Energy as Your House in a Week

Bitcoin’s incredible price run to break over $7,000 this year has sent its overall electricity consumption soaring, as people worldwide bring more energy-hungry computers online to mine the digital currency.An index from cryptocurrency analyst Alex de Vries, aka Digiconomist, estimates that with prices the way they are now, it would be profitable for Bitcoin miners Read more about One Bitcoin Transaction Now Uses as Much Energy as Your House in a Week[…]

rechargable safe battery

Through Ionic Materials’ invention of a novel solid polymer electrolyte material that conducts ions at room temperature, we are on the verge of revolutionizing battery technology. A truly solid state battery is now possible. Significant improvements in battery safety, performance and cost are achievable with ionic conductivities that exceed those of traditional liquid systems over Read more about rechargable safe battery[…]

California generates 1/2 the US solar energy, has to pay neighbouring states to take the energy

California is the poster child for solar energy: in 2016, 13% of the state’s power came from solar sources. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, California is in the lead for the cumulative amount of solar electric capacity installed in 2016. In fact, the California is generating so much solar energy that it is Read more about California generates 1/2 the US solar energy, has to pay neighbouring states to take the energy[…]

World Energy Hits a Turning Point: Solar That’s Cheaper Than Wind – Bloomberg

A transformation is happening in global energy markets that’s worth noting as 2016 comes to an end: Solar power, for the first time, is becoming the cheapest form of new electricity. This has happened in isolated projects in the past: an especially competitive auction in the Middle East, for example, resulting in record-cheap solar costs. Read more about World Energy Hits a Turning Point: Solar That’s Cheaper Than Wind – Bloomberg[…]

Battery breakthrough will let phones charge in seconds and last for a week

charge has been created by researchers at the University of Central Florida. The high-powered battery is packed with supercapacitors that can store a large amount of energy. It looks like a thin piece of flexible metal that is about the size of a finger nail and could be used in phones, electric vehicles and wearables, Read more about Battery breakthrough will let phones charge in seconds and last for a week[…]

Mimicking nature turns sewage into biocrude oil in minutes

the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has found a way to potentially produce 30 million barrels of biocrude oil per year from the 34 billion gal (128 billion liters) of raw sewage that Americans create every day. According to PNNL, the problem with using sewage as a source material for biocrude Read more about Mimicking nature turns sewage into biocrude oil in minutes[…]

These ultra-thin solar cells can be bent around a pencil

The cells are fabricated onto a flexible substrate that is just a micrometer thick — one-half to one-quarter the thickness of other “thin” solar cells and hundreds of times thinner than conventional cells. A human hair, by comparison, is about 100 micrometers. The team at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea Read more about These ultra-thin solar cells can be bent around a pencil[…]

France to build 1000km of road with solar panels

According to France’s minister of ecology and energy, Ségolène Royal, the tender for this project is already issued under the “Positive Energy” initiative and the test for the solar panels will begin by this spring.The photo voltaic solar panels called “Wattway” which will be used in the project is jointly developed by the French infrastructure Read more about France to build 1000km of road with solar panels[…]

Uruguay makes dramatic shift to nearly 95% electricity from clean energy

now that renewables provide 94.5% of the country’s electricity, prices are lower than in the past relative to inflation. There are also fewer power cuts because a diverse energy mix means greater resilience to droughts.It was a very different story just 15 years ago. Back at the turn of the century oil accounted for 27% Read more about Uruguay makes dramatic shift to nearly 95% electricity from clean energy[…]

Scientists announce progress toward better battery to power cars – lithium-oxygen

Researchers at the University of Cambridge on Thursday announced the creation of a laboratory demonstration model of a lithium-oxygen battery that overcomes many of the barriers that have held back the development of this technology. They said the battery boasts very high energy density, is about 93 percent efficient – better than previous efforts – Read more about Scientists announce progress toward better battery to power cars – lithium-oxygen[…]

SolarCity claims it has created the world’s most powerful solar panel

Solar City said it has created a photovoltaic panel capable of 22% efficiency, 7 percentage points higher than average solar panels. The new panels produce 30% to 40% more power over the current models, but they cost the same to manufacture — about .55 cents per watt, according to Bass. The panels, which are 1.61 Read more about SolarCity claims it has created the world’s most powerful solar panel[…]

France decrees new rooftops must be covered in plants or solar panels

Rooftops on new buildings built in commercial zones in France must either be partially covered in plants or solar panels, under a law approved on Thursday.Green roofs have an isolating effect, helping reduce the amount of energy needed to heat a building in winter and cool it in summer.The argument for divesting from fossil fuels Read more about France decrees new rooftops must be covered in plants or solar panels[…]

Why More Solar Panels Should Be Facing West, Not South

That captures the most solar energy over the course of the day, which benefits the homeowner, but does so at hours that are not so helpful for the utility and the grid as a whole. Mount them to catch the sunlight from the west in the afternoon, and the panels’ production over all would fall, Read more about Why More Solar Panels Should Be Facing West, Not South[…]

Sunlight to jet fuel: European collaboration SOLAR-JET for the first time demonstrates the entire production path of “solar” kerosene

With the first ever production of synthesized “solar” jet fuel, the EU-funded SOLAR-JET project has successfully demonstrated the entire production chain for renewable kerosene obtained directly from sunlight, water and carbon dioxide (CO2), therein potentially revolutionizing the future of aviation. This process has also the potential to produce any other type of fuel for transport Read more about Sunlight to jet fuel: European collaboration SOLAR-JET for the first time demonstrates the entire production path of “solar” kerosene[…]

Scale Model WWII Craft Takes Flight With Fuel From the Sea Concept – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

Navy researchers at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), Materials Science and Technology Division, demonstrate proof-of-concept of novel NRL technologies developed for the recovery of carbon dioxide (CO2) and hydrogen (H2) from seawater and conversion to a liquid hydrocarbon fuel. The predicted cost of jet fuel using these technologies is in the range of $3-$6 Read more about Scale Model WWII Craft Takes Flight With Fuel From the Sea Concept – U.S. Naval Research Laboratory[…]