GM has announced that is partnering with Hawaii utility The Gas Company to develop hydrogen fueling infrastructure on the island of Oahu.

The utility produces hydrogen along with synthetic natural gas.  Through this partnership, it will tap into its pipelines, separate the hydrogen from the natural gas and deliver it to fueling stations where it can be used by fuel cell cars.  GM says that because the hydrogen fuel will be delivered through existing infrastructure, it could be priced equally to or less than gasoline.

GM is essentially using Hawaii as a testing ground for ramping up its production and testing of fuel cell cars.  The company is working on a fuel cell system that could be ready for commercialization by 2015 and this pilot project will help pave the way for its launch.

This project is great for Hawaii too as the island state is an ideal location for fuel cell cars for a few reasons:  it has an abundant source of hydrogen fuel, it has a great need for a clean alternative to petroleum (it currently imports oil for 90 percent of its energy needs) and the state has made commitments to reduce petroleum use and to get 70 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030.

via GM

Think Global has come back from teetering on the brink of bankruptcy in a big way.  The Norwegian automaker just raised $40 million in investments that will drive their expansion into North America.

It was just last year that the electric car manufacturer had to stop production of their TH!INK City EV while scrambling to make ends meet.  Now it's planning to introduce the compact EV to North American shores by the fourth quarter of this year, which is good for the company and the U.S.

While the first cars to reach our cities will be built in Finland, in 2011, Think is moving their production to Indiana.

Europeans have embraced the cute, affordable EV that has a 100-mile range and max speed of 62 mph; here's hoping Americans do too.

via Treehugger

 

May 12, 2010 – Dell announced on Tuesday that the bamboo packaging which houses multiple netbooks and laptop lines during shipping has been certified compostable by the American Society for Testing and Materials. Dell joins the likes of SunChips and Snyder’s of Hanover in leading the next trend in sustainable packaging – compostability.

Minesto, a spin-off from Swedish automaker Saab, is developing what it calls it's "Deep Green" technology, underwater kites tethered to the ocean floor that could produce continuous energy from tidal flows. A single Deep Green turbine could produce up to 500 kilowatts of electricity. And tides are much more regular than winds, so that the energy produced would be less erratic and variable.

The kites have a 12m (almost 40 ft) wingspan. The kites would remain at least 20m (66 feet) below the surface, to prevent conflicts with ocean navigation and minimize visual impact. Tidal flow as low as 1.6 meters/second can be used to create the lift necessary to move the kite.

Since the underwater kite is anchored to the ocean floor, it is able to move at much faster speeds, which makes the turbine more effective, as it traverses back and forth in order to generate electricity. Although wind-based deepwater offshore power systems are difficult to install and operate, Deep Green tidal kites would be well suited for instalation in deeper waters. Furthermore, the underwater kites are much lighter and easier to install than the equipment needed for other deepwater generation systems. Deepwater generating systems have the additional expense and technical hurdles of transmitting the power over a greater distance. But the higher efficiency and more consistent generation offered by Deep Green could offset those drawbacks.

The company indicates the Deep Green system offers an operating cost of 0.06-0.14 Euros/kWh, as compared to 0.15-0.30 Euros/kWh for other tidal systems, and 0.10-0.12 Euros/kWh for offshore wind systems.

A scale model of Deep Green will be tested in Northern Ireland next year as the next stage of development for this system.

via: Slashdot

May 11, 2010 – Shunning operating standards and dealership models held by the major global automakers for decades, automotive startup Coda is planning to manufacture and sell its all-electric sedans without owning a single manufacturing plant or car dealership.

Indicators continue to show disturbing trends and unexpected events, indicating that changes are taking place in the Earth's environment. The South Pole has had its warmest year ever (since recordkeeping began in the 1950s), and the North Pole experienced unexpected rain in late April.

"My business is weird, wild and wacky weather, and this is up there among fish falling from the sky or Niagara Falls running dry," according to David Phillips, a senior climatologist with Environment Canada. "I mean, it really is strange. You just don't expect it to rain in the High Arctic in April; maybe in July and August."

Phillips also indicated that over 50 years of historical weather data show "no signs of rainfall ever occurring in April in the High Arctic." The unusual rain could be an indicator of further shifts beginning to take place in Arctic weather patterns due to the continuing warming of the region.

The Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station recorded the highest average annual temperature in 2009. It was also the second warmest year on record for overall surface temperatures on the Earth, according to NASA.

Links: CBC News and Yahoo News

Plastiki’s Expedition Leader David De Rothschild takes some time to speak with SLM’s Lindsey Whited about the impact that his voyage will make in the world of corporate responsibility.

Last year, Toyota re-committed to producing a hydrogen fuel cell car by 2015 and it looks like they're keeping their promise, and making it cheaper.  The automaker says it has slashed the cost of producing a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle by 90 percent, allowing them to introduce a fuel cell sedan in 2015 with a price tag of $50,000.

Toyota says that they hope to cut the cost by an additional 50 percent in the next few years so that they can produce this so-called affordable mid-sized fuel cell car that would offer the same range as a conventional car.  They've cut costs by using one-third the platinum traditionally used in fuel cells (10 grams instead of 30 grams) and by reducing the cost of a polymer electrolyte in the cell.  The additional savings will come from scaling up production.

If you think $50,000 is still a lot of money, I agree with you, but it's far less than the exorbitant prices that fuel cell cars have been projected to cost (think up to seven figures).  If the costs keep coming down and if fueling stations start popping up, hydrogen vehicles could finally have a chance at making it.

via Wired

 

Last week, the Cape Wind offshore wind farm was approved by the federal government, but there were still some unknowns left to deal with, a major one being who would buy the power the wind farm generated.  Today, that part has at least partially been decided, with Massachusetts utility National Grid agreeing to purchase half of the power starting in 2013.

Under the contract, National Grid will buy the electricity at 20.7 cents per kWh, which will lead to an increase of only about $1.59 per month on its customers energy bills.

The contract is a win-win for National Grid and Cape Wind.  The agreement is enough for the wind farm to start securing financing and investors and the electricity being purchased will equal three percent of the utility's total load -- a big step towards a state requirement to get 15 percent of their total electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

The project is set to be completed by the end of 2012, but there are still other hurdles to clear:  more purchase agreements are needed, many lawsuits have been filed to halt the project and lots of red tape lays ahead to build the wind farm.

via Earth2Tech

 

May 7, 2010 – Joule Unlimited, a Cambridge, Massachusetts based company, has just begun construction on a test facility in Texas which will produce ethanol and diesel fuels from an innovative new source: gene altered organisms that absorb sunlight and carbon dioxide in order to “sweat” hydrocarbons.

Solar panel materials are getting thinner and thinner. Now, MIT researchers have announced a method for printing solar cell material on paper.

The efficiency of this method is far lower than other kinds of solar cells. The paper solar cells have an efficiency of around 1.5-2%, while commercial silicon wafer solar panels are generally around the 15-20% efficiency range. However, the scientists point out that this is still a reserach technology and is years from commercialization.

Even if the efficiency does not improve dramatically, it may be possible that cheap and abundant solar collecting materials provide a better and more cost-effective way of getting power, especially for portable electronic devices.

The relative effect of the chemicals and processes used in system may also be an issue. If there are less harmful materials used in a printed solar cell technology, the benefits that offers may also outweigh the relative efficiency gap as compared with the more toxic option.

via: Inhabitat and CNET

Japan's population is getting older.  Their birth rate has declined, and with that, a drop in production of baby diapers.  But conversely, the production of adult diapers has risen seven percent in just two years, hitting 5 billion units last year.  Leave it to Japan to turn an increase in adult diaper waste into a great fuel making opportunity.

Enter Japanese company Super Faiths who has created their SFD Recycle System machine that automatically shreds, dries and sterilizes dirty diapers from hospitals and nursing homes, and turns them into fuel pellets.  These bacteria-free pellets can then be used in biomass boilers and stoves for home or water heating.

Unlike the diaper-recycling plants that exist in Europe, these machines can be installed directly at the source.  A hospital in Tokyo has two machines that process a total of 1,400 pounds of disposable diapers a day.  It takes a day for the diapers to become fuel material.

Super Faiths has three different sized models that can process from 330 to 1,102 pounds of diapers a day.

via CNET

Our latest video, a piece by Thornberg & Forester, truly puts the "Power of AND" into perspective - and shows exactly why any brand that is focused on, or interested in, sustainable innovation should check out Sustainable Brands '10.

May 5, 2010 – Owens-Illinois, Inc, the world’s largest manufacturer of glass packaging, has released the results of their life cycle assessment on glass containers which measures the carbon emissions generated by each phase of the products life and attempts to determine what material is better suited for packaging: glass, aluminum or plastic.

NASA's newest robot can dive and swim for indefinite periods of time because it's powered by an unlimited resource:  the ocean's temperatures.  The robotic buoy utilizes thermal energy each time it moves from cold deep waters to warm surface waters.

The SOLO-TREC diver has been taking 500-meter dives off the coast of Hawaii collecting information on ocean salinity and currents since last November.  The robot makes three trips a day, constantly recharging itself.

The robot is outfitted with tubes of oil.  Those tubes are surrounded by a compartment filled with wax that liquifies once the robot hits warm waters.  The liquified wax expands, which squeezes the oil from the tubes into the interior of the buoy it's stored at high pressure.  The oil is then released, which drives the generator and charges the batteries.

This process produces about 1.6 Wh, which fuels the buoy's functions like water intake and expulsion, a GPS receiver, and its sensors and transmitters.

NASA plans to create a whole fleet of these robot buoys that will monitor various ocean conditions.  The next step will be to develop similar devices that would never require a battery change.

via New Scientist

A research company in New Hampshire recently announced the patent of their bladeless wind turbine, which is based on a patent issued to Nikola Tesla in 1913. The Fuller Wind Turbine developed by Solar Aero has only one rotating part, the turbine-driveshaft. The entire assembly is contained inside a housing, so that this turbine offers several advantages versus blade-style (primarily horizontal-axis type) turbines. With a screened inlet and outlet, this turbine does not present a danger to wildlife such as bats and birds. To an outside observer, the only movement visible is the entire turbine housing as it adjusts to track the wind. This also makes it a good candidate for use near military surveillance and radar installations, where moving blades would otherwise cause difficulties.

According to the company, the turbine is expected to deliver power at a cost comparable to coal-fired power plants. Total operating costs over the lifetime of the unit are expected to be about $0.12/kWh. The turbine also should have fewer maintenance requirements, leading to lower lifetime operating costs. The turbine itself can also be supported on magnetic bearings, and all of the generating equipment kept at ground level, which will also make maintenance easier. The company estimates "final costs will be about $1.50/watt rated output, or roughly 2/3 the cost of comparable bladed units."

The Tesla turbine operates using the viscous flow of a fluid to move the turbine and thereby produce energy. The Tesla turbine "consists of a set of smooth disks, with nozzles applying a moving gas to the edge of the disk. The gases drag on the disk by means of viscosity and the adhesion of the surface layer of the gas. As the gas slows and adds energy to the disks, it spirals in to the center exhaust. Since the rotor has no projections, it is very sturdy." Disks in the turbine need to be closely spaced in order to capture the viscous flow,. In order to be effective, the Tesla turbine also needs to have extremely thin disks to minimize turbulence at the edges. Tesla was not able to find metals of sufficient quality to make this work effectively, but apparently, nearly a century later, those limitations have been overcome.

Solar Aero's current example is an unassuming trailer-mounted unit, but a unit the size of the one pictured (see website) "should be capable of 10kW output with no problem," according to the inventor. The number of disks determines the amount of power that can be produced. It will be interesting to see if this technology takes off, and if the technology is something that can be scaled up to provide utility level power production, or if it is only a niche system. In any case, it is interesting to see alternatives to bladed wind turbines.

Link: Solar Aero

Director of Sustainable Packaging at The Coca-Cola Company, discusses municipal and consumer recycling, life cycle assessment, impact analysis of materials, and drives home the the importance of design and closing the loop

Variety of findings and case studies on sustainability, retail, shopper attitudes and behaviors, and brands that are providing custom atmospheres and experiences that stand out.

Understanding consumer behavior and attitudes regarding sustainability and health/wellness is an ongoing process. Listen to perspectives from Peter Salmon of Moxie Design in New Zealand, Guy Champniss of Havas Media, and Simon Jimenez of Globescan.

A new study claims that the U.S. could be free of emissions from coal-fired power plants in 20 years using only technologies that currently exist or could be ready in the next decade.  The one thing holding us back, according to the authors, is political will.

The study, published in the latest issue of Environmental Science and Technology, lays out a plan to erase coal emissions that includes cutting fossil fuel subsidies, applying a substantial fee on carbon emissions, developing a smart grid, increasing energy efficiency, some carbon capture and storage, and, of course, replacing coal with clean energy alternatives and new (hopefully safer) nuclear technologies.

What's most important about this study, regardless of whether we could realistically drum up the support to make this massive overhaul so quickly, is that we already have the technology at our disposal to make coal almost obsolete in just 20 short years.  Think of the impact that would have on our ability to mitigate the effects of climate change.

via Mongabay