Energy

World Bank Report Argues for Clean Energy

- Adam Clare

The World Bank published a report on Apr. 23 that hints to more money for clean, renewable energies in developing nations. The report is careful to not discuss what countries with no power should do, but looks at what countries that have a growing need for more power should do. And that’s no small task “According to the International Energy Agency, a total of US$8.1 trillion, or US$300 billion per year from 2003 to 2030 is needed if developing and transitional economies are to meet their energy needs.”

It’s quite a shift to see the World Bank support clean energy production given their history of energy funding.

Auto Catch-Up

- Adam Clare

Two good vehicular announcements:

A 3-wheeled machine has been demonstrated in Bath, England. “The prototype Clever (Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport) car is one metre wide and less polluting than normal vehicles.” It tilts into the turns and has a top speed of 100 km/h , a novel invention indeed.

And at the Geneva Auto Show a company debuted a very efficient automobile, the Loremo. “The combination of light weight and tunnel tested aerodynamics allow this car to travel 157 miles per gallon of gasoline or 1.5 l per 100km!”

Fridge Magnet

- Adam Clare

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered a metal alloy that actually allows magnets to cool down a fridge than just hold up pictures on the fridge.

“When this alloy is placed in a magnetic field, it gets colder. Karl Sandeman and his co-workers think that their material – a blend of cobalt, manganese, silicon and germanium – could help to usher in a new type of refrigerator that is up to 40 percent more energy-efficient than conventional models.”

Got Wind?

- Adam Clare

The do-it-yourself renewable energy website, gotwind.org, has launched a competition to make a cheap, and effective wind turbine.

” You are required to design, but not necessarily build a workable wind generator that produces a good useable amount of electricity.”

The rules are simple and the impact of this competition can be huge. Give it a shot!

Concentrating Power

- Adam Clare

A cheaper way to use solar power energy has been created that concentrates the sun intense rays on a very small focal point. The key is using the sun as heat, opposed to turning the light directly into electricity.

“It uses an old principle—that concentrated light is a great heat source—to achieve a level of efficiency on par with conventional power sources and far higher than traditional solar cells. Instead of converting sunlight directly into electricity, as those familiar rooftop solar panels do, it uses a concave array of mirrors to focus light on a central point, where the resulting heat causes compressed hydrogen to expand, driving a four-cylinder engine that turns a 25-kilowatt generator. “

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