Alternative Energies
Solar,Wind and other alternatives





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Wednesday, 21 January 2009
 

1 Million Wind Power Jobs. In these somewhat gloomy economic times, the renewable energy sector continues to be a hotbed of activity and offers the promise of playing an integral part of stimulating economies. By Energy Matters . [Renewable Energy]
9:41:02 AM    

Mitsubishi unveils first mass-market electric car from a major car maker.

Mitsubishi has unveiled the first mass-market electric car from a mainstream car maker.

Slightly bigger than the Smart ForTwo but with a similar design, the i-MiEV âo[per thou] which goes on sale in the UK later this year âo[per thou] is based on the i, Mitsubishi's existing city car. With room for four adults, it has a top speed of 87mph and produces the equivalent of 57 horsepower. Its lithium-ion battery has a range of 100 miles and can be charged from flat to 80% in 20 minutes using Mitsubishi's bespoke high-powered charger; otherwise, a normal mains electricity socket will charge the battery from flat to full in six hours. Mitsubishi estimates that the car can travel 10,000 miles on £45 of electricity at current UK domestic prices.

Jim Tyrrell, managing director of Mitsubishi, said: "The i-MiEV is a great example of Mitsubishi's ability to innovate and bring the latest technology to market. We have a city car to suit real-world users with its ease of use, great environmental credentials and very low running costs."

Around 200 cars will be available in the UK at first, with final costs yet to be determined. A Mitsubishi spokesperson the cars might not be sold outright, but be leased at a cost of around £750 a month.

Kieren Puffett, editor of car website Parkers.co.uk who took the i-MiEV for a test drive today, said the car was ideal for urban areas. "Through the town, the car is particularly torquey, it can get away from traffic lights and across roundabouts really quite quickly. That's quite a nice benefit for town driving."

He added: "Because it's based on an existing city car, the characteristics are fairly familiar. If someone got in, I don't think they'd notice anything massively adrift."

Puffett had some reservations, however, about Mitsubishi's claims on the car's range. "I deliberately drove the car with headlights, heater and the radio on. I did about 50 minutes of driving and covered about 22 miles âo[per thou] and I discharged the battery to half way from full."

Robert Evans, chief executive of Cenex, a government-backed agency that is leading the introduction of low-carbon road transport to the UK, welcomed the i-MiEV. He said that momentum towards the increased electrification of transport had been building in the UK ever since the publication of a report by Julia King, vice chancellor of Aston University and a former director of advanced engineering at Rolls-Royce. Working with economist Nicholas Stern, King reviewed the vehicle and fuel technologies which could help to decarbonise road transport in the next 25 years. They identified electric cars as a major feature of the future of personal transport.

"If progress is to be maintained, the public needs to be convinced that electric vehicles are a practical proposition that are capable of fulfilling their transport needs," said Evans. "The UK launch of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV âo[per thou] capable of carrying four passengers and with a range of 100 miles âo[per thou] marks an important step in this process.''

Mitsubishi has been developing its electric vehicle technology since 1995, most notably producing in-wheel electric motors that were showcased in an all-electric Lancer Evolution rally car in 2005 though Tyrrell said that specific technology was some way from market yet. This allows each wheel to be driven independently by its own motor. "In-wheel technology lends itself very well to 4-wheel drive performance but is not cost-effective when considering mass-market applications."

Lance Bradley, sales director at Mitsubishi, said: "The i-MiEV is just one of Mitsubishi's environmental initiatives to be unveiled this year. In February, we will launch the Colt ClearTec which uses stop-start technology to radically reduce CO2 emissions. ClearTec technology will be rolled out across most vehicles in the Mitsubishi range within the next three years."

Tyrrell said that as car makers bring out their electric cars he and others were now waiting for a "clear strategic direction and financial support from central government" on ways to make electric cars more attractive to consumers. This could perhaps include giving local authorities clearer direction to start initiatives such as free parking or exemption from certain taxes for electric cars.

guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

[Latest news, sport, business, comment and reviews from the Guardian | guardian.co.uk]
8:23:18 AM    

Monday, 12 January 2009
 

First flight of algae-fuelled jet. Continental Airlines is the latest to test fly a jet biofuel, this time with a product derived partially from algae. [BBC News | Science & Environment | World Edition]
12:33:01 PM    

Monday, 5 January 2009
 

Australia's plan to produce 20 percent of energy from renewable sources by 2020 includes incentives for solar panels, Climate Change Minister Penny Wong.

Wong, releasing draft laws for the target today in Brisbane, said it would include so-called Solar Credits for people who use energy from the sun. The laws also expand the target of electricity from renewable sources to 45,000 gigawatt-hours in 2020 from the existing 9,500 GWh in 2010.

"We are building the low pollution economy of the future by putting a cost on carbon pollution and driving investment in renewable technologies like wind, solar and geothermal energy," Wong said in an e-mailed statement.

Australia's renewable energy target is part of the government's aim to reduce greenhouse gases 60 percent by 2050 to address climate change. Wong this week said the government would use emissions trading to cut pollution 5-15 percent by 2020.

The plan will allow consumers to earn five credits, or Renewable Energy Certificates, for each mega-watt hour of solar energy produced by their panels. These RECs will act as an up- front capital cost worth A$7,500 ($5,194) for purchasers of household photovoltaic systems, Wong said.

"These Solar Credits will help households, small businesses and community groups get assistance with the up-front cost of new solar systems," Environment Minister Peter Garrett said in the statement. "This will provide the industry with a firm footing for the future"

Solar thermal plants might provide half of the renewable target, WorleyParsons Ltd., Australia's biggest engineering company, said in August.

Australian investment in solar power systems may reach as much as A$17.9 billion over the next 20 years with the introduction of a feed-in tariff, the Clean Energy Council, an industry lobby group, said in November.

The council said today the expanded renewable energy target for electricity will trigger more than A$20 billion of new investment and drive immediate cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gemma Daley in Canberra at gdaley@bloomberg.net
11:36:12 PM    


Friday, 11 July 2008
 

The CSIRO, Australia's leading scientific and industrial reasearch organisation has published its "Fuel for Thought" paper which was a direct result of the November 2007 'Future Fuels Forum". The forum's purpose and the focus of the organisations and governments present, was to .. "to explore sceanrios, conduct quantitative modelling and share ideas as a group so as to inform policy and investment decision making within their own organisations and within the broader Australian Community".

Fuel for Thought

The report:

The future of transport fuels: challenges and opportunities was compiled by the Future Fuels Forum, an initiative led by the CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship.
The Forum brought together 18 leading representatives from Australia’s community, industry and government to share ideas.

Let's play "spot the trend".......

Real Oil Prices since 2004

 

Hmmm... Getting warmer?

Oil Price Projection Scenarios

The report is the result of a year’s deliberations by the Future Fuels Forum (FFF) which was convened by CSIRO to engage leading community, industry and government bodies in discussions about a range of plausible scenarios for establishing a secure and sustainable transport fuel mix to 2050.

I know I sound like a broken record but:

John Hofmeister, President of Shell Oil, USA, speaks about Shell's position on energy conservation and Global Warming.

The speech was made at the Washington University, St. Louis, USA in September 2006.

MP3 version here.

 

 

 


4:25:02 PM    

Friday, 30 May 2008
 

Making Renewable, Carbon-Neutral Gasoline ... From Algae. A San Diego start-up says it's using algae to create "green crude" that is chemically identical to petroleum and can be refined into renewable, carbon-neutral gasoline. Energy experts say it might be on to something big.

[Wired Top Stories]
2:01:37 PM    

Tuesday, 8 April 2008
 

Scientists Unveil High-Res Map of the U.S. Carbon Footprint. Purdue scientists have unveiled the most high-resolution map of Americans' carbon dioxide emissions yet, including video of hourly changes to the nation's greenhouse gas profile.

[Wired Top Stories]
5:06:01 PM    

Friday, 15 February 2008
 

Prince sees climate fight as war. Prince Charles tells Euro MPs the biggest ever public-private partnership is needed to tackle climate change. [BBC News | Science/Nature | World Edition]
10:51:31 AM    


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