May 8, 2012 – The stage is set for the new Mercedes-Benz SL 63 AMG. The new version of the high-performance Roadster impresses on several counts: systematic lightweight construction, a boost in output and driving dynamics, and 30 % lower fuel consumption and emissions. Thanks to an all-aluminium bodyshell, similar to that of the SLS AMG super sports car, the vehicle weight has been reduced by 125 kilograms.
May 8, 2012 – Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) today joined the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) and SunDurance Energy to dedicate the Kearny Landfill Solar Farm, the first solar project on a state-owned landfill. The 3-megawatt (MW) installation is part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All™ program and was built on a 13-acre capped section of the closed NJMC 1A Landfill.
The project is a joint effort between PSE&G, the NJMC, which manages the landfill, and SunDurance Energy, an Edison-based solar developer, which did the construction. It was funded in part by an $8.5 million New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (NJBPU) American Recovery and Reinvestment Act State Energy Program grant awarded to the NJMC. The installation of more than 12,500 solar panels on the closed landfill illustrates how clean energy projects can breathe new life into otherwise unusable sites, according to PSE&G’s president, Ralph LaRossa.
“This project opens a new chapter in New Jersey lore,” LaRossa said. “These landfills have sat dormant for years, and have been a familiar site to northern New Jersey residents for as long as I can remember. This project updates that story, showing how 21st century technology coupled with public-private partnerships can return even the most unusable space to a productive purpose.”
“With the support of the Christie administration, we hope that this is the first of several landfill solar projects that transform sites all over the state into a source of pride and clean renewable energy,” LaRossa added.
PSE&G owns and operates the solar farm and leases the land from the NJMC, creating a new source of revenue for the commission. The facility began operations in December 2011.
NJBPU President Bob Hanna, who attended the dedication ceremony, also noted: “Today’s dedication of the first solar project developed on a state-owned landfill is a major milestone in the Christie administration’s efforts to support renewable energy projects. “This project is a great example of the policies contained in the 2011 State Energy Master Plan because it supports the development of solar power with the added benefit of making productive an otherwise useless site.”
The NJMC is a regional leader in the production and promotion of renewable energy. In addition to creating the NJMC 1A Landfill Solar Project, the Commission in January unveiled a 120-kilowatt carport solar canopy consisting of 504 photovoltaic panels covering a section of the Commission’s main parking lot in Lyndhurst.
“The Christie administration, the Meadowlands Commission and PSE&G are leading by example in pursuing smart, effective and realistic renewable energy policies that help to improve the environment and boost economic growth,” said Marcia Karrow, executive director of the NJMC. “The Commission is happy to help advance the governor’s energy goals and pleased that the NJMC 1A Landfill Solar Project is now part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All program.”
The Kearny Landfill Solar Farm joins three other PSE&G Solar 4 All projects (in Linden, Trenton and Edison, NJ) that utilize brownfields. Another brownfield solar farm is in development on PSE&G property in Hackensack. As with all Solar 4 All projects, power from the Kearny Meadowlands Landfill Solar Farm flows directly to the electric grid for the benefit of all PSE&G electric customers
Solar 4 All is a $450 million program to develop 80 MW of solar capacity while creating good jobs, helping New Jersey reach its renewable energy goals and increasing the state’s reputation as a national leader in solar development. More than 64 MW already are in service, with the rest expected to be in service by late 2012 or early 2013.
The program is equally divided into two segments. The first consists of developing more than 20 centralized solar installations and includes the Kearny Landfill Solar Farm. The second consists of installing up to 40 MW of pole-attached solar panels in neighborhoods on utility poles in PSE&G’s service territory.
May 6, 2012 – How do you use solar power at night? Inc. Magazine reported this month on Halotechnics of Emeryville, California. They have developed a glass that is stable up 1,200 degrees C [2,192 degrees Fahrenheit] when melted. Concentrated sunlight will superheat the molten glass during the day and the stored heat can be used to make electricity when the sun isn’t shining. Halotechnics hopes to commercialize the product by 2015 and it has received a $3.3 million grant from the US government. Hopefully, it won’t end up like Solyndra. Please leave your comments here.
The following video shows the arrival in Monaco of Turanor PlanetSolar, the largest solar powered ship. Records include: Longest journey by a solar-powered boat (31,484 miles; not including side trips made by Turanor PlanetSolar); first circumnavigation by a solar-powered boat; fastest crossing of South China Sea by solar power; fastest crossing of the Atlantic by solar power; and largest solar-powered boat. The video is in English and French.
May 5, 2012 – Statoil (OSE:STL, NYSE:STO) and Rosneft signed a cooperation agreement. The companies have agreed to jointly explore offshore frontier areas of Russia and Norway and to conduct joint technical studies on two onshore Russian assets.
The agreement also envisages Rosneft’s acquisition of participating interests in selected Statoil projects.
Rosneft president Eduard Khudainatov and Statoil president and CEO Helge Lund signed the agreement, in the presence of the President-elect of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin.
“This cooperation agreement is an important milestone in Statoil’s exploration activity in Russia. The agreement secures a long term collaborative position with Rosneft in large, prospective frontier areas in the Barents Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. By building on both companies’ competence and experience, this agreement is a significant step further in the industrial development of the Northern areas, says Helge Lund, CEO of Statoil.
Under the agreement, Statoil and Rosneft will set up joint ventures, with Statoil holding 33,33% in each. The partners will jointly explore the Perseevsky licence in in the Russian part of the Central Barents Sea and three licences – the Kashevarovsky, Lisyansky and Magadan-1 – north of Sakhalin island in the Sea of Okhotsk. The four offshore licences cover an area of more than 100,000 square kilometres, equalling approximately 200 blocks on the Norwegian continental shelf.
“We aim for early access at scale in new and promising basins, positioning us for high impact exploration. This agreement is at the core of our strategy, supporting our long term growth ambitions,” says Lund.
Statoil will fund the initial exploration necessary to determine the commercial value of the four licences.
In addition the two companies will conduct joint technical studies on two onshore Russian assets. At the North-Komsomolskoye field in West Siberia Statoil can contribute with experience and competence from both Brazil and the Norwegian continental shelf to unlock the potential of this significant non-producing greenfield. At the shale oil play in the Stavropol area in southwestern Russia Statoil can bring its unconventional experience from the US to the benefit of this proven, unappraised play.
The cooperation agreement also provides Rosneft with an opportunity to acquire interests in selected Statoil exploration licences and assets in the North Sea as well as in the Norwegian sector of the Barents Sea.
The companies have agreed on a programme to exchange and further develop technology and competence relevant for arctic offshore and unconventional exploration and production.
May 5, 2012 – Yesterday, the US issued a proposed rule governing hydraulic fracturing for oil and gas on public lands that will require disclosure of the chemicals used in the process.
May 1, 2012 – Citigroup analyst Timothy Arcuri raised his rating on Sunpower to Buy from Hold; for Yingli Green Energy from Sell to Buy. He maintained his Buy ratings on Trina Solar, MEMC Electronic Materials and Advanced Energy Industries. Which of the above do you own? When did you buy them? Do you plan to hold them or sell shortly? Please leave your comments here.
May 1, 2012 – BioSolar, Inc. (OTCBB: BSRC), developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, announced that it is in the final stage of selecting a U.S. manufacturer for the full-scale production of the company’s BioBacksheet for North American customers. The company has received quotes from qualified manufacturers and expects to name its supplier for initial orders soon.
Dr. Stanley Levy, BioSolar’s chief technology officer, who is spearheading the selection process, commented, “We have carefully chosen and reviewed a number of major manufacturers, and we will soon select the best fit for BioSolar. All of the candidates being considered have state-of-the-art equipment and the know-how to manufacture BioBacksheet to the extremely high standards demanded by our PV customers. We have entered into contract negotiations and expect to sign an agreement with a supplier for our North American customers within 30 days.”
To drive its costs even lower and seize this unique market opportunity, BioSolar recently revised its strategic plan and entered into additional strategic partnerships with manufacturers capable of producing and delivering BioBacksheet in large volume at low cost. In addition to its North American customers, who are already pursuing panel level UL certification of their solar panels with BioBacksheet, BioSolar is accelerating its selling efforts to Asian solar manufacturers.
Commenting on the company’s growth, Dr. David Lee, BioSolar’s chief executive officer, said, “We are making great progress transitioning into a go to market mode. We will be implementing internal quality control and measurement standards, developing logistics for shipping and handling product and building up our marketing and sales infrastructure. This is a challenging endeavor, but I firmly believe we are on track to achieve commercial success.”
Apr 30, 2012 – Toyota is starting to advertise the New Scion iQ car that looks similar to the smartCar from Daimler. Here’s the copy: i AM THE WORLD’S SMALLEST 4-SEATER: i HAVE UNPARALLED PARKING. i TURN ON A 12.9 ft. DIME. i AM 5 X 10 FEET. i AM GOING TO BE BIG. THE NEW SCION iQ iQ THEREFORE i AM.
Apr 30, 2012 – Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. (“SolarOne” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: HSOL), a vertically integrated manufacturer of silicon ingots, wafers and photovoltaic cells and modules, announced that it filed its annual report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2011 with the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 30, 2012. The annual report on Form 20-F can be accessed on the Company’s investor relations website at http://investors.hanwha-solarone.com/sec.cfm.
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Apr 27, 2012 – The last issue of Forbes Magazine had a full page ad from StocksDigest Magazine touting “AN ENERGY GAME CHANGER. This company’s revolutionary technology could change the $6 trillion global energy market…FOREVER.” This featured stock of the month: SEFE, which trades on the Nasdaq OTCBB. Their rating is “Speculative STRONG BUY” with a “Target Price: $6.06″. The ad states that SEFE’s proprietary technology captures the energy that naturally occurs in the atmosphere and converts it into usable electricity. It continues that “SEFE’s renewable energy is more than twice as economical to produce than even the next cheapest source: wind power.”
Please leave your comments here if you have heard of this company and its technology. Also, note if you are long or short the stock.
Apr 25, 2012 -
| Outstanding recognition and the highest praise for the design: the smart ebike is one of the winners of this year’s “Red Dot Design Award”. The first models are being successively delivered from the end of April/beginning of May 2012. The first owners will be the numerous customers who have taken advantage of the possibility to reserve an ebike since November 2011. |
Apr 25, 2012 – The pace of technological advancements in lighting and the implementation of new lighting standards are causing us to rethink our most fundamental beliefs about what creates effective and energy-efficient lighting for kitchens and baths. New options in halogen lighting, compact fluorescent lighting, LED lighting and cutting-edge OLEDs (organic light emitting diodes) are emerging and evolving rapidly, allowing us to create spaces where lighting quality and color rendering and equal to or better than traditional incandescent lighting.
In this seminar, we will discuss all of the details of new technologies as they apply specifically to kitchen and bath design, as well as relevant new energy codes and legislation affecting the way we approach lighting those rooms today — and tomorrow.
This webinar is tailored for architects, specifiers, lighting designers, interior designers, builders and remodelers. Accredited webinars for retail lighting showrooms are available through the American Lighting Assn.
ACCREDITATION:
AIA/CES LU (HSW) 1.0 Learning Unit
IDCEC (IIDA/ASID/IDC) 0.1 CEU
NKBA 0.1 CEU (self-reporting)
NARI 0.1 CEU
Please click the link below to see a video of a 24 square meter (about 250 square feet) apartment. The kitchen is hidden behind cabinet doors. When closed, kitchen doors appear to part of built-in closets. The room serves multiple purposes and there is an outdoor terrace. This video gives excellent design ideas and shows how you can live in a much smaller place.
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