SVM GreenBits » Green Energy Sources

SunWize Commercial Power Systems Wins $7.8 Million in Federal Contracts

SVM — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 19:16:31 +0000

The Department of Veteran Affairs has awarded more than $7.8 million in solar power contracts to SunWize Commercial Power Systems, the nationwide commercial installation division of SunWize Technologies, Inc.

According to SunWize officials, the contracts consist of 10 solar hospital projects to be installed in locations across the country. The diverse set of rooftop and carport systems vary in size from under 50 kW to more than 400 kW, and are located on VA facilities from the East Coast to the South Pacific.

The Ocean May Be the Key to Easing Energy Crunch

SVM — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:16:36 +0000

Residents in Florida — the fourth most populous state in America – are finding themselves in the midst of an energy crisis. With the demand for energy quickly outpacing the capacity to create it, researchers at Florida Atlantic University are turning to an alternative source – the ocean.

Scientists say the energy within the Gulf Stream’s currents could propel Florida out of its potential energy crisis, powering three to seven homes — or supplying the state with one-third of its electricity. Click here to learn more.

The idea of harnessing the ocean’s power for energy has become increasingly popular. To date, a number of organizations are working on technologies related to marine renewable energy.

Such companies include:

Sixteen Ancient Technologies Reborn

SVM — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 20:31:32 +0000

This month, GreenTechMedia highlighted obsolete greentech concepts that are making a go of it…again.
In this really cool list, GreenTechMedia features sixteen ideas that are centuries old, but are experiencing a re-birth in today’s green technology startups. The old-school concepts include:
1. Mashed Earth (www.integrityblock.com)
2. Solar-Thermal Water Heaters (www.mondial-energy.com )
3. Solar Lighting (www.sunlight-direct.com )
4. The Opposed Piston/Opposed Cylinder Engine (www.achatespower.com , www.ecomotors.com)
5. “Swirly” Water / Natural Water Flow (www.watreco.com , www.parc.com )
6. Dung (www.microgy.com)
7. Ambient Cooling (www.mkd-arc.com )
8. Electric Cars (www.teslamotors.com , www.think.no )
9. Biodiesel
10. Hemp
11. Zinc Batteries (www.powergenix.com , www.zpowerbattery.com , www.poweraircorp.com )
12. Plasma Lights (www.luxim.com )
13. Tidal Power
14. Thin Clients (www.wyse.com )
15. Geothermal Cooling
16. Tribal Warfare, Malaria, Limited Life Spans

Read the details (and witty commentary here) http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/sixteen-ancient-technologies-reborn-5485/

Solar Power May be Coming to a Home Near You Thanks to Startup’s $2M Funding Deal

SVM — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:38:32 +0000

GreenRay Inc., a Massachusetts-based startup working to develop affordable solar energy for the residential market, announced this week that it has completed its Series A financing round. The $2 million investment will enable GreenRay to rapidly move ahead with manufacturing, distribution channel development, and commercial launch.

Founded in 2006, GreenRay develops solar AC modules with fewer parts and simplified installation which reduce the cost of generating renewable solar energy. At the heart of GreenRay’s AC Solar Module is a highly reliable patented micro-inverter paired with energy monitoring.

GreenRay was founded in 2006 by a team of former Schott Solar employees. Since then, GreenRay has received over $3.5 million in government-sponsored funding to demonstrate its AC Module concept, including grants from the Department of Energy and a SEED investment from the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust.

And Another…And Another…

SVM — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:45:58 +0000

This week Greetechmedia updated their list of the number solar start-ups to a whopping 217!

We all know that green energy is hot – but looking at GreenTechMedia’s Senior Analyst Eric Wesoff’s list of new solar startups (privately held companies with a focus on VC-funded or pre-VC startups) we are are left to wonder just how many of them will survive? While new ideas and ground breaking technology certainly abound the question becomes: Which of these companies can and will either make the critical jump to mass applications or break in to the large established companies that have resources and scope to promote newer energy options? Adoption, commercialization, distribution and differentiation are the next frontiers – may the best startup win!
See the list here:
http://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/the-master-list-of-early-stage-solar-startups-the-sequel/

Wind Turbines for the Masses

SVM — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 19:35:31 +0000

Slow wind has always presented a problem for wind turbine companies trying to get regular people like us to invest in their turbine technologies. Now, Michigan-based WindTronics has introduced a wind turbine designed for individual homes that it says it can operate at speeds as low at 2 miles per hour. The “wind turbine in a box” is a simple, off-the-shelf wind turbine that can be purchased at Ace Hardware stores for $4,500 starting in October. According to the company, it can generate up to 2,000 kilowatt-hours in a year for a home with a very good wind resource – which translates into between 15 to 20 percent of the annual electricity consumption for the average U.S. home.
http://www.ecofriend.org/entry/eco-tech-windtronics-latest-creation-converts-the-slowest-of-winds-into-electricity/

Waltham Technologies to Convert Wastewater to Clean Energy

SVM — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 19:03:17 +0000

Waltham Technologies Inc. was launched by biotech industry veteran Una Ryan with the aim of using blue-green algae to treat wastewater. A number of other clean energy companies are also using algae to dispose of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, but Waltham Technologies’ system not only cleans wastewater of contaminants, it creates a revenue stream on the back end by yielding enzymes and waste algal biomass, which can be converted into biodiesel fuel and other products. According to the company’s website, “In a single step, the bioengineered algae recycle the waste into valuable materials such as industrial enzymes and oils for biodiesel.”

Waltham Technologies has seen initial success for its technology in the beverage industry and is reportedly testing the product with at least two Massachusetts-based breweries. The EPA estimates that beer breweries use approximately 1,500 gallons of water to produce one 31 gallon barrel of beer, with the difference being mostly wastewater. The Waltham Technologies System allows this waste to be recycled into oils for biodiesel and industrial enzymes that are used extensively to simplify material preparation and industrial cleaning.

For more information, see:

http://walthamtechnologies.com/

http://www.masshightech.com/stories/2009/06/01/weekly14-Biotech-veteran-Una-Ryan-launches-startup-to-convert-wastewater-to-clean-energy.html

Algae to the Rescue

SVM — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:22:26 +0000

A renewable energy startup out of Florida is developing a unique biofuel that will be more than just carbon neutral – it may even be carbon negative. The company, called PetroAlgae, is commercializing a technology that can produce petroleum from algae. Algae are not just clean and sustainable; they are also capable of consuming twice their weight in CO². It’s an ingenious idea. As Time magazine says, “you could have a perfect circle: the algae eat the carbon from a coal plant, then are used to make an environmentally friendly fuel that limits the need for petroleum.”
www.petroalgae.com

Energy: It's Getting Personal

SVM — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:35:40 +0000

Leave it to MIT to blow our little eco-friendly minds with another bit of research that pushes the energy limits. A new essay from professor Daniel Nocera in the recent issue of the ChemSusChem scientific journal explores his “personalized energy” plan for individual electricity and fuel generation from sunlight and, according to Green Light blogger Eric Smalley, “has power plants, transmission lines and gas stations fading into history.”

Nocera’s vision essentially depends on using photovoltaics to generate electricity and solar water splitting to generate hydrogen. The latter would fuel vehicles and power fuel cells for nighttime electricity, and he claims that the economically feasible technology is within sight. And to his point, his lab has already developed the key enabling technology: an inexpensive, stable water-splitting catalyst made from cobalt and phosphate.

To be sure, there are still obstacles to economic viability (as Nocera himself addresses in his paper), but read more from Smalley’s column to judge for yourself:

http://www.greentechmedia.com/green-light/post/personalized-energy/

Burn, baby, burn! A Renewed Interest in Incinerating Garbage

SVM — Mon, 18 May 2009 19:00:41 +0000

The Wall Street Journal had a great piece on Friday about the renewed interest in burning garbage instead of just sending it to landfills. Previously thought to be too polluting to the air, today’s incinerators burn cleaner and use the heat produced to make steam and create electricity. The article states that “dirty air is still a concern, but now it has been eclipsed by fears of global climate change. In that calculus of environmental harm, recent research suggests, burning trash is better than burying it.” Read the details here.