Green Cool Hip

I’m sure by now everyone has heard about solar panels and how they generate electricity, or even seen one mounted on a roof or a pole.

How about a solar mirror?

A company in Spain has introduced a technology known as Concentrated Solar Thermal Energy which uses the heat from the sun to run turbines that in turns generates electricity. The cool thing is that no greenhouse gas is produced during the process.

Abengoa Solar develops, builds and operates solar plants and installations throughout the world and believes it has the solutions to climate change. Among, their current Concentrated Solar Power or CSP technologies, are Power Tower and Power Through systems. It collects and transfers solar radiation energy to a fluid which is in turn used to turn a conventional power cycle.

The first commercial plant, a power tower plant  (Figure 1) has been in operation for about two years and produces about 11megawatt of electricity, enough to power roughly 6000 homes.

Figure 1.

How it works. A field of movable mirrors referred to as a heliostat field, reflects the solar radiation on a receptor located on the upper part of the tower. It is this heat that will contribute to the generation of steam that expands on a turbine to produce electricity.

A metal tower acts as a support for the receiver. With all that heat, comes the natural need to use water to cool the tower and keep it from melting. However, a cloudy sky or the onset of dusk does not presage an end to the production of electricity. Molten salt storage tanks (Figure 2) are used to store heat collected from the solar field during the day. This system produces the heat needed to generate steam to run the plant at night and produce electricity.

Figure 2.

Currently, Abengoa has a 280 megawatts-electrical output plant planned for Gila Bend in Arizona, which will be the largest solar power plant in the world. It will deliver clean power to 70,000 homes and reduce CO2 emission by 400,000 tons.

Although this will be based on parabolic through technology which allows curved mirrors to track the sun movement, the principle ise the same as a Power Tower. Radiation from the sun is collected and concentrated onto a reflector to generate heat which eventually leads to the production of electricity.

Figure 3.

This plant will create about 1500 jobs during its construction phase and 80 to 100 permanent jobs to keep it humming.

According to Abengoa Solar, “Just using 2% of the radiation that reaches the world desertic area could satisfy current world energy needs”.

Not to be political here, but imagine how far the U.S. could have been with Solar Technology, had president Reagan not ordered the solar panels installed on the roof of the white house by Carter, removed.

Gas powered vehicles are wonderful, for there are many gas stations and filling our tanks only takes a few minutes.  It does not matter if one lives in an apartment building and has to park on the streets or a house in the suburbs with a garage, filling up is a very easy and simple task.  You are certain to find a gas station nearby.

Can we claim the same convenience for a plug-in hybrid or a plug-in electric vehicle?

Currently, the answer is no.  But a fast growing company known as BetterPlace promises change as it aims to bring battery recharging and swapping stations to communities around the world.

Now, imagine being able to travel from state to state in an electric vehicle and not having to worry about when its battery will run out of charge.  With BetterPlace software installed in your car, you will be bale to locate near proximity battery servicing stations, where you can either recharge your battery or swap it in about six minutes for a fully charged one.  Assuming this ambitious goal comes to fruition, once these stations reach our cities, owing an electric vehicle will no longer seem only suitable for those who live in the suburbs.

Image Wired Magazine

So, Can BetterPlace really make the world a better place?

With partnerships and development efforts in Israel, Denmark, Australia, Japan, Canada and the United States, and already emerging as a leader in bringing standards to the EV market, BetterPlace will surely contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions on our planet.

That’s pretty cool Green technology.

Shall we say Planet BetterPlace anyone?

1. Turn off your engine.  Idling for more than 10 seconds burns more fuel than it does to start the engine.

2. Turn off the water when brushing and shaving.  The average person spends 5 minutes brushing his teeth or shaving. On average, 3.75 gallons of water are used during those 5 minutes.

3. Use a compact fluorescent light bulb whenever possible.  It uses about 75% less energy and lasts roughly 10 times longer.

4. When going on vacation, unplug electrical devices instead of simply turning them off.  They still consume electricity when plugged in.

5. Adjust your water heater temperature twice a year to account for seasonal change.

6. Use rechargeable batteries.

7. For couples with more than one car, use the most fuel efficient one whenever possible.

8. Recycle whenever possible.

These Cool and Green tips will lead to a greener lifestyle and a greener wallet.

Henrik Fisker whose renowned design already includes the BWM Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9 and the V8 Vantage, was part of the team working on the original design for the Tesla.  He has since left Tesla Motors, faced a lawsuit accusing him of stealing trade secrets from the company and launched its own Hybrid called the Fisker Karma.

After leaving Tesla Motors, Henrik Fisker started Fisker Automotive whose first model is called the Fisker Karma.  While the Karma is a hybrid and not a fully electric powered car like the Tesla models, it’s still ahead of the curve when compared with other available hybrid vehicles.

Image 1 - Fisker Automotive

Much like the Tesla, the Karma is a plug-in hybrid with a battery that can be recharged on a standard 110 volt outlet.  The first 50 miles one drives is completely on battery power.  After that, the Karma switches to balancing gasoline and electric power for the remainder of the trip, just like a regular hybrid.

But what’s really cool and different about this hybrid is that its roof can be equipped with a solar panel that recharges the battery while driving, and provides cooling for its cabin even while the car is parked.

Image 2 - Fisker Automotive

The Karma does not stop being eco-friendly in its powertrain.  Materials used throughout the car are carefully chosen to be as green as possible.  Wood trim throughout its interior is made from dead wood, its ecoglass from recycled sand and the EcoChic model uses an animal-free approach.

Image 3 - Fisker Automotive

Now, one would think all this green technology comes at the expense of performance.  But, with performance numbers such as 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds and a top speed of 125mph, this daily driver screams good karma all over.

Tesla has proven critiques wrong by delivering an all electric car capable of driving 240 miles on one single charge. It takes the battery about 3.5 hours to recharge from dead to full while plugged in your standard home 110 volt outlet. While one cannot use this car on a long trip across the country and in most cases across states, it certainly is a replacement for a daily driver. Most of us drive no more than 100 miles a day and if we factor in the cost of electricity to recharge its battery, it cost 1 cent a mile to drive.

The first Tesla (shown below in red) was a 2-seater delivered in 2008 and cost about $90,000.00. Of course not a car for everyone, but Tesla Motors priced it high to raise enough capital for their next model, the model S sedan (shown below in white) which sits seven people and priced at $50,000.00. Their next model will cost between $35,000.00 and $50,000.00 and be within the reach of many Americans.

Image - Tesla Motors

For those speed freaks out there, a category I proudly belong to, this car is also for us. The roadster does 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds, while the sedan clocks in at 5.6 seconds. Not surprising, considering electric motors are more powerful than gas engines, but enough to keep a corvette Z06 and a Mercedes E 350 in our rear view mirror.

Still in its infancy, Tesla is the envy of car companies all over the world who now feels threatened. Daimler recently acquired 9 percent of Tesla. While Tesla badly needs the cash, founders Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning’s biggest mistake would be to let too many car and oil companies buy enough stakes to gain control. This could mean its end as an electric car company.

While one needs to go to California for now to admire this technological marvel, rest assured it will not be long before we see them on our roads all across the country.

Since it would not be fair to talk about Tesla and not mention Fisker. Stop by again early next week for our post about Fisker.

If one considers the emission levels generated by a ferry running on diesel fuel and carrying passengers across our cities, having ferry boats that run on alternative source of energy or a combination of fossil fuel and nature free gift of sun and wind may not be a bad idea.

Enter SOLAR SAILOR.

An Australia based company, Solar Sailor harnesses the power of the sun and wind to develop hybrid maritime vessels. With its patentented technology and design, this company will soon become the de facto leader in efficient and reduced emissions boats. Already in operation in Australia, they plan to soon introduce a solar sailor ferry in the San Franciso bay. Their current line of vessels include ferries capable of carrying anywhere from 100 to 600 passengers, plus a line of luxury vessels for those boat afficionados with a penchant for a green planet. With a lower operational cost, these energy efficient boats are more profitable than their gas powered cousins and generate 50% less emissions.

Image 1 - Solar Sails

The wings on a solar sailor move automatically, tracking the sun for optimal solar collection and the wind for optimal sail power, and can fold down against the boat in extreme wind situations.

One of the main advantages of a solar sailor ship is that it will be welcome in both developed and developing countries.