Posted by Greenbang on October 14th, 2008
A West Midlands housing association and the University of Birmingham have launched a domestic house powered by a hydrogen fuel cell system.
The fuel cell unit powers the house’s electricity, water and central heating and is housed in a shed in the back garden of one of Black Country Housing Group’s (BCHG) new homes in Stourbridge.
The system uses the natural gas infrastructure and converts it into hydrogen using a reformer. This then combines hydrogen and oxygen through a membrane to produce electricity, heat and water.
The new fuel cell is a Baxi Innotech unit that generates 1.5kW of electricity and provides 3 kW of heat suitable for domestic heating and hot water that is transferred to a 600-litre water tank heat store next to the fuel cell.
The heat is circulated through conventional radiators and to the hot water cylinder in the house, while the electricity generated by the fuel cell powers the house. If the house needs less electricity the extra generated is exported to the National Grid. If the house needs more electricity, the additional amount required is imported from the grid.
The £2m project is jointly funded by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Richard Baines, Director of Sustainable Development at BCHG, said:
“Hydrogen fuel cells are leading the way when it comes to green energy and it’s our belief in this technology that has driven us to install the fuel cell. Minimising impact on the environment is everyone’s responsibility, but as a social housing landlord we are able to make a real difference to the technology used in homes.”
Posted by Petah Marian on October 13th, 2008
The sight of boy racers revving their Vauxhall Nova engines at the traffic lights may soon become a thing of the past. Research claims 85 percent of drivers have changed their driving styles to become more efficient and are considering hybrid cars to save on costs and the environment.
The Tiscali motoring study found British drivers are more fuel efficiency aware than ever before with 40 per cent switching from driving to alternative methods of transport over the last six months.
Those who remain behind the wheel are adjusting their driving styles to maximise their miles per gallon, with 85 per cent taking measures to conserve fuel. Of those polled, 54 per cent are minimising aggressive braking and acceleration and 31 per cent are driving more slowly to ensure they conserve fuel.
Fuel efficiency is the most important factor in picking a new car, with 82 per cent saying that it would be a major element in choosing their next car and 72 per cent saying they would consider a hybrid or electric car to help lower their fuel costs and lessen their impact on the environment.
However, there are currently a number of factors preventing drivers from moving over to greener alternatives, with two thirds saying they are too expensive and nearly a third (27 per cent) saying there isn’t enough choice.
In spite of increased fuel prices, the study found that nearly two thirds of respondents won’t drive more than two miles to fill up on cheaper fuel.
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Posted by Greenbang on October 9th, 2008
A £2.2m hydrogen research and demonstration centre opens at the University of Glamorgan this week to investigate the viability and safety of producing hydrogen fuel from indigenous renewable sources in Wales.
Based at Baglan Energy Park near Swansea, the centre will also integrate research into other renewable technologies, including solar photovoltaic and wind power.
Professor Dennis Hawkes who is leading the project explained:
“Rather than an isolated one-off demonstration, this Centre provides the basis for a range of hydrogen energy and transport activities. The project puts Wales at the forefront of European efforts to develop hydrogen communities. The new centre brings together technology and expertise and will provide a platform for new business development, growth and employment in the region.”
Working with the University at the centre, companies will be able to research, develop and demonstrate hydrogen related products and technologies.
Earlier this year, the University also launched the UK’s first minibus to be powered by a fuel cell using hydrogen as its fuel and the University has a number of pilot scale biohydrogen projects.
Posted by Petah Marian on October 9th, 2008
Fuel companies have exceeded the amount of biofuel they were obliged to supply during the first quarter since the UK targets were set.
Biofuels accounted for 2.61 per cent of fuel, passing the 2.5 per cent target for use in road fuel.
Only 20 per cent of biofuels met qualifying environmental standards but the government’s Renewable Fuels Agency (RFA) claims the UK is on course to meet its target of 30 per cent by the end of the accounting year.
The 44 per cent carbon reduction achieved by the use of biofuels during the first three months is greater than the 40 per cent target set by the government for the first year of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation. However the results exclude any emissions from indirect changes in land use, such as food price and deforestation. The agency has recommended that these be taken into consideration in future sustainability reporting and is working with the government to do this.
Almost all of the UK’s fuel suppliers are achieving or close to achieving carbon savings in line with this year’s target. Harvest Energy, Greenergy, Mabanaft and Shell exceed the target. ConocoPhillips reported a negative carbon saving and Chevron reported very low savings, but the report says that these may be revised during the auditing process.
Harvest Energy and Mabanaft are currently exceeding the sustainability target, however, BP, Esso, Murco, Prax and Topaz have not yet reported any biofuels as meeting the qualifying environmental standard.
Esso, Petroplus, Prax and Topaz are currently failing to meet any of the three targets set by government.
Nick Goodall, CEO of the RFA said:
“These early figures demonstrate that some companies have risen to the challenge of sourcing biofuels that meet good sustainability standards.”
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Posted by Petah Marian on October 8th, 2008
A power source has been developed by an MIT student using the difference in pH between the trees and the ground to power a wireless network.
The US Forest Service has been trialling this technology to track weather conditions, particularly during fire season. The service currently predicts and tracks fires using a variety of tools, which are expensive and sparsely distributed.
The Voltree Power system uses the trees as a self-sustaining power supply. Each sensor is equipped with a battery that can be slowly recharged using energy generated by the tree. The system produces enough electricity to allow temperature and humidity sensors to wirelessly transmit signals four times a day or immediately if there is a fire. Signals hop from one sensor to another until it reaches an existing weather station that beams the data by satellite to a forestry command centre in Boise, Idaho.
The inventor of the process Christopher Love, is currently a senor at MIT, majoring in Chemistry.
Who knows, maybe in a few years we’ll be able to use this tech to power our laptops with energy generated from our potplants.
Posted by Greenbang on October 8th, 2008
Canals used to be vital to the manufacturing industry at the height of Britain’s industrial age, with barges transporting goods all over the country. That age is long gone with many of the country’s canals declining into state of disrepair, clogged up by bikes and shopping trolleys dumped in the water.
But British Waterways, the body responsible for the UK’s canals, wants to use the network to install wind turbines and small-scale hydro power schemes to generate enough annual electricity to power 45,000 homes and save more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2.
The proposals are based on a target of 50 wind turbines built across the UK over the next five years that will have the capacity to generate 100MW of renewable electricity. Income that British Waterways generates from the turbines will then be reinvested into maintaining the UK’s waterways.
Robin Evans, British Waterways CEO, said:
“We believe that our waterside land could host around 100MW of renewable energy capacity – some 219,000 mega watt hours. If we successfully develop this resource it would mean that the nation’s canal network would generate more than ten times more electricity than it consumes.”
British Waterways is working with Partnerships for Renewables who, with the backing of HSBC’s Environmental Infrastructure Fund, will be covering the costs of the development process and using their in-house expertise to ensure that only environmentally appropriate sites are developed.
Posted by Greenbang on October 8th, 2008
UK commercial wind farm developer Amec Wind Energy has been snapped up by one of the largest electricity generators in Europe, Sweden’s Vattenfall group, for £126.6m in an all cash deal.
Vattenfall is aiming to produce 50Twh from wind power by 2030 - enough electricity for around 10 million households - and sees the UK as a key market for future growth, particularly in new offshore wind power projects.
In the UK Vattenfall already owns and operates the Kentish Flats offshore wind farm, which has a capacity of 90 MW, and has recently announced its intention to make an offer to acquire Eclipse Energy which is currently developing several wind projects in the UK with the potential of over 200 MW from renewable energy.
Amec Wind owns one of the largest wind development portfolios in the UK with a potential of 573 MW. Its onshore portfolio in the UK represents 6.5 per cent of UK consented and in-development onshore projects, while its Scottish onshore portfolio represents 9.9 per cent of Scottish consented and in planning onshore projects. Should all of the projects be realised, the net annual production of the portfolio would be approximately 2 TWh supplying electricity to approximately 400 000 households.
Vattenfall CEO Lars G Josefsson, said:
“As part of our strategy to reduce emissions, Vattenfall has very ambitious plans for renewable energy. The UK is a prime target market for future renewables growth, due to its well-functioning support systems, a deregulated and competitive market for electricity and openness to foreign investment. Vattenfall sees the economics of the UK wind sector being attractive as the UK also benefits from high wind speeds, providing wind farms in the UK with higher load factors than wind farms in much of Continental Europe.”
Posted by Greenbang on October 6th, 2008
Wal-Mart has completed the installation of a 546kW solar power system that will provide just over a quarter of the electricity for its Sam’s Club store in Glendora, California.
The installation is made up of 3,122 modules and was done by BP Solar, which is aiming to develop 4.3MW of solar energy systems for seven Wal-Mart stores and Sam’s Clubs in California.
The three remaining stores will be fitted out with their solar panels by the end of 2008.
David Ozment, director of energy for Wal-Mart, said:
“This project is bringing us one step closer towards our goal of being supplied 100 percent by renewable energy.”
More here.
Posted by Petah Marian on October 3rd, 2008
Vodafone has begun using ‘micro-generation’ wind turbines to supply electricity for its mobile network masts in Portugal.
Combined with other energy efficiency programs started two years ago, Vodafone says it is achieving reductions of 15-20 per cent in total energy consumption and CO2 emissions by its base stations.
The wind power system comprises a 3.5kW wind turbine installed on the telecommunications mast, which supplies part of the electricity needed for the normal functioning of the equipment, including the air conditioning of the equipment housing. Air conditioning has been one of the main causes of the high electricity consumption and CO2 emissions of base stations.
To put it into some context the quantity of electricity generated by a 3.5kW turbine, if it were captured and stored, would be enough to supply the normal usage of a rural household of four people.
More information here
Posted by Petah Marian on October 2nd, 2008
US company Waste Management plans to partner with private and municipal landfill owners to develop the country’s untapped landfill gas resources and convert them into energy.
The company recently broke ground on a landfill gas to energy (LFGTE) facility at the municipal owned Madison County landfill near Syracuse, New York, where it will develop a 1.4MW facility.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has endorsed landfill gas as an environmentally wise alternative energy resource that reduces the country’s reliance on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. There are currently 445 LFGTE sites in operation in the US and the US EPA has identified 535 additional sites as promising candidates. Fully developed these additional landfills could produce enough energy to power more than one million homes.
Waste Management’s renewable energy group provides full service support to municipal and private landfill operators that lack the resources to develop LFGTE projects.
VP of renewable energy Paul Pabor said:
“Waste Management pioneered landfill gas to energy technology over two decades ago, and we operate more of these facilities than any other company in North America.”
Landfill gas, produced when microorganisms break down organic material in the landfill, is composed of approximately 50-60 per cent methane and 40-50 percent carbon dioxide. At most landfills in the US, the methane is simply burned off. LFGTE facilities use methane gas to power generators offsetting power otherwise generated from fossil fuel.
