Energy

Virtual Power Plants May Mean The End Of The Electrical Grid As We Know It

A recent trend has seen government efforts to switch to energy sources that are variable- wind turbines and solar parks- but those have been expensive and have not caught on because grid structures, industry and private households don't want to deal ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 25 2014 - 9:35am

When It Comes To Genetically Modified Biofuels, Resistance Is Not Futile

Researchers with the U.S. Department of Energy Joint BioEnergy Institute have identified the genetic origins of a microbial resistance to ionic liquids, based on a pair of genes discovered in a bacterium native to a tropical rainforest in Puerto Rico, and ...

Article - News Staff - Mar 26 2014 - 1:08pm

Stranded Capacity: Delays Banning Coal Plants Will Make Banning Them More Expensive Later

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Article - News Staff - Mar 31 2014 - 10:18am

New Checkerboard Optimization Scheme Could Reduce Wake Effects In Wind Turbines

As long as mandates and subsidies continue, wind turbines will continue to be part of the alternative energy mix.  That means going beyond hype and potential and focusing on physical design, such as spacing and orienting individual turbines to maximize the ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 2 2014 - 3:00am

Hydrogen's Potential In Alternative Energy Is Fading

Countries are looking for fossil fuel alternatives that can get somewhere near the density of gasoline but with less impact on the global ecosystem. Among the most promising contenders for mainstream alternative energy production, especially on alternative ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 2 2014 - 2:00pm

Tiny Microbial Power Generator Runs On Spit

Spit-powered, micro-sized microbial fuel cells produce enough energy to run on-chip applications, according to a paper in Asia Materials. Microbial fuel cells create energy when bacteria break down organic material producing a charge that is transferred t ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 3 2014 - 5:55pm

How Meta: Using The Sun To Create Solar Energy Materials

Oregon State University chemists have discovered how to use the sun as more than just a way to harvest passive energy- they can use it to directly produce the solar energy materials that make energy harvesting possible. This breakthrough by chemical engin ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 3 2014 - 2:31pm

American Fracking Is Europe's Best Hope To Avoid Russian Interference

Russia has control over energy supplies and distribution systems in Ukraine and that means they control energy supplies in Western Europe. It's made a lot of Russians rich and prevents Europe from taking any meaningful stance on Russian aggression in ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 5 2014 - 8:56pm

Grow Crops On Photovoltaic Farms

Growing agave and other carefully chosen plants amid photovoltaic panels could allow solar farms not only to collect sunlight for electricity but also to produce crops for biofuels, at least according to computer models. ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 9 2014 - 10:00pm

Climate Pragmatism: It's Time To Innovate, Not Mitigate, And Create A High-Energy Planet

James Lovelock, the Godfather of Global Warming, says we are doomed and the only recourse left is to retreat to climate-controlled cities. Others claim we can solve the problem if we just shut off all of the power plants. Others contend we simply need to ...

Article - News Staff - Apr 9 2014 - 8:22pm