News Archivetag:www.energydigital.com,2011-06-28:/news_archive/4002011-03-26T21:46:00ZEnergy DigitalMovable Type Pro 5.04Tesla Teams with Panasonic to Boost Electric Car Battery Lifetag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950562011-03-26T21:30:00Z2011-03-26T21:46:00ZPalo Alto, California-based electric car company, Tesla, is pioneering some of the most innovative advances in electric car technology. Not only that, but Tesla vehicles are actually cool, sporty, and fast. The problem, however, that has plagued Tesla and other electric car manufacturers is battery life.John Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Tesla and other electric car manufacturers is battery life. Now, the company is teaming up with tech specialists at Panasonic Corp. to develop a longer lasting battery.
Currently, Tesla’s sporty Roadster model cars can travel up to 245 miles on a single charge. But next year, Tesla is planning on releasing its Model S—a four-door sedan—and wants the car to travel even further on a single charge. The company would like to see the Model S traveling at least 300 miles per charge.
Tesla already boasts the most powerful batteries among commercial electric car models, and even supplies its components to some competitors, such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Daimler AG. “Our battery pack has 56 kilowatt hours of energy. Other EVs on the market have about 20 or 24 kilowatt hours,” says Kurt Kelty, director of battery technology for Tesla.
The Model S sedan will also be easily capable of switching out a used battery for a fully charged one. In trying to address battery charging times—which can take several hours—the electric vehicle industry has come up with the solution of battery exchange stations. The Model S will be able to pull into one of these stations and in a matter of minutes have a charged battery replacement ready to take the driver another 300 miles.
Three versions of the Model S will be released with three different price tags based on battery life. The basic Model S will only have a range of about 160 miles and will cost $49,900 after a $7,500 federal tax rebate. The second option will be $10,000 more, with a range of 230 miles. The 300-mile range Model S will cost $20,000 more than the basic model.
In early 2010, Panasonic Corp. invested $30 million in Tesla through stock purchases. Since the investment, Panasonic and Tesla have combined their battery technologies to create high-power, longer charge lithium-ion batteries. The 3.1Ah battery cells that resulted from the collaboration are the highest energy density cells commercially available on the market. Now, the two companies are at it again, looking to push the limits of battery life even further.
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Earth Hour Turns Off the Lights tag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950552011-03-25T21:30:00Z2011-03-25T23:25:45ZJohn Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney Australia when 2.2 million individuals and 2,000 businesses shut off the lights for one hour in an effort to combat climate change. The following year, Earth Hour’s effects were felt internationally as 50 million people spanning 35 different countries participated. By 2009, the numbers grew to hundreds of millions of participants, and by 2010, 128 countries were participating in the effort.
Earth Hour is organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an organization dedicated to preserving the Earth’s natural environment with over 5 million supporters in more than 100 countries/territories.
Various companies and landmarks have participated in Earth Hour. In 2009, Malaysia-based international oil and gas company Petronas turned off the lights in its corporate Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. The Colosseum in Rome, Italy, shut off its lights for the event in 2008. Google Canada even darkened its homepage during the 2008 Earth Hour.
To get an idea of how much energy Earth Hour saves, in 2008, Toronto, Canada reported 2,347,600 kilowatts saved during Earth Hour.
However, there are skeptics that argue Earth Hour actually does more harm than good. Turning off that much electricity all at once and then turning it back on, some claim, can trigger problems in electrical grid systems, and the subsequent surge may actually use more energy than was saved. Other critics note the increased use of candles—most of which are petroleum based—during Earth Hour, which is counterproductive considering the embodied energy used to extract the oil needed for candle manufacturing. Maybe that’s why Petronas was so willing to cooperate and shut its lights off in 2008?
Critiques aside, Earth Hour is intended to spur international awareness about our flagrant use of energy, and incite us to perhaps turn the lights off more often. So if you’re out and about Saturday night and wonder why the streets are a bit darker than usual, it’s because people are trying to do their little part to save energy. And don’t worry… the lights will be back on before you know it!
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iPad 2 Charging & Flash Problems Lead Customers to Xoom & Galaxy Tabletstag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950542011-03-21T22:32:19Z2011-03-21T22:32:19ZAs the Content Director for one of the top online energy news sources, I regularly interface with various corporate leaders from international energy companies, and one trend that has come up in interviews time and time again is the increasing popularity of tablet computers.John Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
iPad and Xoom to streamline building audits and allow easy interface between on-site work to in-house computer terminals.
The tablet computer market has taken off, and top contenders, like the iPad, iPad 2, Xoom and Galaxy are vying for the top spot. As an energy reporter, there is one weakness in particular that may drop iPad out of the race. It turns out that there have been several reports of charging problems with the iPad and iPad 2 tablets. These tablet computers require a lot of energy to charge, and the iPad USB charging chords do not support many USB ports. Unfortunately, more and more people are finding that they are unable to charge their iPads through many PC computers and older Mac computers.
This is truly a shame! As a Mac user, I personally would choose an apple interface over any other, but there are certain limitations like this charging dilemma that may have Mac lovers turning to competitors like the Motorola Xoom and Samsung Galaxy, which operate on a more PC driven interface and have more ubiquitous charging capabilties.
Another problem plaguing the iPad and iPad 2 is the absence of flash capabilities built in. With the internet moving more and more toward moving flash images, this will surely give iPad a disadvantage, and for electrical engineering consulting and design firms that are beginning to create 3D flash models of designs for their clients, a tablet that doesn’t easily support flash will quickly be tossed aside. Mac has created some apps to allow flash integration, but quality is lagging, and with such a technologically advanced platform, the fact of the matter is, flash should be integrated from the start!
So when choosing the appropriate tablet to integrate into your business model, you may want to note iPad and iPad2’s charging and flash problems. Also, since most 3D design programs like Revit and AutoCad are PC-based anyway, a PC tablet would probably be the better route to take. Plus, in the energy world, there’s no excuse for not powering up efficiently!!!
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Social Media: Japanese Residents & World Informed on Nuclear Plants Via Twittertag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950532011-03-17T22:25:33Z2011-03-17T22:25:33ZSocial media websites like Facebook and Twitter have been proving useful in everything from spreading gossip, to swaying political campaigns, to overthrowing governments as we have been witnessing all across the Middle East; but now, for the first time, they are being used to keep the world updated on a potential nuclear disaster.
John Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Japanese utilities supplier Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has created a Twitter account to keep Japanese residents and the rest of the world updated on the nuclear plant situation. Unfortunately, the ‘tweets’ are only being posted in Japanese, so you may need to brush up on you foreign language skills in order to understand them. Nonetheless, the nuclear Twitter account already has 190,000 followers. Thus far, the company has put out seven tweets.
TEPCO will use the Twitter account to inform residents and the world about power blackouts and radiation leaks to keep the public on their toes and ready to respond. The first Tweet posted warned of blackouts in Tokyo if residents didn’t reduce electricity use.
Social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have been aiding Japanese victims following the earthquake in other ways as well, such as locating friends and relatives and community organization. The prime minister of Japan has also created an English-language Twitter account just days ago to keep the rest of the world updated.
It is interesting to see the direction social media is steering the modern world. On the one hand you have governments shutting down social media networks to their citizens for fear of uprisings as seen in Egypt, Bahrain, Algeria and other Middle Eastern countries. On the other hand, you have governments using social media in the wake of a major crisis to help their citizens. It seems to me that the geniuses behind some of these highly successful social media platforms deserve some international accolade. Mark Zuckerberg for the Nobel Peace Prize anyone?
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Switzerland & Germany Halt Nuclear Power after Japan Nuclear Plant Explosiontag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.896282011-03-13T23:22:27Z2011-03-13T23:22:27ZJohn Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
On Monday, the government of Switzerland announced plans to shut down the country’s nuclear power program. Plans had been underway to rebuild existing reactors and construct new ones, but in light of the Japanese nuclear disasters, the Swiss have become the first European government to suspend nuclear energy activities.
Germany followed Switzerland in announcing a temporary halt to its own nuclear power programs. German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced that a three-month suspension on the extension of German nuclear energy programs would be in effect. “During the moratorium, we will examine how we can accelerate the road to the age of renewable energy,” said Merkel.
The decisions in both Switzerland and Germany come primarily in regard to safety concerns. The meltdowns and explosions at Japan’s nuclear facilities have occurred due to insufficient safeguards in the plants’ cooling systems. The European Union has called for a meeting Tuesday between Europe’s nuclear safety authorities to assess whether or not existing nuclear plants throughout Europe are “earthquake proof.”
Other countries, however, are reluctant to withdraw their nuclear ambitions. Russia for example, who relies on nuclear power for 16 percent of its energy needs, has announced that it will not revise its nuclear power programs in light of the earthquake in Japan, but will rather draw conclusions from the response actions and move forward from there.
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Japanese Nuclear Reactor Releases Radioactive Vapor Following Earthquaketag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950522011-03-11T23:30:00Z2011-03-12T00:18:52ZJohn Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Japan was forced to shut down its nuclear reactors to prevent radioactive fallout in the case of a leak during the earthquake. While most reactors were shut down successfully, one reactor’s fuel rods have increased in temperature by 50 percent. While no radioactive leakage has been reported from the reactor, authorities have decided to release the “slightly radioactive” vapor building up in the reactor in an attempt to cool it to nominal temperatures.
The radioactive vapor is believed to pose no health threats.
The United States Air Force has delivered an emergency supply of reactor coolant to help alleviate the potential risks posed by the reactor.
The International Atomic Energy Agency received reports of a fire in the Onagawa nuclear power plant, but assure that it has been extinguished.
Japanese authorities had to evacuate close to 3,000 residents living near the overheating reactor. While the situation seems to be under control, if a possible leak had occurred the result could be equivalent to the “Three Mile Island” reactor incident in 1979. Nuclear energy supporters hail Japan’s nuclear reactors’ overall resilience in the wake of the fifth largest earthquake on record since 1900 as a triumph for the nuclear community. Japanese reactors have been designed to withstand large earthquakes, and with only one minor contained incident occurring, the general public’s confidence in nuclear energy safety should be boosted according to Paul Haigh, fellow at the Institution of Chemical Engineers.
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Beyond Solar Panels: Six Types of Solar Power Plantstag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950512011-03-09T05:51:33Z2011-03-17T05:32:50ZTO ENHANCE YOUR READING EXPERIENCE, CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS ARTICLE IN OUR INTERACTIVE READER!
Photovoltaic Panels
John Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
TO ENHANCE YOUR READING EXPERIENCE, CLICK HERE TO VIEW THIS ARTICLE IN OUR INTERACTIVE READER!
Photovoltaic Panels
These are what come to mind when most people think of “solar power”—rows of flat solar panels mounted on top of a building or strewn along the side of a highway. Photovoltaic solar panels work thanks to a principal known as the photoelectric effect, in which certain materials exhibit a property of absorbing light photons and releasing electrons. By capturing these electrons an electrical current can be created.
Photovoltaic technology has come a long way since its discovery in 1839 by French physicist, Alexander Edmond Becquerel. It was over 100 years later, in 1941, that the first practical silicon monocrystalline PV solar cell was developed, and since then advancements in materials and production have led to thinner and more durable designs with widespread commercial use.
Now, giant photovoltaic farms—capable of producing hundreds of megawatts of electricity—are being developed by top companies like First Solar, SunPower, Sharp, Q-Cells, Suntech, and Yingli.
But photovoltaic solar panels aren’t the only type of solar power plant out there, and more exotic power plants are using the power of the sun in some very different ways.
Parabolic Troughs
Imagine rows of reflective troughs—like curved mirrors—reflecting the sun’s light and concentrating it on thin tubes of liquid (usually oil) that run the length of the troughs. The liquid is heated by the concentration of the sun’s rays to 400° C and carried via tube to a power station where it boils water to create steam and run power-generating turbines. The troughs are mounted on mechanized tracking units that follow the sun’s movement to increase efficiency.
This is the concept behind the parabolic trough solar power plant, and in just the last few years several of these power plants have popped up all over the world, capable of producing hundreds of megawatts of electricity. The added advantage of storing the sun’s rays as heat allows these power plants to continue to operate into the night and during intermittent cloud cover by regulating the heat transfer fluid. Companies leading the way with solar troughs include Spain’s Abengoa and Acciona.
Solar Dish
Solar dishes—like giant mirrored satellite dishes—operate in a similar fashion to parabolic troughs, but focus light onto a central point mounted above the dish. Some systems use the concentrated solar heat to create steam; however, a more efficient system has been created by Stirling Energy Systems Inc. and has already been employed in the Maricopa solar plant in the sunny deserts of Arizona in the United States.
The Stirling “SunCatcher” is a solar dish that tracks the sun and focuses light on a central power converter unit. The unit is filled with hydrogen gas, and when heated by the concentrated sunrays, the gas pressurizes to turn cylinders in a power-generating engine. It operates much like a combustion engine minus the combustion, making it relatively quiet, and it is hailed as one of the most efficient and cost-effective solar systems on the market.
Fresnel Reflector
This design functions in much the same way as parabolic troughs, but instead of using expensive curved mirrors, Fresnel reflector solar power plants use several rows of flat mirrors all angled to focus on the absorption tube. This can be a cost-effective alternative to parabolic troughs, since flat mirrors are much cheaper to produce than curved ones. Companies streamlining production of Fresnal reflector systems include Elianto, AREVA and Novatec Biosol.
Solar Power Tower
Now imagine something like a giant solar dish—with thousands of mirrors (called ‘heliostats’) positioned on the ground to reflect sunlight upward to the top of a giant central tower. The top of this tower houses a bulbous metal chamber of molten salt (or water in some models) that absorbs and stores the concentrated heat from the reflected sunrays in order to boil water and use steam to run power-generating turbines. Companies like SolarReserve, eSolar, Abengoa, BrightSource Energy, and SENER have been pioneering the solar power tower market, with several plants operating in the Spain and one in the U.S.
Solar Chimney
This design heats the air in a giant enclosed canopy that surrounds a gargantuan central tower. The tower acts as an escape chimney for the hot air created in the canopy. Since heat rises, the hot air will push its way out of the canopy and up through the tube-like central tower. Turbines are placed within the tower to harness the energy of the updraft and generate electricity. While these towers and their canopies need to be built on a massive scale—think larger than most New York City skyscrapers—it is important that they serve a dual purpose, and since the canopy that heats the air acts as a gigantic greenhouse, hundreds of acres of cash crops can be planted within, increasing the power plant’s overall utility. Australian company EnviroMission Limited is on track to develop the first large-scale solar tower project in the deserts of Arizona in the United States.
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Australia to Sell Uranium to UAE for Nuclear Power Programtag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950502011-03-09T00:14:06Z2011-03-09T00:14:06ZJohn Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Saudi Arabia and pursuing a nuclear power program of their own, with Australia as yellow cake uranium supplier of choice.
The UAE is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which is a fundamental requirement for Australia uranium sales. The UAE also has safeguard protocols in place with the International Atomic Energy Agency to further ensure the peaceful intentions of a UAE nuclear power program.
Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd says, "The UAE currently estimates that annual peak demand for electricity will reach more than 40,000 megawatts by 2020, and the proposed agreement would open up an important additional market for Australian uranium producers."
The UAE is on track to use the Australian uranium for electricity generation in their proposed nuclear power program by 2017. Braka—a coastal location in western UAE has been named as the site for the UAE’s ‘Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation’ (Enec).
The Australian Uranium Association, which features members such as mining and energy heavyweights BHP Billiton, Areva, and Mitsubishi, has openly welcomed the decision to sell Australian uranium to the UAE.
However, opposition parties to Australia’s announcement to sell uranium to the UAE have cited various discrepancies in the decision. Some note the inconsistency in Australia’s choosing of which states to sell the nuclear fuel to, noting that selling to the UAE and not to countries like India—who has sought Australian uranium for some time now—may create diplomatic rifts. Also, the fear of the UAE becoming a target for terrorist attacks in a region that is highly unstable adds further concern. However, with OPEC nations like the UAE finally recognizing the potential decline in Middle East oil reserves, nuclear power is becoming a more attractive energy option throughout the region.
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North Korea to Trade Carbon Credits for Hard Currencytag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950492011-03-08T01:32:32Z2011-03-08T01:32:32ZJohn Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
North Korea is seeking carbon credit approval of three hydroelectric plants of between 7 and 8 MW. Currently, carbon credits are traded at 12 euros each, and an 8 MW hydroelectric dam can account for approximately 23,000 carbon offset credits per year. If approved under the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism—a program that allows developing countries to earn tradable carbon credits for clean energy projects—the carbon offset credits generated by the dams could earn North Korea millions of euros in hard currency over the course of several years.
In order to comply with the UN’s carbon trading program, North Korea will have to allow access to their hydroelectric facilities for regular review. North Korea will be responsible not only for permitting annual inspections by U.N. approved agencies, but will also have to constantly measure energy flow and maintain energy flow postings on the United Nations Framework Conventions on Climate Change (UNFCCC) website. This may prove a challenge for a country that doesn’t even allow its citizens access to the internet.
While North Korea may have the best intentions in their efforts to trade carbon credits, security analysts are concerned that the hard currency brought into the country will be used to increase North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. But perhaps North Korea is truly an environmentalist country. They did, after all, sign the Kyoto Protocol international climate change pact in 2005, of which 191 countries signed. The U.S., on the other hand, has yet to ratify the protocol, and it is widely held that it will not. Curious that of the 194 recognized nations in the world, the U.S. is one of three that refuse to acknowledge Kyoto. Who’s the real isolationist country?
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2011 Investment: Palladium tops Gold, Silver & Platinum for Cars & Cold Fusiontag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950482011-03-07T01:26:54Z2011-03-07T01:26:54ZPalladium is the less familiar cousin of the precious metal platinum. The white metal is currently used throughout the world in the production of catalytic converters for cars and other vehicles to help reduce toxic emissions. The largest consumers of palladium are the U.S. and Asia.John Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Cold fusion is an amazing and highly misunderstood reaction that takes place when palladium is submerged in hard water—containing higher than average quantities of the hydrogen isotope deuterium—and exposed to an electrical current in a process called electrolysis. The electrical current causes the deuterium isotopes (deuterons) to rush into the palladium’s molecular structure, fusing the deuterons together to create helium-4 and releasing excess heat energy. Essentially, cold fusion experiments have shown a greater output in energy than is input into the experiment.
Since the 1980s, when the first successful cold fusion announcement was made by scientists Martin Fleischmann and Stanley Pons, attempts to replicate the experiment have proven both successful and unsuccessful—leaving researchers perplexed as to the nature of what was actually happening in the cold fusion reaction. Nonetheless, numerous energy companies and research facilities have been pursuing cold fusion, replicating the experiment with success at times and inching ever closer to unlocking its secrets: secrets that may finally lead to a safe and applicable form of nuclear fusion.
As cold fusion makes its way from myth to reality, one thing is certain: palladium is a necessary component in the reaction and will likely become one of the most sought after commodities if/when cold fusion power plants come online. In comparison to gold, silver and platinum, palladium price rose 103 percent in 2010 to $797 per ounce. Gold rose only 29 percent; silver rose 80 percent; and platinum rose 20 percent. Palladium is expected to reach as high as $1000 per ounce in 2011, and is a prime investment opportunity.
“Palladium is my top pick among precious metals this year,” said Patricia Mohr, a commodity markets specialist at Bank of Nova Scotia.
While the main driver of palladium prices has been increased car sales, particularly in China, it is only a matter of time before distributed cold fusion facilities begin to affect the palladium market, at which time prices are likely to skyrocket. Either way, it’s looking like palladium is a top investment for 2011.
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Mercedes-Benz Hybrid and Hydrogen cars Tops with Hollywood Actorstag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950472011-03-05T23:30:00Z2011-03-06T00:01:42ZJohn Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Mercedes-Benz B-Class S400 Hybrid and BlueTEC vehicles, along with the B-Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicle, have been making their way to the red carpet this awards season. Stars like Oscar winners Natalie Portman and Colin Firth, along with Amy Adams, Mark Wahlberg, Carey Mulligan, James Franco, Helen Mirren, Aaron Eckhart, Oliver Stone, Jesse Eisenberg, Ben Affleck, Robert Duvall, Eva Mendes, Jake Gyllenhaal, Kirsten Dunst, Julia Stiles, Matthew Rhys, Ali Larter and Hayden Panettiere (just to name a few), have all sported Mercedes-Benzes as their green car of choice.
In fact, Natalie Portman drove both the S400 Hybrid and zero emission B-Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles to various awards ceremonies, such as the Golden Globes, Palm Springs International Film Festival, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Independent Spirit Awards, and the of course the Oscars.
"It's good that there are now vehicles with alternative fuel options, from clean diesel, hybrid and even hydrogen, that are becoming more widely available," said Natalie Portman.
The Mercedes-Benz zero emission B-Class Hydrogen Fuel Cell vehicles are currently only for sale in California for lack of fueling stations throughout the rest of the U.S. The car is essentially an electric car powered by compressed hydrogen. It boasts an equivalent fuel mileage of 86.6 city-highway miles per gallon with a 240-mile range.
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Ivory Coast President Cut Off Electricity and Water Supplies to North Oppositiontag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950462011-03-03T01:09:37Z2011-03-03T23:14:21ZWhat happens when a power hungry leader refuses to cede to the opposition? In the case of the Ivory Coast, they cut off electricity and water supplies to millions of their countrymen.John Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
water supplies to millions of their countrymen. President Laurent Gbagbo has responded to the de facto government supporting presidential contender Alassane Ouattara in the northern part of the Ivory Coast by shutting down the national power company’s northern transmissions and turning off water pipelines.
Following elections in November, President Gbagbo nationalized the Ivory Coast’s power companies, giving the government authority over electrical utilities distribution. One of the nationalized power companies stated that on Monday, February 28, armed men entered their facility and ordered it be shut down.
A civil war in the Ivory Coast eight years ago divided the country into two factions: a rebel-controlled north supporting presidential hopeful Alassane Ouattara and a loyalist south supporting President Laurent Gbagbo. Alassane Ouattara spokesmen for the north’s ‘New Forces’ rebels has released a statement saying, "Millions of people across the north are without water or electricity. During the entire war, Gbagbo never cut the people off. But now, things are turning bad fast."
Many hold that Alassane Ouattara is the rightful winner of the November presidential elections, and violent backlashes against President Gbagbo’s refusal to cede power have left over 300 dead. Gbagbo has limited international media outlets throughout the country, such as the BBC, and it has become very dangerous for reporters and members of the press to operate in both the north and south Ivory Coast.
With electricity and water cut off to the north, the Ivory Coast may soon be heading back into a violent civil war. This just goes to show how energy can be used as a political weapon, and just how crucial the energy sector is to maintaining national and international security.
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Seamless Sensing: Wireless Smart Grid Sensor Devices Controlled Via Internettag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950452011-03-01T01:55:01Z2011-03-01T01:55:01ZJohn Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
smart grid.” Utilities companies are taking advantage of computer software systems integrated with power distribution networks to minimize the amount of energy waste in buildings and homes. Even business owners and homeowners are starting to take notice of the benefits of smart grid technology and implementing their own smart grids for future electricity savings. Now, energy management systems company, Seamless Sensing, has released seven new devices that make the smart grid easier and more user friendly than ever.
In partnership with EnOcean, Seamless Sensing has revealed their lineup of wireless, self-powered devices that integrate one’s electricity grid with ease. The new devices include:
1. Indoor solar powered temperature sensor – a self-powered, zero-maintenance sensor that tracks room temperature.
2. Weather station – provides key sensing information to monitor the efficiency of renewables. A self-powered, compact and lightweight design, makes it very easy to install and uses proven industry leading sensing technology.
3. Hot water and heat meter – For heating, hot water, cooling and chilled water applications. Monitors the efficiency monitoring for solar thermal or conventional gas or electric heating systems.
4. CO2, temperature and humidity sensor –Monitors and optimizes comfort levels within buildings to gain higher efficiency of HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) units and lower energy costs.
5. Current clamp sensor – non-invasively measures the current in a cable. The device is simply clicked around a single line cable in a meter box or consumer unit. The device is self powered and requires zero maintenance.
6. Wireless appliance smart plug – measures energy consumption of connected appliances, such as kettles, and also supports on/off switching capability.
7. Energy meter pulse reader – a battery powered device that connects to an existing metering infrastructure to monitor electric, gas, water and oil supplies.
These smart grid devices feature wireless integration and can be monitored and controlled via the Internet. Dr Edward Mellor, founder and chief executive of Seamless Sensing, says, “through the online portal, people are able to see exactly where they are using energy—whether it be through a television, their heating or perhaps a washing machine. They can use it to control energy usage remotely. For example, a person could turn off their home heating or start their washing machine whilst still at work, or even whilst on holiday on the other side of the world!”
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Honeywell to Develop First Commercial Smart Grid In Chinatag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950442011-02-28T01:19:19Z2011-02-28T01:25:43ZJohn Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Honeywell has announced that it has been selected to develop China’s first smart grid pilot project and feasibility study to monitor and manage electricity use in commercial buildings. The project, which focuses on “demand-side” management, will utilize Honeywell’s state-of-the-art smart grid technology, including automated demand response, advanced energy management and submetering.
The smart grid project is being developed as part of a grant agreement signed between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and project sponsor, State Grid Electric Power Research Institute (SGEPRI), a subsidiary of China’s State Grid Corporation. The grant is a product of the China-U.S. Energy Cooperation Program, a USTDA endorsed initiative to bolster U.S.-China relations in the energy sector.
The Honeywell project will help SGEPRI assess the overall utility of the smart grid system and begin planning for a wide-scale implementation of the technology. Another goal of the project is to help develop standards for the budding smart grid system that will potentially link up entire cities’ commercial and industrial sectors.
"We're honored to partner with State Grid to demonstrate the economic benefits of smart grid technologies that help manage the demand for electricity," said Shane Tedjarati, president and chief executive officer of Honeywell China and India. "Honeywell is one of the only companies with technology that lets utilities broadcast signals to alert customers when energy use spikes and outpaces the ability to generate power. We also have relationships with commercial and industrial enterprises throughout China, and can help them define and automate their responses to those demand signals."
Honeywell’s experience in the smart grid market is second-to-none, with control units present in 150 million homes, 10 million buildings and thousands of industrial operations. Honeywell has already provided assistance to over 100 utilities companies in grid management technology. The company now has the good fortune of being the frontrunner in helping China implement their own smart grid network.
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EnerSys Seeks Lithium Battery Technology in ABSL Acquisitiontag:www.energydigital.com,2011:/news_archive//400.950432011-02-28T00:30:18Z2011-02-28T00:58:04ZABSL Power Solutions Ltd. has provided their lithium battery technology to defense and aerospace applications in the United States and Europe since 2000. The company has been in operation since the 1970s and has supplied batteries for more than 70 space satellites and other space mission systems. ABSL batteries have also been used in mobile military communications throughout the world.
John Shimkushttp://www.energydigital.com
Now, EnerSys—a global leader in stored energy solutions for industrial applications—has announced its purchase of ABSL Power Solutions Ltd. from CIP Industries L.P. Inc.
Chairman, president, and CEO of EnerSys, John D. Craig, says, "this acquisition is another step in our strategy to diversify our technology base and strengthen our prior investments in lithium systems to meet the needs of our customers. EnerSys continues to seek opportunities that offer profitable growth in our chosen markets. We believe that lithium batteries will be a significant growth engine for EnerSys in the coming years, complementing the growth of our existing business in lead and nickel based batteries."
EnerSys specializes in reserve power batteries used in telecommunication, utilities, uninterruptible power supplies, and other applications. The acquisition of ABSL Power Solutions Ltd. will help propel EnerSys forward into the coming lithium battery age. With oil reserves declining, lithium batteries are being hailed as the next great hope for mobile energy storage. Analysts predict that this century will be for the lithium industry what the last century was for the oil industry, so EnerSys’ acquisition couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.
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