Monthly Archives: November 2004

Alternative Energy Gadget Site

I stumbled onto an Alternative Energy Gadget site today. I personally love gadgets and frequent some of the well known sites like Engadget, Gizmodo, and Cool Tools. I just added Treehugger.com to my list of daily gadget reads. The article that sparked my attention is the review of the Power House from Mindware. This project looks like an great way to introduce my daughter into the world of Alternative Energy.

Marubeni Announces Siting of Direct FuelCell(R) Power Plant at Tokyo ‘Super Eco Town’

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) announced the siting of a 250-kilowatt Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plant to operate on anaerobic digester gas from a food recycling facility at the Tokyo "Super Eco Town" Project in Japan. Marubeni, Asian partner of fuel cell developer FuelCell Energy, will supply the power plant to Bioenergy Co. of Japan who will own and operate the unit. The DFC power plant will provide approximately 50 percent of the facility's base load electricity requirements, and the heat will be converted to process steam for the recycling operations. Shipment is expected in the first half of calendar...

FPL Studies Microturbine Technology At Tomoka Correctional Institution

FPL Group Inc (FPL) announced that it is working in cooperation with the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the state's Tomoka Correctional Institution to study microturbine energy technology. The project places a microturbine at the Tomoka Correctional Institution in Daytona Beach. Microturbines are small combustion generators that efficiently create heat and electricity on-site, conserving grid power. About the size of a refrigerator, the natural gas fueled microturbine at Tomoka has extremely low emissions of smog-forming NOx and other pollutants compared to other energy sources. The Tomoka project is grid-connected to FPL's electric system. It will heat water...

Scientific American 50 Names MTI Micro ‘Business Leader In Energy’

Mechanical Technology Inc (MKTY) has been named Business Leader in the Energy category for pioneering work commercializing its Mobion(TM) micro fuel cell technology for the portable electronics market. The Mobion(TM) cord-free rechargeable micro fuel cell is based on a number of MTI Micro breakthrough discoveries, covered by numerous patents (either granted or in application), enabling effective miniaturization of a greatly simplified fuel cell system of high energy density. MTI Micro's proprietary Mobion(TM) power pack technology is being designed to deliver extended run-time and instant re-charge benefits for powering a broad array of future portable electronic devices.

Fuel cell scooter gets investment partner

Plans to produce the first consumer-ready fuel cell scooter got a significant boost Thursday when Parker Hannifin Corp., which makes industrial and aerospace systems and products, said it is investing in Vectrix Corp., a maker of electric scooters. Parker already had a 50% ownership stake in the company back in March of 2003. The terms of this new investment have not been disclosed. The Vectrix scooter was last mentioned here during its debut back in August.

NanoDynamics Introduces First Nanotechnology Enabled Portable Solid Oxide Fuel Cell; Revolution 50 Unveiled At...

Privately held NanoDynamics announced that the company introduced its ground-breaking new portable solid oxide fuel cell at the 2004 Fuel Cell Seminar Exhibition in San Antonio, Texas earlier this week. "We are very excited to have introduced the Revolution(TM) 50 at this conference," commented David Bothwell, Director of NanoDynamics' ND Energy. "For the past two years, the Company has been working to create a powerful combination of nanomaterials and novel cell design to demonstrate the power of nanotechnology. The resulting fuel cell system is lightweight, portable, compact and can be operated using conventional hydrocarbon fuels, such as propane....

This New Solar Cell Doesn’t Need a Battery

Roland Piquepaille's Technology Trends has a good writeup on a new photovoltaic cell that doesn't need a battery for power storage. "Solar cells can convert solar energy to electricity, but that's about all they can do. You need batteries to store, and then release, this electricity. But this extra-step might soon no longer be necessary. Japanese scientists have developed a new type of solar cell which integrates an electricity storage device."

Colorado Voters Approve Amendment 37

Colorado voters have approved an amendment requiring utilities to get part of their electricity from the sun, wind or plant and animal waste. The amendment requires the state's seven largest utilities to get a portion of their retail electricity sales from renewables, beginning with 3 percent in 2007 and climbing to 10 percent by 2015. Four percent of the renewables should be solar sources.

New Hampshire Begins Coal Switch to Biomass

After its official groundbreaking, the Northern Wood Power Project, New Hampshire's first non-hydro, commercial-scale renewable energy project, is now underway at the Schiller Station in Portsmouth. The US$75 million project, developed by Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), will replace a 50 MW coal-fired boiler with a new boiler of equal size that will burn wood chips and other clean wood products. In addition to creating a market for woodchips from the state's many logging operations, the facility will become a major regional contributor of renewable energy.

MTI Micro Receives Certification Agency Approval For Shipment of Methanol Fuel Cartridges

Mechanical Technology Inc (MKTY) announced today that it has received United Nations (UN) Packaging Certification and is now in United States Department of Transportation (DOT) Compliance for shipment of its methanol fuel cartridges, supporting its initial product launch planned by year-end. With this UN and DOT recognition in place, authorized shippers can now conveniently transport MTI Micro's fuel refills by ground, sea and air, both domestically and internationally. "MTI has emerged as a leader in the development of safe and reliable methanol fuel cartridges and packaging," said John Lynn, President and CEO of the Methanol Institute, the global...

UTC Power Introduces New Brand Name for Fuel Cell Power System

United Technologies Corporation (UTX) has renamed the PC25(TM), the industry's foremost 'workhorse' fuel cell power system, to the PureCell(TM) 200. UTC Power has been producing the on-site power plant since 1991. The system generates 200 kW of clean, reliable electricity and 900,000 BTUs of usable heat suitable for co-generation applications. With a five-year continuous duty cell stack durability and 85 percent efficiency, the PureCell(TM) 200 sets the standard for fuel cell reliability and efficiency. The PureCell(TM) 200 technology has been installed in 19 countries on five continents, ranging from a New York City police station to a science center...

Hydrogenics Expands Line of HyPM(R) Fuel Cell Power Modules

Hydrogenics Corp (HYGS) announced two additions to its HyPM® product line at this week's 2004 Fuel Cell Seminar in San Antonio, Texas. The two additions are the HyPM 7 (kW) unit and the HyPM 65 (kW) unit, both with which the Company will strategically access additional early market opportunities that exhibit long-term potential, specifically in light mobility and backup power applications.

Nathaniel Energy Announces Successful Proof of Process of Thermal Combustor(TM) Technology in Italy and...

Nathaniel Energy Corporation (NECX) announces the successful gasification of refuse derived fuel (RDF) in Italy, proving that its patented technology is successful and viable on a commercial level. The Company successfully gasified and combusted RDF and produced over one megawatt of electricity with one of its Thermal Combustors(TM) in Cologna, Veneta, Italy.

Arotech Electric Bus Runs Successfully on Commercial Zinc

Arotech Corporation (ARTX) announced today that a test drive conducted with its all-electric hybrid bus using commercially available zinc demonstrated performance similar to that achieved with the proprietary dendritic zinc used to date. Corroborating lab results, the bus achieved a range of 133 miles on a simulated city-cycle drive, similar to the range achieved a year ago in a similar test with the proprietary zinc. The system's efficiency has been improved as well.

Internal Hydro International Inc. Enters Phase II of Operations

Internal Hydro International Inc. (IHDR) is now entering the Second Phase of its business plan, which will be deployment of the company's patented energy production technology, called the Energy Commander IV (EC IV). The Company has entered into a sales agreement that will place ten units in applications in the Southwest United States, while placing other units in the Eastern United States in various areas of use.

BOC Helping to Fuel Canada’s Hydrogen Highway

BOC Group PLC (BOX) is helping design and construct a hydrogen fueling station located along Canada's Hydrogen Highway(TM) in Vancouver, British Columbia. BOC is working with Canada's National Research Council (NRC) and the Canadian Transportation Fuel Cell Alliance - a Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) initiative - to jointly fund and build the station, located at NRC's Institute for Fuel Cell Innovation on the campus of the University of British Columbia (UBC). The equipment installation is to begin in November, with full system commissioning expected in the first quarter of 2005.
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