#A Record-breaking Solar-Covered bridge In London Theye calling it the orld largest solar powered bridgeand who to argue?
We haven seen a bigger one than the 4400-panel-covered Blackfriars rail bridge that spans the Thames in central London.
The bridge is part of the London Blackfriars station that opened in 2012 in time for the Olympics making way for more
and longer trains and providing station entrances on either bank of the Thames. The PV panels over the rail bridge have been in place for a while now
but this week Britain rail infrastructure company Network Rail officially unveiled them in a fashion only The british could come up with:
They served up nearly 80000 cups of tea an amount that could be made from the bridge average daily power output.
Blackfriars Bridge London (image via Network Rail) The panels on the bridge which connects north and south London in the center of the city cover some 6000 square meters Network Rail said about 1. 5 acres.
That a good-sized system adding up to 1. 1 megawatts of generating capacity. Network Rail said that at peak output the system could provide as much as half the station electricity needs
and that over the course of a year it would avoid 511 tons of CO2 EMISSIONS.
That said London isn the sunniest place in the world and the 900000 kilowatt-hours of annual generation forecast for the bridge means that the array of Sanyo panels will deliver a modest 9. 3 percent capacity factor.
For comparison utility-scale solar arrays in the sun-drenched U s. Southwest deliver more than 25 percent capacity factors p
#MIT Turns Up The Heat On Solar PV You might think that fewer steps in the process of turning sunlight into electricity would be the most efficient way to go.
But that not the case with a new technique from MIT researchers, who added a layer of complexity to solar power
in order to make use of a wider range of the sun energy. The work here is in the solar realm known as thermophotovoltaics,
where PV cells are coupled with heat sources, seen as a possible path to bust through the efficiency limit inherent in photovoltaics,
generally thought to be 33.7 percent. In a new paper, the MIT researchers haven done that,
but they say theye made a breakthrough that could take thermophotovoltaics far beyond where it gone before. mit thermophotovoltaics MIT nanophotonic solar thermophotovoltaic device, with an array of multialled carbon nanotubes as the absorber, a oneimensional silicon/silicon dioxide photonic crystal as the emitter
, and a photovoltaic cell. image via MIT/John Freidah) Here how MIT outlines the development:(T) he team inserted a two-layer absorber-emitter device made of novel materials including carbon nanotubes and photonic crystals between the sunlight and the PV cell.
This intermediate material collects energy from a broad spectrum of sunlight, heating up in the process.
When it heats up, as with a piece of iron that glows red hot, it emits light of a particular wavelength,
which in this case is tuned to match the bandgap of the PV cell mounted nearby. MIT says that what makes this technique different is the materials in the absorber-emitter.
Its outer layer facing the sunlight, is an array of multiwalled carbon nanotubes, which very efficiently absorbs the light energy
and turns it to heat. This layer is bonded tightly to a layer of a photonic crystal,
which is engineered precisely so that when it is heated by the attached layer of nanotubes, it lows ith light
whose peak intensity is mostly above the bandgap of the adjacent PV, ensuring that most of the energy collected by the absorber is turned then into electricity.
Now, the MIT device is only at about 3. 2 percent efficiency a big jump over the less than 1 percent STPV devices that have been seen before
but still paltry compared to standard PV that usually delivers efficiency levels in the teens.
But the researchers think their concept can be refined to reach 20 percent and they point to advantages that thermophotovoltaics could have over PV:
The new solar thermophotovoltaic systems, they say, could provide efficiency because of their broadband absorption of sunlight;
scalability and compactness, because they are based on existing chip-manufacturing technology; and ease of energy storage, because of their reliance on heat.
That last point is particularly fascinating, pivoting, it appears, on the idea that storing heat is a less tricky business than storing electricity.
By the way, this isn the first foray into thermophotovoltaics at MIT that wee reported on. See our earlier story on a technique that one expert said could lead to miniature power supplies and lighter portable electronics e
#Remote Start Functionality for its Blink Electric vehicle Charging Stations Car Charging Group, Inc. archarging, the largest owner, operator,
and provider of electric vehicle (EV) charging services, announced that it now offers remote start functionality for its Blink EV charging stations via the Blink mobile application (pp.
This feature provides EV drivers with the ability to start an EV charging session directly from the App,
which is available for ios and Android devices. Once a driver locates and selects the Blink EV charging station on the Blink App,
they have multiple options for beginning the charging session, including signing into their Blink Member account
or continuing as a Blink guest and entering their credit card information directly into the App.
The updated version of the Blink App is currently available on Google Play for Android device
and should be available on the App store within the next few days. Drivers can locate links for the Blink App
and become a Blink Member at www. Blinknetwork. com. s the largest owner, operator, and provider of EV charging infrastructure,
we continue to work to eliminate the barriers that have existed among EV Charging networks and improve the overall charging experience for EV drivers,
said Michael D. Farkas, Founder and Chief executive officer of Carcharging. n addition to offering new functionality for the Blink Network and its EV charging stations,
we plan to expand the functionality of the Blink App to include paying and initiating charging sessions for all public Blink, GE,
and Semaconnect EV charging stations. In addition, we also plan to continue our efforts with other EV charging hardware
and network providers to integrate their systems with the Blink Network. Along with the Blink App, EV drivers will continue to have the ability to initiate charging sessions through the touch screen of the Blink EV charging stations or by contacting Blink Customer Support.
About Car Charging Group Inc. Car Charging Group, Inc. is a pioneer in nationwide public electric vehicle (EV) charging services,
enabling EV drivers to easily recharge at locations throughout the United states. Headquartered inmiami Beach, FL with offices in San jose, CA;
New york, NY; and Phoenix, AZ; Carcharging business model is designed to accelerate the adoption of public EV charging.
Through its subsidiary, Blink Network, Carcharging also provides residential EV charging solutions for single-family homes.
Carcharging has strategic partnerships across multiple business sectors including multifamily residential and commercial properties, parking garages, shopping malls, retail parking,
and municipalities n
#Zero Net Energy Building Movement Is Taking Off Zero net energy, once a wild-eyed, seemingly unattainable vision, isn exactly mainstream,
but the concept is definitely taking root in North america: A new report says the number of buildings
either at or reaching for the standard has doubled more than in the past two years. Zero net energy buildings are defined as those that generate as much power from onsite energy sources as they consume,
and on that count there are now 32 buildings and one istrict (a group of buildings) that meet the ZNE mark, according to the New Buildings Institute PDF.
But to get a broader gauge of the ZNE trend, as it had in 2012 the NBI also counted up zero net energy buildings that hadn yet put in the full year of performance required,
as well as buildings that were efficient enough to meet the ZNE standard but didn have the onsite generation component.
They found 213 such buildings as 2014 dawned, compared to 99 in 2012. hile this remains a relatively small set of buildings,
the growth and diversity are important indicators for what we should expect in the coming years, Ralph Dinola,
executive director of New Buildings Institute, said in a statement. My favorite fact from the NBI 2014 report PDF:
ZNE buildings use only a quarter of the energy of average buildings. Measured energy consumption of the ZNE buildings is only about one-quarter of the average commercial building energy use today.
The average verified Energy use Index (EUI) 4 of these buildings is 21 kbtu/sf/yr. Among other key findings in the NBI report:
ZNE districts are a growing trend, with 18 identified; private sector ZNE development is climbing,
comprising 26 percent of verified and emerging buildings (like the Walgreen store in the Chicago area that recently opened);
renovations are claiming a ZNE role, at 24 percent of verified buildings; and ZNE isn restricted by climate it happening in all eight U s. Department of energy climate zones.
You can get a sense of this geographical diversity with the NBI interactive map of ZNE verified buildings
#Is This The Perfect Electric car Tire? What does it take to create a special electric vehicle tire particularly one up to the standards of BMW's new i3?
Fairy dust? Scratching your head and patting your tummy at the same time? It is a question Bridgestone the world's largest tire manufacturer set out to answer recently
when the German automaker approached it about designing a range of tires that it is the exclusive supplier of for this luxury electric car.
Bridgestone said its answer to the perfect electric car tire question came in the form of theologic technology
which capitalises on the synergies of a large diameter coupled with a narrow tread design. The result is a tyre that delivers significant improvements in aerodynamics and rolling resistance while still offering outstanding grip in wet weather conditions.
Combining a large diameter with a narrow tread pattern has several advantages. While the tread on smaller diameter tyres is inclined typically to excessive movement
or eformationduring driving the larger diameter and higher belt tension significantly reduce tyre deformation and therefore conserve energy that is otherwise lost through internal friction
which helps to reduce rolling resistance. By the same token the narrow tread concept improves aerodynamics.
The most spectacular achievement however is that these improvements do not involve a trade-off in terms of safety.
The tyre long contact patch (relative to its narrow width) revolutionary tread design and compound still ensure outstanding grip in both wet and dry conditions.
What resulted in being released alongside the i3 this past November was the Ecopia EP500 ologic tire available in four sizes-155/70 R19 84q 175/60 R19 86q 155/60 R20 80q and 175/55 R20
85qand two winter varieties he BLIZZAK LM-500 ologic a lamellen tire and the BLIZZAK NV ologic a studless tire (with Multicell compound for Nordic conditions.'
'The BMW i3 is very much a car for the future'said Franco Annunziato CEO and President of Bridgestone Europe in a statement.
Developing a unique tyre for this unique vehicle was therefore an enormously challenging but also rewarding experience.
Energy efficiency is an important development criteria for all our tyres at Bridgestone. However it becomes an even more critical factor in an electric car.
Which is why we have put all our knowhow skill and passion into developing this unique tyre concept.
One that we are confident delivers the premium performance safety and economy towards consumers who have come to expect it from both brands b
#CHINA AND UC DAVIS PARTNER TO PUT ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES ON A FASTER TRACK In a landmark international collaboration on clean vehicle adoption, the University of California, Davis,
and the China Automotive technology and Research center will work together to help speed the commercialization of plug-in and fuel cell electric cars in China and the U s. under an agreement signed Sept. 6 in Tianjin, China.
The five-year memorandum of understanding establishes the China. S. ZEV Policy Lab, a partnership between UC Davis, the world leading university on sustainable transportation,
and CATARC, the administrative body that oversees and regulates many activities of the auto industry in China,
the world largest new-car market. Primary UC Davis partners are the Institute of Transportation Studies and the UC Davis Policy Institute for Energy, Environment and the Economy.
The California Air Resources Board, the world leader on clean vehicle policies, and the National Development and Reform Commission, a major Chinese government agency, have supported the agreement
and will co-chair the new entity advisory board. Major international and Chinese automotive and energy companies will also be invited to participate.
The memorandum of understanding was signed during the 2014 International Forum on Chinese Automotive industry Development. iven the great importance the Chinese government now attaches to the development and commercialization of new energy vehicles
the establishment of the Policy Lab is extremely timely, Gang Li, the department chief in charge of vehicles at NDRC said at the ceremony. s a platform for Sino-U s. exchanges and cooperation in the field of new energy vehicle policies,
I believe that the Policy Lab will play an important role in promoting EV-related policy design and EV development in both countries.
The collaboration will help expand the global market for zero-emission vehicles, or ZEVS, by providing intellectual support for design of ZEV policies and analysis of consumer markets, including demand for charging stations,
different types of ZEV technologies, and effectiveness of incentives. The China. S. ZEV Policy Lab will strengthen cooperation between California, the current leader in ZEV sales and the United Stateslargest new-car market,
and China, the global leader in new-car sales. his agreement is an important milestone in coordinating global efforts to accelerate clean vehicle commercialization,
said Daniel Sperling, director of ITS-Davis. e are honored to join forces with CATARC, whose important leadership in this area will allow California,
the United states and China to promote best practices and policy initiatives that will bring new energy vehicles to market not only in China and the United states,
but also around the world. In addition to policy research and studies of consumer behavior, the China. S. ZEV Policy Lab will train advanced vehicle researchers
and leaders in California and China, inform Chinese regional and central government officials on California ZEV and related vehicle policies,
and exchange information between California and China regarding lessons learned. e have been working with China on air
and climate issues under a unique MOU signed by Gov. Jerry brown and NDRC Vice chairman Xie Zhenhua, said ARB Chairman Mary Nichols,
about the new initiative. e commend China for its commitment to further reduce emissions by greatly expanding the purchase of battery electric and fuel cell powered vehicles.
ARB policies such as the ZEV and Advanced Clean Cars program and the groundbreaking Global warming Solutions Act (AB 32) have informed government action around the world.
Signatories to the MOU include UC Davis Chancellor Linda P. B. Katehi and CATARC Director Hang Zhao.
Yunshi Wang, director of the China Center for Energy and Transportation at ITS-Davis, signed the agreement in Tianjin on behalf of ITS-Davis, the UC Davis Policy Institute,
and the Plug-in Hybrid & Electric vehicle Research center at ITS-Davis. The lab will be led by ITS-Daviswang and CATARC executive in charge of new energy vehicles, Deputy Director Zhixin Wu.
Cochairing the lab advisory board are NDRC Li and ARB Deputy Executive officer Alberto Ayala who was present at the signing.
The creation of the China. S. ZEV Policy Lab follows several recent measures announced by the Chinese government to fight the country hazardous smog
and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In July, the central government mandated that electric cars make up at least 30 percent of government vehicle purchases by 2016.
The Chinese government also recently announced new financial incentives for electric car purchases. About ITS-Davis, C-CET, the Policy Institute,
and the PH&EV Research center ITS-Davis is the leading university center in the world on sustainable transportation.
Home to more than 60 affiliated faculty and researchers and 120 graduate students the Institute interdisciplinary scientific research and policy analysis supports California state and U s. government policy development on advanced clean vehicles, fuels and land use planning.
ITS-Davis recently was awarded an $11. 2 million grant from the U s. Department of transportation and other matching entities to lead the National Center for Sustainable transportation.
ITS-Davis established the China Center for Energy and Transportation in partnership with leading Chinese universities.
C-CET specializes in China and transportation sector energy issues and is the only Chinese research center on transportation and energy in North america.
C-CET is a two-way learning and research center facilitating study and research in China for U s. graduate students and faculty,
as well as inviting Chinese researchers and students to visit and study at UC Davis. The UC Davis Policy Institute leverages world-class university expertise
and engages directly with decision-makers to deliver credible, relevant, and timely information and analysis to inform better energy and environmental policy.
The PH&EV Research center At ITS-Davis collaborates closely with California utilities, the Electric power Research Institute, automakers,
and other research institutions on research aimed at developing a sustainable market for plug-in vehicles.
About CATARC Created by the Chinese government to manage its automotive industry and provide technical support to the government,
CATARC acts as an independent, impartial institution. It advises on the formation of automotive standards and regulations;
conducts product certification and testing; certifies quality control systems; carries out industry planning and policy research;
provides information services; and conducts scientific research. About UC Davis UC Davis is a global community of individuals united to better humanity and our natural world while seeking solutions to some of our most pressing challenges.
Located near the California state capital, UC Davis has more than 34,000 students, and the full-time equivalent of 4, 100 faculty and other academics and 17,400 staff.
The campus has an annual research budget of over $750 million, a comprehensive health system and about two dozen specialized research centers.
The university offers interdisciplinary graduate study and 99 undergraduate majors in four colleges and six professional schools c
#Wind Tower is Another Step Toward Profitable and Sustainable energy Production Sheerwind announced their newest innovation as part of their Industry changing INVELOX technology.
The bold technology integrates three turbines in a row or series and increases the electrical power output for a single tower.
Sheerwind INVELOX#system is a large funnel that captures, concentrates, and accelerates wind before delivering it to turbines safely
and efficiently located at ground level. By placing three turbines in a series in an INVELOX system,
additional 120%power may be generated compared to a single turbine. Recent reports state technologies have allowed some markets in renewable generation to be competitive with coal or natural gas.
This is good news however, renewable energies intermittency and massive size challenges will continue without industry changes.
Sheerwind INVELOX attends to the intermittency and size issues by combining the best traditional wind technologies with a unique wind delivery system that produces more efficient and powerful wind generation machines.
Ultimately combining technologies will allow us to achieve the necessary power generation capacities to transform wind energy into a reliable baseload power source.
This includes reducing intermittency issues by producing power at lower wind speeds, placing turbines safely covered at ground level allowing installation close to the end user.
This could be the beginning of transforming wind power into the baseload power source that coal has been since the early 1900s.
Multiple turbines in a single INVELOX tower means nearly zero operational downtime because maintenance can be done on one turbine
while the others continue producing energy. With INVELOX capacity factor at 600%and turbines installed safely and conveniently at ground level,
maintenance costs and failure is reduced greatly. See video. Benefits of multiple turbines in single tower-120%additional power output at minimum added cost of turbine-generators-Reduced capital expenditure per kilowatt-Increased production capacity
-Gain in output without increasing footprint-Offers upgradability to meet increase in power demands-Minimizes operational downtime his is a great achievement,
for the first time in wind industry history three turbines may run in series in a single tower to produce more energy.
This means customers can gain an increase in output from a single INVELOX tower educing cost per kilowattll without additional structure
or land use, said Steve Hill COO of Sheerwind, lus increased capacity allows production in areas previously limited by low wind speed,
size or land constraints. About Sheerwind: Founded in 2010 in Chaska, MN, Sheerwind is changing the course of power generation.
Its patented INVELOX wind funnel technology brings wind energy production to ground level. By capturing, concentrating, and accelerating wind energy, ultimately reducing costs,
while solving major problems that have plagued the industry, including low turbine reliability, intermittency issues, and environmental impacts.
Sheerwind is poised to turn wind power into a major power source for the globe. For more see:
Sheerwind or SW faceboo i
#First GREENGUARD Certified Television UL Environment, a business unit of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), and LG Electronics USA today announced the landmark achievement of GREENGUARD Certification for LG newest OLED TV, model 55ec9300.
This certification is the first of its kind and sets a new precedent for television manufacturers to help create healthier indoor environments.
Televisions amass considerably more surface area in homes and built environments today than they have in decades past.
Complex components, plastics and other substances in TV products can create significant potential to contribute to high chemical and formaldehyde exposures, according to UL Environment.
UL Environment performed rigorous tests against the GREENGUARD Certification standard in its Marietta Ga. laboratory, to confirm low emissions from the LG 55ec9300.
This all-new 55-inch class (54.6 inches measured diagonally) LG Curved OLED is being launched this month at various retailers nationwide. s we bring more and more electronics into our living and working environments,
we need to think about the impacts of these devices on our health and quality of life, said Lisa Meier,
Vice president and General manager at UL Environment. e spend up to 90 percent of our time indoors,
so impact to indoor air quality is an important consideration. LG taking the leadership role in obtaining GREENGUARD Certification for its new OLED TV demonstrates the company ongoing commitment to bringing safer and healthier products to market.
Thomas Lee Senior vice president, Home Entertainment at LG Electronics USA, said, G OLED TVS are designed to deliver superior picture quality with infinite contrast ratio achieving the deepest blacks imaginable
and displaying colors that appear richer and brighter. Our new 55-inch model is taking the industry by storm,
and its recognition as the first and only television to have achieved GREENGUARD Certification, worldwide, further enhances its standing as a groundbreaking new product.
Recognized and referenced as a leadership standard by over 400 codes, rating systems, and procurement policies worldwide, the GREENGUARD Certification process requires that product meet some of the world most rigorous and comprehensive limits for low emissions of volatile organic compounds into indoor environments.
Completion of the certification gives assurance that products designed for use in indoor spaces meet strict chemical emissions limits,
which contribute to the creation of healthier interiors. GREENGUARD Certification for the LG 55ec9300 is just one example of LG leadership in developing products with health and environment in mind.
For example, the energy efficient 55ec9300 also is among the first OLED TVS to be certified ENERGY STAR, according to the U s. Environmental protection agency.
In energy saving modes, display brightness adjusts automatically to the viewing environment. According to the Federal trade commission nergy Guidelabel, the LG 55ec9300 has estimated an yearly energy cost of only $17.*
*G is proud to work with UL Environment to help accomplish our environmental sustainability goals,
Lee said. Find more about the LG OLED TV and other UL Environment Certified and Validated LG Electronics products at this link on UL Environment online Sustainable Product Guide (www. ul. com/SPG), used by purchasers, specifiers,
and consumers worldwide to assist them in identifying and purchasing healthier, more sustainable products. The new 55-inch class LG OLED TV, on sale now at a suggested price of $3, 499, is amazingly thin 4. 5 millimeters at its thinnest point (11/64ths
of an inch) or the depth of a few credit cards. Its gentle curved screen makes quite a design statement
and thanks to its frameless, bezel-less inema Screendesign, the picture goes virtually from edge to edge.
About LG Electronics USA LG Electronics USA, Inc.,based in Englewood Cliffs, N. J.,is the North american subsidiary of LG Electronics, Inc.,a $53 billion global force and technology leader in consumer electronics, home appliances and mobile communications.
In the United states, LG Electronics sells a range of stylish and innovative home entertainment products, mobile phones, home appliances, commercial displays, air conditioning systems and solar energy solutions, all under LG ife Goodmarketing theme.
LG Electronics is a 2014 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year. For more information please visit www. lg. com. About LG Electronics, Inc. LG Electronics, Inc. KSE:
066570. KS) is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing 82,000 people working in 119 locations around the world.
With 2013 global sales of USD 53.10 billion (KRW 58.14 trillion), LG comprises five business units Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home appliances,
Air conditioning & Energy solutions and Vehicle Components and is one of the world leading producers of flat panel TVS, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators.
For more LG news and information, please visitwww. LGNEWSROOM. com. About UL Environment UL Environment works to advance global sustainability
environmental health, and safety by supporting the growth and development of environmentally preferable products, services, and organizations.
We help companies achieve their sustainability goalsnd help purchasers, specifiers, retailers, governments, and consumers find products they can trust.
UL Environment offers environmental claim validations, multi-attribute product certifications, environmental product declarations, indoor air quality certification, product emissions testing
, organizational sustainability certification, and consulting. For more information, visitwww. ul. com/environment, and connect with us via Twitter, Linkedin, or Facebook.
About UL UL is a premier global independent safety science company that has championed progress for 120 years.
Its more than 10 000 professionals are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working and living environments for all people.
UL uses research and standards to continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety needs. We partner with businesses, manufacturers,
trade associations and international regulatory authorities to bring solutions to a more complex global supply chain.
For more information about our certification, testing, inspection, advisory and education services, visit http://www. UL. com.*The FTC calculations are based on 11 cents per kwh and 5 hours use per day.
Your cost depends on your utility rates and use. Visit ftc. gov/energy t
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