“The wonder material of the 21st century” to be used in Green Technology
Touted as “the wonder material of the 21st century”, Graphene is the thinnest and strongest material known to man. It is 100 times stronger than steel and yet flexible enough that an ounce can be stretched to cover 28 football fields. It is electrically conductive, transparent and cheap to produce – qualities that can revolutionize numerous industries, including green technology.
And though there are no commercial applications for it yet, research reveals its enormous potential in the development of better batteries, flexible solar panels and energy-efficient carbon dioxide gas filters.
100-watt LED bulbs hit stores as replacement for incandescent bulbs
NEW YORK- In need of 100-watt light bulbs? LED bulbs are now in the market to replace the banned incandescent version. The LED’s are of the same brightness, almost of the same size, but uses far less energy and lasts a lot longer.
Lighting companies such as Osram Sylvannia, Royal Philips Electronics and Switch Lighting Bulb are now on- the- move to fulfill the demands for these energy-efficient bulbs.
Until recently, the only alternative was a compact fluorescent bulb (CFL). But now, consumers have a brighter option. Though LED’s are more expensive (over $50 per bulb), the manufacturers claims that LED’s are worth the investment because it consumes 80% less electricity and lasts 20 times the lifespan of a standard incandescent bulb.
Obsolete Coal Generators should retire; Use Renewable Energy instead
A study done by the Union Of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that it will be more cost efficient to switch to cleaner energy alternatives such as Natural Gas and Renewable Energy rather than to install modern pollution control to the obsolete Coal-fired energy Generators that are still operating in 31 states across the US.
The report labeled 353 of these Coal-fired Generators (generating 59 Giga-watts of electricity) as “ripe-for-retirement”, using the basis that they will be more expensive to operate than wind power generation with or without the extension of the production tax credit (PTC).
Steve Frenkel, Director of UCS’s Midwest office says that their analysis shows that switching to cleaner energy sources often makes more economic sense than spending billions to extend the life of obsolete coal plants.
Cap-and-Trade Program – Good news for cleantech in California
California launches today its groundbreaking cap-and-trade auction program – a mandate that was designed to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the state.
The idea behind the program is simple: The state sets an overall “cap” for greenhouse gas emitted by companies. Companies that reduce emissions below the cap can sell their unused allowance to other companies that exceed the cap.
Though some groups think that this mandate will increase energy costs and hurt consumers because of hidden taxes, cleantech companies in Silicon Valley thinks otherwise and instead sees a surge of new businesses that will grow huge overtime; pointing out that if the system works as designed, it will be good news indeed as efficient companies will be rewarded, polluters will pay and greenhouse gases will be reduced.
Governors urges Congress: Act now, Renew Wind Energy PTC
With the impending expiration of the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit (PTC) at the end of 2012, Congress is being urged to act immediately and extend the bill for at least one more year.
Governor Terry Branstad (R-IA), chair of the Governor’s Wind Energy Coalition, says that the uncertainty over the extension is already causing loss of jobs in his state.
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback (R-KS) highlights the negative impact saying that there are no new proposals for wind operations for 2013, compared to the massive $3 billion investment in 2012.
Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who authored the original PTC, says that Congress is more likely to discuss the matter after Thanksgiving week.
Tags: green technology