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Efforts to build larger wind turbines able to capture more energy from the air are stymied by the weight of blades. A Case Western Reserve University researcher has built a prototype blade substantially lighter and eight times tougher and more durable than currently used blade materials.
Marcio Loos, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Macromolecular Science and Engineering, works with colleagues at Case Western Reserve, and investigators from Bayer MaterialScience in Pittsburgh, and Molded Fiber Glass Co. in Ashtabula, Ohio, comparing the properties of new materials with the current standards used in blade manufacturing. Loos built the world's first polyurethane blade reinforced with carbon nanotubes. He wanted to be sure the composite that was scoring best on preliminary tests could be molded into the right shape and maintain properties. Using a small commercial blade as a template, he manufactured a 29-inch blade that is substantially lighter, more rigid and tougher. "The idea behind all this is the need to develop stronger and lighter materials which will enable manufacturing of blades for larger rotors," he said. Details
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As part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s SunShot initiative, Dow Solar, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company has been awarded a $12.8 million, three-year grant to fund a program to dramatically reduce the cost of building integrated (BIPV) solar products. The program’s goal is to ensure that solar power is a viable source for the nation’s power needs and economic growth, and accelerate widespread solar adoption.
When DOE’s initially announced this funding program to spark R&D in the PV market, Dow Solar assembled a team of partners to achieve the objectives of the proposed project. These companies included Alta Devices, Inc., DR Horton, Inc., Purdue University, Underwriters Laboratories, Phobos Energy, Emerson Network Power, The Center for Advanced Life Cycle Engineering, ConSol, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the National Roofing Contractors Association and Oak Ridge National Laboratory . Dow, which will be launching its line of Powerhouse Solar Shingles later this year, partnered with these groups to work on the challenge of driving the total cost of solar energy down.
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Digitimes, which follows the pricing of electronic components like LEDs and solar wafers for PV panels, expects prices for LEDs to continue declining rapidly. According to this article, the price of high power LEDs has fallen close to 50 percent in 2010-2011 and is likely to fall another 5 percent to 10 percent in the third quarter. Digitimes also reported that industry analysts expect demand for LED lighting chips will show a 68 percent CAGR (compound annual growth rate) in the next five years.
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Solar panels maker Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd. has signed a deal with SunPeak Solar LLC to supply 100,000 28.7MW (DC) solar panels for a 23MW (AC) solar power plant in Niland, Calif. The solar power plant is expected to generate sufficient energy to power nearly 14,000 homes within the utility's service area in Imperial County and parts of Riverside and San Diego counties. Details
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GE and a group of high-profile venture capital companies recently invested $22 million in San Francisco-based Project Frog, a developer of sustainable building solutions. GE, which led the investment round, also began construction of one of Project Frog's prefabricated environmentally sustainable buildings at its Learning Center in Ossining, N.Y.
“Project Frog fills a market need for high-quality, energy-efficient buildings at a lower cost and less time to completion, which our investment and collaboration will help demonstrate,” said Ricardo Angel, senior vice president of venture capital at GE Energy Financial Services.
Project Frog’s technology improves traditional building construction methods by combining semi-custom designs with a pre-engineered kit of energy-efficient building components. This enables higher quality, more environmentally sustainable, faster and cheaper construction. Through advanced performance modeling, Project Frog analyzes how its buildings will perform in each location, allowing owners to optimize a building kit to match their desired performance. The kits are delivered to project sites ready for assembly, and typically take one to six months to construct —- less than half the time required for traditional construction.
Project Frog’s buildings use at least 25 percent less energy than the strictest building codes in the United States, and as much as 80 percent less energy in certain parts of the country. It manufactures its commercial building systems for educational and government organizations, healthcare offices and retail spaces.
“We make the complicated and lengthy process of new construction faster and easier for our customers by providing a kit of high precision, sustainable parts that are optimized based on the structure’s size, use and location,” said Ann Hand, CEO of Project Frog. Details
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UCLA researchers are experimenting with a flexible, stretchable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) lighting. According to a posting on www.physorg.com, details of their work were published in July in Advanced Materials. The paper is titled, "Intrinsically Stretchable Polymer Light-Emitting Devices Using Carbon Nanotube-Polymer Composite Electrodes."
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Lighting Science Group, Satellite Beach, Fla., and Dixon Technologies India Pvt. Ltd, an electronics products manufacturer based in India, recently unveiled one of their first joint products: a sub-$15 omnidirectional 60W equivalent A19 LED bulb that will be available in India by the end of the year and will be sold worldwide by Lighting Science Group early next year. The bulb is the first in a series of products being jointly manufactured and distributed by the two companies. The full line of products will include street lights, outdoor and industrial light fixtures and replacement bulbs. The Indian market for LED lighting is expected to grow to $400 million by 2015 (53% per annum), making it one of the fastest-growing sectors of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. According to India’s Ministry of Power, the country plans to build 80 new coal-fired power plants to keep up with rising electricity demand over the next five years, and the potential savings from simply changing light bulbs to the new LED technology can significantly reduce the county’s electricity demand by as much as 40 percent. Details
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Scientific Conservation Inc., (SCI), a San Francisco-based energy service company (ESCO), has completed its previously announced acquisition of another ESCO, Servidyne, Inc. of Atlanta. The new combined company, SCIenergy Inc. formally launches next month.
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These LED cord reels combine the durability of the Stubby II Lite and the company’s cord reels to provide illumination in a more compact hand-held device, consume less power, and have a much greater lifespan than either fluorescent or incandescent lighting options. These reels feature a polycarbonate shatter-resistant light tube with eight ultra-high intensity 1/2W LEDs. Reelcraft
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In addition to carrying a new outdoor rating, these three PARs have upgraded the LEDs to SMD, for improved lumen output and color consistency over the life of the bulbs. Available in Soft White. PAR20 3W, PAR30 4W and PAR38 7W. Along with the upgrades, all three bulbs feature lower pricing, up to 48 percent. Light Emitting Designs
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WAC Lighting’s new Impulse lighting fixtures uses an integrated multi-chip LED spot or low-voltage MR16 lamps. The Energy Star compliant luminaire uses a 12W multi-chip LED that offers a 50,000-hour potential life from ANSI compliant warm/neutral bins for optimal color consistency. In addition to operating with an LED, Impulse is available with a low-voltage MR16 halogen lamp that provides a more powerful light source than a standard incandescent. WAC Lighting
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G-Biz is a twice-monthly newsletter published by Electrical Wholesaling and Electrical Construction & Maintenance magazines covering the latest news in the green market of interest to the readers of our magazines.
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