Energy

In an amazing achievement akin to adding solar panels to your body, a Northeast sea slug sucks raw materials from algae to provide its lifetime supply of solar-powered energy, according to a study by Rutgers University-New Brunswick and other scientists. Photo by: Karen N. Pelletreau. The sea slug, Elysia chlorotica, steals millions of green-colored plastids, which are like tiny solar panels, from algae.  Solar Powered Sea Slugs Shed Light On Search For Perpetual Green Energy "It's a remarkable feat because it's highly unusual for an animal to behave like a plant and survive solely on photosynthesis," said Debashish Bhattacharya, senior author of the study and distinguished professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at Rutgers-New Brunswick. "The broader implication is in the field of artificial photosynthesis. That is, if we can figure out how the slug maintains stolen, isolated plastids to fix carbon without the plant nucleus, then maybe we can also harness isolated plastids for eternity as green machines to create bioproducts or energy. The existing paradigm is that to make green energy, we need the plant or alga to run the photosynthetic organelle, but the slug shows us that this does not have to be the case." Recommended:  Breaking: Did You Know, All You Read About CO2 Rise Is Half The Truth The sea slug Elysia chlorotica, a mollusk that can grow to more than 2 inches long, has been found in the intertidal zone between Nova Scotia, Canada, and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, as well as in Florida. Juvenile sea slugs eat the nontoxic brown alga Vaucheria litorea and become photosynthetic - or solar-powered - after stealing millions of algal plastids, which are like tiny solar panels, and storing them in their gut lining, according to the study published online in the journal Molecular Biology and Evolution. What does a sea slug do? The sea slug is a herbivorous animals and feeds on plankton and decaying matter on the ocean floor, along with grazing on the rocks and coral reefs for algae. By munching on the decomposing plant matter on the ocean floor, the sea slug is of great benefit to every marine environment where the sea inhabits. Photo by: Karen N. Pelletreau. This microscopic image shows stolen algal plastids (in green) and lipids from algae (in yellow) inside the sea slug's digestive system.  Photosynthesis is when algae and plants use sunlight to create chemical energy (sugars) from carbon dioxide and water. The brown alga's plastids are photosynthetic organelles (like the organs in animals and people) with chlorophyll, a green pigment that absorbs light. Recommended:  Algae-Based Bioreactor Swallows CO2 Faster Than Trees! How? This particular alga is an ideal food source because it does not have walls between adjoining cells in its body and is essentially a long tube loaded with nuclei and plastids, Bhattacharya said. "When the sea slug makes a hole in the outer cell wall, it can suck out the cell contents and gather all of the algal plastids at once," he said. What is the lifespan of a sea slug? Most species seem to live for about one year, although the tropical Sea Hare Dolabella auricularia can live for six years in an aquarium and the Antarctic cephalaspidean Philine gibba can live for up to four and a half years in nature. Based on studies of other sea slugs, some scientists have argued that they steal and store plastids as food to be digested during hard times, like camels that store fat in their humps, Bhattacharya said. This study showed that's not the case for solar-powered Elysia chlorotica.                                              Sea slug Elysia chlorotica by Mary S. Tyler and Mary E. Rumpho                                    Solar Powered Sea Slugs Shed Light On Search For Perpetual Green Energy "It has this remarkable ability to steal these algal plastids, stop feeding and survive off the photosynthesis from the algae for the next six to eight months," he said. The team of Rutgers and other scientists used RNA sequencing (gene expression) to test their solar energy supply hypothesis. The data show that the slug responds actively to the stolen plastids by protecting them from digestion and turning on animal genes to utilize the algal photosynthetic products. Their findings mirror those found in corals that maintain dinoflagellates (also algae) - as intact cells and not stolen plastids - in symbiotic relationships. Do slugs bite? Believe it or not, slugs have the ability to bite. They have approximately 27,000 teeth! Whereas Elysia chlorotica stores plastids, the algal nuclei that are also sucked in don't survive, and scientists still don't know how the sea slug maintains the plastids and photosynthesis for months without the nuclei that are normally needed to control their function, Bhattacharya said. Cover photo: Ariana Dimitris. Elysia clarki Before you go! Recommended:  Energy Miracle Algae. 10.000 Barrels A Day, Less CO2: 2025 Did you find this an interesting article or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your own article about 'green energy'? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage'

Solar cells with tiny holes! Forget rooftop solar panels to generate energy, South Korean researchers think solar windows will be a driver of adoption in the future.  Solar Cells Got Transparent By Tiny Holes What is transparent solar cell? Transparent Solar Panels. Conventional solar panels, more specifically solar photovoltaic panels, absorb sunlight and convert photons (particles of sunlight) into usable energy. The difficulty with making transparent solar panels is that the sunlight passes through the transparent material. A new see-through solar cell made from inexpensive silicon can generate useful levels of electricity from the light that falls on windows. The development avoids some of the problems of existing transparent solar cells, including high costs and the low levels of electricity they generate. Recommended:  Solar Powered Sea Slugs Shed Light On Perpetual Green Energy Most solar cells are opaque, and used mainly on rooftops and in outdoor installations. But researchers hope transparent solar cells can one day fill the vast building space now covered by exterior windows. Another technique! W hile Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been grappling with tiles that harvest sunlight to power homes, Maryland-based SolarWindow thinks the future could come from a different angle. The company claims that, when installed on a 50-story building, its solar windows could generate up to 50 times more power than conventional roof panels (December 2017).                 SolarWindow Technologies is a company gearing up to produce electricity generating windows. Contenders include dye-sensitised solar cells (DSSCs), which can be applied to windows as thin films. Other designs generate electricity from invisible infrared or ultraviolet light.                                                Punching holes in opaque solar cells turns them transparent   But these approaches have drawbacks, explains Kwanyong Seo of the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea, who leads the lab that developed the new cells. DSSCs use often expensive or unstable new materials, which tint light red, green or blue. ‘We don’t want to show a colour, although it is very pretty,’ says Seo. Recommended:  Solar Energy Turned Into Liquid Fuel Can Be Stored 18 Years Solar Cells Transparent And Efficient Does solar energy affect human health? Solar energy decreases greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gases, which are produced when fossil fuels are burned, lead to rising global temperatures and climate change. One home installing a solar energy system can have a measurable effect on the environment Seo’s solution is to engineer a conventional crystalline silicon wafer with tiny holes, about 100µm across, which are hidden from sight by spacing them at less than the minimum angular resolution of the human eye. The result is a neutrally-coloured, semi-transparent silicon solar cell. The darkest grade, which lets through 20% of light, has a conversion efficiency of 12.2%, Seo says. Are old solar panels toxic? Solar panels are manufactured using hazardous materials, such as sulfuric acid and phosphine gas, which make them difficult to recycle.  According to an analysis by Environmental Progress, solar panels create about 300 times more toxic waste per unit of electricity generated than nuclear power plants That’s less than opaque silicon cells, which can have efficiencies of above 20%, but more than most transparent solar cells, which range from 5 to 7%. The researchers developed the light transmission windows by taking into account the hole diameters in which visible light wavelengths can be transmitted. They are effective as windows because the efficiency doesn't decline if they are placed vertically. That isn't the case with traditional solar cells. According to one report if a solar cell is placed vertically it may lose as much as 30% of its efficiency.  The aim of the researchers is to increase efficiency to 15%.  Recommended:  Solar Energy The Lead Amid Emerging Photovoltaic: Perovskite “Silicon substrate is a very popular material in the semiconductor industry,” says Seo. “We believe that this vision can apply to many different applications, such as transparent electronics. It can also be applied to mobile devices as an energy source.” Before you go! Recommended:  Solar Farms In Space: Next Step In Renewable Energy Did you find this an interesting article or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your own article about the effect of smart phones in your neighborhood? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage'

There is an urgent need to reduce CO2: is renewable hydrogen the answer to our CO2 problems? Hydrogen is versatile: it can be used for heating, power, and transportation and, therefore, in many industries. The worldwide potential of renewable hydrogen is huge: which country will step up to be the leading green hydrogen economy? National Hydrogen And Fuel Cell Day National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day. A clean and sustainable future for everyone! In the United States, October 8 is National Hydrogen And Full Cell Day (fun fact – this aptly chosen date stands for the atomic weight of hydrogen, which is 1.008). This National Day is still little-known, but not only scientists seem to celebrate Hydrogen Day. What is hydrogen and fuel cells? A fuel cell is a device that converts chemical potential energy (energy stored in molecular bonds) into electrical energy. A PEM (Proton Exchange Membrane) cell uses hydrogen gas (H2) and oxygen gas (O2) as fuel. The products of the reaction in the cell are water, electricity, and heat. This year, French industrial giant Air Liquide revealed their plans to build a new plant that produces renewable liquid hydrogen in Las Vegas, Nevada, which ´will have a production capacity of 30 tons of liquid hydrogen a day. ‘Air Liquide is committed to producing hydrogen to meet the renewable requirements of the mobility market in California’. Recommended:  Hydrogen-Powered Tug Launched In Antwerp: Unique In Belgium Green Hydrogen Economy: Supply Is Only Half Of The Equation The announcement adds to the sense of a trend in the emerging sector. "Green hydrogen seems like it’s at some sort of possible inflection," said Ben Gallagher, an expert on carbon and emerging technology at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables. "There’s definitely something in the air." Although hydrogen is still in its infancy, this hydrogen trend could turn into a global phenomenon. Investors and policymakers are starting to get triggered. More and more countries expressed interested in green hydrogen: the potential of the element is seen worldwide. There is an urgent need to reduce CO2 and renewable hydrogen could be the answer – at least according to these nine countries. {youtube}                                           Green Hydrogen Economy: The Enormous Potential Worldwide                                                 Energy Storage in Hydrogen : Does this beat batteries? Australia Steps Up It’s Participation In The Hydrogen Market The green hydrogen is not that big of a hype in Australia - yet. The country is planning to replace fossil fuel export with an alternative: for Japan, perhaps? "Generally, we’d be looking for a country that is an energy importer and is seeking a low-emission fuel,” said Paul Graham, energy flagship chief economist at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, to Green Tech Media . Canada: Green Hydrogen And Fuel Cells Canada Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association The Great White North not only wants to produce the hydrogen gas but wants to manufacture fuel cells. Canada is well-positioned to benefit from growing international demand for hydrogen and fuel cells. Canada has a hydrogen and fuel cell sector that thrives in export markets and that include global leader Ballard Power Systems. France: Hydrogen A Rage In France, hydrogen is al well-known word, as then-Minister Hulot plight to put France in the driver seat of the world green hydrogen market – and invested 100 million euro in technology to do so. Hulot resigned, but the will of France to get in that driver seat has not lessened. It’s first hydrogen-power passenger bus was unveiled in Houdain, for example. R ecommended:  Solar And Hydrogen Boats Win The Future: France, Monaco Germany: Hydrogen Applications Germany, already a big player in the green hydrogen market, has unveiled a new plan to invest in research labs for a budget of 100 million euros. Managing director at FNB Gas, Inga Posch, said: "Hydrogen is one of the hottest topics in the energy transition in the country at the moment." What are Hydrogen applications Hydrogen is used in various in industrial applications; these include metalworking (primarily in metal alloying), flat glass production (hydrogen used as an inerting or protective gas), the electronics industry (used as a protective and carrier gas, in deposition processes, for cleaning, in etching, in reduction Japan: Most Advanced Hydrogen Market With manufacturers as Honda and Toyota, Japan takes the lead in hydrogen fuel cell transportation development and has the most advanced green hydrogen market. Also, the government revealed plans to set up 10,000 refuelling stations over the next decade. Norway: Hydrogen And Hydropower After the world’s first accident in a hydrogen filling station (in which two people were injured), Norway still holds on to its pioneer position in the hydrogen market. After the accident happened, Nel Hydrogen did everything to prevent the happening from becoming an obstruction for commercialization. Japan is thinking of importing Norwegian wind and gas by sea in the form of liquid hydrogen. This could also be interesting for Europe, and at the same time offer Norway new prospects for exports. South Korea: Ambitious Hydrogen Plans In South Korea, The South Korean government planned to have 850.000 fuel cell vehicles by 2050, but an explosion in a research facility where two people were killed and six were injured, nourished concerns. U.K.: Wind market And Hydrogen For the U.K., hydrogen is a way to make the heating sector greener, as well to reduce gas imports – which is a plus for the country, nowadays. The U.K. is blessed with a vast wind market, and the government plans to invest 12 billion pounds in using four gigawatts of offshore wind for renewable hydrogen production. U.S.: California World-Leading Market For a country where National Hydrogen Day is celebrated, you would expect more of the green hydrogen development. Luckily, California has a massive interest in hydrogen:  it can help the state with its callosal decarbonization targets. Of course, with a little help from its high-profile technology developers in Silicon Valley – California is leading in the hydrogen market.  Before you go! Recommended:  Solar And Hydrogen Boats Win The Future: France, Monaco Did you find this an interesting article or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. 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Can geothermal power get as mainstream and accessible as solar and wind energy? According to the Swedish company Climeon, with their newest technology, it can – and for an even better price than the above. Geothermal power is a great solution to our energy problem: it’s flexible, it provides energy whenever we need it and it’s not that bad for our environment. It's green, adaptable and cheaper than wind and solar. Sounds perfect, right? Current technology, however, limits its applications. In this article, you can read how Climeon claims to overcome these problems with their technology. Geothermal Power Can Be The Solution To Our Energy Problem Geothermal heat is a sustainable alternative to natural gas. When using geothermal heat, no greenhouse gasses are released, making this an excellent renewable energy source. Geothermal energy is nothing new. Did you know that geothermal heat has been used on our planet for more than 100,000 thousand years? There are plenty of examples, such as the ancient Roman baths. In 2013, there was a utility-scale geothermal capacity of more than 11,700 MW on a global level. A record, because it was bringing forth more than 68 billion KWh. That is enough for the household electricity of more than six million households. The World Energy Council forecasts in a research paper that “geothermal energy can supply more than 8% of our earth's power supply, a factor that is likely to propel the revenue-generating potential of Geothermal Energy Market over the years to come.” {youtube}                                   How Geothermal Energy Revolutionised Iceland’s Greenhouses | Earth Lab                                          Geothermal Power Accessible As Wind And Solar Energy: Climeon Recommended:  Solar Collector Produces Bio Fuels And Saves The Planet: MIT                                                     Geothermal Power, Why Aren’t We All Using It? Geothermal power sounds more than great, but as said, with current technology we can’t use this geo energy to full power. The warmth of the earth lays in the ground. In some places, such as Iceland, the heat is just below the surface of the ground. This country can therefore use an enormous amount of geothermal heat to generate electricity. In other countries, like France or the Netherlands, geothermal energy lays much deeper, which means that the geothermal energy will cool down too much to generate electricity. Geothermal power plants are depending on very hot water. Unfortunately, only the places in this world like Iceland or Indonesia (with her volcanic activity) can use geothermal energy right now. Not very accessible, right? Recommended:  The Earth As An Inexhaustible Clean Geothermal Energy Source Smart Use Of Low-Temperature Heat So, one of the problems of geothermal energy is the needed amount of very hot water, which often only can be used in places where the geothermal heat lies just beneath the surface. The Swedish company has a solution to this problem: its technology can make use of low-temperature heat, which – according to Akshat Rathi, “opens up economically viable geothermal power to much more of the world.” Half of all the energy in the world will be wasted as so/called low temperature heat. Climeon, founded by and CEO Thomas Öström (who was recently named Swedish Person of the Year in the category Innovation), makes smart use of the low temperature heat from geothermal heat sources. The Power Unit of Climeon pumps with low pressure, so less energy is needed to convert the heat into clean electricity. The unites themselves can convert the heat of the earth into energy. The more energy a customer needs, the more unites can be placed. Customized energy from geothermal energy can therefore be supplied! Also, Climeon’s units can use heat from other sources, too. What do you think of the water used for cooling hot steel in steel mills - which is otherwise thrown away as waste water? Climeon´s technology can turn this waste into renewed energy. Recommended:  Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine: Energy Generator Without Blades Sun And Wind Energy. Geothermal Heat Is Cheaper Another big advantage of Climeon's smart technology is the price: it can be cheaper than wind and solar energy! The precise price of the electricity generated by Climeon does differ. It depends on various factors, such as the type of project and the access to heat. In some cases, Climeon’s electricity-generating units have provided electricity for €40 ($45) per MWh, says Joachim Karthäuser, the company’s chief technology officer, to Quartz. That is cheaper or just as cheap as the lowest price for wind or solar energy, at least in continental Europe. Climeon's smart technology can be offered at such low prices, because The Climeon Heat Power units are designed to store as little energy as possible as little as possible. A unit is approximately 280 cubic ft and can store up to 150 kW. With 150 kW, more than 150 families in Europe can turn on the lights, watch television and do other activities for which they need power. Cha ching! Funding Of 12.5 Million Dollar Right now, Climeon operates in five countries. The Swedish company is worth almost four hundred million euros (or 450 million dollars) since the founding in 2011. But the company will probably expand in no time – they will be funded for 12,5 million dollars by the Breakthrough Energy Ventures, a fund backed by Bill Gates. The mothership of Climeon, Baseload Capital, will get this funding: they mainly focus on owning and operating the steel plant from which the company Climeon operates. That’s because many steel plants want the innovate technology that Climeon invented, but don’t want to own a power plant. They get the cash injection because Breakthrough Energy Ventures believes that the company is capable to cut more than five hundred million tons of greenhouse gasses - annually. That’s very impressive! Geothermal Heat And It's Opportunities With the “extensive global attempts to eliminate hazardous fuel emissions, geothermal energy market is on its way to establish itself as one of the most dynamically evolving energy markets of recent times”, according to the report Geothermal Energy Market trends research and projections for 2017 - 2024 by Global Market Insights . Climeon is now one of the biggest players in town: and for sure, one to watch. Climeon seems to have significant potential in improving the chances of success in the global race to zero emissions! Before you go!  Recommended:  Gravitricity: Fast, Versatile Energy Storage Solution: UK Did you find this an interesting article or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your own article about sustainability? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage'

Globally, we are generating more electricity from intermittent renewable green energy sources than ever before. We are slowly making steps to a decarbonized world, but for our renewable energy, we are still reliant on weather-dependent sources, like marine, wind, and solar. Gravitricity: Fast, Versatile Energy Storage Solution We will need new technologies to capture and store green energy during periods of low demand and with a quick release when needed. The idea of the British start-up Gravitricity almost seems too good to be true. By using enormous weights, the company wants to turn mine shafts into low-cost green energy storage systems – with 'some of the best characteristics of lithium batteries and pumped storage.' Is this the large-scale electricity storage the world needs, or is it, in fact, too good to be true? Why is energy storage important? Energy storage is of interest to the utility because they can store energy that is produced by their plants and not used (such as wind energy at night) and release the stored energy during the day when the demand is higher (and also the cost The gravitricity concept seems to be so simple. Gravitricity describes their innovative technology as a huge 'clock weight.' A cylindrical weight of 500 - 5000 tonnes is suspended in a deep (preferably already existing) shaft by a number of cables each of which is engaged with a winch capable of lifting its share of the weight. Electrical power is then absorbed or generated by raising or lowering the weight. The weight is guided by a system of tensioned guide wires (patents applied for) to prevent it from swinging and damaging the shaft. The winch system can be accurately controlled through the electrical drives to keep the weight stable in the hole.  Gravitricity: Fast, Versatile Energy Storage Solution Like A Dream What do you mean by energy? Energy is the capacity of a physical system to do work. Potential energy, sometimes symbolized U, is energy stored in a system. A stationary object in a gravitational field, or a stationary charged particle in an electric field, has potential energy. The target groups are network-constrained users and operators, distribution networks, and major power users. The technology operates in the 1MW to 20 MW power range. With a design life of fifty years, response time from zero to full power in less than one second and efficiency between 80 and 90 percent, Gravitricity versatile fast energy storage seems like a dream. It is a way to utilize existing mines or purpose-built shafts. ‘Future deployments will be able to utilize existing mines or purpose-built shafts, allowing development wherever storage is required,’ according to Gravitricity. And there is more: the start-up claims levelized costs well below lithium batteries. Recommended:  Environmental Costs Of Lithium Battery Addiction: Worldwide Gravitricity  Fanbase For all the above reasons, Gravitricity already has its fanbase. The company received an Innovate UK (the government’s innovation agency) funding of 650.000 pounds to start on its prototype. Also, Gravitricity is teaming up with the well-respected Dutch winch and offshore manufacturer Huisman Equipment BV. ‘The first full-scale prototype will be deployed in 2021 or 2022 at a disused mine in the UK,’ the start-up reveals. {youtube}                                                      Gravitricity: Fast, Versatile Energy Storage Solution: UK                                                               Gravitricity - fast, long-life energy storage Gravitricity:  Energy Storage  According to the Bloomberg New Energy Finance's Global Energy Outlook – the annual economic forecast for the world's power mix to 2050 – there will be '$600 billion of global spend on 'green' energy storage to 2040. ' Gravitricity 's energy storage goal is to 'provide balancing services on transmission grids as well as appealing to network-constrained users and generators, distribution networks and major power users seeking a reliable, fast response, and long-term means of storing power,' as they write on their website. Can energy be destroyed? The first law of thermodynamics, also known as Law of Conservation of Energy, states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed; energy can only be transferred or changed from one form to another. ... In other words, energy cannot be created or destroyed. What do you think: will Gravitricity versatile fast energy storage enable existing grid infrastructure to go further in a renewable energy world by providing this essential energy storage? Before you go! Recommended:  Hydrogen Energy Storage Revolution In The Netherlands Did you find this an interesting article or do you have a question or remark? Leave a comment below. We try to respond the same day. Like to write your own article about sustainability? Click on  'Register'  or push the button 'Write An Article' on the  'HomePage'