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Category: sustainability – Page 134

Sunlight is an inexhaustible source of energy, and utilizing sunlight to generate electricity is one of the cornerstones of renewable energy. More than 40% of the sunlight that falls on Earth is in the infrared, visible and ultraviolet spectra; however, current solar technology utilizes primarily visible and ultraviolet rays. Technology to utilize the full spectrum of solar radiation—called all-solar utilization—is still in its infancy.

A team of researchers from Hokkaido University, led by Assistant Professor Melbert Jeem and Professor Seiichi Watanabe at the Faculty of Engineering, have synthesized tungstic acid–based materials doped with copper that exhibited all-solar utilization. Their findings are published in the journal Advanced Materials.

“Currently, the near-and mid-infrared spectra of solar radiation, ranging from 800 nm to 2,500 nm, is not utilized for energy generation,” explains Jeem. “Tungstic acid is a candidate for developing nanomaterials that can potentially utilize this spectrum, as it possesses a crystal structure with defects that absorb these wavelengths.”

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China is looking for a clean, sustainable energy source and is turning to the power of nuclear fusion.

What is a clean source of power that could provide clean and unlimited energy? Nuclear energy, which uses nuclear fission, comes to mind. But there is another potential source of energy that would promote sustainability – nuclear fusion.

Nuclear fusion is the opposite of nuclear fission. Fission means splitting atoms apart, which results in the release of energy. Fusion is when two atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus. Fusion is the process that powers the Sun and the stars.

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‘Antarctica could transform from Earth’s refrigerator to a radiator’ as Earth is losing sea-ice that helps maintain balance in the planet’s temperature.

Recently, satellite data depicted that the sea ice in and around the Antarctica region reached record-low levels during winter.

This is a concerning development, given Antarctica’s historical resistance to global warming, BBC reported on Sunday (September 17). Scientists caution against unstable consequences of climate change in the polar regions.

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“In particular, the wind turbine sector uses very large quantities of a rare earth magnet that’s an alloy of neodymium, iron and boron (NdFeB). These NdFeB magnets are critical components used in PMSGs (Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator) in larger onshore and offshore wind turbines”.

Extracting the rare earth magnets from end-of-life wind turbines and enabling their use in new wind turbines, both onshore and offshore

Named Re-Rewind, the partnership, partly funded by Innovate UK, aims to establish the UK’s first circular supply chain for the rare earth magnets used in wind turbines.

“From high-quality construction steel, copper and other metals to a range of rare earth elements (such as praseodymium and dysprosium), modern wind turbines contain a wealth of materials which, if they cannot be sourced from recycled channels, must be mined, leading to increased environmental impacts and resource scarcity”, the newly created partnership states.

Continue reading “Extract Rare Earth Magnets from Retired Wind Turbines” | >

We’ve highlighted a lot of bright innovators over the years, usually before they become household names. Sergey Brin of Google was on the list in 2002. JB Straubel was honored in 2008 when he was CTO of Tesla. That year also saw Andrew Ng make the list (he’s one of the biggest names in AI right now, and he came back this year to write an intro essay, which I highly recommend.)

As I looked through the folks who made the list in the climate and energy category in 2023, I noticed a few trends. In particular, there was a concentration in two areas I think a lot about: batteries and fuels. So let’s take a closer look at a few of this year’s innovators and consider what their work could mean for the future of climate action.

As you probably know if you’re a frequent reader here, I see batteries as one of the most crucial pieces of technology in the fight to address climate change. Not only are powerful, long-lasting batteries crucial to electrifying vehicles and other forms of transportation, but they are expected to play a growing role on the grid, storing energy from intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar for when it’s most needed.

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Singapore’s first electric cargo vessel is due to start sea trials and launch in the fourth quarter, according to Yinson Green Technologies, part of a consortium chosen by the city-state to help electrify marine craft.

The Hydromover, developed by the Goal Zero consortium, is near completion, YGT Chief Executive Officer Eirik Barclay said in an interview in Kuala Lumpur this week. YGT will also be introducing an electric vessel for transferring crew — developed with Norwegian startup Lift Ocean AS — by the end of the year, Barclay said. That craft is called the Hydroglyder.

“We want to be part of all associated services with clean electric vessels, starting with Singapore,” Barclay said. YGT is a subsidiary of Malaysia-listed Yinson Holdings Bhd. Yinson shares have risen about 3% this year.

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Looking to the past has made a more sustainable future possible in the shipping industry, with the latest wind-powered vessel taking to the seas for its first voyage.

The Pyxis Ocean from the Mitsubishi Corporation has been retrofitted with two “WindWings” sails — developed by BAR Technologies and produced by Yara Marine — on the cargo ship’s deck.

Measuring up to 123 feet (37.5 meters) high, the sails have been estimated to allow for up to 30% fuel savings on newly built ships while cutting carbon pollution.

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Autoline reports breaking global car news, with great insight and analysis. Also, top auto executive interviews. We cover electric vehicles (EV), autonomous vechicles (AV) and internal combustion engine technology (ICE), as well as car sales & financial earnings snd new car reviews.

0:00 UAW Lays Out Stand Up Strike Strategy.
1:41 Ford Fumes After UAW Rejects Counter Offer.
3:12 Tesla Develops Gigacasting Breakthrough.
5:23 China Upset Over EU EV Investigation.
6:06 U.S. BEV Sales Soar 67% Through July.
6:41 GMC Unveils All-New Acadia.
7:39 Cadillac Updates CT5 Sedan.
8:16 Jeep Gladiator Gets Slight Refresh.
8:42 Volvo Adds Video Streaming to Its Cars.

Story Links:
- UAW Livestream 9/13/2023: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TM0L5DqQ5s.

- Ford UAW Release: https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2023…ffer.html.

Continue reading “Tesla Developing Gigacasting Breakthrough; U.S. BEV Sales Soar — Autoline Daily 3648” | >

Vertical farming saves water, land, and energy — and it could be how we grow food on Mars.

Subscribe here: http://freeth.ink/youtube-subscribe-verticalfarming.

Vertical farming is a type of indoor farming where crops are grown in stacked layers, rather than spread out across large plots of land. These farms offer many benefits over traditional ones, including the prospect of better access to healthy foods in underserved communities.

Because vertical farms use LED lighting, their output isn’t subject to the natural elements that typically affect plant production such as adverse weather, insects, and seasons.

Continue reading “Vertical farms could take over the world | Hard Reset by Freethink” | >