renewable energy
”Rock Port, Missouri, is First US City to Generate All Its Electricity From Wind Turbines
(Photo by Steve Morse)Not to be outdone by those crazy Danish bastards out on the isle of Samso, Science Daily reports an equally crazy group of Missourian bastards in Rock Port now generate all their electricity using wind turbines. Rock Port went completely wind-powered last week, making use of the 75 wind turbines spread out across three Missouri counties, and local experts are excited about the potential for wind power throughout the state. However, PopSci thinks it won't be so easy to make this a widespread trend in the US.
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NASA Wind Map Shows You Where The Greatest Gusts Blow
In an effort to figure out the best areas to harvest wind energy, scientists from NASA's Earth Science Division have used several years of QuikSCAT satellite data to produce some pretty awesome looking wind power density maps. According to them, if the areas with high wind power—an average wind of greater than 30 knots (45 miles an hour)—were tapped, they could potentially supply 10 to 15 percent of the world's energy needs. More »Danish Isle Runs Completely on Renewable Energy, Is Greenest Guinea Pig Ever
In this week's New Yorker, Elizabeth Kolbert wrote about the Danish isle of Samsø, which over the past 10 years, has gone from exclusively using fossil fuel energy sources, to living exclusively off renewable energy. Using a combination of onshore and offshore turbines, private mini-turbines, solar panels, straw-burning furnaces and biofuels, the 4,300-resident island has become a sort of a sandbox for green experimentation. More »InnovaTek's Mini Microreactor Can Convert Liquid Fuel Into Hydrogen
A new development from InnovaTek offers potential freedom from high oil prices and hope for the future of biodiesel fuel-cells. They are currently testing a hand-sized microreactor that can convert nearly any liquid fuel into hydrogen—and while you are pondering that little nugget of information consider this: the microreactor units can be linked together. InnovaTek has already developed linked systems capable of producing anywhere from 1 to 160 gallons of hydrogen per minute, meaning that it is possible to generate hydrogen on-board in fuel-cell powered vehicles. More »Masdar HQ: World's First Positive Energy Building
The Masdar HQ in Abu Dhabi has big ambitions; the site is planned to be the world's first positive energy building, meaning it will create more energy than it consumes. Checkout some more fantastic images by clicking through the gallery.
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This Renewable Energy is Bullshit
On Tuesday, California energy company PG&E started generating energy from a rather unusual source: cow manure. Yes, cow poop emits methane as it decomposes. And while usually that's a bad thing, with methane being a potent greenhouse gas and all, it can be captured and turned into a renewable source of energy.
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energy
Energy Generating Turbine Toilet: Poop Saves the Planet
If the Benkatine Turbine by Leviathan Energy finds its way into homes, your bowel movements will be able to help generate free electricity. Using the same technology found in other hydroelectric devices, the Benkatine turbine uses the water that passes through the pipes in your home to produce power. According to the company, that means you could make use of the water flowing from any number of sources—including your gutter drains. It is a simple idea, but simple ideas are often the most useful. Plus, you pass off your excessive drinking and overeating as your little way of helping the environment. [Wired via Inhabitat via DVICE]
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Exploding Wind Turbine Video is Destruction Delicious
Wind turbines are becoming ever more ubiquitous thanks to their gradually lowering setup costs and relatively environmentally friendly energy production. It is a bit worrying then to see this particular wind turbine exploding in spectacular fashion. Worrying may actually be the wrong adjective—I believe the correct term is omfg-exploding-wind-turbine-destruction-is-so-satisfying-tastic. Check it out by hitting the video above, then jump in for a brief history lesson about Grandpa's Knob. More »San Francisco Working on Ambitious Solar Plan, Rebates and Loans for Solar Installations
The city of San Francisco is working on a groundbreaking new solar energy initiative, working on adding a combo of loans and rebates that would make installing solar panels a cheaper and more attractive option for local residents. Under the proposed plan, businesses would be eligible for rebates of up to $10,000 while residents would be eligible for $3,000 to $5,000 discounts off the cost of installing panels.
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