Important Innovations Collection

California Institute of Technology's New Space-Based, Solar Energy Generating System                             Caltech space-based solar power system                                                                                Wireless Power Transfer                                                                                  Photovoltaics                      ...

One of the World's Largest Floating, Hydro-Solar Energy Systems                Source:  Thailand's Electric Generation Authority Floating Renewable Energy on a Dam On a reservoir in northeast Thailand, nearly 145,000 solar panels are being installed to complete one of the world's largest floating hydro-solar hybrid energy systems on a dam.  Backing it up are seven solar farms covering 300 acres of water.  Thailand has been criticized for its reliance on fossil fuels.  The government of Thailand is now changing the nation's energy mix.  The Thai government and the state run Electric Generation Authority are promising 8 more renewable energy dam projects over the next 16 years.  They will generate 2,725 megawatts of energy. Transitioning to Renewables Thailand has long relied on coal for its energy.  By 2037, it is targeting 35% of its energy coming from renewables. Thailand is developing a hybrid system of co...

First Offshore Wind Farm Auction In a Decade                                       Source:  UK Offshore Wind Farm BP, Total and RWE Are Big Winners The United Kingdom has just held its first major wind farm lease auction in more than a decade.  A total of six projects proposed by BP, France's Total and Germany's RWE were successful bidders.  The projects will generate 8 gigawatts of capacity which would be enough electricity to power 7 million homes. By 2030, Britain plans to generate one-third of its electricity from offshore wind.  This is part of its effort to be carbon neutral by 2050. Global Wind Power is Ramping Up Countries around the world are building green energy projects such as offshore wind farms to slow global warming and abide by the Paris Climate Accords.  The government of South Korea announced yesterday that it is investing $43.2 b...

Chevron & Carbon Capture Technology                                                                           Source:  Oil Refinery Stock Image Blue Planet US major oil company Chevron disclosed that it is investing in San Jose, CA based Blue Planet Systems Company.  Blue Planet is a startup that develops and manufactures carbon capture technology.  The technology cuts the carbon output of industrial processes in order to reduce their carbon footprint.  Chevron is making the investment through its Future Energy Fund. The Fund focuses on new, innovative lower carbon technologies being developed by startups that can scale up commercially.  The two companies plan to collaborate on pilot projects with the new carbon capture technology in certain ...

Prime Minister Suga's Green Growth Strategy                                                  Source:  Tokyo Highways Reaching New Zero Emissions  Japan has very ambitious green, zero emissions plans.  It plans on eliminating gas powered vehicles within 15 years or by 2035.  It also wants to reach net zero carbon emissions and achieve $2 Trillion a year in green growth by 2050.  The sales of gas powered car would be replaced by electric, hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell cars.  To spur electric vehicle sales and reduce EV costs, the government wants battery costs to be cut in half. Prime Minister Suga's Green Growth Strategy The moving force behind the green energy plan is Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his Green Growth Strategy.  The plan heavily relies on the hydrogen and automotive industries.  His targe...

 Big Bucks to Back Green Energy & Climate Projects                            Source:  European Union & Renewable stock "Green Roadmap" to Greener Environment Europe is putting big money behind its .commitment to a greener future.  European Union governments have approved $1.2 trillion in funding, which they call a "green roadmap" for the European Union's lending.  This new funding plan will stop financing of fossil fuel projects and move the lending over to green projects, such as renewable energy.  It's the European Investment Bank's Climate Bank. $1.2 Trillion For This Decade The $1.2 trillion in funding will be spent by 2030.  All the financing activity will be in sync with the Paris Climate Accord goals. Projects particularly in focus are those related to climate, biodiversity and sustainably focused projects.  The European Union has stated on many occasions th...

Germany's Innovative New Sources of Green Energy                             Source: Renewable Energy stock images 2020 Record Year for Renewable Energy In Germany Germany's prestigious Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) has determined that 2020 is a record year for renewable energy production and use in Germany.  Renewable energy sources equalled 53% of national public electricity production from January to October 2020 in Germany.  Last year in the same period, 46% of energy in Germany was from renewable sources.  The acceleration in renewable energy sources is historic and it demonstrates Germany's commitment to a green, carbon free future.. Solar Energy is Dominating as a German Energy Source According to German Energy Provider Eon, solar energy has provided 43 billion kilowatt hours of electricity into Germany's national grid in 2020.  That's 1 billion kilowatt ...

Green Hydrogen Trains from Siemens Energy & Siemens Mobility Source:  Stock Image of Hydrogen Trains Green Sustainable Energy and Green Travel Newly listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Siemens Energy has signed an MOU (memorandum of understanding) with Siemens Mobility to jointly develop and sell hydrogen systems to power trains.  This is another new and important example of the hot and expansive development of hydrogen fuel cell technology.  The two companies have several goals.   They want to standardize the technology for fully hydrogen powered trains made by Siemens Mobility.  They also want to sell the technology to external companies to promote the "hydrogen economy of Germany and Europe". Smart Green Linkage Siemens Energy is developing green hydrogen, which is produced from renewable sources like wind and solar power.  Siemens Mobility specializes in transportation and is still part of the parent company Siemens.  Siemens Energy wa...

A First in the UK                                   Source:  Tesla Megapack  Tesla As An Energy Provider For the first time, a Tesla UK facility composed of six huge, megapack batteries kept the lights on in Britain.  The breakthrough, renewable energy event happened this week.  The Tesla batteries helped balance electricity supply and demand and kept Britain out of the dark. Since March when the pandemic hit with full force, electricity demand in the UK has been very difficult to predict. National Grid The Tesla facility's six giant batteries store energy from renewable energy sources for use at times of peak demand.  A new computer system used by energy utility National Grid in the UK allows the company to tap into new technologies like Tesla batteries in their efforts to balance supply and demand. For National Grid use of green renewable energy is crucial to re...

Artificial Version of a Leaf - Artificial Photosynthesis Source:  Sunlight and leaves stock image Lawrence Berkeley National Lab The new technology is an artificial version of photosynthesis.  It's a dreamed-for renewable energy technology that top scientists and engineers have been chasing for decades.  Artificial photosynthesis has just been achieved by a team of scientists at the renowned Lawrence Berkeley National Lab in California. Photosynthesis Photosynthesis is the sunlight-driven, chemical reaction process that leaves and algae use to convert CO2 into cellular fuel.  Led by scientist Heinz Frei, the Berkeley Lab team has developed an artificial photosynthesis system.  It's composed of nano-sized tubes capable of all of the key steps in fuel generation. Big Green Deal This new green, renewable energy technology is a very big deal.  The new technology has the potential to generate vast amounts of renewable energy by using the CO2 in t...

British Petroleum Goes Green - "Reimagining Energy" Commitment Source:  BP Aggressive Commitment to Eliminate or Offset Carbon Emissions Big oil is at the epicenter and the primary cause of global climate change.  So it is major news when the British oil giant BP promises to eliminate or offset all carbon emissions from its operations and from the products it sells globally by 2050. This is the most radical strategic position that BP has taken in its 111 year global oil and gas history. They call their commitment "Reimagining Energy". The question being asked by many around the world is:  How is BP going to do it? Huge Amounts of Carbon Emissions Yearly The amount of toxic carbon emissions that BP is committing to eliminate is huge.  Every year, 55 million metric tons of carbon emissions spew into the atmosphere from BP operations. That amount is dwarfed by carbon emissions from BP customers using their energy products.  Global BP product use create...

Important Innovation Collection Audiobooks Just Published Latest Innovations in Robotics and Renewable Energy This week ACX published two more of our innovation news audiobooks:  "Important Innovations Collection:  Robotics" and "Important Innovations Collection:  Energy".  They join "Important Innovations Collection:  Travel" that was first published. Unique News Summaries on Breaking Global Innovations The co-authors and narrator are US national television journalists Ed Kane and Maryanne Kane. The audiobooks are unique and highly valuable news accounts, written by Ed and Maryanne, of the latest global breakthroughs in innovation. Sample Links and Free Codes for Important Innovations Collection:  Energy For easy access for a free sample listen, in the US  https://www.audible.com/pd/B07XTP1N8Z/?source_code=AU In the UK,  https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B07XLNX35Y/?source_code=AUKFrDlWS02231890H6-BK-ACX0-164309&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_1...

Ocean Wave-Solar Renewable Energy System Source:  EcoWave Power World's 1st Grid Connected Wave Energy Array The EcoWave Power is a world first.  The Swedish invention converts both wave and solar power into green renewable energy on the same device.  It's deployed in the port city of Jaffa, Israel and is connected to the city's electric grid.  This is the world's only grid connected wave energy array.  The device is now also topped with solar panels to generate more energy.  The innovative tech consists of floaters on coastal water attached to existing man-made structures.  This makes the system accessible and simple to install and maintain. The additional solar panel component is now being deployed and tested in Jaffa. Wave+Solar Power Generation Provides Many Benefits The system converts the rise and fall of coastal water into electricity and has worked effectively for several years. To increase efficiency, the Swedish team added solar p...

Important Innovations Collection: Energy.  New Audiobook on Latest & Most Impressive Energy Innovations Free Codes for Audible, ACX, iTunes Journalists Edward Kane and Maryanne Kane are pleased to announce that their third Audiobook "Important Innovations Collection:  Energy Innovation" has just been published by ACX and is being distributed by Audible, iTunes and ACX.  Ed and Maryanne are national television and radio broadcast journalists.  The book is narrated by Maryanne, who is the host of CEO Global Foresight on PBS.  Ed is the co-creator and Executive Producer of the program series.  The team focuses on breakthrough innovation news, including new innovations in green, renewable energy sources. Free Audible Codes We have been provided by ACX free codes for the US, UK and international listeners to get a copy of the audiobook for free.  Send me an email at  ejkane2@gmail.com if you'd like to get a free copy.  Thi...

US Department of Energy's R&D Center Source:  Renewable Energy stock image Transformative Energy Solutions ARPA-E is the US Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy.  Like the Pentagon's DARPA (Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency), the mission is to take on high risk-high reward projects to develop breakthrough technologies, in this case to improve the US energy mix. Power Plays The ranking GOP member of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla) just introduced legislation to increase funding for ARPA-E $24 million annually for the next 5 years, with the funding topping out at $500million in 2024.  In contrast, the Trump Administration wants to close the Department of Energy's tech research hub. The Administration believes that the private sector is better positioned to finance disruptive energy R&D. Transformative Energy Solutions Lucas' bill calls upon ARPA-...

Wind Turbine Blades Like Gull Wings Source:  Deakin University and Prof. Jorg Schluter Green Wind Energy Soars with New "Wings" Inspired by the shape of seagull wings, this new wind turbine blades are designed to make smaller turbine systems more efficient.  The invention comes from Australia and Deakin University Engineering Professor Jorg Schluter.  He believes the new technology could improve options for green power generation in remote and rural areas. Soaring on Air Currents The blades are designed with the curvature of a gull wing.  The rationale is the ability of seagulls to soar effortlessly on air currents. Greater Wind Power Generation In small turbines, for which the technology was designed, the blades generate 10 to 15% more power than conventional blades.  This is a new generation of wind turbine blade that increases electricity production and is based on nature - seagulls.  Prof. Schluter adds that small scale wind turbines ...

Solar Powered, Green Charging  Table Source:  Proton New Energy Future Ebord Renewable Energy - Green, e-Table Gadget The green charging device - the Ebord Table - is the invention of Proton New Energy Future of Barcelona, Spain. The sleek table harvests light to wirelessly charge multiple electronic devices at once with renewable, green energy. 50 Charging Coils There are 50 charging coils and a Qi charging platform in the table.  It also contains a thin film composed of the company's patented marine bacteria membrane.  The company says the membrane boosts the solar harvesting performance by 60%.  It can charge up to 4 electronic devices, such as smartphones and wearables, at once. The devices can be placed anywhere on the top of the table. Intelligent, e-Table The table is wireless, self-sufficient and recharges your electronic devices with renewable energy.  It works off the artificial and ambient light in your home and doesn't require dir...

Denmark's Vestas Launches New Turbine in US Market Source:  Vestas Blowing in the Wind Vestas has launched a new wind turbine targeting the US market.  It's designed to simplify how turbines are built and cut costs for the renewable source of energy. 30% More Energy The turbine produced by the Copenhagen based company has a 138 meter rotor diameter, which is the industry's largest.  The company expects it will produce 30% more energy then previous models. Modular Design The new turbine is a modular design to enable more customized turbines to be produced without increasing the number of components.  The new V138 turbine can be sold globally but it's particularly well suited to the US where many locations have capacity restrictions on how many megawatts can be installed and fed into the local grid.  Vestas just announced the new V138 turbine today.

New Iron Molecule Provides Cheaper Solar Energy Source:  Lund University's Iron Molecule Renewable Energy Innovation from Sweden's Lund University Researchers at Lund University have created an iron molecule that works in a dual capacity: a photocatalyst to produce fuel and in solar cells to produce electricity. The results indicate that the iron molecule could replace the more expensive rare metals used today that considerably increase the cost of solar cells. The research shows that by using advanced molecule design they can replace the expensive metals with iron which is common and cheap. Their research has demonstrated that the iron molecule captures and utilizes the energy from the sun.  It glows long enough for the scientists to see the light at room temperature with the naked eye. This research study was just published in the journal Science.  It has the potential of significant positive impact on the solar energy industry.  For more on energy...