Those GE Ecomagination new products for '11: 1) the new 510MW combined cycle NG turbine/generator w/ >61% efficiency. Fast ramp up, but faster needed for the variable clean E inputs. 2) CO2 compression for enhanced oil recovery. 3) waste heat generators. Over half of E wasted in heat, el motors use almost half of world elgen. 4) a new locomotive 20% more efficient. 5) "map frames" (I Pads) for utility field workers.
Lilliputian Systems wants to commercialize butane cartridge-powered fuel cell charger for consumer devices. Spun out of MIT in '02. Raised >$90M from VC's.
Vizro (top-selling TV brand in US last 2 yrs) to get into LED lighting in Q3. CA comp (contracts out to Asia).
Transphorm got $25M more financing from Soros, Google, others. $63M now raised. Gallium nitride power conversion. Tho, at best, it could take grid from 90% efficiency to 99%. GaN grown on foreign substrates. They have to figure out how to scale it cheaply enough w/ independent intellectual property.
Euro group set 600M gal av biofuel target for '20.
Ethanol plants shut down in PA, IN for summer as high corn prices bite. Anyone remember 10 cent ears? Way back. Probably when gas was 32 cents/gal. Actually, it may have been as recent as the '80's.
EPA proposes 15.2B gal biofuel mandate for '12 and 50% jump in advanced biofuels (non-food based) to 2B gal. Australia exempting biofuels from fuel taxes thru '21. Hydrated lime instead of calcium oxide the latest hot biodiesel catalyst. Denmark: stover and wheat straw are sustainable, available, affordable, reliable biofuels feedstocks. I still have concerns that not plowing stover and wheatstraw back into the soil will quicken topsoil depletion.
IRS hiked mileage rate 4.5 cents.
No comments:
Post a Comment