Researchers at Oregon State University have developed a nanostructure film that may help solar panels reach new levels of efficiency by trapping more photons and letting less energy escape from reflection.  This could be a big deal.  Any gain in effieciency matters, and if we string enough of them together we could have some great solar panels in no time.

Check out the story here.

Check out the full article here.

Read the article here.

Of course this is still in the early stages, and it will take years to set up a project to see if this is commercially viable and practical, but it’s stil very exciting.  Especially if we could feed the fungus with stuff we don’t want anymore, like garbage.

Hear the full story here on NPR.

If you’re not sure who to vote for, I’d recommend Barack Obama.  Especially if you think renewable enrgy is important.

Read the article here.

The Battery Council International reports that 93% of all battery lead is recycled. A higher recycling rate than newspapers (55%) or aluminum cans (42%). Typical new lead-acid batteries contain 60-80% recycled lead and plastic. A true recycling success!

Also the consensus seems to be that batteries will last 3-4 years depending on usage.  Most of the articles I found tonight were a year or more old, so I’m hoping that there is new battery technology now, or coming in the near future.  When I am ready to start on my electric car I will do some more in-depth research.

The article that got me all excited about electric cars again can be found here on the website Treehugger.com Please let me know if you have any better information on new and improved batteries.

Shameless Plug for BeUtilityFree

Take the idea of energy sustainability and apply it to what are probably your largest energy uses: your home and car. That’s the approach of BeUtilityFree. Take a look at what we do at www.beutilityfree.com. (I’m the webmaster as well as a renewable energy installer, so I’d love to hear feedback on what you think of the site at brett_s AT BeUtilityFree.com.)

The grand plan is to start out by reducing the amount of energy you use through replacing your current fixtures and appliances with more efficient ones, or designing your new home with efficiency built right in. Then you can buy a much more affordable renewable energy system that will cover your modest needs.

Once you own your means of production, you start getting paid back through avoiding the ever-rising cost of fuel, selling renewable energy credits for your production, taking tax breaks and utility incentives and maybe even selling excess energy.

We sell energy-efficient appliances and lighting and renewable energy systems like solar electric, solar hot water, wind power, hydrogen cogeneration and ethanol stills. We’ll design renewable energy systems, install them or just sell the components to those who have the skills to set them up themselves.

Our special, can’t-find-them-anywhere-else items are Nickel-Iron batteries, the Superior Solar Storage Tank and our 3″ and 4″ column Ethanol Stills.

We are hoping to unveil a few exciting things in the near future. Among them are:

• A turn-key ethanol plant. Just put feedstock, water, enzymes and yeast in one end and watch the fuel pour out the other. We’re currently testing enzymes for cellulosic production so that making ethanol can be as inexpensive and sustainable as possible.
• A Purchase Power Agreement plan that lets anyone get solar energy from their rooftop without any up-front investment. We’d retain ownership of the solar system and sell you the energy at a rate lower than the utility company’s.

If we can get everyone to pump renewable energy into the grid or unplug and make their own energy sustainably, we’ll have taken a huge step toward getting this climate problem licked. And if everyone owns the source of their energy, we can all get out from under the thumb of the utility company and the US Oil War Machine and get back to making a poistive difference in the world.

Brett