Green News

Biomass Biofuels Production

Todays production of biofuels like ethanol are created primarily from grain products like corn, but there are sizable undeveloped resources of organic biomass that could be harnessed as a green renewable source of fuel energy. Current refining processes leverage the starch content of grains converting them into sugars distillates that can be transformed in to ethanol fuel. The power efficiency of grain conversion biofuel is not optimal.

The cell walls of plant byproduct and waste represent a giant source of untapped energy for the future. Plant material byproduct biomass contains cellulose, which is harder to refine and convert to sugars for distilling. Plantmass sugar (hemicellulose) contains a wealth of carbohydrate structures that have to be chemically consumed by microorganisms to be converted in to fuels. The future development of low cost efficient refinement to convert the cellulose biomass into fuel is slowed by lack of development of biomass energy crops. The challenge is separating the biomass fuel components, the slow activity of chemical enzymes that deconstruct biomass product, and the resistant effect of fuels and processing waste on organisms responsible for converting biomass into usable fuels.

The $125 million Joint BioEnergy Institute (JBEI) is one of three national centers created by the DOE, each funded for up to $25 million a year to address the challenges and future of biomass biofuels.

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Gadgets

Solar power packs-gadgets and products

Our country is essentially quite obsessed with a whole host of different topics ranging from art and science to history and freedom.  But the one thing that it appears us Americans love more than anything else is gadgets.  Sure, we may also be quite addicted to oil, but our biggest weakness over all as a nation is gadgets.  Every time some new, interesting and overpriced gadget comes out on the market, if we can think of a single helpful use for it, we absolutely must have it.  If it peels an onion, slices a tomato, cores an apple, plays a tone, solves a problem or looks shiny and exciting, you probably have brought one home in the past.  In fact, it may be gadgets that is making solar power such a hot topic as of late.  Why?  Because solar energy is becoming a real alternative as a source of energy for our favorite past time: Gadgets. Read more »

Home Energy

Going Green-Energy efficient lighting solutions

Lighting up your home is an area where a very large difference can be made when it comes to conserving energy.  There are a few extremely simple technological advances which offer us a whole host of new options for making our lighting efforts much more energy efficient.  Energy-efficient lighting is much more cost effective, so by using energy-efficient lighting you will be saving money in energy costs as well as protecting the environment by utilizing renewable sources of energy.  Many of these technological advances have been around for many years, but so many people have not become aware of them that they are not being used to their full potential yet. Read more »

Automotive

Zap-Xebra Electric Sedan-Hybrid Conversion Announced

A nice little example of the Zap Xebra Electric Sedan was spotted on the streets of Aspen, Colorado today. The Xebra zero emission vehicle zips along at up to 40 miles per hour and can be recharged on any outlet.

Zap announced today that the company will is offering a plug-in hybrid conversion systems for the Toyota Prius and Ford Escape Hybrid through a collaboration agreement with Hybrids Plus of Boulder, Colorado. The retrofit will provide millage of up to 120 miles per gallon and a vehicle equipped with the conversion. More Information on the Zap Hybrid Conversion

Photo Credit - Boyd Billings, Aspen Daily Image