CleanBeta

An Atlas of U.S. Renewable Energy Resources

Optimal Biomass on Left = Blue, Red

Load centers = Green

Biomass technology converts bio-based feedstocks like wood, agricultural waste, and yard waste through combustion into electricity. Biomass fuel is either directly combusted in a boiler, or gasified and then combusted, or turned into a liquid fuel that can be combusted. The majority of biomass resources are located east of the Continental Divide. Biomass resources are derived from the vegetation, which is sparse in the Western states. The Eastern states have much higher-quality biomass resources, which are often located near load centers in Eastern states.

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Posted in Agriculture, Concentrated-Solar, Eco-Efficiency, Graphic, Natural Resources, Photovoltaics, Policy, Regulatory and Legal Trends, Renewable Fuels, Solar Energy, Solar-Thermal, Wind Energy, Wind Turbines, biomass, ethanol, geothermal, green technology, map | No Comments »

Will Coal Replace Oil in the New Energy Economy?

Map of U.S. Coal-Fired Power Plants

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Posted in Climate Change, Graphic, Natural Resources, Peak-Oil, Policy, Regulatory and Legal Trends, map | No Comments »

NASA Snapshots of World Solar Irradiance

2005

2001

Posted in Clean Tech Lifecycles, Climate Change, Environmental Sustainability, Graphic, Industry News, Photovoltaics, Policy, Regulatory and Legal Trends, Research Trends, Solar Energy, carbon emissions | No Comments »

How to Make a Solar Cooker at Home?

The sun is the oldest cook in the book — pun fully intended. Food cooked in solar ovens retains moisture and nutrients when cooked slowly. Unlike other heat sources, it is fairly difficult to burn food in solar ovens. There are all kinds of solar ovens and solar cooker designs, ranging from very affordable home made models to those one can buy ready-made. The cookbooks included below usually provide an explanation for the different types of ovens as well as tips for beginning solar chefs.

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Posted in Photovoltaics, Policy, Regulatory and Legal Trends, Solar Energy | No Comments »

China Makes Solar Cell Breakthrough

A team of Chinese researchers have reached a new record of 8.2% light conversion efficiency in solvent-free dye-sensitized solar cells, according to a paper that appeared online today in the journal Nature Materials.

Dye-sensitized solar cell technology is a promising alternative to expensive silicon solar cells. The dye-sensitized cells mimic natural photosynthesis processes seen in plants and algae. The cells are made up of a porous film of tiny (nanometer sized) white pigment particles made out of titanium dioxide. The latter are covered with a layer of dye which is in contact with an electrolyte solution. When solar radiation hits the dye it injects a negative charge in the pigment nanoparticle and a positive charge into the electrolyte resulting in the conversion of sunlight into electrical energy.

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Posted in China, Clean Tech Lifecycles, Environmental Finance, Industry News, Photovoltaics, Research Trends, Solar Energy, green technology | No Comments »