GM and EPA propose wind powered car – revised 05/21/09
January 29, 2011 | Leave a Comment
RP Washington D.C. May 19,2009 In a new symbiotic relationship between government-owned General Motors and the EPA, a new type of on-road land vehicle powered by the wind has been proposed. While the coasts have off shore wind potential, the Red States, especially Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas would use the wind power to deliver new performance in a new three-passenger car outfitted with sails and turbines. 
The vehicle will use technology yet to be invented. On board sensors and wireless-network-delivered information combining detection of car speed, power requirements, wind velocity along with GPS coordinates can be used to automatically deploy a sail fin in the proper orientation and direction. The wheels used are similar to roller blades which use silicone instead of rubber.
The idea of wind vehicles is not new. Crosswinds in Kansas and other Plains states blow unloaded trailers and VW Microbuses into other lanes and even completely on their sides. Taking advantage of wind, trucks would carry sensors to keep them constantly on the point of tipping in order to extract the maximum amount of power from the wind. Height restrictions supplied over the air would avoid striking overpasses.
Hollywood has also chimed in with Actor/Abuser Alec Baldwin thinking that stunt men could “do something with the sail.”
Additional uses of the technology fitted to all new cars, State troopers will also be able to locate speeders by GPS. Driver and vehicle data would be collected remotely to issue new federal speeding tickets. Fines for drivers detected using the system would be suspended if more than 2.6% of forward motion is extracted from the wind. Normal vehicles will be issued tickets based on network delivered by the device with fines doubling if the fuel consumption decreases below 27.8mpg for distances of 6 miles or more. Both numbers were arbitrarily chosen.
Yan Sung of the EPA, the new GM Vice President of Wind Alternatives, who now goes by the handle of VicePOWA stated, “the fine doubling came out of an idea of how to pay for the new technology and increase the benefit cost ratio to greater than 0.55.”
Cars with electric assist or hybrid designs will have pinwheels that deploy in parking lots to a small energy storage device, nicknamed “Battery” . The Battery is expected to light a single pulsing white LED that looks “really kewl” says VicePOWA. The Wind Assisted Special Project or WASP has been code named VESPA, the italian word for wasp. Because the government ownership, some experts have determined that no violation of trademark with the scooter market champion exists.
Adrano revisited: Enel to deploy 9MW PV system at historic Sicilian solar power site
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
Solar power is coming back to Adrano, home of the one of the first CSP systems. Enel Green Power is starting construction on a new 9MW photovoltaic power plant on the Sicilian site where the historic Eurelios CSP array once operated.
9REN to develop 1MW project for Helios in Italy
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
9REN has obtained a new order from Helios to develop, build, and manage a 1MW PV power plant of 1MW in Buseto Palizzolo in the Italian province of Trapani.The location of the new project is close to a 1.9MW system previously contracted with Helios and already under construction.
Arkema, INES to collaborate on PV polymer materials research
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
Arkema and CEA teams from the French Institut National de l’Energie Solaire (INES) have joined forces to create what is being called the first private/public mixed research laboratory in France dedicated to the development of polymer materials for various photovoltaic module technologies.
OPV materials firm Plextronics gets ISO 14001 certification
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
Organic PV and OLED materials and process developer Plextronics has achieved ISO 14001:2004 certification. The company was awarded this designation by ABS-QE for its compliance with environmental process standards and effective environmental management systems. Those standards and systems are used in the production and other operations related to conductive polymers and inks for use in printed electronic applications.
Italy has a US$60 billion solar subsidy problem, says Barclays Capital
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
Despite the confusion over the GSE’s PV installation figures for 2010, Barclay’s Capital PV analyst Vishal Shah said in an investors note that no matter what the actual installation figure will be for 2010, it is increasingly likely that the Italian government would have to pay for 6GW worth of subsidies at the 2010 FiT rate.
Solar energy cutbacks help foot the flood bill in Australia
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
Due to the widespread disaster throughout Australia, caused by the country’s recent floods, several cutbacks will be made in order to fit the bill. One area which is expected to be hit hard by the fundraising is the renewable energy sector.
Enecsys micro inverters receive UL certification
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
Enecsys has become the first company in the world to receive UL certification for a micro inverter without electrolytic capacitors. The 240-watt inverter has also been certified for use in Europe, thus helping Enecsys to establish itself as one of the few truly global inverter manufacturers.
Taiwan feed-in tariff sliced in line with equipment prices
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
The Taiwanese government has reduced the feed-in tariffs for solar power for 2011 by approximately 30% from the levels in 2010 due to the falling cost of solar photovoltaics installation equipment.
Tool Order: Roth & Rau bags multiple orders worth €31.9 million
January 29, 2011 | Comments Off
So far in January, Roth & Rau has received multiple orders, primarily for its SiNA antireflective coating system worth €31.9 million.