Corvus Energy announced the commissioning of the Prinsesse Benedikte ferry refit, a conversion from all diesel electric to hybrid using Corvus battery modules that can provide 2.7 megawatt-hours of energy.

Prinsesse Benedikte (image via Wikimedia Commons)

In a statement [PDF], Corvus Energy CEO Brent Perry called the commissioning a “significant milestone for Corvus because it represents the world’s largest ever hybrid propulsion marine battery pack and an important early success in the marine version of sustainable capitalism.”

Corvus is promising that the batteries, which can be charged in 30 minutes, will last more than ten years and will pay for themselves long before that time period ends. That’s in part due to reduced fuel use, but perhaps more significantly because the batteries will provide power during high-engine stress periods, when moving into, around and out of the harbor.

Scandlines, the ferry operator, noted as well that this will translate to more breathable air around the Rødbyhavn, Denmark, and Puttgarden, Germany, harbors that the Prinsesse  Benedikte shuttles between:

Scandlines is making a significant investment in new green technology that will benefit the people in the areas adjancent to the habour and beyond in terms of reduced pollution. Corvus batteries are used primarbily to minimize diesel engines running at non-optimal load. Further, this means load-leveling fuction in order to keep a high level of fuel efficiency and reduced number of generating sets in service.

Rules about what’s “acceptable” to sell means that grocery stores throw away alarming amounts of food. In fact, edible products make up 63 percent of a supermarket’s disposed waste stream, according to a California Integrated Waste Management Board industry study. Kroger, one of America’s leading grocery chains, recently announced an innovative plan to turn organic waste generated at its stores into electricity for one of its busiest distribution centers.

Image via rstinnett/Flickr

Anaerobic conversion systems, technologies that transform organic matter into renewable biogas, have been around for quite some time. The problem is that it’s expensive for large-scale waste producers to ship organic matter to out of the way local waste-to-energy facilities. Kroger has solved this problem by installing its own anaerobic digester at the busy Ralphs/Food 4 Less distribution center in Compton, Calif.

Trucks will leave the facility full of fresh food to be delivered at stores throughout the region. Once unloaded, each truck will be refilled with food that can’t be sold or donated. It will carry this waste back to the distribution plant, where it will be immediately unloaded and put into the digester, eliminating any extra travel.

According to Kroger, the anaerobic conversion system will process more than 55,000 tons of organic food waste into renewable energy annually and provide power for the over 650,000 square foot distribution center. By diverting that food waste – the equivalent of 150 tons per day – the system will also reduce area truck trips by more than 500,000 miles each year. The system will also provide enough biogas to offset more than 20 percent of the energy demand of the entire distribution center.

This qualifies: The “Strawscaper” concept proposed by Belatchew Arkitekter for a building in Stockholm. It would create a furry 40-story building that uses the piezoelectric technology to turn the air that moves around it into electricity.

The current Söder Torn in Stockholm (image via Belatchew Arkitekter)

In some ways, this wild idea is the fulfillment of the Söder Torn building’s destiny. According Belatchew Arkitekter, the current 26-story tower (pictured in its current state above) was supposed to rise to 40 floors, but by the time the buidling was completed in 1997 the original architect, Henning Larsen, was off the project and that was that.

Now, “Belatchew Arkitekter wants to give Söder Torn its original proportions and at the same time explore new techniques that could create the urban wind farm of the future.”

Söder Torn extended and electrified using composite materials with piezoelectric properties (image via Belatchew Arkitekter

We actually see piezoelectrics at play frequently on the pages of EarthTechling, but almost always at a small scale, as with this pacemaker concept under development at the University of Michigan that uses piezoelectric materials – materials that accumulate energy under stress – to harness power from the mere vibrations of the heart.

But some have imagined putting piezoelectrics to use at larger scale, as with this Humdinger concept that was kicking around a couple of years ago.

Of course, being architects, Belatchew Arkitekter sees this concept for more than its utilitarian benefits. “(A)n an additional aspect is revealed when the constant movement of the straws creates an undulating landscape on the facades,” the firm says of the transformed, fuzzy Söder Torn (“South Tower”). “What is usually considered to be the most static of all things, the building, suddenly comes alive and the construction gives the impression of a body that is breathing. The straws swaying in the wind gives the building a constantly changing facade further reinforced at nighttime with lighting in changing colors.”

Designed by Decode Urbanism Office (DUO), the Taiwanese Tower will stand 1,150 feet high in Taiwan’s Taichung City and will be the new headquarters for the city’s Department of Urban Development. Other parts of the skyscraper will include offices, exhibition spaces, museums and retail areas. According to the architects, electricity generated from the tiny diamond-shaped turbines will be sufficient to handle the energy demand for the whole tower.

This twisting, undulating Taiwan skyscraper design is to be powered by thousands of wind turbines embedded in its facade. Image via Decode Urbanism Office.

Composed of an undulating, twisting support structure made of concrete-filled steel, the new tower will be an eye-catching addition to the city’s skyline — and an ever-changing one. As the wind shifts directions, the wind turbines will shift accordingly, like a weather vane, providing subtle changes on the building’s dynamic envelope. Some windows will be more exposed while others become shaded, depending on the amount of daylight needed is certain areas, thus reducing energy demand.

An artist’s conception of how the facade will change depending on how the generators are shifted by the winds. Image via Decode Urbanism Office.

In the evenings, small wind-powered LED lamps between each turbine will keep the tower illuminated without drawing any energy from the city’s grid. The color and intensity of these lights will also change, depending on the temperature and season, providing a basic weather beacon for the city’s residents.

Diagram showing how the wind turbines will be positioned on the tower’s sub-structure. Image via Decode Urbanism Office.

This shifting façade patterns, DUO said, is based on the plum blossom, the national flower of Taiwan and China, which is known to change its appearance as the wind changes direction.

The Daimler division said that “in response to consumer uncertainty about battery performance and longevity, the fortwo will offer customers an innovative acquisition option:  buy or lease the vehicle with or without the battery.”

image via Mercedes-Benz USA

Here’s how that works:

The new option, called Battery Assurance Plus, enables a customer to buy the vehicle only – without the battery – for $19,990 and separately rent the battery (the performance of which is guaranteed for up to 10 years) for $80 a month plus taxes. For leasing customers, the total monthly payment is $199 with the battery rental included. Battery Assurance Plus also covers annual maintenance on the battery and, if necessary, replacement. The rental contract for the battery is transferrable for up to 10 years with no mileage restrictions.

As we’ve reported, the smart fortwo is one of the smallest vehicles on the road today, at less than nine feet long and barely five feet wide. The first smart EV prototypes hit the streets of London in 2007. The next generation of smart EVs then became available worldwide in 2009. Two-hundred fifty of the EVs were shipped to the U.S. for early adopters and the carshare program, Car2go.

Now the vehicle “has started rolling out the smart electric fortwo, the most affordable electric vehicle in the U.S. market (based on Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price), to smart dealers across the country,” Daimler said.

MBUSA said it expects “most customers will opt for the Battery Assurance Plus option, based on its popularity in Europe,” but for those buying the battery with the car,  “the smart fortwo coupe carries an MSRP of $25,000 while the cabriolet is priced at $28,000.”

That’s all before any incentives, including the big federal tax credit that can be worth as much as $7,500.

A new effort on Kickstarter hopes to ignite a love of solar power among the youth by turning it into a game–or more specifically–a race. Solar Rollers are remote controlled race cars custom-built with parts from 1/10 scale radio-controlled cars. The cars use hand-soldered solar arrays to generate power and represent a valuable opportunity for hands-on training in renewable energy at the high school level.

Image via Solar Rollers/Kickstarter

Solar Rollers is an effort of Solar Energy International, a non-profit that focuses on educating students, teachers, veterans and just about anyone else about the promise of free, clean energy from the sun.

“Through the process of designing, building, testing, refining and eventually competing, students push themselves and their teammates to learn more about energy efficiency, photovoltaics (solar electricity), motors, batteries, material properties, friction and more,” writes SEI’s Solar In the Schools Manager, Noah Davis. ”The team starts by building a solar-powered RC car, but the main goal is building their lifelong love of learning.”

The cars themselves aren’t that remarkable–flat and low to the ground, they’re designed for functionality rather than aesthetic. But there’s plenty of fun to be had with a battery-free RC car that can travel faster than a human can sprint.

The four existing prototype Solar Rollers will compete in a demonstration race today at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory competition in Denver, Colorado. If the Kickstarter campaign is successful, SEI will create a supportive, instructional online resource for use by the Solar Rollers community nationwide, help kids build more rollers, and organize more races across the nation.

Learn more and support the campaign here.

One thing the Solar Energy Industries Association report definitely makes clear is why the industry is so enthusiastic about the military using solar: It constitutes a huge market.

Solar is making its way to the battlefield – here as part of a water purification system in Afghanistan – but the much bigger use is to power domestic bases and other facilities, including housing. (image via U.S. Marines)

The military’s use of solar has grown quickly, but with the Navy at 58.2 MW, the Air Force at 38 MW and the Army at 36.9, the services together still have just 130 MW of solar, leaving a massive gap – and a potentially massive market for solar – to bridge to get the U.S. Department of Defense to its 2025 renewable energy capacity goal of 3 gigawatts (or 3,000 MW).

Of course, solar is just one of many renewable sources the military is turning to, but solar figures to lead the way; the report notes that “PV is 58 percent of the 1.9 GW of identified DOD renewable energy capacity additions from 2012 to 2017.” And the report puts the size of that number in context: “This amounts to approximately 1.1 GW of new PV projects, roughly equal to the amount of global solar capacity in 2000.”

Quoting from the report, here are highlights of each branch’s embrace of solar up to this point:

NAVY

• As of early 2013, there are more than 58 MW of solar PV operating at DON installations in 12 states and the District of Columbia
• By 2020, the Navy expects to obtain 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources
• The Navy has also awarded more than 20 MW of PV projects

AIR FORCE

• As of early 2013, there are 38 MW of solar PV capacity operating at Air Force bases in 24 states
• PV will comprise 70 percent of new Air Force renewable energy capacity added from 2012 to 20175
• The Air Force has plans to add more than 26 MW of PV in 2013 alone

ARMY

• As of early 2013, there are more than 36 MW of solar PV installed at Army bases in at least 16 states
• Solar comprises a third of the Army’s planned renewable generating capacity from 2012 to 20176
• The Army has plans for 55 MW of additional solar projects on military bases as well as 13 MW of solar on the roofs of 4,700 military homes at Fort Bliss in Texas

Moniz, who was an energy undersecretary in the Clinton administration, replaces Steven Chu, who served as energy secretary in Obama’s first term. Although his acceptance into the office was fairly conflict free, the new DOE secretary will face many challenges over the next few years, and his decisions will likely shape America’s energy future long beyond his tenure in office.

Image via MIT

“Moniz is the Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems, as well as the director of the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) and the Laboratory for Energy and the Environment,” reports the school. “At MIT, Moniz has also served previously as head of the Department of Physics and as director of the Bates Linear Accelerator Center. His principal research contributions have been in theoretical nuclear physics and in energy technology and policy studies. He has been on the MIT faculty since 1973.”

Perhaps it was his work in nuclear energy and praise for coal and fracking that allowed him to escape the Conservative gauntlet that has been thrown down for Gina McCarthy, Obama’s pick for the EPA. Unfortunately, these characteristics don’t bode well for human and environmental health, nor the renewable energy industry. Environmental groups lost no time in reminding him of the volatile energy issues currently facing the U.S. and urging decisions that move us away from fossil fuels for good.

“To do what is right by the American public, we need Secretary Moniz to go all in on smart energy and climate solutions, like solar, wind, and energy efficiency and to protect our children’s health and future, while creating jobs for American workers,” said Deb Nardone, the Sierra Club’s Beyond Natural Gas Campaign Director, in a statement.

Now, the company plans to unveil a halo sports car in the next three years, using hybrid technology explored by the two concepts. According to Infiniti brand boss Andy Palmer, the new sports car will be specially designed for young families with that want to be environmentally friendly and still have some fun.

Infiniti Emerg-E – image via Infiniti

When talking about the future model, Palmer described it “like the Tesla sports car option, but with more flexibility in terms of range.” This leaves both the possibilities opened, including a 1.2-liter gasoline engine combined with two electric motors or a 3.7-liter V-6 mated to an electric motor.

Either way, Infiniti needs this new halo car if it wants to increase sales from the current 200,000 units a year up to 500,000 by 2020.

2009 Infiniti Essence

The 2009 Essence concept was designed in cooperation with Louis Vuitton, and features a dramatic and futuristic design. The concept combines a 3.7-liter V-6 engine with an electric motor for a total output of 592 horsepower.

The two engines can work independently or together as a “parallel” hybrid system.

2012 Infiniti EMERG-E

The Emerg-e is powered by twin electric motors that deliver a total of 420 horsepower. The concept can sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds and from zero to 130 mph in just 30 seconds. In zero-emission mode, the concept has a range of 30 miles, but with the assistance of a small three-cylinder gasoline engine, it is capable of a range of up to 300 miles.

Editor’s Note: EarthTechling is proud to repost this article courtesy of TopSpeed.

This type of blade is 173 feet long, so when one them comes off, it’s pretty serious business. Longtime opponents of the Ocotillo project, which opened with 94 2.3-megawatt turbines right at the end of 2012, said the incident demonstrated yet another threat among many they believe the turbines pose.

image via Ocotillo Wind Turbine Destruction

“Since Ocotillo Express operation started in late 2012, residents complain of adverse impacts from noise, vibrations, electrical interference, shadow flicker and light pollution,” the group Protect Our Communities Foundation said in a statement posted on the website of the anti-wind organization Industrial Wind Action Group. “People, pets and wildlife are suffering while the project’s wind production is far less than advertised.”

According to a report yesterday in East County Magazine, the blade was discovered by “ECM photographer and aerospace engineer Jim Pelley.” He “discovered the fallen blade before dawn this morning when he looked out from his front porch eastward and saw the enormous blade … lying on the desert floor,” the magazine said.

image via Ocotillo Wind Turbine Destruction

The anti-Ocotillo Facebook page Ocotillo Wind Turbine Destruction wrote that “the blade appeared to come detached, the tip of the blade hit the ground about 100’ to 120’ from the base of the tower and appeared to tumble with the attachment portion of the blade landing about 300’ from the tower.”

In a phone interview with EarthTechling, Pelley said that the turbine incident occurred on land open to and used by the public for dirt biking and other activities, and within perhaps 100 yards of a Bureau of Land Management road.

In a statement, Siemens confirmed the “B53 rotor blade of a SWT-2.3-108 wind turbine broke off near the blade root and fell to the ground at the Ocotillo Wind project in California.”

Siemens said it had “convened a team of experts at the site who will examine all facets of this incident, including the production, installation, commissioning and service of the blade, which is under warranty by Siemens Energy.”

The company went on to say that it was “working to determine if and how this is related to a recent similar incident in Iowa,” and that in the meantime was “curtailing all turbines with the B53 blade type globally.”

In an email to EarthTechling, a Siemens spokeswoman explained that “when a turbine is curtailed, it means the load on the blade is significantly reduced compared to normal operation.” The company said there were about 700 such turbines deployed around the world, with most – around 600 – in the United States, and all those turbines were being examined.

Note: This story was updated to add new information after its initial publication.