Solar Innovation in Energy Generation and Transportation

As far as solar power is concerned innovation is far more than just a buzzword. There are a vast number of innovations that are driving solar growth and contributing to the industry's bright future.

One novel approach involves using the sun's energy to manufacture solar panels.

Perhaps the most revolutionary applications involve solar powered transportation. Sun powered vehicles can significantly reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

The number of solar innovations run the gamut from pragmatic to fantastic. Some fascinating solar powered concepts not only reduce our footprint but help to clean up the environment. One example is the solar sponge which can harvest and sequester carbon from the air.

Here is a list of solar innovations in energy generation and transportation:

Infographic - Purpose Driven Social Brands

Recognizing Sustainability Leadership in Business

The horrendously irresponsible behavior of some corporations generates well warranted public mistrust, however, tarring all companies with the same brush is a gross injustice to the sustainability leadership shown by many firms.

For more than a decade, early adopters have been leading the charge to craft a more ecologically friendly world. Now those who led the way have helped that approach morph into a key success factor that adds value and provides a competitive advantage.

AECOM's Sustainability Leadership

AECOM is a global company that delivers solutions that create, enhance and sustain the world's built, natural, and social environments. AECOM provides professional technical and management support services for public and private clients in 140 countries around the world. They are active in a broad range of markets, including transportation, facilities, environmental, energy, water and government.

AECOM views sustainability as helping clients, society and its operations address complex challenges by managing financial, natural, social and human capital that work together to advance human progress with less risk. With revenues of $8.2 billion during the 12 months ended March 31, 2013, AECOM demonstrates that being a good corporate citizen can also be very profitable.

Unilever: A Sustainable Corporate Giant

Unilever is an international consumer goods giant that is engaged in a wide range of sustainability initiatives. The company manufactures everything from ice cream to soap and in 2013 they announced that they had managed to make massive cuts in their carbon emissions, use less energy, significantly reduce waste, minimize water consumption, and increased the amount of sustainably sourced raw materials.

John Paul Selects: New Platform for Sustainable Products and Brands

John Paul DeJoria is the self-made founder of John Paul Mitchell Systems and many other successful businesses. He is an entrepreneur who believes in helping people who produce products that are less harmful to the environment.

On July 16th, 2013 in Los Angeles, the Green Business Bureau's Jamie Clem presented iconic entrepreneur DeJoria, with the Visionary Leader award (an award which is made in the USA from recycled glass).

The new "Fusion Distribution Solution" business model known as "John Paul Selects" is a unique distributor of sustainable brands. All of the sustainable products offered adhere to selection criteria which are focused on "Conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources." Each brand and product is carefully vetted based on a number of rigorous criteria.

Event - Wind Farm Data Management & Analysis 2013

This event will take place on September 23-25, 2013, at the Radisson Blu Hotel, Hamburg, Germany. Wind Farm Data Management and Analysis 2013 will focus on implementing an effective data management strategy to reduce O&M costs.

Windpower Monthly’s Wind Farm Data Management and Analysis Forum is the ONLY event focused on understanding how to optimise wind data to reduce O&M costs and improve turbine performance.

Topics covered include R&D from leading industry heavyweights including: OWI-Lab, ECN, RWTH Aachen, DTU Wind Energy, Fraunhofer Institut (IWES) & Durham University.

Course - Wind Power Planning School

Wind Power Planning School will take place on September 9-13, 2013. This course is presented by Green Power Academy / London. These three integrated courses combine to provide a comprehensive introduction to the Resource, Technology & Planning Aspects of the Wind Power Business, for business people and non-engineers.

For more information click here.

Course - Wind Energy (WND)

Wind Energy (WND) will take place on Sunday Sep 8, 2013, in Woodbridge, ON at the Living City Campus, Kortright Centre, 9550 Pine Valley Drive. This workshop is designed to introduce participants to the criteria for the selection of a wind energy system.

Video- Energy Storage Technology for Offshore Wind Turbines

A new technology employs concrete spheres to generate electricity when there is no wind to turn the blades.

Wind Energy Storage Solution Employing Concrete Spheres

Offshore wind holds tremendous promise, however the intermittent and unpredictable presence of wind imposes limits on this technology. However a new approach from researchers at MIT may have solved this problem with an approach that stores energy to be used when there is no wind.

This concept employs huge concrete spheres which would anchor wind turbines to the sea floor. When a wind turbine produces more energy than is needed, power would be diverted to drive a pump attached to the underwater structure, pumping seawater from a 30-meter-diameter hollow sphere. Then when there is no wind the water would flow back into the sphere through a turbine attached to a generator, producing energy.

A 25-meter sphere could store up to 6 megawatt-hours of power. One thousand spheres attached to wind turbines could produce as much coal or nuclear plant.

The system could also operate with shore based renewable sources of electricity like solar plants. Preliminary estimates indicate that one such sphere could be built and deployed at a cost of about $12 million but as the spheres are mass produced costs would come down. This could result in an estimated storage cost of about 6 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Harnessing Wind Energy Without Blades

Wind turbines are a large and growing source of energy but the turning blades have led to concerns about sound and impacts on bird populations. People have also complained that such wind turbines are an eye-sore. A new structure designed by Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo and installed at the Delft University of Technology convert wind to energy without any moving parts.

The new technological innovation was developed by the Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science faculty at Delft. It uses the movement of electrically charged water droplets to generate power.

Event - Offshore Wind Economics & Finance Europe 2013

Offshore Wind Economics & Finance: Europe 2013 will take place on Wednesday 16 October - Thursday 17 October in London, United Kingdom. ACI’s 2nd Offshore Wind Economics & Finance: Europe will take place on 16-17 October 2013 in London, UK. Bringing together 50-80 of the industry’s leading experts and executives from across the entire value chain (banks, international financing institutions, VC/PE companies, offshore wind farm owners/operators, utility companies, offshore wind farm developers, wind technology suppliers and R&D, government and regulators, lawyers and insurance firms) for two days of interactive discussion, excellent networking opportunities and the very latest updates from project investment activity around Europe, ACI’s 2nd Offshore Wind Economics & Finance: Europe will present you with the knowledge, experience & contacts you need to drive your business forward.

Event - Offshore Consenting Conference 2013

The second edition of the Offshore Consenting Conference 2013 will take place on 26 June 2013, in London, United Kingdom. This event encourages industry-wide coordination to optimise processes through consenting regimes. As the first Round 3 projects come closer to being consented, it is important to assess and learn from the challenges that have been encountered throughout the process in order to look forward to consenting future offshore wind schemes.

To see the conference agenda for 2013 click here.

Highlights will include:

• The latest interpretation of the Habitat Regulations and progress of developments since Defra’s Implementation Review Future-proofing consents – strategies for incorporating R&D unknowns into applications
• Approaches for defining cumulative impact constraints and best-practice methods for assessments
• An update of on the Planning Inspectorate’s consenting regime one year on and what challenges the first projects through the system have faced

Event - Global Wind Power Finance and Risk

The 4th annual Global Wind Power Finance &  Risk conference and exhibition will take place on 19—20 June 2013, London, United Kingdom. This event is the premier annual wind finance gathering, it brings together c-level representatives from leading utilities, developers, financiers and investors, providing not only outstanding scope for networking with decision-makers, but also targeted and in-depth conference sessions.

Who Attends Global Wind Power finance? Previous attendees have included:

• A word about wind • ABB • ABO Wind • Ackermans & Van Haaren • ADB • Aephoria capital • African Development Bank • Alatec Ingenieros Consultores y Arquitectos • Alstom • Alterra Power Crop • AMSC • ArcLight Energy Marketing • AREVA Energietechnik • Areva Renewables • Argus Media • Augusta & Co • Availon Holding • AWS Truepower • Bank of America Merrill Lynch • Bank ofIreland • Barclays • BBC Chartering • Belwind & InControl • Beten International • BEWAG • Blackrock Lntemational Limited -renewable Power Group • Bloomberg NEF • BNP PARIBAS • Boralex Inc • BTC • California Independent System Operator • Campbell Lutyens & Co • Cape Wind

Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics 2012

Each year Greenpeace publishes its guide to greener electronics just before the Thanksgiving holidays and the shopping event of the year known as Black Friday. This year is the 18th edition of Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics, it profiles a number of new developments.

The Guide evaluates leading consumer electronics companies based on their commitment and progress in three environmental criteria: Energy and Climate, Greener Products, and Sustainable Operations. Click here to download the Ranking Criteria Explained (pdf).