Blue Energy Pilot Plant Operational in the Netherlands

Power pilot installation: 50 kW. Current gain of 2,6 W/m2 membrane, should be lifted towards 5 W/m2. Potential for Dutch electricity generation: 200 MW. Estimated global potential: 5% of total energy consumption. Key technological challenge: combat pollution membranes.

Osmotic power or salinity gradient power is the energy available from the difference in the salt concentration between seawater and river water. Two practical methods for this are reverse electrodialysis (RED) and pressure retarded osmosis (PRO). Both processes rely on osmosis with ion specific membranes. The key waste product is brackish water. This byproduct is the result of natural forces that are being harnessed: the flow of fresh water into seas that are made up of salt water.

[wikipedia.org] – Osmotic power
[DeeprResource] – Blue Energy

Zout=salt, zoet=sweet (fresh), brak=mixed (brackish). Blue energy=electricity generated from mixing salt and fresh water (osmosis)

The King Willem-Alexander opens the installation (that is already operational for a year).

[rt.com] – New research to turn salty oceans into a renewable energy source

Collapsing Oil Price Casualties

[source]

Currencies of oil major exporters Russia, Canada, Norway and Nigeria take a hit as a resulting of collapsing oil prices.

[nytimes.com] – Oil Prices Are Plunging. Here’s Who Wins and Who Loses.

Global Solar PV Installed Base to Triple in 2020

GlobalData forecasts that the global cumulative installed base of solar PV modules will triple by 2020, from 135.66 GW in 2013 to 413.98 GW in 2020.

[energy.globaldata.com] – Global Solar Photovoltaic Module Installed Capacity to More than Treble by 2020, says GlobalData
[cleantechnica.com] – Global Solar PV Module Capacity To More Than Treble By 2020

Renewable Energy #1 Electricity Source in Scotland

[source]

We reported earlier that Scotland is doing fine in renewable energy matters. Here some new data to confirm that image: renewable energy is the prime source of electricity in Scotland (32%) over the first half of 2014. And there is still a lot of potential for an even bigger role to play for renewables.

[scottishrenewables.com]

The Cost of Solar Modules

[source]

GTM Research investigated what in 2014 the costs are of producing a multicrystalline silicon solar panel, excluding marketing, transport, administration, warranty, etc. Result:

50 cent/kw (China)

Next in line of cheap producers: Malaysia, Taiwan and the US (68 cent/kw).

Cost structure solar module 2014

[greentechmedia.com]

Oil Price Collapse

[source]

New Population Projections 2100

[scientificamerican.com] – World Population Will Soar Higher Than Predicted

World Largest PV Plant Now in California (550 MW)

Formerly useless desert becoming useful after all. Topaz solar power plant, located in San Luis Obispo County, California, now operational. This solar panel field generates 550 MW peak watt, which boils down to 125 MW average, on a 24h basis. So, if you want to replace a standard 1 GW nuclear or fossil fuel based power plant, you need 8 of these Topaz fields. Quite a task, but once they are installed, you don’t have to worry about fuel bills and carbon tax for at least 25 years.

Investment volume: $2.5B
Panels: 9 million thin-film technology based CdTe PV panels
Manufacturer: First Solar
Power: 550 MW peak (equiv. to army of 4.3 million men on a home trainer, 8h/day, 250 days/year generating 100 Watt continuously, which is very hard work)
Annual production: 1,096 GWh
Employment: 400 construction jobs

[wikipedia.org] – Topaz Solar Farm
[google maps]

Saving Fuel With More Gears

Volkswagen was the first to introduce in 2003 a gear-box with 6 gears. Mercedes and BMW took up the gauntlet and increased even more. Now Volkswagen brings a 10-gear gear-box for their mass market models Golf and Passat. Advantages: less wear of the coupling and better fuel efficiency (16%). The new gear-box weighs 5 kg more, but has the same size as the old one.

[spiegel.de] – Zehnganggetriebe von VW: Jetzt wird’s zweistellig

Postcards From Pripyat, Chernobyl

Drone pictures of the abandoned city of Pripjat, near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.

[rt.com]