So far in 2009, battery companies have received over $600 million in venture capital funding, compared with $478 million garnered for 2008, according to research analyst Lux Research.
The investment isn't without reason. In a report released Tuesday, Lux predicted that the energy storage market will grow to become a $60 billion industry by 2013.
But for now, it's hard for even the experts to predict who will emerge as the victorious innovators. Instead of a few key players, there's a plethora of both established and start-up companies developing a wide range of approaches to power storage for things like cars, utilities, and gadgets, according to Lux.
A123 Systems' battery platform is being used for tools, transportation, and power grid energy storage.
(Credit: Martin LaMonica/CNET)A123Systems, of which GE is an investor, and NGK Insulators are seen as leaders in power grid energy storage.
And Lux sees Johnson Controls-Saft and Compact Power as leaders in developing lithium ion batteries for electric hybrid cars.
But when it comes to batteries for products like power tools, electric bikes, and portables, the space is wide open. That space is open not only to emerging companies, but also as to which type of battery technology will succeed, according to Lux.
"Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH), nickel-zinc (NiZn) and even lithium-sulfur (Li-S) and lithium-air (Li-air) batteries are all pitching themselves as lower-cost alternatives," according to the report.
At least one company is already poised to make money off the uncertainty. Lux is offering a service to manufacturers and investors interested in the market. It's dubbed the Lux Innovation Grid, a chart that plots the variables for evaluating companies' battery tech and business models.
While the U.S. military has several incarnations of airplane drones running on various alternative fuel sources, it's not something the average person, or even company, can go out and buy.
That might be changing.
BlueBird Aero Systems and Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies announced Thursday that they've co-developed the Boomerang, the "world's first commercial fuel cell Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)."
So far the Boomerang only seems to have flight approval for Israel, but it's about to be unveiled next week at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International conference in Washington, D.C., which could garner it significantly more attention and interest.
The plane contains a 2kg hydrogen fuel cell power pack called the Aeropak made by Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. The company claims it can provide 900Wh (Watt-hours) of power allowing the Boomerang to fly for over nine hours straight. In addition to supporting flight, the power pack can also support ancillary devices like electro-optical sensors, infrared cameras, and laser designators.
Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies is the same company that developed the power packs for the Hyfish fuel cell-powered "flying car" as well as a wide assortment of fuel cells for remote control cars and educational products.
This might be the first print ad ever for a fuel cell-powered UAS.
(Credit: BlueBird Aero Systems)
The Zero DS
(Credit: Zero Motorcycles)The all-electric Zero DS motorcycle from start-up Zero Motorcycles became available in the U.S. on Thursday.
For $9,950, U.S. drivers can ride both on and off-road free from carbon guilt.
In addition to running on a power pack of lithium-ion batteries, the all-electric motorcycle is made of 100 percent recyclable materials. The Santa Cruz, Calif.-based motorcycle manufacturer claims all the bike's materials are nontoxic and that even the battery pack is "landfill-approved."
The motorcycle has a range of 50 miles per charge, and can be charged from any standard 110- or 220-volt outlet, according to Zero's own specs.
The environmentally-friendly motorcycle has a top speed of 55 mph.
While it seems like a great alternative for getting around town, I'm not convinced the next biker band will be singing about a wild "C-Free Rider."
But one never knows. Zero has begun hosting a 24-hour electric motorcycle endurance race that could gain a following.
The Tesla Roadster
(Credit: Tesla Motors)A San Mateo County Superior Court judge on Wednesday denied former Tesla Motors CEO Martin Eberhard's request that he be declared one of only two Tesla founders, according to a statement released by Tesla Motors late Wednesday night.
"We agree that Eberhard's claims on the question of who founded Tesla have no merit. We look forward to proving the facts in court as soon as possible and setting the historical record straight," Tesla's current CEO Elon Musk said in a statement.
The ruling is in keeping with Tesla's claim that the company was founded by a team of several people, including Musk, rather than just two men.
The court ruling and subsequent press release are just the latest volley in an ongoing public battle of words on the Internet and facts in the courtroom between Tesla and Eberhard.
Eberhard is suing Tesla and Musk for libel and breach of contract.
New Jersey to approve deal to install 200,000 solar panels around the state on its utility poles.
(Credit: Petra Solar)It looks like those unsightly utility poles throughout New Jersey will be getting yet another accessory.
The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities is set to approve on Thursday a $200 million contract between Public Service Electric and Gas (PSE&G) and Petra Solar to install over 200,000 photovoltaic panels to tie in to the state's electrical grid.
Petra's SunWave solar panels, which have smart grid communication tools built-in, will be attached to utility and light poles that are owned and operated by PSE&G throughout the state.
The project to develop, install, and maintain the grid-connected solar system will create about 100 green jobs, according to both Petra and PSE&G.
"We are tripling in size and will start hiring immediately," Petra CEO Shihab Kuran said in a statement.
The installation is part of an initiative that PSE&G announced in February 2009 to bring solar panels to every town in its New Jersey coverage area.
The Petra Solar installation will be the "largest pole-attached solar installation in the world," according to PSE&G. But it's only part of the $515 million in 80 megawatts worth of solar energy projects that the New Jersey utility is expected to get approval for on Thursday.
PSE&G plans to implement solar installations on the rooftops of its offices and facilities throughout the state, as well as "solar gardens" on some of its properties. It was also approved to develop an additional 5 megawatts worth of solar power in New Jersey urban enterprise zones within its service area, and 10 megawatts in conjunction with third-parties wishing to participate in an installation on their properties.
"Our program will effectively double the size of New Jersey's installed solar capacity. That is more solar capacity than currently exists in any state other than California," Ralph LaRossa, PSE&G's president and COO, said in a statement.
LaRossa is referring to California's giant solar installation approved in February 2009, for the utility Pacific Gas & Electric to produce 500 megawatts worth of solar energy from distributed solar panels throughout the state.
Porsche CEO Wendelin Wiedeking and financial director Holger P. Haerter have resigned from their positions "with immediate effect."
Wiedeking will receive 50 million euros ($71 million) in compensation, while Haerter will receive 12.5 million euros.
The German luxury automaker announced the shake-up after a meeting of its supervisory board that went on late into Wednesday night.
"The ultimate goal is to lay the foundations for creating an integrated car manufacturing company from Porsche SE and Volkswagen AG," Porsche Automobil Holding said in Wednesday's statement.
The news comes as Porsche and Volkswagen have been locked in a public power struggle concerning competing visions for a merger or possible takeover of one company over the other.
Wiedeking made no secret of his ambition to have Porsche increase its stake in VW, take over the company, and build it into a rival to Toyota in terms of global sales.
But there's been speculation that in an ironic twist of fate VW may in fact end up taking over Porsche, which has been financially struggling for the last year.
Porsche is estimated to be between 9 billion and 10 billion euros in debt from both a global decline in sales over the last year due to the recession and from its expenditures on VW stock over the years.
Wiedeking was appointed Porsche CEO in 1992 and turned the company around from a struggling entity into one of the most profitable car manufacturers in the world. Then in 2005, Wiedeking directed Porsche to buy a 20 percent stake in VW and continued having the company buy VW common stock with the intent of gaining a controlling interest.
By 2007, Porsche had overcome legal obstacles regarding its VW takeover ambition and Wiedeking joined VW's supervisory board. He also became chairman of the holding company, Porsche Automobil Holding, which currently owns both Porsche and a 50.76 percent stake in VW.
In Wednesday's meeting, Porsche Automobil Holding's board also approved Porsche management to finalize negotiations with Qatar to invest in Porsche. But financial analysts predict that the approved cash injection from Qatar will not be enough to help Porsche out of its financial problems.
Wiedeking's and Haerter's resignations are widely believed to be the first step in a planned VW takeover to save Porsche.
Michael Macht, a Porsche board member in charge of production and logistics, will replace Wiedeking as CEO. Thomas Edig, a Porsche board member in charge of human resources, will become Macht's second in command, according to Porsche Automobil Holding's latest statement.
Sacramento County plans to install a smart grid.
(Credit: Sacramento Municipal Utility District)Sacramento County's community-owned electric utility has signed a deal for Silver Spring Networks to provide a smart grid for roughly 600,000 homes and businesses.
Installation is to begin in July with an expected completion date tentatively set for March 2011.
So what will residents be getting?
The smart grid will include the installation of two-way electricity meters and home area networks that will provide real-time usage information, rate information, and the ability to control a building's energy usage. This will allow users to monitor their electricity consumption, enabling them to adjust some of their energy usage habits (if they want to) from peak to off-peak hours. They would also be able to communicate with the kind of "smart appliances" under development by companies like GE.
Perhaps more importantly, the meters and smart grid will give the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD), the sixth largest community-owned electric utility in the U.S., the ability to immediately monitor usage and determine usage trends across its entire service area.
The new system will reduce operating costs for SMUD and enable it to improve its reliability, while providing customers with more information about their energy usage, according to SMUD's 2008 annual report (PDF).
"The new technologies will allow customers to make energy choices based on cost, comfort and convenience. Imagine a future where your appliances, electronic devices and programmable thermostat communicate with your electric meter, or where you can call up your energy profile on a laptop or a cell phone from any location," said the report.
The new deal coincides with what many experts have been saying: smart grids may be the next green-tech bubble.
Artist's rendering of Orange's solar concept tent.
(Credit: Orange)Telecom giant Orange unveiled a concept solar tent in conjunction with the opening of this year's Glastonbury music festival in the U.K.
Inspired by the new flexible photovoltaics in development, the tent--if produced for consumers--would be covered in a semi-photovoltaic fabric woven with both coated solar threads and conventional threads to form a solar shell that could be adjusted to face optimum sun throughout the day.
The solar energy would then be channeled into four main power uses: heating, lighting, communications, and recharging.
The goal of Kaleidoscope, the design firm working in conjunction with Orange, was to create a tent that would help attendees of Glastonbury, the U.K.'s famous open-field music festival, which is sponsored in part by Orange, to keep their bearings and to keep in touch with friends while on site.
Most interesting is the idea of a wireless charging pouch. Instead of plugging in, people would drop their phone or other portable device into a pouch inside the tent. A coil in the pouch would carry an electric current that generates a magnetic field to produce a charge, which would then serve to power the device's battery.
In addition, some of the captured solar energy would be channeled toward radiant floor heating--something that would be much appreciated by anyone sleeping on the commonly damp British ground.
Artist's rendering of solar tent emitting glow at night.
(Credit: Orange)And how many times have you been to a field festival only to spend an eternity trying to find your way back to your camp? The development team for the tent noticed that this wandering was a common problem at Glastonbury each year.
For that reason, the tent would be equipped with "Glo-cation" technology that would allow users to find their tents by sending an SMS message or using an automatic RFID tag similar to the ones used in London's Underground Oyster subway cards. The tent would then glow in response.
The tent would also serve to broadcast a Wi-Fi signal, though it's unclear whether it would have a Wi-Fi booster for a central area hub or act as an independent Wi-Fi router.
While this week England happens to be pretty bright and sunny, I'm not so sure a solar tent is the way to go in the land of perpetual, mild drizzling. But I could certainly see this being a favorite at Burning Man.
Researchers from Korea claim to have produced the world's first purely white LED (light-emitting diode).
Soo-Young Park, a professor of organic materials for photonics at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University in Korea, led the group, which includes researchers from the University of Valencia in Spain.
LEDs are much more energy-efficient than incandescent or compact fluorescent lightng (CFL), but the quality of light they can give a room is up for debate.
Soo-Young Park, professor at Seoul National University.
(Credit: Seoul National University)Because LEDs do not naturally produce white light, getting them to look like they do adds to their production cost, making them much more expensive than your average incandescent or CFL. Many companies have been trying to come up with different LED recipes and components to produce a nice white light, while keeping the consumer cost down.
Park and his group claim to have engineered a molecule with one orange and one blue light-emitting material that produces a white light in the visible light spectrum when put together.
In other words, they say they've invented a white-light-emitting diode.
Repeated laboratory tests apparently showed that the new form of LED molecule is efficient, color stable, and able to be reproduced again and again, making it a legitimate candidate for use in LED lighting.
A detailed explanation of the group's molecular work can be found in the current issue of Journal of the American Chemical Society.
"An ideal material for a white-light source should be cost-effective, stable, robust, emit over the whole visible spectrum, not suffer from self-absorption, and its pure color should be easily reproducible. With this goal in mind, we have successfully synthesized and characterized, for the first time, a white-light-emitting single molecule dyad, consisting of two noninteracting chromophores showing excited-state intramolecular proton transfer," Park and his group said in their paper.
Artist's rendering of the Universal Freight System loading a standard shipping container on to a train.
(Credit: Texas Transportation Institute)A group of Texas researchers would like to resurrect the train as chief freight mover in the U.S.
The Universal Freight Shuttle is the brainchild of Stephen Roop, assistant director Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), a branch of Texas A&M University's system chain.
The automated train, which is designed to accommodate standard shipping containers and trailers, would move forward along a track by linear induction motors powered with electricity.
Roop and others at TTI have been working on the concept and design for eight years, keeping in mind not just the technology, but how such an infrastructure would impact federal and state transportation departments, freight companies, shippers, and border security.
In addition to providing a cleaner option for shipping freight, the UFS includes a conveyor-like system to screen standard shipping containers at ports and borders while they're in motion, and automatically divert suspect containers to an area for further human inspection.
"It's moving into a commercial phase with prototyping and proposals for application in both Texas and California. This system is designed to offer an alternative to over-the-road trucking for heavily congested corridors. It is of course an electric, zero-emission solution," Roop said in an e-mail.
