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Green tech special

From solar-powered Wi-Fi to robots fueled by bacteria, researchers are rethinking the way we power our lives. To stay on top of the latest advances in energy technology, check back here for continuously updated coverage.

Recent coverage

Why is Finland Europe's technology leader? The prime minister explains

The Scandinavian nation spends a lot in R&D, which has kept them buoyant. Next: Finland wants to move into clean tech.
January 17, 2008

Green-tech investment roars onward

Despite signs of a slowing economy, Cleantech Group predicts continued flow of venture funds in clean tech.
January 17, 2008

Start-up says it can make hydrogen with sunlight and water

Maynard, Mass.-based Nanoptek has an electrode that extracts electrons from sunlight and then extracts them to break water molecules. Will it work?
January 17, 2008

Refurbishing an old approach to PC recycling

For years, people have proposed updating and reusing old PCs. Carbon taxes and other factors finally may make the idea realistic.
January 16, 2008

Inside the green designer home

Living Homes has built an affordable, architectural marvel. But is it ready for two kids and a golden retriever named Brandy?
Photos: Home, green home
January 14, 2008

Eco-Patent Commons shares earth-friendly tech

Launch of Eco-Patents Commons puts environmental sustainability patents from IBM, Sony, Nokia, and Pitney Bowes into the public domain.
January 13, 2008

GM invests in 'trash to ethanol' start-up

General Motors buys undisclosed share in the cellulosic ethanol company Coskata to bring E85 fuel to market faster.
January 13, 2008

Green tech grows flush with green

year in review Investment in energy technologies sped up in 2007, touching heavy industries and consumer products.
December 26, 2007

Auto

Biodiesel venture combines refining, genetic engineering

Montana may be too dry and hostile to make ideal farmland. But a new joint venture wants to turn it into a haven for biodiesel production.
November 19, 2007

MIT offers City Car for the masses

A project to improve urban transportation will make its debut this week in Milan.
Images: MIT's stackable electric car
November 5, 2007

UPS tries out Zap electric cars

Electric-car maker gets a trial with "Brown" in Petaluma, Calif., to transport packages this holiday season. Will the Xebra deliver?
November 13, 2007

Tesla Roadster: an electric car with a diesel generator

The sportster runs on electricity, but for the test drives, a generator comes in handy.
November 12, 2007

Shell extends biofuels deal with 'super enzyme' maker Codexis

Energy giant signs on for more development of designer liquid fuels that have similar characteristics to today's fuels but are cleaner.
November 7, 2007

Motor oil goes green

New high-endurance motor oil made from animal fat is 100-percent biodegradable.
November 5, 2007

Firefly revamps the lead acid battery

The Oasis battery from Firefly will keep the cabins in long-haul trucks going all night without contributing to global warming.
October 30, 2007

Wider variety of ethanol blends on the way, DOE official says

E10 doesn't have a lot of biofuel in it. E85 is tough to find. So why not E30?
October 23, 2007

Steer clear of accidents, global warming

Nissan says its car navigation system can help cut greenhouse gas emissions through more efficient driving.
October 4, 2007


previous auto coverage

In electric car stakes, it's Miles to go
A motorcycle that's fast, silent and green
Ford, electric utility to promote plug-in hybrids
Squeezing more fuel out of scraps
Making ethanol out of biodiesel byproducts
Zap to make electric sedan based on its sports car
Waiting for energy tech's best and brightest

Home and office

Greenpeace hands game industry low score

In its "Guide to Greener Electronics," the environmental group finds that game console makers have a long way to go.
November 27, 2007

Software drafted to design greener buildings

Autodesk is developing a 3D modeling application to reflect LEED green building ratings.
November 12, 2007

Bill Clinton: Green buildings key to fighting climate change

At the Greenbuild conference in Chicago, former president praises sustainable design and presses the need for global efforts to battle climate change.
November 7, 2007

Governors sign on to Climate Savers efficient PCs plan

Buying efficient PCs and using existing power-saving tools could reduce electricity consumption by 50 percent in four years, say Minnesota and Kansas governors.
November 7, 2007

Marvell chip puts more power into your PC

Marvell, among others, wants to cut that heat coming off your power supply and put the energy to good use.
November 5, 2007

Google's love for solar may extend to other renewables

Company intends to generate 50 megawatts of electricity from renewable energy forms for its operations by 2012.
October 30, 2007

'Small wind' turbines blow onto rooftops

Are consumers and businesses ready for small turbines or 'building-integrated' wind generators? Companies such as AeroVironment are hoping so.
October 26, 2007

Pint-size hydro power on tap

Start-up Rentricity designs a generator that brings hydroelectric power down to size for cities and towns.
October 24, 2007

Buy a house, get the electric car thrown in

Porteon is the latest entry into the (s)low-speed vehicle market.
October 24, 2007

Solar thermal plants go back to the future

Start-up Ausra nabs $40 million in venture capital to build utility-scale solar power plants, an idea that is again gaining traction.
Photo: Collecting sunlight
September 9, 2007


previous home and office coverage

Solar powered Wi-Fi? Solis Energy says 'why not?'
Hydrogen fuel cells power Fujitsu data center
Father of the compact fluorescent bulb looks back
Gartner urges action on data-center emissions
Green IT strategies stifled by inertia
Energy geeks compete for coolest solar home

Investments and research

FAQ: All about coal--a necessary evil

Coal is probably a fact of life. The problem is how to burn it. We answer some of questions surrounding the fuel and how scientists might make it more eco-friendly.
Photos: Coal addiction
December 3, 2007

Google to enter clean-energy business

Search giant earmarks hundreds of millions of dollars with the goal of generating a gigawatt of clean energy that's cheaper than coal.
November 27, 2007

Can baking soda curb global warming?

A start-up in Texas says it can turn the carbon dioxide emitted by power plants into baking soda.
Photos: Fumes turned baking soda
November 27, 2007

Solar market blows mostly hot, sometimes cold

Venture capitalists will invest $1 billion in solar start-ups this year, but some financiers are concerned about public solar companies.
November 13, 2007

Satellite 'sentinels' to help track climate change

European project that will monitor different climate elements in Europe from space aims to help fight climate change.
November 13, 2007

As eco-buzz grows, survey warns companies of green trap

America's consumers offer a warning to businesses looking to ride the green wave: either back your eco-friendly words with actions or risk a backlash.
November 13, 2007

Green chemistry--a whole different matter

Like green tech, green chemistry isn't just for treehuggers. Businesses, too, are betting on better materials.
November 12, 2007

First Solar's stock: From $20 to $220 in a year

Maker of unusual solar panels, funded by Walton family, is seeing huge growth in profits and stock price. Compare the stock to Google's and the product to the Civic.
November 8, 2007


previous investments coverage

Investor Vinod Khosla: Advanced biofuels are closer than you think
Al Gore joins Kleiner Perkins to perk up its green push
Start-up Novomer uses CO2 to make biodegradable plastics
'Ocean seeding' plans to capture carbon in oceans draw fire
LED light fixture company gets $16.5 million
PG&E links with Ausra for 177 megawatts of solar-thermal power
To make money in biofuels boom, think plastics
Is capturing carbon the next growth business?

Add a Comment (Log in or register) (14 Comments)
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Water based fueling/combustion isn't that difficult to produce
by Zupek January 23, 2007 1:09 PM PST
While most people know you can NOT compress water, that doestn mean that it cant be used as a renewable energy source.

Maybe its the fact that I have built stand alone computers(that are in control of fueling on very powerfull street cars), but hydrolysis is not too difficult to understand. Someone just needs to take the time and spend the money to do it.

In simple terms, if you take a postive charge and a negative charge(think putting jumper cables in a thin pool of water) and put it through clean water(read distilled, aka rainwater) the Hydrogen and Oxygen seperate. The oxygen is not flamiable by itself, but the hydrogen certainly is. If you were to measure the amount of voltage required to split the proper amount of molocules up(voltage required for amount of water) to generate enough hydrogen to get sucked into the combustion chamber(or set out through the current fuel injector) and could get the alternator to generate enough current to charge the battery and still provide enough energy for hydrolysis, you would have a car that runs on water.

Most people will try to tell you some reason why it doesnt work. Such as the water freezes in the winter(easily solved by haveing a plastic "fuel"(even though its water)line with a small pull from a seperate battery so the water never freezes). However, I gaurantee you if someone paid for me to survive the way I do now(pay mortgage every month, dog food, food, etc), I could give you a car that runs on nothing but water. The only "tricky" part of the whole thing is to start the process which can be done just fine with todays batteries (since the today's batteries move the starter as it is). The simple fact of the matter is, if someone generated this technology it would never hit the mainstream because it would destroy the world economy.

If you do a search you'll find someone that has a 1990 ford wagon running on nothing but water. HOWEVER, the he struck a deal with the goverment to put the technology in the hummers for war purposes. This whole green thing is just a lie to prevent someone doing what will eventually happen and that is give the technology away for free(which i eventually plan to do). SOrry to ramble, but people are just getting really foolish about it.

Its MUCH easier then people think
Reply to this comment
running a car on water (very cool)
by angle.sky March 1, 2007 10:46 AM PST
I beileive its very possible to run a car on water, the problem is not governments the problem is gread, you seem to be very educated on this subject and I think you should have some kind of marketing plan where the education system gives you a job to educate the governments and people. I know in poor countries the poor can use the energy from cow manure, methane) its easy as pie, but do Canadians and U.S.A have this easy information in there brains, no, we are very uninformed about the easy stuff, I don't know nothing about energy, but I am with you on cars running on water, and I am for solar power, The key to knowledge is to have everyone in on it. Get the media involved to fund raise so you can work on your great ideas, I know money is the key to getting idea's off the ground, but if your a good talker that helps in getting people behind you to fund you. You sold me, but I have no money, sorry We have a world problem and only solutions are the anwers and your on the right track. hopefully your'll get lots of money soon.
Reply to this comment
H2O is no. 1 Greenhouse gas. Why run a car on Water?
by zeeboid March 16, 2007 10:30 AM PDT
EnvironMentals listen up. Look up what the number one greenhouse gas is. Its Water Vapor (naturally occurring by the way) at a whapping 65%-80% of the greenhouse effect. Why the junk would you want a vehicle that puts out Water Vapor as a byproduct if you believe in the same crap the Church of Global Warming puts out? Oh yea, because that swill isn't based on science, but a fashion statement that is "The Dangers of CO2"

My Tahoe is better to the environment then any water burner or hybrid. Look up why.
Reply to this comment
Link for more information regarding greenhouse
by Zupek March 28, 2007 10:24 AM PDT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenhouse_gases

Here you will see a lot of information and hopefully a bit can help people understand a little better. Water vapor, according to scientists, is not controllable by humans. Not to mention that our ozone is made of N2 and O2, so adding more oxygen cant hurt that bad. Even if you were to have every single car on this planet running on water, it sitll wouldnt make a dent in the ozone. In fact it might help balance the negative "equation" out.
Reply to this comment
Your car on compressed air
by twotall610 April 9, 2007 9:04 AM PDT
The compressed air car would do hydrogen one better. The
infrastructure is already there with the gas station. Instead of filling
with an explosive gas just compressed air. No transportation of
flamable gases and the water saved could be use for whatever. The
energy saved by not having to make hydrogen could be used to
clean the air of CO2.
One problem, with nothing to tax,would income taxes have to go
up?!!!
Reply to this comment
Compress air in theory only
by Zupek April 10, 2007 2:36 PM PDT
I would agree that if you could somehow hold enough pressure and air into a tank, it would work, but you cant. Somehow it would have to hold a massive amount of air. Plus there would still be a tax on the service of providing you a filling station to compress air. The big question is, how much air would it take to push a Ford F150 piston down fast enough to generate torque.
Reply to this comment
Look it up.
by zeeboid May 18, 2007 11:29 AM PDT
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_vapor

"Gaseous water represents a small but environmentally significant constituent of the atmosphere. Most of it is contained in the troposphere. Besides accounting for most of Earth's natural greenhouse effect, which warms the planet, gaseous water also condenses to form clouds, which may act to warm or cool, depending on the circumstances."
Reply to this comment
we should all reduce emissions!
by jeremypb January 4, 2008 2:25 PM PST
Air compressed cars will be great but in the mean time we can all do our part. has anyone seen ed begley jr.'s piece anout reducing your carbon footprint? it's pretty simple and doable. http://www.oneforthetable.com/oftt/articles/reducing-your-carbon-footprint-in-2008.html
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