Filed under: News | Tags: technology, innovation, clean and sustainable, renewable energy, clean and sustainable technologies
Victoria has beaten other states and countries to be the first outside the UK to host one of the world’s most highly-regarded renewable and clean energy expos, Energy and Resources Minister Peter Batchelor has announced.
Mr Batchelor said the All-Energy Australia Expo and Conference would be held on 7 and 8 October this year at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre.
Filed under: News | Tags: A123 systems, clean and sustainable technologies, cleantech, electric vehicle, lithium ion battery, patent, secondary cell, technology
In our regular searches of the clean & sustainable technology patent literature we found this recently published International Patent Application byA123 Systems, a company famous for R&D in lithium ion cells & batteries, particularly lithium iron phosphate cells. A123 is working with General Motors on a battery system for the Chevy Volt, which uses an internal combustion engine merely to provide electricity to run the all-electric powered drive system. Here are some other patents by A123.
While lithium ion cells have a very high power density (~90 – 150Whr/kg) compared to other types of rechargeable cells, complete discharge and excess heat can ruin the cell, perhaps with venting and then ignition of the organic electrolyte from within a cell (remember the exploding laptops?). Consequently, lithium ion batteries are typically equipped with a temperature sensor, State of Charge (SOC) monitor, current regulators, and a voltage tap on each cell. The battery has an on board computer making sure that it operates within safe parameters.
The A123 specification explains that its important to know the state of charge and state of health of each cell in a lithium ion battery so power use can be controlled to promote cell life and safety. This specification describes the use of a reference electrode incorporated into a cell to provide improved state-of-charge (SOC) and state -of-health (SOH) monitoring over the lifetime of the battery. Simplified cell designs are provided having a reference electrode without the need for an additional port in the cell can or capping lids for the reference electrode terminal. In short, as shown in the diagram above, the cell casing 830 becomes the reference electrode.
Filed under: News | Tags: climate change mitigation technology, electric vehicle, Lithium
According to this report, MIT researches have invented a lithium iron phosphate battery that can charge in seconds rather than minutes.
This is expected to have application for electric vehicles were fast charging and high discharge rates for rapid acceleration are desirable.
The researchers are confident that the technology could be brought to the market in a few years.
Filed under: News | Tags: climate change mitigation technology, photovoltaic, solar energy, technology
According to this report, solar PV grew 110% in 2008. The leading markets were Spain, Germany, US, Korea, Italy and then Japan in that order.
The report suggests, as I have previously stated in a previous blog, that government policy and particularly feed in tariffs are the key driver for solar PV. Let’s hope the feed in Tariffs proposed for the ACT and Victoria proceed! If the Australian market responds to feed in tariffs as foreign markets have, it may be a good time to file your patent applications to protect your interests.
According to this report, an Australian parliamentary committee comprising labour and green MPs recomend a 2050 greenhouse gas emissions target of a 80% reduction. Its unclear if the emissions cuts suggested are relative to 1990 or 2009 levels. The committee suggest that the 80% cut proposal should be taken into international negotiations for a new global climate change agreement, which would then be in line with current US and UK policy.
In any case, the apparently strong language used by the committee is in contrast with the increasignly weak sounding Austrlian governmnet which has committed to only a 5% cut. Some commentators have suggested that the Government’s heart is no longer in climate change mitigation. It is unclear how the government will respond to the recommendation.
Filed under: Articles | Tags: climate change, clean and sustainable technologies, technolgy, climate change mitigation technologies
I’m currently reading the free book Sustainable Energy – without the hot air by David JC MacKay, an academic from The University of Cambridge.
I’m impressed. This book convincingly investigates the energy needs of an average person (including food, transport, space heating, light, stuff, farming, gadgets) in the developed world and explores energy options for a sustainable future. The emphasis is on estimating hard numbers for the limits of what can be physically achieved. While written for the UK specifically, many of the lessons will hold for Australia and other countries.
The book convincingly argues that a sustainable energy future is possible, but wow, big changes are on the way.
Filed under: News | Tags: clean and sustainable technology, cleantech, patent
According to this report, a group of clean and sustainable technology companies in the US are lobbying for a strong US patent system. They are concerned that moves to ’weaken’ the US patent system would decrease capital for investment, stifle innovation and slow down green-job growth.
Their letter makes interesting reading, and highlights the many benefits the patent system has for clean and sustainable technology companies.
Filed under: News
According to this report, the NSW government is considering introducing a solar feed in tariff for NSW.
Filed under: Events & Seminars
World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, 2009 focuses on promoting green innovation as the key to a secure future.
Filed under: Articles
According to this report, the Mexican desert plant agave has been nominated as potential sources of biofuels for Australia, and funding is being sought for trial plantings. Ethanol made from agave will already be familiar to Australian drinkers of tequila.
One of the claimed benefits of agave compared to other crops is that it does not compete with food crops for high quality growing country, so removing a potential criticism of biofuels. In recent times this has also been claimed as a benefit for growing the Central American plant jatropha, and also for the enzymatic conversion of forestry residual into biofuels and bioplastics.
Filed under: Podcast & Media
Robert Wulff discusses IP for Clean & Sustainable Technologies internationally, and in emerging markets.
Permission for use given by Switzer Media + Publishing
Filed under: News | Tags: cleantech, climate change mitigation technology, feed in tarrif, solar power, technology
According to this report, the Victorian government is proposing two solar initiatives, a 60c per kW/hr feed in tariff and a solar power plant.
Filed under: News | Tags: clean energy, clean energy innovation centre, cleantech, climate change mitigation technology
With funding of $20 million over four years, the Clean Energy Innovation Centre (CEIC) will be based in Newcastle. It will help enhance the performance of Australia’s small and medium sized clean energy companies by providing a range of business improvements services.
The CEIC helps small and medium size (SMEs) businesses improve their productivity and competitiveness by providing professional business advisory and development services. The Centre will also help to build collaboration between researchers and businesses, and assist clean energy businesses to access the latest technologies and market specific information.
Filed under: News | Tags: cleantech, climate change mitigation technology, stern
The author of the Stern Report, economist Nicolas Stern, in this short video says that the economic crises and the climate crises can be solved at the same time.
In his opinion, massive investment in climate change mitigation technologies would provide short and medium term fiscal stimulus to support jobs and the economy.
Stern says that moving the world economy to a low carbon economy would have a similar economic effect as previous great technological shifts such as the development of the railways, the introduction of electricity, the motor car and information technology.
Filed under: News | Tags: biochar, climate change mitigation technology, soil
The CSIRO, as reported here, has released a report on the effectiveness of Biochar in sequestering carbon and improving soil fertility. An interesting fact sheet is down-loadable from here.
The report appears to suggest that while promising, the effectiveness of biochar in meeting these goals is still to be determined. For example, fossil fuel is typically used in the transport of biochar diluting its abatement potential, and there are no established guidelines on how much or what type of biochar to add to a particular soil type.
Filed under: Feature | Tags: CDM, clean development mechanism, cleantech, patent, technology
According to this Chinese government web site, Finland signed a contract with a Chinese company to purchase 1.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide credits over ten years from 2009.
The project is designed to promote the use of methane fermentation reactors and cooking utensils in a mountainous area in China’s south central Hunan Province. The reactor can convert organic waste materials such as livestock excrement to methane.
Will technology clean up China's cooking fires?
The carbon credits are generated under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Projects for emission-reductions in developing countries can earn saleable certified emission reduction credits (CERs), each equivalent to one tonne of CO2, which can be counted toward meeting Kyoto targets, or be sold on carbon markets for profit.
Governments realise that the greatest share of greenhouse gas emissions is from developing nations. Typically, they have the dirtiest and most obsolete technology and that their populations and economies are starting to grow strongly which is pushing up their emissions rapidly. Government incentives such as the CDM are shifting the clean and sustainable markets to the developing world.
The CDM provides a new revenue model for many businesses. For example, a solar power plant built in a developing nation may obtain revenue both from selling electricity and the carbon credits generated. A solar plant built in a developed nation may not attract this later revenue stream. The question needs to then be asked, should I build my solar plant in a developed or developing nation?
Given the shift of the clean and sustainable markets to developing nations, it may be prudent to file patent applications protecting your technology in these markets as well as in developed nations. It may be that the opportunities for carbon abatement are, in the short term, concentrated in the developing nations but, in the long term, in developed markets. Thus, both developed and developing markets need to be protected.
Filed under: News | Tags: ACT, cleantech, climate change mitigation technology, solar power, technology
According to this report, the ACT is looking for a company to build an ACT solar power station. They will be seeking bids soon.
Filed under: Community Activities
In addition to Griffith Hack having established the Clean & Sustainable Technologies Group, individuals from various offices have formed an internal group called the Sustainability Group. The focus of the Sustainability Group is to assist in reducing the overall environmental footprint of the firm.
Many of Griffith Hack’s existing internal procedures have for some time been aimed at creating a more sustainable business environment. For example, Griffith Hack only uses recycled paper for all of its printing and copying requirements. Also, staff are encouraged to reduce waste production and to carefully separate waste with the aim of maximising recycling.
Furthermore, Griffith Hack is taking part in a carbon offset programme, whereby the carbon footprint generated by the firm’s interstate and international travel is counter-balanced by sustainable initiatives. The firm’s carbon offset programme is under continuous review with a view of maximising the benefit to the environment. The Sustainability Group has recognised that more can be done.
The Group has recently launched a staff awareness campaign in each of the firm’s offices in which staff were made aware of the important role they play in reducing the firm’s overall environmental footprint by making only minor changes to their day to day activities. As an ongoing process Griffith Hack is also reviewing the environmental policies of the suppliers of each office, which aims to expand the impact of the firm’s focus on sustainability to its immediate business environment. Griffith Hack has also engaged consultants to conduct a carbon audit of each of its offices.
The Sustainability Group intends to set carbon reduction targets based on the consultants’ report. The Sustainability Group is confident that its targets will be met and looks forward to continuing to identify potential carbon reductions with a view of further reducing the firm’s environmental footprint.
Jurgen Bebber
We came across an interesting article at MIT’s Technology Review, which can be seen here.
We hadn’t previously heard of the use of the particular enzyme (carbonic anhydrase) and discovered that the Canadian company has a pending US patent application 2006/0048517, which can be viewed here.
It looks like patents have only been pursued in the US and Canada.
Robert Wulff & Peter Brown
Filed under: Feature | Tags: clean and sustainable technology, cleantech, technolgoy, wind power
According to this report, the NSW State Government is to pave the way for a speedy roll-out of wind farms across NSW by relaxing development controls throughout much of the State.
