Florida wants NASA to turn over the land to the state’s aerospace development agency Space Florida, which recently agreed to spend $2.3 million on studies of the area to prepare for the construction of Cape Canaveral Spaceport, a state-owned facility for the purpose of commercial space travel. Now that the space shuttle program has ended, Space Florida believes that the land is more than the government needs and that they can put it to better use, using it to get Elon Musk’s SpaceX to build its third launch site there.

“I’m anxious for the next-generation of providers, both the launch companies and the satellite owner-operators, to have Florida be the place where they seek to do business,” said Space Florida president and chief executive Frank DiBello.

The land in question is partially owned by the state of Florida, with the remainder having been granted to NASA while needed for the federal space program. If it is no longer used for that purpose, the original agreement was that the land would be returned to the state to use as it sees fit. Space Florida plans to use that to their advantage in order to secure the land for its own use and development.

Several other spaceports have either been proposed or are currently under construction in Alaska, Virginia, California, Texas and New Mexico. The most well-known of them may just be Virgin Galactic’s Spaceport America, currently being built out by Sir Richard Branson near Truth of Consequences, NM. However, recent news about financial struggles in the region surrounding the new spaceport have raised questions about the viability of the industry to attract outside investors and vendors. While 500 individuals have signed up to pay $200,000 each for space flights with Virgin Galactic, development around the spaceport has been slow to materialize, which some blame a lack of legislative support in the state to exempt spacecraft suppliers from liability for accidents.

Space Florida hopes to avoid a repeat of what is happening in New Mexico, as it had already passed permanent liability exemption laws necessary to encourage outside investments in their facilities. While the days of watching the space shuttle lift off from Cape Canaveral are over, soon we could be watching commercial spaceships filled with tourists taking off from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport instead.

[via ScienceDaily]

Image Credit: Space Florida

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According to a press release from Sharp, while the new panels can be used in a conventional manner mounted on the roof they were designed primarily to be used as protective porch railings or as in-place window glass. The semi-transparent black panels are lacking the metal frame found on typical panels and instead are constructed mainly of laminated glass filled with photovoltaic cells. They are each 4.5 feet wide by 3.2 feet tall and only 0.37 inches thick, which is much thinner than standard panels found on the market today.

One downside? They have a maximum power output of only 95 watts with around 6.8 percent efficiency, which is far below the 20 percent efficiency being produced on today’s modern solar panels. However, while they may not be as efficient they are semi-transparent and thus can be integrated anywhere glass is used in building construction. Sharp hopes to eventually integrate the panels directly within building materials so that any available glass surface can be used as a power-generating solar panel.

In the meantime, if we could retrofit every high-rise building’s standard windows with this solar panel glass, buildings would each become its own power plant capable of generating at least a percentage of its energy needs. The new panels will be launched in Japan on October 1 but no word yet on price nor availability dates in the U.S. Let’s hope it sooner rather than later.

[via CNET]

Image Credit: Sharp Japan

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Quietly built out in secret, Tesla yesterday unveiled the locations of the first six stations throughout California and noted its plans to install over 100 additional stations in high traffic corridors across the U.S. by 2015. In the latter half of 2013, the company will begin installing them in Europe and Asia. This will allow Model S drivers around the globe to travel long distances without worrying about finding a place to charge up their vehicle.

The Supercharger stations, which are being built by SolarCity and are 100 percent solar-powered, are designed to generate more electricity annually than a Model S consumes. In just 30 minutes of charging – less than the time it may take a family to stop for lunch – the Model S can regain three hours of 60 miles per hour drive time. In order to keep construction and maintenance costs down, the Supercharger network uses technology already developed for use in the Model S itself. The charging hardware comes standard on those models with an 85 kWh battery and is optional on those with a 60 kWh battery.

“Tesla’s Supercharger network is a game changer for electric vehicles, providing long distance travel that has a level of convenience equivalent to gasoline cars for all practical purposes,” said Tesla Motors co-founder and CEO Elon Musk. “We are giving Model S the ability to drive almost anywhere for free on pure sunlight.”

Obviously Tesla has much at stake for the worldwide success of electric cars, and this Supercharger network should do a lot to alleviate concerns of those buyers hesitant to purchase an electric car due to range anxiety. In addition, it will also eliminate the argument many have about EVs in that while they run on batteries, they still charge up using power from fossil fuel burning power plants.

Since some gas stops take 15 minutes or more, waiting a few extra minutes to power up an EV isn’t too much of a sacrifice for the privilege of driving a car that is capable of traveling 300 miles on a charge, racing from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 4.4 seconds, and that gets all its power from the sun. Now, if they could just lower the price a bit…

Image Credit: Tesla Motors

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Named NOTT-300, the new porous yet absorbent material is made from mix of water, aluminum nitrate salt, and cheap organic materials, and is non-toxic compared to the ammonia-based carbon capture materials currently used in the process. According to the research published in the journal Nature Chemistry, the NOTT-300 material requires less energy to regenerate and reuse once carbon saturates it and is removed for storage.

“I feel this can been viewed as a revolution to a certain degree,” said Sihai Yang from Nottingham University. “There is promising potential to overcome the traditional amine material on both environmental and economic grounds.”

Lab experiments with the new material captured close to 100 percent of the carbon dioxide it was exposed to and the scientists say it should maintain at least a 90 percent success rate in real world conditions. The material picks up harmful gases like sulphur dioxide yet shows no adsorption of hydrogen, methane, nitrogen and oxygen. For commercial applications, the team believes the material could be used in a series of interchangeable filters which can be removed, cleaned, and put back into service repeatedly, making it even more efficient (and cheaper) than systems currently in development.

Carbon capture is not without naysayers, including those who are right to point out that we are not sure what will happen to all that CO2 stored underground for long periods of time. But for the time being, until we are willing to make real substantial cuts in emissions, we need a stopgap measure to slow the release of CO2 into our atmosphere before it tips the scales too far. NOTT-300 may be just the material to help us do that.

[via Yahoo News]

Image Credit: Public Domain Photos

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Ben de la Roche has come up with a concept for a new kind of refrigerator – called “Impress” – that doesn’t have nor need a conventional door. Instead, it is a wall with a series of hexagonal refrigeration chambers laid out like a honeycomb on the front, with swinging “doors” that can be moved and pushed in many different size configurations depending on what needed to be put inside. When items in need of refrigeration are pushed into the chambers, the refrigeration for only that chamber is turned on and keeps the item cool. Empty chambers are not refrigerated, which saves energy, and because all the items in the “fridge” can be seen with one look, food is also less likely to be wasted.

“How many times have you put leftovers in the fridge and forgotten about them, only to come back a week later and find them spoiled?” said de la Roche. “Impress is a refrigeration wall that holds your food and drinks for you, out in the open and not behind closed doors so you will always remember the lunch you prepared for work or find that midnight snack with ease.”

De la Roche is one of ten finalists presenting their concepts in front of judges next month in in Milan, Italy at the International Electrolux Design Lab 2012 Award competition. Winners will receive 5000 euros ($6,400 US) and a six-month internship at Electrolux.

Is it funny looking? Sure is. But if it ever worked as planned, it could change the way we use cold storage for food in our kitchens which hasn’t changed or been updated in many, many years.

[via Dvice and the New Zealand Herald]

Image Credit: Mark Mitchell/Massey University

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Adding to solar installations already in place at its Houston and Dallas area stores, today IKEA powered up its new 6,664 panel solar energy system on the roof of its location in Round Rock, Texas, making it the largest solar owner in the state. The system covers 273,700-square-feet and is capable of producing nearly 2.4 million kWh of clean electricity each year, enough to power 204 average-sized homes and cut CO2 emissions by some 1,800 tons. It is the 33rd completed solar installation for IKEA in the U.S.

“We at IKEA believe in the never-ending job of improving the sustainability of our day-to-day business,” said Gerd Diewald, the Round Rock store manager. “The Round Rock coworkers are excited to help contribute to this goal with our newly operational solar energy system. We appreciate the support of the City of Round Rock, Oncor and REC Solar, Inc., our partners in this project.”

With the addition of this latest system, the company now has some solar power at 75 percent of its stores in the U.S. In the coming months, that percentage will jump to 89 percent as six additional store installations are currently under construction.

Back in June we mentioned that IKEA wants to use energy generated by renewable sources for its 100 percent of its operations in Sweden and had installed 30 wind turbines in Härjedalen, Sweden to help it meet that goal. And earlier this month it was noted that the company was one of the top commercial solar energy leaders by the Solar Energy Industries Association. Seems IKEA is serious about being a renewable energy leader and is working to transition much of its energy needs over to renewables and away from fossil-fuels.

[via CSR Wire]

Image Credit: Steve Webel/Flickr

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Taking to Twitter of all places, Trump proclaimed his displeasure with turbines located in the California desert. “Ugly wind turbines have destroyed the entrance to Palm Springs, CA,” he tweeted. “These monstrosities are ruining landscapes all over the globe–expensive & bad electric.” In an interview with The Desert Sun, Trump took his feelings one step further, calling the area a “sad person’s version of Disneyland” which one may imagine was a bit of an insult to some Coachella Valley residents who don’t see the turbines the same way.

“Tell him that only HE can afford the huge power bills we would have without them,” wrote David Ross on Facebook. “There are many uglier things that could be there.” The Palm Springs area has plenty of wind and sun to spare and is taking full advantage of both of them to provide for the energy it needs.

As drivers approach the Palm Springs desert from Los Angeles, they are greeted with acre after acre of several different generations of wind turbine technology. It’s a little like a working museum of the history of the industry, with different kinds of blades and tower construction dotting the landscape.

I’ve driven by the fields of wind turbines in and around Palm Springs dozens of times and each time I am amazed at how beautiful a sight they are. I’ll take turbines generating clean energy over water and land-hogging golf courses – or really bad hair cuts – any day of the week.

[via The Desert Sun]

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Reuters is reporting that a new French study (PDF) has found that rats fed a lifetime diet of Monsanto’s genetically modified corn end up dying prematurely with multiple tumors and organ damage. The study took place at the University of Caen and the findings were published Wednesday in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology.

Research consisted of feeding the rats Monsanto’s GMO seed NK603 – which was developed to be tolerant to their weed-killing herbicide Roundup – and given water to drink that was contaminated with Roundup at levels allowed by current U.S. law. 50 percent of male and 70 percent of female rats exposed to these two Monsanto products died earlier than those that were not, suffering from mammary tumors as well as severe liver and kidney damage. The research covered two years of experimentation with Roundup and the rats, following up on a short study done by the same team that voiced similar concerns about the toxicology of Monsanto’s product back in 2009.

While some “experts” have publicized their doubts about the authenticity of the findings, the French government has asked its own National Agency for Health Safety to investigate and the European Commission has asked it’s own food safety authority, the EFSA, to verify the findings of the study. As for Monsanto, the company states that they will review the study but that “peer-reviewed scientific studies performed on biotech crops to date…have continuously confirmed their safety.” Here in the U.S., California Right to Know is working hard to pass Proposition 37 this November which would require the labeling of GMO foods and this study is sure to add some fuel to that fire.

[via Reuters]

Image Credit: Image publicly released by study authors

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While Arizona’s biggest aquifer sits directly under their land, it is nearly 400 feet from the surface and not suitable for drinking or domestic use. Because it is full of salt and polluted with arsenic and uranium, Navajo families must drive hundreds of miles away to get potable water. “It is an expensive and time-consuming journey that has become part of the Navajo way of life,” said Kevin Black, a Native American affairs specialist for the Bureau of Reclamation. Thankfully, scientists at the University of Arizona, along with the help of the Bureau, have come up with a solution that will work by using the power of the sun.

The first of (hopefully) many solar-powered and self-sufficient water desalination plants is being constructed on the reservation that will capable of producing over 1,000 gallons of clean water each day for local residents. Construction began last month on the facility and will be completed in 2013. The electricity generated by the solar panels brings water up from the aquifer and boils it to produce steam. The steam then rises and goes through a series of filters which remove the salt and pollutants, where it eventually lands in an external condenser for storage and dispensing.

Developers are hopeful that the system they are building will last at least 30 years and require minimum upkeep. The downside, at least right now, is the price: $100,000. But they believe the per unit price will drop if more of them are built.

“Clean water has become the Navajo’s most precious commodity,” said Black. I would venture to say it is for nearly everyone and am hopeful this kind of solar-powered desalination plant sees widespread adoption around the globe.

[via New Scientist]

Image Credit: Nature’s Images/Flickr

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Unveiled on September 12, the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) newest laboratory isn’t exactly what one would imagine a tech lab would look like. The Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF) looks like a typical suburban American home complete with four bedrooms and three bathrooms except for one major difference: no humans are allowed inside, ever.

The home, located in Gaithersburg, Maryland, is built to U.S. Green Building Council LEED Platinum standards. It is a research facility put together to see if a house filled with a family of four can generate as much energy as it uses in a year and achieve net-zero energy usage status. Utilizing solar panels, solar hot water heaters, and small devices to emit heat and humidity just as people do, it is operated by remote-control using computer software and mechanical controls. Appliances and lights are turned on and off and hot water is run in faucets and showers, mimicking the activities of a typical family throughout the year. Excess energy generated by the solar panels will be fed back to the grid.

“Results from this lab will show if net-zero home design and technologies are ready for a neighborhood near you,” said NIST Director Patrick Gallagher. “It will also allow development of new design standards and test methods for emerging energy-efficient technologies and, we hope, speed their adoption.”

Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the initial net-zero experiment will last for the next 12 months. Once completed, the home will be used to test energy-efficient technologies and alternative energy systems in a real-world environment.

Check out a video of the NIST Net Zero Energy House:

[via Innovation News Daily]

Image Credit: National Institute of Standards and Technology

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