G-Power claims world’s fastest sedan title with 372 km/h modified BMW M5

German tuning company G-Power is claiming to have set the record for the world’s fastest sedan with a BMW M5. G-Power’s M5 Hurricane RR achieved a top speed of 372 km/h (231 mph) beating its own record of 367.4 km/h (228 mph) set earlier this year. But it’s not just the two-ton vehicle’s top speed that’s impressive – it can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.35 seconds, up to 200 km/h in 9.5 seconds and up to 300 km/h in 25.8 seconds. Read More

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

Energy efficient lighting e-Bulletin

On 21 July 2010 QWESTNet held its second lighting forum in Brisbane. Held in association with

the Illuminating Engineering Society (ies), the forum focused on energy efficient lighting

technologies including LEDs, lighting controls and the use of daylight.

Click on ‘listen to presentation’ or the presenter’s photograph to hear the presentation

ies Partner Presentation
Presenter:Gillian Isoardi
ies/University of Queensland
Listen to Presentation

Gillian’s presentation gives an overview of the role of IES and outlines the positive reasons

for businesses to pursue energy efficient lighting.  Adhering to best practices in lighting will

ensure an installation that meets the needs of all users. Further benefits can, of course,

be realised by lowering operating costs of buildings but also by improving the quality of

workspaces and the appearance of products.

LED: good, bad and best practice
Presenter: Gorana Jusufovich
Lumascape
Listen to Presentation

A brief discussion of some of the benefits and pitfalls of using LED

based lighting systems. How do LEDs compare to conventional light

sources; what to be aware of when selecting an LED based lighting product; and busting

some of the myths surrounding LEDs.

Facility management and lighting controls
Presenter:Lance Stewart
Creative Lighting
Listen to Presentation

Why do we need lighting control systems and what do we need from them?

Can best lighting practice be achieved under the Building Code of Australia

and what is good lighting practice any way? Lance discusses recent trends in efficient lighting

and control.

Daylighting and Greenstar
Presenter: Carl N Gray
MGF Consulting NQ
Listen to Presentation

A brief primer on daylighting as applicable in Queensland workplaces,

specifically what can and cannot be done with daylight? Why we should

do more; why we should be very careful about it; how it can be done; and who to ask.

Top

Case Studies

Queensland Police Service fit-out Presenter: Caitlyn Young Norman Disney & Young Listen to Presentation The Queensland Police Service CBD facility fitout was completed in 2004/2005. Utilising an Energy Conservation Systems (ECS) lighting control system, occupancy based switching and daylight harvesting have delivered an efficient lighting design and flexibility for future changes. The integration of this system has led to a significant saving in energy and CO2 emissions. William McCormack Place Presenter: Carl N Gray MGF Consulting NQ Listen to Presentation The Queensland Government’s newest office building located in Cairns has attained ‘World Leader’ green status – the first outside of a capital city. In line with the lighting engineer’s vision, an emphasis on real world performance was placed before Greenstar ‘point scoring’ to achieve a highly energy efficient yet highly comfortable building. Highlights include effective daylighting and shading, a novel approach to daylight harvesting, direct/indirect lighting and the integration of ceiling fans. Queesland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) Presenter: Doug Brimblecombe QPAC Listen to Presentation Between November 2008 and March 2009, QPAC refurbished its major theatres and public spaces for the first time since the centre was constructed 25 years ago. This was an opportunity for QPAC to introduce more efficient lighting practices without compromising the nature of the building and its use. As part of the refurbishment, aged incandescent and large wattage fixtures were replaced with LED and halogen lights. In the Concert Hall auditorium, the original 2500 watt profiles were replaced with three-colour LED lighting and theatrical fixtures, each of 1200 watts. These changes have minimised the amount of lights required to produce colour on stage, while backstage, single watt LED bulbs have replaced 60+ watt ‘blue’ light circuits. One year and three months after the refurbishment, QPAC is seeing energy savings which are expected to improve with further work due to be completed by the end of 2010. CitySwitch Program Presenter: Mark Taylor Brisbane City Council Listen to Presentation Brisbane City Council is partnering in a national office tenant energy management program called CitySwitch Green Office. This program gives your business: a structured process to improve energy efficiency and operating costs; positioning and promotion as an environmental leader; networking opportunities with like-minded companies; regular updates and resources. Key elements to effective lighting Presenter: Darrin Schreier Aurecon Listen to Presentation Efficient lighting is something everybody appears to be looking for, whether it be to meet legislated government criteria, to achieve a Greenstar or NABERS rating, or to save money in the face of rising energy costs. To achieve efficient lighting 4 key elements need to be addressed. Energy efficiency regulation and quality lighting Presenter: Steve Coyne Light Naturally Listen to Presentation There are two levels of energy efficiency which have the potential to affect quality lighting outcomes: energy efficiency of lighting product and energy efficiency of lighting design. The type of regulatory tool implemented for each can have a significant impact on quality lighting outcomes and compliance levels. Whatever form the regulation takes, it is apparent that in the future, quality lighting outcomes will require knowledge, expertise and training in lighting design Received & published by Henry Sapiecha

With a 65-Percent Efficiency

Science (June 17, 2010) — Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/) researchers want to develop solar cells with an efficiency of over 65 percent by means of nanotechnology. In Southern Europe and North Africa these new solar cells can generate a substantial portion of the European demand for electricity. The Dutch government reserves EUR 1.2 million for the research.

The current thin-film solar cells (type III/V) have an efficiency that lies around 40 percent, but they are very expensive and can only be applied as solar panels on satellites. By using mirror systems that focus one thousand times they can now also be deployed on earth in a cost-effective manner. The TU/ researchers expect that in ten years their nano-structured solar cells can attain an efficiency of more than 65 percent. Jos Haverkort: “If the Netherlands wants to timely participate in a commercial exploitation of nanowire solar cells, there is a great urgency to get on board now.” The research is conducted together with Philips MiPlaza.

They think that nanotechnology, in combination with the use of concentrated sunlight through mirror systems, has the potential to lead to the world’s most efficient solar cell system with a cost price lower than 50 cent per Watt peak. In comparison: for the present generation of solar cells that cost price is 1.50 euro per Watt peak.

Stacking Nanowires make it possible to stack a number of subcells (junctions). In this process each subcell converts one color of sunlight optimally to electricity. The highest yield reported until now in a nanowire solar cell is 8.4 percent. Haverkort: “We expect that a protective shell around the nanowires is the critical step towards attaining the same efficiency with nanowire solar cells as with thin-film cells.” Haverkort thinks that at 5 to 10 junctions he will arrive at an efficiency of 65 percent.

Scarcity of raw materials In addition, the researchers expect considerable savings can be made on production costs, because nanowires grow on a cheap silicon substrate and also grow faster, which results in a lower cost of ownership of the growth equipment. What is more, the combination of the mirror systems with nanotechnology will imply an acceptable use of the scarce and hence expensive metals gallium and indium.

An agency of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, will grant the EUR 1.2 million to researchers dr. Jos Haverkort, dr. Erik Bakkers en dr. ir. Geert Verbong for their research into nanowire solar cells. It is their expectation that, when combined with mirror systems, these solar cells can generate a sizeable portion of the European electricity demand in Southern Europe and North Africa.

Sourced & published by Henry Sapiecha

A view inside the National Ignition Facility’s target chamber, a space easily big enough for technicians to stand inside. It is hoped the NIF will eventually be a major source of carbon-free energy.

(Credit: Lawrence Livermore National Lab)

LIVERMORE, Calif.–Think clean energy is a fantasy? What if the power of a star was applied to the problem?

That’s the approach being explored at the National Ignition Facility, a huge-scale experiment in laser fusion based at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory here. Scientists are looking at NIF as a potential key to producing large amounts of carbon-free power.

It’s not known if the system will ever bear the kind of fruit the scientists and administrators who run NIF would like. Still, the facility is a scientific wonder that can transform a single laser beam no wider than a human hair into 192 beams–each of which is 18 inches wide. Together, the beams are designed to produce 4 million joules, the amount of power that would produce 4 million watts of power in a single second.

The NIF was completed in early 2009 and eventually will be used by the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as technicians from national laboratories, fusion energy researchers, academics, and others. It is “the world’s largest and highest-energy laser, [and] has the goal of achieving nuclear fusion and energy gain in the laboratory for the first time,” according to the Lawrence Livermore National Lab, “in essence, creating a miniature star on Earth.”

This is serious high technology. The NIF employs a series of amplifiers and mirrors known as switchyards to route and split the original hair’s-width laser beam over a total distance of 1,500 meters. After being separated by pre-amplifiers into 48 beams, each beam is then split into four beams, and then all are injected into the 192 main laser amplifier beamlines, according to the NIF.

The hope is that NIF will be online as a power plant within 15 to 20 years. For now, the facility is a proof-of-concept system, albeit one comprising two 10-story buildings and more than $3 billion of investment. Eventually, the 192 laser beams reunite to focus on a target fuel pellet that is just millimeters in size, yet placed inside a target chamber that towers over the technicians who sometimes work inside.

And 192 laser beams of this magnitude create some serious heat. The theoretical maximum, according to LLNL retiree and docent Nick Williams, is 100 million degrees Celsius.

For now, because of the amount of power necessary to produce the beams, and the heat created, scientists are only able to fire the laser system once every two or three hours. Eventually, the idea would be to fire it many times a second.

And by 2030, it is hoped, the NIF will be helping produce commercial power and helping scientists and researchers better understand the nature of the universe. That, it would seem, would be a main benefit of producing what amounts to a small star, right here in the middle of Northern California.

On June 24, Geek Gestalt will kick off Road Trip 2010. After driving more than 18,000 miles in the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest and the Southeast over the last four years, I’ll be looking for the best in technology, science, military, nature, aviation and more throughout the American northeast. If you have a suggestion for someplace to visit, drop me a line. In the meantime, you can follow my preparations for the project on Twitter @GreeterDan and @RoadTrip.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 7th June 2010

Hold Secret

to Affordable Solar Power Worldwide

Science(Apr. 30, 2010) — Pokeberries — the weeds that children smash to stain their cheeks purple-red and that Civil War soldiers used to write letters home — could be the key to spreading solar power across the globe, according to researchers at Wake Forest University’s Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials.

Nanotech Center scientists have used the red dye made from pokeberries to coat their efficient and inexpensive fiber-based solar cells. The dye acts as an absorber, helping the cell’s tiny fibers trap more sunlight to convert into power.

Pokeberries proliferate even during drought and in rocky, infertile soil. That means residents of rural Africa, for instance, could raise the plants for pennies. Then they could make the dye absorber for the extremely efficient fiber cells and provide energy where power lines don’t run, said David Carroll, Ph.D., the center’s director.

“They’re weeds,” Carroll said. “They grow on every continent but Antarctica.”

Wake Forest University holds the first patent for fiber-based photovoltaic, or solar, cells, granted by the European Patent Office in November. A spinoff company called FiberCell Inc. has received the license to develop manufacturing methods for the new solar cell.

The fiber cells can produce as much as twice the power that current flat-cell technology can produce. That’s because they are composed of millions of tiny, plastic “cans” that trap light until most of it is absorbed. Since the fibers create much more surface area, the fiber solar cells can collect light at any angle — from the time the sun rises until it sets.

To make the cells, the plastic fibers are stamped onto plastic sheets, with the same technology used to attach the tops of soft-drink cans. The absorber — either a polymer or a less-expensive dye — is sprayed on. The plastic makes the cells lightweight and flexible, so a manufacturer could roll them up and ship them cheaply to developing countries — to power a medical clinic, for instance.

Once the primary manufacturer ships the cells, workers at local plants would spray them with the dye and prepare them for installation. Carroll estimates it would cost about $5 million to set up a finishing plant — about $15 million less than it could cost to set up a similar plant for flat cells.

“We could provide the substrate,” he said. “If Africa grows the pokeberries, they could take it home.

“It’s a low-cost solar cell that can be made to work with local, low-cost agricultural crops like pokeberries and with a means of production that emerging economies can afford.”

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 3rd May 2010

On Butterfly Wings

Inspire More Powerful Solar Cells

ScienceDaily (Feb. 5, 2009) — The discovery that butterfly wings have scales that act as tiny solar collectors has led scientists in China and Japan to design a more efficient solar cell that could be used for powering homes, businesses, and other applications in the future.

In the study, Di Zhang and colleagues note that scientists are searching for new materials to improve light-harvesting in so-called dye-sensitized solar cells, also known as Grätzel cells for inventor Michael Grätzel. These cells have the highest light-conversion efficiencies among all solar cells — as high as 10 percent.

The researchers turned to the microscopic solar scales on butterfly wings in their search for improvements. Using natural butterfly wings as a mold or template, they made copies of the solar collectors and transferred those light-harvesting structures to Grätzel cells. Laboratory tests showed that the butterfly wing solar collector absorbed light more efficiently than conventional dye-sensitized cells. The fabrication process is simpler and faster than other methods, and could be used to manufacture other commercially valuable devices, the researchers say.

Sourced and published by Henry Sapiecha 15th April 2010

Solar Cells Possible

By Talking To Each Other

Projects using green power

Evolis in Belgium