GOOD STORIES THERE WASN’T TIME TO GET TO THIS WEEK

A NewEnergyNews Friday feature.

3TIER MAPS THE SUN

3TIER Releases First Seamless Solar Map of Western Hemisphere
Todd Stone and Robert Gara, October 13, 2008 (3TIER)

“3TIER, one of the world’s largest independent providers of assessment and forecasting of renewable energy, today released the first comprehensive, contiguous and high-resolution solar map for the entire Western Hemisphere … The solar map is based on 11 years of half-hourly high resolution (roughly 1 km) visible satellite imagery that has been processed to create 11 years of hourly values of Global Horizontal Irradiation (GHI), Direct Normal Irradiation (DNI) and Diffuse Irradiation (DI) at a horizontal resolution of roughly 3 kilometers…" "

Click to visit 3TIER.


WIND – SEEKING NEW ENERGY THE RIGHT WAY

Researchers Seek to Reduce Bat Deaths at Wind Turbines
14 October 2008 (Bat and Wind Energy Cooperative)

"The Bats and Wind Energy Cooperative (BWEC), a unique government-industry-conservation group alliance, has begun testing the effect of stopping wind turbines during low wind conditions to avoid killing bats. The study, the first of its kind in the U.S., would also determine the reduction, due to shutdowns, in the amount of electricity generated… “The industry is working cooperatively with diverse partners toward solutions, and this study is critical to those efforts,” said AWEA Deputy Executive Director Tom Gray. “AWEA is very pleased with the progress the cooperative has made over the past several years and this study represents a key milestone in moving forward with developing solutions and bringing the best science to bear on this issue." …"


NEW ENERGY – A PERSONAL MATTER

Many taking alternative energy into their own hands
Jessica Drew, October 11, 2008 (KTKA/ABC – Topeka)

“…Jim Woods put in a wind turbine in Osage County about two months ago, and it's helped his bill….Gary Rush has had a wind turbine for two years, and now he installs them…But how much will it save in your electric bill in one month? "Immediately the savings from your electric bill. You can look at 50 to 60 dollars," said Rush…Gary and Jim were looking at the meter, and notice the dial turning the opposite direction…The wind turbine was producing more energy than Jim's house was using…People are starting to take the initiative to go green…”


EMISSIONS CAPTURE – A RESEARCH PROJECT

Carbon-capture research is a growing field
Thomas Content, October 9, 2008 (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal)

"The technology to bury carbon dioxide underground instead of releasing it into the air from the smokestacks of coal-fired power plants is still many years away…But research into the technology is picking up steam as federal funding for research has expanded…The challenge of the research is proving that it can work on a commercial scale — and bringing down the cost. Some coal plants that would also bury the carbon would cost 80% more to build than a typical coal plant costs today…"


ANSWERS TO THE WORLD’S BIGGEST QUESTION

Energy + Genius
Bruce Upbin, October 9, 2008 (Forbes)

"It's a global challenge that defies easy solutions: How to meet the world's hunger for heat, power and transportation without wrecking the environment and an already fragile geopolitical balance…Getting there sustainably will require a handful of simultaneous breakthroughs in physics, efficiency and behavior. On November 5, Forbes will publish a special report, "Energy + Genius," packed with solutions and stories on how the world is meeting the challenge…"