QUICK NEWS, January 4: CHINA TURNS ON WORLD’S BIGGEST SOLAR-WIND HYBRID; MPG AND ELECTRIC MPG; MORE E-RECYCLING THAN EVER

CHINA TURNS ON WORLD’S BIGGEST SOLAR-WIND HYBRID
China's first wind-solar power storage demonstration project comes on stream
Niu Huizhe and Li Xiaohui, December 26, 2011 (Xinhua News Agency via Electro IQ)

"China's first integrated wind-solar power demonstration project has been completed and put into operation…[in] north China's Hebei province, according to a source at North China Grid Co., Ltd, constructor of the project.

"The project is the largest new energy project in the world that integrates wind power generation, solar PV power generation, power storage and intelligent power transmission…"

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"With an initial investment of 3.3 billion yuan, the project is currently equipped with installed capacity of 100-megawatt (MW) wind power, 40-MW solar PV power and a storage capacity of 20 MW…The power plant generates] electricity through solar PV power during the daytime and electricity through wind power at night, which [increases wind output] by 5-10 percent…

"…[T]he power storage and intelligent power transmission…[will] break down the bottleneck…of grid connection…North China Grid Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of State Grid Corp, China's largest power grid operator…"


MPG AND ELECTRIC MPG
Electric cars 101: What does MPGe mean, exactly? Electric and dual-fuel cars need a new calculation: MPGe. But the EPA's new measurement doesn't tell the whole story.
Chris Gaylord, December 25, 2011 (Christian Science Monitor)

"…The 2012 Mitsubishi i stands as America's most fuel-efficient car, at 126 miles per gallon in city driving…[but] 126 m.p.g. will still be impossible…[T]he Mitsubishi i is an all-electric vehicle…[I]t's actually 126 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). The EPA rolled out this new term to help translate electric-car efficiency into a figure that most Americans understand…

"…MPGe works well as a shorthand, but it doesn't tell the whole story. Let's look at how the EPA calculates MPGe…Gasoline and electricity use completely different units (gallons versus kilowatt-hours)…[but] a gallon of gasoline [generates] 115,000 British thermal units of heat…[The] electricity… to generate the same amount of heat…[is] 34 kilowatt-hours (kWh)… One gallon of gasoline produces the same amount of energy as 34 kWh."

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"…[T]he Mitsubishi i will go 126 miles on 34 kWh]…126 miles per the equivalent of a gallon of gas…[the] MPGe…[But comparing] MPGe to m.p.g…compares energy consumption, not fuel costs…[K]ilowatt-hours per 100 miles…[required of] 2013 vehicles…makes actual pocketbook calculations much easier…[T]he 2012 Chevrolet Volt…offers all-electric driving with a gasoline tank as backup. Its EPA label touts both 37 m.p.g. and 93 MPGe…[but] the Volt takes 36 kWh of electricity to drive 100 miles. Or… 2.7 gallons [of gasoline] per 100 miles.

"Multiply 36 kWh by however much you pay per kWh on your home electri¬city bill…12 cents per kWh…[is] the national average…[That comes to] $4.32 to drive 100 miles using only electricity…[Multiply that] by the [gasd pump] price…2.7 gallons multiplied by the national average of $3.275 per gallon…equals $8.84 to drive 100 miles on gasoline…[D]ealers are not required to post such numbers on 2012 models…[Click here for] how far each electric car will travel on a single charge, how long it takes to fill up the battery, and how much the average driver will save…"


MORE E-RECYCLING THAN EVER
E-Waste Environmental Crisis is Being Mitigated by Strong Growth in Electronics Recycling and Reuse
December 29, 2011 (Pike Research)

"…[T]he business and environmental challenges associated with electronic device disposition at end-of-life (EOL) [is growing] greater and greater. According to a new report from Pike Research…the total volume and weight of EOL electronics, which is known as e-scrap, will more than double in the next 15 years, rising from 676 million cubic feet (and 6.0 million tons) in 2010 to 1,465 million cubic feet (and 14.9 million tons) by 2025…

"… This trend will place increasing pressure on industry players, governments, and advocacy groups to find new ways to expand electronics recycling and reuse. E-scrap that is not recycled, reused, or stored becomes e-waste and is buried, incinerated, or dumped, representing a significant environmental hazard."

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"…Pike Research anticipates that the electronics recycling movement [to 2025] will make strong progress…[and] forecasts that electronics recycling and reuse will rise from 122 million cubic feet (and 1.1 million tons) per year in 2010 to 789 million cubic feet (and 7.9 million tons) annually by 2025…By the early 2020s, the firm expects that recycling and reuse activity will surpass the annual volume and weight of electronic devices that become e-waste, and thus will play a large part in mitigating the e-waste crisis…

"…Pike Research anticipates [however] that the total volume of e-waste in landfills will continue increasing throughout the period…[because] unwanted electronic equipment is still easily and inexpensively sent to landfill burial rather than being directed toward reuse or recycling. Trans-boundary shipments of e-waste from developed countries to developing countries continue, and the informal recovery of components and materials in developing countries remain a concern for human health and the environment…[T]he gap may be narrowed in the coming years if national and regional governments modify their legislative mandates to close perceived loopholes and increase e-scrap diversion…"