QUICK NEWS, November 30: THREE NEW ENERGY IDEAS BILL GATES LIKES; BRINGING OCEAN ENERGY INNOVATION IN; WHY CAR DEALERS SLOW PLUG-IN SALES

THREE NEW ENERGY IDEAS BILL GATES LIKES Three energy solutions that excite Bill Gates

Nyshka Chandran, November 29, 2015 (CNBC)

“Solar chemical technology, flow batteries and solar paint are three examples of promising technologies…[that the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, which includes Bill Gates, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, Alibaba's Jack Ma, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos, will fund]…to accelerate clean energy innovation…[and bring] public and private funds into research and development (R&D) to make renewable energy cheaper and more effective…Solar chemical technology essentially uses solar energy to create hydrogen, which can be used as fuel or for commercial purposes, such as making fertilizer…[A flow battery] could redefine how we store electricity…[because it is] much more sustainable than lithium-ion batteries…The purpose behind solar paint is to make solar power easier to install [and maintain]…” click here for more

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BRINGING OCEAN ENERGY INNOVATION IN What will the University of Maine do with an indoor ocean? Simulating wind and waves will help engineers find out if their innovations can hold up to the power of the sea.

Kelsey Warner, November 22, 2015 (Christian Science Monitor)

“…[The University of Maine] is looking to scale down the sea and make it approachable to innovators with its new Ocean Engineering Laboratory, a $13.8-million simulator capable of creating waves that top 100 feet and winds that exceed 200 mph. The 100-foot pool, made windy and wavy with 32 fans and 16 paddles, will simulate a stormy ocean to help engineers coming up with new products find out if their innovations can hold up to the power of the sea…The W2 Ocean Engineering Laboratory will test the fortitude of seaworthy objects as varied as boats, offshore wind turbines, tidal and wave-renewable energy facilities, aquaculture initiatives, oil and gas equipment, and public infrastructure such as ports and bridges…[Funded by a combination of public and private grants, it could also] model coastal cities like Portland, Maine, and New York City to simulate the impact of sea level rise…[and] test protective measures for those places…” click here for more

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WHY CAR DEALERS SLOW PLUG-IN SALES Most Car Dealers Are Lousy At Selling Electric Cars: Here's Why

Stephen Edelstein, November 30, 2015 (Green Car Reports)

“…[B]uyers have grumbled about the experience at traditional dealers that sell electric cars alongside internal-combustion models…One problem is that dealers apparently don't think consumers are interested in electric cars…[One study showed] only 14 percent of buyers cited fuel efficiency as the most important factor…[but electric cars also] take longer to sell, because buyers are often unfamiliar with the technology…[and] calculating tax credits and applying other incentives also [takes extra time while salespeople] make money based on the number of cars they sell…[so] salespeople may not be taking the necessary time to educate themselves about electric cars…[Also, on average], dealers make three times as much profit from service as they do from new-car sales…[but a 2013 J.D. Power survey found that while 57 percent of gasoline-car buyers planned to take their vehicles back to the dealer for service…[only 48 percent of electric-car buyers will]...As long as dealers feel they have nothing to gain from selling more electric cars, they will likely remain a major bottleneck to greater adoption…” click here for more

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