Next Generation of Alternative Energy

[Henk Elegeert]

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http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/technology/2008/07/25/the-next-generation-of-alternative-energy.html
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Next Generation of Alternative Energy

Venture capitalists flirt with solar thermal, algae, and wave power

By Katy Marquardt
Posted July 25, 2008

Now that alternative energy is the new darling of Silicon Valley,
investors are pumping cash into a raft of obscure technologies, from
wave power to algae fuel. Despite the sluggish economy,
alternative-energy start-ups received a record $2 billion in venture
capital funding in the second quarter of 2008, a 58 percent increase
from a year earlier, according to Cleantech Group, a market research
firm. Today, clean technology—which includes alternative energy
producers—accounts for 20 percent of all venture capital funding, up
from just 1 percent in 2001, says John Balbach, a Cleantech managing
partner. "Silicon Valley is going through yet another transformation,"
he says. Here are three technologies attracting interest:

Solar thermal. Think of solar thermal as the "other" solar power.
Unlike photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight directly into
energy, this technology—also called concentrated solar power—uses
mirrors to focus the sun's rays on a liquid that turns to steam and
powers a turbine. This relatively simple process holds major
advantages over silicon cells, which produce energy only when the sun
is shining. Using molten salt and other materials, solar-thermal
plants can store energy for several hours after sundown. Plants can
also burn other fuels, such as natural gas, when it's dark or cloudy.
In the Mojave Desert, FPL Group operates the world's largest
concentrated solar generation station, which was built more than 20
years ago. Driven by state mandates requiring utilities to produce a
portion of electricity from renewable sources, a new generation of
solar-thermal plants is on the way. In the second quarter,
solar-thermal companies raised a record $371 million in financing,
according to Cleantech. Mainstream adoption of solar thermal may not
be far off: Cambridge, Mass., consultant Emerging Energy Research
calls it "the fastest-growing, utility-scale renewable energy
alternative after wind power" and estimates that $20 billion will be
spent on projects through 2013.

Pond scum power. The hunt is on for renewable fuels that won't compete
with food crops. A promising contender is algae, which are rich in oil
and can double their mass several times a day. These curious organisms
are capable of producing 30 to 100 times as much oil per acre as
traditional feedstocks. Algae could generate more oil in an area the
size of a two-car garage than could a football field of soybeans,
according to Fort Collins, Colo., start-up Solix Biofuels. And algae
can grow almost anywhere, including in waste water and on land
unsuitable for conventional agriculture.

How about algae-powered jets? Airbus and Honeywell recently announced
that they're developing a jet fuel using vegetation- and algae-based
oils that could power a third of commercial aircraft by 2030. Other
heavyweights, including Boeing, Virgin Atlantic, Chevron, and Royal
Dutch Shell, are exploring algae's potential. The key challenge, says
Ed Guinness of the
Guinness Atkinson Alternative Energy fund, is slashing the cost of
production. "You've got to grow it at a low enough cost so that you
can take advantage of the high yield," he says. He says it will
probably be eight to 10 years before algae go commercial.

Ocean energy. The challenge of harnessing energy from heaving waves
and fast-flowing tides is daunting: Severe weather, crushing currents,
and the corrosive power of salt water can all do a number on
equipment. But entrepreneurs are planning dozens of tidal- and
wave-energy projects, from turbines anchored in Florida's Gulf Stream
to a wave farm off the coast of Portugal.
Methods for capturing the kinetic energy of tides include placing
turbines in dams and tethering them to the seabed. Researchers at
Florida Atlantic University believe tapping power from the Gulf Stream
could someday supply a third of that state's energy. Wave-power
generation, which captures the sea's energy using buoys and other
floating devices,
is also attracting interest. This year, the world's first commercial
wave farm is set to launch off the coast of Portugal. Projects are
also in the works for Oregon, Washington, and California. But Frank
Bevc, head of the emerging technology group at Siemens, estimates that
large-scale adoption of wave-power technology is more than a decade
away.
"

 ..  even een berichtje tussen de Obama speeches door. :) Je zou bijna
vergeten dat de wereld gewoon door draait ! ;)

Henk Elegeert

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