Last week I wrote about the growth of geothermal energy, an area I personally hadn’t heard much about until then. As chance would have it, a few days later Green Wombat (Fortune magazine’s energy blog) reported that “Google.org is investing nearly $11 million in technology to expand the nation’s geothermal reserves. That’s more than the U.S. government is spending on geothermal projects this year”.

The technology is called Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS), which represents a leap forward from traditional geothermal energy. The latter relies on finding naturally occurring pockets of steam or hot water. “The EGS process, by comparison, replicates these conditions by fracturing hot rock, circulating water through the system, and using the resulting steam to produce electricity in a conventional turbine”, Google.org said in a statement.

EGS has the potential to provide clean renewable electricity 24/7, at a cost cheaper than coal. The ability to produce electricity from geothermal energy has been thought exclusive to locations such as California and Iceland. However EGS could allow us to harness the heat within the earth almost anywhere.

“Now, that’s hot”, added Google.org. Quite right.

The dream of turning everyday waste into gasoline could become a reality within two years, thanks to a process that converts biomass into high-octane gasoline. The technology was developed through a joint venture between Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and Byogy Renewables Inc.
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You can read all three paragraphs of Bob Barr’s energy policy here.

His policy has nothing about alternative fuels, conservation, or transportation. His policy is “Get rid of the regulations and drill.”

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Ever hear the expression “it’s so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk”? That may be a colorful way to describe the temperature but scientists aren’t taking the concept lightly. A research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is close to commercializing a means of using that heat-soaking property of road-asphalt for an alternative energy source.

These researchers are developing a solar collector that could potentially turn sun-heated roads and parking lots into ever-present (and inexpensive) sources of electricity and hot water.

So far these tests have taken slabs of asphalt imbedded with thermocouples, which measure heat penetration, and copper pipes to gauge how well that heat could be transferred to say flowing water for example.

By pumping water through copper piping embedded in the hot asphalt the water would, of course, absorb the heat in the process. This hot water could then be used without modification for heating buildings or in industrial processes or could be passed through a thermoelectric generator to produce electricity.

The best part about this potential energy source is that it requires very little modification to existing processes. Copper pipes could easily be laid down prior to the paving of future roads or parking lots plus the heat energy contained within has been nothing more than a nuisance to barefoot pedestrians up until now.

For those who want to catch up with some of the latest developments in solar power technology and at the same time contribute to the strengthening of the industry , Solar Power International will be the place to be in October (13-16). The event is presented by the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA).

Previously called Solar Power Conference and Expo, it has been taking place since 2004. “As the U.S. solar energy industry has grown, this conference has become an essential event for global solar energy companies that want to do business in the thriving U.S. market. This year we will welcome more international visitors than our event’s total attendance in 2004. We recognize the solar industry is defined by international exchange, and it remains our top priority to provide a comprehensive, business-to-business event that engages a worldwide audience, highlights global solar innovation and provides the unparalleled networking opportunities our attendees have come to expect”, said Julia Hamm, executive director of SEPA and chair of Solar Power International

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