Surprise! BP Believes Biofuels Are the Future of Transportation

Though automakers are scrambling to roll out hybrid and electric vehicles as fast as they can, BP believes that biofuels are the only way forward--at least for the time being.
Olivier Mace, head of strategy, regulatory affairs and communications at BP Biofuels, explained at a London conference yesterday that demand in China and India, two of the fastest-growing markets, would make biofuels at least 12% of the worldwide road transport fuel mix by 2030. According to Reuters, Mace played down the roles of electricity in fuel generation, saying only that it might one day play a role--but not in the near future.

Of course, BP has a vested interest in the biofuels market. Last year, the company spent $98 million purchasing biofuel startup Verenium's cellulosic ethanol business. BP is also building the U.K.'s largest bioethanol plant--a $400 million project--as part of a venture with British Sugar and DuPont. A quick look at the BP Biofuels site reveals the massive extent of the company's biofuel investments.
And BP may be right. Electric vehicles are moving into the U.S. market slowly. In developing countries, the pace will likely be even slower--EV battery technology is still expensive, and rolling out charging infrastructures takes both time and lots of money. Biofuels, on the other hand, don't require a major overhaul of the car manufacturing process, and can easily be sold alongside gasoline at the local filling station.
Only time will tell whether biofuels ultimately beat EVs, but in the meantime, we need all of the resources we can get to transition away from petroleum.
source: FastCOMPANY

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Can the most impressive car at Geneva Motor Show be considered "green?"

For manufacturers at auto shows, getting noticed means demanding the public's attention; girls, fancy lights, demonstrations, VIP lounges, concept cars and dynamic displays all clamor for the attentive gaze of the crowd, and for the most part, boisterous exhibits translate into excessive buzz. With the Koenigsegg Agera R, the questions is, how much is too much?
Now regarded as perhaps the most powerful production sports car in the world, the Koenigsegg Agera R is truly a one-of-a-kind sports car. Set to debut at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show, the bi-turbo 5.0L V8 engine features a 0-62 mph time of 2.9 seconds and comes with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. Even more impressive, at least from a power perspective, is the 1,115 horsepower potential.
So how does the Agera R achieve a horsepower so off the charts?
Ethanol.
Yes, the secret of this ridiculously fast (260 mph) vehicle is the ethanol.
Dating back to 2007, Koenigsegg was the first sports car manufacturer to introduce bio fuels with the CCXR. Now, almost 4 years later, the next generation Agera is using the green technology, but not necessarily for reduced carbon emissions. It is instead to supercharge the horsepower.
Although it is listed as one of the 40 green cars at the show, the flex-fuel Agera R is certainly not intended for the standard green consumer.
In fact, the socially and environmentally conscious consumer would more than likely be outraged by the estimated $1.6 - $2.1 million price tag.
The technology, although excessive, certainly ought to be thought of in a positive light though. Koenigsegg managed to take an otherwise inefficient fuel, compared to gas, and make it efficient.
Flex fuel vehicles (FFVs) "typically get about 25-30% fewer miles per gallon when fueled with E85" than when fuel by gasoline. Although ethanol reduces/limits the emissions of carbon by only releasing carbon that had been absorbed by plants used to create the fuel, it actually has less energy per gallon when compared to regular gas.
Koenigsegg, however, managed to maximize the horsepower output by innovating the fuel and engine management system to maximize the energy output of the bio fuel making it extremely efficient with the E85 mix.
The car, by all measures, is excessive, but the technology still deserves its recognition.

source: taintedgreen

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Bio-Based Photovoltaic Solar Panel

Source: BioSolar
World’s First Bio-Based Photovoltaic Solar Panel Backsheet Ready for Commercial Testing by Manufacturers
BioSolar, Inc. has developed a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that will reduce the cost per watt of solar cells. Most of the solar industry is focused on photovoltaic efficiency to reduce cost. BioSolar is the first company to introduce a new dimension of cost reduction by replacing petroleum-based plastic solar cell components with durable bio-based materials.

Santa Clarita, CA – February 28, 2011 – BioSolar, Inc. (OTCBB: BSRC), developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, reported that its innovative BioBacksheet product has received full Underwriter’s Laboratories (UL) materials certification with its data published on UL’s online certifications directory.
Dr. David Lee, CEO of BioSolar, commented, “After 4 years of research and development, followed by another year of grueling materials properties testing, we have finally achieved the UL material certification required by PV panel manufacturers for commercial integration. In the past month, we have received many inquiries and requests for samples from PV manufacturers worldwide. We are now accepting purchase orders for commercial test quantities.”

BioBacksheet is now in the relative thermal index (RTI) measurement phase at UL, which is the last hurdle before commercial solar panels using BioBacksheet can be submitted for panel certification or recertification under UL 1703 prior to sale in the general marketplace. RTI is the temperature below which material will not be compromised by long term thermally induced chemical degradation.

The remaining steps for the full commercialization of BioBacksheet are:
· BioSolar provides UL certified commercial samples to PV panel manufacturers
· PV panel manufacturers use samples to perform internal tests and certification planning
· BioSolar receives provisional RTI rating from UL before the end of 2nd quarter 2011
· PV panel manufacturers submit complete panels with integrated BioBacksheet for UL 1703 certification
· PV panel manufacturer receives UL 1703 certification
· PV panels with BioBacksheet available for general sale and installation

The material standards for backsheets have become more stringent over the past years. To meet these tougher standards, other backsheet suppliers have resorted to using high cost complex multi-layer petroleum based plastic solutions. In contrast, BioBacksheet is an elegant, single layer solution made from renewable bio-based materials that costs less and outperforms existing petroleum based multi-layer backsheets. .

“In the coming months ahead, we will work closely with solar manufacturers to get BioBacksheet fully integrated into their production lines. Every new square foot of solar panel coming off of a production line is an opportunity for us to sell a square foot of BioBacksheet. It is a multi-billion dollar market opportunity and we have the best product available in the marketplace to meet the needs of the industry,” concluded Dr. Lee.

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Futuristic Kiosk Spits Out Cash for Recycled Electronics

Source: mashable

Imagine stopping by your neighborhood retailer, offloading an old cell phone or laptop via an in-store kiosk and picking up cash for your device, just as you would get cash for coins through Coinstar or rent and return a RedBox DVD.
It’s a futuristic idea with tangible value that startup ecoATM is already making a reality.
ecoATM, a San Diego-based startup, has roughly 15 kiosks scattered throughout the southern California region, some at Westfield shopping malls in San Diego. These kiosks offer consumers a cash incentive to recycle their electronics.
Plop in an expired cell phone, overplayed MP3 player, no-longer-wanted video game or used-up ink cartridge, and ecoATM will determine the product, its estimated value — while factoring in damage — and make you an offer you might not be able refuse: cash in exchange for recycling your device.
It claims to offer highly competitive return rates, but its biggest value proposition may be the immediate gratification. From a consumer perspective, there’s very little reason not to use ecoATM over trying to hawk an old gadget online. The startup promises to wipe your device and spits out cash or store credit, no human contact required.
The system isn’t perfect. ecoATM eats the cost on the returned devices it can’t resell, and the process can take a few a minutes (see below) — but it is working. In one year of testing, ecoATM has recycled more than 50,000 devices, according to CMO and co-founder Mark Bowles. Bowles and team are mum on what that translates to in financial terms, nor are they willing to share how much it costs to produce each kiosk or the exact margin they make on recycled devices.
Right now, the startup is using its more than $14 million in funding to aggressively expand into more areas. Google can expect to see an ecoATM onsite in Mountain View within the next few weeks, and Microsoft’s Redmond campus already has one accepting recycled devices.
Monday, ecoATM is also upping its profile with a formal launch at DEMO’s Spring startup event in Palm Springs, California. Mashable stopped by the ecoATM station for a quick demonstration

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diesel from sunlight

Source: bostonherald

A Cambridge biotech company is on a bold mission to transform the energy industry by producing “liquid fuel from the sun.”
Joule Unlimited claims its genetically engineered microorganism can secrete pure diesel that’s interchangeable with the fuel that goes into trucks.
CEO Bill Sims calls Joule — 22nd on Biofuels Digest’s “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy” list in December — a “transformational” company. That’s because its microorganism, known as cyanobacteria, doesn’t need biomass feedstock such as corn, grass or algae
“All of that takes time and energy,” said Sims, noting that Joule’s technology produces more power than the fossil energy that it consumes. “We’re not aware of any biofuel that can make that claim.”
Biomass is the “Achilles’ heel” of biofuel production because of its fluctuating costs and the expense of transporting, processing and disposing of it, said Sims.
Joule’s process for photosynthetic fuel production uses a solar converter and microorganism to capture sunlight and convert carbon dioxide and water directly into liquid fuels and chemicals.
A peer-reviewed article published this month in Photosynthesis Research supports Joule’s claims that it can produce renewable fuels and chemicals — including 15,000 gallons of diesel per acre annually at full commercial scale — at yields that are up to 50 times greater than processes that use biomass.
“Biofuels, by nature, are not scalable, whereas we have created technology where the solar converters are modular and therefore scalable,” Sims said. “And we can show at small scale what the technology is capable at large scale.”
Joule projects it can produce diesel for as low as $30 a barrel, including all of its costs, and ethanol for $50 a barrel.
After four years in business and $30 million in venture capital, Joule is set to break ground this year on a commercial-scale production plant. The company is evaluating out-of-state sites for what’s envisioned to grow into a 1,000-acre facility for its solar-to-fuels technology.
Production is scheduled to start in 2012 in the first phase of the commercial plant.
Joule operated a pilot plant last summer on about five acres in Texas that essentially works as an outdoor lab. It’s been piloting ethanol production and will soon start testing diesel.

The board is led by Noubar Afeyan, the CEO of Flagship Ventures, and includes John Podesta, former White House chief of staff under President Clinton, and the head of Troika Dialog, Russia’s largest investment bank.

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