The Year in Energy

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• The fastest growing plant solarnano on 12/28/2007 at 6:48 AM

  Posts: 4

  The fastest growing plant is said to be Algae. Algae contains 50% of its weight in oil. It can replicate itself 6 times a day.  According to data compiled by, www.valcent.net, one acre of land can provide, as much as, 33,000 gallons of biodiesel fuel per year.  Plus, algae residue can be used for, making ethanol, fertilizer, and protein for animals and fish. Algae feeds best on carbon emissions, and so algae farms placed next to high carbon emitters would be a smart choice. WWW.BD70.com, has the equipment and know how, to extract oil from algae, 8 times less cost than other systems.  One BD70 unit can produce over 1 million gallons of biodiesel a year, and each system can be piggybacked. This algae biodiesel, besides fuel for diesel transportation, can also be used to generate electricity toward an all electric, no fuel transportation, future.  Carbon generated to make electricity can be recycled right back into the algae farm.  This system can use land not fit for habitation or growing food staples, anywhere in the world. This much needed technology is here and now, and can be, and should be implemented quickly to vastly help to clean up carbon emissions, and free the world from its dependence on fossil fuels. 2008, a New Year towards energy independence. Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • Re: The fastest growing plant rhapsodyinglue on 12/30/2007 at 5:31 PM

    Posts: 54 Avg Rating:

    Algae is an interesting area of research.  However, I often see people, as you've just done, quote various numbers for algae as achieved goals, which in reality are a mix of speculation. There are still numerous scientific problems that must be addressed before this technology is anywhere near economically feasible. You should preface your statements by saying "scientists believe it might someday be possible" or "companies have the goal of achieving" or something similar to let people know that no one has yet produced anywhere near those yields in large scale operation.  It would also help if you gave some references for your numbers so that people could judge the credibility of the info.  I'm sure it would come as no surprise to you that sometimes people with vested interests in something will exaggerate claims and inflate figures. Rate this comment: (Reply)

    • 	Re: The fastest growing plant solarnano on 12/31/2007 at 12:01 AM
      Posts: 4	If you go back to my comment, you will witness that I gave the web site for the company that is growing algae, in a closed loop vertical farm.  It is their claim, from data they have from growing algae, that algae can produce up to 33,000 gallons of biodiesel per acre. This process, because it is closed loop, also, uses very little water. Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	Re: The fastest growing plant ChuckInReno on 12/31/2007 at 2:48 PM
    Posts: 9 Avg Rating:	Assuming the technology is as well developed as you claim, then I expect that we should be seeing small to mid-size commercial demonstrations soon. Do you know of any pilot (at least 100 barrels per day) plants coming on line soon? Rate this comment: (Reply)

    • Re: The fastest growing plant solarnano on 01/01/2008 at 10:15 AM

      Posts: 4

      This is the latest interview that I could find regarding your question:  http://www.scribemedia.org/2007/11/15/glen-kertz-valcent-vertigro-algae-biofuel/ Corn produces about 20 gallons of biofuel per acre, soy 45, and palm 750, while data by, www.valcent.net, is showing up 33,000 gallons per acre, with the prospect of more.  Who should we subsidizing, food crops or, algae crops that can be grown anywhere in the world without using agricultural land. 90% of algae' body weight is carbon, so algae farms can be placed next to all of the big carbon emitting factories and use their carbon emissions as feed stock.  Sure, algae produces carbon when burned, but recycled back into a close loop Vertigro System to grow more algae. Most of fossil fuels, that are largely derived from ancient algae, release carbon into atmosphere to create the climate change and global warming that is fouling the future of our planet. With other alternative energy resources, now being produced, and in the pipeline, like algae, we have a new direction for the world to quickly wean itself off of war fueled fossil fuels, and stem climate change and global warming.  Nothing to lose and nothing, but a prosperous clean sustainable future for all of us, to gain. Rate this comment: (Reply)

      • Re: The fastest growing plant Daniel from SA on 01/09/2008 at 4:24 AM

        Posts: 8

        Thank you for the interesting reference.  One of the aspects not mentioned here is the energy cost involved in extracting the usable oil/fuel from the product generated.  As an example, separating the water from the ethanol in a corn-to-ethanol process absorbs most of the advantage of making the ethanol.  The same question applies to a vertical algae tower - what is the energy and environmental cost of running such an application?  I suspect that practical implications such as this is one of the reasons such a process is not (yet) running, but I see a future in this line of development, especially since scientists have not yet found a way to replicate photosynthesis. Rate this comment: (Reply)

        • Re: The fastest growing plant solarnano on 01/09/2008 at 7:11 AM

          Posts: 4

          In reference to my first comment, WWW.BD70.com, Says that they can process algae 8 times cheaper than other technologies. At 18 gallons of fuel from corn per acre, I feel that 33,000 gallons of biodiesel per acre is a much safer bet, and it doesn't take food off of your table. www.konarka.com, professes to mimic photosynthesis with their "Power Plastic". They have received allot of press and awards, but to my knowledge they have not come to market with their product. I believe that, www.nanosolar.com, has the best thin film solar solution.  It is mass produced on a printing press, without silicon, and is now on the market. Its first production of 420 megawatts, is sold out through 2008. Combine wind, solar and algae and you have a beautiful, clean air, sustainable world, without the need for any fossil fuels!!! Rate this comment: (Reply)

• >>> the CRAZY idea of the Space Solar Power Plants >>> Gaetano Marano on 12/30/2007 at 8:59 AM

  Posts: 51 Avg Rating:

  . REALLY, I don't understand WHY so many peoples and scientists STILL believe that put solar panels in space (at a VERY VERY HIGH price) is a good way to have CHEAP energy for our planet, that especially if we consider the (simple) fact that on the Earth there are IMMENSE surfaces where we can put that solar panels (at a FRACTION of the cost of Space, maybe, two-three orders of magnitude!) while only a SMALL part of these unused lands is sufficient to produce ALL the energy we need!!! also, HOW we can launch that GIANT panels in Space if the "numner 1 space agency" have big problems to just develop a small rocket: http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts/012arescantfly.html or try to build it with the MOST expensive parts: http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts/018srb5nonsense.html . Rate this comment: (Reply)

  • 	Re: >>> the CRAZY idea of the Space Solar Power Plants >>> rhapsodyinglue on 12/30/2007 at 5:33 PM
    Posts: 54 Avg Rating:	The U.S. military wants that technology... that's why.  No one really believes it would be cost competitive with ground based energy supplies. Rate this comment: (Reply)