2006-01-06

Milestones and Trends in Renewable Energy

More fun reading from Slashdot, with some reflections and projections: The year 2005 saw large wind power installments come into a price range where they are now competitive with traditional grid prices. 2006 could see several solar designs do the same. Cold fusion was boosted with two, concurrent and independent sonofusion breakthroughs, though the stigma in the name is still deeply seated. 2006 could see floating wind turbines arrive on the commercial scene -- floating in the water like oil rigs, or floating high in the air, courtesy of helium. 2006 will see at least three companies offering after-market kits for adding Brown's gas (H and O from electrolysis, common ducted) to the air intake of vehicles for enhanced mileage and performance. Many other fuel economizing systems are slated to mature in the marketplace. Climate change evidence will continue to mount. It will yet be years before we harness lightning, but stable tornado systems prototypes that tap waste heat from power plants could arrive this coming year. Will 2006 be the year that clean energy becomes more the vogue than cool computer gadgets?

1 comment:

James Aach said...

One of the topics surrounding global warming is increased use of nuclear power. "Rad Decision" is a new techno-thriller novel of the American nuclear industry, written by a longtime nuclear engineer, which is available at no cost at
RadDecision.blogspot.com. This is an entertaining way to learn the good and bad about this energy source. (There's plenty of both.)

"I'd like to see Rad Decision widely read." - Stewart Brand, futurist and founder of The Whole Earth Catalog.

http://RadDecision.blogspot.com