GREEN ISSUES
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Aug 08. Researchers at the US Air Force Research Laboratory are currently developing a portable waste-to-energy system which converts waste to electricity and can therefore be used to reduce the military’s energy use and drive down costs. Using the new technology will enable the Department of Defense to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and recycle its waste. In developing the system, scientists constructed a furnace to burn solid waste in a more renewable way by using a small amount of liquid fuel at the outset to preheat the furnace and maintaining the temperature without having to use additional fuels. (Source: MoD Defence Contracts Bulletin)
28 Aug 08. Saft, Conergy and Tenesol have announced the launch of SOLION, a Franco-German project dedicated to the development of a new concept in energy conversion and storage for grid connected photovoltaic (PV) systems. The objective of the SOLION partnership is to develop an integrated energy kit able to be produced on an industrial scale for decentralised on-grid, residential PV systems. This project will introduce large lithium-ion batteries into PV systems on the largest scale ever tested in Europe. Lithium-ion technology is required in order to meet the need for 20 years‘ battery life in demanding environmental conditions. The 75 systems will be deployed in Germany and France. These trials will validate the performance of the system, its economic viability, the added value of energy storage in an on-grid PV system and the benefits for stakeholders. Storage will enable solar energy to be “time shifted” to periods of peak demand or when there is no sun in order to allow self consumption or grid support. Today, grid-connected PV systems, without energy storage, are directly fed in. The project will demonstrate the major benefits of storing energy generated from PV to the environment and to all stakeholders. SOLION has been recognised by the Eureka/Eurogia and Tenerrdis programmes, and is supported by the French Ministry of Economy Finance and Employment (DGE) and the German Ministry of Environment (BMU). A German utility (E-ON), three German research institutes (ISEA, ISET & ZSW) and one French research institute (INES -CEA) are associated with this project.