NASA asks for battery alternatives to send ships deep into space
The request is open to both national labs and private firms, and NASA plans to choose roughly four proposals.
Philips unveils sensor-ready system for connected office lighting
Using LEDs powered over Ethernet, the system gives building owners and facility managers loads of useful data about their properties, and office workers new ways to negotiate their environment.
5 utility industry trends to watch this year
The co-founders of Opower tell us about the top 5 trends they’re watching when it comes to utilities.
For the first time, nuclear fusion produces more energy than it takes in
The work out of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is promising, but researchers still have a long road ahead of them before the technology comes anywhere near to commercial viability.
An untold story: What the Nest acquisition means for utilities
Google’s purchase of Nest shines a spot light on the crossroads ahead for utilities.
A solar boom so successful, it’s been halted
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-boom-so-successfull-its-been-halted
In an attempt to jump on the solar trend, many homeowners in Oahu plunked down an investment on rooftop photovoltaic systems — but the response was so overwhelming, Scientific American reported, that the local electric company couldn’t manage the scale. The solar grid by Hawaiian Electric Co. (HECO) was not built to withstand the level of solar energy surging through it, meaning that residences will have to foot the bill for an upgrade. Scaling solar is a complicated issue fraught with many costs — but how much will everyday citizens have to pay to make green energy accessible?
The big energy problem that happens while you’re sleeping
The number of devices that remain on when you’re not using them is astounding: from printers and desk phones ATMs, vending machines and light posts. The bright side? Technology can help us conserve energy and save big.
Special report: Apple’s ground-breaking bet on its clean energy infrastructure, with exclusive photos
Apple’s two solar farms and one fuel cell farm near its data center in North Carolina are now all live and generating power. The projects are unprecedented in the industry and have helped usher in real change.
Plugging interoperability into the nation’s electric grid
Building out a “smart” electrical grid is going to take more than just the right gear — that gear has to interoperate, and so utilities are searching for the right standard.
Apple files patent for slim solar-powered technology
According to PatentlyApple, Apple has filed yet another solar panel patent. While this is the eighth patent for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company in an effort to make proprietary solar technology, the “Power Management for a system having non-volatile memory” has eliminated the need for a power converter to turn the solar power into electronic energy. In practical applications, this means that a solar panel could be attached directly to the Magsafe port of a computer or onto the back of a phone. It’s just a concept now, but it could mean that solar power won’t come at the cost of slimness and style.