ARPA-E Project Combines Heat and Electricity | MIT Technology Review

The government’s energy research agency is spending $30 million to demonstrate cheap solar power that’s available day and night.

By Kevin Bullis on July 31, 2013

Combining the strengths of two different solar technologies could yield “hybrid solar power” that works even at night or when it’s cloudy.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy is devoting $30 million to several demonstration projects that will attempt to combine photovoltaics with solar thermal. Early-stage work being conducted by researchers around the U.S. hints at how the combined technology might work.
Read the full story: ARPA-E Project Combines Heat and Electricity | MIT Technology Review

Times of Oman | Feature :: Hybrid power plants: Renewable energy’s newest trend

byJohn Brian Shannon - Special to Times of Oman

Photo - SolarPraxis.de

One option for renewable energy producers that has been open to utility companies but rarely utilized, is the installation of both wind and solar power plants together at the same location, which results in a doubling in the amount of electricity produced. Prior to a study done by Reiner Lemoine Institut and Solarpraxis AG, it was (incorrectly) thought that the huge towers upon which the wind turbines are mounted would cast huge shadows over the photovoltaic solar panel array, thereby reducing their efficiency by a significant factor. It turns out that when solar and wind power generation are combined on the same site, such hybrid power plants complement each other better, than had been imagined. Approximately twice the power generation is available from any such hybrid power plant site, when compared to wind or solar only. The landmark study took into account the amount of sunlight loss (shading) which would occur in a carefully designed hybrid power plant. Energy losses were less than 2 percent of total output. This is a lower energy loss percentage, than compared to conventional power plant energy, such as coal — where up to 10 percent of the coal can be lost during transport from North America to China, or from Australia to China, and later storage, for example. A major benefit of such hybrid power plants is that due to the relative intermittency of both wind power and solar power is they tend to cancel out the others weaknesses. Grid expansion, is therefore not required for hybrid power plants. Wind power peaks at night, during cool days, and in the colder seasons of the year — while solar produces power during the daylight hours, the warmer parts of the day and most especially during the warmer seasons, when the Sun is high in the sky, directly over the solar panel array... Read the full story - Times of Oman | Feature :: Hybrid power plants: Renewable energy’s newest trend

Economic Analysis of a Wind–Solar Hybrid Renewable Energy System

Chong et al. - 2011 - Techno-economic analysis of a wind–solar hybrid renewable energy system with rainwate...

WARP Wind Amplified Rotor Platforms

This technology and others like it along with the use of recent PV thin film, solar paint material options and onsite storage innovations is where we should be headed. They could prove to be cost effective solutions that can make significant strides to reduce our reliance of fossil fuel power generation. Of course slight modifications may be required to provide reliable safety measures for installation and maintenance personnel as well as producing a safe environment for our wildlife population. View additional information regarding proposed uses at: http://www.warpwindsystems.com/ancillary.html Bravo!

A Colorful Approach to Solar Energy

Great material to use in hybrid "flexible smart structure" energy systems. Could be applied to the frame that houses the vibration / solar film energy harvesting panels. Piggyback all.

Flexible Hybrid Smart Structure Energy Systems

Finally, someone who's on to it!, (partially anyway) Very interesting research. 

Readers: if you happen to know of additional organizations or individuals with research in developing flexible hybrid smart structure systems that can generate energy from movement (also known as: vibration energy harvesting), as well as solar, Genergy (gravity energy) and / or hydro please post a link here. Especially if there are plans to utilize the height and overall structure of our current larger power grid towers that are located in high exposure areas like along the I-5 corridor. Not to mention, what about utilizing other newer sound infrastructure already in place like guard rails, bridges, etc... in this way? Excess energy can be stored underground in many cases with newly discovered technologies for later use during peak hours. I realize power companies own a portion if not all of the current power grid tower structures. Why not utilize them in this way as a viable addition to home alternative energy systems? It would give power companies an additional way to keep a piece of the pie for themselves without having to rely so heavily on fossil fuels. Lets get off the oil already!

Green energy invention showcases at House of Commons

Thursday 26 May 2011

The Rt Hon David Willetts MP, Minister of State for Universities and Science opened the event with other speakers including Mr David Sweeney, HEFCE Director for Research, Innovation and Skills, and Mr Liam Burns, President Elect, NUS.

Among those to visit the University's presentation were Lord Haskel, (pictured centre) and Bolton MPs Julie Hilling (left) and Yasmin Hussain (right). With them is PhD student Derman Vatansever and Director of Research, Professor Elias Siores.

Research That Matters looks at how modern universities contribute to national research, innovation and economic growth. The think tank says modern universities have a distinctive and valuable approach to research, working closely with business, public and third sector organisations. It is urging Government to support new universities' research, maintaining public investment.

Derman and Professor Siores, who are based in the University's Institute for Materials Research and Innovation (IMRI), were showcasing a new green-energy material.

The IMRI scientists have created a unique product – a flexible piezoelectric fibre that can be woven to create natural energy-harnessing fabrics. Energy is created as the material is moved. The researchers have added to it, patenting a method for creating a photovoltaic- piezoelectric fibre which would also harness the power of the sun, meaning the material could be a solar energy source as well.

Read the full story

Building A Better Electric Grid

The nation's electrical grid is getting old, not just in its infrastructure, but in the technology used to run it. In this segment, Ira Flatow and guests discuss the grid, its problems, and how new technology can be used to make the grid "smarter." Will consumers sign on?

Erich Gunther, chairman, Chief Technology Officer, EnerNex, senior member, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), member of the IEEE's Smart Grid Task Force, Knoxville, Tenn.

Karen Herter, Herter Energy Research Solutions, El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Alex Laskey, president and founder, OPower, Arlington, Va.
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June 10, 2011

Triple Threat: New Generator Harnesses Energy from Sun, Wind and Rain

One thing that's known for sure about the future of renewable energy is that it will take all types to fulfill our energy needs. The wind isn't always blowing and the sun isn't always shining, but if wind, solar, geothermal, wave/tidal and any other type of renewable energy generation are all utilized and all feeding the grid, then we'll be more than covered. But what about devices that can harness more than one of these renewable energy sources at once?

A new renewable energy generator developed by researchers at the University of Bolton in the UK is able to harness energy from not one, but three sources: sunlight, wind and rain. I'm sure you're imagining one crazy-looking contraption, but this new technology actually uses ribbons of piezoelectric polymer that are coated with a thin, flexible solar PV film.

The ribbons generate electricity anytime they're disturbed, whether by wind or rain drops, or when the sun is shining. The more forcefully they're moved, the greater the energy payoff. The researchers imagine a pine cone shaped structure consisting of thousands of these ribbons.

The ribbons can only generate small amounts of electricity, so the researchers foresee them being used in low energy applications like powering gadgets. Another possibility is applying the same techniques to nylon for use in energy-generating clothing.

via New Scientist