When I was a kid my Grade 4 teacher said that in the future energy will be free. We’ll have found a way to make energy from water and salt, with no byproducts. Fast forward 40 years: news in the last year suggests we are closer to both hydrogen fusion and storing energy with salt.

Batteries made from salt which can store energy from renewable energy plants may sound like science fiction, but a new grid-scale deployment in the United States suggests the technology is moving closer to reality. It solves a major problem when harvesting solar, wind or geothermal energy. When the grid can’t use the excess energy it needs to be stored, or go to waste. The holy grail in renewable energy are robust batteries that can work without expensive and rare earth metals like lithium.

The news hook comes from a recent announcement by US energy storage company Peak Energy, which is working with RWE Americas to deploy a new sodium-ion battery system for grid storage. The project is designed to store renewable electricity from solar and wind and release it when demand rises.

Unlike conventional lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries use sodium, or salt, one of the most abundant elements on Earth and a key component of common salt. Instead of lithium ions moving between electrodes during charging and discharging, sodium ions perform the same function.

The chemistry is similar to lithium batteries, but the materials are far cheaper and easier to source. In its announcement, the company highlighted the cost advantage of the technology.

“Peak Energy’s sodium-ion battery system uses a passively cooled architecture that eliminates the need for complex thermal management systems.”

The design of the system also removes some of the most expensive components found in conventional battery installations.

Energy storage has become one of the biggest bottlenecks for renewable power. Solar panels and wind turbines generate electricity only when conditions are right, which means grids need large batteries to store excess power for later use.

Today most large storage projects rely on lithium batteries, which depend on global supply chains for lithium, cobalt and nickel. Sodium batteries could reduce those costs dramatically because sodium is widely available in seawater and common minerals.

For utilities trying to scale renewable power, the difference could be significant. If sodium-ion systems prove reliable at grid scale, they could provide cheaper, safer storage for solar and wind, making renewable electricity more affordable for power systems around the world.

Peak Energy has raised about $65 million in venture funding since launching in 2023. The company was founded by Landon Mossburg, former president of Northvolt North America and a Tesla manufacturing veteran, together with Liam Maddock, a former operations executive at Zipline who previously held supply-chain roles at Tesla, Apple and Lyft.

Their team includes engineers and battery specialists from companies such as Tesla, Northvolt and SunPower. The company’s $10 million seed round was led by US venture firm Eclipse Ventures with participation from TDK Ventures in Japan, while its $55 million Series A was led by Xora Innovation, a Singapore-based deep-tech fund backed by Temasek.

Additional investors include Doral Energy-Tech Ventures in Israel, Tishman Speyer in the United States and other global energy-tech funds.

The company is entering a rapidly emerging sodium-ion battery race, competing with major Chinese manufacturers such as CATL, BYD, and HiNa Battery, as well as Western players including Northvolt in Sweden, Faradion in the United Kingdom and US grid-storage developer Natron Energy. Unlike lithium batteries, sodium-ion systems rely on abundant salt-based materials, which could make large-scale renewable energy storage significantly cheaper if the technology scales successfully.

Looking to invest in our sustainable future? Check out Peak Energy.

The post Batteries from salt? New grid projects suggest the idea is becoming real appeared first on Green Prophet.

The American Southwest is where the EV transition faces its most unforgiving conditions. Extreme heat degrades EV batteries, causing range loss of 15% to over 30% when temperatures exceed 95°F to 100°F. Long travel corridors strain range limits of commuters and long-haul trucks. Grid access remains patchy across vast desert and rural zones. In much of Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, West Texas, and inland California, electric mobility is not constrained by consumer interest, but by infrastructure reality. This is despite these regions being a hub for EV battery production to be close to the source of building lithium batteries.

This is the environment where M2PV Capital is building its business.

The company frames electric mobility infrastructure as requiring more than chargers. It argues that technical precision, grid independence, and operational excellence are essential in regions where traditional infrastructure does not exist. M2PV Capital develops, owns, and operates off-grid EV charging assets through an in-house technical model designed to bypass grid dependence entirely. Micro-grids are the key.

For Southwest communities and transport corridors, that approach addresses a core bottleneck: grid expansion timelines that stretch years beyond mobility demand. M2PV Capital’s strategy is structured around designing energy independence directly into each project.

The company positions its work around locations where conventional developers often hesitate to operate: desert regions, remote corridors, and underserved communities. Where the grid is absent or unreliable, its systems are designed to function independently and perform reliably for decades. This model reflects the Southwest’s physical realities. Solar resources are abundant. Population density is low. Travel distances are long and infrastructure must operate with minimal external support.

M2PV Capital is currently developing two primary business capabilities: Charging Plazas and power plant development. These projects are intended to demonstrate technical execution while establishing repeatable models for scalable deployment. In practical terms, this means EV charging stations paired with dedicated power assets, allowing each site to operate as an integrated energy system rather than a grid-dependent endpoint.

For Southwest planners and investors, the approach offers a potential blueprint for EV expansion without waiting for large-scale transmission upgrades. That balance is increasingly important as public agencies seek infrastructure models that align climate objectives with regional resilience and fiscal accountability.

M2PV Capital describes its role as building the infrastructure backbone for electric mobility in overlooked markets, combining technical depth, operational ownership, and long-term asset discipline to deliver predictable performance. Green Prophet speaks with M2PV Capital to learn more about opportunities as it tests the ground in the United States, bringing proof-of-concept for regions in Canada where extreme cold is the other side of the same coin, or the Middle East where thousands of miles of relentless desert could be charging station and energy opportunities as the world weans off oil and natural gas.

GREENPROPHET: What is M2PV Capital’s main focus?
M2PV Capital: We develop, own, and operate off-grid EV charging infrastructure in underserved and remote regions where traditional grid access is limited or nonexistent.

Why off-grid?
It allows us to deploy infrastructure where it’s needed most, without waiting for grid expansion. We engineer energy independence into every project.

What business capabilities are you building?
Two core businesses: Charging Plazas for public EV infrastructure and power plant development to generate the energy that powers them independently. Both demonstrate our technical execution and create scalable models.

Why focus on desert and underserved regions?
These areas lack infrastructure but have critical mobility needs. They also require sophisticated engineering—our core strength.

What makes your technical approach different?
Everything is in-house: feasibility analysis, system design, construction oversight, and operations. We control quality and performance at every stage.

How do you ensure long-term asset performance?
Through rigorous upfront planning, robust system design, and continuous operational management. Our assets are built to perform reliably for 20+ years.

What do investors and policymakers gain from this approach?
Confidence. Our projects are technically sound, operationally proven, and financially disciplined. They deliver infrastructure that works and returns that are predictable.

What is the core opportunity you see in the market right now?
We can build power plants rapidly, because we don’t have to wait for grid interconnection (we are off-grid).

This fund aims to reduce downside risk and capitalize on the accelerating EV market by acquiring prime land on which we build off-grid, clean-energy-powered EV charging stations, particularly in the rapidly appreciating desert Southwest. Our differentiation lies in our ability to bypass grid interconnection bottlenecks, enabling faster development and mitigating risks from grid instability, while having a clear path to funding subsequent EV station construction. Because we invest in Opportunity Zones, the gains can be tax free. Creating power generation facilities in areas where the grid is weak or has not reached yet enables industry to co-locate, further increasing the value of the land we invest in.

What types of assets and geographic markets will your fund focus on and why?
Our fund will focus on companies operating in the Southwest United States, specifically land in Opportunity Zones with access to water, highways, and data lines. The Southwest allows us to generate energy at a low cost due to low land cost and high solar irradiation.

How will your fund create value across its portfolio?
By investing in companies that start with low-cost greenfield land and develop energy and transportation infrastructure, we invest in land that increases in value rapidly. While competitors focus on areas with grid connection, our investments can operate slightly outside the range of the grid and generate their own electricity, avoiding competition with large corporations in the current land grab.

Our CEO has 30 years of experience in the solar industry, 10 years in power plant development, five years in batteries, and two years in EV charging stations. He has designed, procured, built, and developed gigawatts of power plants.

Our COO has a background in transportation and logistics as well as EV chargers. We know how to design and build power plants fast.

Our portfolio companies acquire low-cost land and raise its value by creating local infrastructure through EV charging stations for trucks and passenger vehicles. Our strength is the ability to build power infrastructure anywhere.

Why the Southwest comes first

M2PV Capital identifies the Southwest United States as its primary growth region because extreme climate conditions, long travel corridors, and limited grid access create a persistent EV infrastructure gap. While desert regions are a natural fit, the company’s focus extends to any underserved or infrastructure-constrained areas within the region.

Its target audience includes infrastructure- and energy-focused investors, government and regional development decision makers, and participants across the EV and clean energy ecosystem.

Although initial deployments are concentrated in the Southwest, the company’s technical and operational model is designed to be repeatable in similar climates globally. Regions such as the Middle East share many of the same challenges, including extreme heat, remote locations, and the need for energy independence. International markets are viewed as longer-term extensions of the platform rather than immediate priorities.

M2PV Capital frames its five-year outlook around disciplined execution, foundation building, and long-term profitable operation of EV assets.

__

To reach the company, drop them a line: mmesmer@m2pv.com

::M2PV Capital

The post M2PV Capital Targets the American Southwest as Its Launchpad for Off-Grid EV Growth appeared first on Green Prophet.

Residential solar has entered a new phase. It is no longer just about installing panels and exporting excess electricity to the grid. Today, homeowners want energy security amid shifting legislation, predictable savings that justify the hassle and investment, and systems that keep working during outages, heatwaves, and peak pricing hours.

For solar energy providers, this shift opens a powerful opportunity to reach a wider range of customers — from people fully connected to the grid to those seeking partial or full independence. Hybrid solar systems paired with batteries are now becoming the norm, designed and explained using advanced solar modeling, energy-yield calculators, and AI-assisted proposal software.

Solar didn’t become data-driven overnight

Solar did not become intelligent overnight. More than 15 years ago, companies were already pioneering ways to analyze, track, and optimize the sun at scale. Early consumer tools and apps helped homeowners use Google Earth to find the best angle for panels on their roof, replacing guesswork with simple data.

At the industrial level, companies like Brightsource used advanced solar field modeling, heliostat tracking, and real-time sun analysis to concentrate sunlight with extreme precision. That technology later powered large projects such as Ivanpah in California and helped prove that solar performance could be engineered rather than assumed.

Around the same time, Israel’s solar ecosystem produced practical innovations that reduced risk and improved reliability. Solaredge developed inverter technology that maximized usable energy from each panel and improved integration with batteries. Ecoppia introduced robotic systems that kept panels clean in dusty environments, protecting output in harsh conditions.

Even so, bringing solar into homes and businesses in every state in the US or in provinces in Canada was still a leap of faith. Finding a good installer often felt like searching for the right plastic surgeon — high stakes, uneven quality, and limited transparency. You choose once, and that’s your solution. That early wave of innovation laid the foundation for today’s residential solar software ecosystem: systems that no longer guess how solar performs, but model it.

Why grid-tied solar with batteries changes the equation

A grid-tied solar system reduces electricity bills. A grid-tied system combined with battery storage goes further.

• Stores excess solar energy instead of exporting it all to the grid
• Delivers backup power during blackouts
• Reduces exposure to time-of-use and sells it back during peak pricing
• Improves long-term energy independence

Solar batteries only sell well when their value is clearly explained. This is where solar design software, energy-yield calculators, and proposal platforms become essential tools for installers.

Modern solar providers increasingly rely on professional modeling platforms to compare system configurations that use AI to show homeowners real-world outcomes. Instead of abstract promises, installers can demonstrate exactly how a system behaves over time — during normal days, extreme heat, and grid outages.

For solar energy providers, the benefits are both operational and financial.

• Faster proposal creation and approvals
• Higher close rates for solar plus battery systems
• Fewer post-install disputes and misunderstandings
• Clear justification for premium, resilience-focused projects

Leading solar modeling tools include Aurora Solar, Helioscope, and PVsyst/PV*SOL for comprehensive design, performance, and financial analysis, alongside free options like OpenSolar for broad accessibility, while specialized tools like PVcase (for utility-scale) and Energy Toolbase (for financial modeling) cater to specific needs, all offering advanced 3D layouts, shading analysis, and energy yield predictions for residential to large-scale projects.

Batteries are becoming central, not optional

In regions facing heat stress, grid instability, or rising electricity prices — from the US Southwest to parts of the Middle East — batteries are no longer an add-on. They are becoming a core part of the residential solar value proposition. Modeling tools allow installers to clearly compare different paths: grid-only solar, solar paired with a small battery, or solar with full-home backup.

This clarity helps homeowners choose the right system rather than the biggest one. Counterintuitively, that often leads to higher-value installs because customers understand exactly what they are paying for and why. For solar companies, this shift reduces post-install dissatisfaction, misaligned expectations, and price-only competition — while strengthening long-term customer relationships.

The post Hybrid Solar + Storage: How AI and Smart Modeling Tools Are Helping Solar Installers Scale appeared first on Green Prophet.

Ready to give up access to electricity? Given the rising costs of conventional utilities, it’s a lifestyle more people are willing to try. Embracing an off-the-grid lifestyle is also driven by a desire to reduce carbon footprints while reducing dependence on utility companies.

But like most aspirations, you need practical tools and implementation to make an off-the-grid lifestyle possible. Knowing what your options are to achieve your goal of greener living helps determine which path you need to take. Rechargeable lighting plays a key role in environmentally sustainable lifestyles. And here are some of the options you can take advantage of.

Battery Power

Yep, batteries don’t need to be connected to an outlet to provide reliable power. While some rechargeable batteries “refuel” by storing electricity, others recharge using renewable energy sources. Solar-powered rechargeable batteries are a good example.

Lighting sources that use rechargeable batteries include an LED flashlight, a generator, and an outdoor solar light fixture. Flashlights are some of the more versatile lighting choices, since these devices offer various sizes and brightness. Brightness capability is also known as lumens. If you need strong lighting, choose a device with a higher lumen output.

But if you want something for everyday use, you might go with the lower end of the lumens range. Plus, flashlights come in smaller sizes, with some even fitting on a keychain or lanyard. Choosing a rechargeable device means you’re reducing the waste and cost associated with frequent battery replacements.

Solar Power

With solar panels, you can generate enough electricity to run the lights and then some in your home. The adoption of solar as a renewable energy source is growing, with installations expected to triple by 2034. Furthermore, solar is projected to be the largest source of energy fueling the U.S. grid by 2050.

But you don’t have to use lights connected to the grid to harness the power of the sun. Cabins can run off solar-powered generators. Lights, from outdoor fixtures to portable lanterns, can also use solar as a fuel source.

You can take lanterns with you, whether you’re hiking or sitting outside on your porch. Outdoor solar-powered fixtures can illuminate the exterior of your property, supporting your safety and security. Solar-powered lights usually don’t require much work, either. These devices are long-lasting without the need for a ton of troubleshooting or maintenance.   

Wind-Ups

If you’re not afraid of a little elbow grease, wind-up lights can be a way to embrace a greener lifestyle. These lights are usually portable and run off an internal capacitor or battery. The difference is that these devices have a crank you turn to generate energy.

By winding up the light, your actions create the energy the device needs to emit light. Although wind-up lights reduce dependence on traditional power sources, they won’t necessarily light up a whole room. These devices work best in situations where you need a reading lamp and want to illuminate a smaller space.

Wind-up lights are also sustainable solutions for campsites, RV travel, and other outdoor adventures. They’re typically small enough to pack and take with you on the trails. As long as you’re prepared to be the energy source behind these lights, they can be a viable choice.

Gas Lanterns

Before the grid existed, people used gas lanterns to light the way. Some communities still use traditional gas-powered lanterns, which rely on fuel like kerosene. These lanterns contain a smaller amount of fuel in a base. You switch on the lamp when you need light, burning a bit of the fuel at a time.

Gas lanterns are convenient because they’re also portable. While they do require some maintenance and safety considerations, you can use them at home and off the beaten path. Gas lanterns tend to emit a bright, white flame as long as there’s enough fuel to burn.

Besides kerosene, propane, butane, and natural gas are other fuel options. You can usually find gas lanterns at home improvement stores, sporting goods retailers, and online. Options include the more well-known portable lamps and decorative outdoor fixtures for homes.

Candles

Another traditional source of light that doesn’t require electricity is the candle. You can light them with a match or a lighter if matches aren’t your thing. Like gas lanterns, candles require a few safety considerations.

You may need a base to hold the candle steady. You’ll also want to be mindful of wind, which could cause the flame to spread to nearby objects. It’s also important to extinguish candles before turning in for the night or lying down for a nap.

If kids are in your household, teaching them about fire safety and proper candle use is an additional must. However, there are flameless candle options for those who don’t want to deal with the caveats. These are battery-powered devices that emit a soft glow. You simply turn them on and off as you need to use them.

Living Off the Grid

Supporting a greener lifestyle does mean making conscious choices about what tools and energy sources you use. You still need lighting when natural sunlight isn’t available. Devices that use rechargeable batteries, solar power, human energy, and non-electrical fuel sources can keep your surroundings bright. When you want to live off the grid, know there are sustainable ways within your reach.                 

The post Off-the-Grid and On Point: Rechargeable Lighting That Supports a Greener Lifestyle appeared first on Green Prophet.

Update: 2025 Torus scores a $200 M investment for its flywheel technology.

As the global consciousness about climate change increases and rapid development and modernization of cities across the world occurs, there has never been a greater need for sustainable energy solutions for urban life. In the Middle East alone, the 2020 energy demand in renewables increased by 34% and the use of oil had surprisingly declined, according to a report by BP. With the Middle East’s bountiful amounts of sunshine, solar energy is a prominent resource and wind, with Saudi Arabia’s $500 million Dumat Al-Jandal wind farm breaking ground in 2020. It may seem counterintuitive to find a region with so many natural gas and oil stores pivoting to renewable energy, but while these energy methods are finite, creating sustainable technology will create lasting energy solutions for the future. 

Still, plenty of problems needs solving in sustainable energy, including the ability to store this energy efficiently. For example, natural gas is typically compressed and stored in CNG tanks, making it easy to transport and store for use in industrial, vehicular and residential applications.

Batteries have been a standard solution in the past, allowing the conversion of solar or wind energy into chemical energy, which then can be converted to electricity. But the nature of chemical reactions is corrosive, and traditional batteries are vulnerable and eventually decay, leading to costly repairs and maintenance. Moreover, degrading batteries themselves are harmful to the environment, as their chemicals leak into groundwater and soil if not disposed of properly. To truly make sustainable energy the future technology, it must also have a way to be stored sustainably. 

This is the power of Amber Kinetics’ revolutionary flywheel technology, a renewable energy storage solution made of sustainable materials that don’t degrade and require very little maintenance. The flywheel itself is an ancient technology, one that has been used in many inventions as a store of energy. You can see the magic of this technology at work in the wheels of a toy race car. As the wheels wound up, energy builds up in the flywheel, which can eventually be released to propel the car forward. Similarly, flywheels can take energy from the sun, wind, or other renewable sources and store it as kinetic energy – the energy of motion. As energy is added, the flywheel accelerates in motion, and when energy is used, the flywheel decelerates, converting kinetic energy into electrical energy. 

Now, imagine this efficiency scaled up in the form of a two-ton steel rotor, creating enough energy to power more than 350 houses a day – that is Amber Kinetics’ grid-scale flywheel technology. Their proprietary design, the Amber Kinetics’ M32, stores up to 32 kilowatt-hours of energy per unit – about the energy equivalent of powering an urban home for a day. When these units are put together, Amber Kinetics’ flywheel grid can store more than 10,000 kilowatt-hours of energy. 

As the architects of the world’s first and only long-duration flywheel energy storage solution with the ability to handle the needs of a modern energy grid, Amber Kinetics’ has become a world leader in renewable energy solutions and has worked with countries all over the globe in providing energy storage. Currently, the company has installed flywheels in the US, Australia, Taiwan, Greece, and Philippines, with plans to add many more. 

With the changing energy market in light of new geopolitical relationships and the COVID-19 pandemic, the rise of renewables has already begun and will only keep growing. The ability to efficiently store this energy and use it to power cities is something many governments are excited to pursue. With their innovative new technology, there’s no doubt that Amber Kinetics’ is at the forefront of this market. 

The post Renewable Energy Storage in the form of an Ancient Technology appeared first on Green Prophet.

A panel of judges at the NanoIsrael 2014 conference voted Volta’s carbon nanotube (CNT) battery as Nano product of the year. Read more for an explanation of what this means and why nanotechnology may soon be a household word.Philosopher Konrad Lorenz once said that scientists are people who know more and more about less and less until they know everything about nothing. The academics and industries collaborating on the Israel National Nanotechnology Initiative (INNI) are certainly pushing the boundaries of knowing everything about nothing, or rather, they are learning much about very small things.

In an interview at the NanoIsrael 2014 conference, Israel’s Chief Scientist, Avi Hasson told the Times of Israel that nanotechnology is on the verge of breaking out into many industries. Indeed, Green Prophet previously explored applications of nanotechnology in solar paint, desalination as well as a rediscovery of some of the ancient nanotechnology secrets of Egyptian blue.

Volta’s carbon nanotube (CNT) car battery was chosen as Nano Product of the Year by judges at the NanoIsrael 2014 conference. Carbon nanotubes prevent breakdown of silicon inside the battery. Carbon nanotubes are also excellent electrical conductors and can improve electrical conductivities characteristics within the battery. These improvements allow it to last three times longer than batteries without such nanotechnology.

The batteries begin with the familiar technology of Lithium Ion batteries, similar to those popular in mobile devices but with silicon anodes instead of the graphite anodes in ordinary lithium batteries. The problem with silicon is that it breaks down when it expands and contracts during multiple charge and discharge cycles. Carbon nanotubes sheath the silicon and prevent it from crumbling. Volta’s breakthroughs have applications in everything from electric cars to mobile phones.

The post Volta’s battery voted NanoIsrael’s nano product of the year appeared first on Green Prophet.

Frontal view of Toyota Prius Mk III hybrid: its battery was innovated by Stan Ovshinsky

Ever since the first Toyota Prius hybrid cars began traveling on streets and highways in many parts of the world, more and more people have had the pleasure of driving these dual engine cars that incorporate both a standard gasoline engine and an auxiliary electric one. Since then, other hybrid models have been produced by companies such as General Motors with its Chevrolet Volt, which is a “plug in” hybrid with a gasoline engine for extending the car’s cruising range.

The Volt, parts of which have been made from recycled rubber and plastic materials, is in fact what one might refer to as a “reverse hybrid” with the prime power unit being the electric motor. Yet few people who own these cars, or understand the technology involved with them, are aware  that Stan Ovshinsky is responsible for developing the nickle-metal hydride battery used in them. 

Stan Ovshinsky

Ovshinsky, who died a few weeks ago at the age of 89, founded the company Energy Conversion Devices in 1960. Besides being involved in developing car batteries, he also developed other clean energy devices including building integrated and rooftop photovoltaic solar panels.

An inventor and civil rights activist, Ovshinsky never went to college but during his lifetime earned more than 200 patents for his devices, many of which are still being produced.

In addition to producing the nickel-metal hydride batteries or NiMH batteries though a subsidiary company, Ovonic Battery Company, other tributes to the genius of this great man include being the world’s largest producer of flexible solar panels.

He is also credited with developing fuel cells and solid sate hydrogen fuel storage which could find use in developing hydrogen-powered cars and other machinery.

An NiMh hybrid car battery

NiMH hybrid car batteries are not as strong as the lithium ion batteries now being used in the new generation of electric cars. Plus they are dependent on rare earth metals which are now becoming more and more scarce.

Although these batteries are still being used in hybrid cars such as the Prius, more attention is being given to developing stronger and more powerful batteries to power such cars as the Tesla total electric sports models, and many others.

Nonetheless, Stan Ovshinsky’s legacy lives on in an idea that has revolutionized the auto industry.

Prius and battery photo: Wikipedia

More articles on hybrid cars, batteries, and related:

The Best Electric Cars of 2012, According to American Buzz

Rare Earth Metals Limits Clean Technology’s Future

Chevy Volt Hybrids Made From BP Oil Spill Booms

My Parents and the Pleasure of Owning a Prius in Israel

The post Legacy of Hybrid Battery Inventor Stan Ovshinsky Lives On appeared first on Green Prophet.

Just when we all thought Shai Agassi’s Better Place electric car company had the electric car technology field sewed up in this part of the world,  some university students in the Palestinian West Bank city of Hebron have come up with someelectric car innovation of their own, reports Maan News.

Although not as sophisticated as Agassi’s technology, which involves developing not only a full size electric car, the Renault Fluence, and an exchangeable lithium- ion batter pack to power it; these unknown Palestinians have developed a home-made version of an electric powered vehicles whose batteries are charged by solar energy.

Developed as a school project by engineering students at the Palestine Polytechnic University in Hebron, the golf cart-like vehicle uses 12 batteries, totaling 24 volts, which can power the car for 3 to 5 hours.

Running at its maximum speed of 30 kilometers per hour, the batteries can last for only 100 minutes, but given the short distances around town, that would probably be enough for errands.

Dr Zuhdi Salhab, who supervised the project, told Maan News that sourcing the material to create the alternative energy presented an obstacle, but he praised the students’ creativity. Given the chance, Salhab said, Palestinian students could come up with more “great projects that stimulate global development.”

The batteries are rechargeable, so alternative electricity from a home plug can be used in the winter. The technology is very basic compared to that of “rival” Better Place, and the vehicle the students designed resembles something more out of a “how to” magazine like Popular Mechanics like what we  featured in a Green Prophet article back in December 2009.

The main difference here is that the Hebron Polytechnic students have managed to integrate the use of solar energy to provide power for the batteries – as long as the sun shines. And in the Middle East it can shine bright 300 days of the year.

But, unless these students are able to acquire funding to further develop their “project car,” the home made solar power invention will most likely remain a curiosity item in a location where people get around either by gasoline power or more primitive means like donkeys.

It’s doubtful that a UN aid organization or some international entity like the World Bank will take much of an interest in this school project.

But again, when Israel’s Shai Agassi started out a number of years back, he probably had no idea if his concepts would reach the stage where his company was able to acquire funding of hundreds of millions of dollars.

Up to now, the cars being designed by Better Place do not have solar energy panels incorporated into their cars, as the batteries have to be either recharged by standard electrical current or exchanged when they reach the 160 km cruising limit.

The designers of the Palestinian vehicle – the TMT –  have to decide whether they want to continue innovating their design, and eventually try to market it; or let it be relegated to being just a glorified self powered donkey cart.

Maybe countries in the United Arab Emirates or other wealthy oil producing states might lend the students a hand – unless they are afraid this new invention might hurt their sources of wealth; that being the stuff that comes from the ground and is now the source of all the problems in the Gulf of Mexico.

::Maan News

More articles on electric cars:

Build Your Own Electric Car

Maurice Test Drives the Better Place Electric Car

GM’s Volt Vs Renault Better Place Electric Cars

The post Palestine’s First Solar Power Electric Car Takes to the Streets of Hebron appeared first on Green Prophet.

He works at Bar Ilan Univeristy, a school that’s established a name for itself in battery technology (meet Doron Auerbach), and the University’s young researcher Dr. Amos Sharoni is hoping to add to that body of work by extending the battery-life of everyday mobile devices. His research could lead to the development of energy-efficient computers and appliances where the same batteries could last 10 times longer, and the processors could run 10 times faster.

Think about it: The 21st century boasts state-of-the-art inventions like laptops and iPods that we can carry with us and use for business or pleasure wherever we roam, and yet when truly mobile and battery-operated, most can only last up to four hours before running out of juice. It’s so frustrating.

Working in a relatively new field of physics called Spintronics, the 38-year-old Sharoni, a condensed matter physicist, is focused on making strides in energy efficiency research at Bar-Ilan’s brand new nano center. Sharoni’s research is the continuation of projects he started when he held a post-doc at the University of California San Diego.

The young researcher will make use of that equipment to further explore Spintronics, a field of physics that has existed in nanotechnology for about 20 years. It recognizes that the ‘spin’ of an electron can be harnessed as a viable source of energy.

It’s all electrons

Currently, electrical impulses are sent using the differences between the charges of positive or negative electrons. Today’s computer hard-drives use the ‘spin’ of an electron to encode data on themselves. The spin is etched into the drive and that’s how information stays safe, even when our laptops are not connected to an energy source.

“I am dealing with solid state devices, packed atoms. The fact that you have atoms in an ordered fashion changes the properties of materials,” Sharoni tells ISRAEL21c.

“Gold atoms flying around, will act differently than if they were in a wire,” he continues. “And when you cool certain kinds of materials, like some metals, one can make a superconductor – a material that does not lose energy.”

Spintronics is the basis of electrical systems. We manipulate electronics to give us power that translates into functions like playing a song. “It’s all electrons. They have a charge. There is a battery with a plus-minus. But the electrons have another property – their spin, a small magnetic field, pointing up or down,” he explains.

Not wasting any potential

“None of the electronics today use this spin property to do anything,” says Sharoni. “It’s wasted potential. The reason is because even the smallest element of the device is big, and due to this, you lose all the spin information you have. It gets messy. In regular devices – you just lose it – it’s like trying to look through fog.”

He explained that his research challenge is to find a way to “listen” to what’s happening in the system. Ultimately, his work could lead to processors that work faster, and for longer periods of time.

Saving energy in the home

Taking into account that 40 percent of the energy from the power company that goes to your house is lost, there’s a lot at stake in the energy business. Another issue Sharoni is investigating is a way to prevent this loss if wires could be made to conduct energy better.

To find a superconductor that works at room temperature may be theoretically impossible, but at the nano-scale, properties of matter change, and, according to Sharoni, that kind of physics can teach the rest of science about how the real world operates so that possible applications could be the creation of an improved electrical grid.

“I am trying to look at how the physics changes when you don’t make a big piece of material, but when you look at a small portion of it. At the nanoscale it looks different and it is different. How are these materials different and how do they become what they are at the macroscopic world?” he asks.

From security guard to physicist

Born in Jerusalem, Sharoni says that by ninth grade he already knew that he wanted to be a physicist. “And it worked out,” he tells ISRAEL21c.

While studying, in order to earn money, Sharoni did some stints as a security guard for prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, during his first term in office.

He enjoyed the job, which included donning dark jackets and slacks, and carrying out assignments like staking out the PM’s location and talking discreetly through communication devices. However, he says, he was less enamored of the part that involved breaking into unidentified and illegally parked cars near the prime minister’s residence to check for security threats, like bombs.

With all that behind him now, Sharoni is on track to the fulfillment of his dream in the big world through the tiny nano world of condensed matter physics.

(This story was first published on ISRAEL21c – www.israel21c.org)

The post Looking to Spintronics to Make Batteries Last Longer appeared first on Green Prophet.

Despite the world economic slowdown, a number of advancements were made worldwide in the fields of alternative and renewable energy.

The hottest energy trends of 2009, according to MIT review are:

Natural gas drilling technology
New batteries for hybrids
Carbon capture
Smart grid
Cellulosic ethanol (biofuel from algae)
Nanotech

And in lieu of cut backs in scientific research in areas dealing with solar (see our quick guide to Israeli companies), wind, biomass, and other forms of clean energy sources, significant advancements were made with massive US federal stimulus funding for batteries and renewable energy and programs. These include the US Energy Frontier Research Centers and Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (A Year of Stimulus for High Tech).

Published on MIT Technology Review, America’s industrial future is intertwined with high tech the magazine reports, of which alternative and renewable energy development is definitely part of.

If one takes the message of this article to heart, it’s easy to see that Israel is in a similar situation as many “low tech” industries, such as manufacturing of various products, textiles, and even diamond cutting and polishing have now been “outsourced” to countries in Southern and East Asia.

Industries that do have a future are environmentally-friendly ones such as renewable energy, which include solar energy and wind power, some of which were recently on display at a Jewish clean tech conference in San Francisco California;  as well as thermal and wave energy projects.

The MIT mag article gives a lot of attention to the development of special advanced batteries that being designed for storing solar and wind energy generated “while the sun shines and the wind blows” as well as batteries for use in hybrid and totally electric vehicles.

According to the article:

Several new battery technologies could have a similarly transformative impact. New sodium-ion batteries (“Sodium-Ion Cells for Cheap Energy Storage“) and liquid batteries could make storing renewable energy affordable, while metal-air batteries offer the promise of cheap electric vehicles that can go hundreds of miles on a single charge (“Betting on a Metal-Air Battery Breakthrough“).

The DOE’s Office of Science is also funding a number of programs exploring cutting-edge energy science, and has announced $277 million in stimulus funding for 46 “Energy Frontier Research Centers.”

Israel is also making significant advances in the development of electric cars (see Better Place) and the batteries and recharging stations that will be needed once these vehicles are available to the public. American firms in the auto industry are now in contact with Israeli companies like Better Place to assist them in developing electric cars and batteries. Judging from these projects, it is very obvious that both Israel and the US are aware of  the future that alternative and renewable energy has in their respective industries.

Photo via www.betterplace.com

::MIT Review

More on Israeli Alternative and Renewable Energy:
Michigan Looks to Israel to Rev Up Automotive Business
Jewish Clean Tech and Energy Conference to Feature Green Israeli Superstars
California’s PG&E Looks to Invest $1.5 Billion in Bright Source and Alt Energy Plants

The post Are Energy Advances in Israel in Parallel With Those Abroad? appeared first on Green Prophet.