Green Options » battery

How To Charge Up Your Hybrid

Joshua S Hill — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 17:43:24 +0000

Though they may be a little expensive to some of us out there, hybrids are really beginning to flood the market. The darling of them all, the Prius, is finally getting some competition. But what if you wanted to extend the miles per gallon ratio even further, what would you do?

You would follow in the steps of all the nerds and mechanics that came before you, and “do it yourself.”

Plug-In Hybrid kits are becoming more and more prevalent and, as such, a little less expensive (emphasis on the little). Depending on the choice of battery you want to boost your mileage, and reduce your dependency on the fuel in your car, you can pay anywhere between $6,000 and $30,000 and up.

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Who Might Win McCain’s Battery Competition? Part I: Firefly

Nick Chambers — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:28:34 +0000

Editor’s note: This post is a lead-in story to the Gas 2.0 interview with Mil Ovan, Senior Vice President and Co-founder of Firefly Energy.

Last week John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee for the 2008 Republican ticket, suggested that a $300 million government-sponsored competition would be a good way to spur development of next generation battery technologies.

His comments generated debate in the blogosphere and around the United States. Meanwhile, Barack Obama, the presumptive presidential nominee for the Democratic ticket, called McCain’s proposal a gimmick suggesting that $300 million was not enough.

Regardless of my feelings about the proposed competition or the candidates themselves, it got me thinking about just who might win it if it were to become a reality. All that thinking led to this post, and, hopefully, to several others that will look at the most promising next generation battery technologies on the horizon.

This week I’ll start with Firefly Energy.

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Interview With Mil Ovan, SVP and Co-founder of Firefly Energy

Nick Chambers — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:28:04 +0000

Editor’s note: This interview is a companion piece to Part I of the Gas 2.0 series about who might win John McCain’s proposed $300 million dollar battery competition if it were to become reality.

Last week John McCain, the presumptive presidential nominee for the 2008 Republican ticket, generated debate by suggesting that a $300 million government- sponsored competition would be a good way to spur development of next generation battery technologies.

His comments got me thinking about just who might win such a competition it if it were to become reality.

Firefly Energy is one of the companies that made it to my short list. Founded in 2003, they have been working on reinvigorating old-hat lead-acid battery technology in such a way that it would become brand new and cutting edge once again.

Firefly’s innovation is that they’ve taken the heavy lead plates you’d find in a classic lead-acid battery and replaced them with a light carbon-graphite microcell foam that’s been impregnated with lead.

I recently had a chance chat with Mil Ovan, Senior Vice President and Co-founder of Firefly, about the company, their take on McCain’s competition, Firefly’s battery technology, environmental worries about lead, the Oasis battery, electric vehicles and the company’s plans for the future.

McCain Proposes $300 Million Prize to Developer of “Super Battery”

Max Lindberg — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:25:58 +0000

On his campaign swing through the west, Sen. John McCain proposes awarding $300 million to the first developer of a battery technology that exceeds all known technology today. The package would have to be superior to any technology known today, to power plug-in hybrids or electric cars.

McCain is also focusing on alternative fuels, suggesting a $5,000 tax credit for every person who buys a zero-emission vehicle. He says that should level “the playing field for all alcohol fuels that break the monopoly of gasoline”.

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Better Batteries Dramatically Boost Wind Energy

The Dave Room — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:21:18 +0000

The giant wind turbines on the west coast of Ireland stand not only on the geographical limits of Europe, but also on the cutting edge of a revolutionary technology that makes wind power more reliable and valuable. The 32 megawatt (MW) Sorne Hill wind park will be Europe’s first to integrate a large scale battery back-up system that ensures a reliable supply of electricity regardless of how the wind blows.

“The battery enables large amounts of energy from wind or solar power to be stored, managed, controlled and sent into the electricity grid when it is needed. It doesn’t matter whether the wind is blowing or not; the battery makes the electricity output predictable and reliable,” said Tim Hennessy, CEO of VRB Power Systems, the battery manufacturer based in Vancouver, Canada.

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Zenn Electric Cars to Steal Some Thunder?

Michelle Bennett — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 01:57:47 +0000

This was too good to pass up. It’s a tale of intrigue, exciting new technology, and a secretive business deal that could change the automotive industry as we know it. Canadian electric car company Zenn Cars already sells city-only electric cars, but they claim they’ll sell a new model in 2009 that can go 80mph with a 250 mile range.

So what makes Zenn Cars special among the EV contenders? They’ve thrown their money behind a different kind of battery. Solid-state super capacitors (not technically batteries) supposedly last longer, store more energy, and cause less ecological harm than lithium-ion or lead-based batteries. This is where the story gets interesting.

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What Will Your Next Used Car Be?

Max Lindberg — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 08:42:48 +0000

Sally and I bought a car the other day. Yup, that’s it on the left — a mid-sized, four-wheel drive SUV — what every guy who writes for an environmental website should own. As much as we make of buying “green” and polluting less with our vehicles, we’re sometimes left with few options.

What I learned from this transaction, is that the process of buying a used car is changing with the infusion of hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) into the marketplace. Let me explain.

Oh, the building in the background? I have a link at the end of the article.

As you know, we’re older. (Well, I’m much older, Sally’s just older.) We have limited income and some physical considerations, so we had to settle for something less than I would like from the standpoint of our carbon footprint. Purchasing a used HEV was out of the question, as much as I would like to have one, but I’ll cover that later.

I did all the “guy” things, you know, kick the tires, check the engine, look at fluid levels and general physical condition. Sally did her part. She looked it over inside and out, got in the passenger seat for the test ride and exclaimed, “I like it, let’s buy it,” and we did.

Later, I got to thinking, what used car will you buy in the next few years? This will undoubtedly be my last car purchase, and it was done in the traditional manner with all the traditional considerations as outlined above. You, on the other hand, may have to think about more than the tires, drive train, engine, brakes and the like.

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Clean Energy Intro: What is an Inverter?

Michelle Bennett — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:41:59 +0000

When we think about “clean” energy, we envision big, dark solar panels out in a field or on a roof. Or maybe wind turbines with those big whooshing propellers. What we don’t often think about are the other components that make solar panels and other technologies possible and practical for everyday use.

One very important component of these systems is the inverter. Inverters make it possible to hook your solar panels (or other energy dynamo) into batteries, your electrical system, and/or feed electricity back into the grid. An inverter’s most important task is to convert D.C. (direct current) electricity into A.C. (alternating current). In case you’ve forgotten your high school chemistry, A.C. is all the rage with the power company. Depending on the type of inverter you buy, they can pump all the excess electricity you produce into batteries or back into the power grid. And yes, the power company will pay you for the energy you send them.

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Tip o’ the Day: Recycle Auto-matically

Rebecca Carter — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 15:54:38 +0000

Do mechanics give you the heebie jeebies? Do you hate to spend all of your hard earned money on labor expenses? Do you get a sense of pride by getting your hands dirty? Continuing our series on car care tips, today we'll run through some eco-reminders if you decide to do it yourself.

Car Batteries

When you purchase a new car battery at the auto parts store, you'll pay a deposit. You'll get this money back when you return your old battery for proper handling. Due to such a "successful collaboration among members of the battery industry, retailers and consumers," lead-acid batteries have the highest recycling rate of all consumer products.

Motor Oil

If you change your own motor oil, collect and store the old oil in a sturdy plastic container and take it to a recycling center. Visit Earth911 to find earth-friendly DIY oil change tips. Check with your municipality to find a location that will accept it, or check with your local oil change businesses and auto parts stores.

Used motor oil still has value - make sure it gets recycled. It can be reprocessed and used in furnaces or to generate electricity. By recycling 2 gallons of oil, you'll help create enough energy to run the average household for 24 hours. For more information, visit RecycleOil.org.

Tires

Never throw tires into the trash or dump. Bring them to a tire retailer or wholesaler who will be able to recycle or retread them. There, the experts will decide to resell tires that are still safe for use or recondition tires (retread) that can be used for more time. If the tires are completely spent, they will shred or melt them for reuse into items such as playgrounds or roads.

Visit Earth911 to find locations near you to recycle these items and many more. If you have kids, check out Recycle City.

Rebecca says: My husband recently changed our car battery on his own, saving us about 50 bucks and causing me to be uber-impressed. We brought the old battery back to the store and received our $10 deposit back.

Tip o’ the Day: Keep Going and Going and Going to Recycle Your Batteries

Rebecca Carter — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 13:35:36 +0000

Anyone that hasn't used a remote control, camera, iPod, laptop, watch, or cell phone in the last 24 hours please raise your hand. Not raising your hand, are you? We'll give you one guess to tell us what all of these items have in common. That's right: batteries.

Batteries are made up of an interesting, and many times toxic, mix of materials and heavy metals. And, as Earth 911 tells us, "Batteries that end up in landfills and incinerators eventually leak into the environment and end up in the food chain, causing serious health risks to humans and animals."

So, umm, we don't want that. There are now several resources that tell consumers where to drop-off batteries to be disposed of, and recycled properly. Just type in your zip code to find your closest drop-off location. Or, if you're more of a phone person and want to talk to "Al" from Home Improvement call 1 (800) 8-BATTERY. Yes, that's too many digits, and yes, it works.

Rebecca says: Batteries run out at random times, and you don't need to make an individual trip to the recycling center each time that happens. Save a pickle jar (I recommend washing it first) to keep your batteries in until you drop them off.

Earth 911 Battery Recycling

Call2Recycle