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Milestones and Trends in Renewable Energy -- 2005 and 2006
Reflecting on major milestones in clean energy technology advancement
in 2005, with a look forward to probable developments in 2006.
by Sterling
D. Allan
Pure Energy Systems News
Copyright © 2006
EAGLE MOUNTAIN, UTAH, USA -- As I write this year-end summary and forecast
for the coming year, near midnight of the new year, it is raining -- not snowing
-- here in Northern Utah. Such mild weather in the zenith of winter is very
unusual in this state famous for its ski resorts.
Indeed, the overwhelming theme and repeating headline story of energy for the
past year and we can safely say of the coming year as well has been, and
will be, climate change. We are ending a record-setting year, highlighted by the
unprecedented 2005 hurricane season, with the new out-of season tropical storm
Zeta forming on the second-to-last day of the year. (Ref.)
We have dished out to Mother Earth just about as much as she can take, and
her buffers are beginning to strain. (Ref.)
As a measure of the increasing rate of change, the sheer number of
anomalous-weather reports, and the quantity of scientific evidence reported on
our Global Warming page, have been stunning. (Ref.)
Climate change forms a backdrop of the thrust for new energy solutions that do
not involve the burning of fossil fuels. All other developments in the world of
clean-energy technology pale in comparison to the urgent need created by the
rate of climate change and Herculean effort incumbent upon us as humankind to do
something about slowing, then reversing our present trends. The global political
angst in the race for dwindling oil resources is another impetus for pursuing
alternative energy technologies with increased zeal. (Ref.)
 It
is therefore perhaps fitting that our imaginations are stoked the most when we
learn of technology innovations flirting with such romantic concepts as
harnessing lightning (ref.),
or the vortex power of tornadoes (ref.),
or the waves of the sea (ref.,
ref.), or wind
power out at sea (ref.,
ref.)
or high up in the air (ref.).
Solid Developments
While some of these concepts have years, if not decades of research and
development to go before they become commercially feasible, we saw a remarkable
milestone this past year in that large wind power systems came into the same
price range as grid power. (Ref.,
ref.)
 This
coming year, we will see two different solar companies possibly achieving that
same milestone with solar power -- IAUS
and Stirling
Energy Systems. Both will be constructing utility-scale facilities capable
of generating electricity projected to be at or below typical grid prices. And
while silicon is in short supply for traditional photovoltaic cells, there are
new, more efficient methods of tapping the sun's energy coming forward from a
wide array of approaches. (Ref.)
Keep an eye also on Konarka
and NanoHorizons.
From my perspective as a journalist reporting on cutting-edge clean-energy
technologies, I will say that it is obvious to me that a renewable-energy
revolution is firmly under way. Clean energy is becoming the vogue, and will
become as important and as cool as computer gadgets, if not more
so.  David
Bowie's playing the role of Nikola Tesla in the upcoming movie, "The
Prestige", is likely to create yet more mainstream interest in this energy
genius, who is considered by many to be the Father of Free Energy. (Ref.)
July 10, 2006 will mark 150 years since Tesla's birth, which may add significant
spark toward the international adoption of the anniversary Global Energy
Independence Day. (Ref.)
I personally find the tracking of these things fascinating and exciting, and I
don't think that is just because it's my specialty. Nearly every day, from
somewhere around the planet, there is at least one story that is about some new
way of boosting the efficiency of energy generation, some new way of harnessing
the wheelwork of nature in all its vast manifestations: geothermal,
solar, hydro,
magnets,
tide, waves,
waste,
rivers, electrical
microorganisms, betavoltaics,
etc. These manifestations range from the macro scale such as seen in lightning
and wind, to the
micro scale latent in the atom
or even down to the zero
point.
Dreaming Outside the Box
 Even
though there might be large question marks raised by some of the proposals, you
have to give the inventors credit for having the courage to dream. Why not
harness the power of atmospheric pressure differences of weather patterns across
hundreds of miles, through abandoned pipelines? (Ref.)
Why not float wind turbines out at sea like oil rigs? (Ref.,
ref.)
Why not use the downed trees from hurricanes for biomass energy? (Ref.)
Why not harness the breaking power of vehicles through gadgets in the road at
off ramps? (Ref.)
 I
put a lot of personal attention on Eric Lerner's Focus
Fusion technology during the last couple of months. Imagine
a non-polluting power plant, the size of a local gas station, that would quietly
and safely power 4,000 homes, for a few tenths of a penny per kilowatt-hour,
compared to 3-6 cents/kw-h of coal or natural-gas-powered plants. One
technician could operate two dozen of these stations remotely. The fuel,
widely available, is barely spent in the clean fusion method, and would only
need to be changed annually. Although his projections for development cost
(less than $10 million) and time to commercial feasibility (less than five
years) might be overly optimistic, in general, the fusion technology (of which
his is a subset) gets two thumbs up from highly reputable scientists in the
field.
Blacklight
Power is another alt energy company that turned the heads of physics this
year with its "hydrino", which is a smaller form of the hydrogen atom,
and exhibits traits promising for many applications.
Long, Winding Roads to Feasibility
While an abundance of innovative ideas which deserve development resources are
being churned out, for each of those, there are probably at least a hundred more
that also supposedly break the established rules of physics, but which still
lack the crucial ingredient of actually working as claimed. Most of these are
put forth by well-meaning individuals. However, these more exotic projects can
become a drain on resources. Some require a long-range view, and a lot of
legwork is needed to get past both financial and intellectual obstacles to their
successful completion.
Yet because some of the greatest advances of mankind have come from outside the
box of traditional thinking, we don't want to dismiss something just because it
sounds impossible at first view.
 Cold
Fusion was given a boost this past year with two near synchronous announcements
of room-temperature sonofusion: from UCLA (ref.)
and also from Purdue (ref.).
The fact that MIT allowed a cold fusion colloquium to take place in its
buildings also helped lift some of the stigma. (Ref.)
However, 2006 will probably continue to see most mentions
of "cold fusion" in context of its negative reputation -- as an
example of bad science -- which it is not.
 Mark
Goldes of Magnet
Power Inc. may very well have found the secret to harnessing magnetic
energy. He says his 1 kW unit will be available by the end of 2006.
Will Mike Brady's Perendev
Magnet Motor go anywhere this year?
The Bedini SG
electromagnetic generator project was also very active this past year, with
several people reporting that they achieved more power out than they put in
(implying the tapping of some external, unseen energy source). I wouldn't hold
my breath for seeing anything in the marketplace in 2006 from systems like this,
such as the Lutec
or GMCC's "REMAT".
There is still a lot of research and development needed to bring the efficiency
up and cost down assuming there really is such a radiant-energy effect in
the first place.
Tom Bearden's Motionless Electromagnetic Generator (MEG)
might see some serious R&D breakthroughs this year; either that, or it may
be clearly disproved. But it is one exotic technology for which extensive
modeling and reproduction effort has been put forth. A definitive answer
is nigh.
Page 2 . . .
Page composed by Sterling
D. Allan Dec. 31, 2005
Last updated January 04, 2006
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