“we have tried to break this paradigm of tradeoffs in materials (by improving) both the stability and the conductivity of this membrane at the same time, and that is what we were able to do with this unique polymeric materials design,” said michael hickner, associate professor of materials science and engineering.

in solid-state alkaline fuel cells, anion exchange membranes conduct negative charges between the device’s cathode and anode — the negative and positive connections of the cell — to create useable electric power. most fuel cells currently use membranes that require platinum-based catalysts that are effective but expensive.

hickner’s new polymer is a unique anion exchange membrane — a new type of fuel cell and battery membrane — that allows the use of much more cost-efficient non-precious metal catalysts and does not compromise either durability or efficiency like previous anion exchange membranes.

“what we’re really doing here is providing alternatives, possible choices, new technology so that people who want to commercialize fuel cells can now choose between the old paradigm and new possibilities with anion exchange membranes,” hickner said.

creating this alternative took some intuition and good fortune. in work spearheaded by nanwen li, a postdoctoral researcher in materials science and engineering, hickner’s team created several variations of the membrane, each with slightly different chemical compositions. they then ran each variation under simulated conditions to predict which would be optimal in an actual fuel cell. the researchers report their findings in a recent issue of the journal of the american chemical society.

based on these initial tests, the group predicted that the membranes with long 16-carbon structures in their chemical makeup would provide the best efficiency and durability, as measured respectively by conductivity and long-term stability.

chao-yang wang, william e. diefenderfer chair of mechanical engineering, and his team then tested each possibility in an operating fuel cell device. yongjun leng, a research associate in mechanical and nuclear engineering, measured the fuel cell’s output and lifetime for each material variation.

despite predictions, the membranes containing shorter 6-carbon structures proved to be much more durable and efficient after 60 hours of continuous operation.

“we were somewhat surprised…that what we thought was the best material in our lab testing wasn’t necessarily the best material in the cell when it was evaluated over time,” said hickner, who added that researchers are still trying to understand why the 6-carbon variation has better long-term durability than the 16-carbon sample in the fuel cell by studying the operating conditions of the cell in detail.

because the successful membrane was so much more effective than the initial lab studies predicted, researchers are now interested in accounting for the interactions that the membranes experienced while inside the cell.

“we have the fuel cell output — so we have the fuel cell efficiency, the fuel cell life time — but we don’t have the molecular scale information in the fuel cell,” hickner said. “that’s the next step, trying to figure out how these polymers are working in the fuel cell on a detailed level.”

the advanced research projects agency-energy at the u.s. department of energy, funded this project in collaboration with proton onsite, a leading membrane electrolyzer company based in connecticut.

grid scale energy storage

ares energy storage technology employs a fleet of electric traction drive shuttle-trains, operating on a closed low-friction automated steel rail network to transport a field of heavy masses between two storage yards at different elevations.

during periods where excess energy is available on the grid, ares shuttle-trains draw electricity from the grid, which powers their individual axle-drive motors, as they transport a continuous flow of masses uphill against the force of gravity to an upper storage yard.  when the grid requires energy to meet periods of high demand, this process is reversed.  the shuttle-trains provide a continuous flow of masses returning to the lower storage yard with their motors operating as generators, converting the potential energy of the masses elevation back into electricity in a highly efficient process.
 
ares facilities integrate significant recent advances in motor/generator traction drive and power control technologies with proven rail technology to produce a reliable and highly capable system that approaches an 80% charge / discharge efficiency. 

the facilities are highly scalable in power and energy ranging from a small installation of 100mw with 200mwh of storage capacity up to large 2-3gw regional energy storage system with 16-24gwh energy storage capacity.

by storing energy wasted in braking and reapplying it during acceleration, xl hybrids technology decreases fuel use and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 21.2 percent on urban and suburban routes, while operating with the same durability and reliability as traditional vans and trucks.  xl hybrids was founded by mit alumni and is based in boston. for more information, visit www.xlhybrids.com. follow us on twitter @xlhybrids.

we have completed the net zero energy rehab of our 111-year-old historic folk-victorian home in ann arbor, mi. a net-zero energy home (also called zero energy home) is a home that produces as much or more energy than the occupants consume. this is accomplished by first reducing energy demand, typically by 60% – 70%, then meeting that demand by adding on-site renewable energy. we were inspired by the challenge of the late ray anderson, the founder of interface, inc., to create a society with zero environmental footprint.

we are now fulfilling our family’s goal to create a living building by rehabilitating a home that creates its own energy, creates zero waste and will be a restorative part of our community. in march 2011, we paid our last utility bill . . . ever. our home is believed to be the oldest home in america to achieve net zero energy. usa today honored the home as one of the “best green houses of 2010”

learn more at http://www.missionzerohouse.com

related: it’s electric: the science behind solar panels

a micro utility is a networked energy system that enables the storage of electricity from any source (renewable or otherwise) in your own home or business. it is connected to a network that tracks its economic value and the exchange of peer-to-peer energy through the electrical grid. all of this is possible with the convergence of internet communications and lower-cost, longer-lived storage devices.

growing energy labs, inc is a participant in the clean tech open.

recorded at the business response to climate change at the george washington university, february 10th 2011

atthecenterofitall.business.gwu.edu/​2011/​02/​10/​business-response-to-climate-change/

recorded at the business response to climate change at the george washington university, february 10th 2011

atthecenterofitall.business.gwu.edu/​2011/​02/​10/​business-response-to-climate-change/

sure, you’re starting to see your neighbor drive around a prius because it’s hip and environmentally-friendly, but there are dozens of less visible ways to accomplish efficiency in our daily lives, and this is the decade where you’ll see everyone hankering for these minor changes.

a common misconception about energy efficiency is that it’s about “using less.” but that is totally missing the point. in reality, it’s about “doing more while using less” – not having to burden your way of life to save a few kilowatts here or a tank of gas there. people who install efficient appliances don’t have to use them less – an energy star refrigerator will cool your veggies and milk just the same, but it will do it at less of a monthly cost to you and to the environment.

so i call on everyone to discover new ways to be efficient without sacrificing; to look into whirlpool dishwashers or johns manville insulation or best buy electronics with that energy star label, and see how much you save. up front costs may be more, but in the not-so-long-term, you’ll get those costs back in the form of lower energy bills.

we may have a ways to go before “energy efficiency” is a sexy catchphrase, but at least we can make it relevant and factor it into our daily lives.