New Energy Exhibition in Tokyo Big Site

The New Energy and PV Japan Exhibition is one of the largest exhibition in the world. In the exhibition, you can found everything that needed to make the solar panel, from raw material, production machine, checking equipment etc. Some company even bring in the actual production machine to the exhibition. You can instantly start a Solar Panel Making business by attending it. Besides the PV, another bloom technology in the exhibition is the biofuel technology. A lot of pioneer researches had been conducted in Japan. This year, a new technology develop is the electricity generation directly from the heat. The technology has become more promosing and it is going to be study for the cost of large scale production.

Sanyo - the world largest Solar Power Producer. Currently, its production has been overtook by the Germany company.

Sanyo new solar panel called HIT is capable to solve the problem of the reducing power generation from conventional silicon-based solar panel. The above picture show the reduction of power by conventional solar panel (right) when the temperature increase.

In this exhibition, some company already developed the flexible solar "sheet" (not the hard panel), which are capable to be installed in various location.

New type of Solar sheet. So flexible, just like paper.

{News} 080626 Researchers: Ocean Algae Biofuels Might Prove To Be A Sustainable Energy Source; 'Encouraging Results'

Researchers: Ocean Algae Biofuels Might Prove To Be A Sustainable Energy Source; 'Encouraging Results'

Underwatertimes.com News Service, June 26, 2008 13:46 EST

Manhattan, Kansas -- Research by two Kansas State University scientists could help with the large-scale cultivation and manufacturing of oil-rich algae in oceans for biofuel.
K-State's Zhijian "Z.J." Pei, associate professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering, and Wenqiao "Wayne" Yuan, assistant professor of biological and agricultural engineering, have received a $98,560 Small Grant for Exploratory Research from the National Science Foundation to study solid carriers for manufacturing algae biofuels in the ocean.
Algae are a diverse and simple group of organisms that live in or near water. Certain algal species are high in oil content that could be converted into such fuels as biodiesel, according to Pei and Yuan. Algae also have several environmentally-friendly advantages over corn or other plants used for biofuels, including not needing soil or fresh water to grow.
Pei and Yuan plan to identify attributes of algae and properties of materials that enable growth of certain algae species on solid carriers. Solid carriers float on the water surface for algae to attach to and grow on.
"Not all materials are equally suitable to make these carriers," Yuan said. "Some materials are better for algal attachment and growth than others, and we will be identifying what those 'good' materials are."
The project could help with the design of major equipment for manufacturing algae biofuels from the ocean, including solid carriers, in-the-ocean algae harvesting equipment and oil extraction machines, Pei said.
"This research aims to develop a cost-effective process for growing algae on solid carriers in the ocean for biofuel manufacturing," he said. "If successful, it will greatly benefit the energy security of the United States, as well as society in general."
The research will be conducted with a two-step approach.
"Selected algae species will be grown on solid carriers in a simulated ocean environment and will be evaluated for their ability to attach to solid carriers and grow in seawater, their biomass productivity, and their oil content," Pei said. "Top-ranked species in step one will be selected to test the performance of several carrier materials, including natural organic, synthetic organic and inorganic materials, with the same evaluation parameters as in step one."
Pei said the properties of the highly-ranked carriers also will be analyzed.
Yuan, who has studied biodiesel for several years, said the major problem with making the fuel has been finding sustainable oil and fat sources.
"Algae seems to be the only promising sustainable oil source for biodiesel production," he said. "In my lab, we have several different projects involving algae and we have been trying different ways to grow it. We have already obtained some encouraging results."
Pei said the project also will have an educational benefit, with K-State College of Engineering graduate and undergraduate students to be involved in the multidisciplinary research.

Source: http://www.underwatertimes.com/news.php?article_id=25107309846

Newly installed Solar Panel at Kita Ayase subway station

Today, when I take the morning train from Kita Ayase station, I was so suprise with the new panel on the wall showing the electricity generated using the solar panel newly installed on the roof of the station. The electric will be used for the lighting and escalator in the station. It is one of the effort from Tokyo Metro (subway company) to reduce the CO2 emission.

The Koshigaya-Laketown - Eco and Flood Disaster Prevention New Town

The Koshigaya-Laketown - Eco and Flood Disaster Prevention New Town


The Koshigaya Laketown is developed along the JR Train line. It has been desinated as the first 20% CO2 reduction Town development project in Japan.

Solar Heat Water storage is installed on the roof

The Koshigaya Laketown JR station is located at the center of the town and can easily access to Tokyo. It to be made as the main transport system for the new town.

The Lake is designed to be a flood water retention pond. During the flood, it will be filled with water to prevent the flooding in the downstream region of Nakagawa river. In normal period, it can be used for recreational purpose.

Eco Life Fair 2008

The tricycle is become more popular now in Japan. There is some tricycle taxi in the city like Yokohama.

A Tricycle Taxi.

Electric Car. The price is still higher compare to normal small car.

How about some recycle cardboard for your kids?

Eco Life Fair 2008

An interesting experiment to teach people about CO2 emission from JACCA

Different weight of the CO2 emission per person is loaded in the beg. People can take the beg to compare the different weight for Japanese, Chinese and American. It is a good way to teach people about how much difference of the CO2 they emitted.

Another game to learn about eco life.

The wind turbin is prepared, and people can charge their handphone with the connector using the green energy.

Eco Life Fair 2008

The food court of Eco Life Fair was also very special. The container for food need to be rent from the special counter. After finishing the meal, the customer need to return the contain and you can get the refund. Waste seperation is needed during the disposal of the waste.

Various delicious food are provided. Oishi So!

Real experiment of the normal and energy saving light bulb. On the left is normal light bulb and right is the energy saving ligth. The normal ligth is now cost electric of 214 yen, while the energy saving bulb just 48 yen. It is 4 times more saving by changing to new one. Toshiba is announcing that they will stop the production of normal light bulb very soon.

The energy saving light bulb is 8-10 times more longer life span and reduce 80% of electric. If you use it for 10000 hours, yo can save about 10,000 yen.