He’s flying Solar Impulse, considered the world’s most advanced sun-powered plane.

Piccard piloted the craft for 20 hours, first cruising along the California coast after taking off from Moffett Field in Mountain View near San Francisco just after dawn Friday. He passed over Edwards Air Force Base, where other aviation milestones have been made, and then touched down early Saturday morning at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.

He landed having used only three-quarters of the plane’s battery power.

“It’s a little bit like being in a dream,” Piccard said as he stepped on the tarmac.

The plane’s creators, Piccard and fellow pilot Andre Borschberg, said the trip is the first attempt by a solar airplane capable of flying day and night without fuel to fly across America.

But Piccard said Saturday afternoon that even more important than marking another aviation milestone is the hope that the journey will provide an exponential boost for interest in renewable energy and clean technologies.

“If an airplane can fly day or night with no fuel, just on the sun’s power, of course it means that everybody in daily life can use this technology for his house, for heating and cooling systems, for lighting, for cars, for trucks. There’s so much we can do now to have a cleaner future,” Piccard said.

From Phoenix, the aircraft will travel to Dallas-Fort Worth airport in Texas, Lambert-St. Louis airport, Dulles airport in the Washington area and New York’s John F. Kennedy airport. Each flight leg will take about 19 to 25 hours, with 10-day stops in each city.

To read the full article, click here.

Recycling, admittedly, is difficult. Though I am an avid recycler, I can be stumped by aluminum foil or a wet paper towel or a plastic straw. Not surprisingly, so are millions of citizens, and it is estimated that cities only effectively recycle about 30 percent of their trash.

Houston is a can-do city with world-class engineering and refining sectors. I believe that technology can do a better job separating trash from recyclables, and am working on creating a public-private partnership to construct and operate a high-tech recycling and sorting facility, diverting up to 75 percent of the material residents discard (up from Houston’s current 14 percent) – using technology from the mining and refining industries, not individuals. Residents will be able to place all discarded materials in one bin and technology will do the rest.

This cost-neutral, technological innovation represents a huge paradigm shift, changing how people will think about “trash” and recycling in the future. Houston will apply proven technologies and new processes, redefining municipal solid waste from a liability to a valuable asset. Houston already has a well-established industrial and energy base. This development will provide incentives for networks and businesses to form around newly separated materials that will be available as feedstocks.

This first-of-its-kind innovation uses technology in a way that has never been done before. Allowing technology and new process systems to sort household “trash” and derive an initial 55 percent diversion rate, and upwards of 75 percent with composting, anaerobic digestion and catalytic conversion (biomass-to-fuel) is more efficient and effective. The technologies (shredders, sensors, density separators and optical scanners) have been used previously in the waste, mining, or refining industries, but will be combined in a new process which will yield a much higher diversion rate. This system has the potential for cities across the globe to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a significant contribution to improved air quality, provide an easy-to-use program for residents, save money and increase revenues.

Our innovation will:

• Provide every residence with curbside One Bin for All services;
• Decrease the volume of waste sent to landfills and increase recycling rates;
• Improve air quality by eliminating truck routes and reducing methane emissions from landfills; and
• Manage costs associated with waste collection and disposal and recycling, saving cities money.

By building the first total material resource recovery facility in the US, Houston has the opportunity to improve the health and quality of life of its citizens, divert more municipal solid waste than any other large City in the nation, save money, change the way citizens think about materials, reduce extraction of raw materials and influence other cities to embrace this transformation.

Houston is a city of solutions. If you can dream it, you can achieve it here. One Bin for All.

To read the full article, click here.

Sally Jewell, president of Recreational Equipment Inc., told a Senate committee that she supports Obama’s “all-of-the-above” energy strategy, which embraces fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal as well as renewable sources such as wind and solar.

Jewell also said she will work to achieve Obama’s goal of doubling renewable electricity generation by 2020 and vowed to use the Interior Department’s scientific resources to combat climate change.

“From energy development to grazing to logging, tourism and outdoor recreation, our lands and waters power our economy and create jobs,” Jewell told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee at her confirmation hearing. Jewell, who has never worked for the government, cited federal statistics showing that the Interior Department generated more than $12 billion in revenue from energy production last year, and that visitors to national parks generated an estimated $30 billion in economic activity.

“These are impressive numbers. They underscore the important balance that the Department of the Interior must maintain to ensure that our public lands and waters are managed wisely, using the best science available, to harness their economic potential while preserving their multiple uses for future generations,” she said.

Senators from both parties were generally cordial toward Jewell, but several Republicans, including Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, questioned her service on the board of directors of the National Parks Conservation Association, an advocacy group that works to protect and enhance national parks. The group has filed dozens of lawsuits against the government and has sought to block a federal law allowing firearms in national parks and to stop development of coal mines and other energy production.

Barrasso called the sheer number of lawsuits “unsettling” and said Jewell’s status as vice chairman of the NCPA’s board posed potential conflicts of interest on a host of issues, including a looming rule to regulate hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, on public lands. Fracking is a type of drilling in which water, sand and chemicals are in injected underground to break up dense rock that holds oil and natural gas.

To read the full article, click here.

The XL1 is an automotive hero that follows pure sports car design principles: low weight (795 kg), perfect aerodynamics (Cd 0.189) and a low centre of gravity (1,153 mm high). This gives the efficient Volkswagen the ability to cruise on the road at a constant speed of 100 km/h using just 6.2 kW / 8.4 PS. In all-electric mode, the XL1 requires less than 0.1 kWh to cover a driving distance of over one kilometer.

High-tech lightweight design, perfect aerodynamics and a plug-in hybrid system – consisting of a two-cylinder TDI engine (35 kW / 48 PS), E-motor (20 kW / 27 PS), 7-speed dual clutch gearbox (DSG) and lithium-ion battery – all make it possible for the new Volkswagen XL1 to emit just 21 g/km of CO2. If necessary, the XL1, with a top speed of 160 km/h, can accelerate to 100 km/h in just 12,7 seconds. Clearly, 0.9 l/100 km fuel consumption is a record figure that has not been achieved by any other vehicle to date, and it illustrates how Volkswagen is redefining what is technically feasible in carmaking.

Conceptually, the XL1 represents the third evolutionary stage of Volkswagen’s 1-litre car strategy. When the new millennium was ushered in, Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, who is today Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Volkswagen AG, formulated the visionary goal of bringing to market a production car that was practical in everyday use with fuel consumption of one litre per 100 km. In the two-seat XL1, this vision has become reality. Despite the tremendous efficiency of the XL1, developers successfully came up with a body concept, which delivers more everyday utility than in the two previous prototypes. While the driver and passenger sat in a tandem arrangement for optimal aerodynamics in the L1, the 1-litre car presented in 2002 and in 2009, in the XL1 two occupants sit slightly offset, side by side, nearly as in a conventional vehicle.

The XL1 is 3,888 mm long, 1,665 mm wide and just 1,153 mm tall. By usual automotive standards these are extreme dimensions. For comparison: a Polo has a similar length (3,970 mm) and width (1,682 mm) but is significantly taller (1,462 mm). Even a purebred sports car like today’s Porsche Boxster is 129 mm taller (1,282 mm). So, the XL1 will make a spectacular appearance – a car of the future, built for today.

To read the full article, click here.

Williams has been at the forefront of new advances in energy technologies and has long been a proponent of developing innovative solutions and alternative energy resources to meet global energy challenges.

“As an influential and well respected leader in the industry, Dick Williams will bring a wealth of valuable experience and tremendous insight in our efforts to address critical issues and highlight important innovations that will help shape the energy landscape for years to come,” said Vincent Polito, Total Energy USA President. “We are excited to have his strong voice and steady leadership as we move forward with the important work of the committee and conference.”

Williams was named president of Shell WindEnergy, Inc. in 2010 where he oversees the development of new projects and the company’s 10 wind farms in North America and Europe. His prior experience includes 28 years in Shell Pipeline’s and Distribution businesses, holding numerous leadership positions in Engineering, Operations, Commercial, and Joint Venture activities. In his last role as a Commercial Manager, Williams was responsible for all customer-facing activities and played a key role in several major company restructurings. Williams is a longtime resident of Houston and contributes much of his time to a host of civic and charitable endeavors.

“I am truly honored to be named Chair of the Executive Committee and am excited for Shell to continue as part of this important event. Total Energy USA brings together the brightest minds across all energy sectors in a forum to discuss and share ideas, identify new solutions and growth opportunities to help meet the demands for low cost and cleaner energy—-now and in the future,” said Williams. “This integrated approach creates a unique synergy and is something we strongly believe in and why participation is not only necessary but vital to our company and the industry.”

In his role as Chair of the Executive Committee, Williams and his fellow Committee members will advise show organizers regarding conference content and strategy to assemble participants from traditional and renewable energy sectors. The resulting mix of diverse interests will create new business opportunities as participants discuss how to balance locally available resources, economics, reliability and environmental impact when making important energy decisions.

Conference dates for the 2013 Total Energy USA Conference and Exposition are scheduled for November 19-21 in Houston, Texas.

To read the full article, click here.

To read the full article, click here.

The interview was focused around DuPont’s efforts in 2nd generation biofuels. DuPont is currently engaged in two major projects to commercialize advanced biofuels.

The first is a 30 million gallon per year corn stover-fed facility in Nevada, Iowa. DuPont  has been working on this technology for about 10 years. They focused on corn stover because it is one of the easiest feedstocks to process, and because it is already there as a byproduct of ethanol production.  DuPont broke ground on this facility on November 30, 2012 and start-up is planned for mid-2014. The facility has about 100 farmers under contract to provide 360,000 tons per year of corn stover (dry mass basis) for DuPont’s enzymatic process.

To read the full article, click here.

To read the full article, click here.

The Chairman’s Innovation Award showcases newly developed concepts and products in a variety of areas such as advancement of technology, improved efficiency, increased marketability, cost savings, environmental impact, enhanced market position and more. Over 20 entries were submitted.

Helix Power Generators, Inc. was recognized for its Langson Gas Letdown Generator. An affordable device that converts wasted natural gas and steam letdown pressure into low-cost, clean, green, electrical power. The device co-generates power and cooling and qualifies as CHP. The amount of power that can be produced with the Gas Letdown Generator depends primarily on the amount of flow and pressure reduction. The device has zero fuel cost and zero emissions because it utilizes kinetic energy that is normally wasted during pressure reduction. Gas Letdown Generators are currently offered in 250kW, 500kW and 1MW sizes.

Shell was chosen for its Prelude Floating LNG project, which will produce natural gas from subsea fields, separate, process, store and offload Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at sea, creating an entirely new maritime concept to open new opportunities for Shell and partners to meet growing worldwide demand for natural gas.

The award for Shell was presented to Richard Williams, President of Shell Wind Energy.

The award for Helix Power was presented to Rick Dixon, President.

To read the full article, click here.

Helix Power Generators, Inc. was recognized for its Langson Gas Letdown Generator. An affordable device that converts wasted natural gas and steam letdown pressure into low-cost, clean, green, electrical power. The device co-generates power and cooling and qualifies as CHP. The amount of power that can be produced with the Gas Letdown Generator depends primarily on the amount of flow and pressure reduction. The device has zero fuel cost and zero emissions because it utilizes kinetic energy that is normally wasted during pressure reduction. Gas Letdown Generators are currently offered in 250kW, 500kW and 1MW sizes.

For more information, please visit: www.HelixPG.com

Shell was chosen for its Prelude Floating LNG project, which will produce natural gas from subsea fields, separate, process, store and offload Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at sea, creating an entirely new maritime concept to open new opportunities for Shell and partners to meet growing worldwide demand for natural gas.

The award for Shell was presented to Richard Williams, President of Shell Wind Energy.

The award for Helix Power was presented to Rick Dixon, President.

To read the full article, click here.