San Fransisco, California is making a splash in the civil planning industry. At the end of May, 2009, Mayor Gavin Newsom cut the ribbon on the first of many Solar Powered Wi-Fi bus stops that will be lining the streets of San Francisco in the coming 5 years. These sleek, curvaceous and modern bus terminals do it all. Their LED lights, intercom schedule system and even Wi-Fi routers are all powered by the stream-lined and efficient solar panel roofing. Talk about efficient! This bus stop in the Richmond district of sunny San Francisco, California is the first of about 1,100 solar powered, Wi-Fi bus stops the city plans to have in place by 2013.

Cleverly Designed With the Environment in Mind

The solar panels embedded within the poly-carbonate roof are said to harness enough energy to run all of the bus stops operations and even have some left over to return to the grid. This patented approach to solar panels was created by 3form Materials Solutions just for this project and the structure was designed by Olle Lundburg of Lundburg design. He says it was his first civic project. To add to the appeal of these innovations, they are produced 75% of recycled material. Certainly an eco-friendly production.

In addition to benefiting the frequent users of San Francisco’s public transportation, this project will also have one key benefit for the city: Free Wi-Fi, everywhere! I’m sure no one has any complaints about this. There will be enough of these Wi-Fi powerhouses to make the whole city a Wi-Fi zone. Upon cutting the ribbon Mayor Newson said, “Transit shelters that use photovoltaics, LEDS, and Wi-Fi are going to be standard in the future and I’m proud that San Francisco is once again acting like the pace car for other cities by trying and implementing these technologies.

Setting an Example: Will the Rest of the World Follow Suit?

So what’s the catch? Well, there isn’t really one. Although the MTA hiked fares by 50 cents, they claim it has nothing to do with the extreme expense of these bus stops ($25,000 to $30,000 each), but many people deny this. For now, no one is complaining. These bus stops satisfy everyone from the environmentalist tree hugger, to the internet-dependent business man, to the average Joe trying to get to work. San Francisco, California is setting a standard of excellence and forward momentum in the United States and hopefully other cities and states will follow suit very soon.

Hydrogen fuel cells are viewed as the great savior of our massive oil consumption.  They seem to be the answer to finite energy resources and they are said to be good for the environment too. 

This technology works by combining hydrogen with fuels cells.  The Fuel cells operate by taking in hydrogen which reacts with a catalyst.  That catalyst separates the atomic particles known as protons and electrons and they travel two different paths.   The electrons pass through a cathode, which generates energy, while the protons mix with oxygen and releases the byproduct: environmentally safe, clean water.  Sounds simple enough that it just might work, but not anytime soon.

Hydrogen fuel cell technology is not advanced enough to make owning hydrogen fueled cars a legitimate possibility just yet. The goal is by 2015 to have a fuel cell that will last for more than 5,000 hours durability and 300 miles per fill up.  A massive gas station to hydrogen refueling station conversion must also take place, and who knows how long that will take. 

High Quality Vehicles Equals Cheaper Fuel Costs for You

The cost of hydrogen fuel for auto owners is going to be completely dependent on how well vehicles will operate.  If the fuel cell vehicles have a 250 mile range and 2,000 hours of durability it will be about $3.00/gge (gasoline gallon equivalent). With the 300 mile range and 5,000 hours of durability, the goal of 2015, the prices will be $2.50/gge.  As we all know, that fifty cents per gallon makes a very big difference.

Hydrogen Fuel, the Revival of the American Dream

Billions of dollars will make an extremely large difference when it comes to funding all things hydrogen fuel. The fuel cell industry has asked President Barack Obama to set aside 1.2 billion dollars for research, development, and stimulus. 

The industry has stated that the 1.2 billion dollars will provide several opportunities:

·         Shake our dependency on foreign oil

·         An environmentally safe alternative to gas

·         Create jobs

With bail outs abundant, why not toss some money to something that could potentially save the economy, save the environment, and save the country in one swoop?

Arnold to the Rescue

There have been steps to making the transition to a fuel cell adapted society.  In California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger began setting up hydrogen refueling stations.  Although it seems a bit premature, if you have seen Total Recall then you have confidence that Arnold knows what the future holds.  He has made stations in urban areas for those few who have hydrogen fuel cars, mostly incentive projects from the auto industry or environmental companies.  

Though the fuel cell automobile technology is available, at this point it is very impractical.  Hydrogen fuel cells for cars can only provide a driver with about 35 miles before another fill up is required.  This makes driving anywhere, with the exception of the Gov. Schwarzenegger’s urban hydrogen refueling hotspots, nearly impossible. 

Strides are being made but not at the pace many would like.  Much more funding and focus will be needed to make this alternative a reality. It may be a while before the hydrogen fuel cell is needed, but it also may be a while before they become a realistic alternative to our gas powered cars.  As Plato aptly put it, “necessity is the mother of invention.”  So now we wait for the necessity.

Geothermal Power has the Potential to Power the World for the Next Several Millenia

In 2006 MIT released a comprehensive analysis of the overall potential of geothermal power to supply the world’s energy consumption needs. MIT’s findings were clear and powerful: for a comparatively moderate investment in development of technologies, the thermal forces beneath just the United States have the potential to supply the current power needs of our planets for the next several thousand years.

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History of Tidal Power

The emerging technology of Tidal Stream Generators is positioned to play a key role in supply the world with clean, reliable, and completely renewable energy. The power of the tides is one of the greatest forces on Earth with vast potential as a major renewable energy source.

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