IRENA – Initiative for the founding of the International Renewable Energy Agency

My hometown Berlin is applying for the seat of the IRENA agency which I totally support!

Its supporters define IRENA as the following:

IRENA aims at becoming the main driving force in promoting a rapid transition towards the widespread and sustainable use of renewable energy on a global scale. Acting as the global voice for renewable energies, IRENA will provide practical advice and support for both industrialised and developing countries, help them improve their regulatory frameworks and build capacity. The agency will facilitate access to all relevant information including reliable data on the potential of renewable energy, best practices, effective financial mechanisms and state-of-the-art technological expertise.

IRENA will develop comprehensive solutions, such as fostering all types of renewable energy, and consider various renewable energy policies on the local, regional, and national level. Additionally, IRENA will consider the specific environmental, economic and socio-cultural conditions. Lastly, it will involve stakeholders from the energy industry, academia, institutions and civil society. IRENA will regularly consult and cooperate with organisations and networks already engaged in the field of renewable energy in order to complement and pool their work resources, hereby creating added value.

Learn more about IRENA on the website created by the German government about the IRENA Conference.

Bosch criticises hype on electric cars

Bernd Bohr – chief of vehicles at Bosch – criticizes the recent discussion on electric cars as too euphoric in an interview with German magazine “auto motor und sport”. He does not think it is realistic that in 2010 affordable electric cars that have the same comfort as conventional cars will be available in the market. As late as 2015 there will be small test series which are subsidized by the state through tax reductions or the industry for image reasons. Bosch’s forecast except 2.5 million to 3 million hybrids and 800.000 electric cars in 2015 with 80 million cars alltogether.

Source in German: Autokrise: Bosch kritisiert Hype um Elektroautos

Electric cars in the news: Mercedes Blue Zero, Electro Smart, Chrysler Volt, Mindset, Tesla

German magazine Manager Magazin is covering electic cars in a long running series. The following excellent articles (in German) are available online with lots of pictures:

Better Place

A project by one of the SAP founders aims to make the world a better place by building a network of recharge stations for electric cars. You subscribe to a plan to exchange your car’s batteries at any of their stations. Better Place is the electric car’s way of a petrol station and also replaces other infrastructure needed for personal mobility. See the video for more information.

Jetcar 2.5 – Fuel efficient automobile

Ironically racing cars with a terrible mileage are called jet cars. What I am writing about today is a new kind of car where the recent model (Jetcar 2.5) consumes only 2.5 liter of fuel per 100 km. That’s around 1 gallone per 100 miles. It is a hand-built and custom made car from a German company called Jetcar Zukunftsfahrzeug GmbH.

I first read about this company and its products in an article (German) in my favorite daily newspaper. Two brothers are running the company. They also own a company which does wind energy solutions which cross finances the Jetcar company. What a smart move!

Their engineers are already working on a convertible and the Jetcar 1.5 which will only need 1.5 liter per 100 km.

Anaconda Wave Energy Converter

Our oceans are constantly generating energy – as much as 2 trillion watt! But how do we profit from this energy? The British company Checkmate SeaEnergy has developed a study of a 110 ton rubber tube called Anaconda with a length of 200 meter which can produce as much as 1 megawatt electric energy.

Quelle: Meeresschlange erzeugt Energie (German)