SmartEnergyViews

Nissan Motor Co. is commencing sales of Nissan-developed quick chargers through its regional parts sales affiliates in Japan in preparation for the December release of its Nissan LEAF. Nissan Quick Charger. Click to enlarge. Nissan developed the quick charger in-house,... Mike Millikin

Epyon, a European developer and marketer of smart charging solutions for the emerging electric vehicle (EV) market, opened the first commercial Level III fast charging station in Europe. The fast-charging station delivers 50 kW of power which can fully charge... Mike Millikin

Epyon, a European developer and marketer of smart charging solutions for the emerging electric vehicle (EV) market, opened the first commercial Level III fast charging station in Europe. The fast-charging station delivers 50 kW of power which can fully charge... Mike Millikin

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 42 university-led research and development projects for awards totaling $38 million. These projects, funded over three to four years through the Department’s Nuclear Energy University Program, are intended to help advance nuclear... Mike Millikin

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has selected 42 university-led research and development projects for awards totaling $38 million. These projects, funded over three to four years through the Department’s Nuclear Energy University Program, are intended to help advance nuclear... Mike Millikin

Strengthening the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty trucks could create as many as 124,000 jobs in the US by 2030, with all 50 states experiencing net job growth, according to a new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists... Mike Millikin

Strengthening the fuel economy of medium- and heavy-duty trucks could create as many as 124,000 jobs in the US by 2030, with all 50 states experiencing net job growth, according to a new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists... Mike Millikin

Tesla Motors, Inc. and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) intend to cooperate on the development of electric vehicles, parts, and production system and engineering support. The two companies intend to form a team of specialists to further those efforts. TMC has... Mike Millikin

Tesla Motors, Inc. and Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) intend to cooperate on the development of electric vehicles, parts, and production system and engineering support. The two companies intend to form a team of specialists to further those efforts. TMC has... Mike Millikin

Self-replicating synthetic bacteria (JCVI-syn1.0 isolate) shown in electron micrographs using two different methods. Source: Gibson et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, have successfully constructed the first self-replicating, synthetic... Mike Millikin

Self-replicating synthetic bacteria (JCVI-syn1.0 isolate) shown in electron micrographs using two different methods. Source: Gibson et al. Click to enlarge. Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), a not-for-profit genomic research organization, have successfully constructed the first self-replicating, synthetic... Mike Millikin

Provost L. Rafael Reif issued the following letter to the community on Thursday, May 20.

To the members of the MIT community,

In September 2008, I charged the Environmental Research Council (ERC), to support the creation of an Institute-wide Environmental Initiative in keeping with the recommendations of the May 2008 Zuber report.

Chaired by Professor Dara Entekhabi, the ERC has produced a vision for new environmental research and educational opportunities at MIT. The report that I share today outlines a number of research areas where MIT faculty and students can build on existing strength in multiple disciplines to advance solutions to environmental challenges of global significance. Today, we take the next steps towards launching a robust and ambitious environmental initiative.

Next step: a plan for implementation

I am now charging an expanded ERC, under the continuing leadership of Professor Entekhabi, to take up the next challenge: designing an implementation plan, such as that produced for the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) in 2006.  Building on the ERC report released today and the Zuber report that preceded it, the plan should:

• Provide a detailed blueprint for building a strong environmental initiative, with priorities set for staged development over several years
• Have broad-based faculty input
• Complement and identify synergies with MITEI and other relevant MIT laboratories, centers and programs
• Establish benchmarks for progress at three-year and five-year milestones

The expanded ERC will consist of the following faculty:

• Dara Entekhabi (CEE) chair
• Martin Z. Bazant (ChemE)
• Sallie (Penny) Chisholm (CEE)
• Catherine L. Drennan (Chem)
• Michael Greenstone (Econ)
• Jeffrey C. Grossman (DMSE)
• Judith Layzer (DUSP)
• John H. Lienhard (MechE)
• John C. Marshall (EAPS)
• Ronald G. Prinn (EAPS)
• Harriet Ritvo (Hist)
• Leona D. Samson (BE and Biology)
• John Sterman (SSM)
• J. Phillip Thompson (DUSP)
• James Wescoat (Arch)
• Richard A. Young (Biology/Whitehead)

The implementation report should be completed by October 2010 so that, following an opportunity for community comment, we can begin implementation in January 2011.

Creating an Energy and Environment Board

In addition, to help my office define specific steps for establishing a strong and effective campus-wide environmental initiative, I am appointing a senior Energy and Environmental Board. The Board will advise me and the ERC on implementation and on coordination with other campus efforts, most especially MITEI. Consisting of faculty from all five MIT schools, this Board includes the ERC chair and several people in key administrative positions whose cooperation will be essential to the success of our environmental initiative. The members will be:

• Ernest J Moniz (Physics), chair
• Andrew Whittle (CEE), vice-chair
• Dara Entekhabi (CEE)
• Amy Glasmeier (DUSP)
• Richard M. Locke (SSM)
• Susan S. Silbey (Anthropology)
• Maria Zuber (EAPS)

The disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico offers a searing reminder of the vast scale and significance of the world's environmental challenges and of their inextricable ties to questions of energy, economics and policy. We are grateful to the faculty members who have agreed to serve on the ERC and on the Energy and Environmental Board. As they prepare the Institute to confront the full array of global environmental challenges, I look forward to working with them to accelerate and magnify MIT's contributions.

Sincerely,
L. Rafael Reif
Provost

We love the idea of clean and green fuel. But they come with certain disadvantages. First one is they are heavy on pocket of a commoner. Second disadvantage is their power conversion rate is quite low. Last one is you need storage space to save all the power converted by a clean and green [...]
Posted in: Inventions, PhotoVoltaics, Solar Power

A research company in New Hampshire recently patented its bladeless wind turbine, which is based on a patent issued to Nikola Tesla in 1913. This wind turbine is christened as the Fuller Wind Turbine. This turbine is developed by Solar Aero. The specialty of Fuller Wind Turbine is it has only one rotating part, [...]
Posted in: Inventions, Wind Power, Wind Turbines

Pushker Kharecha and his colleagues believe that we should follow some practical methods to do away with coal and conventional fossil fuel emissions. We all know that use of fossil fuels leads towards carbon emissions that cause immense damage to our environment. Pushker Kharecha and colleagues voiced similar sentiments in the American Chemical Society’s [...]
Posted in: Environment, Industry, Politics