New “nanoantenna” material sucks heat from any source to cool devices, generates electricity

We’re always up for another way to harvest energy from the sun, but this new nanoantenna material developed by the DoE’s Idaho National Laboratory makes solar panels seem a little passe. The material, composed of tiny gold antennas set in polyethylene plastic is tuned to gather 80 percent of energy from infrared rays in its production version, and can gather energy from the sun, earth, or even your PC’s warmth.

For more details (and a picture)
http://www.engadget.com/2008/08/12/new-nanoantenna-material-sucks-heat-from-any-source-to-cool-de/

New Software Allows Wind Farms to Predict Output Up to Four Days in Advance

Software Allows Wind Farms to Predict Output
On a different scale entirely, a new piece of software developed in Germany is being used to predict electrical output from existing wind farms. By providing a level of predictability, the Previento system allows German grid operators to determine how much additional fossil fuel energy will be needed to compensate for lulls in wind energy output.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/new-software-allows-wind-farms-to-predict-output-four-days-in-advance.php (Website loads a bit slow)

5.05 Gigawatt Titan Wind Project

“World’s Biggest Wind Farm”
It seems like “the world’s biggest wind farm” gets announced every other month these days. The one everyone’s radar is T. Boone Picken’s 4 gigawatt Texas monster, scheduled to be completed in 2014. Now the new contender for the title is a joint venture in South-Dakota between BP Alternative Energy and Clipper.

Over Two Thousand Wind Turbines
2,020 Clipper Liberty wind turbines, each with a capacity of 2.5 megawatt, will add up to a total of more than 5 gigawatt of clean energy production capacity.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/08/5-gigawatt-wind-farm-south-dakota-clipper-bp.php
(Website loads a bit slow)