• 31May

    Panasonic Group efforts to promote solar cell business

    battery news 4 Comments

    Panasonic group said on May 31 that they will efforts to promote solar cell business, to identify their products  up to 35% of Japan solar power market share by 2012, aim to become Japan’s largest solar cell business company.

    The statement said that Panasonic has announced cooperation with Sanyo Electric Co. from December 2008 to December 2009, then formally incorporated into Panasonic, they always to explore the advantages of both sides to maximize the field of development. Panasonic technology of energy management, building materials and electronics technology materials have obvious advantages, Sanyo Electric has the advantages of solar energy systems, the solar market rapidly expanding demand for them out to finalize the promotion of solar battery business, and make full use of appliances and electronic materials different sales channels to capture the fast growing solar market.

    Panasonic Group has also announced that from July 1 this year, sales of the two blocks has started to develop since the first product - “Residential Solar Energy HIT215 Series, which marks the Panasonic entry the solar market.

    It also said that Panasonic Group will enhance products’ market capabilities and global marketing capabilities, accelerate growth in the field of energy saving system power, to become a dynamic “environmental innovation company”.

    Tags: , ,

  • 30May

    Greek researchers found that cheese by-products can produce fuel cells

    battery news No Comments

    Recently, the Greek researchers developed using whey as raw material for microbial fuel cell. The researchers said that the whey is a byproduct of cheese making, the study will enable the plant whey and other organic wastes to recover energy.

    Greece has sent Taurasi University biomedical engineer Georgia Antonopoulou said whey is rich in lactose, microbial fuel cell micro-organisms through the consumption of lactose to produce power. The new fuel cell, although in recent years in public view, but it attracts more and more people’s attention, it is hoped that in the treatment of waste while producing electricity.

    The traditional fuel battery by catalytic oxidation of fuel, the microbial fuel cell works are similar, only reaction catalyzed microbial fuel cells to achieve internally. Under anaerobic conditions, microbial metabolism produced by the Food and chemical reactions to produce power.

    Antelope Lou said, a small plant to process 4,000 tons per year of whey. microbial fuel cell not only in the cheese industry has its uses in the cellar, pig farming, food processing plants, and even the water in their mining, processing can flex its muscles.

    Bristol Robotics Laboratory Krisma Hersh said that, in theory, it suffices to find a suitable micro-organisms, microbial fuel cell can be any organic material to drive. Over the years, Meierheshen tried to use household waste to drive the robot. He said that the ideal situation is to use cheap water, but past experience shows that when the fuel cell using the refined, including the synthesis of sugar, liquid fuel, the fuel cell can play better.

    Search Antelope Lou is that the use of waste treatment plants for local water extract of micro-organisms, as long as the use of the dilution of whey, and refining the fuel can be both matter in the whey, the problem is that the production of electricity as a few milliwatts, low current charge for mobile phones are reluctantly.

    In addition, the direct use of wastewater is also facing challenges. Antelope Lou team found that the cells produced electronically, only 2% of the electron is in progress, the efficiency is too low, because the whey itself is contained in the electronic absorption of microbes . Researchers whey sterilization and killing these organisms, the fuel cell efficiency to 25% of Coulomb.

    Tags: ,

  • 28May

    AUO invests $350 million to build highly efficient solar cell factory

    battery news 4 Comments

    AUO Council approved them and the greater cooperation of the U.S. residential and commercial solar energy company SunPower, the two sides will set up solar cell joint venture plant in Malaysia.

    Pursuant to the agreement of the two, both parties will each invest $ 350 million, the plant will start producing in the fourth quarter of this year, is expected within three to four years, the total production capacity will reach 1.4GWp (total cumulative).

    Since 2009, in cases of solar batteries, AUO performance in this area has been very positive. First $ 356 million to buy the upstream polysilicon and solar wafer fab Japanese M. Setek 65.57% share, followed by another 167 million USD this year, Japanese investment in polysilicon manufacturers.

    AUO is also installed on the German battery manufacturer to develop in mainland China, Taiwan and the Czech Republic in the production of solar modules. Last month, central Taiwan, AUO announced the filing of a crystalline silicon solar battery production line, set the capacity of 30MWp (solar cells Power Point).

    The industry believes that bilateral cooperation is highly complementary to each other, first wanting to join the group Friends of the solar manufacturing industry, but who need high-quality technical support, co Sunpower -junction solar cells patented static (back contact solar cells), but cost too high, the Friends hope Sunpower Daly amount of experience in producing technical help control costs of production.

    Tags: ,

  • 27May

    MiLi Unveils New Battery Packs Crystal and Miracle

    battery news No Comments

    MiLi has announced a pair of new external battery packs called the Miracle and the Crystal recently that helps to keep your gadgets charged up. I looked at one of the company’s iPhone products not too long ago and it was pretty good.

    MiLi has announced today a pair of new battery packs for gadgets called the Power Miracle and the Power Crystal. Both of the battery packs are slender and come in multiple colors. The Crystal has a carabiner loop built into its case for portability.

    Both of the battery packs have a 2000mAh battery inside that promises to double the run time of most devices. Each of the battery packs include six tips for popular mobile devices including a USB cord, mini USB, micro USB, and tips for the iPhone, LG, Samsung, Blackberry, and more. The Miracle is $44.95 and the Crystal is the same price.

    Tags: , ,

  • 27May

    Boston-Power teams up with BMZ to bring battery innovation to Europe markets

    battery news 2 Comments

    Boston-Power, Inc., the provider of next-generation lithium-ion batteries, is to partner Batterien-Montage-Zentrum (BMZ), Europe’s leading system supplier for rechargeable battery packs, with the aim of bringing battery innovation to markets around the globe, with a focus on Europe.

    Under terms of the agreement, BMZ will manufacture battery packs and market to the portable power, transportation, utility energy storage and government markets products based on Boston-Power’s Sonata and Swing lithium-ion cells.

    Boston-Power recently celebrated the third anniversary of its rechargeable lithium-ion battery cells having earned Nordic Ecolabel accreditation. Boston-Power remains the only rechargeable lithium-ion battery worldwide to hold this designation. The company’s products have also earned a similar industry-first certification from the China Environmental United Certification Center (CEC).

    Boston-Power’s other product line, Swing, is designed primarily for use in transportation applications such as electric scooters, electric bikes and electric vehicles, as well as utility energy storage applications. Swing offers long life capabilities, with 1000 cycles at 100 percent depth of discharge and 2000 cycles at 90 percent depth of discharge. In addition, Swing features a high energy density - at 420 Wh/L, approximately twice the density of today’s lithium phosphate based cells.

    “In the past 15 years, BMZ has designed about 2400 different battery packs for it more than 900 mostly European customers. This number is expected to increase to close to 2600 systems by the end of 2010. In terms of life, safety and environmental compatibility, the hitherto unique Sonata and Swing cells from Boston-Power put us in the position of being able to offer the world’s most intelligent and environmentally friendly mobile power solution,” said Klaus Heck, sales manager at BMZ.

    Tags: , ,

  • 26May

    Nissan began to build battery factory in the United States

    battery news 3 Comments

    Nissan Motor Company began construction of its battery plant in North America to support the Chief Executive Carlos Ghosn of electric cars in the United States will usher in the prediction of tides.

    The battery plant in Tennessee will be in 2012, one year to power 200,000 electric cars lithium-ion batteries, Nissan plans to produce more load than 150,000 cars flip tailgate. As the third Japanese manufacturer of cars, Nissan said the 1.7 billion the U.S. government for its battery to provide 1.4 billion credit facility. The Tennessee plant also provide up to 1,300 jobs.

    “Now that we have will completely change the printing industry of auto consumption.” Ghosn said: “Nissan to production of lithium-ion batteries in the United States closer to its goal of energy independence and create green jobs, help retain U.S. manufacturing. ”

    Ghosn, 56, is now operational and its partner Renault, Nissan Motor Company. The two companies, Ghosn hope they will lead to a new market because the United States, Japan and Europe to require manufacturers of vehicles to reduce oil consumption, reduce carbon emissions . Although General Motors, Toyota and other competitors are set to launch its own electric vehicle, but not as a company like Nissan plans to achieve annual sales in 2012, 500,000 electric cars.

    Ghosn said Nissan will reduce costs in order to achieve economies of scale.

    “I do not think it’s a risk, but a great opportunity.” Ghosn said: “When we are able to produce 500 thousand, 100 million, we do not need government support.”

    Tags: ,

  • 25May

    Magna to invest $600 million on new battery plants in EU, U.S.

    battery news 4 Comments

    Magna International plans to invest as much as $600 million on new plants to produce batteries for electric cars, a rapidly growing business as carmakers try alternative power options, Magna’s boss said on Tuesday.

    Magna co-Chief Executive Siegfried Wolf said at an event in Vienna that he had earmarked a $200-300 million investment for each of the two factories he is planning. One factory will be built in the European Union, one in the United States.

    Magna started a new business earlier this year that will focus exclusively on electric cars and will produce complete vehicles as well as battery units — still the most expensive and technologically challenging part of electric cars.

    Wolf said that the decision about where to build the battery factories would be made before the end of the year.

    The new E-car business is a joint venture with Magna’s founder Frank Stronach and is part of a complex deal that will reduce Stronach’s direct influence on Magna. Wolf said it would begin serial car production in 2012 or 2013.

    Tags: ,

  • 24May

    Sanyo Mira EV broke its own record by covering 1,003.184 km without recharge

    battery news 2 Comments

    One of the biggest problems that EVs face to get that equal share on the road with their gas guzzling counterparts is their limited battery life. But the Japan Electric Vehicle Club (Japan EV Club), a civic group based in Tokyo, has a different story to tell. To the delight of the environmentally conscious people, the club customized Mira EV to make it travel exactly 1,003.184 km without a charge. The club to claim a new entry in the Guinness World Record, as it’s shattered its own record from last month when Mira EV drove 555.6km from Tokyo to Osaka on a single charge.

    The all electric Mira EV was powered by a Sanyo lithium-ion battery that was designed by assembling 8,320 cylindrical lithium-ion batteries. The car ran for 27 and a half hour at around 40km/h on average.

    Tags: ,

  • 23May

    Batteries, super capacitors and fuel cell market will expand

    battery news 2 Comments

    According to market research LuxResearch forecasts, the global transportation network and applications for intelligent battery, supercapacitors, and fuel cells the market will be U.S. $ 21.4 billion in 2010 to double that in 2015, expanded to 44.4 billion dollar scale.

    LuxResearch stressed that the pace of market growth, mainly major automakers introduced the electric car program, and governments around the world billions of dollars to build large-scale investment in smart grid technology. The Agency has reviewed the prospects of several technologies, including vehicles used in batteries, super capacitors, fuel cells, as well as network applications, stored, distributed generation, transmission and Technology distribution also.

    “Policy makers, automakers and the mass media, will focus on the plug-in rechargeable batteries and electric vehicles; analyst” LuxResearch JacobE.Grose, said: “In fact, electric bikes and motorcycles will be next five years, the growth engine of the greatest strengths of the battery market. ”

    The agency believes that electric vehicles market for energy storage technology, from 7.7 billion in 2010, growth in 2015 to 14.5 billion U.S. dollars, the rate of compound annual growth 13.5%, while mounted on a battery market of motor vehicles, it will be the year 2010 6.4 billion level, widened to 10.9 billion in 2015, the compound annual growth rate of 11- %.

    Various cell technology point of view, lead-acid batteries occupied in 2010 market automotive applications treadmill in China 93%, and a micro-hybrid vehicle core market. lithium battery market is the growth rate of lead-acid batteries will be three times from 2010 to 2015, the average annual compound growth of 22%.

    The market scale of emerging technologies, will be from 2010 to 2015 rapid growth, with a 17% compound annual growth rates of U.S. $ 13.7 to 30 billion dollars to expand the scale, which is an intelligent network the largest market of its compound annual growth rate up to 23%, expanding from 5.4 billion in 2010, increasing to 15.8 billion dollars in 2015.

    Tags: ,

  • 21May

    Japan Tested Replaceable Battery Electric Taxis

    battery news 1 Comment

    In Tokyo, three electric taxis with replaceable batteries began service recently. They are participating in a 90 day trial to test the practical issues arising from real world service in a huge city. The taxis are available on the first floor of the Roppongi Hills center.

    That is certainly not a large number in a city with 60,000 taxis and 13 million people. However, the rollout is being tested and managed very carefully due to the newness of the technology. Battery swapping for electric vehicles is actually quite different from conventional fuel options. For one thing, the batteries reportedly can be changed in 60 seconds.

    The Tokyo test is meant to demonstrate that taxis in cities all over the world could use this technology to reduce local air pollution. New York City has over 50,000 for-hire vehicles. Hong Kong has over 18,000 taxis. Even if half of these vehicles in the future are replaced with, or converted to electric, air pollution could be reduced significantly.

    Better Place is the company responsible for the battery-switching technology and taxi conversion from gasoline to electricity. They plan to launch electric vehicle battery switching and charging networks in Israel, Denmark and Hawaii in the near future.

    Tags: ,

« Previous Entries