April 2011 Archives

The United States is on track to having one million electric cars on the road by 2015, according to the Department of Energy. One of President Obama's campaign pledges, the goal is to expand the usage of alternative vehicles and utilize cleaner energy to power transportation. And with crude oil topping $109 a barrel this week, the option is looking more attractive to consumers than before.

To help reach this target, the President has proposed a rebate of $7,500 for electric car buyers. Currently, this amount can be claimed as a tax credit. But receiving the money quicker could stimulate demand for plug-in vehicles.

Additionally, the administration is providing loans and grants to the auto industry to increase their production of electric batteries and to install charging stations to meet the foreseeable need.

"If you look at the plans of the major automotive manufacturers, there's a clear pathway to a million vehicles," said David Sandalow, Assistant Energy Secretary, in an address to the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) in Detroit.

    Image from SPIE.org

The most common, most efficient, and most overlooked example of energy savings through solar power isn't a new machine or a new chemical. It's your window. However, the single settings of most office and home lights waste that free sunshine by pumping out the same luminosity regardless of the environment. By linking LED lights to a photo-sensor, engineers at MIT have created a system that modulates the output of overhead lights so as to complement, not overpower, the free lighting provided by the sun.