Solar energy is arguably the most promising form of alternative energy because of its abundance and low emissions. A number of challenges, however, must be overcome in order to make use of the Sun’s energy. One such challenge is efficient storage of energy collected during the day for use at night. The modern World will probably not tolerate the lights going out when the Sun goes down.

Solar energy can supply a residence or commercial building with power but efficient storage creates greater potential for transportation. Energy collected during the day can be stored at a residence and used to power electric automobiles (e.g., the gas station is your home). Even more, imagine a car that can store energy collected from the Sun for driving at night. More research and development will lead to discoveries enabling such modes of transportation. The good news is that researchers are already working on finding a solution to this storage problem

See ‘Major discovery’ from MIT primed to unleash solar revolution

5 factors driving the efficiency of solar energy at Renewable Energy Sources. Solar energy is becoming more cost efficient and here are 5 reasons how it becomes so.

Solar Living Institute Solar Trainings Set for Success at Renewable Energy World. People involved in the solar business can learn how to operate their business for success and other aspects of the solar industry.

EnviroMission’s Solar Tower at Dump It In The Pump. EnviroMission’s building a tower to collect thermal solar energy from the sun.

BP Invests $90 Million in Verenium’s Cellulosic Ethanol Technology by Nick Chambers at Gas 2.0. BP is beginning their investments in alternative energy sources.

Simple Storage of the Sun by Joshua S Hill at CleanTechnica. Storing solar energy is one of the biggest challenges for solar power, MIT has discovered a solution.

Hydrogen Gets Cheaper and Cheaper by Cory Renauer at Replacing Oil. The technologies behind hydrogen fuel is getting cheaper.

If you’ve been thinking about buying a new car this year, check out the top 5 hybrid cars gor 2008:

Virtually any biological matter has potential as a fuel source because carbon-based molecules can release energy. To this end, Hollywood depictions of automobiles running directly on trash (e.g., banana peels), such as those presented in “Back to the Future”, are not as fictional as we may think. Understanding the chemistry, developing technology, and establishing a reliable network, however, remain challenges that must be addressed in order to transform such science fiction into reality.

When evaluating a biofuel source, one must consider that agriculturally derived fuels are in competition with the World’s appetite. That is, a civilization sustained by agriculture risks collapse if our farm lands are converted to “fields of fuel”. A recent example of this problem transpired when a combination of severe weather and crop rotation brought about a shortage in the supply of hops. A decision to plant ethanol producing corn instead of hops contributed to the current shortage, and in turn increased beer price. Careful planning must be undertaken in order to prevent such constrain of our food supply. Developing diverse alternative energies will reduce risk, offer an efficient platform of energy supply, and prevent significant impact on other aspects of our society.

MIT’s Oil Paper at Dump It In The Pump. MIT has developed a paper that can absorbs oil from water.

Company Unveils Home-Based Hydrogen Refueling Station by Andrew Williams at Gas 2.0. Hydrogen cars may get a kick start with home based refueling stations.

Ecopreneurs Drive Green Movement – Discovery Channel Shows How by MC Milker at Ecopreneurist. The Discovery channel has launched an all-green network called “Planet Green”.

Th!nk! Can This Eco-friendly Car Start an Electronic Revolution? by Sam Aola Ooko at Eco Wordly. Th!nk is an all electric car that could change the auto industry as we know it.

Solar Energy Creating Economic Boom for Nevada by Sarah Lozanova at Clean Technica. With the rise in solar energy, Nevada is shining.

New, Cost Effective Solar Energy Devices from MIT by Max Lindberg at Planet Save. MIT engineers have developed a new method to collect energy from the sun.

Is the End of Suburbia Approaching? by Ariel Schwartz Eco Localizer. With high gas prices, expansions of suburban housing may be ending.

Signs of progress in offshore wind at Village Green Energy. Offshore wind power advances as wind technology improves.

Solar Continues To Gather Steam… at 21st Century Energy. Solar technology is advancing and practical applications are being developed.

1. Abundance. The Sun sends solar energy towards the earth, each and every day. It is an endless supply of energy.

2. Choices. Solar energy can be generated in two forms, namely electricity and heat.

3. Availability. Solar cells or “photovoltaics” do not need directly sunlight to produce energy. So even on overcast days, solar panels can still collect energy.

4. Technology. The technologies to produce solar electricity is getting cheaper. It’s estimated that within 10 years, solar electricity will be cheaper than traditional fossil fuel produced electricity and fuel.

I have been covering the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE competition and the developments in the auto industry. I am going to begin covering the X PRIZE foundation’s Energy and Environment competition here.

They plan on giving up to $100 million in prizes for the areas of alternative generation, energy efficiency, energy storage sustainable housing, and carbon sequestration.

Even though these competitions have not yet been created, you can view their general overview on their guidelines and criteria that they will use to develop competitions.

This is an exciting time in the alternative energy field as the X PRIZE Foundation challenges scientists, entrepreneurs, and leaders in the field to come up with solutions that will really change the world as we know it.

Already, the X PRIZE Foundation put a private aircraft 100 kilometers above the earth’s surface that could carry three people. Scaled Composites was the winning group when their craft SpaceShipOne did it twice in two weeks.

As the Energy and Environment competition moves along, I will be following the progress here.

The debate over the future of America’s energy policy is heating up, and it is liable to reach temperatures of near-combustion amidst the politics of this explosive election season. One industry that has long been a pillar of the American energy establishment is coal, and the case of coal is particularly compelling for two reasons. The first is that massive reserves in western US states such as Montana and Wyoming allow a viable pathway to improved energy independence from unstable and often unsavory oil-producing states. Montana’s reserves alone stand at a staggering 120 billion recoverable tons; at 2006 levels of consumption, this would be enough to meet in totality the coal needs of mighty China for nearly half a century. The negative, of course, is that coal-fired power plants are among the most heinous emitters of greenhouse gases.

This clashing of interests has given rise to vocal confrontations in Washington and across the country regarding the role that coal will play in America’s future. The Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and other influential congressional figures such as Representative Henry Waxman have exhibited their outright opposition to the furthering of any coal interests, arguing that carbon costs are too great and that attention is better focused on renewables such as wind, geothermal and solar power. Aware of the mounting pressure, coal mining giants that reap billions in profits are seeking uses of the fuel that will belch less carbon into the atmosphere. But for Reid and others, the term “clean coal” will only ever be an oxymoron.

Montana’s Democratic governor Brian Schweitzer has built a largely deserved reputation as a champion of environmental causes. However his state is split between conservationist elements and a more traditional core composed of ranchers and agriculturalists and of course the interests of “big coal” to which he is not insignificantly beholden. As he straddles this divide, he is uniquely positioned to make a push for better uses of coal. “There is no choice but to go forward with coal,” he said recently. “The question is, how are we going to move forward and develop the technology that will make coal clean?”

Central to Schweitzer’s proposal is the implementation of large-scale coal gasification and coal-to-liquids (CTL) projects. Like other alternative energy initiatives such as biofuels, their ultimate effectiveness and desirability remain uncertain. But given America’s energy exigencies, and the fact that in the foreseeable future coal power will continue to play a large role, it seems to be worthy of our attention.

The process of coal gasification disintegrates coal into its component parts by subjecting it to very high temperatures and applying pressure using steam and oxygen. The resulting synthesis gas or “syngas” is mostly carbon monoxide and hydrogen. It is much easier to remove pollutants such as mercury and sulfur from the syngas, allowing it to burn more cleanly. In addition, once the snygas has been cleaned it is similar to natural gas, which allows it to be burned in more efficient gas turbines. The gas can be further reconstituted into a liquid fuel via the Fischer-Tropsch process, and can then be used directly as a heating oil or indeed to power vehicles.

The prospect is not without unequivocal drawbacks. First of all, it would entail the continuation of coal mining, and the extraction in itself can be an abominable practice. Secondly, although it allows for a significant reduction of carbon dioxide from the levels emitted by dirty coal-fired plants, it still releases sizeable amounts. The releases are relatively easier to capture, but the prevalent idea of “sequestration”—storing the carbon dioxide underground—remains problematic. Finally, in the infantile stages, the costs of “integrated gasification combined-cycle” (IGCC) plants to generate electricity remain very high. However as with all new and untested technologies, these costs could be expected to diminish if the plants become widespread.

Because of the coal mining that it would continue to necessitate, and because it allows only for a reduction of CO2 levels and not their elimination, coal gasification cannot be considered a solution in the absolute sense. And there of course is the lingering external question of energy inputs for the gasification process. But it is when one adopts a more pragmatic view that the light of its desirability perhaps begins to shine through. Coal mining must be rigorously regulated. Early start-ups of IGCC plants will require hefty subsidies and other incentives. But if costs begin to fall, coal gasification and CTL technologies could prove vital catalysts for energy independence and cleaner fuels.

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Daniel Lafleche is the co-founder of Alternative Channel, a website dedicated to giving non-profit organizations concerned with issues of sustainable development, environmentalism, and humanitarian issues an online forum for their video content. You can learn more at www.alternativechannel.tv