$2m funding for driverless electric vehicle prototype

Australia's renewable energy advocate is investing $2 million to help commercialise a Melbourne-based company's solar-powered, driverless electric vehicle designed for passenger transport and commercial applications.

Applied Electric Vehicles prototype of a solar-powered,
driverless electric vehicle which is designed for
passenger transport and commercial applications.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency's (ARENA) funding announcement follows news of the federal government's $350 million clean energy research initiative, which will develop a national strategy to integrate electric vehicle charging stations into the electricity grid.

Read the story from The Age by Mike Foley - “$2m funding for driverless electric vehicle prototype.”

(Such stories bring both joy and despair - joy because it exemplifies the wonderful inventive nature of people; despair, as it illustrates we have not yet broken free from the idea of privately owned vehicles dependent on a publicly provided road network. 

Rather than going deeper into the rabbit hole of “more of the same” we should be breaking free of the market, profit-driven system and putting forward ideas that are about people and truly public system, but maybe this is where it starts - Robert McLean)

The pavement that generates electricity: Researchers reveal solar-powered tiles that can create enough energy to help power our cities.

Solar-powered tiles could soon line pavements, harnessing the sun's energy to power our cities. 

Solar-powered tiles could soon line pavements, harnessing the sun's energy
 to power our cities. Pictured is a computer generated image of what a
 walkway by the Arabian Gulf in Doha, Qatar could look like.

At least that's the vision of Scottish scientists who are working on creating paving tiles that converts energy from the sun into electricity.

Scientists say the tiles are tough enough to withstand pedestrian traffic and waterproof enough to survive rainy weather.

Read the story by Anthony Harwood from the Daily Mail -“The pavement that generates electricity: Researchers reveal solar-powered tiles that can create enough energy to help power our cities.”

Solar powered clean drinking water maker trialled.

A solar-powered device that creates clean drinking water from the air is being trialled in Australia.

The solar-powered water makers are being trialled
 at homes and farms in remote communities.

The portable Source Hydropanels, created by Zero Mass Water, are designed to suck moisture from the air, dehumidifying it to drain the water out before it purifies and add minerals to the water. It is powered solely by attached solar arrays.

Read the story by Cole Latimer from The Age - “Solar powered clean drinking water maker trialled.”

The story behind the Bos house, Australia's first solar-powered home

Making history was not on the agenda for Judy and Michael Bos when they built their solar-powered home 40 years ago.

The home attracted the attention of architects
and students, with tours run in the 1980s.

But amid fears of an oil shortage and an emerging trend to live "off grid," the Bos family decided that building Australia's first fully autonomous solar-powered home was the "logical way to go”.

"There was a lot of talk about the energy crisis and that oil was running out," Judy Bos said.

Sitting on a four-hectare block in Pearcedale, on Melbourne's south-eastern fringe, the Bos house was designed to be naturally cool in summer and warm in winter.

Read the ABC News story by James Oaten - “The story behind the Bos house, Australia's first solar-powered home.”

World-first solar train now leaving the platform in Byron Bay with zero emissions

What is claimed to be the world's first fully solar-powered train is operating on the New South Wales North Coast.

The world's first solar-power train runs on a
three-kilometre stretch of line in Byron Bay.

A refurbished 70-year-old 'red rattler' is running on a three-kilometre stretch of disused rail line at the popular tourist destination of Byron Bay.

It made its maiden trip yesterday with almost 100 passengers on board.

Read the ABC News story by Bruce Mackenzie - “World-first solar train now leaving the platform in Byron Bay with zero emissions.”

Sam Mitchell, epic solar cyclist, is Geographic Society's young adventurer 2017

A week into the most challenging solar-powered bike ride in the world, Sam Mitchell wasn't at all sure he'd make it.

Sam's bike in the red sand.

The relentless waves of red sand dunes were threatening to break his body and spirit.

Too often there was not enough power, either from his batteries and electric motors or his pedalling, to tow his trailer with its array of solar panels, its load of water containers, his tools, a month's supply of food and all the rest, over a dune.

Sam, aged 21 at the time and from Victoria's Gippsland, was required, again and again, to dismount, unhook his trailer and drag it by hand over a sand ridge, driving his body to exhaustion.

Read the story by Tony Wright in today’s Melbourne Age - “Sam Mitchell, epic solar cyclist, is Geographic Society's young adventurer 2017.”

Melbourne trams to be solar-powered under Andrews government proposal

Using solar power for Melbourne trams is
 designed to boost investment in renewables
and create new jobs for Victorians.

Melbourne’s tram network will become entirely solar-powered under a proposal by the Andrews government to build large-scale solar farms in northern Victoria.

The proposal, announced on Thursday, is part of a plan to reduce Victoria’s net carbon emissions to zero by 2050. Tenders to build and operate 75MW of new solar farms will be released in early 2017 and the first solar power plant is expected to be completed by the end of 2018.

The environment and energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, said 35MW of the generating power of the new solar plants would be dedicated to running Melbourne’s tram network, which would reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80,000 tonnes a year.

Read Calla Wahlquist’s story in The Guardian - “Melbourne trams to be solar-powered under Andrews government proposal.”

Once it was for the birds, but now we can fly by the sun

F

Solar Impulse 2 - helping us
 fly like birds.

lying anywhere was once only for the birds, oh how things have changed!

Now we can fly anywhere we want, pretty much whenever we like, but that very activity has worsened circumstances that led to an ambitious adventure to circumnavigate the world in a solar-powered plane.

That adventure is well advanced not “Solar Implulse 2” is presently on the  most ambitious leg of its knowledge-building journey.

The ABC reports - “Sun-powered Solar Impulse 2 plane begins ambitious Pacific Ocean leg of round-the-worldvoyage” – on the latest exploits of this revolutionary solar plane