CleanTech OC Daily - 8/9/12

New Bladeless Wind Turbine Claimed to be Twice as Efficient as Conventional Designs
Tunisian wind company Saphon is seeking partners to mass-produce and market their unique Zero Blade technology wind energy device. Saphon claims that their devices are capable of overcoming the Betz' limit, which states that no turbine can capture more than 59.3% of the kinetic energy of the wind. The cost of the device will also be less than traditional turbines mostly due to the fact that there are no blades, no hub, and no gearbox on the units.

Obama Admin Fast-Tracks 7 Solar/Wind Projects as part of “We Can’t Wait” Renewable Energy Strategy

Seven solar and wind energy projects have been put on the “fast-track” for review as a part of President Obama’s “We Can’t Wait” strategy for growing renewable energy in the U.S. Located in western states, the projects have been deemed “nationally and regionally significant” and, if they pass through the review process successfully, would add another 5 GW of renewable power capacity to the national supply.

Bill Clinton on “Visibly Tattooed” Solar Workers, Unions,and Wind

Former President Bill Clinton gave the keynote address at the National Clean Energy Summit and spoke about a visit to BrightSource Energy’s Ivanpah solar power plant where he observed a visibly tattooed crew that were enthusiastic about renewable energy. Tattoos aside, individuals who work in the clean power facilities can heavily influence Washington to have an environmental policy that focuses on renewable energy standards and a renewable energy future.