CleanTech OC Daily - 10/16/12

How Obama's Fuel Standards Are Shaping The Future of Transportation
In early 2012, the Obama Administration increased fuel efficiency standards thus requiring that all cars and SUVs sold nationwide get at least 54 miles per gallon on average by 2025. This is just the beginning. According to Robert Harrison, the deputy director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Texas, changes in future transport will have less to do with the cars and more with how we drive them. Intelligent systems, among other upgrades, will become more prevalent.

When Will US Offshore Wind Be Cost-Competitive?

The estimated wind power along the east coast, from Massachusetts to North Carolina, may be enough to build 330 gigawatts of installed generating capacity, according to a University of Delaware study. In addition, the U.S. may have as much as 4,000 gigawatts in total. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) wants to know how soon and how cost-competitively that potential can be developed given that the U.S. has no offshore wind built and no official goal to do so.

Nanotechnology Could Lead to Ultra-Thin Flexible Solar Cells

Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas are working on a nanotechnology that could lead to ultra-thin, flexible photovoltaic cells with a wide range of applications. While thin-film solar panels are already available, the researchers are attempting to reduce the thickness of the cells from a couple of hundred microns thick to about one micron thick, while also maintaining efficiency.