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Artist’s rendering of the Porsche GT3 R Hybrid.

(Credit: Porsche)

It’ll be fast, and it’ll be green.

High-performance automaker Porsche plans to unveil a hybrid version of its 911 GT3 R race car at the Geneva Motor Show in March–and then enter it in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring race this May.

Curious about how Porsche plans to get Porsche-like performance out of a green machine? To pique your interest, the company on Thursday issued a press release explaining roughly how the gas-electric hybrid system will work, and showing off some artist’s renderings of the car.

In addition to a 480-bhp 4-liter engine powering the rear axle, the race car will have two electric motors for the front axle, each one capable of delivering 60kW to the two front wheels. But instead of powering the electric motors with heavy batteries that might weigh down or upset the balance of a race car, the 911 GT3 R Hybrid will have an electric flywheel power generator.

When the driver applies the brakes, the two electric front axle motors act as generators, and the flywheel generator stores energy from braking. The driver can then use the power from the flywheel generator for a burst of power lasting 6 to 8 seconds, presumably to overtake another car or to accelerate out of a bend.

Even with the entry in the Nurburgring event, Porsche is under no pretense that the hybrid sports car will actually be competitive.

“The focus is not on the 911 GT3 R Hybrid winning the race, but rather serving as a spearhead in technology and a ‘racing laboratory’ providing know-how on the subsequent use of hybrid technology in road-going sports cars,” Porsche said in a statement.

The Porsche news follows Ferrari’s announcement in January that it will be unveiling a hybrid version of the Ferrari 599 GTB at the Geneva auto show.

The 911 GT3 R that Porsche unveiled in January 2010 will be the basis for its hybrid race car.

(Credit: Porsche)

This artist’s rendering shows the placement of the electrical flywheel battery.

Tesla Motors will receive a long-sought $465 million loan to build a factory to build its planned Model S electric sedan, the U.S. Department of Energy said on Thursday.

With the loan, Tesla will be able to start making the Model S in volume during 2012 and ramp up to 20,000 units by the end of 2013. The location of the facility is expected to be in Southern California.

The Model S is one of a few highly anticipated electric cars coming out in the next few years. It’s designed to go over 300 miles on batteries, be large enough to carry five adults and two children, and still have lots of cargo space. The base price for the car will be almost $49,900.

For Tesla, the loan allows it to move ahead with its production plans in a difficult environment for raising the large amounts of capital needed to build a factory.

A number of other automakers invested in electrification will also receive Energy Department loans to encourage domestic auto manufacturing. Ford Motor received a $5.9 billion loan and the Energy Department has made conditional commitments to Tesla competitor Fisker Automotive and Nissan North America, which plans to introduce the all-electric Leaf later this year.

In a statement, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said the loan program is an effort to “lay the foundation” for the electric-vehicle industry.

Source :

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10439050-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Making data centers more energy efficient has been elevated to a college degree.

IBM on Wednesday said it has developed a two-year associates degree in “green data center management” in collaboration with the Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Neb.

Existing technologies like virtualization can improve data center efficiently significantly. Emerging technologies such as this wireless sensor promise better control over equipment and facilities.

(Credit: Arch Rock)

Starting in December, students will learn how to design and manage data centers to run efficiently in what IBM says is the first college degree in the subject. Classes will be offered online to remote students as well.

The Environmental Protection Agency in 2007 estimated that data centers alone use about 1.5 percent of all electricity in the U.S. and are on a pace to double consumption in the coming years. With existing technologies, energy use could be cut by 25 percent, representing up to $4 billion in savings, the EPA found.

Because of financial and environmental concerns, more data center operators are taking steps to cut energy use, such as consolidating server workloads and upgrading cooling systems. Companies such as IBM, HP, and IT consulting companies have practices in designing facilities to be more efficient.

The green IT degree from IBM and Metropolitan Community College covers technologies for consolidating computing work loads, including virtualization, as well as security and disaster recovery. The course work also addresses the nuts and bolts of building and managing a facility, such as cabling and monitoring.

The data center where the class will be taught, which will be stocked with IBM servers, was funded by a $1.8 million Department of Labor grant.

Source :

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10331256-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20

Now that you’ve dumped your gas-guzzling pick-up, maybe it’s time to move that old fridge from the garage.

The Department of Energy is sponsoring a $300 million program, funded by the economic stimulus plan, that will let consumers get a rebate on an EnergyStar-rated appliance. It’s modeled roughly like the Cash for Clunkers program, which is now ending, although trading in older home equipment isn’t required.

The Energy Department has begun awarding funding for individual states. Maryland is getting a $5.4 million slice and will run the program through the Maryland Energy Administration, according to an article on Wednesday in the Baltimore Sun. Pennsylvania has also applied and is expected to receive $12 million, according to a report in the Reading Eagle.

The program will be designed by individual states and U.S. territories, all of which are expected to participate. The rebates themselves could be administered directly by states, utilities, or some other third party, a Department of Energy representative said on Thursday.

States have flexibility to determine what will be covered but the Energy Department has suggested home goods that consume the most energy, including: air conditioners, washing machines, dryers, heating equipment, and refrigerators and freezers.

The final funding applications are due back to the Energy Department by the middle of October, which means that the rebates could be available later this year or early next year.

Utilities around the country already offer rebate programs for moving to more efficient home equipment. An often-cited example is the California Energy Commission which has set strict efficiency standards for refrigerators and other equipment, which has helped keep per capita electricity consumption nearly steady since the 1970s.

Already in place is an Energy Department program which will give homeowners a 30 percent tax credit up to $1,500 for energy-efficient equipment upgrades.

Source :

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10319268-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-20