In green technology news this week, thousands of tourists, teenagers, and tipplers will crowd into New York City’s Times Square at 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve to see this year’s dazzling ball—comprising 672 LED modules— drop and to enjoy a smooch as the year 2011 passes into history; Apple Inc. has filed U.S. patent applications for two types of miniature, lightweight hydrogen fuel cells that would charge mobile devices for days or even weeks; Japan is said to be considering putting the utility TEPCO under temporary state control; biofuel producer Cool Planet has completed a Series C Round of funding; and much, much more.
While other towns have tried to duplicate the Big Apple’s New Year’s bash, none has quite the energy or élan of the original—and none has a ball that can rival the one atop One Times Square. This year’s spectacular sphere— made by (and of) Ireland’s famous Waterford Crystal—is 12 feet in diameter and weighs 11, 875 pounds. It has been built to withstand the stresses of high winds, precipitation, and temperature fluctuations, to brightly shine over 400 feet above Times Square throughout the year. There are 2,688 crystal triangles in the ball—bolted to 672 LED (light-emitting diode) modules, which are attached to the aluminum frame of the ball. The ball is illuminated by 32,256 Philips Luxeon Rebel LEDs —with each of the 672 modules containing 48 Philips LEDs: 12 red, 12 blue, 12 green, and 12 white, for a total of 8,064 of each color. By mixing these four colors, the ball is capable of creating a palette of more than 16 million vibrant colors and billions of patterns, producing a spectacular kaleidoscope effect. .
Following the untimely death of founder Steve Jobs (News 
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In related news, The New York Times reports that the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, Virginia, is running an exhibit of 30 giant iPhone-like models honoring the inventions of the late Steve Jobs. Each iPhone model displays patents that list Jobs as inventor or co-inventor. Altogether about 300 patents are on display, giving exhibit attendees a visual tour through Apple’s history of design and innovation. The patent exhibit is free and open to the public until January 15.
This week, Japan’s government floated the idea of putting Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO)—the operator of the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant—under temporary state control, following a request by the utility for an additional $8.9 billion from the state-run Nuclear Damage Liability Facilitation Fund to help it compensate families affected by the crisis. The company’s request, if granted, would bring the amount of aid the utility has sought from the Nuclear Damage Compensation Facilitation Corporation to $22.1 billion from a previous $13.1 billion.
A Camarillo, California-based biofuel startup that is making hydrocarbon fuel from cellulosic plant matter—and then returning the excess carbon to the soil for sequestration— has attracted interest from major industry players in a C round of investment. Cool Planet BioFuels, Inc. announced on December 29 that BP Technology Ventures has made an investment in the company's C Round, along with follow-on capital infusions by the company's current investors, General Electric, Google Ventures, ConocoPhillips, NRG Energy, and North Bridge Venture Partners. The C Round was led by Shea Ventures of Walnut, California. The amount of funding was not disclosed. Cool Planet BioFuels is developing bio-based renewable, reduced-carbon gasoline that is chemically indistinguishable from a crude-oil-derived product—and that that can be blended with conventional gasoline and used in today's vehicles. The company expects to deploy hundreds of relatively low-cost modular plants nationwide in the United States in the next few years, to make effective use of available biomass without incurring high transportation costs. Cool Planet's Energy Systems Division plans to mass produce these plants on a production line basis.
Following years of litigation—and copious concessions—Southwestern Electric Power (SWEPCO) has cleared the way for completion of the first U.S. ultra-supercritical (USC) coal-fired generation plant. The $2.1 billion, 600-megawatt (MW) John W. Turk Jr. Power Plant is scheduled to start operations in 2012. In July, SWEPCO reached a settlement with the plant’s neighbors in Texarkana, Arkansas, predicated on the utility’s commitments not to construct any additional generation units at the Turk site, not to propose any new coal-fired power plants within 30 miles of the site, and not to install transmission wires across sensitive environmental areas. However, at that time, the National Audubon Society, Audubon Arkansas, and the Sierra Club continued to challenge the air permit for the site and the Army Corps of Engineers permit. Now, the utility has settled all legal actions by the environmentalists, as well. .As part of the second settlement, a 528-megawatt coal-fired unit near Pittsburg, Texas, will be retired no later than the end of 2016. In addition, SWEPCO will reimburse the environmental groups for $2 million in legal costs, and provide $10 million to other groups for energy-efficiency advocacy and land conservation efforts.
Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc. and SBE, Inc. have entered into a technology partnership. As part of the pact, SBE (News - Alert) is providing a novel integrated capacitor/bus structure design solution for Quantum power electronics for automotive applications."Quantum continues to optimize and improve the efficiencies of our advanced electric drive-train products. We expect the SBE integrated capacitor/bus structure to enable substantial packaging and performance advantages in our next-generation electric and hybrid-electric drive systems," said Alan Niedzwiecki, CEO Quantum (News - Alert) Technologies.
Even for the fortunate 1 percent in today’s economy, sometimes the Karma is good; sometimes it's just not right. Irvine, California-based Fisker Automotive has recalled 239 of its pricey 2012 Karma range-extended plug-in hybrid sports cars because of a battery defect. Misplaced hose clamps in the batteries could enable coolant to leak —which is a fire hazard. Waltham, Massachusetts-based A123 Systems, which supplies Fisker with the nanophosphate lithium ion battery used in the Karma, disclosed the defect on December 23. Fisker has contacted buyers of all the cars purchased so far, Roger Ormisher, a company spokesman, told Bloomberg (News - Alert). The Fisker Karma is designed to run on power from its lithium-ion battery pack for up to 50 miles, after which a 260-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine switches on to generate electricity. The car, which carries an MSRP of more than $100,000, was first delivered to U.S. dealerships in July, attracting A-list buyers, including Leonardo DiCaprio, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Former Secretary of State Colin Powell. To date, 225 Karmas have come off the production line, and Fisker has 1,200 “in the pipeline.”
Cheryl Kaften is an accomplished communicator who has written for consumer and corporate audiences. She has worked extensively for MasterCard Worldwide, Philip Morris USA (Altria), and KPMG, and has consulted for Estee Lauder and the Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.
