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In the transports and logistics world, there are few prospects as exciting as limitless free power. Thanks to Victor I. Klimov, who works as Team Leader at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, solar power generation could soon become a lot more efficient.

Imagine having solar cells as small as molecules and you get an idea of where Dr Klimov and his pals are taking the future of solar panels by taking advantage of today’s hottest nanotechnology advances.

On the one hand, you have an abundant amount of -largely untapped- solar energy which is available almost everywhere on Earth (during day time) and on the other, you have the latest nanotechnology shrinking techniques. For Dr Klimov, the fit made perfect sense.

Based in New Mexico, the research team has achieved something which may help shape the way we power stuff in the not-so-distant future and not just pocket calculators. Technically speaking, for one photon of sunlight, you get two electron’s worth of electricity. That’s a huge leap over today’s solar panel capabilities!

By shrinking the functional element of a solar cell to a few nanometers (that’s a millionth of a millimiter), each captured photon can be made to generate two -or even more- charge carriers, which makes it twice as efficient (or more) than today’s best solar panels.

The good news is that this hot technological prowess could, sooner than later, be available for all sorts of applications since the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, based in Golden, Colorado, has successfully replicated Dr Klimov’s experiment.

It’s natural to assume that for anything remotely located and needing a power source to function, this discovery paves the way for very efficient solar panels which can, for instance, power all sorts of electronic signage (especially LED-based)… or even satellites!

Now, more than ever, a sunny future awaits all T&L companies who can successfully integrate such engaging technologies in their operations or offerings.

Tags: nanotechnology, solar power, solar panels, lanl, klimov, energy

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Trade using surface transportation between the United States and its North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) partners Canada and Mexico was 14.8% higher in March 2006 than in March 2005, reaching $68.2 billion, the highest monthly level ever recorded, according to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) of the U.S. Department of Transportation (Table 1).

BTS, a part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), reported that total North American surface transportation trade rose 14.1% in March from February (Table 2). Month-to-month changes can be affected by seasonal variations and other factors.

The previous monthly high was $64.0 billion in October 2005. Surface transportation consists largely of freight movements by truck, rail and pipeline. About 90% of U.S. trade by value with Canada and Mexico moves on land.

Total North American surface transportation trade value in March was up 35.8% compared to March 2001, and up 100.5% compared to March 1996, a period of 10 years (Table 3). Imports in March were up 114.6% compared to March 1996, while exports were up 84.8%.

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Canada

U.S.–Canada surface transportation trade totaled $44.0 billion in March, up 11.4% compared to March 2005 (Table 4). The value of imports carried by truck was 8.6% higher in March 2006 than March 2005 while the value of exports carried by truck was 13.3% higher.

Michigan led all states in surface trade with Canada in March with $6.7 billion (Table 5).

U.S. Surface Transportation Trade with Mexico

U.S. – Mexico surface transportation trade totaled $24.2 billion in March, up 21.5% compared to March 2005 (Table 6). The value of imports carried by truck was 18.1% higher in March 2006 than March 2005 while the value of exports carried by truck was 21.9% higher.

Texas led all states in surface trade with Mexico in March with $7.7 billion (Table 7).

The Transborder Freight Dataset is a special extract of the official U.S. foreign trade statistics. The data are tabulated for BTS monthly by the U.S. Census Bureau’s Foreign Trade Division. March transborder numbers include data received by BTS as of May 15.

Tags: surface trade, canada, mexico, usa, foreign trade, statistics, transborder, bts

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The United Kingdom’s Department for Transport has today published National Statistics on freight traffic handled at UK ports in 2005.

These provisional port statistics for 2005 show that:

• Total freight traffic rose by 8.5 million tonnes (Mt) to 581.6 Mt in 2005, 1.5 per cent up on 2004;
• Inwards traffic rose by 9.7 Mt to 352.1 Mt, whilst outwards traffic fell by 1.2 Mt to 229.4 Mt;
• Freight traffic through the 52 major UK ports totalled 565.8 Mt, up 7.6 Mt on 2004. This represented 97 per cent of total UK port freight traffic in 2005;
• Grimsby and Immingham maintained its position as the UK’s leading port in 2005 with 58.1 Mt (0.4 Mt up on 2004), followed by Tees and Hartlepool with 55.8 Mt (up 2.0 Mt) and London with 53.8 Mt (up 0.6 Mt);

The top ten ports in 2005, in terms of tonnage, were as follows:

Tags: uk, ports, port statistics, europe, navigation, shipping, london, liverpool, freight traffic

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Last month, in West Sacramento, President Bush visited the California Fuel Cell Partnership headquarters to learn about the progress of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

During his visit, the President toured the solar-powered facility including CaFCP’s hydrogen station and a vehicle service bay — one of eight — to see the work that goes on a daily basis. He also saw fuel cell vehicles produced by eight auto manufacturers and two fuel cell buses.

At the conclusion of the tour, President Bush spoke about advanced transportation technology to an audience comprised of CaFCP members and White House guests. Here are short excerpts:

“I strongly believe hydrogen is the fuel of the future. That’s what we’re talking about,” the President stated during his speech. “Hydrogen is used in a fuel cell that can power a car that uses no gasoline, produces no pollution or greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrogen vehicles can be twice as efficient as gasoline vehicles. Hydrogen is clean; hydrogen is domestically produced; and hydrogen is the wave of the future. And the people here at the California Fuel Cell Partnership understand that.”

To this day, a total of 134 fuel cell passenger vehicles and 9 fuel cell buses have been placed on California’s roads. They fuel at the 22 hydrogen stations located in major metropolitan areas, across California.

These vehicles are powered by electricity produced onboard by fuel cells that combine hydrogen fuel with oxygen from air. Their only tailpipe emission is water. This truly represents an alternative for the future of transport.

Founded during Earth Week seven years ago, the California Fuel Cell Partnership is a collaboration of 31 member organizations working together to promote the commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

CaFCP members include automotive manufacturers, energy providers, government agencies, fuel cell technology companies and transit agencies. Through collaboration, the members share learnings, develop common practices and prepare the California market for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

CaFCP is committed to promoting fuel cell vehicle commercialization as a means of moving toward a sustainable energy future, increasing energy efficiency, and reducing or eliminating air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

The official CaCFP press release has a few more details and you can also read President Bush’s exact words during his speech about advanced transportation technology, in the State of California.

Tags: hydrogen, green cars, california, pollution, greenhouse gas, emissions, transportation

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Just when you thought gas prices couldn’t go higher, they broke new records! When you’re a manager or business owner in the T&L industry, this is alarming news which consistently affects your bottom line.

Moving things around the world or around the block just got pricier and any new gas alternative out there will suddenly become a lot more interesting. That’s exactly how the US Department of Energy sees things. The spirit of their initiatives go something like “If it can be built, then let’s promote it… and perhaps even celebrate it.”

You should bookmark their Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy information web site for extensive reviews of technologies that apply to the T&L industry in part but may have significant impacts on several fronts on your business operations, such as:

• Biomass
• Building Technologies
• Distributed Energy
• Vehicle Technologies
• Geothermal Technologies
• Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies (Must Read)
• Industrial Technologies
• Solar Technologies
• Weatherization
• Wind and Hydropower

But that’s not all, the EERE operates the US Government’s Fuel Economy web site, dedicated mainly to consumer vehicles, which also apply to many commercial fleets. Many engaging themes are available, such as: gasoline prices, gas mileage tips, hybrid vehicles, alternative fuel vehicles and energy efficiency. The Fast Fuel Cost Calculator can also come in handy to see how much fuel efficient cars can save you and your company, over the course of several years of operation.

If you’re a fan of ethanol, the Alternative Fuels Data Center’s interactive Ethanol E85 map quickly shows where you can find refueling stations across the United States. Minnesota seems to have the lead, for now!

As expected, there’s a lot of activity going on for altertive fuels applied to consumer vehicles. Battery powered city buses and such have been successfully deployed but it’ll be a few years before you can replace your current fleet of large vans for alternative fuel equivalents. That’s fine because consumer vehicle progresses can often serve as tangible inspiration to companies who serve the transports and logistics operators.

Let’s not get overly enthusiastic. After all, commercial transportation is all about performance. Heavier loads, shorter delays. Nowadays, only fossil fuel can deliver in the face of such demanding standards. Even if you dream about going to your local Peterbilt truck shop to order a hydrogen fuel powered model, it’s just not possible.

So why should you care about all that’s going on in the consumer market?

Because the progress is real, on almost every front.

Never in recent history have we been closer to getting our hands on fully functional altertive energy cars that perform as well, if not better, than current gasoline comparables. Almost all auto makers are actively building tomorrow’s technology today and some models can help you save the environment, even if it’s in a small way, at first.

If you would like to know more about how you can “green up” your company’s vehicles and operations, you can also visit the US Environmental Protection Agency to get a bigger picture of how fuel economy fits in a greener future scenario.

For now, all eyes are on “alternative” solutions!

Tags: alternative fuels, greener cars, epa, hydrogen fuel, fossil fuel, transportation, economy

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