Category: Hydrokinetics
Prescription for Hawaii: Renewables, Electric Transportation
| April 15, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
Craig Rainey writes:
I just arrived back from a trip to Maui, HI and it continues to amaze me that they have 7000 acres of sugar cane, producing two crops/year, 90% refined into alcohol on island, over half of the cars on the road are flex fuel and they are importing gasoline from off island. Am I the only person out there that thinks that it just might be better for the island to adopt the Brazilian model?
I’ve spent a fair amount of time on Maui, and if I were they, I’d investigate skipping the carbon model altogether. They have an enormous amount of run-of-river hydro, with their huge elevations and incredible rainfall, as well as ocean thermal at their disposal. I believe that a truly fair-minded look at their energy and transportation scene would yield an attractive return on these renewables and electric transportation.
In fact, one of the dozen or so clean energy investment opportunities that I happen to favor is just perfect for the high head conditions that occur when rain falls in the mountains and runs quickly to the sea.
The Strengths and Weaknesses of Hydrokinetics
| April 10, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
Here’s a continuation in our series of videos made for young people and newcomers to the subject who may benefit from an introduction to certain of the renewable energy technologies. This piece, less than five minutes in length, is a primer on hydrokenetics, i.e., extracting energy from moving water.
Video: Unique Approach To Hydrokinetics
| April 8, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
Here’s a video in which I speak to a unique approach and capability to hydrokinetics that applies in particular to large, predictable ocean currents like the Gulf Stream and the Mozambique Current off the coast of Eastern Africa. As I freely admit, there is no such thing as a free lunch, by which I mean all attempts at renewable energy come at an ecological cost — and ocean current is no exception. Having said that, and having studied more hydro-related ideas than I can count, I believe these guys have come across something extremely promising.
Hydrokinetics: Short Introductory Video
| March 17, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
In our continuing series of videos, whose purpose is to introduce newcomers to the subject of renewable energy, I offer this short piece on hydrokinetics, featuring a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of the idea of extracting energy from moving water.
Though this sounds simple – and mankind has been harnessing that simplicity for thousands of years, it gets tricky now that there are seven billion energy-starved people on this small planet, and we’re desperately looking for sustainable ways of providing that energy.
Indeed, it’s not as easy as it seems. Anytime we insert a device into moving water, we face immediately a variety of issues, both ecological and logistical. I.e., we’re both changing the natural habitat in some ways that are hard to understand completely, and we’re also setting ourselves up to face huge costs associated with maintenance, as devices rust, and encounter things like biofouling, shifting current patterns, dynamic sea- and riverbeds, etc.
Hope you enjoy.
Ocean Current Energy Holds Potential
| March 9, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
Ocean current energy, a form of hydrokinetics, is one of the often-overlooked flavors of renewables, one that holds a great deal of potential. Low hanging fruit here, it appears, are the large and predictable currents that flow with very little variability over time. The Gulf Stream off the eastern seaboard of the United States comes immediately to mind to us Americans, as it’s what makes the Atlantic warm and enjoyable for summer vacations as far north as the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Lesser known to most of us here in the U.S. is the Mozambique Current in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, between Mozambique and Madagascar.
When I’m in the studio next week, I plan to shoot a short video that discusses various attempts to harness that energy in a cost-effective, ecologically safe manner. I’ve come across the developer of a device that is anchored (not moored) to the ocean floor, and thus can move around within the limits of its tether to find the region of maximum current. I’d like to see this guy succeed; his has one of the best ideas in hydrokinetics I’ve come across to date. If you’re interested, please let me know and I’ll put you in touch.
More on Renewable Energy Infographics
| January 8, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
I’m working on another in our series of renewable energy infographics, to present the basic concepts in a way that’s immediately understandable for newcomers to the subject. My current project is writing up “The Pros and Cons of Renewables.” The main point: all forms of energy, clean or dirty, come with a certain financial and ecological cost.
One of the main challenges associated with the migration to “new energy” is infrastructure, as unfortunately, renewable resources tend to exist far from our population centers, which requires an expensive build-out of our electrical grid. This article on Hydrokinetics in Alaska is a case in point. They have 350,000 miles of roaring rivers and tides that are incredible. Southern California, whose population is 40 times that of Alaska, is as hungry for those resources as a bear, fresh out of hibernation, fishing for a salmon.
Renewable Energy Infographics
| January 7, 2012 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
I’m working on another in our series of renewable energy infographics, illuminating the basic concepts in a way that’s immediately understandable for people who may be new to the subject. The piece I’m writing now on “The Pros and Cons of Renewables,” points out that, while there is a lot to like about clean energy, there is no “free lunch” here; everything comes with a certain financial and ecological cost.
A point some people miss is that certain forms of renewable energy are limited in their availability. For example, where there is, for all intents and purposes, an infinite amount of solar energy, other forms, e.g., run-of river-hydro, exist only in limited supply.
Unique Approach to High Head Hydrokinetics — Investors Needed
| October 6, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
Here’s a short video in which I discuss a unique approach that applies nicely to hydrokinetics in high head conditions, e.g., waterfalls or steep rapids.
Does this scale to the point that it can replace terawatts of fossil fuels? Nope. But in the right conditions, it’s a wonderful solution, and thus, in my opinion, the company represents an interesting investment opportunity.
Cyclo Ocean — Clever Start-up in Ocean-Current Hydrokinetics
| October 4, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
I just got off the phone with Paul Greyschock, from hydrokinetics start-up Cyclo Ocean in Vero Beach, FL. There were a couple of items that made this conversation noteworthy. First is the technology itself. If you check out the website, you’ll see immediately that a great number of the issues that thwart most attempts at tidal or ocean-current hydro are dealt with cleverly and inexpensively. In particular, note that the device is anchored to the seabed, not moored into it. Read More
Cool Idea in Run-of-River Hydrokinetics
| September 27, 2011 | Posted by Craig Shields under Hydrokinetics |
In this interview, I discuss a radical new approach to run-of-river hydrokinetics where the water is falling far over a short distance, e.g., a waterfall. The company’s solution is extremely straightforward and would be easy for a wily competitor to steal; it is for this reason that they play their cards very close to their vests, and have gone to an almost unimaginable extent to patent their IP internationally. Will anyone win here – besides the patent attorneys, that is? I believe so.
There are many sites around the world where this solution is perfect, and will produce totally clean power, 24/7/365 at an incredibly attractive rate in terms of levelized cost of energy (LCOE), meaning the average cost per kilowatt-hour when all factors are taken into consideration: the construction, the fuel, operations and maintenance, and decommissioning.
