Comments for 2GreenEnergy http://2greenenergy.com Renewable Energy Business and Investing Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:05:52 +0000 hourly 1 Comment on Cato Institute Speaks to “Renewables – Following the Money” by Tom Konrad http://2greenenergy.com/interview-cato-institute/19872/#comment-14575 Tom Konrad Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:05:52 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=19872#comment-14575 Dealing with a few of his talking points: The assumption that we'd be doing RE if it were not more expensive than fossil energy is not entirely correct. The underlying assumption here is that energy is an efficient market. It's not. It's heavily regulated, and has many market barriers. Energy efficiency is cheaper than fossil fuel... you should ask him why EE uptake is so slow. Part of the reason RE is more "expensive" than fossil is because our current energy system was designed for fossil fuels. RE suffers from a square peg round hole problem. - Not intermittent. Variable. A portfolio of diverse RE is always generating to some extent. - Land intensive: It does not have to be. Rooftop solar. Wind farms that are also normal farms. And RE only takes land out of commission while it's producing power. Mountaintop removal is much more permanent, especially when you start considering the damage done to a wider area through mining runoff. - Jobs- see my article on green jobs: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomkonrad/2011/09/28/the-microeconomics-of-green-jobs/ - Much government support for renewables and EE could come from reducing non-market barriers to EE. For instance, streamlined permitting. This sort of support should be up the Cato intitute's ally because it makes the market more efficient. Dealing with a few of his talking points:

The assumption that we’d be doing RE if it were not more expensive than fossil energy is not entirely correct. The underlying assumption here is that energy is an efficient market. It’s not. It’s heavily regulated, and has many market barriers. Energy efficiency is cheaper than fossil fuel… you should ask him why EE uptake is so slow.

Part of the reason RE is more “expensive” than fossil is because our current energy system was designed for fossil fuels. RE suffers from a square peg round hole problem.

- Not intermittent. Variable. A portfolio of diverse RE is always generating to some extent.

- Land intensive: It does not have to be. Rooftop solar. Wind farms that are also normal farms. And RE only takes land out of commission while it’s producing power. Mountaintop removal is much more permanent, especially when you start considering the damage done to a wider area through mining runoff.

- Jobs- see my article on green jobs: http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomkonrad/2011/09/28/the-microeconomics-of-green-jobs/

- Much government support for renewables and EE could come from reducing non-market barriers to EE. For instance, streamlined permitting. This sort of support should be up the Cato intitute’s ally because it makes the market more efficient.

]]> Comment on Must Eco-friendliness Come at the Expense of the Economy? by Thomas http://2greenenergy.com/must-eco-friendliness-come/19834/#comment-14574 Thomas Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:44:53 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=19834#comment-14574 I think the US has disconnected itself from the real economy. Investments into capital goods are the engine of growth... not clever number joggling or building 2nd & 3rd homes. The US could decrease its energy waste and build a new infrastructure for the energy of the future. The potentials are so huge... Germany can do it... more domestic demand => jobs. China is doing it and Japan will advance soon and fast aswell. I think the US has disconnected itself from the real economy.

Investments into capital goods are the engine of growth… not clever number joggling or building 2nd & 3rd homes.

The US could decrease its energy waste and build a new infrastructure for the energy of the future. The potentials are so huge…

Germany can do it… more domestic demand => jobs. China is doing it and Japan will advance soon and fast aswell.

]]> Comment on Is Renewable Still Doable? — Short Video by Thomas http://2greenenergy.com/is-renewable-still-doable/17821/#comment-14572 Thomas Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:11:15 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=17821#comment-14572 Oh boy are renewables mainsream where I am from. Entire towns,cities & regions organize to become 100% renewable by 2020, 30 or 40. Most (51%) of the 60 GW is owned by private households & farmers. They form cooperative societies, get in touch with engineering bueros & project management companies and get financing from credit unions. It sure required a favourable political climate, but with onshore wind being cheaper than coal/nuclear by now, there is no stoping it now. The huge multinational corperations loose marketshare (still 80% with conventional powerplants) but customers are fed up with them and their political entanglements. Thats the situation in Germany at least...still no definate victory for renewables, but the lines of support are growing throughout the buisnessworld. The US seems a long way behind, despite having so very perfect conditions. The "experts", politicans & many scientists will tell you over and over again, that it's impossible, expensive & take to long. They are all wrong or lying. Back in 2000 the German Renewable Energy Act was passed... it's stated goals were to double renewables from about 6% (most of it hydro) to 12% within 10 years... 20% by 2020. All the lying thugs said it wouldn't work, maybe 8% but never 12%... it would destroy the economy,... In 2011 renewables reached 20.1% of the entire electricity production, Germany is in an economic boom despite the financial&european crises and there are about 400.000 jobs in the renewable energy sector. Even if the political enviroment is against the same happening in your country, you can do your part. It's the 21st Century... build a proper house. Passive House or Plus Energy House...declare your own energy independence ;-) Oh boy are renewables mainsream where I am from.
Entire towns,cities & regions organize to become 100% renewable by 2020, 30 or 40.
Most (51%) of the 60 GW is owned by private households & farmers.
They form cooperative societies, get in touch with engineering bueros & project management companies and get financing from credit unions.

It sure required a favourable political climate, but with onshore wind being cheaper than coal/nuclear by now, there is no stoping it now.

The huge multinational corperations loose marketshare (still 80% with conventional powerplants) but customers are fed up with them and their political entanglements.

Thats the situation in Germany at least…still no definate victory for renewables, but the lines of support are growing throughout the buisnessworld.

The US seems a long way behind, despite having so very perfect conditions.
The “experts”, politicans & many scientists will tell you over and over again, that it’s impossible, expensive & take to long.
They are all wrong or lying.

Back in 2000 the German Renewable Energy Act was passed… it’s stated goals were to double renewables from about 6% (most of it hydro) to 12% within 10 years… 20% by 2020.
All the lying thugs said it wouldn’t work, maybe 8% but never 12%… it would destroy the economy,…

In 2011 renewables reached 20.1% of the entire electricity production, Germany is in an economic boom despite the financial&european crises and there are about 400.000 jobs in the renewable energy sector.

Even if the political enviroment is against the same happening in your country, you can do your part.
It’s the 21st Century… build a proper house.
Passive House or Plus Energy House…declare your own energy independence ;-)

]]> Comment on James Woolsey: "End Oil Addiction Now" by Dennis Rowan http://2greenenergy.com/woolsey-oil-addiction/3133/#comment-14566 Dennis Rowan Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:49:21 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=3133#comment-14566 JIm, Check with the varius Grid operatiors around the world who are integrating wind and solar and I think you may change your facts. Is Bryce dvocating business as usual? Continued subsidization of oil and nuclear which are five times more subsidized then alternaties. check out china's big push into electric vehicles and alternitives. there needs to be multiple solutions and advances in PV , wind, biomass, geothermal, fuel cells and maybe nuclear are making them good answers in an energy generation portfolio. JIm, Check with the varius Grid operatiors around the world who are integrating wind and solar and I think you may change your facts. Is Bryce dvocating business as usual? Continued subsidization of oil and nuclear which are five times more subsidized then alternaties. check out china’s big push into electric vehicles and alternitives. there needs to be multiple solutions and advances in PV , wind, biomass, geothermal, fuel cells and maybe nuclear are making them good answers in an energy generation portfolio.

]]> Comment on Infographic: The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy by syed azam ali http://2greenenergy.com/pros-cons-renewable-energy/19745/#comment-14563 syed azam ali Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:26:41 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=19745#comment-14563 Hi!Craig, moral values aside in our part of the world - Pakistan -we seem to have bogged down with the weight of whole of this renewable energy and the clean environment etc . There seems to be something which is keeping us from reaching that speed where we could say that we are now off the ground with renewables. Hey! I am not complaining but looking at this whole scenario in our part of the world with this latest ever evolving thought of yours - The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy. Yes ours is a third world country agreed but look India is there they have done so much and they still plan to do much more. Could you advise as to how we - the people who understand renewable , green energy etc - could convince the captain of the ship ( leaders) for some action which could really bring sustainable renewable energy related activity on ground . In short we need help. Hi!Craig,
moral values aside in our part of the world – Pakistan -we seem to have bogged down with the weight of whole of this renewable energy and the clean environment etc .
There seems to be something which is keeping us from reaching that speed where we could say that we are now off the ground with renewables.
Hey! I am not complaining but looking at this whole scenario in our part of the world with this latest ever evolving thought of yours – The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy.
Yes ours is a third world country agreed but look India is there they have done so much and they still plan to do much more.
Could you advise as to how we – the people who understand renewable , green energy etc – could convince the captain of the ship ( leaders) for some action which could really bring sustainable renewable energy related activity on ground .
In short we need help.

]]> Comment on Can People Function as Electrical Generators? by Brian McGowan http://2greenenergy.com/people-electrical-generators/19840/#comment-14560 Brian McGowan Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:34:45 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=19840#comment-14560 While you are correct about not being able to make any money at this, I have always mused about building axial flux alternators into all the fly wheels in those spinning machines, stair climbers, treadmills and so forth. They could at least generate enough power to run the computer and the ride profile could be altered by increasing and decreasing the load on the alternator. No sense wasting that power. The rims of bicycles could be equipped the same way making for a better generator to run lights, charge cell phones, GPS devices, Ipods and so forth. No sense wasting that power. While you are correct about not being able to make any money at this, I have always mused about building axial flux alternators into all the fly wheels in those spinning machines, stair climbers, treadmills and so forth. They could at least generate enough power to run the computer and the ride profile could be altered by increasing and decreasing the load on the alternator. No sense wasting that power. The rims of bicycles could be equipped the same way making for a better generator to run lights, charge cell phones, GPS devices, Ipods and so forth. No sense wasting that power.

]]> Comment on Infographic: The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy by Craig Shields http://2greenenergy.com/pros-cons-renewable-energy/19745/#comment-14549 Craig Shields Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:22:36 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=19745#comment-14549 Yes, I should have mentioned that the purpose of these infographics is to introduce new people to the subject. Also, as you noticed, the task of trying to get all these ideas in one graphical element does require some level of oversimplification. Yes, I should have mentioned that the purpose of these infographics is to introduce new people to the subject. Also, as you noticed, the task of trying to get all these ideas in one graphical element does require some level of oversimplification.

]]> Comment on Infographic: The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy by Craig Shields http://2greenenergy.com/pros-cons-renewable-energy/19745/#comment-14548 Craig Shields Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:19:20 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=19745#comment-14548 Oh, I consider it -- in a big way. I have a meeting with these guys next week when I'm back East; I'm really looking forward to it. http://www.otecorporation.com/index.html. Oh, I consider it — in a big way. I have a meeting with these guys next week when I’m back East; I’m really looking forward to it. http://www.otecorporation.com/index.html.

]]> Comment on Infographic: The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy by Vicente http://2greenenergy.com/pros-cons-renewable-energy/19745/#comment-14547 Vicente Wed, 08 Feb 2012 20:20:38 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=19745#comment-14547 Hi Craig, Why don´t you consider OTEC-Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion? Best, Vicente Rio Hi Craig,

Why don´t you consider OTEC-Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion?

Best,
Vicente
Rio

]]> Comment on Infographic: The Pros and Cons of Renewable Energy by arlene http://2greenenergy.com/pros-cons-renewable-energy/19745/#comment-14545 arlene Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:27:47 +0000 http://2greenenergy.com/?p=19745#comment-14545 Looks nice. Kind of curious on the target audience of such graphics. Simplifications of whatever kind are usually based on the best estimate regarding the audience. Something someone would do at an Earth Day booth or ? A very minor point is the hydro. California does not consider hydro as RE when accounting for the various types of supply, and hydro is decreasing year over year in any case. The other observation I've noticed the lay public being aware of, is the utility scale RE generation vs. the commercial scale rooftop solar vs. the highly distributed. It may have come about due to the occasional news item about transmission line rights of way and environmental impact that we see every few months. Looks nice. Kind of curious on the target audience of such graphics. Simplifications of whatever kind are usually based on the best estimate regarding the audience. Something someone would do at an Earth Day booth or ?

A very minor point is the hydro. California does not consider hydro as RE when accounting for the various types of supply, and hydro is decreasing year over year in any case.

The other observation I’ve noticed the lay public being aware of, is the utility scale RE generation vs. the commercial scale rooftop solar vs. the highly distributed. It may have come about due to the occasional news item about transmission line rights of way and environmental impact that we see every few months.

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