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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Smart Grid

It should come as a surprise to no one that Microsoft would like to dominate the world of smart-grid as this phenomenon becomes ubiquitous in our personal and business lives over the coming decades. OK, so how do IT companies become “dominant?” That’s a question that was answered to the world’s complete satisfaction half a century ago: define and become a de facto standard. Then, if you’re Microsoft, use aggressive business tactics that make life extremely difficult for those who try not to adopt that standard.

Here’s an article about Microsoft’s concept of the “integrated utility” — a common computing platform and common data model for both the operational technology (OT) and the information technology (IT) sides of the company.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

As the clock turns and the world churns ever onward into the future, there is a rising tide of consciousness for the necessity of environmentally sound business practices. Though these green initiatives take a wide variety of forms, there are a host of new commercial buildings being constructed to be ecologically sound. These jolly green giants are making a name for themselves in the world of corporate responsibility through the adherence to strict environmental guidelines.

Bank Of America Tower – New York

In the realm of sustainable commercial structures, the Bank of America Tower in New York City reigns as the current head. This amazing feat of responsible planning rests on Sixth Avenue across from Bryant Park and is the third largest building in the city. Its 55 storeys are fully decked out from top to bottom with insulated glazing that lets light in and keeps heat trapped. The building also utilizes a greywater reclamation system that collects rainwater and purifies it and converts it for use in the building. In addition, the Bank of America Tower not only filters incoming air, but also re-filters it before sending it back out into the city. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Depending on where you live in the United States, you’ll see that your electricity and energy rates will fluctuate.  Electricity providers calculate your energy usage and electricity prices by kilowatt usage, meaning that how much you pay is dependent on how many cents it costs per kilowatt for whatever provider you use.  Then the total price of your utility bill is measured by how many kilowatts you use per hour for the duration of the month. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Biofuels

In response to my skepticism on biofuels, frequent commenter Cameron Atwood asks, “What are your thoughts on the current scalable potential of algae fuel?”

My concerns about algae are not theoretical, but practical.  Yes, the little guys provide the potential to harvest 30 – 50 times more energy from the sun than any terrestrial plant, and yes, they can be grown on non-arable land with non-potable water.  The problem occurs when you take this out of the laboratory and into the real world.  Historically, the logistics of making this happen effectively and repeatedly have been anything but inspiring.

Here’s another practical consideration – probably more lethal to the enterprise of scalable algae than the technological considerations noted above: economics.  If this is going to work, it’s going to take an enormous amount of resources: money, people, and time, and no private sector organization has these luxuries.  But will such an investment come from the government?  Not a chance.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Here’s an article that underscores something I firmly believe: the concept of car ownership, a paradigm of the American lifestyle in the 20th Century, is on its way out.  Just as a generation decided it no longer needed a telephone that was hard-connected to a copper wire, an even larger group of people is starting to realize it doesn’t really require a 4000-pound piece of steel in its driveway, used less than an hour a day, almost exclusively by one occupant, and propelled by a death-dealing fuel.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Synthetic Fuel

My participation in last week’s Energy Efficiency Summit also enabled me to talk about Doty Windfuels, under the heading of synthetic fuels more generally.  One of the presenters cheerfully reported that one of the graduate students he’s mentoring had outlined 16 different fuels that can by synthesized from CO2, water, and energy, I suppose implying that “there is strength in numbers.”

I responded that I thought that my client in this space, if he were here, would say, “We don’t need 16.  One is plenty — if  it has sufficient energy density (e.g., high-octane gasoline, high-grade diesel, or jet fuel), and, just as importantly, if it can be done cost-effectively.”

The speaker smiled and acknowledged the validity of my point.  I went on to explain that these people have, in fact, “cracked the code” here.  In the course of the networking break, I directed quite a few people to the Windfuels website.  We’ll see what comes from it.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Biofuels

I have some small level of input into the creation of Jon Lesage’s newsletter on alternate fuel vehicles; I participate in a monthly conference call with perhaps 7 – 8 other people.  As a consequence, I’m always anxious to see what the overall piece looks like.  Here are a few tidbits from the current edition, along with my comments:

Coda:  Coda Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after selling just 100 of its all-electric sedans. The filing will allow the Los Angeles company to exit the auto sector and refocus on energy storage, for utilities and building operators to store power.

I’ve been predicting this for some time; that these people staved off bankruptcy this long is a miracle. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Jillian Seymour, a 2GreenEnergy supporter and college student living in Lyon, France called me the other day, as I had agreed to an interview in which I would provide my advice on careers in renewable energy.  In the course of the talk, she asked a number of really good questions, including perhaps the most critical: Do I find this to be personally rewarding?  I assured her that she’d search hard to find a career in which she would be helping so many people, and yes, I personally find this immensely rewarding.

I went on to explain that I routinely help folks in three distinct categories: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s an article that communicates the truth of the clean energy scene i.e., that fossil fuels have more than enough clout in this world to have survived the short-term threat to their existence, and will remain prominent in the global energy picture for at least the coming few decades.  The article argues that this is a function of the past few years’ financial results, in which the ROI associated with solar and wind disappointed investors.

To be fair, I suppose there were some people who expected these new technologies to be hugely profitable right out of the chute, though there is certainly no precedent in world history for results like that.  Personally, I think the issues are more wide-reaching, and include the following: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

A friend sent me this piece on taxing electric vehicle drivers, and wrote:

I haven’t seen anything that has gotten me this angry in a while. This is insane! And the comments so far seem to be reflective instead of saying how irresponsible this is. It is obvious to me that the authorities who, understandably, need road money have to go back to the vehicle manufacturers, the military (who encouraged the Interstate Highway system), the utilities and the oil companies. But making the electric car owners pay extra, after they’ve paid their electric bill? Maybe 40 years from now after the encouragement period is over.

I don’t think this approach makes sense either, (more…)

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