Home › Blog › Page 1448

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

In certain parts of the U.S., and I presume the rest of the world as well, electric utility customers are beginning to express their concerns about the modes by which their providers generate the power they will sell.  Apparently, most of the angst here centers around climate change, as more people every day are starting to see the truth: our devotion to fossil fuels as our primary source of energy is causing the Earth’s temperature to warm, in turn resulting in numerous environmental maladies. 

In the “Green Grid” conference I attended last week in the California Bay Area, the presenter from Google described the way his company pressures its providers for more renewable energy.  He told the audience, and I’m sure it’s true, that when a company with the stature of Google asks for something, the answer is usually yes. 

But what happens when a community, made of up millions of private citizens and small businesses (i.e., “nobodys”) rises up and makes a similar demand on the utility?  The answer is more complicated – and it’s addressed in this SmartGridNews article: More Utilities Are Seeing Municipalization Nipping at Their Heels.

 

Tagged with: , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

The UK government is moving, some would say stumbling, towards its legal obligation to have 15% of the UK’s energy produced by renewables by 2020.  Every year more sources of renewable energy come on stream, but there are setbacks on the way.  This turbulence is not just in the wind that affects wind turbines, but political turbulence that has made the investment, skills acquisition, and long-term planning for this young industry more problematical. 

As the government works on a five-year cycle, and energy planning needs a framework of decades, there is a disjunction.  For example, planning and implementing large conventional power stations takes around five years from decision through planning to when it comes on line.  Nuclear power stations can take much longer when cost overruns and construction delays are taken in to account. Wind farms and solar arrays can be constructed significantly quicker, but of course there is also opposition at the planning stage which can result in delay. 

The good news is that, according to government statistics, the UK is at an all time low for fossil fuel dependency, at 84.5% and that has been declining continuously as we add more renewables to the energy production matrix. There has been a steady upward growth in all forms of renewable power, between 2006 and 2011 the percentage of UK electricity generated from renewables nearly doubled, from 4.5% to 8.7%. 

The UK has legal obligations, in both the 2008 Climate Change Act and the 2009 EU Renewable Energy Directive to have 15% of its end-use energy provided by renewables by 2020.  Currently the UK is at 3.8% – good progress has been made but we are some way short of the target.  In 2011 Solar Photovoltaics increased by about seven-fold but the sudden change in the Feed-in-Tariff late last year has meant that many planned projects were cancelled, thus giving the  UK renewables industry a serious setback. 

It should be obvious to anyone with an interest in their energy bills that prices have been rising steeply, and will continue to rise as long as the country is dependent on coal, oil and natural gas for the major part of its energy requirements.  There needs to be a continuous move to phasing these out and replacing them with renewable power, as well as full electrification of the railways and moving to electric vehicles (EVs) where possible. It might be better to prioritise EVs for the fleet sector rather than family vehicles – short range delivery vans, forklift trucks, council utility vehicles, which would mean that the cost per unit would be reduced, as EVs are currently too expensive compared to petrol and diesel vehicles. 

Although energy efficiency has been increasing in most sectors of the economy,  there are still large areas which are not energy-efficient.  For example, of the 25 million homes in the UK today, 62% (with lofts) have insulation, which means that 38% don’t have this simple and cost effective measure.  Similarly only 60% of homes with cavity walls are insulated.  

There is good news on the horizon.  Early this year Spain generated more electricity from wind than any other power source.  This should be a wake-up call for the UK, which has a considerably better wind resource than Spain.  With the start of an EU single market in energy planned for next year, and the beginning construction of a European electricity super-grid – to ensure that energy can be efficiently shifted around Europe – from generation source to where it is needed, there is a bright future for renewable energy generation of all types, as long as there is sufficient investment which will necessarily include both public and private sector finance and the political will to push forward on the transition to a low-carbon future, which the government seems conflicted about: both promoting renewables, in areas such as the Green Deal but backing away, for example in the Green Investment Bank.   A more cohesive approach would benefit the country better.

Tagged with: , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

As I’ve written a few times in the recent past, I believe that we have the proverbial cart before the horse when it comes to smart grid.  We tend to think of this concept as “futuristic,” like flying cars, when, in fact, it’s what underpins the transition the world is making right now in the direction of energy efficiency, conservation, and renewables.

Here’s Pike Research’s article on virtual power plants, which they define as:  “a system that relies upon software systems to remotely and automatically dispatch and optimize generation, demand-side, or storage resources (including plug-in electric vehicles and bi-directional inverters) in a single, secure web-connected system.” 

With all the work going into this subject from the world’s most respected IT companies, e.g., Google and Cisco, does it really seem likely that the world of energy generation and distribution will continue to trudge along, essentially unchanged from the days of Edison?  Not to me. 

The world began to see the value of information a few decades ago.  Very quickly, we had an Internet that delivers the information we want, instantaneously, to billions of users with their devices around the globe.  Now the world is realizing that the dispatching of energy in real-time is also a big deal.  Will the IT world rise to the occasion and make this happen?  You can bet the ranch on it.

 

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Being a vegetarian is a huge commitment, but a lot of people want to do it. What are some of the reasons that keeping a vegetarian diet is good for the environment?Saving Animals’ Lives
The most obvious reason why being a vegetarian really helps the environment out is that you are saving the lives of animals. Instead of animals being slaughtered so that you are able to eat meat, they are being allowed to live. Therefore, you are truly having a direct effect on the environment. Furthermore, when you decide to live a vegetarian lifestyle, you might wind up inspiring other people around you to do the same, and you are, therefore, making a huge impact on the environment.

Grow Your Own
A huge difference exists between having the ability to raise your own pigs and cows and keeping your own farm of vegetables and herbs in your backyard. Even if you are living in a city apartment, you might have a little balcony where you can make some foods. When you are able to grow you own vegetables, you are also helping out the environment. Instead of having foods shipped from across the country or maybe even other parts of the world, locally grown food is just a few feet away from your kitchen, and you can truly have it all.

Organic Foods
Indeed, you can find organic foods that are both meat and non-meat products. Still, and this is especially true if you are having your own garden, it can often be easier to find organic fruits and vegetables than organic meats. Even when you do find the organic meats, the price can be so high that you simply are unable to afford them. When you choose organic, you are making the decision to be friendlier to the environment. Of course, you absolutely need to make sure that these labels say 100 percent organic on them. If they do not, you are not necessarily protecting the environment.

Walking Around
Something else you need to think about is your overall state of health. Yes, going vegetarian is, in some ways, like a diet. Many people realize that they lose weight when they stop eating meat because of all the fat that some meats contain. As a result of your new figure and lower number on the scale, you might actually wind up having more energy. Instead of driving to the store that’s just a few blocks away, you will feel motivated to walk on over there. Therefore, you will not be wasting gas in the car, and, obviously, this action is also excellent for the environment as a whole!

Clearly, becoming a vegetarian can really help the environment in so many different ways. You are allowing animals to live full lives instead of being raised only to be slaughtered later on, and you can even reduce the amount of gas that you use in your car. Truly, this lifestyle change is one that can be useful in so many ways.


Author Jason Harter is a healthcare administrator in the sustainability department of his hospital. Not only does Jason’s hospital make it a priority to run the hospital sustainably, but also promote green lifestyles to patients as a way to increase their health. Jason obtained his degree from one of the Top 10 Best Online Healthcare MBA Degree Programs
Tagged with:

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Everyone these days is worried about global warming and the depletion of the ozone layer, but what are any of us doing to stop it? Pollution levels to our environment are at an all time high, but awareness is rising almost as fast as that pollution level. We know about the problem, but do we know about the solution? Take a look at this article that maps out a few ways that anyone can help to reduce the pollution that is destroying the environment that we live in.1. What car do you drive?
If you say you are concerned about the environment but then drive off into the sunset in your Hummer H3, you might need to reevaluate your priorities. Sell that gas guzzling vehicle and trade it in for a smaller car that has lower gas mileage, but also works for the functional purposes in your life.2. Do you really need to drive there?
Even if you do have a car with low gas mileage, it is still a detriment to the environment if you drive it hundreds of miles a week. Try to think of the times where you can walk or bike to where you are going. It will give you a little extra exercise while helping to save the environment.

3. Recycle, both conventionally and non-conventionally.
The first step to this suggestion is making sure that you are putting plastics, glassware, and paper products in your recycling bin. Whether you live somewhere that picks up recycling curbside or somewhere that you have to take your recycling somewhere yourself, take the time for your environment. Aside from conventional recycling, try to incorporate up-cycling into your life. Take things that you would normally throw away and find new uses for them.

4. Don’t litter!
This one seems life a no-brainer, but the amount of litter that sits on our streets has come to an appalling level. Make sure that, when you have trash, that it goes in the trash can. Also, you can start trying to pick up after others who do not care about the environment quite as much as you do. If you see trash laying on sidewalks or streets, try to be a good Samaritan to the environment and pick up the trash that you see. The environment will thank you!

Keep in mind that these are only a few of the hundreds of thousands of ways that you can keep our environment healthier.


Author Jason Harter is a healthcare administrator in the sustainability department of his hospital. Not only does Jason’s hospital make it a priority to run the hospital sustainably, but also promote green lifestyles to patients as a way to increase their health. Jason obtained his degree from one of the Top 10 Best Online Healthcare MBA Degree Programs
Tagged with: ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Whether you are headed to the office or the grocery store, walking doesn’t always cut it. Some modes of transportation are better than others, especially when it comes to keeping your carbon footprint low.

Scooters – Not as Environmentally Friendly as You Thought

Image via Flickr by Andi Licious

Many people today are getting scooters because they think they are ‘greener’ than almost any other option. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

If you travel 12,000 miles in a year, and get 80 miles per gallon, it emits about 2943 lbs of CO2 per year. It would use 150 gallons of gas.
If you use 1 quart of oil per oil change, and change the oil every 3,000 miles, you will use 1 gallon of oil per year.
VOCs (PM10, NOx, and SOx) are about 2,500 milligrams/mile.

Motorcycles – Smog is in the Air
Motorcycles – Smog is in the Air

Image via Flickr by ronsaunders47

It has been shown that motorcycles are more fuel-efficient than cars. However, this does not necessarily mean that they are better for the environment.

  • If you travel 12,000 miles in a year, and get 40 miles per gallon, this emits about 5887 lbs of CO2. It uses about 300 gallons of gas.
  • If you use 1 quart of oil per oil change, and change the oil every 3,000 miles, you will use 1 gallon of oil per year.
  • VOCs created by this motorcycle would be about 6,800 milligrams/mile.

Cars – Lower Fuel Efficiency but Fewer Pollutants

Cars – Lower Fuel Efficiency but Fewer Pollutants

Image via Flickr by epSos.de

Car manufacturers are taking emissions and fuel efficiency into account more. The older the car is, the worse emissions it will have.

  • An average car that travels 12,000 miles in a year, and gets 25 miles per gallon emits about 9,420 lbs of CO2 per year. This car would use 480 gallons of gas.
  • If you use 2 quarts of oil per oil change, and change the oil every 3,000 miles, you will use 2 gallons of oil per year.
  • Volatile Organic Compound (VOCs) created by this car would be about 1,200 milligrams/mile.

Bicycles – Zero Smog, Zero Gas

Bicycles – Zero Smog, Zero Gas

Image via Flickr by Debarshi Ray

This mode of transportation is the best on the environment, and the best for your body.

  • If you ride your bike 12,000 miles in a year, that’s great. There will be 0 CO2 emissions from the bike. It will use no gas.
  • There are no required oils, but it’s possible that tires will have to be replaced after a prolonged period of time.
  • VOCs created by this bike would be about 0 milligrams/mile

Cut Down Your Carbon Footprint With a Carpool

Cut Down Your Carbon Footprint With a Carpool

Image via Flickr by Richard Drdul

Do you work a long distance from your home? Get a carpool going; this will help create less carbon emissions, due to fewer cars on the road. Insurance is important when you have a carpool, check AutoInsurance.us rates by state for the best deals.

Cutting down your carbon footprint is important. Making sure that your mode of transportation is ‘green’ is one of the many ways you can do your part to help improve our environment.

Resources:

http://depletedcranium.com/mythbusters-tackles-the-motorcycle-vs-car-enviornmental-issue/

http://20somethingfinance.com/the-economics-of-owning-a-motor-scooter-vs-a-car/

http://www.motoringonabudget.co.uk/using-motorbike-scooter-instead-car.html

http://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/eco-friendly-scooter

http://www.greenstudentu.com/encyclopedia/green_vehicle_guide

http://carbonpig.com/article/motorcycles-create-more-greenhouse-gas-emissions-suvs

http://www.afteroilev.com/emissions.php

http://www.epa.gov/greenvehicles/Index.do;jsessionid=JmG1RbvdtxC2mxMp7B7B9mC0YQ24y1L9kpG1LtLtMT2X8QFLJkfy!-409230471

About the Author

Shaun Chatman is a well published author on many authority sites. He lives in Dunedin, FL, and spends his free time playing with his kids or advising friends on tech, gadgets, finance and travel.

Tagged with: , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

If man-made carbon dioxide emissions were not as big of a problem as it is now, then the Earth would be a lot cooler than what we’re experiencing today. The recent rise in temperature has lead two US-based researchers to conduct a study about reconstructing the climate history of the Earth.

Their study, which was published in the journal Science, stated that the planet today is warmer than it has been during 70% – 80% of the time throughout the Holocene year period which is 11,300 years. The study also projected that by 2100, global temperatures would have broken the record of the warmest temperatures ever recorded during the Holocene – this includes all plausible greenhouse gas emission circumstances.

Data Gathering

Shaun Marcott, a post-doctoral researcher in Oregon State’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences and the lead author of the article said that the previous studies conducted about global temperature change mainly focused on the last 2,000 years and that going further into the past can put today’s climate into a larger context.

“We already knew that on a global scale, Earth is warmer today than it was over much of the past 2,000 years,” Marcott said. “Now we know that it is warmer than most of the past 11,300 years. This is of particular interest because the Holocene spans the entire period of human civilization.”

The researchers gathered data from 73 locations around the world for a much broader prospective. The team tried to reconstruct the past climates by examining isotopes from marine sediment cores, terrestrial sediments, and fossil data. From that, they assessed the trends of climate change from the beginning of the Holecene.

OSU paleoclimatologist and co-author of the Science article, Peter Clark said, “When you just look at one part of the world, the temperature history can be affected by regional climate processes like El Niño or monsoon variations,” noted Clark. “But when you combine the data from sites all around the world, you can average out those regional anomalies and get a clear sense of the Earth’s global temperature history.”

Results

As it turns out, the climate of the world is relative to its position relative to the sun.

“During the warmest period of the Holocene, the Earth was positioned such that Northern Hemisphere summers warmed more,” Marcott explained. “As the Earth’s orientation changed, Northern Hemisphere summers became cooler, and we should now be near the bottom of this long-term cooling trend – but obviously, we are not.”

Although the Earth has generally been warmer due to many man-made reasons, the study and almost every climate model predicts that by 2100, the average global temperature will be higher than at any point in time since the end of the Ice Age.

Brooke Haughton is the Green Energy consultant of Solar Panels Info. She provides information about the latest trends in the Solar Energy industry.

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Tourism is an important part of the economy; it creates jobs and brings in outside money to a community. The problem is that by its very nature, tourism can be harsh on the environment as lots of energy and resources go into to the travel industry. The tourism industry is slow to change to green, or eco-friendly ways, however when it does, it does it in big ways. Here are some of the latest advances and changes the industry is making to be greener.

Airline Travel

Airlines are perhaps the sector of tourism most in need of renewable and eco-friendly practices. Change comes slow but as the price of fuel and other costs for the industry rises, thus causing ticket prices to rise as well, the airlines turn to renewable resources to help cut costs and lower ticket prices at the same time. Airports are moving toward using green and renewable materials for construction and maintenance of the facility. Many are adding solar panels and research into mass production of bio-fuel to replace conventional fuel is also underway.

Cruise Lines

Modern cruise lines are almost like small floating cities, they require a lot of power for engines, electricity, not to mention entertainment for the thousands of guests on each cruise liner. How can these floating marvels go green? One way is whilst docked in the port; they tap into local power girds so they burn less fuel to maintain electricity. Replacing engine and filters with modern more efficient models also helps cut down on fuel consumption, reducing the overall carbon footprint these ships have. The real innovation in renewable fuel for these massive ships is the almost unlimited access to wind and sun they have. The most advanced cruisers are being fitted with solar panels and wind turbines so they can generate their own electrical power without the need of fuel aside from engines. This will dramatically cut down on the amount of resources these ships need to function.

Accommodations

Large resorts from Las Vegas, to Disney locations, to anywhere in the world, all have massive power needs for lights and entertainment etc. and a lot of the attractions these resorts are known for all require a lot of power. Going green with renewable sources not only helps the environment, but many places are finding it helps cut costs and means lower prices and more business. Energy efficient appliances for the kitchens and laundry services are the most common preliminary step most resorts take. Replacing old lighting with compacts or LED lights is highly efficient and can cut down on power requirements. The major and most effective move to renewable power though, is a lot of resorts are installing solar, wind, or hydropower, to make their own energy.

Ski Resorts

Ski resorts have a unique relationship with the environment around them and are often the first to turn to green and renewable methods. Most are undergoing energy efficient refits and rebuilds with sustainable materials. Ski resorts are also the first to turn to solar, wind or hydropower production for their facilities to be more sustainable. Photovoltaic systems offer drastic benefits to the resorts and easy steps to renewable energy. Many responsible ski resorts are also members of green research groups and programs, for example, Aspen in the Colorado Rockies of the United States of America recently discovered how to make snow out of common dust, so they are not only recycling but this will also mark a significant decrease in need for water in the off seasons.

It may be that the tourism industry is moving towards renewable energy primarily for financial reasons, but the knock on effect for the environment is still positive, regardless of the motive behind it.

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

I’ll never forget one of the very first conversations I had with a cleantech innovator, shortly after the launch of 2GreenEnergy.  I was in my office, speaking on the phone with Abe Collins in Vermont.  Abe wasn’t an electronic engineer with a breakthrough in battery chemistry or photovoltaics; he wasn’t a fluid dynamics physicist with a set of calculations that would alter the course of the development of wind turbines or hydrokinetics.  He was a  simpler salt-of-the-Earth type, who claimed to have come upon a simple truth, and a technology for bringing the world’s ever-expanding deserts back into a healthy and usable condition.  His secret (and I’m oversimplifying): running cattle on the land.

I listened intently, though, as this isn’t my field (pardon the pun) I really had no way of evaluating what he was telling me.  Until now.

I urge you:  check this out.  I learned so much in 20 minutes, it was astonishing, and what’s more, now I’m completely convinced in the power of Abe’s idea.  And I recall an additional detail from our conversation: Abe has developed a software package that will help the managers of large pieces of land to manage them with precision, maximizing the rate that they can be restored to their natural state – before man came on the scene, removed the native animals and their natural predators, and then proceeded to change the climate, further accelerating the process of desertification. 

If you’d like to speak with Abe, just hit contact and let me know. 

Tagged with: , , , , , ,

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

I just got back from another wonderful conference hosted by the American Council on Renewable Energy (ACORE) – this one in San Diego, called the Transportation and National Defense Forum.  I skipped the first day, which focused on the military, not because I’m unimpressed by what the U.S. Army and Navy are doing vis-à-vis clean energy, but because I had a day packed with meetings elsewhere.

Here are a few notes:

• Apparently, a proposal to grow a variety of huge beets as the feedstock for biofuels (perhaps the size of cantaloupes?) in California’s San Joaquin Valley is being reviewed favorable.  It was hard to know what to make of this, as, last time I checked, the U.S. generally seemed dead set against using food as fuel, and some people (including me) believe that the overuse of the land, the environmental cost of water to irrigate, the ever-expanding use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and the erosion of topsoil make this a disaster from an ecological perspective.

• Some of these presenters are great supporters of California’s “cap and trade” program, where others are smart enough to see that it won’t work, and honest enough to say exactly that.  We need regulatory certainty, and we also need price certainty.  Here, only a carbon tax helps in any legitimate way. Cap and trade has a moneyed constituency behind it, and it is sure to make rich people and their lawyers richer.  But if you actually care about a positive environmental outcome, it’s a sure loser.  Too bad.  The world looks to California as a leader in progressive thinking in sustainability – and this is the best we can do? 

• One area in which California is doing well is leading in low-carbon fuel standards.  But, predictably, the petroleum groups are suing the state up one side and down the other, and they may well win in the end.  We heard at excruciating length from a presenter whose point, at the end of the day, was that this is held up in the courts, and that the decision, when and if it comes, will certainly be appealed.  Good news for the oil companies, and fantastic news for the lawyers on both sides, but bad news for the rest of us.

• Dan Sperling of the University of California at Davis did a good presentation in which he laid out the history of what the Golden State has done vis-à-vis clean energy over a long period of time.  He began with an “atta boy” for the state, in which he explained how California did a fine  job in reducing air pollution in the late 20th Century, in a time  in which Chrysler and Mobil were routinely running full-page ads in the New York Times, describing the state’s efforts as the “66 Billion Dollar Mistake.”  Dan went on to talk about how, in a world in which the number of cars is rapidly heading from one billion to two billion, that petroleum is becoming more carbonized, i.e. the carbon impact of a gallon of gasoline is growing by the day, where the carbon footprint of electric vehicles is steadily falling.

On behalf of all of us who work to make renewable energy a reality, yet one more fond note of my sincere appreciation to Dennis McGinn, ACORE’s president, and his terrific staff for another excellent job. 

Good stuff.  Glad I took the time.

Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,