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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

Question: Approximately what percentage of the theoretical maximum amount of energy of the wind, flowing past the familiar three-blade turbines, is extracted and moved into the turbine shaft?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732.

Relevance: We come across numerous attempts to improve this figure.  And, as the answer shows, there IS room for improvement – though not as much as the casual observer may think. Having said that, one of the top investment opportunities I recommend here is headed by a colleague who, I believe, really has made an important breakthrough.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I just got off the phone with an associate of Dr. George Miley, distinguished Professor of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, recipient of the prestigious Edward Teller Medal from the American Nuclear Society and the IEEE Nuclear and Plasma Science Award in Fusion Technology. Apparently, Dr. Miley has pioneered an innovative approach generating useful energy from fusion.

As I discuss in my book on renewables, fusion energy has remained the elusive Holy Grail of energy research for the last half century; the prospect of unlimited, clean, inexpensive energy was been very alluring. The interviews I’ve conducted on the subject have me convinced that some flavor of controlled fusion will eventually replace all the big, expensive stuff we’re continuing to build here in the early 21st Century. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

I was quite surprised to see that global consultancy McKinsey ranks the US as the country most likely to lead the emergence of electric cars as a means of mass transportation. I wish I had access to the full report, as it apparently uses nine variables; I’d love to know which ones. They ultimately puts the US ahead of France, Germany and other western European countries that have up to now been in the vanguard of clean-vehicle technology. China is tied with Germany in third place. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

What will the new energy future look like?

Black & Veatch, a global engineering, construction and consulting firm based in Kansas, offers a view. The company provides energy report to its clients, including those in the electric utilities and related energy providers. The most recent research report takes a view of energy in U.S. through 2035, entitled What Will Be the North American Energy Industry’s “New Normal”.

The company acknowledges that long-term forecasts are inherently tentative because government policies (or lack thereof), technological advances and such cannot be foreseen. “One crystal ball is not enough, but it’s hard to consider a future that stays the same,” said Mark Griffith, managing director at Black & Veatch. (Kansas City Star. Dec 20, 2010.)

Black & Veatch believes that major changes are coming to the electricity-generation industry. International demand and growth will be felt in the U.S. China and other growing economies are “game changers” for energy (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Question: Approximately how many 2’ X 2’ fluorescent lighting fixtures are there in the ceilings of US office buildings? About how many lamps light US streets?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732.

Relevance: LED lighting will eventually replace all these fluorescent and incandescent fixtures, as there are numerous advantages, both financially and ecologically. We have two clients in this space, both of whom are drooling over the numbers; when you check out the answer to the question named above, you’ll see why.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Do you make financial investments in clean energy? Maybe you’re managing your own 401(k). Or perhaps you’re a professional, looking to broaden your clients’ exposure in this space. In either case, let me tell you about what I’ve been up to recently.

Over a year ago, I began to promote a novel idea: at no cost or obligation, I promised to review any business plan that proposed a business solution in clean energy, electric transportation, or any product or service aimed at sustainability. I didn’t realize at the time that I would soon be on the receiving end of many hundreds of concepts.

Now it probably comes as no surprise that the vast majority of these ideas are not what anyone would call “investment grade,” to put it politely.  In fact, as suggested in this list linked here, I recommend only a dozen or two of those many hundreds – about 3%. Based on my conversations with the principals, each of these seems to me to represent a real opportunity: a solid business concept backed by a seasoned management team at the helm.

Do such investments contain risk?  Obviously.

Do I guarantee that all — or any — of them will succeed?  Certainly not.

Is your own due diligence required?  Absolutely.

But if any of them pique your interest, please let me know. If you’re serious in considering involvement, I’ll arrange a three-way call.

Here’s that link again.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

It appears that the nation of Chile will request our services in advising it with respect to renewables.  We’ll be delighted to serve.

We’ll begin with a study on the status of its existing energy infrastructure. How much more productivity can be squeezed out of the country’s existing power plants and at what cost? What plants need to be replaced (because of age and/or a history of equipment misuse) and how soon?

Depending on the quality of raw data the Chilean government provides, such a study will take 9-12 months, after which we’ll have a much better handle on how much new generation it needs, how quickly it must be added, and where that generation needs to be situated in order to best meet the needs of the country’s growing population.

Only after we have all this figured out does it make sense to talk in terms of specific projects utilizing specific green power sources.

Again, we’re looking forward to the task.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I had a talk just now with an old friend — an extremely senior business visionary who helped me put a few things into perspective about the innovations that are reshaping our world. Coming out of decades of work for Deloitte Consulting and other top names in strategy, she explained:

There’s the BUY-side, the supply chain, which has been quite important through the last few decades. A change in tax law, for example, can mean huge savings by completely re-constructing this part of the business. However, it’s not where the energy is today.

There’s the IN-side, the core business. Here are all the changes you’re making within the enterprise. Again, not where the world’s attention is aimed now.

And there’s the SELL-side. This, of course, was always important – but now it’s where the world is truly focused. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I got a wake-up call this morning – literally, at 5 AM, the time for which I had set my alarm so as to be the guest on Greg Marshall’s radio show on WMKT in Northern Michigan. The experience re-enforced my respect for the abilities of great extemporaneous speakers, e.g., the politicians who go to town hall meetings with hoards of loud and angry constituents, and deal so cooly with any of hundreds of different unforeseeable questions and demands – all the while remaining calm and on-message.

After a discussion of retraining miners whose jobs will disappear as clean energy replaces coal, a lady called in, virtually in tears, pleading, “Our economy up here can’t take more job loss. Folks here don’t have two nickels to rub together. Please don’t take away the few jobs we have left!” (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Uncategorized

Here are two views on our use of paper:

1) As many times as we see a note on our emails that reads “Please consider the environment before printing this email,” we print more — and recycle less — than we should.  But as archaic a method for relaying information as it is, paper isn’t going away anytime soon.

Yet, as articulated in this masterful video, “The Story of Stuff,” we need to get a grip on unnecessary consumption.  I’ve often written that I only wish I had the power to get everyone in the world to spend the 20 minutes required to take in this message by one of the world’s greatest humanitarians and environmentalists, Annie Leonard.

2) Since, in reality, it will take a while to curb unnecessary consumption, it’s good that Canefields USA is here, offering paper made from sugar cane waste (“bagasse”) rather than wood, with energy that comes exclusively from wind turbines.  I’m proud that Jeff Allen, Canefields’ CEO, represents me as the company’s chief marketing officer.

I appreciate your confidence, and I promise that any good I’ve done there to this date is but a downpayment on what I’ll accomplish in the future.

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