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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Hydrokinetics

The Vector has written about Ocean Energy in earlier posts. Today we highlight some exciting domestic projects.

** The first U.S. Wave Energy farm launched a test program this spring in Oregon. Ocean Power Technologies (OPT) is running the test program, with floating buoys that harness the natural up and down movement of the waves. The ebb and flow movement causes the pump to move in a circular motion which drives an electric generator, with energy sent to shore through submerged cables. This farm is being financed by Oregon tax credits, Pacific Northwest Generating Cooperative and the U.S. Department of Energy.

** Verdant Power initiated the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy (RITE) Project in New York City’s East River. It is a three phase project. Phase 1 (2002-2006) was proto-type testing, and Phase 2 (2006-2008) was demonstration. Currently it is in Phase 3 (2009-2012) with the MW Scale build out. Verdant operated six full-scale turbines, which successfully demonstrated the Free Flow System turbines as being (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s a discussion that those of you interested in marketing will find interesting. My friend Terry Ribb wrote to me extolling this video in which a brilliant Stanford Professor speaks on customer-focused marketing (which happens to be exactly what Terry and I believe). Do yourself a favor and check out this link.

I wrote back: Well, obviously this guy thinks like we do, with his customer-centricity. And he presents his ideas in a very cogent fashion, doesn’t he? I’ve heard this exact idea a few times through my career — though most people don’t get it at all. I feel like I’m a member of a cult – the cult of customer-centered marketing. 🙂

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

REN21 (Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century) has released its annual global report card on renewable energy, covering highlights and facts for 2009 and a cumulative overview.  The report comments that renewables are making headway into global energy use, cutting into some fossil fuel use, as illustrated by the graphic to the right.

The big theme of the report was that “the year 2009 was unprecedented in the history of renewable energy, despite the headwinds posed by the global financial crisis, lower oil prices and slow progress with climate policy. Indeed, as other economic sectors declined around the world, existing renewable capacity continued to grow…including grid-connected solar PV (53%), wind power (32%), solar hot water/heating (21%), geothermal power (4%) and hydropower (3%).”
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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s a conversation that I hope you find interesting. The other day, I got this from a friend:

I was particularly shocked to see this one: Most teens have never used telephones with cords.

MILWAUKEE – For students entering college this fall, e-mail is too slow, phones have never had cords and the computers they played with as kids are now in museums.

The Class of 2014 thinks of Clint Eastwood more as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry urging punks to “go ahead, make my day.” Few incoming freshmen know how to write in cursive or have ever worn a wristwatch. (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

This was published last year somewhere. I take no credit for it except to share with you. It’s fun but also leaves an educational lesson.

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress said, “Someone may steal from it at night.” (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

I spoke with Honda’s Steve Ellis yesterday about the position I took in my book re: hydrogen fuel-cell-based cars. Steve is a vocal proponent for this controversial technology, and his job, I’ve come to learn, involves busily correcting misinformation on the subject – of which there is plenty.

His position is that all technologies that have the potential to help move us toward clean energy and transportation should be on the table for discussion, and that the advocates of batteries should be as supportive of hydrogen as the hydrogen people are of batteries. As I knew he would, he took exception to my position I took in my book (and that of the spokesperson for EPRI) that hydrogen as a fuel source is inherently inefficient, and that the infrastructure by which fuel would be delivered lags too far behind electricity.

Steve points out that the four-to-one advantage of fuel energy to kinetic energy in battery-electrics vs. fuel-cells applies only in the very worst case scenario – one that no one is seriously suggesting. He also notes that Honda would not make a bet like this if they didn’t think they were going to win.

I can see these points, but I don’t know, Steve. You’re obviously a dedicated, knowledgeable and honest professional. But, as I’ve often said, I hope you’re paid well; you certainly deserve to be given the size of the task you so energetically take on.

　

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Energy Storage

Xcel Energy, a Midwestern electric and natural gas company, released its preliminary test results in early August 2010 on its wind-to-battery storage technology. After one and a half years of testing, the preliminary results are a success, it says.

Luverne, MN, serves as the test center with the battery installation connected to an 11 MW wind farm owned by Minwind Energy, LLC.  The twenty 50 KW battery modules are about the size of two semi trailers, weigh about 80 tons and can store about 7.2 MW-hours of electricity. Fully charged, the battery modules could power 500 homes for more than seven hours, said Xcel Energy on August 3, 2010.
Xcel Energy revealed the following in the preliminary report:
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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

The work that Brazil has done in renewable energy is legendary. Clean energy – mainly ethanol made from huge sugarcane fields — accounts for more than 85.4% of their domestically supplied energy.

The country stands as a model of decision making that spans the public and private sectors. After the volatility of the oil markets of the 1970s, Brazil made concentrated attack on developing alternative sources of energy. In addition to powering its fleets with a minimum of gasoline, Brazil has been extremely effective in diversifying its energy portfolio with wind and hydrokinetics.

It is for this reason that I can think of no better host for an energy conference. One of the directors of the Renewable and Alternative Energy in the Southern Cone asked me to let readers know about it, and I said I’d be happy to; just click the link above.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

In a must-read story — Deutsche Bank’s Asset Manager head warned that US is missing out on an “industrial revolution in the energy industry,” Kevin Parker told Reuters that he is focusing billions in investment money on Chinese and European companies. Heads up, everyone who plans to listen to my webinar on companies that could see 100% stock-price gains.  There’ll be more than one non-US firm in the mix.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Some of the recent conversations here have touched on the idea of geoengineering, i.e., taking pro-active steps to mitigate the greenhouse gas problem more aggressively than simply cutting emissions. This is a hot topic, if I may use the pun, in many of the current conferences on sustainability – albeit a fiercely controversial one.

Rightfully, the concept of shooting particles into the mesosphere (the layer above the stratosphere) to shield the Earth from incident sunlight that is melting the polar icecaps is quite contentious, yet I personally recommend that everyone have at least a surface level of understanding of the topic. To that end, here’s one of the magnificent “Ted Talks” by scientist David Keith, who, in 16 minutes, presents the basics of the subject in a quite accessible way.

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