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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

We are imposed to lead a mechanical life.  Whether we accept or not, we are being forced to live more and more sedentary and mechanical life.  Right after waking up, including our exercise which is customized by ourselves to suit our imposed mechanical lifestyle.  After the so called our time, till we go out for work – travelling, working, watching Television or any other almost all the dimensions of so called entertainment and till sleeping,  everything is mechanical.  It is only weekends we get and these weekends also like exercise depends on several other parameters of our life.

These are the main reasons behind our passive lifestyle – accepting what is offered by the system and our thought process revolves around this restricted circle itself and not beyond.  Discipline is an important dimension for life but, that should not be an imposed or compromised dimension of life.  This weakens our thought process and in the long run, we cease to think and this will continuously reduces our emotional and spiritual quotient. But, do we need these two dimensions in our life ?  Answer is a big Yes, as these two dimensions in equilibrium with our intelligence quotient keeps our life in the worthy dimension. (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

But the Politicians don’t trust Science to believe it is Reasonable. Please read it all don’t stop without the entire picture! There is a SOLUTION to “Global Warming”

The efforts of Humans to control carbon-dioxide emissions and thereby reduce global warming is at most a few percent (95%)most of the emissions come from plants at night and some is converted back to oxygen and the carbon used in the plants in daylight. Our feeble efforts will have little effect.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Most of the citizens of Earth understand humanity is approaching limits. In the EU, a great deal of companies understand they have a responsibility and ability to exert positive change on the world’s economy, environmental and social conditions.

In terms of the Triple Bottom Line (TBL), the goal is to expand the traditional reporting framework to take into account not only financial performance, but ecological and societal, as well. But we seem to have a challenging contraction when it comes to the role of the VC. Yes, traditionally, a company’s responsibility lies with shareholders, the owners for profit, not stake holders or those  influenced directly/indirectly by a company’s actions. (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

This is rather long but maybe your assistants can screen this. I’m writing because you showed some interest in urban transport costs (skimming down, you will be able to see this thread). Recently the bike people have gained access to hydro right of way for bike path. This is interesting because (a) these routes are free of traffic and are straight lines giving rapid access to downtown. They could cheaply be “paved” with limestone screening which compact with use to a cement- like surface.

Bikes are great for transport and fitness BUT when it rains and/or gets cold, I suspect the bikers want a nice dry warm bus. This migration makes life difficult for TTC- be- there -when- I -need -you is costly as empty buses illustrate this fact. That is why I think enclosed private transport- not cars- is the future.
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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

As a company developing an electric vehicle, we are seeing the investment community frozen solid. When Obama got elected everyone thought he would solve all of our problems, including health care, Global Warning through a cap and trade bill, education, and taking care of the under-privileged at the expense of the rich. The cap and trade looked to be sure bet and a lot of investors jumped into alternative energy regardless of whether it made economic sense or not. While without economic sense, alternative energy is more expensive than status-quo and thus it is losing favor, orders are being cancelled and many small and large companies are failing. Investors are scared. The August primaries around the country has told us, people are upset and do not like what is happening in Washington DC. I voted in the primary against any incumbent running for reelection. I was not the only one! We are upset with what is happening. What bunch of idiots would write a 2,500 page Health Care bill and half of Congress did not even read! (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Every week I get a dozen or so emails from 2GreenEnergy subscribers who make incredibly insightful comments — or ask wonderful questions — about the industry. I write back — normally almost begging the author to become a guest blogger, recognizing as I do that many thousands of other readers would benefit from the intelligence that I see in front of me. But only occasionally does this actually materialize. Is it because some folks are too shy? I’m not sure.

In any case, let me make this clear: We Want You To Share Your Thoughts!

Please consider becoming a guest blogger, and posting your observations, questions, concerns, innovations – or whatever. A political rant? Terrific! A breakthrough solution in clean energy or sustainability more generally? Even better! (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Biomass

Growing crops to create biogas has become a controversial renewable energy source because it creates competition for land for food crops. But there is another major source of biogas that doesn’t compete with food crops. In fact, exploiting it would considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The UK government has plans to generate hundreds of thousands of megawatt hours of electricity from food waste. Food waste is just as much a problem for the United States. According to a 2004 study by the University of Arizona reducing US food waste by half could reduce adverse environmental impacts by 25 per cent through reduced landfill use, soil depletion and applications of fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides.

Timothy Jones, an anthropologist at UA spent 10 years measuring food loss, and here is what he found: (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

As I predicted, last week’s trip back to the East Coast was an exercise in nonstop learning about sustainable products. As I made my way up from North Carolina and Virginia through Pennsylvania and New York, one of the many highlights was my last stop in Syracuse, to meet the people responsible for importing and selling copier paper – by the container-load – made not from trees, but from the biomass that’s left over when sugar cane is processed.

In my mind, these people’s story contrasts with 99% of the tales of woe one hears about re: green products. Normally you have something  that’s terrific for the environment, but it’s expensive as the devil. Or maybe it sounds good, but the company needs millions of dollars and a few years to bring to the table.

Here’s a product that exists now (Canefields), has higher quality than its replacement, doesn’t cost a single tree, is manufactured with processes that use 100% renewable (wind) energy — and costs almost the exact same as paper from wood. It’s a story one doesn’t hear every day.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

From today’s Wall Street Journal:

At 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, Steven Kemp had to move his size 14 shoes to avoid tripping toddlers at his pediatrician’s office in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. “It’s kind of awkward, but we’re good friends,” says Mr. Kemp, now 19 years old and a student at Butler University, still looking for a doctor he likes as much and still consults his pediatrician occasionally….These days, more and more are staying with their pediatricians through their college years,” says the past president of the American College of Pediatrics.

Here’s a wonderful example of the WSJ telling you exactly what they want you to believe. Yes, they’re serious; they want you to accept the idea that you’re better off with a doctor of some sort walking around with you every day of every year of your life – through your childhood, then through your college days—and, of course, until the day you die.

How roped and tied to you have to be to believe this, though? If I asked you – and a thousand randomly chosen people like you — to choose which of the following two statements you thought better approximated the truth, what would you say:

A) It’s good for your children to become associated with modern medicine and its associated practices (pharmacology, psychiatry, etc.) — and remaining so from the time they’re born, or

B) If your kids eat well and play outdoors, you’re much better off with a very infrequent relationship with these practices.

Which would you choose? (more…)

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

PV - inverters have created a production bottleneck. Picture source: Mhassan abdollahi

Demand for PV inverters continues to boom, according to a report from IMS Research. IMS calculates that 8.3 GW of inverters – worth $2.8 billion – were shipped during 2009. That is a 35% increase in GW terms and 17.9% in cash terms over 2008. During 2009, the price of inverters deciined by around 13% in prices per watt.

In 2010 producers are expected to ship 13.9 GW of inverters – an increase of more than 66% – and the growth would be even greater if a sever component shortage was not limiting inverter production. Prices are expected to stabilize despite the dramatic output growth. 14.6 GW of new PV capacity are expected to be added worldwide in 2010 says The World Market for PV Inverters – 2010’, published July 2010. The figures are based on surveys of inverter suppliers undertaken by IMS Research, together with estimates of demand in 40 countries around the globe.

Utilities reshaping the Inverter market

The development of utility-scale solar plants is changing the shape of the market for PV inverters. Here’s how:

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