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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGKcJjyK1Js&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1]

Here, DieselTek president Lance Miller discusses the recent changes in the diesel industry me on the 2GreenEnergy Report. In particular, government bodies are heaping on tight regulations on particulate, NOx and SOx emissions — especially in California.

Yet the trucking industry is no different than any other in that it is deeply concerned about costs, and thus it is critical that any initiative to clean up the industry not increase those costs. Fortunately, DieselTek products represent the ultimate win-win: low costs, better performance, and a cleaner world.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Echelon’s Steve Ngyuen, the fellow I interviewed for my book’s chapter on intelligent building management, spent a few minutes describing “light harvesting” to me — the idea of making use of the sun’s light the way buildings are designed, thus using electric lights mostly at night.  But not until now did I start to understand how much can be done with this.

Any use of daylighting, the practice of using natural light to illuminate building spaces, will reduce the need for electric lighting by bringing in indirect natural light into the building. But it does so much more: creating beautiful, appropriately lit spaces, and connecting people to the outdoors. I urge you to checkout the Daylighting Collaborative, and learn more about how advanced this combination of art and science — of architecture and engineering – can get. I think you’ll be impressed with how much there is to learn: concepts of lighting power density (W/ft2), illuminance levels, contrast ratios, window to wall ratios, ceiling to skylight area percentages, and reduction in glare.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhJgObXAA1Q&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&border=1]

Pat Mahan of FunRide discusses the social benefits of car sharing with me on a recent airing of the 2GreenEnergy Report.

In my mind, the degree to which car sharing is successful is an indicator of the degree to which people have divorced themselves of the “I am what I drive” concept — and, in my opinion, that realization that can’t come too soon. When you think about it, car sharing is the ultimate freedom in the auto space; it’s the statement that “Not only do I not identify my level of success with the value of that piece of steel in the driveway — I don’t even own one at all.”

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

PhotobucketThe other day, esteemed physicist and electric vehicle engineer Wally Rippel dropped by the television studio and talked to me about a range of cool issues. 

The type of guy Wally is becomes clear when you understand an experiment he likes to do.  He asks an average American to name a famous living tennis player, a billionaire, a movie star, a basketball star, a criminal, and a musician.  All very easy, right?  Then he asks the name of a famous living inventor.  Practically no one can do that. 

His conclusion?  We simply don’t value inventors and scientists.  He points out that until we create a culture that values innovation, we won’t have innovation.  It’s that simple.

Wally, you’re quite a guy.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

PhotobucketMy friend Paul Scott of Plug-in America has me convinced that the large auto OEMs – the Nissans and GMs of the world – are sincere in their integration of electric vehicles. But watching this process unfold surely does test one’s faith. For instance, take today’s announcement from Chevrolet Volt Marketing Director Tony DiSalle to the effect that GM plans to produce 10,000 Volts by the end of 2011, and an additional 30,000 Volts during 2012 (compared to approximately 7 million vehicles that run on fossil fuels).

Cynic Sam Jaffe, a research manager working on distributed energy strategies at IDC Energy Insights, believes that the extremely high miles per gallon of each Volt will help GM to continue to sell large numbers of gas-guzzlers and still remain within the US Corporate Average Fuel Economy regulations.

Who knows? I suppose this disturbing announcement does require a theory, but I’m not ready to adopt that one – which I would describe as somewhere between bad faith and pure evil.

Having said that, I have to comment again that big business and big government in the US seem to be doing their level best to trail the pack in terms of clean energy and transportation.

But why?

I sure wish I knew.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdiEz2SVKzQ&w=445&h=364]

Lance Miller, the president of DieselTek, joined me recently on the 2GreenEnergy Report, and explained his company’s unique approach and capability to the clean diesel market.

As I mention on the show, I’m sure all readers here look forward to the day when clean diesel products are no longer needed because diesel technology itself is obsolete.  But looking at the tough realities here, we have to acknowledge that such a day lies a long way in the future — and in the meanwhile, we should all be very glad that companies like this exist. 

DieselTek holds the patents on some incredble fuel additives and proven-effective engine flush systems. 

Btw, Lance Miller, a good friend of mine, was the 2005 World Champion of Public Speaking; I sure you’ll see why when you view this clip.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFcO7p4nJec&w=450&h=280]

This is a much cooler video on my report “Tough Realities for Renewable Energy Businesses,” made by 2GreenEnergy Business Manager George Alger. Great job, George!

This report just hit the streets this morning, and the reaction to it has been quite positive. Ironically, it has prompted at least a dozen or so additional inquiries about clean energy business plans. No rest for the weary.

Please feel free to forward this to friends and colleagues, and, as usual, please post feedback.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

PhotobucketPerhaps the most common refrain in the clean energy industry is this: Why isn’t the US taking a leading role? Why are countries all over the world leap-frogging us Americans in this critical arena?

Of course our own Bill Paul talks about this constantly – but so do many others. Green Chip Stocks’ Nick Hodge notes:

Perhaps the best example is Papua New Guinea (PNG), where ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM) is leading a $15 billion project to bring the county’s 22.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas to market. But PNG doesn’t want the gas… They want the revenue from the gas to build out clean infrastructure; harnessing their hydro, geothermal, and biomass resources as they sell the gas to the U.S. and the rest of the world. The message is clear: You guys go ahead and waste time with coal and oil. Pay us for it while we beat you to a clean energy future.

Perhaps there is more complexity here than I can see from where I sit. But I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb when I suggest that the answer to this issue lies in the disgusting bickering and backbiting that lies at the core of the way in which our leaders get things done in Washington. If one side of the aisle wants it, the other side is forced to oppose it.  That’s just sickening.

And until we find a way to reform the entire process by which political campaigns are financed, prohibiting corporations from making massive contributions that effective purchase the will of our leaders, there is, in my estimation, no possibility of improvement.  Yet, as I noted here, the Supreme Court doesn’t seem to see the issue the way I do.  I hope folks will comment on this. 

In any case, as the late Robert Byrd said, decrying the partisanship that polarized what had earlier been a friendlier and more honest Senate, “The current system is rotten. It’s putrid. It stinks.”

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wtxpBvM-v0&w=445&h=364]

Here’s another snippet of my talk with Pat Mahan from FunRide. Here, he talks about his organization, which offers car sharing and alternative fueled vehicles.

I ran across FunRide a couple of years ago in meetings I had with electric vehicle enthusiasts in San Luis Obispo, CA.  I was concerned that the density of cars and people was not sufficiently high in that region to support this concept, but, in hindsight, I’m not sure that’s true.  One thing is for certain: the demographics of that area can’t get any better for progressive thinking and behavior.

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by Craig ShieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYJzpN22pzg&w=445&h=364]

Here’s Funride’s Pat Mahan speaking with me about car sharing and alternative fuel vehicles on a recent episode of the 2GreenEnergy Report.

Car sharing is an important phenomenon, insofar as it reduces the net number of cars that are on our roads.  But interestingly, it signals (to me, at least) that perhaps I’m right in my theory about the paradign shift in driving habits.  

Here are people who are willing to give up ownership of their cars and see auto transportation as purely utilitarian.  I wonder how many people like that there are.  Let me tell you, if you’ve ever lived in Washington DC (I was there for four years) you have one realization real quick:  this is no place to own, park, drive, and insure a car of your own.

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