[The Vector] Electric and Hybrid Cars – Is Their Time Finally Coming?
The Vector believes that a paradigm shift is coming, and coming quickly, in the way the U.S. consumers views their cars.
Here is why: (more…)
[The Vector] Vehicles and Energy 101
- Courtesy WTRG Economics
As transportation takes the lion’s share of our oil consumption, illustrated in the chart here (compliments of WTRG Economics), it is worthwhile clarifying some of the various terms defining innovations and types of vehicles you may see, which we will write about in Vector.
- Alternative-fuel vehicles do not burn gasoline – they are powered by other sources such as electricity, propane, ethanol, etc.
- Fuel-flex vehicles run on gasoline and another source, such as ethanol.
- Hybrids combine two propulsion systems, typically electric with a gasoline or diesel engine that acts as a generator when the battery runs low. Often these cars are referred to as Plug-in Hybrids due to the electrical system that is charged by plugging in to the electrical grid.
- EV or Electric Vehicle refers to pure electrical vehicles.
A short summary of fuel types: (more…)
Tagged with: alternative energy, cars, clean energy, EV, green energy, oil and transportation, Renewable Energy, solar energy, solar panel, solar power, The Vector
[The Vector] Obama’s Oval Office Address and Renewable Energy
Any energy newsletter, including those covering renewable energy, must pay attention to what is happening with oil and other fossil fuels. Vector is no exception.
Oil currently dominates the energy world. Let’s understand energy use in the U.S., courtesy of the Energy Information Agency (EIA):
Oil and other fossil fuels, as can be seen in the chart, clearly dominate. Oil is in the limelight right now due to the disastrous Deepwater Horizon Gulf spill, and was in similarly the object of attention two years ago when prices rose to an unprecedented $140 +/- per barrel (prices have “stabilized” between $70 – $80 per barrel over the last year.)
There are many issues related to oil that Vector will cover each month that play into the renewable energy story.
Oil is unsustainable for at least six reasons:
For Clean Diesel Technology, Check Out DieselTek
[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/hed1gebSWQA]
Here’s the entire 30-minute show with DieselTek’s president Lance Miller. There is no doubt in my mind that the clean diesel industry will be making extremely important contributions to the world of sustainability over the coming decades — as diesel itself is gradually phased out in favor of technology that is intrinsically far cleaner.
DieselTek has a number of different approaches that have been shown in the laboratory to be effective at improving engine performance while dramatically lowering gaseous and particulate emissions. Check them out at Dieseltek.com.
[The Vector] Renewable Energy Renewable Energy News From Around the Country
Nipton, California Will Generate 85% of its Electricity from Skyline Solar
Skyline Solar announced the first commercial installation of its High Gain Solar (HGS) 1000 system in a new municipal solar plant of the desert town. The 80 kilowatt plant is an upgradeable solar power system that has been planned since 2008, when it secured financing. Skyline’s HGS patented architecture uses photovoltaic, tracking, cooling and concentration components, and reduces the amount of silicon needed. The power-producing components are upgradeable – which allows the owners to “future proof” their investment.
“As a gateway community to the Mojave Desert, Nipton seeks to be a good steward of the environment. Sustainability is paramount…” said Gerald Freeman, Principal Administrator for Nipton.
And Here’s What’s Happening at the New York Power Authority: (more…)
Tagged with: alternative energy, clean energy, green energy, Nipton CA, Renewable Energy, solar energy, solar panel, solar power, The Vector
Introducing The Vector!
Is is my pleasure to announce the availability of a brand-new 2GreenEnergy clean energy service: THE VECTOR.
THE VECTOR is a vital clean energy paid membership resource with a laser focus on the TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMICS and POLITICS of renewable energy.
THE VECTOR is updated 15 times throughout the course of every month (on average, about every other day).
You have my personal guarantee that you’ll find THE VECTOR actionable to the day-to-day business decisions you need to make, whether you’re a business leader, an investor, an entrepreneur, or whether you’re seeking a new career and are simply wishing to jump into the right arena.
My authors and I have been working very hard to ensure that the articles we research and present for your consumption are aligned with your goal: to understand the world of renewable energy, so as to make the right business decisions in this rapidly-evolving space.
By the way, there will be no change to the great free 2GreenEnergy information that our readers have come to expect as part of keeping abreast of the fast changes in the renewable energy business space.
In fact, if you have not already done so, you should subscribe to our free 2GreenEnergy Alert newsletter that will deliver you some of the top articles that are published here at 2GreenEnergy – for no cost.
Click here to get your free subscription to the 2GreenEnergy Alert and browse that page to see the various free (and paid) resources available to you.
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Publisher, THE VECTOR
Editor, 2GreenEnergy.com
Author, RENEWABLE ENERGY – FACTS AND FANTASIES
Tagged with: Renewable Energy
Clean Diesel – Can Small Companies Sell to Large Customers? – Final Part in a Series of Seven
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYnpiNCSwik&w=500&h=405]
Can small companies sell to large customers? Of course. I’ve had dozens of clients in start-ups over the last 30 years who are concerned that large companies wouldn’t pay attention to them, simply because they didn’t have billion-dollar balance sheets. Hogwash. Lance Miller, DieselTek’s president, has his own viewpoint on this subject, which he articulates here.
EV World Discusses Electric Vehicles on the 2GreenEnergy Report
[blip.tv http://blip.tv/play/hed1geT5aQA]
Here is the full 30-minute-long episode of the Sam Smith’s appearance on the 2GreenEnergy Report. Sam, managing partner of EV World Associates, has had his hands in many high-level electric vehicle transactions over the years, and I was pleased to have him on the program. I hope you’ll enjoy the rich color that Sam brings to the show, based of his robust set of experience in this industry space.
Electric Vehicles and the Plug-In Show – 2010
I’m headed for San Jose, CA this week for the annual Plug-In show. Like virtually every other event in the green space, these events get bigger and more exciting each year. Now, with the advent of the Nissan Leaf and dozens of other EVs from major manufacturers right on its heels, I expect quite a large and enthusiastic crowd.
I’ve written several articles over the past couple of years on the EV adoption curve as I predict it will happen, and I freely admit that my position is at odds with a great number of other industry observers. Maybe I’m missing something, but I see no major bumps and unaddressable challenges. Here are a few items for your consideration:
Consumer Demand. Will consumers rebuke the change from internal combustion engines (ICEs)? Sure, some will, for a short period of time. There were people who thought horseless carriages were the work of Satan in the early 20th Century. I’m sure there will be holdouts – for any of a dozen reasons. But who cares? Consumer acceptance will far outstrip the gradually increasing supply.
Note the two major pressures that will be exerted on consumers:
Gas prices. There are people, believe it or not, who care not one whit for anyone in the world except themselves and their immediate families. But even Hummer drivers will run to EVs when gas prices spike back up.
Peers. Imagine that you’re a fence sitter, and your next-door neighbor starts zipping around in a cool, high-torque, low-cost, near-zero-maintenance car with no tailpipe whose fuel costs him the equivalent of gasoline at $0.60 per gallon. I predict that simply seeing such a vehicle and talking to its owner will be a powerful motivating force in the direction of an EV.
Infrastructure. Will charging infrastructure be inadequate? This is a more complicated issue, but again, the answer is essentially no. It’s true that early EV adopters will need to plan their trips more carefully than ICE drivers, and that EVs – for the foreseeable future, will not be right for everyone, e.g., those few who rely on one vehicle to make frequent trips out of town. But for most, charging at home is not a problem — and soon charging at the workplace, shopping centers, and movie theaters will be ubiquitous.
So what about EVs on long trips? That will have to wait. But we’re replacing 230 million cars on US roads; that won’t happen overnight either.
Readiness of the Utilities. Will power utilities we able to cope with the increased demand for electricity? Yes. Most EVs will be charged at night with off-peak power that is of no value anyway. The increase in daytime power consumption will be very slow.
Shortages. Will there be shortages of lithium and other elements critical to the EV supply chain? I predict not. We haven’t really started looking for lithium. We didn’t think there was oil in the Earth’s crust either – until we started to look for it. Unfortunately, we found it, extracted it, and burned it. And now far better informed people than I are worried about uranium shortages because our civilization is concerned that we won’t be able to build enough nuclear reactors. Wow.
Cavalier Dismissal? Am I just trivializing important issues? Could be. But I’m betting I’m right.
In any case, I’ll hope to see you at the show — check it out here. As always, if you happen to be there and would like to say hello, please let me know; just hit contact.
Is Nuclear Power Part of a Balanced Energy Diet?
A reader named Mark writes on my piece about nuclear power, in which I favor solar thermal and point out the dangers of further nuclear development:
Energy and power sources/systems are complex topics. They encompass national and international political factors, human health factors, economic considerations, fuel source/feedstock considerations, and more.
I believe a diverse portfolio is desirable. As a human diet that is diverse (balanced) contributes to human health, a diverse portfolio of energy and power sources reduces overall risks greatly, from a number of perspectives. Problem is, most individuals or groups are motivated by some form of self-interest. Yours happens to be solar. Others favor nuclear and so on. ….. Until the power of special interests is reduced substantially, we likely will continue to land on the wrong squares. Unfortunately each human mind is its own “special interest”.
This is a terrifically astute comment. I particularly love: Unfortunately each human mind is its own “special interest.” You’ve touched not only on the energy industry but on the human condition itself; thanks so much for writing.
And you are so correct. We spend most of our mental lives trying to confirm our hypotheses about ourselves and the world around us — and almost no time looking for clues that may disconfirm these beliefs — a pursuit that would have been so much more productive. And I’m a living laboratory; I think of myself as a person strong enough to accept even the harshest criticism, but I have to admit that everytime I open an email from a stranger I hope it expressed approval of my ideas.
Having said all this, I’m not convinced that your analogy is perfectly valid. The idea that a balanced human diet leads to health does not imply that a balance of energy generation technology leads to sustainability. You wouldn’t suggest that a human diet that should include even trace amounts of cyanide. Likewise, I submit there are modes of energy generation that are simply unhealthy for humans and other living things.
