The ABCs of the New Networked Car - GoodCleanTech: "Cars are moving from gas to electric power, and the electric industry is moving to smart grids, which provide manageability and control, as well as two-way feedback. How will smart energy meters and intelligent power distribution affect plug-in electric cars? That was the subject of a panel here at the Green:Net conference in San Francisco, featuring a number of companies working on the massive infrastructure programs that may transform the auto industry as we know it.
'The car is essentially a server on wheels,' points out panel moderator Felix Kramer."
Monday, March 30, 2009
Renault-Nissan Partnership Forms Zero-Emission Vehicle Program - Beyond Fossil Fuel
Renault-Nissan Partnership Forms Zero-Emission Vehicle Program - Beyond Fossil Fuel: "Renault-Nissan has partnered with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) to advance zero-emission mobility by promoting the development of an electric vehicle (EV) charging network.
Nissan will be introducing ZEVs in the US in 2010. Nissan has started a coast to coast tour of their EV prototype that is powered by Nissan’s lithium-ion battery pack and zero emission electric motor.
As part of the partnership Nissan will help SDG&E with EV acquisition and the charging infrastructure for Evs. This team will work with area agencies and companies toward the implementation and maintenance of a battery charging network.
Renault-Nissan has begun ZEV programs in Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Japan, France and the UK. In the US they have partnered with the State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County, CA and Tucson, Ariz."
Nissan will be introducing ZEVs in the US in 2010. Nissan has started a coast to coast tour of their EV prototype that is powered by Nissan’s lithium-ion battery pack and zero emission electric motor.
As part of the partnership Nissan will help SDG&E with EV acquisition and the charging infrastructure for Evs. This team will work with area agencies and companies toward the implementation and maintenance of a battery charging network.
Renault-Nissan has begun ZEV programs in Israel, Denmark, Portugal, Japan, France and the UK. In the US they have partnered with the State of Tennessee, the State of Oregon, Sonoma County, CA and Tucson, Ariz."
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Earth Hour actual data from wholesale electricity market - Grid Insight
Earth Hour actual data from wholesale electricity market - Grid Insight: "As a publicity and awareness event, Earth Hour was in many ways a success. Props to the organizers for that. But on the question of whether Americans will actually reduce energy demand when asked, Earth Hour demonstrated that it takes more than good intentions to measurably alter our behavior."
Newberg man dreams, then creates hydrogen power - OregonLive.com
Newberg man dreams, then creates hydrogen power - OregonLive.com: "Over time, Fouhy and friends learned to ratchet back the hydrogen and get two hours of mowing time. They even used the energy to cook eggs on top of the exhaust pipe.
Now, Fouhy's garage at his Newberg home is a repository of hydrogen-powered devices, dismantled and intact, waiting to convince the next visitor of hydrogen's potential. There's the fuel cell the size of a playing card. The lawn mower. The hydrogen tanks and, of course, his dual-fuel car."
Now, Fouhy's garage at his Newberg home is a repository of hydrogen-powered devices, dismantled and intact, waiting to convince the next visitor of hydrogen's potential. There's the fuel cell the size of a playing card. The lawn mower. The hydrogen tanks and, of course, his dual-fuel car."
Just another – green – roadside attraction
Just another – green – roadside attraction: "Oregon Department of Transportation talks about the array of solar panels that will help light the intersection of I-205 and I-5." Oregon's Solar Highway
COUNTERPOINT: Green Jobs are the future of Oregon's economy - OregonLive.com
COUNTERPOINT: Green Jobs are the future of Oregon's economy - OregonLive.com: "As is often said, 'a crisis is a terrible thing to waste.'
Oregon is better positioned than any other state to extend its well deserved lead in developing sustainable solutions and 'green jobs' directly into a workable national solution to today's economic crisis. This approach will dramatically impact our economy, a generation of family wage jobs, our national security and our environment.
From our original bottle bill, public beach access, land use policies and forward-thinking alternative transportation solutions, Oregon is regarded as a national leader in developing creative solutions for difficult challenges.
Green jobs span our entire ecosystem, ranging from energy generation and water conservation to manufacturing, design and construction, to our farms and food supply. They include jobs for highly skilled, hourly employees to highly educated, four-year college graduates -- all providing living wages with secure benefits."
Oregon is better positioned than any other state to extend its well deserved lead in developing sustainable solutions and 'green jobs' directly into a workable national solution to today's economic crisis. This approach will dramatically impact our economy, a generation of family wage jobs, our national security and our environment.
From our original bottle bill, public beach access, land use policies and forward-thinking alternative transportation solutions, Oregon is regarded as a national leader in developing creative solutions for difficult challenges.
Green jobs span our entire ecosystem, ranging from energy generation and water conservation to manufacturing, design and construction, to our farms and food supply. They include jobs for highly skilled, hourly employees to highly educated, four-year college graduates -- all providing living wages with secure benefits."
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
China green car dream meets economic reality | Reuters
China green car dream meets economic reality | Reuters: "'There should be some incentives in place to convince consumers to switch to electric cars,' said Sinling Chung, chief executive officer of Hong Kong-based EuAuto Technology Ltd, which recently began marketing a China-made microcar in Europe.
'There is also the issue of infrastructure. At some point car owners will need juice points where they can park and plug in the cars,' said Chung in an interview at EuAuto's Shenzhen plant."
'There is also the issue of infrastructure. At some point car owners will need juice points where they can park and plug in the cars,' said Chung in an interview at EuAuto's Shenzhen plant."
Monday, March 16, 2009
Could the Volt Jump-Start GM? - washingtonpost.com
Could the Volt Jump-Start GM? - washingtonpost.com: "Honda's Insight LX, a traditional gas-electric hybrid that goes on sale this month, will start at $19,800. Chinese battery manufacturer BYD sells a plug-in for $22,000 and plans to enter the U.S. market in 2011.
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Toyota plans to start testing a plug-in, lithium-ion version of its Prius at the end of this year. Chrysler has created several plug-in electric prototypes. And Ford has announced plans to build a family of electrified vehicles by 2012.
'Consumers are going to have a great choice,' said Jim Lentz, Toyota's top U.S. executive. 'That's what makes it a horse race.'
The Volt was supposed to be a game changer for GM. With it, the beleaguered automaker burdened with the perception that its products are out-of-touch hopes to leapfrog more cautious rivals."
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Toyota plans to start testing a plug-in, lithium-ion version of its Prius at the end of this year. Chrysler has created several plug-in electric prototypes. And Ford has announced plans to build a family of electrified vehicles by 2012.
'Consumers are going to have a great choice,' said Jim Lentz, Toyota's top U.S. executive. 'That's what makes it a horse race.'
The Volt was supposed to be a game changer for GM. With it, the beleaguered automaker burdened with the perception that its products are out-of-touch hopes to leapfrog more cautious rivals."
Bright Automotive to Hawk the Anti-Chevy Volt, But Where’s the Money? « Earth2Tech
Bright Automotive to Hawk the Anti-Chevy Volt, But Where’s the Money? « Earth2Tech: "is skeptical that a hulking steel platform like GM’s Chevy Volt can be economical. Instead, he tells us, if you want to make a plug-in for the mass market at decent profit margins, you need to design around a smaller, lighter (read: less costly) battery pack.
That’s the tack Waters has taken with Bright Automotive’s first vehicle: a lightweight, aerodynamic plug-in hybrid. The Indiana-based startup was spun out of the not-for-profit think tank and consulting firm Rocky Mountain Institute a little over a year ago. Founded by Amory Lovins, RMI is famously committed to the idea of “lightweighting” vehicles to improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.
bright-auto-waters“We’re not limited by leveraging steel relationships,” Waters said, contrasting Bright’s “clean sheet” approach with GM’s longstanding ties to the steel industry. As a startup, he added, “agility allows us to tap into complete, solid business models and physics.”
At this stage, however, Bright remains long on vision and short on details."
That’s the tack Waters has taken with Bright Automotive’s first vehicle: a lightweight, aerodynamic plug-in hybrid. The Indiana-based startup was spun out of the not-for-profit think tank and consulting firm Rocky Mountain Institute a little over a year ago. Founded by Amory Lovins, RMI is famously committed to the idea of “lightweighting” vehicles to improve efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.
bright-auto-waters“We’re not limited by leveraging steel relationships,” Waters said, contrasting Bright’s “clean sheet” approach with GM’s longstanding ties to the steel industry. As a startup, he added, “agility allows us to tap into complete, solid business models and physics.”
At this stage, however, Bright remains long on vision and short on details."
All About Plug-In Hybrids | Car Rentals
All About Plug-In Hybrids | Car Rentals: "As early as 1899, hybrid cars were being produced. The producer of these fascinating cars in those early years was Lohner-Porsche. These hybrid cars had to be charged externally.
In 1969, there was a July issue of Popular science. This issue featured an article on a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors. The concept was that this plug-in hybrid car was a vehicle meant for traveling average distances. Called the General Motors XP-883, it had six 12-volt lead batteries located in the trunk area. And it was meant to be plugged into a standard 110-volt socket for recharging, and the fuel tank could hold about 10 liters.
In September of 2004, the California Cars initiative made a 2004 Toyota Prius prototype into what it called a PRIUS+, the difference being that the converted model had an add-on — there were 130 kg of lead-acid batteries onboard."
In 1969, there was a July issue of Popular science. This issue featured an article on a plug-in hybrid manufactured by General Motors. The concept was that this plug-in hybrid car was a vehicle meant for traveling average distances. Called the General Motors XP-883, it had six 12-volt lead batteries located in the trunk area. And it was meant to be plugged into a standard 110-volt socket for recharging, and the fuel tank could hold about 10 liters.
In September of 2004, the California Cars initiative made a 2004 Toyota Prius prototype into what it called a PRIUS+, the difference being that the converted model had an add-on — there were 130 kg of lead-acid batteries onboard."
20 cities will be ready for electric cars. Will yours? | Cooler Choice
20 cities will be ready for electric cars. Will yours? | Cooler Choice: "Inspired by groups like Better Place and Project Get Ready, Dr. Dennis is trying to bring together New York politicians and the utility Consolidated Edison to get moving on creating a network of electric charging stations, so when the EVs are ready, the city will be too. “I really want to help the city be a leader in this area,” he says.
Better Place is a California-based company that has already signed up Israel, Denmark, Australia, Hawaii, and San Francisco in far-reaching partnerships to not only install stations, but also battery swapping and the EVs themselves (from the Renault-Nissan Alliance).
Project Get Ready, an offshoot of the Rocky Mountain Institute, also puts together coalitions to get EVs up and running (though it’s not involved in the hardware side). So far, its partners are Raleigh, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Portland, Oregon (already the hybrid capital of the world)."
Better Place is a California-based company that has already signed up Israel, Denmark, Australia, Hawaii, and San Francisco in far-reaching partnerships to not only install stations, but also battery swapping and the EVs themselves (from the Renault-Nissan Alliance).
Project Get Ready, an offshoot of the Rocky Mountain Institute, also puts together coalitions to get EVs up and running (though it’s not involved in the hardware side). So far, its partners are Raleigh, North Carolina; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Portland, Oregon (already the hybrid capital of the world)."
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Clean energy: 'Better for America'
Energy [R]evolution | Greenpeace USA: "Clean energy: 'Better for America'
As the report states, “According to the University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute, investments in wind and solar power create 2.8 times as many jobs as the same investment in coal; mass transit and conservation would create 3.8 times as many jobs as coal.” We project that the Energy [R]evolution Scenario would create 14.5 million more new jobs by 2050 than would be created by meeting our energy needs with continued dependence on fossil fuels."
As the report states, “According to the University of Massachusetts' Political Economy Research Institute, investments in wind and solar power create 2.8 times as many jobs as the same investment in coal; mass transit and conservation would create 3.8 times as many jobs as coal.” We project that the Energy [R]evolution Scenario would create 14.5 million more new jobs by 2050 than would be created by meeting our energy needs with continued dependence on fossil fuels."
Ultra Fast Battery Charging | Green Energy News
Ultra Fast Battery Charging | Green Energy News: "For a century or so, drivers have become accustomed to reenergizing their cars in a few minutes. Whatever the vehicular technology of tomorrow turns out to be, drivers will want the same nearly instantaneous gratification.
If a new discovery from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) pans out, a quick fill up in the not too distant future may mean filling up with electricity, not gas. There, researchers Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder have discovered that with some modification, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries can be recharged as quickly as it takes to fill a tank with gasoline – maybe even quicker. The batteries, too, will discharge quickly, adding an extra boost to motor power when needed."
If a new discovery from researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) pans out, a quick fill up in the not too distant future may mean filling up with electricity, not gas. There, researchers Byoungwoo Kang and Gerbrand Ceder have discovered that with some modification, lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries can be recharged as quickly as it takes to fill a tank with gasoline – maybe even quicker. The batteries, too, will discharge quickly, adding an extra boost to motor power when needed."
LA and Bill Clinton’s Foundation Installing Largest City LED Program « Earth2Tech
LA and Bill Clinton’s Foundation Installing Largest City LED Program « Earth2Tech: "Los Angeles to install 140,000 LEDs over the next 5 years. The Los Angeles LED plan is being dubbed the largest LED retrofit program undertaken by a city to date and is supposed to save enough electricity to reduce carbon emissions by 40,500 tons per year."
Friday, March 13, 2009
US Treasury Secretary Geithner Attacks Oil and Gas Tax Breaks - Beyond Fossil Fuel
US Treasury Secretary Geithner Attacks Oil and Gas Tax Breaks - Beyond Fossil Fuel: "US Treasury Secretary Geithner Attacks Oil and Gas Tax Breaks - 3/12/09
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress Wednesday, U.S. natural gas and oil companies should not receive federal subsidies which are tax breaks, because their business contributes to global warming.
This is the sharpest attack on the oil and gas industry from the Obama administration which reinforces the White House stance on a policy promoting alternative energy sources like wind and solar.
The Obama administration’s budget will levy excise taxes on oil and natural gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico. This would raise $5.3 billion in revenue from 2011 to 2019. This 13% tax would only apply to oil companies that have a loophole which allows them to avoid paying royalties on the energy they supply. The companies paying a royalty would get a tax credit.
The Obama budget will also place a $4 per acre annual fee on energy leases in the Gulf that are non-producing. It is projected that this would generate $1.2 billion from 2010 to 2019.
Geithner said these taxes “can be absorbed” by the oil and gas companies since they have earned billions of dollars from high energy prices."
U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner told Congress Wednesday, U.S. natural gas and oil companies should not receive federal subsidies which are tax breaks, because their business contributes to global warming.
This is the sharpest attack on the oil and gas industry from the Obama administration which reinforces the White House stance on a policy promoting alternative energy sources like wind and solar.
The Obama administration’s budget will levy excise taxes on oil and natural gas produced in the Gulf of Mexico. This would raise $5.3 billion in revenue from 2011 to 2019. This 13% tax would only apply to oil companies that have a loophole which allows them to avoid paying royalties on the energy they supply. The companies paying a royalty would get a tax credit.
The Obama budget will also place a $4 per acre annual fee on energy leases in the Gulf that are non-producing. It is projected that this would generate $1.2 billion from 2010 to 2019.
Geithner said these taxes “can be absorbed” by the oil and gas companies since they have earned billions of dollars from high energy prices."
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Mega Solar: the World’s 13 Biggest Solar Thermal Energy Projects : EcoWorldly
Mega Solar: the World’s 13 Biggest Solar Thermal Energy Projects : EcoWorldly: "Solar thermal energy plants focus the glare of the Sun’s rays on a central location to create heat, which is then turned into electricity. Various methods exist to concentrate the solar radiation, including parabolic troughs, power towers with mirrors that track the Sun (heliostats), parabolic dishes, and Fresnel reflectors. See a history of solar thermal energy."
Good Green Cars · Tesla Model S Four-Door Sedan Likely in 2011
Good Green Cars · Tesla Model S Four-Door Sedan Likely in 2011: "Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk blogged last week about the latest member of his electric vehicle family: the Tesla Model S, a four-door sedan. The company has its collective fingers crossed that the U.S. Department of Energy will approve its $350 million loan to work on the new family-friendly car; if it all works out, production could begin in 2011.
Musk had a slew of good news to report, in addition to the high hopes he has for the Model S:
* The faster, performance-tuned Roadster Sport will be available in June 2009
* Two new sales and service locations will open in Chicago and London, with more in the pipeline
* The company is expected to turn a profit by mid-year (but who knows how many high-level personnel changes there’ll be in the meantime)
* He reiterated that Tesla has partnered with Daimler to supply the batteries and chargers for the electric Smart car"
Musk had a slew of good news to report, in addition to the high hopes he has for the Model S:
* The faster, performance-tuned Roadster Sport will be available in June 2009
* Two new sales and service locations will open in Chicago and London, with more in the pipeline
* The company is expected to turn a profit by mid-year (but who knows how many high-level personnel changes there’ll be in the meantime)
* He reiterated that Tesla has partnered with Daimler to supply the batteries and chargers for the electric Smart car"
Good Green Cars · Nissan’s EV Network at Fast Food Joints
Good Green Cars · Nissan’s EV Network at Fast Food Joints: "Nissan North America wants to put fast food to good use — by starting a nationwide EV charging network in their parking lots. (Seems like Sweden is leading the way here.) The way Nissan figures, 30 minutes on a commercial charger (rather than you 110V outlets at home) could give batteries up to an 80% charge. That’s about the time it takes to order, take a seat, get your food, scarf it down, and make a quick trip to the rest room before continuing on your merry, electrified way.
Customers would pay for the electricity at the curbside charger with a credit card. Drivers who need to top off for free might be able to do so at Nissan dealerships. The company is asking its sellers to install recharging stations as a courtesy for drivers just passing through.
Why does Nissan care so much? Well, they’ve got plans to get a five-seat EV sedan with a 100-mile range into showrooms by 2012. Without an easy-to-use infrastructure, the venture may be dead in the water. The company hopes the charging network will expand to workplace parking and shopping center parking, like malls and movie theaters. Maybe theaters could bring back the double feature so movie-goers can get a full charge."
Customers would pay for the electricity at the curbside charger with a credit card. Drivers who need to top off for free might be able to do so at Nissan dealerships. The company is asking its sellers to install recharging stations as a courtesy for drivers just passing through.
Why does Nissan care so much? Well, they’ve got plans to get a five-seat EV sedan with a 100-mile range into showrooms by 2012. Without an easy-to-use infrastructure, the venture may be dead in the water. The company hopes the charging network will expand to workplace parking and shopping center parking, like malls and movie theaters. Maybe theaters could bring back the double feature so movie-goers can get a full charge."
Monday, March 9, 2009
Op-Ed Columnist - Start Up the Risk-Takers - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - Start Up the Risk-Takers - NYTimes.com: "The wind and solar industries in America “were dead in the fourth quarter,” said John Woolard, chief executive of BrightSource Energy, which builds and operates cutting-edge solar-thermal plants in the Mojave Desert. Almost five gigawatts of new solar-thermal projects — the equivalent of five big nuclear plants — at various stages of permitting were being held up because of a lack of financing.
“All of these projects will now go ahead,” said Woolard. “You are talking about thousands of jobs ... We really got something right in this legislation.”"
“All of these projects will now go ahead,” said Woolard. “You are talking about thousands of jobs ... We really got something right in this legislation.”"
Op-Ed Columnist - Start Up the Risk-Takers - NYTimes.com
Op-Ed Columnist - Start Up the Risk-Takers - NYTimes.com: "Reading the news that General Motors and Chrysler are now lining up for another $20 billion or so in government aid — on top of the billions they’ve already received or requested — leaves me with the sick feeling that we are subsidizing the losers and for only one reason: because they claim that their funerals would cost more than keeping them on life support. Sorry, friends, but this is not the American way. Bailing out the losers is not how we got rich as a country, and it is not how we’ll get out of this crisis."
Industry Milestone Reached by First Solar | Solar Power - PV Panels
Industry Milestone Reached by First Solar | Solar Power - PV Panels: "This week, a solar industry milestone was reached by a company based in Tempe, Arizona. Long criticized for being too expensive as a renewable energy option for many people, solar energy now can be generated below the $1 per watt level, says First Solar.
Take that, “clean coal” and nuclear proponents! We don’t need your dirty, dangerous options for energy."
Take that, “clean coal” and nuclear proponents! We don’t need your dirty, dangerous options for energy."
GeoBulb™ - by C. Crane
GeoBulb™ - by C. Crane: "Compare
Incandescent Light Bulb Incandescent
60 Watt Bulb Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Compact Fluorescent
13 Watt Bulb GeoBulb™ (Cool White) GeoBulb II ™
7.5 Watt LED Bulb
Life Span
How long will the light bulb last? 1,000 hours Up to 2,500 hours Up to 30,000 hours
Bulb Cost
Per 30,000 hours $25.50
(30 bulbs at 85¢ each) $60.00
(12 bulbs at $5.00 each) $119.95
Cost of Electricity
30,000 hours at 12.1 ¢ per kwh $217.80 $47.19 $27.22
Total Cost
Bulb Cost + Electricity $243.30 $107.19 $147.18
Hazardous Material No Yes
Mercury No
Cost to run
12 hou"
Incandescent Light Bulb Incandescent
60 Watt Bulb Compact Fluorescent Light Bulb Compact Fluorescent
13 Watt Bulb GeoBulb™ (Cool White) GeoBulb II ™
7.5 Watt LED Bulb
Life Span
How long will the light bulb last? 1,000 hours Up to 2,500 hours Up to 30,000 hours
Bulb Cost
Per 30,000 hours $25.50
(30 bulbs at 85¢ each) $60.00
(12 bulbs at $5.00 each) $119.95
Cost of Electricity
30,000 hours at 12.1 ¢ per kwh $217.80 $47.19 $27.22
Total Cost
Bulb Cost + Electricity $243.30 $107.19 $147.18
Hazardous Material No Yes
Mercury No
Cost to run
12 hou"
Sunday, March 8, 2009
One More Reason to Become a Vegetarian?
One More Reason to Become a Vegetarian?: "One More Reason to Become a Vegetarian?
vegetables.jpg
There are a list of reasons for being a vegetarian — health, morality, ethics — but could global warming be yet another? As a matter of fact, it is. Oil, coal, and cars seem to get all the attention in environmental discourse these days, but there’s a new answer to the question, “Where’s the beef?” It turns out that our beef is busy melting ice caps and eating ozone.
According to the Scientific American, meat production itself produces up to 22% of greenhouse gases every year. And beef is the worst. It contributes more than 13 times as much as chicken to global warming, and 57 times more than potatoes…and consumption is rising rapidly.
The raising and production of livestock animals uses an amazing amount of energy. Here are some of the major effects that meat has on its way to your dinner table:
Livestock Waste Produces Greenhouse Gases
Fossil Fuel emissions may be number one, but methane is not far behind, and waste from livestock is a major contributor to methane emissions. The livestock industry on the whole accounts for 37% of human-induced methane. According to Low Impact Living, you would have to drive your car for three hours, while leaving all the lig"...
vegetables.jpg
There are a list of reasons for being a vegetarian — health, morality, ethics — but could global warming be yet another? As a matter of fact, it is. Oil, coal, and cars seem to get all the attention in environmental discourse these days, but there’s a new answer to the question, “Where’s the beef?” It turns out that our beef is busy melting ice caps and eating ozone.
According to the Scientific American, meat production itself produces up to 22% of greenhouse gases every year. And beef is the worst. It contributes more than 13 times as much as chicken to global warming, and 57 times more than potatoes…and consumption is rising rapidly.
The raising and production of livestock animals uses an amazing amount of energy. Here are some of the major effects that meat has on its way to your dinner table:
Livestock Waste Produces Greenhouse Gases
Fossil Fuel emissions may be number one, but methane is not far behind, and waste from livestock is a major contributor to methane emissions. The livestock industry on the whole accounts for 37% of human-induced methane. According to Low Impact Living, you would have to drive your car for three hours, while leaving all the lig"...
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Dr Amory Lovins talks about energy efficiency, transport and renewable energy | Zero Emissions Climate Change Global Warming Solution
Dr Amory Lovins talks about energy efficiency, transport and renewable energy | Zero Emissions Climate Change Global Warming Solution: "Dr Amory Lovins talks about energy efficiency, transport and renewable energy
Thu, 2009-02-26 09:00 — admin
Listen to Podcast Scott Bilby: This Morning on Beyond Zero we're talking with Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute co-founder, chairman and chief scientist. He's an expert on energy use and energy efficiency. He's been advisor to industries in the US for many years and also advised the US Departments of Energy and Defense. He's also authored and co-authored many books on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Welcome to the show Amory.
Amory Lovins: Thank you. G'day."
Thu, 2009-02-26 09:00 — admin
Listen to Podcast Scott Bilby: This Morning on Beyond Zero we're talking with Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute co-founder, chairman and chief scientist. He's an expert on energy use and energy efficiency. He's been advisor to industries in the US for many years and also advised the US Departments of Energy and Defense. He's also authored and co-authored many books on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Welcome to the show Amory.
Amory Lovins: Thank you. G'day."
Monday, March 2, 2009
Study Concludes the Obvious: Smaller PHEVs Minimize Fuel Consumption, Emissions | Zoomi Life
Study Concludes the Obvious: Smaller PHEVs Minimize Fuel Consumption, Emissions | Zoomi Life: "A team from Carnegie Mellon University has analyzed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) fuel consumption, cost, and emissions over a range of charging frequencies (distance between charges). The study will be fully published in an upcoming issue of Energy Policy.
Basically, what they figured out is that frequent charging means less expensive operation of the PHEVs as well as lower greenhouse emissions. This compared to hybrids and conventional vehicles.
Uhh…DUHH
What was interesting was the other finding of the study: the one that doesn’t make headlines since it’s not as “green” sounding.
Apparently, regular hybrids like the (pre-2010) Prius are actually better for longer distances when it comes to cost-effectiveness. Larger PHEVs (meaning in size of battery capacity, not size of vehicle) are not cost-effective at all, due to the weight of the vehicle thanks to those batteries. They minimize emissions, of course, but only by shifting them from one location (city) to another (power plant).
Here’s an example of how Asst. Prof Jeremy Michalek breaks it down: a PHEV that is charged every 7 miles versus a PHEV charged every 60 has a measurable economic and emissions difference. The additional weight of the 60-mi"
Basically, what they figured out is that frequent charging means less expensive operation of the PHEVs as well as lower greenhouse emissions. This compared to hybrids and conventional vehicles.
Uhh…DUHH
What was interesting was the other finding of the study: the one that doesn’t make headlines since it’s not as “green” sounding.
Apparently, regular hybrids like the (pre-2010) Prius are actually better for longer distances when it comes to cost-effectiveness. Larger PHEVs (meaning in size of battery capacity, not size of vehicle) are not cost-effective at all, due to the weight of the vehicle thanks to those batteries. They minimize emissions, of course, but only by shifting them from one location (city) to another (power plant).
Here’s an example of how Asst. Prof Jeremy Michalek breaks it down: a PHEV that is charged every 7 miles versus a PHEV charged every 60 has a measurable economic and emissions difference. The additional weight of the 60-mi"
Raleigh to Install Plug-in Stations for Hybrids
Raleigh to Install Plug-in Stations for Hybrids: "Feb. 24--RALEIGH -- Mayor Charles Meeker announced today that Raleigh is one of three U.S. cities that will participate in a program designed to encourage the installation of plug-in stations for hybrid-electric vehicles.
Raleigh plans to install eight plug-in stations around the city in the coming months under a program called Project Get Ready. The project was initiated by the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado-based nonprofit that encourages efficient uses of natural resources. Indianapolis and Portland, Ore. are also participating."
Raleigh plans to install eight plug-in stations around the city in the coming months under a program called Project Get Ready. The project was initiated by the Rocky Mountain Institute, a Colorado-based nonprofit that encourages efficient uses of natural resources. Indianapolis and Portland, Ore. are also participating."
GM Volt Cost May Limit Value to Drivers, Study Finds (Update1)
Bloomberg.com: U.S.:
"Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp.’s Volt electric car may be too expensive to buy and operate to displace Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius hybrid as the industry benchmark for cutting fuel use and cutting carbon exhaust.
A rechargeable auto with the Volt’s target range of 40 miles on electricity is “not cost effective in any scenario,” a study by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh found. Plug- in cars with smaller batteries may be a better value, according to the study, which doesn’t cite the Volt by name.
“Forty miles might be a sweet spot for making sure a lot of people get to work without using gasoline, but you’re doing it at a cost that will never be repaid in fuel savings,” Jeremy Michalek, an engineering professor who led the study, said in an interview.
The study is an attempt to test how prices and driving habits may shape consumer choices among current hybrids and new models such as the Volt and a Prius able to be recharged at a household outlet.
With lighter, cheaper batteries, a plug-in with 7 to 10 miles (11 to 16 kilometers) of electric range or a conventional hybrid may provide the best mix of price, faster charge times and efficiency, Michalek said. His study was accepted this week for publication in a future issue of the journal Energy Policy.
While plug-in hybrids aren’t in mass production, President Barack Obama is pushing carmakers to sell vehicles that cut U.S. use of imported oil and emit fewer gases tied to global warming. Automakers and suppliers are vying for $25 billion in low-cost U.S. Energy Department loans to help build such models.
‘Best Option’
GM believes “40 miles, based on all the data we’ve seen, covers roughly 78 percent of consumers in the U.S. and is the best option” for reducing gasoline use, said spokesman Robert Peterson, who hadn’t read the Carnegie Mellon study.
A battery big enough to propel a car for 40 miles, such as the 400-pound pack for Volt, may cost $16,000, based on current industry and academic estimates. The price of the car isn’t set, though GM backed off last year from an initial goal of less than $30,000 when the Volt reaches the U.S. market in late 2010.
Costs aren’t the only questions about plug-in vehicles, said K.G. Duleep, managing director of consulting firm Energy & Environmental Analysis Inc. in Arlington, Virginia, and a researcher on a U.S. study on plug-ins and other advanced autos.
‘Very Skeptical’
“I’m very skeptical about the prospects for near-term durability of the batteries,” said Duleep. “Even in the lab they aren’t lasting more than 7 years.”
The Carnegie Mellon study, funded by a National Science Foundation grant, looked at battery costs as well as the expenses a plug-in vehicle owner would encounter in recharging the units. The researchers also reviewed the greenhouse-gas emissions needed to make the packs and generate electricity for home and commercial recharging.
The Volt will have a small onboard gasoline engine to replenish the lithium-ion battery while driving. Detroit-based GM also plans to sell a plug-in version of its hybrid Saturn Vue sport-utility vehicle that will travel 7 miles on battery power alone, Peterson said.
“We’re developing two different plug-ins and definitely see a need for a range of vehicle types,” Peterson said. “You don’t want to buy too much battery, but we believe 40-mile range is the right size.” GM is seeking $8.3 billion in Energy Department loans.
Toyota, the world’s largest automaker and biggest hybrid seller, this year adds a revamped Prius that is to get at least 50 miles per gallon of gasoline in combined city-highway driving. Toyota also plans tests this year on a plug-in Prius able to go more than 10 miles on a charge.
The final range is likely to be less than half that of the Volt, said Bill Reinert, U.S. national manager for advanced technology for Toyota City, Japan-based Toyota. The Prius now sells for $22,000 to $24,270.
“We believe that if you have a smaller battery charged more frequently, you can run on electricity more of the time, then your carbon emissions are going to be lower overall,” Reinert said in a Feb. 18 interview in Pasadena, California.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Ohnsman in Los Angeles at aohnsman@bloomberg.net"
CARB Chairman Debate Between Hydrogen and Batteries Madness
Green Car Congress: ARB Chairman Characterizes Ideological Debate Between Hydrogen and Batteries as Madness: "
23 February 2009
California Air Resources Board (ARB) Chairman Mary Nichols characterized the sometimes contentious, ideological debate between those who advocate for hydrogen fuel cells and those who advocate for batteries as the ultimate enabler of low-carbon transportation as “madness” from the point of view of a regulator.
Chairman Nichols made the comment during a keynote at the third annual UC Berkeley Energy Symposium, presented by the Berkeley Energy & Resources Collaborative (BERC), that focused on policy and legislative activity in the context of California’s climate change efforts.
We need to be able to find ways to set goals that are ambitious and keep ourselves moving forward towards those prizes...the kinds of things that politicians who get elected for two- or four-year terms can boldly announce and have their blueprints for. At the same time we have to recognize that science and other things can sometimes get in the way of implementing those big goals in exactly the way that we initially planned, and that when we try to get too prescriptive about how to do it, or to come down on the side of favoring one particular technology over another, in the regulatory world, we end up in the midst of pitched battles between engineers that do nothing to advance the cause.
There is one thing that has really frustrated me in the last couple of years...it has been the ideological, I would almost say theological, debate between the people who think that hydrogen fuel cells are the answer and the people who think that only battery electric vehicles are the answer. Each of them do their best to trash the credibility, viability and good faith of the other side.
It may be that we feel a need as humans to be passionate about our particular solutions to whatever the technology is, but from the point of view of a regulator, this is madness.
We know that we need both. We have to have a climate in which we can be moving forward at the same time with more than one technology, and still have progress on all of these fronts.
Responding to a question as to exactly why she saw a need for both, Nichols said that on the battery side, there still wasn’s a battery with sufficient capacity capable of taking a vehicle without pause the same kind of distances that people are used to being able to travel. There also is not, she added, a battery which is usable for some of the long-range heavy duty applications of hauling goods around in trucks and other kinds of vehicles. And third, she pointed out, “not every state is California” when it comes to the carbon footprint of power generation. “Recharging a battery is a much cleaner operation here than in Illinois.” At the same time, she added, there are issues with hydrogen and fuel cells.
"I would argue that at the end of the day, in this country, we are going to need a mix of types of vehicles, that we will have battery electric, we will have advanced hybrids and we will have fuel cell vehicles all operating successfully in different places within the next 20 years or so, and that that’s a good thing.
NUCLEAR NONSENSE: Interview # 1 - Harvey Wasserman
YouTube - NUCLEAR NONSENSE: Interview # 1 - Harvey Wasserman: "Only Kooks Push Nukes
In EON's on-going interview series NUCLEAR NONSENSE: Debunking the 'Nuclear Renaissance', energy researchers and veteran campaigners point out the cascade of fatal fallacies on which this global corporate, short-term profit-driven PR blitz is based.
In interview #1 author, veteran investigative reporter and former energy adviser to Greenpeace Harvey Wasserman debunks the effort to market nuclear power as a 'cure' for global climate change and peak oil. His book SOLARTOPIA is available at http://www.solartopia.org/"
In EON's on-going interview series NUCLEAR NONSENSE: Debunking the 'Nuclear Renaissance', energy researchers and veteran campaigners point out the cascade of fatal fallacies on which this global corporate, short-term profit-driven PR blitz is based.
In interview #1 author, veteran investigative reporter and former energy adviser to Greenpeace Harvey Wasserman debunks the effort to market nuclear power as a 'cure' for global climate change and peak oil. His book SOLARTOPIA is available at http://www.solartopia.org/"
Sunday, March 1, 2009
EcoGeek - Clean Technology
EcoGeek - Clean Technology: "Every once in a while I'll get an email or comment that can be roughly paraphrased as 'I'm not actually that big a fan of cold weather...so why should I be worried about increasing CO2 emissions?'
Well, for you, I've put together a list of four somewhat surprising (and quite unsettling) things that that scientists have determined are occurring because of rising CO2 levels.
Well, for you, I've put together a list of four somewhat surprising (and quite unsettling) things that that scientists have determined are occurring because of rising CO2 levels.
- Global Depression
Depending on who you ask, the necessary changes the world will have to make as a result of global warming (everything from building higher sea walls to relocating entire cities) will cost up to 20% of the world's GDP. So, yeah, you think it's bad when we have a financial fall-out from a little housing bubble...imagine having 20% of the world's economy sucked into a hole the size of the Larsen Ice Shelf. - Global Fish Kill
One of the oft-overlooked, but possibly most devastating consequences of global warming is the acidification of the oceans. Oceans suck up huge amounts of CO2. And as the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere increases, so does the amount absorbed by the world's oceans. Unfortunately, when the CO2 enters the water, it creates carbonic acid. So, over the last hundred years or so, the acidity of the ocean has increased so much that it is literally eroding the shells of mollusks. Unfortunately, these mollusks are the base of many marine ecosystems, important to everything from salmon to sperm whales. The possibilities of an oceanic mass-extinction are on the rise. - Global Hunger
There is a massive amount of infrastructure in place to create the world's food. And that infrastructure depends on a fairly stable climate. We expect the rain to fall where and when it falls, we expect the thaw to come where and when it comes. But global warming does more than change the temperature, it changes the climate. Projections show more rain in dry areas and less rain in wet areas, the result of which could be the need to completely re-create much of our farming infrastructure. In th meantime, while that infrastructure is being created, we should expect that a lot of people will be very hungry. - Feedback Loops
A positive feedback loop is not something one likes to see in nature. For example, if melting snow creates more heat-absorbing land which creates more melting snow which creates more heat absorbing land, we have a positive feedback loop that is likely to exponentially increase its effect on global climate. These feedback loops are everywhere in climate models. From decreasing albedo (the example above) to increased wild fires puffing cities-worth of CO2 into the atmosphere to the Canadian boreal forests dying due to climate change and thus releasing their 27 years-worth of stored carbon into the atmosphere.
So yes...this time of year, I appreciate a nice warm day as much as the next guy. But those who get excited about global warming just don't know what they're talking about. And my thanks go to the scientists who work tirelessly to determine what effect climate change will have on us all, and what we need to do to deal with it."
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