Friday, November 28, 2008
Kill Your Air Conditioner - TIME
Kill Your Air Conditioner - TIME: "The unnecessary refrigeration of America has become a chronic disease. It seems to have gotten worse over the past few years, with thermostats routinely set at 68deg.F, and sometimes even 65 deg., in the (far too many) hotel rooms I've suffered on the campaign trail. 'Americans seem to keep their houses cooler in summer than they do in the winter,' muses Edward Parson, an environmental expert at the University of Michigan Law School. But it's hard to know for sure, since there are no comprehensive studies that measure air-conditioning trend lines."
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Denmark “Invents” Solar Power Air Conditioner… Again : EcoWorldly
Denmark “Invents” Solar Power Air Conditioner… Again : EcoWorldly: "Danish company AC Sun recently made news with the “invention” a new solar-powered air conditioning system.The new systems are pollution-free, low-noise, and use only 10% of the energy of conventional systems. The only problem is they’ve already been invented, several times over.
Lars Stigel, director of Østjysk Innovation, an investor in AC Sun, spoke with enthusiasm about AC Sun’s design. “It is a groundbreaking technology in relation to renewable energy and energy savings,” he says."
Lars Stigel, director of Østjysk Innovation, an investor in AC Sun, spoke with enthusiasm about AC Sun’s design. “It is a groundbreaking technology in relation to renewable energy and energy savings,” he says."
Heat wave will stress California electric grid - USATODAY.com
Heat wave will stress California electric grid - USATODAY.com: "'We set a new peak today and we'll blow through that record pretty quick tomorrow,' said Gregg Fishman, spokesman for Cal-ISO, which manages most of the state's electricity grid. 'We know it's going to be hot, the question is how hot and how much of the state's coastal population centers will be hit.'
Demand peaked on Tuesday afternoon at 45,888 megawatts — nearly 1,000 megawatts higher than expected.
But state officials are hoping that, with calls for conservation, Wednesday's predicted peak demand of 47,275 megawatts and Thursday's forecast for 47,667 megawatts will not creep higher than anticipated.
California's all-time record energy demand is 50,270 megawatts. It was set last year during a two-week heat wave blamed for hundreds of deaths."
energy demand
Demand peaked on Tuesday afternoon at 45,888 megawatts — nearly 1,000 megawatts higher than expected.
But state officials are hoping that, with calls for conservation, Wednesday's predicted peak demand of 47,275 megawatts and Thursday's forecast for 47,667 megawatts will not creep higher than anticipated.
California's all-time record energy demand is 50,270 megawatts. It was set last year during a two-week heat wave blamed for hundreds of deaths."
energy demand
Record Breaker: Hurricane Season 2008 by the Numbers | SolveClimate.com
Record Breaker: Hurricane Season 2008 by the Numbers | SolveClimate.com: "Hurricane season 2008, which began on June 1, will officially come to a close on Sunday, November 30.
The verdict: Long and devastating -- a 'top ten' season in terms of the total number of named storms and hurricanes."
The verdict: Long and devastating -- a 'top ten' season in terms of the total number of named storms and hurricanes."
Hey, Auto Industry, Need a Jump? Utilities Consider Buying Electric Cars - WSJ.com
Hey, Auto Industry, Need a Jump? Utilities Consider Buying Electric Cars - WSJ.com: "The auto industry's quest to launch a new generation of electric cars may get a big boost from a sector with much to gain from getting advanced vehicles on the road: U.S. electric utilities.
Top executives at several utilities are mulling the possibility of ordering thousands of the vehicles -- known as plug-in electric cars -- as an expression of support for the technology they fear could be derailed by the auto industry's financial traumas. The cars would run primarily on electricity, with gasoline to extend their range, and would recharge by plugging into standard electrical outlets."
Keywords: Driving distance, Commute Distance, Daily Driving, Percentages of driving distances, percent
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Nissan's EV to cost same as conventional car... before leasing batteries - AutoblogGreen
Nissan's EV to cost same as conventional car... before leasing batteries - AutoblogGreen: "
Imagine a world where you don't buy cars any more and none of the cars that we do drive emit anything. Unlike the present, where no one buys Nissans Carlos Tavares believes not buying cars at all will eventually happen as a result of moving to car sharing. Such a system might be similar to what we see today with the likes of ZipCar, just on a much larger scale where customers pay for access to cars on an as-needed basis. Long before we get to that point though, Nissan plans to start selling electric cars to the public, beginning in 2010 in markets like Israel and Denmark before moving globally a couple of years later. At the Automotive News Green Car Conference, Tavares told the audience that company's first EV would have a similar price to other current small cars. Considering what lithium ion batteries cost, this might come as a surprise. However, that's because as with the toys you buy your kids at Christmas, batteries are not included in the box. The batteries will be leased separately and Tavares believes that even with this extra expense the total cost of ownership over the life of the car will be lower than a gasoline equivalent. Exactly what that cost will be has not yet been revealed."
Imagine a world where you don't buy cars any more and none of the cars that we do drive emit anything. Unlike the present, where no one buys Nissans Carlos Tavares believes not buying cars at all will eventually happen as a result of moving to car sharing. Such a system might be similar to what we see today with the likes of ZipCar, just on a much larger scale where customers pay for access to cars on an as-needed basis. Long before we get to that point though, Nissan plans to start selling electric cars to the public, beginning in 2010 in markets like Israel and Denmark before moving globally a couple of years later. At the Automotive News Green Car Conference, Tavares told the audience that company's first EV would have a similar price to other current small cars. Considering what lithium ion batteries cost, this might come as a surprise. However, that's because as with the toys you buy your kids at Christmas, batteries are not included in the box. The batteries will be leased separately and Tavares believes that even with this extra expense the total cost of ownership over the life of the car will be lower than a gasoline equivalent. Exactly what that cost will be has not yet been revealed."
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