Green Ogres

Tweets - August 2009

2009-08-31T07:15:00.000-07:00

In a new era of disaster planning, distributed energy can save lives when the grid fails. http://u.nu/6pd43 #RenewableEnergy 10:44 PM Aug 31st from web
And while talking about #EnergyEfficiency, lets talk about another limited resource - water! LA Tackles Water Waste http://u.nu/4pd43 10:43 PM Aug 31st from web
Also read old 2007 McKinsey article about Curbing the growth of global energy demand http://u.nu/2pd43 #EnergyEfficiency 10:41 PM Aug 31st from web
On average, some homes in Austin, TX waste up to 50% of the energy delivered by the local power utility http://u.nu/7nd43 #EnergyEfficiency 10:38 PM Aug 31st from web
“How is it that energy saving opportunities worth >$130B annually go unrealized in the US?" - McKinsey report (pdf) http://u.nu/6nd43 10:38 PM Aug 31st from web

Click here for the complete list of tweets from August
RT @greenprofs Solar Cells and Photovoltaic Energy http://bit.ly/AL24T #Solar 8:38 AM Aug 29th from web
Then there's the idea to make power from the thermal energy trapped in our pavements and roadways! http://u.nu/4mq33 #Solar #RenewableEnergy 8:37 AM Aug 29th from web
Solar Roadways gets $100,000 from DOE to develop a 12×12 foot #solar panel that would be used as a road surface. http://u.nu/3mq33 8:36 AM Aug 29th from web
Shame! The Great Pacific Garbage Patch http://u.nu/7kq33 8:35 AM Aug 29th from web
Speaking of glut & dumping in #solar industry, seems Japanese makers of solar panels are well placed to endure this glut http://u.nu/7ak33 4:43 PM Aug 28th from web
Read: More Sun for Less: Solar Panels Drop in Price http://u.nu/4ei33 The economics are changing. Good for homeowners!1:09 PM Aug 28th from web
Interesting! Does Carbon Labeling Confuse Consumers? http://u.nu/5di33 #GreenLiving 1:05 PM Aug 28th from web
Tough times for #solar industry for sure in 2009, even if the sky didn't fall on them! http://u.nu/3di33 1:05 PM Aug 28th from web
Haah .. no eclipsed / cloudy punning this time. This time the whole goddim sky fell on the #solar industry, it seems! http://u.nu/7ci33 1:03 PM Aug 28th from web
More about Suntech pricing from 2Q results last week: http://u.nu/3ai33 2Q Profit Falls 80% As Sales Fall On Pricing! #Solar 1:01 PM Aug 28th from web
Lost in Translation or Suntech dumping #Solar market? http://u.nu/7bi33 http://u.nu/29i33 http://u.nu/49i33 http://u.nu/59i33 1:01 PM Aug 28th from web
via @TreeHugger: What's the Real Cost of Cheap Chinese #Solar? http://u.nu/3bi33 1:00 PM Aug 28th from web
You Too Can Become a #Solar Power Mogul or How I Installed Photovoltaics and Moved Off the Grid http://u.nu/58i33 12:54 PM Aug 28th from web
RT @GreenInc Standards for Small-Scale Wind Power http://bit.ly/DwIDY #WindEnergy 12:54 PM Aug 28th from web
RT @Greeninc The Cost of Adapting to #ClimateChange http://bit.ly/DsfMk 12:53 PM Aug 28th from web
RT @Greeninc Installing #Solar, One Panel at a Time http://u.nu/97i33 12:53 PM Aug 28th from web
RT @dmsolar LDK Solar To Develop 500MW of #Solar Power in China http://bit.ly/7KzrY 12:52 PM Aug 28th from web
RT @Earth2Tech Battery Startup Seeo Raises $8.6M, With Khosla Back for More http://bit.ly/FzTsD #EnergyStorage 12:51 PM Aug 28th from web
Massachusetts #Biofuels Feedstock Rule Elicits Mixed Reviews From Industry http://bit.ly/1gUyr 12:50 PM Aug 28th from web
Declining #solar prices hurt panel manufacturers http://u.nu/47i33 12:50 PM Aug 28th from web
To Read Later: RT @McKQuarterly A consumer paradigm for China http://bit.ly/nlAbR 4:23 PM Aug 26th from web
(Despite recent challenges?), #Biofuels Market To Triple By 2020 and Create 800,000 New Jobs http://u.nu/73w23 4:22 PM Aug 26th from web
#Solar and Big Oil! 29MW solar steam plant at a Chevron oil field in Coalinga, Calif. http://u.nu/96u23 12:27 PM Aug 26th from web
Clear Skies, Cavallo Energy Developing #Solar Project (minimum 6MW) In Mojave Desert http://u.nu/76u23 12:26 PM Aug 26th from web
Will read article later but must add here that from what I've seen not all Utilities are against renewables! Eg: PG&E, Duke to some extent12:21 PM Aug 26th from web
To Read Later: Newsweek - Who could possibly be against homeowners using solar panels to power their homes? Utilities!. http://u.nu/45u23 12:20 PM Aug 26th from web
Reading: NYT artcicle http://u.nu/94u23 and related Atlantic Online post http://u.nu/84u23 about how China Has The #Solar Edge12:19 PM Aug 26th from web
Canadian Solar gets rights for 500 MW project in China http://u.nu/34u23 #Solar 12:17 PM Aug 26th from web
Ohio accepting proposals for #windenergy and #solar stimulus grants http://u.nu/64u23 #EnergyPolicy 12:17 PM Aug 26th from web
In other #solar news: Ohio approves $10M stimulus loan for expansion of Willard & Kelsey Solar Group's thin-film solar panel manufacturing12:10 PM Aug 26th from web
In other #solar news: Tuusso raises $2M to develop utility-scale power projects in Western US http://u.nu/3yt23 http://u.nu/4yt23 12:08 PM Aug 26th from web
More about the spray-on #solar ink technology http://u.nu/5wt23 and http://u.nu/9wt23 12:06 PM Aug 26th from web
To Read Later: RT @CleanTechies Carbon Capture and Storage & the Key to Subsurface Technical Issues http://cleantechies.com/ufy 12:05 PM Aug 26th from web
More about Biosolar's technology http://u.nu/3ut23 http://u.nu/9ut23 http://u.nu/2vt23 #Solar 12:03 PM Aug 26th from web
Will Biosolar's biobacksheet Trip Dupont's Tedlar As PV Turns Around http://u.nu/5tt23 #Solar 12:01 PM Aug 26th from web
RT @SolarIndustry Suniva at 18%+ efficiency with c-Si cells, starting up 64 MW second manufacturing line http://bit.ly/Ksuf7 #Solar 11:59 AM Aug 26th from web
RT @solarfeeds Suniva News Just Keeps Getting Better http://bit.ly/VSH97 #Solar 11:58 AM Aug 26th from web
Read about this in '07. Matter of when, not if, it is possible! Spray-on #solar ink to paint on roofs and generate energy http://u.nu/7rt23 11:58 AM Aug 26th from web
Can Steven Chu Win the Fight Over Global Warming? http://u.nu/3r623 #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 1:04 PM Aug 24th from web
Oh wait! This just in! AUS scientists trump US in solar cell battle (43%) http://u.nu/6hez We need a Usain Bolt of #Solar efficiency ;)8:11 PM Aug 21st from web
Or maybe it is 41.1% (Fraunhofer) http://u.nu/9gez or 42.8% (University of Delaware) http://u.nu/8gez #Solar 8:10 PM Aug 21st from web
No one makes #solar panels with these but overall cell record in the lab, I think is NREL (GaIn phosphide & GaIn arsenide) http://u.nu/7gez 8:08 PM Aug 21st from web
Note: That's for “commercial grade multi-crystalline silicon PV" only. Mono-crystalline silicon "world record" is still SunPower, I think.8:05 PM Aug 21st from web
Whoa! Didn't tweet cleantech news for 5 days and what do I miss! A New World Record in #Solar Power Efficiency! http://u.nu/7fez 8:01 PM Aug 21st from web
Interview with Shai Agassi, Israel's Homegrown Electric Car Pioneer http://u.nu/666u #EV 4:15 PM Aug 13th from web
Bookmarked: GreenBiz.com's Stimulus Funds Map http://u.nu/5ept #EnergyPolicy 4:26 PM Aug 12th from web
Report: While corporate commitment to #climatechange mitigation has improved, unmitigated risk is still unacceptably high http://u.nu/9bpt 4:18 PM Aug 12th from web
To Download Later: White Paper - Building Materials, #EnergyEfficiency, and the ARRA http://u.nu/3bpt #GreenBuilding 4:16 PM Aug 12th from web
Unfortunately, some pay lip-service (green-washing) while others just ignore #sustainability as part of corporate strategy http://u.nu/4apt 4:14 PM Aug 12th from web
Agree with GE's Immelt --> #Sustainability not a fad but a business strategy. #Green = $, provides differentiation, + helps you be good! :)4:13 PM Aug 12th from web
Indeed! #Sustainability ought not to be an initiative in good times but a way to innovate, stay ahead of competition, & enhance your brand!4:10 PM Aug 12th from web
READING: Defying the Downturn: How to Achieve Success Through #Sustainability http://u.nu/88pt 4:08 PM Aug 12th from web
How predictable, no? Seems petroleum industry organizing anti-climate bill rallies around the nation! http://u.nu/37mt 1:38 PM Aug 12th from web
Seems Green transportation is gaining momentum on U.S. railways http://u.nu/26mt What US Railways?!1:35 PM Aug 12th from web
Links galore in this WSJ Blog post: Climate Battles and Trade Wars http://u.nu/2ukt 12:58 PM Aug 12th from web
And what better way to visualize the impact our "trash" has on the world than Chris Jordan's photographs http://u.nu/9jkt #GreenLiving 12:36 PM Aug 12th from web
11,538 tons of phone books in municipal waste - that is 23,076,000 lbs! And that's in Minnesota alone! http://u.nu/3jkt #GreenLiving 12:32 PM Aug 12th from web
To Read Later: The Folly of ‘Magical Solutions’ For Targeting Carbon Emissions http://u.nu/6ikt #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 12:30 PM Aug 12th from web
Can corals survive in a warming world? http://xi.gs/072p Also see amazing pictures of coral from the Netherlands Antilles http://u.nu/4ikt 12:28 PM Aug 12th from web
Controlling The Ranching Boom That Threatens The Amazon http://u.nu/9hkt 12:26 PM Aug 12th from web
Shame!! RT @TwilightEarth RT @tweetmeme Australia Plans Airstrikes to Kill 650K Camels in Outback http://bit.ly/46mbqe 12:23 PM Aug 12th from web
Rising ocean acidity: 'The other carbon problem' http://u.nu/7gkt #ClimateChange 12:22 PM Aug 12th from web
Significant increase in M&A activity & consolidation expected in Indian renewable energy sector - E&Y Report http://u.nu/3gkt 12:21 PM Aug 12th from web
To Read Later: RT @chrisrbrown Oil - The Cold Black Facts - A Special Report: http://digg.com/d310OV8?t 9:39 AM Aug 12th from web
RT @enviroknow Cap and Trade in Perspective: The European Version http://ow.ly/15KJrB #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 9:38 AM Aug 12th from web
#ClimateChange Is Seen as a Threat to U.S. Security http://u.nu/4jit 9:38 AM Aug 12th from web
Bob Lutz on the Chevy Volt http://u.nu/8iht + Chevy Volt could jolt your pocketbook http://u.nu/4jht #EV 8:24 AM Aug 12th from web
via @chrisbrown - #Solar homes on the Tibetan plateau http://u.nu/4iht 8:22 AM Aug 12th from web
RT @chrisrbrown China starts building nation's biggest wind farm http://digg.com/d310VFH?t #WindEnergy 8:04 AM Aug 12th from web
I have long rued the fragmented nature of Green Job Boards -- literally 100s of them! Need an indeed.com for green job boards! #GreenJobs 6:11 PM Aug 11th from web
READING with interest: Six Ways to Beat the Green Job Board Paradox and Stop Wasting Time http://u.nu/2ibt #GreenJobs 6:11 PM Aug 11th from web
@SherryBoschert Updated " Plug-In Hybrids" book any time soon? Or have you moved on to writing about other things?5:15 PM Aug 11th from TweetDeck
RT @SherryBoschert GM says plug-in hybrid Volt will get 230 mpg in city driving http://bit.ly/3iHwj #EV 5:15 PM Aug 11th from TweetDeck
RT @followgreen #WindEnergy in Texas Actually Lowering Electricity Prices http://xi.gs/06Zt 5:13 PM Aug 11th from TweetDeck
RT @makower Less=More: Efficiency, renewables are sufficient to power 100% of Michigan's future energy needs http://bit.ly/m3sja 5:13 PM Aug 11th from TweetDeck
Today I started reading @gfriend's The Truth About Green Business http://u.nu/6c9t Good Book! #Sustainability 5:08 PM Aug 11th from TweetDeck
Is there a PETA for fungi? :) RT @followgreen Scientists Force Fungus to Have Sex to Create #Biofuels http://xi.gs/06ZU 5:07 PM Aug 11th from TweetDeck
Reading @gfriend's The Truth About Green Business http://u.nu/6c9t Good Book! #Sustainability 4:54 PM Aug 11th from web
RT @greentechmedia YouTube video -- Inside the Labs With Applied Materials http://bit.ly/11BuA7 #Solar 2:42 PM Aug 11th from web
RT @laks_s Clinton Foundation Signs MoU To Build 5,000 MW #Solar Park In Gujarat, India http://bit.ly/10ntbI 2:40 PM Aug 11th from web
RT @laks_s Canadian Solar Targets 510MW of Chinese #Solar Projects http://bit.ly/ufEM5 2:40 PM Aug 11th from web
RT @laks_s SunEdison to Deploy #Solar Systems on Five Walmart Stores http://bit.ly/bhXvf 2:40 PM Aug 11th from web
@MBernhart I agree - not a fad! Like I read somewhere: "You don't have to choose between making money and making sense." http://u.nu/6c9t 2:38 PM Aug 11th from web
RT @triplepundit India Will Invest $21 Billion in Renewable Energy - http://bit.ly/16pQEP #EnergyPolicy #Solar #WindEnergy 2:40 PM Aug 10th from web
Only time will tell! Many a slip between plan and execution! RT @ASES_Solar Can India reach 20GW of #solar by 2020?2:40 PM Aug 10th from web
RT @solarbusiness Technology, Tenacity Drive Down #Solar Power Costs http://bit.ly/gO0pJ 2:39 PM Aug 10th from web
RT @solarfeeds Worldwide PV Market - 2013 - http://bit.ly/DuXMa #Solar 2:39 PM Aug 10th from web
To Read Later: DOE Awards $377M to 46 Energy Frontier Research Centers http://u.nu/5yts #EnergyPolicy 1:18 PM Aug 10th from web
University of Maryland Eastern Shore plans 20-acre solar farm - SunEdison to put up 2.1MW of #solar panels http://u.nu/6xts 1:17 PM Aug 10th from web
Pictures from the 2003 blackout http://u.nu/4xts (Good reminder: Need a #SmartGrid!)1:16 PM Aug 10th from web
To Read Later: Global Populations to Accelerate Demands For Fossil Fuels, Renewable Energy http://u.nu/2xts 1:15 PM Aug 10th from web
Reading: China to unveil plan for "new energy" by year-end http://u.nu/8wts http://u.nu/8wts #EnergyPolicy #Solar #WindEnergy 1:15 PM Aug 10th from web
Spire Solar establishes presence in India to feed growing market and sustain distribution of its products in India http://u.nu/4wts #solar 1:14 PM Aug 10th from web
READING: More about India's groundbreaking #solar plan http://u.nu/4vts Also: Downturn hits India renewables http://u.nu/7vts 1:12 PM Aug 10th from web
READING: Low pricing key in #solar sector crisis: UBS http://u.nu/3vts 1:10 PM Aug 10th from web
#Solar, #EnergyEfficiency Projects Hurry Up and Wait at U.S. Military Bases http://u.nu/2vts 1:10 PM Aug 10th from web
USB #solar panels charge cell phones on the go‎ http://u.nu/4uts + A solar powered charger and neck-warmer http://u.nu/6uts 1:08 PM Aug 10th from web
Sanyo to Double Production at #Solar Panel Facility in Shiga prefecture to 200MW http://u.nu/8tts 1:06 PM Aug 10th from web
The Brobeck Solar Energy Credit Card: #Solar Energy, #EnergyEfficiency benefits, and reduced GHG and lower energy bills. http://u.nu/4tts 1:05 PM Aug 10th from web
eSolar’s green edge: critter friendly #solar farms http://u.nu/7rts + eSolar's first 5MW solar power tower http://u.nu/7sts http://u.nu/8sts 1:03 PM Aug 10th from web
Do-It-Yourself solar panels - Solar-Deals.com slashes cost of #solar panels by 50% http://u.nu/5sts 1:02 PM Aug 10th from web
Congress could consider legislation that could further ignite investment in renewable energy in the US. http://u.nu/3rts #EnergyPolicy 12:59 PM Aug 10th from web
Bill Gross of eSolar says they have the lowest cost #solar electrons in the history of the world - "Nobody's close." http://u.nu/4y4s 3:27 PM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
What’s Green, Made of Corn and Has Buttons? Corn-based bio-plastic in Samsung/Sprint cellphone http://u.nu/8x4s #GreenLiving 3:24 PM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
RT @followgreen India's greenhouse emissions are among lowest. http://xi.gs/06vl #ClimateChange 12:30 PM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
For Context, this post when the Climate Bill was passed in the House late last month - http://u.nu/4i2s #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 10:54 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
RT @ Edouard_Stenger China is getting ready for Copenhagen http://is.gd/26jOO #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 10:53 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
Predictable impasse is growing over the climate bill in Senate http://u.nu/2h2s #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 10:53 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
China softens climate rhetoric http://xi.gs/06Uy Need Markey-Waxman to pass to show world USA is serious about #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 10:51 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
RT @followgreen US climate bill: An uncertain Senate path http://xi.gs/06UZ #EnergyPolicy 10:47 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
RT @ASES_Solar New Jersey is second in #solar use (behind CA) & now plans to double its use of solar http://bit.ly/wXvSo 10:47 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
RT @Solarfeeds #Solar Reflectors That Will Cut Production Costs http://ow.ly/15K6nA 10:09 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
RT @solarfeeds Where US #Solar Industry Stands Globally http://ow.ly/15K6nB 10:09 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
A123 Systems to receive $249M for battery manufacturing http://u.nu/8ctr #EV #EnergyStorage 10:09 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
To Read Later: RT @greenskeptic RT @lucymarcus Green investment grows up http://bit.ly/kOZv1 10:09 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
House Bill Will Spur 20% ElectricityPrice Hike by 2030. http://u.nu/37tr Is 20% in 20+ yrs a lot? And 12 c/kwh in 2030? I already pay more!10:08 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
OTOH, companies that are pro-actively using innovative carbon cutting steps: BT, M&S, Cadbury, Nestle http://u.nu/9str 10:07 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
60 Minutes Follows America's Toxic Electronic Waste As It Is Illegally Shipped To Become China's Dirty Secret http://u.nu/36tr 10:07 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
Coal industry spokesman Joe Lucas opines mountaintop removal in Appalachia good for society - creates "community space" http://u.nu/9mtr 10:07 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
Pro-coal group may have sent fraudulent letters urging representatives to vote against House climate bill? http://u.nu/4zsr #EnergyPolicy 10:07 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
ah! Never heard of her before today... Severn Suzuki (http://u.nu/66ur), in a speech to the UN in 1992 http://u.nu/46ur 10:05 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
The Big Ask: Campaign for a strong climate law http://u.nu/4wtr (Also see video at link: http://u.nu/6wtr) #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 10:05 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
"A faith in miracles grades seamlessly into excuses for inaction." -George Monbiot #Quotes #ClimateChange #EnergyPolicy 10:05 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
Critics fail to see the bigger picture - Waxman-Markey is not perfect, but is a significant step forward http://u.nu/4str #EnergyPolicy 10:05 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
Will healthcare overshadow #ClimateChange bill in Senate? http://u.nu/7zsr #EnergyPolicy Hope not! If it doesn't pass in 09, be a long wait!10:05 AM Aug 7th from TweetDeck
Journal Paper: Redox-active lithiated organic salt from renewable resources as electrode material for a Li-ion batteries http://u.nu/47gr 3:01 PM Aug 5th from web
To Read Later: First Comes Global Warming, Then An Evolutionary Explosion http://u.nu/5ffr #ClimateChange 1:32 PM Aug 5th from web
Electric Car Maker Expects Market to Heat Up http://u.nu/26fr #EV 1:04 PM Aug 5th from web
Reading: Harvesting Clean Energy Along the Road http://u.nu/24fr 12:56 PM Aug 5th from web
NC may ban giant wind turbines because of aesthetics http://is.gd/1HKaP #WindEnergy So, aesthetics different in EU? Lame excuses, me thinks!12:54 PM Aug 5th from web
RT @greeninc Battle Brewing Over Giant Desert #Solar Farm http://u.nu/92fr 12:53 PM Aug 5th from web
@MBernhart Not saying I agree with the poll results (its a small data slice) but just FYI..... Is CSR a fad? http://u.nu/82fr 12:51 PM Aug 5th from web in reply to MBernhart
President Obama announces $2.4B in Grants for #EnergyStorage and Electric Vehicles http://u.nu/8yer #EV 12:48 PM Aug 5th from web
RT @JoshChernin Borrego Introduces PPA Program: http://tinyurl.com/m5geos #Solar 12:44 PM Aug 5th from web
Q&A: eSolar bets on software to make #solar cheaper http://u.nu/6xer 12:43 PM Aug 5th from web
Hey..was just reading about them (see next tweet) RT @chrisrbrown eSolar plugs solar plant into California grid http://bit.ly/ex9Mh 12:42 PM Aug 5th from web
DOE provides Air Products with $1.5 million to fund thin-film material development http://u.nu/4xer #Solar 12:41 PM Aug 5th from web
RT @chloregy ComEd pilot program comparing energy usage with neighbors http://u.nu/2ver Seeks Federal Funds for #SmartGrid http://u.nu/4ver 12:31 PM Aug 5th from web
RT @chloregy The Best Time for EU Industries to Invest in Abatement Technologies is Now, Says Frost & Sullivan http://bit.ly/14ptog 12:28 PM Aug 5th from web
Bookmarked: The FireWalker Flare - An Environmental and Renewable Energy Solutions Talk Radio Show http://u.nu/3uer 12:26 PM Aug 5th from web
Guess its easy to merely shove the toxic waste under the carpet...or under a mountain in the desert! Nuclear is carbon-free but NOT clean!10:39 AM Aug 5th from web
Reasoning, btw: "Because we're not that good at green tech, anyway. But we're awesome at making nukes."10:37 AM Aug 5th from web
Wow, what reasoning! Unreal! Ok for US to fall behind in renewable energy! http://u.nu/5rdr 10:37 AM Aug 5th from web
RT @ chrisrbrown Why the #ClimateChange Bill Matters to #SmartGrid http://digg.com/d3zkMv?t 10:34 AM Aug 5th from web
Algae: From Biotech to Frankenfuels? http://bit.ly/18y5B #Biofuels 10:31 AM Aug 5th from web
Punjab becomes the first state in India with subsidies for #solar systems for commercial & residential sectors http://is.gd/23I3J 9:46 AM Aug 5th from web
Survey of 100+ executives/investors concludes 1 year or less until #cleantech sector is back on track http://is.gd/23HEi http://tr.im/uD8h 9:40 AM Aug 5th from web
Read about Suniva's $75 million Series C funding last week. Now Reading: Inside the year’s 2nd largest #solar round http://is.gd/23Hwy 9:38 AM Aug 5th from web
Massachusetts public-private consortium looks to establish an algae farm and biorefinery for renewable #biofuels. http://is.gd/23HpF 9:36 AM Aug 5th from web
Primafuel - Startup puts new spin on biofuel byproducts http://is.gd/23Hli #Biofuels 9:35 AM Aug 5th from web
TMO's heat-loving bug helps secure £11 million for cellulosic ethanol technology http://is.gd/23HjV #Biofuels 9:34 AM Aug 5th from web
Cleantech Index (CTIUS) rises 16.6% in first half of 2009 http://is.gd/23H4S 9:30 AM Aug 5th from web
Investors have plunked over $2.3 billion into CIGS #solar companies alone. Not too many companies shipping CIGS based product yet!9:23 AM Aug 5th from web
RT @greentechmedia NuvoSun Hits 11.8 Efficiency With CIGS http://bit.ly/CJosG Great news! But how about scale-up? #Solar 9:20 AM Aug 5th from web
Energy Secretary at Harvard tomorrow on: Laying the Foundation for the Next Generation of Clean Energy Jobs http://is.gd/23Gf2 #GreenJobs 9:18 AM Aug 5th from web
Help Wanted – In The Green Sector http://is.gd/23Gcg #GreenJobs 9:16 AM Aug 5th from web
READING: Vinod Khosla On Why Clean Technology Is Misunderstood http://is.gd/22dun 10:16 AM Aug 4th from web
Venture capital firms still optimistic despite 63% drop in the first half of 2009 http://is.gd/22bSM 9:54 AM Aug 4th from web
Cleantech VC funding bounces back in Q2: Up 73% to $572 million http://is.gd/22bF5 About $148M of it went to the #solar industry.9:52 AM Aug 4th from web
Rise In 2Q Cleantech Investment Bodes Well For 3Q http://is.gd/22bGO 9:51 AM Aug 4th from web
First project for Renewable Ventures: 2MW PV array producing & selling electricity to Colorado State University. http://is.gd/22btO #solar 9:49 AM Aug 4th from web
Renewable Ventures closes $200M for US #solar projects http://is.gd/22bmn http://is.gd/22bnp 9:46 AM Aug 4th from web
Lessons from the #SmartGrid Trenches for Distributed #Solar http://is.gd/22bjj 9:45 AM Aug 4th from web
Not sure about renewable but anything that leaves behind waste you need to put under a mountain in the middleofnowhere.. http://is.gd/20ZuR 4:04 PM Aug 3rd from web
House Will Get Another Shot at Feed-In Tariffs http://is.gd/20Zns #EnergyPolicy 4:02 PM Aug 3rd from web
Offshore Fish Farms Swimming in Controversy: Solution? Or pollution? http://is.gd/20ZjX 4:01 PM Aug 3rd from web
RT @greenbiz China's Energy Intensity Cuts Good News for the Climate http://bit.ly/1FVv5C #EnergyPolicy 3:59 PM Aug 3rd from web
GHG emissions data - Google Puts Green House Gases on the Map....Literally http://is.gd/20ZaC #ClimateChange 3:59 PM Aug 3rd from web
IEA Chief Economist Says Oil Supplies Running Out Fast, Peak Oil Soon http://is.gd/20XuP 3:33 PM Aug 3rd from web
Green Stimulus funding opportunities for residences, businesses and states http://is.gd/20XfG #EnergyPolicy 3:30 PM Aug 3rd from web
Buying A Sustainable Economy - Record energy spending may trigger a new clean-energy industry http://is.gd/20XbI #EnergyPolicy 3:29 PM Aug 3rd from web
India paradox - Going Green With No Carbon Limits Parts I & II: http://is.gd/20X8M http://is.gd/20X3S #EnergyPolicy 3:28 PM Aug 3rd from web
Treasury, Energy Dept. Ready To Spend $3 Billion On 500+ Commercial Renewable Energy http://is.gd/20WXG #EnergyPolicy 3:26 PM Aug 3rd from web
Mass. gets $22M in federal stimulus funds for energy-saving projects incl. #solar on public buildings http://is.gd/20WRa #EnergyPolicy 3:25 PM Aug 3rd from web
Massachusetts announces $155 million in Renewable Energy Projects: Part 1 & II: http://is.gd/20WOP http://is.gd/20WLg #EnergyPolicy 3:23 PM Aug 3rd from web
DOE Looks for Submissions for $30B Renewable Energy Loan Guarantees http://is.gd/20WAR #EnergyPolicy 3:22 PM Aug 3rd from web
DOE: $30B in loan guarantees for renewable energy incl. $2B for #biofuels, $6B for power grid projects http://is.gd/20WyI #EnergyPolicy 3:21 PM Aug 3rd from web
DOE Announces Awards for up to $11 Million for New #Solar Energy Grid Integration Systems #EnergyPolicy http://is.gd/20Wqz 3:18 PM Aug 3rd from web
#Cleantech VC Rebounds in 2Q after steep plunge in 1Q http://is.gd/20WjO http://is.gd/20WlX (Also see Jan09 report: http://is.gd/20Wn7)3:17 PM Aug 3rd from web
Borrego Solar receives $30M from an outside investor to fund new #solar installation projects http://is.gd/20W7k 3:14 PM Aug 3rd from web
READING: ... RT @TreeHugger Increasing Incentives for #Solar Energy http://is.gd/20VRw #EnergyPolicy 3:11 PM Aug 3rd from web
READING: #Solar Industry: No Breakthroughs Needed http://is.gd/20VXw 3:11 PM Aug 3rd from web
Govt. of India Press Release: 35-50 MW capacity solar power plant can be set up on 1 sq km land in Rajasthan! http://is.gd/20VTA Lets do it!3:11 PM Aug 3rd from web
Tiny battery traps #solar power to run a house for 24 hrs http://is.gd/20VIn #EnergyStorage 3:07 PM Aug 3rd from web
#Solar Powered Ferries to Sail Hong Kong Harbor, Cut Emissions http://is.gd/20VDi 3:06 PM Aug 3rd from web
Inflatable Solar Skin allows inefficient buildings to generate #solar energy http://is.gd/20VBA 3:05 PM Aug 3rd from web
RT @solarfeeds Centrosolar Withdraws From #Solar Cell Manufacturing Joint Venture http://ow.ly/15JHmu 3:05 PM Aug 3rd from web
Evergreen Solar finalizes agreements with Jiawei Solar (China) http://is.gd/20VzA #Solar 3:05 PM Aug 3rd from web
DOE’s 2008 Report: U.S. the leader in annual #WindEnergy capacity growth, as well as cumulative capacity http://is.gd/20VaT 3:00 PM Aug 3rd from web
King salmon vanishing in Alaska, smokehouses empty http://u.nu/4heq 6:28 PM Aug 2nd from web

Hiatus

2009-08-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Sorry... I have not blogged here regularly as I had hoped to. In addition to solar and public policy associated with this industry, I have been expanding my knowledge about sustainability, green buildings, energy storage, and other cleantech industry areas through attending various meetings and seminars and the cornucopia of information available for free on the web through blogs, Twitter, articles, and even some free reports.

So, armed with all this information, I hope to re-start blogging soon.

In the mean time, do follow me on Twitter.

Some recent tweets on the left...

..but you can also follow me at http://twitter.com/sanjeevnaik

"Food-like substances"

2009-05-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

Many of you may have read about Michael Pollan's book "In Defense of Food". I have not read it yet but have merely read the book flap and an article about it on Slate some time back.[1]

However, I keep remembering the phrase "food-like substances" each time I go to the super-market i.e. stuff which is not really food but just looks like food. Or put another way (by Pollan), food that you think your great-grandmother may not have recognized as food! [2]

Anyways, just thought of sharing info about healthy food habits today for a change from renewable energy and other green topics when I ran into this 1989 NYT article from Pollan which asks: Why Mow?

Gardening, I had come to appreciate, is a painstaking exploration of place; everything that happens in my garden” - the thriving and dying of particular plants, the maraudings of various insects and other pestsâ€”teaches me to know this patch of land intimately, its geology and microclimate, the particular ecology of its local weeds and animals and insects. My garden prospers to the extent I grasp these particularities and adapt to them.

Lawns work on the opposite principle. They depend for their success on the overcoming of local conditions. Like Jefferson superimposing one great grid over the infinitely various topography of the Northwest Territory, we superimpose our lawns on the land. And since the geography and climate of much of this country is poorly suited to turfgrasses (none of which are native), this can't be accomplished without the tools of 20th-century industrial civilizationâ€”its chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and machinery. For we won't settle for the lawn that will grow here; we want the one that grows there, that dense springy supergreen and weed-free carpet, that Platonic ideal of a lawn we glimpse in the ChemLawn commercials, the magazine spreads, the kitschy sitcom yards, the sublime links and pristine diamonds. Our lawns exist less here than there; they drink from the national stream of images, lift our gaze from the real places we live and fix it on unreal places elsewhere. Lawns are a form of television.

Need I point out that such an approach to ''nature'' is not likely to be environmentally sound?

Read more at the link above.

My wife and I are SO GLAD we are no longer in the Midwest pumping pesticides, fertilizers, and sweat and blood (ok..no blood) into keeping lawns nice and green -- and for what? Just show! And occasionally going out there to throw the football or kick the soccer ball around with your kid!

Anyways...so it goes. Michael Pollan is on Cobert Nation tonight, if you are interested.

---

[1] More info about Pollan's book, mostly via a google-search, which I suppose you could also do!

Read basic info about his book or better still watch his interview on ABC's Nightline and a longer talk he gave at Google, where he summarizes his book. You can also read large excerpts of the actual book without going to the library or buying it - but merely sitting at the computer thanks to Google Books!

His previous book was also a NY Times bestseller: The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meal. Here's some links to reviews of that book. in WaPo, NYT, etc.

[2] This is adapted from something a friend shared in an email discussion about food habits. (HT: Arun Simha)

Pollan's basic principle for shopping in (US) supermarkets in this: Stick to the peripheries and avoid the middle aisles. The peripheries (fresh meat, fresh veggies, etc) are typically what he calls "food" while the center aisles have "food like substances". He reminds us that when our great-grandmothers used to prepare bread, it used to comprise of whole wheat, yeast, probably milk, water and probably salt. Then he lists the ingredients of popular varieties of Supermarket bread, like Sara lee.

--x--
Pollan writes:

"Sorry Sara Lee, but your 'Soft & Smooth Whole Grain White Bread' is not food and if not for the indulgence of the Food and Drug Administration could not even be labeled "bread".

Here's what Sara Lee bread contains:

* Ammonium chloride
* Artificial colors
* *Azodicarbonamide (ADA)
* *Bleached flour
* *Calcium propionate or sodium propionate
* Calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate and sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate
* Diacetyl tartaric acid esters of mono-and diglycerides
* Fumaric acid
* Hydrogenated fats
* L-cysteine
* Potassium bromate
* Potassium sorbate
* Sorbic acid
* Vegetable shortening

--x--

Ok.. now that I have ruined your bread for you, let me get to milk and orange juice. Then after that we might well start fasting! :)

The future is now

2009-04-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Speaking of electric cars, do listen to Shai Agassi's bold plan for mass adoption of electric cars - not in the distant future but in the next 2-3 years, with battery and other technology where it is today!

His recent talk at TED was posted this month

And links to some other recent talks/interviews:

A Moment of Transformation? - Shai Agassi Speaks in Washington, DC - 25:26 - Mar 12, 2008
Web 2.0 Summit 08: Shai Agassi (Better Place) talks to Tim O'Reilly

I first heard of Shai Agassi when Thomas Friedman wrote about him and his company, Better Place, in his columns. (For eg: see this column from about a year ago. TF called him the Jewish Henry Ford!)

My thinking, till recently, was that electric vehicles (EV) were still far away from mass adoption because of battery life/cost issues but after some recent reading and lots of news press [1] about EVs, I realize that it may become a common option for many (in Europe for sure, but even in US to some extent) in the next 3-4 years even! Like the Prius helped hybrids make a significant dent into the overall market share [2] in the last 5 years, the next 5 years will see EVs on the road quite a bit if some of these plans come into play.

[1] In the news, just this week...

CT & MA could get EV charging network http://is.gd/sopk

Chicago gets first solar powered EV charging station

And last week..

PDX & SFO battle for electric car domination

London mayor pledges 100000 EVs & 25000 charge points

China Vies to Be Leader in Electric Vehicles

[2] I will have to dig out the numbers to see how significant the impact of hybrids has been s in terms of #s but it certainly made a dent on the attitudes of car companies. The success of Prius made all car companies sit up and take notice. Many have come up with their own hybrid versions now, though none have achieved the success of the Prius. Also, Detroit, in its infinite wisdom, has come up with versions of "hybrid SUVs", which to a "green ogre" like me sounds like "clean coal" i.e. an oxymoron! ;)

In fact, it is not just Detroit. Just this week, I read that Mazda also had taken a typical ostritch-with-head-in-sand approach regarding hybrids and EV. Now, they are also changing tunes, and hope to play catch-up and deliver hybrids & EVs by 2015.

My feeling is that the current woes in the auto industry will be good for it. The innovative forward looking companies will survive. Innovation and car2.0 will be what we will gain, once the ostrich-head-sand car companies roll over and die! The "Innovate or Die" adage (now almost cliched) applies to all industries but the car industry is perhaps a living (dieing?) example of this!

I'll leave you with two key questions I still have regarding EVs:

a) How much more efficient (GHG emission wise) is it to run cars on electricity when most of the electricity comes from coal-fired power plants. I believe there are some reports about this which I plan to hunt down and read soon.

b) Can the grid take it, if every one had an EV and came home and not only turned on their ACs and other house equipment but also plugged in their car. The answer, not merely for EVs but also to accomodate solar, wind, and other renewables into our energy bin is to have a major overhauling of the grid. But this post is about EVs only and I'll leave the little I have read about Smart Grid Technology to another post some day.

That's all for today. You can now go read more about plug-in transportation in the cover article of March's Solar Today.

Coming to roads near you soon

2009-04-16T08:19:00.000-07:00

Looks like most of us may skip the Car1.5 generation (hybrid) and go from Car1.0 (gasoline) to Car2.0 (EV) directly. Seems quite a few EV models may be coming to roads near you soon!

A gallery of pictures and some details via Guardian.

OK.. maybe some of them are just models - I didn't bother to read notes under each picture. So, who knows when some of them will be made commercially; maybe they're just showing some of them off at auto shows for now to show they also do-EV!

But this much is clear -- this will be widely adopted in many EU countries before it makes a big impact in the US; some coastal cities like NYC, BOS, SFO notwithstanding.

Somehow, I do not see Texans driving a car that looks like this :)

G-Wiz L-Ion Lastest upgrade to the familiar 2-seater electric runabout Top speed 51 mph Range: 75 miles Available in May Cost: £15,795 This is the newest edition of the car that Jeremy Clarkson loves to crash-test. While the last upgrade added a Lotus-designed safety cage, the current incarnation extends the battery range from 48 miles to a more commuter-friendly 75 miles. Deliveries of the £15,795 electric runabout start in May

They will drive this of course but who has 100K for a Tesla! (Other than Ferrari driving mid-life crisis ridden millionaires in Silicon Valley, that is. Maybe some Texas oil billionaires?)

Tesla Roadster Top speed: 130 mph 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds Range: 244 miles Available in Europe next year Cost: $100,000 Probably the sportiest-looking electric car on sale today. This sports car accelerates from 0-60mph in four seconds and has a top speed of 125mph. Already on sale in the US, people in Europe will be able to buy them next year for €100,000. A new "affordable" €5,000 family car called the Model S is also in the pipeline

There is a typo there! The "affordable" Model S costs $50,000 (after $7,500 tax rebate) .. not €5000. But that didn't stop people from booking more than 500 Model S Reservations in one week after it was announced earlier this month. [Also this note via Slashdot: "At a recent alternative energies rally, the Tesla Roadster managed to cover 241 miles on a single charge, with another 38 miles of juice still left in the battery."]

Tesla Motors's 4-door 7-seat all-electric sedan- 160 mile driving range and rapid charging at 440V, allowing a full charge in 45 minutes.

This one I would buy!

Based on French design There are over 1,500 on British roads Range: up to 50 miles Top speed 40 mph Cost: £14,175 Although the previous dealer for this two- or four-seater electric car went into administration last year, it's since been picked up by Aixam Mega and the car - based on a French design - is on sale in the UK for £14,175. Like the G-Wiz, this is one of the few real-world success stories - there are over 1,500 of the Mega City cars on British roads today

I've actually seen a few of the "Smart Cars" here in Boston since they started selling a few here in the US last year. When it first came, there was a report I had read that it was gathering attention on Newbury St. like Ferraris parked there outside the Armani store once used to! :)

Oh no..an update: It did not do so well after all!

'Orphan' Smart cars pile up as buyers back out - 3/23/2009

Tiny Smart cars are stacking up at some of the 75 US Smart dealers because people who ordered them are refusing to take delivery.

It seems last year, shortly after it was launched in the US, Vogue magazine asked: "In a nation where your supersized car is your castle, is the Smart too mini for a man".

I guess it is! :(

Our Tanks Are On Full

2009-04-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

The focus on renewable energy getting too much to bear for the "Drill, baby, Drill" crowd?

Our Tanks Are On Full

The energy crisis is an artificial one, created by bad policies.

By Newt Gingrich | Newsweek

From the magazine issue dated Apr 13, 2009

Also in Newsweek this week..

Zakaria: How to Achieve Energy Independence

Interview with Thomas Friedman

Friedman may spout cliches and sound like a broken record (after the first few times) but the message is not a wrong one, even if you tire of the messenger!

Make a fist

2009-04-06T11:03:00.000-07:00

The Psychology of Global Warming - Best-selling author and Professor Dan Gilbert on our reaction to threats & our reaction to global warming.

The human brain is the only object on the known universe that can predict its own future and tell its own fortune. The fact that we can make decisions even as we foresee their disastrous consequences is the great, unsolved mystery of human behavior. When you hold your fate in your hands, why would you ever make a fist?
– Daniel Gilbert

The Restructuring Business

2009-04-01T09:53:00.001-07:00

David Brooks writes in his oped piece in the NYT this week:

For 30 years, G.M. has been restructuring itself toward long-term viability.
...

There are many experts who think that the whole restructuring strategy is misbegotten. These experts think that costs are not the real problem. The real problem is the product. The cars are not good enough. The management is insular. The reputation is fatally damaged.

But if you are in the restructuring business, you can’t let these stray thoughts get in the way of your restructuring. After all, restructuring is your life. Restructuring is forever. Restructuring is like what dieting is for many of us: You think about it every day. You believe it’s about to work. Nothing really changes.

But this time Mr. Change (Obama) wants change. And he wants it NOW, not later.

Read the Brooks article if you want to read his quibbles about how Obama's "March’s menacing threat will lead to June’s wobbly wiggle-out"... but I think it is up to the Big 3 in Detroit to decide what change they want to bring about in their business. Whether they survive for decades depends on their outlook about the type of product they want to deliver to the market. Otherwise, this ends up with yet another trip up to DC asking for tax-payers $s in another few years or even months!

In the end, what Brooks writes is true -- it is not about restructuring, not about global warming, not about Japanse and Korean car manufacturer's hourly wages & pension load versus Detroit's.... but the real problem is the product they sell. So, stop whining and get your act together, Detroit....or like all other badly run companies that do not have products that sell well (compared to your competition), roll over and perish and die.

This is a new beginning

2009-04-01T01:50:00.000-07:00

Yes.. as promised, I will try to resume blogging here starting today.

And lets start out with news of a welcome change in the US administration's outlook about climate change and energy policy after 8 years of ostritch-with-head-in-the-sand behavior regarding climate change and "Drill, baby, Drill" as the unofficial energy policy.

This news in the NYT yesterday:

Two senior House Democrats unveiled a far-reaching bill to cap heat-trapping gases and quicken the country’s move away from dependence on coal and oil.

But the bill leaves critical questions unanswered and has no Republican support. It is thus the beginning, not the end, of the debate in Congress on how to deal with two of President Obama’s priorities, climate change and energy.

The draft measure, written by Representatives Henry A. Waxman of California and Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, sets a slightly more ambitious goal for capping heat-trapping gases than Mr. Obama’s proposal. The bill requires that emissions be reduced 20 percent from 2005 levels by 2020, while Mr. Obama’s plancalls for a 14 percent reduction by 2020. Both would reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases by roughly 80 percent by 2050.

The Waxman-Markey bill, the American Clean Energy and Security Act, emerges at a time when many Americans, and their representatives in Congress, are wary of wide-ranging environmental legislation that could raise energy costs and potentially cripple industry. The bill, a version of a so-called cap-and-trade plan, also comes as the Environmental Protection Agency is about to exert regulatory authority over heat-trapping gases under the Clean Air Act.

The bill would require every region of the country to produce a quarter of its electricity from renewable sources like wind, solar and geothermal by 2025. A number of lawmakers around the country, particularly in the Southeast, call that goal unrealistic because the natural resources and technology to meet it do not yet exist.

The bill also calls for modernization of the electrical grid, production of more electric vehicles and significant increases in efficiency in buildings, appliances and the generation of electricity.

Of course, the proposals of the bill are far reaching and some are likely to be unachievable in the chosen time...but an aggressive target has been set and it is now left to see if we have the will to execute and deliver on these plans. After all, success comes not from planning alone but on how we deliver/execute on these noble intentions.

Note: I do appreciate that this is only a proposal and that it has no Republican proposals -- so, it may all come to naught. So, my comment about execution is more about the broader Obama energy policy than the specific Waxman-Markey proposal. Also, the devil, as they say, is in the details.. and I should say here that I have read only this one article and am not familiar with all the details of the Markey-Waxman proposal or even Obama's energy policy. I have read the gists/summary in various online news reports but have not made a broader study of the policies.

Update: Just saw this - a nice summary of the Markey-Waxman proposal as posted by David Doniger Policy Director, NRDC Climate Center, Washington, D.C.

A hiatus

2008-12-12T12:09:00.000-08:00

Taking a short break from blogging at this site.

I'll be resume blogging soon

Until then... you can follow my Twitter feed, which is linked to on the left.

Obama and the Energy Economy

2008-12-11T16:34:00.000-08:00

Blogging at this blog will continue to be slow in the next few weeks. However, I will continue to post occasionally and am also looking at what the best way to share links (Twitter, del.icio.us, etc.) is.

In the mean time, here are links to two articles of interest.

1. Editorial at the R&D Magazine (emphasis mine)

The slumping U.S. economy is the top story these days and is covered in this issue with respect to its impact on government labs, funding, and the world of R&D. Energy is another hot topic as well, with fluctuating fuel prices, the environmental impact of fuels, and climate change being the hot-button topics. Uniting these issues is President-elect Barack Obama and his clean-energy initiatives. In an interview with Time in October, Obama observes that, “from a purely economic perspective, finding the new driver of our economy is going to be critical. There is no better potential driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy.”

2. Obama has given a clear indication that his administration will show a dramatic policy shift on energy and climate issues than the outgoing Big-Oil friendly Bush administration.

More details from Huffington Post.

A Chinese-American, Chu is a professor of physics and molecular and cell biology at the University of California-Berkeley and has been the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory since 2004, where he has pushed aggressively for research into alternative energy as a way to combat global warming.

President-elect Barack Obama intends to round out his environmental and natural resources team with a Nobel Prize-winning physicist and three former Environmental Protection Agency officials from the Clinton administration.
The president-elect has selected Steven Chu for energy secretary, Lisa Jackson for EPA administrator, Carol Browner as his energy "czar," and Nancy Sutley to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Democratic officials with knowledge of the decisions said Wednesday.

Grim and cloudy day

2008-11-13T06:43:00.000-08:00

Greentech Media reports:

The world will need to invest $26.3 trillion over the next 22 years in order to boost energy supplies to meet an expected 45 percent increase in demand.

..
"Current trends in energy supply and consumption are patently unsustainable – environmentally, economically and socially – they can and must be altered," said Nobuo Tanaka, Executive Director of the International Energy in a prepared statement. "Rising imports of oil and gas into OECD (Organization of Economic Development) regions and developing Asia, together with the growing concentration of production in a small number of countries, would increase our susceptibility to supply disruptions and sharp price hikes. At the same time, greenhouse-gas emissions would be driven up inexorably, putting the world on track for an eventual global temperature increase of up to 6 [degrees] centigrade."

Most of the increase in demand for fossil fuels over the next few decades will come from China, India, the Middle East and developing regions. China and India, in fact, will account for over half of the incremental demand. Cities will also gobble up more fuel, rising from two-thirds of total consumption today to three-quarters of consumption by 2030.

World energy demand will rise by 45 percent between now and 2030 – an average rate of increase of 1.6 percent per year – with coal accounting for more than a third of the overall rise. © International Energy Agency

This and other dire factoids (some listed below) come via a report released by the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Greenhouse gases are going to be difficult to contain. To stabilize CO2 concentrations at 550 million parts per billion, far higher than today's 380 ppm-ish level, will require an additional $4.1 trillion invested in solar, wind, nuclear and other clean sources of electricity, the report said. That rise in CO2 concentrations, however, will lead to a 3 degree Celsius rise in average global temperatures.

Coal will be the fastest growing fuel in absolute terms during the same period, and gas will remain the staple fuel for transportation.

Fossil fuels will still likely account for 80 percent of the world's energy, only slightly down from earlier projections.
To keep greenhouse gases down to 450 ppm, which would only cause a 2 degree Celsius hike in average temperature, will require $9.1 million in investment.

Sigh! It's a grim and cloudy day here in Boston today! The financial and economic crisis on one end and this kind of dire predictions on the energy side.... not a good start to my day!

P.S. I had decided to give up blogging. However, after almost a month of not posting, I am back! I'll post when I can...

Carbon-free Nuclear-free Energy Vision

2008-10-16T11:53:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I heard about Arjun Makhijani, who is the founder and President of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research in DC.

Seems he has written a book on how the US can become 100% Carbon-free & Nuclear-free i.e. completely renewable energy only (wind, solar, etc.)

This is no green hippie having a pipe-dream about how a similar claims but somehow, despite all the things he has said which have come true on the intersection of technology and society, his futuristic claims seem too outlandish and hence are easy to dismiss after reading them with some oh-amazing-stuff curiousity.

No... Makhijani has a PhD in nuclear fusion and has been a renowned figure in leading energy policy discussions for almost 40 years. For some years now, he has been voicing his concerns that nuclear energy is NOT the right alternative to pursue as the US seeks carbon-free energy to deal with the concurrent issues of climate change and foreign oil dependence.

Arjun Makhijani, President of IEER, holds a Ph.D. in engineering (specialization: nuclear fusion) from the University of California at Berkeley. He has produced many studies and articles on nuclear fuel cycle related issues, including weapons production, testing, and nuclear waste, over the past twenty years. He is the principal author of the first study ever done (completed in 1971) on energy conservation potential in the U.S. economy.

Anyways, you probably have no time to read the 290 page book or the 23 page executive summary ... but maybe these slides or the 4-page summary can be given a quick read through?

P.S. Here's what he thinks about the recent India-US nuclear deal.

P.P.S. Should clarify ... in addition to Makhijani & Kurzweil, many others have made these grandiose claims of solar ruling by 2050, if not 2025 or 2030.

eg: read this Motley Fool article today about a sunny future for solar (Cr*p..will they never tire of such tired old punning in solar news headlines!). It refers to the Scientific American's January 2008 article "A Solar Grand Plan" which discusses a proposal for the U.S. to generate 69% of its electricity and 35% of its total energy from solar power by 2050. To put this in perspective, remember that in spite of the sector's incredible expansion these past few years, solar generates far less than 1% of our energy needs. What's interesting about the Scientific American article is that its authors are conservative in their projections of technological advancement in the sector. They make a point of assuming no further progress in solar technology after the year 2020.

OTOH, Kurzweil says the field of solar energy will advance exponentially, in accordance with his "Law of Accelerating Returns", whereby solar energy efficiency and costs will rise and drop similar to Moore's Law, whereby solar will meet 100% of our energy needs in 20 years!

Accountability matters, even in the green world!

2008-10-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Sounds simplistic but there is an important message here for businesses that offer green services, be it solar installations or otherwise, about what they need to deliver to the consumer to get their business.

via a Greentech media article about solar projects in the current financial meltdown environment.

Lyndon Rive, CEO and founder of Foster City, Calif.-based SolarCity, said educating consumers about the benefits of tax credits, which will cut the solar energy system cost by 30 percent, will be key in persuading consumers to invest in solar during the economic downturn. Convincing banks to loan money to solar energy system installer such as SolarCity also will become tougher.

"The banks are being more strict on businesses plans and execution," Rive said.

Rive said another problem that installation and service company like his faces is a lack of standards to assure consumers that they are getting their money's worth.

Without some metrics, consumers have a hard time distinguishing among a slew of solar energy service companies that have emerged in recent years.

"We have to step out and guarantee what the production is going to be, and you have to be there to support it," Rive said. "It will eliminate fears from consumers."

Ahearn said no good policies exist that encourage accountability from solar power developers carrying out million-dollar projects to sell energy to utilities. The same issue also happens in the residential solar market, he said.

"There is no policing around the quality of offers. If you look at the warranties today, it will be difficult for consumers to understand where there is a claim proven and who's responsible," Ahearn said. "You can get wide-spread disappointment over time, and it will come back to bite us."

Dilbert and Solar

2008-10-14T12:41:00.001-07:00

Aah.. had missed this last week. Dilbert had a great series of cartoons on solar.

All strips are © Scott Adams

And coming up this week... lots more of exciting news from the Solar industry via the Solar Conference in San Diego.

Guess what I've been writing about!

2008-10-11T09:53:00.000-07:00

No posts until Monday but meanwhile, my blog this week in a cloud tag, via Wordle, which can create such a cloud for any website you want.

Silicon Valley and the Electric Car

2008-10-07T19:21:00.000-07:00

Mainstream media (CBS's 60 Minutes) covers the race for the electric car, featuring the Tesla, GM's Volt, and other plug-in-hybrids and electric cars.

Maybe its just my personal bias but GM and Detroit seems to be taking an arrogant and ostritch-in-the-sand approach to this! Lets see in 2-3 years whose cars are selling more, Mr. Lutz and company!

Aside from the question of whether it is affordable to all (it is not!), The Tesla Roadster is one sweet-looking car! :) Perhaps, timely to share also this interview with Elon Musk, the founder of Tesla, who made his fortune as co-founder of PayPal and is also the founder behind SpaceX (a space-transportation company) and Solar City (the #1 residential installer of solar in California, which is the #1 state in the US for solar installations.)

Aside from the question of whether it is affordable to all (it is not!), The Tesla Roadster is one sweet-looking car! :)

My previous posts on the subject:

Inevitable and essential

Think, then drive!

Coming soon to a dealer near you

Can America(ns) change?

Cars that pay

and also Hydrogen as a Fuel

A sunny future?

2008-10-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

Phew and Hurrah! (Or w00t w00t, or whatever it is the youngsters say these days!).

So, finally after months of fretting about whether the incentives for solar (& other renewables) will be extended (the senate having rejected 8 different versions of the bill to date), the credits got tagged on to the $700B bailout package and finally got passed last Friday!

The $700 billion bailout package has passed the House — along with the tax credits for renewable energy. The bill now goes to President Bush, who is expected to sign.

In any case, news of investments into solar and cleantech, in general, has kept coming almost on a weekly basis, irrespective of the downturn in the economy or what was happening with renewable energy credits in the Senate & the House.

If news from late August of Nanosolar raising $300M was huge, then today's news is doubly so.

Stealth solar startup Solyndra raises $600 million

NYT also reported the same amount today, though I am confused by a conflicting report at Greentech Media just yesterday that Solyndra was finding it difficult to raise $350 million due to the current credit crunch. (The same site also has another article on how "beleaguered financial markets make it tough to borrow money from banks or raise cash on the public markets" and how this is leading to solar companies turning to private-equity firms for cash.

[Btw, Solyndra makes not solar panels but solar tubes that look like "old school fluorescent lightbulbs", it seems!]

Irrespective of the details of this particular company's investment situation, it is clear that a lot of money has been flowing into Cleantech this year. In Business Week, there is an article today about how alternative energy is where the venture capital is these days and earlier this month (on Oct 2nd), Ernst & Young reported the results of a new survey of 150 of the world's largest companies that found that "90 per cent are now undertaking climate change initiatives with disclosed financial commitments of $276bn over the next decade."

Ernst & Young's Venture Insights reveal that as a proportion of global venture capital investment, clean technology has grown from 1.6% of total investment in 2003 to 11% in 2008, with investments set to exceed the record $3 billion invested last year, having already reached $2.2 billion in the first six months of 2008.

Also: U.S. to Attract More Foreign Greentech Investments (Oct 6)
and Greentech Investments See Record 3Q (Sep 30)

And the trend continues in 2009, per a report in late September by KPMG: Clean-tech investments to rise in 2009.

So, here's hoping that I see more and more solar panels on residential and commercial roofs when I go out for my daily walk. (Even in liberal pro-renewable energy Boston, the number of such roofs that I see are far too few today.)

P.S. Having painted this positive picture, it would be remiss of me to not point out today that the stock market and especially solar stocks took a beating on Wall Street today. Many solar companies have hit a 52 week low. However, from what I see, this sell-off has stemmed from a report by an analyst (at Goldman Sachs) who thinks there is a credit crunch and also a situation of over-supply in the solar market. However, my personal feeling is that this is a temporary dip in the market but long term market prospects for the solar industry are great, especially after the incentives got extended on Friday. A lot of investment has gone into solar already and while individual companies may be failures or successes, the overall industry is moving ahead strongly.

Disclaimer: Note here that while I am interested in solar and trying to get a break into that industry, I do not work in solar and so do not have any insider information on any of these companies.

Blood Oil

2008-10-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

Curse of the Black Gold is a book of photo essays, with pictures by Ed Kashi and text by UC Berkeley professor Michael Watts, who has written extensively on the Economies of Violence: Petroleum, Politics and Community Conflict in the Niger Delta. (pdf)

The book takes a graphic look at the cost of oil exploration in the Niger Delta and traces the 50-year history of environmental degradation and community conflicts that have plagued the region. [Thanks, Shell.]

NPR has featured the book in July; so has Slate.

Related:
- Earlier post on the photo-essays book, What Really Matters, which includes pictures from Ed Kashi.
- Nigerian Oil - The Great Spoiler: A National Geographic video, where you can "hear how the people of the Niger Delta view their oil-rich, cash-poor region." You should also read the corresponding NG article, with pictures by Ed Kashi.
- Vanity Fair article by Sebastian Junger about Blood Oil in the Niger Delta, including more pictures, these taken by Michael Kamber.

What Matters Most

2008-10-06T17:58:00.000-07:00

If the multitude of news reports, pictures, graphics, and videos of Arctic and Antarctic ice melting faster than ever before is not enough proof, here's a book of photo essays, What Matters, which looks at 18 different environmental, economic and other issues. It is edited by David Elliot Cohen, co-creator of the renowned Day the the Life and America 24/7 series of photojournalism best sellers.

The website is great as it has a free online version of the book. Also, some pictures from the book in this article in Vanity Fair. Also, just 5 pictures through SFGate but each with a strong message.

But if you are amongst the few to whom words say more than pictures, then this review at the Library Journal best sums up what the book is about:

"Those doubting the power of photojournalism to sway opinion and encourage action would do well to spend some time with this book. In 18 stories, with photos by leading photojournalists, elucidated by short essays by public intellectuals and journalists, this book explores environmental devastation, war, disease, and the ravages of poverty and great wealth. The photos are specific and personal and demonstrate how great photography can illuminate the universal by depicting the specific. Cohen has a goal beyond simply showcasing terrific photography. In his thoughtful introduction, he makes explicit his aim to connect the work compiled here with the great tradition of muckraking photography that helped to change conditions at the turn of the last century. A terrific concluding chapter directs readers to specific actions they can take if they are moved to do so, and it’s hard to imagine the reader who would not be moved. Highly recommended."

More power to Cohen and others like him that through words, pictures, and their efforts spread awareness about environment as well as other looming disasters that threaten mankind in various parts of the world.

Going Green or Green Washing?

2008-10-06T13:29:00.000-07:00

I wrote this in response to a post by Marguerite at her blog about how consumers are unwilling to spend extra for green.

Some of the same arguments apply to companies too, which are huge consumers of energy and electricity. I just saw an article about a recent survey (albeit of 16 companies only) that lists the various advantages of going green. However, I have been really disillusioned for the most part about corporate America's attitude towards climate change; Google's efforts being more an exception than the rule. The bottom-line being what drives companies, these tough times and the recent focus on sustainability and 'green' has led to many cases of green-washing or merely pasting a 'green' or sustainability sticker on their cost-cutting measures. Without making any conscious attempt to curtail excesses or even simple measures like setting up recycle programs at the work place, many just ride the 'green' bandwagon because it is the expedient or opportune thing to do today.

I am not denying that some companies have taken genuine steps in this regard. The most unlikeliest of companies one would think of - Wal-Mart - has shown some great leadershipin this regard. Of course, they do it to bring their own energy costs down. I believe, that after the US government, they are the highest electricity purchaser in the US (or maybe the world) and their energy costs to keep their buildings going are enormous. That alone would not be impressive. I am impressed, however, from what I have heard and read about their ongoing efforts to drive change through influencing consumer and consumer choices. For eg: I have heard a Vice-President from Wal-Mart say that they plans to have CFL and other energy efficient lighting measures in all their stores as a first step but they plan to go beyond that and take out all regular bulbs from their shelves and have only CFLs (even if it is their own Great Value brand predominantly!) [Note: The Walmart VP which I heard was at a keynote address (heard in its entirety at the link) given at a solar conference last year in Long Beach. This year the conference begins in San Diego next Monday. I wish I was going! The talk was given by Charles Zimmerman, VP of Prototype and New Format Development at Wal-Mart and I believe that is where I heard the point about rolling out only CFLs in Walmart.]

A large portion of the US shops at Wal-Mart. They have the power to influence consumer behavior and choices significantly. So, I hope they continue this effort and roll out their own efficiency and energy management measures to ALL their stores soon, beyond the two show-n-tell fancy stores they have in Texas and Colorado.

Also, they have a huge suppliers list of companies who would (and probably do) bend over backwards to have supply arrangements with Wal-Mmart. I believe Wal-Mart has already started affecting their suppliers' attitudes regarding packaging and other choices by demanding a 'greening' of the suppliers corporate decisions and choices. Again, I am not aware of how rigorously this is greening or green-washing the supply-chain but this is an example of how corporate leadership can influence particular companies as well as the companies they do business with, in addition to directly affecting their consumers and hence the world at large.

Slowly but steadily, change is happening but we definitely need more of them to happen for this to be not a fringe movement or a oh-look-what-those-great-guys-at-Google-did news item but a way of life!

Disclaimer: I own neither WMT or GOOG stocks; other than what some mutual funds I own may have in their portfolio.

How Green is Their Valley?

2008-10-06T12:59:00.000-07:00

Not much new data or insights in this report from The Street today but it is worthwhile repeating these sobering numbers about our per capita energy consumption and GHG emissions.

Yes, China is the biggest global greenhouse gas emitter on an aggregate basis, but that figure is misleading. It is more appropriate to break it down on a per-capita basis. Only then, the true gluttonous nations are revealed. In 2007, the average Chinese citizen emitted 5.1 tons of carbon, the average European 8.6 tons, and -- you guessed it -- the average American emitted 19.4 tons, almost four times the average in China.

I believe there is a big misunderstanding in the industrialized nations that China is not concerned about issues of air quality and global warming. China invested over $12 billion in renewable energy last year, second only to Germany.

About the second point, I do not believe investments in renewable energy (solar, wind, other) are a good measure of a country's concern about climate change. In the 'flat world' of globalization, China with its manufacturing prowess, has led from the front in investing in solar (and other) investments but these are more business decisions than an innate belief in renewable energy. My fear is that a majority of the solar and wind power manufacturing output is likely going to markets outside China and not to help with China's own growing energy demands. I am aware of policy issues around renewable energy in the US, some European countries, and even to some extent in India but am not so sure whether the Chinese government is looking to renewable energy for internal consumption also (or merely depending on environmentally disastrous hydro/dam projects and coal-burning power plants to fuel their economic growth and industrialization boom.)

As far as I know, installed capacity (at least for solar) is pretty low in China currently. Not so sure about wind farms in China either but that is a field I need to research/read more about. Any insights into installed base of solar and wind in China is welcome. Also, I am by no means denying the fact that the Chinese people and government are worried about some of the environmental problems their country is facing and will do more and more to fight this in the days to come. But will it be a little too little a little too late? Prevention is better than cure. Surely there is some Confucianism analog to that!

Screw in a Light Bulb

2008-10-02T16:31:00.000-07:00

It seems October 1st was Energy Star Change a Light Day.

EPA’s Energy Star program is expanding the call for conservation with a new campaign encouraging people to save more, in addition to changing their light bulbs. So far, more than 1.8 million Americans have already pledged to change at least one light at home to an Energy Star-qualified light. That means a total savings of $220 million dollars and prevention of 3 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.
The agency estimates that if every American household took part in the pledge, we would save more than 110 billion kilowatt hours of electricity, more than $18 billion in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 18 million cars.

Related: Earlier this week, Christine MacDonald, (author of the just-published "Green, Inc., An Environmental Insider Reveals How a Good Cause Has Gone Bad” ) wrote on Boston.com's Green Blog about the problem with Energy Star. Today, she has a follow-up.

My 2c worth: Nothing's perfect and there is green-washing all around us... but all that does NOT take away from the importance of focusing on and taking active interest in controlling energy consumption, pollution, and fighting climate change.

Education for Generation E

2008-10-01T18:00:00.000-07:00

Great post by Andrew Revkin at the Dot Earth blog at NYT earlier in the week. He writes:

I can’t keep track of what young people are being called these days after a string of “Generation [ ]” labels. But my vote would be Generation E, for energy and the environment, if initiatives at a host of schools around the United States are any indication. I’ve heard more than a few sociologists and historians opine that we’re essentially going to have to grow past our fossil fuel norms and into a new relationship with energy in which environmental considerations are integrated seamlessly into how people make choices related to energy. Maybe this is starting to happen among those who will inherit the consequences of energy decisions being made (or not made) today?

This is exactly the kind of hopeful note that I want to start my new blog with! Go read the article for details on various school programs around the country. There is a lot of useful information in the 200+ comments there too.

A New Beginning

2008-09-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

“The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.”

From October 1st onwards, I will blog about Energy & Environment issues at this blog...

Green Ogres... for green folks like me! :)

Posts about Energy & Environment at my old blog, which was a hodge-podge of many different topics, can be read here.

“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.” - Seneca