Clean Energy News

The greening of America push button style

2012-05-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

Three items caught my attention in the last few days. The first was this story out of the Inland Empire that noted more home builders are touting green features such as energy efficiency, although traditional factors such as location and lot size still influence buyers more.

The second was this blog by K. Kaufmann of my old employer, The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, who correctly opined that creating nifty green technology is one thing, but persuading people to change their behavior enough to use it is entirely different. Hence the Green Button campaign, designed to forge a more personal connection with power bills.

The third was this GreenBiz.com post about businesses having trouble keeping up with the demand for green products.

It is apparent that a green tint is spreading, albeit unevenly. Businesses, universities, governments and more individuals are heeding the message of clean energy and efficiency. This blog links to statistics confirming the increasing awareness that stems from a desire to either save money or to do the right thing environmentally.

But the transformation won't occur overnight. The benefits of new lights, air conditioners and weatherization are tough to sell, especially when there is an upfront cost.

I calculated a 9% return on an investment of $1,700 in energy-related upgrades at my 1,500-square-foot house near Fresno, but I've been putting off the work: A $1,700 expenditure is hard to justify with a kid in college, even with a payback of only a few years. Tuition payments sure aren't going down.

Energy efficiency is like an economic stimulus. Our nonprofit is wrapping up a grant project involving about three dozen local governments from Stanislaus to Kern counties in Central California. The cities and counties, using federal stimulus money, replaced energy-guzzling lights, pump motors, air conditioner components and other equipment, saving thousands of dollars and reducing their carbon footprints.

Most of those governments have shredded budgets and deep cuts in staffing, so saving money through energy efficiency is a boost. In some cases, it likely prevented additional layoffs.

In another measure, Fresno city officials crunched utility data to calculate that a successful comprehensive energy conservation and retrofit program equates to an economic boost of $260 million. Talk about stimulus! More on that here.

Energy conservation is the easiest and perhaps most cost-effective way to save money, improve the economy and start down the green path. That's why it is commonly referred to as the "low-hanging fruit" of the green-energy movement. Maybe that description isn't accurate: As the head of the federal Department of Energy says here, "It is fruit on the ground."

Solar energy advances at rocket speed

2012-05-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

Politicians are fond of cliches, especially this one: "I didn't get that memo."

Memos are just one thing that politicians don't get, but it could be true in the case of solar energy. Technology has advanced so fast and so far that policy makers and even utilities have been left behind. Many experts are working off outdated information and don't realize renewable energy is now cost competitive in many circumstances, according to this report from Bloomberg New Energy.

"...awareness of the current economics of solar power lags among many commentators, policy makers, energy users and even utilities," the report stated.

Authors attributed the lag to rapidly dropping prices of solar panels, ambiguous metrics used in the solar industry and persistent dissemination of outdated data - "occasionally by those with an interest in clouding the discussion," they say.

The authors also take issue with traditional metrics and messaging, such as "grid parity," which is used to describe the point where the cost of renewable energy matches other more traditional power sources. But the method is so yesterday, according to the authors, because, in part, it often compares a "retail technology to a wholesale price."

Bloomberg isn't the only group touting the attractiveness of renewable energy. Goldman Sachs put its money where its mouth is to the tune of $40 billion. Such an investment in clean technology isn't greenwashing, says Christopher Swann in Slate. As he says, "The Wall Street firm....is never far from the money."

Goldman Sachs is trying to capitalize on an emerging industry - one with many twists and turns. The Bloomberg report entitled, "Re-considering the Economics of Photovoltaic Power," suggested that obtaining an accurate accounting of industry shifts is difficult because prices change so fast, and because the supply chain and manufacturing process is complex.

From the study: "Adding to these complexities is the wide range of policy support mechanisms that have been utilised to facilitate PV deployment in different jurisdictions. In a number of countries these policies have become increasingly politically controversial within wider debates on public subsidies and climate change action. As such, the quality of reporting and information on the PV industry economics can vary widely. "

A trip down memory lane

The authors give a brief history lesson on solar energy, and acknowledge that costs have generally exceeded other forms of power generation. But that was then; this is now:

"...With rapid cost reductions, a changing electricity industry context with regard to energy security and climate change concerns, increasing costs for some generation alternatives and a growing appreciation of the appropriate comparative metrics, PV‟s competitiveness is changing rapidly. As an example, large drops in solar module prices have helped spur record levels of deployment, which increased 54 percent over the previous year to 28.7 GW in 2011. This is ten times the new build level of 2007. "

Again, from the report: "Grid parity is now largely an outdated concept stemming from an industry that has traditionally been used to being an "underdog" of small scale, and constantly fighting for a "level playing field".

Clean energy is maturing, and in some ways repeating history. Technological changes aren't smooth. Just look at what is happening to the newspaper industry . The Bloomberg authors suggest the rapid changes in solar energy carry implications for policy makers designing new fiscal and supporting programs.

"The challenge is to elegantly transition PV from a highly promising and previously expensive option, to a highly competitive player in electricity industries around the world," they say.

Financing mechanisms evolving

Bloomberg New Energy also found, in another study, that the evolution of the industry is leading to new financing vehicles. It is moving toward a broader array of support. Read more here.

Bloomberg and its consultant on the study, Reznick Group, contend the broader support will help the industry keep growing. The new financing sources will replace traditional players, such as the federal government, who cut back. New players include pension funds, insurance companies, big corporate firms such as Google, and vehicles such as partnerships and programs akin to real estate investment trusts.

New financing methods. Falling costs. Technology improving.

Sounds like an industry on the move.

Saving lives: The real power of renewable energy

2012-05-24T09:47:00.000-07:00

Renewable energy can change lives in many parts of the world - places that aren't connected to the grid. It can power homes, help farmers become more productive and prevent death.

Solar, wind and other forms of clean energy enable parts of the non-electrified world to skip the grid the same way many Africans leapfrogged over landlines straight to cell phones (which in this case are being charged by solar power). It is costly to connect remote areas to the grid, and renewable energy can be a game changer.

This item talks about a big solar project in Tibet, where terrain is rugged and population centers are distant. In this story, the author talks about using solar power to bring water to an orphanage in Kenya. Kerosene pollutes and flashlights are often inadequate, so a California doctor working in Nigeria asked her husband to develop a "solar suitcase" that can be set up in a rural clinic. PBS has a story here.

Clean energy also improves the fortunes of farmers in underdeveloped nations. University of California, Davis, master's student Blake Ringeisen designed a solar-powered fruit dryer that boosts productivity of farmers in Tanzania. Here's our blog on his invention.

And clean energy can be an alternative to charcoal, making cooking safer and healthier. A sustainable cooking fuel facility opened in Mozambique that makes ethanol-based cooking fuel from surplus cassava. That's important, according to this story, because the overwhelming majority of urban families in Africa buy charcoal to cook their food. Charcoal is getting expensive and, according to the story, "has the health impact of smoking two packs of cigarettes per day." Here is the New York Times version of the same story.

Officials also are studying clean energy possibilities beyond local uses. How about exporting? This blog post talks about renewed - albeit, ambitious - efforts to create a solar network in the Sahara Desert that could supply power to Europe. Some heavy-hitter German companies are involved, but a stiff price tag of $500 billion and rough climatic conditions are possible stumbling blocks.

Clean energy can make a difference in many places, but the impact is greatest in places without an electrical grid.

Video of CleanStar Mozambique by Novozymes TV

Evolution or revolution? Clean energy movement is expanding

2012-05-23T13:18:00.000-07:00

The Great Recession left the economy in shambles and turned lives upside down, but it forced more people to cut spending and energy and, in some ways, was a good thing, according to a survey of more than 2,800 consumers and business people by Deloitte Center for Energy Solutions.

The 2012 survey revealed people and businesses are more aware of the cost-cutting potential of energy efficiency, that younger adults have strong appetites for clean technology and that businesses are setting more aggressive energy goals - in large part because their customers demand it.

"Customers care, so companies do too," the report states.

Authors noted that near two-thirds of businesses surveyed said their customers want more environmentally considerate solutions, up from 49 percent only a year ago. Meanwhile, more than 75 percent of those businesses actively promote their green campaigns.

The surveys found that businesses continue to invest in energy efficiency even as finding capital becomes more challenging, and as a majority of them acknowledge it is hard to track available financial and tax incentives. The companies are motivated by the strong cost savings and competitive edge associated with energy efficiency, but public good - "it's the right thing to do" - also is a catalyst.

Employers also are becoming more interested in carbon emissions. Almost eight in 10 surveyed said cost of carbon should be factored into use of traditional energy sources, and 72 percent say they plan to acknowledge it on their balance sheets - up from 58 percent a year ago. However, they also overwhelmingly said it is difficult to measure carbon with any confidence.

One of the most surprising findings was that 61 percent of the consumers surveyed said the recession taught people to become more efficient and responsible. "...It reminds us what is important," the report quoted the respondents saying. Almost two-thirds said they would support a mandatory surcharge on their electric bills to support alternative energy intended to reduce pollution and to add American jobs.

Natural gas is gaining favor among consumers, although over half still want their utilities to invest in solar and wind power.

Here are links to a blog post about the survey and to the reports here and here.

The findings reflect what our nonprofit has noticed: the green movement is accelerating. Business, real estate developers and landlords, the military and even professional sports realize that going green is good for multiple reasons.

This story notes the San Francisco 49ers are using low CO2 concrete in their new stadium because they want to reduce their carbon footprint. Meanwhile, the owners of the iconic Empire State Building say their energy retrofits will save them $4.4 million per year - a 3-year payback. Now, that's a good investment! More here.

Some analysts describe an evolution ; others describe a revolution., Whatever it is, it is clear that clean energy and energy efficiency are gaining a higher profile.

Photo of Empire State Building by Eggo

Heat and time take toll on solar panel performance

2012-05-22T08:43:00.000-07:00

Solar arrays at NREL.

The widely held belief of solar systems is that once the initial cost is paid off, the rest is gravy.

Or more specifically, that the power harvested from the sun is free for those who own their systems. And that's true.

However, there's an important detail to consider, especially if the cost of materials and labor are financed over a long period.

"Numerous studies have shown that degradation rates for silicon modules are typically less than 1 percent per year," says analysis from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo.

That means power output diminishes minutely each year and could be significantly less for a system once the up-front costs are paid off after financing. That could mean a photovoltaic solar array produces 40 percent less power than the day it was installed once a 40-year loan is paid. A highly technical NREL study says declines could actually be less, ranging from .5 percent to .7 percent.

Of course degradation and performance rates depends on multiple factors, with some being solar intensity and temperature. Series resistance poses another interesting factor as does the system performing only as well as its worst cell. But that can be dealt with by connecting the panels in parallel or using other technical means.

On an NREL map of the United States outlining solar intensity, California's San Joaquin Valley sits in one of the optimal places. The region is sunny.

But with sun comes high temperatures, which also decrease electrical output somewhat. And that's something to consider in the Valley where many communities have more than 40 days of the year hotter than 100 degrees.

The reason for the heat-related performance decline has to do with conductivity, reducing the magnitude of the electric field and lowering voltage, according to solarpower2day.net. "It should be noted that a higher temperature increases the mobility of electrons, which causes the flow of current to increase slightly," the site says. "This increase is however minor and insignificant compared to the decrease in voltage."

Simply put, "the solar radiation which produces solar electricity carries heat with it that will cause the components of your photovoltaic solar panel to become altered and less able to capture sunlight effectively," says solarpanel-direct.com.

NREL has an outdoor test facility that's been operating about a decade testing all sorts of solar panels. As time marches on, more will be written about performance, maintenance and optimizing crystalline photovoltaic systems to extend their lifetimes.

I started looking into this concept after a colleague of mine who works with one of the counties I contract with mentioned solar performance issues. He said the county is likely to continue to pursue development of a significant solar project, but that it is also looking into other methods of boosting its clean energy footprint.

EPA honors highly efficient building designs

2012-05-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

Efforts to save energy by designing more efficient buildings continue to gain steam.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently recognized about 100 commercial building design projects estimated to be nearly 40 percent more energy efficient than typical buildings. The agency made the announcement at the American Institute of Architects National Convention in Washington, D.C. The projects were submitted by 43 architecture firms and achieved Designed to Earn the Energy Star certification.

Projects that receive Designed to Earn the Energy Star certification are In total, the projects recognized at the convention are estimated to prevent nearly 175,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually and save more than $23 million in annual energy costs across 10 million square feet of commercial space.

"These new building design projects are helping to save energy and money from the ground up for American families and businesses," says Gina McCarthy, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation, in a statement. She says they range from skyscrapers to rural elementary schools.

Commercial and residential buildings consume about 40 percent of all energy in the United States and about 70 percent of all electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And electricity consumption in the commercial building sector is expected to increase another 50 percent by 2025.

In total, the projects recognized at the convention are estimated to prevent nearly 175,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually and save more than $23 million in annual energy costs across 10 million square feet of commercial space.

The EPA says that by 2035, 75 percent of all buildings will be new or renovated and that architecture firms are "uniquely positioned to design energy efficient buildings and reduce carbon emissions."

Here are several highlighted projects:

High Performance Computing Research Center at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J. Architect is Gensler. Comments: "This project design provides power to the computers while using as little energy as possible. During winter, the air conditioning system can be switched off and giant louvers, or movable slates, can be opened to let in cold outside air."

Kroger Store in Dallas, Texas. Architect is Robertson Loia Roof. Comments: "This design incorporates energy efficient features such as cooler/freezer refrigerant heat replacement systems and roof planters for heat island effect reduction and shading. White high solar reflective roof material is also in the project plan to minimize sunlight absorption."

Red Hawk Elementary School in Erie, Colo. Architect is RB+B Architects. Comments: "The sustainable design of Red Hawk Elementary School creates a vibrant place for kids to learn with a central space connected to all parts of the school which allows for interactions amongst students and teachers. Sustainable features include proper orientation of classrooms to maximize daylight, displacement ventilation coupled with ground source heat pumps as well as radiant floor heating, low flow fixtures, and highly insulated building envelope."

Energy efficiency: Some states perform better than others

2012-05-18T16:50:00.001-07:00

The top states for encouraging energy efficiency are Massachusetts at No. 1 and California at No. 2, according to a clean energy research organization.

Both have strategies and programs in place to enhance the clean energy mix of their energy production and encourage a shift to cost-saving measures and clean energy. Their efforts have been followed, mimicked and analyzed many times.

But the bottom performers? Not so much.

"There is plenty of room for improvement," say Michael Sciortino, Rachel Young and Steven Nadel in "Opportunity Knocks: Examining Low-Ranking States in the State Energy Efficiency Scorecard." They work for the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, a nonprofit research and policy analyst.

The worst 10 states in promoting energy efficiency in descending order, with the last being the worst, are: South Dakota, Alabama, Missouri, West Virginia, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Kansas, Mississippi, Wyoming and North Dakota. ACEEE ranks the states according to policies and programs that advance efficiencies in buildings, transportation and industry.

While many states have improved over the past several years, these have lagged. The study is meant to provide direction.

The study points out that those interviewed "dwelled on the rate impacts of programs and little else." It also says utilities fail to see the practice as a resource, perceiving it more as a "societal benefit" and arguing that programs cost too much and "do not align with the utility business model."

Energy efficiency is considered the low-hanging fruit of a move toward sustainability and clean energy. It cuts utility bills significantly and is being adopted increasingly by the private sector as a core business practice.

In essence, energy efficiency practices (which include replacing light bulbs and other electric users with more miserly units) save money. And while it can cost a bundle up front, the payback is often quite fast. Sometimes it's a matter of a few years or months.

Other measures that could improve the low-ranking states' standings include improving building codes. This would slow energy loss either through preventing heat loss in winter or by retaining air conditioning in the summer. The study shows that the benefits of improved building requirements on a new home, which amount to an average $896.16, pay for themselves in less than 10 months.

The study also reports reluctance on the part of local governments to "lead by example." It provides a number of routes governments can take, including leveraging federal funding and on-bill financing.

Not all governments around the San Joaquin Valley were overly enthusiastic about energy efficiency retrofits just two years ago. Now, however, it's a different story. Many are moving to the next phase of renewable energy.

The best way to use California's carbon windfall

2012-05-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

New studies show that using revenue from California's landmark carbon-trading system for energy efficiency and residential renewable energy programs would yield the biggest bang for the buck, and have the strongest chance of surviving a legal challenge.

Nonprofit group Next 10 commissioned studies to determine the best use of proceeds from the cap-and-trade program effective 2013. Most of the models end up generating new revenue for the state through economic growth and new jobs, with programs that improve residential lighting and make other energy-slashing upgrades generating the most. Here is a link to the report that sums up the findings.

University of California, Berkeley, and Resources for the Future examined ways state officials could spend money - the group used the sum of $100 million although the real figure could be higher - raised by the sale of emissions allowances to non-utililty entitites.
The teams modeled scenarios ranging from giving the money to taxpayers in the form of rebates to creating green lending programs to using it on portions of the high-speed rail project. A rebate program would be the most risky legally because it doesn't directly support the greenhouse gas reduction goals of AB 32, the researchers determined.

Energy-efficiency projects, however, could create many more jobs and pump more money into state coffers, depending upon the program. The strongest potential and least legal risk appear to be with programs that fund energy upgrades in lower to middle-income households.

Funding components of high speed rail with carbon-trading revenue would create fewer jobs and less money for the state. It also would be more risky legally, the analysts discovered.

"The most pro-growth options would invest auction proceeds in expanding energy efficiency and renewable technology at the household level," said the study's author, University of California professor David Roland-Holst.

This San Francisco Chronicle story and this Sacramento Business Journal piece go into more detail about cap and trade, including other possible impacts - and offsets - on consumers.

The carbon auction is new, so predicting the outcome of legal challenges is itself a challenge. The authors concluded, however, that the cap-and-trade program was not intended to raise revenue, and thus is not a tax. "If the program is challenged in court, we consider spending scenairos that support the primary goal of AB 32 - to cut or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions - to be relatively 'low risk' from a legal standpoint," said co-author and law professor Daniel Farber of UC Berkeley.

The conclusions of the research don't surprise us. Our nonprofit focuses much of its work on energy-efficiency programs that cut power bills. It is almost shocking the amount of money seemingly simple adjustments can make. The city of Fresno, where I live, crunched utility data and discovered that a widespread energy-saving program could pump $260 million into the local economy. Talk about an economic stimulus!

That is why energy efficiency is called the "low hanging fruit" of the clean energy movement.

Cows soak up solar power as farmers embrace renewables

2012-05-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

The 250-mile San Joaquin Valley is the nation's salad bowl.

Farmers in the eight counties from Lodi to the Grapevine produced almost $26 billion worth of food and fiber in 2010. Agriculture is big business - and consumes gobs of power.

Which is why farmers here are embracing renewable energy to help power their enterprises. Solar is the energy of choice, which makes sense in a region with my-shoes-are-melting-into-the-pavement summer temperatures. Solar arrays are being installed on rooftops, carports and other places throughout the Valley.

This dairy was the first in Kings County to get solar, but more dairies and feedlots will likely install alternative energy. This item notes that a Coachella company installed solar energy at a feedlot to provide energy and shade.

The San Joaquin Valley has about 1.8 million cows and 1,700 dairy farms, according to Neil Black, president of California Bioenergy who spoke at a recent California Public Utilities Commission meeting in Fresno, (Here's our blog post from the meeting), so maybe we'll see more cows mixing with solar projects.

The Valley's vast expanses of land are attractive to developers of larger-scale solar projects as well, so planning officials in the region are formulating land-use policies to avoid conflicts with prime farm land. Those projects garner the big headlines, but individual growers and farming operations, such as those mentioned above and Fowler Packing (with its new 8,256 solar panels), are really helping harvest the sun.

Fowler Packing plans to use solar energy to help power its packing and cold storage facilities. It won't be the last San Joaquin Valley - or should we say, "Solar Valley" - farming enterprise to reach for the sun.

Hitting the hydrogen highway is the ultimate video game

2012-05-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

Hydrogen is not yet a viable, cheap and easy-to-use fuel.

But the quest to solve that clean energy puzzle continues.

Sciencedaily.com reports that scientists at Brookhaven National Laboratory have developed a nickel-molybdenum-nitride catalyst to more cheaply crack hydrogen from water. Chemist Kotaro Sasaki is quoted as saying his team wanted to find a high-activity low-cost method of extracting hydrogen.

He says the catalyst "actually outperformed our expectations."

And according to globalenergyworld.com, Lynne Macaskie, professor of applied microbiology at the University of Birmingham in England, reports a method of creating hydrogen from food waste. "The bacteria can produce hydrogen," says Macaskie at a bioenergy workshop in São Paulo, Brazil. "At the moment manufacturers pay to dispose of waste, but with our technique they could convert it to clean electricity instead.”

Not ready for prime time

Impressive. So what's the hold-up? Why can't entrepreneurial ingenuity figure out a way to get a clean fuel on the market that could transform our skies and reduce the competitive pressures forcing up the price of gasoline, diesel and other fossil fuel?

The answer thus far has been cost and technology. Solve the dilemma and emission-free power remains a matter of infrastructure.

The benefits are many. Hydrogen is the most plentiful element in the universe and No. 3 on Earth.

However, the reality painted by this Pres. George W. Bush-era study remains relatively static.

"To be economically competitive with the present fossil fuel economy ... the cost of producing hydrogen must be lowered by a factor of 4." The study, Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy, published by Argonne National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy in May 2003, says the performance and reliability of hydrogen technology for transportation and other uses must be "improved dramatically."

The ultimate gamer's quest

Unless, of course, somebody figures out the game. Compare the challenge to one found in a video game, perhaps the most difficult ever, with multiple levels, constant attacks by impossible to kill opponents, no cheats and the most elusive final key in recorded history.

Carrying this analogy further, I introduce gaming expert Pyree, who posted this answer to the question of most impossible game on tomshardware.com forum: "So apparently the hardest game is this one called 'Dark Souls,' made by Japanese game studio From Software."

Pyree, whose alter ego appears to be Wall Street Journal reporter Ryan Kuo, says the game makes it simply impossible to avoid dying excessively and horribly. There is no way to save or pause the game and if your avatar dies, the level resets. "Only attempt it if you are the hardcorest of the hardcorest rpg gamer and love to take on a near impossible challenge," he says.

Dark Souls to clean energy

Whether or not hydrogen is the Dark Souls of the clean energy world, I don't know. But I do know it will take some serious smarts and tenacity to break the code, find all the clues and track down the ultimate treasure.

How close we're getting depends upon whom is asked. I posed the question to a guy I've gotten to know here in the San Joaquin Valley. His answer surprised me. "Getting close," he says.

How close? By the sounds of it, very. I may be providing an update to my series on the hydrogen highway quite soon. A hint is here in a post by Laurence O'Sullivan on suite101.com that says, "Combined together, wind and hydrogen can cancel out their inherent defects and be an effective tool in the battle against carbon dioxide and global warming."

Pulling onto the hydrogen highway

There is also activity on the corporate front. Mercedes-Benz recruited drivers like actress Diane Kruger to drive its electric fuel cell vehicle, the B-Class F-Cell in California. Kruger is one of more than 35 "environmental enthusiasts and early adopters" in the state. Kruger, who stars in "Farewell, My Queen," drives the rig, which converts compressed hydrogen into electricity to deliver a range of up to 240 miles and an average of 55 mpg equivalent while emitting only water vapor.

I also checked in on Bob Lazar, whose company, American Hydrogen Energy, is gearing up to produce kits that convert gasoline-burning automobiles to run on hydrogen. Lazar converted his 1994 Corvette to run on H2 produced by solar panels.

Lazar explains how it works this way: "The hydrogen gas is safely stored in a solid form (advanced metal hydride) and is in fact safer in a collision than your Gasoline tank. The only exhaust you get from burning Hydrogen as a fuel is water vapor (steam), with very small amounts of nitrogen oxides. It's about a 'green' a fuel as you can get."

Rare Earth complications

Yet Lazar has encountered trials. His latest has to do with source materials. He says in a recent update on his website that the conversion system is dependent upon rare Earth metals and compounds. The Chinese government's decision to limit export of the country's domestic supply means prices have skyrocketed and more than quadrupled the cost of his conversion kits.

China dominates the rare Earth market. U.S. deposits exist but remain mostly out of reach due to a lack of mining. The materials have names like lanthanum, cerium, yttrium and neodymium and also are used in the manufacture of electric car batteries, wind turbines and solar panels.

China has spent the past several years locking up supply of these elements, planning ahead and banking on their value escalating.

"We are looking into all possibilities," Lazar says.

So the game continues. I'll drop in another quarter, and push "Ready Player One."

Photo: Actress Diane Kruger fills up her Mercedes B-Class F-Cell.
More posts:
Hydrogen Highway: Demonstrating a fill-up in LA
Hydrogen power integration as fast as a Zeppelin
Hydrogen Highway is possible but unrealistic, for now

Sustainability: America's emerging green movement

2012-05-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

That sound you hear is the sustainability movement accelerating. America is becoming a deeper shade of green.

Businesses are expanding their sustainability efforts from board rooms to supply chains and now to energy providers. More companies are flexing their corporate muscle, and pressuring legislators to support efforts to boost use of clean energy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Their so-called "green teams" are moving outside corporate walls.

Mindy Lubber of the advocacy group Ceres writes in this Sustainable Business Blog of a new "business voice", which is also being transferred to employees. She quotes organic yogurt- maker Stonyfield Farm founder Gary Hirschberg as saying, "We reject the notion that climate and energy legislation is going to be costly. . . Climate action offers economic opportunity rather than economic penalty."

The same blog notes that Nike and 14 other heavy hitters asked Congress to extend the Production Tax Credit that has helped propel wind energy (more here).

More businesses are setting sustainability goals, and in some cases (Hello, Sony) exceeding them. They are raising their sustainability profiles in concert with the military, professional sports and the public, which, according to latest polls, is increasingly linking climate change to the recent wild weather, and is willing to pay more for clean energy.

Meanwhile, prices are dropping, and energy sources such as wind and solar make more sense economically. Solar energy is expected to reach parity with traditional sources of power within a few years. In fact, there are those who contend it already is at parity in some places. See this.

Energy efficiency also is gaining a higher profile, as evidenced by this huge investment into a new lab at University of California, Santa Barbara, and by this announcement that the telecom industry plans to invest billions of dollars into a sustainable infrastructure by 2016.

Still, the U.S. is without a national energy plan, even as some nations - even those blessed with oil (read about Saudi Arabia here)- forge ahead with renewable energy programs because of dwindling resources. Even Mexico passed a climate-change bill.

But, the pressure to do more is building. The sustainability movement is still in infancy, but a great awakening is under way, says Sam Geil, founder of the International Green Industry Hall of Fame in Fresno, CA.

"Because sustainability has such a strong economic component, all businesses and the general public are just now starting to understand the overall benefits," Geil says.

He notes the military's burgeoning green efforts. "The War in Iraq is a great example. Transporting fuel was a big challenge, and getting it to the field operations was becoming more and more hazardous. With the use of solar and alternative fuels, the military can actually offset the threats of attacks on the tankers carrying gasoline and diesel fuels."

And let's not forget tomorrow's leaders. Today's young people are growing up with a green tint and more of them, such as my 19-year-old daughter, are seeking out environmental careers. Universities are adding sustainability programs even as they cut back in other areas.

"Young people are growing up with a green mindset and understand the value of recycling, reusing, and rethinking," Geil said. "The Green Movement is here to stay and growing every day."

Photo of soldiers using a solar blanket

Climate change: Water woes haunt Californians

2012-05-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

California would sidestep most of the effects of climate change.

The state already is hot and dry, and its coastal areas, with some exceptions, are blessed with some elevation, enabling them to avoid disaster should the seas rise significantly. But one region, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, faces distinct peril, says climate risk analyst Richard Snyder.

"You'll have a problem," says Snyder who spoke at the 2012 International Green Industry Hall of Fame event in Fresno. "Water and climate change are big issues, especially in California."

The Delta is a complex network of levees and channels and the source of water for two of three people in the state. Fresh water from the Sierra Mountains is sent by way of a massive aqueduct and a sophisticated and energy-intensive network of pumps down through the San Joaquin Valley and up over the Grapevine pass to Los Angeles.

When the levee breaks

Should that aging network of levees fail, disaster would strike. Years of farming the roughly half million acres caused large swaths of the peat-rich soil to drop, so that now much if it is below sea level. Some more than 20 feet below. Salt water intrusion would poison the Delta fresh water source, causing extreme economic cost on a scale hard to imagine.

Snyder, a professor at University of California Davis, says Sacramento, the state's capital, would definitely have a problem. Some parts of the city are no more than 20 feet above sea level.

Drought is another probability of climate change. And California would suffer greatly in an extended dry spell, Snyder says. "If you have a 100-year drought, there's no hope," he says.

A decade-long drought would be more manageable. But still no walk in the park. "The secret is to be prepared," Snyder says.

Politics presents a problem

However, politics, and especially the politics of water, is turbulent in California. Always has been. Agriculture would be the first casualty of a water shortage, pummeling the San Joaquin Valley economy.

Heidi Cullen, a senior research scientist with nonprofit Climate Central, spells out the Delta's woes in her book "The Weather of the Future." "The Delta has far more in common with New Orleans that with Hollywood," she writes. "The odds are roughly two in three that during the next fifty years either a large flood or a seismic event will affect the Delta."

Even without such disasters, rising sea level will bring more salt into the Delta and increase the cost of water, Cullen says.

The situation doesn't look good. And attempting a political fix in California is described as a nightmare.

An urgent fix is needed

James Hansen, climate scientist and director of NASA's Goddard Center, says delay shouldn't be an option. He co-wrote a new report, "Scientific Case for Avoiding Dangerous Climate Change to Protect Young People and Nature," which says humanity is the dominant force driving atmospheric composition and the climate.

"We must transition rapidly to a post-fossil fuel world of clean energies," the report says. But that can't be done without public and government support, the report says. But that "requires widespread recognition that a prompt orderly transition to the post fossil fuel world" is the best choice for avoiding disasters like the one that faces the Delta.

A solution may be tough to find. A line in 1974 film noir "Chinatown," which uses California water politics as its central theme, explains the importance: "Either you bring the water to L.A. or you bring L.A. to the water."

But the difficulties surrounding water, climate change and the potentially tumultuous mix indicate a bleaker outlook, something like that faced by Jack Nicholson's character Jake Gittes in the movie: "Forget it Jake. It's Chinatown."

And let's hope the Delta can avoid the destruction wrought by the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 that destroyed homes and the agricultural economy of the Mississippi Basin.

That flood was chronicled by blues duo Kansas Joe McCoy and Memphis Minnie, but I know the Led Zep version with John Bonham's drums a whole lot better.

Photo: Sacramento's Yellow Bridge.

Valley businesses and UC Merced are inducted into the Green Hall of Fame

2012-05-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Five businesses and organizations and four individuals were inducted into the International Green Industry Hall of Fame during a ceremony at Fresno State University.

SunRun, UC Merced, Green Apple Horse Network, Electronic Recyclers International and Grid Alternatives were the inducted businesses and organizations. The individuals were Ed Begley Jr., Christina Schwerdtfeger, John Shegerian (CEO of Electronic Recyclers) and Alan Tratner, who received Lifetime Achievement awards.

SunRun is a San Francisco-based company that offers solar leasing and power purchase agreements.http://www.sunrunhome.com/;
University of California Merced has six buildings that are LEED certified, and students and faculty are leaders in solar-energy research http://www.ucmerced.edu/
Geen Apple Horse Network, based in Marin County, helps the horse industry go green, and manages a directory of green products and services http://greenapplehorse.com/;
Electronic Recyclers International, a Fresno-based firm that is the nation's largest electronic waste recyclers http://electronicrecyclers.com/;
GRID Alternatives, an Oakland nonprofit that installs solar panels on low-income households throughout California. The Fresno office has installed solar power systems on more than 300 homes in the Valley, all owned by low-income families http://www.gridalternatives.org/mission-history
Ed Begley Jr., an actor and environmental leader who is chair of the Environmental Media Association and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy http://www.edbegley.com/
Christina Schwerdtfeger founded Coto Consulting in 2009 as a woman-owned, small business enterprise to provide environmental consulting services to private and public sector clients throughout the United States. She specializes in multi-media compliance for air, water and hazardous waste, with particular emphasis on greenhouse gases and sustainability.http://www.coto-consulting.com/
John Shegerian, a serial entrepreneur, is chairman and CEO of Electronic Recyclers. Prior to his work at ERI, Shegerian co-founded www.financialaid.com, one of the most successful student loan companies in the country, and founded Addicted.com, a comprehensive, interactive website dedicated to helping those struggling with the disease of addiction, that has become the leading online space for the recovering community.
Alan Tratner, international director of FD3′s Green2Gold in Santa Barbara and president of the Inventors Workshop International and Entrepreneurs Workshop, director of the Small Business Entrepreneurship Center in California and former publisher of Lightbulb Journal and INVENT!. http://www.green2gold.org/

Also honored were Climate Ride, a nonprofit in Missoula, Mont., that organizes charitable bike rides to support sustainable solutions, bike advocacy and environmental causes http://www.climateride.org/, and Aquacue, a San Jose firm whose customers set a baseline, reduce waste and engage the community to reduce water bills and advance sustainability. http://aquacue.com/

Fresno businessman Sam Geil founded the International Green Industry Hall of Fame to recognize pioneers, leaders, and visionaries who have contributed to the Green movement.

Biogas industry seeks to clear the regulatory air

2012-05-11T13:34:00.000-07:00

Fresno, Calif. and the rest of the San Joaquin Valley share some of the worst air in the United States.

A bootstrap industry, still trying to gain a toehold in the state, can remove tons of those pollutants and produce renewable energy at the same time. The concept would appear to meet the goal of the state's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, which seeks to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020.

So what's the holdup?

Part economics, part regulatory. Five of the top people in the state's biogas industry met recently in Fresno with members of the California Public Utility Commission to explain the difficulties in getting bio-digesters up and running. The meetings were in Fresno City Hall. Each commissioner and his or her staff listened and gave feedback to various groups.

Making the case for biogas

The small but friendly renewables group spelled out all the potential a viable biogas industry could bring. But the group, who represented five companies, also explained the turmoil their operations face breaking into the market in a substantial way. And by and large, the commissioners, who met them one by one, appeared to see the merits of their cause.

The biogas representatives' plan is simple. The Valley is also home to 1,700 dairies, the most productive and largest milk production region in the country. These dairies also produce a huge amount of methane, mostly through cow poop.

Their companies, with the exception of one that uses agricultural waste, take what the cows discard and convert it to energy. However, to do this they need a little help. Because the industry is so new, development and operation costs somewhat exceed current return. The biodigestion process removes pollutants, which could improve the health of millions of people, but that benefit -- at this time -- isn't worth anything to banks. The fact that the industry could divert a huge amount of the state's greenhouse gas and create a renewable resource can't be monetized. And that means the projects don't look good to traditional financiers.

"We need a stable program to launch the industry," says Neil Black, president of California Bioenergy.

Industry could use a hand

There are a lot of details involved with getting a biodigester up and running. Suffice to say that most of them boil down to price per kilowatt hour. Utilities pay something like 8.9 cents, while the standard biodigester coupled to a energy-creating turbine needs something more, like 15 to 17 cents, at least at this early stage.

It's not uncommon for a developing energy source to get regulatory assistance. In the energy business, it's understood that every new resource needs some sort of subsidy to get started and eventually become profitable. Even oil.

Black says there only 11 biodigesters operating in California. He says about that many went out of business, unable to make the economics work.

"We're operating in five different states now, and all are easier than California," says Bob Joblin, who represents AgPower Group. He says he's had a project fully permitted for a year and a half, just waiting on assistance to unravel regulatory red tape.

Nettie Drake of Ag Power Development says she's working on her second digester, but it hasn't been easy. She says her business finds nothing but hurdles.

The cost of clean air

The difficult part is that of air quality. Because there is no viable methodology for trading carbon credits, where one company pays another to offset its pollution, there is no method for companies like Black's or Drake's or Joblin's to leverage those credits.

Congress has failed to pass cap-and-trade, meaning no sales of credits for biodigesters. However, California does show some promise -- but not until next year, when it's due to launch what Peter Weisberg of BioCycle.net says is "the nation’s most comprehensive cap-and-trade program."

Weisberg says digester and composting project developers interested in generating carbon credit revenue "must now turn their attention to the intricacies of the emerging California carbon market."

Timing is key. The group at the CPUC meetings in Fresno says the opportunity for getting their current projects established and successful is limited. Expired permits, missed financing or mounting debt could sour farmers on the concept.

And it's farmers who take the risk.

Renewable energy

These projects could make a big difference. Black says the potential in California for all digesters, including waste water and ag waste is 3 gigawatts of power.

That's a pretty big deal. For example the twin reactors at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant near San Luis Obispo produce about 2.2 gigawatts.

And it would remove greenhouse gases from the worst air in the nation. Fresno and other cities in the Valley are good at getting on lists no city wants any part of. For instance, Fresno has the distinction of having the nation's highest concentrated poverty and a number of Valley cities found their way onto the Top 10 residential foreclosure list over the past few years.

Bye bye brown haze?

The American Lung Association's 2012 State of the Air Report lists primarily Valley cities in its top 10 most polluted. One of the reasons for this airborne nastiness has to do with the region's geographic configuration (basin surrounded by two mountain ranges) its lack of wind and rain and the fact that everything from Los Angeles and the Bay Area migrates east and hangs out.

The biodigester industry is poised to do its part. And there's this: Biogas doesn't operate at the whim of mother nature like wind and solar. Hook it up to the grid and it could even out the highs and lows of other renewable power sources.

'Gas is Your Choice' campaign launched in Fresno

2012-05-10T11:19:00.000-07:00

Matt Falcon, the avowed Fresno ebike rider, is at it again.

This time, he's interested in expanding the ranks of those who minimize their dependence upon fossil fuels. He wants people to try something new, even if it means changing their lifestyles somewhat.

He sums it up in four words: "Gas is your choice."

"Yep... I like changing the conversation," Falcon tells Pete Moe, an organizer of Fresno Earth Day 2012. "Had a 'divine spark of inspiration' for a great and catchy one-liner and a design for a Facebook graphic, and found it was really a great flyer/poster as well, so I designed this."

Moe responds: "I love the sentiment! Has a campaign feel kind of like the 'Stop Kony' campaign of recent."

Falcon says: "Realized I had a black toner cartridge in my color laser printer that needed to be replaced (damaged, bad quality), so instead of wasting the toner, I figured I'd print a bunch of these to post on light poles around town."

He used misprinted and recycled paper from his office. So far so good. The posters are mostly in Fresno's north end, around the River Park shopping center and Blackstone/Nees avenues. There's no group affiliation, just a message.

So far the response has been a bit lackluster. But it's just getting started. Perhaps through social media? (Readers are encouraged to share blog posts, by the way.)

"I really have no idea how it's doing," Falcon says. "Nobody's mentioned seeing one yet. (But I don't have a very wide social circle, haha)."

Expect to see more Your Choice posters. And expect to see more of this sentiment. 350.org just had its Connect the Dots Climate Impacts Day on May 5 during which it encouraged everybody to do their own thing to promote a better environment. The photos of efforts were amazing. A group in the Sierra carried a huge banner and placed it in the snow, saying something Oz-like: "I'm melting."

Turbine industry grows, but faces stiff wind

2012-05-09T14:18:00.001-07:00

Turbine installations in the United States set a record last quarter, but the pending elimination of a popular tax credit could buffet the wind-energy industry next year, officials say.

Fueled in part by concerns over the Production Tax Credit, a total of 788 wind turbines totaling 1,695 megawatts of power - enough to supply about 1.6 million homes for at least an hour - were erected between January and April in 17 states. That was the strongest first-quarter showing in U.S. wind-energy history, according to the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group. Read the press release here.

California led the nation with 370 megawatts of new wind power. Two of the state's top three wind regimes are near the north and south ends of the San Joaquin Valley. The third area is near Palm Springs. In 2011, about 5% of California's power came from wind. More here.

The 52% increase over the same period last year set a record for first-quarter installations, and continued a five-year surge. "The last five years have been marked by unprecedented policy stability, and in response, wind power has delivered," said AWEA CEO Denise Bode.

This AOL white paper suggests that companies are rushing to get turbines installed before the Production Tax Credit expires Dec. 31. It also suggests that 2012 could be bumpy for the wind industry globally if Europe dials back on subsidies.

Wind power contributed 35% of all new electric generating capacity in the U.S. between 2007 and 2011. The industry employs about 75,000 people in the United States. Bode said about 37,000 jobs could disappear, many of them in U.S. manufacturing, if the tax credit is suspended Dec. 31. By contrast, extending the credit could generate 100,000 jobs in four years, she said.

President Obama supports extending the credit. See this from The Hill. A bipartisan effort also is under way.

Industry officials noted that improved technology is allowing wind energy to be gathered from regions that were previously considered inadequate. That trend, they said, is reflected in New Hampshire, Arizona, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, where wind power grew at high rates in first quarter 2012.

Meanwhile, construction of new turbines is greatest in Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, California and Illinois.

Photo of wind turbines near Palm Springs by California Energy Commission

Central California is becoming Solar Central

2012-05-08T12:29:00.001-07:00

Summer is coming, and that means the Valley's famous triple-digit temperatures aren't far away. Utility bills will surge and Facebook status reports will be akin to: "Holy cow, I got my power bill today!" That's the G rated version anyway.

Solar really makes sense in Central California, where nature's most abundant resource blazes away up to 300 days per year. These solar projects have made news in recent days: This appeared on The Fresno Bee web site. The police station is just a few miles from my house, and will be the largest public solar project in Clovis. That follows on the heels of this announcement of a packinghouse in Fowler adding 12 acres of solar panels and this one of the massive 550-megawatt Topaz project breaking ground in San Luis Obispo County just west of us in Fresno.

But those aren't all. Analysts count about 70 proposals before county planners from Merced to Kern counties, with about 30 in Fresno County. Just the Fresno County proposals total about 10,600 acres.Those don't include smaller rooftop, municipal or some farming projects.

It remains to be seen how many are approved or become operational, but there is not denying Central California is a hot spot for solar power.

Photo: California Energy Commission photo of solar plant near Kerman in Fresno County

Donut-shaped EV goes back to the future, hovering in Beijing

2012-05-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

This two-person transporter appears straight out of "Back to the Future II."

But it's not. Volkswagen AG, the folks who brought you the people's car, brings this prototype to light with the help of its People's Car Project, a contest that generated 119,000 ideas, most notably a two-seat, electric Hover Car, that looks like the metallic version of a massive heavy equipment tire.

The project was launched in 2011 and resulted in three top picks. The Hover Car, which travels above ground on an electro-mechanical roadway, is joined by the Smart Key and Music Car. All were on display at the Beijing Motor Show.

"The creative ideas from the People’s Car Project give us a valuable insight into the wishes of Chinese drivers", says Simon Loasby, head of design at Volkswagen Group China, in a statement. "The trend is towards safe cars that can easily navigate overcrowded roads and have a personal, emotional and exciting design."

The video is entirely in Chinese but gives an excellent idea of how the hover car operates.
According to the Volkswagen website, the Music Car is equipped with organic light emitting diodes, and the exterior color of the vehicle changes with the driver’s choice of music. "The car thus becomes a means of self-expression and a fashion statement for young drivers," officials say.

The Smart Key is a slim 9-millimeter key with "a high-resolution touchscreen which keeps the driver up to date on the fuel situation, climate conditions and the car’s security via the 3G network. The driver can also monitor the vehicle from a bird’s eye perspective through real-time satellite transmission."

Volkswagen Group's Luca de Meo, director of marketing, says that in "a long-term context" the project will influence the company's product strategy. However, "the design of our models will, however, continue to reflect the tradition of the Volkswagen brand."

So don't expect to see the Hover Car in the commercial market anytime soon. But it is cool.

Doomsday novels provide a look at what could happen

2012-05-07T16:03:00.000-07:00

Apocalyptic novels dominate Amazon's popular sci-fi electronic listings -- and my recent reading history.

The books in question generally a doomsday theme, but each author often takes a wildly different approach. The new genre has three main elements that warrant analysis: How society collapses, how people react and the tenacity of the main characters.

The heroes have got to be tough. When society collapses, death waits in many guises. Especially nasty is the rampant cannibalism of those who can't hack it and eat people.

This end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it fascination extends far beyond novels. Jim Guy, a reporter at the Fresno Bee, touches on the sentiment in a recent story about surging gun sales. "Blame it on the upcoming election, fear of crime or even the Mayan calendar, but Fresno gun dealers say business is booming," Guy writes.

It could be better

The economy staged a anemic recovery about two years ago, but few in the trenches give that much credence.

Give Guy's story an extra shove and the real culprit behind this paranoia and gun buying emerges. It's the economy. But it's more than just lost jobs. The situation is bleak for many people. A friend of mine in the service sector says he's working an extra shift today, but it doesn't mean much.

"Extra money," I say.

He nods. "But bills. They keep coming," he says.

Another indicator affecting this overall gloomy mood -- besides general crime -- is wire theft. Got a darkened street? Chances are wire thieves tore off the vault cover, hooked a truck to the cables and ripped them out. Copper's worth money.

Bill's my canary

And according to Bill, my not-quite-homeless friend in Old Town, it's getting bad out there. He says seven of his acquaintances have died in the past couple of years. One was a regular on my street. Multiple causes, certainly. But those on the bottom of the economic pile are the first to feel its negative effects. The pickings for plastic PET bottles and aluminum cans have become increasingly scarce, and for many that's their entire income.

Bill's already dealing with the apocalypse. For him the cause of the collapse was likely his drinking. He's a few months younger than my 51. But from scrawny body to his leathery, deep-tanned skin and missing teeth, he looks decidedly closer to the proverbial bucket.

Ecotopia on point

"Ecotopia" author Ernest Callenbach, who died earlier this year, left what he called "a few thoughts that might be useful to those coming after" on his computer. TomDispatch.com ran the piece recently in its entirety. In it Callenbach discusses the "Big Picture," and it's not too different than the prelude to many of the books on my Kindle.

"We live in the declining years of what is still the biggest economy in the world, where a looter elite has fastened itself upon the decaying carcass of the empire," he writes. Ecotopia was published in 1975 and chronicles a fictional era in which Washington, Oregon and Northern California secede from the Union "in the midst of a terrible economic crisis, creating an environmentally sound, stable-state, eco-sustainable country," TomDispatch says.

Callenbach organizes his thoughts by subject, including hope, mutual support, organize, learn to live with contradictions and practical skills, which he says so many don't have and I tend to agree.

What Came After

One of my favorites of the dystopian genre is Sam Winston's "What Came After." In this novel, the upper classes live in the remnants of big cities, protected by privatized armies. Corporations, the ones that survived, make the rules. Chief among these is an agribusiness that cultivates only genetically modified crops. All heritage crops are banned. The food must be reprocessed by the company so it's safe to eat. As a result, everybody in the lower classes either dies of starvation or works for corporates in their huge collective farms.

The hero of the story is the Mechanic. He figures out how to fix things when most have forgotten or never learned those skills. The mechanic finds an underground society literally living in bunkers and growing and developing the old food stocks so people can grow their own. The people in charge don't much care for him.

Renewal

Another novel is J.F. Perkins' "Renewal," which was published in a series of 10 99-cent novels. This format reminds me of old Flash Gordon serials, which I watched in the late 1960s when they were packaged on multiple reels and sent to the tiny Alaska island village where I lived. Society in Perkins' version just broke down, burdened by excessive debt and ineffective politicians across the globe. The tale chronicles the account of one family who figured out early they better take care of themselves and prepare for the worst because nobody else would.

They're on a family trip when disaster strikes. They hole up in a Southern small town and eventually find a home with a widow who lives on her own on a small farm. She teaches them how to grow their food and make everything they once took for granted. Eventually, they draw others into their circle and fend off challenges. Because there's if there one thing these stories have in common, it's this -- if you have something of value, somebody else will kill you to get it.

Wool

Writer Hugh Howey goes in a completely different direction with his series, "Wool." It's about a series of underground towers constructed by the U.S. government when a government faction assumed the end was near. The towers were filled with people of a powerful senator's choosing, planning to re-emerge when life on the surface returned to normal.

Problem in "Wool" was that nuclear winter stuck around for generations. The people in the "silos" didn't know anything of the world that came before and society in the metal tubes begins to break down. The wool in the title refers to the steel wool people sentenced to death must use to clean the outdoor camera lens so people underground can see the poisoned surface of Earth.

I love reading this stuff, mostly because it reminds me of the resiliency of the human spirit. My father grew up in post-World War II Hungary. He said everybody was starving and to survive they did whatever they could. As a result, he saved everything and did everything himself. His words to me were: "If man can make it, man can fix it." The result was often very substandard, but we got by.

Then my parents split and mom decided to embrace the return-to-the-woods lifestyle in Alaska. Make your own everything. I smelled like wood smoke and goats for my formative years. But I learned how to make just about anything. I'm not so hot at growing food, but I can tear down a house board by board and rebuild it.

Lessons of my father

I'm reminded of a bag of clothes my father gave me more than a decade ago. I believe this may have been the beginning of his early onset dementia, but it was in character. In the bag were all his old bathing suits. Every single one since he arrived in this country in 1956, saved and folded neatly. "For the boys," he said.

My boys wanted nothing to do with them. But the out-dated suits reminded me of when I was maybe 4 and my dad could do the butterfly faster than anybody at Lake Sammamish, just outside Seattle. He taught himself the stroke.

In his younger days, he would've been great to have around in one of those novels. He fought street to street against the Russian army in Budapest. (He assured me he never killed anybody, but my godfather said, "Hell, he nearly cut that one [Russian] in half.") He could grow anything no matter what kind of soil. He could cook like nobody's business. And he could somehow coax that old 1963 Ford pickup to keep going long after the normal guy would have had it compacted.

Lest anybody think I've gone off the deep end, I assure you I'm still hoping for the best. I'd prefer to think we'll figure it out and get out from the single-fuel mentality that appears to dominate and drive our economy.

There is a better way.

Clean energy can be harvested for free. The up-front cost is a little steep, but we can get there with some scrimping and saving. Once we figure out how to effectively store that power at a cost competitive with fossil fuels, this cataclysmic doom may just fade away with the bad air.

Net-zero construction gains ground in U.S.

2012-05-07T10:19:00.001-07:00

Apollo 11 touched down on the Sea of Tranquility with the world watching.

The date was July 20, 1969.

"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed," the spacecraft announced. Some hours later Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong took man's first steps on the Moon followed closely by fellow spaceman Buzz Aldrin.

Their footprints at Tranquility Base likely remain, a small sign of a massive accomplishment.

NASA's back in the historic footprint game again but in an entirely different way. The space agency, now somewhat redirected and fiscally leaner with the closure of the Space Shuttle program, has been constructing a facility that takes inspiration for its name from Tranquility Base and seeks to be a landmark in another sense, leaving as little footprint as possible.

Here on Earth

Sustainability Base, at Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, Calif., has been dubbed NASA's latest mission on Earth. The facility has received LEED platinum certification, the highest level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating by the U.S. Green Building Council. Its design incorporates natural lighting, shading and fresh air. The interior boasts non-toxic materials and is, according to NASA, "a living prototype for buildings of the future."

The net-zero movement -- designing and building structures to make as little impact on the environment as possible -- is gaining steam, albeit slowly.

Commercial and residential buildings consume about 40 percent of all energy in the United States and about 70 percent of all electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. And electricity consumption in the commercial building sector is expected to increase another 50 percent by 2025.

The net-zero or zero-energy building concept means commercial or residential buildings meet all their energy requirements from low-cost, locally available, nonpolluting, renewable sources, according to "Zero Energy Buildings: A Critical Look at the Definition," a 2006 study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. "At the strictest level, a ZEB generates enough renewable energy on site to equal or exceed its annual energy use," the study says.

Lunar design influence

Sustainability Base, which is shaped like two side-by-side crescents, gets its power from solar panels, wind energy and fuel cells. It's also chock full of other technologies that make it "capable of anticipating and reacting to changes in sunlight, temperature, wind and occupancy," officials say.

“What makes our building different than the other NASA LEED buildings is that preliminary data are already showing a net-energy positive profile. The building site contributes more energy to the grid than it receives from the grid," says Steven Zornetzer, associate center director for research at Ames, in a description of the base on Ames' website.

Because it also incorporates repurposed NASA aerospace technologies to optimize building performance, Sustainability Base's features cooler statistics than other net-zero buildings. For instance, it uses computational fluid dynamics to simulate environmental flows in and outside the building. This can mean air flows such as wind outside and air flow inside. The building's electronic systems calculate this information and incorporate the data into the heating and cooling systems, saving money in conventional heating and cooling.

Movement expands

Many efforts are under way to reduce production of greenhouse gases from the building sector. Retrofits of existing buildings, such as the iconic Empire State Building, have gained recognition, mostly because the energy-saving upgrades pay for themselves relatively quickly.

Measures are under way in a number of areas. They include sustainability policies from some of the largest publicly traded U.S. companies, efforts by states to increase efficiency through building codes (California's new rules took effect in 2011), programs by the U.S. Department of Energy to fund energy efficiency retrofits in municipal government buildings across the country and the whole house and passive house movements to increase efficiency in residential and commercial buildings.

The U.S. Department of Energy is seeking to develop the technology and a knowledge base for cost-effective zero-energy commercial buildings by 2025. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory already has created a classification system for net-zero energy buildings to aid in the standardization process. NREL's Research Support Facility on its Golden, Colo. campus also was certified LEED platinum and uses 50 percent less energy than if built simply to code. It's massive, too: 360,000 square feet.

Passive house

There's also the passive house movement gaining followers in this country. The practice is reaching quite a fervor in Europe. A house at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History designed with no furnace has been completed and is already catching attention. The residence, which uses passive house design and technology, cuts its greenhouse gas footprint and utility costs to the quick. SmartHome Cleveland received a national attention. One story said: "Because the house is so well insulated, it can hold heat from sunshine, body heat, lights and appliances."

The idea behind passive houses is that they use 90 percent less energy than a conventionally outfitted home of the same size. This also could apply to commercial buildings, but most information I've seen seems to keep this trend firmly entrenched in residential construction, at least in this country.

Passive House Institute U.S. defines the concept this way: It's a "very well-insulated, virtually air-tight building that is primarily heated by passive solar gain and by internal gains from people, electrical equipment, etc. Energy losses are minimized. Any remaining heat demand is provided by an extremely small source."

The push is to carbon neutrality.

The Passive House Institute says in the past decade about 15,000 buildings, mostly in Europe, have been designed and built or remodeled to passive house specifications. It's a small number but could gain significant influence as others see the lifetime benefits and reduced operating expenses -- not to mention the ecological rewards.

Clean energy marches toward maturity using traditional path

2012-05-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

It's tempting to believe the political rhetoric over renewable energy and assume the industry is dying without ever grabbing a foothold. In reality, it is following a well-worn path traveled by emerging technologies for dozens of years.

A new report from the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at University of Tennessee compares the stutter-step progress of clean energy with that of the automobile and other industries. The report cites the Chief Strategist of Shell Oil as saying, "It takes about 30 years for any new energy source to attain 1% market share."

From the report: "Only in retrospect is technology change smooth. Within its own historical context, it is rough and uncertain with many false starts and byways. The social history of technology change is replete with stories of early technology adoption in unexpected niches. Often the early innovators are not the ones who profit from the process."

Consider the early days of automobiles and personal computers. the report notes that horseless carriages powered by electricity electricity, steam, or internal combustion engines came on the scene in the late 1800s, but 40 years later only 7.7% of American families had an automobile. Then, there was a spurt: "Only a decade later, in 1929, 60% of American families had autos," the report states.

Personal computers struggled through the same torturous path. The Altair kit for hobbyists appeared in 1967. Early commercial computers debuted a decade later with Apple II, the Pet 201 and Radio Shack's TRS-80.

I used a TRS-80, or Trash 80, in the early 1980s. I lived near Clear Lake in Northern California, and was a correspondent for the daily newspaper in Santa Rosa. I would write a story on the TRS-80 and then look for a phone booth. I attached the acoustic couplers to the phone, typed in some numbers, and heard the distinctive whine of the transmitted story.

Today, I don't think I can find TRS-80, acoustic couplers or even a phone booth.

Solar power has expanded at a 77% annual growth rate over the last five years, thanks in large part to generous incentives, cheaper PV and state renewable standards. Despite that, solar energy provided less than 0.1% of U.S. electrical demand in 2010, according to this report entitled "Sunshot Vision Study" by the U.S. Department of Energy.

However, the expansion could be substantial, the Sunshot report states, if prices drop, transmission capacity increases and other advances are made. Assuming prices of $1/watt (W) for utility-scale PV systems, $1.25/W for commercial rooftop and $1.50/W for residential rooftop, the penetration of solar power could reach 14% in the U.S. by 2030 and 27% by 2050.

An incentive to grow

The Baker study said incentives are most effective in young emerging industries such as clean energy, while subsidies in mature industries have the effect of suppressing the new technologies. "If the goal of incentives is to bring a resource to the point of full market penetration, one would expect larger incentives for fuels that have not reached maturity," the study said.

Incentives in mature industries (hello, oil) raise the overall cost of government incentives needed to expand new resources. From the Baker report: "From an economic development perspective, a portfolio of incentives weighted toward mature industries will tend to insulate and maintain those profitable industries and suppress new industries."

Incentives have certainly worked in clean energy. This New York Times editorial notes the robust return of clean energy, and suggests this is the wrong time to end subsidies. The goal, it says, should be to use incentives to "get (clean energy industries) to a point where they can stand on their own."

Just getting started

Clean energy is gaining a foothold in many places. College campuses, the U.S. military, professional sports and farmers are following in the footsteps of Big Business, which is increasingly realizing that sustainability also generates a green bottom line. See examples here.

Incentives helped forge a foothold, and, hopefully, it won't be long until clean energy, which includes energy efficiency, can stand on its own.

University teams square off for national clean energy finals

2012-05-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Northwestern University's team also won Rice competition.

The best and brightest minds at U.S. colleges squared off recently, gathering their collective intelligence, imagination and ideas in a competition to come up with the most formidable and commercially promising clean energy innovations.

The preliminary results have just been unveiled. Regional winners of the U.S. Department of Energy's National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition have been named. Northwestern University, University of Utah, University of Central Florida, MIT, Stanford University and Columbia University will go on to compete in the first national competition in Washington, D.C. in June.

"The winning teams have developed effective strategies for bringing innovative technologies into the market that will help keep America competitive in the global race for clean energy technologies," Energy Secretary Steven Chu says in a statement.

Each regional winner receives $100,000 in prizes.

Officials explain the competition this way: "Each team of students identified a promising clean energy technology from a university or national lab and created a business plan around the technology that detailed how they could help bring it to market. This includes financing, product design, scaling up production and marketing."

Final projects include:

Northwestern University — NuMat Technologies: NuMat Technologies invented a nanomaterial that stores gases at lower pressure, reducing infrastructure costs and increasing design flexibility. One potential application for this innovation is in designing tanks to store natural gas more efficiently in motor vehicles.

In a preliminary showdown for the DOE competition, NuMat won the 2012 Rice Business Plan Competition in April, taking home $874,300 of the more than $1.55 million in cash and prizes presented at the awards banquet. Rice officials say NuMat Technologies is in discussions with some major chemical and technology and transportation companies to commercialize its nanomaterials.

University of Utah — Navillum Nanotechnologies: Navillum Nanotechnologies proposed expanding the commercial use of quantum dots. Quantum dots can emit a wider range of light using less energy than existing materials and could be used in future generations of solar panels, televisions, cell phones and related products.

University of Central Florida — Medsi Systems: Mesdi Systems developed precise manufacturing modules that increase production capacities and reduce costs of lithium ion batteries used in vehicles, consumer electronics, and medical devices.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology — SolidEnergy: SolidEnergy's battery technology innovation, which improves the safety and energy density of rechargeable lithium batteries, is intended to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles.

Stanford University — Stanford Nitrogen Group: Stanford Nitrogen Group developed a biological wastewater treatment process that removes and recovers energy from waste nitrogen and recovers phosphorus.

Columbia University — Radiator Labs: Radiator Labs developed a low-cost, easily installed radiator retrofit that converts radiator heating systems into a highly controllable zoned system to significantly reduce the energy waste while increasing the heat distribution and consistency of building interiors.

The regional winners will pitch their business plans before a panel of expert judges. The pitching, which is open to the public, is scheduled for Wednesday, June 13th in Washington, D.C. Organizations providing assistance include the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, law firm Mintz Levin, the Clean Energy Alliance, Battelle Ventures and the Cleantech Open.

PlanetSolar, solar catamaran, finishes round-the-world trip

2012-05-03T15:05:00.000-07:00

Raphael Domjan, left, and M. Immo Stroher

Raphael Domjan is a modern-day Phileas Fogg.

Rather than circumnavigate the globe in 80 days like the unstoppable Jules Verne character, Domjan opted for a more leisurely pace -- about 6 knots at last look. But Domjan's trip is no less historic.

Domjan, a Swiss national trained as an electronics engineer and Jules Verne fan, joined with German businessman M. Immo Ströher to accomplish the feat in a solar-powered boat.

Their photovoltaic sheathed catamaran, PlanetSolar, plans to conclude its voyage after 584 days upon the high seas, cruising into the high-society port of Monaco on May 4, 2012. Aboard the PlanetSolar, most activity likely focused on journey's end, wrapping up the adventure with shore-based activities before letting the public get a look at the historic vessel.

Captain's log
In his daily logbook, Domjan writes: "Right after waking up, I go to the cockpit to take a look at the weather conditions. The weather is beautiful, clear blue sky, and snowy summits…it is perfect.

"Really, Nature has always helped us and provided us with its energy when we needed it… the planet and its power are really with us.

"(Captain) Patrick Marchesseau joined us this morning. The crew comprises now 5 members, our batteries are fully charged, and the weather forecast is looking good. We will leave Corsica tomorrow morning and begin our last navigation. Although we are all very happy about crossing the finish line tomorrow, we all share a feeling of nostalgia.

"See you tomorrow for our last solar navigation."

The PlanetSolar crew
Marchesseau, according to his PlanetSolar bio, is French and has been sailing on different cruise vessels since 1991. He was captain of the French cruise ship Le Ponant when it was kidnapped by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden in spring 2008.

The rest of the crew includes Captain/Master Erwann Le Rouzic who also started his career at sea in 1991 and has been sailing on different cruise vessels since 2001. His bio reads: "Parallel to his professional career, he pursued his passion for the sea on sailboats." The frenchman's resume includes French and international sailing races, including a 60-day trans-Atlantic crossing as skipper in 2002 and ocean voyage from Canary Islands to France.

Bosun (Boatswain) Jens Langwasser is German and, according to his bio, part of a long line of seafarers and sailors, constantly seeking success in yacht races. Jens trained at a shipyard in the German Baltic Sea port of Lübeck to become a boat builder. He headed up the construction team on PlanetSolar at the Knierim Yachtbau boatyard in Kiel, Germany, putting in 68,000 hours into the effort. He calls PlanetSolar "probably one of the most challenging and unusual projects we have ever had at the yard. After 16 months of intense work and thinking, the project turned into some kind of ‘special boat,’ a special creation."

Christian Ochsenbein, who is Swiss and an electrical engineer, served as chief of energy management, no small task when every kilowatt counts. According to his bio, he grew up in the Swiss city of Thun overlooking the Eiger Mountain. His father worked as a chief technician in the shipyard on Lake Thun. He's a champion swimmer, earning bronze twice in the breaststroke at the Swiss Championships.

The vision and future
Domjan and Stroher say they want their accomplishment "to demonstrate that a motor vessel can function from today without using any fossil fuel." They believe using solar power to travel undoubtedly has a commercial future.

"Our planet deserves a better, brighter and less polluted future," Domjan says on his site. "Future technologies must be keenly investigated and solutions must be found.

"The project will help to motivate engineers and scientists to develop innovative technologies, inspire people around the world and show that the impossible can become possible."

10 cool advancements in clean energy

2012-05-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Space Race showed nations can accomplish great things when everyone is committed to a common goal. Increasingly, people are suggesting that same we-can-do-anything attitude be applied to clean energy. In many ways, it's occurring.

Here are 10 things that grabbed my attention in recent days:

1/Solar windows: Much is being written about solar shingles and even solar clothing, but researchers are also studying if windows - think skyscrapers - could double as energy generators. Challenges abound, as this post in environment 360 points out because they have to be clear, but a Maryland company claims to have a way to spray on a see-through solar coating. Researchers and students at UC Merced also are working on something similar here;

2/The smart minds up the road from us at UC Merced designed an innovative low-cost, non-tracking solar thermal collector system that is able to operate with a solar thermal efficiency of 50% at extreme temperatures. Previously, only more complex tracking solar thermal collector systems could achieve this temperature. The system has practical applications in solar heating, cooling, desalination, oil extraction, electricity generation, and food processing, says Ron Durbin, executive director of University of California Advanced Solar Technologies Institute. Here's an ABC 30 story on it;

3/ Speaking of universities and solar cells, the equally smart minds at USC are developing nanocells that could fit on plastic. Think of the possibilities! More here;

4/ Isn't nature great! The humpback whale is influencing windmill blade design. Click here.

5/ Iceland wants to lay an undersea cable to export geothermal to Europe;

6/ A New York company uses on-site wind turbines to meet 60 percent of the power needs of a mammoth manufacturing plant. Gigaom has it - and more here;

7/ Sidewalks that use kinetic energy from footsteps to generate power for nearby appliances. Crazy, but read about it here. Similarly, these trains in Philly can store kinetic energy from braking for further use.

8/ Superman may not be able to change in these booths, but folks will be able to power up their electric vehicle and monitor pollution. Oh, and they can also make a call;

9/ Making good clean power out of bad bad land. Our blog;

10/ The U.S. and U.K. joining forces to develop floating wind power. More here.

These are just a few things that I noted in recent days, but certainly isn't complete. These solar powered bins that text when they're full are pretty cool too. Maybe it's true when people say clean energy is the next industrial revolution.

Video by UC Merced
Photo of people walking by Graham Kingsley

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May 5: Connect the Dots Climate Impacts Day

2012-05-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May 5, 350.org is coordinating a "global day of action."

Climate Impacts Day is not location specific and being coordinated through the web. There are a number of locations at which people are getting together to talk about climate change and the effect it's having.

"On that day, we will issue a wake-up call, and connect the dots between climate change and extreme weather," 350.org organizers say. "We will educate, protest, create, document, and volunteer along with thousands of people around the world."

At this point there are no events scheduled in the San Joaquin Valley. But there's still time. Think about starting a new event in your community.

Here's a list of nearby events:

Dana Glacier - I'm Melting!

Saturday, May 5, 10:00 AM, Mount Dana, Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, Lee Vining, CA 93541

"We'll be hiking in to the Dana Glacier (near Tioga Pass) and laying out a massive banner to connect the dots on climate change and glacial retreat. If you have some experience backpacking - you are welcome to join. We have 4 massive banners to deploy on the glacier, and need lots of hands to help. The trek will depend on the conditions. If Tioga Pass is open, we'll have a moderate 2 mile hike/scramble, leaving from near Tioga Lake. If the Pass is closed, we will have to park on the East side near Lee Vining, and face a hike closer to 9 miles (mostly on the closed road), which will require camping the night of the 4th near Tioga Lake."

Everything is Connected!

Saturday, May 5, 2:00 PM, Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA 93920

"Residents and Guests of the Esalen Institute will gather together at 2pm on the front lawn and engage in a 'Spinning the Community Web' exercise. Followed by discussion and info sharing on how we can act at Esalen and here in the wild Big Sur within Monterey County, California to responsibly and creatively respond to Climate Change."

Cinco de Mayo Climate-Change Awareness Day

Saturday, May 5, 10:00 AM, San Lorenzo River Park, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

"We have Earth Day each year at this park, and everyone knows how to do that here, except this will be a 350.org Day of Action to stop Keystone XL, as well as local environmental issues with petitions to Government Brown, speakers, music by local bands, booths to disseminate information, sign petitions, join with our community in all the ways we can personally act, as well as ways we can join with actions in our community. We have an active Occupy movement here, so I'm sure many others are wanting to participate, plan and make a difference."

Transition San Lorenzo Valley Potluck

Saturday, May 5, 4:00 PM, Covered Bridge Park, Felton, CA 95018

"We would like to extend an invitation to our quarterly potluck on May 5th, 4-6pm, which will be a great opportunity for people to meet one another and generate some ideas for how to create a more vibrant, interdependent and sustainable community. We ask that attendees bring their own dishes and silverware. RSVP if you can make it -- we hope that you can! http://transitionslv.ning.com/events/potluck-quarterly-gathering-1 The mission of Transition San Lorenzo Valley is to increase our communities’ resilience and self-reliance and help strengthen our local economy in preparation for the effects of climate change, dwindling fossil fuels, and economic instability."

Connect the Dots in Fremont

Saturday, May 5, 1:00 PM, Corner of Mowry and Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94536

"This is a public awareness event that will demonstrate that Global Warming is having a profound effect on peoples lives, and recognizing a problem is the first step in solving a problem. Please bring a sign in one of four categories ( one for each corner ): 1. Human activities are causing => 2. More carbon in the atmosphere, causing => 3. Freaky weather which is => 4. All part of climate change ( your solution here )."

The AtheniaN School Eco tour

Monday, May 21, 2:00 PM, The Athenian School, Danville, CA 94506

"A tour of Athenian's 75 acres at the foot of Mount Diablo. A guide to Athenian's student projects including the electric car conversion and the bio-swales. Also a tour of the Solar "A", other solar installations (70% off the grid), the compost (all food waste) and garden, the irrigation system, perma-culture garden, waterless urinals and other water saving actions taken, and an explanation how natural gas used to heat water for dorms, kitchen and bathrooms was reduced 60%."

Climate Wars Talk Screening

Saturday, May 5, 8:30 PM, Outdoor Movie of a Talk by Gwynne Dyer, Palo Alto, CA 94306

"Outdoor video screening of a recent talk given by Academy Award nominated journalist Gwynne Dyer on the topic of "Climate Wars", a book he authored on climate change and the potential geopolitical conflicts likely to ensue. Dyer is one of the world's experts on the history of war and a few of his accomplishments are listed on the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwynne_Dyer . Bring a lawn chair for the screening, and join us for live music / jam session after the screening."

Flower Mobs

Saturday, May 5, 11:00 AM, College Terrace, Palo Alto, CA 94306

"Join the College Terrace Green Team and help to beautify our neighborhood by planting flowers, fruit, veggies, and succulents. More info: www.flowermobs.blogspot.com."

Rising San Francisco Bay

Saturday, May 5, 1:00 PM, A Pocket Park overlooking San Francisco Bay, Hayward, CA 94545

"The event location is at Eden Shores Park, just west of the Costco at the intersection of Hesperian at Industrial in Hayward. Take Hesperian South and turn west onto Eden Shores Blvd. Drive to its end at this park, which overlooks the Bay. Look for us at the elevated blue gazebo. The site provides an amazingly clear view of how little sea level rise it will take to make BIG problems for vast tracts of Bay side housing and commerce. A speaker or two will present concise information about the pace of climate change and how it drives sea level rise in San Francisco Bay, the steps local and state agencies are taking as they plan for it, and the enormous costs of moving, protecting and abandoning infrastructure and development year by year. We'll also do a short skit, and anyone bringing along a diving mask and / or a snorkel is welcome to join the cast. Wearing clothes with a fish or waterfowl motif, or even dressing up as a tornado or storm cloud is also a way to add to the fun. Attendees also may pick from our selection of dot shaped signs tying in with the world wide theme of the event . Start time is 1:00 PM and we'll be done by 2:00 or 2:15 at the very latest. We will have informational Rising San Francisco Bay leaflets to pass out to Costco customers for anyone wishing to do so on your way home."

Desertification? No thanks!

Saturday, May 5, 9:00 AM, Death Valley National Park, Death Valley, CA 92328

"We'll be spending a few days riding our bicycles around Death Valley, CA. We love deserts, but don't think the whole world needs to be one."