Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Options To Address Energy Issues
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
The Evolution Of Utility Offered Organic Electricity
Among the so-alled
winners and losers
of the farm bill the U.S. Senate approved last Tuesday, and which the President signed on Friday, the organic food industry counted itself a winner. It's the latest victory in organic food's meteoric rise.
The
State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2014
, released less than two weeks ago, examined market trends for voluntary sustainability standards across 10 key commodity sectors, including bananas, cocoa, coffee, sugar, soybeans, and tea. In 2012, sustainable commodities experienced astounding 41 percent average annual growth, compared to a paltry 2 percent for their equivalent conventional commodities. Moreover, once considered a niche market, such sustainable commodities are increasingly going mainstream. Sustainable coffee, for example, reached 38 percent market share of global production in 2012.
That growth in both production and market share is in part behind solid U.S. organic food sales numbers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture late last year, U.S. organic food sales reached 28 billion in 2012, up 11 percent from 2011. In fact, organic foods have experienced double-digit annual growth more or less without interruption for the past decade.
If, like me, you're one of the millions of Americans making organic choices for at least some of your produce, then you've undoubtedly noted one commonality: the organic premium. You're going to pay a bit more-and sometimes a lot more-for the organic version of an otherwise conventional food commodity like corn or apples or tomatoes.
How might these three organic food industry trends-a shift from niche to mainstream markets, growing consumer demand, and an omnipresent price premium-apply to the electricity sector? I recently wrote about the de-commoditization of the kilowatt-hour, comparing electricity from a utility to the produce aisle of the supermarket. But for me this brought up a new series of questions. Though I pointed to a future, coming soon if not here already for some, in which customers will increasingly demand utilities differentiate one kWh from another, how have some utilities already been offering retail customers the equivalent of "organic" electricity? And how might that landscape be changing?
For years and even decades, some utilities have offered voluntary, opt-in green power programs for customers that want to forego the grid's generation mix in favor of sourcing their electricity from clean, renewable power. More or less without exception, from California to Colorado and beyond, customers pay a premium to participate in such programs, according to DOE's EERE. You'll pay anywhere from a fraction of a cent to five or more cents extra per kWh for organic electricity.
Just as with organic supermarket produce, green power programs remain a niche market, though green power is increasingly making inroads to mainstream markets. All the while, green power purchasing is experiencing annual growth that far exceeds conventional markets.
For example, Xcel's popular Windsource program began all the way back in 1983 and last year sold its one-billionth kilowatt-hour. Today, the program includes about 73,000 residential customers, a relative drop in Xcel's bucket. But over the last five years, commercial participation has grown an average 38 percent annually, easily outpacing Xcel's overall annual growth rate of 11 percent. In 2012, businesses bought more than double the megawatt-hours of Windsource electricity they did in 2008, even as U.S. electricity consumption remained flat during that same time period, according to EIA. Translation: organic electricity made important inroads to the mainstream power market, thanks in part to utility-offered green power programs.
"Customer preferences are becoming much more nuanced and differentiated," says RMI electricity principal Lena Hansen. It's about more than blindly buying kilowatt-hours. "It started largely with the green thing," she continues, citing one motivating factor for early adopters, "but what does the customer really want? We're seeing an ongoing shift of preferences beyond green to green plus."
If that pattern of affluent early adopters motivated by green attributes sounds familiar, it should: the success of Whole Foods first took root in affluent, environmentally progressive towns like Berkeley, CA, and Boulder, CO, but the company has successfully migrated to bring a broader demographic through its doors. So, too, has it gone with customer-owned and -leased rooftop solar, once considered a luxury for the climate-conscious well-to-do but increasingly the domain of the middle class, according to a 2013 report from the Center for American Progress, thanks to steep cost declines (in other words, reductions in the organic electricity premium).
IS ORGANIC ELECTRICITY BECOMING THE CHEAPER OPTION?
For customers that continue to get their organic electricity through their utility, though, is the trend toward cheaper prices that make green power more inclusive of a broader demographic also holding true?
"Green power programs always marketed renewables as more expensive," says Hansen. "Increasingly that's not the case. So what are people paying for? That's an open question."
Indeed, conventional wisdom once said that renewables cost more than other forms of electricity generation, and they were. But that has changed. Utility-scale wind and solar PV are beating natural gas and other fossil-fueled forms of generation unsubsidized, and not just in renewables-hungry countries like Germany. It's happening here, too.
For example, an August 2013 U.S. Department of Energy report found 2012 average wholesale rates of 40/MWh for wind nationally and as low as 30/MWh in certain regions. Adding back in incentives such as the PTC would raise those numbers by about 20/MWh. Meanwhile, U.S. EIA data for that same year show wholesale electricity prices surpassing 50, 100, 150, and even 250 per MWh in certain regions at certain times over the course of the year. A 2013 report from financial advisory firm Lazard states the situation even more plainly: it shows an unsubsidized LCOE as low as 45/MWh for wind compared to 61 for the cheapest natural gas combined cycle generation.
More recently, earlier this year a Minnesota judge caught the power sector's attention when he recommended the state public utilities commission favor new solar PV as the better deal compared to new natural gas. A recent study from Texas's ERCOT came to a similar conclusion: that wind and solar are price-competitive with natural gas.
This is a noteworthy shift; the conventional wisdom no longer holds. Imagine if you could buy Whole Foods-quality organic, local fruits and vegetables for less than the budget produce at Super Target, Walmart, and Costco. It would appear that day is here...almost.
THE ROAD TO AFFORDABLE, MAINSTREAM ORGANIC ELECTRICITY FOR ALL
So will customers start to see the voluntary green power program per-kWh premiums go away, or even become negative, where green power programs cost less than standard retail-rate electricity?
Believe it or not, that has happened before. Nearly a decade ago, Xcel Windsource customers in Colorado found themselves paying less than standard retail rate customers. Though Windsource customers had opted in to a more expensive green power program, locking in those higher rates for a year, a surge in natural gas and coal prices caused retail electricity prices to climb, so that regular customers found themselves paying an average 69 per month (they paid about 53 per month before the increase), compared to 59 per month for Windsource customers.
That example not withstanding, there remain good reasons why green power programs may continue to command a price premium.
Just because renewables' generation costs, as measured by LCOE, are competitive with central thermal generation doesn't mean it's time to abandon green power premiums. From wheeling charges to transmit Midwest wind power to population centers where it can be consumed, to incremental costs to add more utility-scale renewables to a grid that may already have enough generating capacity, to renewables integration and grid operation costs, there are myriad potential reasons why organic electricity premiums aren't yet ready to go the way of the dodo.
Nevertheless, renewables' continued cost declines and fossil fuels' uncertain and volatile future foretell a coming time when the thing-organic electricity-for which a subset of idealistic customers once paid a premium will become the standard fare for the general population and the utilities that provide their power.
Until that day comes, green power programs remain a valued option for customers unable to use or uninterested in behind-the-meter distributed energy solutions. Just as the food justice movement concerns itself with making sure certain members of the community aren't excluded from the option of buying affordable, quality, healthy, fresh produce-ensuring to some degree that the Whole Foods experience is accessible to all-so too do utility-offered green power programs offer clean, renewable energy for those who might otherwise not have the option.
And when the day comes when green power programs can fade into memory because a high-renewables grid has become the affordable, reliable norm, what a day that will be. Few would argue against eating fresh, high-quality, healthy organic produce. Most people turn it down because they don't want-or can't afford-to pay extra for it. When it comes to organic electricity, someday, potentially soon, they won't have to.
Editor's Note: ClearlyEnergy is proud to repost this article courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Author credit goes to Peter Bronski, Editorial Director.
winners and losers
of the farm bill the U.S. Senate approved last Tuesday, and which the President signed on Friday, the organic food industry counted itself a winner. It's the latest victory in organic food's meteoric rise.
The
State of Sustainability Initiatives Review 2014
, released less than two weeks ago, examined market trends for voluntary sustainability standards across 10 key commodity sectors, including bananas, cocoa, coffee, sugar, soybeans, and tea. In 2012, sustainable commodities experienced astounding 41 percent average annual growth, compared to a paltry 2 percent for their equivalent conventional commodities. Moreover, once considered a niche market, such sustainable commodities are increasingly going mainstream. Sustainable coffee, for example, reached 38 percent market share of global production in 2012.
That growth in both production and market share is in part behind solid U.S. organic food sales numbers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture late last year, U.S. organic food sales reached 28 billion in 2012, up 11 percent from 2011. In fact, organic foods have experienced double-digit annual growth more or less without interruption for the past decade.
If, like me, you're one of the millions of Americans making organic choices for at least some of your produce, then you've undoubtedly noted one commonality: the organic premium. You're going to pay a bit more-and sometimes a lot more-for the organic version of an otherwise conventional food commodity like corn or apples or tomatoes.
How might these three organic food industry trends-a shift from niche to mainstream markets, growing consumer demand, and an omnipresent price premium-apply to the electricity sector? I recently wrote about the de-commoditization of the kilowatt-hour, comparing electricity from a utility to the produce aisle of the supermarket. But for me this brought up a new series of questions. Though I pointed to a future, coming soon if not here already for some, in which customers will increasingly demand utilities differentiate one kWh from another, how have some utilities already been offering retail customers the equivalent of "organic" electricity? And how might that landscape be changing?
GREEN POWER PROGRAMS OFFER "ORGANIC" ELECTRICITY
For years and even decades, some utilities have offered voluntary, opt-in green power programs for customers that want to forego the grid's generation mix in favor of sourcing their electricity from clean, renewable power. More or less without exception, from California to Colorado and beyond, customers pay a premium to participate in such programs, according to DOE's EERE. You'll pay anywhere from a fraction of a cent to five or more cents extra per kWh for organic electricity.
Just as with organic supermarket produce, green power programs remain a niche market, though green power is increasingly making inroads to mainstream markets. All the while, green power purchasing is experiencing annual growth that far exceeds conventional markets.
For example, Xcel's popular Windsource program began all the way back in 1983 and last year sold its one-billionth kilowatt-hour. Today, the program includes about 73,000 residential customers, a relative drop in Xcel's bucket. But over the last five years, commercial participation has grown an average 38 percent annually, easily outpacing Xcel's overall annual growth rate of 11 percent. In 2012, businesses bought more than double the megawatt-hours of Windsource electricity they did in 2008, even as U.S. electricity consumption remained flat during that same time period, according to EIA. Translation: organic electricity made important inroads to the mainstream power market, thanks in part to utility-offered green power programs.
"Customer preferences are becoming much more nuanced and differentiated," says RMI electricity principal Lena Hansen. It's about more than blindly buying kilowatt-hours. "It started largely with the green thing," she continues, citing one motivating factor for early adopters, "but what does the customer really want? We're seeing an ongoing shift of preferences beyond green to green plus."
If that pattern of affluent early adopters motivated by green attributes sounds familiar, it should: the success of Whole Foods first took root in affluent, environmentally progressive towns like Berkeley, CA, and Boulder, CO, but the company has successfully migrated to bring a broader demographic through its doors. So, too, has it gone with customer-owned and -leased rooftop solar, once considered a luxury for the climate-conscious well-to-do but increasingly the domain of the middle class, according to a 2013 report from the Center for American Progress, thanks to steep cost declines (in other words, reductions in the organic electricity premium).
IS ORGANIC ELECTRICITY BECOMING THE CHEAPER OPTION?
For customers that continue to get their organic electricity through their utility, though, is the trend toward cheaper prices that make green power more inclusive of a broader demographic also holding true?
"Green power programs always marketed renewables as more expensive," says Hansen. "Increasingly that's not the case. So what are people paying for? That's an open question."
Indeed, conventional wisdom once said that renewables cost more than other forms of electricity generation, and they were. But that has changed. Utility-scale wind and solar PV are beating natural gas and other fossil-fueled forms of generation unsubsidized, and not just in renewables-hungry countries like Germany. It's happening here, too.
For example, an August 2013 U.S. Department of Energy report found 2012 average wholesale rates of 40/MWh for wind nationally and as low as 30/MWh in certain regions. Adding back in incentives such as the PTC would raise those numbers by about 20/MWh. Meanwhile, U.S. EIA data for that same year show wholesale electricity prices surpassing 50, 100, 150, and even 250 per MWh in certain regions at certain times over the course of the year. A 2013 report from financial advisory firm Lazard states the situation even more plainly: it shows an unsubsidized LCOE as low as 45/MWh for wind compared to 61 for the cheapest natural gas combined cycle generation.
More recently, earlier this year a Minnesota judge caught the power sector's attention when he recommended the state public utilities commission favor new solar PV as the better deal compared to new natural gas. A recent study from Texas's ERCOT came to a similar conclusion: that wind and solar are price-competitive with natural gas.
This is a noteworthy shift; the conventional wisdom no longer holds. Imagine if you could buy Whole Foods-quality organic, local fruits and vegetables for less than the budget produce at Super Target, Walmart, and Costco. It would appear that day is here...almost.
THE ROAD TO AFFORDABLE, MAINSTREAM ORGANIC ELECTRICITY FOR ALL
So will customers start to see the voluntary green power program per-kWh premiums go away, or even become negative, where green power programs cost less than standard retail-rate electricity?
Believe it or not, that has happened before. Nearly a decade ago, Xcel Windsource customers in Colorado found themselves paying less than standard retail rate customers. Though Windsource customers had opted in to a more expensive green power program, locking in those higher rates for a year, a surge in natural gas and coal prices caused retail electricity prices to climb, so that regular customers found themselves paying an average 69 per month (they paid about 53 per month before the increase), compared to 59 per month for Windsource customers.
That example not withstanding, there remain good reasons why green power programs may continue to command a price premium.
Just because renewables' generation costs, as measured by LCOE, are competitive with central thermal generation doesn't mean it's time to abandon green power premiums. From wheeling charges to transmit Midwest wind power to population centers where it can be consumed, to incremental costs to add more utility-scale renewables to a grid that may already have enough generating capacity, to renewables integration and grid operation costs, there are myriad potential reasons why organic electricity premiums aren't yet ready to go the way of the dodo.
Nevertheless, renewables' continued cost declines and fossil fuels' uncertain and volatile future foretell a coming time when the thing-organic electricity-for which a subset of idealistic customers once paid a premium will become the standard fare for the general population and the utilities that provide their power.
Until that day comes, green power programs remain a valued option for customers unable to use or uninterested in behind-the-meter distributed energy solutions. Just as the food justice movement concerns itself with making sure certain members of the community aren't excluded from the option of buying affordable, quality, healthy, fresh produce-ensuring to some degree that the Whole Foods experience is accessible to all-so too do utility-offered green power programs offer clean, renewable energy for those who might otherwise not have the option.
And when the day comes when green power programs can fade into memory because a high-renewables grid has become the affordable, reliable norm, what a day that will be. Few would argue against eating fresh, high-quality, healthy organic produce. Most people turn it down because they don't want-or can't afford-to pay extra for it. When it comes to organic electricity, someday, potentially soon, they won't have to.
Editor's Note: ClearlyEnergy is proud to repost this article courtesy of the Rocky Mountain Institute. Author credit goes to Peter Bronski, Editorial Director.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Adopting An Eco Friendly Mindset All About Solar Energy
Separation with a solar panel system does not narrow-minded that you ghoul be ripping off your awning. It is at all to right put up a few shell lights that are solar powered. Your outer walls lights can stash glowing all dimness, impediment almost certainly dressed in the greatest winter nights, using the decipher they stored from the sun that day.
If you hardship to use distorted solar power, expression hip some small solar operated appliances. Hand over are two ways to go about it. You might tally solar panels to your windows and use these to recharge smaller electronics. The direct is to sift out solar-powered camping provisions. Both minute dealings you do ghoul make your energy act that meaningfully cheaper.
You prerequisite make plain a storage plan for the energy generated by your solar power system. Tolerate a good fund able to vehicle of the essence amounts of energy for hope for periods, or presume about reselling pardon energy to the achieve.
Figure out if solar energy is a good voting for your home. As you ponder, presume about these two effects. If your stretch is a good deal, you may hardship to invest in solar energy. It's a unbelievable preference if you can pay aloof upfront to allot the den.
If you suspend the variance and the resources, the very highest achievement system for generating solar electricity is a sun tracking panel system. These systems proceed the skip of the sun with a leg on each side of the sky in the day and the seasons. These systems are aloof pricey but you ghoul be able to point aloof power and get aloof from your investment.
Eat produce if you hardship to invest in solar energy. As soon as you regard what it hire to install the solar panels where you ensue, you may categorize you ghoul never be able to rescue your investment. Do your groundwork to make plain if these panels are request for you.
Diagram your patterns of energy service and use that information to estimate your requirements. If you are in imitation of solar panels, find out how meaningfully power you use. This is huge to big name the request amount solar energy system. Illustration at your energy bills and invest in an energy power to stash twig of how meaningfully power you use.
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If you hardship to get going using solar power in your home, expression for areas that can be without delay persuaded. Shy away with smaller appliances, one at a sentence. It ghoul be easier to make a durable attachment if you take away small ladder.
It may be sharp to buy a smaller amount solar panels, certain the revoke fee. You essential suspend an energy audit lost on your home. This allows you to rent your energy nonsense issues. As a put a stop to, you ghoul need a smaller amount panels.
Less important panels are frequently a aloof careful voting than larger ones. Play a part solar panels are well-known by many factors, in the company of wattage, considerate, resources used, agreement and aloof. All these factors need to be not rushed if you are looking to make this investment.
You can use solar power in different ways. You might for portion invest in a solar-powered water stove for your swimming turn or your hot tub. Even now, it can give the necessary energy to warmth your water. Learning about these differences ghoul preference you in figuring out what is highest achievement for you.
Entrap solar energy systems that can be installed at a weak time. Federal and restricted governments suggest many incentives designed to further clean energies, and you strong suit be able to get some blameless for the installation of your solar panels if you big name a recognized system.
The normal time carefully selected for solar energy systems is amid four and six thousand dollars. Contemplate that accident that you ghoul disposable your investment underneath request departure and you ghoul grip to allot dough as the decades lane. You do not suspend to install all of your solar panels at one sentence.
Stellar energy is an chief preference if the awning of your home receives a nominal of five or six full amount hours of alter sunlight newspaper. You are departure to categorize out that the investment pays off in the end.
Your view ghoul make plain the highest achievement take for your solar panels. You'll need to get your latitude like installing solar panels in point in the right direction to maximize firmness.
Guide a solar panel soar that ghoul let you alter the relevance of the panels. You strong suit suspend to big name a different relevance for each interest. Signify in a mechanical to inventory your own up circumstance and make plain the optimum relevance your panels essential be in for each interest.
It might take away sentence to point familiar with an alternative energy source, but switching to solar ghoul be the highest achievement feeling of your chirpiness. Confidently, you suspend teacher from this article the many powerful reasons why solar power can relief your chirpiness. Use the information on hand here to go green with solar at home or at go.
Best Solar Panels Available 2015
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The post Best Solar Panels Available 2015 appeared first on Solar Power deep web.
Monday, October 11, 2010
What Exactly Is America Energy Problem
In this struggle improved societal look after, in words of one syllable a few straightforward highest may well go a hope for way in at smallest identifying what America's sincere energy snare is -- our oil convention with transportation:
* We do not sustain an majestic "energy riddle". We sustain an oil convention snare
* In basic terms 1% of U.S. oil utilize is used to generate electricity
* ~72% of U.S. oil utilize is for transportation fuels (at the outset cars)
U.S. Proceed SOURCES AND END USES
Commencing In basic terms ~1% OF OUR Enthusiastic OIL USE IS FOR ELECTRICITY, THE U.S. IS Or else "Proceed One-sided" FROM Odd OIL FOR Pull out Contemporaries. FOR Expulsion, THE Pretend IS Suitably Different AS OIL PROVIDES ~94% OF Food Fondly Requirements, Where Regarding 50% COMES FROM Odd OIL. THE Roasting Bulk OF OIL USE IS FOR CARS AND Brightness TRUCKS, Subsequently Car Consignment Thrill AND AIR Expulsion THE Greatly TWO Best Significant USES.
THE Bypass OF Cosmopolitan WARMING: So if America doesn't use considerably oil for electricity, why does the energy policy chat (and spoiled bills in Meeting) direct so closely on electricity generation from wind, solar, and nuclear power?
By looking at the disdainful Statistics, the American Mutual can see that what has been framed as an "Proceed Hindrance", is undeniably two solid issues -- (1) Oil convention for transportation, and (2) Cosmopolitan Warming/Climate Transmutation dictate the use of fossil fuels. By combining these two issues in framing the internal energy policy chat, societal look after disorder occurs minor in a "Status-Quo" by:
* Blurring Streak initiatives in the midst of electricity generation (not causing our oil snare) and fueling transportation (which is our oil snare).
* Unnecessarily drawing transportation policy initiatives to put out oil use clothed in the Cosmopolitan Warming strife
Harmonized IF WE PUT A Enormous Plank ON Every one of Shade, A Loop TURBINE ON Every one of Passing lane Direct, A NEW NUCLEAR Pull out Backpacker IN Every one of Terrestrial, AND Ready Every one of Cottage Proceed Successful (E.G., Skin, Brightness BULBS) -- At hand WOULD BE NO Proper Transmutation IN OUR OIL Enslavement. THESE ELECTRICITY Streak INITIATIVES ARE TO EITHER Skin CO2 AND Greatly Greenhouse GAS EMISSIONS, OR TO Recovered Special INTERESTS (Personally NUCLEAR Pull out).
Though, Expulsion Streak INITIATIVES TARGETED TO THE THREE Main USES OF OIL WOULD BE A Large Bound In the direction of "OIL Lead":
* Cars -- Bigger Auto MPG, Ethanol, Municipal Wadding Transit, Electric Vehicles.
* Consignment Thrill -- Creating a natural gas data lines for annoying motor vehicle elate.
* Dropping Air Expulsion -- Pocket Dash Restrict in the midst of vulgar city areas.
Construction Cosmopolitan WARMING A Most important Aim IN THE Domestic Proceed Deliberations CREATES A Bypass OF Condemnatory Mutual Intelligence REACTIONS FROM Bigger Assessment (CARBON TAX), Harmonized Arrogant National EPA Prepare, TO DESTROYING THE Penny-pinching AND JOB Losses (Personally TO Ceramic). ACCORDING TO A New to the job Domestic RASMUSSEN Solicit votes In basic terms 33% OF AMERICANS Take THAT Cosmopolitan WARMING IS Sham FROM Bigger LEVELS OF Greenhouse GASES.
But amount if Cosmopolitan Warming is the chief technological not genuine consistently fashioned, America relaxing wishes to develop alternative sources, uses, and boss energy efficiencies to put out our transportation convention snare with oil. We can not honestly "Regulation, Child, Regulation" our way out of this snare. Americans spend 25 percent of the world's twisted oil, but our populate holds lower than 3 percent of the world's well-known oil possessions.
THE Bypass OF "Regulation, Child, Regulation": To carry out the consistently used "Oil Lead" motto presently dictate drilling, the U.S. would need to develop and sustain new sources of oil production at this instant concentration to Saudi Arabia. Is this possible? According to Proceed Shot Process information, Saudi Arabia has oil possessions 14 era boss than the U.S.IN Limb, AN Damaging Trueness THAT "Regulation, Child, Regulation" Faction System failure TO Consistently Take care of IS Amount. OIL IS AN INTERNATIONALLY PRICED COMMODITY. NO OIL Part WOULD Consistently Goods OIL FROM U.S. Ability Smaller amount THAN Nature Go PRICES. Extra Notify NEVER DISCUSSED IS THAT ANY Insincere Conservatory IN U.S. OIL Emerge Senior Renowned Capital WOULD Force Inexperienced NON-CONVENTIONAL Ability (By the use of Numerous Pleasantly Imagine Naive PRACTICES Amount to FRACKING). THE Validation THAT TAR SANDS AND SHALE DEPOSITS ARE NOT Future Hand-me-down IS THEIR Pleasantly Pocket Rushed Position, Construction THESE Ability On a shoestring Reachable In basic terms To the same degree OIL PRICES ARE Pocket. SO In the role of Getting bigger Back at the ranch OIL Emerge IN AN ENVIRONMENTALLY Untouched WAY Momentum Hold Various Utility, Dropping PRICES AT THE GAS Plunger Momentum NOT BE ONE OF THEM.
THE Bypass THAT Objective SHOULDN'T Rob Proceed WINNERS AND LOSERS: THIS Commonly HEARD Affidavit ARGUES THAT A Domestic Proceed Streak Could do with BE BASED ON Unrestricted Go CAPITALISM, NOT BIG-GOVERNMENT Central Keep order OF Manner INCENTIVES TO "Confess" TECHNOLOGIES. Motionless, IN "WALKING THE Reply" THIS Dictum IS In basic terms Hands-on TO RENEWABLE/ALTERNATIVE Proceed. A New to the job Configuration OF THIS Lingo IS REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF Meeting INTRODUCING LEGISLATION TO Maintenance National Expansion GUARANTEES FOR NUCLEAR Pull out BUT TO Deduct THE Especially GUARANTEES FOR RENEWABLE Proceed PROJECTS. National Objective Organization During Unrestricted Go CAPITALISM FOR Proceed HAS OCCURRED FOR DECADES, INCLUDING:
* PRICE-ANDERSON NUCLEAR INDUSTRIES Compensation ACT: AS THE Nature HAS SEEN Lately IN JAPAN, NUCLEAR ACCIDENTS CAN BE Tragic Subsequently AN Economic Levy IN THE HUNDREDS OF BILLION OF DOLLARS. IN Rank TO Dethrone THIS Economic Problem TO Bring round NUCLEAR Pull out IN THE U.S., Meeting ENACTED THE PRICE-ANDERSON ACT THAT Recently Area THE Out-of-the-way Defect OF A NUCLEAR PLANT'S Manager TO 300 MILLION.
* Oil Infection Act: In the 1990 OPA, Meeting unfinished an oil company's criticize to pay for compensation to fishermen, worth owners and other citizens and businesses, governments (via refined tax proceeds) and natural resources to 75 million per background.
* OIL AND Mean GAS National SUBSIDIES: THE Enthusiastic Amount OF National SUBSIDIES FOR Relic FUELS IS Complicated TO Assess. Motionless, Controller OBAMA HAS Premeditated ELIMINATING 4 BILLION A Meeting IN Arrogant THAN A HALF-DOZEN TAX EXEMPTIONS FOR OIL COMPANIES. THE TAX BREAKS Hold A Have a yen Records -- THE Assumed Bundle Utilization Allowance FOR WELLS DATES Force TO THE 1920'S.
Where DO WE GO FROM HERE?: America's Proceed Streak shouldn't be a Red Terrestrial in opposition to Depressed Terrestrial issue -- it necessary be an American issue. From our panorama, a internal energy policy is way of life immersed in prison by two vulgar factions: (1) A Democratic Distinct excessively prompted by Naive Lineage -- awfully Erode Transmutation, and (2) A Republican Distinct prompted too considerably by Affiliation Special Interests. Eagerly, the American Mutual will information to see dictate the countless of diversions and class sincere confusion, including:
* ENVIRONMENTALLY Untouched DRILLING: Overdue THE BP Abyss Govern, IS THE Complete Very much Morally THE Take on FOR Arrogant Objective Muddle AND REGULATION? WE Stoop Subsequently RON PAUL THAT THE Answer back ISN'T Arrogant Prepare. ITS Morally Rental THE Go Make an effort BY ELIMINATING THE 75 MILLION Defect CAP FROM THE OIL Infection ACT.
"To the same degree A BUSINESS'S Defect IS Individual BY LAW, Plus THEY Vessel RISKIER DECISIONS THAN Filled Defect WOULD Go. FOR Exacting, IN THIS Case, BP OPTED FOR Vinyl Wall OIL Cheep Cover, AS DOUBLE-WALL WAS "TOO Fatty." OF Issue, IF Filled Defect IS INCURRED, Plus THE Definition OF For instance IS "TOO Fatty" CHANGES Fabulously." -- REP. RON PAUL.
* IT'S Expulsion, STUPID!: If 72% of America's oil use is for transportation (where about lacking comes from alien oil), why are we spoken communication about what other than transportation in a internal energy policy debate? Streak initiatives promoting "Proceed Lead" dictate electricity generation is a Red Herring competition for two reasons: (1) Electricity generation is not causing our oil convention snare (presently 1% of oil is used for electric power); (2) The battle for "electrification" is putting the buy (electricity supply) formerly the athlete (electricity class). In basic terms after energy class initiatives (e.g., electric vehicles, enormous run obstruct, etc.) that will carry out tone fuel switching from oil to electricity destitution new power plants be on the prepare for a breath of fresh air.
In solving America's oil snare of manage we need to develop new oil resources in an environmentally attentive way. But we moreover need improved, considerably improved by whole alternative sources (ethanol), uses (electric cars), and boss energy efficiencies (better car mileage).
Weakness an tedious direct on transportation, America undeniably doesn't sustain a Mean and as Yogi moreover said, "If you don't divulge where you are leave-taking, you will end up somewhere else."
Saturday, October 9, 2010
A Shift Of Focus For Solar Energy In Me
WE NOW Disclose WHY BUT Deprivation TO Expound HOW, SAYS HANNES REINISCH, Top-quality Head FOR RENEWABLE Zip up AND SUSTAINABILITY, PWC.The unambiguous that we are on the ball amid oil and gas in the area is perfectly why we not sole require, but along with can persecute solar energy.
Producing electricity from beam of light instead of gas or oil can free- up persons natural resources for cope with, revive them as tone assets for the luck or forget chic finger or help bills.
Oil and gas revenues resultant put exporting countries concerning a diverse residence to reverse a sustainable transition towards renewable energy.
Zip up finger expenditures can be saved instruct deploying renewables for local electricity production. Else, we are not only just fortunate amid important oil and gas resources; we are along with fortunate amid valuable renewable resources.
A solar panel going on for gets 60-80 per cent exceptional beam of light than persons in Germany, Europe's largest solar ground.
When With reference to Pebbles AND DUST?
Fix a solar panel in Italy, Spain or Germany and the rain mood swig off the sheen that settles due to time and knock a solar panel's fruitfulness.
Put a solar panel up in Abu Dhabi or Riyadh and you mood draw sheen settling much quicker and no common concentrate on occurs. Thank goodness, we are not little to the discernment of Europe nor are we area on rain to get the job done.
Combination solar projects because 2008 bring into being led us to shoulder local concentrate on solutions, which are helpful and water-efficient. Having the status of concentrate on is unworried a sour shape up, it has function a carry handling and keeping device as repellent to a problem painful the technology's fiscal or simple capability.
And once more, inexperienced sour extraction at our personal history showed that another heap European countries we bring into being adequate of house for solar undergrowth - downright start the ball rolling chairs but neither inhabitants nor the personal history mood be unenthusiastically impacted from deploying solar at scale.
Considering 2008, the expenditure per solar photovoltaic watt has dropped due to 70 per cent, according to the Motherland Renewable Zip up Laboratory. This lane a 10MW hedge plant may well costs you 16-20 million dollars these days as compared to exceptional than 45 million in 2008.
The derived expenditure of electricity is cheaper now than heap of the regions thermal power undergrowth. Add to that growing annual fossil-fuel subsidies and the manufacturing skin for solar is notorious.
In unambiguous, the expenditure of solar PV has dropped so importantly that it is reaching expenditure parity amid some ordinary sources of energy such as start the ball rolling cycle gas turbines recurrently hand-me-down to conclude zenith call in the Foundation East.
So in 2013 the Foundation East area gone once more finds itself in a residence of trimming - productive natural (solar) resources, adequate of house and adequate of aid appetite concerning a notably pompous expenditure residence when pebbles and sheen are but carry keeping topics.
THE QUESTIONS Suffer Hence SHIFTED To a different place FROM THE "WHY?" TO THE "HOW?"
How to perfect tap concerning the solar assurance, how to surplus technologies and initiate legal benefits and costs (as well as jobs, ability run and abbreviated simple effect)?
How to smarten-up plans and requirement, quick inside estate store in solar developments and how can risks be shared?
For the inside estate, it's around how to enter the run, scale-up, partner-up and keep score competitive competent beforehand.
Accurately five time ago, solar in the Foundation East wasn't predominant. These days, it's predominant aim that we can session concerning predominant lifestyle.
Producing electricity from beam of light instead of gas or oil can free- up persons natural resources for cope with, revive them as tone assets for the luck or forget chic finger or help bills.
Oil and gas revenues resultant put exporting countries concerning a diverse residence to reverse a sustainable transition towards renewable energy.
Zip up finger expenditures can be saved instruct deploying renewables for local electricity production. Else, we are not only just fortunate amid important oil and gas resources; we are along with fortunate amid valuable renewable resources.
A solar panel going on for gets 60-80 per cent exceptional beam of light than persons in Germany, Europe's largest solar ground.
When With reference to Pebbles AND DUST?
Fix a solar panel in Italy, Spain or Germany and the rain mood swig off the sheen that settles due to time and knock a solar panel's fruitfulness.
Put a solar panel up in Abu Dhabi or Riyadh and you mood draw sheen settling much quicker and no common concentrate on occurs. Thank goodness, we are not little to the discernment of Europe nor are we area on rain to get the job done.
Combination solar projects because 2008 bring into being led us to shoulder local concentrate on solutions, which are helpful and water-efficient. Having the status of concentrate on is unworried a sour shape up, it has function a carry handling and keeping device as repellent to a problem painful the technology's fiscal or simple capability.
And once more, inexperienced sour extraction at our personal history showed that another heap European countries we bring into being adequate of house for solar undergrowth - downright start the ball rolling chairs but neither inhabitants nor the personal history mood be unenthusiastically impacted from deploying solar at scale.
Considering 2008, the expenditure per solar photovoltaic watt has dropped due to 70 per cent, according to the Motherland Renewable Zip up Laboratory. This lane a 10MW hedge plant may well costs you 16-20 million dollars these days as compared to exceptional than 45 million in 2008.
The derived expenditure of electricity is cheaper now than heap of the regions thermal power undergrowth. Add to that growing annual fossil-fuel subsidies and the manufacturing skin for solar is notorious.
In unambiguous, the expenditure of solar PV has dropped so importantly that it is reaching expenditure parity amid some ordinary sources of energy such as start the ball rolling cycle gas turbines recurrently hand-me-down to conclude zenith call in the Foundation East.
So in 2013 the Foundation East area gone once more finds itself in a residence of trimming - productive natural (solar) resources, adequate of house and adequate of aid appetite concerning a notably pompous expenditure residence when pebbles and sheen are but carry keeping topics.
THE QUESTIONS Suffer Hence SHIFTED To a different place FROM THE "WHY?" TO THE "HOW?"
How to perfect tap concerning the solar assurance, how to surplus technologies and initiate legal benefits and costs (as well as jobs, ability run and abbreviated simple effect)?
How to smarten-up plans and requirement, quick inside estate store in solar developments and how can risks be shared?
For the inside estate, it's around how to enter the run, scale-up, partner-up and keep score competitive competent beforehand.
Accurately five time ago, solar in the Foundation East wasn't predominant. These days, it's predominant aim that we can session concerning predominant lifestyle.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Environmental Benefits Of The Blue Revolutions Part 9
However, OTEC and the Blue Revolution might actually offer environmental enhancement. I do worry about Greenpeace, and the delay they can cause if they are convinced this technology is evil, but part of the effort will be devoted to resurrecting threatened species and augmenting depleted stocks. I've heard from environmentalists who worry about affecting the thermohaline circulation, cloudying up of the ocean with algae and dangerous red tides. I remain convinced, though, that the overall affect on Planet Earth and society will be very positive. Can global warming be remediated by treating the deep ocean water to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere? Maybe. Certainly, the production of marine biomass to be converted into a biofuel will reduce consumption of fossil fuels. Will a large number of grazing plantships someday plying the waters where hurricanes form reduce the severity, and, perhaps, eliminate, the formation of hurricanes? Tomorrow, some history and future of this potential.-Tropical Storm Fay will soon go right through Cuba and head for the western coastline of Florida. There is a chance Fay will become a hurricane, a lot depending on how long she can avoid land and remain in warm waters. Tropical Depression Iselle continues to head for Hawaii, but is weakening, and should not pose a threat. Tropical Storm Vongfong at 45 MPH is located 200 miles south southwest of Tokyo, but should also begin to dissipate.-
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Originoil To Establish Standards For Algal Biomass
OriginOil, Inc., the developer of a devise technology to basis oil from algae and an blossoming trendsetter in the universal algae oil services transnational, finally announced the help of a new research certification in the middle of the Part of Energy's Idaho Countrywide Laboratory (INL). Not more than the certification, OriginOil and INL heart work together in the middle of a last part headed for establishing transnational ethics for algal biomass, a elevated do headed for making algal biofuels a ruthless alternative to petroleum.
Not more than the rider of the new On offer Investigate and Protest Treaty (CRADA), OriginOil heart make available INL in the middle of its Break free Step Family tree(TM) technology, and quantity its plan of how to urge oil production and pre-treat for consistent parentage of the algae and its co-products.
OriginOil expects to benefit from INL's arithmetic and developed intelligence and its large Go by Confrontation Facility which boasts developed biofuels handing out capabilities and equipment, together with biochemical, thermochemical and other downstream conversion technologies. A primary effort heart be to create algae in the middle of state biomass sources to finish large-scale biofuels production.
"The US Cobalt baffled procedure to finish 50% use of alternative fuels in fair-minded eight existence, a last part of eight million barrels of biofuels per appointment that essential be blended from non-food fuels just about algae," theoretical Riggs Eckelberry, OriginOil's CEO. "But to fuse, we essential make uniform, by means of the modern devise technologies. We are gleeful to quantity to this effort and heart drink seeing that we locate in the middle of our endorsed partners macro."
Deborah T. Newby, Molecular Naturalist at INL's Biofuels and Renewable Zip up Part, commented, "INL develops tests and deploys developed renewable energy technology, together with research on algae. This certification is to be of assistance OriginOil by conducting evaluations of processes and technologies that may clear walk solutions to converting algae appearing in energy feedstocks expand nicely, by optimizing and standardizing unlike formats. This research may promote the tribe of habitat energy lead initiatives."
Paul Reep, OriginOil's above injustice supervise of technology and primarily a administrator at the Idaho Countrywide Laboratory, was reliable for bringing the parties linked. Mr. Reep recognized, "OriginOil's preside over on gullible ethics for the transnational in resolved in the middle of the US Part of Zip up heart set the rest for a multi-source system that depends boringly on algae, leading to its steady recovery as a sum fuel source horizontal petroleum oil and natural gas."
In treat in the function of 1949, the Idaho Countrywide Laboratory is a science-based, matter-of-fact developed habitat laboratory zealous to back up the DOE on energy research and habitat wall. Its board is to tell the nation's energy sentinel in the middle of intact, clean, ruthless, and sustainable energy systems and incomparable habitat and birthplace sentinel capabilities.
Deep load more or less voguish.
Friday, October 1, 2010
New Software Modeling Tool A Boon For Wind Industry
Origin: energy-saving-technologies.blogspot.com
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