tagged w/ Green Technology
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Greetings, All -- Below is an article related to the emerging debate on distributed versus centralized clean energy systems from our friend Bill Brown at New Mexico Global Warming up in Taos, New Mexico.
Bill Brown writes that this "article treats the debate, and argues for (1) strong development of distributed systems with less need for new transmission lines in the short term, and (2) centralized systems with long distance, high voltage lines only after 80 percent of the electricity the transmission lines carry come from clean, renewable sources. [Note the author's significant comment re electrically powered transportation: "We don't know what the future will bring. Plug-in hybrids or all-electric vehicles could provide sufficient storage to miniaturize the grid while allowing the grid to handle a much higher proportion of intermittent electric generation."...]
"The reality of clean energy development currently lies between the extremes of fully centralized and fully distributed solar and wind systems. Clearly, distributed solar panels and residential wind turbines continue to be employed by individual property owners throughout the country. Equally clearly, large centralized solar and interconnected wind power systems continue to be built throughout the country. However, an emerging middle ground is being considered (and constructed) via community or municipal sized clean energy power systems.
Nanosolar of California, for example [in an April 16, 2008 press release] believes "... meaningful scale for solar will come foremost from utility-scale solar power plants, in particular from municipal solar power plants of 2-10MW (two to ten MegaWatts) in size. These are rows of solar panels mounted onto the ground of free fields at the outskirts of towns and cities, feeding power directly into the municipal electricity grid." Such power plants -- and they could also be wind power plants -- could provide communities with more cost effective clean energy solutions than fully decentralized systems, e.g., solar panels or wind turbines on every property. Nanosolar, re solar panels, comments: "While rooftops are surely a good application too for solar panels, it is a business that’s difficult to scale rapidly in a truly meaningful way. Crawling onto rooftops and mounting solar panels in compliance with building codes is fundamentally always a somewhat more expensive proposition." Further, "By feeding power directly into the (local) distribution grid, they (utility scale solar power plants) avoid the (long-haul) transmission grid which tends to be heavily taxed in many regions of the world."
[See the full Nanosolar Press Release at: http://www.nanosolar.com/blog3/2008/04/16/municipal-solar-power-plants/]
Many possibilities for our nation, communities, and individuals in terms of a new, clean energy future and economy are apparent within this debate. In my next post, I hope to treat some of these possibilities, many of which are being turned into reality by those looking ahead to a future free of the inefficiencies, escalating costs, hidden costs, and overall problems with old technology, obsolescent fossil fuels.
-- Bill Brown
www.nmglobalwarming.org
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from TouchArt.net and OneEarthBlog.blogspot.com
in New Mexico where solar energy can boom and Earth Day is every day.
Greetings, All -- Below is an article related to the emerging debate on distributed... more
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Time to stock up on that Patron. Not for you, you big lush, but for the latest in green technology. According to C/Net, all you need is $9,995, and you can have your own ethanol creating "fuel pump". The EFuel100 MicroFueler is suppose to be able to create up to 35 gallons of ethanol a week. All you need is to connect it to a power and water source, add sugar and yeast or discarded alcohol. Sounds easy enough, but don't fault me for being a sceptic, but hey if you have 10,000, give it a try and keep me posted. For now just check out the link....
PeaceTime to stock up on that Patron. Not for you, you big lush, but for the latest in... more
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This week's episode of Zaproot with Jessica Williamson uncovers some sad news about ZAP!, the California based company that produces electric and zero air pollution vehicles. I was so excited about the ZAP-X! Aaaagh! :-(
http://www.zapworld.com/
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 License.
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This week's episode of Zaproot with Jessica Williamson uncovers some sad news... more
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IBM and Australia's biggest power system operator announced they will develop "smart" grids, which would implement energy-saving technology to work when rebuilding the world's electrical networks.IBM and Australia's biggest power system operator announced they will develop... more
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Tesla Motors is making more of a name for itself lately for lawsuits than for its high-performance all-electric Roadster.
Lawyers for the Silicon Valley automaker are charging former partner Henrik Fisker with the theft of trade secrets related to Tesla’s WhiteStar hybrid sedan.
At the same time those very attorneys are defending the five-year-old company from breach-of-contract accusations being leveled by former transmission supplier Magna Powertrain. Tesla Motors is making more of a name for itself lately for lawsuits than for its... more
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Terry Tamminen, the former director of the California Environment Protection Agency, says sweeping changes in federal energy and climate policy are expected to give the clean-tech industry a big boost.
And Tamminen says the changes are coming soon.Terry Tamminen, the former director of the California Environment Protection Agency,... more
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Q: Would you be in favor of developing more nuclear power to reduce oil dependency?
A: I don't think that we can take nuclear power off the table. What we have to make sure of is that we have the capacity to store waste properly and safely, and that we reduce whatever threats might come from terrorism. And if we can do that in a technologically sound way, then we should pursue it. If we can't, we should not. But there is no magic bullet on energy. We're going to have to look at all the various options.
Source: 2007 Democratic primary debate at Dartmouth College Sep 6, 2007 Q: Would you be in favor of developing more nuclear power to reduce oil dependency?... more
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Opposes Yucca Mountain; earthquake fault goes under it
Q: Would you rule out expanding nuclear power?
A: No, but it would not be one of the options that I favor, unless, number one, the cost can get down for the construction and operation; number two, that we have a viable solution for the nuclear waste. I voted against Yucca Mountain. I've spoken out against Yucca Mountain. I think that recently the discovery--there's an earthquake fault going under the proposed site at Yucca Mountain--certainly validates my opposition. So there are a lot of very difficult questions. But we're going to have to look at the entire energy profile, in order to determine how we're going to move away from our dependence upon carbon-based fuels. And I will look at everything, but there are some tough questions you'd have to answer with respect to nuclear.
Source: 2007 Democratic primary debate at Dartmouth College Sep 6, 2007
Opposes Yucca Mountain; earthquake fault goes under it
Q: Would you rule out... more
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According to Auto Bild, the hybrid Golf will get 69.9 mpg and emit 90 g/km of carbon dioxide. An earlier report by Britain's Auto Express said 89 g/km, but either way that's less than the 104 g/km emitted by the Prius and 116 emitted by the Honda Civic Hybrid.
According to Auto Bild, the hybrid Golf will get 69.9 mpg and emit 90 g/km of carbon... more
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Frobot
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added this
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4 years ago
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The hydrogen-powered Lifecar, based on the design of the Morgan Aero-8 roadster, produces little noise and only water vapour from its exhaust.
The hydrogen-powered Lifecar, based on the design of the Morgan Aero-8 roadster,... more
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Frobot
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added this
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4 years ago
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Any person with any background in thermodynamics knows that all you need is a difference in energy levels to create power. Think of it this way. If an air conditioner uses power to make cold air and hot air (expelled outside), couldn't you take hot air and cold air to make power? Could you do the same with hot and cold water? The simple answer is yes. Getting there is where the engineers come in. Using temperature differentials in the water, engineers use ammonia as a medium to create power. Hot water on the surface vaporizes a closed system of ammonia. The ammonia, expands when vaporized, and turns a turbine to create power. The hot ammonia is pumped down to cold water, which steals the heat from the ammonia and makes it a liquid again. The cold ammonia is pumped to the surface and the cycle repeats.
It is interesting to note for all you non engineers out there, that wind power works off the same principal. Wind is powered by temperature differentials. The wind turbine just steals some energy from the moving wind to turn the blades. This seems so much more efficient and reliable though.Any person with any background in thermodynamics knows that all you need is a... more
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Drag is a major force that affects gas mileage. Hypothetically, other than relatively insignificant losses in the running gear, you shouldn't need to use the gas on a level straightaway on the freeway. This guy used some sheet metal to drop his drag coefficient on his Civic in half from 0.34 to 0.17. That means that his Highway MPG is almost double the original. it also means that he has increased his top speed without tweaking his engine. Props are in order.Drag is a major force that affects gas mileage. Hypothetically, other than relatively... more
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In an effort to cut down on carbon emissions, Prince Charles is to appear at an energy conference in Abu Dahbi as a hologram! With a five minute pre-recorded message, Prince Charles will appear to be stood on stage by using the latest in projected image technology. His stunt will save the world from an additional 15 tons of carbon being burned into the atmosphere.
When these projections can be done live then this world will become one very small place!In an effort to cut down on carbon emissions, Prince Charles is to appear at an energy... more
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Al Gore is to become a partner of a US private equity firm with a history of supporting "green technology". The ex vice-president and environmental activist is to join the board of Kleiner, Perkins, Caulfield and Byers. Al Gore is to become a partner of a US private equity firm with a history of... more
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With the growing popularity of electric cars and more strict emissions controls in California, could the tech capital, Silicon Valley, be the Detroit of the electric car? Perhaps...With the growing popularity of electric cars and more strict emissions controls in... more
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An architect pursuing a Ph.D. at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and his colleague have devised a low-tech way to collect dew from the air and turn it into fresh water. Their invention recently won an international competition seeking to make clean, safe water available to millions around the world.An architect pursuing a Ph.D. at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology and his... more
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