Proposed Motor Efficiency Standards Will Lead to Big Electricity Savings | Meg Waltner's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC. Tiny Graphene Sheets Make For Big Energy Storage. If you’ve ever used a smartphone and complained about the battery life, you’ve experienced one of the limiting factors on gadget design. Supercapacitors, which store charge rather than generate current with a chemical reaction the way batteries do, might offer a solution, but they tend to be bulkier than batteries and store less energy in the same size. But now a team of scientists thinks they may have found a way to create a compact, graphene-based super capacitor that lasts as long as a battery. Graphene, which is a single layer of carbon molecules, could lead to lightweight supercapacitors for electric cars and supplement traditional batteries both in electronic devices and renewable power systems.
The study, lead by Dan Li of Australia’s Monash University, is detailed in the Aug. 1 issue of Science. Top 10 Uses for the World’s Strongest Material Li’s team made their version of a supercapacitor by folding sheets of graphene into corrugated shapes. Energy Innovation Series Feature #14: Home Energy Management Innovation From Consert. Throughout 2012, EDF's Energy Innovation Series will highlight around 20 innovations across a broad range of energy categories, including smart grid and renewable energy technologies, energy efficiency financing, and progressive utilities, to name a few. This series will demonstrate that cost-effective, clean energy solutions are available now and imperative to lowering our dependence on fossil fuels. Find more information on this featured innovation here. If innovation is where expertise and opportunity intersect, then San Antonio-based Consert Inc.
(Consert) is a perfect case study. Founded in 2008 by veterans of the telecom industry, Consert’s Virtual Peak PlantTM provides an energy management solution that gives consumers control of the highest energy-consuming electrical devices in their home or business and provides utilities with a low-cost way to tap into an unused energy source during key peak demand periods. Credit: Consert Inc. Guidelines for Building an Energy Management Strategy. Energy efficiency is a hot topic, and it seems more and more funding is allocated to this sector every day. Despite the increased focus, many organizations don’t know where to start. There are many tools and programs available (most are free) that can help organizations or individuals develop a comprehensive energy management plan to control costs and increase your bottom line. Where to Start? One of the best sources available is the U.S. EPA’s ENERGY STAR program.
Why? Step One: Make a Commitment Form a dedicated team to set goals, track progress and be the on-site "Energy Leader" for your business. Step Two: Assess Performance Benchmarking energy use is a first step to assess energy performance and to measure ongoing progress. What if my building rating is already above 75? Step Three: Set Goals Utilizing the results of your benchmark, the "Energy Leader" and senior management should develop the organization's goals.
Step Four: Create an Action Plan Step Five: Implement the Action Plan. Green deal: £125m 'cashback' pot made available | Environment. Householders insulating their homes from January will be able to claim hundreds – and potentially thousands – of pounds back in cash from the government, the energy secretary, Ed Davey, said on Friday. Following a week of controversy over rising energy bills and confusion over an announcement by David Cameron that energy companies would have to offer customers the "lowest tariff", the Department of Energy and Climate Change (Decc) outlined a £125m pot of cashback money for the first people to increase the energy efficiency of their homes under the green deal.
Under the scheme, the coalition's flagship environmental policy, householders take out a loan with a provider who undertakes work such as upgrading old boilers, lagging lofts and draught proofing. The loan repayments must be offset by the energy savings, under the scheme's so-called "golden rule", though there is no government guarantee underpinning it. "The cashback will help get the green deal away. Provides Legal Support To Cities And Towns Fighting To Preserve Their Traditional Right To Zone Natural Gas Development. A recent state court ruling in Pennsylvania was a huge win for local communities’ rights to make zoning decisions about natural gas development within their borders.
As we’ve mentioned before, EDF fully supports the traditional rights of local communities to regulate this intensive industrial activity, much as they would any other commercial or industrial activity in their community. Yesterday, EDF joined an amicus brief with Earthjustice and over a dozen other organizations to support a state court ruling, which recently overturned a state law curtailing local government regulation of natural gas development. The brief urges the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania to uphold the lower court’s decision in Robinson Township v. Commonwealth, which deemed a section of this year’s oil and gas omnibus Act 13 unconstitutional as to its preemption of local zoning control over oil and gas development. However, parts of Act 13 went in the wrong direction.
How Economically Viable Is Natural Gas? | CleanEnergyView.com. Sponsored by Advanced Energy Research and Technology Center Not A Renewable Source According to the EPA, “natural gas is defined as a fossil fuel formed when layers of buried plants and animals are exposed to intense heat and pressure over thousands of years. The energy that the plants and animals originally obtained from the sun is stored in the form of carbon in natural gas. Natural gas is combusted to generate electricity, enabling this stored energy to be transformed into usable power. A Washington, D.C. Metrobus, which runs on natural gas. (photo credit: Wikipedia) Natural gas is a nonrenewable resource because it cannot be replenished on a human time frame.
Natural gas extraction by countries in cubic meters per year. Is It A Cost Advantage? Natural gas is used to generate electricity, serves as an alternative to gasoline, can be used to generate hydrogen and helps create fertilizer. Natural gas prices at the Henry Hub in US Dollars per MMBtu for the 2000-2010 decade. The Interview Mr.
The Homeowner’s Guide To Renewable Energy | CleanEnergyView.com. Posted by June Stoyer on May 28th, 2012 Sponsored by Uncle Matts Organics Are you ready to slash your home energy costs while dramatically reducing your carbon footprint? The Homeowner’s Guide To Renewable Energy, Achieving Energy Independence Through Solar, Wind, Biomass and Hydropower by Dan Chiras, is packed with the most practical and affordable methods to significantly improve your home’s energy efficiency. Dan’s book is not only important for reducing your carbon footprint but can also save you thousands of dollars in home energy consumption. Dan Chiras talks about how homeowners can take advantage of many tax credits and incentives!
The Scoop On What Homeowners Should Know Focusing on the latest technological advances (and never losing sight of the economic bottom line), this comprehensive manual demystifies: This well-illustrated and accessible guide is an essential resource for those wanting to enter the renewable energy field. The Interview Energy conservation expert, Dan Chiras! Clean Energy View Home Energy Efficiency for the Summer 05/17 by The Organic View. Featured follow Call in to speak with the host During the hot summer months, as the temperature rises, homeowners can expect their electric bills to soar if their home is not properly maintained and weatherized. In order to reduce energy consumption, there are many things you can do to conserve energy, save money and still keep your home environment cool and comfortable.
In this segment of The Clean Energy View Radio Show, host, June Stoyer talks to Jessica Kellner, editor of Natural Home & Garden magazine, about what you can do to make your home energy efficient. Stay tuned! Jessica Kellner is committed to the values of making one’s lifestyle healthier and more environmentally sound, Kellner’s years of editorial work have given her a broad base of knowledge on practical, easy and inexpensive ways for anyone to create a more sustainable, healthful and delightful life for themselves and their families. Contact The Clean Energy View | CleanEnergyView.com. F. William Engdahl - Myths, Lies and Oil Wars | CleanEnergyView.com. Posted by June Stoyer on April 27th, 2012 Running Into Or Out Of Oil? The myth of oil scarcity is one of the foundations that have allowed four giant oil corporations along with a handful of Wall Street banks to control the world’s largest and most essential commodity: oil. The myth originated in the 1950′s from a speech by a geologist at Shell and was revived in 2003 at the time of the US bombing of Iraq.
The reality is quite different from the claims of Peak Oil. In reality, the world is running into oil and not running out of oil. Huge new oil and gas fields are being discovered from the eastern Mediterranean to the coast of Brazil, from East Africa to Iran and Iraq, from Norway to the Caribbean. Is oil scarcity a myth? In F. Author F William Engdahl As Henry Kissinger said, “If you control the oil you control entire nations.” The Interview Listen to this segment of The Clean Energy View Radio Show, as host, June Stoyer is joined by special guest F. Home Solar Energy Systems More Affordable. Pretty simple, at least in theory. By saving on your monthly electricity bill, you could have more money to spend on other items, like saving or even paying down on your car note. Sounds easy enough but get it wrong a KABLOOEY! There goes your investment and your dream of a lower monthly electricity bill.
Finding the perfect way to save money at home is becoming one of the best ways to stretch a household budget. And why not? We live in a time when energy costs are climbing. So it's no surprise that it comes as welcome news that solar energy systems are becoming more affordable to home owners, especially now with the increasing concern about greenhouse gases, home energy use is attracting the same sort of examination as other high-energy users, such as the web hosting industry. …your chances for monthly electricity savings. Let's start with the facts. For many home owners, this news is a critical factor to the overall success of their home solar energy installation project. One Year Later: Fukushima’s History, Recovery And Future! | CleanEnergyView.com. Sponsored by Murdock Capital Partners The Largest Nuclear Disaster Since Chernobyl The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster consisted of a series of equipment failures, nuclear meltdowns, and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011.
It is the largest nuclear disaster since the Chernobyl disaster of 1986. Japan’s Nuclear Power Plants (credit: Wikipedia) Observing The Difference Before & Now Nuclear energy expert, Thomas S. Thomas Drolet Was It A Cultural Issue? There is a lot to be learned from this event, especially as it pertains to Japan’s history, culture and ability to create its own source of stable energy.
The Big Effect On Japan’s Culture! According to Mr. Japanese smartphone detects radiation (Credit: MARI SAITO, REUTERSFIRST POSTED: TUESDAY, MAY 29, 2012 05:23 AM EDT) About Thomas Drolet: Mr. Listen To The Interview from your own site. 5 Solar Myths Busted (Infographic) Clean Power Published on June 19th, 2012 | by Zachary Shahan One of the good folks at PV Magazine recently dropped me a note about a cool new solar infographic the team there created.
While I generally love to share a decent solar infographic, this one created by folks focused on the industry every day is better than most, as it bust 5 common myths that anyone who works in this industry runs into all too often. Additionally, rather than focusing on the myths, it focuses on the facts, a good messaging tactic. We’ve written on some of the source materials before (such as #5 and #6) in the past, and might write on some of the others in the future. Additionally, we try to set the record straight on these 5 points below any chance we get. But sometimes nothing does it like an infographic. Solar myths infographic by pv magazine About the Author. Nuclear will burden taxpayers for millennia – Opinion – ABC Environment. Nuclear may seem like a good solution to our energy needs, but as Fukushima and Chernobyl show, when things go wrong, the taxpayers end up wearing the costs for the next few thousand years.
LIKE A MODERN-DAY POMPEII, the streets and buildings of Prypyat stand frozen by a disaster. But, unlike the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearly 2,000 years ago, Prypyat was destroyed by a manmade - and thus preventable - catastrophe. Weeds and grey desolation are all that thrive in this once-bustling community, which housed the workers of Chernobyl's doomed nuclear power plant, whose devastating meltdown 26 years ago still inflicts physical and socioeconomic harm on many in Ukraine and nearby countries.
Back then, the world was, for an instant, shocked by the folly of nuclear technology. But, as with Hiroshima, Three Mile Island, and last year's Fukushima meltdown in Japan, the spike in global dismay was all too fleeting. Then there is the issue of who pays to build such facilities. Hybrid Wind and Solar Powered Streetlamps Can Run Off-Grid. University of Seville OTRI/Promo image Streetlights are an important safety measure in towns and cities, but they since they burn all night long, they often make up a large chunk of a city's power demand.
Solar-powered streetlamps seem like a wonderful solution -- solar panels on the lamp posts harness solar energy during the day that is stored and used to power the lamps at night. But cloudy days keep the lamps from being able to operate on renewable energy alone. That's where University of Seville's wind- and solar-powered Holonic Streetlamp comes in. The design features both two top-mounted solar panels and a vertical-axis wind turbine to provide power for the lamp, letting it run on renewable energy alone and both on and off the grid. The power generated is stored in two 12-volt lead gel batteries contained in the base of the lamp post, though lithium-ion batteries could also by used. Hopefully it won't be too long until we see these streetlamps in action. Romney campaign backs GOP legislative effort on fracking. US Department of Energy Green Button Program Spurs Smart Apps. VELObill from Zerofootprint, among top winners of Green Button "Energy App" Challenge NEW YORK, May 24 /CSRwire/ - The winners of the US Department of Energy's “Apps for Energy” Challenge were announced this week, and New York based VELObill by Zerofootprint, Inc. won 3rd place as the leading app for utility bill visualization.
As of today, it is also the lead contender for the popular vote category. There is still time to cast your Public Vote for VELObill through May 31. Software developers were invited to submit web and mobile apps to help consumers save energy in coordination with the US Department of Energy’s Green Button Challenge, launched in January. The program first urged utilities and energy service providers to standardize energy usage data for their customers in a simple downloadable format, known as a “Green Button.” The hope was that easy access to energy usage would enable consumers to manage their consumption and make more informed decisions.
Revolutionary graphene-based material could change electronics forever | Bits of Science. The Eco-Friendly Hobbit House Of Wales. Enerconcept solar air heating and wall heaters. La Crosse Technology Wireless Thermometer: Home & Garden. Roy Morrison Ecocivilization and Sustainability Writings. Solar Glazing for Greenhouses | Fiberglass Solar Glazing | Greenhouse Glazing.
Peak Oil Debunked.