Published: September 4th, 2012 at 12:01 am ET
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To get things started, here are some links regarding the work of Stanford professor Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson
- A path to sustainable energy by 2030 (Scientific American, November 2009) (pdf).
- Providing all global energy with wind, water and solar power, Part I: Technologies, energy resources, quantities and areas of infrastructure, and materials (Energy Policy, 2011) (pdf-Part I)
- Providing all global energy with wind, water and solar power, Part II: Reliability, system and transmission costs, and policies (Energy Policy, 2011) (pdf-Part II)
- Spreadsheet accompanying Parts I and II (xls-Spreadsheet)
- Energy and Environmental Science article ranking energy solutions to global warming, air pollution, and energy security (link)
- Studies on matching hourly and peak demand by combining renewables (link)
- Studies on wind energy resources and transmission (link)
- April 20, 2012 Tri-Agency (NSF-NOAA-NASA) PI Meeting Presentation (pptx)
- November 14, 2011 HEAL Utah Presentation (pptx) (video)
- May 16, 2011 Seminar, Woods Institute for the Environment (video)
- February 4, 2011 Seminar, Cornell University (video)
- January 13, 2011 Stanford Grid Integration Workshop Presentation (pptx)
- TED/CNN debates on renewables versus nuclear (link)
- April 1, 2008 U.S. House of Representatives hearing. Rep. Jay Inslee tells Exxon-Mobil executive that the vision in the “Renewable Energy Solution to Global Warming” by the Atmosphere/Energy Program at Stanford University is “one that the United States really needs” (starting at 1:35:00 in hearing video) (video) (transcript)
- February 7, 2012 op-ed (invited), “Securing public health forever with clean energy” (link)
h/t chemfood, MaidenHeaven
Published: September 4th, 2012 at 12:01 am ET
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sending...
THANKS ADMIN
This is the place for all the "forward" stuff – my new home
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Nice B&B, have you seen the movie 'I Am'? http://www.iamthedoc.com/ Your avatar leads me to believe you'd like it very much. Heard about it on Nuked Radio.
And I thank you chemfood for the forum idea!
Updated with links, ~80 minutes in 3 parts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMj9N5Io0ts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QVd7ULdh4w
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg72DjcvlyE
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Hey Admin, no, I don't know the movie yet! Looking forward to seeing it! My avatar is stolen from truth-out's 2011 calendar – because that's what we should do:
do it yourself – do it together!
*peace
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HEMP
Biofuels, such as biodiesel and alcohol fuel, can be made from the oils in hemp seeds and stalks, and the fermentation of the plant as a whole, respectively. Biodiesel produced from hemp is sometimes known as "hempoline".[52]
Filtered hemp oil can be used directly to power diesel engines. In 1892, Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine, which he intended to fuel "by a variety of fuels, especially vegetable and seed oils, which earlier were used for oil lamps, i.e. the Argand lamp."[53][54][55]
Production of vehicle fuel from hemp is very small. Commercial biodiesel and biogas is typically produced from cereals, coconuts, palmseeds and cheaper raw materials like garbage, wastewater, dead plant and animal material, animal feces and kitchen waste.[56]
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Morning Whoops, do you know how much hemp you'd need to produce fuel from it? Is it efficient?
I read that currently 39% of the US corn crop is already used for biofuel production.
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No I dont know BB. I just heard about it being used as Bio-Fuel. Did you know that China grows the most Hemp? That blew me away.
While we're on the subject of Alternative, I'm going to put 2 links here that I saved over the past year:
Dated 2007 Harvesting Power from the Ocean
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19295/
Dated 2008 JAPANESE WATER POWERED CAR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrxfMz2eDME
(what has happened to these?)
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Thanks Whoopie, I didn't know the Chinese grow much hemp! I don't think they smoke it?
The water powered car looks cute!! Sadly, the site of the manufacturer isn't available? The Japanese are super-tekkies, I'd expect them to invent virtually everything (except a safe containment for a NPP, sadly).
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Part of the problem is that we need to reduce carbon, not increase it..
All carbon fuels need to be switched to zero carbon fuels.
The only SAFE zero carbon fuels are renewables; solar, wind, water, hydrogen, sun, tides, geothermal.
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Communities going solar. Is there a solar co-op in your town?
http://myedmondsnews.com/2012/04/happy-earth-day-edmonds-solar-cooperative-is-betting-on-the-sun-and-our-community/
*start/join one?
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Another awesome addition to enenews! Thank you!!!
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@Aftershock, I read your comment recently that you gave up commuting and ride an ATB instead, and different other quite smart comments from your side…As I think the transformation of our energy system must include a transformation of ourselves and our communities, I'll post this here:
Life after growth
http://kickitover.org/2011/06/20/life-after-growth
Great film, and at 7:20 in there's an interview with Jim Merkel, who is an impressive person in doing what others preach. He's written a great book called "Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth".
I wouldn't be surprised if you know him already – but maybe he can still inspire others…
*peace
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thanks B&B for the flags! I'll checkout the Jim Merkel book. Appreciate your kind attention…
I'm putting the final touches on a renewable-energy project that will save many lives and do much towards healing of the environment. I've spent several years on it (design of the system/electronics and software.) and decided recently to include provisions for wireless-LAN control of its operation. My goal is to show others that we can use advanced technology to make this a better world.
We are what we look to the heavens to be! We just have to start acting as responsibly as those who await us with open arms and love…
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great! Can't wait to see a proper presentation on here!
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BTW B&B. Very cool website! I'll have to study it…
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Aftershock, kickitover is one of the Adbuster's campaigns….others found here at bottom of the page!
http://www.adbusters.org/campaigns
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A solution in the making. Thanks admin.
Now the links here will be a way out of this dark tunnel we find ourselves in. Excellent!!
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This just came up in a Tweet in German. My browzer Translates but yours might not so here it is. Look at all the great Links for Solar, Wind, "anything BUT" Nuclear. It's A Goodie. New Article:
"Germany as a model for Japan"
http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.energieblog24.de%2Fdeutschland-als-vorbild-fur-japan%2F%3Futm_medium%3Dtwitter%26utm_source%3Dtwitterfeed&act=url
One to watch for sure!!
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1 simple question, is it efficient to just buy a panel say 120w and plug it in the home circuit?
and what device is needed to do so?
intention: instead of doing big business like selling produced electricity back (and all the technical equipment needed) a cheaper way to add some electricity at daytime, no batteries, just added selfproduced electricity
(to be honest… to power 24/7 servers)
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Hi catweazel, 120w? That won't get you far, I'm afraid (it's like 2 lightbulbs!) Usually, you measure solar panels in kWp (kiloWattt peak). A panel surface of 9-10 square metres will get you ca. 1000 kWh electricity per year, I think.
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I dont know Cat but you might find the answer in that link above. I've been looking through the website, it's A GOLD MINE! Really!
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catweazel, the short answer is "no" – it is not efficient to just buy a solar panel… especially if you want to power servers 24/7 without batteries.
The bitcoin mining community is interested in such things because they tend to run 'puters 24/7, and there has been some interesting chatter about feasibility issues on their forums. For example:
https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=29231.0
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The easiest and fastest way to do zero carbon lifestyle is to switch to a 100% wind or solar or water power energy provider if you live in a deregulated energy state.
Then buy an all electric car, plug it into this energy source. This works really well if your home is all electric.
Voila… you are done.
100% zero carbon, for home, car and potentially business too.
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A great source of information & inspiration:
"The Solar Village connects you with people and organizations that are driving the solar revolution. We are working to open source the methods and knowledge required to build solar villages everywhere."
http://www.thesolarvillage.com/index.cfm?page=Home&tab=Welcome
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I LOVE THIS FORUM!! It gives me inspiration and makes me feel GOOD! This is something we really needed…if we're to GET OFF NUCLEAR, we've got to figure out how and PUSH IT TO THE METAL. I love this Area. TY for the link BB! SOLAR VILLAGE!!
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I feel the same Whoopie – as important as it is to point out the dangers of nuclear, it's just as important to have a vision for the future….I was really longing for a "positive" forum like this one! CHEERS ADMIN!
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Tell you what BB – We have GOT to start looking for alternatives. Our lives hang in the balance. Plus it helps my Chi or whatever you call it. Got to start thinking positive instead of looking at all the bad news out of Japan. It wears us all down, dont you think? I know you agree.
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The most available alternative fuel is being completely ignored and disposed of in the nations rivers. For those of you who are not aware, sewage can be used to grow multiple types of algae, natural gas, methane. The algae can be used to make oil or different species can be used to make a coal substitute. Not only is this algae available now the oil and coal substitutes can be used in jet aircraft,school buses, trains, ships, electric generators, trucks, and some cars now without modifying their engines or the distribution chains. Just our largest US cities produce enough sewage to not only supply enough fuel to replace our need to drill for oil or import it, we also have enough sewage to replace nuclear and coal mining while restarting the US and global economy. Sure, sewage may not be as glamorous to some as nuclear but sewage to fuel not only takes toxic nuclear by-products out of the equation it also has many other benefits such as reduction of eutrophication zones in the gulf of Mexico.
As long as we eat we are going to make sewage. The sun is the source of all of our food. The most efficient use of the sun is to let none of its energy just get flushed down the drain while nuclear, drilling, and mining just keep on polluting.
The best way to hurry up and get nuclear online is to promote a more beneficial energy source that is cheaper and reduces pollution. Sewage beats wind, solar, and geothermal but should be used with them.
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Have heard of using algae oil as a fuel; better than using corn and food sources that people need. I have read somewhere hat it is very efficient, but don't know much about it. Could you be self-sufficient? I mean, if you had a pond or graywater/treatment system at home, how much algae could you grow and how intense is the processing, and how much fuel would you get? Probably doing it as a community effort makes more sense. Experimented with veggie oil a few years back and the ongoing city-wide collection and ongoing filtering really take up way too much of any one individual's time it seemed to me.
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Unfortunately Jacobson does not recommend bio-fuels as they do not solve the negative effects of pollution from combustion
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I would disagree with that. That is throwing out a solution without allowing for secondary steps. For instance the burning of fuel from algae releases carbon dioxide. For portions burned in stationary generators, the carbon dioxide can be recaptured with calcium oxide in water to form calcium carbonate which can be transported to sun states to be heated by concentrated sun and reused while giving of carbon dioxide to grow more algae in higher concentrations at an algae farm in the sun state.
It would probably take more consideration for vehicles if they would be able to have cartridges for recapture without impacting mileage. However, in this case more carbon dioxide is extracted for the production and the production is not 100% so more will be used that released so it will be carbon neutral for worst case scenario and drilling already starts at -125% or more
When used in homes for heat, cartridges could be used. Or the calcium oxide can be used directly with snow or water to heat northern state houses then returned for reprocessing in the sun.
By using a form of coccolyth forming algae when enough fuel is made, the mining and processing of limestone for making concrete can also be averted.
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much as you could cut your own hair, it does take time and specialization does help society as a whole do more. Unless you had an automated system that would probably be expensive, I do expect that it would not pay off for individuals. However, small coops may be economical. But, on a large scale equipment could be more efficient. By piping spring flood waters and sewage to sun states, we could turn a lot of sunlight into fuel. Sewage systems already in towns would spare the individual homeowners from any change in their daily life and food supply would not be involved.
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In theory it is a good idea, but there are lots of toxics going into sewage.
Methane is still a carbon fuel, and we need to get off of this suicidal global warming acidifying gas.
Carbon dioxide is an acid poisonous gas… we are concentrating it to higher and higher amounts.
This is having an effect on both ocean life and our bones. Acid leaches alkaline minerals out of all living things.
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should be:
The best way to hurry up and get nuclear offline is to promote a more beneficial energy source that is cheaper and reduces pollution.
more at: http://heldt.org/solutions/
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Hi Snork, interesting stuff you posted! Some more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algae_fuel
I agree with you that some good use must be made of the sewage. If it wasn't so poisened with antibiotics & the like nowadays, it would need to go back to the fields – that's how the Chinese kept their soil fertile over thousands of years in ancient times…
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I am already working with a state university helping them with sewage to fuel and sewage to coal. I was absolutely amazed at how far they already had gotten before I helped. The Chinese not only used "night soil", they still do as do many other cultures.
As far as antibiotics, pharmaceuticals, and household chemicals are concerned there are means to compensate but most communities don't bother since their are little or no regulations and without liability there is no reason for a corporation or even a municipal organization to expand even small amounts of cash for such mitigation.
Finland and the Netherlands are currently reprocessing sewage to reduce the cost of imported food. The Finns are ahead of NASA when it comes to reprocessing urine into clean water, oxygen, and food.
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Hi Snork, that's really interesting! Good to know the Finns are not only building absolutely crazy reactor projects, but also turn pee into drinking water! I'm amazed
!
If it's possible to filter the poison out, I'd prefer the sewage to go back to the fields, though…we're facing an enourmous shortage of phosphorus in the soil which is impossible to compensate via artificial fertilizers (which we don't want anyway, as they are based on fossil fuels). The soils are getting "poorer" worldwide, as the phosphorus is taken away with the fruit and not returned via sewage. No closed cycle, and as our friend Ramaswami says "we need to live in harmony!"
Namaste. True that.
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Not for drinking but for fertilizing especially when radiation is involved and you need to provide food for children. Children need food grown without cesium and the body will take in and sequester cesium. So, urine from from people will provide a reduced cesium fertilizer since they have sequestered some relative to ambient. Urine only needs to be diluted to 10% to be used as a low radiation fertilizer completely ready for hydroponics. The plants own systems will protect against transporting infection however, there are methods to process the urine to reduce infection risk as well.
The immune systems of plants are amazing. Coconuts are so good at removing impurities that coconut milk has been used for IV's yet tap water requires expensive treatment to meet the same standard.
http://www.science20.com/news_account/human_urine_safe_as_fertilizer_say_finnish_researchers
http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-09/fertilizer-future-might-be-closer-we-think
http://www.permaculture.org.nz/node/315
http://www.huussi.net/tapahtumat/DT2009/pdf/Eeva-Liisa_Viskari.pdf
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Hopefully none will mind this. I'm going to forward my comments from the previous thread to this one.
If I was one of these people that use all caps I would now.
It's very common for nukees to throw up the diversionary straw man that clean alternatives cannot cover everyone all of the time. When you hear that watch out. They usually follow that line with a dishonest sleight-of-hand reasoning: since there likely could be some locations where clean alternatives won't work that therefore necessarily means that they are completely off the table, a total failure.
No, this all-or-nothing assertion makes no sense. What's important is to maximize the use of clean alternatives as much as possible, keeping in mind the fact that every watt generated with clean energy is a watt of dirty left in the ground. If there are locations where, for one reason or another none will work in those areas you can use dirty energy (nuclear last) as a back up to make sure everyone is covered. We already have the infrastructure for dirty. Use it as a last resort rather than today's ass backwards policy of dirty first, clean last if at all – at least until clean can pick up the slack. Everyone covered now.
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Hi Ron – I remember back in 2000 the 4 big (nuclear) energy companies had full-page campaigns in the press over here (I live in Germany) saying that "renewables will never add more than 4% to the energy production."
Surprisingly (to them) we now have more than 20% and rising fast.
I don't quite agree though on what you said about areas not able to being covered by renewables. I think that for example for big cities it will be impossible to produce their energy themselves, as it's hard to implement all the infrastructure needed in a limited space.
For those, it would be possible that surrounding communities produce energy for the big cities….we have small villages in the north of Germany who produce 5 times more energy than they need and feed the rest to the grid to support others and have extra income.
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BreadAndButter, yes, I've noticed it for years that nuclear has had a personal vendetta against clean renewables. They go after us with knives. Why? Could it be because they know the real potential there? Would they bother if there were no threat to their existence.
I agree with your comments about sources of renewables. I prefer de-centralized. But if there are locations where it wouldn't work for one reason or another do what you can to get it elsewhere. The point is to do everything we can to bring it online. I've always thought it was insane that we are not using what is falling freely around us everyday.
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Ron, the chairman of energy giant E.On said in the shareholder assembly 2 months back that "they couldn't meet their financial goals for 2011, because the photovoltaic systems have put so much electricity into the grid around noon."
Around noon is the most expensive electricity, as demand is highest. Thanks to the Renewable Energy Legislation, renewables are de facto the baseload over here and fossil and nuclear are only to deliver what renewables can't (yet).
So they loose the big business between 11 AM and 3 PM to PV – that's why they hate it
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Not just nuclear industry. I drove by the BP gas station and there is a sign up that they don't use any biofuels as if biofuels are bad.
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Biofuels do indeed have major issues.
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto_and_the_World_Food_Crisis
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Energy Usage And Costs Compared To Nuclear And Coal; via A Green Road Blog
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/04/why-solar-energy-energy-usage-and-costs.html
Sustainable Energy [R]evolution | Greenpeace International; via A Green Road Blog
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/03/sustainable-energy-revolution.html
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Wow maybe more clean fuels right now will somehow stop Energy Fuels from drilling into a brand-new uranium mine at the Grand Canyon this Fall. Do they really think there will be an ongoing demand for uranium now? What fools. Just toxify the soil and waters of the indigenous people now living there for a few thousand years so you can make an extra few million before things go under?? I mean, what could possibly be the reasoning behind opening a new uranium mine in the Grand Canyon National Park? Sorry if this is off-topic….
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UN Proposal To Establish Ecocide; Prevent Damage To Environment; via A Green Road Blog
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/04/un-proposal-to-establish-ecocide-damage.html
Is it possible that all things nuclear fit this definition, thus speeding up it's demise, hopefully before the planet loses all life due to a huge nuclear war or accident?
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In developed countries we have the money to begin wholesale conversion to clean alternatives now. Think of a program, a really big one, that has way way overbuilt itself into ridiculous redundancy.
The military. In the US the war machine continues to garner huge tax dollars ($700 BILLION in 2010 alone) to build yet more bombs and the bombers to deliver them. Come on, It's not like we are in a world war! Talk about welfare, these guys are by far the biggest pig on the public teat. Are we really supposed to believe that they can't get by with last years WMDs or the year before that or the year before that? Then there is another $200 BILLION in wasteful subsidies going to dirty energy which certainly does not need them. It's a scandal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States#Budget_for_2010
http://www.greenbiz.com/sites/default/files/GreenScissors2010.pdf
Divert this money for a one or a few years to outfitting these countries (by far the biggest consumers of energy in the world) to clean alternatives. Problem solved. But not just that, if we made such a change Peak Oil would fade away in importance. Tragedies like the Gulf Oil Spill and Fukushima would probably be unheard of.
We have the money and the technology now. All we need is a big political push.
Tell the Pentagon, if you want our money start turning your swords into plowshares.
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Agreed; every dollar spent on war, nuclear bombs, and nuclear power plants at this point is clean energy, food, housing and clothing taken from those who need it.
War is a Racket; via A Green Road Blog
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/04/war-is-racket.html
War/No More Trouble | Playing for Change | Song Around The World; via A Green Road Blog
http://agreenroad.blogspot.com/2012/03/warno-more-trouble-playing-for-change.html
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In the meantime some of us are tired of waiting for affordable alternatives and have been building our own systems. If you want something done right you gotta do it yourself.
http://www.builditsolar.com/
This site is hands down the best DYI clean alternative energy site on the web. Lots of ideas and creativity out there. Check it out and build your own!
Rather than simply building more centralized mega energy plants, instead outfit every house, every inhabited building, home, office, school etc. in the country with it's own source of energy where possible, whether rooftop solar, roof top wind (yep they have them) etc. This would also save on power lost in long distance transmission. Decentralized energy make much more sense. As a side benefit, giving everyone their own source of energy, de-centralizing it, would unchain us from financial slavery to some mega energy plant. No more being subject to arbitrary price increases. No more rolling blackouts. And no need to build or maintain massive infrastructure to transmit that energy to customers many miles away, draining valuable energy in the transmission and blighting the land. And all paid for by diverting money from the military for a couple of years.
Swords into Plowshares.
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Swords into plowshares now!! I want the bumper sticker….
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http://www.cafepress.co.uk/yoursayings.203990834
There you go!
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Think it could catch on?
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Here is a map of ALL the solar it would take to supply the world's energy needs through 2030.
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2009/surface-area-required-to-solar-power-the-world/
My ultra pro-nuke uncle and I got "into it" not to long ago about nuclear. I showed him this map and won the fight! blew his socks RIGHT OFF! I'm glad to say he is a recent convert to alternative energy, tyvm!
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Hi sworldpeas, thanks for that impressive map! Beautiful! Now I wish someone would do a calculation about the available rooftop / facade surface worldwide – and we'd see that we probably wouldn't need large-scale projects in the deserts.
Congratulations for converting your uncle!
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It states: "According to the United Nations 170,000 square kilometers of forest is destroyed each year. If we constructed solar farms at the same rate, we would be finished in 3 years."
If that statement is true, then…. we've been horribly mislead.
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Impressive map.
We need to remember that, at least in the short term, fossil files would continue to be necessary to power our vehicles (automobile, airplane, ship). That is until we can convert them all over as well.
But, again, the point is that every watt generated with clean energy is a watt of dirty left in the ground. Even if we only made it a 50% conversion initially that would be a LOT less FFs used. Think of the issues solved with even this quite reasonable changeover. A lot less pollution in the air, land and sea, A lot less dependency on foreign oil resulting in a lot less tension and wars, a lot less greenhouse gases, worries about peak oil going away etc.
This really is a no-brainer. We know that if we are to survive as a species clean, safe and effective clean alternatives are inevitable. When you realize that something is inevitable you should just do it and get it over with. Continually putting it off only prolongs the pain and increases the risk.
On top of that, who doesn't want to live in a safer, cleaner freer world? Who doesn't want peace? Who doesn't want to stop worrying about all the peripheral issues surrounding dirty energy? We have to stop kicking this can down the road. We have to stop letting mega corps and the few greed heads who run them run our lives and our one living planet into the ground merely for their short-term financial gain.
It's gone past ridiculous. Let's get this gorilla off our backs.
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Hi B&B yes it is an awesome map! and it doesn't include other alternative sources of energy. Currently the nuclear industry is being subsidized with $112 billion dollars of OUR money… I'm thinking $112 billion in solar would be enough to POWER THE WORLD muuuuuuuahahahahaha!
Heya Chas I'm sure we have more then 170,000 kilometers of rooftops and yes we have been horribly mislead no two ways about it!
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Solar power station in Spain works at night
"It is the first station in the world that works 24 hours a day, a solar power station that works day and night!" said Santago Arias, technical director of Torresol Energy, which runs the station.
The mechanism is "very easy to explain," he said: the panels reflect the suns rays on to the tower, transmitting energy at an intensity 1,000 times higher than that of the sun's rays reaching the earth.
Energy is stored in a vat filled with molten salts at a temperature of more than 500 degrees C (930 F). Those salts are used to produce steam to turn the turbines and produce electricity.
It is the station's capacity to store energy that makes Gemasolar so different because it allows the plant to transmit power during the night, relying on energy it has accumulated during the day.
"I use that energy as I see fit, and not as the sun dictates," Arias explained.
As a result, the plant produces 60 percent more energy than a station without storage capacity because it can work 6,400 hours a year compared to 1,200-2,000 hours for other solar power stations, he said.
"The amount of energy we produce a year is equal to the consumption of 30,000 Spanish households," Arias said, an annual saving of 30,000 tonnes of CO2.
http://english.sina.com/technology/p/2012/0318/450059.html
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That solar power station uses mirrors, not solar panels. Very lo-tech, with very little environmental impact.
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Thank YOU ADMIN & chemford for this forum, I LUV it. EneNews never need disappear, the site will simply become a place to find & learn about & encourage use of renewable s.
I see some awesome links already. Thank you everyone. This truly makes me feel GOOOD. And ohh how desperately each of us need some Goodness & HOPE in our lives.
We need HOPE & to think positively if not for our own future, then for the future of every child on this planet. This is what I want to leave future generations. The knowledge that no matter how mighty the opposition is, WE CAN & WILL continue to fight to protect the earth & our children's future. We admit our mistakes on not fighting this fight before things got this bad. But we stand tall now, determined to move forward & to do what is Right, ..NOW..~!~
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Maiden! I agree! This Forum will prove to invaluable over time. I mean look at all the links! SOLAR WIND NO MORE NUKES!! It makes me so happy to have A FORUM here that inspires and gives people hope!
And boy can we all use some hope these days.
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'I Am'
"Tom Shadyac, one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as “Ace Ventura,” “Liar Liar,” “The Nutty Professor,” and “Bruce Almighty.” [...] discovers that, contrary to conventional thinking, cooperation and not competition, may be nature’s most fundamental operating principle. Thus, I AM shows consensus decision-making is the norm amongst many species, from insects and birds to deer and primates. The film further discovers that humans actually function better and remain healthier when expressing positive emotions, such as love, care, compassion, and gratitude, versus their negative counterparts, anxiety, frustration, anger and fear."
links to watch it are here: http://enenews.com/forum-alternative-energy/comment-page-1#comment-240738
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There is a lot of science behind this ENENews. Lynn Margulis, co-formulator of Gaia theory, has written extensively on cooperation vs competition in nature.
http://www.amazon.com/Symbiotic-Planet-New-Look-Evolution/dp/0465072720
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HI, Finland has demonstrated over the past couple of decades that co-operation trumps competition in the context of educating our children.
They don't test the kids, trying instead to nurture each students natural abilities and their strengths.
When Finlands children were finally tested, they were NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD!!!!!!
WHEN we work together, nothing can best us!
If we compete against each other, we limit our own ability to succeed.
Competition is a primary tool of the "divide and rule" method of MOST societies.
Turn the people against each other in competition (democrat/republican, pro-this/anti-that), and whats left is a society that is MUCH more easily managed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlOfZL_J5fo&list=UU1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ&index=2&feature=plcp
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New twist on solar cell design
The key is to the cells high efficiency is its use of small micrometre sized rods of silicon instead of traditional silicon wafers.
Incoming light bounces back and forth multiple times between the rods in the panel until it's absorbed.
Small alumina nano-particle reflectors are placed between the rods to ensure the light is guided as efficiently as possible.
The scientists claim up to 85% of usable sunlight is absorbed by the new panels, compared to approximately 17% efficiency with current commerically available solar cells.
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2010/02/15/2818151.htm
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Thanks MaidenHeaven, that is amazing if true. Currently the record is 30% sunlight harvested for solar applications. 85% would be truly awesome!
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you can boost solar by reflecting the light and putting thermoelectric modules on top for another 12% efficiency with a by product of pre-warming water passed through the cooling jacket
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I'm starting an enenewser survey
Do you know how much energy you use? Many people don't, but it's helpful to know on our way to energy efficiency! I'll start – please don't let me be the only one
2 person household with my partner working online from home, we use 2.800 kWh per year.
Our goal is 2.500.
Next?
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Just a boy and his dog, with home automation server running 24/7, controlling lights, temp, media devices, ect…
Just checked PUD bill, 1532 kwh this month.
I am never over 2000 kwh…
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I live extremely simply and am becoming more mobile. Right now I have a one-amp tiny solar panel but am not sure what is needed to upgrade. I would like to run a computer and a light bulb for sure. If I could also get a toaster or crock pot to work, that would be awesome. Still need to figure it out, and really appreciate the links! I will be doing more research with them as my upgrade project goes forward. This thread is a great addition to Enenews!! Thanks, Admin
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wow B&B your doing good! We put in a solar system 5 years ago. I just got my first electric bill for $6.00 we went over somehow. Usually we get credits every months for extra energy. The prices are really coming down! Our 15 panel system 5 years ago was $28K my neighbor is putting in a 27 panel system for $31K. go solar!
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Thank you guys! Keep it coming!
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You're doing very well B&B. Just figured ours (three people, + dog, cat and horse – admittedly the latter three don't use much) for one year. 7335 Kwh for 2011, with by far the highest in usage in the winter. It get's cold here. Rather than use gas we use space heaters.
Our contribution is a solar water heater which works well from April/May to the beginning of November, seven out of 12 month. We are on propane and since building it we've be able to cut our use of it to a fraction of what we used before, which is very nice considering the price of gas these days.
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It can be done, it will be done, the demand is here.
The bean counters are adding it all up.
The cost effectiveness is starting to be noticed.
Backfilling Nuclear Shutdowns With Efficiency And Renewables In Japan, Germany And California?
Electric utilities and policymakers in Japan and Germany have been scrambling for months to find ways to compensate for nuclear power plants shut down in the aftermath of Fukushima.
In both instances, fossil fuels are part of the stopgap solution to offset the declines in nuclear generation in the short term, but longer-term energy policies are shifting definitively toward efficiency and renewables. Now, the unexpected and indefinite shutdown of both units at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in Southern California has raised questions about California’s short-term electricity supply options and long-term contingency plans.
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2012/04/29/470589/backfilling-nuclear-shutdowns-with-efficiency-and-renewables-in-japan-germany-and-california/?mobile=nc
Shut all nukes down now! We will survive without them!
We won't survive, if we keep nukes running…
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Listen up America! Stop feeding billions to a failed technology before the next nuclear disaster destroys you.
Learn from the past and live!
Corporate Japan is starting to "get it"
Roundup: Companies rush to set up solar plants in western Japan
In July, Japan will launch a new feed-in-tariff scheme for renewable energy, expecting to encourage both solar and wind power projects in the country.
Among them, Japanese electronics giant Kyocera Corporation earlier this month unveiled plans to build Japan's largest solar plant in the country's southern city of Kagoshima. Kyocera said the new project would be jointly undertaken with heavy machinery manufacturer IHI Corporation and Mizuho Corporate Bank which will devise a financing plan for the project.
The three companies agreed to construct the 70-megawatte solar power plant, The total cost of the project is estimated at 25 billion yen (about 309 million U.S. dollars). The planned site of the solar plant is approximately 1,270,000 square meters, and construction is expected to start this July.
"As long as the new program to utilize renewable resources within the national electricity grid brings a lot to the developers and people, 'mega-solar' can be the start of an effort to seek much safer way of energy supply in the country," Nomura added.
http://www.power-eng.com/news/2012/04/28/roundup-companies-rush-to-set-up-solar-plants-in-western-japan.html
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Hi Jebus, that's good news! There's still one thing I don't quite get: 70 MW is equivalent to 14 windmills of the newest generation.
If I had to decide how to use Japan's limited resources of land, I surely would put solar on existing roofs and put up windmills. On 1,27 square kilometers you could put up some windmills and still use the land they're on for agriculture.
Just wondering!
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Simple…
If you give the people their own energy generation options, you loose control of the revenue. Build a solar plant, your corporate self, and you keep control of revenue.
Again, it's all about the revenue!
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lol, stupid me
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No No! Your avatar says you are not!
We all have to do what it says and put these bloodsucking corporate energy industries out of business!
If we all, individually, invested into our own, currently available, energy solutions, the cost of these giant monopolized energy plants would far outweigh the dwindiling revenuses they would recieve from them and the cost of investing in individual solutions would drop next to nothing. Economies of collective scale. Convert just all of our lighting to low voltage electricity, generated locally, and you would eliminate a large percentage of the worlds energy issues.
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Wind turbines are inefficient and expensive, but there are better ways of harnessing the plentiful power in wind:
http://www.kitegen.com/en/technology/details/
Pros:
1. provides more power than nukes or other power plants ("kites can extract more energy from the no-fly zone above a typical nuclear power plant than what the plant itself produces").
2. it is actually safe (kites are just pieces of fabric floating in the wind).
3. can be built almost anywhere (there is almost always enough wind at 1km altitude, even when there is no wind at ground level).
4. way cheaper kw/h than anything else (see site).
5. 100% renewable and clean.
Cons:
-. can't think of any serious downside, can you?
Replace current nuke plants with these, then add more as needed. I am not associated with Kitegen, just trying to get people to realize that the energy problem is solved already, if enough hear about this.
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Soooo…the scientific papers are from 2007, the press says it might start in 2009 – now it's 2012, is there one of the systems up and running?
On paper, it's a charming idea, though I'm a bit worried for maintenance (lots of moving parts, entangled ropes,…), and if people are worried about killed birds in regular windmills, I wonder what those would say to the kite system…
I know there's always room for improvement, but I wouldn't say that today's windmills are "inefficient". They have a steep development curve.
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windmills are inefficient because building a giant pedestal that can resist storms is expensive, the giant blades are expensive, maintenance of the generators and the associated heavy machinery perched at an inconvenient height is expensive, and with all that effort they're often not turning, either from too little wind or from being out of order.
With kites there is no pedestal, no blades, and the generators are conveniently located on the ground. Thus they cost just a fraction of what windmills cost. And kites can reach 10 times higher than windmills where the wind is much stronger and much more continuously available, they can be producing megawatts of electricity even while the towers underneath are sitting still.
Kites have made windmills obsolete. My guess as to why there aren't kite farms everywhere yet is that most people are afraid of change and will blindly oppose it even when it's good for them. Look at your own comment about tangled ropes, or the alleged problems with birds and windmills. How relevant is that in a world where we have to contend with the risks of nuclear plants?
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Kites provide more than one way to generate power. Besides extracting power from air movement they can also tap a larger force which is differential static charge. It does not have to be lightning and by tapping it lightning strikes could also be reduced. By adding wind and direct power production from kites, they would be very very efficient. (I am partial to kites. Franklin produced his power for an important experiment from kites) We would have no aircraft if the Wright brothers did not love kites
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I love stunt kites – never really thought about kites as a serious power source though. The manufacturer of my favorite calls it "a bumblebee on amphetamines" which always makes me think of our Whoopie (that's a compliment to both). Somebody filmed one on the Net, of course:
http://www.myspace.com/video/raphael/bumblebee-on-amphetamines/33013252
I do know some of the recreational kiters get really serious power from their kites. There are tons of clips on YouTube, such as:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGyFSupfQj8&feature=related
Anyway, ahem, back on topic… Thanks to you folks, I Googled "kite power generation" and now have about 381,000 results to pore over – the first few are fascinating, for sure.
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thanks SnorkY2K! Never considered such an practical application for kites. Very interesting…
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_voltage We also currently dump this voltage to ground to "protect" our power grid from it. Looks like a very promising power source that is currently suppressed/overlooked and is very non-polluting and would probably be scenic.
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Bang goes the theory – the human power station
A Bang Goes the Theory special event showing how much electricity we use and abuse without even thinking about it.
This massive experiment attempts to power a house for an entire day solely through human pedal power – while the unsuspecting family inside go about their normal Sunday routine. Will they drive the Human Power Station to meltdown?
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uVK6w1Fldxw
A must-see! Funny and a real eye-opener…
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First the good news: If you live near the ocean, this project may interest you. It's a government-supported tidal power project in Nova Scotia, Canada.
http://www.fundytidal.com/
A wind farm has recently been established in the same area:
http://eonwind.com/projects/?p=54&show=slide
Now the bad news: about 45 miles away from these projects, on the opposite shore of this same body of water (Bay of Fundy), the government of another Canadian province, New Brunswick, is refurbishing and restarting a rust-bucket nuke plant (Point LePreau). Ironically, the Nova Scotia residents are downwind from it much of the time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Lepreau_Nuclear_Generating_Station
We are all downwinders from some nuke enterprise or other, as Fukushima is demonstrating.
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We need a term to replace downwinder since the whole globe eventually shares the pollution. I suggest that we say "same ballers" since we are all on the same planet.
I had to testify in an open hearing for a windmill farm. Many religious fundamentalists have really got something against windfarms and pay for experts to give testimony against them to come from far away. I consider helping get the windfarms in Dekalb and Ogle County Illinois to be one of my most favorite career highlights.
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Fascinating post at various levels, SnorkY2K. It will take me a while to get used to thinking that Dick Cheney and I are "same ballers" – I felt safer when I was just downwind from him.
Congratulations on the windfarms. In my part of the world, there are vigorous murky objections to wind power because "some outsiders will make a lot of money from this". I always figured that was enemy action from vested interests in other power sources – generic FUD.
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I love what their doing in Nova Scotia aigeezer! Thanks for the links. Why would religious fanatics be against wind farms Snork? That makes no sense to any thinking individual. Proud of you speaking out in favor.
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The fundamentalists showed up with about a hundred home schooled children and claimed that the windfarm would kill all or their children. They had experts from Connecticut that "proved" that windfarms caused spontaneous abortions in llamas and low frequency sound induced insanity. I was able to discredit one of their witnesses who claimed that the windmills just north of Ames, Iowa created a low frequency sound at least every half hour that would be harmful to everyone living in the area. I received my undergraduate degree in Ames, Iowa and also had family servicing the main Union Pacific cross continental railroad tracks there. My questioning their witness if he accounted for the subsonic train noise captured in the Skunk river and Boone river valleys. The trains can be miles long and can be heard over ten miles away in the audible range. Several of the county board members later stated that that was the testimony that ruined the credibility of the witness for the anti-windfarm side.
My supporters were some local environmentalists, a union that would build the windfarm, and surprisingly a nuclear power company that was switching from investments in nuclear to wind.
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To think they really believed that about wind turbines? Home schooled, makes sense. Sounds like you presented a believable case. That is so cool! Proud of you snork.
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big kudos to you .. you've helped enable real and highly valued change.. and I'm so pleased to have encountered someone who has helped make a change.
you've got me puzzled by the fundies tho, what was their beef with the matter .. just gotta wonder .. no frigging wonder it's so hard to get any change, people are prejudiced simply because the alternatives are tree hugging hippies I think, maybe ? dunno. Just can't figure them out.
But you .. well, and your work – brilliant – shining light that I can clearly understand .. yeah hah!
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Their beef was that without nuclear power, we may not be able to make enough nuclear weapons for armageddon. To them, if we can't bring about the end of the world in our lifetime, there is no point to living. There were days full of awfully contrived reasons for why windmills were horrible involving every kind of live stock and safety issue that you can think of.
The union did surround me after the hearing afterwards and offered me a pitcher of beer.
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and i hope you drank fully
let me by you a drink if you're ever in Oz 
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I had to go to a job interview afterwards and could not go. As an unemployed engineer who has blown the whistle on employers, jobs are even tougher to find for me than the other 95% of manufacturing engineers who are out of work in the US. However, I view Australia as a place that I would love to visit and have seen pictures of where my cousin in Alice Springs lives.
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Fundamentalist Christians tend to be strongly rightwing politically. The Republican party and also Libertarians are pretty strongly anti-environmental. Their ideology has been pretty much appropriated by the corrupt corporate world which works hard to destroy environmental regulation. It's ironic since fundies love to tout "God's glorious creation" when pushing creationism in public schools.
Also, as SnorkY2K intimated, they are focused on heaven. They believe the Bible says that God is going to destroy the earth, and since they think they are going to heaven anyway they simply don't see the necessity in preserving this planet. It's destined by God for destruction and they don't wan to do anything against that. Besides this, they'e always had a view of nature from their interpretation of the Bible that it exists simply for man's pleasure.
If you express any interest in conservation they'll accuse you of nature worship.
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Get rid of fossil fuels. There is a much better way to fuel our future.
http://www.hemphasis.net/Fuel-Energy/fuel.htm
And we've known about it for over 80 years,
http://www.hempcar.org/ford.shtml
Big oil pays bribes to the government to monopolize energy, because they don't want competition. How many jobs could be created if we grew our fuel and marketed it to the rest of the world? We are the only nation that can do this.
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Anything made from petrol oil can be made from hemp. Anything. Over 20,000 products. And it's all biodegradable. http://www.hempcar.org/ford.shtml
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Hemp still has other useful parts after the oil is extracted as well. Everything from dietary fiber to wonderful paper that can be mixed with feces after orginal usage and processed through vermiculture into soil for trees.
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1CaptD Comments –> San Onofre is shut down and so is El Diablo so CA is NOW Nuclear Free http://t.co/WmcAR56Z via @townnews #nuclear #311
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What is your source of information regarding Diablo being shut down?
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http://www.mercurynews.com/science/ci_20487133/strange-jellyfish-like-creatures-shut-down-diablo-canyon
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Thanks CB. Looks like DC is trying hard to paint itself as responsible. It's history has been anything but.
Saw this interesting comment about ti:
"Despite the reactor outage, California is not expected to experience any electricity shortages because it has ample reserves, said Stephanie McCorkle, spokeswoman California ISO, which operates the state's power grid and wholesale markets."
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/27/11432974-diablo-canyon-nuclear-plant-in-california-knocked-offline-by-jellyfish-like-creature-called-salp?lite
Well then why do we have to have these plants at all?
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I think gyms should be turned into power generation stations..
you work out, you power your neighbourhood
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I concur. For a school with 1000 students sharing a gym over 8 periods, 125 students could be providing power on a continuous basis which would be a wonderful supplement to reduce other loads while providing healthy exercise for the students.
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Hi richard, make sure you watch "The Human Power Station" I posted further up here at 5:13 PM. They are doing exactly that – pedal power a household!
I was amazed to see it took lots of cyclists to even turn on a water heater! Watch it, it's fun.
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Thanks B&B, I did see your note and it reminded me of my gym concept. (i've been thinking about gym generators for years).
I was in Auckland, New Zealand at one stage last year, they had a Light Show in the Park..
And an outdoor cinema.. and the cinema was powered only by volunteer people (audience) riding pedal generator bikes. It was a good example to get people thinking.
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solar can be done at 3 cents per kWH.
http://nukeprofessional.blogspot.com/p/renewable-and-energy-efficiency.html
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Wow….not a single response, this is the real deal.
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Dear stock, you've posted this link so often already, all enenewsers KNOW solar is cheap!!
*good morning!
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we've already got 8 panels installed at home
and a seperate one for the backyard
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Congrats richard! I used to live at a place where solar heated the shower water – loved it! Now I live in a flat whose owner is an old fart with no sense for all things solar…once I get my tiny house, things will change!
Until then I get electricity from a "no nukes"-supplier…
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Because I am rather "homesteadish"(mustnt say survivalist..lol)
I purchased a portable solar generator..and can add as many panels as I want…great for running power tools in the no wheres… charging cell phones ..ipads..etc…use the hotpot
There are small solar devices for charging some of these items as well.
I also purchased a solar cooker..
I'm still amazed..how well the food comes out ..really..
The bread browns the same all the way around..etc.
Solar sounds to many…expensive and hypothetical..it is quite the positive.
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Yep no brainer even at 42 north.
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hi B&B and HR,
Australia has had this campaign for a while, so it's rather suburban now to have solar
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/en/government/initiatives/renewable-target/need-ret/solar-credits-faq.aspx
"Solar Credits is a mechanism within the SRES scheme that provides additional support to households, businesses and community groups that install small-scale solar photovoltaics (PV or solar panels), wind and hydro electricity systems by multiplying the number of small-scale technology certificates (STCs) able to be created for eligible installations."
So, when a home is vacant, with no one using any devices, it can possibly make money by 'pushing' power back into the grid.
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Hi richard, I bet the uranium lobbyists are happy to see this!
So it's like a feed-in tariff, right? Here in Germany you get paid ca. 20 ct./kWh you produce, guaranteed for 20 years.
Installation "took off" in the past years, we have slightly more than 25 GW solar now.
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nice work by germany there, B.
http://www.climatechange.gov.au/en/government/initiatives/renewable-target/world.aspx
"Australia was one of the first countries in the world to introduce a nationally mandated renewable energy target. Many other countries are supporting renewable energy through a range of policies and programs.
Several countries have achieved relatively high levels of wind power penetration. Denmark generates nearly one-fifth of its electricity with wind turbines—the highest percentage of any country. Spain, Portugal, Germany and Ireland also have significant proportions of wind power.
Solar thermal power stations operate in the United States of America (USA) and Spain, and photovoltaic power stations are popular in Germany and Spain. The world's largest geothermal power installation is in California (USA)."
go usa, look at that, i'm impressed
(oh yeah, the uranium guys.. that's for another thread).
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Can renewable energy sustain consumer societies? | Energy Bulletin: http://bit.ly/JVVFpm YES IT CAN! We must do with less, that's all! Boy am I ready.
Germany: Fighting Climate Change And Phasing Out Nuclear Power Are Two Sides Of The Same Coin http://clmpr.gs/IEJCgI Proof that the Trolls have lied. Germany reduced its carbon emissions in 2011 by 2.1 percent despite the nuclear phase out!!
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Morning Whoops, yes that's true apparently, I was quite surprised to find the carbon emissions were reduced despite wrwcking the old nukes! They did it by applying efficiency measures…
if you want to do with less, where will you start?
Ideas yet? Do you know how much energy you use per year? I started a little survey yesterday and got quite interesting responses!
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After you said that BB, I went to check online to see how much my hub and I use. Didn't have my acct number but will find it and check today. Will post later.
It cant be much. it's just us.
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Cool. Thanks Whoopie!
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I just now went and turned off the lights I usually use in the morning. I have a candle burning by me right now. I AM READY TO STOP NUCLEAR TODAY!!
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LOL you're a star Whoopie! Start simple, that's how it's done!
*B&B off to the balcony, planting more stuff to eat (no carbon-footprint Spanish tomatoes, NO)
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LOOKEE HERE BB! LIVE TONIGHT!
LIVE WEBCAST
The Future of Clean Energy: The Economic Imperative
Monday, April 30, 2012
4:45 – 6:30 p.m. EST
http://michelekearneynuclearwire.blogspot.com/2012/04/live-webcast-future-of-clean-energy.html
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Ooops. I just found out that gas prices over here are twice as high as in the US…1,60 €/liter, that makes 8$ per gallon!
Crazy. And all of it goes to the pockets of the intl. companies….except the taxes
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What about #hemp solution to #Fukushima #radiation crisis? http://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3g4TzvH0vlAUHJBYjcxX3ZTd3FjX3ItTTQ4Qktndw
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Hi Whoops, that guy's got a vision –
"Each nation engaging in a UN coordinated HEMP FOR VICTORY program".
*where can I sign?
But seriously, if hemp had in fact been as successful in Chernobyl as he claims it was (no idea if they planted hemp at all), why's the land still irradiated 26 yrs later?
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A question I have about renewables, batteries, production etc …
For a 'device', there is a need to consider the entire 'dust to dust' process.
What energy/resources/carbon emissions went into producing the entire 'device', then the ongoing/operational costs, then the final decommissioning of said device.
For example, hybrid cars might look like they are doing a great job for the environment, but what went into the production of the batteries .. what rare and precious metals were consumed, what rainforest was depleted to mine and extract those metals ?
The hybrid car uses electricity – how was that electricity produced – nuke ? – solar, wind, coal ?
And then there is the 'recycling' of the batteries, if it's done correctly.. and what emmisions/contamination will occur at that stage?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not having a go at electric cars .. I just want to raise the question and get a better idea of the holistic energy/resources of a device.
There is a need to watch out for subsidies as well .. a product or service may be discounted due to a false economy in the supply chain. But it doesn't reflect the true 'cost'.
Batteries are an ongoing concern for me – their exotic metals can be very nasty. But that's another thread.
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Lead has issues, but lead is incredibly valuable, it can be recycled. Other rare earths…well USA has them but has not developed them, could be 5 to 10 years for good mines, whilst China rapes us on their supply.
However, plenty reasons to go PV Solar electric. It rocks.
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dust to dust starts with the road that the car drives on. Huge production of carbon dioxide comes from cooking off the limestone to make concrete. The quicklime soaks up carbon dioxide later but there is a tremendous amount of energy used to make the heat that is not recovered. Concentrated solar could do it as well and the carbon dioxide captured to grow algae for making fuel. Doing so would have a tremendous net reduction of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
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Good point about the road itself.
funny, i'd been lightly pondering roads and concrete and lime over the last few days .. not sure why. I was kind of wondering where it's all coming from, when will it run out, how it will be recycled.
but anyway… that is a major thread of it's own as well.. the construction industry. But yes, apply solar at the contruction stages would be fantastic – the 'base load' problem is not as prevalent, as some of these services do not need to run 24/7. there are so many ways power can be decentralised and recategorised to provide something more attune with the need at the time.
but, in general, I was refering 'simply' to the discrete devices themselves. oh, what a web we've weaved. so i'm not going down that 'road'
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Calcium carbonate (limestone) can be produced by coccolith generating algae grown in sewage and sunlight. Why mine when it can be done without burning fuel for heavy mining equipment? Many midwestern US towns are surrounded by big holes where the limestone came from. Most of Illinois' original forest went to heating limestone kilns to make quicklime and not for houses or paper.
However, I am more for centralizing processing to states such as California through Texas where there is plenty of sun that is fairly constant and easily concentrated to high temperatures. Also, with scale and size, means of storing energy from sunlight becomes economical.
Think of stucko as being green? Try thinking of the trees burned to make it.
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Hmmm my brain went to thinking about Light Poles, of which there are millions around the world. A thought that they could be used for solar panels. I wondered too if the large cell towers could be used as well.
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There are solar light poles available. However, that is another topic on its own for we have a wasteful light problem. Do we really need so much light? Can we turn the lights on only when a car or people are approaching? Can we replace the lights with luminescent materials? Can we reduce the massive amount of power used by using lights more conservatively?
Lights were first pushed by power companies as were electric water pumps. Farmers in the 50's and 60's removed their windmills and put up big lights more to keep up with the Jones' than anything else. I could see electric water pump for the house and a backup to wind. But, why not use wind when available? Want to get rid of nuclear? Try reducing the need.
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+1
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Solar Energy Field renewable energy producing structure for deserts
The Solar Energy Field by eco-conscious architect Michael Jantzen has been inspired by the conceptual symbolic representation of the micro energetic interaction between photons of sunlight and the release of electrons with photovoltaic cells, which in turn produces electricity. This energetic interaction is symbolically represented as a large, pragmatic, scalable, abstract, three dimensional, stimulating and challenging form, capable of capturing energy from the sun, and converting it into electricity for the local community.
The basic structure would be constructed from a series of prefabricated panels, each fitted with a steel support frame, and covered with a colored concrete composite skin. These panels can be added or removed to scale the structure up or down and/or to change the shape at any time.
The architect believes that during a sunny day, the solar panels will be able to generate up to 10,000W of electrical power for the local grid. In addition to generating renewable energy, the structure will also be used as an oasis sheltering visitors from the hot sun. Some of the lower panels of the structure fold out in different ways in order to provide places to sit.
http://www.ecofriend.com/entry/solar-energy-field-renewable-energy-producing-structure-for-deserts/
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Will organic solar cells revolutionize the solar industry?
http://www.ecofriend.com/organic-solar-cells-revolutionize-solar-industry.html
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T^here are many great articles at http://www.ecofriend.com/
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Old Electric Car Batteries to Find Second Life on the Power Grid
Electric car batteries have up to 70% capacity remaining after 10 years of use. This allows them to be used beyond the lifetime of the vehicle for applications, and smart grids can take advantage of their capacity to store intermittent renewable energy.
I've already written about how they could be used to store wind power to reduce the intermittency problem, but a new partnership between Nissan North-America, ABB, 4R Energy, and Sumitomo Corporation of America believes that used electric car batteries (Nissan LEAF ones, in this case) could be used for residential and commercial energy storage, even acting as emergency back-up during natural disasters like last year's earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
The partners plan to develop a LEAF battery storage prototype with a capacity of at least 50 kilowatt hours (kWh), enough to supply 15 average homes with electricity for two hours. I assume that if that works out well, they'll scale it up, possibly even up to the multi-megawatt-hour scale, which would make it really useful in emergencies and to store solar or wind power.
http://www.treehugger.com/cars/electric-car-batteries-being-tested-grid-emergency-storage.html
http://www.treehugger.com/cars/electric-car-batteries-being-tested-grid-emergency-storage.html
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some very nice finds there Maiden .. thanks .. and as batteries are an issue (to me) I particularly like this one
It's so true.. sure, the battery may no longer have the starting current required for a car/truck, but for light-duty uses they are excellent. For me, I've recycled batteries for the backyard solar panel, that provides garden lighting in the evening.
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I had this link saved & saw your previous post.
Excellent use of batteries.
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it takes having a light sensor (to know that it's night time) that activates a relay to the light.
during daylight, the solar panel has been trickle charging the batteries that power the system (daylight sensor, relay and light).
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Wind Turbine Makes 1,000 Liters of Clean Water a Day in the Desert
A cool new concept being tested in the Abu Dhabi desert uses a wind turbine to condense water from the air and pump it into storage tanks for filtration and purification.
A prototype of the technology has been installed in Abu Dhabi since October and has been capable of producing 500 to 800 liters of clean water a day from the dry desert air. Eole Water says that volume can increase to 1,000 liters a day with a tower-top system. The system requires wind speeds of 15 miles per hour or higher to produce water.
http://www.treehugger.com/wind-technology/wind-turbine-makes-clean-water-desert.html
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This link is from the article above about the simple process to get water from the air.
EWA Squeezes Water From Thin Air, Like In Old Biblical Times
EWA (which stands for Extraction of Water from Air), has developed a clean technology that extracts water from the air, while using little energy in the process. The key they say is in its unique water adsorption technology – which employs a solid desiccant to trap the water – and a special energy saving condenser that reuses more than 85 percent of the energy input to the system.
The company, which was founded in 2006, is based on nine years of research by Etan Bar, a former researcher at Ben Gurion University. The company now has representatives in the US, India, Jordan, Cyprus, Australia and West Africa where EWA is helping farmers generate carbon credits, on top of providing them with clean water for drinking and irrigating their crops.
To compare – according to the US-based Global Policy Forum, the average American household consumes about 480 cubic meters (127 thousand gallons) of water during a year. While homeowners in Washington D.C. pay about $350 a year (72 cents per cubic meter), buying the same amount of water in the slums of Guatemala City would cost about $2,000.
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Cont:
Even though clean water for drinking and bathing seems like a basic human right, for most of the worlds' poor it is a luxury. EWA hopes to change that: "One cubic kilometer of air contains 10 to 40 thousand tons of water — enough to supply at least 100 thousand people with all their water needs, or enough 'safe' drinking water for two million," Bar explains.
EWA's device, can be scaled up or down, and will produce anywhere from a few hundred liters of water per day to 1,000 cubic meters of water in a single plant.
http://www.treehugger.com/clean-water/ewa-squeezes-water-from-thin-air-like-in-old-biblical-times.html
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Interesting post, Maiden! Thanks!
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interesting commentary that merits review by forum participants.
"Solar Policy: This. Is. War. Will You Join Me In This Fight?"
http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2012/05/solar-policy-this-is-war-will-you-join-me-in-this-fight/
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latest strategies being used by big-energy to strangle the growth of renewables…
"ALEC is plotting to take down state renewable energy targets "
http://grist.org/energy-policy/alec-says-it-plans-to-craft-legislation-to-take-down-state-renewable-energy-targets/?goback=.gde_47674_member_110431960
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this is some ancient technology that's come of age!
"Home Heliostats"
http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2012/04/home-heliostats/
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somebody was inquiring if there were any programs / providers for actual solar-isolation data. There is but it would appear that it's for the big-boys (institutional/architectural). Still, that shouldn't prevent someone from inquiring as to when they'll be providing this kind of data for the little guys like us…
"Geostellar, GeoEye Team to Map Solar Potential Of U.S. Rooftops"
http://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2012/04/geostellar-geoeye-team-to-map-solar-potential-of-u-s-rooftops/
http://geostellar.com/
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Look under the term insolation (amount of light and angle for a place on earth)
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OT
Erin Brockovich Warns Of 'The Biggest Black Eye On America'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01…
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich recently held a roundtable discussion at The Huffington Post's offices to address water contamination challenges, the upcoming documentary "Last Call At The Oasis," and her newest endeavor to combat health concerns around the world. "Last Call At The Oasis"
(is she aware of Daiichi?)
Contact Erin:
http://www.brockovich.com/peoplesreportingregistrymap.html
She says she READS EVERY EMAIL.
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Oops! HERE'S THE CORRECT LINK http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/01/erin-brockovich-last-call-at-the-oasis_n_1464370.html
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Hmm. Is the White House listening?
The other day (4/29) in this thread I recommended using money going to the military to instead fund the purchase of point-of-use alternative energy (e.g. rooftop solar, rooftop wind etc.) so that everyone can finally have their own and we can finally get off dirty energy.
I just happened on an article in which President Obama proposed something very similar the day after.
"American workers built this country, and now we need American workers to rebuild this country. That’s what we need. (Applause.) It is time we take some of the money that we spend on wars, use half of it to pay down our debt, and then use the rest of it to do some nation-building right here at home. (Applause.) There is work to be done. There are workers ready to do it, and you guys can help lead the way."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/barackobama/9237453/Barack-Obama-we-need-to-do-nation-building-right-here-at-home.html
So okay, the concept of diverting the money being wasted on the purchase of ever more military garbage to better uses domestically is now officially valid. My question is, whatever happened to Obama's "Green Economy"? Wouldn't using the money to outfit every home, office, school, hospital etc. in the country with a clean energy alternative be a logical extension of Obama's above proposal?
Swords into Plowshares. Spread the word.
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it's important that we keep an eye on how this industry is growing and how they'll usurp it to meet their ends; like everything else in history…
"Best Marketing for Renewable Energies"
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/ShowPR~PUBCODE~055~ACCT~0000100~ISSUE~1204~RELTYPE~REN~PRODCODE~000000~PRODLETT~AW.html
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really interesting stats on alternative sources of energy production…
"Biogas Technology: "Cow Power" Catching On in US"
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/ShowPR~PUBCODE~055~ACCT~0000100~ISSUE~1204~RELTYPE~REN~PRODCODE~000000~PRODLETT~BW.html
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TWO THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED WATTS from two solar panels on a custom golf cart that can power your home, venture into the woods to cut firewood with your ELECTRIC chainsaw, or just go and kick butt @ a tractor pull and blow everybodies mind!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlOfZL_J5fo&list=UU1yBKRuGpC1tSM73A0ZjYjQ&index=2&feature=plcp
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wrong link, computer is miffed @ me……….
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Here we go……….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFYpNrbyKCA
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@selfsovereign" quoting power output from battery storage of PV generated electricity is misleading. You could take a trickle charger panel that only produces 10 watts in bright sunlight to charge a battery. When the battery's topped-off, it may be capable of providing a five-hundred-watts for the first hour's use. Would that mean the solar-panel provides five-hundred-watts of power? No. The configured system is but not the actual solar panel itself. It's important people not get snookered by misleading numbers. Which I've seen throw-about lately by some – less reputable – companies…
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Hi AFTERSHOCK,
Respectfully agree to disagree.
The sucessful, creative integration of off the shelf parts to deliver 2,500 watts of A/C power is NOT misleading, it's simply brilliant.
As you know, having watched the video, the first concept vehicle (there are 3 different vehicles featured) would provide far more than 2,500 watts of A/C, if there was an off the shelf inverter compatable with the tractors voltage configuration.
The video provides what my post describes.
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This is going to be a really important issue. When you're talking leases, you're talking bank funding. The details of how this type of funding evolves is extremely important to all parties. We know the same people who control the funding towards centralized energy (nuclear, coal and gas) see the writing on the wall and need to develop financial instruments to cover both the costs of cleaning up the nuclear mess, while also continuing their control (indenturing) of the people. If we don't want to discover ten years from now that the promised return of renewable energy is only going into the pockets of the banks (like everything else these days), then the concept of leasing PV / Wind systems for use on residential sites needs watching…
"Solar Leases Attracting New Demographic"
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/ShowPR~PUBCODE~055~ACCT~0000100~ISSUE~1204~RELTYPE~REN~PRODCODE~000000~PRODLETT~BV.html
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…more cool stuff!
"Thermal Storage Gets More Solar on the Grid"
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/ShowPR~PUBCODE~055~ACCT~0000100~ISSUE~1203~RELTYPE~REN~PRODCODE~000000~PRODLETT~BA.html
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…bit OT, but a really cool chart that lists wireless services (radio), which may be of interest to other 'nut-n-bolt' types.
"2010-2011 Frequency allocations"
http://www.wirelessdesignmag.com/pdfs/wallchart.pdf
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