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Hans De Keulenaer

Direct Use of Geothermal Energy in the United States - 0 views

  • Question: I travel quite a lot, and have seen extensive use of geothermal energy in Iceland and some Eastern European countries for district heating. But, I don't get a sense there is much geothermal use for heating in the United States. Is this the case? If it is, why don't we use more geothermal energy for heating homes and buildings? -- Bill T., Santa Fe, New Mexico
Hans De Keulenaer

Sustainable Energy - without the hot air - 0 views

  • In Sustainable Energy - without the hot air, one of my main conclusions is "electrify everything" - in particular, I recommend electric vehicles. At a recent talk, someone in the audience said, yes, maybe electric cars are now viable. But surely you couldn't electrify freight? Leaving aside two possible answers (namely 1: for local freight deliveries, electric trucks are already genuinely in use, and are manufactured by a couple of companies in the UK; 2: we could make electric freight like eletric trolley buses, using overhead lines), I thought it would be interesting to investigate, using the same model I used for cars in my book, the possibility of making long-distance freight vehicles with on-board batteries.
Colin Bennett

IBM, Harvard Launch Distributed-Computing Search for Super-Efficient Solar Cells - 0 views

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    IBM and researchers from Harvard University launched a joint effort today to identify more efficient and lower-cost solar cell materials using distributed computing. Leveraging small amounts of computing power from potentially hundreds of thousands of personal computers, this latest addition to the company's World Community Grid platform will process more than 1 million configurations of atoms over the next two years in search of an organic molecule that can be used to make materials for an ultra-efficient plastic photovoltaic cell.
Colin Bennett

Consumers want energy use info, but don't want to pay - 1 views

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    While most US residents say they're concerned about their home energy costs, only a small number are willing to pay upfront to gain access to real-time and detailed information about their energy consumption, according to a new survey released today by Oracle.
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    I sympathise with these consumers. In Europe, I would guess the average utility bill not to be far from 200 euro per month, or 6-7 euro per day, and relatively stable. As a consumer, information on expenditure for food, transport and telecommunication might be as relevant, if not more.
Jeff Johnson

Use the Web to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint - Wired How-To Wiki - 0 views

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    Given the steady drumbeat of news about climate change, water shortages, food riots and high oil prices, many of us are pretty well-versed in the basics of protecting the environment. What's lacking, particularly for us tech-lovers, are the tools to help us live our on-grid, totally Wired lives with the smallest possible impact. And we do need some help. If everyone lived like North Americans, we'd need at least five planets to support our lifestyles. Here are some online actions you can take to "plug in greener." This article is a wiki. Got extra advice? Log in and add it.
Colin Bennett

The House That Twitters Its Energy Use « Earth2Tech - 0 views

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    Can Twitter help you turn your lights off? IBM's "Master Inventor" Andy Stanford-Clark has rigged up his home to twitter its energy use, and if you follow the tweets you can see in real time when Stanford-Clark has turned his lights and fountain off or on and whether he has an "unusually high electricity use" or has reduced power consumption.
Colin Bennett

The Energy Blog: Wind Power as a Baseload for Electric Power - 0 views

  • A study conducted by Stanford University confirmed that interconnected multiple wind farms can be used to provide baseload electric power. Interconnecting wind farms with a transmission grid reduces the power swings caused by wind variability and makes a significant portion of it just as consistent a power source as a coal power plant. "This study implies that, if interconnected wind is used on a large scale, a third or more of its energy can be used for reliable electric power, and the remaining intermittent portion can be used for transportation, allowing wind to solve energy, climate and air pollution problems simultaneously," said Archer, the study's lead author and a consulting assistant professor in Stanford's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Hans De Keulenaer

ScienceDirect - Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews : Life cycle inventory analysi... - 0 views

  • Material flows and emissions in all the stages of production of zinc, copper, aluminum, cadmium, indium, germanium, gallium, selenium, tellurium, and molybdenum were investigated. These metals are used selectively in the manufacture of solar cells, and emission and energy factors in their production are used in the life cycle analysis (LCA) of photovoltaics. Significant changes have occurred in the production and associated emissions for these metals over the last 10 years, which are not described in the LCA databases. Furthermore, emission and energy factors for several of the by-products of the base metal production were lacking. This review article aims in updating the life cycle inventories associated with the production of the base metals (Zn, Cu), and defining the production paths and emission and energy allocations for the minor metals (Cd, Ge, In, Mo, Se, and Te) used in photovoltaics.
Hans De Keulenaer

ASU Researchers Use Bacteria To Generate Electricity - Ecofriend - 0 views

  • Researchers at the Biodesign Institute of Arizona State University have come up with an alternative way of generating electricity. In a new study featured in the journal Biotechnology and Bioengineering, lead author Andrew Kato Marcus and colleagues César Torres and Bruce RittmannThey mentioned that they are using the tiniest organisms on the planet—bacteria—for this purpose. They added that they are looking forward to commercialization of a promising microbial fuel cell (MFC) technology. The microbial fuel cell will generate electrical energy by using any kind of waste, such as sewage or pig manure.
Colin Bennett

With green "in," home automation's time is here - 0 views

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    Intelligent consumer use of our limited energy supply is now recognised as one of the major factors in the green revolution. According to the Smart Energy Home Initiative, which brings together companies to overcome the barriers that prevent sustainable houses from being the norm, buildings consume 40% of the energy used in Europe and contribute to 36% of greenhouse gas emissions, with the loss in monetary terms estimated at €60 billion a year. Using home automation technology for energy control can reduce power consumption by limiting use to where and when it is most needed … therefore saving money on energy bills without affecting quality of life.
Hans De Keulenaer

a bit of discipline on tagging - 120 views

As I'm cleaning up tags, a few points in addition: - avoid meaningless tags. E.g. energy, as this is an energy group. Or green - what does that mean? - tags in plural please. We've started ...

Jeff Johnson

8 Ways to Green Your Battery Use: ENN - 0 views

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    You may not realize how often you use batteries until you have to operate for a few hours without electricity. Batteries are great at keeping a charge in our mobile devices, but the components that help generate these charges wreak havoc in landfills. You can use Earth911 to find out where to recycle batteries for a number of devices, including your car and cell phone. Here's eight ways to optimize your battery use so you'll create less waste in the first place.
Arabica Robusta

ZCommunications | The Search for BP's Oil by Naomi Klein | ZNet Article - 1 views

  • Normally these academics would be fine without our fascination. They weren't looking for glory when they decided to study organisms most people either can't see or wish they hadn't. But when the Deepwater Horizon exploded in April 2010, our collective bias toward cute big creatures started to matter a great deal. That's because the instant the spill-cam was switched off and it became clear that there would be no immediate mass die-offs among dolphins and pelicans, at least not on the scale of theExxon Valdez spill deaths, most of us were pretty much on to the next telegenic disaster. (Chilean miners down a hole—and they've got video diaries? Tell us more!)
  • Mike Utsler, BP's Unified Area Commander, summed up its findings like this: "The beaches are safe, the water is safe, and the seafood is safe." Never mind that just four days earlier, more than 8,000 pounds of tar balls were collected on Florida's beaches—and that was an average day. Or that gulf residents and cleanup workers continue to report serious health problems that many scientists believe are linked to dispersant and crude oil exposure.
  • For the scientists aboard the WeatherBird II, the recasting of the Deepwater Horizon spill as a good-news story about a disaster averted has not been easy to watch. Over the past seven months, they, along with a small group of similarly focused oceanographers from other universities, have logged dozens of weeks at sea in cramped research vessels, carefully measuring and monitoring the spill's impact on the delicate and little-understood ecology of the deep ocean. And these veteran scientists have seen things that they describe as unprecedented. Among their most striking findings are graveyards of recently deceased coral, oiled crab larvae, evidence of bizarre sickness in the phytoplankton and bacterial communities, and a mysterious brown liquid coating large swaths of the ocean floor, snuffing out life underneath.
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  • All this uncertainty will work in BP's favor if the worst-case scenarios eventually do materialize. Indeed, concerns about a future collapse may go some way toward explaining why BP (with the help of Kenneth Feinberg's Gulf Coast Claims Facility) has been in a mad rush to settle out of court with fishermen, offering much-needed cash now in exchange for giving up the right to sue later. If a significant species of fish like bluefin does crash three or even ten years from now (bluefin live for fifteen to twenty years), the people who took these deals will have no legal recourse.
  • A week after Hollander returned from the cruise, Unified Area Command came out with its good news report on the state of the spill. Of thousands of water samples taken since August, the report stated, less than 1 percent met EPA definitions of toxicity. It also claimed that the deepwater sediment is largely free from BP's oil, except within about two miles of the wellhead. That certainly came as news to Hollander, who at that time was running tests of oiled sediment collected thirty nautical miles from the wellhead, in an area largely overlooked by the government scientists. Also, the government scientists measured only absolute concentrations of oil and dispersants in the water and sediment before declaring them healthy. The kinds of tests John Paul conducted on the toxicity of that water to microorganisms are simply absent.
  • Coast Guard Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft, whose name is on the cover of the report, told me of the omission, "That really is a limitation under the Clean Water Act and my authorities as the federal on-scene coordinator." When it comes to oil, "it's my job to remove it"—not to assess its impact on the broader ecosystem. He pointed me to the NOAA-led National Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process, which is gathering much more sensitive scientific data to help it put a dollar amount on the overall impact of the spill and seek damages from BP and other responsible parties.
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    Normally these academics would be fine without our fascination. They weren't looking for glory when they decided to study organisms most people either can't see or wish they hadn't. But when the Deepwater Horizon exploded in April 2010, our collective bias toward cute big creatures started to matter a great deal. That's because the instant the spill-cam was switched off and it became clear that there would be no immediate mass die-offs among dolphins and pelicans, at least not on the scale of theExxon Valdez spill deaths, most of us were pretty much on to the next telegenic disaster. (Chilean miners down a hole-and they've got video diaries? Tell us more!)
Colin Bennett

Smart metering the world: One size doesn't fit all - 0 views

  • Smart metering is a sexy topic in the energy world, with nearly all Western economies considering plans for large deployments.  It can be used in many different ways but normally there is more than one goal behind a smart metering deployment: In the US, smart metering was, for the most part, driven by the desire to reduce the costs associated with manual meter reading, to reduce peak load and to enhance security of supply. In Italy, one of the key drivers was tackling energy theft and the cost of managing meters. In Ontario, it was peak shaving and the move toward time-of-use pricing. But if smart meters have the potential to address a number of issues, that potential can only be realised by flexible system design and deployment, avoiding excessive rigidity. In this case, one size most certainly does not fit all. We fear that the UK’s current plans for a nationwide rollout of smart meters may well be taking us down the wrong path by imposing standard solutions on the wrong part of the system.
Hans De Keulenaer

Book Review: "The Long Descent" | Energy Bulletin - 0 views

  • One of the most interesting parts of the book is the chapter “Tools for the Transition” Greer has a most interesting discussion of the merits of the slide-rule over the pocket calculator, and explains why it is infinitely more suitable to a low-energy world:it is durable- a solid aluminum slde-rule could last nearly geological time-scales-, independent, dependable and perhaps most significant of all its use of transparent- a future archeologist would be able to work out exactly how to use it. I have never actually used a slide-rule, but this discussion has inspired me to get one, and even teach its use on permaculture courses as an example of durable technologies. There are many other insightful observations Greer makes in this chapter, including comments on salvage and organic agriculture, and what will endure into the post-collapse world.
Gary Edwards

Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe - space - 23 March 2009 - New Scientist - 0 views

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    Interesting article from New Science describing how a "coronal mass ejection" from the Sun could melt down the electrical power gird. ".... Over the last few decades, western civilisations have busily sown the seeds of their own destruction. Our modern way of life, with its reliance on technology, has unwittingly exposed us to an extraordinary danger: plasma balls spewed from the surface of the sun could wipe out our power grids, with catastrophic consequences..." The article does offer a solution: upgrade the ACE solar satellite, to detect an electro magnetic surge and provide power grid operators with about 15 minutes to shut down their systems. The article does not discuss another possible option: stop building centralized power sources that demand increasingly massive power grids. Instead, concentrate on meeting energy needs using localized sources of power; like the highly portable Hyperion Power Module.
Colin Bennett

Honda and Vaillant to launch cogeneration system in Europe - 0 views

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    Automaker Honda and German heating and air conditioning specialist Vaillant are joining forces to develop a gas-powered micro-cogeneration system for homes in Europe. Cogeneration heat and power (CHP) systems, which simultaneously produce electricity and heat, are mainly used by industry and in district or community heating schemes. Honda and Vaillant, however, plan to develop systems suitable for detached homes. Honda already offers similar systems in Japan and US, where over 80,000 micro-CHP (MCHP) units have been installed. The new system, which could reduce household emissions by up to 25%, will feature control and connection technology developed by Vaillant with Honda's MCHP unit adapted for the European market.
davidchapman

GE, Idaho Labs turn waste heat into electricity | Green Tech - CNET News - 0 views

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    Rather than use a working fluid to capture and transfer the waste heat, GE has developed a new evaporator to transfer it. The new design means that ORCs can be used to convert relatively low-temperature heat (under 500 degrees Celsius) into electricity on a wide range of power sources, including the equipment in coal power plants and small gas turbines, said Thomas Fry, a researcher in GE's Munich offices.
Hans De Keulenaer

Resource Insights: Fossil Fuels vs. Renewables: The Key Argument that Environmentalists... - 0 views

  • It turns out, however, that what most environmentalists know about the future supply of natural gas and other fossil fuels is based more on industry hype than on actual data. And, that means that they are missing a key argument in their discussions about renewable energy, one that could be used to persuade those less concerned about pollution and climate change and more concerned about energy security: There is increasing evidence that no fossil fuel will continue to see its rate of production climb significantly in the decades ahead and so none of them is a viable "bridge fuel," not natural gas, not oil, not coal. This means that global society must leap over fossil fuels and move directly to renewables as quickly as possible. In advanced economies this leap must be combined with a program of radical reductions in energy use, reductions which are achievable using known technologies and practices.
Hans De Keulenaer

Amtrak - Defining Energy Efficiency - 0 views

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    Rail travel is more energy efficient, and uses less fuel, than cars or airplanes. According to U.S. Department of Energy data, Amtrak is almost 20 percent more efficient than domestic airline travel and 30 percent more efficient than auto travel ...
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