Clean Energy Transition

One thing that became very clear to me is that the world will not be able to displace more than a fraction of our petroleum usage with biofuels.

Nuclear fusion has evoked opinions in the various energy blogs ranging from “sixty years of failure and a certain dead end”, to “the reason why we do not need to worry about peak oil”. This event was a good opportunity to gain a clearer view of what part, if any, fusion energy could play in filling the gap as oil and then gas production peak and decline.

A collection of useful informational links that I visit regularly.

One of the primary reasons for the building of more nuclear power plants today is to combat global warming and climate change, as nuclear power is relatively free of carbon emissions. However if this is to be used as a reason for building more plants, then this implies that the theory of global warming and its effects, such as sea levels rising are to be believed.

The guidebook explains current photovoltaic and solar thermal building practices and provides useful tips for builders and homebuyers.

Western countries and industrialized Asian nations like Japan and the Republic of Korea have moved many of their factories to developing countries such as China and India, where cheap labor allows them to manufacture at lower costs than at home. This globalization of production has resulted in the discharge of much more waste in poor nations that otherwise would have been released in developed countries. As a matter of fact, not all of the greenhouse gases released "in China" or "from China" are really "China's".

"If we can get the brain trust of the semiconductor industry behind solar, we can bring down costs and become mainstream," he said.

Fatalities per 100 million passenger km: Car: 1.1 Rail: > 0.1 Air: 0.1 Space Shuttle: ~1.9

Widespread adoption of PHEVs could reduce GHG emissions from vehicles by more than 450 million metric tons annually in 2050—equivalent to removing 82.5 million passenger cars from the road. Cumulative GHG emissions reductions from 2010 to 2050 could reach 10.3 billion metric tons under the most aggressive scenarios for the development of a lower-carbon electrical infrastructure and PHEV penetration.

Well, for each gallon of gas you burn in your engine, there's the climate equivalent of another quarter-gallon or so embedded in your consumption.

It will build trust and confidence that the overall target of 9 % energy savings within 9 years can be achieved, and will thus support Member States in attaining their target.

measuring the impact of energy efficiency improvement measures and energy services

To ensure the plans fulfil this role, this paper analyses the key elements needed for a template and guidance, tailored specifically to the buildings sector

How can this Action Plan change this problem? Europe needs to pursue energy efficiency vigorously, but are the Action Plan and the signals of announcing possible changes in current directives enough? These questions are also addressed in this paper.

Supplying green electricity to around 250 households with a rated power of nearly 300 kW

The world-wide first commercial breakwater wave energy plant will be built at the Spanish Atlantic coast

The future of biofuels is not in corn, says a new report released today by Food & Water Watch, the Network for New Energy Choices, and the Vermont Law School Institute for Energy and the Environment. The corn ethanol refinery industry, the beneficiary of new renewable fuel targets in the proposed energy legislation as well as proposed loan guarantee subsidies in the 2007 Farm Bill, will not significantly offset U.S. fossil fuel consumption without unacceptable environmental and economic consequences.

This paper compares GHG emissions of CTL gasoline to the emissions of plug-in hybrid vehicles powered with electricity generated with coal.

The Vectrix scooter weighs about 200 kilograms, while the lithium-ion-powered Enertia ($12,000), made by Brammo Motorsports of Ashland, OR, weighs just 125 kilograms. Brammo hopes that the lighter electric motorcycles will be appealing to those who would be intimidated by a heavier bike.

Unique in its scope, the 18-month study of global energy to 2030 involved more than 350 experts from diverse backgrounds and organizations—the majority of them from outside the oil and gas industry.

At the point where our research began we had seen a new theme of ‘community based localism’ in policy supporting a surge of new activity on the ground.  Very little research had been undertaken to explore the motives and rationales of those involved, to examine the ways in which policy and action at a local level were interconnecting or to understand the profile and pattern of outcomes that were being achieved.