Techdiplomacy

On Saturday December 8, 2008, I posted “Green Jobs An Idea whose Time Has Come”. In the post I explained green jobs and what the term meant. Due to the number of questions I get about the subject, I will clarify the matter with the following text. In the meantime, please take a look at the post I mentioned earlier. You can locate it in the archive for December.

Phil Angelides, chairman of the Apollo Alliance, was interviewed by Time Magazine in 2008 before the presidential election. He gave his thoughts concerning the subject. He included green collar jobs, cleaning up the environment, controling global warming and creating a new type of employment. Some of the most prestigious universities have done significant work involving perfecting renewable energy’s mainstays, wind and solar power, thereby increasing the potential for creation of green jobs. There has been significant work in the private sector by research institutions and the academic community in general. The ‘thinktank’ RAND Corporation, University of Tennessee and others have found that if 25% of all American energy were produced from renewable sources by 2025, we would generate at least 5 million new green jobs. Today, I’ll try to explain what is a green-collar job? Where could you find those jobs ? Phil Angelides is the chair of the Apollo Alliance as well, a coalition of business, labor and environmental groups trying to bring green employment to the forefront. This is the way Mr Angelides defined green jobs in the interview by Time, “It has to pay decent wages and benefits that can support a family. It has to be part of a real career path, with upward mobility. And it needs to reduce waste and pollution and benefit the environment.” If you make wind turbines or solar panels, your job is green. Mr. Angelides and his groups are trying to broaden the definition of ‘green job’. They would like a green-collar job to be anything that helps America to a cleaner, energy efficient future. That means jobs in the public transit sector, jobs in green building, jobs in energy efficiency, traditional, blue-collar manufacturing jobs, as long as what you’re making is green. “You don’t want to greenwash,” says Angelides. “You don’t want to call something a green-collar job that doesn’t have the wages or background to support it.” Environmental groups like the Apollo Alliance say that the new green American economy will actually create millions of new jobs. Someone will produce alternative power, increase energy efficiency and overhaul wasteful buildings. Angelides notes that between now and 2030, 75% of the buildings in the U.S. will either be new or substantially rehabilitated. Our inefficient, and unstable electrical grid will be overhauled. The jobs that will go into that kind of work should be green-collar. “Green jobs will not only exist in new technology fields” like solar energy, says Angelides, whose group is calling for a $300 billion investment in green jobs over the next 10 years. “We’ll be creating jobs in the industrial sector.” One of the supporters of the Apollo Alliance is the United Steelworkers Alliance, labor leaders see green jobs as a way to fight outsourcing and keep manufacturing jobs here in America.
The creation of green-collar jobs can convince skeptical, blue-collar Americans that they have an economic stake in climate change.​

Below is a compilation of definitions with questions to help trigger questions and increase discussion.  The people who compiled these points are too numerous to mention, however they have my thanks. The current “Green Collar Worker” definition at Wikipedia reads,       “A green-collar worker is a worker who is employed in the environmental sectors of the economy, or in the agricultural sector.” Should green collar only cover environmental or agricultural sectors? Is an industry-based approach appropriate? Would a green collar worker be involved with the science of developing technologies that help produce more efficient energy or power systems? Could we develop something more inclusive which provides an indication of intent? Let’s look at a “Green Collar Job” definition. The short radio program, “the Environminute” stated, “Green collar jobs are blue collar jobs that help protect the planet.” A broader definition that seems to be role-based. A role-based approach is good but what if you are merely “conserving or preserving” that planet? What if you are just doing a job that produces little or no waste? Does this definition add confusion by defining something with an ambiguous term like “blue collar.” Will additional research reveal similar problems back in the days of the industrial revolution when folks were trying too define blue-collar worker?  Separately, Wikipedia, defines a Blue Collar worker as, “a member of the working class who performs manual labor and earns an hourly wage.” Is this also too exclusive? Must Green Collar Workers perform jobs which pay hourly? Do Green Collar Workers need to do manual labor to be considered green? RAQUEL PINDERHUGHES, Ph. D. definition in her Green Collar Jobs case study for the city of Berkeley, California states in part, “Green collar jobs are blue collar jobs in green businesses – that is, manual labor jobs in businesses whose products and services directly improve environmental quality (Pinderhughes, 2006).” Does this occupational-based approach to defining “Green Collar Jobs”, exclude folks that work behind a desk on a computer?  What about folks building websites iike this one) which in turn, support green efforts? Could we include folks that invest in “Environmentally-Friendly Portfolios,” as Green Collar Workers? What about salaried, County workers that are researching and implementing sustainability plans? Could politicians that sign and act in accordance with green sustainability pledge during their term in office be considered Green Collar Workers? The UNEP, ILO, ITUC GREEN JOBS INITIATIVE Report and GreenforAll orgnizations shoot a bit higher in their definition of Green Collar Jobs, “Green-collar jobs, as we define them, are wellpaid, career track jobs that contribute directly to preserving or enhancing environmental quality. Like traditional blue-collar jobs, green-collar jobs range from low-skill, entry-level positions to high-skill, higher-paid jobs, and include opportunities for advancement in both skills and wages.” Is the “opportunity for advancement” inclusion important? is this more of an outcome-based approach?  In a more recent report commissioned and funded by UNEP, also as part of the joint UNEP, ILO, IOE, ITUC Green Jobs Initiative you can find this Green Collar Jobs definition,  “We define green jobs as work in agricultural, manufacturing, research and development (R&D), administrative, and service activities that contribute substantially to preserving or restoring environmental quality. Specifically, but not exclusively, this includes jobs that help to protect ecosystems and biodiversity; reduce energy, materials, and water consumption through high efficiency strategies; de-carbonize the economy; and minimize or altogether avoid generation of all forms of waste and pollution.” Should the following questions also be considered when attempting to define the term, “Green Collar Worker” or “Green Collar Jobs” in Hawaii?   1. Should the definition of a Green Collar Worker be different depending on location?  For example, where you live has great impact on the way you work and what you do for work. A Green Colla Worker specializing in water systems might be involved in diverse occupations such as harvesting, treatment, delivery, research and education. We may find differences in impact, skills and success metrics among green workers in sandy deserts vs. the rain forests of Mountain View.   2. 2. Is the context in which you live or work in important to how you personally define a Green Collar Worker? A so-called, “Green Collar” means one thing to a researcher studing photo-voltaics and something potentially different to a farmer using sustainable growing techniques. An educator teaching green design may define a Green Collar Workers differently than a hydropower technician at the local power company. Similar differences in definition might exist between a LEEDS certified building contractor and a web professional using a green data center and energy efficient-coding standards to build online websites. 3. Is an outcomes-based approach the best dtermining factor? The workers intent may have a direct affect on the environment surrounding the worker on and off duty. Should the worker’s past performance be considered? Do commercial hazardous materials handlers have a special responsibility in the context of the environment? Are some workers inclined to be “greener” than others?   Is the term, “Green Collar Worker” a living or still evolving term? Is the definition actually changing as our understanding of a greener, more sustainable planet evolves? A somewhat innate understanding seems to exist. A solid understanding may eventually lead to NAICS job codes but for now local definitions need to exist to facilitate communication.  Know the difference between “Green Collar Jobs” and “Green Collar Workers”, workers are human beings, jobs are not.
This topic, like all the others shown here is open for discussion, make comments and submit questions, we will respond. See you around the galaxy…

Fluor forms renewable energy business line 15 May 2009. This was the headline from a trade publication. Engineering and construction firm Fluor said it is forming a business line to focus on global renewable energy for clients in the solar, wind and biomass power markets. Fluor said the line will complement its nuclear, gas and solid fueled, and air quality control offerings. It will be led by Brad Friesen, a Fluor executive and former head of the company’s gas fueled line. “Fluor has designed and built renewable energy projects for more than 20 years and we will leverage that expertise for the benefit of our clients,” Friesen said in a statement.

I don’t know much, but I once worked as a consultant for Fluor and I can’t remember them being all that environmentally concerned. I suppose we must give these companies the benefit of doubt, but we must be careful as well. Read on, you’ll see what I mean.

The following comments were written by Jean Jerome Baudry, there is more information concerning Mr. Baudry at the end of his comments.

More than ever before the population wants GREEN! Practices, products, organic food, recyclable packaging, the list is never ending and more than ever, businesses are giving it to them. Businesses far and wide are claiming to go green, to the point where society needs a term to describe consumers being misled by a company regarding their environmental practices. The term ‘greenwashing’ was claimed to have originated from a NY suburban environmentalist named Jay Westerveld in 1986, although the actual practice originated somewhere in the 60s alongside the emerging environmentalist movement. It’s no wonder that greening your business has become so marketable when over half of the baby boomer population – some 40 million – are environmentally conscience consumers. Therefore greening your business can be an all around profitable endeavor from a marketing standpoint as well as a cost savings standpoint. The danger is when it comes to advertising a practice or an approach as green which isn’t reflected in the day to day operations. It’s simply fraudulent or better known as …greenwashing. The Think Green Alliance aims to provide a safeguard against “greenwashing,” which is common in the marketplace today when so few standards and regulations exist for determining whether a company is truly environmentally friendly and if so, just how environmentally friendly they are. The criteria for membership, established by Cybernomics, are simple but telling. Think Green Alliance members (1) must show tangibly that they have incorporated green principles into their business plan, (2) must have a concrete, measurable, and step-by-step approach to integration of these principles, and (3) must be committed to a continuous cycle of improvement. Think Green Alliance members span multiple industry verticals and therefore lend a multidisciplinary approach to companies looking to start adopting green principles into their business plan and operations, as well as provide a benchmark to companies who have already embarked upon a green plan. For more information on the Think Green Alliance, or to apply for membership for your company, please visit http://www.thinkgreenalliance.com. Jean Jerome Baudry founded Cybernomics in 1993 as a Professional IT Consulting, Management, and Support firm. Today, Cybernomics is a leader in Green IT and financially and environmentally sustainable solutions. Mr. Baudry is also the founder of the Think Green Alliance, a green business community dedicated to the promotion, development, and awareness of fiscally sound green business practices. For more information on Mr. Baudry or on Cybernomics, please visit http://www.cybernomics.net.

Mr. Baudry has expressed concern and has provided solutions to keep companies honest with regard to being environmentally friendly. As an environmentalist I applaud these efforts and as a consumer, I vow to investigate claims by companies that claim they are ‘green’. We need to know the truth, therefore avoiding ‘greenwashing’ that is becoming rampant. Anyway that’s what I think, tell us your opinion. In the meantime, see you around the galaxy…

This post will try to increase awareness of the benefits of wind energy and the possibility of using it in an urban environment.  Hopefully this post could provide an overview for individuals and groups who are interested in setting up an urban wind energy project, and covers the sorts of issues that will need to be addressed, including, but not limited to, technological environmental, political, and financial issues.  Urban wind energy has not been widely used as wind farms in rural areas and now offshore, where large turbines in very windy locations have the capacity to generate significant amounts of electricity. Urban wind projects, out of necessity will encompass projects that are smaller in scope and therefore require more installations of turbines. This is by comparison with large installations in offshore or rural areas. There are opportunities to harness the wind in our towns and cities.  Urban wind energy will help to reduce our energy demand, provide a source of clean, local power, and provide an education concerning the importance of renewable energy and the need to power our society using wind and solar power. The following technological advance will enable urban wind project managers connectivity to the grid. This solution is being utilized by wind turbines all around the world, in more traditional settings.

American Superconductor Corporation, a leading energy technologies company, recently announced that it has received an order worth more than $10M from ACCIONA Energy, a division of ACCIONA SA and a world leader in renewable power, for its new Dynamic VAR Ride Through (D-VAR RT) solution. Building on AMSC’s highly successful D-VAR platform, which provides critical dynamic reactive compensation required to connect many wind farms around the world to the power grid, the company’s D-VAR RT product enables individual wind turbines to continue operating smoothly by “riding through” voltage disturbances on power grids that might otherwise interrupt their operation. The D-VAR RT product meets stringent grid interconnection requirements, including Spain’s new Procedimiento de Operación 12.3 requirement for both existing and new wind turbines. According to the Global Wind Energy Council, Spain was the world’s third largest wind power market at the end of 2008 with an installed base of more than 16,000 megawatts (MW). Disturbances such as momentary voltage dips can disconnect many wind turbines and cause instability on the transmission grid.  Developed by Spain’s transmission system operator Red Electrica de España (REE), P.O. 12.3 requires that wind turbines remain connected to the grid through such events. After extensive field testing and operation by an AMSC-ACCIONA Energy team at a wind farm with one of Spain’s most difficult climates, the D-VAR RT solution recently received official certification of compliance. ACCIONA Energy has initially ordered D-VAR RT solutions for an important amount of first-generation “squirrel-cage” wind turbines that are currently providing more than 250 MW of electricity in Spain to meet P.O. 12.3. AMSC will deliver all of the D-VAR RT solutions covered under this contract to ACCIONA Energy over the next few months. The D-VAR RT solution can be installed inside or outside the tower of any wind turbine, enabling turbine manufacturers as well as wind farm developers, owners and operators to easily add the systems to new wind turbines or retrofit existing turbines. Utilizing AMSC’s PowerModule PM3000W wind turbine converter, this scalable solution is designed for a wide range of wind turbines with power ratings from 500 kilowatts (kW) up to 10 MW. This is the technology that will enable wind turbines to be deployed in urban areas. The powerful, cost-effective technology provides low and high voltage ride through capabilities to keep wind turbines running through grid disturbances. This product is based on AMSC’s patented D-VAR platform, which is supporting more than 3,300 MW of power at 40 wind farms around the world. “With more than 6,000 megawatts of wind power installed and more than 15,000 additional megawatts in development, ACCIONA Energy is a global clean energy powerhouse and is an ideal first adopter for our new D-VAR RT solution,” said Timothy Poor, AMSC’s Vice President of Global Sales and Business Development. “We see great potential for this product in Spain and other countries that adopt similar standards in the years ahead as wind power continues to play a more prominent role in the world’s electricity supply. ” ACCIONA Energy has been a renewable energy pioneer in its home market for well over a decade. In 1994, the company established its first commercial wind farms.  ACCIONA has contributed decisively to the growth in wind energy by developing and adapting innovative solutions that enable wind to become a main energy contributor. In this context, Acciona Energy has been involved in several technical working groups and committees with the aim of developing these new ride through capabilities.  This technology is key at this time to making urban wind generating projects a viable option immediately.

There are several companies manufacturing wind turbines that are  acceptable in urban settings.  There are critics of this technology, however their arguments are not reasonable or based on proven facts.  I read one critic of urban wind turbines whose main argument was he had done some calculations based on a lot of his own interpolation, and he had proved (to himself mostly) that you cannot have urban wind generating projects that produce enough electricity to make them viable options.  If we had listened to people like this we would not have air travel or vechicle travel not dependant on horses or other livestock.  We have the technology to generate wind power in urban settings, we need only implement this technology and work towards making this venture successful.  We are Americans and from the beginning we have been innovators.  Our President Barack Obama is a man who has taken responsibility to lead us through a period of change and transition.  He was and is the perfect choice for this moment in time, this is a period of transition.  We can and will use wind in urban settings for electrical power.  If someone says we can’t they are betting against American ingenuity.  It is not a good bet we will succeed in this as we have in all of endeavors that we attempted in order to improve the quality of life for Americans.  There is no choice, we have polluted our environment, used our natural resources, (oil, coal, etc.) until the resources have been depleted.  The only option is to look to renewable energy sources, wind, solar, and geothermal power are all we really have left.

The following is just one example of an urban wind turbine by virtue of it’s design.

This is a different design from the usual turbines seen in rural areas

The blades of the QR5 are gently tapered, to minimise noise – the blades being constructed from carbon fibre.

The QR5 also adheres to the principles of simplicity, sacrificing the complexity of a gearbox, for a direct-drive motor. The design aims to reduce maintenance costs by making all moving parts sealed units. The design incorporates a 6kW generator, and operates in wind conditions between 4 m/s and 16 m/s.

The design has an operational life of 25 years and has been constructed to be relatively maintenance free during that period. 

Assuming an average wind speed of 5.8 m/s, with 10, 000kWh being generated each year, the turbine will have a financial payback period of 15 years – however, as the price of oil continues to spiral, there is no reason why the turbine could not pay for itself in less time.

Vertical Shaft Turbines For Urban Use

This is a no brainer, we can and we will use wind power in our cities and towns.  There is simply no alternative.  I only hope that we will not listen to those who would tell us that we cannot do this for vague and dubious reasons.  We have proved time and time again that as Americans we can do anything we want. 

Once again, I invite anyone to comment on this (or any other) post and we will print your comments and try to engage you in a discussion, in the meantime, see you around the galaxy…

When the big 3 CEO’s, the head of the UAW, and various invited economic experts appeared before Congress, one key witness was missing, and the success or failure of an American auto industry pivots around its presence. That missing witness is an American advanced automotive battery manufacturing industry. With all the talk on Capitol Hill about Big 3’s plans to introduce advanced, plug-in electric cars, with the CEO’s arriving to testify in conventional hybrids and advanced prototype plug-in models, little if any attention was paid to the fact that America has next to no advanced automotive lithium ion battery production capacity. With the exception of a currently shrinking handful of US-based firms, virtually all advanced nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li-ion) production is done overseas, mainly in China, Japan and Korea.Two Japanese companies: Panasonic and Sanyo produce nearly all of the batteries found in today’s hybrids, including those manufactured by Toyota, Lexus, Honda, Nissan and Ford. And Panasonic, whose hybrid battery production JV is now largely owned by Toyota, is seeking to acquire Sanyo, which would give it nearly monopolistic control of all NiMH battery production for automotive applications.US-based Cobasys, originally founded as joint-venture between Troy, Michigan-based ECD and General Motors to produce NiMH batteries for the now extinct EV1 electric car, produces nickel-based batteries for the troubled giant’s hybrids, but its fate is uncertain. Between legal spats with Daimler and product quality issues with GM, as well as management problems, the joint venture with Chevron-Texaco remains, at best, a small player in a rapidly shifting market. Two other NiMH plays, Colorado-based NiLar and ElectroEnergy, which also produces lithium-based cells, have run into either technical obstacles or financial ones. On the lithium ion battery front, the picture is much the same. The literally thousands of finger-sized cells that power the Tesla Roadster come from Asia. The same goes for the battery cells the Chevy Volt, the extended range electric car on which General Motors is pinning its future. The battery “pack” in the Volt consists of a series of battery modules, each similar to the starter battery on a small car or motorcycle. Inside these modules are individual “cells”, each rated at 2-3 volts. These are connected together to make a module, which is connected to all the other modules to make a single 16 kilowatt hour battery pack, giving the car a range of 40 miles on electric power only. General Motors contracted with two firms to develop the battery pack for the Volt: Michigan-based Compact Power, Inc. (CPI) and Germany’s Continental AG (Conti). CPI gets its cells from its parent, LG Chem, the giant Korean conglomerate. Conti partnered with Massachusetts-based A123 Technologies for their cells, but those cells are manufactured in China.So the lithium battery technology inside the Volt “mule” — a converted Chevy Cruze — in which fired GM CEO Rick Wagner arrived on Capitol Hill for a second round of Congressional hearings, ultimately came from Asian manufacturers, not American ones. There are just a tiny handful of North American lithium cell manufacturers that are actively engaged in producing cells for automotive applications. Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls and French-based Saft have created a joint-venture — JSC — to produce advanced automotive batteries, but at the moment production is in France with product consigned for use in BMW and Mercedes hybrids in Europe.ElectroEnergy, which originally hoped to manufacture a bi-polar NiMH battery, decided to acquire an abandoned lithium ion cell plant in Gainesville, Florida. Originally built by Energizer Holdings in the early 1990s, the plant closed without producing a single 18650 cell — the kind that powers most laptop computers and digital cameras — for commercial sale when cheaper, better Asian cells began to flood the market. It sat idle for a decade until ElectroEnergy acquired it, hoping to tap into the burgeoning market for lithium batteries. During the recent Electric Drive Transportation Association conference in Washington, D.C., the company president, Michael Reed announced that having run out of operating cash and potential investors, he was within days of going out of business, this despite having some $7 million dollars in orders.Another US-based, advanced battery manufacturer, Altair Nanotechnologies, produced a small number of its advanced lithium ion batteries — the cells themselves originally sourced from a Chinese partner — for Phoenix Motorcars, which was using them for its electric truck conversion project. While initially showing very promising results in terms of fast charge capability and battery longevity, the company’s automotive battery venture has yet to emerge from the custom prototype pack stage. Phoenix has had to turn to other potential suppliers. One of those suppliers is Toronto-based Electrovaya, whose Superpolymertm chemistry was initially developed for laptop computers. Efforts by the State of New York to woo the company into a building a plant in its economically depressed Upstate region have made little headway as Electrovaya increasingly turns it attention to India and Europe. It is collaborating with Indian industrial giant Tata and a Norwegian company to build an all-electric car in Scandinavia. It is also studying building a battery plant in India, the home of its co-founder, Dr. Sankar DasGupta. The advanced lithium ion batteries in the Segway scooter — and now the Brammo electric motorcycle — come from Austin, Texas-based Valence. However, actual cell production is, again, in China. The one bright spot at the moment in all-American advanced automotive battery manufacturing is EnerDel and its Ener1 battery production unit. The Indianapolis-based manufacturer is developing packs to power the Th!nk City electric car in Norway, which is slated for a US introduction sometime around 2010. According to EnerDel Chairman Charles Gassenheimer, the company is also in discussions with at least two other OEMs. The firm’s Indianapolis facilities produce both lithium ion cells and finished battery packs; and it recently acquired the third largest lithium cell manufacturer in Korea, obviously anticipating future growth.

This is not a problem, this is an opportunity. This is America and we are known for our ability to solve our problems with new and innovative ideas. We will solve the battery shortage issue. Of that there can be no doubt. We will not let this battery issue become an insurmountable problem. Any thoughts? Add your comments to this discussion. See you around the galaxy…

This is the first electric car

I know that everyone has seen or at least heard of, some version of an electric car. However did you know that they (electric cars) were first seen in the 1890′ s, with the advent of an electric vehicle invented by William Morrison.

That era was a time of innovators and people of vision. There were several versions of the electric car introduced in this period and New York City used the vehicles for taxis briefly. I mention these events in a time when we are bailing out our nation’s automakers for a good reason.

No, I didn’t mean that the bailout is a good idea, I meant bringing the history of the electric car into this is a good idea at this time. Maybe these geniuses would not be in the predicament they find themselves in, if they hadn’t discarded the idea of electric power for gas guzzling internal combustion engines. Let me explain, the story starts in the late 1800’s as I stated earlier.

There were around nine electric vehicles at the turn of the last century on the market so to speak.

Despite the notion that electric vehicles represent a new and what seems to be exotic technology, they have been around for a long time. During the early 1900s, cars powered by electricity were the fastest on the road. When the internal combustion engine was invented, electric cars dropped off the face of the planet, I’m sure the oil industry gave it a push. However, due to the many natural resource and environmental problems that we face now, electric cars, are in the mix once again. There are many kinds of electric vehicles. The most recognizable are electric cars, which can be the solution to our dependence on oil, foreign and domestic. Scientists and corporations have developed new technologies and have refined electric car research and manufacturing. There are electric cars that are more efficient and more reliable than conventional cars, that are being developed and sold to the public. There are other kinds of electric vehicles available, such as buses and rail transportation.

This brings us back to the bailout, and the cars American auto manufacturers are producing, in this, their hour of need. There has been an increase in fuel prices over the last few years, everyone knows that this is the case. As a result of this, people have started looking for ways to save money on fuel. There have been various alternatives in recent years. Two of the alternatives are electric cars and hybrids. Electric cars are simply cars that run on electric energy. Hybrid cars are a combination of an electric engine system and a fuel engine system. What are the differences between electric cars and hybrid cars? Aside from how their engine systems work, there are a few notable differences between electric and hybrid cars. Hybrids perform differently on the road, since they have an engine that runs on fuel. They can travel longer distances using their gas components after their electrical charges have been depleted. However, electric cars are environmentally friendly, since they produce no emissions and do not use liquid fuel at all.

The point is, are the hybrids the answer? They use petroleum, only not as much. We as a nation need to learn about sacrifice. Electric cars, while not the perfect solution, yet, could solve that environmental problem once and for all. No emissions at all, ever again. We sacrifice a little to gain the world. It’s a no brainer, our children will thank us. No more petroleum powered cars of any sort. Let’s look at hybrids, since the industry that’s being bailed out has only hybrids to offer.

I know I’m repeating myself, but so there is no misunderstanding. Hybrid electric vehicles are vehicles that combine an internal combustion engine with a battery powered system. They are what you get when you mix a ‘regular’, petroleum fueled car with an electric one, which is why they are called hybrids. While hybrids do not have any advantages in performance that separate them from the rest, they are popular because the industry touts them as an environmentally acceptable alternative to ‘regular’ internal combustion engine powered cars. They are supposedly able to get the best of both electric and fuel powered cars. They are more efficient than fuel powered cars but not as efficient as those relying solely on electric power. Many large automobile manufacturers are offering hybrid versions of their cars. Companies (including the ones desiring bailouts) such as General Motors, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, and Honda are some of the car makers that have manufactured hybrid electric cars and trucks in the last few years.

We are at a fork in the road of our existence on this planet. We can transition into a new cleaner and sustainable future. Hybrids are not the answer, we mist go forward with all electric vehicles.

What is it that we will lose if we go with new ideas like the electric car? What is the sacrifice? Let’s see, we’ll need a new grid, however that’s a plus because it will create new jobs. Oh, I know, we’ll have to use electric cars, let’s look at that.

Unlike a hybrid car—which is fueled by gasoline and uses a battery and motor to improve efficiency—an electric car is powered exclusively by electricity. As battery technology improves—simultaneously increasing energy storage and reducing cost—major automakers are introducing a new generation of electric cars. Electric cars produce no tailpipe emissions, reduce our dependency on oil, and are cheaper to operate. Of course, the process of producing the electricity moves the emissions further upstream to the utility company’s smokestack—but even dirty electricity used in electric cars usually reduces our collective carbon footprint. Another factor is convenience: In one trip to the gas station, you can pump 330 kilowatt-hours of energy into a 10-gallon tank. It would take about 9 days to get the same amount of energy from household electric current. Fortunately, it takes hours and not days to recharge an electric car, because it’s much more efficient. Speaking of convenience, let’s not forget two important points: charging up at home means never going to a gas station—and electric cars require almost none of the maintenance, like oil changes and emissions checks, that internal combustion cars require. Electric motors develop their highest torque from zero rpms—meaning fast (and silent) zero-to-60 acceleration times.

The fact is we are in a transitional time with regard to life on this planet. The President of the United States recognizes this fact, and he is taking bold steps in the name of radical change. Citizens of the planet must unite and except this eventuality. Cars that need petroleum are causing great damage to us, and the environment. Manufacturing hybrids is not the answer, and it is an insult to our collective intelligence. They use petroleum and tease us with battery powered engines with very short ranges.

Finally, I would like to say that the answer lies within each of us, we hold the keys. If we want a future that does not allow the greed of the oil companies and the automobile industry to destroy our environment, well then we must draw a line in the sand now. Hybrids use petroleum and we don’t need them. Let’s go with the electric car. We need zero emissions from automobiles and other vehicles now. We simply have done too much damage as it stands to go for anything short of banning CO2 emissions from cars. We could accomplish this in the next 5 to 10 years. We need only look at this as an investment in our future, and not a sacrifice. Finally , I’d like everyone who reads this to comment. Its does not matter if you agree or disagree, give us your opinion on this and we’ll print it, it’s that simple.

See you around the galaxy…

There is some conversation about money when people discuss renewable energy. They want to know if they can in some way profit from the industry.

Renewable energy provides several ways to make an income from this new and vital industry. The opportunities are there, we simply must find an opening. Solar and wind generation devices must be manufactured, and renewable energy must be installed, so to speak.

Wind turbine power is an industry that saw widespread growth last year. How does one make money from any of this? There is a need to seek that which has not been “done to death”. You could invest, or you could involve yourself in the manufacturing/installation end of the business. Once again seek “the road least traveled by.” I will attempt to provide useful information to anyone desiring a way to success in renewable energy.

The branch of renewable energy that is very busy now is wind power. It’s the first source we will investigate. Generation of wind power is usually expedited by the use of wind turbines. The ways to profit from this are infinite. We’ll take a look at all of them, if we can. The obvious ways are not necessarily the best ways. I will take you through the steps that will gain us the best results. I hope you will gain some insight from this post, it is information gleaned from the top marketing and manufacturing experts in the US.

Manufacturing wind turbines is an employee dominated avocation. By that I mean a large number of people are required to manufacture the turbines and to install them. The first thing you have is marketing the product or concept. You advertise and you sell people your idea or product. Renewable energy does not need hard sell tacticts. We’ll stick to the facts. With wind turbines we’ll need to find an acceptable way to present our product to our target group of consumers.

If you want to keep your operation small, then any advertising you do should only include your local audience. By that I mean, use the local newspapers and magazines for your print ads, and call local radio and any TV stations operating in your area.

Before we go any further, let me say that in this post I won’t tell you how to manufacture or install anything. I will provide information that will enable you order inexpensive E-books that will give you that kind of instruction. Otherwise this would go on forever.

When you you advertise make sure that you inform your potential customers who will be responsible for the work. That is to say, you will be responsible for all of the work, it does’nt matter who actually does the work. You will hire private contractors to do your work, just make sure they have good reputations.

Let’s take a look, you may save them a great deal of money, simply by installing a wind turbine . There is not a city in the country that will not grant the permits. That being the case you will have free reign to sell your product. You would be surprised at the number of customers you will have.

So advertise and I guarantee that you will make money. The next step is to educate yourself about your product. The more you know about your product, the better. Don’t assume anything, let everyone know that you are an expert in your field. People will have faith in your product and make a purchase if you seem to be an expert.

The next step is to network, you’re offering a product will save money for those that choose to use it. Most cities have sites on the web geared to report on local events. This is not advertising that will cost you money. This is ‘free’, and will not cost you anything. The writers for these entities will seek you out if you can generate interest in your product(s). Press releases, social media, word of mouth, are all legitimate ways to generate interest. Once again, I will provide links to material that will help you in these areas at the end of this post.

This post is not finished, it will be continued at a later date. Anyone desiring the links I referred to iin this post may write their requests in the comment area of this post. I will get them to you ASAP, see you next time. Please remember, this is the end of the beginning.

President Obama in a speech before congress promised to double the amount of power generated by renewable energy in his first term. While this is a good start we simply must do more if we are to save our environment and create green jobs for Americans that need them.

The president has opened the issue, and now the private sector must respond. Last year (2008) was a good year for renewable energy, however the economic problems we are faced with this year are creating problems for renewable energy.

Economists expect as much as a 50 percent drop in new wind projects due to the difficulty in securing financing because of a tight credit market. This is not unacceptable as last year was a banner year. The problem is we need as many of these projects to go through as possible. Once we finance the wind projects we will need to update the power grid system or the areas in need of the power will not get it.

The players involved in renewable energy need capital in order to provide their services, however homeowners and buinesses desiring to upgrade to renewable energy need financing as well. The government and the private sector have to see that these funds become available. This is an opportunity to create jobs and to clean up the environment, as well as enable us to upgrade our power grid.

There is a new proposal to provide tax credits for a price to carbon dioxide polluters. They would buy these credits and then use them to continue polluting. To quote my teenage son, that sucks. Most of these people are utilities, electric companies and they bill their customers for anything they need. So I would pay these guys to keep polluting? I don’t think so, this is a bad idea and it should be ignored.

The reality is we must move forward, the future is well within our grasp. We have to go forward there is no alternative. The future is now! Our children will not survive if we make the wrong decisions now. We don’t have to give anyone the right to destroy our environment for money. We will generate all we need by making the right decisions.

I want to explain to everyone that if we do what is necessary we will suceed, if not we will to my sorrow fail. Renewable energy is not a pipe dream, it is the way that we will create a new beginning.

We will do ourselves a favor if we consider that however small, the president has alllocated funds for renewable energy in the federal budget, it is legitimate. The naysayers have not a leg to stand on. The rest is up to us, help this cause, write your elected officials, donate small sums, and raise your voice. See you around the galaxy.

The smokestack crew would like to share in the stimulus citing rising demand for electric power.
This group includes coal fired power stations, the oil industry, and all fossil fuel power plants. They are mobilizing their collective might in order to propogandize their Industry. Never mind the carbon dioxide emissions caused by their efforts.

We cannot forget the coal industry`s effort to market ‘clean’ coal which simply does not exist. The president once mentioned this myth while campaigning, he has not mentioned it since. I’m sure he was advised of the lack of veracity concerning ‘clean coal’. This effort by the coal industry shows the lengths they will go to in order to keep destroying our environment.

This industry has made some half hearted attempts to clean up some of their CO2 emmisions to no avail. There is no Incentive for them to do so. This is the problem, they have held sway for so long. Let me explain.

Coal fired power plants are not labor intensive, they are usually powered by a device called a programmable logic controller. This device is operated by one man in a control booth. Therefore the entire plant is operated by a single person. Not inducive to full employment is it? The power company charges top dollar and they have a small payroll to meet.

The renewable energy Industry is labor intensive. It has been shown that investing in renewables will create millions of jobs. The president has signed the stimulus and with help from a Colorado solar business operator has urged Americans to embrace renewable energy resources. We have no choice, we need to embrace solar, wind, and geothermal energy to power our society. There would be a resurgence of American pride in our accomplishments. Jobs would be created. Global warming could be stopped and the effects perhaps reversed. Careers could be made as we perfect this technology. The possibilities are limitless.

In order to get to the point, (I know it’s too late) I will paraphrase my title. The fossil fuel Industry will try to get a share of the stimulus package, and we should oppose that notion. They are desperate to maintain their windfall profits in the face of legislation requiring lower carbon emissions. We as a people need to keep this industry from benefiting from the stimulus package, fossil fuels are not the answer. Renewable energy is the only answer to America’s energy and economic needs. Write your elected officials!

The stimulus plan has been passed and there is money for renewable energy resources. However is there enough? We need swift and descisive action. We are in the middle of a crisis of monumentive proportions. This will not solve our problem but it will get us closer to our goal.

The next step in the process is to be certain that the funds are distributed properly. The distribution should Include solar energy, wind turbines, and geothermal energy.

These steps will insure a start to a new energy policy that will provide green jobs and kick start our economy. Write your elected officials today and help get this started.

Offshore Wind Turbines

 

Renewable energy grew in leaps and bounds in 2008, and the future is promising with wind, solar and  geothermal power gaining in the foreseeable future.  You have the nuclear and fossil fuel industries saying that renewable energy is a good thought but is it economically feasible?  The answer is yes, although those industries would have the public believe otherwise.

Wind Power

In the past year we have seen wind power grow in places where there is surplus wind to be harnessed.  That would include Texas, Kansas, and Missouri.  There is a wealth of wind in Texas and they have done their best to utilize this power to grow tax revenues, create jobs, create a large tourism industry (people actually come to see the wind turbines in operation) and increase educational resources.  Towns that used to see most of their population moving on as they reached the age of the majority.  Now these towns are witnessing a rebirth of sorts as young people are staying in droves. 

The year 2008 was the best year in United States wind power history.  The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) has released reports stating that the industry will easily surpass 2007, they added Wyoming and West Virginia to the list of states with the highest volume of wind power.  The AWEA revealed that only Germany, India, and Spain had more wind power capacity than Texas at the end of 2007.  They noted that West Virginia had the fastest wind power capacity growth which tripled it’s capacity.  Wyoming reportedly could have added 1,856 more turbines and around 2,800 MW of wind generation capacity. 

On the eastern seaboard offshore wind turbines seemed to be the answer according to the AWEA and is more cost effective than fossil fuel and nuclear power.  Plans have been revealed to build 96 offshore wind turbines arranged in a grid 16 to 20 miles off Cape May and Atlantic counties.

Congress has awarded wind a one-year Production Tax Credit (PTC) extension in the Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.  AWEA advocates a long term extension of the wind PTC.

Geothermal Power

The Geothermal Energy Association said 47 new geothermal projects are in various stages of development in California and Nevada.  When completed they will provide more than 2,100 MW, and there are projects getting started in Arizona, New Mexico, Oregon and Washington.  The U.S. Department of the Interior said in October that more than 190 million acres of federal land in 11 western states including Alaska will open to geothermal energy resource development. 

The Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency  and Renewable Energy report “Geothermal Tomorrow 2008″ stated that improved geothermal technologies have “the potential to access vast untapped geothermal energy sources.”  One such technology, enhanced geothermal systems (EGS) involves digging wells into hot rock, fracturing it to create a reservoir and then extracting the heat with a second well, making geothermal a viable source of power generation in areas that don’t have naturally occuring hydrothermal reservoirs.  This would mean geothermal generation could take place in much of the United States. 

There was a two year congressional PTC extension for geothermal energy, however costs are becoming economical without the PTC.

Solar Power

Solar Photovoltaic Panel Roof Installation

A congressional investment tax credit (ITC) extension is helping solar’s fast track growth.  The 30 percent federal ITC is for residential and commercial solar installations, has been extended for 8 years.  The director of research, Mike Taylor at the Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA), stated that was the largest solar milestone for 2008.

New Energy Finance has seen a possible change in the photovoltaic (PV) and solar thermal electricity generators markets.  Some analysts think that supply will exeed demand and the result could be price decreases and consolidation. 

SEPA noted the large number of solar projects announced in 2008, both CSP and distributed PV was considered to be worthy of milestone status.  Recent estimates have CSP plants with an estimated total of 4,000 MW are in the planning stages. 

In 2008 utilities and the general public started to see the benefits of rooftop solar photovotaic and(PV)  installations, that was very fortunate rooftop PV installations are now in great demand.  Southern California Edison in March 2008 started to build what they said would be the largest solar cell project in the US.  This will be built on two square miles of commercial building roofs where they would generate 250 MW of advanced PV technology.  Duke Energy in North Carolina has stated they will build a 50 million dollar solar rooftop installation, they will generate 8 MW of of power from 425 sites over the next two years.  In April of 2008 the Center for Revolutionary Solar Photoconversion (CRSP) was launched.  Fourteen companies belong to the CRSP, the newest research center of the Colorado Renewable Energy Collaboratory.

The Future of Renewable Energy

The sector will show strong growth in 2009, although it may not be a record year due the economy.  The poor economy will not affect European expansion in wind.  The US is as usual having growing pains and they need to be overcome in order for our country to keep up with our European counterparts.  The renewable energy industry need only keep up with demand for transmission, match renewables with demand response.  This is our business model for this sector.  We’ll save Americans money and we’llsave the planet as well.  We will need intelligent infrastructure from the generating station to the customer.  This fits in nicely with our next President’s (Obama) plans.  We will need to give our president help, where is the old American spirit of invention?  Donate 50 cents or a dollar, it will go to organizations involved in saving the environment.   Let’s see what we can do working together!