Techdiplomacy

The following is from a study by E. Gerald Meyer, Arts and Sciences, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY. He referred to it as the ‘good, bad and the ugly’ of hydrogen technology. Much has been written about the “hydrogen economy” with the theme that by substituting hydrogen for gasoline the nation can reduce its dependence on foreign oil, and have a pollution free transportation fuel. That is “the good”. However, the hydrogen must be transported, distributed and stored with safety. Also, it must be utilized in a vehicle either by a combustion system or by a fuel cell system. The former can perhaps be devised without too much difficulty but the latter poses many problems. Fuel cells currently lack the needed reliability, the stability and the energy output. In addition the cost of the fuel cell system far exceeds that of the present gasoline system. That is “the bad”. Hydrogen production is “the ugly”. The current level of 9 tons/yr must be increased eighteenfold to meet current demand, which increases by 4% annually. Hydrogen, not a renewable energy source, is a secondary energy type as is electricity. It must be produced by a primary energy type. In addition, hydrogen requires a hydrogen-containing substrate of which there are two types: the hydrocarbons and “hydrooxygen” (water). The former produce CO2 in addition to hydrogen as does direct use of fossil fuels. Water requires either thermal dissociation or electolysis with the primary energy of choice for either being nuclear energy. Electrolyis might be accomplished with solar energy but the quantities needed mitigate against this. Thus with so many problems to solve, the hydrogen economy is at least thirty years in the future.

I realize that there are a large number of people who disagree with what I have put forth here, but remember, hydrogen is not a renewable energy source as I stated earlier. This in and of itself should lead us to proceed with caution with regard to hydrogen. We are reeling from the damage fossil fuels have done to our environment. We have almost a moral duty to pursue renewables like wind and solar power. Please read this piece and give it serious thought, I’m sure you will come to a similar conclusion. That’s my take on the subject, leave a comment and we’ll print it even if you don’t agree. See you around the galaxy..:

The relatively constant flow of ocean currents carries large amounts of energy that can be collected and used to generate electricity. Ocean waters move continuously. Ocean currents flow in complex patterns affected by the wind, water salinity and temperature, topography of the ocean floor, and the earth’s rotation. The ocean currents are driven by wind and solar heating of the waters near the equator, though some ocean currents result from density and salinity of water. These currents are relatively constant and flow in one direction, compared to the tidal currents closer to shore. Some examples of ocean currents are the Gulf Stream, Florida Straits Current, and California Current. While ocean currents move slowly, they carry a great deal of energy because of the density of water. Water is 800 times denser than air, so for the same surface area, water moving 12 miles per hour exerts about the same amount of force as a constant 110 mph wind. Ocean currents contain a substantial amount of energy. It has been estimated that taking just 1/1000th, of the available energy from the Gulf Stream would supply Florida with 35% of its electricity. The United States and other countries are researching ocean current energy, including Japan, China, and some European countries; however, marine current energy is at an early stage of development. There are no commercial grid-connected turbines currently operating; to date, only a small number of prototypes and demonstration units have been tested. Some of these technologies have been developed for use with tidal currents in near-shore environments; these near-shore tidal current energy technologies are not analyzed in the OCS Alternative Energy Programmatic EIS. The most likely scenario would be, energy would be extracted from ocean currents by using submerged water turbines similar to wind turbines. These turbines would have rotor blades, a generator for converting the rotational energy into electricity, and a means of transporting the electrical current for incorporation into the electrical grid. Also, there would need to be a way to keep the turbines stationary, such as concrete caissons, pile driven foundations, or cables anchored to the sea floor. Additional components might include concentrators (or shrouds) around the blades to increase the flow and power output from the turbine. In large open areas with fast currents, it would be possible to install water turbines in groups or clusters to make up a marine current “farm”, with a predicted density of up to 37 turbines per square kilometer. Space would be needed between the water turbines to eliminate wake-interaction effects and to allow access by maintenance crews and their vessels. Alternatives to water turbine designs have been proposed, including having a barge moored in the current stream with a large cable loop to which “parachutes” are fastened. The parachutes would be pushed by the current, then closed on their way back, forming a loop similar to a large horizontal water wheel. For ocean current energy to be utilized successfully at a commercial scale, a number of potential technical challenges need to be addressed, including: • avoidance of cavitations (bubble formation); • prevention of marine growth buildup; • reliability; and • corrosion resistance. Ocean current energy technology project planning will need to consider species protection (including fish and marine mammals) from injury from turning turbine blades. Consideration of shipping routes and present recreational uses, such as fishing and diving, will be required when considering where to locate the turbines. Other considerations include risks from slowing the current flow by extracting energy. Local effects, such as changes of estuary mixing resulting in temperature and salinity modifications, might affect species in estuaries.

This is not an overnight fix for our energy needs. However, in time, with more research, this could become a viable form of renewable energy. What do you think? Comment on this or any other post, you’ll start a lively conversation. See you around the galaxy…

Wikipedia defines electric power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical power (or more correctly energy), a process in the delivery of electricity to consumers. A power transmission network typically connects power plants to multiple substations near a populated area. The wiring from substations to customers is referred to as Electricity distribution, following the historic business model separating the wholesale electricity transmission business from distributors who deliver the electricity to the homes.[1] Electric power transmission allows distant energy sources (such as hydroelectric power plants) to be connected to consumers in population centers, and may allow exploitation of low-grade fuel resources such as coal that would otherwise be too costly to transport to generating facilities. Usually transmission lines use three phase alternating current (AC). Single phase AC current is sometimes used in a railway electrification system. High-voltage direct current systems are used for long distance transmission, or some undersea cables, or for connecting two different ac networks. Electricity is transmitted at high voltages (110 kV or above) to reduce the energy lost in transmission. Power is usually transmitted as alternating current through overhead power lines. Underground power transmission is used only in densely populated areas because of its higher cost of installation and maintenance when compared with overhead wires,and the difficulty of voltage control on long cables. A power transmission network is referred to as a “grid”. Multiple redundant lines between points on the network are provided so that power can be routed from any power plant to any load center, through a variety of routes, based on the economics of the transmission path and the cost of power. Much analysis is done by transmission companies to determine the maximum reliable capacity of each line, which, due to system stability considerations, may be less than the physical or thermal limit of the line. Deregulation of electricity companies in many countries has led to renewed interest in reliable economic design of transmission networks. However, in some places the gaming of a deregulated energy system has led to disaster, such as that which occurred during the California electricity crisis of 2000 and 2001.[2]

America’s infrastructure is changing in ways that its designers never anticipated. Distributed and intermittent electricity generation, such as wind power, is rapidly expanding, new smart meters are giving consumers more control over their energy usage, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles may someday radically increase the overall demand for electricity. The evolution of America’s energy needs has forced scientists and engineers to re-examine the operations, efficiency and security of the national power grid. The creation of a more secure and efficient national power grid requires significant innovations in the way we transmit electricity and monitor its use. To better assess the challenges facing the power grid, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory hosted a workshop that brought together power system and modeling experts from federal agencies, national laboratories and academia. “Modeling and simulation have proved to be effective tools for the power industry on many levels,” said Mark Petri, Argonne’s technology development director and one of the workshop’s organizers. “We need to develop a comprehensive and integrated approach that will enable us to better understand the full implications of an evolving power grid as we plan for future demand and power sources.” The workshop centered on the need for new methods to simulate the national power grid by modeling the creation and flow of electric power as well as the grid’s connection to other critical infrastructures, such as transportation, gas, water and communications. Through detailed simulations of how electric power is supplied and transferred around the country, researchers can bolster not only the grid’s security but also its reliability, efficiency and resiliency. “Implementing smart grid technologies on a large scale will not be trivial,” Petri added. “The challenges go beyond technical and economic issues. The smart grid technologies could fundamentally change how national power grid systems operate and respond to disruptions.” Because of the great diversity of ways in which electricity is created, distributed and consumed, engineers face a challenge in creating reliable models of large power networks. They have to deal with the intermittent nature of some of the sources (like wind or solar), optimize how power is transmitted and balance economic, security and environmental priorities when finding solutions. “In the short-term,” Petri said, “these simulations could help devise ways to solve the problem of grid congestion, which currently costs consumers many hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Even small improvements in grid efficiency that better models and simulations would produce would make the investment cost-effective.” The workshop, which was sponsored by U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate, identified barriers that a national grid simulation capability would need to overcome to be effective. The findings of the workshop appear in the report “National Power Grid Simulation Capability: Needs and Issues.” According to Petri, an operational plan for a national power grid simulation capability that engages industry to better understand their needs, capabilities and concerns would support a more secure and reliable electric power grid system for the future. SOURCE: DOE/Argonne National Laboratory

Wind is not only a good, clean source of energy, it’s also a way of generating more power quickly. Unlike a nuclear plant that would take anywhere from 10 to 15 years to go online, a wind farm can be up and running in as little as two years. And with the incentives for renewable energy that are part of the economic stimulus bill passed by the Senate in February ─ including a $7 billion renewable energy loan guarantee program, tax credits and extended bonus depreciation ─ wind energy is a power source that makes economic sense. It is true that the recent crisis in the financial markets has made banks more cautious about lending, requiring developers to provide 1.5 to 2 years worth of data in their loan applications. However, this delay in the financing process is mitigated by the fact that turbine manufacturers now have sufficient inventory to fill orders. To make a long story short ─ it’s a good time to look into wind power. Building and maintaining a relationship with the utilityOnce it has been determined that “building” a wind farm in a particular location makes sense, connecting it with the existing transmission system is the key challenge electrical engineers have to tackle.  The system must be designed so a single component failure or outage does not impact the rest of the system. It must also be compatible with other stations owned by the host utility to ensure that maintenance personnel are familiar with basic operating functions and do not have to be retrained. The developer’s station needs to meet the bulk power design requirements up to the point of voltage transformation that takes place at the demarcation line between developer and utility. Every utility has specific design requirements, both for the physical design and CAD drawing format. Establishing a design protocol up front helps avoid duplicating efforts. Simple matters such as switch numbering, protection and communication software and hardware design can become costly issues if they are not addressed early on in the process. To ensure good collaboration, detailed task responsibilities should cover areas like relay settings, SCADA and security. If the developer is providing the design of the new substation or the retrofit of the existing point of interface station, all documents and drawings must be submitted for approval. The same applies to primary equipment specifications and purchases. The utility should also be kept up to date on project schedule and milestone points for drawing approval and commissioning testing. When drawing up a project schedule, keep in mind that before the station is energized, the utility field personnel is likely to want to witness or even perform itself all relay, metering and communications equipment tests. Designing the new substationSome utilities have the capability to design and build the station, others prefer to outsource. In either case, the design of the station will depend on the topology of the site, equipment rations, and utility requirements in the given service area. Since the substation that ultimately connects the wind park generation to the high voltage grid is designed to be part of the overall interconnected system it needs to meet its overall requirements. Equipment ratings are influenced more by the through power flows than by the output of the wind park, since the utility would not want the point of interconnection (POI) station to limit ratings for the adjoining networks. Requirements for utility point of interconnection substations vary according to region and utility. If the POI falls into the bulk power transmission category, design criteria must fit the reliability requirements set by the National Electric Reliability Corporation as well as the regional reliability authority, for example the Northeast Power Coordinating Council or the Southern Electric Reliability Corporation as well as those established by the respective utility. Bulk power classification is determined by the way the transmission line is used to transfer power within the network. Unless the wind park is located next to a utility transmission line, it is most economical to convert the wind park output to a higher voltage and transmit power via overhead transmission lines to the POI near an existing line. Since the latter is owned and operated by the developer, its construction is typically not subject to utility approval, unlike the line construction, which is regulated by state and local government agencies. Keep in mind that the extent of the regulations can vary and depend on the voltage level as well as the length of the transmission line. Fiber optic interconnections: The devil is in the detailsIn a typical wind park, turbines are connected by fiber optics networks at three points: the turbine, the meteorological tower(s), and at the substation control module. Via these fiber optics systems, turbines communicate with a centrally located wind park management system that is located in the wind park substation. The technology used to establish this connection is proprietary to the turbine manufacturer. Depending on the size of the wind park the meteorological (MET) tower also communicates with the management system that tells the controller which direction turbines need to move in and at what pitch they need to move to provide optimum energy generation under real time wind conditions. In other words, the turbines are in constant two-way communication with the management system relaying data such as generation, power factor, alarm status, and SCADA information. With underground installations, the fiber optic cable is typically bedded above the three phase power cables in a common trench. In overhead installations, it is lashed to a messenger that is strung underneath the power cables. In the event that the cables need to be placed in duct work, for example in the event of a direction drill underneath the highway, the fiber optic network receives its own conduit. The key to a successful fiber optic network is to create a minimum number of splices. Each splice introduces decibel losses into the system. While it is tempting to splice the cable whenever the power cable needs to be cut, a dynamic and cooperative relationship between the engineer and the contractor can eliminate or re-route the network in the field in a way that greatly reduces signal losses. It is also important to note that reel management of the fiber optics during installation is critical and will result in faster, more efficient, and more economical installation. Complying with transmission system protection requirementsFederal and regional regulators require bulk power transmission lines to feature redundantly designed and installed protection systems. Their goal is to prevent a single point of failure from downing the entire system. To create this redundancy, each protection system must be based on a different principle and it is generally supplied by a different manufacturer. To give an example: System A could be a directional comparison blocking scheme over power line carrier while System B would be permissive overreaching transfer trip scheme communication over telephone circuits. Ultimately, the host utility will provide its protection standards and help decide which schemes will work best. Before any scheme can be designed, however, the engineering team and the utility need to assess available communication possibilities. Ideally, one of the systems would be a fiber optic link installed on optical ground wire cable — which is installed in the shield wire(s) at the top of the structure to provide protection for the transmission from lightning strikes — if that can be designed economically. Other viable options are power line carriers, T1 lines and microwave. Each protection system should also be connected to dedicated current transformers and voltage transformers. Exceptions can be made in the case of a single voltage transformer with independent secondary windings. The DC tripping systems also need to be independent. This requires dual batteries, chargers, trip coils, and source of station service. Oftentimes, a backup generator is required to provide continuity in the event of power loss at both station service supplies. Regulators also stipulate a physical separation of the two systems. Typically, relay and communication panels are separated in the control house, sometimes in different rooms. All cabling needs to be separated into independent raceways and conduits. Ultimately, the independent protection systems trip the same circuit breaker. Still, breaker failure protection is required, isolating the failed breaker locally and remotely tripping the backup breakers. OutlookA record-shattering year for the wind industry, in 2008 more than 8,300 megawatts of new wind energy were brought online. In addition, 55 new wind-related manufacturing facilities were opened, expanded, or announced. Given the political will to make renewable energy the energy source of choice, the wind industry is in an excellent position to contribute to the nation’s economic recovery and to reduction of carbon emission’s necessary to deal with global warming. Author: Brook Knodel is Deputy Engineering Manager – Electrical with Careba Mott MacDonald (CMM) an engineering firm which specializes in design of major power generation projects — including wind power, biomass, biodiesel and coal fired plants — plus distribution and transmission projects for power plant operators, power plant developers, industrial facility operators, equipment manufacturers, contractors and power distribution utilities. Based in Westwood, Massachusetts, CMM is a division of Mott MacDonald, a global engineering and consultancy firm delivering solutions in energy, transportation, construction, water and environment.

I would like to thank the scientists in various fields of endeavor, who helped me along the way with their research and writing and their wisdom.  I have named a few and some others will know who they are without any recognition from me, and these men have gained my respect as well.  We must do what we can to update our power grid in this country or we will not survive our climate crisis.  I’ll 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…

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!