Here’s an article on a study from Stanford University that questions the economic validity of energy storage as a solution to even out the variability of wind.

I think the most probable scenario for our energy future is more about large numbers of distributed and interconnected points of solar and wind generation. The fact that the wind isn’t blowing in a certain spot at a certain time means an increased probability that it will be blowing somewhere else.

I also point out that electric transportation, i.e., charging our cars at night (when the wind is blowing hardest and the demand is the least), is a great way to absorb excess wind capacity.

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More companies today are moving toward using solar energy. There are a number of ways they are doing this, as well as reasons for the trend. In 2012, the increase of companies’ use of solar power in the United States grew by 40 percent.

Regional Trends

While there are companies using solar energy all over the United States, there are some areas that see more solar energy usage than others. (more…)

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So, you want a new set of windows and doors. Fine, that seems like a pretty simple decision, but there’s actually a lot to deliberate over. Will you choose cherry or chestnut, bronze or beige? Are you leaning towards traditional trimmings or a glossy modern finish? How about simplicity or sophistication?

Now, you’ve ummed and ahhed over the aesthetics, how about the practical side? (more…)

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Everyone is looking for ways to save money on energy bills. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, tankless water heaters, water timers for the garden, and more are gaining popularity for they are proven to save money on utility bills. Although most people attribute the energy conservation to a monetary value, it also helps by reducing your dependence on power which is then utilized elsewhere essentially lowering the amount of power that is needed from power plants.

In the midst of all this technology, what about your roof? (more…)

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Energy use skyrockets during the winter months. Reducing your energy use not only lowers your bills, it also reduces your carbon footprint. Even small adjustments to your lifestyle can have a big impact on the environment.

Pick the Right Electric Company

Not all energy companies are the same. (more…)

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I wish a fond welcome to those participating in the talks on climate change now commencing in Poland – a land I once visited on a business trip.  I especially admire that the Poles’ reverence for Frederic Chopin is obvious at every turn, and extremely well placed. Warsaw has a huge statue of Chopin (pictured here) in its main park, even though he was born out in the countryside and moved to Vienna (then to Paris) when he was only 20 years old.  Not to digress further, but here’s what I believe to be the greatest piece of music ever written, his ballade #1 in G minor. (more…)

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I thought readers would be interested in this piece that my colleague Jim Greenberg from Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation wrote, proposing a connection between clean energy and our affinity for veterans.  

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Frequent commenter Tim Kingston sent me this very interesting piece (including a very well-made video at the bottom) on harvesting vibrational energy that is currently wasted using piezoelectricity, i.e., the property of some materials that they produce small amounts of electrical power when pressure is applied to them.

I’ve seen many articles on this over the years, but I remain convinced that this is a subject of academic importance only, i.e., that it will never result in anything cost-effective.  Can you insert this stuff in the floors of Grand Central Station and collect a fraction of the energy currently lost as heat as all those high-fliers from Connecticut get off their trains and walk briskly to their midtown offices?  Of course.  Can you do it cost effectively?  Nope.

Cause for celebration: as shown in this video, it’s the 100th anniversary of the Kaplan turbine (invented by Austrian professor Victor Kaplan in 1913), and still used today in run of river hydrokinetics.

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Gary Stark asked me to comment on this intriguing video on the future of transportation, which suggests that, rather than make incremental improvements in our transportation system, that we replace the whole enchilada with a system of small tram-like cars that run on rails.

While the video makes some fantastic points and presents many important pieces of truth, it ignores a few basic ideas: (more…)

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