Blog – Page 1395 – 2GreenEnergy.com

From 2GreenEnergy Intern Fabio Porcu: A Big Dam for Big Storage

craigshieldsPosted on September 14, 2015 Posted in Energy Storage

Storage systems play an increasingly important role for renewable energy development in our modern society. Their primary function is to store energy produced from variable energy sources, i.e., those which, by their nature, are discontinuous since they are linked to the presence of wind (in the case of wind energy) or sunlight (photovoltaics). Thanks to storage systems it is possible to stockpile electricity, to be delivered onto the grid at a time that it is needed to harmonize supply and demand. (more…)

Tagged with: Fabio Porcu, hydroelectric reservoirs, stockpile electricity, Strathdearn dam Scotland, traditional power plants nuclear power and fossil fuel, variable energy sources

Electrifying Our Freeways

craigshieldsPosted on September 13, 2015 Posted in Electric Vehicles

Here’s an article on Utah State University’s project to build a track on which to test the concept of the inductive charging of a moving electric vehicle.

My question: Why? No one’s doubting that it can be done, but at the same time, I don’t hear anyone saying that this has practical consequences in the real world. It’s pretty clear that this is not a direction we’re going to pursue in the evolving world of transportation, for the reasons I provided in the post linked above.

I had the pleasure of meeting Steven Chu (pictured) a couple of times when he was the U.S. Energy Secretary, and I believe in his position: we’re fairly close to battery packs that will give us a 350- or 400-mile range, which is all any sane person wants to drive in a day.

Tagged with: Electrifying Our Freeways, evolving world of transportation, inductive charging of a moving electric vehicle, Steven Chu Energy Secretary, Utah State University

Tomorrow’s Electrical Energy Paradigm: Microgrids

craigshieldsPosted on September 13, 2015 Posted in Smart Grid

It’s hard to imagine the content of the conversations that are going on in the boardrooms of the power utilities. Perhaps it’s not too different from those happening at the oil companies: The very conditions by which we exist are rapidly eroding.

2GreenEnergy supporter Brian McGowan sent me this article on microgrids springing up in New York, which explains quite clearly why the subject should be horrifying to utility investors. (more…)

Tagged with: 200 million utility poles in the U.S. alone, boardrooms of the power utilities, environmentally-focused demand for clean energy, falling prices of solar wind and batteries, microgrids in New York, monopoly-owned power grid is rapidly falling part, oil companies, reliability in the face of storms, Tomorrow’s Electrical Energy Paradigm: Microgrids, utility investors

Celebrating the Commonality of Humankind

craigshieldsPosted on September 12, 2015 Posted in Sustainability

Today is the 75th anniversary of the discovery of the caves in Lascaux, France, whose art, drawn by our short, hairy ancestors, dates back approximately 17,000 years. According to popular art historian Sister Wendy, this is the proof that these primitive people were “like us in all the ways that really matter.” This commonality of being human is something to think about when we behold the challenges that mankind faces today, whether they’re manifesting themselves in Syria or in Ferguson, Missouri.

Tagged with: Celebrating the Commonality of Humankind, Ferguson Missouri, Lascaux France, Sister Wendy, Syria

Decency Happens

craigshieldsPosted on September 12, 2015 Posted in Sustainability

I wrote a post yesterday to the effect that we live in a world in which the oil companies are systematically destroying the environment, all the while using their enormous wealth to prevent the citizenry from passing laws that would protect itself against this aggression. On a planet as depraved as this, could anything be happening that indicates humankind still maintains some level of kindness and compassion?

Check out what Sweden just did for the Syrian refugees. All such people fleeing this area that is “generally marked by violence” are granted permanent residency, and are invited to bring the members of their families, who will be granted the same. To prevent them from being isolated when they arrive, they will receive free bus passes.

The Swedish girl in the photo seems to approve of what’s going on in front of her. Young lady, with this decision on the part of your country, the world sends its approval right back to you. My hat’s off to Sweden, and I’m sure all people of decency around the globe feel the same way.

Tagged with: Decency Happens, oil companies systematically destroying the environment, Syrian refugees

A Week of Environmental Victories and Defeats: Just Another Day At the Office

craigshieldsPosted on September 11, 2015 Posted in Fossil Fuels

The “bottomless war chest” of the oil companies has succeeded in gutting the State of California’s proposed Senate Bill 350, a measure calling for a 50 percent cut in petroleum use by 2030. On Wednesday, state law-makers announced that a key component of California’s sweeping climate change bill had been scrapped as a result of an intense campaign from Big Oil, which had poured money into advertising and lobbying campaigns against the bill. (more…)

Tagged with: 50 percent cut in petroleum use by 2030, bottomless war chest of the oil companies, Environmental Victories, gutting the State of California’s proposed Senate Bill 350, Natural Resources Defense Council, University of California sold off about $200 million of direct holdings in coal and tar sands companies

Can a U.S.-Chinese Collaboration on Climate Change Become a Reality?

craigshieldsPosted on September 11, 2015 Posted in Climate Change

One of the unfortunate consequences of our robo-consumer society is that people who take the concept of “utopia” seriously are immediately branded as worthless dreamers. “Hey, we’re not trying to achieve world peace here,” one commonly hears as a metaphor for “we’re not trying to do the impossible; our feet are firmly planted in the real world.” In truth, of course, it is only the dreamers of the world who have created anything of any real value here on Earth.

That’s why I salute my colleague Walter Feuchs and freely pass along his newsletter, this one focusing on a U.S.-Chinese partnership to address climate change and the other disastrous ecological consequences of our current throw-away society. Walter knows something important, and it’s a basic element of success in life that perhaps most of us have forgotten: an idea has to be conceptualized before it can become a reality.

Tagged with: achieve world peace, U.S.-Chinese partnership to address climate change and the other disastrous ecological consequences of our current throw-away society, Walter Feuchs

Energy Storage Can Scale in Incredible Ways

craigshieldsPosted on September 11, 2015 Posted in Energy Storage

Here’s a discussion about pumped hydro energy storage I had with 2GreenEnergy super—supporter Gary Tulie:

Gary: Hi Craig. Here is a proposal to create the world’s largest pumped hydro storage facility – with a potential capacity of up to 6,800 GWh and a peak power output as high as 255 GW, using sea water. (more…)

Tagged with: Energy Storage Can Scale, Gary Tulie, pumped hydro energy storage, transforming the entire energy infrastructure

From Guest Blogger Alexandra Beane: Reduce Your Water Footprint At Home By Drinking Local

craigshieldsPosted on September 11, 2015 Posted in Sustainability

Reducing waste, recycling and reusing whenever possible is incredibly important in keeping our lands and oceans clean. At Wheels For Wishes, we run a car recycling program that helps to keep automobiles out of landfills. Instead, vehicles are recycled and reused to build new vehicles. Thousands of tons of waste and trash are dumped into oceans on a daily basis, which is why recycling as much as possible is so incredibly important. (more…)

Tagged with: water footprint, Wheels for Wishes