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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Hydrokinetics

What's Changing in Hydro Energy with California's Drought?(The language used in the diagram here is Estonian.  – ed)

Today we are all aware of the longstanding water shortage in California that threatens crop production and can lead to restrictions on commercial and domestic use of water. What may not be as readily apparent is that it can also reduce the supply of electricity. The turbines in hydroelectric dams are turned by the force of falling water, and too little water directly impacts their ability to produce electricity.

How Drought Impacts Hydroelectric Power Production

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

It’s Not Easy Being Green . . . Or Is It?Growing concern for the environmental stability of our planet has motivated many conscientious consumers to look for ways to save energy at home. Typical advice includes turning off your electronics when you aren’t using them and taking out the recycling. But we can do a lot more to cut back on the amount of resources we consume and limit the negative impacts we have on the immediate environment—starting with these four environmentally friendly lighting solutions.

Friendly Lighting Solution #1: Achieve Energy Efficiency with LED Lighting (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Environmentally-Friendly Home Without Sacrificing Quality of LifeIn the last two decades, residents of planet Earth have increasingly been nudged to answer the call of conservation and environmental awareness. Owing to age old practices having been exposed as being environmentally detrimental, mankind is forced to take a critical look at natural resources and sustainability. One industry that exhibits the ability to create a sizable impact for the cause is the building industry. As one luxury home builder in Texas has proven, constructing an environmentally-friendly home doesn’t mean one must live in a tree-house or sacrifice amenities that enrich quality of life. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

Green Home--Six Ways Homeowners Can Make A DifferenceA few green changes in your home can have a lasting effect on the environment and make a positive impact on your finances. Converting to a more energy-efficient lifestyle, such as recycling, managing your home’s temperature and conserving water, can be achieved by taking some simple steps.

Purchase Energy Efficient Appliances (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Oil!According to the Writer’s Almanac, today is the 156th anniversary of the first oil well, which was drilled in Titusville, Pennsylvania.  Although petroleum had been seen and used much earlier, this was humankind’s first foray into exploration for the stuff.

We all know the story of how oil came to dominate our world’s commerce and consequent military endeavors.  Now we’re watching (and some of us actively helping) all this unravel, as various sources of renewable energy replace fossil fuels at the maximum practical rate, and provide a sustainable approach to powering our civilization.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Press Pass for the National Clean Energy SummitI thought I’d post a pic of my press credentials from the National Clean Energy Summit.  Apparently, anytime the president is in the same room with a member of the media, a “White House Press Pool” tag is required, even if the meeting is more than 2000 miles from the White House per se. Who knew? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Traffic Congestion Is Unpleasant, But It’s Just One of the Issues Associated with Internal Combustion EnginesHere’s an article that analyzes the traffic in the most congested cities in Europe: what causes it to worsen, and what progressive concepts are being offered to loosen it up.  There are no surprises here: you get what you reward.  When drivers receive cars as part of their job compensation—and when these cars are treated as tax-free, we see insane levels of congestion.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

To CleanTech Enterprises: A Note on Public RelationsFor those seeking advice as to what good PR looks like, here’s an article in NorthAmericanCleanEnergy.com that’s primary about a gift that PG&E bestowed upon a small town within its service district in Northern California.  Note that it features an extremely positive mention of Efficient Drivetrains, one of its key vendors, and one of the companies I proudly recommend as a cleantech business investment opportunity.  The collaborative use of logos on the trucks (pictured) isn’t a bad coup either.

In PR, we sometimes have to work hard for the smallest return; other times, we get lucky, and huge bounties fall into our laps.  In the case of this article, I’m not sure how the whole thing went down.  Of course, it doesn’t really matter.  Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than to be good.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Electric AircraftFrequent commenter Tom asks: Craig, did you see this article on the successful prototype of an all electric airplane?

I hadn’t seen this idea per se, but I’m aware that there are thousands of people who have been hard at work developing this basic concept for quite a while.  I’m quite sure that we’ll eventually see electric transportation exported to the skies, though it will be slow to come about, given the gravimetric and volumetric energy- and power-densities of current battery technologies.

I’ve done a lot of work with Aerovironment over the years, and I note that it was the company’s founder, the late Dr. Paul MacCready  who brought this concept to the forefront of our imagination a couple of decades ago.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

A Frightening Reminder About Our Government--from the National Clean Energy Summit At the National Clean Energy Summit yesterday, I had the opportunity to chat with Bill Ritter (pictured),  ex-governor of Colorado. I reminded him of a story I had heard him tell a few years ago at one of the Renewable Energy Finance Forums in New York City in which he explained that the previous December, Colorado College had conducted a survey of tens of thousands of people living in the plains states in which the team established that the vast majority of people favored renewables,  said they would be willing to pay more for clean energy,  and urged Congress to pass a resolution allowing the EPA to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. (more…)

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