Blog – Page 1430 – 2GreenEnergy.com

Sierra Club’s “Beyond Coal” Campaign Has Been Incredibly Effective

craigshieldsPosted on July 26, 2015 Posted in Fossil Fuels

For some reason, not everyone shares my approval of the Sierra Club. Say what you will, but their Beyond Coal campaign has succeeded in forcing the retirement of one coal plant every 10 days for 5 straight years. 200 coal plants altogether are retired or slated to be retired, out of the original 523 they took aim at. They’ve already surpassed their 2020 goal, and thus enlarged their mission: retire half of all coal plants by 2017.

Ponder this for a second; think about how few Americans understood this issue just 10 short years ago, and how pervasive it is in the public consciousness today. That’s really terrific work. Right on, guys.

Contemplating the End of Earth

craigshieldsPosted on July 26, 2015 Posted in Renewables - Science

Of the 4700+ blog posts I’ve written here since 2009, several dozen contain the suggestion that our civilization as we know it may be headed for extinction within the next century. What’s most likely to take us down? Any of a number of things, but certainly the damage we’re wreaking on our environment has the potential to get the job done all by itself: (more…)

A Sustainable Course to Energy Must Contemplate the Harsh Realities of Politics

craigshieldsPosted on July 25, 2015 Posted in Renewables - Politics

In the phone calls I place to my mother every few days, we sometimes talk about 2GreenEnergy, which, I’m flattered to say, she reads regularly. Last night she reiterated something she’s been telling me for years: she sometimes has issues with my posts that are “tangential” to the basic notion of renewable energy. My recent post on The Social Contract and the U.S. Government came immediately to my mind when she said that; I think I may be in trouble with her on this one….. 🙂 (more…)

Tagged with: compassion for humankind, concern for the rights of the common man, elephant in the room, fears for the survival of our civilization, greedy and corrupt actors in government and the private sector, left-of-center political philosophy, Renewable Energy, sustainable course to energy, technological and economic aspects of fixing this fossil-fuel-driven mess, The Social Contract and the U.S. Government, unlovely confluence between Big Money and law-making

Solar PV: Is Bigger Better?

craigshieldsPosted on July 25, 2015 Posted in Photovoltaics

We’ve all had the thought: What are the relative merits of utility-scale solar PV vs. the distributed, rooftop version?

To be sure, there are numerous factors to be considered. In terms of the levelized cost of energy for each kWh, no one doubts that the utilities can afford to build (or buy) power at a scale that is unachievable at the local level. But what about the value to the local economy? The cost of power transmission lines? The further entrenchment of monopolistic interests over those of the individual?

IMO, the author does a good job in the article linked above.

Tagged with: cost of power transmission lines, entrenchment of monopolistic interests, levelized cost of energy, relative merits of utility-scale solar PV vs. distributed rooftop solar, Solar PV: Is Bigger Better

Blogging on Renewable Energy

craigshieldsPosted on July 25, 2015 Posted in Renewables - Business

Last Tuesday saw the passing of novelist E. L. Doctorow at age 84 (pictured). I had written about him a couple times, as I was always tickled by what he said one time about his writing routine: “Here’s how it goes: I’m up at the stroke of 10 or 10:30. I have breakfast and read the papers, and then it’s lunchtime. Then maybe a little nap after lunch and out to the gym, and before I know it, it’s time to have a drink.”

Needless to say, I don’t compare myself to Doctorow or any other talented writer, yet I have to say that I share a fairly relaxed approach to the subject of preparing my books and blogging here at 2GreenEnergy and other sites on clean energy. The concepts spring up naturally from reading other people’s stuff – some of which inspire praise and support, some curiosity, and others rebuke. There really is no discipline to it at all.

Tagged with: Blogging on Renewable Energy, E. L. Doctorow, websites on clean energy

Run-of-River Hydro in Brazil: An Opportunity Available for the Taking

craigshieldsPosted on July 24, 2015 Posted in Hydrokinetics

Even though it’s experiencing appreciable economic and political uncertainty, Brazil doesn’t seem to waver too much in its profound commitment to renewable energy. The vast majority of the 1.8 GW installed last year was wind energy, and, while I’m a big fan (pun intended), I’d love to see more run-of-river hydro, a concept that I believe fits very well with Brazil’s natural energy resources as well as its electricity demand patterns, as I’ve described here, in my list of renewable energy investment opportunities. Needless to say, my colleague who acts as the principle of the deal linked above, couldn’t agree more.

Tagged with: Brazil in economic and political turmoil, Brazil’s natural energy resources, clean energy investment opportunities, commitment to renewable energy, electricity demand patterns, run-of-river hydro, Run-of-River Hydro in Brazil

Developers of Unique Solar PV Products Should Use Market Research to Validate Market Demand

craigshieldsPosted on July 24, 2015 Posted in Renewables - Business

Last week, I advised two would-be solar entrepreneurs with a novel idea to validate its market appeal before spending money building a prototype or taking any other steps forward. As I suggested here and here, using the kindest and gentlest language I could muster, I urged them to use a small but definitive market research effort to corroborate their belief that an appreciable level of consumer demand exists for the concept. (more…)

Tagged with: ludicrous ideas are not the exclusive province of Americans, Market Research to Valid Market Demand, solar entrepreneurs, Unique Solar PV Product Developers

From Guest Blogger Lizzie Weakly: Five New Innovative and Energy Efficient Ways to Solve your Home's Heating Problems

craigshieldsPosted on July 24, 2015 Posted in Efficiency

Many people use radiators, boilers, air systems, and storage heaters to heat their homes. Although these options are effective, they use a lot of energy throughout the winter. If you have major heating problems, there are five heating alternatives that you must consider. (more…)

Tagged with: biomass, energy efficiency, energy efficient, geothermal, geothermal energy, heat pumps, solar heating

Expect Radical Thinking as the Effects of Climate Change Expand Over Time

craigshieldsPosted on July 23, 2015 Posted in Climate Change

I wrote a post recently on a class action suit in The Netherlands, in which a three-judge panel ruled that government plans to cut emissions by 14-17 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2020 were illegal, insofar as it would be insufficient to prevent global warming of more than 2°C, which will lead to a violation of fundamental human rights worldwide.

A reader comments: Hi Craig, that’s one radical (judicial panel) in the Netherlands! (more…)

Tagged with: class action suit in the Netherlands, Effects of Climate Change Expand Over Time, prevent global warming of more than 2°C, Tom Tomorrow This Modern World, violation of fundamental human rights worldwide

From Guest Blogger Teogindac: 2015 to be the Warmest Year On Record–An Opportunity for Renewables?

craigshieldsPosted on July 23, 2015 Posted in Climate Change

For many years, climate change has been subject to many debates and certain skepticism. However, it is almost impossible to underestimate the relevance of such phenomenon if we pay attention to what is going on with the record breaking temperatures the Earth is currently experiencing. The year 2015 has been recently tagged as the warmest year on record by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the past month of June has been the hottest ever.
(more…)

Tagged with: Climate Change, renewable resources, solar energy