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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

electric vehicles charged with renewable energyNot being a “car guy,” I’m unimpressed with concept cars that show the future of automotive design—especially as they suggest perpetuating of the basic paradigm that has been with us for 100 years: big, sleek, expensive compartments that run on gasoline and shuttle us and our belongings around.

Automakers are in the process of realizing, much to their horror, that the world is making sweeping changes to the overall line of thinking in transportation (which is why Uber is currently valued at $50 billion). (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Admittedly Off-Topic: The Word of the DayI enjoy the discussions that I routinely have with my mother on “the word of the day” on dictionary.com.  Here’s what I wrote to her re: today’s word: “contradistinction,” meaning “distinction by opposition or contrast”:

The reason I don’t use “contradistinction” is that I regard it as redundant.  “Distinction” already implies the concept of “contrasted against.” 

I have a friend who uses the word “prewarn,” apparently unaware that “warn” means to give advanced notice of danger; one doesn’t warn someone of something that has already happened. Of course, there are people who admonish “be careful!” when someone has bumped his head, but that’s really idiotic. 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Biofuels

What You Can Do With a Rotary Dryer?Fossil fuel resource is limited in this world. Coal, oil, gas will someday go to the end of its destiny. Government and institutes are advocate substitute fuel. Biomass energy is emerging and growing rapidly in recent years, not only because they are sustainable, but also less pollution.

Many agricultural and forest residues could be used for biomass briquettes production, rather than simply burning. Many materials, like sawdust, wood chips, barks, stalk, bagasse, vinasse, husk and hull, are dried and briquetted/pelleted. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Hydrokinetics

Unique Approach To Hydrokinetics: Harvesting the Energy of RainI have to give this guy credit for thinking outside the box.  Here’s his patent for converting the mechanical energy from falling raindrops into electricity.

Will it work?  Sure.  Does it represent a potentially cost-effective solution in the renewable energy space?  Not in a million years, but that’s no reason to stop creating new ideas in this arena.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

How to Save Energy on Summer NightsWhenever summer does arrive, everyone seems to do there best to make the most of it. However fleeting the nice weather might be, most people waste no time in wheeling out the BBQ’s and the sun loungers.

But just because it’s time for some recreational activities outside, it doesn’t mean you have to stop being environment conscious. Opportunities to be eco-friendly are abundant in today’s society, and that includes during the summer. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Biofuels

Benefits of Briquetting Technology Briquetting is a process that agglomerate powders and fines together to produce solid briquettes under high pressure, and most of the time, with the help of binder and high pressure.

Initially, coal briquettes are made during WWII for home heating in cold winter. To this day, coal briquetting is still an effective way to recycle coal fines and upgrade LRC (low rank coal). This technique is widely used in countries that are rich in coal resources, like India, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa, China, etc. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Setback to the U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyEnvironmentalists everywhere were saddened that the U.S. Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Environmental Protection Agency with its recent ruling invalidating the EPA’s regulation of mercury and other toxic chemicals that are emitted from power plants.  But at the same time, as much as I hate to say it, the ruling is a validation of common sense.

The EPA’s position was that it could do its thing without regard to the costs incurred by the power plants.  Really?  How smart was that?  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Corruption in GovernmentIt’s the 303rd birthday of political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau (pictured), best known for his 1762 masterpiece The Social Contract, the central point of which is that a government is legitimate to the degree that is exists via the consent of the governed. This is one of the guiding principles in the U.S. Declaration of Independence, as well as the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 21 of which reads: “The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government.”

This makes today a good time to think about the concept of “the will of the people” and ask ourselves: OK, what do we want? It’s a question that has many dozens of equally good answers: a cleaner environment, better public education, universal access to healthcare, equal justice for all, a cessation of military aggression, etc. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Living on Solar PV After the StormA large storm came through Tuesday night and we lost power for 43 hours. During that time I ran the house on my little solar PV system and batteries. My new inverter provided clean power without shutting down when the battery voltage got close to fully charged the way my old one did. This allowed me to leave it running for the entire time nonstop so the fridge always had power. Also watched about 4 hours of TV per night.

The rest of the neighborhood was running generators and it was just loud up here the whole time. I actually wore ear plugs to sleep.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Biomass

Paper from Sugarcane BagasseA reader from Africa notes:  I was watching this YouTube video of Mr. Shields speaking on renewable energy investment opportunities, and I must say we have something in common. I have been researching using sugarcane bagasse to make paper. I am from a small country in Africa that generates a lot of sugarcane, this is an opportunity that is too good to pass by and furthermore, there is a huge market for this product. I seek for your advice.

I had a contact in this space many years ago, but, after dealing with him for a month or two, I realized he was a fraud and I dropped him like a hot rock.  (more…)

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