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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

High Tech Home Improvements that Improve the “Green” Value of Your HomeHigh Tech Home Improvements that Improve the “Green” Value of Your HomeThere are many high-tech home improvements you can make to your home that will, in turn, make it greener and much more energy-efficient. Sustainability is about more than just solar energy, although that definitely increases the value of your home. If you want your home to become both greener and more valuable, research the smartest home improvements.

Power Up with Solar Panels

Solar panels will not only increase the value of your home, they’ll also make it more eco-friendly. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I’m writing this post from my annual visit to the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Energy Efficiency Summit. As I mentioned, the focus this year is on materials science, and this raises some interesting questions; for instance, if renewable energy is eventually to dominate the world of power generation, does the Earth’s crust contain enough stuff to make this possible? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Smart Grid

I’ll bet I’ve met 30 – 40 people here at the University of California at Santa Barbara’s annual Energy Efficiency Summit.  This year, the focus is on materials science, which explains the presence of a spokesperson for the Copper Development Association, the trade group for the metal’s industry.  No one doubts that copper is an element we associate with electricity – regardless of its source.  (more…)

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I’m spending the day at the University of California at Santa Barbara’s annual Energy Efficiency Summit.  This year, the focus is on materials science – an area of interest for me, though not necessarily one of expertise.  Having said that, I feel I’m in the right place to learn; energy efficiency requires advanced materials, and UCSB is ranked #1 in the nation in this arena.

This morning’s keynote was delivered by Dr. Steven Chu, who recently retired as U.S. Secretary of Energy, where he had served since 2009.  Ironically, Dr. Chu was the first scientist ever to serve in that capacity, (more…)

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Here’s a conversation I’m having with a friend on the unlikely combination of climate change and women’s rights that I thought readers might find interesting.

Friend: Check this out.  Really??? Don’t these congressional statements do more harm than good?

Craig:  That most certainly could be.  Your point, if I read you correctly, is that wild, unproven statements diminish the credibility of the source, and that the logic here isn’t exactly something that would impress Aristotle.  Having said that, (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Question:  How many electric vehicles (passenger cars only) are predicted to be sold globally in 2017?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732 .

Relevance:  The  United States is by far the world’s largest consumer of crude oil, accounting for more than 20% of the average of 87.9 million barrels per day (bpd) used around the planet.  The environmental, social, and health-related consequences are terrible.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

photo Drake_Well_petroleum_zps1b1088d0.jpgHere’s a lengthy but excellent article from The Atlantic: “What If We Never Run Out of Oil?”

It certainly is an interesting concept – one that I find quite credible.  For instance, we have recently discovered untapped reservoirs of methane hydrate (think of it as combustible ice) that collectively is the volume of the Mediterranean Sea.  What happens when we develop the technology to extract, refine, and distribute it cost-effectively?   (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Nuclear

Here’s an infographic that summarizes some of the observations on the adoption of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). The reader will note that some of this stuff is so vague that it’s really valueless.  For instance, Ambassador Hamad Al Kaabi, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the International Atomic Energy Agency says:

“More than 60 countries have expressed, to the IAEA, their interest in nuclear power, but when you look at grid sizes, many of these countries cannot accommodate a full-sized commercial reactor of today’s standard, given the size of their networks. You can assume that a lot of these countries – if they were actually going to develop nuclear power programs – would be looking at smaller capacity reactors.”

Anyone who takes this to mean that SMRs are right around the corner isn’t thinking very clearly.  Personally, I’m one of the 83% who believes that the “lack of cost competitiveness with other forms of energy” is what will kill this, and render the whole discussion moot.  The falling cost of solar, the already low levelized cost of wind energy will (actually already has) put a spear through SMRs.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Thanks to 2GreenEnergy supporter Don Harmon for alerting me to this wonderfully accessible piece on the environmental issues associated with lithium.  If for no other reason, this is important because of the frequent argument that the potential for lithium shortages or the ecological hazards of mining the metals make the whole enterprise of lithium-ion batteries unsustainable.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Question:  Most of us who follow the reports of our climate scientists understand that the average temperature of the Earth’s surface is rising.  When was the last time in our planet’s history that the summer melting of the arctic ice was as severe as it is today?

Answer: Can be found at http://2greenenergy.com/cool-guess-answers/8732.

Relevance:  Melting ice has the potential to cause a “runaway” effect with respect to global climate change, as the darker water absorbs more heat from the sun than the lighter colored ice, which tended to reflect that heat back into space.

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