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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

As we become more energy conscious, we’re always looking for ways to make our homes and businesses more ‘eco-friendly’.
With rising energy costs and increased pressure from external sources, there has been no time like the present for your company to go ‘green’. Whether you’re a multinational corporation with a big carbon footprint; or a small company looking to ‘do your bit’, there are plenty of ways to make your business more eco-friendly:

1. Perform an energy audit

Before you can take action to become more ‘green’, you need to know exactly what your business’s energy usage is like.
Many industrial electricians and utilities companies offer such evaluations, making it easy for you to perform. Such consultations will highlight your energy usage, and failings, and the best strategies to help you reduce your business’s usage. You can also monitor proceedings within the company and track this against your bills.
Depending on the size of your business though, you might not think this is the best option – especially in the early stages of ‘going green’. Instead, you might be able to highlight a number of simple but effective ways you can cut your costs and go ‘green’.

2. Go electronic

Every business sends hundreds of emails every day, so making the move towards electronic-only proceedings shouldn’t be too much of a hassle. Move towards a paperless office by reducing your printing, faxing, and photocopying.
You can even send quotes and invoices safely and securely online. This will also help you keep your postage costs down – another reason to take steps towards making your business eco-friendly. You will obviously have to print some things, but try and keep this to a minimum where possible.

3. Buy green

If you want to reduce your business’s carbon footprint, one of the best ways to do so is by buying economical products. Everything from fridges to dishwashers is marked with their energy efficiency rating these days, making going green easier than ever.
It’s not just your kitchen appliances that can go green either. Make sure that your printers, PCs, and photocopiers, all have the highest ‘green’ rating. This will help you reduce the business carbon footprint, whilst still keeping the day-to-day running hassle-free.

4. Recycle and reuse

When you need to print; print double sided. Reuse old scraps of paper for note taking. Recycle all your paper when you’ve finished with it. There are loads of ways you can recycle and reuse everything in your office to keep your carbon footprint to a minimum. You might be surprised at the additional uses you can discover for everything. Similarly, you should always try and source products from recycled and sustainable sources.

5. Turn it off!

Simple actions such as turning appliances off when not in use, buying energy efficient light-bulbs, and not leaving taps dripping; can help you reduce your bills in the home and at your business. The easiest way to go about making a real difference is by following these tips.
Turn printers and photocopiers on for reduced hours a day, make sure everyone turns their computers off at night, and check all the lights are off when you leave a night. This may seem like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how effective these methods can be.
Making your business more eco-friendly doesn’t have to be a challenge. In fact, a few simple changes like the aforementioned can have a huge impact on your company’s carbon footprint. By taking steps to go ‘green’ today, you will have increased productivity tomorrow.

Powertricity is a leading industrial electricians in Bromsgrove, UK who can help you make sure your business is eco-friendly. Contact them today for more information on their commercial and industrial services.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

In response to my piece about the regulation of the electrical utilities and the providing of incentives for clean energy, frequent commenter Dennis Miles writes:

There is an old saying I learned about 45 years ago, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I have found on occasion that an “improvement” caused more difficulties as the situation had many more interactions, perhaps some not documented of which we were initially unaware, but the improvement knocked it off kilter. Eventually I learned to repair equipment based upon the previously working design, and not to “redesign the wheel.”

I hear this a lot, and I admit there is a certain truth to it.  In fact, this is the main reason that the migration from fossil fuels is such a challenge; looked at a certain way, we’re trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist.  We have reliable and inexpensive electricity, and many people say, “Well, that means it ain’t broke.”

But I’m not sure you’ll get too much agreement from the families of the more than 13,000 people who died of lung disease last year because the aromatics of coal, or the parents of the hundreds of thousands of children who were rushed to the hospital with acute asthma.  We could go on and talk about the incredible levels of devastation to our climate, our oceans, and our biodiversity – but here you have long-term effects, in a world (or at least a country) that is quite short-term focused. 

In the end, it’s a debatable point – one that comes down to one’s definition of “broke.”

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

When I was in Boston on Tuesday I recorded a webinar in the office of Esplanade Capital’s founder Shawn Kravetz, who provided almost a full hour of really sharp insight into the ever-changing world of investment in solar photovoltaics.

In the course of the discussion, I asked Shawn if he wished to share any observations on the way the solar industry, or renewable energy in general, is treated vis-à-vis subsidies.  Obviously, the PV industry has benefited greatly from the support it has received from the public sector all over the world, most notably Germany.  However, these subsidies are inconsistent, unpredictable, and, in comparison to the tens of billions of dollars that are dumped into the coffers of the oil companies each year, quite modest in scope.

I loved Shawn’s response.  He smiled, and quoted (the great U.S. football team New England Patriot’s head coach) Bill Belichick, who said, “We do business as business is done.” I took this to mean (and please feel free to comment if you think I’ve misread this remark) “There may be a place for idealism, but it certainly isn’t the business world.” 

This is one of the many reasons I like the cut of the Esplanade Capital’s jib.  They’ve dialed down into solar as a strictly business proposition – and an incredibly complex and dynamic one at that.  They don’t even represent their enterprise as SRI (socially responsible investing). While Shawn privately may, as a person of conscience, hope that renewable energy prevails on Earth (and he clearly does) you certainly won’t hear a single mention of this in his presentation. If you’re an accredited investor who happens to think that solar is likely to gain ground, for whatever reason – social, moral, or purely financial — you may want to check them out. 

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

In today’s tightly-knotted world of investment capital, we don’t require huge victories to merit a celebration.  Last week, I received word that 2GreenEnergy had successfully arranged a modest but not insignificant investment contribution to our client Vision Motor Cars, which will enable the construction of a number of test vehicles of the company’s latest design, in this case, super-affordable light-duty electric trucks.

Most of us who follow the electric vehicle market remain at sea regarding a crucially important issue:  can a successful EV program come only from an established auto manufacturer?  We’ve certainly seen a great number of start-ups fold their tents.  Even the exalted Tesla has disappointed some analysts, which seems unthinkable, given what I think of as its “dream cars,” not to mention its price-points that result in some really healthy operating margins.

But I, for one, still believe in the concept of an EV start-up, as long as the product can be solidly differentiated in the market, and offers the customer something of unique and obvious value. And that’s precisely what this happy investor saw in Vision Motor Cars: a cool, well-thought-through design, resulting in a high-quality yet affordable product.

Next step: building and selling e-trucks.  Now let’s see if we can find a reasonably smart marketing guy with a decent track-record to help make this happen.  🙂

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

 The skier’s delight rarely falls in the realm of green renewable eco-friendly holidays, but many resorts are trying to change that image. Some resorts are increasing their recycling, while others are working to have a less strenuous impact on Mother Nature. This means eco-friendly, sustainable and an awareness of how to use natural resources efficiently and responsibly. One way of becoming eco aware is to manage the carbon footprint that we leave behind as individuals, companies and corporations. Ski resorts are not exempt from this responsibility to mother earth and all that she offers. Evaluating a resort’s responsibility to the environment looks at ISO14001 approval, recycling, green power usage, traffic reduction, sewage management, climate policy and green building policy.

Aspen, Colorado

Leave it to the hippies in Colorado to lead the ski and winter industry into the green revolution with their pioneering ideas. The Aspen Skiing Company was the one of the first to announce new policies to protect the climate and environment. They didn’t just take on the slopes but the whole winter tourism industry. They are using biodiesel fuel for snow grooming machines and are also using 100 percent wind power as a sustainable source of energy. This is the resort leading the way in sustainable skiing holidays.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming

One of the last family owned resorts in the United States, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is doing their part to become more eco-friendly and sustainable. After the 2006 resolution by the mayor, Jackson Hole has focused on reducing greenhouse gas emission and becoming more sustainable. The Chamber of Commerce and the businesses in Jackson Hole have partnered with the RRR Business Leaders Program to work towards a goal of a healthy, sustainable economic growth and development for the whole area. The citizens participate in the program through the Jackson community recycling, Sustain Jackson Hole, Teton Sustainability Project, the Uncommon Sense Program, and the Lower Valley Energy cooperative. They have invested in upgrading the facilities at the resort including converting energy resources to 100 percent renewable energy credits and recycling at least a third of all its trash. Jackson Hole is one of the only resorts in the world that is 100 percent wind powered. This takes the resort off the grid and makes them completely sustainable.

Kaprun, Austria

They have been skiing in the Alps longer than the United States has been a country and that means that non-sustainable practices have drained the resources. The survival and beauty of the Alps depends on the development and incorporation of sustainable practices and resources. At ski resorts, one of the biggest drains on energy sources is the ski lift. Just think of the energy needed to carry all those many skiers up the mountain every day, on their winter Group ski holidays. Kaprun in Austria led the way in becoming the first ISO-Certified lift company. They operate the Kitzsteinhorn lift and improve efficiency, safety, and quality at the resort all around. Furthermore the lift is connected to a sewage pipe, which removes waste from the mountain and converts energy for use in other places. These improvements, along with membership in the Alpine Convention, ensure that Kaprun is opening new doors to sustainability in Austria and Europe.

Avoriaz, France

When designing the ski resort the builders of Avoriaz, France created an eco-friendly resort that focuses on reduced carbon emissions, and full scale recycling efforts. Cars are not allowed in the resort thus reducing emissions even more. The resort uses biofuel converted from old cooking oil and reduces pollution through other conversions. The ski chalets are environmentally friendly and sustainable. The resort even built the roofs to hold more snow, in order to use the extra pack as insulation that will increase indoor temperatures naturally. The beautiful escape in the Alps focuses on comfort as well as the environment and it certainly shows.

Bolton Valley, Vermont        

They did it in Colorado and Wyoming, so why not Vermont. At Bolton Valley, Vermont the ski resort started the wind revolution of sustainable energy. The first ski area in Vermont, Bolton Valley has been using wind energy since 2009. Moreover most of the restaurants in the area are converting to locally grown and harvested foods. This supports the local communities and reinforces a strong environmental focus for the area. The ski resort uses only recycled trash bags from a local company and composts all organic trash for the creation of making topsoil to be used in the community.

All of these measures focus on the mantra of every environmental lobbyist; recycle, reuse, and reduce. With a little attention, you too can support a stronger environment even while enjoying your ski holiday.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

I’m looking forward to today’s  meeting with David O’Brien, Bridge Energy Group’s Director of Regulatory Strategy and Compliance.  With his permission, I will record the discussion and squeeze it into my current book project, “Renewable Energy – Following the Money.”  This is important, as I realized the other day that the book is a bit light in the subject arena of David’s expertise, i.e., the regulation of power utilities and the effects these have on innovation, especially, the implementation of efficiency, conservation, smart-grid, and renewables.

My belief going into this discussion is simple:

Our current system of utility regulation is a hodge-podge of arcane rules that sprang up on a regional, ad-hoc basis over the last 125 years.  These rules were designed to minimize the cost of electricity, especially to large, industrial customers, while guaranteeing the power companies extremely attractive and perfectly predictable streams of profit.  They need to be ripped out by the roots and replaced with something that’s simple, fair, and understandable, while encouraging all stake holders (generation, transmission, distribution, and load) to do the right thing, i.e.,

  • Invest in smart-grid as the enabler of a modern and efficient energy network
  • Offer incentives that minimize consumption, especially on-peak
  • Retire coal plants as quickly and as practically as possible
  • Replace them with a combination of renewable energy and storage.

From my initial conversations with Mr. O’Brien, I can see that he and I agree on a great deal of this, but I fully expect to learn exactly why my assessment here is an oversimplification, or lacks other features that would make it pragmatically implementable.  That’s fine; I’m here to learn.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

The history of Toyota Crown dated back to 1950’s when the company launched its first Crown car. This car was launched for the local Japanese market and it was not an international appearance which means that the car was limited to the domestic market only. After the successful business locally the company introduced 14th generations of Toyota Crown car and now it has become one of the most desirable vehicle by Toyota.

The new concept Toyota Crown car which is also called Crown Hybrid is based on VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management), the buyers of this car call it next generation technology which is a true combination of advancement, safety, luxury and fast pace driving experience.

Toyota Crown Hybrid reflects the taste and choice of youngsters as well as business class. It gives a luxurious and premium drive along with a sporty and amplifying speed.The Crown is compared with Lexus which was manufactured in US. It is said that Toyota Crown Hybrid car gives 55mpg when tested for a JC08 fuel efficiency test in the US. Though the Crown was launched in 1955, the first Crown Hybrid debuted in 2001 and later in 2008 a more advanced and upgraded version was introduced.

The new Toyota Crown Hybrid is a rear-wheel drive which is offered with 2.5 liter engine, 4 cylinder inline cycle engine, it is a perfect amalgamation of D 4S4 with advanced level torque motor and a NimH battery pack. The Japanese Ministry of Land conducted a test for Toyota Crown Hybrid and declared that the car is fuel efficient and consumes 23.2 km/L. The Transport and Tourism (MLIT) declared that the CO2 emission is 100g/Km

The safety features of Toyota Crown hybrid are outstanding , the car is designed to perform excellently in emergency situations. The pre-collision braking system works magically fast to cope with the out of control speed or if the wrong pedal is hit. The Toyota Crown Hybrid even alerts the driver in case of any obstacle in a way of driving, if a gear is not placed rightly the intelligent system informs.

The attractive features of Toyota Crown Hybrid are Supplemental Restraint System, Thin Film Transistor LCD, Quite and Calm interior, economical fuel consumption, less emission of CO2, Intelligent Clearance Sonar, Advanced Monitor with panoramic View and THS II technology.

If we talk a little more about the next generation LCD of Toyota Crown Hybrid, it is 12.3 ” in size with a resolution of 1,280 x 480. The best part is its meter color changes according to the sporty mode or Eco mode of the car. The car’s exterior is designed in a premium way since it is owned by business class and the price structure is comparatively higher than the other cars by Toyota.

The interior of Toyota Crown Hybrid is quite spacious and it gives a feeling of comfortable and cozy sitting, besides all the advanced and safety features the car is a true representative of next generation drive. It contributes in the Green and Clean environment and such environment friendly vehicles should be promoted to ensure less carbon dioxide and pollution in the air.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

When 2GreenEnergy supporter Tim Kingston sent me this note on California’s “cap and trade” program earlier today, I’m sure he knew how I’d react:  It’s simply a new way for smart, rich people and their lawyers to make even more money by manipulating the system and frustrating the intention of the people.

Yes, we the People want to reduce the outpouring of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.  No, cap and trade is not the way to get there.

Tim notes:

Craig:  It looks as if energy prices in CA are going up, up, up.  What’s interesting is that CA will be exporting its fossil fuel to the Pacific NW and importing hydropower from same.  The net result will be lower emissions in CA but higher emissions in OR and WA.  This is why we need a national carbon tax.  Why (U.S. President) Obama is against this beats me.  Have a great week!

Thanks, Tim.  I fully intend to have a great week, even though news like this isn’t a terrific omen.

You’re absolutely right about a national carbon tax – preferably to be used as a blueprint for a set of international regulations in the same direction.

So, you’re asking why Obama is against a fair and practical system that will put a crimp in the expansion of the fossil fuel industry – the most profitable and powerful group of people in the world.  And you’re aware that the oil companies employ more lobbyists than any other group in the known universe.  Hmmm.  Let me give the matter a bit of thought and get back to you…..

Seriously, I wish you a good week too.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I’m heading to Boston tomorrow for four really promising meetings on Tuesday. My marketing services companies did 26 different projects for the IT giant Digital Equipment Corporation in the 1990s, which was only one of at least a dozen clients we had in the area, so I have a fond place in my heart for that part of the world.

Then, it’s the night train down to Washington DC for the ARPA-E “Innovations” show on Wednesday.  I may come home Wednesday night, or head back up to Philadelphia/New York, depending on how much damage I feel I’ll be able to do there.

More from the road….

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

There are a few reasons why I recommend this article on energy efficiency by my young friend Stephen Lacey. 

1)      I can’t think of anyone whose observations I regard as more astute than Stephen’s.  I’ve known him for about four years, and seen him develop from his first job out of college, where he skyrocketed through the ranks to be UNarguably the most important voice at Renewable Energy World, to his position at Climate Progress, and finally to his latest gig at GreenTechMedia.

2)      I interviewed him for both my first book, Renewable Energy – Facts and Fantasies, and my third, Renewable Energy – Following the Money.  I don’t wish to appear like one of these temperamental Hollywood types, but trust me, I would not ask anyone for a second interview if I hadn’t been impressed with the first one.

3)      His point here that energy efficiency and conservation are more important in lowering the footprint than energy generation, is right on, and he does a fantastic job articulating this and expanding on it.

 I hope you will appreciate this as much as I did. 

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