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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Smart Grid

Reasons to Rent a UPSA UPS basically provides 3-Phase uninterrupted, conditioned Power during voltage sags and spikes, single phase conditions and total voltage outages. UPS rental systems can be very useful for those who have short-term or temporary needs. Renting a UPS can particularly be an excellent solution when future needs for power are not definite as well as during disaster recovery programs. As it does not involve any maintenance costs, it can help you save considerable money as well. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

The Awesome Power of Our Minds:  Another Good Reason To Help Civilization Find a Sustainable Way of LifeAbout five years ago I had some time to kill in Pasadena, out here in Southern California.  I found a terrific bookstore, milled around, and ultimately pulled a book off the shelf devoted to the subject of human consciousness.  I was roped in from the first paragraph, where the author speculated that modern humankind may be fairly close to wrapping our wits around the origin of the universe and its fundamental building blocks, but that, regardless of what happens in cosmology, we’re a very, very long way from understanding consciousness.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

photo datacenter_zpsseacod94.jpgYes, data centers are increasingly aware of the carbon footprint associated with their operations, and most of them are doing what they can to minimize it.  But let’s look at the value they provide in the first place.

Data centers, computer rooms and network closets house the most critical information of a company. Any loss to them means losing not only important data but it also mean serious financial damage. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

More on Sustainability and Political PhilosophyIn response to my piece on Sustainability and Political Philosophy, a reader asked me if I’d comment on greed and where it comes from.

I would say that our society over the last 75 years or so has become increasingly tuned to promoting consumerism = you’re inadequate if you don’t have more stuff = you need more money to buy more stuff = there is no limit to how much stuff you need to have and enjoy = the real winners are the people who have unbelievably large quantities of stuff.  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Fossil Fuels

Shell Oil Has an Indefensible Position, But At Least It’s Trying--I Believe...If I were forced to choose an oil company that I resent less than its peers, it would probably be Royal Dutch Shell.  I’ll admit that my reasoning is flimsy, but here goes:

1) A few years ago, a very large Shell shareholder from South Carolina called me from out of the blue and said, “You don’t know me, but I just had an interesting experience that I thought would interest you.  Your name, Craig Shields, and your company, 2GreenEnergy came up prominently today on a conference call with the executive team at Shell and its top shareholders.” Unfortunately, he couldn’t remember the context or even the substance of the discussion.  I recall thinking: This can’t be good.  I don’t recall ever picking on Shell specifically, but I certainly don’t write particularly flattering things about the oil companies generally. Yet somehow I left that phone call with sanguine thoughts: d’ya know, it’s vaguely possible that they were praising one of my books, a talk I gave, a blog post, or something along these lines. One never knows. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

No Solar PV for MeMy friend and guest blogger Brian McGowan writes:  Had a guy come out and survey my house for grid tied solar. He is part of the state’s solar ethics board. He said he wouldn’t put solar PV on my house because the trees behind my house are too close and I wouldn’t get full yield all the time. Everything else was perfect. Roof angle was right for best yield where I am located and the house is pointed in mostly the right direction. He was highly impressed with everything else I was doing and passed my website along to his boss.  Kind of bummed though. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Top Clean Energy Author Available to Discuss Renewables, Climate Change, Sustainability

If you are looking for an expert to interpret news on energy and the environment, educate within a documentary, or add a sustainable point of view to media interviews, you may want to include Craig Shields in the discussion.

Craig is the editor of the popular blog-site 2GreenEnergy.com, and the author of four books on clean energy: Renewable Energy – Facts and Fantasies (2010), Is Renewable Really Doable? (2012), Renewable Energy – Following the Money (2013), and Bullish on Renewable Energy (2015).

Now, he stands ready to comment on a number of related issues, all revolving around one central issue: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Energy Storage

Centralized Vs. Distributed Energy StorageHere’s an article on energy storage that presents the pros and cons of massive centralized storage, e.g., pumped hydro (pictured) versus distributed solutions for microgrids; the author’s purpose is to present the data that might allow us to conclude which one’s better.

Isn’t it possible that they’re both wonderful, but for different reasons?  (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainable Building

How to Optimize Your Home Windows and Create Energy EfficiencyWhile many homeowners are concerned about potential “energy sinks” in their homes, like appliances and electronics, not all of them take passive energy sinks into account. Things like old, sagging insulation, leaking roofs, or poorly-insulated windows can end up making energy efficiency nearly impossible. Fortunately, there are ways you can optimize your windows to help keep them from putting a drain on your home. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Protect the Environment by using a Fleet Management SystemManaging a fleet of vehicles is already a daunting task with all the requirements necessary to make it work. However, another thing that fleet management companies consider when they outfit their vehicles with the latest technology is how they can actually help lower the carbon footprint of their fleet. The environment is a hot-button topic and everyone is doing their bit to make the world a better place for future generations. (more…)

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