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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Wind Energy

This article, “What Is It Like to Live Next to a 136-Megawatt Wind Farm?” is not too condemning of the experience.  I would have preferred its section “The Bats and the Birds” to point out that birds are many thousands of times more likely to get killed by plate-glass windows, automobiles, and house cats — but overall, I think the author did a fine job. 

Though perhaps a more interesting question is:  Would you rather live next to a wind farm or a coal-fired power plant? 

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

PBS’s nightly show “The News Hour” drew vociferous attack for their recent 10-minute segment on climate change.  At issue was their “balanced” program that included roughly equal time for the 97% – 98% of climate scientists who support the theory of anthrogenic global warming and 2% – 3% of remaining skeptics. 

I can understand the rancor.  There are people who think the Holocaust in Nazi Germany never happened, but can you imagine PBS giving them equal billing on a documentary on the subject?  That’s precisely the error the show’s producers committed, from where I sit.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

YouTube is continuing its work in replacing television for casual viewing as it pushes into every imaginable niche, allowing users to find the video content they want with an exactness not previously possible, and taking mere seconds to do it.

One group who is served particularly well by YouTube are is that of car enthusiasts. According to Mashabel.com, we spend around 2.9 billion hours on YouTube and based on cheapcarinsurance.net, automotive is the second most popular topic there (going after celebrities). With thousands of YouTube channels offering everything from car reviews to automotive event coverage, there are literally millions of hours of car-related content available on the website. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I’m headed up to one of my favorite cities in the world, San Francisco, for the Renewable Energy Finance Forum this Thursday and Friday. It’s about a four-hour drive from here, and so I’ll leave a bit before dawn and arrive on time for the opening keynote. I hope to write numerous posts through the two-day event; of all the conferences I attend, either as a speaker or simply as a member of the audience, this is one of the most pithy and relevant.

I’ll take the opportunity to speak with Dennis McGinn, the president of ACORE (American Council on Renewable Energy), the organization that puts on the show. I’ve met with him several times in the past year, and I know he’ll express his pleasure with the work I’ve done to promote the ACORE-driven website EnergyFactCheck.org; it’s always nice to get an “atta-boy” from a retired vice admiral from the US Navy.

If you’re in the Bay Area and would like to sit down for a chat, please let me know and I’ll try to make that happen.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

I had a fairly heated disagreement on a few scientific points with a much younger man the other day that resulted in his later challenging me to search online for what he claimed to be the truth. “UTUBE IT, GRAMPS,” he wrote back angrily.

I swear to God Almighty, I almost fell out of my chair laughing. I don’t know how to begin describing why I found this terse little order so comical, but trust me, it took me a full minute to regain my composure, and for my sides to stop hurting.

It’s true that I’m more than old enough to be a grandfather (though, fortunately, neither my son Jake nor my daughter Valerie have brought me to that point). I guess the humor for me is that I don’t feel like anyone’s “Gramps.”

Gertrude Stein wrote: “We are always the same age inside.” Perhaps we should let that sink in for a moment.

In any case, I intend to keep plugging away in my pursuits until I can do it no longer. For what it’s worth, I want to be doing this to within minutes of my demise. Don’t we all? Do any of us want to see a rocking chair in our future?

by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Here’s an interview I conducted earlier today with Megan Birney, Energy Manager at Santa Barbara’s Community Environmental Council.  Megan explains her organization’s program to encourage the installation of solar photovoltaics at local non-profits.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Energy Storage

About a year ago, I was lucky enough to be invited to a meeting of the executive team of ARES, Advanced Rail Energy Storage, a company with a unique concept that competes against pumped hydro.   I hope you’ll check out the website; it tells the story very well, and offers two very solid videos.

ARES most definitely offers advances over its competition, largely, that it doesn’t require water, which is scarce in parts of the world in which the demand for storage is the greatest, e.g., the deserts of the Southwestern US.  Having said that:

1) Insofar as the concept embraces materials and technologies that are fairly commonplace, the cost per Watt, as well as the cost per Watt-hour, will not come down over time to keep pace with higher-tech solutions, e.g., batteries.

2) I don’t have my wits wrapped around the business elements of energy storage as they exist now, let alone how they may exist in the future.  In particular, storage benefits all stakeholders: generation, transmission, distribution, and rate-payer.  I suppose that’s a good thing.  But who’s going to pay for it?  The discussion, historically, has been a tricky one.

In any case, I know and respect a number of the people involved here, and I wish them well.  If anyone’s interested in speaking with them, please let me know.

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

I’m happy to note that my brother Geoff’s side of the Shields family is vigorously checking out the Monsanto/GMO issue.  My nephew Tyler (pictured here left of Geoff) is passing around a film documentary on the subject.  Way to go, Ty!

I haven’t watched this, though I did see “Patent for a Pig,” which covers the same subject, and is extremely well made.

Yes, it’s deplorable that Monsanto is putting its profits above the health and safety of the world’s people.   But the real culprit, by my way of thinking, is a legal system that enables this. Let me ask you: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Solar Thermal

As presented here, I’m glad to see the Saudis implementing CSP (concentrated solar power) as a significant portion of their energy plans.  It looks like MIT and Siemens have crafted a “hybrid” of CSP and fossil fuels, to create higher temperatures (and thus higher efficiencies), which is the real challenge that CSP has always faced.  Obviously, I’d prefer to see fossil fuels go away, but at this stage, I suppose we’ll take what we can get. 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Regarding my response on piezoelectric generation in roadways, Nick writes:

I had no idea they produced such a small amount of energy though I did realize they were expensive.

Well, I haven’t done the math, but just following the broad strokes associated with the conservation of energy, 80% of the chemical energy in gasoline is wasted as heat and mechanical losses in the drive train itself; the other 20% is converted to kinetic energy to move the car.  Exactly how much is lost to compressing the road (and recoverable) as piezoelectricity?  I don’t know, but it can’t be much.

I’m reminded of people who think they’re going to recapture the energy that is currently lost as heat in shock-absorbers — i.e., the vertical motion of a car as it moves along — via regenerative braking.  That’s just as preposterous.  You’re talking about a minute amount of energy.  Note that shock absorbers don’t even get particularly hot.  Terrible idea.

 

 

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