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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Renewable energy is one of the few eco-friendly ways of powering homes and saving on overall energy bills. Solar energy leads the charge when it comes to generating green energy, helping homeowners control electricity costs and contributing towards the ongoing green revolution.

Considering this, governments in some countries have instructed power corporations to buy energy back from homeowners. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

Our society needs a greater reverence for science, especially at this important point in the evolution of humankind, where we’ve come face-to-face with all manner of existential threats: climate change, ocean acidification, nuclear proliferation, loss of biodiversity, the end of a functioning democracy, etc.  It seems to me that this is the wrong time to abandon science, and make important decisions based on other ways of looking at the world. 

Yet, this awe-inspiring video on the movement of large flocks of starlings serves as a reminder that science is a long way from having all the answers.  I do hope you’ll check out the video; it’s amazing.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

Making a “green living” at home conserves valuable resources and it’s better for the environment too. So, jump on the bandwagon of loving mother earth and save energy as well as money while you are at home or you are away from home. Small changes made by you can add up to big changes for the environment. Following are a few points, which must be kept in mind for saving energy in individual capacity: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

As I mentioned, the video-taped sessions on the main stage at the ARPA-e show are online.  I keep returning mentally to the talk on the future of the grid that featured David Crane, CEO of NRG Energy, the second-largest power producer in the U.S., and Richard Lester, professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at MIT.   

What are the issues at stake here?  We’ll, there are several.

(more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I was deeply disappointed that a family matter forced me to skip what is most certainly the world’s single best conference on energy innovation: the ARPA-e (Advanced Research Projects Agency – energy) show in Washington, DC. 

We’re talking about a) the presence of 3000 high-level people in the industry, b) a very well-vetted set of 250 exhibits showcasing cutting-edge technologies, and c) some really good sessions with the planet’s top experts on the subject.  The good news is that, though it pained me to miss out on the first two ingredients, the third was videotaped and put online for the benefit of us all.  I spent a fair amount of time on this today, and I plan to work my way through all of it by the end of the week.

In her brilliant and poignant keynote on the ecological devastation that humankind is wreaking on the waters of Earth, legendary oceanographer Dr. Sylvia Earle (pictured) ended her talk on an upbeat note (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Efficiency

If you are a university student, then you may be paying for quite a few things for the first time in your life as you begin on your path to independence. You should therefore learn to save energy so you can lower your overall bills.

If you are billed for your electricity, then you will need to find out the rates at which you’re paying it.Under a schedule for pricing like that you will be charged with a different amount, depending on the time of usage. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Many companies both large and small have been successfully saving money after becoming more environmentally friendly, and, in today’s uneasy and somewhat lean economic times, being a little more financially responsible will do wonders for the inherent success of your business. Although people may typically imagine that doing this will involve a large amount of stress and turmoil for all concerned, businesses are gradually becoming both eco-friendly and fiscally accountable, and all with no huge company-wide headaches. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

With people across the UK leading ever more hectic lives, finding the time to take care of our environmental responsibilities can be increasingly difficult. Although the world of technology is often forced to take much of the blame when it comes to environmental damage, in many ways it is working incredibly hard to right the wrongs it has perhaps been unfairly burdened with.

Taking Responsibility for Our Energy (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Hydrokinetics

I just reviewed another in a long series of attempts at ocean wave energy.  This one is similar to a Pelamis, but, because it requires less material it will be less expensive, thus offering a lower levelized cost of energy (LCOE). 

I wrote back: It’s hard for me to evaluate these claims re: LCOE.  I’m reminded of something a wise-cracking engineer at Black and Veatch told me a few years ago when I showed him one of my client’s ideas and told him how inexpensive it would be to build.  “We have a saying around here, Shields,” he retorted.  “It’s always cheap until you build it.”

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Here’s an article that discusses the economics by which utility customers  — both consumers and businesses – are leaving the grid in favor of solar and battery storage.  This isn’t something that will occur in the distant future; the trend is already underway, and it’s accelerating as the prices of solar PV and batteries fall, and the efficiency of our buildings improves.

The problem, of course, is that this leaves fewer (and less affluent) people as the utilities’ remaining customers.

Perhaps it’s time to take an obvious but much resisted step: rethink the relationship we have with our utilities from the ground up.  We’ll always need them around, just not in the way we wanted them when we laid the rules down 100 years ago.

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