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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

John Petersen is one of the most thoughtful critics of the electric vehicle industry. In a phone conversation I had with him a few weeks ago, he laid out a few reasons why he thinks the whole idea needs to be scrapped. Here, in his column on AltEnergyStocks.com, he further defends his position, pointing out the folly of the plug-in hybrid Fisker Karma, and suggesting that those who invest in the glutted lithium-ion battery market are imbeciles.

Although there is a lot of truth here, as there is to everything John writes, I point out a few things: (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business


Thanks to all those who made suggestions for the title for my next book. There were several hundred, most of them fabulously creative, some deadpan, others hilarious. Tentatively, I’ve chosen:

RENEWABLE AND DOABLE
Our Transition to a Clean Energy Economy
that Won’t Cost Us the Earth

I like the concept for its clever rhyme, and also for its brave optimism, i.e., the suggestion that significant penetration of renewable energy and reduction in consumption of fossil fuels truly is an achievable goal. Fortunately, it jibes with the content of the book; in fact, there is a reasonable degree of hope to be found in various passages.

But having said that, the book is fundamentally an attempt to answer a single question: If this is such a critically important mission here on Earth, what are the forces that are making this transition so horribly difficult and slow? (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfQd3Qhbdho]In October’s webinar provided here, I interviewed Eutricity CEO Brent Marsh who described the process by which Onsite Utility Services (OSUS) are replacing Energy Service Companies (ESCOs).  This will represent savings and peace of mind for managers of commercial and industrial real estate, while opening up an important opportunity in the market for OSUS providers.

Part of Eutricity’s unique approach is its implementation of high voltage (low current) DC (325V) for lighting and HVAC. This reduces customers’ expenses associated with AC-DC (power supplies for digital devices) and DC-AC (PV inverters). It also removes power factor losses.

Sounds like a light-bulb of an idea to me — an LED light, of course.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

We at 2GreenEnergy are on a quest to introduce the basic concepts of renewable energy to newcomers to the field, and, to that end, we’ve begun to create a series of “infographics,” providing a few essential concepts at a glance. Here’s a one-pager we did, depicting a brief history of each of five main types of clean energy. We’re hoping that this puts a few central concepts into perspective for folks.

History of Renewable Energy Infographic

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

I’ve reviewed more than 700 cleantech business plans over the past 24 months, in a process that I describe in a two-minute-long video on the page linked below. The result? 19 opportunities that I consider to be excellent. Each has, at least by my way of looking at it, a solid team, proven technology, and a large, protectable target market.

Should investors jump right in because I happen to like the deal? Of course not. Is due diligence required? Absolutely. But if you’d like to know more about any of these opportunities, please let me know and I’ll arrange an introduction.

Here’s that video, as well as more information on each opportunity.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

Here’s Part Two of the interview that EVWorld editor Bill Moore conducted with me shortly after Renewable Energy – Facts and Fantasies was published last year.  In the course of the discussion, he asked me to provide my high-level impression of some of the main clean energy technologies: solar, wind, biomass, and hydro.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

Please take a moment and consider the work of the Turimiquire Foundation, run by a dear friend, his brother, and a few others in a remote region of Northeastern Venezuela. You’ll travel a long way to find a group that, dollar-for-dollar, makes a bigger impact on our world. When Turimiquire first came to this rural valley in 1977, most young women were illiterate and began giving birth at the age of 14 or 15, bearing a new child every other year or so into their thirties.  After decades of education and family planning, the entire demographic of the region has morphed into something far closer to sustainability.

Last year, Turimiquire’s first high school graduates succeeded in getting into community colleges in the nearby city of Cumaná, and several even made it into the State University. Now more students – especially the young women – want to attend one of the local community colleges where inscription is fairly open and low-cost…..

But there is little financial assistance available for even their modest needs. Turimiquire wants to support them in this brave new venture as well. Please reconsider adding this fine organization to your holiday gift list; I’m proud to have them on mine.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Business

By some strange coincidence, I have a couple of clients whose company’s purpose is “to be acquired.”  While there is nothing wrong with that per se, I suggest that it’s rather like putting the cart before the horse.  I recommend getting the company into a position where it’s of great value, and that means filling a previous unmet market need.  

Make yourself a pain in the neck to competitors in your space by eating into their market share.  Or, better yet, dominate a new market category.  If you can do that, the exit strategy takes care of itself. 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

I was giving a speech earlier this month about Energy Security, and while preparing the speech came upon some stark realizations about electrical generation in the US:
1) Solar is equivalent to an insignificant rounding error for electrical generation in the US.
2) Coal will remain by far the dominant form of electrical generation assuming the status quo for at least 5 years and will probably be the first or second generator for 10 years.
3) Assuming current trends, solar not be out producing petroleum product (petroleum liquids, petroleum coke) for about 4½ to 5 years.
4) Growth of 40% per year in 5 years solar will still be a rounding error for electrical generation in the US.
5) With growth of 60% per year in 5 years solar will finally achieve the status of being a rounding error for electrical generation in the US. (more…)

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