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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Here’s a video on the ”Sol-Bot” — a robot that automatically and continuously adjusts the azimuth and the altitude of the individual solar panels in an array.

This is certainly thinking outside the box, but if it’s a cost-effective solution, I’m a bald eagle.  It appears to be an example of the wonderful quip that Dr. Peter Lilienthal left me with at the conclusion of our first talk: “If you don’t care what you pay for it, I’ll give you all the clean energy you can possibly use.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

The new study published by Infiniti Research this month has found that the worldwide solar panel market likely will grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 15.3 percent from 2011 to 2015.

In other words, the study suggests that the solar market will grow 15.3% every year until 2015 – or a total of about 50% in a three-year time. The study has assessed the solar market in America, Europe, Asia, as well as the Middle East and Africa. This leaves Australia out of the report, a country that has seen a tenfold increase in their total PV capacity between 2009 and 2011. (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Senior energy analyst and frequent commenter Glenn Doty writes:

Farmers are getting hit by the drought and heat wave. Wealthy southern landowners are getting hit by increased tropical storm activity… and everyone has to spend more to keep the air conditioning running. Within six years we will likely see satellite pictures of Earth with no ice in the arctic seas. It is becoming impossible even for the most uneducated people to deny global warming… and when it becomes impossible, they’ll give up the fight, and everyone will claim they knew it all along.

Great perspective; I agree with you 100%.  I guess the question is: Exactly what will we do when the lies and obfuscations finally stop, public awareness comes up, and we have broad-spread agreement about the reality of climate change?  I’d like to see a sane and honest process by which cleantech ideas that are based on solid science that could possibly scale to address the problem receive the funding they need to move through the R&D process rapidly. But how real is that, given the level of incompetence and corruption associated with the allocation of the ARPA-E money in today’s world, coupled with the poisonous political environment?

I know I don’t have to convince you of this, of all people.  The fact that Doty Windfuels can’t get the few million dollars it needs to develop its breakthrough approach to synthetic fuels is unconscionable. 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Sustainability

It’s the birthday of best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell, for my money, among the very brightest people on the planet.  His first book, The Tipping Point – How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference, was published in 2000, based on the analysis of “the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point” that cause huge sociological changes that mark everyday life. As Gladwell states, “Ideas and products and messages and behaviors spread like viruses do.” About the book, he said: “The hope with Tipping Point was it would help the reader understand that real change was possible.”

I occasionally note that it could, at some point, become “cool” to be “green.”  Wouldn’t it be terrific if caring about the people and the planet around us became the next light beer, Twitter, SUVs, fast food, or texting? But exactly what and where is the tipping point for this one?  How do we get there from here? 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Solar Thermal

Here’s an article that compares the two main competing technologies in concentrated solar power (CSP): linear Fresnel lenses vs. parabolic troughs.  The main issue, of course, is the cost of the reflectors themselves, as well as the apparatus whereby they track the sun as it moves across the sky. 

This reminds me of the work that has been done by my friends at Ahura Energy, whose breakthrough directly affects the cost associated with tracking the sun.   I’m hoping to round up an investor or two who will be interested in funding a few small pilot plants, each of which have power purchase agreement already in place; it’s a quite attractive proposition.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Politics

Some say it’s folly to be spending billions of dollars on space exploration when we can’t afford to develop technologies that would deal with the shortages of clean energy, water, and food here on Earth.  In fact, I’m sympathetic with the viewpoint.  But I defy anyone to watch this video on the Mars landing made by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and not see the value in this amazing program.  Enjoy.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Electric Vehicles

Apparently, I’m the only one who sees the humor in the advertisement that CODA Automotive has been running these last few months:

The New, All-Electric CODA — The Only EV with a Real Trunk!

Every time I see it, I think:  After the $5K drop in price from $45K, you get the privilege of paying $40K (less incentives) to buy a cheaply-made, unattractive, and inconvenient car (you plug it in and worry about range) from a company that has a miniscule chance of being in business long enough to honor its warranty.  But at least it has a real trunk; there’s the deal-cincher.

I find it funny that someone thinks this is effective marketing.  Again, I know not everyone shares my sense of humor.

 

 

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Photovoltaics

Here’s the latest in a series of updates I just received from a colleague in Philadelphia, outling the progress that is being made in creating fabrics that contain solar photovoltaics.  One day you’ll be able to charge your cell phone by plugging it into your shirt.

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Renewables - Science

What a great pleasure to come face to face with Glenn Doty, senior energy analyst and frequent commenter at 2GreenEnergy, during my visit to Doty Scientific on Friday.  Had Glenn not had business to which to attend, I would have loved to have extended our conversation in the “break room” far longer than the hour or so that we actually had together. 

I began by asking him to tell me about his thought-evolution in energy.  “To get this kicked off,” I began, “I’m constantly coming across concepts that contravene what I would have previously bet my life on.  People will write me and complain, ‘Now you’re saying X.  But you also say Y.’  ‘Well, I explain, I thought Y, but that was two years ago.  Can you image how many new ideas I’ve run across since then?’  Surely, Glenn, you’ve had similar experiences.” (more…)

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by craigshieldsPosted on Posted in Climate Change

Unfortunately, we live in a time when our “leaders” simply tell us what they think we want to hear. Anytime, and especially in an election year, a U.S. presidential candidate stands up for an idea, it means that he believes that a majority of voters will stand behind him.  Based on the events of the past few days, that implies both good news and bad news.   (more…)

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