Justmeans's blogshttp://www.justmeans.com/editorials/energyemissions/1747.htmlFri, 10 Feb 2012 20:22:46 GMThttp://www.justmeans.com en hourly 1http://www.justmeans.com/Nuclear-Reactions--Six-Months-After-Fukushima--the-World-Readjusts/50095.htmlMon, 03 Oct 2011 14:07:09 GMTReynard Loki "Nuclear power is safe and nuclear power is clean and nuclear power is renewable."-- President George W. Bush, September 4, 2006[1]Since the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear disaster, politicians, business executives and investors around the world have cooled on the prospects of nuclear energy. Last month, Siemens AG, the German technology giant that had been involved in the nuclear sector for decades, announced that it was abandoning its nuclear business and would be ramping up its work in renewable Read Full Article ]]> "Nuclear power is safe and nuclear power is clean and nuclear power is renewable."-- President George W. Bush, September 4, 2006[1]Since the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear disaster, politicians, business executives and investors around the world have cooled on the prospects of nuclear energy. Last month, Siemens AG, the German technology giant that had been involved in the nuclear sector for decades, announced that it was abandoning its nuclear business and would be ramping up its work in renewable energy. "The chapter is closed for us," CEO Peter Lscher told the German news magazine Spiegel. "We will no longer be involved in managing the building or financing of nuclear plants," said Lscher, who expressed confidence that Germany would achieve its goal of generating 35 percent of its energy through natural energy sources by 2020.[2]PHASING OUT NUCLEAR POWERThe announcement followed an endorsement in May by German chancellor Angela Merkel's coalition to approve a landmark plan to shut down all nuclear power plants by 2022, which would bring an end to an industry that provides the nation with a quarter of its energy. "We believe we as a country can be a trailblazer for a new age of renewable energy sources," said Merkel. "We can be the first major industrialised country that achieves the transition to renewable energy with all the opportunities -- for exports, development, technology, jobs -- it carries with it."[3]Just a few days before Germany's announcement, Switzerland announced it too would be phasing out of nuclear energy, abandoning plans to build new reactors with a full exit by 2034. The long phase-out will allow ample time to find a suitable replacement for the energy produced by its five reactors, which supplies the country with 40 percent of its power.[4]"Many environmental groups are fundamentally opposed to the notion that nuclear power is a renewable form of energy -- on the grounds that it produces harmful waste byproducts and relies on extractive industries to procure fuel like uranium," writes James Kanter on the enviroment blog of The New York Times. "Even so, the nuclear industry and pro-nuclear officials from countries including France have been trying to brand the technology as renewable, on the grounds that it produces little or no greenhouse gases. Branding nuclear as renewable could also enable nuclear operators to benefit from some of the same subsidies and friendly policies offered to clean energies like wind, solar and biomass."[5]A BIG BID GIVES NUCLEAR ENERGY A BOOST, FOR NOWBut as Kanter noted, the nuclear industry was dealt a blow in 2009 when Hlne Pelosse, who was the interim director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) at the time, told Reuters that the agency, which advises 148 member countries and the European Union on renewable energy policy, "will not support nuclear energy programs because it's a long, complicated process, it produces waste and is relatively risky." Pelosse made it clear that she doesn't consider nuclear energy to be renewable, saying that "renewable energy is a better alternative and a faster, less expensive alternative, especially with countries blessed with so much sun for solar plants."[6]Mark Cooper, Senior Research Fellow for Economic Analysis at the Institute for Energy and the Environment at Vermont Law School, said that following the Fukushima meltdown, investors consider nuclear power 25 percent less attractive.[7] Indeed, nuclear stocks took a severe beating after the disaster, with some companies experiencing more than 20 percent in losses[8]). Still, the current overall state of the nuclear sector looks relatively stable, at least for now. Germany's phase-out will take more than a decade. Cameco Corp., the world's biggest producer of uranium, for example, recently made a USD 530 million bid to acquire Hathor Exploration Ltd., a Canadian-based uranium exploration company. Bloomberg News said that the deal "is showing that the nuclear future is now."[9]JAPAN'S ATOMIC BOMB SURVIVORS: END NUCLEAR POWERIn July, the Hidankyo, the group that represents the some 50,000 living survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, made its first-ever appeal for Japan to end civilian nuclear power, calling for an end to the construction of new plants and a phasing out of the nations 54 reactors. Considering their personal experiences during the WWII atomic bombings, the Hidanko wields a particular authority on the subject on nuclear power."The bureaucracy, industry and the media were able to shut our eyes to the danger of nuclear power," said Hirotami Yamada, the secretary general of the Nagasaki chapter of Hidankyo. "They convinced us that nuclear power was different from nuclear bombs," the 80-year-old Yamada, who was in his teens when Nagasaki was bombed, told The New York Times. "Fukushima showed us that they are not so different."[10]###NOTES[1] http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2006/sep/4/20060904-113630-1062r/[2] http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,787020,00.html [3] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13597627[4] http://web2.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/110525/switzerland-nuclear-energy-phase-out[5] http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/is-nuclear-power-renewable/[6] http://www.tradearabia.com/news/ogn_165107.html[7] http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/01/us-investing-nuclear-idUSTRE7300DR20110401[8] http://www.forbes.com/sites/afontevecchia/2011/03/14/uranium-and-nuclear-stocks-feel-the-shock-waves-of-fukushima-meltdown/[9] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-05/uranium-takeover-at-40-premium-shows-nuclear-future.html[10] http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/world/asia/07hiroshima.htmlimage: Chernobyl nuclear power plant, October 29, 2007 (credit: Mond, Wikimedia Commons)]]>http://www.justmeans.com/New-3D-Solar-Technology-Boosts-Efficiency/48857.htmlMon, 02 May 2011 09:26:55 GMTAntonio Pasolini Anyone who follows news on new solar technology is probably aware that conversion efficiency, that is, the amount of solar light, that actually becomes electricity, is the top challenge for this industry. Currently the top conversion rate is around 18% which means there's definitely room for much more efficiency.In a recent interview, Hypersolar's CEO Tim Young said what we should be looking for "disruptive technologies", which are technologies that represent game-changing breakthroughs, not tra Read Full Article ]]> Anyone who follows news on new solar technology is probably aware that conversion efficiency, that is, the amount of solar light, that actually becomes electricity, is the top challenge for this industry. Currently the top conversion rate is around 18% which means there's definitely room for much more efficiency.In a recent interview, Hypersolar's CEO Tim Young said what we should be looking for "disruptive technologies", which are technologies that represent game-changing breakthroughs, not traditional technologies that may not be economically viable over the long term without government subsidies. "We need technologies that will boost performance by 500% or 1,000%, not 1% or 2%", Mr. Young told Energy Refuge.A new technology developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory doesn't quite do that, but it succeeds in improving light-to-power conversion efficiency of photovoltaics by almost 80%.The technology was developed by Jun Xu and consists of a 3-D nanocone-based solar cell platform made of zinc oxide. The n-type nanocones are surrounded by a p-type semiconductor and serve as the junction framework and the electron conductor. The p-type matrix is made of polycrystalline cadmium telluride and serves as the primary photon absorber medium and hole conductor."We created a nanocone-based solar cell, invented methods to synthesize these cells and demonstrated improved charge collection efficiency," said Xu, who is a member of ORNL's Chemical Sciences Division.Xu and his colleagues said they were able to achieve a light-to-power conversion efficiency of 3.2%. The usual rate for conventional planar structure of the same material is 1.8%."We designed the three-dimensional structure to provide an intrinsic electric field distribution that promotes efficient charge transport and high efficiency in converting energy from sunlight into electricity," Xu said. The important concept behind our invention is that the nanocone shape generates a high electric field in the vicinity of the tip junction, effectively separating, injecting and collecting minority carriers, resulting in a higher efficiency than that of a conventional planar cell made with the same materials.The laboratory said some of the key features of the solar material include its unique electric field distribution that achieves efficient charge transport; the synthesis of nanocones using inexpensive proprietary methods; and the minimization of defects and voids in semiconductors. The latter provides enhanced electric and optical properties for conversion of solar photons to electricity.Another positive quality of the new solar cell is that it can tolerate defective materials and reduce cost in fabricating next-generation solar cells.The research behind this technology was accepted by this year's Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers photovoltaic specialist conference and will be published in the IEEE Proceedings. The papers are titled "Efficient Charge Transport in Nanocone Tip-Film Solar Cells" and "Nanojunction solar cells based on polycrystalline CdTe films grown on ZnO nanocones."With information provided by Oak Ridge National LaboratoryImage credit: Oak Ridge National Laboratory]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Laser-Spark-Plugs-Could-Reduce-Emissions/48746.htmlThu, 28 Apr 2011 12:25:23 GMTAdrian King James Bond would probably prefer that they were mounted in the grill but how about laser spark plugs under the hood? The Optical Society (OSA) has announced that researchers from Japan's National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) will present their research on the development of laser spark plugs for internal combustion engines at the 2011 Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO) May 1 - 6 in Baltimore, Maryland. By igniting the fuel-air mixture of internal combustion engines more effi Read Full Article ]]> James Bond would probably prefer that they were mounted in the grill but how about laser spark plugs under the hood? The Optical Society (OSA) has announced that researchers from Japan's National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) will present their research on the development of laser spark plugs for internal combustion engines at the 2011 Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics (CLEO) May 1 - 6 in Baltimore, Maryland. By igniting the fuel-air mixture of internal combustion engines more efficiently, laser spark plugs will reduce the emission of nitrogen oxides (NOx).The United Kingdom's Environment Agency explains: "Nitrogen oxides contribute to acid rain, depletion of the ozone layer and have detrimental effects on health. They are also greenhouse gases. Nitrogen dioxide is one of the eight substances for which the government has established an air quality standard as part of its national Air Quality Strategy."Nitrogen oxides are formed from the combustion of carbon fuels, primarily from the creation of energy at electric plants and in transportation. Nitrogen oxides contribute to a bevy of problems including acid rain, smog, climate change, global warming, and health concerns. Increasing the level of fine particulate matter in the atmosphere, nitrogen oxides add to the level of respiratory disease in all ages but particularly impact children and the elderly. Additionally, nitrogen oxides are cited as a cause of the deterioration of the quality of scenic vistas at National Parks in the United States and other views around the world.Not only do nitrogen oxides impact human and animal health but also plant life. Numerous species including quaking aspen, eastern white pine, and flowering dogwood are sensitive to the pollution. By changing water and soil chemistry, nitrogen oxide emissions lead to fish kills and reduce tree growth. (EDF)The invention of the spark plug dates back over 150 years. Names on early patents include Nikola Tesla and Robert Bosch. The essential design ignites the fuel mixture at one end of an engine cylinder and the efficiency of the reaction reduces as it travels the length of the cylinder. Traditional spark plugs become less efficient over time. Laser spark plugs should be able to spark more rapidly, thereby increasing fuel efficiency.The NINS researchers consider their laser technology to be highly promising. Thus far no production vehicles are being equipped with laser spark plugs. The NINS researchers are said to be "working with a large spark-plug company and with DENSO Corporation, a member of the Toyota Group." (OSA)Photo Credit: Public Domain - Thanks to Torsten Henning]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Take-a-Bite-Out-of-Coal-/48699.htmlWed, 27 Apr 2011 10:21:50 GMTAndy Mannle There's one big reason why making your home more efficient should be at the top of your spring cleaning list: your home is addicted to coal. Did you know the average home produces twice as many emissions as the average car?Just because your home doesn't have a tailpipe, doesn't mean that all the electricity you use for lights, TV, phones and computers is carbon-neutral. In fact, nearly 50 percent of our nation's electricity comes from burning coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. If you've heard the w Read Full Article ]]> There's one big reason why making your home more efficient should be at the top of your spring cleaning list: your home is addicted to coal. Did you know the average home produces twice as many emissions as the average car?Just because your home doesn't have a tailpipe, doesn't mean that all the electricity you use for lights, TV, phones and computers is carbon-neutral. In fact, nearly 50 percent of our nation's electricity comes from burning coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. If you've heard the word "fracking" then you know the natural gas you use for cooking and home heating also carries an environmental price tag. Likewise the water in our homes has to be treated and pumped -- often hundreds of miles -- and once it goes down the drain it has to be pumped back and treated again -- all of which takes more coal-fired energy.In fact, the average American home burns nearly three tons of coal a year. However, just by doing the easy stuff, you can improve your home's efficiency by 20 percent or more. If everybody did it, America would save $40 billion a year, while creating jobs, improving health and reducing pollution.So when you start your spring cleaning this year, do more than just clear out the dust and clutter. Take a few steps to kick out the coal too.The good news is there are simple, easy, cost-saving ways to make your home more efficient. Focus on these four areas for making your home more efficient:Lighting: Improved CFL bulbs, and new full-size LED bulbs are giving those 100-year old Edison light bulbs stiff competition. You can now replace a 60watt Edison bulb with a 20watt CFL or a 7watt LED that will screw into the same fixture and provide the same amount of light. Those dramatic energy savings mean cost-savings to you.Put it this way: if you could buy a $100 bill for 20 bucks you would, right? Well that's what you're doing when you buy an LED light bulb. Even though the price of each bulb is higher, the cost to use them is much lower. Because the newer bulbs are both more efficient, and much longer lasting, they can save you anywhere from 50 to a 100 dollars over the life of the bulb. Which is why McKinsey calls LEDs the most cost-effective technology for fighting climate change. So swap those light bulbs and start saving money!Electricity: The New York Times reports that the average American home today has about 25 consumer electronic products, compared with just three in 1980. Electronics now represent up to 15 percent of American power bills -- the fastest rising slice of home electricity use. All that demand will require building hundreds of new coal-fired or nuclear power plants in coming years. Unless we can be more efficient with electricity.Using smart strips to shut down devices you're not using is one effective way to cut down your home's coal habit. Buying EnergyStar appliances and TVs is another. Signing up for Green Power is a great way to get your home off coal, and send a clear signal you want a cleaner economy. Nearly 900 utilities across the country offer optional programs that allow you to pay a little bit extra to support investments in local clean energy. Find a Green Power program near you, and kick the coal habit today!Water: Taking shorter showers is conservation. Taking your usual shower while using 50 percent less water is efficiency. Simple faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads can cut your water use from 2 to 5 gallons per minute down to 1 or 1.5 gallons per minute. These are dramatic savings that you won't even notice while taking a shower or washing the dishes. And these simple devices will save you thousands of gallons of water, and hundreds of dollars in water bills. Because it takes energy to treat and transport water, every gallon you don't use means less coal burned on your behalf.Temperature: Half the energy in your home is likely used for heating and cooling, so anything you can do to stop air leaks will save energy. Even if you don't have the money to replace windows or add insulation, there are simple things you can do to weatherize your home. Sealing cracks and drafts around doors and windows with caulking or weatherstripping is a good start. Sealing outlets and light switches with inexpensive foam gaskets is another way to block tiny holes that leak air. Regularly replacing the air filters on your heater and air-conditioner can keep these systems working properly and efficiently. As the weather heats up, opening windows for ventilation instead of using the AC can save energy and cut your home's coal emissions as well.Take the EnergyStar virtual home tour to find more ways to save in every room of your home.Making your home more efficient will save you money that you would otherwise be spending on fossil fuels. So if you're pissed off at the Koch Brothers, Halliburton, BP and the rest of the fossil fuel industry, making your home more efficient is the fastest, easiest way to cut into their profits.This spring I'm creating a program that empowers young people to become Green Energy Agents and help their communities be more efficient. Together, we can all take a big bite out of coal!Photo credit: MJ Richardson]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Can-Geothermal-Power-Help-China-Meet-its-Energy-Needs/48692.htmlTue, 26 Apr 2011 13:56:29 GMTNick Engelfried If properly harnessed, geothermal energy systems could help China meet its growing energy needs, providing a reliable source of power that comes with negligible carbon emissions. On Friday the Shanghai Institute of Geological Engineering Exploration announced geothermal heating and cooling systems may soon be deployed in the city of Shanghai, saving residents money on energy bills in the long term.The kind of geothermal setup the Institute has in mind utilizes an air exchange system to draw ener Read Full Article ]]> If properly harnessed, geothermal energy systems could help China meet its growing energy needs, providing a reliable source of power that comes with negligible carbon emissions. On Friday the Shanghai Institute of Geological Engineering Exploration announced geothermal heating and cooling systems may soon be deployed in the city of Shanghai, saving residents money on energy bills in the long term.The kind of geothermal setup the Institute has in mind utilizes an air exchange system to draw energy from about 650 feet (200 meters) beneath the ground's surface. At this depth, underground temperatures tend to stay around 77 degrees Fahrenheit, and can be tapped year round to keep building temperatures fairly constant. The system could be used not only for heating during the winter, but also to keep buildings cool in summer. Since summer air conditioning is one of the most energy-hungry home enterprises, this could truly make a significant dent in residential carbon emissions.The upfront cost of a geothermal heating and cooling system would be about 50% greater for homeowners, but over time the system would pay for itself. With reliable coal and oil supplies tightening in China, this ratio could shift over time to put geothermal systems at even more of an advantage.Considering it hasthe fastest growing economy in the world, China will not be able to meet its energy needs forever and a quick transition to renewable energy simply makes sense.Using geothermal energy to help power the economy is not a new idea in China. Most of the country's headline-grabbing clean energy investments have been in wind and solar projects, but China is also exploring its geothermal resources. Last year the Chinese Sinopec Star Petroleum Company announced an agreement with Geysir Green Energy of Iceland, to build geothermal power stations in the northeastern part of the country. China is attempting to build long term geothermal partnerships with Iceland, which has been more successful than any other country in the world at harnessing energy from underground.Of course as with any energy source, tapping geothermal power can cause problems if it isn't done properly. The heat exchange systems that could soon start popping up in Shanghai could cause ground water pollution if not done properly. However considering the serious environmental effects connected with burning fossil fuels and China's desperate need for new sources of low-carbon energy, the benefits of using geothermal power on a large scale seem to greatly outweigh the costs.Today China is the world's biggest energy user and the largest annual emitter of greenhouse gases that cause global warming. As energy demand continues to rise in China, the stakes couldn't be higher in the search for clean energy alternatives to fossil fuels. There will be no silver bullet for China's energy problems, but it seems only logical for the country to make use of every clean energy source at its disposal. Geothermal power will almost certainly be a part of how China meets its energy needs in the future.Photo credit: ThinkGeoEnergy]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Facebook-Open-Sources-Efficient-Design/48685.htmlTue, 26 Apr 2011 11:47:04 GMTAlexandra Frackelton Facebook is open-sourcing data center and hardware design for its new data center in Prineville, Oregon--aiming to be the most energy-efficient data center in the world.The Prineville data center has a power usage efficiency rating of 1.07, which means that its power supply is "over 94.5% efficient." To put this achievement in context, the EPA has defined industry best practice as a rating of 1.5! They've removed many components of traditional design for lighter, cheaper, more efficient servers. Read Full Article ]]> Facebook is open-sourcing data center and hardware design for its new data center in Prineville, Oregon--aiming to be the most energy-efficient data center in the world.The Prineville data center has a power usage efficiency rating of 1.07, which means that its power supply is "over 94.5% efficient." To put this achievement in context, the EPA has defined industry best practice as a rating of 1.5! They've removed many components of traditional design for lighter, cheaper, more efficient servers.Although there is growing interest in efficient data centers and greater openness in the industry, Facebook's initiative may be the first to share detailed design specifications, available on The Open Compute Project.Facebook's Open Compute Project is an exciting combination of CSR, open data and engagement. By opening up design details, Facebook aims to "create a community around these problems," leading to better work toward greater economic and energy efficiency.On the Open Compute website, you can read hundreds of comments from industry professionalsmany eager to incorporate Facebook's creative approach into their own companies. In this first phase, Facebook has partnered with industry leaders such as AMD and Intel, as well as local resources such as the Oregon State University Open Source Lab.Although questions about the greater environmental sustainability of Facebook's new data center remain, this initiative is a great step towards greater efficiency and openness in the industry -- "by getting more people to think about how infrastructure works."Photo credit:Cory Doctorow]]>http://www.justmeans.com/A-New-View-to-Solar-Power--Windows-That-Can-Multitask-as-Solar-Generators/48632.htmlMon, 25 Apr 2011 07:00:56 GMTAntonio Pasolini The idea of turning windows into solar cells in not exactly new. It is, in many ways, an ideal solution. It can be seamlessly integrated into the architecture of a building and generate power at the same time, making the most of a larger solar harvesting area in the case of tall, vertical buildings. It's a win-win situation.But the technology is not ready yet, even though one company calledNew Energy is developing its trademark Solar Window and making considerable progress with it.This week the Read Full Article ]]> The idea of turning windows into solar cells in not exactly new. It is, in many ways, an ideal solution. It can be seamlessly integrated into the architecture of a building and generate power at the same time, making the most of a larger solar harvesting area in the case of tall, vertical buildings. It's a win-win situation.But the technology is not ready yet, even though one company calledNew Energy is developing its trademark Solar Window and making considerable progress with it.This week the brains at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) made an announcement of a new technology that attempts something similar, that is, to turn the entire surface of a building's windows into a solar farm. What's more, without making the windows opaque.The technology in question is a photovoltaic cell based on organic modules, which harnesses the energy of infrared light while allowing visible light to pass through. Coated onto a pane of standard window glass, it could provide power for lights and other devices, and would lower installation costs by taking advantage of existing window structures.The concept is explained in detail in the journal Applied Physics Letters and will appear in the next print edition that's due out soon. The authors of the paper are Vladimir Bulovi?, professor of electrical engineering in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Richard Lunt, a postdoctoral researcher in the Research Laboratory of Electronics.They say one of the key advantages of the technology is that it reduces cost. That is because between half and two thirds of the cost of traditional thin-film solar power systems is down to installation and up to half of the cost of the panels themselves is for the glass and structural parts, which in this case are not necessary.ImprovementThe selling point of Bulovi? and Lunt's research is that is also acts on a long-standing efficiency problem that transparent solar cells have encountered, namely efficiency. So far, less than 1% of incoming solar radiation is converted to electricity. They say the chemical formulation for their cells, when combined with partially infrared-reflective coatings, is more transparent and efficient and compares to non-transparent organic photovoltaic cells.In the case of new buildings and replacements that would have to be carried out anyway, adding the transparent solar cell material to the glass would add little to the cost, they say. Besides, with modern double-pane windows the photovoltaic material could be applied to the inner surfaces where it would be protected from weather and window washing. The only real extra work to complete the system in a building would be installing the wiring connections to the window and a voltage controller.There are some environmental savings during manufacturing as well as the process of fabricating solar cells keeps the glass panes at ordinary room temperature, Bulovi? said. Installations of the new system would also block much of the heating effect of sunlight streaming through the windows, potentially cutting down on air conditioning needs within a building. In addition to being suitable for coating directly on glass in the manufacture of new windows, the material might also be coated onto flexible material that could then be rolled onto existing windows, Lunt said.The research is in its infancy but it holds promise as an interesting addition to a clean energy mix of solutions. So far, the researchers have achieved an efficiency of 1.7 percent in the prototype solar cells, but they expect that with further development they should be able to reach 12%, making it comparable to existing commercial solar panels. "It will be a challenge to get there," Lunt said, adding that what the next steps are optimization of the composition and configuration of photovoltaic materials, according to the principles of excitonic engineering.Image credit: MIT]]>http://www.justmeans.com/What-Color-Is-the-Cloud/48608.htmlFri, 22 Apr 2011 12:41:39 GMTAdrian King Greenpeace has released a report titled How Dirty is your Data? which looks at the energy choices powering cloud computing. Based on 2007 data the report claims that if the cloud is compared to nations across the globe it would be the fifth largest consumer of electricity. The cloud would rank ahead of every nation except the US, China, Russia, and Japan.The definition of the cloud may be a bit ambiguous. A general understanding of the cloud is synonymous with the internet as a whole. The IT sec Read Full Article ]]> Greenpeace has released a report titled How Dirty is your Data? which looks at the energy choices powering cloud computing. Based on 2007 data the report claims that if the cloud is compared to nations across the globe it would be the fifth largest consumer of electricity. The cloud would rank ahead of every nation except the US, China, Russia, and Japan.The definition of the cloud may be a bit ambiguous. A general understanding of the cloud is synonymous with the internet as a whole. The IT sector generally distinguishes the term cloud as services that are provided via the internet but are distinct and different from the internet as a whole. The Greenpeace report uses cloud "to describe energy and resources used broadly with online services," while distinguishing the term from cloud computing, "a type of IT computing services for hire within the online ecosystem."Data centers and the server farms that they house are central to the energy consumption of the cloud. If you use an email service like Gmail, Yahoo!, or Hotmail, or a social media site like Facebook or Twitter you are part of the energy and emissions footprint of the cloud. Greenpeace has a presence on Facebook and multiple Twitter accounts.The report brings attention to what kind of energy is powering the data centers. The energy is comprised of the same sources as the grid at large. This means that dirty sources comprise the vast majority of generation. Apple is preparing to open a data center in North Carolina which the report claims "is estimated to require as much 100MW of power, equivalent to about 80,000 US homes or 250,000 EU homes". The local grid is comprised of less than 5% clean energy, "with the remaining 95 percent coming from dirty, dangerous sources like coal and nuclear", according to the report.Greenpeace has campaigned to get Facebook to "unfriend" coal. Facebook's continuing growth has them targeted as the company that will get more of their energy from coal, which currently accounts for over 53% of their energy, than any other in the report. The report shows Yahoo! as the least dependent, getting 18.3% of their energy from coal.The IT industry as a whole and the cloud specifically are symbolic of the energy source problem facing the globe. The cloud comprises a communication system allowing us to share knowledge. Knowledge comprises the foundation for meaningful change.Photo Credit: Sugree Phatanapherom]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Wind-Is-Up--Says-Industry-Body/48465.htmlMon, 18 Apr 2011 07:00:17 GMTAntonio Pasolini Good news from the wind industry front. According to the latest figures released by the American Wind Energy Association, America's wind power industry grew by 15% in 2010 and provided 26% of all new electric generating capacity in the United States. With the 5,116 MW added last year, U.S. wind installations now stand at 40,181 MW, enough to supply electricity for over 10 million American homes."The American wind industry is delivering, despite competing with energy sectors that have permanent g Read Full Article ]]> Good news from the wind industry front. According to the latest figures released by the American Wind Energy Association, America's wind power industry grew by 15% in 2010 and provided 26% of all new electric generating capacity in the United States. With the 5,116 MW added last year, U.S. wind installations now stand at 40,181 MW, enough to supply electricity for over 10 million American homes."The American wind industry is delivering, despite competing with energy sectors that have permanent government subsidies in place," said Denise Bode, AWEA's CEO. "Wind is consistently performing," she said, "adding 35% of all new generating capacity since 2007 - that's twice what coal and nuclear added combined."According to a recent report released by the industry, wind is second in new generation capacity only to natural gas whichsecures its position as an important player in the nation's energy sector, says the report."It's simple: Wind is affordable," said Elizabeth Salerno, director of Data and Analysis and chief economist for AWEA. "It's costing less than ever, and competing with other sources thanks to improved turbines built for better performance without a big price tag."Success drivers One of the reasons for the success of wind, apart from its increased affordability, is the 1603 investment tax credit program, which contributed to new project starts in 2010. On top of new construction starts, 2010 saw new manufacturing as well. A virtuous cycle was in playmanufacturers continued to respond to the demand and set up shop in the U.S. The industry brought 14 new manufacturing facilities online, consistent with 2009."Continued interest and investment by manufacturers in America demonstrates that the U.S. continues to be a global powerhouse for wind development, today and in the future," Bode said. With these new investments, wind energy is now up to 20,000 manufacturing jobs across 42 states."The U.S. wind market entered 2011 with 5,600 MW under constructionmore than twice the megawatts under construction at the start of 2010. The extension of the 1603 tax credit in December 2010 provided a signal to investors to continue growing wind in the U.S., as this strong performance indicates.Despite the good news, AWEA warns that the U.S. remains reliant on a few conventional energy sources and needs to further diversify its energy portfolio. "We remain on track to produce 20% of America's electricity by 2030 with wind, as laid out by the Department of Energy during the Bush Administration," she continued. "We know wind is ready to deliver even more of our portfolio with clean, affordable, homegrown power, said Ms. Bode.Recent figures reveal that other types of renewable energy, such as solar and geothermal, have also experienced growth and that nuclear's share of net electricity generation has gone down.Image credit: AWEA]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Don-t-Be-Daft-Seal-The-Draft/48441.htmlFri, 15 Apr 2011 10:07:15 GMTAdrian King Spring, summer, winter, and fall your window unit leaks through them all. Steven Winter Associates conducted a study for Urban Green Council on the energy and emissions costs of window unit air conditioners. There Are Holes In Our Walls examined real world installations in New York City and concludes that, on average, each unit is the equivalent of a six square inch hole (roughly 39 square centimeters).In the summer the cold goes out, causing the air conditioning unit to work harder and use more Read Full Article ]]> Spring, summer, winter, and fall your window unit leaks through them all. Steven Winter Associates conducted a study for Urban Green Council on the energy and emissions costs of window unit air conditioners. There Are Holes In Our Walls examined real world installations in New York City and concludes that, on average, each unit is the equivalent of a six square inch hole (roughly 39 square centimeters).In the summer the cold goes out, causing the air conditioning unit to work harder and use more energy. In the winter the cold comes in, causing the heating system to work harder and use more energy. Air conditioning units that are removed during cold seasons literally cut the problem in half. Installing and uninstalling an air conditioner twice a year is a hassle if you are on the ground floor and down right daunting on the second floor and up.Buildings may require professionals to be hired to do the work as the liability of raining air conditioners to the ground below can be considerable. The extra expense is one more factor that makes most installations rather permanent. The focus of the study is on heat loss during winter months. Just in New York City the six square inch holes add up to an estimated 167,000 square feet or roughly the size of an average block in Manhattan.The financial cost is approximated at $130 million to $180 million (USD) every winter. The range is in part due to the energy source of the heating system, gas versus electric for example. Even if you do not pay directly for the energy cost, we are all on the hook for the CO2 emissions which are estimated between 375,000 and 525,000 tons per winter just for NYC. Extending these numbers around the globe is down right mind boggling.The potential financial savings alone should make it easy to eliminate these emissions from the atmosphere. Even with improved building codes, the installation of a window unit air conditioner counteracts the benefits of double-pane windows and well insulated exterior walls. The report includes air conditioners installed in exterior walls including non-window units such as sleeve units.Beyond stating the cost of the situation today, the report goes on to make recommendations. The recommendations are broken into categories. The categories include equipment manufacturers, building owners, city councils, and energy efficiency program developers. Some of the recommendations can be implemented today and some are concepts that can be developed for tomorrow.Photo Credit: Geoff Parsons]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Google--US-Department-of-Energy-Help-Make-Giant-Solar-Plant-a-Reality/48427.htmlThu, 14 Apr 2011 00:54:00 GMTNick Engelfried One of the world's biggest solar projects received a major boost this week with the announcement that Google will invest $168 million to help get it off the ground. On the same day, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $1.6 billion loan guarantee to the same project, the Ivanpah solar thermal plant. Both announcements are good news for the US solar industry, and bode well for what could be a truly ground-breaking renewable energy venture.BrightSource Energy, developer of the Ivanpah Sol Read Full Article ]]> One of the world's biggest solar projects received a major boost this week with the announcement that Google will invest $168 million to help get it off the ground. On the same day, the US Department of Energy (DOE) announced a $1.6 billion loan guarantee to the same project, the Ivanpah solar thermal plant. Both announcements are good news for the US solar industry, and bode well for what could be a truly ground-breaking renewable energy venture.BrightSource Energy, developer of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, says the 392 megawatt project will be the world's biggest solar thermal plant by the time it is finished in 2013. Unlike solar photovoltaics, which use light from the sun to generate electricity, solar thermal plants produce energy from the sun's heat. The Ivanpah System is actually a complex of three plants, each of which will use mirrors to concentrate the sun's energy on a 450 foot tall tower. BrightSource Energy says the Ivanpah System will produce enough electricity to power 140,000 homes during peak hours, and that it will reduce carbon emissions by over 400,000 tons each year.The site of the project iswhere else?in sunny, renewable energy-friendly California. Located on federal land in the Mojave Desert, the plant will be well-positioned to provide electricity to some of the most populated parts of the country. If successful the Ivanpah project could serve as a model for future solar thermal plants through the southern half of the United States.While it would be nice to think a network of Ivanpah-like projects might spring up across the country, it's important to realize such a dream is contingent on state and federal government bodies making smart decisions. It's almost certainly no coincidence the Ivanpah System is being built in California, which has done more than any other state to signal it is serious about embracing renewable energy. It is also worth remembering that Google, which is helping make Ivanpah a reality, was at the forefront of the fight to defeat California Proposition 23 last November. If Prop 23 had passed it would have suspended California's landmark global warming law, threatening the viability of clean energy projects like Ivanpah.Finally the $1.6 billion DOE now coming Ivanpah's way might not have materialized had progressives in Congress not managed to prevent DOE's finances being slashed in this month's battle over budget cuts. Republicans in Congress had originally proposed drastic reductions in DOE's budget, which might have made loans to Ivanpah and similar renewable energy projects impossible. The viability of clean energy projects that create new jobs while reducing carbon emissions is a direct result of state and federal decisions that encourage renewable energy.As forward-thinking companies like Google know well, government incentives and finance programs are an essential tool for driving the shift to clean energy. Whether at the state or local level, such initiative help a first-of-its-kind renewable project get off the ground and compete in an economic sector long dominated by the fossil fuel industries. As every true entrepreneur knows, and as the case of Ivanpah demonstrates, innovative projects don't just happen: they're the product of careful planning and smart decisions.Photo credit: Alejandro Flores]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Plant-Retrofit-Fund-Is-A-Booster-For-Cellulosic-Ethanol/48312.htmlMon, 11 Apr 2011 07:00:24 GMTAntonio Pasolini As the expected environmental benefits of biofuel made from food crops such as corn, rapeseed and wheat have not materialized, the race is on to find a competitive second generation of biofuels whose raw material is wood, grasses and non-edible parts of plants, which do not compete with food crops and forest coverage.Brazil, a world leader in sugar cane ethanol, has been investing in cellulosic ethanol research, focusing on bagasse, the residue of sugar cane.More research is also taking place in Read Full Article ]]> As the expected environmental benefits of biofuel made from food crops such as corn, rapeseed and wheat have not materialized, the race is on to find a competitive second generation of biofuels whose raw material is wood, grasses and non-edible parts of plants, which do not compete with food crops and forest coverage.Brazil, a world leader in sugar cane ethanol, has been investing in cellulosic ethanol research, focusing on bagasse, the residue of sugar cane.More research is also taking place in the U.S. A couple of weeks ago Logos Technologies and EdeniQ announced they had received approval from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), via the department's Biorefinery Program, to fully fund their $20.5 million Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration (CCM) pilot at EdeniQ's headquarters in Visalia, California.EdeniQ was founded in 2008 and, besides its 36 employees in the U.S, it has four employees in Brazil as well.The companies were selected for the funding back in December 2009. The objective of the CCM Project is to focus the migration of billions of dollars of capital deployed in today's corn ethanol industry toward cost-effective production of greener ethanol from corn stover, switchgrass, and woodchips."This project is part of the ongoing effort to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, spur the creation of the domestic biorefining industry, and provide new clean-tech jobs throughout the country," said the DOE project officer, Gene Petersen. He added that funds for the 3.5 year project sustains 43 positions over its life cycle, with most of them located in California.DOE released the first $2.8m to cover federal cost share for the initial "Budget Period 1" portion of the cooperative agreement in April 2010. The release of the remaining $17.7m means that Logos and EdeniQ have satisfied all of the conditions associated with the design and engineering of the retrofit to EdeniQ's currently operating pilot plant.The funds will now be used to complete the engineering and construction of the additional equipment used to retrofit the plant and to fund the ongoing development of the second-generation enzymes and yeasts for saccharification and fermentation. The retrofit is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2011. After plant start-up, the biorefinery will process 2 tons of cellulosic biomass per day."Of the many projects we have been involved in during our past many years of working with the U.S. federal government, this technology is one of the most exciting, as it provides a clear roadmap for companies to become next-generation fuel producers with very low capital costs and rapid returns on investments", said Logos Technologies CEO Greg Poe.EdeniQ CEO Brian Thome agrees:"The Corn-to-Cellulosic Migration technologies add tremendous value to our already robust corn ethanol industry by allowing them to incrementally add on cellulosic ethanol production and take a leadership role in this exploding biofuels market space", he said.Image credit: Ethanol Producer Magazine]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Eastbound-and-Down/48293.htmlFri, 08 Apr 2011 12:09:31 GMTAdrian King Whether it is the finished product or a component to produce a finished product, it probably spent time being transported by truck. The trucking industry criss-crosses the globe everywhere there are roads and even some areas where there are not. Goals of zero emission trucking fleets are far from reality today but increasing the efficiency of trucking by reducing drag lowers costs and reduces emissions.Due to the size of the global trucking fleet, even small reductions add up in a big way. Struc Read Full Article ]]> Whether it is the finished product or a component to produce a finished product, it probably spent time being transported by truck. The trucking industry criss-crosses the globe everywhere there are roads and even some areas where there are not. Goals of zero emission trucking fleets are far from reality today but increasing the efficiency of trucking by reducing drag lowers costs and reduces emissions.Due to the size of the global trucking fleet, even small reductions add up in a big way. Structural additions to semi-trailers change the flow of air and when designed thoughtfully can increase fuel efficiency by reducing drag. When driving, you have probably encountered trucks and felt the waves of air buffing your vehicle as you come close to the truck. By adding wheel covers, skirts, or tails to the truck and trailer, the aerodynamics can be increased. By being more aerodynamic, less fuel is required which in turn reduces the emissions being released. This technology is available now and will continue to reduce the energy required to transport goods even when non-carbon fuels become the norm.Companies, including Freight Wing, Nose Cone, ATDynamics, and Transtex Composite, provide products that reduce aerodynamic drag. Studies continue to show fuel reductions that may surpass 10%. Results are highest when using multiple technologies such as skirts and tails. The Internationally recognized standards organization, SAE International, set the guidelines for proper testing and the reliable comparison of data.Skirts are placed under a semi-trailer length-wise between the wheels. The skirt is essentially a fairing that increase the aerodynamics by moving air along the side and reducing poor flow underneath the trailer. While the skirt has clearance over the road, the bottom is typically made of a flexible material to withstand impact with obstacles such as snow and curbs when making wide turns.Tails are the additions most likely to turn heads. A tail is placed on the rear of the trailer to increase aerodynamics. A tail must be able to be moved quickly and easily to not interfere with the loading and unloading of the trailer. By tapering the airflow at the rear of the trailer a tail reduces drag.The movie "Smokey and the Bandit" was released in 1977. Notably, even with a fuel crisis developing in the late 70's, the movie shows gas prices of well under $1 per gallon (USD). The plot of the movie revolves around a high-speed trucking run to deliver beer which, spoiler alert, is accomplished with little time to spare. If they had had a skirt and tail on the truck, possibly they could have saved a stop for fuel and arrived even sooner.Photo Credit: Rob Bulmahn]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Global-Wind-Capacity-Grew-38-3-GW-in-2010/48252.htmlThu, 07 Apr 2011 08:00:41 GMTNick Engelfried Worldwide installed wind capacity grew by 38.3 GW in 2010, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. That's an increase of 24% in global wind capacity, and slightly higher than previous estimates of how much wind had grown last year. In February the total new installed wind capacity was estimated at 35.8 GW, significantly less than the 38.6 new GW installed in 2009. The new estimate shows wind growth last year proceeded at nearly the same level as in the preceding year, and suggests the indus Read Full Article ]]> Worldwide installed wind capacity grew by 38.3 GW in 2010, according to the Global Wind Energy Council. That's an increase of 24% in global wind capacity, and slightly higher than previous estimates of how much wind had grown last year. In February the total new installed wind capacity was estimated at 35.8 GW, significantly less than the 38.6 new GW installed in 2009. The new estimate shows wind growth last year proceeded at nearly the same level as in the preceding year, and suggests the industry is poised to continue doing well.The discrepancy between the February estimate and the one from this month seems to be due mainly to the fact that the Global Wind Energy Council o underestimated the amount of growth in China. It now turns out China installed an astonishing 18.9 GW of wind in 2010almost half the new capacity put on the grid worldwide. Now China has a cumulative installed wind capacity of 44.7 GW, with no sign that growth in the industry will slow down anytime soon. Last year China's installed wind capacity officially surpassed that of the US, making it the biggest wind producer in the world.Yet as China's economy continues to grow and the Chinese government struggles to curb carbon emissions, the country will need more wind turbines than ever before. Last month China finalized a Five-Year-Plan that includes a goal of building another 90 GW of wind capacity by the year 2015. By 2020 China wants to reach a total of 200 GW of wind power. Other developing countries are also ramping up wind production. Those that made large new wind energy installations last year include India, Mexico, and a scattering of North African countries.In the United States wind energy growth did drop significantly last year. In 2009 the US installed 10 GW of new capacity, but the 2010 figure was only half of that. Industry leaders in the US say wind fared badly because Congress has failed to make support for wind permanent. US lawmakers have a habit of passing renewable energy tax incentives that only last a couple of years, giving the industry no certainty as to how long programs will continue to exist. This has made it difficult for wind in the US to really get off the ground, costing thousands of much-needed jobs. Congress' on-again, off-again relationship with renewable energy is part of what has allowed China to become the new dominant player in the global wind market.What will wind industry growth look like in 2011? Only time will tell for sure, but the firm MAKE Consulting predicts this will be a good year for wind. Rapid growth is expected to continue not only in Europe and Asia, but in other regions like Africa and Latin America. Of course if the US Congress finally gets serious about supporting wind development (don't hold your breath), the industry could get a boost the United States too. Whether or not that happens, wind is destined to become a more and more important energy source around the globe as countries green their economies and cash in on cheap, clean energy from turbines.Photo credit: Nick Engelfried]]>http://www.justmeans.com/First-Nation-community-in-Ontario-goes-solar/48231.htmlWed, 06 Apr 2011 07:00:08 GMTAntonio Pasolini Ontario in Canada has big plans for renewable energy and a new contract signed by a group of companies last week signals the region is working seriously towards energy sustainability.The deal in question involves a contract to supply and support a 5 MW ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system, composed of 20,410 modules. It was signed between Alderville First Nation, a First Nations community within Southeastern Ontario established in 1837, and Silfab Ontario, a Canadian company currently p Read Full Article ]]> Ontario in Canada has big plans for renewable energy and a new contract signed by a group of companies last week signals the region is working seriously towards energy sustainability.The deal in question involves a contract to supply and support a 5 MW ground mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) system, composed of 20,410 modules. It was signed between Alderville First Nation, a First Nations community within Southeastern Ontario established in 1837, and Silfab Ontario, a Canadian company currently preparing its new PV module manufacturing plant in Mississauga, Ontario.The ground mounted system will use the Silfab SLA245M high-efficiency modules made from 60 mono-crystalline high efficiency silicon cells produced in Ontario in accordance with the Ontario Feed In Tariff program domestic content requirements.The solar farm, consisting of a combination of fixed mounted racks and single axis trackers, will be installed on Alderville owned properties and is expected to be operational by November 2011 with an estimated production of approximately 5.7 million kWh per year. That is the equivalent to over 80,000 tons of avoided CO2 emissions during the lifetime of the facility."We are very excited to be working with Silfab on our ground mounted solar facility" says Chief James Marsden, Chief of Alderville First Nation. "Programs like the Ontario Feed In Tariff program are giving communities, like Alderville, an opportunity to bring additional economic opportunities into the community to benefit its current membership and its future generations."PlansSilfab and Alderville intend to create a partnership that includes the training of local resources and the development of a Centre of Excellence for advancing solar energy research, education, and training. The goal is to help the community to become self-sufficient in the management of the facility and be capable of developing future solar power projects."We are very proud to be part of this important project for the Alderville First Nation community" said Franco Traverso, Silfab's CEO and President, a photovoltaic solar veteran whose experience stretches back to 1981. "We see great opportunities for similar communities and we are optimistic about the growth of the photovoltaic industry in Canada. Alderville has demonstrated great foresight and planning in the development of this project."Later this month Silfario will start the manufacturing of mono and multi-crystalline high-efficiency PV modules with a power up to 300 Wp, suited for both rooftop and ground-mounted applications at its 100,000 square feet plant in Ontario.Image credit: Silfab]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Biofuel-Takes-Off-With-Jatropha-Demonstration-in-Mexico/48155.htmlMon, 04 Apr 2011 07:00:38 GMTAntonio Pasolini The aviation industry has a significant impact (2%) on the global carbon footprint and it's looking for ways to mitigate it with alternative fuels.One of the latest news from this industry is that Honeywell successfully powered an Interjet Airbus A320-214 during a flight between Mexico City and Tuxtla Gutierrez in Chiapas with its Honeywell Green Jet Fuel produced using the company's UOP process technology. The fuel does not requires any aircraft or engine modifications.The UOP process converted Read Full Article ]]> The aviation industry has a significant impact (2%) on the global carbon footprint and it's looking for ways to mitigate it with alternative fuels.One of the latest news from this industry is that Honeywell successfully powered an Interjet Airbus A320-214 during a flight between Mexico City and Tuxtla Gutierrez in Chiapas with its Honeywell Green Jet Fuel produced using the company's UOP process technology. The fuel does not requires any aircraft or engine modifications.The UOP process converted Mexican-sourced jatropha into fuel. One of the advantages of using this type of plant is that it is non-edible, although some have raised concerns about the plant's sustainability and water demands.The demonstration flight took place on Friday, April 1st and represented the culmination of the work carried out by Honeywell's UOP, Interjet, Airbus, CFM International, the Government of the State of Chiapas and Auxiliary Services (ASA), an arm of Mexico's Ministry of Communications and Transport. The Green Jet Fuel was blended with traditional petroleum-derived jet fuel to power one of the aircraft's CFM56-5B4/3 engines manufactured by CFM International.ProcessThe Green Jet Fuel process technology was originally developed in 2007 under a contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to produce renewable military jet fuel for the U.S. military. The process is based on hydroprocessing technology commonly used in today's refineries to produce transportation fuels. In this process, hydrogen is added to remove oxygen from natural oils produced from sustainable feedstocks, including camelina, jatropha and algae.The UOP process produces a Green Jet Fuel that is blended seamlessly with petroleum-based fuel. When used within as much as a 50 percent blend with petroleum-derived jet fuel, the blended fuel is a drop-in replacement that meets all of the critical specifications for flight, including a freeze point at -47 degrees Celsius and a flash point at 38 degrees Celsius. UOP develops technology to convert petroleum feedstocks to fuels and chemicals and launched its Renewable Energy & Chemicals business in late 2006. Previous efforts include the UOP/Eni Ecofining process to produce Honeywell Green Diesel from biological feedstocks, which was commercialized in 2007. In 2008, UOP formed the joint venture Envergent Technologies LLC with Ensyn Corp. to offer pyrolysis technology for the production of renewable heat, power and transportation fuels.The company says that previous demonstration flights showed that Honeywell Green Jet Fuel performed as well in many key performance areas and, in some cases, even better. Image credit: Flickr/Tonrulken]]>http://www.justmeans.com/2010-Was-Record-Breaking-Year-for-Solar/48106.htmlSat, 02 Apr 2011 01:02:26 GMTNick Engelfried In 2010 the United States installed more solar power capacity than in any year past, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Last year topped the previously held 2009 record, with the solar electric industry installing enough new megawatts to power 200,000 homes. From California to New Jersey and in almost every state in between, the solar industry is expanding to become an energy source fully capable of competing with fossil fuel and nuclear plants. While construction of ne Read Full Article ]]> In 2010 the United States installed more solar power capacity than in any year past, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). Last year topped the previously held 2009 record, with the solar electric industry installing enough new megawatts to power 200,000 homes. From California to New Jersey and in almost every state in between, the solar industry is expanding to become an energy source fully capable of competing with fossil fuel and nuclear plants. While construction of new coal plants remains at a standstill and nuclear energy falls out of favor, solar power is growing faster than almost any other part of the economy.Sixteen states installed more than ten megawatts of solar power last yeara fourfold increase from the year 2007. New Jersey managed to install more than a hundred megawatts of capacity in one year, an achievement previously accomplished only by California. All told, five states installed over fifty megawatts of solar capacity in 2010. SEIA believes these numbers point to an important trend in the US solar industry: once relegated largely to California and a few other mainly Southwestern states, large-scale solar power is rapidly becoming a national phenomenon.California continued to lead in new solar installations in 2010, adding 258.9 megawatts. However the top ten states for absolute solar growth are spread across the country. In addition to Southwestern states like Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, less obvious names on the list include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. Sunny Florida, long seen as a prime site for solar industry expansion, made it onto the top ten list, as did rising solar power Texas.Yet even with such impressive growth in 2010, the US solar industry is still a long way from reaching its true potential. Solar growth figures that seem so impressive in the United States pale in comparison to countries like Germany and Italy, both of which have well-structured government incentives to encourage the solar industry. US growth was made possible in part by Congress' decision to extend tax incentives for solar power, which helped solar compete with the heavily subsidized fossil fuel industries. Yet the United States has yet to adopt wider-reaching policies like a national feed-in tariff system that have allowed the solar industry in other countries to take off.The future of the solar industry now rests in the hands of Congress and state legislatures. While it is inevitable that solar power will continue to grow, government policy will determine how fast that growth occurs. If the right incentives are put in place, installed solar capacity could soar to new heights in the years ahead, creating thousands of jobs and helping the planet along the way.Photo credit: Jim Clark]]>http://www.justmeans.com/What-Is-Geofencing--amp-amp--Is-It-Ethical/47970.htmlWed, 30 Mar 2011 22:28:57 GMTRitika Puri The term geofencing has emerged as a buzzword in the mobile marketing community. The idea is simple: businesses can use technology to create an electronic fence around a particular location. Once a prospective customer enters that area, their smartphone will receive alerts for coupons and promotional offers. A May 2010 Wall Street Journal article points out that companies have begun exploring mobile applications that facilitate geofencing. These companies include Burger King, Quizno's, and Sonic Read Full Article ]]> The term geofencing has emerged as a buzzword in the mobile marketing community. The idea is simple: businesses can use technology to create an electronic fence around a particular location. Once a prospective customer enters that area, their smartphone will receive alerts for coupons and promotional offers. A May 2010 Wall Street Journal article points out that companies have begun exploring mobile applications that facilitate geofencing. These companies include Burger King, Quizno's, and Sonic. The objective of geofencing is straightforward: reduce advertising expenses with strategic demographic targeting.From a consumer standpoint, geofencing is both valuable and unnerving. As consumers, we want access to information and valuable promotional opportunities. Shopping, dining out, and exploring are important activities in our daily lives. At the same time, it's a little scary to think about companies accessing your location and mobile phone data.For this reason, it is important for businesses to maintain high levels of communication with prospective customers. It's a two-way contract-- customers will be more open to supporting a business if they understand how companies are accessing and using their information.While businesses explore geofencing as an option to conserve advertising costs by geographically targeting consumers, it is important to make sure that user privacy remains a priority.According to the WSJ, pretzel company Auntie Anne's, Inc. started a text messaging campaign in 2009 through marketer ExactTarget. On a number of pretzel wrappers and cups, Auntie Anne's invited customers to text a number for email coupon offers. According to Auntie Anne's chief marketing officer, the results of the test were strong -- moreso than traditional coupons.In 2010, online coupons accounted for two percent of the amount spent by customers redeeming promotions at franchise restaurants. According to an analyst for market research firm NDP Group, that two percent amounts to $280 million.Geofencing technology also has applications beyond marketing. These types of applications can assist with matters of public safety including vehicle thefts and child abductions. Other applications to geofencing technology include wildlife management.From a business standpoint, it is important that businesses and consumers maintain a balance of power in choosing to receive advertisements. It is mutual trust that will help this technology thrive, and ultimately, trust comes from open communication. When exploring applications for geofencing, it is important to think beyond the technology to embrace fundamental human values. Ethical marketing practices should remain a priority, especially as this new technology evolves. Geofencing should open doors.Photo Credit. WSJ Article.]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Agreement-Opens-New-Window-on-Solar-Power/47950.htmlWed, 30 Mar 2011 14:55:56 GMTAntonio Pasolini The glass that covers buildings across North America and elsewhere could become a source of solar electricity if a technology currently under development becomes commercially viable.A company that works to develop a solar type of technology that generates electricity on see-thru glass today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. NREL is one of Read Full Article ]]> The glass that covers buildings across North America and elsewhere could become a source of solar electricity if a technology currently under development becomes commercially viable.A company that works to develop a solar type of technology that generates electricity on see-thru glass today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado. NREL is one of the world's most respected and advanced solar-photovoltaic research institutions.New Energy Technologies is working on the commercial development of its SolarWindow and believes the deal takes it a step closer to the market."The addition of NREL's world-class solar research group to our ongoing efforts at the University of South Florida marks a significant step forward for our Company and our SolarWindow(TM) technology," said John A. Conklin, New Energy Technologies' CEO and president.ResearchUsing the company's intellectual property and NREL's background intellectual property, NREL researchers will work to advance several aspects of SolarWindow, including efficiency and transparency, electric output, optimization of active layer coating, size increase, reliability and durability, among others."We're always eager to help industry advance renewable energy breakthroughs towards commercial products. I welcome the opportunity to work with New Energy Technologies on the development of its SolarWindow technology," stated Ryne Raffaelle, director of NREL's National Center for Photovoltaics.New Energy Technologies believes there is a huge market potential for its product as there are nearly five million commercial buildings in America and more than 80 million single detached homes.Until now, the company has been working to replace what it calls "brittle and expensive" materials with easier to handle and low-cost liquid compounds. It said such replacements support the movement of electrons, which is one of the most important functions for generating electricity on glass surfaces of SolarWindow.Previous tests managed to mobilize electrons necessary for generating electricity on prototypes with solution-based compounds produced without expensive starting materials. The compounds remained see-thru, were easy to handle and can be applied at room temperature and without the use of high-vacuum, pre-requisites for commercial manufacturing.Besides SolarWindow, New Energy Technologies is developing MotionPower, which refers to roadway systems for generating electricity by capturing the kinetic energy produced by moving vehicles. This patent-pending technology is the subject of nine patent applications in the United States and two international patent filings. The idea is to tap into the energy potential of the 250 million registered vehicles that cover more than six billion miles in America on a daily basis.Image credit: New Energy Technologies]]>http://www.justmeans.com/Home--Sweet-Environmentally-Friendly-Home/47903.htmlWed, 30 Mar 2011 09:00:08 GMTRichard Cooke Changing our everyday lives to be greener and more environmentally friendly is, in many ways, just as important as the next big renewable energy policy change on the governmental or national level. Without changes on all levels of society any single change in one area is not likely to be as effective as it ultimately could be when all things are considered. One interesting way that some renewable energy advocates have found to make their own difference is by building houses that are capable of p Read Full Article ]]> Changing our everyday lives to be greener and more environmentally friendly is, in many ways, just as important as the next big renewable energy policy change on the governmental or national level. Without changes on all levels of society any single change in one area is not likely to be as effective as it ultimately could be when all things are considered. One interesting way that some renewable energy advocates have found to make their own difference is by building houses that are capable of producing more energy than they use.One example of a house that is capable of such a feat is located in Asheville, North Carolina and boasts an interesting variety of designs that contribute to its overall status as an environmentally friendly home. The house, which is owned by a young couple in the Asheville area, is powered primarily by solar voltaic panels that are situated on the roof and are capable of generating roughly 350-400 kilowatt hours per month. Since they are able to produce more than is required to keep everything in the house running the couple is able to sell the extra power to the local energy company.The rest of the house is designed in such as way as to remove any unnecessary space and to take full advantage of the sun in order to provide temperature control in the home. During the winter, the house was placed in a way that allows the sun's rays to heat the concrete substance used to build the house while in the summer the sun has less of an impact on the house. The home also features a variety of water saving systems in order to ensure that nothing goes wasted.Asheville itself is home to many communities that are vocal advocates of living on the benefits of being environmentally friendly and giving back to the planet as a whole.Photo Credit: Alicia Pimental]]>