Geothermal Energy

Here's an interesting video on geothermal energy. Geothermal got touched on a few times in the class, but I feel like this video gives a little more insight to what we have learned. To sum it up, the video states that geothermal electricity is generated by pumping water down into the Earth and harnessing the resulting steam to power a turbine. Some of the pluses to using geothermal consist of not having to burn any fuels to generate electricity for the public, plus the fact that geothermal energy is always readily available-it doesn't depend on the sun being out or the wind blowing. One of the drawbacks is an increase in earthquake activity due to the drilling and water injection at geothermal plants.

Philadelphia Eagles Go Green

http://www.heatingoil.com/blog/green-sunday-philadelphia-eagles’-stadium-to-go-energy-independent1119/

I thought this was very interesting and a huge step in making renewable energy more well known and popular.

Electricity generating gyms Idea

Some reading this will notice that their comments were alongside my own, which is what this post is- how the idea of the gym I thought of could become possible.
Continuing the thought of having this equipment in a public area where anyone can use them by joining the gym, and paying a small fee, I would like to explain how this would work. Government sponsored gyms could pay for these facilities, which would be incredibly expensive and need a certain amount of investing to get started, would do the following: stimulate jobs, more efficient technology (if the electricity generated would even be enough to be stored and if so storing it to the most efficient way), getting the obesity problem down, so long as the cost of membership and availability of membership are appropriate, and also help awareness of electricity usage. For example: "Oh leaving the TV on while I take a shower wouldn't hurt," type of thought would be phased out if after a workout a person sees that they generated X amount of watts of electricity while leaving that TV on used this much. Also the more electricity generated a person would receive a discount on their membership fee or some sort of incentive system to generate its' popularity. Keeping in mind a professional would need to work out for hours a day to get maybe a few cents worth of electricity and the cost of an average gym membership, if using a discount system, it would not be possible for a person working out to profit, meaning cash, from working out- good news for the gym and those invested in them.

Turning Trees to Street Lights

Why spend space and resources to make and place street lights on roads when there are many perfectly good trees already around roads. A Taiwanese post-doctorate, Yen-Hsun Su, seems to have found a way to use gold nanoparticles to turn trees into street lights. By implanting these particles into certain plants, Su was able to cause a chain reaction that allows the chlorophyll to emit a red-ish glow. He along with his colleagues believe that development in bio luminescence efficiency may eventually lead to environmental protection and energy conservation. The idea is questionable, since Yen-Hsun claims that the use of bio-LED (light emitting diode) has environmental benefits by decreasing CO2 emissions yet these gold particles may effect tree health/growth. Whether or not glowing trees are reliable to light pitch-dark roads is also a problem. Nevertheless, with more research and development, it would be interesting to see our roads lit up by "nature" in a somewhat artistic way (look at the glowing tree picture).



http://www.gizmag.com/glowing-trees-using-gold-nanoparticles/16917/

Huge Gas Find in Israel

Israeli officials found an enormous field of gas about 135 kilometers off of their Mediterranean coast. After being largely unsuccessful in the nineties in their attempts to find oil, Isrealis finally found a decently sized (up to 22 bcm) gas field in 2004. Just this past year, they have found a much larger gas field (up to 453 bcm) now called Leviathan. Leviathan is on the norther edge of Israel's sea border and there has been much dispute over where the border actually is. (Between Israel, Lebanon, and Cyprus.) If Israel can keep hold of this newfound natural resource, they should be able to provide for their own energy needs, and export some gas to countries such as Greece. This would definitely increase Israeli security, and the wells would be completely underwater, manned by robots. This find has huge implications for Israel's international relations, as Greece could provide a jumping board for Israel to provide gas to other countries in the European Union.

Here's the article:

http://www.economist.com/node/17468208?story_id=17468208

Questioning the "Smart" in Smart Meters

Smart electric meters — those digital devices favored by utilities and efficiency advocates for their contribution to a more precisely and economically measured, monitored and managed electric grid — got a big boost last year with a $3.4 billion injection of stimulus cash. Over the last year, as utilities around the country have installed an estimated two million of the new digital meters, power companies have received plenty of complaints — and in some states have been hit by class-action lawsuits — most of them from consumers saying the smart meters are overstating their electrical usage.Using digital technology and computer networking, smart meters can transmit real-time data that is supposed to enable utilities to conserve electricity and better allocate power during parts of the day when overall demand is high. Utilities can also then vary the price for power, by time of day or time of year, based on when it is being used; some are already offering this option to customers.But because of faulty technology in some cases, and more often through general shortcomings in consumer education and customer-service support by many utilities, smart meters are leaving many customers dumbfounded. So how "smart" are these smart meters?

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/13/questioning-the-smart-in-smart-meters/?ref=energy-environment

Human Power

Throughout this whole semester we've talked about different ways of producing energy. From solar power, to wind power, to biomass, etc. but i don't think we've talked about how humans themselves can solve this energy problem. I don't mean walking or biking to work to save gas and energy. Nor am i talking about unplugging your electronics to reduce "vampire power." I am talking about actually using humans as an energy source! Depending on what you're doing you generate different amounts of electricity. Maybe we can't power an army of robots like on the matrix but we can power some devices. Perhaps using humans as batteries is too radical of an idea. but what about paying people to sit on a bike and pedal to generate electricity? These are just some ideas I've been thinking of. what do y'all think?

Google Gambles On Offshore Wind

"http://spectrum.ieee.org/podcast/green-tech/wind/google-gambles-on-offshore-wind/?utm_source=techalert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=110410" (Note: this is a podcast)

Google is making several calculated and risky bets on the future of technology. From computer-driven vehicles in California that do not require any driver interaction, to multi-billion dollar wind farms off of the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S. Specifically, Google is targeting the Atlantic seaboard from Virginia to New England. There, Google is installing an undersea cable to transport, as of yet un-built energy from wind farms, off of the coast. Many believe that Google's continued push with large investments in wind energy will jump-start the off-shore wind market and position Google to hold a near monopoly on off-shore wind during the first few years of the initial boom.

Because of the new nature of offshore wind, the legislative procedure has not been formulated for this type of alternative energy. This has caused an 8-year lag between the time the Cape Cod offshore wind project was put-forth and the time it will actually begin construction (now). I believe that given Google's cash flows and sheer size and history for innovation, their push might be what the off-shore wind movement needs to spur quicker turnaround. Furthermore, Google cannot wait 8 years for a return on its investment and I believe Google will avidly push for off-shore wind. Companies like Google have realised that diverse investments and markets make them more viable over the longer term and provide for more profit options. Hopefulyl other companies will begin to think outside of the box and help make America the global alternative energy leader!

How To Build the Supergrid

So I found this article on Scientific American quite interesting. Granted it is short, but it brings in a lot of the points that Dr. Webber made in class when we were talking about the various grid problems of the United States. For one thing, the implementation of a newer grid that uses most of the old grid is an excellent cost saving measure, but I think that the old grid should still get a bit of a makeover for the increased usage of renewable energy such as wind and solar. Another good idea is using DC for long range transmission of electricity. At the moment we have a redundant system of changing DC into AC and then back into DC for some of our household appliances. One thing mentioned in the article that I do not agree with is the formation of a giant grid that is used by the entire country. Now while this may sound like a good idea on paper, and would probably decrease blackouts, there would be many complications and potential risks. Connecting the grids would good, as long as there was an engineered way to prevent a blackout from one part of the grid from affecting the entire grid. Possibly some fail-safe switches where the grids connect would help alleviate some potential problems. Anyway, I found the comments below the article as interesting as the article itself. Several of the people make good points about the risks of the Supergrid.

Here is the link:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-to-build-the-supergrid

The Windstalk Concept

Although I'm unsure if this is planning on being implemented, I thought it was an elegant idea. The Windstalk concept was developed for the "Land Art Generator" competition this year. Designed to be an alternative to wind turbines, the Windstalks generate energy through a more natural process, namely by swaying in the breeze as a field of wheat might do. By eliminating the blades, the stalks decrease the risk of killing birds and bats, decrease noise, and are able to be placed closer together. As the stalks sway in the wind, electrical energy is generated by forcing a fluid through an array of current generating shock absorbers. They would also incorporate hydroelectric storage on a small scale for each stalk. The base would vary from stalk to stalk; this would direct water to certain areas and encourage plant growth. The stalks would also have LED lights on top; the brightness of the light would depend on the intensity of the wind. It's only a concept and still needs a lot of research before it can be implemented, but I thought it was a pretty cool idea.

http://www.gizmag.com/windstalk-concept/16647/
http://news.discovery.com/tech/wind-power-without-the-blades.html

Biofuel Breakthrough

Biofuels today are expensive. It's also hard to do and there are a lot of problems with the effects it has on the soil and water around the area where it is grown. Most importantly, it's not all that efficient. When this research began, we were hoping to find petrol, but instead found ethanol which stores less energy, can be corrosive, and also absorbs water. In America, we have devoted such a large amount of land to corn production that we have made the production of ethanol profitable. Regardless, the problem is still there that these huge surfaces of land are no longer producing food for human consumption. Cellulosic biofuel has been looked into, but has thus far failed because it fails to deliver, and still produces ethanol. Today there is a group of companies that are working together to change this. Instead of ethanol being produced, they are going to make hydrocarbons, which are molecules very much like those that already power our cars today. They will be call "drop-in" fuels because they can be put into any tank or pipe with no commotion. They also will be produced consistently by these genetically engineered bugs, so the market would be more stable. This break through could be what biofuels needs to become a stronger source of energy around the world. Right now, America is doing all we can to stay on top, even if it costs us all of our land. Before we have no good soil left to grow food, something must be done. This technology could provide the remedy.

http://www.economist.com/node/17358802

Terrapower

This is an excerpt from a TED video that I stumbled across recently. In the video Bill Gates discusses the future of the world and how climate change and energy innovation will be intrinsically linked in the coming decades. This part of the video specifically talks about research that is being invested in involving nuclear reactors that can make use of old spent fuel from traditional nuclear power plants. If this technology is a success it seems that it might solve a large portion of our energy problems. The overall message from the lecture is a very sensible one, if we want to avoid an energy disaster in our near future, we must start devoting large amounts of capital and research power to investigating solutions for our energy needs.

Navajos Hope to Shift From Coal to Wind and Sun

I found this article in the NY Times : http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/26/science/earth/26navajo.html?_r=1&scp=4&sq=coal&st=cse

There is a movement within the Navajo tribe to stray from using coal for power on their land and use renewable sources such as wind and solar. Earl Tully, a current Navajo housing official, ran for election for Vice President of the Navajo Nation on November 2nd. Mr. Tully was the first environmentalist to run for Navajo office. Tully represents a growing population of the tribe that favors a shift in focus from coal to a more sustainable source.

This movement is caused by financial, environmental, and tribal beliefs. While coal has been a great source of income for the people, it has been reported that their coal industry has declined 15% since the federal government has started to regulate emissions more closely. The Navajos also realize that coal pollution is harmful to their environment and their people's health. Also, some Navajos hold the belief that digging into the earth to harvest coal to burn is like cutting one's skin and is a "betrayal to the duty of protecting one's land".

The Navajo reservation in the southwest spans some 187 million acres of land and is home to north of 300,000 people. Provisions are already being made for a wind farm on the land to begin shifting from coal and on to renewables. It will be interesting to see how successful the Navajos are in this large task.

Solar Power Windows

The U.S. Department of Energy’s national lab has fabricated transparent thin films capable of absorbing light and generating electric charge over a relatively large area. The material, described in the journal Chemistry of Materials, could be used to develop transparent solar panels or even windows that absorb solar energy to generate electricity. This new technology consists of specific semi-conducting polymers, which are combined with fullerenes, or buckyballs, to create a super conductive material that can absorb light and efficiently generate charge. This material is also highly transparent which would permit for the utilization of this material as “solar panel windows”.

Genesis Solar Energy Project

In the same manner as the newly approved Ivanpah Solar Project, which is projected to produce enough energy to power the equivalent to 140,000 average American homes, the state of California just recently approved another project to try to utilize the enormity of its deserts in another solar energy generating machine. California just approved the plans for a 250 megawatt Genesis Solar Energy Project. This $300 million dollar project will use parabolic-trough technology to make enough energy to power nearly 190,000 homes with construction being completed by 2013.

http://www.getsolar.com/blog/feds-approve-another-desert-solar-energy-project-in-california/13816/

Energy Subsidy Fiscal Policy

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703506904575592843603174132.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

As one could infer from the recent elections, the approval rating for the current government is very low. Not all, but a lot has to do with the economy. With the rising tension especially over the budget, the top financial advisers are working day and night to solve this issue. One idea being debated about is cutting funding and subsidies to the renewable energy industries. Obama's advisers explain this move because they say that essentially the tax payers are investing in these projects and they think that their money may be able to go further and have a greater impact elsewhere. If the government were to cut off spending in this area it would be detrimental because as we have learned the tax incentives go a long way and are a major contributing factor to the decision to invest in renewable energy or not. Not only would this be huge news in the renewable energy industry, it would also affect politics with all the lobby groups and influence in congress.

MIT developes oil-cleaning robots

I was reading over CNN's eco-solutions page and I stumbled across this article. It seems that some scientists at the SENSEable city lab at MIT created a machine/robot that swims through the water, attracting oil and repelling water. Supposedly it looks like an ice box with a conveyor belt attached to the back, but I'll let y'all be the judge of that! Each unit would cost $20k which actually isn't pricey compared to the cost of the damage control and man power needed to clean an oil spill. The robots are supposed to be sent out in swarms, covering a larger surface of water at one time, while each robot has a gps device that allows it to communicate with the other robots in the swarm, making sure they don't miss much oil. They are also able to hold up to twenty times their weight in oil, and then they are capable of bagging it and letting the backs float on the ocean's surface and be later picked up by someone and reused or they can burn the oil on the spot. These robots also run on solar power so they can just keep on working for a long,long time until human maintenance is required. There's more about them here: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/08/26/mit.oil.robot/index.html