Plug-in charging stations in the northeast

According to an article in the Hartford Courant, Northeast Utilities is looking for government funding to install a network of plug-in hybrid charging stations in Connecticut and Massachusetts.

Connecticut-based NU announced plans on Tuesday to install 575 stations over the next two years. Approximately half of the funding for the plan will come from a nearly $700,000 grant from the US Department of Energy that will be decided in June.

Their plan is similar to the "green highway" plan in Oregon and California where charging stations, as well as biodiesel, ethanol and other forms of alternative energy will be available along the I-5 corridor.

The NU plan has been embraced by local officials as a necessary catalyst to drive change in electric automotives. They hope that consumers will gain confidence by seeing the system in place.

Recycle your cell phone

The upcoming week is National Cell Phone Recycling Week, according to the EPA. Their goal is to raise awareness about cell phone recycling and prevent about 90 million unwanted cell phones from entering landfills every year, according to this article.

They are cooperating with cellular manufacturers and retailers to get information out to the public. Most of these companies have programs to recycle your old phone and information is readily available from those companies.

Cell phones contain a number of materials--copper, precious metals and plastics--that have a high carbon footprint to produce. Using materials from recycled cellphones has the potential to reduce the energy used in production by enough to power 18,500 homes for a year.

Harvesting manure for biofuel

According to an article in Environmental News Network, the world's largest biomass power plant is located in the Netherlands. It runs on chicken manure and provides power for 90,000 homes.

The power plant has a 36.5 MW capacity and generates approximately 270 million kWh of electricity annually. It uses the carbon dioxide and methane gasses produced by the manure to produce power.


Not only does this method of power production spare the carbon cost of traditional power sources (coal, oil, etc), but it prevents the methane and CO2 in the manure from escaping into the atmosphere.

The power plant will use about 440,000 tons of chicken manure per year, which is about one third of the total yearly amount produced in the Netherlands.

San Francisco boosts green economy

San Francisco is currently enrolled in two programs that have proved effective at stimulating a green economy, according to an article in CleanTechnica.

One program is geared around energy efficiency for commercial and multi-family residential properties. Known as SF Energy Watch, the program provides technical assistance and financial incentives. SF Energy Watch will pay for up to half of upgrade costs towards energy efficiencies.

The other program, Go Solar SF, provides incentives to install solar panels. Using a variety of federal, state and local incentives, residents can reduce the cost of a solar installation by about 50%.

Residents and businesses using Go Solar SF are responsible for 2MW of solar production, about one quarter of the total solar production in the city. They also provide about 150 jobs in the city.

Alternative hyrdo power source

Thursday's edition of The Columbian in Vancouver contained an article about an experimental form of hydro power. University of Michigan researcher Michael Bernitsas has developed a system to take advantage of the vortices naturally created by currents.

A vortex is an eddy or a whirlpool created by water (or air) flowing past an object. In rivers, vortices have traditionally been a challenge for engineers because of the pressure and vibrations they create in underwater structures. Bernitsas has worked for years to control these vibrations, but recently began work to harness them.

He designed a system of cylinders that are placed perpendicular to the river's current. The current causes the cylinders to move up and down which can be used to generate electricity.

Bernitsas hopes that his system will provide a greener alternative to hydroelectric dams. Unlike the turbines in dams, the cylinders do not contain blades and should reduce the level of risk to fish that traditional hydroelectric power has posed. The system is also designed to work with currents as slow as one knot, while dams require a speed closer to 5 knots to work. According to Bernitsas, most rivers in the world are flowing at speeds of 2 to 3 knots.

The system has yet to be field tested, but Bernitsas has several experiments lined up to determine its long-term viability. If it proves successful, Bernitsas' work has been considered as a possible option for use with the Columbia River Crossing Project in the Portland/Vancouver metro area.

Earth Hour

March 28 is approaching quickly. Next Saturday, the organization Earth Hour is asking people to turn their lights off for one hour to "vote for the Earth." Leaving the lights on, on the other hand, is a vote for global warming.

Earth Hour was started in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million people turned their lights off for one hour. By 2008 it was a global phenomenon and major landmarks including the Sydney Opera House, the Golden Gate Bridge and the Colosseum participated in the event. Over 50 million participated that year.

This year, Earth Hour has a goal of 1 billion votes for the Earth. Those interested can find out more information, including how to spread the word at their website.

Renewable energy on the rise

According to Finnish scientist Professor Peter Lund, 40% of the world's energy will come from renewable sources by 2050. He made this projection at the Copenhagen Climate Congress.

He estimates that 25% of our power will be from wind and the other 15% from solar, based on current market projections. According to Lund, renewable energy technology will have to gain dominance in the energy markets by 2030 to meet this goal.

Blue energy?

We have all heard of hydroelectric power and its accompanying benefits and challenges. Though it is a zero-waste source of energy, the environmental-and often social, geographical, etc-impacts of damming a river are considered too high by many to consider it a sustainable source of energy. Tidal power, likewise, has potential environmental impacts that keep some from embracing it.

There is a third way to extract energy from water that has not received as much attention. Currently at use in the Netherlands and Norway, osmotic power uses the conflicting powers of salt water and fresh water to produce electricity. The two types of water are brought into contact by passing through anion and cation exchange membranes, which generates chemical potential energy, which is than converted into voltage.



Until recently, the technology has been prohibitively expensive to install but a recent development has made it cheaper. The membranes can now be made with polyethylene plastics, the same material used for most grocery bags.

Like other forms of hydro power, there are zero emission associated with the process, though there is an initial carbon debt due to manufacture and installation of the equipment. The only waste produced by the osmotic process is brackish water, which could have an impact on the area water systems.

The future of the electric car (Pt. 2)

Another organization is working towards the goal of electric cars as well. Repower America is an organization promoting the goals originally conceived by Al Gore in a July 2008 speech.

Like Project Get Ready, Repower America recognizes the difficult first steps to making electric cars a viable option. However, rather than work on consumer confidence, Repower America is directly tackling the infrastructure necessary for plug-in electric cars.

The basic goal of Repower America is to convert to 100% renewable energy in America in 10 years. One of the main tenets of this goal is to completely revamp and modernize the electrical grid, which would include adding access for plug-in electric cars. Revamping the grid is necessary to take full advantage of renewable energy sources, as many operate with peak and low hours (solar, wind, etc) and require energy storage and transfer capabilities not currently possible.

As advocates from Repower America work to make their goal happen, systems will be designed to conduct the necessary transfers and storage of energy, which will impact how electric car owners receive and pay for the energy they use.

Energy efficiency in stimulus bill

The New York Times recently reported about the flood of energy efficiency money included in the stimulus bill passed by Congress in February.
According to the article, over $20 billion is included in the bill, including spending to improve energy efficiency in government buildings, in the homes of the poor, and to fund energy efficiency research. Advocates have said that there is more money set aside in this bill than in any other in history. The largest chunk of money is set aside for grants to state and local governments to improve their buildings and facilities.

This bill provides an opportunity to make lasting changes to government buildings, including weatherizing windows and entrances, modernizing wiring and researching long-term solutions to energy drains, such as too-large skylight in a Knoxville, TN office.

It is crucial to find a balance between near-term spending and long-term impact. State and local governments will be encouraged to file for and spend grants quickly, but many cities and states have not prepared with appropriate building and energy audits. To solve this problem, the grant opportunities should provide time and funding for the governments to complete audits. This will ensure the maximum potential is gained through the stimulus money.

French solar industry taking off

An article published by Reuters describes a current upswing in the French solar industry.

The European Union is offering incentives to encourage the installation of solar arrays. France is taking a particular interest in the possibilities of solar energy and hopes to compete with Germany as a world leader. A growing group of French farmers is enrolling in the plan and installing solar arrays on their farms.

Jean-Luc Westphal is the owner of one of the largest integrated photovoltaic systems ever built. An integrated system is distinguished because they are built into existing structures, rather than added on. Westphal constructed five large sheds roofed with 36,000 square meters of solar panels.

The installation has a capacity of 4.5 megawatts, which is approximately enough energy to power 4,000 homes. His enormous investment (€20 million) is backed by a long-term "feed-in" plan with the French government. Westphal hopes to generate about €2 million euro per year on electricity sales.

In America, discussion of renewable energy often focuses on the issue of responsibility: who should be the leader? Government or private industry? Currently, private industry is taking the lead, but the French example may help change that. By setting specific goals for increasing the solar capacity of the nation, as well as offering incentives to install solar panels, the French government has already doubled their capacity since 2006. This is a case in which a strong position by the government has increased confidence levels in the people (and the banks that are investing in private solar arrays). As the US congress moves to tackle energy they should take a good look at France.

Senate to look at global warming

Harry Reid announced last night that the Senate will be looking at energy and climate change this year. He expects that they will begin talks on the energy bill in the next several weeks and hopes that they will take on climate change this summer.

The energy bill is headed by Jeff Bingaman (D. New Mexico), the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. If passed, utilities will be required to source 4% of their energy from renewable sources by 2011. That number will increase to 20% over the next decade.

There are not currently many details about how the Senate plans to take on climate change, but we hope they will take a comprehensive look at the situation and discuss ways to reduce not only carbon emissions, but methane and other chemical emissions as well. Specifically, we would like to see attention paid to user emissions (automobiles, aerosols, etc.), power plant emissions, methane emissions from dairy and meat production, and the energy cost of new building.

Altruism in the corporate sector

Today's blog will focus on two recent examples of corporate social responsibility. One focuses on issues of sustainability, the other on hunger and the current economic crisis. Both are calculated efforts to increase brand profile with the potential ROI of an increased customer base.

The first example is Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, a craft brewery based in Chico, CA. Sierra Nevada has already achieved some fame for their 1.3 megawatt solar installation, one of the largest private installations in the country. They have recently announced a plan to convert discarded yeast into ethanol. An article published yesterday at gas2.0 describes the effort.

Sierra Nevada is partnering with E-Fuel Corp in this project which is slated to start in the second quarter and be in full production by the third. The Efuel 100 MicroFueler will be used to convert the "1.6 million gallons of beer yeast waste annually."

As a brewery already known for its sustainable efforts, this announcement strengthens the profile of Sierra Nevada's established brand. This could potentially bring them new customers, as "green" press reports on the story and consumer curiosity is piqued. The plan has a more direct ROI, however, of decreasing fuel costs for the company fleet of vehicles. There is also a potential to distribute fuel to their employees or sell it to the general public.

The second example is of California Tortilla, a fast casual Mexican restaurant headquartered in Rockville, MD. The chain of 36 restaurants announced a "Burrito Bailout Plan" yesterday, which can be read about at QSR Magazine. From February 9th to the 27th, anyone who can present the chain with unemployment papers dating back to November 2008 will receive a gift certificate for a free burrito. The chain has also recently donated 400 pounds of rice and beans to several non-profit kitchens.

The potential ROI for California Tortilla is, again, an increased customer base. In addition to the publicity and press attention they will receive from their announcements, California Tortilla is handing out free burritos to anyone who has lost a job in the past three and a half months. This group almost certainly includes those who have never eaten at California Tortilla, and the chance for a free burrito may bring them in the door. The free burrito plan, along with their donations to non-profit kitchens also work to establish a brand identity, in which California Tortilla makes sure people are fed.

Algae Biofuel

An article published yesterday by bionomicfuel.com discusses recent research developments at Rutgers University and other institutions. Dr. Paul Falkowski has conducted studies in this area for years. Recently, he has been working to make the production of algae biofuel more efficient and cost effective.

"Scientiest Confirm Algae Is the Most Effective Alternative Energy Source." http://www.bionomicfuel.com/scientists-confirm-algae-is-the-most-effective-alternative-energy-source/

Perhaps the most exciting implication of these developments is the idea that algae can be grown almost anywhere. The effectiveness of many energy sources-renewable or otherwise-is complicated by the cost of transportation. With algae, however, municipalities can produce their own algaculture fields to provide energy to the local community. This eliminates the cost of transportation, as the energy can easily be dispersed through the local power grid.

There is the additional benefit that communities would be responsible for their own energy production. This would likely lead to greater consciousness of energy consumption and reduce overall usage.