By Dave Harcourt •
October 11, 2008
This is a guest post by Dave Harcourt of Pretoria, who is active in information transfer for agricultural processing in Africa, mainly via the DIGIVU Blog.
South Africa, recently dogged by electricity shortages at the state-run generator (Eskom), is innovating strongly in the energy sector. I will be discussing examples of this innovation in future posts, but now for the first of several reports on newsworthy energy related events in South Africa.
South African Solar Challenge 2008
South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) was one of the supporters of the South African Solar Challenge 2008 solar car race, which ended at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria this week. Solar car races are by no means new, but this is the first time one has been run in South Africa. The race, which was noted in a recent post on solar cars, was organized by the Advanced Energy Foundation.
By Sarah Lozanova •
October 9, 2008
Clean coal has been getting a lot of attention lately. Both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama consider it to be an important piece in their energy plans. Even the recent $900 billion bailout package included $1.5 billion for clean coal. Because coal is so plentiful and relatively cheap in the US, the notion of clean coal is particularly appealing. Unfortunately, clean coal is a myth.
Here’s why clean coal is so dirty:
1. Clean Coal Requires More Coal
30% more energy is required to pump carbon underground for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). The captured carbon dioxide has to be compressed to 100 times the atmospheric pressure, transferred to an underground storage reservoir and then pumped in the ground. All of this requires large amounts of energy, thus the coal plant must burn an additional 30% more coal to generate the same amount of usable electricity.
By Tom Schueneman •
October 9, 2008
On Tuesday a ceremonial switch was thrown marking the start of a new one megawatt solar power installation at Gap Inc.’s west coast distribution facility in Fresno California
By Alex Felsinger •
October 9, 2008
The energy produced could be used to generate electricity or to fuel desalination, and according to the company, the process would be relatively harmless to the ocean’s environment. While scientists began fleshing out Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion in the 70’s, no one has yet been able to manufacture a workable commercial design.
By Joel Bittle •
October 9, 2008
It’s a Bright New Day for Home Solar
Hidden in the fine print of the massive Wall Street Bailout bill that was signed into law last week was a tax credit extension that had alternative energy companies, especially makers of home solar systems, dancing with joy. Instead of losing the federal tax credit at the end of the year, which seemed likely until Wall Street forced Congress to stay in session longer, consumers who install photovoltaic systems will now receive far greater tax savings than they currently enjoy. To put it bluntly, the federal government is willing to pay 30% of your cost to go solar. For a description of the roller-coaster ride that these tax credits have taken over the last few months, read my post from last week, Senate Bailout Plan Could be Boon for Alternative Energies, Home Solar.
Now that the bill has become law, it’s time to reassess the overall costs and return on investment for a home photovoltaic system. Because of their up-front expense, Photovoltaic systems are often viewed as a luxury for the wealthy. And with the down economy it is possible that even these impressive tax credits won’t cause a spike in the purchase of photovoltaic systems. Convincing someone to invest tens of thousands of dollars in something that may take a decade to pay itself off is a hard sell. Let the hard sell begin:
By Amiel Blajchman •
October 9, 2008
The UK’s Guardian newspaper published their top 10 list of hottest cleantech companies in Europe, and what a mix!
Companies profiled include those involved in:
- Solar power;
- Electrical systems;
- Marine power;
- Industrial applications; and
- Distribution and management
Of the ten companies, eight are shipping product, and the other two are either in testing or development, but the technology is promising enough to warrant inclusion into the 2008 Guardian/Library House Cleantech 100’s top 10.
By Tom Schueneman •
October 8, 2008
A study released last week from the U.S. Geological Survey reports that geothermal power production could significantly add to electric power generating capacity within the United States.
By Nick Chambers •
October 8, 2008
Editor’s Note: I’m in Houston, TX, this week, celebrating the International Year of the Planet by posting on topics covered at the first ever joint meeting between the American societies of Soil Science, Geology, Crop Science and Agronomy. With a significant focus on biofuels, this conference should be rife with interesting materials.
In a wide-ranging session on Tuesday dealing with global biofuel, food security and poverty issues, there was plenty for the presenters to disagree about — but the one thing they could all concur on was that the biofuel genie is out of the bottle and he’s here to stay.
Several times during the session the presenters highlighted the fact that biofuels have finally brought an inherent value to agriculture that was previously missing. This, more than anything else, is why biofuels are not going to go away. Up to now, the lack of agricultural value has caused a deep deficiency in the level of funding and investment that governments worldwide have provided for their agricultural security and infrastructure.
By Ariel Schwartz •
October 8, 2008
SmartPlanet report that British Waterways is turning UK canals into alternative energy power stations. The company’s proposal calls for 50 wind turbines and assorted small-scale hydro-power schemes to be installed in canals and locations. In addition to generating enough energy to power 45,000 homes (100 MW of capacity), the proposal will save over 100,000 tons of CO2 each year.
Sarah Palin dismisses alternative energy in favor of a pipeline built by God.
From Think Progress
Palin’s First Statewide Campaign Was Fueled By Veco. “While mayor of Wasilla, Palin ran for lieutenant governor in 2002. She gathered $5,000 — or about 10 percent of her campaign fund — from Veco officials or their wives along the way.” [Anchorage Daily News, 9/6/06]
Palin’s Inauguration Was Sponsored By [...]
By Nick Chambers •
October 7, 2008
Editor’s Note: I’m in Houston, TX, this week, celebrating the International Year of the Planet by posting on topics covered at the first ever joint meeting between the American societies of Soil Science, Geology, Crop Science and Agronomy. With a significant focus on biofuels, this conference should be rife with interesting materials.
According to Dr. Peter McCabe, a world-renowned scientist currently working at CSIRO in Australia, any realistic analysis of future energy sources can only conclude that, barring some complete and miraculous harmony between all the world’s economic superpowers, fossil fuels will dominate our energy mix for at least the next few decades — and we should just accept it.
To get a perspective on where Dr. McCabe is coming from, it struck me that he is a man who thinks in terms of quadrillions of BTUs and exajoules of energy. His views come from an analysis of global markets and global energy use. To him it probably seems that a grassroots coordinated global effort is beyond the reach of humanity.
Being a bit of a realistic skeptic myself, it seemed like it would be worth my while to temporarily suspend my deep held belief that not only is it possible for the U.S. and most of the rest of the world to kick its oil habit within a decade, but also a simple requirement for survival, and take Dr. McCabe at face value.
