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In case you missed any posts from earlier this week, we’ve collected them below in a handy list for you!
It looks impressive, if you ask us.
This particular array in located in Spain, but has financing from American companies, such as Google. It is often the case that thermal solar isn’t cost-competitive with PV solar, but the article points out that when a project is scaled up to over 100 MW, thermal solar becomes much more competitive.
Image via cnet.
A GreenBiz.com writer has put together a good article on the smart grid. “10 Things I’ve Learned About the Smart Grid” highlights the complexity of a smart grid, the opportunities it presents, and the challenges we will face to make it work properly.
All in all, it’s a great smart grid crash-course for those new to the subject and an equally good refresher, too.
Photo via GreenBiz.com
The World Resources Institute (WRI) has recently released a report that says the U.S. could reduce its CO2 output by 14% by 2020 under current laws and regulations. The WRI calls this a “Go-Getter” scenario, but we’ll let the chart speak for itself. Enjoy!
The Council on Environmental Quality recently posted a video of its recent Clean Energy Forum on Federal Leaders and Sustainable Building. The forum focused on three main topics, “leveraging the scale [of the Federal government], financing, and innovation.” We think these are great topics, and hope you enjoy the video! (One of four parts)
Today’s guest blogger is Elisa Wood from RealEnergyWriters.com.
Photo: Nissan LEAF, nissanusa.com
Who will play the lead character in Who Revived the Electric Car?, the sequel that is bound to be made to the famous documentary, Who Killed the Electric Car?
Many are vying for the role: car manufacturers, battery producers, scientists and now the Obama Administration. The White House issued a report July 14 that credits federal stimulus money for the rapid drop in costs for electric cars. Once written off as a technological mishap, the electric car now appears nearly road ready for American consumers. The price tag is dropping rapidly, in part because of the $12 billion the federal government has pumped into alternative vehicles, according to the report. Of that $5 billion went to electrifying the US transportation fleet.
Electric cars will cost between $25,000 and $35,000, after tax credits, by the end of this year, says the White House. That’s down from $100,000 before passage of the 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Electric cars are dropping in price because stimulus-funded manufacturers are producing batteries more cheaply.
The new electric car is seen as a way to reduce reliance on oil, which now supplies 95% of our transportation fuel. But the electric car has several interesting side stories as well. Electricity is cheaper than gasoline. So, consumers should find themselves paying the equivalent of only $1/gallon to fuel electric cars, according to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Photo: Nissan LEAF, www.nissanusa.com
Keeping operating costs low will depend on wide-spread implementation by utilities of time-of-use pricing, and of consumer willingness to take advantage of electricity at bargain times. Prices for electricity fall at night when demand diminishes. Electric grid planners are hoping consumers will charge their cars at night. Otherwise we may have to build more power plants to accommodate the cars, and that will negate some of their environmental and cost savings. Time-of-use pricing, which reflects lower night-time costs, should help encourage consumers to plug in at night. But consumer behavior is hard to predict. Another side story is that the electric vehicle gives consumers a chance to act as power producers. The car batteries can store power which consumers can sell back to their local utility, possibly at high prices if done when the grid is in short supply.
And finally, it looks like the electric car will help the US create manufacturing jobs. The White House report says that in 2009, we had only two factories manufacturing advanced vehicle batteries. Those factories produced less than two percent of the world’s advanced vehicle batteries. By 2012, the US should have 30 factories with a 20 percent market share and by 2015 a 40 percent market share.
Should all this come to be, it is hard to say who will get the credit. What’s clear is that the story offers lots of happy endings to today’s energy woes. Here’s hoping it is a tale told true.
Reprinted from Energy Efficiency Markets newsletter, available by free subscription at www.RealEnergyWriters.com
Photo: Nissan LEAF, nissanusa.com
In case you missed any posts from earlier this week, we’ve collected them below in a handy list for you!
I’m really excited to share an updated speaker list for the GOVgreen Conference and Expo. Every time someone new signs on, I get more and more excited for the event. It is really going to be a great gathering of minds — it will also be a great opportunity for any government employee that is interested in, or tasked with addressing, green government concerns.
The following are some of the confirmed speakers:
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
SESSION SPEAKERS
Learn more about GOVgreen at www.govgreen.org.
Google Energy, a subsidiary of Google, has signed a 20-year agreement to purchase energy generated at the Iowa-based “Story II Wind Energy Center.” The report points out that Google Energy can either use the green energy to offset Google’s carbon footprint, or it can sell the energy on the open market. Either way, it looks like Google is making a long-term commitment to wind energy.
Photo via cnet
The President was able to test drive the new Chevy Volt. We’re certainly looking forward to seeing it ourselves!
Photo via cnet
