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A Solar Powered US by 2050??

Lorenzo — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:29:14 GMT

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=a-solar-grand-plan&page=1

A Solar Grand Plan
By 2050 solar power could end U.S. dependence on foreign oil and slash greenhouse gas emissions

By Ken Zweibel, James Mason and Vasilis Fthenakis

* A massive switch from coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear power plants to solar power plants could supply 69 percent of the U.S.’s electricity and 35 percent of its total energy by 2050.
* A vast area of photovoltaic cells would have to be erected in the Southwest. Excess daytime energy would be stored as compressed air in underground caverns to be tapped during nighttime hours.
* Large solar concentrator power plants would be built as well.
* A new direct-current power transmission backbone would deliver solar electricity across the country.
* But $420 billion in subsidies from 2011 to 2050 would be required to fund the infrastructure and make it cost-competitive.

—The Editors

High prices for gasoline and home heating oil are here to stay. The U.S. is at war in the Middle East at least in part to protect its foreign oil interests. And as China, India and other nations rapidly increase their demand for fossil fuels, future fighting over energy looms large. In the meantime, power plants that burn coal, oil and natural gas, as well as vehicles everywhere, continue to pour millions of tons of pollutants and greenhouse gases into the atmosphere annually, threatening the planet.

Well-meaning scientists, engineers, economists and politicians have proposed various steps that could slightly reduce fossil-fuel use and emissions. These steps are not enough. The U.S. needs a bold plan to free itself from fossil fuels. Our analysis convinces us that a massive switch to solar power is the logical answer.

Solar energy’s potential is off the chart. The energy in sunlight striking the earth for 40 minutes is equivalent to global energy consumption for a year. The U.S. is lucky to be endowed with a vast resource; at least 250,000 square miles of land in the Southwest alone are suitable for constructing solar power plants, and that land receives more than 4,500 quadrillion British thermal units (Btu) of solar radiation a year. Converting only 2.5 percent of that radiation into electricity would match the nation’s total energy consumption in 2006.

To convert the country to solar power, huge tracts of land would have to be covered with photovoltaic panels and solar heating troughs. A direct-current (DC) transmission backbone would also have to be erected to send that energy efficiently across the nation.

The technology is ready. On the following pages we present a grand plan that could provide 69 percent of the U.S.’s electricity and 35 percent of its total energy (which includes transportation) with solar power by 2050. We project that this energy could be sold to consumers at rates equivalent to today’s rates for conventional power sources, about five cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh). If wind, biomass and geothermal sources were also developed, renewable energy could provide 100 percent of the nation’s electricity and 90 percent of its energy by 2100.
Also in the article

* Infographic Photovoltaics
* Infographic Underground Storage
* Infographic Concentrated Solar
* Infographic Plentiful Resource
* Sidebar US Plan for 2050
* Infographic Chart: U.S. Annual Fuel Consumption

The federal government would have to invest more than $400 billion over the next 40 years to complete the 2050 plan. That investment is substantial, but the payoff is greater. Solar plants consume little or no fuel, saving billions of dollars year after year. The infrastructure would displace 300 large coal-fired power plants and 300 more large natural gas plants and all the fuels they consume. The plan would effectively eliminate all imported oil, fundamentally cutting U.S. trade deficits and easing political tension in the Middle East and elsewhere. Because solar technologies are almost pollution-free, the plan would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants by 1.7 billion tons a year, and another 1.9 billion tons from gasoline vehicles would be displaced by plug-in hybrids refueled by the solar power grid. In 2050 U.S. carbon dioxide emissions would be 62 percent below 2005 levels, putting a major brake on global warming.

Photovoltaic Farms
In the past few years the cost to produce photovoltaic cells and modules has dropped significantly, opening the way for large-scale deployment. Various cell types exist, but the least expensive modules today are thin films made of cadmium telluride. To provide electricity at six cents per kWh by 2020, cadmium telluride modules would have to convert electricity with 14 percent efficiency, and systems would have to be installed at $1.20 per watt of capacity. Current modules have 10 percent efficiency and an installed system cost of about $4 per watt. Progress is clearly needed, but the technology is advancing quickly; commercial efficiencies have risen from 9 to 10 percent in the past 12 months. It is worth noting, too, that as modules improve, rooftop photovoltaics will become more cost-competitive for homeowners, reducing daytime electricity demand.

. . .much more at the link. .

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Smarter Grids May be More Efficient. . .

Lorenzo — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:33:55 GMT

http://www.cnbc.com/id/24418676

Smarter electric grid could be key to saving power
Topics:Environment | Energy
Sectors:Utilities
By AP | 01 May 2008 | 08:46 PM ET
Font size:

The glowing amber dot on a light switch in the entryway of George Tsapoitis' house offers a clue about the future of electricity.

A few times this summer, when millions of air conditioners strain the Toronto region's power grid, that pencil-tip-sized amber dot will blink. It will be asking Tsapoitis to turn the switch off -- unless he's already programmed his house to make that move for him.

This is the beginning of a new way of thinking about electricity, and the biggest change in how we get power since wires began veining the landscape a century ago.

For all the engineering genius behind the electric grid, that vast network ferrying energy from
CNBC.com
power plants through transmission lines isn't particularly smart when it meets our homes. We flip a switch or plug something in and generally get as much power as we're willing to pay for.

But these days the environmental consequences and unfriendly economics of energy appear unsustainable. As a result, power providers and technology companies are making the electric grid smarter.

It will stop being merely a passive supplier of juice. Instead, power companies will be able to cue us, like those amber lights in Tsapoitis' house, to make choices about when and how we consume power. And most likely, we'll have our computers and appliances carry out those decisions for us.

Done right, the smarter grid should save consumers money in the long run by reducing the need for new power plants, which we pay off in our monthly electric bills. However, if people fail to react properly to conservation signals, their bills could spike.

And certainly a smart grid that can encourage us to conserve will feel different. Envision your kitchen appliances in silent communication with their power source: The fridge bumps its temperature up a degree on one day, and the dishwasher kicks on a bit later on another.

Smart-grid technologies have gotten small tests throughout North America, as utilities and regulators scout how to coax people to reduce their demand for power. But there's little doubt it's coming. The utility Xcel Energy plans to soon begin a $100 million smart grid project reaching 100,000 homes in Boulder, Colo.

. . more at the link. .

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Air Cars Are Coming. . .

Lorenzo — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 05:01:11 GMT

http://www.popularmechanics.com/automotive/new_cars/4251491.html?series=19

By Matt Sullivan
Published on: February 22, 2008

The Air Car caused a huge stir when we reported last year that Tata Motors would begin producing it in India. Now the little gas-free ride that could is headed Stateside in a big-time way.

Zero Pollution Motors (ZPM) confirmed to PopularMechanics.com on Thursday that it expects to produce the world’s first air-powered car for the United States by late 2009 or early 2010. As the U.S. licensee for Luxembourg-based MDI, which developed the Air Car as a compression-based alternative to the internal combustion engine, ZPM has attained rights to build the first of several modular plants, which are likely to begin manufacturing in the Northeast and grow for regional production around the country, at a clip of up to 10,000 Air Cars per year.

And while ZPM is also licensed to build MDI’s two-seater OneCAT economy model (the one headed for India) and three-seat MiniCAT (like a SmartForTwo without the gas), the New Paltz, N.Y., startup is aiming bigger: Company officials want to make the first air-powered car to hit U.S. roads a $17,800, 75-hp equivalent, six-seat modified version of MDI’s CityCAT (pictured above) that, thanks to an even more radical engine, is said to travel as far as 1000 miles at up to 96 mph with each tiny fill-up.

We’ll believe that when we drive it, but MDI’s new dual-energy engine—currently being installed in models at MDI facilities overseas—is still pretty damn cool in concept. After using compressed air fed from the same Airbus-built tanks in earlier models to run its pistons, the next-gen Air Car has a supplemental energy source to kick in north of 35 mph, ZPM says. A custom heating chamber heats the air in a process officials refused to elaborate upon, though they insisted it would increase volume and thus the car’s range and speed.

“I want to stress that these are estimates, and that we’ll know soon more precisely from our engineers,” ZPM spokesman Kevin Haydon told PM, “but a vehicle with one tank of air and, say, 8 gal. of either conventional petrol, ethanol or biofuel could hit between 800 and 1000 miles.”

Those figures would make the Air Car, along with Aptera’s Typ-1 and Tesla’s Roadster, a favorite among early entrants for the Automotive X Prize, for which MDI and ZPM have already signed up. But with the family-size, four-door CityCAT undergoing standard safety tests in Europe, then side-impact tests once it arrives in the States, could it be the first 100-mpg, nonelectric car you can actually buy?

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Tech Advance: Solar Cell Directly Splits Water for Hydrogen. . .

Lorenzo — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 21:00:08 GMT

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/ps-scd021108.php

Plants trees and algae do it. Even some bacteria and moss do it, but scientists have had a difficult time developing methods to turn sunlight into useful fuel. Now, Penn State researchers have a proof-of-concept device that can split water and produce recoverable hydrogen.

"This is a proof-of-concept system that is very inefficient. But ultimately, catalytic systems with 10 to 15 percent solar conversion efficiency might be achievable," says Thomas E. Mallouk, the DuPont Professor of Materials Chemistry and Physics. "If this could be realized, water photolysis would provide a clean source of hydrogen fuel from water and sunlight."

Although solar cells can now produce electricity from visible light at efficiencies of greater than 10 percent, solar hydrogen cells – like those developed by Craig Grimes, professor of electrical engineering at Penn State – have been limited by the poor spectral response of the semiconductors used. In principle, molecular light absorbers can use more of the visible spectrum in a process that is mimetic of natural photosynthesis. Photosynthesis uses chlorophyll and other dye molecules to absorb visible light.

So far, experiments with natural and synthetic dye molecules have produced either hydrogen or oxygen-using chemicals consumed in the process, but have not yet created an ongoing, continuous process. Those processes also generally would cost more than splitting water with electricity. One reason for the difficulty is that once produced, hydrogen and oxygen easily recombine. The catalysts that have been used to study the oxygen and hydrogen half-reactions are also good catalysts for the recombination reaction.

Mallouk and W. Justin Youngblood, postdoctoral fellow in chemistry, together with collaborators at Arizona State University, developed a catalyst system that, combined with a dye, can mimic the electron transfer and water oxidation processes that occur in plants during photosynthesis. They reported the results of their experiments at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science today (Feb. 17) in Boston.

The key to their process is a tiny complex of molecules with a center catalyst of iridium oxide molecules surrounded by orange-red dye molecules. These clusters are about 2 nanometers in diameter with the catalyst and dye components approximately the same size. The researchers chose orange-red dye because it absorbs sunlight in the blue range, which has the most energy. The dye used has also been thoroughly studied in previous artificial photosynthesis experiments.

They space the dye molecules around the center core leaving surface area on the catalyst for the reaction. When visible light strikes the dye, the energy excites electrons in the dye, which, with the help of the catalyst, can split the water molecule, creating free oxygen.

"Each surface iridium atom can cycle through the water oxidation reaction about 50 times per second," says Mallouk. "That is about three orders of magnitude faster than the next best synthetic catalysts, and comparable to the turnover rate of Photosystem II in green plant photosynthesis." Photosystem II is the protein complex in plants that oxidizes water and starts the photosynthetic process.

The researchers impregnated a titanium dioxide electrode with the catalyst complex for the anode and used a platinum cathode. They immersed the electrodes in a salt solution, but separated them from each other to avoid the problem of the hydrogen and oxygen recombining. Light need only shine on the dye-sensitized titanium dioxide anode for the system to work. This type of cell is similar to those that produce electricity, but the addition of the catalyst allows the reaction to split the water into its component gases.

The water splitting requires 1.23 volts, and the current experimental configuration cannot quite achieve that level so the researchers add about 0.3 volts from an outside source. Their current system achieves an efficiency of about 0.3 percent.

"Nature is only 1 to 3 percent efficient with photosynthesis," says Mallouk. "Which is why you can not expect the clippings from your lawn to power your house and your car. We would like not to have to use all the land area that is used for agriculture to get the energy we need from solar cells."

The researchers have a variety of approaches to improve the process. They plan to investigate improving the efficiency of the dye, improving the catalyst and adjusting the general geometry of the system. Rather than spherical dye catalyst complexes, a different geometry that keeps more of the reacting area available to the sun and the reactants might be better. Improvements to the overall geometry may also help.

"At every branch in the process, there is a choice," says Mallouk. "The question is how to get the electrons to stay in the proper path and not, for example, release their energy and go down to ground state without doing any work."

The distance between molecules is important in controlling the rate of electron transfer and getting the electrons where they need to go. By shortening some of the distances and making others longer, more of the electrons would take the proper path and put their energy to work splitting water and producing hydrogen.

###

The U.S. Department of Energy supported this research.

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Technology Now Can Produce Oil from Corn. .

Lorenzo — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:45:50 GMT

http://www.physorg.com/news122479297.html

Biofuel: Gene scientists find secret to oil yield from corn

Agricultural scientists in the United States have identified a key gene that determines oil yield in a corn, a finding that could have repercussions for the fast-expanding biofuels industry.

The gene lies on Chromosome 6 of the maize genome, according to a paper published on Sunday by Nature Genetics.

It encodes a catalysing enzyme called DGAT1-2, which carries out the final step in the plant's oil-making process.

In addition, a tiny amino acid variant within this gene can boost the yield of oil and oleic acid -- the sought-after edible fat in corn -- by up to 41 percent and 107 percent respectively.

The paper, written by a team from the US chemicals and agribusiness giant DuPont, was based on a comparison of 71 strains of maize whose oil content ranged from low to high.

DGAT is "a promising target for increasing oil and oleic-acid contents in other crops," say the authors, led by Bo Shen of DuPont unit Pioneer Hi-Bred International, in Johnston, Iowa.

Present-generation biofuels are derived from food crops such as corn, sugar cane and soybeans.

Initially viewed as an environmentally-friendly alternative with no geopolitical risk compared with dirty fossil fuels, biofuels are now under attack as some unintended consequences emerge.

The impacts include higher prices in the global food market as more fields are devoted to growing fuel rather than food, and the destruction of forests in Brazil and Indonesia as land is cleared for fuel crops.

Scientists are looking at ways of boosting output from existing biofuel crops by adding the promise a higher yield in oil. Proposed methods include classic cross-breeding as well as genetic engineering, a technology that remains fiercely opposed in some countries.

Another avenue of exploration for biofuel production is in non-food fibrous plants and cellulose materials, such as switchgrass, wood chips and straw. But these novel sources, hampered by costs and technical complications, are struggling to reach commercial scale.

Global biofuel production tripled from 4.8 billion gallons (18.16 billion litres) in 2000 to about 16 billion gallons (60.56 billion litres) in 2007, but still accounts for less than three percent of the global transport fuel supply, according to US Department of Agriculture figures.

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Electric Cars and the Energy Grid. . .

Lorenzo — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:22:50 GMT

http://www.forbes.com/leadership/innovation/forbes/2008/0107/100.html

A Light Bulb Goes On
Joann Muller 01.07.08, 12:00 AM ET

Willett Kempton sees your car--and the electric grid--as a solution to America's energy problem, not the source of it.

Lawmakers in Washington want to solve America's pollution and energy problems by imposing higher fuel economy standards on automobiles. Willett Kempton has a more exotic approach: turn cars into rolling power stations that can provide clean energy when utilities need it most.

Kempton, a wiry, 59-year-old renewable energy professor at the University of Delaware with round, wire-rimmed glasses and a shock of white hair, is the nation's foremost proponent of what's known as vehicle-to-grid technology. For ten years he's been trying to convince utilities and automakers that electric cars could draw power at night, when power is cheaper, and then discharge some of that juice back into the grid during the day to balance supply and demand for electricity. Kempton's theory is beginning to win applause from some car and utility folks, but daunting technical and economic obstacles make it a tough sell.

Kempton argues his idea doesn't have to wait for cheaper batteries, the main stumbling block to production of electric vehicles. He's got a way, he says, for owners of electric cars to recoup the cost of even very expensive batteries, the ones with price tags in the $20,000 range. It involves using cars to supply a reserve of electric power that can smooth out minute-to-minute shortages in the transmission grid.

Kempton parks a plug-in Toyota (nyse: TM - news - people ) Scion in his garage that can discharge 19 kilowatts of power from its battery. The average house uses 1.5 kilowatts. "When I run it backwards at full power," says Kempton, "I'm running my whole block," or he would be if the system were up and operating.

The Kempton plan is just one of several proposed schemes for interconnecting the country's transportation and electric networks. Another, proposed by former software executive Shai Agassi, entails electric filling stations at which car owners would make a quick swap of a depleted battery for a charged battery. forbes columnist and Manhattan Institute senior fellow Peter Huber is a fan of plug-in hybrids ( FORBES, May 24, 2004). Equipped with charging stations at home and at the shopping mall, these cars would be able to run on grid electricity for short trips.

The Kempton, Agassi and Huber proposals have this in common: They take advantage of the fact that energy bought from a central station power plant is cheaper than energy bought from a gasoline pump.

Kempton first got the vehicle-to-grid (V2G) idea in 1996, while wrestling with a fundamental problem with renewable energy: Solar power peaks at noon, and wind power peaks at night, but demand for electricity peaks between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The solution came to him at a conference on electric vehicles. Kempton realized that most of the power available from electric cars' large batteries was being wasted, because the cars sit parked 95% of the time. "That was the eureka moment," he says.

The following year, he and a colleague at the University of Delaware, Steven Letendre, published a research paper describing the V2G concept. The reaction was swift and negative. Carmakers argued that electric vehicles already have a limited range; no way would drivers want to give up precious miles by selling power back to utilities. And they said the batteries would wear out prematurely.

Kempton's response: Driver patterns are predictable, and motorists could control when utilities tapped their car for power, making sure they wouldn't be stranded. As for battery usage, Kempton says that initially utilities would need only tiny bursts of power to balance cycles for a minute or two, so there would be no need to fully discharge the car's battery. There's a well-defined market for this kind of power balancing, and it could help fund a shift to electric cars. (It's distinct from another need of utilities, which is for some way to store up electricity generated at night and release it over the course of several hours of peak demand during the day.) The power balancing involves borrowing a bit of juice and then replacing it a few minutes later.

Utilities, for their part, complained that when they need reserve power the most, in the midafternoon, all the cars would be on the road. Not true, according to Kempton, whose research team studied road-use statistics and found that even during the worst traffic periods nearly 90% of cars are idle.

Huber is skeptical of the Kempton plan because there are other ways utilities can store energy. "Enough hamsters running on a wheel could displace a power plant, but no one's going to do it, because it's too expensive," he says. Utilities would be better off storing power in flywheels, or as ice for air-conditioning systems, he says. "They're way cheaper than anything Detroit can build."

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GM Skateboard Technology and Ford HySeries

Lorenzo — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:07:57 GMT

http://www.5min.com/Video/The-Future-Car---Skateboard-6475583

GM Skateboard car, powered by Hydrogen. . .four wheel drive electric engines, powered by the electricity produced by the hydrogen fuel cell. water is the only emission.

Discovery channel has been running a four part series called FutureCar for the past few weeks and one of the segments focused on the GM Skateboard chassis that was first shown a few years back, featuring fuel cell power and complete by-wire controls. A variation of the Skateboard is used on the Sequel concept.

The segment doesn't delve too deeply into the technology, but instead focuses on a group of design interns . They were with tasked developing some new concepts that took advantage of the packaging flexibility afforded by low profile chassis and electronic controls. The Ford HySeries Drive system is similar in concept, minus the by-wire controls, and the Airstream concept was also designed to showcase packaging flexibility, even if the aesthetics were questionable.

GM Reinvents The Automobile: Chevrolet Sequel Is A Better, Cleaner, Petroleum-Free Solution

SAN DIEGO – General Motors today announced a driveable version of the most technologically advanced automobile ever built – the Chevrolet Sequel, GM’s solution to provide the world with a cleaner, petroleum-free vehicle that is better in nearly every way.

“General Motors is proving that advanced technology can remove the automobile from the environmental debate and reduce our dependence on petroleum," said Larry Burns, GM vice president, research & development and strategic planning. “Chevy Sequel clearly shows that our vision for the future of the automobile is real and sustainable.”

Sequel was introduced in 2005 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It is the first vehicle in the world to successfully integrate a hydrogen fuel cell propulsion system with a broad menu of advanced technologies such as steer-and brake-by-wire controls, wheel hub motors, lithium-ion batteries and a lightweight aluminum structure. It uses clean, renewable hydrogen as a fuel and emits only water vapor.

“Sequel fundamentally changes the DNA of today’s automobiles … exchanging an internal combustion engine, petroleum and mechanical systems for fuel cell propulsion, hydrogen and electrical systems,” Burns said. “In Sequel, GM has created a real vehicle that promises to excite customers and lead to long-term, sustainable automotive transportation.”

Compared to other fuel cell vehicles, Sequel has an unprecedented range of 300 miles between fill-ups and spirited acceleration, attaining 60 mph in just 10 seconds. Sequel also has all the amenities one would expect in a premium, five-passenger crossover SUV, including impressive styling, a spacious interior and an all-aluminum body and structure designed to meet all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. It has a low-profile, skateboard-like chassis that houses all of its main propulsion, braking and chassis components.

“Sequel is a vehicle that is better in nearly every way – quicker, more sure-footed, easier to handle, easier to build and better looking, while being safe and emitting only water vapor,” said Burns.

Other benefits include:

* Unequaled control on snow and ice, or uneven terrain
* 70-percent more torque for unparalleled acceleration
* Shorter braking distances
* Ability to “talk” to other vehicles about traffic congestion or road conditions

“Four years ago, our chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner, challenged us to completely rethink the automobile,” Burns said. “With the Chevy Sequel, we have now met Rick’s challenge by reinventing the automobile and making it real. We’ve proven a new DNA for vehicles that is viable for the future.”

About General Motors Corporation

General Motors Corp. (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest automaker, has been the global industry sales leader for 75 years. Founded in 1908, GM today employs about 327,000 people around the world. With global headquarters in Detroit , GM manufactures its cars and trucks in 33 countries. In 2005, 9.17 million GM cars and trucks were sold globally under the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, GM Daewoo, Holden, HUMMER, Opel, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn and Vauxhall. GM operates one of the world’s leading finance companies, GMAC Financial Services, which offers automotive, residential and commercial financing and insurance. GM’s OnStar subsidiary is the industry leader in vehicle safety, security and information services. More information on GM can be found at www.gm.com.

CONTACT(S):
Scott Fosgard
GM Powertrain Communications
Office: 248-857-0239
Cell: 586-899-2582
Fax: 248-857-0045
E-mail: scott.fosgard@gm.com

Renee McClelland
GM Fuel Cell Communications
Office: 248-857-6242
Cell: 313-418-3974
Fax: 248-857-0045
E-mail: renee.mcclelland@gm.com

Ford Edge Hydrogen Fuel Cell Car

Technical analysis of the HySeries Ford Edge

Posted Feb 1st 2007 7:51AM by Sam Abuelsamid
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Hydrogen, AutoblogGreen Exclusive

Click on the image for a high-res image gallery of the HySeries Edge

Last week Ford unveiled an experimental version of the Edge CUV powered by the HySeries drive-train that they first showed in the Airstream concept at the recent North American International Auto Show. This is a plug-in series hybrid setup that uses a hydrogen fuel cell as an auxiliary power unit to charge the battery on the go. There is a hydrogen storage tank mounted longitudinally down the center of the vehicle. Under the driver side of the floor lies a lithium ion battery back with a peak output of 130kW. On the opposite side is a Ballard fuel cell stack that generates electricity to charge the battery.

This Edge drives all four wheels via a pair of 65kW electric motors mounted at each axle. Unlike the previous Focus FCV which was a parallel hybrid and used the fuel cell as the primary power source to the motor, the Edge drives the motors from the battery. The previous configuration sent power directly from the fuel cell to the motor and used a NiMH battery to provide extra power for acceleration. As a result a larger fuel cell was required and it had to work harder. Since the LiIon battery can provide power on demand more quickly, it becomes the primary power source, and a smaller fuel cell works mainly to keep the battery charged when it gets low. The result is that a smaller, less expensive stack can be used, because it doesn't need the peak power output to keep the battery topped up.

Gallery: HySeries Edge

Continue reading after the jump

A direct comparison of the Edge specs with those of the Chevy Volt concept, at first glance, appears to show the Edge lacking. However, this isn't an entirely fair comparison. The Edge has a nominal range of approximately 225 miles based on a charged battery and a full 4.5kg hydrogen tank, although Ford says that they have seen a range as much as 400 miles in testing. By comparison, the Volt is claimed to have a range of up to 640 miles. Similarly, the Edge has a range of 25 miles on battery power, while the Volt can go 40 miles. The Edge uses a pair of 65kW motors for a total of 130kW, the same output as the single motor on the Volt. The batteries in both vehicles have a peak output of 130kW as well.

The Edge battery itself, is a 45 A-hr cylindrical lithium ion cell, although the supplier has not been disclosed. According to Ford they have built additional battery packs with different technologies than the one currently installed and they are currently benchmarking them. The new smaller fuel cell stack is designed to start and run at temperatures down to -15C and is being tested down to -25C. The cell has also been "heat integrated" with all the components in a single package. This helps to improve the staying time when parked outside in cold temperatures.

So why the difference in range? The Volt is about the same size as a Chevy Cobalt and weighs in at about 3,100 lbs. The Edge is a substantially larger cross-over utility vehicle and the standard production AWD model weighs in at almost 4,300 lbs, while this hybrid version comes in at almost 5,400 lbs. When you mix the same power and battery capacity with almost seventy-five percent more mass, it's definitely going to cut into your range. Unfortunately, even with all of the technological advances made in the last century, Newton's laws of motion still apply. Right now Ford is working on second HySeries Edge, that will be focused on reducing the weight and improving the fuel consumption and range.

The vehicle uses the standard Edge front suspension, but a new rear sub-frame was fabricated to support the rear electric motor. The Edge does have regenerative braking to help improve the range. At the moment, this is just a technology demonstrator, to help Ford evaluate the practicality of the HySeries drive system. Based on the data Ford collects with the first two vehicles, they will decide whether to proceed with a larger test fleet.

Like the GM E-Flex platform that underpins the Volt, Ford intends for the HySeries platform to be flexible, allowing for alternative power-units to be used in place of the fuel cell. They say it can use an internal combustion engine, although the packaging of this vehicle seems less conducive to this alternative then the E-Flex setup. The use of a higher pressure hydrogen tank can increase the fuel cell range from 200 to more than 300 miles. The battery can be charged by plugging the vehicle into either a 110V or 220V outlet.

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Ford Auto Technology. . .

Lorenzo — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:05:50 GMT

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/01/08/ford-airstream-concept-a-shiny-hydrogen-powered-phev-funmobile/

Ford Airstream concept: a shiny, hydrogen-powered PHEV funmobile

Posted Jan 8th 2007 5:39PM by Sebastian Blanco
Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Hydrogen, Ford, Detroit Auto Show

I'm not sure where to start with the new Ford Airstream concept. This vehicle - a sort of cross between a conversion van, a space capsule and a mirror – was unveiled yesterday at the Detroit Auto Show. This totally tricked-out vehicle concept is powered by a HySeries Drive powertrain (a version of this is also in the Edge prototype that will be unveiled later this month in D.C.). The HySeries Drive is battery-powered, with plug-in capability and has a hydrogen fuel cell as an on-board charger. Ford estimates a combined city/highway gasoline equivalent fuel economy rating of 41 mpg. On all-electric power, the Airstream concept can go 25 miles. Add some hydrogen (ahh, if only it were so easy), and you can go another 280 miles. The fuel cell, made by Ballard, turns on automatically when the battery charge dips below 40 percent. With the on-board charger (110/220 VAC), the battery pack can be refilled at home. Ford says the HySeries Drive is 50 percent smaller and less complex than conventional fuel cell system and should have more than double the lifetime.

The Airstream concept designers added 12 ceremonial rivets to the Airstream concept. Even with our new high-resolution galleries, you couldn't see all of them in the pictures we have so far (eight are near the Ford and Airstream logos on the front and back, and the last four are the centers of the wheels).

The Airstream concept is full of high-tech gadgets, like a 360-degree screen that come down from the ceiling and is viewable from all the seats in the car. Ford says, "Passengers can use the screen to watch DVDs, view the feed from the special camera that's custom-made for the concept vehicle and play vintage video games. Also, the 360-degree screen helps create different moods with ambient settings including a modern lava lamp, virtual fire and ice crystals."

If we had one of these things now, the first thing we're do is figure out is how to operate the passenger seat blogging tools. Yes, there is built-in blogging from the Airstream concept via a Sharp dual-view screen in the center of the instrument panel. Both the driver and front-seat occupant can also see views from the onboard camera. AutoblogGreen has arranged to take the Ford Airstream out for a test ride in the future. Be on the lookout for that, and we'll let you know what it's like to drive one of these things. If everything's hooked up, we'll try to upload a post or two from the vehicle.

Click through the jump for another picture and sorts of information directly from Ford.

[Source: Ford]

2007 Airstream Concept

TWO AMERICAN ICONS DELIVER THE CROSSOVER MODEL OF THE FUTURE WITH THE FORD AIRSTREAM CONCEPT

* Crossover growth is exploding : Ford Airstream Concept speaks to the future of crossovers as the market segment is projected to top 3 million units annually by the end of the decade.

* Green Journey : Ford Airstream Concept is powered by a new plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cell – called HySeries Drive – that operates under electric power at all times and delivers the combined city/highway equivalent fuel economy of 41 miles per gallon.

* Two icons of American transportation: Ford and Airstream have teamed up to deliver a futuristic crossover concept, showing what tomorrow's road trip vehicles could look like.

DETROIT, Mich. , Jan. 7, 2007 – Playing to win in the growing crossover segment, Ford has joined with another iconic company to showcase how it could further expand its lineup of expressive crossovers with the Ford Airstream Concept.

"Crossovers are an increasingly important part of our business, and Ford is going to continue developing an expressive range of these vehicles," says Peter Horbury, executive director – Design, The Americas. "The Ford Airstream Concept is a futuristic look at crossovers. It's the ultimate modern touring vehicle that delivers flexibility and capability with dynamic design that evokes the spirit of the journey."

The concept is powered by a plug-in hydrogen hybrid fuel cell drivetrain – called HySeries Drive™ – that operates under electric power at all times. This advanced fuel cell system is half the weight and cost of today's fuel cells and can operate in the dead of winter. That's a major step forward because today's fuel cells don't do well when the mercury dips below freezing.

Natural Intersection

The Ford Airstream Concept captures the sense of optimism and adventure conveyed in American aircraft, spacecraft and the streamlined shape of Airstream trailers. It's reflected in the crossover concept's organic, fuselage-inspired form language, unique reflective paint and 12 ceremonial rivets, which pay homage to Airstream's iconic construction.

"For 75 years, Airstream has been an icon synonymous with the optimism, discovery and wanderlust that's helped defined America," said J Mays, group vice president – Design, and chief creative officer. "It seemed only fitting for us to come together through our shared passion for the open road and show a vision for the future of American transportation."

Much like Ford, Airstream began with one man's dream. In 1931, Wally Byam began leveraging aircraft-construction methods to make trailers aimed at feeding Americans' surging desire to travel.

"Silver bullets" have been shooting up and down highways ever since, leading a Recreational Vehicle industry that's realized record profits and revenues in 2005 and the first half of 2006.

"Business for Airstream and the RV industry has been strong, but we want to continue finding options for tomorrow's road trips. Our success in recent years has come from challenging the conventional thinking about what an Airstream is. The Ford Airstream Concept is a stunning example of just that," says Bob Wheeler, president and chief executive officer of Airstream. "Plus, a partner like Ford, with its long history as an American icon, made perfect sense for this kind of exploration."

Common Ground

Both companies are influenced by economic and demographic trends – chiefly baby boomers approaching retirement age.

In the U.S., 11,000 people turn age 50 every day. These consumers are starting to downsize their lives and their vehicles, opting for more nimble and fuel-efficient models. With their children leaving home and some retiring, they also have more time for travel.

For Ford, that trend – plus younger couples starting families later – is fueling a shift to crossover vehicles.

The crossover segment is expected to hit 3 million units by the end of the decade, making it potentially the largest U.S. vehicle segment.

For Airstream, these demographic changes are meaningful as well. RV ownership is highest among retirement-age consumers, and by the end of the decade, 50- to 64-year-old consumers will tally
57 million – a 38 percent increase versus 2000, according to University of Michigan studies.
And the number of RV-owning households is expected to grow to 8.5 million during the same period.

Seeing the Future Today

Growing Ford's crossover share means breaking through the competitive and fragmenting segment, and the company is leveraging bold designs to win customers.

Ford's crossover lineup already features the functional Freestyle, newly launched agile and modern Edge and, in time, will include a more refined full-size crossover based on the Fairlane concept.

Ford designers wanted to push further into the future and tapped inspirations including Airstream's iconic designs and the optimistic future Stanley Kubrick created and captured in his 1960s cult film 2001: A Space Odyssey. These inspirations are evident – inside and out.

The concept's bold, futuristic front-end explores a new look for Ford, encapsulating the single-surface grille and headlamps into the same graphic. Each of the concept's bold orange-trimmed window graphics is a unique shape.

"This reflects the purpose of the vehicle: looking out and remembering that the journey – not the destination – matters most," said Freeman Thomas, director, North American Strategic Design. "The Ford Airstream Concept is an ultra-modern, optimistic vehicle that allows passengers a pure traveling experience to enjoy with good company, no matter the destination ."

Its doors are asymmetric as well, allowing for easy loading of passengers and cargo. In addition to the driver's side hatch, the passenger side features a power clamshell door that runs two-thirds the length of the vehicle. A three-door hatch finishes the rear of the crossover.

Futuristic Interior

The futuristic theme and modern form language of the exterior carries through to the concept's interior.

"Through the materials, color palette and technology, the Ford Airstream Concept has distinct cues from the spacecraft and environments portrayed in 2001: A Space Odyssey," says Thomas. "We're able to maximize the spaciousness of the interior, creating a lounge atmosphere in contrasting colors of cosmic red and white that provides an inviting experience for the ultimate journey."

The Ford Airstream Concept features a floating instrument panel with flush-mounted, touch-sensitive controls and a multi-function single gauge display provides the driver all primary information.

A Sharp® dual-view screen centrally mounted on the instrument panel provides a camera view and secondary driver-oriented information, while allowing the front-seat passenger to view DVDs and post mobile blogs. The driver and front-seat passenger will navigate in style in modern, pod-shaped swiveling captain's chairs that also rotate so they can easily socialize.

In the rear, lounge-like seating is sculptural, creating a continuous cocoon-like environment wrapped in bold red B&B Italia fabric. The focal point of the rear seating area is a 360-degree screen for entertainment and games. The unique screen also creates ambient mood settings, including a modern lava lamp and virtual fire, as well as a live camera feed.

How the Rubber Meets the Road

The new HySeries Drive plug-in hydrogen fuel cell featured in the Ford Airstream Concept is more than a concept.

This powertrain is already on the road and driving in a Ford Edge prototype. Ford scientists and engineers created this vehicle with partial funding from the United States Department of Energy. The HySeries Drive delivers the combined city/highway equivalent fuel economy of 41 miles per gallon.

In this application, the fuel cell's sole function is to recharge the vehicle's lithium-ion battery pack as needed. This allows it to work like a portable generator, instead of an engine, as had been the case in previous Ford fuel cell vehicles.

The new fuel cell, supplied by Ford partner Ballard, operates in a steady state, allowing a significantly smaller, less expensive fuel cell and drastically improving the durability of the fuel cell. With this system, the fuel cell delivers the power needed to recharge the lithium-ion batteries, rather than to be the primary power source to drive the wheels, as in a typical fuel cell-powered vehicle.

In pure electric mode, the Ford Airstream Concept can travel 25 miles before the fuel cell begins operating to recharge the vehicle's 336-volt lithium-ion battery pack. With the hydrogen-powered fuel cell, the range increases another 280 miles for a total of 305 miles.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 1 reply

72mpg from Honda Diesel. . .

Lorenzo — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:38:25 GMT

http://jalopnik.com/356497/hypermiling-the-2007-honda-civic-22-i+ctdi-and-2007-audi-q7-42-tdi

We'll admit it, we've been teases this week. Two forbidden diesels and nary a whisper of fuel economy. Well, today you get the goods. We aren't going to give you the standard "this is what we got in the city and this is what we got on the highway" spiel, because you can find that anywhere.

Officially, the Civic does about 41/56, Q7 does 19/21. Booorrr-ing. What we're going to do is hypermile these cars. Although, much like Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, we're not sure you can handle the truth. To be perfectly honest, we were shocked ourselves. Shocked and giddy, like a bunch of little girls splashing around in a pool of glistening diesel.

Before you click through and watch the video, we need to lay down some facts. What we did can be repeated by anyone. There were no tricks, no cheats. Hell, we didn't even make that much of an effort. The footage you're about to enjoy isn't necessarily exciting, but from an engineering standpoint, it's smack-you-in-the-mouth amazing.

( video at the link )

Stop! Stop the video right now. I know it's tempting to run it, but we need to tell you exactly what we did first, by the numbers, so you can fully grasp the dramatic results. On the way to and from the Chicago Auto Show--overlooking the comedic jackassery Ray provided--our mission was to see how high we could push the mileage on these cars while driving them in the manner of a your average skinflint consumer.

We hacked nothing off the cars to reduce weight, and we added no special taping or streamlining to enhance the aerodynamics. In fact, we really didn't do nuthin' to enhance the mileage capabilities of these rides. As for go juice, the newly de rigeur low-sulfer diesel fuel, as sanctioned by the EPA, was used in all tests. Same stuff you get when you pull up to the pump.

The 2007 Honda Civic 2.2 i-CTDi was tested under what we considered a "normal use" situation, one occupant (myself), with a weekend suitcase and a computer bag. The 2007 Audi Q7 4.2 TDI was tested with myself as the driver and the same cargo setup, but with the addition of our esteemed videographer, Mr. Mark Arnold, and his gear. Again, we recognize we didn't subject these vehicles to precisely the same conditions, but to conditions we consider the average load for each.
route.jpg

The route to Chicago we chose testing the Civic was notably unexciting. We set aside a roughly 105 mile path between the easternmost convenience plaza after the I-69, Toll Road 80/90 interchange, and the Portage convenience plaza. For reasons of personal incompetence, the eastbound return trip occurred between the same Portage convenience plaza and the first northbound I-69 exit after the the 80/90 to I-69 interchange. The only techniques in play where a judicious use of the gas pedal, coasting (for the manual-transmissioned Civic), and drafting behind semis, which was done at a safe but useful two-to-three car lengths. Jalopnik and Gawker Media in no way endorse tailgating semis, so copy this experiment at your own risk.

Now, restart the video.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

Yes, we know, 72.4 mpg is batshit cazy, but settle down, 'cause you haven't heard the Q7 numbers. Would you believe that a power plant capable of 550 lb.ft. of torque and a 6.4s 0-62 mph time, lugging around 5100 lbs and two svelte bloggers, returned 33.2 mpg? What was that about not handling the truth? Below are the conditions and calculations:
mileage%20calculations.jpg

We are aware the gallons of fuel on the video for the Civic doesn't match with the calculation above, but we gave it a second squeeze and the final result was what you see. We have the goddamn receipts, skeptics. Soooo, the upshot? Here we have two stock vehicles you can't get in the US, delivering what everybody in their right mind would call impossible mileage, with little effort under less than ideal conditions.

What does that mean to us? Well, it means all that bellyaching from automakers about unachievable CAFE targets and the less competitive, unsafe vehicles that would come from high targets is total, unadulterated bull-pucky. The solution to this pressing mileage-target legislation is an absolute no-brainer: Drop a diesel in everybody's lap and call it a day. 35 mpg from a passenger car should be child's play, if done right.

This test only confirms--and frankly stokes--our burning desire for good, fun-to-drive, economical diesels on American roads. So where are they? They're elsewhere in the world. But here in the land of freedom and opportunity, the righteous and patriotic boosters of decent mileage numbers are forced to make do with runty gas-burners and do-gooder hybrids that don't exactly reward on the performance front. The times, they gotta change, and there's no reason they can't change like, um, right now.

Video production and voice over credit to Mark Arnold

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 1 reply

Silicon Valley Turns to Solar Energy Development. . .

Lorenzo — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 06:04:32 GMT

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/business/17ping.html?_r=2&ref=technology&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

CAN Silicon Valley become a world leader in cheap and ubiquitous solar panels for the masses?

Given the valley’s tremendous success in recent years with such down-to-earth products as search engines and music players, tackling solar power might seem improbable. Yet some of the valley’s best brains are captivated by the challenge, and they hope to put the development of solar technologies onto a faster track.

There is, after all, a precedent for how the valley tries to approach such tasks, and it’s embodied in Moore’s Law, the maxim made famous by the Intel co-founder Gordon Moore. Moore’s Law refers to rapid improvements in computer chips — which would be accompanied by declining prices.

A link between Moore’s Law and solar technology reflects the engineering reality that computer chips and solar cells have a lot in common.

“A solar cell is just a big specialized chip, so everything we’ve learned about making chips applies,” says Paul Saffo, an associate engineering professor at Stanford and a longtime observer of Silicon Valley.

Financial opportunity also drives innovators to exploit the solar field. “This is the biggest market Silicon Valley has ever looked at,” says T. J. Rogers, the chief executive of Cypress Semiconductor, which is part-owner of the SunPower Corporation, a maker of solar cells in San Jose, Calif.

Mr. Rogers, who is also chairman of SunPower, says the global market for new energy sources will ultimately be larger than the computer chip market.

“For entrepreneurs, energy is going to be cool for the next 30 years,” he says.

Optimism about creating a “Solar Valley” in the geographic shadow of computing all-stars like Intel, Apple and Google is widespread among some solar evangelists.

“The solar industry today is like the late 1970s when mainframe computers dominated, and then Steve Jobs and I.B.M. came out with personal computers,” says R. Martin Roscheisen, the chief executive of Nanosolar, a solar company in San Jose, Calif.

Nanosolar shipped its first “thin film” solar panels in December, and the company says it ultimately wants to produce panels that are both more efficient in converting sunlight into electricity and less expensive than today’s versions. Dramatic improvements in computer chips over many years turned the PC and the cellphone into powerful, inexpensive appliances — and the foundation of giant industries. Solar enterprises are hoping for the same outcome.

To be sure, Silicon Valley’s love affair with solar could be short-lived.

“We’ve seen a lot of pipe dreams in the industry over the years, a lot of wild claims never came through,” says Lisa Frantzis, a specialist in renewable energy at Navigant Consulting in Burlington, Mass.

Another brake on the pace of solar innovation might be consumer behavior. It often can be hard to get consumers to change their habits, and homeowners may be slow to swap out expensive water heaters for newfangled solar solutions. Reliability is also an issue: while current solar technologies have proved relatively durable, it’s unknown how resilient the next generation of solar will be.

“We need technologies that can survive on a rooftop for 20 years,” says Barry Cinnamon, chief executive of Akeena Solar Inc. of Los Gatos, Calif., a designer and installer of solar systems.

Affordable solar development is also still dependent on government subsidies.

“Mass adoption requires technological innovations that dramatically lower costs,” says Peter Rive, the chief operations officer of SolarCity in Foster City, Calif., a system designer and installer.

So what does the valley bring to the mix? Expertise in miniaturization and a passion for novelty among its entrepreneurs.

“There are suddenly a lot of new ideas coming into this field,” says Paul Alivisatos, a professor of chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, who also has his own solar start-up.

One novel approach is called “solar thermal,” which uses large mirrors to generate steam to run conventional turbines that generate electricity.

In 2006, Vinod Khosla, a veteran venture capitalist best known as a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, discovered an obscure Australian company, Ausra, pursuing solar thermal. He persuaded the management of Ausra to move to Silicon Valley and helped it raise money.

Ausra recently signed a deal with PG&E, the big California utility company, to supply a large solar plant. “The best work in solar is happening in Silicon Valley,” Mr. Khosla says.

Another exciting area is thin-film solar, in which cells are created in roughly the same way that memory is created on dense storage devices like hard-disk drives — allowing the nascent industry to tap into the valley’s expertise.

At Nanosolar, for instance, some of those in top management come directly from Seagate Technology and I.B.M., two traditional titans in computer storage.

The promise of Solar Valley has investors opening their wallets as never before. But some worry that promising technologies of today must be renewed, and quickly, if the logic of Moore’s Law is to define solar.

“There’s a lot of money being thrown at the problem and that’s healthy; it gives it a real chance of succeeding,” Mr. Alivisatos says. “But so much of our effort is going into short-term victories that I worry our pipeline will go dry in 10 years.”

The fear of a solar bubble is legitimate, but after years of stagnation, entrepreneurs say the recent developments in the field are welcome. Long ignored by the most celebrated entrepreneurs in the land and now embraced as one of the next big things, solar energy may gain traction because of a simpler rule than Moore’s Law: where there’s a will, there’s a way.

G. Pascal Zachary teaches journalism at Stanford and writes about technology and economic development. E-mail: gzach@nytimes.com.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 1 reply

would this be of interest?

Scottica — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 01:55:31 GMT

Hi Tribe,
I have been asked to help produce a 9 day natural building/permaculture event on a new piece of land just south of the Baja border.
I am looking for feedback on all aspects including value,interest and curriculum.
please respond to scottankenypdx@gmail.com
Here are the details...

Oct 27 – Nov 4

Imagine a revolutionary oasis built with your very own hands
as you exercise in natural building and whole system design principles.

Imagine a community of passionate people learning what it means to be human beings,
immersed in an environment of self-expression, of listening, and of appreciation,
while they build beautifully and sustainably.

Introducing GiraSol (Sunflower), a new permaculture settlement breaking ground in November 2007. We invite you to be a part of this amazing experience by participating in a nine-day course designed to bring you competency in Permaculture and Earthen Building Methods.

Imagine yourself as part of that community…Living. Building. Playing.

This nine-day intensive design/build studio will combine natural building techniques (cobb, adobe, stone, straw/clay, passive/active heating systems) with presentations, discussions, exercises, and fun field trips.

GiraSol’s ground-breaking workshop will provide training in regenerative village design, natural construction and permaculture theory while establishing the GiraSol information center through hands-on work. The design will integrate a century-old adobe structure into a whimsical new building, seemingly sprung from the canvas of a Maxfield Parrish painting.

Led by mOceaN (Mark Lakeman), Lydia Doleman and Martin Shulke of Portland’s City Repair Project, the GiraSol Intensive will take place from 10/27/07 to 11/04/07. We will be camping as a group in the beautiful Baja desert, and all meals will be provided.

Basics

Location: GiraSol is a 200-acre parcel situated in Valle de las Palmas (Valley of the Palms), about 20 miles south of the U.S./Mexico Border and 30 miles from the Pacific Ocean between the major cities of Tijuana, Ensenada & Tecate. This new Center is on a vast tract of beautiful land in the valley, along a road from Ensenada to Tecate which is currently under construction. This road will bring unprecedented real estate development to this relatively undisturbed agrarian area. GiraSol strives to be a jewel in the Baja landscape by providing an example of sustainable community design.

Course Description: You will receive training AND become competent in the following areas:

1. regenerative village design and earthen building methods
2. biomass accumulation and use, plastering
3. roof framing
4. integrated landscaping
5. water catchment, re-use, and finishing methods.

Construction will be accompanied by discussions of the ecological features and benefits of each building phase. Through two field trips we will explore the local community by travelling to a wildlife preserve and taking part in Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead).

Daily Activities

6 a.m.
7 a.m.
8 a.m.
8:30 a.m.
Noon
2 p.m.
4–6 p.m.
6:30
8–10 p.m.
Moving Meditation
Breakfast & Daily Overview
Discussion of Daily Work Focus
Begin Field Project Work
Lunch and Siesta at the Lunch Palace
Village Design Discussion
Resume Filed Project Work
Communal Dinner
Evening Presentation/Discussion, Fire Circle

Dates: 10/27–11/04, 2007
Cost: $450

Reservations & Questions: Contact Scott Ankeny at 503.853.9376 or e-mail: scottankenypdx@gmail.com
Curriculum

There will be two tracks of education running at the same time.
Each student will be involved in both activities of building and landscaping

Day 1: Check-in, Orientation, Dinner, Campfire/Permaculture & GiraSol Overview
Day 2: Foundations, Biomass Accumulation*, Dialogue—Strategies and Practices
Day 3: Building Adobe Walls/Other Earthen Building Methods, Village Design & Community Building
Day 4: Adobe Walls, Water & Biomass Accumulation, Swales, Dialogue
Day 5: Plastering Walls, Swales, Natural Building
Day 6: Roof Framing, Tree-Planting in Biomass-filled Swales, Dialogue
Day 7: Field Trip (Ocean), Food Systems, Village Ecosystems, Spa & Special Places
Day 8: Roofing and Water, Water Catchment/Systems, Eco-Intervention
Day 9: Finishing & Systems, Visioning
Day 10: Completion, Afterparty, Departure

*Biomass piece will include the whole process — from mulching to retain rainwater
to improved soil structure resulting in increased food potentials.

Order of Construction
Foundation, Walls, Windows/Doors, Plaster, Framing, Roof

Evening Presentations
GiraSol: Story and Overview
Global Challenge, “Anti-Virus” Plan
Village Design
Inherent Nature
Case Studies of Successful Eco-Centers

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

Tips for this Year's Burn!

Sat, 28 Jul 2007 06:04:29 GMT

Burning Man has broken down their environmental effort into three areas;
solid waste, materials and energy. Here is some news to use:

SOLID WASTE
1) Used wood will be reused by Habitat for Humanity. Donation stations are at 3, 6, 9 along the Esplanade
2) Don't pee on playa. It's toxic and you can get a ticket for doing so. This year they are adding blue and green blinky things to help you find the porta-potties.

MATERIALS
1) Bring your own cup to the cafe!
2) Buy biodegradable, if you have to use disposable (ie spudware)
3) DON'T BRING PLANTS (Creates impossible moop and will be confiscated at gate)
4) Choose cans over bottles, reusable containers over both.
5) Leave excess packaging at home or better buy products with minimum packaging

ENERGY
1) Network with neighboring camps and share generator power!
2) Visit coolingman.org and donate $10 to plant a tree in order to remove 1 ton of carbon dioxide from the air
3) Ride share: http://tribes.tribe.net/beb7d5ed-82bf-4b22-82dd-47f7d7713758?_click_path=Application%5Btribe%5D.Tribe%5Bbeb7d5ed-82bf-4b22-82dd-47f7d7713758%5D

Also visit http://BurnersWithoutBorders.org and http://www.blackrockarts.org. Learn what Burners are doing in different regions and consider getting involved.

By the way, placement was published today: http://www.burningman.com/themecamps/placement07.html

Compiled for you by ~* KC, Moderator of http://brc-nimby.tribe.net

Please add any other tips you can think of for our community.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

It's OFFICIAL

Metric — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:49:19 GMT

http://brc-nimby.tribe.net/photos/2da189bd-a752-411a-836d-1f0266d17205

http://brc-nimby.tribe.net/photos/0f54c18a-a124-44cc-96ee-2e9d726cd161

The Jaksick family still asserts that they will pursue development of a gasification coal power plant, but I think this is unlikely.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 1 reply

Huge news!

Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:43:30 GMT

Coming very, very soon!

Waiting for the agreements to finish being inked.

Thanks for staying tuned!

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

Free Solar for your Home (almost check it!)

Wed, 18 Jul 2007 18:56:57 GMT

(((........Thanks Tangee for passing the word around!! And here it is for you to pass on!)))

Yo, tree huggaz, check this shiznit out: (and don't stop reading coz it sounds like an infomercial starring Ed Begley Jnr)

www.JoinTheSolution.com

It's a new service that installs a complete solar system on your house FOR FREE, and maintains it FOR FREE. All you do is pay your normal electricity bills to them instead of a freakin coal/nuclear plant. I mean, if you're a home owner, who wouldn't do this? You're helping to save the planet, it costs you nothing (well basically nothing, only $500 set up fee) and you're adding value to your home. Where's the catch?

As far as I can tell, there isn't any. It's possible, I suppose, because solar panels last for so long, with so little maintenance, that they easily pay for themselves over time. So a bank somewhere has simply bankrolled the hardware, and we pay them what we'd otherwise be giving to a utility company. Brilliant! A total energy revolution - from a bank. I never thought I'd see freakin' the day.

I've often wondered if capitalism really could gallop in a save the planet in the final reel like free market economists sometimes claim. This certainly gives them some street cred. The world may yet be saved! Send this to anybody who has a home.

310 621 8889
stefanbroadley@hotmail.com
www.jointhesolution.com

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

Biodiesel

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 20:09:00 GMT

Here is a post within our community that I thought was interesting. I'd welcome any additional thoughts on it:

http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/listing/Save-the-World-Algae-Farm-BM-07/san-francisco-ca/9e640b1d-d6cc-4adb-af4e-0ffe083fa039
Save-the-World Algae Farm BM 07 9 views since posting on Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Location SF Bay Area
SAVE THE PLANET WITH
*ALGAE*

Interactive installation at Burning Man aka Greening Man 2007.

Biofuels are all over the news these days as a non-toxic way to eliminate greenhouse gases and our dependency on petroleum. But, to grow enough fuel for the U.S. using land crops (soybeans, switchgrass, “waste” cellulose, etc.) would require more than the entire area of the country and cause massive ecological damage. How can we grow all the fuel we need without injuring our precious cropland, topsoil, and water supplies?

Microalgae produce prodigious amounts of biodiesel fuel and can be grown in salt water. This means it can be farmed in oceans, inland salt water lakes or non-productive land area (such as the playa!), reserving our fertile land and fresh water for ecosystems and growing food. Algae are also many times more productive per acre than any other biofuel technology. For example, a one-acre algae pond (208 feet x 208 feet) could supply fuel to 10+ ordinary diesel cars year-round. Algae can simultaneously treat wastewater and produce valuable co-products (fertilizer, nutrients, pigments, etc.). Because of the simplicity of making biodiesel from algae oil, DIY-ers, cooperatives, environmentalists, developing countries, and just about anyone can participate in this economical, eco-friendly approach to fuel-self sufficiency.

We are seeking collaborators and like-minded spirits to build and operate an inspirational educational algal biodiesel production facility for the ’07 Burning Man festival and beyond. We will show 40,000+ burners how to grow and harvest fast-growing, clean-smelling algae and make it into fuel!

We are building a greenhouse sanctuary to house the algae pool and Zen teahouse where we will serve green algae smoothies in the humid, oxygen-rich atmosphere generated by the algae. Evaporated water will be returned to the pond, minimizing water loss. Adjacent will also be the biodiesel oil “washing” system, and an area for educational exhibits. The minimal energy required for the algae growth and processing will be supplied by solar cells and solar heaters.

In the current conception, the algae pond will be approximately 6 inches deep and circle around a central lounge zone. Air-plants and algae-inspired art will also hang in the space, creating a healthful, contemplative atmosphere.

If you are interested and would like to help out, please mail us or come to our upcoming organizational meetings on the development of this playa installation. Enthusiastic algae farmers, educators, engineers, designers and builders are most welcome!

To learn more and/or become a contributor to this project, please contact
Dr Friendly by emailing drfriendly@drfriendly.tv

For more info check these links:

www.drfriendly.tv
single cell solution
save-the-world
algae farm
BM 07

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodiesel

www.greenfuelonline.com/news/a...uel.pdf

www.oilgae.com/

www.needfulprovision.org/proje...el.php

biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/for...01000031

www.peswiki.com/index.php/...m_Algae_Oil

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

California Bans Dirty Power Sources

PoolB — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 23:54:03 GMT

http://www.salon.com/wire/ap/archive.html?wire=D8MSH6N01.html

California regulators approved rules Thursday banning power companies from buying electricity from high-polluting sources, including most out-of-state coal-burning plants.

The rules -- aimed at reducing emissions of heat-trapping gases linked to global warming -- could have a far-reaching effect on the energy market across the West.

While there are almost no coal-fired plants in California, the nation's most populous state, about 20 percent of the state's electricity comes from coal plants in other Western states.

The Public Utilities Commission voted 4-0 to prohibit utilities and other energy providers from entering into long-term contracts with sources that emit more carbon dioxide than a modern natural gas plant.

The new standard is aimed at encouraging investment in cleaner energy sources such as wind and solar, while discouraging the use of coal and other high-polluting fuels.

Coal is cheap and plentiful but releases high levels of carbon dioxide, a gas blamed for trapping heat in the Earth's atmosphere and raising temperatures worldwide.

The rule is expected to take effect Feb. 1.

A landmark global warming bill Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law last year required the commission to adopt emissions standards for utilities.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

Going Green at Burning Man this Year

Wed, 03 Jan 2007 21:09:01 GMT

Given the composition of this group, I am interested in discussing:

art projects

what you are doing to make your environmental impact lighter

any word on how BM plans on doing things differently?

~~~~~Please share your thoughts and ideas!!!

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 1 reply

Energy / Environment Discussion Group

Michael — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 20:25:11 GMT

New American Independent Party - Energy / Environment Discussion Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NewAmericanIndependent_Energy-Environment/

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

Design E2

RedC — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 03:05:35 GMT

Anyone watching?? I'd love to hear your thoughts...

INFO:

- For the trailer click here: http://roberthumphreys.com/movies.php?id=22&titre=DESIGN:E2.
- For more info and screening times in your area follow this link http://www.pbs.org/designe2/.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

The Way to Stop Global Warming

John — Wed, 31 May 2006 14:48:00 GMT

A new program is available to anyone that supports more clean renewable energy and it is consumer driven. We can increase our demand for clean energy, for free, simply by joining OurEnergy.us. Check it out: http://www.ourenergy.us

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

hello everyone :o)

flud — Tue, 23 May 2006 18:51:28 GMT

Hi all,
my name is Alan and I've just joined the Tribe. I think it's great that this Tribe is here and I hope I can make some valuable contributions. :o) I've been engaged in a debate recently, here in Europe, regarding Nuclear Power Plants and whether or not they should be used. Needless to say, I am not one of those who promotes the use of such facilities. I do understand that the harnessing of the energy can be done safely but neutralizing the waste product is still mainly a figment these days and while aircraft are seen to be 'safe' also in our modern world still some of them fail and fall out of the sky so .... the differences between a lost aircraft (and possibly people on the ground) though and a Nuclear Power Plant going critical are vast however and this is worth bearing in mind in any argument. ;o)
Anyway, the main reason I joined this tribe is to promote another kind of energy production which we hope to see come to fruitition this month - the Perpetual Pyramid Power Plant - or P4 as it has come to be known. Here is a link to an article from Dec last year ... http://cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=160409 .... as you can see (if you've read the article) the plant is due to be initiated this month sometime and if it proves to be a success, well, considering that once the plant starts outputting power it doesn't stop, that the plant requires absolutely NO deliveries and that the plant produces aboslutely NO pollution whatsoever - I would say it was THE answer to our various current predicaments regarding energy. A typical coal burning plant produces about 200KW of power per day so you would need about 40 P4 plants to replace the one coal burning plant. This may seem a bit of an undertaking but consider .... one P4 plant requires only 3 acres of land and 6 mths (approx) to construct; a number of P4 plants can be hooked up to an existing sub-station; and last but not least, it is also better to compartmentalize ones power grid so that if something should happen to one part of it power may be redistributed from another location easily. Given all of the advantages of the P4 plant I think it makes enormous sense to promote it as a viable alternative to todays static power needs. Anyone else think the same? At the very least, we cannot allow our politicians to go ahead with the Heavy Industrialist plan to replace the oil industry with a nuclear one should this alternative prove to be successful - at least, so say I.

Nice to meet you all. I look forward to hearing from some of you :o)

Alan (IRL)

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 3 replies

Sempra to sell interest in Nevada power project

Metric — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 18:35:06 GMT

Susan Voyles (SVOYLES@RGJ.COM)
March 30, 2006

Sempra Energy is folding its tents in Northern Nevada and Idaho and putting its plans for new coal-fired projects up for sale.

Company spokesman Art Larson said Wednesday the San Diego-based company has decided its best options are to concentrate its capital in developing liquefied natural gas storage facilities and pipelines in Mexico, Louisiana and Texas. He said Sempra has lined up long-term customers for the energy.

Larson said $10 billion will be invested in these ventures. Near Gerlach, the company's 1,200 megawatt power plant project called Granite Fox would have cost $2 billion.

"We are selling development rights to Granite Fox and for the Idaho project. Whomever buys those development rights will take the projects forward from that point," Larson said.

Planet X Pottery owner Rachel Bogard, who would have shared the Smoke Creek Desert west of Gerlach with the power plant, said she's still worried.

"Until they are totally gone, I don't count it as a done deal," she said. "I don't want them to sell to somebody else. God only knows what the next thing might be that shows up on our doorstep."

Tony Diebold, a Gerlach outfitter who takes people on hunting trips or outdoor trips to see the desert and wildlife, was elated.

"There's no way you can burn 400 to 500 carloads of coal a day without pollution," he said. "And it would sit right on the edge of a wilderness area."

David Rumsey, who has led the local opposition, said he believes a proposed two-year moratorium by the Idaho Legislature on new coal-burning plants pushed the two projects over the edge. The company planned a 600 megawatt power plant there.

"They are getting out of the coal business," said Rumsey, whose home on the Smoke Creek Desert is surrounded by a nature preserve. "I'm hopeful there will not be another power company foolish enough to try to take over the Granite Fox project."

Sempra was working to downsize Granite Fox because of California regulations proposed to reduce global warming. The regulations would prohibit the importation of power from new coal-fired plants.

For its Granite Fox power project, Larson said the company will maintain options on 2,000 acres and 27,000 acre-feet of water from the Sam Jaksick family of Reno, which bought out a former Smoke Creek Desert rancher.

A buyer, Larson said, would acquire weather studies, water reports and other environmental data, engineering plans for twin power plants and plans to tie into a major transmission line. Larson said some companies have shown interest in purchase of the development rights.

Larson said the company still believes the location is the premiere spot for a power plant site in the West because it has water, the transmission line, a railroad to bring in coal and few people to bother.

He said markets still exist for the power in the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest and in Northern Nevada.

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060330/NEWS10/603300358/1002/NEWS

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 9 replies

get your eco-geek on...

mmm — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 22:42:22 GMT

http://www.brian-fitzgerald.net/blog/archive/000020.html

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

A moratorium on building new coal plants proposed!!!

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:58:33 GMT

Next week, the House Environment, Energy and Technology Committee will consider legislation that would place a two-year moratorium on building coal-fired power plants. They also have the ultimate authority on the adjudication of water rights!

San Diego Union-Tribune

Sempra plans for plants run into trouble
State rules, water rights jeopardize 2 proposals

By Craig D. Rose
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

February 24, 2006

A Sempra Energy plan for two new coal-fired electric generating plants in the West is hitting snags.

The San Diego-based energy company says it is re-evaluating the “size and scope” of its proposal to build a 1,200 megawatt coal-fired plant near the northern Nevada town of Gerlach, while a plan for another plant in Idaho is also generating opposition.

Sempra spokesman Art Larson said the review of the proposal in Nevada has been prompted by regulatory actions in California that could limit the purchase of electricity generated by burning coal.

Beyond the possible regulatory limitations, a Gerlach-area opponent of the Sempra project said the company faces substantial obstacles in securing water rights the plant would require and in winning approval of the proposed plant's environmental impact.

“Adjudication of the water issues could take five to 10 years, and we think they will have a lot of trouble on the air quality permit,” said David Rumsey, owner of the Parker Ranch, near the proposed Gerlach plant.

A Sempra official earlier this week also told an Idaho House committee that the company will scuttle plans for a coal-fired generator there if lawmakers approve a two-year moratorium on building such plants.

“It would send a very strong signal to us that, basically, you're not interested,” Bruce McCulloch of Sempra told the House Resources and Conservation Committee on Wednesday, The Times-News of Twin Falls reported.

Sempra has applied for permits to build a $1 billion, 600-megawatt coal-fired plant in southern Idaho's Jerome County – a proposal that has generated opposition in the downwind Magic Valley and Sun Valley areas, which include Twin Falls.

Next week, the House Environment, Energy and Technology Committee will consider legislation that would place a two-year moratorium on building coal-fired power plants.

McCulloch told the resources panel Wednesday that Sempra officials are troubled by the proposal, drafted by Rep. Sharon Block, R-Twin Falls.

“We believe the market is here and now,” McCulloch said.

Electricity generated by the plant would be sold in the Pacific Northwest, which McCulloch said will need 6,000 megawatts of coal-fired power by 2015.

McCulloch, Sempra's manager for the Idaho project, told the committee that the company is also concerned about legislation recently introduced by House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, R-Burley, that gives the Legislature ultimate authority to approve the transfer of water to be used by power plants.

McCulloch said Sempra would not be interested in spending an estimated $10 million to get the necessary permits for the plant if the company didn't have a guarantee that the Legislature would approve the water transfer under Newcomb's bill.

“It's a huge problem for us or for anyone who wants to develop a thermal plant in Idaho,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 4 replies

Sempra Energy halts Gerlach project study

Metric — Wed, 08 Mar 2006 16:19:55 GMT

WOW! We must've done something right!

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Sempra Energy halts Gerlach project study
Susan Voyles (SVOYLES@RGJ.COM)
March 8, 2006

Sempra Energy has stopped work on a federally required environmental study for its coal-fired power project near Gerlach, prompting opponents to question whether the project has a future.

Gail Givens, U.S. Bureau of Land Management field manager in Winnemucca, said Tuesday that Sempra notified his office late last week to stop work on the federal environmental impact statement. It is required because a short stretch of railroad tracks would cross federal lands to the proposed plant site.

"We are planning to put it on hold for three to six months at their request," Givens said of Sempra's project, called Granite Fox. "It is a cost reimbursable project. Any time staff is working on it, Sempra is paying for it."

Givens said the environmental studies usually cost between $1 million and $3 million. For a 1,200 megawatt power plant, he suspects the cost would be on the high side because of the impacts to the air, groundwater, wildlife and many other issues.

A special-use permit for the plant in Washoe County has not been filed and would await completion of the environmental study. A state permit required for air quality was rejected in July as incomplete and a new application has not yet been filed.

"There are no live applications for the Granite Fox project anywhere," said Chris Ralph, a senior environmental planner with the Washoe District Health Department.

Sempra spokesman Doug Kline in San Diego said the company is holding back on all of the permits while "reconfiguring the project design, based on talks with potential partners and potential customers."

"Obviously, the design of the project is integral to any application," he said.

Kline said new regulations coming in California to forbid importing coal-fired power is the biggest reason for changing the plant design. The policy forbids investor-owned utilities from signing long-term contracts for power that pollutes more than natural-gas fired plants.

"It's definitely a setback," said Nevada Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, R-Eureka, whose district includes Gerlach. "At a minimum, it's being downsized. At maximum, it might go away."

Goicoechea said he was told by a Sempra lobbyist that the company needs to line up a long-term contract for at least 600 megawatts of power. Without that, he said Sempra would have a hard time raising $2.5 billion to build it.

"I think the project is dead or dying," said David Rumsey, who's converting the Parker Ranch to a nature preserve 10 miles from the project site. "It's going to be very difficult for them to resuscitate this project without the California demand."

Another major issue is that the water the power plant would consume is needed for the future growth of Reno and Sparks, said Jon Wellinghoff, of the Nevada Clean Energy Coalition, formed to fight the project.

"There's no way Washoe County has the luxury anymore to have a fossil-fuel plant site in the county with the water issues we now have. It's too important for the county's economic health to allow water to be blown up in the air in a cooling tower."

In November, Sempra announced that it was scaling back the project from 1,450 megawatts to 1,200 megawatts because of water. After initial studies, the sustainable water rights sought dropped from 16,000 acre-feet to 12,000 acre-feet a year.

A proposed regional amendment for the Truckee Meadows calls for up to 140,000 acres for growth for the next 100 years. But regional and county officials say available, known water sources in Washoe County are not enough to supply growth already approved.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 4 replies

Latest news on plant

Fri, 24 Feb 2006 16:53:57 GMT

Granite Fox - 2nd downsizing since November, water prices just rose, expecting decision on water adjucation end of March

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Calif. policy prompts downsize in Gerlach energy plant

Susan Voyles (SVOYLES@RGJ.COM)
February 24, 2006

Sempra Energy is considering downsizing its proposed 1,200-megawatt, coal-fired power plant project near Gerlach because of new energy policies in California to curb global warming.

"We are re-evaluating the size and scope of the project, based on the market in California," Art Larson, company spokesman in San Diego, said of its Granite Fox project on the Smoke Creek Desert.

Larson said the California Energy Commission prohibits investor-owned electric utilities from signing long-term contracts to import power from new coal-burning plants. That policy is being reviewed by the governor.

Larson said Sempra Energy has spoken to companies to get them to invest in the Granite Fox project but declined to discuss whether the company wants to sell the entire project.

"There's no indication," he said. "We basically don't respond to speculation in the market. I have no information on that."

The downsizing would be the second since November, when Sempra reduced the project from 1,450 megawatts to 1,200 megawatts because of the water supply. With that drop, annual consumption of water to cool the plants would drop from 16,000 acre-feet to 12,000 acre-feet, officials said.

"Like the last scale back, this is good news," said David Rumsey, who is converting the Parker Ranch to a nature preserve near the power plant site in the Smoke Creek Desert.

"It's still the wrong place for that plant," Rumsey said. "I don't think it ever made sense for Nevada. More than ever, water is such a big issue. The price of water has just skyrocketed."

He said the state water engineer sent him a letter saying a decision would be made before the end of March on his request for an adjudication for water rights for the desert. In an adjudication, the engineer would conduct hearings and prioritize the water rights in the basin and have the priorities certified by a district court judge.

Jon Wellinghoff, of the Nevada Clean Energy Coalition, estimated it could take five to 10 years.

Washoe County and Lassen County recently joined in the request for the adjudication. Washoe County has sought all unappropriated water rights not used for ranching for potential municipal use while Lassen officials are worried whether the pumping of groundwater would affect their ranchers.

An environmental study on the coal plant project, overseen by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, is under way.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 0 replies

Bonnie Weber took money from Sempra proponents

Metric — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 18:34:46 GMT

Bonnie Weber accepted campaign contributions from the "Granite Investment Group" in the amount of $2,500, and declined to state what their business interests are. Although a quick search online turns up a real estate investment group in Irvine, CA, there may be more than one entity by this name, and this could be purposely confusing. They may well be a group of Sempra proponents. She also took $1,000 from Washoe Winds, the token wind energy project related to the Sempra Granite Fox coal burning power plant. Commissioner Sferraza took $3,000 from Sam Jaksick of Winnemucca Ranch; Jaksick also owns the land at the Sempra Granite Fox site.

Here's the article: http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060118/NEWS10/601180373/1002

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 1 reply

The industry evolves...

Big Silly — Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:31:22 GMT

I know i am new to your tribe and i am ot campaigning for anything in particular, however i have news. i am watching the international auto show and ford has a concept car that has an engine that can run on gasoline, ethanol, or hydrogen. i thought that is better than crapy news about how fucked up our planet already is. it's not a commercial, i just wanted to shed a little light on the horizon, that's all.

ps- so which one of you is the brilliant egineer who is going to dsign the engine i can simply bolt in to my civic and drive to the nearest hydrogen fueling pump and save the planet..... japan has engine upgrades that you bolt in for hondas that are larger engines, but none that are concept quality. so which one of you is making a concept a reality? if you design it, i will fund it.

with a name like big silly, how can people take me seriously?
love,
victor

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 1 reply

...and this, just in:

fuzzynathan — Thu, 21 Jul 2005 23:59:39 GMT

http://www.newsreview.com/issues/reno/2005-07-21/cover.asp

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 12 replies

CRITICAL ACTION AGAINST SEMPRA -- Smoke Creek basin adjudication

Metric — Tue, 10 Jan 2006 21:31:36 GMT

http://www.nevadacleanenergy.org/Smoke%20Creek%20Waterl%20Report.pdf

The link above is a new report analyzing the economic implications of water use for the Smoke Creek Desert hydrological basin. It basically demonstrates that water is more valuable as a resource for the growing communities near Reno. This is still a controversial issue since there are some people who would not want ANY water exported, but it seems to me that RESPONSIBLE expolitation of a resource in the state for the benefit of the state is a balanced development, vs. removing water to meet growing out-of-state electricity demands which can be fulfilled through other means.

WHATEVER development, the first step to ensuring that water use is fair and balanced is an ADJUDICATION of water rights in the Smoke Creek basin. This would basically be an audit of water supplies by the State water engineer, Hugh Ricci, and would reveal that the water rights which Sempra is claiming are highly dubious.

Please write a letter to Washoe County Commission Chair Bonnie Weber, strongly urging her to request an adjudication to the State water engineer
in regards to Sempra Energy’s claimed water rights for the proposed coal-fired
power plant near Gerlach. See below for the official call for action from the Nevada Clean Energy Coalition.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Dear Nevada Clean Energy Supporter,

Of the many dangers the proposed Sempra coal-fired plant would have on Washoe County, one of the most important is the danger of losing our precious water resources- specifically those in the Smoke Creek Desert.

We can prevent Sempra from taking away this valuable resource by contacting
Washoe County Commissioners and asking them to request a water adjudication from the State water engineer. This request will make a state engineer look at the water rights Sempra is claiming and compare them to other water rights in the Smoke Creek basin. We strongly believe the water rights Sempra are claiming are bogus, we need officials to see this too.

This is a CRITICAL ACTION AGAINST SEMPRA. Without a vast amount of water
Sempra will not be able to operate the plant. Our water should be kept in Nevada and Washoe County, our wildlife and our community will all benefit from this adjudication.

For a direct link to the Washoe County Commissioner’s contact information
visit the Take Action page at
http://www.nevadacleanenergy.org/takeaction.html

...or the Washoe County website at:
http://www.co.washoe.nv.us/bcc/bios.html~color=grey&text_version=

If you like you can copy the message below and paste into your email for
your County Commissioner, or if you live outside of the County, to the Chair, Commissioner Bonnie Weber (BWeber@washoecounty.us):

Dear Commissioner-
I am strongly urging you to request an adjudication to the State water engineer
in regards to Sempra Energy’s claimed water rights for the proposed coal-fired
power plant near Gerlach. Washoe County’s water supply is a very precious
commodity which both the local community and indigenos wildlife cannot afford to lose in favor of energy production for California.
Thank you.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 2 replies

California's Coal Shadow

Metric — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 20:33:08 GMT

A very good report from the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies:

http://www.environmentaldefense.org/documents/4890_CAcoalShadow.pdf

Also, the change in reduction of output of the proposed Sempra coal combustion plant from 1450 MW to 1200 MW is attributable to standardization of boilers with their proposed Idaho coal plant, not an accession to water concerns, as Sempra has stated.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 1 reply

Update from David Rumsey

Thu, 24 Nov 2005 16:59:24 GMT

Thank you to everyone who has remained on this Tribe in case we chose to take action against the proposed coal plant near Gerlach. The fight isn't over yet, but we are seeing some major victories!!

*********************

RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
Planned Sempra plant may not have buyer for its power

Susan Voyles (svoyles@rgj.com)
RENO GAZETTE-JOURNAL
November 23, 2005

Perhaps ushering in a new era in the Western fight against global warming, the California Energy Commission has adopted a policy prohibiting investor-owned utilities from signing long-term contracts to import power from new coal-burning plants.

That would cover the 1,200-megawatt Granite Fox power plant proposed by Sempra Energy near Gerlach and 30 other planned coal-fired plants in the West.

"The writing is on the wall," said Jon Wellinghoff of the Nevada Clean Energy Coalition. "Investors should think twice before risking their money in the Sempra Granite Fox coal-fired power plant since California, the biggest potential customer, is no longer interested in buying dirty, coal-fired power."

Sempra Energy media relations manager Art Larson conceded the new California energy policy will make power from the Gerlach plant more difficult to sell to California's investor-owned utilities. Larson said Granite Fox could sell to California investor-owned utilities for less than three years and without restrictions to public utilities.

He said power from Granite Fox would provide consumers with "affordable and reliable energy from one of the nation's cleanest, most efficient coal-fired plants" while natural gas prices are volatile and renewable power cannot be counted on every day.

But the California commission's Monday decision has environmentalists in Wyoming thinking their rich coal fields will be used for coal gasification plants rather than coal-fired plants, according to the Jackson Hole, Wyo., Star Tribune.

That could slow construction of the proposed 1,300-mile Frontier transmission line, which would deliver power from Wyoming to Southern Nevada and California and is supported by four governors including Nevada's.

Public utilities provide only 25 percent of California's electrical power. And Claudia Chandler, California Energy Commission assistant director, said the new policy could be expanded to include public utilities before written into state law. The policy is to be forwarded to the governor and the legislature for review.

Some public utilities are not interested in power from new coal-fired plants, said Wellinghoff, Nevada's former energy consumer advocate. The Los Angeles water and power department, for instance, is investing in solar, wind and geothermal power.

In Nevada, Roberto Denis, Sierra Pacific Resources senior vice president, told the state public utilities commission two weeks ago his company, the state's largest utility, has not discussed buying power from the proposed Gerlach plant.

"We are not in discussions or conversations with the plant being built in the northwest part of state," he told the commission. "They have not requested an interconnection to us."

Under the policy adopted Monday, the California commission said the Golden State must step up its production of power from renewable sources. If it were a country, the state would be the 17th largest producer of greenhouse gases, recognized as a major contributor to global warming.

To provide long-term power to California investor utilities, Chandler said power plants built outside the state must meet the same stringent air pollution standards set for power plants in the state. California standards are higher than federal standards for nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and lead.

While natural gas-powered plants generally meet those standards, Wellinghoff estimated the Gerlach plant would have to halve its pollutants to meet the standards.

Sempra Energy officials admitted they chose the location near Gerlach because the pristine air allows more pollution under federal standards and saves money on air scrubbing equipment. An environmental study commissioned by the Bureau of Land Management is under way for the $2 billion plant.

Wellinghoff said the decision could spur development of alternative power sources in Nevada that would still produce jobs and not tap into scarce water sources. These renewable sources could tap into Sierra Pacific power lines, the Pacific transmission line from the Columbia River through Gerlach to Los Angeles and the proposed Frontier line.

At elevations of 4,000 feet or higher, he said Gerlach and many other places in Nevada are too high for coal gasification operations.

David Rumsey, who owns the Parker Ranch near the proposed Gerlach plant, said Sempra Energy would have a difficult time convincing investors to proceed with the Granite Fox project, given the new California policy. The policy is backed up by a similar ruling from the California Public Utilities Commission earlier this fall.

Rumsey said Sempra Energy is fighting three major lawsuits, two filed by the state attorney general and a third by Los Angeles city and county, that collectively claim it manipulated electrical power and natural gas prices during the state's historic energy crisis in 2000-2001. Sempra has acknowledged the $23 billion in possible damages from the Los Angeles case would wipe out the company.

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 20 replies

article in sfgate:

mmm — Sat, 03 Dec 2005 01:02:33 GMT

www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/12/02/MNGSNG1SQF1.DTL

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 3 replies

Livermore, CA could Become U.S. Solar Leader

fuzzynathan — Tue, 08 Nov 2005 04:22:44 GMT

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051107/ap_on_re_us/solar_suburb

Does anyone here live in or abouts Livermore to fill us in a little more on this exciting measure?

posted in !!☻♥ Renewable Energy Action - 2 replies