Energy Efficiency for the World

Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS: Jeff Weems Editorial: "The Wrong Conductor is Driving the Train"

2010-02-03T04:59:00.000-08:00

Interesting article on the state of play in Texas regarding Drilling.

Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS: Jeff Weems Editorial: "The Wrong Conductor is Driving the Train"

News Item - Greentech Media

2010-02-03T03:39:00.000-08:00

President Obama called for "building a new generation of safe, clean nuclear power plants in this country" in last week's State of the Union speech. Carol Browner, Obama's energy and climate advisor, had floated some comments favorable to nuclear in the past few weeks, so this should not come as a complete surprise.

Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Obama's mention of nuclear energy in the SOTU was the most important statement that the president has made yet on the issue of nuclear power.

to see full article please follow this link here

Solar Panels causing some argy bargy

2009-11-30T06:25:00.000-08:00

Ready to chuck his electric bills, Camarillo resident Marc Weinberg last year asked his homeowners association for permission to put solar panels on his roof.

When the Spanish Hills Homeowners Assn. said no, Weinberg sued the group. Under the state's Solar Rights Act, he argued, a homeowners association can't unreasonably block solar installations.

Weinberg won, and the Spanish Hills Homeowners Assn. was ordered to not only permit the solar panels but to cover the tens of thousands of dollars that Weinberg had spent on legal fees. Since last fall, when he installed a double row of matte black panels, three other homes in the hilltop neighborhood of luxury estates have added panels.

"We didn't set out to be green activists," said Weinberg, 39, a real estate attorney. "That's not where we're coming from. We honestly looked at it from a financial standpoint."

Whether motivated by pocketbook or environmentalism, similar battles between homeowners groups and property owners are cropping up across the state as the installation of solar systems becomes more affordable and utility costs rise.

Homeowners boards insist that they are protecting property values by enforcing rules that govern everything from paint color to how early trash bins can be set out for collection. But residents say their right to invest in alternative energy trumps the sensibilities of neighbors who don't like how the panels look.

Results of the battles have been mixed even as the nation is being urged by the Obama administration to embrace alternative energy.

Santa Clarita homeowner Marty Griffin put solar panels up anyway after his homeowners association rejected his application. The Tesoro Del Valle Homeowners Assn. sued him, and in early November a jury told Griffin the panels should be moved to a more discreet spot on his property.

Solar installer Bradley Bartz earlier this year threatened a Palos Verdes commun- ity group with legal action after it denied three clients permits to install solar panels. He filed a claim against the city of Torrance after it rejected another client's application. In all four cases, Bartz said, he prevailed.

Homeowners' main defense is the Solar Rights Act, adopted by California in 1978 to protect consumers' right to install solar energy technology. The law makes it difficult for homeowners groups to reject solar energy equipment unless it creates a safety hazard or a modification can be made without great cost.

Now, solar advocates are pushing for a federal version of the California law. Energy legislation that moved through the House earlier this year included a provision that would make it illegal for HOA rules, leases or private contracts to prohibit the installation of solar systems.

It's uncertain whether the Senate will keep the language in its version of the bill, said Raymond Walker, a government affairs spokesman for Standard Renewable Energy, a Houston-based solar installer. As debate continues, solar industry advocates are forming a lobbying group to make sure their voices are heard, Walker said.

Industry officials say fewer regulatory hassles would speed the growth of jobs and move the nation closer to energy independence, he said.

"We want to make this into a real industry, and we're trying to make sure the regulatory landscape is clear so this can take off," he said.

Homeowner and commun- ity groups haven't taken a position on the bill yet. Commun- ity Associations Institute, an education and advocacy group based in Alexandria, Va., said such "green issues" arise regularly in the estimated 300,000 community groups nationwide.

The institute advises striking a balance between conservation and aesthetics, said spokesman Frank Rathbun.

Advocates say those who invest in alternative energy should be applauded instead of punished. They ultimately benefit ratepayers by reducing demand on the state's grid, said Adam Browning of Vote Solar, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that promotes the use of solar energy.

"It's somebody doing their part to reduce peak load," Browning said. "That's the most expensive electricity utilities have to buy."

California two years ago launched a $3.3-billion effort to increase the use of solar statewide, offering rebates and tax credits to consumers who install energy systems. Since then, the number of homes and businesses with installed solar has more than doubled, growing from 23,000 in 2006 to 52,700, according to the California Public Utilities Commission.

The cost of small solar systems declined 9% in the last year and larger installations have fallen 13%, the PUC said in an October report. Still, the state is far from being on track to its goal of adding 3,000 megawatts in solar panels by 2016, sufficient to power 600,000 homes.

Optare leads the way - Low Carbon Buses

2009-07-01T05:28:00.000-07:00

Earlier today, Optare showed the prime minister, Gordon Brown its Solo EV, which the firm says is the UK's first practical electric bus. This follows today's announcement of £30m from the Government to encourage the use of low carbon buses. "This is precisely the shot in the arm the bus industry needs to switch to low carbon buses," said Jim Sumner, CEO at Optare. He told the prime minister that the Solo EV is the first practical, fully electric and thus emission free bus available in Britain "and it can be ordered today and be on the streets very soon". Sumner said Optare is developing a range of advanced technology low carbon buses but none will beat the Solo EV for emissions performance.

Energy Diversity is key for securing Energy Security

2009-06-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

Many countries and Governments that run them have woken up to the fact that energy supply needs to be cost effective and diverse. Many large corporations are now mixing their oil and gas strategies with renewables and heavily promoting their push. I am currently transiting through Terminal 5 and there is some heavy corporate positioning going on regarding the diverse energy models they are pursuing.

I happen to agree that the next 10 years will see a major jostling for position over energy resources - even more so than the past 10 years. Expect to see the likes of Russia, Iran , France, Germany , China and India all push for ways to capture some of the resources in the energy race. If the western world switches off its reliance of oil in the Middle East this will severely cause issues far cashflow in the region.

Energy Efficiency is becoming more important to everyone. I will expand with some recent articles later in the week to add a follow up to this premise that Energy Diversity is key for Securing Energy Security.

Deforestation - Amazon and South East Asia

2009-05-26T02:16:00.000-07:00

Amazon Update...

Warming of the North Atlantic has led to drought and deforestation. The Hadley Climate Model - developed , run and used by the UK Met Office - predicts that global warming will increase the chances of further droughts in the Amazon by 50 per cent.
Logging in the Amazon continues to cause alarm with 1,250 sq miles (3,235 sq/km) lost in the last five months of 2007 alone.The effect is a depletion of the region's carbon reservoir's. Research by more than 40 instituitions during the 2005 Amazon basin drought shows that loss of vegetation released an extra 5 billion tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere: more than the combined annual emissions of Europe and Japan. This reversed decades of carbon absorption.

South East Asia ...
Has the highest deforestation rate of all three rainforest regions.

Feed In Tariffs the way forward

2009-05-25T06:58:00.000-07:00

In Germany, a "feed-in tariff" law was passed in 2000 that required utility companies to subsidize solar energy producers by buying their electricity at favourable rates. The law led to rapid development in photovoltaic technology despite the generally cloudy weather in Germany. Large solar energy companies and a smaller cottage industry were created where solar energy is sold back to utility companies through the electric grid at a profit. Around 90% of solar energy production in Germany is grid-tied while 10% is off-the grid. Feed-in tariff laws have been passed in other countries, and led to growth in the development and use of solar panels for energy generation.

The UK is looking at introducing an updated scheme in April 2010. Once in place the up take should be reasonably steady. Particularly as the UK is heading towards energy shortages over the nezt 5-10 years.

On a seperate note ...could our electrical grids be looking forward to large interruptions?

According to a report from Hawaii -

For the full 11 year period of Solar Cycle 24 (approx. 2008-2019) the Earth will be vulnerable to any Coronal Mass Ejections directly aimed at it from the sun. The risks of solar storms bombarding the Earth and repeatedly taking down the electrical grid for extended periods has never been greater. In addition to physical and health risks posed by extensive and repeated electrical blackouts, the economic costs would be enormous. Now is the best time to take preventative action and develop off-the-grid (stand alone) energy systems using renewable energy sources.

In addition to solar and wind energy generators, there are other renewable energy sources that can be used to develop off-the grid systems.

Anticipating major disruptions to the electric grid system around the year 2012 requires developing an off-the grid energy system using renewable energy sources. An off-the grid system can be used in conjunction with a grid-tied generation system to assist with development costs.

For full article go to http://www.examiner.com/x-2383-Honolulu-Exopolitics-Examiner~y2009m5d25-Cost-of-electric-grid-failure-from-2012-solar-storms-avoidable

Hotel : Item on bill will appear as Comms2 charge.

2009-05-13T18:39:00.000-07:00

This country has gone mad. Nearly every TV and news channel is going on about the expenses that all members of parliament have been declaring for the past few months. Meanwhile what good news should be getting through is being muffled by the hysterics of the hyena's in the press.

MOVE ON!

There are bigger issues at stake than who claimed for a trouser press and whose husband (or wife) watched a blue movie whilst staying at a hotel.

Meanwhile - why oh why is the petrol price creeping up so severely again. Now unleaded is almost the same price as diesel whilst the oil barrel price remains quite low. The British people are always getting ripped off. Do something about it!Downsize your cars , take alternative means of transport - work at home twice a week.
Now is the time to change.

Worst of Recession Over? UK Market

2009-05-12T05:24:00.002-07:00

The OECD "Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development" said yesterday that their were indications that the country was experiencing a pause in the economic slowdown.

More importantly the fact that George Soros echoed the positive forecast saying that a meltdown of the world's financial system had been averted was a big tick for confidence in the markets.

Now lets start filtering some of those funds into energy efficiency projects to get people usefully employed again.

Link of the Week - Bentley Hevacomp Pro EP Cert

2009-05-11T04:43:00.000-07:00

Since April 2008, new buildings, major refurbishments and large public buildings throughout England and Wales are required to have an energy certificate to rate the energy performance of the building. There are two types of energy certificates:

The Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), which is required for all buildings when they are constructed, sold or rented.
The Display Energy Certificate (DEC), which is required for large public buildings occupied by public authorities or institutions providing a public service to a large number of people - these will show the actual energy usage of a building and need to be displayed at all times.
Part of the prerequisites for being able to join an energy assessors scheme and therefore become an accredited energy assessor is to be trained and measured on your ability to use your chosen tool for EPC production.

Become an accredited building energy assessor now by registering for Bentley's Hevacomp EP Cert upcoming courses and exams.

For further information go to...
http://www.bentley.com/en-GB/Promo/Hevacomp/Hevacomp+EPcerts+GB.htm?skid=CEO_BN_EN_GOOG_EPCERT&gclid=CMq45LSXtJoCFRC7ZwodQGtfdQ

Article of the week - Why the Financial Crisis is Like Energy Inefficiency

2009-05-11T04:34:00.000-07:00

Why the Financial Crisis is like Energy Inefficiency
Tom Konrad, Ph.D.

I have a regular column called Greener Money in Smart Energy Living Magazine. The Spring issue just printed, and I'd like to highlight this column, because it discusses ideas I have not written about elsewhere. The column begins:

As people become more aware of how we use energy, many become amazed and appalled at the sheer waste of it. Why are homes built without attention to insulation and sealing that would not only make them more comfortable, but also mean they cost less to live in, even with the slightly larger mortgage payments? Why do most microwaves use more electricity running the integrated clock than they do heating food?

The financial crisis can inspire similar emotions. Why did so many institutional investors buy collateralized debt obligations which they knew they did not understand? Why did regulators assume that these investors understood the risks they were taking? Why did lenders make loans to people without first verifying their ability to pay?

The answers to both sets of questions are surprisingly similar: both are manifestations of market barriers. In the realm of energy, these barriers lead to purchases which might be slightly cheaper in terms of first cost, but come with large ongoing energy costs, far higher than the lower initial cost can justify. In the case of the financial system, these barriers caused the build up of risks which were much greater than could be justified by the potential gains investors might have achieved by taking them on.

What are these barriers?
Read the full article here...

http://smartenergyliving.digitalpubfor.me/issues/1/Page30/

The Shocking State of the Greenland Ice Sheet

2009-05-10T02:30:00.000-07:00

This week I have been to the US for a large career opportunity. On the way over the plane route took us over Iceland and into Greenland before coming through the vast expanse of Canada onto my final destination in San Francisco.

I was truly shocked at the state of the ice sheet over Greenland - every bit of it was cracked and melting. I have traversed this route several times but never seen it so bad. The Earth is telling us something. I felt guilty about having to travel but I have no choice if I want to be fully employed whilst this recession bites.

Anyway - will be back to updating the blog properly next week. Until then adieu.

Away for a few days

2009-05-05T00:11:00.000-07:00

I will be away for a few days. For those not aware of the H1N1 outbreak please check out the following.

For the latest information about H1N1 Flu...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

The World Health Organization (WHO): http://www.who.int/en/

UK Petrol prices soar to 95p a litre...

2009-04-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

News Item...

Average petrol prices at the pumps have soared to 95p a litre and are now rising faster than in last spring's fuel-price surge, the AA said.

Including the Government's April 1 fuel duty increase, average UK petrol prices have risen 4.45p in a month.

The AA said that this rise, from 90.56p a litre to 95.01p a litre, had coincided with the price of oil rising about five dollars a barrel.

Yet in the same period last year, when oil prices rose 10 dollars a barrel, petrol only went up 1.3p, from 106.8p a litre to 108.1p a litre.

This spring's leap has increased the cost of a tank of petrol by £2.23, lifting the monthly fuel spend for a family with two petrol cars by £9.65. Petrol prices were last at 95p a litre on November 13 last year.

Diesel drivers have not experienced such a sharp rise, with diesel prices rising over the last month by 2.92p to 102.69p a litre.

The most expensive petrol at present can be found in Northern Ireland where pump prices are averaging 96.4p a litre. The cheapest petrol is in north-west England and in Yorkshire and Humberside where the average for both regions is 94.6p a litre.

AA president Edmund King said: "It is not clear whether it is the stock markets or the oil industry trying to pump up the value of oil. However, with laden tankers moored off-shore as temporary storage indicating major stock surpluses, there is growing concern that the fundamentals of supply and demand are not being reflected in prices."

He went on: "For UK drivers, despite being in a recession, rising fuel costs are again making it hard to make ends meet for UK families. This means they will cut back on other spending in leisure and the high street, undermining economic recovery.

"Increases in fuel duty by the Government are also contributing. Let us hope there is some good news for motorists in the form of a scrappage grant for older cars in next week's budget."

'Aim Low' How Coethica helped one of its customers to introduce sustainability into its thinking

2009-04-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Case study Morban (www.morban.co.uk). -
Coethica helps many businesses think about sustainability.Morban design and install cutting edge ‘intelligent living systems’ taking the initial home automation concept and pushing the technology to its boundaries. Morban's target market at that time was the more affluent client wanting LCD’s in every room and big remote controls etc. We worked together to look at expanding their sales opportunities by using their current technology and IP to help reduce carbon emissions (LED lighting, all off on one switch, control via mobile phone, etc) and also add a strong sustainable homes element integrated into to their offering such as low emission system settings, solar pv, biomass boilers and hot water energy stores.

Coethica helped them understand the sustainability agenda and position their offering in new markets such as social landlords, other public sector and assisted living requirements. Their branding now also includes an ‘Aim Low’ initiative to help raise awareness of low carbon homes and technology applications. Their first Aim Low clients have included a eco-friendly sensory swimming pool for disabled users in Cumbria and low carbon home in Lancaster.

For more information contact David Connor , Managing Director
www.coethica.com

100+ people arrested for planned coal-fired power station protest

2009-04-13T05:19:00.000-07:00

More than 100 people have been arrested for allegedly planning a protest at a coal-fired power station.

Nottinghamshire Police have arrested 114 people over a power station protest.

Police officers who raided an independent school in Sneinton, Nottingham, said the protesters would have posed "a serious threat" to the safe running of Ratcliffe-On-Soar power station.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said "specialist equipment" recovered during the raid led them to believe the power station was the intended target.

He said: "Just after midnight tonight, Nottinghamshire Police arrested 114 men and women from across the UK on suspicion of conspiracy to commit aggravated trespass and criminal damage."

Nottingham City councillor David Mellen said the police raided the privately-run Iona School as the result of "an intelligence-led operation".

He said: "I don't know whether it was the school itself being used or the car park. Neighbours reported a lot of noise after midnight. It seems to have been used as a rendezvous for people from a wide area."

No one at the school was available for comment.

E.ON runs the power station at the centre of the alleged plot.

A spokeswoman for the company said: "We can confirm that Ratcliffe power station was the planned target of an organised protest during the early hours of this morning.

"While we understand that everyone has a right to protest peacefully and lawfully, this was clearly neither of those things so we will be assisting the police with their investigations into what could have been a very dangerous and irresponsible attempt to disrupt an operational power plant."

Energy Efficiency Occupations - California Bay Area

2009-04-10T12:12:00.000-07:00

Energy Efficiency Occupations Study Provides Hope for California's Bay Area

California's Community College's Workforce Development Centers of Excellence (COE) have released a recent study on energy efficiency occupations. The study, Energy Efficiency Occupations: Bay Region, details a rising need around eight energy efficiency occupations that could create thousands of well-paying jobs over the next three years, according to the report.

John Carrese, Director of the San Francisco Bay Center of Excellence at City College of San Francisco, is a co-author.

The report findings are based on survey responses from more than 700 firms that hire energy efficiency workers in 12 counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

According to the report, the two largest growth occupations over the next 12 months are building performance or retrofitting specialists and energy auditors or home energy raters. The two largest growth occupations over the next three-year period are project managers for construction or design work, and building performance or retrofitting specialists.

See full article at http://www.irecusa.org/index.php?id=59&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1387&cHash=815c71aa38

Scrappage Scheme Debate part 2.

2009-04-09T02:56:00.000-07:00

BBC Radio Five held a 2 hour talk show on the proposed UK 'Scrappage' scheme on Monday of this week and the debate was very healthy and certainly enabled different people with different interests to express their point of view. At the moment it isn't government policy to scrap any old vehicle in exchange for a £2000.00-£2.500.00* rebate(*figure not finalised) toward the purchase of a new or nearly new vehicle.

My initial thoughts were very positive as obviously getting rid of some of the old cars that contribute a higher percentage to the environment pollution wise is a good thing. It also helps stimulate the movement of the built up inventory in the car sector keeping this industry ticking over in what are clearly very difficult times. Then all the objections started to come through from other parts of the industry - particularly the mechanics who stay in work by repairing and replacing old parts on the cars.

The UK has been a victim of excessive service and maintenance charges and I can personally give examples of the exhorbitant charges you have to pay for new cars (within 3 years old)just to get routine services done through the main dealer. Hopefully the downturn will shake up the industry where this is concerned but paying over £500 for a routine service for any make of vehicle within 3 years is not acceptable.

The debate also discussed alternative ways of using the money instead of this scheme including investing the money into the public transport sector and improving mass transportation options. I will try and dig out the podcast to the debate and link it here for reference.
On a side note I found this very interesting blog on the Wall Street Journal
http://blogs.wsj.com/environmentalcapital/

Weekend trip away to the Isle of Anglesey

2009-04-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

Got back today from 2 days away in Northern Wales on the beautiful Isle of Anglesey. To get to where we were staying you had to pass over the quite charming Menai Bridge. Will try and post a picture on here later.

Anyway it wasnt supposed to be an educational weekend but we ended up touring through three windfarms as we got our bearings and ended up at the Nuclear facility at the top end of the Isle which produces 40% of Wales electricity output from the site. I will do a proper review of what I discovered later in the week but my impression on nuclear energy is certainly swaying more towards it when compared with the global warming from similar output stations which are coal generated.(e.g Fiddlers Ferry or Drax).

The whole idea of this blog was to look at efficiency in energy and not be swayed to heavily in any particular direction but to offer unbiased viewpoints on my observations about Energy. The Nuclear site on Anglesey is due for decomissioning in 2010 but they have enough land to put up another more efficient site based on more modern technology.

It was a real eye opener when you see what the combined total of the 3 wind farms generated compared to the WYLFA Nuclear site and to give you some perspective the 83 turbines was only generating less than 10% of the WYLFA facility and the impact on the landscape is a lot less dramatic than having dozend of turbines scattered everywhere.

Centre for Alternative Energy - Wales

2009-04-03T10:59:00.000-07:00

I am profiling this site today as the school holidays are upon us and if you are stuck for something to do then what better way than an educational day or 2 with the family.

Centre for Alternative Technology
Showing practical solutions to environmental problems to carry us into the twenty-first century

Day Visits: Opening Times & Prices
Current opening times - 7 days a week from 10:00am to 5:30pm

They are closed over Christmas and for approximately 10 days in January.

2008 Prices from 15th March to 2nd November from 3rd November to 31st December
Adult £8.40 £6.40
Concession £7.40 £5.40
Child (up to 16) £4.20 £4.20
Child (under 5) Free Free
School Visits £4.05 per pupil £3.80 per pupil
College Visits age 18+ £4.95 per student £4.65 per student
Discounts:
Non-educational groups of 15 or more visitors are offered a £1 discount off all adult/concession entrance prices if payment is made in a lump sum. Groups of visitors with severe learning difficulties are offered 50% discount.
Concessions for cyclists and those arriving by public transport also exist and are subject to seasonal variations. Please phone for details or enquire when you arrive.

For day visit groups phone 01654 705983 or e-mail education@cat.org.uk
For eco-cabin residentials phone 01654 705982 or e-mail cabins@cat.org.uk

The Energy Hierarchy - Lean before Green

2009-04-02T16:38:00.000-07:00

Energy Installers are in a unique position to advise on the selection of renewable and microgeneration technologies, But they also need to bear in mind the strong financial arguments for encouraging energy efficiency first.

To reduce a buildings carbon footprint , it is important that a simple energy hierarchy is used.

1. Reduce the need for energy in the buildings design.
2. Use energy more efficiently in the building.
3. Supply energy from renewable sources

This applies equally in new and existing buildings.

For full article download www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk (Spring issue)

Energy Jobs

2009-04-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

http://www.eenergyjobs.com/

Unlimited, Free Job Postings / Resume Searches for 60 Days from the date you register!

Renewable Energy Magazine - Microgeneration focus

2009-04-02T09:02:00.000-07:00

Today I discovered a very interesting magazine which can also be downloaded online. I was attending an exhibition looking at ways of making fleets more efficient via the use of telematics and driver efficiency training and reporting when I saw the first real sign of renewable marketing from a 'mainstream' section of the media.

The link is www.renewableenergyinstaller.co.uk

Will update more later.

Big interest in UK Nuclear Energy Option

2009-03-31T04:42:00.000-07:00

The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is selling land adjacent to exisiting power stations.

Wylfa in Anglesey.
Bradwell in Essex.
Oldbury in Gloucestershire.

All sites are up for auction and there are many energy companies bidding to be involved in the next generation of Nuclear Power. A consortium of Scottish and Southern Energy , Iberdola and Suez is bidding on all 3 sites.
EDF has its eyes on Bradwell. The German partnership of RWE and E.ON is bidding for both Wylfa and Oldbury.

Once vilified, nuclear power is now widely touted as te answer to growing electricity requirements.

EDF spent £12.5bn buying Britsh Energy in order to get a foot in the door. It is committed to building 4 new nucear reactors by 2025.

GreenTomato Cars set to be Zero Emission

2009-03-31T02:51:00.000-07:00

The Renault-Nissan alliance have teamed up with greentomatocars to launch the first zero-emission cab fleet in London.

Renault-Nissan are developing an all electric car to go on sale in 2011 in Europe and will look to supply vehicles for greentomatocars to use in their London taxi fleet.

Greentomatocars currently use the hybrid Toyoya Prius.

Nuclear back on the agenda in the US

2009-03-30T05:57:00.000-07:00

Unlike power plants fueled by coal and even cleaner natural gas, nuclear reactors emit none of the heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming. Obama strongly favors capping global-warming emissions from fossil fuel plants, which would boost nuclear's prospects. Renewable energy is popular but intermittent.

Today, 104 reactors supply 20% of the United State's electricity. Just to hold that share, all 26 proposed reactors would have to be completed by 2030. And to meet global-warming goals, 42 reactors should be built the next two decades, according to the Electric Power Research Institute.

A new Gallup Poll shows a record 59% of Americans favor nuclear energy.

Here's the overview: Nuclear reactor costs have doubled in the past three years to as much as about $8 billion, Moody's Investors Service says.

They're twice as expensive as coal-fired plants and triple the cost of natural-gas plants. Reactors also are far more complex, taking up to 10 years to license and build vs. a couple of years for gas-fired plants.

Yet, nuclear plants are far less costly to operate, and the fuel, uranium, is cheaper than coal and natural gas. South Carolina Electric & Gas chose nuclear instead of natural gas to meet some of its power needs because it could produce electricity at retail rates of about 8 cents a kilowatt hour vs. about 10 cents with gas. That's after figuring in subsidies such as production tax credits and before adding potential fees on gas plants for emitting CO2.

"Nuclear came out to be a better option,"

says Stephen Byrne, nuclear chief for SCE&G, which plans two reactors near Columbia, S.C.

"The cost of natural gas fluctuates pretty wildly."

The Nuclear industry is recovering from a harrowing past. After the Three Mile Island accident in central Pennsylvania — which led to no deaths or known injuries, but caused a small radiation leak from the plant — the NRC passed sweeping new safety rules. Inspectors forced utilities to rip out pipes and install back-up pumps or generators midconstruction. Since utilities didn't submit designs before building, each reactor was custom built, further burdening the NRC.

Earth Hour Tonight 8.30pm - 9.30pm

2009-03-28T12:03:00.000-07:00

Quick reminder for those that may have forgotten tonight is Earth Hour.
Switch off your lights and join the campaign to send the message about global warming to the COP15 meeting in Denmark in December.

'100% off ' gizmo achieves 12% Household Energy Saving

2009-03-27T01:39:00.001-07:00

ScienceDaily (Mar. 25, 2009) — A team of researchers from the UPC Center for Technological Innovation in Static Converters and Actuators (CITCEA-UPC) has designed the device "100% Off," which disconnects electronic appliances in stand-by mode and reduces their power consumption to zero. The device is compatible with all existing appliances, and the technology is adaptable to other equipment manufactured in the future.

Over the course of a year, the relative cost of running an appliance is higher in stand-by than when it is switched on, as it spends more time in stand-by mode. According to a study carried out by the European Commission in 2005, household appliances in stand-by mode consume 50 TWh (terawatt-hours) per year in the EU alone. This figure, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of a country like Greece or Portugal, represents a total energy cost of 7000 million euros per year and the emission of 20 million tons of CO2.

100% Off will provide household energy savings of 12% by automatically overriding stand-by mode and switching appliances off. In Spain, where the average household spends €367 per year on electricity (according to the latest National Energy Commission report), the elimination of stand-by mode would represent an annual saving of €44.

The system, patented and marketed by the Madrid-based company Good For You, Good for the Planet, also protects against power surges and extends the useful life of appliances.

Nuclear Energy gaining support amongst Americans

2009-03-23T17:52:00.001-07:00

A new Gallup poll is finding growing levels of support among Americans for nuclear energy.
Support for Nuclear has increased from 50-59%
People strongly favouring Nuclear has jumped from 20-27%.

President Barack Obama has pledged to re-examine nuclear energy, although that promise came under scrutiny earlier this month when his proposed budget cut most of the funds for a national nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in Nevada. His stimulus package also stripped billions for a loan program the nuclear industry wanted.

Steve Chu, Obama’s energy secretary told a Senate budget hearing group two weeks ago

"I believe in nuclear power as a central part of our energy mix. It provides clean, busload electricity,"

according to a story by the Associated Press.

Nuclear proponents say new plants could help solve America’s energy crisis, in part because plants do not emit any heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming and could help with national energy security. Opponents, however, say nuclear plants are potentially too dangerous, too expensive and there is no safe place to put waste. Nuclear energy now produces about 20 percent of the U.S.’s energy load and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has received 17 applications for 26 new reactors.

The Gallup poll also underscores the large gender gaps in American’s view of nuclear power: 71% of men favor the use of nuclear energy, compared with only 47% of women. Still, both groups show their highest level of support for nuclear power to date.

The poll also found, as in past polls, higher-income Americans favor nuclear energy more than lower-income Americans. Still, while 56 percent of Americans believe nuclear power plants are safe, a “substantial minority” of 42 percent believe they are not safe, according to the poll.

Source: Abbreviated from the Boston Globe.

Obama knows the race is hotting up to be the Energy Leader in the 21st Century

2009-03-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

To produce the next generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and the advanced battery components that will make these vehicles run, President Barack Obama Thursday announced $2.4 billion in economic stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"This investment will not only reduce our dependence on foreign oil, it will put Americans back to work,"

President Obama said while touring Southern California Edison's Electric Vehicle Center in Pomona, California.

"It positions American manufacturers on the cutting edge of innovation and solving our energy challenges."

"We have a choice to make,

Obama told an audience of workers and local officials.

"We can remain one of the world's leading importers of foreign oil, or we can make the investments that will allow us to become the world's leading exporter of renewable energy. We can let climate change continue to go unchecked, or we can help stem it. We can let the jobs of tomorrow be created abroad, or we can create those jobs right here in America and lay the foundation for our lasting prosperity."

It will take investment from government, Obama said, promoting his budget proposal to Congress as well as the $798 billion approved in February under the ARRA legislation.

"That's how we sent a man to the moon. That's how we were able to launch a world wide web. And it's how we'll build the clean energy economy that's the key to our competitiveness in the 21st century."

Scrappage makes sense for consumers the manufacturers and the environment.

2009-03-21T07:57:00.000-07:00

On my way home from work yesterday I was listening to the gloom about the UK Car market and how sales had fallen off a cliff. Meanwhile in another part of Europe ,in Germany, sales had lifted 21.5% , year on year.

Scrappage incentives are believed to be the main reason why Germany has bucked the trend.The news item also added that additional manufacturer incentives on top of the government scrappage incentive also played a part in the sales surge. The German auto industry body, VDA reported that new car sales in February reached 278,000 units - the best February in a decade.

Car buyers in Germany receive an €2,500 bonus towards a new car or a used car under a year old, if they trade in a car over nine years of age. In addition, manufacturer supports acted to reduce prices even further than the scrappage incentive.

The UK government in the meantime don't have the Scrappage system in place and clearly if the system was in place the industry wouldn't be in such a slump.Instead the Government are firing dead money into producing cars which the consumer has no incentive to buy. Getting the older Junkers of the road makes sense. The new modern fuel efficient engines would help reduce the C02 output. Get it sorted please Mr Brown.

Sun Powered Catamaran to Circumnavigate the World.

2009-03-19T03:13:00.000-07:00

In an effort to promote alternative energy for ships, Swiss and German engineers are building a solar-powered catamaran that will try to circumnavigate the globe in a speedy four months beginning in 2010.

PlanetSolar, instead of running on fossil fuels or wind, will collect its power from a from a 470 square meter solar array. The power will then be used to charge a large lithium-ion battery pack that will drive the ship’s engines.

According to a U.N. study, 4.5 percent of greenhouse gases can be attributed to shipping, or over a billion tons of carbon dioxide - double that of aviation.

The panels on the ship will make it the world’s largest mobile solar array, according to the group, and the lithium-ion pack will be one of the world’s biggest moving lithium packs.

Full Article ...
http://www.consumerenergyreport.com/2009/03/18/solar-powered-ship-to-travel-the-world-in-120-days/

So are the Seas slowing down their ability to absorb CO2?

2009-03-18T06:32:00.001-07:00

Sea Absorbs Less CO2 Due to Climate Change
Published by Andy Rowell.

For a while scientists have been warning that as the oceans warm up their ability to absorb carbon diminishes. Now new research from the Sea of Japan will heighten fears that the Earth is rapidly slowing down in its natural ability to absorb man-made CO2.

Scientists found that there had been a sudden and dramatic collapse in the amount of CO2 being absorbed by the Sea of Japan. This is deeply worrying: The world’s oceans soak up about 11 billion tonnes of human C02 pollution each year, about a quarter of all produced.

It goes without saying that even a slight weakening of this natural process would leave significantly more CO2 in the atmosphere. Kitack Lee, an associate professor at Pohang University of Science and Technology, who led the scientific research, says the discovery is the “very first observation that directly relates ocean CO2 uptake change to ocean warming”.

According to Lee, warmer waters alter a process known as “ventilation” - the way in which seawater flows, then drags absorbed CO2 from surface waters to the depths. He warns that the effect is probably not confined to the Sea of Japan. It could also affect CO2 uptake in the Atlantic and Southern oceans.

Announcing their results in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, the scientific team led by Lee argue:

“The rapid and substantial reduction … is surprising and is attributed to considerable weakening of overturning circulation.”

This is likely to be the first of many new scientific studies this year that show that climate change is having even greater impacts than previously thought.

Unemployment Hits 2 million in the UK - Where are the Green Jobs??

2009-03-18T06:24:00.001-07:00

Below is a list of the current 'safe' jobs in the market.

The safest career choices
To find out which careers and sectors are offering the safest jobs right now, MSN Money spoke with Tim Cook, managing director of the UK's largest recruitment firm - Hays. Of course, no job is guaranteed, but these are his choices for finding the most resilient roles and sectors in a downturn, along with his reasons for these selections.

1. Public services
Teachers, doctors, nurses and healthcare professionals can all benefit from a more secure job environment, which is affected by government expenditure rather than the economy at large. Skill shortages in the public services sector will always fuel demand for high-calibre professionals.

2. Social housing
With the majority of Housing Associations nearing completion of their targets, demand for social housing professionals continues to accelerate across a number of disciplines. The type of role sought varies considerably: accountants, procurement specialists and construction workers, as well as the more traditional housing roles, such as maintenance and rent collection.

3. Oil and gas
World reliance on oil and gas makes this a resilient sector for a range of professionals. Demand for commercial staff, reservoir engineers and design and maintenance engineering professionals is buoyant. Newly-qualified accountants are also competing hard to work in the sector, which is not surprising for an industry that offers first-class pay and benefits packages as well as excellent career opportunities.

4. Risk and compliance
Risk and compliance recruitment has surged as corporate governance continues to dominate the business agenda. The days of deregulation are over and the government, along with the FSA, has already specified that all financial services institutions will be more closely scrutinised.

5. Internal audit
In times of financial uncertainty, the internal auditor has an even more important role to play and this has never been recognised more than during a downturn. Job opportunities have naturally been affected, but this remains an in-demand profession. In light of lessons learned during the financial crisis, it is likely that internal auditors will top the list of desirables when recruitment levels start to pick up again.

6. Insurance
Hays is seeing a sharp increase in the demand for senior-level candidates in the insurance sector. People typically look to increase and renew their policies in times of financial unrest. There is demand for all classes of underwriters and a strong requirement for sales account executives.

7. Credit control
Credit controllers will benefit in a downturn as people look to mitigate the risks of non-payment, late payments and the opening of new accounts. As companies seek to maintain a healthy cash flow, the role of the credit manager remains in the spotlight.

8. Purchasing
As organisations focus on cost management, experienced purchasing and procurement professionals are much sought after across both the public and private sectors as companies increasingly recognise the benefits of an effective purchasing team.

9. Nuclear energy
The government has recognised that nuclear energy will have to play a part in our future to ensure the UK can reduce carbon emissions and secure energy supplies. Those nuclear plants that have been decommissioned will now need to be reinstated and there is a severe shortage of engineers with the necessary skills to do this. Civil engineers will be able to transfer their skills to this industry and opportunities are likely to be rife in the future.

10. HR
There is a strong interim market for human resources (HR) professionals, especially in the fields of change management, employee relations, talent management and reward roles, as organisations review their career development and pay structures. Smaller businesses are rationalising their teams with a shift in favour of general rather than specialist HR skills.

Green isn't very evident on this agenda.I'll be posting some insight into the above tonight.

Energy Harvesting Event - Cambridge England 3-4th June 2009

2009-03-17T02:56:00.000-07:00

Energy harvesting (energy scavenging) is concerned with converting ambient energy into electricity for small devices. This has many exciting applications, such as perpetual devices which can run for decades, wireless sensors and switches, and powering devices from watches to laptops to new printed electronics.

This IDTechEx event, the first to focus on the uses, potential users and market forecasts as well as giving the latest technology trends, is the meeting place for users, investors, suppliers, developers, system integrators and government representatives.

The event will cover the following topics:

End User Needs and Experiences, from vertical segments including oil and gas, healthcare, building automation, government, manufacturing/industrial, retail

Potential users saying what they need
Case Studies: Assessment of paybacks from energy harvesters
Energy Harvesting Technologies: comparisons, trends
Battery and Capacitor Technologies needed
Market Analysis and Forecasts

http://www.idtechex.com/energyharvestingandstorageeurope09/en/

passion8

Green Insurance - Fireman's Fund - US Readers

2009-03-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

By investing in state-of-the art electrical, plumbing and roof systems, green building owners experience fewer incidents of risk and loss. In recognition of this, Fireman's Fund offers discounted pricing for building owners who commit to green standards.

http://www.firemansfund.com/servlet/dcms?c=business&rkey=437&WT.srch=1

Green Stimulus package of £535m criticised as being " too small"

2009-03-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

Government economic plans to pull the UK out of recession need to be much more "green", MPs urged.

A report from the Environmental Audit Committee said far greater investment was needed in measures such as improving the energy efficiency of housing, in order to move the UK into a low-carbon economy and meet climate change targets.

Such measures could also provide jobs and improve energy security, the select committee said.

The MPs also called for increased taxes on domestic flights to encourage more people to travel by train.

And they raised concerns about the negative environmental consequences of the wider £3 billion financial stimulus measures which include plans for road building.

A report by the committee criticised the scale of the Government's £535 million green stimulus package unveiled in the pre-Budget report as too small - especially as much of the money was not new.

It has been brought forward from 2010-2011 budget allocations and will be offset by spending cuts in future years, they said.

Instead, the MPs said the Treasury should be starting from the recent suggestion by Lord Stern that 0.8% of GDP - or £11 billion in the next year - should be spent on green stimulus measures.

The committee's chairman, Tim Yeo, said efforts to bring the UK out of recession provided an invaluable opportunity to build a sustainable economy, and there should be a "much bigger and more coherent" package of green measures in the Budget.

But he said the pre-Budget report showed the Treasury lacked the "consistency and boldness of purpose" required to drive change and tackle climate change.

4 Tips for Breaking into the Green Job Market.

2009-03-16T04:14:00.000-07:00

SustainLane CEO James Elsen talks with Fast Company about how to get a foot in the door of the green collar job market.

The following is excerpted from the original Fast Company article.

We already told you which green jobs are sure to solar-charge your career. Now, here's how to smartly plunge into the green-collar job market, with tips from SustainLane Media CEO James Elsen.
Green entrepreneur. Solar-power installer. Urban planner. These are just some of the top green jobs for that next decade that we already told you would solar-charge your career... We spoke with the site's CEO, James Elsen, to get more tips on making the transition to a green career.

1 Remember No One Is an Expert
“Don’t worry about starting at the bottom,” Elsen says. “You’re never going to have another opportunity in your career where the bottom is so close to the top. Someone with three years of solar experience right now is a foremost expert in the country!”

2 Get Ready to Learn
“We’re about the experience the greatest renaissance in product development that we’ve ever seen in our lifetime. For every job like photovoltaic engineer, there are eight to ten jobs that are needed to support that. Some people have anxieties about entering a new industry, but it’s also very exciting. It’s a thrilling place to be, if you like to learn. In terms of getting job training, we hear so much about four-year schools but really community colleges have some of the best opportunities for retraining and job skills.”

3 Opt for Nimble Over Name-Recognition
“You’ll have the greatest acceleration in your career growth at a company that’s taking the green movement seriously, as opposed to a company that still has green as a sideline. There’s a high probability that the winners are going to be companies that no one’s even heard of yet, like Better Place. They’re the ones that are going to be exploding in the next five to ten years, around energy and transportation.”

4 Take the Green Temp at the Top
“If a green commitment isn’t coming from the very top, it’s not going to happen. Pay attention from the moment you arrive. If you go into a meeting and they hand you a Styrofoam cup, that’s the wrong company. Do they have recharging stations for electric cars in the parking lot? What kind of lighting is in the building? The company isn’t at the point of taking it seriously until being green is operational and the Green Czar is reporting to the CFO, not the CSR person. And no amount of marketing material or website fluff is ever going to replace an honest Q&A during the interview. Ask what the company’s green priorities are, its view of the new green-washing rules, and how it’s trying to position itself to not be perceived as a green-washer.

energysaint profiles #6 David Hunt - Eco Environments

2009-03-15T02:23:00.000-07:00

David Hunt is Director of Eco Environments Ltd his company provides environmentally friendly, energy efficient cost saving products and services to the construction, property,SME and the domestic sectors. These services are based around the following technologies and services.

• Energy efficient lighting (low energy, LED, movement controlled etc)
• Insulation
• Microgeneration including
• Solar power (solar powered water heating and photo voltaics)
• Wind power

David is very passionate about the emerging renewable sector. If you get work done by David's company it will be done very professionally.

energysaint profiles #5 Stephen Sykes - Emansys

2009-03-15T02:12:00.000-07:00

Stephen Sykes is the local coordinator of the Liverpool Green Drinks chapter.
He is Chair of Energy & Environment Committee at Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry,Principal Consultant at Emansys, Registered Tutor at Chartered Institute of Environmental Health.

Meet him at Green Drinks - normally held at Dr Duncans every 4th Thursday. see www.greendrinks.org

energysaint profiles #4 Tom Barker - Fourth World Review

2009-03-15T02:11:00.000-07:00

Tom Barker
Tom Barker is an ecologist at the University of Liverpool and a long time campaigner on issues of sustainability. In the late 1980s to early 1990s he was co-ordinator of the Alternative Technology Association at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth, where he was also editor of Clean Slate. He is currently associate editor of Fourth World Review.

Meet Tom and Frank Kennedy at Liverpool FACT tonight.

energysaint profiles #3 Frank Kennedy - Friends of the Earth

2009-03-15T02:08:00.000-07:00

Frank is Regional Campaigns Coordinator for Friends of the Earth in North West England; working on policy and campaigns across Cumbria, Lancashire, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Merseyside from the perspective of Friends of the Earth's global stands on climate change, biodiversity and environmental justice. As part of the Stop Climate Chaos coalition, Friends of the Earth played a leading role in campaigning for the Climate Change Act, which was became law late 2008. Frank worked as a primary school teacher before becoming a full-time campaigner, has been based in Liverpool since 1990 and, among other things, is a trustee of the Liverpool World Centre and helps run Liverpool Network Theatre group.

energysaint profiles #2 Tracey Todhunter - Low Carbon Communities

2009-03-15T02:06:00.000-07:00

Tracey Todhunter
Tracey Todhunter has lived in Cheshire for 10 years. She is Policy and Campaigns Manager at the Low Carbon Communities Network. In Cheshire there are over 15 communities, all doing what they can to reduce carbon emissions. For details of what's going on near you email: regions@lowcarboncommunities.net

Tracey will be with Dina as another guest speaker at the Age Of Stupid Cheshire Oaks Premiere.

energysaint profiles #1 Dina Baird - Friends of the Earth.

2009-03-15T02:01:00.000-07:00

Dina Baird
Dina, mother of three, coordinates Warrington Friends of the Earth, a local environmental campaign group and is a member of the Friends of the Earth Youth and Education Advisory Panel. Previously she taught GCSE science and A level biology. She about to start a Masters Degree at Leeds University in Activism and Social Change.

Dina will be one of the guest speakers at the Cheshire Oaks Age of Stupid premiere.

Age Of Stupid Premiere tonight. Where to see it? Check here.

2009-03-15T01:54:00.000-07:00

So which is the closest Cinema showing the premiere??
Check out this list below - where possible I have indicated which locations are sold out. I will either be at Cheshire Oaks or Manchester VUE.

Aberdeen: THE BELMONT
Bath: THE LITTLE THEATRE SOLD OUT
Birmingham: VUE
Blackburn: VUE
Bristol Longwell: VUE
Bury: VUE
Cambridge: VUE
Cardiff: THE CHAPTER CINEMA
Carlisle: VUE
Cheshire Oaks: VUE
Cornwall: THE EDEN PROJECT SOLD OUT
Croydon Purley Way: VUE
Edinburgh: VUE
Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh: FERMANAGH HOUSE
Exeter: EXETER PICTUREHOUSE SOLD OUT
Glasgow, Braehead: ODEON
Glasgow: GLASGOW FILM THEATRE
Guilford: ODEON
Hatfield: ODEON
Inverness: VUE
Kingston: ODEON
Leeds Kirkstall: VUE
Leeds Light: VUE SOLD OUT
Leicester: VUE
Lincoln: ODEON
Liverpool: FACT SOLD OUT
Livingston: VUE
London, Acton: VUE
London, Finchley Rd: VUE SOLD OUT
London, Fulham (Youth): VUE SOLD OUT
London, Greenwich: ODEON
London, Harrow: VUE
London, Islington: VUE SOLD OUT
London, Leicester Square: EMPIRE SOLD OUT
London, Leicester Square: PRINCE CHARLES CINEMA SOLD OUT
London, Leicester Square: SOLAR
POWERED CINEMA TENT SOLD OUT
London, Shepherds Bush: VUE SOLD OUT
London, Wimbledon: ODEON
Maidenhead: ODEON SOLD OUT
Manchester-Lowry: VUE
Milford Haven: TORCH THEATRE
Naul, Co. Dublin: THE SEAMUS ENNIS CENTRE
Newcastle-under-Lyme: VUE
Newcastle: TYNESIDE CINEMA
Newry: NEWRY SEAN HOLLYWOOD ARTS CENTRE
Norwich: CINEMA CITY SOLD OUT
Oxford: PHOENIX PICTUREHOUSE SOLD OUT
Plymouth: VUE
Portlaoise, Co. Laois: DUNAMISE ARTS CENTRE
Portsmouth: VUE
Preston: VUE
Reading: VUE
Romford: VUE
Scunthorpe: VUE
Southport: VUE
Staines: VUE
Swindon: EMPIRE
Tinahely, Co. Wicklow: THE COURTHOUSE ARTS CENTRE
Tunbridge Wells: ODEON
Watford: VUE
Wigan: EMPIRE
York: VUE

Earth Hour Reminder March 28th - 8.30pm whatever time zone you are in.

2009-03-14T07:05:00.000-07:00

On March 28 you can VOTE EARTH by switching off your lights for one hour.
Or you can vote global warming by leaving your lights on.

The results of the election are being presented at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. We want one billion votes for Earth, to tell world leaders that we have to take action against global warming.

1,429 cities and towns in 80 countries have already committed to VOTE EARTH for Earth Hour 2009, as part of the worlds first global election between Earth and global warming.

Join up here ...
http://www.earthhour.org/signup/default:en

News Item - $400m Wind Energy request given to US Energy Secretary

2009-03-14T04:08:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senators from two Northeast states urged U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu to commit $400 million from the economic stimulus package to support an advanced wind energy program, especially for offshore wind projects.

The lawmakers want money budgeted for the department's energy efficiency and renewable energy activities set aside for developing domestic wind energy technologies so the United States can be compete with foreign wind companies.

The senators pointed out that the Norwegian government last month announced more funding for offshore wind energy.

"We believe the United States should move expeditiously to foster similar research to ensure that this potentially massive energy source can be developed with American technologies and American companies,"

the lawmakers said on Thursday in a letter to Chu.

The letter was sent by Maine Senators Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Delaware Senators Tom Carper and Ted Kaufman.

About 1.5 percent of the U.S. electricity supplies provided by utilities and independent power producers this year will be generated by wind energy, according to the Energy Department.

"We recommend funding a comprehensive program to research, develop, and deploy offshore wind technologies and accelerate efforts to reach this potential,"

the lawmakers said.

They also called for more job training to boost the number of skilled workers who can build and maintain wind turbines.

Don't be fooled by the current low Oil price.

2009-03-13T07:14:00.000-07:00

Oil rose toward $48 a barrel on Friday ahead of OPEC's Sunday meeting in Vienna, after two volatile days of trade this week.

The producer group gathers in the Austrian capital this weekend to discuss its output policy and perhaps adjust the 4.2 million barrels per day cut it implemented last September in reaction to the depth and speed of the global financial crisis.

"OPEC has done everything they can to set the market up for some kind of cut to try and push the price a bit higher,"

said Simon Wardell, director of global oil analysis and forecasting at IHS Global Insight.

"But it might be that what we get in Vienna is talk of implementing full compliance of previous cuts before we get to the next one, to try and give the hard pressed economy of the world a respite,"

he said.

Oil has hovered between $33 and $50 since the beginning of the year after OPEC implemented and began showing compliance to output cuts put in place to arrest its slide off last July's peak above $147 a barrel.

When Oil skyrockets again you will see a double whammy in the world economy. My advise is to start preparing for the switch to more efficient Cars, Vans and Trucks. Invest in Telematics if you are a fleet operator to push more efficiency gains and optimise your fleet to better performing vehicles.

If you are an individual then now is the time to 'greensize' your vehicles whilst there are great deals in the automotive sector.

China to build 4 power stations with renewable energy

2009-03-13T06:48:00.000-07:00

China to build four power stations with renewable energy
Beijing (Xinhua): China will construct two hydropower stations and two wind farms with a total capacity of 2,001MW, a move to develop clean and renewable energy, the country's top economic planner has said.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has approved the construction of the Luding Hydropower Station in Sichuan Province and the Dongjing Hydropower plant in Guizhou Province, two southwestern regions rich in water resource, according to a statement on the top planner's website on Thursday.

The Luding project contains four units of 230 MW each, while the Dongjing one is composed of four units each with 220 MW capacity.

The NDRC also nodded to two wind farms, one named Rudong in eastern Jiangsu Province and the other called Guyuan in northern Hebei Province. Each will have a capacity of 100.5 MW upon completion.

It was time to restructure the nation's energy mix by exploring renewable energy alternatives and boosting clean energy consumption, according to Zhang Guobao, head of the National Energy Administration.

"China should increase investment in the renewable energy sector, even though the current financial crisis has temporarily cushioned the conflict between energy supply and demand,"

Zhang was quoted by China Daily as saying.

The unfolding global financial crisis has urged China to look for a more sustainable mode of economic development with lower energy consumption and diverse energy resources.

The 4 trillion-yuan (about $585 billion) stimulus package issued by the government late last year includes a 210 billion-yuan investment in energy conservation and ecological engineering, according to the NDRC.

"Part of the 210 billion yuan spending distributed between November 2008 and March 2009 has already gone to local wind turbine manufacturing and household biogas in rural areas,"

said Ren Dongming, vice director of the Renewable Energy Development Center under the NDRC.

Earth Hour March 28th 2009

2009-03-12T14:17:00.000-07:00

Join the more than 500 cities worldwide and turn off your lights on March 28th for one full hour in a global demand for action on climate change. Governments won't act unless they see consensus in the people.

Earth Hour
http://www.earthhour.org/

“Earth Hour is an opportunity for every man, woman and child from all corners of the globe to come together with a united voice and make a loud and powerful statement on the issue of climate change,”

- Archbishop Desmond Tutu

“The C40 Climate Leadership Group is about cities working together to drive down greenhouse gas emissions and that is why as Chair of the C40, I support Earth Hour. It's crucial that cities and the public come together to take action against climate change and Earth Hour provides a great platform to do that."-

Mr David Miller, Mayor of Toronto and chair of the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group

News Item - MIT. Energy opportunities seen amid crisis.

2009-03-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

Energy opportunities seen amid crisis
Conference speakers cite chances for progress
David Chandler, MIT News Office
March 9, 2009

Speakers at MIT's fourth annual student-led Energy Conference on Saturday emphasized the historic opportunity now open to proponents of clean energy: a global economic crisis that can be directly addressed by sweeping changes to the way we produce and use energy. And research universities, they said, could play a major role in helping to bring about such a transformation.

"We need to focus on alternative energy because reviving the economies of the world requires a return to fundamental economic growth," MIT President Susan Hockfield said. "I'm convinced that the next wave of economic growth will rise from the same source that powered the information and biotechnology revolutions: from innovation. And today, by far the most powerful potential for immediate, catalytic innovation is alternative energy."

The sold-out conference, organized by the MIT Energy Club and the MIT Sloan Energy and Environment Club, attracted hundreds of energy professionals, investors, entrepreneurs, policy makers, academics and students. Saturday's gathering was preceded by an Energy Showcase on Friday night that featured more than 60 students' posters about academic research projects on energy as well as displays from dozens of energy companies, many of them spinoffs from MIT research, and a variety of interactive exhibits.

Conference keynote speaker Lars Josefsson, CEO of Swedish energy company Vattenfall, recently announced plans for his company -- which operates in several other European nations -- to achieve complete carbon neutrality in all its power production by 2050, making it the world's first major energy supplier to make such a sweeping commitment.

"If we can do it, anyone can do it," said Josefsson, adding that the global nature of climate problems requires coordinated worldwide action. He emphasized that although the sweeping changes needed will take decades to implement, it is essential to begin the process immediately.

Kiwi Scrum on LinkedIn.

2009-03-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

I've been a member of LinkedIn since 2005 and havent really used it as a proper networking tool.Its been a good source of keeping in touch with old colleagues and friends but clearly there is a lot more to it than that.Back in 2005 there were only about 3 or 4 million members now the figure is over 35 million and growing. Earlier today I decided to start some debate to the 700+ members of the Kiwi Scrum group which is one of the groups you can join within the LinkedIn application.

My discussion point was.....

Climate Change Action gathering pace. Are we as Kiwi's doing enough to slow down our use of fossil fuels?

The new film Age of Stupid is released on the 15th March in the UK. (Not sure about NZ release date). The film is set in 2055 and the sole survivor of the Earth is looking back at what we should have done in 2008. www.ageofstupid.net .I will be reviewing the film on my energysaint blog and posting it on around 16th March - http://energysaint.blogspot.com/
I havent lived in Aotearoa since 1997 so it would be good to hear whether we are taking action as one of the historically respected Environmental leaders in the world.

I will post some excerpts here as and when I get permission to do so.
If you are a New Zealander then come join the debate at Kiwi Scrum.

Some responses from the Kiwi Scrum Community...

On 3/10/09 2:55 AM, Nick Gerritsen wrote: There is a lot of globally leading tech development occuring in NZ in the cleantech sector. Take a look at www.aquaflowgroup.com (wild algae to crude oil) and www.carbonscape.com (biomass to charcoal) and www.celsias.com (Global Top 5 Climate Change/ Sustainability Community). The biggest issue is that NZ really struggles to support its own technology to lock in early competitive advantage. We are happy to buy it back later after it hs a GE brand on it or something. There is also this echoing reality that we have no effectiv VC in NZ currently, and total lack of mid market growth capital.....so anyone in this area has to be focused on growing propositions here as long as they can and then exporting into the world. This means that NZ is likely to miss out on a big part of the value transaction. Cheers Nick Gerritsen

On 3/10/09 2:55 AM, Robert Baal wrote: NZ already generates over 70% of its electrical energy needs from renewable such as hydro power and geothermal. IIRC of the top 20 nations only Norway and France beat that. There are numerous wind farm's at the planning stage as is more hydro. It is hard to see how we could do more. NZ generates less than 1% of the worlds carbon foot print so anything we could do will have no effect on the planet. Read you website about your film. Nothing there makes me want to watch the film. Well titled the film sounds stupid, green religion anybody?

The Carbon Trust Standard - feedback on progress.

2009-03-10T03:31:00.000-07:00

From April 2010 any organisation in the UK consuming more than 6,000 megawatt hours of electricity in 2008 (approx £500k) will be required to buy carbon allowances to cover their emissions. The money will be repaid depending on each organisations performance which will be published in a league table. Those that hold the Standard will receive a higher ranking in the table and earn more repayments. About 5,000 UK organisations in the public and private sectors will be affected by the legislation.

More than 60 household names including Morrisons, Diageo, Hewlett-Packard and Royal Mail, have already qualified for the Standard, saving more than half a million tonnes of carbon emissions in the process.

John Sauven, executive director of Greenpeace, said:

The Carbon Trust Standard marks the difference between organisations that are really reducing their own emissions and those that are greenwashing customers with hollow pledges and no action. Carbon emissions urgently need to be cut and this is a good starting point. But to be truly green , business must go beyond this and significantly decarbonise their supply chain.

Sea Levels rising at faster rate than originally predicted.

2009-03-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

Scientists will warn this week that rising sea levels, triggered by global warming, pose a far greater danger to the planet than previously estimated.

There is now a major risk that many coastal areas around the world will be inundated by the end of the century because Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets are melting faster than previously estimated.

Low-lying areas, such as Bangladesh, Florida, the Maldives and the Netherlands face catastrophic flooding, while in Britain, the Thames estuary is likely to disappear by 2100. Cities like London will need new flood defences.

"It is now clear that there are going to be massive flooding disasters around the globe," said Dr David Vaughan, of the British Antarctic Survey.

"Populations are shifting to the coast, which means that more and more people are going to be threatened by sea-level rises."

The issue is set to dominate the opening sessions of the international climate change conference in Copenhagen this week, when scientists will outline their latest findings on a host of issues concerning global warming.

The meeting has been organised to set the agenda for this December's international climate talks (also to be in Copenhagen), which will draw up a treaty to replace the Kyoto protocol for limiting carbon dioxide emissions.

Dig in and prepare for the long haul.

2009-03-09T10:14:00.000-07:00

The recession is starting to bite and you can't get away from the gloom on the radio or in the newspapers. However the message from Richard Branson is if you are best in field then don't cut back on quality because good companies always survive.

Branson has personally gone through 4 recessions in his business lifetime.He believes

Fortunes are made out of recessions. A lot of entrepreneurs get going in the economic depths because the barriers to entry are lower.

My concern is that soon the unemployed level will go over the 2 million mark here in the UK and there will be an even further tightening of belts to come before people become more positive in outlook. Attitudes are changing slightly but I would like to see more of the 'mainstream' acting positively on not wasting resources. If more Cleantech and Greentech businesses can get going in this downturn then ultimately we will all benefit from efficiencies gained through the 'downcycle'.

I pass Fiddlers Ferry Power Station (picture above)quite frequently and was interested to see what sort of emissions it was responsible for. I was flabbergasted to see it is responsible for 12,800,000 Tons of CO2 creating 11,400,00 Mwh Energy.
Drax the largest plant in the UK emits 22.6m Tons of CO2 per annum. We have a long way to go to reduce this horrific amount of Carbon going into our atmosphere.

Do Obama's team numbers add up?

2009-03-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

http://www.classicalvalues.com/archives/2009/03/having_doubts.html

I read this very interesting article today on the classicalvalues website. Here is some of the article...

I like Barack Obama but I have doubts about his presidency when I hear him saying that the US will "double the amount of energy that comes from renewable sources by the end of my first term." He should know that that's not possible. But instead, during his State of the Union speech, he proclaimed that we'll reach that goal in three years, not four.

Most anyone who has studied the energy situation must wonder about Obama's, or his advisors', energy experience. Presented with the numbers from the table (see below) he would realize that the majority of the renewable power comes from hydro and from wood, about 154 gigawatts. Readily available data show that the 6 percent for hydro and bio is pretty much all we can hope for. Trying to increase those yields we would have to ask: Where shall we find the extra rivers to dam? Lease the Amazon? And where do we find the extra land to double the wood and corn production? Annex Canada? Ukraine?

Understanding those limitations, Obama apparently relies on direct solar, wind, and geothermal energy growth. All three sources are presently producing about 19 GW. To reach the goal of generating 2 x (154 + 19) = 346 GW by 2012 (or 2011), the output of the three sources would have to increase nine-fold. That implies building many times more wind mills, solar plants, and geothermal stations in three years than have been installed in the previous decades.

My reply was as follows...

Great thought provoking article and it is very interesting what you say here. It is clear mankind if really backed up against the wall was pushed to come up with a solution it would and it is getting very close to that point now. We are collectively kidding ourselves if we can sustain a planet of 6 billion plus people on our existing carbon hungry diet. We have to change our habits and at a much faster rate than in the past. If enough money was thrown at developing alternative energy breathroughs we would find the answer I am sure.

Humanity currently consumes 15 terrawatts (TW) of energy annually. 1 TW = trillion watts. The amount of solar energy bombarding the Earth amounts to 89,000 TW annually. There is thousands of times more solar energy bombarding the Earth than all of the energy requirements of humanity. Harnessing this vast renewable energy resource can provide a clean and sustainable energy future for all of humanity. I am convinced the breakthrough will come in the solar field (that is if it hasnt already done so and some fossil fuel conglomerate hasnt already bought the patent and put it on the shelf awaiting an opportune moment to rape and pillage the masses economically).

Had a late night - hence the image. Until later Ciao.

The Age of Stupid - 8 Days and counting

2009-03-07T06:54:00.000-08:00

The Age of Stupid is the new four-year epic from McLibel director Franny Armstrong. Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

The 15th March is fast approaching. If you live in the UK look out for tickets on sale this week and get out and watch this release. Not Stupid!

Days are getting lighter.

2009-03-06T13:22:00.000-08:00

Its been a strange sort of a day today. The radio was full of climate change dialogue even before Peter Mandelson had been splattered with the 'Green' custard.

On my way back from work I dropped one of my colleagues back to the airport and then made my way home before the really heavy traffic on the M56, M6 started. At 5.30pm I headed off with the family to play tennis as we have all joined a local club and we try and play together every Friday and at least once over the weekend ,other sports and activities permitting.
The real noticeable thing whilst rallying on the outdoor courts was the amount of natural light still evident after 6.15pm. Hopefully we'll have a decent spring and summer this year.

After Tennis I went to my indoor football slot at the gym and proceeded to re-tear my hamstring which meant I was confined to playing in goal for most of the match.

As energysaint grows I will start getting more content up onto the main websites but I dont want to rush things at the moment. Will be adding more content over the course of the weekend. Until later - adieu.

Green Slime for Business Minister.

2009-03-06T08:53:00.000-08:00

Lord Mandelson has had a cup of green custard thrown in his face by an environmental protester.

Campaign group Plane Stupid said 29-year-old activist Leila Deen carried out the stunt as the Business Secretary arrived at the launch of the Government's low carbon economy summit.

Scotland Yard said it has launched an inquiry into the "slime" attack.

Asked about the incident, Lord Mandelson said: "She was so busy throwing what seemed like green soup or something in my face that she failed to tell me what the protest was about, but as you can see thankfully is wasn't paint and I've come through it intact."

Ms Deen, who calmly walked away after the incident, said: "The only thing green about Peter Mandelson is the slime coursing through his veins.

"That Mandelson is trying to make political capital out of climate change just days after reports that he met with BAA's top lobbyists to push through the third runway is an insult to my generation,"

Green Drinks

2009-03-05T23:32:00.000-08:00

Last night I attended my first greendrinks meeting. ( See www.greendrinks.org ).
It was held in an old Victorian pub called Doctor Duncan's in Liverpool. There was an interesting mix of people in attendance all with an interest on environmental issues.

There are now 455 active chapters of the greendrinks society. Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks.

Most chapters have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business.

Come along and you'll be made welcome. Just say, "are you green?" and they will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there. It's a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network.

News Item - Wind could supply 20% of US Energy by 2030.

2009-03-05T08:57:00.000-08:00

As in previous recessions, this economic downturn is boosting enrollment at community colleges and vocational schools. Classrooms are swelling with workers from hard-hit industries looking to change careers.

Educators say the difference this time is the surging interest in so-called green-collar jobs. President Obama wants to create 5 million such jobs over the next decade. What isn't clear is how the nation is going to prepare this workforce.

Technical education for renewable-energy workers is scarce, particularly for the fast-growing wind industry. Only a handful of wind programs operate in community colleges. Cerro Coso filled the 15 slots in its boot camp within hours. The next course is already full.

The United States last year surpassed Germany as the world's number one wind-powered nation, with more than 25,000 megawatts in place. Wind could supply 20 percent of America's electricity needs by 2030, up from less than 1 percent now, according to a recent Energy Department report.
California is the number three wind state, behind Texas and Iowa. A slew of developments are in the pipeline, including in Kern County, where hundreds of turbines already dot the wind-swept ridges of the Tehachapi mountain range.

"This is going to be ground zero for alternative energy" in California, said Jim Fay, vice president of academic affairs at Cerro Coso Community College, which has five campuses in Kern County. "We have to prepare our students."

The economic crisis has dampened growth in the renewable-energy sector. But the US wind industry is clamoring for skilled technicians to maintain the 30,000 wind turbines already in the ground.

Full article.. http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2009/03/05/workers_retrain_for_wind_energy_jobs/

Recession effecting Power Demand at Drax.

2009-03-05T08:43:00.000-08:00

Demand for Power in the UK was down by 6 per cent this winter, largely because of the effect of the recession - according to Drax , owner of Europe's biggest coal-fired power station.

Drax invested £100m last year in improving the efficiencies of its turbines and building 'co-firing' capacity so it can burn biomass instead of fuel. By these measures it has already cut carbon emissions by 3% since 2006 - equivalant to 195,000cars off the road.

If you want to steer away from coal generated utiltity companies there are businesses out there that only sell power from renewable resources.

Sun Harvesting - it makes sense.

2009-03-04T04:54:00.001-08:00

Humanity currently consumes 15 terrawatts (TW) of energy annually. 1 TW = trillion watts. The amount of solar energy bombarding the Earth amounts to 89,000 TW annually. There is thousands of times more solar energy bombarding the Earth than all of the energy requirements of humanity. Harnessing this vast renewable energy resource can provide a clean and sustainable energy future for all of humanity.

61 Trees per person - Thanks Nigel.

2009-03-04T03:11:00.000-08:00

I came across this site today http://www.nigelsecostore.com/acatalog/Meet_Nigel.html and encountered an entry on Nigel's blog.

NASA satellites made possible for Nalini Nadkarni at Evergreen State College in Washington to estimate the number of trees on planet earth. Because they reflect sunshine in particular patterns, it’s possible for biologists to determine coverage and look at numbers. The result? There are approximately 400,246,300,201 trees in the world.

But what does that mean? Well, using the latest estimates for our human population, Nadkarni calculated we ‘have‘ roughly 61 trees each. Is that adequate? Hard to say. How many trees do we each ‘use‘ in our lifetime? Just consider your dependence on paper, construction materials, firewood, magazines, and so on.

Now keep in mind trees are pretty important. They soak up excess carbon we emit and provide habitat for much of the world’s biodiversity. Seventy percent of the Earth’s land animals and plants live in forests and The World Resources Institute reports that over 80 percent of these areas have already been destroyed.

That said, the good thing about this story is that trees are a renewable resource. So let’s make sure we continue planting them and do a better job of preserving the forests we have.

I am hoping to buy some land by the end of this year and plant 305 trees on it. Probably in my homeland New Zealand as land is a little more affordable than here in the North West of England.

Will update the success of this project later in the year.

India phasing out incadescent lights to save 55 tons of greenhouse gases.

2009-03-04T02:38:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON, Mar 3 (OneWorld.net) - The second most populous country in the world is phasing out incandescent light bulbs in favor of energy-saving fluorescent bulbs, reports Greenpeace in India, calling the move an important step toward a cleaner energy future.

The government-orchestrated Bachat Lamp Yojana program will replace 400 million traditional incandescent light bulbs across India with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which use significantly less energy and have a longer life span than regular bulbs. The initiative is expected to reduce India's greenhouse gas emissions by 55 tons per year.

Los Angeles leading the way in the US on Energy Star ratings.

2009-03-04T02:02:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles commercial property landlords are going green on a bigger scale than their counterparts in other cities, the federal Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday. (Saving $87.2 Million USD)

The EPA awarded the most Energy Star ratings in the country last year to Los Angeles, where 262 buildings earned the agency's conservation designation. Energy Star buildings use at least 35% less energy than average buildings and emit 35% less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

San Francisco came in second in the country. (Saving $83.8m USD)
Rounding out the top 10 in 2008 were
3 Houston; ($70.6m USD)
4 Washington; ($42.2m USD)
5 Dallas-Fort Worth; ($31.9m USD)
6 Chicago; ($42.2m USD)
7 Denver; ($32.9m USD)
8 Minneapolis-St. Paul; ($36.3m USD)
9 Atlanta; ($16.4m USD)
and 10 Seattle. ($16.3m USD)

The rankings weren't ordered on the actual cost savings but on the number of buildings that acheived the energy star status in 2008.

News Item - Clean Energy Corps.

2009-03-03T03:54:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON, DC, March 2, 2009 (ENS) - More than 80 labor, environmental, civic, and policy organizations have endorsed a proposal to secure America's economic recovery and environmental health by applying energy-efficient measures to over 15 million existing buildings - from adding insulation to replacing inefficient boilers.

The Clean Energy Corps would combine job creation, service, and training to combat global warming. "The beauty of the Clean Energy Corps is that it doesn't just create jobs," said Green For All founder Van Jones, "it also creates pathways out of poverty."

The Clean Energy Corps is a proposal of the Clean Energy Corps Working Group, which includes representatives of the Apollo Alliance, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Center for Economic and Policy Research, Center on Wisconsin Strategy, Corps Network, Energy Action Coalition, Green For All, Innovations in Civic Participation, and 1Sky.

"At a time of severe hardship in the construction sector, retrofitting residential buildings to cut energy use can save consumers money, expand economic growth, reduce pollution, and create jobs," said Bracken Hendricks, senior fellow at Center for American Progress.

By retrofitting millions of structures, the Clean Energy Corps proposes to create at least 600,000 living-wage, career-track jobs in green industries, train people for them, and directly engage millions of Americans in diverse service-learning and volunteer work related to climate protection.

Gathering Ideas.

2009-03-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

Not much in life is unique to one person's own discoveries. Life is about mixing it up and learning about other cultures and taking on board the good and avoiding the bad where possible.

In the past 20 or so years I have been lucky to have been able to travel to many parts of the globe and seen how some societies have embraced renewable energy from an early stage in their development. One of the most progressive energy conscious countries I have had the privelage of visiting is Denmark.

Copenhagen is an old city which has embraced utilising different forms of transportation to suit its varied requirements. Even in the cold of winter you will see people numbering several thousand on bicycles making their way around the established inner city streets. In other cities like Aalborg and Aarhus it is very much the same on an albeit smaller scale and scattered around the region you will see evidence of renewable energy that is now contributing healthy percentages to the Danish energy requirement.

In 1973, during the Yom Kippur war, Denmark was 98% dependent on foreign oil for its power. Today, 36 years later, the country derives 21% of its energy from wind and is a net exporter of energy.

After the ’73 oil crisis, Denmark got real about energy. First, they focused on energy use, by requiring greater energy efficiency in buildings through insulation and energy audit requirements. Second, they invested in district heating systems, in which electricity producers capture “waste” heat created during power generation and distribute the heat to homes and buildings for use as a heating source. Third, they made a commitment to developing clean, renewable energy, and in 2005 provided 40% of the world’s wind energy, generating $4 billion turbine technology exports and creating 23,000 jobs in the process.

Many of the new turbines appearing around the British landscape have come via Danish companies now exporting their renewable energy know how.

Denmark is not an energy utopia. Part of their pathway to energy independence has been lined by aggressively pursuing oil drilling in the North Sea. But the Danish people as a society are looking forward rather than towards their past. They appear to have incorporated the clean, renewable ethos into the fabric of their society and have committed to invest $1 billion in tidal, solar and fuel cell technology R&D over the next 7 years, an investment which should dramatically boost their renewable portfolio and presumably their exports to a world market hungering for renewables.

Energy Saint - The project begins.

2009-03-02T12:43:00.000-08:00

After 23 years of experimenting with different things I have finally decided that I want to do something that will hopefully generate some good in this world.

Energy sources and the Earth's natural resources have been taken for granted for far too long. Mankind has been very wasteful over creating energy and so much of what we have generated in energy has been wasted at great cost to the environment. The planet is at tipping point ecologically but collectively we can look at ways of slowing down the global climate change through education and changing how we act as individuals.

Energy conservation and Energy efficiency are presently the most powerful tools in our transition to a cleaner energy future. As depicted in the Energy Pyramid (above), renewable energy is an important piece of our energy future, but the largest opportunities are currently in energy conservation and efficiency.

Today I secured the energysaint.com, energysaint.net and energysaint.org domains with the aim of building an awareness campaign about Energy that will hopefully turn into a community where people exchange ideas about Energy Efficiency and technological breakthroughs that will benefit future generations.