MIT's Solar System Estimates City's Solar Power Potential

Researchers at MIT have developed a new 3D solar potential mapping tool. The first rooftop solar mapping module of the Mapdwell platform, Solar System is available to anyone with Internet access. Incorporating factors ranging from roof angles and surface temperatures to local weather data and physical obstructions,

Solar System has been able to predict within 4 to 10 percent of photovoltaic (PV) panels' annual electricity yield during testing. MIT's home city of Cambridge, Massachusetts is the first to get a complete solar map of its 17,000 rooftops. According to Solar System, if PV panels were installed at all rooftop locations deemed "good" or better, they could provide one third of the city's energy needs for roughly $2.8 billion.

Solar System is inviting to play with and easy to use. But for all of the data it offers on potential expenses, tax credits, and revenue, these estimates cannot replace on-site evaluation for solar projects, as the "important notice" on any "Solar Electric Potential Report" states (example here). As with older solar mapping tools like the San Francisco Energy Map, since Solar System might not incorporate all real-world conditions into its analysis of a potential site, the use-value of the system seems more motivational and symbolic than strictly informative and technical.

For those interested in PV panel installation on rooftops in Cambridge, it is an accessible place to start. As a way to generate awareness of solar power potential, Solar System could also offer those who hadn't considered PV panels for their buildings reasons to investigate it further. However, consumers exploring the possibilities on the map can only determine what PV panels may potentially, but not with certainty, generate and cost.

via: Treehugger

screen capture via Mapdwell Solar System

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/bn2tuv3Py8s/3875-mits-solar-system-estimates-citys-solar-power-pote

President Obama Calls for Reduction of Carbon Pollution, Outlines Climate Action Plan

President Obama has laid out a new national climate action plan in a speech given at Georgetown University. “I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing,” the president said. The three-part plan involves cutting carbon pollution, helping states and cities prepare to weather the impact of climate change, and--in distinctly American language--“lead[ing] the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.”

In addition to calling for continuing increased reliance on clean energy, increasing funding for renewable energy development, and reducing energy waste, President Obama spoke in favor of federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution that power plants can release into the air, one of the major sources of carbon pollution in America. “We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury and sulfur and arsenic in our air or our water, but power plants can still dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free,” said President Obama. “ That’s not right, that’s not safe, and it needs to stop.” As part of this new carbon pollution initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency would set new pollution standards for current and future power plants.

President Obama commended states’ efforts in reducing carbon pollution. “More than 25 have set energy efficiency targets. More than 35 have set renewable energy targets,” said the president, stating further that it was “time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country.” The president’s plan, however, did include continued production of fossil fuels. “Transitioning to a clean energy economy takes time,” President Obama said. The Keystone pipeline also gained mention, and the president said that the State Department is in the final stages of evaluating the proposal. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward,” President Obama said. To applause, the president called for public financing to stop for new coal plants overseas, "unless they deploy carbon-capture technologies, or there's no other viable way for the poorest countries to generate electricity."

House Speaker John A. Boehner condemned the president’s proposals, stating “These policies, rejected even by the last Democratic-controlled Congress, will shutter power plants, destroy good-paying American jobs and raise electricity bills for families that can scarcely afford it.” In response to claims like this, the president pointed out that economic growth and limiting pollution are not mutually exclusive. He discussed the history of environmentally-concerned legislation, like the Clean Air Act, fuel standards for automobile makers, and CFC regulation, which did not destroyed the economy: “When we phased out CFCs, the gases that were depleting the ozone layer, it didn’t kill off refrigerators or air-conditioners or deodorant. American workers and businesses figured out how to do it better without harming the environment as much.” President Obama also mentioned that GM, Nike, and over 500 other businesses recently issued a Climate Declaration that calls for the federal government to take action on climate change, and that if addressing climate change was bad for businesses, shareholders, and customers, these companies wouldn’t rally behind a call for action.

While some critical details were absent, like just how much carbon pollution is acceptable from power plants, overseas coal plants, and the proposed Keystone pipeline for it to move forward, President Obama did not sugar coat the reality of the problems at hand. "Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm. And ultimately, we will be judged as a people, and as a society, and as a country on where we go from here." The president urged his audience to "speak up for the facts" and take action: "Convince those in power to reduce our carbon pollution. Push your own communities to adopt smarter practices." A pdf of the climate action plan may be access here. The White House also released an infographic on climate change and the president’s plan to address it here.

image screen capture via White House YouTube Channel

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/sHhkHVaxJKU/3873--president-obama-calls-for-reduction-of-carbon-pol

USDOE eGallon Offers Comparative EV Driving Cost

The US Department of Energy has introduced a new website to help consumers compare the driving cost for an electric vehicle (or hybrid in electric mode) versus a conventional gasoline vehicle. "The eGallon represents the cost of driving an electric vehicle (EV) the same distance a gasoline-powered vehicle could travel on one (1) gallon of gasoline."

In addition to offering a significant savings on a per-mile basis, electricity prices are also more stable over time compared to gas prices, which can fluctuate wildly on a week-to-week basis. The cost to operate an electric vehicle is much more manageable when the price is less susceptible to global market variability.

The DOE has also released its eGallon methodology showing how this figure is calculated. They also point out that in many markets, off-peak charging is available, which makes electric driving even less expensive than the calculated eGallon price.

link: eGallon (USDOE)

via: USDOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy News

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/o0VR5A4v-2s/3874--usdoe-egallon-offers-comparative-ev-driving-cost

MIT's Solar System Estimates City's Solar Power Potential

Researchers at MIT have developed a new 3D solar potential mapping tool. The first rooftop solar mapping module of the Mapdwell platform, Solar System is available to anyone with Internet access. Incorporating factors ranging from roof angles and surface temperatures to local weather data and physical obstructions,

Solar System has been able to predict within 4 to 10 percent of photovoltaic (PV) panels' annual electricity yield during testing. MIT's home city of Cambridge, Massachusetts is the first to get a complete solar map of its 17,000 rooftops. According to Solar System, if PV panels were installed at all rooftop locations deemed "good" or better, they could provide one third of the city's energy needs for roughly $2.8 billion.

Solar System is inviting to play with and easy to use. But for all of the data it offers on potential expenses, tax credits, and revenue, these estimates cannot replace on-site evaluation for solar projects, as the "important notice" on any "Solar Electric Potential Report" states (example here). As with older solar mapping tools like the San Francisco Energy Map, since Solar System might not incorporate all real-world conditions into its analysis of a potential site, the use-value of the system seems more motivational and symbolic than strictly informative and technical.

For those interested in PV panel installation on rooftops in Cambridge, it is an accessible place to start. As a way to generate awareness of solar power potential, Solar System could also offer those who hadn't considered PV panels for their buildings reasons to investigate it further. However, consumers exploring the possibilities on the map can only determine what PV panels may potentially, but not with certainty, generate and cost.

via: Treehugger

screen capture via Mapdwell Solar System

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/bn2tuv3Py8s/3875-mits-solar-system-estimates-citys-solar-power-pote

President Obama Calls for Reduction of Carbon Pollution, Outlines Climate Action Plan

President Obama has laid out a new national climate action plan in a speech given at Georgetown University. “I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing,” the president said. The three-part plan involves cutting carbon pollution, helping states and cities prepare to weather the impact of climate change, and--in distinctly American language--“lead[ing] the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.”

In addition to calling for continuing increased reliance on clean energy, increasing funding for renewable energy development, and reducing energy waste, President Obama spoke in favor of federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution that power plants can release into the air, one of the major sources of carbon pollution in America. “We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury and sulfur and arsenic in our air or our water, but power plants can still dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free,” said President Obama. “ That’s not right, that’s not safe, and it needs to stop.” As part of this new carbon pollution initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency would set new pollution standards for current and future power plants.

President Obama commended states’ efforts in reducing carbon pollution. “More than 25 have set energy efficiency targets. More than 35 have set renewable energy targets,” said the president, stating further that it was “time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country.” The president’s plan, however, did include continued production of fossil fuels. “Transitioning to a clean energy economy takes time,” President Obama said. The Keystone pipeline also gained mention, and the president said that the State Department is in the final stages of evaluating the proposal. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward,” President Obama said. To applause, the president called for public financing to stop for new coal plants overseas, "unless they deploy carbon-capture technologies, or there's no other viable way for the poorest countries to generate electricity."

House Speaker John A. Boehner condemned the president’s proposals, stating “These policies, rejected even by the last Democratic-controlled Congress, will shutter power plants, destroy good-paying American jobs and raise electricity bills for families that can scarcely afford it.” In response to claims like this, the president pointed out that economic growth and limiting pollution are not mutually exclusive. He discussed the history of environmentally-concerned legislation, like the Clean Air Act, fuel standards for automobile makers, and CFC regulation, which did not destroyed the economy: “When we phased out CFCs, the gases that were depleting the ozone layer, it didn’t kill off refrigerators or air-conditioners or deodorant. American workers and businesses figured out how to do it better without harming the environment as much.” President Obama also mentioned that GM, Nike, and over 500 other businesses recently issued a Climate Declaration that calls for the federal government to take action on climate change, and that if addressing climate change was bad for businesses, shareholders, and customers, these companies wouldn’t rally behind a call for action.

While some critical details were absent, like just how much carbon pollution is acceptable from power plants, overseas coal plants, and the proposed Keystone pipeline for it to move forward, President Obama did not sugar coat the reality of the problems at hand. "Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm. And ultimately, we will be judged as a people, and as a society, and as a country on where we go from here." The president urged his audience to "speak up for the facts" and take action: "Convince those in power to reduce our carbon pollution. Push your own communities to adopt smarter practices." A pdf of the climate action plan may be access here. The White House also released an infographic on climate change and the president’s plan to address it here.

image screen capture via White House YouTube Channel

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/sHhkHVaxJKU/3873--president-obama-calls-for-reduction-of-carbon-pol

Thermoelectrics May Improve Efficiency in Gasoline-Powered Cars

For a car that runs on gasoline, just one third of each gallon of fuel actually powers its systems. The rest, turned into heat, is wasted. However, new applications of thermoelectric (TE) power may allow automobiles with internal combustion engines to be built to run more efficiently. Transforming some of this unused heat into electrical energy could help power everything from lights and windows of passenger cars to hydraulics and electric doors of construction vehicles.

Published in the Energy Quarterly section of the June 2013 issue of the Materials Research Society (MRS) Bulletin, Philip Ball's Thermoelectric heat recovery could boost auto fuel economy begins by acknowledging that, because electric vehicles that run on batteries "remain a distant prospect for routine use, especially for long-haul heavy transport and construction machinery," internal combustion engines will likely stick with us for a while--along with their inefficiencies and pollution.

TE generators would help put the fossil fuel to better use, by converting some of the wasted thermal energy to electrical energy. Fuel efficiency would also improve with TE generators taking some of the alternators' electricity-generating responsibilities. NASA has shown TE conversion efficiencies up to 15% in high temperature gradients. If similar efficiencies can be achieved in automobiles, turning 5-10% of a vehicle's wasted heat into electricity could mean a 3-6% reduction in fuel consumption.

Creating electrical energy from thermal energy isn't easy. Since only a little electric energy is generated by a lot of thermal energy, increasing the coupling of heat and electrical transport is critical to making TE power practical beyond unique applications like spacecraft. The difficulty of making automotive engineering work with these TE modules, as well as the high cost of the materials needed are also challenges for researchers developing this technology. However, as Ball writes, according to the lead researcher at IAV in Berlin, Daniel Jänsch, “Legislation, especially in Europe, is a driving force, and manufacturers could decide to implement more expensive technologies instead of paying carbon-emissions penalties." Jänsch also states, if TE systems reach their potential, thermoelectric power could be deployed in passenger cars as early as 2020.

via: Cambridge University Press

image CC BY-SA 2.0 by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/fYLvFJaBmzQ/3872-thermoelectrics-may-improve-efficiency-in-gasoline

USDOE eGallon Offers Comparative EV Driving Cost

The US Department of Energy has introduced a new website to help consumers compare the driving cost for an electric vehicle (or hybrid in electric mode) versus a conventional gasoline vehicle. "The eGallon represents the cost of driving an electric vehicle (EV) the same distance a gasoline-powered vehicle could travel on one (1) gallon of gasoline."

In addition to offering a significant savings on a per-mile basis, electricity prices are also more stable over time compared to gas prices, which can fluctuate wildly on a week-to-week basis. The cost to operate an electric vehicle is much more manageable when the price is less susceptible to global market variability.

The DOE has also released its eGallon methodology showing how this figure is calculated. They also point out that in many markets, off-peak charging is available, which makes electric driving even less expensive than the calculated eGallon price.

link: eGallon (USDOE)

via: USDOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy News

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/o0VR5A4v-2s/3874--usdoe-egallon-offers-comparative-ev-driving-cost

MIT's Solar System Estimates City's Solar Power Potential

Researchers at MIT have developed a new 3D solar potential mapping tool. The first rooftop solar mapping module of the Mapdwell platform, Solar System is available to anyone with Internet access. Incorporating factors ranging from roof angles and surface temperatures to local weather data and physical obstructions,

Solar System has been able to predict within 4 to 10 percent of photovoltaic (PV) panels' annual electricity yield during testing. MIT's home city of Cambridge, Massachusetts is the first to get a complete solar map of its 17,000 rooftops. According to Solar System, if PV panels were installed at all rooftop locations deemed "good" or better, they could provide one third of the city's energy needs for roughly $2.8 billion.

Solar System is inviting to play with and easy to use. But for all of the data it offers on potential expenses, tax credits, and revenue, these estimates cannot replace on-site evaluation for solar projects, as the "important notice" on any "Solar Electric Potential Report" states (example here). As with older solar mapping tools like the San Francisco Energy Map, since Solar System might not incorporate all real-world conditions into its analysis of a potential site, the use-value of the system seems more motivational and symbolic than strictly informative and technical.

For those interested in PV panel installation on rooftops in Cambridge, it is an accessible place to start. As a way to generate awareness of solar power potential, Solar System could also offer those who hadn't considered PV panels for their buildings reasons to investigate it further. However, consumers exploring the possibilities on the map can only determine what PV panels may potentially, but not with certainty, generate and cost.

via: Treehugger

screen capture via Mapdwell Solar System

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/bn2tuv3Py8s/3875-mits-solar-system-estimates-citys-solar-power-pote

President Obama Calls for Reduction of Carbon Pollution, Outlines Climate Action Plan

President Obama has laid out a new national climate action plan in a speech given at Georgetown University. “I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing,” the president said. The three-part plan involves cutting carbon pollution, helping states and cities prepare to weather the impact of climate change, and--in distinctly American language--“lead[ing] the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.”

In addition to calling for continuing increased reliance on clean energy, increasing funding for renewable energy development, and reducing energy waste, President Obama spoke in favor of federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution that power plants can release into the air, one of the major sources of carbon pollution in America. “We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury and sulfur and arsenic in our air or our water, but power plants can still dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free,” said President Obama. “ That’s not right, that’s not safe, and it needs to stop.” As part of this new carbon pollution initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency would set new pollution standards for current and future power plants.

President Obama commended states’ efforts in reducing carbon pollution. “More than 25 have set energy efficiency targets. More than 35 have set renewable energy targets,” said the president, stating further that it was “time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country.” The president’s plan, however, did include continued production of fossil fuels. “Transitioning to a clean energy economy takes time,” President Obama said. The Keystone pipeline also gained mention, and the president said that the State Department is in the final stages of evaluating the proposal. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward,” President Obama said. To applause, the president called for public financing to stop for new coal plants overseas, "unless they deploy carbon-capture technologies, or there's no other viable way for the poorest countries to generate electricity."

House Speaker John A. Boehner condemned the president’s proposals, stating “These policies, rejected even by the last Democratic-controlled Congress, will shutter power plants, destroy good-paying American jobs and raise electricity bills for families that can scarcely afford it.” In response to claims like this, the president pointed out that economic growth and limiting pollution are not mutually exclusive. He discussed the history of environmentally-concerned legislation, like the Clean Air Act, fuel standards for automobile makers, and CFC regulation, which did not destroyed the economy: “When we phased out CFCs, the gases that were depleting the ozone layer, it didn’t kill off refrigerators or air-conditioners or deodorant. American workers and businesses figured out how to do it better without harming the environment as much.” President Obama also mentioned that GM, Nike, and over 500 other businesses recently issued a Climate Declaration that calls for the federal government to take action on climate change, and that if addressing climate change was bad for businesses, shareholders, and customers, these companies wouldn’t rally behind a call for action.

While some critical details were absent, like just how much carbon pollution is acceptable from power plants, overseas coal plants, and the proposed Keystone pipeline for it to move forward, President Obama did not sugar coat the reality of the problems at hand. "Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm. And ultimately, we will be judged as a people, and as a society, and as a country on where we go from here." The president urged his audience to "speak up for the facts" and take action: "Convince those in power to reduce our carbon pollution. Push your own communities to adopt smarter practices." A pdf of the climate action plan may be access here. The White House also released an infographic on climate change and the president’s plan to address it here.

image screen capture via White House YouTube Channel

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/sHhkHVaxJKU/3873--president-obama-calls-for-reduction-of-carbon-pol

Thermoelectrics May Improve Efficiency in Gasoline-Powered Cars

For a car that runs on gasoline, just one third of each gallon of fuel actually powers its systems. The rest, turned into heat, is wasted. However, new applications of thermoelectric (TE) power may allow automobiles with internal combustion engines to be built to run more efficiently. Transforming some of this unused heat into electrical energy could help power everything from lights and windows of passenger cars to hydraulics and electric doors of construction vehicles.

Published in the Energy Quarterly section of the June 2013 issue of the Materials Research Society (MRS) Bulletin, Philip Ball's Thermoelectric heat recovery could boost auto fuel economy begins by acknowledging that, because electric vehicles that run on batteries "remain a distant prospect for routine use, especially for long-haul heavy transport and construction machinery," internal combustion engines will likely stick with us for a while--along with their inefficiencies and pollution.

TE generators would help put the fossil fuel to better use, by converting some of the wasted thermal energy to electrical energy. Fuel efficiency would also improve with TE generators taking some of the alternators' electricity-generating responsibilities. NASA has shown TE conversion efficiencies up to 15% in high temperature gradients. If similar efficiencies can be achieved in automobiles, turning 5-10% of a vehicle's wasted heat into electricity could mean a 3-6% reduction in fuel consumption.

Creating electrical energy from thermal energy isn't easy. Since only a little electric energy is generated by a lot of thermal energy, increasing the coupling of heat and electrical transport is critical to making TE power practical beyond unique applications like spacecraft. The difficulty of making automotive engineering work with these TE modules, as well as the high cost of the materials needed are also challenges for researchers developing this technology. However, as Ball writes, according to the lead researcher at IAV in Berlin, Daniel Jänsch, “Legislation, especially in Europe, is a driving force, and manufacturers could decide to implement more expensive technologies instead of paying carbon-emissions penalties." Jänsch also states, if TE systems reach their potential, thermoelectric power could be deployed in passenger cars as early as 2020.

via: Cambridge University Press

image CC BY-SA 2.0 by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/fYLvFJaBmzQ/3872-thermoelectrics-may-improve-efficiency-in-gasoline

USDOE eGallon Offers Comparative EV Driving Cost

The US Department of Energy has introduced a new website to help consumers compare the driving cost for an electric vehicle (or hybrid in electric mode) versus a conventional gasoline vehicle. "The eGallon represents the cost of driving an electric vehicle (EV) the same distance a gasoline-powered vehicle could travel on one (1) gallon of gasoline."

In addition to offering a significant savings on a per-mile basis, electricity prices are also more stable over time compared to gas prices, which can fluctuate wildly on a week-to-week basis. The cost to operate an electric vehicle is much more manageable when the price is less susceptible to global market variability.

The DOE has also released its eGallon methodology showing how this figure is calculated. They also point out that in many markets, off-peak charging is available, which makes electric driving even less expensive than the calculated eGallon price.

link: eGallon (USDOE)

via: USDOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy News

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/o0VR5A4v-2s/3874--usdoe-egallon-offers-comparative-ev-driving-cost

MIT's Solar System Estimates City's Solar Power Potential

Researchers at MIT have developed a new 3D solar potential mapping tool. The first rooftop solar mapping module of the Mapdwell platform, Solar System is available to anyone with Internet access. Incorporating factors ranging from roof angles and surface temperatures to local weather data and physical obstructions,

Solar System has been able to predict within 4 to 10 percent of photovoltaic (PV) panels' annual electricity yield during testing. MIT's home city of Cambridge, Massachusetts is the first to get a complete solar map of its 17,000 rooftops. According to Solar System, if PV panels were installed at all rooftop locations deemed "good" or better, they could provide one third of the city's energy needs for roughly $2.8 billion.

Solar System is inviting to play with and easy to use. But for all of the data it offers on potential expenses, tax credits, and revenue, these estimates cannot replace on-site evaluation for solar projects, as the "important notice" on any "Solar Electric Potential Report" states (example here). As with older solar mapping tools like the San Francisco Energy Map, since Solar System might not incorporate all real-world conditions into its analysis of a potential site, the use-value of the system seems more motivational and symbolic than strictly informative and technical.

For those interested in PV panel installation on rooftops in Cambridge, it is an accessible place to start. As a way to generate awareness of solar power potential, Solar System could also offer those who hadn't considered PV panels for their buildings reasons to investigate it further. However, consumers exploring the possibilities on the map can only determine what PV panels may potentially, but not with certainty, generate and cost.

via: Treehugger

screen capture via Mapdwell Solar System

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/bn2tuv3Py8s/3875-mits-solar-system-estimates-citys-solar-power-pote

President Obama Calls for Reduction of Carbon Pollution, Outlines Climate Action Plan

President Obama has laid out a new national climate action plan in a speech given at Georgetown University. “I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing,” the president said. The three-part plan involves cutting carbon pollution, helping states and cities prepare to weather the impact of climate change, and--in distinctly American language--“lead[ing] the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.”

In addition to calling for continuing increased reliance on clean energy, increasing funding for renewable energy development, and reducing energy waste, President Obama spoke in favor of federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution that power plants can release into the air, one of the major sources of carbon pollution in America. “We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury and sulfur and arsenic in our air or our water, but power plants can still dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free,” said President Obama. “ That’s not right, that’s not safe, and it needs to stop.” As part of this new carbon pollution initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency would set new pollution standards for current and future power plants.

President Obama commended states’ efforts in reducing carbon pollution. “More than 25 have set energy efficiency targets. More than 35 have set renewable energy targets,” said the president, stating further that it was “time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country.” The president’s plan, however, did include continued production of fossil fuels. “Transitioning to a clean energy economy takes time,” President Obama said. The Keystone pipeline also gained mention, and the president said that the State Department is in the final stages of evaluating the proposal. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward,” President Obama said. To applause, the president called for public financing to stop for new coal plants overseas, "unless they deploy carbon-capture technologies, or there's no other viable way for the poorest countries to generate electricity."

House Speaker John A. Boehner condemned the president’s proposals, stating “These policies, rejected even by the last Democratic-controlled Congress, will shutter power plants, destroy good-paying American jobs and raise electricity bills for families that can scarcely afford it.” In response to claims like this, the president pointed out that economic growth and limiting pollution are not mutually exclusive. He discussed the history of environmentally-concerned legislation, like the Clean Air Act, fuel standards for automobile makers, and CFC regulation, which did not destroyed the economy: “When we phased out CFCs, the gases that were depleting the ozone layer, it didn’t kill off refrigerators or air-conditioners or deodorant. American workers and businesses figured out how to do it better without harming the environment as much.” President Obama also mentioned that GM, Nike, and over 500 other businesses recently issued a Climate Declaration that calls for the federal government to take action on climate change, and that if addressing climate change was bad for businesses, shareholders, and customers, these companies wouldn’t rally behind a call for action.

While some critical details were absent, like just how much carbon pollution is acceptable from power plants, overseas coal plants, and the proposed Keystone pipeline for it to move forward, President Obama did not sugar coat the reality of the problems at hand. "Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm. And ultimately, we will be judged as a people, and as a society, and as a country on where we go from here." The president urged his audience to "speak up for the facts" and take action: "Convince those in power to reduce our carbon pollution. Push your own communities to adopt smarter practices." A pdf of the climate action plan may be access here. The White House also released an infographic on climate change and the president’s plan to address it here.

image screen capture via White House YouTube Channel

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/sHhkHVaxJKU/3873--president-obama-calls-for-reduction-of-carbon-pol

Thermoelectrics May Improve Efficiency in Gasoline-Powered Cars

For a car that runs on gasoline, just one third of each gallon of fuel actually powers its systems. The rest, turned into heat, is wasted. However, new applications of thermoelectric (TE) power may allow automobiles with internal combustion engines to be built to run more efficiently. Transforming some of this unused heat into electrical energy could help power everything from lights and windows of passenger cars to hydraulics and electric doors of construction vehicles.

Published in the Energy Quarterly section of the June 2013 issue of the Materials Research Society (MRS) Bulletin, Philip Ball's Thermoelectric heat recovery could boost auto fuel economy begins by acknowledging that, because electric vehicles that run on batteries "remain a distant prospect for routine use, especially for long-haul heavy transport and construction machinery," internal combustion engines will likely stick with us for a while--along with their inefficiencies and pollution.

TE generators would help put the fossil fuel to better use, by converting some of the wasted thermal energy to electrical energy. Fuel efficiency would also improve with TE generators taking some of the alternators' electricity-generating responsibilities. NASA has shown TE conversion efficiencies up to 15% in high temperature gradients. If similar efficiencies can be achieved in automobiles, turning 5-10% of a vehicle's wasted heat into electricity could mean a 3-6% reduction in fuel consumption.

Creating electrical energy from thermal energy isn't easy. Since only a little electric energy is generated by a lot of thermal energy, increasing the coupling of heat and electrical transport is critical to making TE power practical beyond unique applications like spacecraft. The difficulty of making automotive engineering work with these TE modules, as well as the high cost of the materials needed are also challenges for researchers developing this technology. However, as Ball writes, according to the lead researcher at IAV in Berlin, Daniel Jänsch, “Legislation, especially in Europe, is a driving force, and manufacturers could decide to implement more expensive technologies instead of paying carbon-emissions penalties." Jänsch also states, if TE systems reach their potential, thermoelectric power could be deployed in passenger cars as early as 2020.

via: Cambridge University Press

image CC BY-SA 2.0 by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/fYLvFJaBmzQ/3872-thermoelectrics-may-improve-efficiency-in-gasoline

USDOE eGallon Offers Comparative EV Driving Cost

The US Department of Energy has introduced a new website to help consumers compare the driving cost for an electric vehicle (or hybrid in electric mode) versus a conventional gasoline vehicle. "The eGallon represents the cost of driving an electric vehicle (EV) the same distance a gasoline-powered vehicle could travel on one (1) gallon of gasoline."

In addition to offering a significant savings on a per-mile basis, electricity prices are also more stable over time compared to gas prices, which can fluctuate wildly on a week-to-week basis. The cost to operate an electric vehicle is much more manageable when the price is less susceptible to global market variability.

The DOE has also released its eGallon methodology showing how this figure is calculated. They also point out that in many markets, off-peak charging is available, which makes electric driving even less expensive than the calculated eGallon price.

link: eGallon (USDOE)

via: USDOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy News

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/o0VR5A4v-2s/3874--usdoe-egallon-offers-comparative-ev-driving-cost

President Obama Calls for Reduction of Carbon Pollution, Outlines Climate Action Plan

President Obama has laid out a new national climate action plan in a speech given at Georgetown University. “I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing,” the president said. The three-part plan involves cutting carbon pollution, helping states and cities prepare to weather the impact of climate change, and--in distinctly American language--“lead[ing] the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.”

In addition to calling for continuing increased reliance on clean energy, increasing funding for renewable energy development, and reducing energy waste, President Obama spoke in favor of federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution that power plants can release into the air, one of the major sources of carbon pollution in America. “We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury and sulfur and arsenic in our air or our water, but power plants can still dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free,” said President Obama. “ That’s not right, that’s not safe, and it needs to stop.” As part of this new carbon pollution initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency would set new pollution standards for current and future power plants.

President Obama commended states’ efforts in reducing carbon pollution. “More than 25 have set energy efficiency targets. More than 35 have set renewable energy targets,” said the president, stating further that it was “time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country.” The president’s plan, however, did include continued production of fossil fuels. “Transitioning to a clean energy economy takes time,” President Obama said. The Keystone pipeline also gained mention, and the president said that the State Department is in the final stages of evaluating the proposal. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward,” President Obama said. To applause, the president called for public financing to stop for new coal plants overseas, "unless they deploy carbon-capture technologies, or there's no other viable way for the poorest countries to generate electricity."

House Speaker John A. Boehner condemned the president’s proposals, stating “These policies, rejected even by the last Democratic-controlled Congress, will shutter power plants, destroy good-paying American jobs and raise electricity bills for families that can scarcely afford it.” In response to claims like this, the president pointed out that economic growth and limiting pollution are not mutually exclusive. He discussed the history of environmentally-concerned legislation, like the Clean Air Act, fuel standards for automobile makers, and CFC regulation, which did not destroyed the economy: “When we phased out CFCs, the gases that were depleting the ozone layer, it didn’t kill off refrigerators or air-conditioners or deodorant. American workers and businesses figured out how to do it better without harming the environment as much.” President Obama also mentioned that GM, Nike, and over 500 other businesses recently issued a Climate Declaration that calls for the federal government to take action on climate change, and that if addressing climate change was bad for businesses, shareholders, and customers, these companies wouldn’t rally behind a call for action.

While some critical details were absent, like just how much carbon pollution is acceptable from power plants, overseas coal plants, and the proposed Keystone pipeline for it to move forward, President Obama did not sugar coat the reality of the problems at hand. "Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm. And ultimately, we will be judged as a people, and as a society, and as a country on where we go from here." The president urged his audience to "speak up for the facts" and take action: "Convince those in power to reduce our carbon pollution. Push your own communities to adopt smarter practices." A pdf of the climate action plan may be access here. The White House also released an infographic on climate change and the president’s plan to address it here.

image screen capture via White House YouTube Channel

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/sHhkHVaxJKU/3873--president-obama-calls-for-reduction-of-carbon-pol

Thermoelectrics May Improve Efficiency in Gasoline-Powered Cars

For a car that runs on gasoline, just one third of each gallon of fuel actually powers its systems. The rest, turned into heat, is wasted. However, new applications of thermoelectric (TE) power may allow automobiles with internal combustion engines to be built to run more efficiently. Transforming some of this unused heat into electrical energy could help power everything from lights and windows of passenger cars to hydraulics and electric doors of construction vehicles.

Published in the Energy Quarterly section of the June 2013 issue of the Materials Research Society (MRS) Bulletin, Philip Ball's Thermoelectric heat recovery could boost auto fuel economy begins by acknowledging that, because electric vehicles that run on batteries "remain a distant prospect for routine use, especially for long-haul heavy transport and construction machinery," internal combustion engines will likely stick with us for a while--along with their inefficiencies and pollution.

TE generators would help put the fossil fuel to better use, by converting some of the wasted thermal energy to electrical energy. Fuel efficiency would also improve with TE generators taking some of the alternators' electricity-generating responsibilities. NASA has shown TE conversion efficiencies up to 15% in high temperature gradients. If similar efficiencies can be achieved in automobiles, turning 5-10% of a vehicle's wasted heat into electricity could mean a 3-6% reduction in fuel consumption.

Creating electrical energy from thermal energy isn't easy. Since only a little electric energy is generated by a lot of thermal energy, increasing the coupling of heat and electrical transport is critical to making TE power practical beyond unique applications like spacecraft. The difficulty of making automotive engineering work with these TE modules, as well as the high cost of the materials needed are also challenges for researchers developing this technology. However, as Ball writes, according to the lead researcher at IAV in Berlin, Daniel Jänsch, “Legislation, especially in Europe, is a driving force, and manufacturers could decide to implement more expensive technologies instead of paying carbon-emissions penalties." Jänsch also states, if TE systems reach their potential, thermoelectric power could be deployed in passenger cars as early as 2020.

via: Cambridge University Press

image CC BY-SA 2.0 by Richard Masoner / Cyclelicious

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/fYLvFJaBmzQ/3872-thermoelectrics-may-improve-efficiency-in-gasoline

Sulfur Makes Safer, More Efficient Batteries

Sulfur continues to offer promise in the energy storage realm. Low- cost lithium sulfur batteries were just a research topic a few years ago, and are now moving closer to practicality with new developments that could offer four times the energy storage of lithium-ion batteries.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed a technique that uses a solid electrolyte to produce a stable, low-cost, sulfur-based battery. "The new ionically-conductive cathode enabled the ORNL battery to maintain a capacity of 1200 milliamp-hours (mAh) per gram after 300 charge-discharge cycles at 60 degrees Celsius. For comparison, a traditional lithium-ion battery cathode has an average capacity between 140-170 mAh/g. Because lithium-sulfur batteries deliver about half the voltage of lithium-ion versions, this eight-fold increase in capacity demonstrated in the ORNL battery cathode translates into four times the gravimetric energy density of lithium-ion technologies."

Sulfur is a plentiful element, and is often a waste product of industrial processes, making it very cheap and readily available. Sulfur based batteries are also said to be less prone to instability and accidental fire than present lithium ion batteries are in part because the electrolytes are solid rather than liquid.

Sulfur has been part of large-scale sodium sulfur batteries for many years, but that technology requires high temperatures, and is best suited for industrial applications. The new developments offer the possibility of bringing sulfur-based batteries to consumer level applications.

image: sulphur and calcite CC BY-SA 3.0 by Didier Descouens/Wikimedia Commons

via: Treehugger (HT: Megan Treacy)

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/BaAOxA85Nr0/3871-sulfur-makes-safer-more-efficient-batteries-

USDOE eGallon Offers Comparative EV Driving Cost

The US Department of Energy has introduced a new website to help consumers compare the driving cost for an electric vehicle (or hybrid in electric mode) versus a conventional gasoline vehicle. "The eGallon represents the cost of driving an electric vehicle (EV) the same distance a gasoline-powered vehicle could travel on one (1) gallon of gasoline."

In addition to offering a significant savings on a per-mile basis, electricity prices are also more stable over time compared to gas prices, which can fluctuate wildly on a week-to-week basis. The cost to operate an electric vehicle is much more manageable when the price is less susceptible to global market variability.

The DOE has also released its eGallon methodology showing how this figure is calculated. They also point out that in many markets, off-peak charging is available, which makes electric driving even less expensive than the calculated eGallon price.

link: eGallon (USDOE)

via: USDOE Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy News

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/o0VR5A4v-2s/3874--usdoe-egallon-offers-comparative-ev-driving-cost

President Obama Calls for Reduction of Carbon Pollution, Outlines Climate Action Plan

President Obama has laid out a new national climate action plan in a speech given at Georgetown University. “I refuse to condemn your generation and future generations to a planet that’s beyond fixing,” the president said. The three-part plan involves cutting carbon pollution, helping states and cities prepare to weather the impact of climate change, and--in distinctly American language--“lead[ing] the world in a coordinated assault on a changing climate.”

In addition to calling for continuing increased reliance on clean energy, increasing funding for renewable energy development, and reducing energy waste, President Obama spoke in favor of federal limits to the amount of carbon pollution that power plants can release into the air, one of the major sources of carbon pollution in America. “We limit the amount of toxic chemicals like mercury and sulfur and arsenic in our air or our water, but power plants can still dump unlimited amounts of carbon pollution into the air for free,” said President Obama. “ That’s not right, that’s not safe, and it needs to stop.” As part of this new carbon pollution initiative, the Environmental Protection Agency would set new pollution standards for current and future power plants.

President Obama commended states’ efforts in reducing carbon pollution. “More than 25 have set energy efficiency targets. More than 35 have set renewable energy targets,” said the president, stating further that it was “time for Washington to catch up with the rest of the country.” The president’s plan, however, did include continued production of fossil fuels. “Transitioning to a clean energy economy takes time,” President Obama said. The Keystone pipeline also gained mention, and the president said that the State Department is in the final stages of evaluating the proposal. “The net effects of the pipeline’s impact on our climate will be absolutely critical to determining whether this project is allowed to go forward,” President Obama said. To applause, the president called for public financing to stop for new coal plants overseas, "unless they deploy carbon-capture technologies, or there's no other viable way for the poorest countries to generate electricity."

House Speaker John A. Boehner condemned the president’s proposals, stating “These policies, rejected even by the last Democratic-controlled Congress, will shutter power plants, destroy good-paying American jobs and raise electricity bills for families that can scarcely afford it.” In response to claims like this, the president pointed out that economic growth and limiting pollution are not mutually exclusive. He discussed the history of environmentally-concerned legislation, like the Clean Air Act, fuel standards for automobile makers, and CFC regulation, which did not destroyed the economy: “When we phased out CFCs, the gases that were depleting the ozone layer, it didn’t kill off refrigerators or air-conditioners or deodorant. American workers and businesses figured out how to do it better without harming the environment as much.” President Obama also mentioned that GM, Nike, and over 500 other businesses recently issued a Climate Declaration that calls for the federal government to take action on climate change, and that if addressing climate change was bad for businesses, shareholders, and customers, these companies wouldn’t rally behind a call for action.

While some critical details were absent, like just how much carbon pollution is acceptable from power plants, overseas coal plants, and the proposed Keystone pipeline for it to move forward, President Obama did not sugar coat the reality of the problems at hand. "Sticking your head in the sand might make you feel safer, but it’s not going to protect you from the coming storm. And ultimately, we will be judged as a people, and as a society, and as a country on where we go from here." The president urged his audience to "speak up for the facts" and take action: "Convince those in power to reduce our carbon pollution. Push your own communities to adopt smarter practices." A pdf of the climate action plan may be access here. The White House also released an infographic on climate change and the president’s plan to address it here.

image screen capture via White House YouTube Channel

via Green Living - Building, Home, Auto & Lifestyles copy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/EcoGeek/~3/sHhkHVaxJKU/3873--president-obama-calls-for-reduction-of-carbon-pol