New LED Light Can Help Keep Carbon Emissions Down

Geeky Gadgets has a small blurb on the new Phillips LED light bulb known as the EnduraLED.

It uses 12W and is meant to replace a standard 60W bulb and is currently priced at $60. Carbon emissions savings? Up to 5.3 million metric tons... per year.

technorati tags: alternative energy, green blog, LED, energy

Evil Oil Investing in Solar Power?

CNet has an article up about a subsidiary of Shell that is jumping into alternative energy whole hog. How so? They are investing $938 Million USD in a great big solar plant.

Japanese Shell subsidiary plans solar-panel plant

Royal Dutch Shell subsidiary Showa Shell Sekiyu, Japan's fifth-largest oil refiner, plans to invest 100 billion yen, or about $938 million, in a solar-panel megaplant, according to AFP.

The planned factory will produce panels with the cumulative annual capacity to produce 1 gigawatt of power, equivalent to that of a small nuclear-power reactor.

Compare that to Egypt who are investing a whopping $30 Million USD into a center for renewable energy.

The centre will carry out research on renewable energy, including the testing of solar and wind power technologies.

It will provide consultancy services to governments and private companies, promote knowledge and technology transfer between companies and governments in the region and the North, and run training programmes to help set up technologies around the region.

The US is also moving to be a bit friendlier to renewable energies:

US Government Agency Reverses Moratorium On Solar Power Proposals

The Bureau of Land Management said it will keep its doors open for new proposals while it studies how large solar plants might affect the environment of undeveloped areas of California and the Southwest. The agency had said last week it would put a hold on new applications pending its environmental review.

Green funds and green energy

Green funds are the new rage and the public is starting to hear about them from various news sources. In recent days:
Green fund coming soon

BIEP's primary mission is to ensure the highest quality of environmental management by maintaining the highest standards of practice among environmental professionals in Barbados.

Byer-Suckoo told its members that they had the unique advantage of contributing to the local and regional environment knowledge base through research and innovation.

Virgin Green Fund gains traction with CalPERS investment

The fund was set up last year to make investments in renewable energy and resource efficiency. Like many private equity firms, VGF primarily invests in late-stage projects. It used seed money from Virgin to begin taking stakes in several startups before it had even completed its first round; it currently has seven.

Wealth manager launches Asian "Green" Fund

In terms of energy, the fund will look to invest in a number of alternative investment opportunities including geothermal power in the Philippines, wind turbine manufacturers in India, solar power module makers in China, bio-fuel plantation companies in Malaysia and Indonesia, coal seam methane producers in Australia and nuclear power technology companies in South Korea and Japan.

Links of interest:
North Carolina Green Fund

IBM PUSHES SOLAR PV TECHNOLOGY

IBM Research's Supratik Guha refused to put a specific figure on the sales of new thin-film solar technology, he described the market potential as huge.

“We've already been in discussions with photovoltaic manufacturers,” Mr Guha said.

“There are problems to be resolved, but this is the time we're starting to talk to them.”

Link of interest:
Pushing the PV Envelope: Organic Solar Cells Moving into Production

GreenHunter Energy Added to Global Wind Energy Index

GreenHunter Energy, Inc. (Amex: GRH) announced today that it has been included in the ISE Global Wind Energy Index, which is the first global wind index to provide a benchmark for investors interested in tracking public companies that are active in the wind energy industry. Eligibility to be included in the index is limited to those companies that are actively engaged in the wind energy industry, such as the development or management of a wind farm or the production or distribution of electricity generated by wind power. To date, only 53 companies worldwide have been included in the index.

Westward Ho! US utilities scramble for wind

Utilities are not only scrambling for affordable wind power to meet RPS requirements, but dealing with fluctuating prices. The city of Portland, known for its green ethic, has seen prices jump up and down while it has searched for wind power to help supply municipal needs. ‘Our goal is to acquire a large-scale renewable resource. We’re moving slowly because the marketplace is very, very volatile right now,’ says Dave Tooze, senior energy specialist for the city.

According to King, delivered prices for wind power last year ranged from $85–$100/MWh.

technorati tags: alternative energy, green fund, wind power, energy

Green Videos from ZDNet

First up (for this post) is a new one about Intel and how the company has been reducing power consumption for itself and on the consumer side.

The other is called, `Is enterprise 'sustainability' sustainable?' and is also worth a look.

Alternative Energy News

Oil is up, supplies are down (but still up compared to last year), and Americans are getting hit so hard in the wallet that they actually might start to lose weight. The roller coaster ride in the energy field is far from over, even if the oil bubble popped tomorrow and dropped the price down to $55/barrel. Alternative energy is "IN" and people from all over are trying to get in on the action.

The NY Times article, `‘Feel Good’ vs. ‘Do Good’ on Climate' takes a skeptic's view on the whole global warming debate. Bringing in Dr. Bjorn Lomborg and also taking a look at an area already hit with rising water levels and increase in temperatures, New York. Can we really fight the warming more efficiently by painting the roof tops and roads white? It would be an interesting experiment to say the least.

Where's there is a demand, there is money. It is one of the laws of the universe. The amount of money to be made and thrown at any given project is equal to 2.3 times the amount of good press that doing so would generate, whether it does anything or not. Well, that is my theory anyway. Alternative energy is hot right now. Governors are touring ethanol plants to appear to be sensitive to issues rather than really being sensitive to getting enough good press so that the next election is easier.

On the money side, big companies like Citi (was Citigroup) are getting involved. In their case their involvement is to the tune of $50 billion dollars US (over the next decade) into green house gas reductions. That's a lot of money going into the market. Of course things like that is leading NYMEX to launch new alternative energy equity index futures even though some professionals are starting to wonder if there is a bubble here and whether it is going to pop on us (hate it when that happens, the gum gets stuck to your nose and sometimes your hair, it is a mess).

The real question though, and one without a clear answer, is which technology will lead us to renewable nirvana?

The big question beyond that though is will the solution be able to save the polar bear?

technorati tags: alternative energy, Lomborg, energy, green power, oil, politics

Alternative Energy News for the Day

I made sure to log on to my account late last night and take a look at the opening trades for oil. It was pretty much what I expected, $60 a barrel and below. I very much wonder what impact this is going to have on all of the alternative energy initiatives in the US and other parts of the world.

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USA. $5.7 Billion committed to Clinton Global Initiative

President Clinton announced four new commitments at a plenary session of the Clinton Global Initiative. The session, entitled Managing Diversity in a Globalized World, was attended by panelists President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai, queen Rania Al-Abdullah of Jordan, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu. Newsweek International Editor Fareed Zakaria moderated the panel discussion.

Following the plenary session, President Clinton joined Richard Branson (CEO, Virgin Group), Klaus Kleinfeld (President and CEO, Siemens), Majora Carter (Executive Director, Sustainable South Bronx) and Barry Segal (CEO, Bradco Supply) at a press conference.

Branson announced an estimated $3 billion commitment toward bio-fuel initiatives. Over the next ten years, Virgin Group will invest all future profits from its airline and train businesses into renewable energy initiatives both within the company, as well as further investments in new bio-fuel R&D, production, distribution and other projects to tackle emissions related to global warming.

Study: Wind Power Fastest Growing Energy Source

According to the Earth Policy Institute, a private organization dedicated to providing a vision of an environmentally sustainable economy, wind is the world’s fastest-growing energy source with an average annual growth rate of 29 percent over the last 10 years.
[...]
U.S. wind energy capacity now exceeds a record 10,000 megawatts and produces enough electricity per day to power more than 2.5 million homes, the American Wind Energy Association announced last week.

“Wind power is gaining momentum as a mainstream energy source, bringing clean energy, stable energy costs, new industry and energy security,” Suzanne Williams Sloan, the association’s communications specialist, said.

Building grand hotel comes at a price

One of the most expensive hotel projects ever in Switzerland is taking shape. swissinfo got a sneak preview of the SFr420 million ($337 million) Dolder Grand in Zurich.
[...]
Even the hotel's energy concept is futuristic. Seventy geothermal probes sunk 150 metres beneath the foundation will reduce the hotel's environmental impact by providing one million:kilowatt hours of clean energy a year to meet half the building's heating needs.

Finavera Renewables Commits to Develop US$40 Million Wave Energy Project in South Africa

Finavera Renewables, through its wave energy division (former AquaEnergy
Group Ltd), plans to build a phased 20MW wave energy power plant in the
Republic of South Africa for a total investment of more than US$40 million
over five years. The project will generate more than 30 million kilowatt-hours
of electricity per month, save US$2 million per year in fuel and avoid
approximately 20,000 tons of CO2 emissions. A material percentage of the
return from the project will be used to alleviate energy poverty and will
provide economic benefits to local communities through the creation of jobs.

DATCP Provides Funds to Develop Switchgrass Biofuel

Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen announced on Friday that a cheese plant in Grant County will receive a $20,000 grant to help develop switchgrass as a biofuel. The funds will help Meister Cheese Company investigate the feasibility of growing switchgrass to remove nitrogen and other nutrients from wastewater and then using the harvested switchgrass as a supplemental fuel in a new, state-of-the art wood-fired boiler.

Solar Energy Forum Is Today

"Strictly Solar -- A Solar Energy Forum, Dollars and Sense" is today from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The free event will be at the Peggy Brown Building, 121 S. Lake Ave. in Lakeland.

The Solar Energy Forum will provide the latest information on Florida solar rebates. There will be a panel discussion, product exhibits and demonstrations on the latest solar equipment.

New 'Green House' a Showcase for Energy Efficiency

The Bennetts teamed up with Regency Homes, a North Stafford custom builder that has incorporated various "green" elements in previous homes, but never really to this extent.
[...]
Bennett estimates that the energy-saving features will add $40,000 to the cost of the house, topping it out at about $980,000. An estimated additional resale value of $150,400 eight years from now nearly quadruples the investment cost. Add to that an anticipated electricity savings of nearly $12,000, tax credits totaling $4,000, plus a county waiver on the property taxes based on property taxes on the solar roof, and building green actually becomes profitable.

technorati tags: alternative energy, wind power, energy, green power, Wisconsin