This evening I continued the October Tour of green meetings and attended an energy forum hosted by ConocoPhillips at the Omni Hotel in New Haven. Part of ConocoPhillips’ 35 city EnergyConversations Tour, the program featured a panel of noted experts in all maters related to energy here in Connecticut and beyond. While it was very noble concept, I walked away thinking that the conversation wasn’t that compelling and I was somewhat disappointed with the types of ideas raised by the public during the conversation.
The panel included representatives from academia, business and government and after opening remarks by each of the panel members, the public then began to ask energy related questions of the panel and I have to admit, I found most of the questions to be somewhat mundane and not very thought provoking. For instance, the first question asked was, does global warming/ climate change exist? Big question and a legitimate one but I really think that the goal was to have a discussion regarding energy policy and possible solutions to lowering the cost of energy. It’s not whether climate change or global warming exists. I leave that question to the government of China. Other questions could easily be answered with a Google search and some questions, typical of these types of events, were very pointed and tried to hold ConocoPhillips’ feet to the fire.
Don’t get me wrong, there were some good question – one related to the possible development of tidal wave energy along the sound and in Connecticut rivers and one related to the need for better energy awareness and education for consumers. All and all, I commend ConocoPhillips for promoting the idea that discussions need to take place so that more of the public can gain knowledge and we move closer to implementing real solutions. I just wish the conversation had been a bit more lively, dynamic and engaging. The attendees missed a great opportunity. Then again, maybe I’m too close to this stuff and need to attend more public forums to become a little more grounded in reality. Sorry for the cliché but it fits.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Public Housing Environmental and Conservation Clearinghouse
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) would like to encourage public housing agencies (PHAs) and tribally designated housing entities (TDHEs) to join us in recognizing October as Energy Awareness Month. Our theme for this year, “Commit to Conserve”.
Currently, utility costs make up approximately 24 percent of the operating expenditures for Public Housing Authorities alone. With the current state of fuel prices, projected winter heating costs accompanied by our Nation’s economic conditions, each of us, Public and Indian Housing Authorities, residents, and all Americans should commit to do our part. United as a HUD family, we can make a difference.
The Commit to Conserve Campaign allows us to do just that. Conservation efforts start with the individual. The following is a partial list of simple, everyday conservation measures we can all easily commit to:
Turn off the lights when leaving the room
Use microwave ovens to cook small meals
Take shorter showers
Maintain and repair leaking air conditioning and refrigeration systems
Change light bulbs from inefficient incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)
Change furnace filter every thirty days
Use the short wash cycle on dishwashers and clothes washers
Use cold water when washing clothes
Currently, utility costs make up approximately 24 percent of the operating expenditures for Public Housing Authorities alone. With the current state of fuel prices, projected winter heating costs accompanied by our Nation’s economic conditions, each of us, Public and Indian Housing Authorities, residents, and all Americans should commit to do our part. United as a HUD family, we can make a difference.
The Commit to Conserve Campaign allows us to do just that. Conservation efforts start with the individual. The following is a partial list of simple, everyday conservation measures we can all easily commit to:
Turn off the lights when leaving the room
Use microwave ovens to cook small meals
Take shorter showers
Maintain and repair leaking air conditioning and refrigeration systems
Change light bulbs from inefficient incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent lights (CFLs)
Change furnace filter every thirty days
Use the short wash cycle on dishwashers and clothes washers
Use cold water when washing clothes
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Energy Usage Forecast
The June issue of Popular Science features an article on energy technologies that they say will cut our oil consumption in half and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels to produce electricity almost entirely by 2025.
They forecast that ultralight parts and plug-in hybrids could reduce fossil fuel consumption by 19% and that use of biofuels could reduce fossil fuel consumption by 30%.
Electricity needs could be reduced by the following technologies and conservation.
Home Electricity Conservation - 36%
Wind - 20%
Biopower - 17% (biomass gasification and methane generation)
Distributed Generation - 10%
Solar Power - 10% (PV and thermal solar power)
Geothermal Power - 5%
Ocean Power - 2% (wave power and tidal power)
While I don't think that I would have come up with the same numbers, the numbers give some idea of what mix of technologies could be used to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. My two concerns are that, while that degree of conservation proposed is possible, electricity costs would have to be extremely high before sufficient motivation for this degree of conservation would be possible. After reducing consumption as much as forecast by conservation the percentage of electricity produced by wind, solar, and ocean power is higher than could easily be integrated into a grid, without massive energy storage or a much stronger grid, because of the intermittency of these generation methods. Economical energy storage on a large scale is unlikely by 2025. Geographical separation of these methods in an area as large as the U.S. reduces the effects of intermittency, but a much stronger grid is required to transport the energy from one area to another which would mean a very costly investment in the electrical infrastructure. The area between the great plains and the east coast is not especially suitable for these methods and the grid would have to be reinforced significantly in this area. Superconducting power transmission would be especially useful, but development of economical systems is progressing rather slowly, although some usage could be expected by 2025.
I would hope that plug-in vehicles would be in wider use by this time, but that is very dependent on the acceptance of the technology by manufacturers. Their forecast for use of biofuels, although possible someday, is very unlikely by 2025.
They forecast that ultralight parts and plug-in hybrids could reduce fossil fuel consumption by 19% and that use of biofuels could reduce fossil fuel consumption by 30%.
Electricity needs could be reduced by the following technologies and conservation.
Home Electricity Conservation - 36%
Wind - 20%
Biopower - 17% (biomass gasification and methane generation)
Distributed Generation - 10%
Solar Power - 10% (PV and thermal solar power)
Geothermal Power - 5%
Ocean Power - 2% (wave power and tidal power)
While I don't think that I would have come up with the same numbers, the numbers give some idea of what mix of technologies could be used to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. My two concerns are that, while that degree of conservation proposed is possible, electricity costs would have to be extremely high before sufficient motivation for this degree of conservation would be possible. After reducing consumption as much as forecast by conservation the percentage of electricity produced by wind, solar, and ocean power is higher than could easily be integrated into a grid, without massive energy storage or a much stronger grid, because of the intermittency of these generation methods. Economical energy storage on a large scale is unlikely by 2025. Geographical separation of these methods in an area as large as the U.S. reduces the effects of intermittency, but a much stronger grid is required to transport the energy from one area to another which would mean a very costly investment in the electrical infrastructure. The area between the great plains and the east coast is not especially suitable for these methods and the grid would have to be reinforced significantly in this area. Superconducting power transmission would be especially useful, but development of economical systems is progressing rather slowly, although some usage could be expected by 2025.
I would hope that plug-in vehicles would be in wider use by this time, but that is very dependent on the acceptance of the technology by manufacturers. Their forecast for use of biofuels, although possible someday, is very unlikely by 2025.
Install LED Street Lighting
The City of Ann Arbor, Michigan andCree, Inc. (Nasdaq: CREE), a supplier of LED solid-state lighting components, announced that in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, they will install more than 1000 LED streetlights beginning next month. Ann Arbor plans to become the first U.S. city to convert 100 percent of its downtown streetlights to LED technology.
Ann Arbor will join Raleigh, N.C. and Toronto, in the growing LED City™ initiative. The LED City is an expanding community of government and industry parties working to evaluate, deploy and promote LED lighting technology across the full range of municipal infrastructure to:
* Save energy
* Protect the environment
* Reduce maintenance costs
* Provide better light quality for improved visibility and safety
"This initial installation should save the City more than $100,000 per year and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 294 tons of CO2. Our plan is to retrofit all downtown lights with LED alternatives over the next two years" said Mayor John Hieftje.
Ann Arbor will join Raleigh, N.C. and Toronto, in the growing LED City™ initiative. The LED City is an expanding community of government and industry parties working to evaluate, deploy and promote LED lighting technology across the full range of municipal infrastructure to:
* Save energy
* Protect the environment
* Reduce maintenance costs
* Provide better light quality for improved visibility and safety
"This initial installation should save the City more than $100,000 per year and reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 294 tons of CO2. Our plan is to retrofit all downtown lights with LED alternatives over the next two years" said Mayor John Hieftje.
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