| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Renewable energy expo in INDIA
wake up or be prepared to pay
A "green" tax aimed at discouraging high consumption of petroleum products may be in the offing, a government official said today. The tax, perhaps in the form of a cess on consumption, would also check vehicular pollution to some extent and also help in controlling the high oil subsidy burden.
| |||||||
Sunday, June 1, 2008
HOW TO HARVEST SOLAR POWER
LONDON, England (CNN) -- Jyoti is the Hindi word for light. It's something Pranav Mehta has never had to live without. And he is lucky. Near where he lives in Gujarat, one of the most prosperous states in India, thousands of rural villages lack electricity or struggle with an intermittent supply at best.
Massive solar satellites would beam power back to ground-based receivers on Earth.
"We need to empower these villages, and for empowerment, energy is a must," Mehta said. "Rural India is suffering a lot because of a lack of energy."
By 2030, India's Planning Commission estimates that the country will have to generate at least 700,000 megawatts of additional power to meet the demands of its expanding economy and growing population.
Much of that electricity will come from coal-fired power plants, like the $4 billion so-called ultra mega complex scheduled to be built south of Tunda Wand, a tiny village near the Gulf of Kutch, an inlet of the Arabian Sea on India's west coast. Dozens of other such projects are already or soon will be under way.
Yet Mehta has another solution for India's chronic electricity shortage, one that does not involve power plants on the ground but instead massive sun-gathering satellites in geosynchronous orbits 22,000 miles in the sky.
The satellites would electromagnetically beam gigawatts of solar energy back to ground-based receivers, where it would then be converted to electricity and transferred to power grids. And because in high Earth orbit, satellites are unaffected by the earth's shadow virtually 365 days a year, the floating power plants could provide round-the-clock clean, renewable electricity.
Don't Miss
"This will be kind of a leap frog action instead of just crawling," said Mehta, who is the director of India operations for Space Island Group, a California-based company working to develop solar satellites. "It is a win-win situation."
American scientist Peter Glaser introduced the idea of space solar power in 1968.
NASA and the United States Department of Energy studied the concept throughout the 1970s, concluding that although the technology was feasible, the price of putting it all together and sending it to outer space was not.
"The estimated cost of all of the infrastructure to build them in space was about $1 trillion," said John Mankins, a former NASA technologist and president of the Space Power Association. "It was an unimaginable amount of money."
NASA revisited space solar power with a so-called "Fresh Look" study in the mid-90s but the research lost momentum when the space agency decided it did not want to further pursue the technology, Mankins told CNN. By around 2002 the project was indefinitely shelved -- or so it seemed.
"The conditions are ripe for something to happen on space solar power," said Charles Miller, a director of the Space Frontier Foundation, a group promoting public access to space. "The environment is perfect for a new start."
Skyrocketing oil prices, a heightened awareness of climate change and worries about natural resource depletion have recently prompted a renewed interest in beaming extraterrestrial energy back to Earth, Miller explained.
And so has a 2007 report released by the Pentagon's National Security Space Office, encouraging the U.S. government to spearhead the development of space power systems.
"A single kilometer-wide band of geosynchronous Earth orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to nearly equal the amount of energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on Earth today," the report said.
The study also concluded that solar energy from satellites could provide power for global U.S. military operations and deliver energy to disaster areas and developing nations.
"The country that takes the lead on space solar power will be the energy-exporting country for the entire planet for the next few hundred years," Miller said.
Russia, China, the European Union and India, according to the Pentagon report, are interested in the concept. And Japan, which has been pouring millions of dollars into space power studies for decades, is working toward testing a small-scale demonstration in the near future.
But a number of obstacles still remain before solar satellites actually get off the ground, said Jeff Keuter, president of the George C. Marshall Institute, a Washington-based research organization. "Like any activity in space, there are enormous engineering challenges," he said.
One major barrier is a lack of cheap and reliable access to space, a necessity for launching hundreds of components to build what will be miles-long platforms. Developing robotic technology to piece the structures together high above Earth will also be a challenge. Then there is the issue of finding someone to foot what will be at least a billion-dollar bill.
"It will take a great deal of effort, a great deal of thought and unfortunately a great deal of money," Keutersaid. "But it is certainly possible."
And Miller, of the Space Frontier Foundation, said he thinks it will be possible in the next 10 years.
"We could see the first operational power satellite in about the 2020 time frame if we act now," he said.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Solar Roof Kit for Prius (Escape, Highlander, RAV4 EV, and more) | 3 Comments |
| By Steve Balogh in Energy, Green Products, Hybrids, Solar, Tech Innovations, Transportation | May 21, 2008 | |
Via Greenthinkers (via Jalopnik):
This SEV solar module for the 2004 through 2006 Toyota Prius generates 215 watts of renewable energy and is the first compound convex solar module to be commercially produced
The SEV system provides up to 20 miles per day of electric mode driving range and increased fuel economy by up to 29%.
But more than that it looks schweet.
pics of the Ford Escape Hybrid, Toyota Highlander Hybrid, and RAV4 EV kits below
Ford Escape:
Toyota Highlander Hybrid:
Earn money while you go green
It's Lucrative Being Green
5 Hot Green-Collar Jobs
When architectural intern Jennifer Downey moved from Richmond, Virginia, to New York City last year, it took more than a college degree to land her current job with the design firm Marble Fairbanks.
Prior to moving, Jennifer obtained her Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, or LEED, accreditation, a credential issued by the U.S. Green Building Council for architects specializing in environmentally conscious building practices. She attributes her current professional success to her knowledge of both architecture and the Earth.
"It's not enough to be an architect anymore," Downey says. "You've got to know how to do it in the most responsible way possible."
Architects aren't the only builders required to go green these days. The American Solar Energy Society, a nonprofit organization set on increasing the use of sustainable technologies, reports that 8.5 million Americans currently hold "green collar" jobs in renewable energy or energy efficient industries; however, that number could grow to up to 40 million by 2030 due to increased demand in alternative energy sources. To get a slice of the pie, here are five of the hottest earth-friendly fields.
Wind/Turbine Technician
Though wind energy currently accounts for just one percent of all energy used in the United States, the American Wind Energy Association reports that the wind industry grew by 45 percent last year alone. Those with a background in turbine manufacturing, operation, and repair will easily find work in states like California and New Mexico that have vowed to pull 20 percent of their energy expenditure from renewable sources by 2020. While renewable energy degree programs are offered on the bachelor's degree level, those with traditional manufacturing experience also can give their career a greener slant by taking a one- to two-year wind technology degree program at a community college.
Auto Retrofitters
The switch from gas-guzzling SUVs to energy-efficient alternative vehicles will require some serious manpower. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that the automotive technician industry will expand just 14 percent by 2016, Green For All, an Oakland, California-based nonprofit specializing in green collar workforce training, says there will be a crucial need for workers who can upgrade existing vehicles to new environmental standards. As the bio fuel industry grows an astounding 50 percent per year, according to one study, technicians who can replace traditional engines with flex-fuel and diesel engines will have an advantage to finding work. Mechanics with a soft spot for Mother Earth can learn engine conversion at their local community college.
Sustainable Architects
With New York, California, and Wisconsin mandating that all new public construction be LEED-certified and other states soon to follow, the need for environmentally-minded architects will inevitably increase. The U.S. Green Building Council reports that the domestic green building industry increased net sales by more than $5 billion dollars in the last two years and currently sits at a walloping $12 billion. In addition to a four- or five-year degree in architecture, sustainable designers may also choose to take an additional one to two-day preparation course to get ready for the LEED Accredited Professional Exam.
Energy Systems Manager
Building new earth-friendly structures is only part of the battle. Greening up existing ones is the other. According to Green For All, between 1990 and 2003, U.S. energy companies spent $12 to $16 billion retrofitting municipalities, universities, schools, and hospitals to be less wasteful. Dedicated to insuring indoor air quality and creating energy reduction initiatives, future energy systems managers can start their career at either the two- or four-year college level.
Environmental Engineer
With increased attention on bio fuels, solar-paneled buildings, electric vehicles, and geothermal electronics, the need for environmental engineers is greater than ever. The BLS estimates environmental engineers will see 7-25 percent more jobs added to their field between now and 2016. While the highest 10 percent of salary for an environmental engineer currently tops $100,000 annually, expect to invest some of that money first. A bachelor's -- and often master's -- degree is required to land a job in the field; however, students can find environmental engineering programs in nearly every corner of the United States.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
WHY NOT????Learn from other's mistake
| ||||||||||||
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
