Solar Over Expansion?

German solar company to build $1B plant in Tenn. The Associated Press - ‎Feb 26, 2009‎. The plant is making hyperpure polycrystalline silicon.

Yellow Is the New Green

Yellow Is the New Green - NY Times. Great article talking about the issue of what to do with human waste, and a possible solution. The challenge of using it widespread in the US is infrastructure. It's just not there, unfortunately.

Preparing for a Flood of Energy Efficiency Spending

Preparing for a Flood of Energy Efficiency Spending - NY Times.

Good idea, but the challenge is in the details. Energy efficiency as such a great payoff, but there are implementation issues unfortunately.

One way to fund this would have been indirectly through tax savings, faster write offs, or something for businesses. It seems the direct funding model was used.

Plastic Bags - NIMBY

Many Plans to Curtail Use of Plastic Bags, but Not Much Action - NY Times. All sorts of interest in banning them til the question of cost came up. Interesting.

Water and Salt - A+ Cleanser

I hope this is true, it solves many problems. Cleaning chemicals are pretty nasty.

Simple elixir called a 'miracle liquid' - LA Times.

Cleanup at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach begins to pay off

Cleanup at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach begins to pay off - LA Times

• 50% reduction in Diesel particles already.
• Self funded through higher fees for older trucks.
• Will also soon force ships to plug into electric grid, instead of using their own diesel engines!

The article did not mention the work that has been done on the Alameda Corridor to make it easier to use rail for moving cargo from the ports with under and over passes to increase the trains speed.

Silicon Valley Network lays out green vision for region

Silicon Valley Network lays out green vision for region - Mercury News.Silicon Valley is an interesting place. On one hand the products associated with it (the process of making chips, which gave the valley it's name is pretty dirty, and don't even get me started on E-Waste) and even as it's moved to more of a web focus (Google currently, Yahoo, Netscape historically), there is still the computer hardware connection. And now pushing the future is VC backing (VC is concentrated in Silicon Valley) of alternate energy.From what I read of the press release was great press release!

The ideas are good, the challenge is implementation. What Silicon Valley is king of is innovation through the ability to bring together all the needed resources (people, money, connections) to rapidly grow a company in a new niche with the goal of making money. Companies are easily formed, and disolved in Silicon Valley and failure is seen as a learning experience. I read some place it take about 3 start ups experience to make on work. Historically Silicon Valley has been poor at the political way of pushing progress, where this document is pushing a private/public partnership.

Cost of solar installation has fallen in decade

Cost of solar installation has fallen in decade - SF Chronicle. 28% from 1997 to 2007. Average price right in California is $8.10 per kilowatt, and per another study needs to fall below $5 to be economical.

Another report mentioned prices will fall another 10-20% this year due to decreased demand hitting prices due to the credit crunch. Estimate $7.30 to $6.50. Now, is electricity going to stay around $5 per kilowatt? Will there be increased efficiencies in manufacturing? New processes? New installation processes to cut costs? Economies of scale? Hmm... The fun of forecasting!

Lead wipes

I just read about wipes that could actually remove lead from the skin. One use mentioned was by battery workers - very dirty industry. Great idea!

Yes on solar, no on this solar program

Yes on solar, no on this solar program - LA Times.

Opponents of a measure on the LA city ballot to increase solar usage.

LED Lights at Costco!

I was pleasantly surprised to find LED lights at Costco. Even flood lights, even if only 45W equivalent. Price was very reasonable. They also had dimmable CFL's.

Major Solar Price Descreases

GOOD NEWS: Solar Photovoltaic Prices Seen Falling - via Instapundit.

Already a 25% drop in the last 6 months, and another 10% expected by the end of the year.

Very exciting.

Oil Sand Update

Canadian oil-sand mines hit by price drop - UK Times.

It seems the magic number is $70 per barrel, and right now oil is around $40.

Nice to have basically what is an upper limit on the price of oil if I am understanding this correctly.

Going Green to cut bills

This makes so much sense - Homebuyers Go Green to Cut Bills . It's a shame that builders marked it up for a stiff premium for so long. Of course if it was required by building codes, that would eliminate the premium. The problem is the technology for a green building is still developing. Some people put in using renewable and recycled materials as part of having a green building. My thought is reducing the immediate energy costs, but then the argument is you need to look at the total life time energy usage.

Crude Investment Dilemma

Crude Awakening: Saudi Oil Minister Warns Against Renewable Exuberance - WSJ.

Basically oil costs money to get out of the ground, and with less investment and problems (corruption, rebels, lack of investment, etc.) in Nigeria, Venezuela, Russia, and Mexico that will lead to less oil in the future before alternate energy sources are available.

Of course, the question is why do the Saudi's care if the US wastes it money? But they do have a nightmare that alternate energy and increased efficiency will reduce the need for their oil. And they need a high price of oil to keep their rulers in power.

Ethanol is Struggling

Ethanol, Just Recently a Savior, Is Struggling - NY Times.

Interesting comment about advanced bio fuels always being 5 years away. Sounds like what is talked about with Fusion always being 20 years away.

ANALYSIS-Solar shakeout less likely to hit wafers, silicons

ANALYSIS-Solar shakeout less likely to hit wafers, silicons - Reuters.

Translation - because they have longer contracts they should be OK, where B2C and B2B (selling to end users) don't have this luxury.

$100 Billion for a Smart Grid

Smart Grids are basically about making the distribution of power smarter through improving the transmission system. Think of driving when traffic signals are synchronized, verses not for movement of traffic. The current transmission infrastructure has challenges and is in the wrong place for carrying alternate energy. The windy areas that are prime for wind farms, don't have the transmission lines needed to send the power to the area that needs the power. My thought is a DC Power System. The key issue, as this article mentions, Can the DOE stimulate the smart grid? , is the incentives that utilities are given. If the improvement of transmissions lines are not given the right incentive they will be starved for capital. And with the US having a very decentralized power production system, it makes it even more challenging.

An energy boomtown goes bust

An energy boomtown goes bust - LA Times. About a town in Colorado that was booming due to the high price of Natural Gas, but now Natural Gas is at 40 from $140, is suffering with a reduction in wells.

Commission gives its approval to feed-in tariff for solar power Gainesville Sun

Commission gives its approval to feed-in tariff for solar power Gainesville Sun

Progress!

• Cameron praised Gainesville for being the first to venture into the solar feed–in tariff, an idea which he said has seen great success in Germany.
• The feed–in tariff began in municipalities and grew to the national level, generating more jobs today than Germany’s coal industry, Cameron said.
• If America follows a similar pattern, Gainesville may lead the way to the spread of solar feed–in tariffs nationwide, he said.

Obama Orders New Rules to Raise Energy EfficiencyObama Orders New Rules to Raise Energy Efficiency

Obama Orders New Rules to Raise Energy Efficiency - NY Times.

I am pleasantly surprised this is being done so quickly! Oh, this explains it. Wow!

Over the last three decades, Congress has demanded stricter efficiency standards on 30 categories of products, as varied as residential air-conditioners and industrial boilers. But successive administrations have failed to write regulations to enforce the laws, even when ordered to by the courts.

Dark Days for Green Energy

Dark Days for Green Energy - NY Times.

Two words - Credit Crunch.

Good Quote:

Much of the problem stems from the credit crisis that has left Wall Street banks reeling. Once, as many as 18 big banks and financial institutions were willing to help finance installation of wind turbines and solar arrays, taking advantage of generous federal tax incentives. But with the banks in so much trouble, that number has dropped to four, according to Keith Martin, a tax and project finance specialist with the law firm Chadbourne & Parke.

My thought is the US Government should offer insurance for alternate energy loans, as they do for student loans.

PerkinElmer buys LED company

PerkinElmer buys LED company - Boston Globe.

Perkin Elmer is a big health care company. Stuff for hospitals, so why LED? My guess is because hospital equipment has a lot of electronics in it, and the future of lighting is probably LED's, and may be at the moment it's just to cheap to pass up in the short term.

Long term, Opto is a parts manufacturer, where Perkin Elmers sells compete systems I believe, so it may not be a good fit strategically.

US becomes top wind producer, solar next year

US becomes top wind producer, solar next Year per Reuters. I find this comforting. Now if that wonderful DC grid can just get built nationwide - that will have a huge impact on Wind!

Praise the Lord and Green the Roof

Praise the Lord and Green the Roof - NY Times.

Story about an order of eight Episcopalian Nuns of Community of the Holy Spirit who are going to sell their current location and build a new green nunnery. My guess is the operating cost of their new location will be lower than their current location. It would be nice if their web site had more information about the green building...