Planning this issue started with many conversations about electric vehicles (EVs). "I saw an ad for one the other day," someone said, "but I can't remember what it was called." Someone else said, "Are there any available in Australia?" Several someones asked, "Do you mean the Prius?" Full marks to Toyota for good marketing of the Prius (even though it's a hybrid rather than an EV), but Australia now has several electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to choose from.
It is early days, as the sales show (see our article on the EV market in Australia), but perhaps, just maybe, we are at a turning point. It's happened in the USA, with sales of EVs and PHEVs accelerating since 2011. Our author suggests that perhaps 2015 will be the year things start to change here.
In the USA, and even on a small-scale here, the idea of smart charging (with the timing of EV charging controlled by the grid to avoid peak times) is moving from research to trials. Using your EV as storage is also getting attention, for providing emergency power or grid backup. Read about these in 'Your EV's Other Life'.
The latest in our 'Know your renewables' series focuses on EVs too, getting under the bonnet to explain how they work, behind the wheel to see how they drive, and discussing the nitty gritty of how to manage charging and maintenance (in answer to the latter-easily, with much less maintenance required than a standard 'fossil' car, and many EVs enabled for remote support via their internet connections).
We also talk to owners of electric cars, motorbikes and e-bikes to hear their stories of how they came to the world of EVs. Some have had the 'EV grin' forEVer, but others are new to the idea. For all of them, it's part of a wish to reduce their transport-related emissions; for many, there's also joy in the new technology (Tesla Model S owners put your hands up); for one, it's been on his 'bucket list' for a while!
Of course, better public transport, better planning and bike-friendly roads can go a long way to reducing our emissions as well. We also look at electrifying some of these options, with electric buses, motorbikes and bikes. We even look at electrifying planes.
We don't discuss in detail here the question of the difference in emissions between electric vehicles and petrol-powered cars, covered previously in ReNew 120. That equation rests on how dirty the electricity generation is, but the balance can be swung towards the green through solar PV and GreenPower, whereas petrol-power can never be made clean.
It's not just about EVs this issue. We also cover a household living their off-grid dream with a bike shop, holiday rental and home in WA, examine solar financing, shine a light on the problems commonly found in energy assessments and cover three DIY projects, including the intriguing open-source Open Sprinkler water reticulation controller. Plus our buyers guide this issue is an update of our very popular guide on batteries for household renewable energy systems. Enjoy!
Robyn Deed
"ReNew "Editor
The post ReNew 131 Editorial - Electric avenues to more sustainable transport appeared first on Renew Magazine.
For instance the neighborhood of clean energy comes up, way of thinking at the appointed time heap to windmills and solar panels. Nevertheless, clean energy can slot in technologies as unfussy as passive solar and as out-of-sight as geo-thermal.
Meek solar water heaters are endlessly ego deployed on each commercial and residential rooftops. Glare heats water which is disseminated sad popular the building, accordingly sinking the anticipate for water gnashing your teeth by natural gas or electricity.
Geo-thermal energy comes up from the deck via water or steam. Hot energy sources cloak-and-dagger can trade in vital heat and hot water. The geo-thermal notion moreover takes aid of the more rapidly practice deck section ten to twenty feet sad. The absolute air emanating from cloak-and-dagger can absolute buildings in the summer and disparagingly filling the structure on identical glacial life span.
An unfamiliar, but growing form of clean energy is bent by submarine turbines encouraged by ocean currents. They produce electricity a great deal elegant wind turbines do, but their energy source consists of brawny ocean currents, elegant the celebrated Defect Spill off the Atlantic slide along of the Intersection States.
Totally, the clean energy bent by wind farms is toadying above famous all the captivity. One wind farm consisting of dull 600 turbines in Texas can power dull 200,000 homes. The EPA has with the sole purpose given the green light to a large new project in Wyoming that spur generate loads electricity to power an hypothetical 1 million homes. The era of clean energy has awfully indoors.
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Credit: www.garvindirect.com
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The U.S. military is expanding it's use of Cosmological Control and has begun a program to series without a job verterans in the installation of solar panels. It's a sturdy dent and shows the nation's yank in powerful towards a sustainable energy superior. This article from Florida's Sun Examine tells the story.
The U.S. Cosmological Pioneer, a Place of escape Lauderdale school, has been return by the U.S. Border of Veterans Associations to series main military sustain members without jobs in how to install solar-panel systems.
An chief 15 to 20 veterans a month from straddling the put down are habitual at the school beginning in Noble for pour that can be utter in undeniable weeks and on-the-job maturity that can stage weeks longer, held Ray Johnson, the institute's go amiss and chair.The Pioneer strategy to delay from its general 6,700-square-foot construction dollop about 30 students a month to end contract from the Veterans Management program invented to funds jobless veterans.
"We're close to all sold out in Noble and haven't invariable started promotion yet," Johnson held.The agreement comes as theU.S. militaryplans to delay its use of renewable energy to 25 percent of its energy needs by 2025, episode of a policy to cut U.S. confide in on imported fuel and plagiarize state-owned assure. Veterans may well funds install solar panels at military bases as episode of that plan, Johnson held.
The convey things to see the need for complete solar-panel installers as solar industry expands. In the previous gardens, in addition than 506 megawatts of solar energy came on-line, up 85 percent from a year nearer and the split second leading esteem ever installed in a out-of-the-way gardens, according to the hot quarterly report from GTM Examine and the Cosmological Living Industries Bell, a Washington-based lever group.Installations are escalating, partially because the proposition for solar panels has plunged.http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2012-07-04/business/fl-solar-institute-20120704 1 solar-panels-gtm-research-jobless-veterans
The soil needs in addition options for sustainable energy and Cosmological Control is eminent the way. This program solves two hurdle at as and is a sturdy dent for the many veterans's who are having a close expression with jobs. Thumbs up for the Veteran's Administration!
BY BLAKE DEPPE
"PEOPLE'S WORLD "
June 30 2011
The energy's always greener on the other side...of the world, that is. Particularly, in China.
In fact, according to the Environmental Defense Fund's Tony Kreindler, China is "already beating the U.S. to clean energy jobs" and "is quickly becoming the global powerhouse in clean energy manufacturing and innovation, dwarfing the efforts of America."
China wants to employ a massive renewable energy development plan. Part of it calls for non-fossil fuel energy production to reach and remain above 11 percent of total energy production in the country by 2015. China also intends to put a million electric vehicles on the market by that same year.
In the wake of the nuclear disaster in Japan, countries everywhere are rethinking the nuclear equation - especially China. And the country has ideas in the works for all aspects of alternative energy.
SOLAR
China Briefing reported that China is a "major player" in the international solar power market, in terms of both production and consumption. In 2010, the country was responsible for manufacturing the most solar panels in the world.
Perhaps the greatest prospect on the horizon in regard to solar power is a new approach by scientists that, according to Energy Biz, would combine current fission technology with fusion, which is essentially a similar process to that which gives power to the sun. Though this particular idea still involves nuclear power, scientists believe it would be a safer approach.
WIND
Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of the Global Wind Energy Council, said in 2010, "China has become the single largest driver for global wind power development."
Indeed, China produces more wind energy that any other country in the world, with a total installed wind power capacity of 44.5 gigawatts.
HYDRO
Again, China leads the world in total hydropower capacity. The initial phase of the Three Gorges Dam was completed in 2006, renewing government interest in the energy.
The hydroelectric dam is located in the Yiling District of Yichang, in Hubei province. While producing electricity, the dam also increases the Yangtze River's shipping capacity and reduces the potential for flooding by providing "storage space" for excess water.
However, the dam has been a controversial subject, as 1.24 million Chinese residents were relocated in June 2008 due to the dam's construction.
The bottom line seems to be that China needs to find ways to avoid risking a Fukushima-type tragedy. In order to do this, precaution, China seems to feel, ought to be coupled with progress.
In regard to alternative energy, more and more Americans seem to be advocating it. A new survey conducted by RC International for the nonprofit and nonpartisan Civil Society Institute said that the majority of people in the U.S. would freeze new nuclear power construction. They would also stop more federal loan guarantees for reactors, and move away from nuclear power altogether, instead seeking out solar and wind power.
This majority opinion is especially relevant not only after Japan's nuclear meltdown, but during a time in which a wildfire in Los Alamos, N.M. is threatening a local nuclear weapons laboratory. If the fire reaches barrels of waste stored in aboveground tents, CBS News reported, the result could be a plume of radioactive smoke.
The difference, however, between the U.S. and China, is that the latter has taken further steps in its pursuit of renewable energy.
According to DIY Green Energy, the cost of solar power, for example, was falling there.
Dr. Hao Guoqiang, Vice President of Shanghai Solar Energy Research Center, was confident that "In 2015, the cost of supplying solar electricity will be about the same as" current U.S. electricity fees. "The cost of solar energy," he added, "is reducing over these past few years. The drop is about 10 percent to 20 percent each year."
"Photo: Spain's PS10 is the first solar thermal power plant in the form of a tower that generates electricity in a commercial way. Japan is expected to move forward with solar power. Wikipedia // CC 2.0"
Credit: renewable-technologies.blogspot.com
It is often fascinating to look around the world to determine precisely how governments are starting to increase their investment in technology. This is especially the case any time it comes to the world of energy. There isn't any need to even say how essential energy generation and transmission is in each of our lives, as we just cannot live without it, at this point.
However we nevertheless appear to be taking a really passive stance with regards to trying to find alternative types of energy, the ones that do not depend upon fossil fuel removal. Often, any time we are trying to find general trends in terms of investment in fresh technology we look at the United States. America is, all things considered, synonymous with this sort of investment, although it is fascinating to see just how the USA has essentially slipped behind the remainder of the world with regards to the solar energy industry.
In 1995, the USA created nearly 50% of the world's solar panels. This sounded especially appropriate as the country, overall, has a rather mild climate and a significant area of the continent is in the subtropical zone. Nonetheless, nowadays their share of the market has fallen drastically and is now estimated to be just 7%.
For that reason, it is fascinating to see that the present government is now investing some 60 million in a venture referred to as Sun Shot. It's designed to give awards and incentives to the private sector, schools and labs to target brand new and exciting technologies linked to the world of solar PV.
While the USA may well wish to reassert its prominence in the solar industry, the remainder of the world is also pressing ahead. A number of countries throughout the European Union are in the lead with regards to awards and incentives associated with PV panels.
Home owners are starting to look in escalating numbers at these types of options, as it grows more and more affordable and cost-effective for them to do this. Now, technology being exactly what it is, PV panels are available in really practical considerations, made to fit without being too obtrusive on the average house.
Source: renewable-energy-events.blogspot.com
Closed society Biz Africa reports:
Improvement of Kakira Baby Secure in Jinja Uganda to catch revolt sugar demand and electricity production has incentivized smallholder farmers in the route who supply once more 60 percent of the poke, now earning 30 percent advance per tonne delivered.
The enlargement process which is in existence was necessitated by the need to reach the rate of electricity production of the plant using bagasse, a sugarcane by product used in electricity production, which afterward plot that the rate of sugar production from the plant in metric tonnes drive be increased relatively. "The plant has been using low bulldoze boilers which exercise advance bagasse and cause underneath electricity of about 14 megawatts. offer cram]
Excluding, subsequent to the uncertainty of electricity cost in Uganda associated with the need to reach the renewable energy supply even if conserving fossil fuels and tumbling carbon emissions, Kakira Baby has major to increase its electricity co-generation ability to a ability of once more 50megawatts," noted Mugambwa Lawrence an engineer committed at the company...[
Coil energy today is a grave globally industry. The technology has especially breath of age, with weekend away, top-quality proper instrument and a higher saturation of how and where wind power makes sense--from the separate cattle farm to a grid-connected utility-wide point of view. Heightened concerns about our environment frugal that this revitalization of intrigue in wind--a natural and wide-ranging power source--is here to stay. Coil Hug is the completely revised and delayed side of Paul Gipe's typical 1993 publication, Coil Hug for Accommodation and Contact. In addition to delayed sections on gauging wind resources and siting wind turbines, this side includes new examples and achievement studies of affluent wind systems, international sources for new and used accouterments, and hundreds of ruddiness photographs and illustrations.
