Educating For A Greener Future!
Current and future green energy initiatives will have a significant impact on U.S. career opportunities going forward, and individuals planning to benefit from this transformation will need to be educated and trained in emerging energy technologies and new areas of energy expertise.
Residential Energy Efficiency – Heating Losses
Residential heating requires about 55% of residential energy consumption. Natural gas and fuel oil are almost always used for heating, and in some regions of the country, electricity is a major source of heat, either through heat pump technology or direct heating. This article will discuss a variety of methods to reduce your heating costs that generally can be accomplished quickly and at a low cost.
Week in Review: January 31, 2010 to February 7, 2010
- President Barack Obama has announced that the U.S. Federal Government will reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution by 28 percent by 2020. As the single largest energy consumer in the U.S. economy, the Federal Government spent more than $24.5 billion on electricity and fuel in 2008 alone. “As the largest energy consumer in the United States, we have a responsibility to American citizens to reduce our energy use and become more efficient,” said President Obama. “Our goal is to lower costs, reduce pollution, and shift Federal energy expenses away from oil and towards local, clean energy”. This Federal target is the aggregate of 35 Federal Agency self-reported targets (Read more).
- On Tuesday, President Obama announced a series of steps his Administration is taking as part of its comprehensive strategy to enhance American energy independence while building a foundation for a new clean energy economy, and its promise of new industries and millions of jobs. The steps include: a finalized rule from the EPA to implement the long-term renewable fuels standard of 36 billion gallons by 2022 established by Congress; a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) that would provide financing to increase the conversion of biomass to bioenergy; and a report from the President’s Biofuels Interagency Working Group laying out a strategy to advance the development and commercialization of a sustainable biofuels industry to meet or exceed the nation’s biofuels targets (Read more).
- Also on Tuesday, President Obama issued a Presidential Memorandum creating an Interagency Task Force on Carbon Capture and Storage to develop a comprehensive and coordinated federal strategy to speed the development and deployment of clean coal technologies. The Task Force will develop within 180 days a plan to overcome the barriers to the deployment of widespread affordable CCS within 10 years, with a goal of bringing five to ten commercial demonstration projects on line by 2016 (Read the memorandum).
- According to a press release on Tuesday, Siemens AG is entering India’s domestic wind turbine market as part of a move to double its investment in Asia’s third-largest economy. Peter Löscher, Siemens’ chief executive, said his company would invest Rs16bn ($346m) over the next three years, in an attempt to build a renewable energy business in a country struggling to overcome a severe energy deficit. As part of this expansion strategy, about a third of the new investment would be directed towards the development of wind turbine technology with an expected product launch by 2012. It would also expand into solar power (Read the press release).
- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy announced on Tuesday the creation of the State Energy Efficiency (SEE) Action Network. This network is meant to help states achieve maximum cost effective energy efficiency improvements in homes, offices, buildings and industry by 2020. “Expanding energy efficiency is one of the quickest, most cost-effective ways we can address climate change and grow America’s economy,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “The State Energy Efficiency Action Network will help provide states with the technical and policy support they need to invest in energy efficiency, saving energy and money for families and businesses across the country” (Read more).
- As of 2/1/10, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has received submissions of national pledges to cut and limit greenhouse gases by 2020 from 55 countries. Together, these countries account for 78 per cent of global emissions from energy use. Industrialized countries listed their mid-term targets to cut emissions. Developing countries communicated information on their nationally appropriate mitigation actions.
- The Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) has announced that the U.S. Secretary of the Department of the Interior, Ken Salazar, has won the 2009 National Solar Energy Champion Award because of his continuous leadership towards spurring development of clean energy infrastructure, creating jobs, combating climate change and harnessing the vast U.S. solar resources (Read more).
- On Monday, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu detailed President Barack Obama’s $28.4 billion Fiscal Year 2011 budget request for the Department of Energy. According to Chu, “This budget supports new approaches to energy research and invests in the next generation of scientists and engineers, and it will spark new clean energy projects nationwide, including restarting the American nuclear power industry” (Read some specifics of the DOE budget request).
- On Friday, nine research and development project teams were honored at “Transformations in Lighting,” the seventh annual U.S. Department of Energy Solid-State Lighting (SSL) R&D Workshop. Organizations were recognized by DOE for significant breakthroughs and achievements in 2009, representing research in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) (See the list of recognized teams).
Articles
Energy Efficiency – Greenhouse Gas Reduction
It’s well documented that a reduction of greenhouse gases will require a multi-pronged approach, involving a combination of new technologies along with some existing but not often popular clean energy technologies.
Geothermal Your Home?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Geothermal Heat Pumps are “the most energy-efficient, environmentally clean, and cost-effective space conditioning systems available”.
Models of Our Future Electricity Supply: Power Sources and Costs
The sources of our power, the technology behind its generation and the costs we pay for using it are going to change dramatically. In this report, we discuss models of likely changes in our electric generation sources to achieve reduced emission goals.
The Innovative Air Car
There is a company in France called Motor Development International that believes the future automobile will not have an internal combustion engine, nor be powered by electric batteries. Rather, it will be powered by the energy stored in compressed air.
Click on image or title to read more ….
Flying High on BioFuels
In the US, the use of petroleum-based fuels accounts for about 43% of total greenhouse gas emissions. So, finding alternate ways of propelling vehicles that use petroleum products is crucial if the GHG 80% reduction by 2050 goal is to be achieved. Click on title to read more …
Interviews
Status Report on the Operation of the Largest Operating Coal-Fired CCS Plant in the U.S.
Nick Akins, Executive VP of Power Generation for American Electric Power (AEP), speaks about their 20 MW coal-fired Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) plant which became operational in September 2009.
Building Zero Net Energy Homes – an Interview with Eric Doub, President and Founder of Ecofutures, Inc.
The B-GC spoke to Eric Doub, President and Founder of Ecofutures, Inc., one of the few companies in the U.S. that specializes in the building of Zero Net Energy homes. For a glimpse of what may be the future of homes in the U.S. read on.
Interview with Jeffery Wolfe, Founder and President of groSolar
The B-GC is pleased to present this interview with Jeffery Wolfe, Founder and President of groSolar, one of the largest and fastest growing solar energy installers in the United States. As he is also the Chair of the Photovoltaic Division of the Solar Energy Industry Association and a trained Al Gore speaker on climate change.
Interview with Dr. Vikram Pattarkine, Chief Scientist, OriginOil
Long range, biofuels based on algae are generally agreed to be the most promising for replacing petroleum-based fuels and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The B-GC had the opportunity to speak to Dr. Vikram Patterkine, Chief Scientist for the technology firm, OriginOil.
Interview- Scott Johnson, Sustainable Oils, President and General Manager
Sustainable Oils is a company focused on jet fuel from camelina. As camelina is quickly becoming an important feedstock for jet fuel, the B-GC spoke to Scott Johnson, their President and General Manager to understand the potential of this new biofuel.
Latest Guest Column
Renewable Energy: Weathering the Storm in 2009
Mort Cohen, Principal at RevGen Consulting Group, offers his perspective of progress for the renewable energy industry in 2009.









