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Future Energy
eNews IntegrityResearchInstitute.org July
27, 2008
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Jun 19th 2008
From The Economist print edition, http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displayStory.cfm?story_id=11565685
EVERYONE loves a booming market, and most booms happen on the back of technological change. The world’s venture capitalists, having fed on the computing boom of the 1980s, the internet boom of the 1990s and the biotech and nanotech boomlets of the early 2000s, are now looking around for the next one. They think they have found it: energy.
Many past booms have been energy-fed: coal-fired steam power, oil-fired internal-combustion engines, the rise of electricity, even the mass tourism of the jet era. But the past few decades have been quiet on that front. Coal has been cheap. Natural gas has been cheap. The 1970s aside, oil has been cheap. The one real novelty, nuclear power, went spectacularly off the rails. The pressure to innovate has been minimal.
In the space of a couple of years, all that has changed. Oil is no longer cheap; indeed, it has never been more expensive. Moreover, there is growing concern that the supply of oil may soon peak as consumption continues to grow, known supplies run out and new reserves become harder to find.
The idea of growing what you put in the tank of your car, rather than sucking it out of a hole in the ground, no longer looks like economic madness. Nor does the idea of throwing away the tank and plugging your car into an electric socket instead. Much of the world’s oil is in the hands of governments who have little sympathy with the rich West. When a former head of America’s Central Intelligence Agency allies himself with tree-hugging greens that his outfit would once have suspected of subversion, you know something is up. Yet that is one tack James Woolsey is trying in order to reduce his country’s dependence on imported oil.
The price of natural gas, too, has risen in sympathy with oil. That is putting up the cost of electricity. Wind- and solar-powered alternatives no longer look so costly by comparison. It is true that coal remains cheap, and is the favoured fuel for power stations in industrialising Asia. But the rich world sees things differently.
In theory, there is a long queue of coal-fired power stations waiting to be built in America. But few have been completed in the past 15 years and many in that queue have been put on hold or withdrawn, for two reasons. First, Americans have become intolerant of large, polluting industrial plants on their doorsteps. Second, American power companies are fearful that they will soon have to pay for one particular pollutant, carbon dioxide, as is starting to happen in other parts of the rich world. Having invested heavily in gas-fired stations, only to find themselves locked into an increasingly expensive fuel, they do not want to make another mistake.
That has opened up a capacity gap and an opportunity for wind and sunlight. The future price of these resources—zero—is known. That certainty has economic value as a hedge, even if the capital cost of wind and solar power stations is, at the moment, higher than that of coal-fired ones.
The reasons for the boom, then, are tangled, and the way they are perceived may change. Global warming, a long-range phenomenon, may not be uppermost in people’s minds during an economic downturn. High fuel prices may fall as new sources of supply are exploited to fill rising demand from Asia. Security of supply may improve if hostile governments are replaced by friendly ones and sources become more diversified. But none of the reasons is likely to go away entirely.
Global warming certainly will not. “Peak oil”, if oil means the traditional sort that comes cheaply out of holes in the ground, probably will arrive soon. There is oil aplenty of other sorts (tar sands, liquefied coal and so on), so the stuff is unlikely to run out for a long time yet. But it will get more expensive to produce, putting a floor on the price that is way above today’s. And political risk will always be there—particularly for oil, which is so often associated with bad government for the simple reason that its very presence causes bad government in states that do not have strong institutions to curb their politicians.
A prize beyond the dreams of avarice
The market for energy is huge. At present, the world’s population consumes about 15 terawatts of power. (A terawatt is 1,000 gigawatts, and a gigawatt is the capacity of the largest sort of coal-fired power station.) That translates into a business worth $6 trillion a year—about a tenth of the world’s economic output—according to John Doerr, a venture capitalist who is heavily involved in the industry. And by 2050, power consumption is likely to have risen to 30 terawatts.
Scale is one of the important differences between the coming energy boom, if it materialises, and its recent predecessors—particularly those that relied on information technology, a market measured in mere hundreds of billions. Another difference is that new information technologies tend to be disruptive, forcing the replacement of existing equipment, whereas, say, building wind farms does not force the closure of coal-fired power stations.
For both of these reasons, any transition from an economy based on fossil fuels to one based on renewable, alternative, green energy—call it what you will—is likely to be slow, as similar changes have been in the past (see chart 1). On the other hand, the scale of the market provides opportunities for alternatives to prove themselves at the margin and then move into the mainstream, as is happening with wind power at the moment. And some energy technologies do have the potential to be disruptive. Plug-in cars, for example, could be fuelled with electricity at a price equivalent to 25 cents a litre of petrol. That could shake up the oil, carmaking and electricity industries all in one go.
The innovation lull of the past few decades also provides opportunities for technological leapfrogging. Indeed, it may be that the field of energy gives the not-quite-booms in biotechnology and nanotechnology the industrial applications they need to grow really big, and that the three aspiring booms will thus merge into one.
The possibility of thus recapturing the good times of their youth has brought many well-known members of the “technorati” out of their homes in places like Woodside, California. Energy has become supercool. Elon Musk, who co-founded PayPal, has developed a battery-powered sports car. Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the founders of Google, have started an outfit called Google.org that is searching for a way to make renewable energy truly cheaper than coal (or RE<C, as they describe it to their fellow geeks).
Vinod Khosla, one of the founders of Sun Microsystems, is turning his considerable skills as a venture capitalist towards renewable energy, as are Robert Metcalfe, who invented the ethernet system used to connect computers together in local networks, and Mr Doerr, who works at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, one of Silicon Valley’s best-known venture-capital firms. Sir Richard Branson, too, is getting in on the act with his Virgin Green Fund.
This renewed interest in energy is bringing forth a raft of ideas, some bright, some batty, that is indeed reminiscent of the dotcom boom. As happened in that boom, most of these ideas will come to naught. But there could just be a PayPal or a Google or a Sun among them.
More traditional companies are also taking an interest. General Electric (GE), a large American engineering firm, already has a thriving wind-turbine business and is gearing up its solar-energy business. The energy researchers at its laboratories in Schenectady, New York, enjoy much of the intellectual freedom associated with start-up firms, combined with a secure supply of money.
Meanwhile, BP and Shell, two of the world’s biggest oil companies, are sponsoring both academic researchers and new, small firms with bright ideas, as is DuPont, one of the biggest chemical companies. Not everyone has joined in. Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest oil company not in government hands, is conspicuously absent. But in many boardrooms renewables are no longer seen as just a way of keeping environmentalists off companies’ backs.
Some people complain that many existing forms of renewable energy rely on subsidies or other forms of special treatment for their viability. On the surface, that is true. Look beneath, though, and the whole energy sector is riddled with subsidies, both explicit and hidden, and costs that are not properly accounted for. Drawing on the work of people like Boyden Gray, a former White House counsel, Mr Woolsey estimates that American oil companies receive preferential treatment from their government worth more than $250 billion a year. And the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations-appointed group of scientific experts, reckons that fossil fuels should carry a tax of $20-50 for every tonne of carbon dioxide they generate in order to pay for the environmental effects of burning them (hence the fears of the power-generators).
So the subsidies and mandates offered to renewable sources of power such as wind turbines often just level the playing field. It is true that some subsidies amount to unwarranted market-rigging: examples include those handed by cloudy Germany to its solar-power industry and by America to its maize-based ethanol farmers when Brazilian sugar-based ethanol is far cheaper. Others, though, such as a requirement that a certain proportion of electricity be derived from non-fossil-fuel sources, make no attempt to pick particular technological winners. They merely act to stimulate innovation by guaranteeing a market to things that actually work.
If the world were rational, all of these measures would be swept away and replaced by a proper tax on carbon—as is starting to happen in Europe, where the price arrived at by the cap-and-trade system being introduced is close to the IPCC’s recommendation. If that occurred, wind-based electricity would already be competitive with fossil fuels and others would be coming close. Failing that, special treatment for alternatives is probably the least bad option—though such measures need to be crafted in ways that favour neither incumbents nor particular ways of doing things, and need to be withdrawn when they are no longer necessary.
The poor world turns greener too
That, at least, is the view from the rich world. But poorer, rapidly developing countries are also taking more of an interest in renewable energy sources, despite assertions to the contrary by some Western politicians and businessmen. It is true that China is building coal-fired power stations at a blazing rate. But it also has a large wind-generation capacity, which is expected to grow by two-thirds this year, and is the world’s second-largest manufacturer of solar panels—not to mention having the largest number of solar-heated rooftop hot-water systems in its buildings.
Brazil, meanwhile, has the world’s second-largest (just behind America) and most economically honest biofuel industry, which already provides 40% of the fuel consumed by its cars and should soon supply 15% of its electricity, too (through the burning of sugarcane waste). South Africa is leading the effort to develop a new class of safe and simple nuclear reactor—not renewable energy in the strict sense, but carbon-free and thus increasingly welcome. These countries, and others like them, are prepared to look beyond fossil fuels. They will get their energy where they can. So if renewables and other alternatives can compete on cost, the poor and the rich world alike will adopt them.
That, however, requires innovation. Such innovation is most likely to come out of the laboratories of rich countries. At a recent debate at Columbia University, which The Economist helped to organise, Mr Khosla defended the proposition, “The United States will solve the climate-change problem”. The Californian venture capitalist argued that if cheaper alternatives to fossil fuels are developed, simple economics will ensure their adoption throughout the world. He also insisted that the innovation which will create those alternatives will come almost entirely out of America.
As it happens, he lost. But that does not mean he is wrong. There are lots of terawatts to play for and lots of money to be made. And if the planet happens to be saved on the way, that is all to the good.
February
24-27, 2009 · Von Braun Center · Huntsville,
AL
Integrate ·
Educate · Support
Call for
Papers
Technical and Publication
Chair
Glen A. Robertson
IASSPES, Madison, AL
Papers are invited in all
technical areas of the Space, Propulsion and Energy Sciences International
Forum (SPESIF-2009), organized by
the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Space, Propulsion and Energy
Sciences (IASSPES). SPESIF-2009
will be held February 24 - 27, 2009, at Von Braun Center, down town, Huntsville,
AL. SPESIF-2009 is still
under development at this time and workshops maybe converted to conference or symposium status
on the registration form depending on the number of publishable papers submitted
and approved for publication by the Publication
Committee.
ABSTRACT
SUBMISSION: Interested authors or workshop presenters are invited to
submit abstracts for consideration using the online submission form on the
SPESIF website, www.ias-spes.org/SPESIF.html, or
click on any of the submission form links provided next to each session listing
throughout this Call for Papers. Deadline for submission of initial abstracts is
July 15, 2008. Authors and workshop presenters should indicate the SPESIF
conference, number and title of the technical session in which they wish their
abstracts to be considered. Abstracts should include the name(s), phone
number(s) and email(s) of all co-authors, and clearly indicate the motivation
and purpose of the work, important results, significance, applications, and
briefly summarize approach or methodology. Acknowledgment of receipt of
submitted abstracts will be sent to the primary author (first author listed) or
the workshop presenter. Inquiries can be made by email to spesif@ias-spes.org or
by calling (256) 694-7941. All submitted abstracts will be reviewed by the
appropriate SPESIF-2009 Technical Program Committee.
Abstracts are currently
being accepted and authors or workshop presenters will be notified as they are
accepted. Workshop presenters are not required to
submit papers, but may do so. Please indicate on the Abstract Submission Form
whether you plan to submit a paper. The Abstract Submission Form can be found
here.
REVIEW AND ACCEPTANCE
OF FULL PAPERS:
Authors with accepted abstracts
will be asked to provide a full
manuscript for review and editing by August 15, 2008, or as indicated on the
abstract acceptance letter. It is the authors’ responsibility to obtain any
clearances, i.e internal or ITAR reviews, before submitting their
first draft before the deadline of submission. Format instructions for
preparing the final paper will be provided to the authors of accepted abstracts
and will also be available on the SPESIF web site. Final manuscripts, in a
camera-ready form, will be included in the SPESIF-2009 proceedings. In addition,
final camera-ready abstracts will be included in the abstract book to be
distributed to all SPESIF-2009 attendees.
For more information and
updates, please consult the SPESIF homepage at: http://www.ias-spes.org/SPESIF.html.
August 15, 2008 -- Initial Abstracts Due
August 20, 2008 -- Authors Notified of Acceptance
September 15, 2008 -- Draft Papers Due
October 30, 2008 -- Formal Acceptance of Papers
December 1, 2008 -- Camera Ready Papers Due
December 15, 2008 -- Accepted Authors Must Register for Conference
December 26, 2009 -- Completed Proceedings Sent to Publisher
March 20, 2009 -- Published Proceedings Released by Publisher
TABLE OF CONTENTS AND LINKS
TO SESSIONS
A. 6TH SYMPOSIUM ON NEW FRONTIERS IN THE
SPACE PROPULSION SCIENCES. 3
A01. Advances in Contemporary Propulsion
Sciences. 3
A02. Advanced Technologies, Concepts, and
Techniques for Space Application. 3
A03. Frontiers in Propulsion Science. 3
A03.1. Theories, Models and Concepts. 3
A03.2. Experimental Results. 4
A04.1. New Directions in
Astrophysics/Particle Physics. 4
A04.2. New Physical Principles and
Gravitational Models. 4
A05. Far Term Space Transport/Environment
Models and Theories. 5
A05.1. Far Term Space Transport and
Environment Models & Theories. 5
A05.2 Conceptual Models and Theories
Promoting Alternative Space-times. 5
B. 13th CONFERENCE ON
THERMOPHYSICS APPLICATIONS IN MICROGRAVITY.. 6
B01.
Current Topics in Thermal Control 6
B02.
Progress in Microgravity Thermophysics. 6
B03. Two-Phase Thermal Control Systems. 6
B04.
High Capacity Heat Rejection Systems – Lasers, Processors, and Nuclear
Heat Sources. 7
B05.
Advanced Thermal Control Technologies via Conduction, Convection, and/or
Radiation. 7
B06. Thermal Control for Lunar and Deep
Space Missions. 7
B07. Advances in Spray Cooling. 7
B08. Advanced Heat Pipe Technologies. 8
B10. ISRU Thermal Control Technologies. 8
C. 1ST SYMPOSIUM ON
ASTROSOCIOLOGY.. 9
W1. WORKSHOP ON FUTURE ENERGY SOURCES. 10
W2. WORKSHOP ON FINANCING VISIONS. 11
W3. WORKSHOP ON HIGH-FREQUENCY GRAVITATIONAL
WAVES. 12
W4. WORKSHOP ON FUTURE DIRECTIONS IN SPACE
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.. 13
O5. OTHER PAPERS AND PRESENTATIONS (INCLUDES
NUCLEAR) 14
|
Program
Chair Dave
Goodwin Office of Fusion Energy Sciences
Phone: (301) 903-6474 |
Program
Co-Chair Len
Danczyk Energetics
Technology, LLC 315
Meigs Road, Suite A-110 Phone: (805)
966-1234 |
The
Workshop on Future Energy Sources seeks to integrate current, emerging
and future energy sources for space exploration with Earth applications,
including their issues of public interest.
Papers and
presentations are solicited that examine basic research and theories for
conventional (e.g., fusion), non-conventional (e.g., bio-fuels) and more
speculative future energy sources (e.g., quantum fluctuations, dark energy,
gravity, wide frequency EM, etc.).
Papers and
presentations are also solicited that address the
fundamental high-impact issues of future energy sources, such as
their economics versus alternatives, breakthroughs in energy source
or conversion efficiency and
sustainability.
Examples of
the above include (but are not limited to):
·
New or re-engineered fusion or fission devices could
provide safe nuclear energy sources for heating and electrical power for Earth
and space applications. Of specific interest, but not limited to are advanced
fusion or fission energy concepts for enabling detailed exploration and
utilization of the lunar surface.
Sessions will
be developed from the submitted papers and presentations into the following
focused areas:
·
Scientific and technology foundations,
·
Basic research areas originating from government,
industry, academia and private research programs, and
·
Public education.
The workshop
chairs have final authority on what is presented in their workshop. It is
suggested that authors wishing to submit papers on the "More speculative Future
Energy Sources" discuss this with the workshop chairs before submitting their
abstract to SPESIF.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
Program Chair Glen A. Robertson IASSPES 265 Ita Ann Ln. Madison, AL (256) 694-7941 |
Program Co-Chair
R. Clive Woods 102A Department of
Electrical and Computer
Engineering Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA (225)
578 5243 |
This symposium pertains to
the advancement of the space propulsion sciences from current technologies to
emerging concepts and theories. The symposium is broken into the following Five Topic Areas cover the
contemporary propulsion sciences, technologies and techniques for short-term
objectives supporting near-term space initiatives for Earth, in-orbit, Moon and
Mars-based propulsion and power systems over the next 30 years; enhancement of
the feasibility of future space propulsion systems; new frontiers in the space
propulsion sciences comprising ideas, concepts, experiments, theories and
models; and approaches that could lead to new directions in space travel,
exploration, astrophysics and particle physics with applications to propulsion,
power or communication; or to help combine these areas of science with the space
propulsion sciences toward new frontiers in
science.
Chair: Andrew Ketsdever, Edwards AFB, CA 93524, andrew.ketsdever@edwards.af.mil
Co-Chair:
John Cole, NASA Marshall Space Flight
Center, AL, 256 544-4290, john.w.cole@nasa.gov
Papers are
solicited that examine advances in the diverse arena covering the contemporary
propulsion sciences. This arena involves advances in chemical propulsion as well
as hybrids, beam energy systems, electric and magnetic thrusters and launchers,
magnetic, plasma and solar sails, other worthwhile concepts and innovative and
alternative space propulsion approaches that have been tested and shown feasible
within currently accepted physical laws. This section focuses on: New Advances
in Propulsion Technology, Advanced Propulsion Concepts, and Experimental
Results.
Chair: Chuck
Suchomel, USAF WPAFB, OH, 937-904-8653, charles.suchomel@wpafb.af.mil
Co-Chair:
Frank Mead, fbmeadjr@yahoo.com
Papers are
solicited that examine advances in technologies and techniques for enhancing
contemporary propulsion systems as well as other technologies required for space
travel and exploration. This arena involves advances in power, communication and
other technologies or other innovative and alternative approaches that are
testable within engineering accepted limits as well as those concepts that may
be on the edge of current engineering realities. This section focuses on but is
not limited to: Advanced Power Concepts, Advanced Communication Concepts, Other
Technological Concepts and Techniques for Space Application, and Experimental
Results.
Chair: Martin
Tajmar, Austrian Research Centers GmbH - ARC,
Seibersdorf, Austria, +43-50550-3142, martin.tajmar@arcs.ac.at
Co-Chair:
TBD
Papers are
solicited that examine models and theories by providing new insight or extend
theoretical concepts and models. These theoretical concepts and models should be
governed by known physical laws (although perhaps in embryonic form or not yet
formally well-established) and should be testable by current or foreseeable
scientific and/or engineering techniques. Examples of technologies to be
examined in these sessions include (but are not limited to): interaction of
gravitation and superconductors, propulsion using novel means such as zero-point
fields, quantum entanglement, and novel propellantless propulsion techniques.
Papers should
provide the theoretical groundwork for future space travel and/or exploration
beyond the bounds possible using the current propulsion sciences, pushing their
expansion towards new frontiers in the propulsion sciences, and so should stress
the practical consequences of the work or concentrate on determining the
limitations of contemporary scientific and technological approaches and
explaining how such limitations may be overcome by using new, evolving, and
enabling, technologies. Concepts can be either mathematical or speculative and
should include rigorous, logical, scientific support and plausible assumptions
to validate the fundamental aspects.
Chair: James
Woodward, California State University, Fullerton, CA, 714-278-3596, jwoodward@fullerton.edu
Co-Chair:
TBD
Papers are
solicited that report on the experimental results or possible experimental
techniques related to theoretical concepts and models in the basic research
realm of the propulsion sciences, to include experiments related (but are not
necessarily limited) to interaction of gravitation and superconductors, quantum
entanglement, propulsion using novel means such as zero-point fields, and novel
propellantless propulsion techniques. The experiments discussed should provide a
better understanding of these concepts, either pro or con, and must provide
suggestions for further work indicating clearly the likely future direction of
the work.
3) ENERGY SECURITY
IN AFRICA WITH RENEWABLE ENERGY
Preben Maegaard,
Chairperson, WCRE, World Council for Renewable Energy; Director, Nordic
Folkecenter for Renewable Energy, Denmark, July 2008 http://www.wcre.de/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=90&Itemid=3
More
than any other continent, Africa needs an energy revolution and independence
from the international fossil fuel economy; a change to renewable energy and
energy autonomy is paramount for survival. Africa depends largely on the import
of fossil fuels to meet a significant and growing part of its modern energy
needs, which has created perverse effects on the economy and lives of Africans.
Renewable energy is the only viable alternative that has the potential, when
properly managed, to improve quality of life on a national and continental
scale.
The current sky-high oil prices are disastrous for the fragile
economies in most African countries. Already with the much lower oil prices of
the past, several African countries were spending half of their foreign
trade expenditure for the import of oil. With oil prices doubling and US$ 200
per barrel in a foreseeable future, the misery we already see in Darfur and
other regions will spread and people will suffer and continue to bleed.
Energy Rich Africa
The end of the fossil oil era has the
potential to foster energy innovation based on Africa's tremendous renewable
energy resources. The continent has an abundance of wind resources, biomass and
not least, solar energy, all in sufficient quantities for satisfying future
energy needs. Africa has all of the renewable resources. What it needs is access
to know-how and practical technological solutions.
Within this context I
ask why the Africa Energy Forum, gathering July 2 to 4, 2008 in Nice, France,
will focus almost entirely on the conventional energy system but not on
renewable energy. The Africa Energy Forum brings together senior government
officials and private-sector executives to discuss opportunities in expanding
public and private power. I received an invitation for the conference and
answered that I would not be able to attend. I also asked for a better
representation of the renewable energies as most of the presentations of the
Forum focus on conventional energy options that will not be affordable for the
masses of the African continent.
No renewable energy at Africa Energy
Forum!
The prompt answer from the director of the conference revealed
that the priorities of the conference were already decided and did not intend to
include renewable energy. The conference manager, Rod Cargill, e-mailed to me:
"One thing is certain, conventional power is pivotal to Africa's
economic growth. To claim that Africa's problems of poverty would be alleviated
by relying on renewable energy is folly. The number of failed renewable energy
projects in Africa over the last 20 years is unacceptable, and verging on the
irresponsible. These failed projects have setback development by raising
aspirations and then failing to deliver, thus curtailing self-help in
Africans.The aim of the Africa Energy Forum is ultimately poverty alleviation in
Africa. We are well aware of the difficulty of bringing power to rural
communities and the consequences of untrammelled power expansion on climate
change. But we believe that cooperation between all power providers is the
only way to achieve our objective. We find a strong reaction in Africa to
the moralizing of western countries, particularly when they are the ones selling
the renewable technology".
Well known suppliers of renewable energy
solutions like Sharp, Kyocera, Vestas, Solar World, Enercon and many other world
brands within wind and solar power are not the sponsors, while the conventional
fossil fuel energy sector will be well represented. One might get the impression
that the solar and wind industries, despite a large annual turnover of ? 60
billion, are still not considered a professional sector. Some might say
the sector should be considered as a whole responsible for a "..number of failed
renewable energy projects in Africa over the last 20 years as they failed to
deliver.." and thus preventing energy change in Africa.
Disastrous solar
project by Eskom and Shell
Even though renewable energy has seen
tremendous technological achievements, there will of course be failures as it
happens in any other innovative sector. In Africa the renewables sector
undoubtedly suffered their most severe setback ever when oil giant Shell tried
to pave the way for solar power but failed with their widely advertised solar
initiative in rural South Africa.
Shell Renewables and Eskom, South
Africa's national electricity supplier, embarked in 1998 upon a joint venture to
supply homes in the remote and rural communities of South Africa, with a unique
solar home system. This project was the largest commercial solar rural
electrification venture ever undertaken. The aim was to bring illumination to
50,000 rural homes in South Africa. After some years their token payment
system failed, and systems were either not functioning, or panels were stolen.
As the project did not succeed organisationally, technically, and commercially
Shell was forced to withdraw. What was planned as a model for the 2
billion people globally that have no grid electricity, ended up in a disaster
for the reputation of solar power.
But fortunately we find in Africa
numerous successful renewable energy solutions that obviously did not get the
same negative response as the disastrous Shell top-down project. In Namibia
small solar shops charge mobile phones and many towns and villages get their
electricity from PV. In Kenya thousands of solar systems give light to homes
after sunset. Egypt and Morocco already have wind farms and are planning many
large-scale uses of wind and solar. They have better resources than most
industrialized nations and have begun to mobilize their own industrial capacity
to collect in full the fruits of their natural resources.
Decentralized
solar technology can improve the conditions of life
I have personal
experience from solar projects in Uganda and Mali. These projects are in no way
comparable with the Shell experience. At the 2004 project inauguration every
solar panel installed was serving the rural population with electricity for
schools, clinics and other basic institutions. Some of the installations had
already been producing electricity for years. With extremely modest financial
resources dozens of villages are now demonstrating that modern technology can
improve the conditions of life among the poorest in rural areas. Ninety-three
percent of the population does not have access to electricity. The nearest power
line may be 100 km away and will never find its way out to the thousands of
villages where you find the majority of the population.
In the last 10
years solar cells fortunately have become more efficient and reliable and can
deliver electricity to schools and clinics, improve the supply of water, all for
the common good. Meanwhile the residents with sufficient income have
started to buy their own solar installations. This energy revolution, admittedly
still at its very beginning, has been made possible by a small dedicated team at
the Mali Folkecenter, www.malifolkecenter.org that has
implemented other pioneering projects in some of the poorest countries of the
world.
Energy supply and revitalization of local ecosystems
In 2006
the rural commune of Garalo, in the south of Mali, celebrated the implementation
of a bio-fuel project based on jatropha oil. The facility will help bring
bio-fuel generated electricity (245 KW) to approximately 8000 residents of the
Garalo commune and possibly later to the rest of the people in the surrounding
villages. For the 70% of Malians who live in rural communities this project
shows that living rurally does not have to mean a cash-crop dependent economy
with no running water, or that the only alternative for electricity is petroleum
generators.
The Sahel environment is fragile and arid, yet jatropha is
resilient and can grow under these harsh conditions. Jatropha can thrive in the
region's difficult land and restore eroded areas, effectively generating
environmentally friendly energy, helping reduce CO2 emissions, and helping to
revitalize local ecosystems. Such projects will also stimulate the economy and
create disposable income. Extra income can in turn be used to develop
healthcare, education, small-business needs, living conditions, and much more.
The project will be closely monitored and documented, so others interested in
similar initiatives can learn from this experience. Jatropha is expected to
transform Garalo, offering residents greater opportunities, stable energy prices
and a chance for sustainability.
Renewable energy requires new financial
mechanisms
Most crucial for any of successful local projects is access to
the same long-term investment solutions that were normal when the industrialized
countries extended the power grid to the most remote corners of their societies.
Those societies found practical ways to provide the benefits of electricity to
their populations. Today the widespread implementation of renewable energy
requires new financial mechanisms. One valuable example is the Grameen Bank that
has enabled thousands of poor in Bangladesh to enjoy the benefits of solar cell
electricity, a model that has much to teach to the rest of the developing
countries. Such solutions clearly deserve at least a session at the 10th Africa
Energy Forum in Nice in July 2008.
An urgently needed international
renewable energy agency
Considering the fact that the fossil energy
sector does not see the challenge of the emerging renewable energy economy, the
world community must pave the way for an urgently needed renewable energy
international agency. The fact is that existing organizations cannot help
well in this crucial endeavour.
The International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) promotes atomic energy worldwide. The IAEA began with a small
number of countries, and now acts as a powerful international lobby for nuclear
interests. The IEA focuses on fossil fuels and only sees some need for renewable
energy in 2040 or later. However, time is short for this imperative transition.
Therefore the initiative of the German government in April 2008 to invite the
nations of the world to prepare an International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
deserves the support of all concerned citizens and
organisations.
Emerging initially from a coalition of proactive countries
IRENA will act as an advocate for renewable energy in the international
political arena in much the same way that the IAEA promotes atomic options.
IRENA, will have as its main focus, increasing the percentage of
renewable energy in the global energy mix. Bringing together international
experience and expertise in the field of renewables, IRENA will develop policies
and institutional and technological capacity across the world, helping countries
achieve the effective and efficient use of the renewable energies.
IRENA
has the potential to develop the capacity and expertise needed for continents
such as Africa to begin the transition to energy security and prosperity through
the use of renewable energy solutions.
For More
Information
---
World Council for Renewable Energy (WCRE)
c/o
EUROSOLAR e.V.
Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 11
Bonn 53113
Germany
Phone
+49 (0)228 / 36 23 - 73 or - 75
Fax: +49 (0)228 / 36 12 - 13 or - 79
E-Mail: info@wcre.org
http://www.wcre.org
4) Algae: 'The Ultimate in Renewable Energy'
ANTHONY, Texas (CNN) -- Texas may be best known for "Big Oil." But the oil that could some day make a dent in the country's use of fossil fuels is small. Microscopic, in fact: algae. Literally and figuratively, this is green fuel.
Plant physiologist Glen Kertz believes algae can some day be competitive as a source for biofuel.
Kertz, a plant physiologist and entrepreneur, holds about 20 patents. And he is psyched about the potential algae holds, both as an energy source and as a way to deal with global warming.
"We are a giant solar collecting system. We get the bulk of our energy from the sunshine," said Kertz.
Algae are among the fastest growing plants in the world, and about 50 percent of their weight is oil. That lipid oil can be used to make biodiesel for cars, trucks, and airplanes. Watch how pond scum can be turned into fuel »
Most people know algae as "pond scum." And until recently, most energy research and development projects used ponds to grow it.
But instead of ponds, Valcent uses a closed, vertical system, growing the algae in long rows of moving plastic bags. The patented system is called Vertigro, a joint venture with Canadian alternative energy company Global Green Solutions. The companies have invested about $5 million in the Texas facility.
"A pond has a limited amount of surface area for solar absorption," said Kertz.
"By going vertical, you can get a lot more surface area to expose cells to the sunlight. It keeps the algae hanging in the sunlight just long enough to pick up the solar energy they need to produce, to go through photosynthesis," he said.
Kertz said he can produce about 100,000 gallons of algae oil a year per acre, compared to about 30 gallons per acre from corn; 50 gallons from soybeans.
Using algae as an alternative fuel is not a new idea. The U.S. Department of Energy studied it for about 18 years, from 1978 to 1996. But according to Al Darzins of the DOE's National Renewable Energy Lab, in 1996 the feds decided that algae oil could never compete economically with fossil fuels.
The price of a barrel of oil in 1996? About 20 bucks!
Government scientists experimented with algae in open ponds in California, Hawaii, and in Roswell, New Mexico.
But that involved a lot of land area, with inherent problems of evaporation and contamination from other plant species and various flying and swimming critters. Darzins said NREL switched from algae research to focus on cellulosic ethanol. That's ethanol made from plants like switchgrass and plant stover -- the leaves and stalks left after a harvest -- but not edible crops such as corn and soybeans.
Valcent research scientist Aga Pinowska said there are about 65,000 known algae species, with perhaps hundreds of thousands more still to be identified.
A big part of the research at the west Texas facility involves determining what type of algae produces what type of fuel. One species may be best suited for jet fuel, while the oil content of another may be more efficient for truck diesel.
In the Vertigro lab, Pinowska studies the care and feeding of algae for just such specifics. She said even small changes in the nutrients that certain algae get can help create a more efficient oil content.
And she said a knowledge of algae's virtues goes way back.
"Even the Aztecs knew it was beneficial; they used it as a high protein food," said Pinowska.
The other common commercial use of algae today is as a health food drink, usually sold as "Spirulina."
I'm too sexy for my pond
And who knew that single celled plants could be such "hotties" when it comes to sex? Kertz said it's a real "algae orgy" under the microscope.
Some algae reproduce sexually, some asexually, while many combine both modes. In some green algae the type of reproduction may be altered if there are changes in environmental conditions, such as lack of moisture or nutrients.
Intriguing details like that keep Kertz and other scientists searching for more and different algae. While dusty west Texas may not be the best hunting grounds, he said he is always on the lookout for samples in puddles, streams or ponds.
Locating algae processing plants intelligently can add to their efficiency. Locating algae facilities next to carbon producing power plants, or manufacturing plants, for instance, the plants could sequester the C02 they create and use those emissions to help grow the algae, which need the C02 for photosynthesis.
And after more than a decade hiatus, the U.S. government is back in the algae game. The 2007 Energy Security and Independence Act includes language promoting the use of algae for biofuels. From the Pentagon to Minnesota to New Zealand, both governments and private companies are exploring the use of algae to produce fuel.
"There's not any one system that anyone has chosen yet.
Whatever it is has to be dirt, dirt cheap," said Darzins.
5) CO2 Online Calculator
EnergyGlobe, http://www.energyglobe.com/en/co2-calculator-1/
How much CO2 do you produce each year? Whether due to heating your home or your water or due to mobility by auto, bus or airplane: in many of our everyday activities we produce CO2 without even noticing – on average 11 tons per person per year, 3 of them in the fields of housing (heating, electricity) and mobility. Fill in the fields and find out how big your personal CO2 footprint is.
Click here to fill out the one-page calculator (total of 5 minutes tops to enter data) http://www.energyglobe.com/en/co2-calculator-1/
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The 236th American Chemical Society
National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 17-21, 2008
New Energy Technology
Session
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| Sponsored by: | ENVR | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Organizer: | Jan Marwan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 1:30 PM | 105 | Elaboration of deuteron cluster fusion model Akito Takahashi | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1:55 PM | 106 | Quark-Gluon model for nuclear magic numbers related to
low energy nuclear reactions George H. Miley, Heinz Hora, N. Ghahramani, M. Ghanaatian, M. Hooshmand, F. Osman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2:20 PM | 107 | Radiochemical comparisons on low energy nuclear
reactions (LENR) and uranium fission George H. Miley, Heinz Hora, Andrei Lipson, Prajakti Joshi Shresthra | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2:45 PM | Intermission | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:10 PM | 108 | Theoretical models relevant to excess heat
production Peter L. Hagelstein, Irfan U. Chaudhary | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3:35 PM | 109 | Using chemical potential to build a CMNS reactor XingZhong Li, Bin Liu, QingMing Wei | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4:00 PM | 110 | Concepts and experiments for utilizing van der Waals
forces and Casimir effect for new energy technologies Thorsten Ludwig | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous Session -- New Energy Technology
Symposium
Grid -- Division of Environmental Chemistry -- Session
Listing
The
236th ACS National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 17-21, 2008
http://oasys2.confex.com/acs/236nm/techprogram/index.html
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