August 10th, 2007 by Michael
CNet news has a couple of interesting articles on solar homes. The first is about a competition between several universities including MIT to build a fully off-grid solar dwelling with the ability to also power an electric car. The teams are required to use only commercially available materials as a proof-of-concept that these entries can be made today for consumers. This is an interesting point because it means that many newer technologies that are not yet on the market cannot be a part of the design. It will also go to show what is possible right now with off-the-shelf products, which should prove informative on the current state of solar technology and efficient architectural design. (more…)
August 9th, 2007 by Michael
The USA seems to be slowly plodding towards the universal goal of renewable energy that does not harm the environment. Of course, it is being done in true bureaucratic fashion with the aid of lobbyist groups. From this article: “The House voted 220-190 for an amendment to require by 2020 that at least 15 percent of the electricity sold by most utilities must come from renewable sources, including wind, solar and biofuels.” (more…)
July 31st, 2007 by Michael
One of the drawbacks to Electric Vehicle (EV) transportation is the cost. These things are expensive. Take a look at the Tesla Motors Roadster. It has a wonderful, sleek design and some impressive performance numbers. The problem? It’s a smooth $100,000USD. Most people do not have that kind of cash to drop on a car. I know that the tech is still in its fledgling stages, but if start-ups in this industry want to get anywhere, they are going to have to get the costs down to reasonable levels. I want an EV that gives me a net savings over my ownership span of the vehicle. Somehow, I don’t think that I’m going to save over $70,000USD over the 5-7 years I would have that car. (more…)
July 20th, 2007 by Michael
Have you ever wondered what renewable technologies provide a net energy gain? There is so much politicized talk about whether certain renewable sources are viable because of the energy consumed in their creation, such as ethanol. This got me to thinking … surely someone out there has done research on the net gain/loss of these technologies and published the findings. With a little bit of looking, I found several places on the web providing Energy Returned On Energy Invested (EROEI) study results. I rather liked this chart over at www.eroei.com. (more…)
July 17th, 2007 by Michael
Another interesting article about solar energy was posted yesterday on the NYTimes website. “Solar Power Wins Enthusiasts but Not Money” touches on one of the fundamental problems with green energy … the lack of well funded research. From the article, “… research on solar power and methods for storing intermittent energy has long received less spending, … than energy options with more political support”. With efforts in the right places, perhaps we can change this way of thinking and convince Washington to shift more money to alternative fuel research.
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