The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), A "Deal of Distinction"

According to an article on UC Berkeley News, university's $500 million biofuels research partnership with energy giant BP, signed nearly a year ago, has been named a "Deal of Distinction" by the Licensing Executives Society, an organization of U.S. and Canadian technology transfer professionals.
Even though I am on the other side regarding the patents, I am somewhat siding with this project as it provides ways and means for research. Patenting clean energy resources might not spread the use but may spring others to compete.
The Energy Biosciences Institute (EBI), which is conducting research related clean renewable energy, is a research partnership between UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and BP.
"This deal enables the partners to leverage complementary skills, expertise and resources in a way that has the potential to result in the development of novel energy sources and solutions that could significantly benefit the global community," said White. "The IUGI sector is extremely pleased to congratulate this year's winners for this important collaboration."
Learn more about EBI here.

Tags: UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BP, EBI, energy patents

Going Green Is Good For The Economy!

According to a study conducted by University of California Berkeley, going green is actually good for the California's economy. This might dismay nay sayers trying to slap current economic down falls on going green.
Tthe 82 page study report involves explaining complicated economic theories that spans the scenario from going green to California becoming prosperous. With current plans, state will generate $48 billion boost in household income / savings and create as many as 403,000 jobs in the next 12 years. Yes it is very good!
After going through the papers and reading Daily Californian, the theory is very simple, even though it involved barrels of data and plethora of brain powers.
Californians will save money by involving in energy efficiency programs and these savings will allow them them to spend on other goodies, thus keeping the states economic arteries pumped up with resources. These will in turn will create more jobs and California continue to be the super golden state that it is.

Following is the Executive Summery of the study. You may find the link to 82 page PDF file after the jump.

"Global climate change poses significant risks to the California economy. Recognizing and responding to these threats, Governor Schwarzenegger signed Executive Order #S-3-05 (Schwarzenegger 2005) which called for a 30 percent reduction below business-as-usual of greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 and 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. In September 2006, the California legislature passed and Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law the historic Global Warming Solutions Act (AB 32), which mandates a first-in-the-nation limit on emissions that cause global warming. In June 2006, the California Air Resources Board (CARB)released a “Draft Scoping Plan” – the policy roadmap to meet the emissions reduction target of 169 Million Metric Tons of Carbon (MMTCO2) equivalent by 2020 to stabilize at 427 MMTCO2 overall. The CARB board will take up final adoption of this plan in December 2008.
During the months leading up to this decision, a financial crisis of global proportions is unfolding. The state, nation and world are caught in serial market failures sparked by the collapse of the housing credit market, and there is much speculation about the impact of declining capital gains revenue on the state budget. Against this backdrop, Energy Efficiency, Innovation, and Job Creation in California analyses the economic impact of CARB’s past and future policies to reduce fossil fuel generated energy demand. California’s achievements in energy efficiency over the last generation are well known, but evidence about their deeper economic implications remains weak. This study examines the economy-wide employment effects of the state’s landmark efficiency policies over the last thirty-five years, and forecasts the economic effects of significantly more aggressive policies proposed to reduce emissions to 1990 levels by 2020."

CERES @ UC Berkeley. Energy Efficiency, Innovation, and Job Creation in California
by David Roland-Holst

Tags: Energy Efficiency, Innovation, Job Creation in California, CERES, UC Berkeley

Halloween Energy Tricks From Google!

If you are scared of energy costs during Halloween or genuinely want save some energy and help our world, help is coming, not very surprisingly from, Google.
Google's Climate Change & Energy Initiatives team (at Google.org) have created a handy energy saving calculator to help you see how simple steps can help you save money for treats -- and ward off scary carbon emissions.
They also have put together a webpage with many tricks to help you save energy thus money. The inspiration for this idea, has come from the U. S. Department of Energy.
So follow the links and save some scares. The tricks page gives you information that goes way beyond Halloween, in saving energy

Official Google Blog: Is your house haunted by high energy prices?

Tags: U. S. Department of Energy, Halloween, energy saving, Climate Change & Energy Initiatives, Google.org, energy conservation

Efficient Hydrogen Fuel Generation Technology from SPERI, Korea

Scientist conducting research in to CO2 reduction and other forms of greenhouse gases control at SPERI, S&P Energy Research Institute has come out with a lower cost Hydrogen generation.
Dr. Sen Kim who is a member of European Academy of Natural Science has been developing methods to scrub green house gases from sources.
The research has revealed that the low energy bondage between greenhouse gases CO2, CH4, or N2O also extend to the Hydrogen in the water vapor (H2O). So according to a press release by the S&P Energy Research Institute, it will be a profitable Hydrogen generation. Profitable in the sense of amount of energy spent in the process. Currently the favorite method of Hydrogen generation is by electrolysis. The electrolytic method uses 4-4.5 kwh energy for getting 1 cubic meter of hydrogen. The new method of SPERI, use 0.1 kwh for the same volume of hydrogen. This is will make the use of Hydrogen in energy generation actually feasible. Currently even though Hydrogen is one of the cleanest method, that is offset by dirty energy spent generating it.
With this method, it will be much easier to have very clean hydrogen based energy generation.

Dr. Sen Kim said “Our laboratory tests show that CO2, CH4, or N2O was dissociated by low energy. We also confirmed that hydrogen (H2) and vapor(H2O) was dissociated with similar efficiency (90% or more). Traditionally hydrogen is made by electrolysis. The electrolytic method uses 4-4.5 kwh energy for getting 1 cubic meter of hydrogen. Our method uses 0.1 kwh for the same volume of hydrogen. As known the high cost of electrolytic H2 does not allow to use it as a fuel."

News Source: S&P Energy

Media Contact: S & P Energy Co Ltd. 82-31-777-3121

Web Site: http://www.clean-energy.kr

Tags: Hydrogen Fuel, SPERI, greenhouse gases

MINI - E, Me Too?

I was looking reading and digesting the "select private and corporate customers" in California, New York and New Jersey., the electric version of the Mini. After seeing the photos on the web and glancing on the specs, the only thought entered my mind was, they want to be me too! on the electric band wagon.
But after reading a bit more on the press release by BMW, I was relieved. They got to be better than that. The Mini-E is a sort of a prototype and it has a 150KW engine that gives a 150 mile range and will be released in a batch of 500 that is going to be released to "select private and corporate customers" in California, New York and New Jersey.
Do not feel bad because it is ugly motor home inside, gone are the rear two seats. There is a huge hump taking their place and has even shrunk the tiny storage area. I hope their real world experiment will help to reduce this ugliness once the real thing comes out, because I like the Mini, really and I want a one with E.

Tags: MINI - E, Electric Car

Next Generation Prius? Prius 2010

More photos at Autoblog

Autoblog published the photos of next generation Prius, 2010 Prius. From the look of it, no one will think it is anything but a Prius. Again the changes are seem to be in the internals, like the engine, that is said to be 1.8 letre and producing plus or minus 100HP. Again when combined with the electric motor, a total of 160HP will be at your feet.
But I do not understand the need for more power, recently I had an encounter with a Prius (not mine but anothers). I was in a V6 powered sports car that I had to use and I was trying to get to a place as fast as I could without breaking rules and laws. There was this Prius that kept up all the way with me. So I do not see the need for more power but well it is coming with the new Prius.
The other part which is not clear is if it is a plug in all the way like my current modified Prius. They are talking about Solar panels attached to the vehicle to charge the batteries. For a change people will be looking for a sunny place to park rather than a shade!

Shade or not, Honda is said to be coming out with a new insight. That is for another report.

Tags: Prius, Prius 2010, Solar panels, Honda insight

Solar Power International Gets On The Way Today.

Solar Power International formally know as Solar Power 2008 get on the way tonight in San Diego to a sold out conference. (You might be able to get a few one day passes, if you hurry!).
With 400 exhibitors, 60 breakout sessions, 200 speakers and 174,000 square-feet of expo floor, I think there is little time to rest.
The first day presents keynotes by General Wesley K. Clark and Nasdaq CEO Bob Greifeld. But I am looking forward to the CEO panel on market development with Michael Ahearn of First Solar, Lyndon Rive of SolarCity, James Rogers of Duke Energy and Santiago Seage of Abengoa Solar, all solar power houses!.
The conference is organized by Solar Electric Power Association (SEPA) and the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and will continue till October 16th.

Tags: Solar Power 2008, Solar Power International, solar power, First Solar, SolarCity, Duke Energy, Abengoa Solar

Peugeot Hymotion3 Compressor Concept Scooter

Peugeot has presented a new scooter that is slated to be one of the most advanced hybrid scooter in the world at the Paris Motor Show. According to a report on hell for leather, the concept scooter improves on the technology of BMW C1 and Piaggio MP3 scooters to create most high-tech scooter of all time. Of course among other things like hybrid engine, safety steel cage, etc the scooter also sports a three-wheel drive!
Read more at the HFL.

Tags: Peugeot Hymotion3, Hybrid, Hybrid Scooter, BMW C1, Piaggio MP3

Google's Commitment to Sustainable Computing.

I think it is hard to believe if Google says, in time, that your personal computer which initiated a search on Google at one of its data centers, consumes more energy than the data center's computing to provide you with answers. But that seem to be the case as Google engineers have worked hard to keep the these data centers energy efficient.
Day to day I myself have access to two to three data centers and time to time I visit them. They (the one's I know) are build with energy efficiency thrown very very far away. Trying to keep the centers at 70 degree Fahrenheit is not easy task. Massive cooling towers, then again massive fans to distribute cool air within / to the systems and to extract the warm air from those systems.
The mission critical systems have their own air conditioners within the computer rack. So when I see one of these data centers, energy efficiency is not something that comes to your mind. (Only thing I think about is to get out of there to avoid noice pollution.
But all that were seen in a different perspective once I read the article pointed out by the Google blog. (The link to the article is below).
So I for one learned a lot from this new site and over the time I hope to bring some of these techniques to our data centers if not all. Also remember that Google Solar, and other work targeting making this world a better place, like Project 10.
But you do not have to sit back and say, of I don't have a data center so there is nothing for me to do! Here is one little part from the Google efficient data center site;
"Up to a third of the total energy consumed by a typical server is wasted before reaching the computing components. The majority of these losses occur when converting electricity from one kind to another. The power supply, which converts the AC voltage coming from a standard outlet to a set of low DC voltages, is where most of the energy is lost. A second major source of wasted energy is in voltage regulator circuitry. This circuitry sits on the computer's motherboard and further converts the power supply's output voltages to the voltages required by the microchips. Both sources have traditionally been designed with low efficiency standards to save a few dollars on initial cost. However, this inefficiency causes the owner to spend many more dollars on electricity usage down the road. (So if you're about to buy a new server or computer, buy an efficient one!)"
Official Google Blog: Saving electricity one data center at a time

Google's Commitment to Sustainable Computing

Tags: Sustainable Computing, Google energy efficiency, Google Solar, energy efficiency, cooling data centers, sustainable data centers

Going Clean With Energy By 2030

While many people all over the world have been looking into the energy puzzle from different angles, the energy team at Google has also been busy crunching the numbers to see how we could reduce fossil fuel use. This analysis, which was led by Jeffery Greenblatt, points to a direction that might help us to steer away from using coal and oil for electricity generation by 2030. This promise to cut oil use for cars by 40%.
You can read about the plan with complete links to various think tanks that are on the same path to resolve the issues we are having with global warming and energy.
Official Google Blog: Clean energy 2030:

Tags: Google, global warming, Google energy team, clean coal