President-elect Barack Obama is proving to be remarkably pragmatic and centrist as he tackles the global economic crisis. Big tests are yet to come on energy, however.
Will Obama tilt toward fossil-phobic environmentalists who heavily influence the Democratic Party, or do-it-all pragmatists like his apparent choice for White House national security adviser, retired Marine Corps Gen. James Jones?
Jones' present job is chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Institute for 21st Century Energy, which contends that offshore oil drilling, clean coal technology and nuclear power have to be part of America's energy policy.
On Oct. 20, Jones made it clear at a panel discussion I was part of that he regards energy policy as "an international security issue of the highest order," which suggests that he will make it part of his portfolio at the National Security Council.
He released a step-by-step "transition plan" for energy that included "aggressively" promoting energy efficiency and alternative fuel research, but also domestic oil and gas exploration and elimination of restrictions against nuclear power plants, new electric grids, and oil and gas pipelines.
Such ideas are anathema to many Democratic "greens" – including leaders in Congress – who want to close down the carbon economy and base the country's energy future strictly on renewables such as wind, solar and geothermal power, plus conservation.
In particular, Jones has aroused the ire of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., for backing disposal of the nation's nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.
The power of the greens was also demonstrated by the toppling of Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the auto industry's longtime protector, as chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
His replacement, Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is a "green," and his coup was backed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.
After behaving like a leftish liberal for much of his political career – and becoming the darling of the left during the presidential campaign – Obama so far is fulfilling his self-assessment that he's a pragmatist, willing to try "whatever works."
His economic appointments – Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary, Lawrence Summers in the White House, Christina Romer at the Council of Economic Advisers and Peter Orszag at the Office of Management and Budget – have sent reassuring signals to terrified financial markets. And his heavily leaked selections for foreign policy posts – Sen. Hillary Clinton as secretary of State, Jones at the NSC and possibly current Defense Secretary Robert Gates – definitely lean toward the "realist" or "national interest" school of foreign policy, not the "liberal internationalist."
On policy, moreover, Obama has shown reassuring resilience, utterly abandoning his previous intention to follow the Franklin D. Roosevelt model of crisis governing.
FDR famously refused to involve himself in policymaking to deal with the Great Depression from November 1932 until his inauguration in March 1933 and refused to have any contact with outgoing President Herbert Hoover's administration.
At his initial press conference as president-elect on Nov. 7, Obama repeated the mantra that "the country has only one president at a time." Crashing financial markets and the impending "Great Recession" – or worse – changed his attitude.
A good case can be made that George W. Bush will go down in history as another Herbert Hoover, but if Obama means to be FDR, at least he's starting early.
The case for Bush as Hoover is this: Bush's carelessness about deficit spending and doubling of the national debt created a nationwide atmosphere of fiscal irresponsibility, leading to over-leveraging (that is, massive debt accumulation) by investment banks, homeowners and consumers.
Bush maintained a hands-off attitude as the housing bubble expanded to the bursting point, as banks invested in impossible-to-understand mortgage-backed securities, and rating agencies slapped triple-A ratings on all of them. Bush and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson have been un-Hoover-like in expanding government power to rescue the financial industry – Wall Street – but have been reluctant to adopt similarly aggressive policies to deal with the "Main Street" effects, including unemployment and home foreclosures.
For unexplained reasons, the Bush administration also has refused to adopt solutions backed by Sen. John McCain during his presidential campaign – revising the "mark to market" accounting rule and limiting "short-selling" by speculators, both of which are depressing bank stocks.
If Bush won't do anything about those policies, Obama should, along with passing a huge new stimulus package including infrastructure spending and middle-class tax cuts.
As a pragmatist, Obama is signaling that he won't raise taxes on rich people immediately – though he wants to for "fairness" reasons – but he should just declare that policy to spur investment.
And when it comes to infrastructure, Obama should encourage private investment as well as public. Besides roads and bridges, he should encourage wind farms, solar panels – and nuclear plants and offshore oil rigs.
The basis of Jones' case is that the United States will be heavily dependent upon fossil fuels for the next 20 years, until not-yet-mature alternative sources and conservation methods are developed.
The pragmatic thing for Obama to do is "do what works" in energy as well as the economy.
Morton Kondracke is executive editor of Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Will Obama be pragmatic in energy policy?
Clean Energy Can Fuel Economic Revival, Green Groups Tell Obama
President-elect Barack Obama can revive the U.S. economy - and aggressively combat climate change - by investing in clean energy technologies and strengthening environmental protections, the leaders of major U.S. environmental groups advise.
The recommendation is a central part of a lengthy wish list of policies sent to Obama's transition team Tuesday by a broad coalition of 29 of the nation's leading environmental and conservation organizations, who also urged the president-elect to swiftly reverse "eight years of environmental neglect" under the Bush administration.
"Our economy is suffering and so is our environment," Larry Schweiger, head of the National Wildlife Federation told reporters on a conference call. "The solutions to both go hand in hand."
The groups contend that difficult economic times provide opportunities, rather than obstacles, to tackling the daunting issues of climate change, clean energy and environmental protection.
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Oak Ridge National Lab engineer Jeff Christian directs the design and construction of highly energy-efficient houses for low-income families. (Photo courtesy ORNL) |
"Generating green collar jobs, making our offices and homes more efficient, rebuilding our water infrastructure, reducing our dependence on oil, reviving our ailing landscapes - these are solutions that can lead directly to economic prosperity, greater social equity and even enhanced national security," the coalition said in the 391-page report.
The solution to the nation's economic problems "is a new green economy," said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters. "Delay is not just bad for the planet, it is bad for the economy."
That message echoes some of Obama's own rhetoric on energy and climate change - last week he pledged support for a federal carbon cap-and-trade system, that would mandate cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2020 and a further 80 percent by 2050.
Obama also outlined support for a $15 billion annual investment to support renewable energy and build a clean energy future, predicting the efforts would produce some five million new green jobs.
Those goals are in line with what environmentalists have long supported - a key reason the environmental groups are confident their agenda will now have a powerful advocate in the White House.
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Workers install the first Mariah Windspire vertical axis wind turbine in the Midwest at the The College School, an elementary school in St. Louis, Missouri. October 2008. (Photo by Matthew Diller) |
Obama has made it clear that his priorities "jive nicely" with the major concerns of the environmental community, said Maggie Alt, executive director of Environment America.
The environmental groups' planning document contains broad goals as well as specific recommendations for the White House and federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and Interior Department, as well as the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Energy
"It covers a wide range of issues that merit prompt presidential attention, but it underscores the urgent need to build a green energy economy to tackle global warming," the groups wrote. "Most importantly, the document reflects a fundamental consensus that serious action is needed right now in order to usher in a healthier, cleaner, more prosperous and more sustainable era for America."
Along with the climate and energy recommendations, the groups call for a slew of policies to safeguard the Arctic, as well as steps to increase protection for wetlands, national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.
The report recommends increased funding for conservation programs, stricter oversight of energy production from public lands and tighter air pollution standards.
The groups want Obama to reinstate a federal moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling along with a Clinton administration rule protecting roadless areas in national forests. They also want Obama to restore protections for endangered species weakened by the Bush administration.
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The Sacramento Municipal Utility District solar-powered hydrogen vehicle fueling station opened April 1, 2008. As solar panels make electricity, it powers the separation of water into hydrogen and oxygen to make fuel for hydrogen-powered vehicles. (Photo by Keith Wipke courtesy NREL) |
"There is lot of work to do to reverse the damage of the last eight years," Alt said.
In addition, the Obama administration should act quickly to reverse any last minute Bush rules that weaken environmental protections, Karpinski added.
"On day one they should place a moratorium on finalizing midnight regulations and reviewing those that have not yet taken effect," he said.
The environmentalists contend the widely anticipated economic stimulus package provides a critical opportunity for Obama to quickly signal his intention to follow through on his promises to solve the "entwined economic, climate and environmental crises."
Obama should lead the effort with bold measures to promote energy efficiency and spark increased development and use of renewable energy through modernization of the nation's electrical grid, the groups said.
"There's economic opportunity if we do this right," said Kevin Knobloch, president of the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The current electricity transmission grid is "a patchwork of antiquated technology" that loses 20-25 percent of electricity generated by coal-fired power plants, he explained.
Upgrading the grid can create jobs and unleash the potential of renewable energy, said Schweiger.
"This can get the system moving in terms of new energy … and allows us to invest in solar in the Southwest, wind in the Midwest and elsewhere and move that energy to places where it is needed," he told reporters. "Currently we do not have an infrastructure for that."
The following groups collaborated to produce the recommendations - American Rivers, Center For International Environmental Law, Clean Water Action, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Environment America, Environmental Defense Fund, Friends Of The Earth, Greenpeace, Izaak Walton League, League Of Conservation Voters, National Audubon Society, National Parks Conservation Association, National Tribal Environmental Council, National Wildlife Federation, Native American Rights Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, Oceana, Ocean Conservancy, Pew Environment Group, Physicians For Social Responsibility, Population Connection, Population Action International, Rails-To-Trails Conservancy, Sierra Club, The Wilderness Society, The Trust For Public Land, Union Of Concerned Scientists, and World Wildlife Fund.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Dead heat: This cemetery's otherworldly energy is solar
A Spanish town alarmed about climate change has installed solar panels on its mausoleums, turning "a place of perpetual rest into one buzzing with renewable energy," the Associated Press reports with mirth.
The 462 panels are mounted on graves in the blue-collar town of Santa Coloma de Gramenet outside of Barcelona. The panels started absorbing energy from the sun to power the local grid last Wednesday, three years after the project began, according to the AP.
While this isn't the town's first green-energy project, or even the first time a Spanish cemetery has gone solar (Santa Coloma de Gramenet also has solar parks on the roofs of buildings, as do cemeteries elsewhere in Spain), it is believed to be the first time the panels have been put up over graves, the newswire says.
Santa Coloma de Gramenet took its unorthodox approach because its population of 124,000 people lives in a dense one-and-a-half square miles (3.9 square kilometers). There was little unused, flat and sunny land to install the panels, which will make enough energy to power 60 homes a year and eliminate 62 tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
"The best tribute we can pay to our ancestors, whatever your religion may be, is to generate clean energy for new generations," Esteve Serret, director of Conste-Live Energy, which runs the cemetery, told the AP.
Spain is the world's hottest solar market, with generous subsidies for manufacturers, plentiful sunshine and heavy demand from residents for energy-sucking air conditioning. Feed-in tariffs there guarantee 25 years of up to triple the market price for solar energy, and legislation would require all new buildings to include solar technology.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Renewable Energy Thrust Nets GeneSiC Semiconductor $1.5M from US Department of Energy
The US Department of Energy has awarded GeneSiC Semiconductor two separate grants totaling $1.5M for the development of high-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) devices that will serve as key enablers for wind- and solar-power integration with the nation's electricity grid.
"These awards demonstrate the DOE's confidence in GeneSiC's capabilities, as well as its commitment to alternative energy solutions," notes Dr. Ranbir Singh, president of GeneSiC. "An integrated, efficient power grid is critical to the nation's energy future -- and the SiC devices we're developing are critical for overcoming the inefficiencies of conventional silicon technologies."
The first award is a $750k Phase II SBIR grant for the development of fast, ultra-high-voltage SiC bipolar devices. The second is a $750k Phase II STTR grant for the development of optically gated high-power SiC switches.
Silicon carbide is a next-generation semiconductor material with the ability to handle 10x the voltage and 100x the current of silicon, making it ideally suited to high-power applications such as renewable energy (wind and solar) installations and electrical-grid control systems.
Specifically, the two awards are for:
-- Development of high-frequency, multi-kilovolt SiC gate-turn-off (GTO) power devices. Government and commercial applications include power-management and -conditioning systems for ships, the utility industry, and medical imaging.
-- Design and fabrication of optically gated high-voltage, high-power SiC switching devices. Using fiber-optics to switch power is an ideal solution for environments plagued by electro-magnetic interference (EMI), and applications that require ultra high-voltages.
The SiC devices GeneSiC is developing serve a variety of energy storage, power grid, and military applications, which are receiving increasing attention as the world focuses on more efficient and cost-effective energy-management solutions.
About GeneSiC Semiconductor
Based outside Washington, DC in Dulles, Virginia, GeneSiC Semiconductor Inc. is a leading innovator in high-temperature, high-power and ultra high-voltage silicon carbide (SiC) devices. Current development projects include high-temperature rectifiers, field-effect transistors (FETs) and bipolar devices, as well as particle & photonic detectors. GeneSiC has prime/sub-contracts from major US Government agencies, including the Department of Energy, Navy, DARPA, and the Department of Homeland Security. The company is currently experiencing substantial growth, and hiring qualified personnel in power-device and detector design, fabrication, and testing. To find out more, please visit www.genesicsemi.com.
Friday, November 07, 2008
Tan Holdings complex get solar water heaters
Four 80-gallon Solahart tanks were recently installed atop a future Tan Holdings' apartment complex on Navy Hill.
“We're the first commercial facility to use these. Tenants will enjoy free hot water normally on [the Commonwealth Utilities Corp.'s] meter,” said Ivan Quichocho, Tan Holdings' corporate business developer. “It adds value to the facility and gives future tenants hot water, all compliments of Mother Nature.”
Randy Steele, general manager of Triple J motors, which distributes the tanks in the CNMI, Guam and Micronesia, said Solahart tanks are the future.
“Ten years from now this is how the island will be,” he said.
The tanks have two ceramic layers lining the interior. A sealed jacket surrounds the storage cylinder with the water inside. Pre-installed water surrounds the storage cylinder, which holds water from CUC, Steele said. Corroded CUC water is not used around the storage cylinder.
Solahart panels do not use stainless steel or copper, which can be corroded, or copper, which can't stand high levels of chlorine, Steele said.
“These are like the Cadillac SUV,” he said, adding that they are expected to last 15 years.
The tanks are optimal for tropical climates like the CNMI, but Steele said hot water would be available even on cloudy days.
The tanks were developed in Australia and have been in Guam since the 1970s and 1980s, Steele said.
According to Solahart data, the tanks are estimated to save 50 to 80 percent of water heating consumption.
And with the current power rates, that can save commercial and residential customers a lot of money, Steele said.
“Obviously, with power going up, using electricity is not the economical way to do it,” he said. “We live on an island, we should be the model. We should use our resources. It seems like a no-brainer opportunity.”
Also, Quichocho said, the tanks are environmentally friendly. They burn less fossil fuel and reduce carbon footprints, something that fits Tan Holdings' goal of going green
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Boost for renewable energy
| By Tania Tan | ||
 |  | Danish wind power company Vestas Wind Systems officially launched its $500 million wind research centre here on Monday. -- PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE |
Danish wind power company Vestas Wind Systems officially launched its $500 million wind research centre here on Monday.
The government will also give research a boost with a $25 million fund to turn green research into marketable applications. It will be administered by the Energy Market Authority.
Vestas' centre, which is located in the newly-launched Fusionopolis in Ayer Rajah, will employ about 300 researchers and engineers by 2012, up from about 100 currently.
A 'rich talent pool' of engineers, designers and chemists make Singapore an ideal choice for research, said Vestas Technology R&D president Finn Strom Madsen.
Vestas makes about 23 per cent of the world's wind generation equipment, with global demand for wind power expected to grow by 30 per cent annually.
Singaporeans are 'probably not going to see any finished wind mills' said Mr Madsen, as the country lacks sufficient wind power.
Wind energy is harnessed by 40-storey tall wind turbines that rotate and convert power generated by moving blades into electricity.
Space constraints also mean that Singapore is unlikely to use wind technology as a source of energy, as wind farms require vast amounts of land.
But an R&D centre is nonetheless good news for Singapore, said executive director of local think tank Energy Studies Institute, Chou Siaw Kiang.
Wind power is becoming very popular in Asia-Pacific countries like China, India and Australia, as these countries look for non-polluting energy sources to satisfy demand, explained Prof Chou.
'It's going to be big business, which Singapore can tap on,' he added.
Crude oil prices peaked at US$140 per barrel (S$205.80) in March, due to spiralling demand and speculation from traders.
Despite the recent dip in prices to about US$60 per barrel, studies have shown that the cost of oil is still on the upswing. Fossil fuels are also the biggest culprit in climate change.
'It's a global issue necessitating a global solution,' said Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang on Monday evening at at the welcome dinner for the inaugural Singapore International Energy Week.
Over 2,500 delegates will be in town for the five-day event, which will feature seminars, workshops and cutting edge technology for renewable energy, including solar, wind and fuel cells.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew will also deliver the first Singapore Energy Lecture today.
'Singapore's lack of energy options means that dilemmas...will be felt more acutely by us,' said Mr Lim.
In short, more cheap and clean energy solutions are needed, he noted.
To add another filip to the industry, the government has set up $25 million fund to help deliver clean energy research from lab to store shelf over the next five years, said Mr Lim.
The Energy Research and Development Fund will provide financial support to help companies equip themselves with the expertise and infrastructure for such studies, as well as testbed green technology projects.
Clean energy sector is a key growth area which is expected to generate 7,000 jobs by 2015.
Monday, November 03, 2008
Home solar energy systems on hold for better incentives
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| By Andrew West for USA TODAY | ||
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| Many who would like to install solar and wind energy systems in their home like Bill and Sue Lottridge of Estero, Fla., are waiting until next year when new credits kick in. | ||
But the incentives for some systems are so much better than existing tax credits that many people also are delaying their home improvements until next year when the new credits kick in.
The new incentives will slash an additional $7,000 or more off the cost of a solar-energy system compared with today's credits, and $4,000 more off household wind turbines.
Congress haggled all year over the 30% tax credit for solar projects, capped at $2,000 for homeowners, that was set to expire Dec. 31.
That prompted many people to rush and purchase solar-energy systems before the credit expired.
Those people, like retiree Dru Bacon of Goodyear, Ariz., can't help but feel slighted because the $2,000 federal tax credits they received are much smaller than what people will get next year.
Systems installed from 2009 to 2016, or simply not turned on until then, will get a true 30% credit applied to the bottom line of their taxes
Bacon had a system installed this year that retailed for $38,000. He got incentives from the state and Arizona Public Service Co. worth more than $18,000, and the maximum federal tax credit of $2,000.
But if he had waited until 2009, he would have gotten a federal credit worth $11,400.
That would have cut his out-of-pocket expense from $18,000 to $8,600.
Bacon still supports solar, but regrets that 48 people in his neighborhood association are installing solar-energy systems. Some already turned on their systems and are not able to get the bigger rebate.
"People I influenced to do it in '08 are probably a little discouraged in me," he said. "But the credit could have gone away, and it looked like it was going to. I think what spurred it was the financial disaster we are all living through."
Solar installer PerfectPower Inc. in Scottsdale has already heard from customers with pending projects who want to push them into next year to get bigger federal rebates, sales engineer Matt Kelly said.
"We've notified our customers, and given them that option," he said. "There were some folks where it was already in place, and everybody opted to wait to have their system turned on."
The credits didn't change for all technologies. Solar water heaters, which are much more affordable but use a different technology, still have a $2,000 cap.
The cap is more than enough to cover 30% of most projects, according to Sun Systems Inc., which sells solar water heaters made by its sister company, Integrated Solar in Phoenix.
The average system sells for less than $6,500, President Tom Bohner said.
"On one hand, I'm kind of glad the cap did not get raised," he said. "The current cap allows me to sell a water heater in the mid-$6,000 range and get the full credit. If they raised the cap, I guarantee some fly-by-nights would be in here selling $9,000 and $10,000 systems."
Small wind turbines now qualify for as much as $4,000 under a similar tax credit, which likely will help companies like Southwest Windpower Inc. in Flagstaff reach more customers.
"This is a first for wind projects under 100 kilowatts," marketing manager Miriam Robbins said. "Suddenly, wind is becoming more mainstream just like solar because there are a lot more systems available to the average consumer."
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
How Do They Do That? Tankless Water Heaters
- Tankless water heaters save energy by eliminating the need for a water storage tank.
- Also called demand water heaters, they typically supply 2 to 5 gallons per minute.
- Tankless water heaters have been used for about 25 years in the United States.
Tankless/demand water heaters are common in Japan and Europe. They began appearing in the United States about 25 years ago. Unlike conventional storage tank water heaters, tankless water heaters heat water only as it is used, or on-demand, without the use of a storage tank. A tankless unit has a heating device that is activated by the flow of water when a hot water valve is opened. Once activated, the heater delivers a constant supply of hot water. The output capacity of the heating unit, however, limits the rate of the heated water flow.
Heating units may be electric resistance elements or natural gas burners. Typically, demand water heaters provide hot water at a rate of two to five gallons (7.6–15.2 liters) per minute. The following process describes how a tankless water heater works for both gas and electric versions.
- A hot water tap is turned on.
- Water enters the heater.
- The water flow sensor detects the water flow.
- The computer automatically ignites the burner or powers the resistive heating element.
- Water circulates through the heat exchanger.
- The heat exchanger heats the water to the designated temperature.
- When the tap is turned off, the unit shuts down.
| Gas Tankless Water Heater | Electric Tankless Water Heater |
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| (Source: Takagi with permission) | (Source: ATEliving Trade and Industries Co.,Ltd with permission) |
The natural gas burners are sized in the 20,000 Btuh to 200,000 Btuh range. The electric tankless resistance heating element size ranges from 18 kW to 27 kW. Electric units often have two to four smaller heating tubes connected serially (the output of one is the input to the next).
Source: http://www.questline.com/Article.aspx?userID=350085&articleID=9032&NL=5167Sunday, July 27, 2008
Solar Water Heaters Now Mandatory In Hawaii
Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. Hawaii homes will soon be required to install solar powered water heaters.
A bill signed into law by Governor Linda Lingle will utilize Hawaii’s renewable resources, while saving money and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.
Royal Kunia resident Glenn Skedeleski is fed up with rising costs.
“It’s getting ridiculous with all the fuel charges and everything,” Royal Kunia resident Glenn Skedeleski said.
When his old water heater kicked the bucket Glenn thought it was time to purchase a solar water heater.
“Save money. Yeah close to $300 and now it’s about $60 bucks less a month,” Skedeleski said.
According to a bill signed into law Thursday by Governor Linda Lingle homebuilders will be required to install solar water heaters in all new homes after January 1, 2010.
“This is a big step forward,” Sen. Russell Kokubun said.
Senator Russell Kokubun, who helped introduce the bill alongside its author Senator Gary Hooser, says this law brings Hawaii one step closer to sustainable living.
“We are the first state in the nation to actually have this kind of mandate with respect to solar energy,” Sen. Kokubun said.
Energy experts say it will help save you money in the long run.
“For a family of 3 - 6 the long term savings can be anywhere in the range of $40,000 to $75,000 dollars over the course of 30 years,” Pacific Energy Strategies President Steve Olsen said.
Solar energy professionals say the installation also reduces CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.
“Another way to look at solar hot water is it’s an equivalent to taking a car off the road,” Olsen said.
The new law has prompted some opposition causing some local installers to worry about their business being taken away and given to large developers.
“It may, or may not, help my company it depends on who gets linked up with these big developers, but I am a member of the sierra club and I have totally supported this bill from the get go,” Olsen said.
Current tax credits take a $5,000 solar water heater and reduces the cost down to $2,000...but buyers beware homes built without a solar water heater after the start date of January 2010 will not qualify for any tax credits, because by law the homes should have already have solar water heaters in them.
Tax credits still apply for Homeowners wanting to install water heaters in homes built before 2010.