Around the world, temperatures in September were at record levels. September 2013 tied with September 2005 for the hottest September on record. Globally, according to NASA data!
http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2013/11/03/2876491/hottest-september-record/.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Friday, November 1, 2013
Renewable Energy On Pace To Set Record For Annual Production
Production of renewable energy set an annual production record in 2011. While last year was a strong year, it was not a record year, with total renewable energy production falling below the level of 2011.
Yet, after the first 7 months of 2013, renewable energy is on pace to set this year a new record for annual production of renewable energy. Wind and solar is booming, and those big gains outweigh declines in hydro and biofuels.
But, if 2013 turns out to be a new record year, it won't be my much--probably by 1%.
http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec10_3.pdf.
Yet, after the first 7 months of 2013, renewable energy is on pace to set this year a new record for annual production of renewable energy. Wind and solar is booming, and those big gains outweigh declines in hydro and biofuels.
But, if 2013 turns out to be a new record year, it won't be my much--probably by 1%.
http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec10_3.pdf.
Defense Department To Make Huge Electric Vehicle Purchase: 92,000 EVs By 2020
The Defense Department is charging into electric vehicles. It will buy 92,000 electric vehicles, including plug-in hybrids, by 2020. That number is equal to the total number that will be sold in 2013!
http://www.navigantresearch.com/newsroom/the-u-s-department-of-defense-will-acquire-92000-electric-vehicles-by-2020.
DOD sees electric vehicles as improving combat capability in two ways:
http://www.navigantresearch.com/newsroom/the-u-s-department-of-defense-will-acquire-92000-electric-vehicles-by-2020.
DOD sees electric vehicles as improving combat capability in two ways:
“In remote theaters of operations, the cost of moving fuels to forward military locations can be a multiple of the cost of the fuel itself,” says Scott Shepard, research analyst with Navigant Research. “The military’s approach to reducing fossil fuel consumption from non-tactical operations includes acquiring increasing numbers of vehicles powered by ethanol blend and biodiesel blend fuels; but the majority of the investment will go toward HEVs and PEVs.”
One particular area of focus for the military market is the development of microgrids in tandem with vehicle-to-grid (V2G)-enabled PEVs. Microgrids can enable bases in both tactical and non-tactical operations to utilize energy generation sources more efficiently and to operate independently of conditions on the grid. V2G-enabled PEVs used solely in non-tactical applications provide an additional layer of energy support and storage that can assist islanding microgrids and balance distributed energy generation resources by providing power from the vehicles’ battery packs to buildings.
While DOD improves its war-fighting capabilities by using electric vehicles, its big purchase will be a big boost as well to the civilian commercialization of electric vehicles.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Gas Regulators Must Respond To USGS Earthquake/Liquids Disposal Warning For Oklahoma City Region
This warning of increased earthquake risk in the Oklahoma City region should be big news.
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3710&from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+USGSNewsroomPartial+%28Newsroom+-+Partial+Descriptions%29#.UmlZChBdAic.
USGS points to substantial data that the number of earthquakes in the Oklahoma City region has increased substantially, skyrocketing to 40 per year from 2009 to mid-2013. That is startling higher than the 1 to 3 earthquakes per year experienced from 1970 to 2008.
USGS further reports that some of the earthquakes can be felt at the surface, do damage, and register 4 or 5 on the Richter scale. This is a serious matter and should again be big news.
What is the cause of the skyrocketing number of earthquakes? Almost certainly deep underground disposal of liquids that are mainly wastewater from oil and gas operations.
The USGS warning is remarkable! But to my knowledge it has not led to any regulatory response from either Oklahoma's regulators or the EPA.
To put in bluntly, it would be regulatory malpractice to ignore the USGS warning and the data that form its basis. But that may be exactly what is happening.
http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3710&from=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+USGSNewsroomPartial+%28Newsroom+-+Partial+Descriptions%29#.UmlZChBdAic.
USGS points to substantial data that the number of earthquakes in the Oklahoma City region has increased substantially, skyrocketing to 40 per year from 2009 to mid-2013. That is startling higher than the 1 to 3 earthquakes per year experienced from 1970 to 2008.
USGS further reports that some of the earthquakes can be felt at the surface, do damage, and register 4 or 5 on the Richter scale. This is a serious matter and should again be big news.
What is the cause of the skyrocketing number of earthquakes? Almost certainly deep underground disposal of liquids that are mainly wastewater from oil and gas operations.
The USGS warning is remarkable! But to my knowledge it has not led to any regulatory response from either Oklahoma's regulators or the EPA.
To put in bluntly, it would be regulatory malpractice to ignore the USGS warning and the data that form its basis. But that may be exactly what is happening.
Great Solar Cost Calculator Provides Homes/Businesses Solar Estimates: Try It!
The decline in solar costs is astonishing and means that many families and businesses can save money by installing solar. Are you one of them?
To answer that question, a good start is a solar report for your property from the website at Cost Of Solar.
http://costofsolar.com/.
After getting your solar report, I then recommend getting bids from three separate solar installers. Be sure to ask for references and talk to at least one of those references. Make sure you know their experience. Ask what solar equipment do they install. Understand guarantees. And explore both solar leasing and solar ownership, both of which may be available in your area.
Finally, remember that installing solar on your property will increase its property value. That property value increase is a bonus that comes on top of the increasing likelihood that installing solar will save you money but not doing so will cost you dollars!
To answer that question, a good start is a solar report for your property from the website at Cost Of Solar.
http://costofsolar.com/.
After getting your solar report, I then recommend getting bids from three separate solar installers. Be sure to ask for references and talk to at least one of those references. Make sure you know their experience. Ask what solar equipment do they install. Understand guarantees. And explore both solar leasing and solar ownership, both of which may be available in your area.
Finally, remember that installing solar on your property will increase its property value. That property value increase is a bonus that comes on top of the increasing likelihood that installing solar will save you money but not doing so will cost you dollars!
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Stunning Fact: Deutsche Bank Projects Global Solar Market To Hit 50,000 Megawatts Or 12 Nuclear Plants In 2014
This is a great year for solar around the world. How great?
An incredible 35,000 megawatts of solar will be built around the world in 2013, a new record for annual installation. That is the equivalent of 9 medium sized nuclear plants being built in one year.
As sunny as 2013 has been for solar, 2014 will be brighter still. Deutsche Bank projects that the world will install as much as 50,000 megawatts next year or the equivalent of 12.5 nuclear plants!
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/deutsche-says-solar-pv-market-reach-50gw-2014.
That's an astonishing amount of new electricity generation of any sort and confirms that the solar industry has reached a scale that will transform energy markets around the world.
An incredible 35,000 megawatts of solar will be built around the world in 2013, a new record for annual installation. That is the equivalent of 9 medium sized nuclear plants being built in one year.
As sunny as 2013 has been for solar, 2014 will be brighter still. Deutsche Bank projects that the world will install as much as 50,000 megawatts next year or the equivalent of 12.5 nuclear plants!
http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/deutsche-says-solar-pv-market-reach-50gw-2014.
That's an astonishing amount of new electricity generation of any sort and confirms that the solar industry has reached a scale that will transform energy markets around the world.
Latest EIA Data Show That US Carbon Emissions May Not Rise In 2013 After All
US carbon emissions fell in 2012 to their lowest levels since 1994 but were expected to rise by nearly 3% in 2013. And sure enough 2013 carbon emissions were up significantly in the first 4 months of 2013, when compared to the same period of 2012.
But since April ended, carbon emissions for May, June, and July have been lower than in the same months of 2012. The lower emissions of the last 3 months creates the possibility that carbon emissions may not be after all higher in 2013 than they were in 2012. That would be a welcome surprise.
http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec12_3.pdf.
But since April ended, carbon emissions for May, June, and July have been lower than in the same months of 2012. The lower emissions of the last 3 months creates the possibility that carbon emissions may not be after all higher in 2013 than they were in 2012. That would be a welcome surprise.
http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly/pdf/sec12_3.pdf.
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