Environmentally concerned car buyers worry that that switching to an electric vehicle does not help. They are concerned that instead of using one fossil fuel, petroleum, another will be used, coal. Many electric vehicles are three times more efficient than vehicles that run on gasoline. Mitsubishi Motors, an early leader in electric vehicles, estimates EV efficiency at 67 percent instead of 30 percent for a hybrid-electric and 15 percent for a normal gasoline vehicle.

Electric vehicles are more efficient for many reasons including the efficiency of electric motors. As an added bonus, electric vehicles can be lighter, using accessories that run on electricity not mechanical links to the drive system. Regenerative braking helps. Weight can be distributed more effectively in a vehicle. Best of all, the fuel can be local renewable energy not gasoline processed from foreign oil. Electricity is cheap compared with fuel from oil.

Lifecycle analysis using the coal-dominate United States energy mix shows less total greenhouse gas emissions from a battery electric vehicle than a comparable gasoline vehicle or even a hybrid. A good place to look at lifecycle comparisons is the Argonne National Laboratory, which publishes comparative studies and offers an extensive GREET spreadsheet tool for any organization to use.

Electric vehicle lifecycle emissions will usually be lower than the coal model. Over 25,000 of the first 40,000 electric vehicles sold in the United States are in California, where electric utilities are legally required to use a growing mix of renewable energy. Under a study commissioned by the California Air Resources Board, the Low Carbon Fuel Standard Technical Analysis showed that a unit of energy from California’s typical electric mix caused 27 grams of CO2 equivalent; from gasoline, 92 grams.

In reality EV emissions are still lower because many people are charging their vehicles at night when electricity would otherwise be wasted. Nighttime charging will increase as electric utilities install smart-meters that can be programmed to charge vehicles when rates are lowest. Nighttime rates are often only one-third of peak rates. Many buyers of electric vehicles also buy renewable energy credits or use solar power for charging.

While electricity is getting progressively cleaner as states mandate increased use of renewables, incremental gasoline is produced from sources with increasing greenhouse gases such as tar sands, coal to liquid, and the contemplated nightmare of oil from shale.

Get your discounted paperback or eBook copy of Save Gas, Save the Planet at Amazon. Gain a comprehensive understanding of electric cars, low-carbon fuels, and sustainable transportation.

Fueling Our Cars – Oil, Coal or Sunlight is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

Press Announcement (11/1/11)

REC Solar, a subsidiary of Mainstream Energy Corporation, has teamed with GE Energy Industrial Solutions, a leading supplier of power generation and energy delivery technologies, to distribute the GE WattStation™ electric vehicle (EV) charger. The partnership signals the movement toward the inevitable collision of two rapidly growing sustainability movements – solar and electric vehicles – for a cleaner, more secure world.

Solar-powered charging stations expand the economic benefits of EV ownership, while enhancing the environmental and energy saving benefits. Looking ahead to a future transportation system freed from dependence on fossil fuels, REC Solar and GE are taking steps to create an end-to-end solar EV charging system that will enable our cars to literally run on sunshine. The intersection of solar and EV industries means greater reduction of greenhouse gases and independence from fossil fuels – while at the same time delivering economic benefits to drivers. The cost of driving a solar-charged EV may be 66 percent less than a gas-powered car, according to a recent study by GTM Research.

GE’s WattStation is an easy-to-use Level 2 electric vehicle (EV) charger designed to help accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles by significantly decreasing time needed for charging – delivering a full charge in just four to eight hours compared with standard overnight charging that can take as much as 12 to 14 hours. Its smart grid-enabled technology could also help utility companies manage the impact of EVs on the local and regional grids. As a distributor of the GE WattStation, REC Solar will make it easier for its thousands of commercial, government and residential customers to incorporate EV charging capabilities. The WattStation is the ideal complement to the growing trend towards solar carports, but its simple installation makes it suitable for any type of solar installation.

“We are excited to be a distributor for the GE WattStation, known for its charging speed and beauty, to address growing demand from our large residential and commercial customer base for the integration of EV charging stations into the solar installation process,” said Lee Johnson, CEO of REC Solar. “With expectations of one million EVs entering America’s roadways by 2016, the need to establish a sustainable EV infrastructure is here today. By incorporating solar, our electrical grids won’t be overwhelmed by the influx of EV chargers. And of course, the more solar energy is used with electric vehicles, the cleaner the environment becomes.”

Related electric car and Solar Articles and Reports

Top 10 Electric Car Makers

Solar City Installs Charging Network

Solar Power and Transportation

Solar Powered Electric Car Charging from GE and REC Solar is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

By Ken Bossong, Sun Day Campaign (10/3/11)

According to the most recent issue of the “Monthly Energy Review” by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through June 30, 2011, renewable energy has passed another milestone as domestic production is now significantly greater than that of nuclear power and continues to close in on oil.

During the first half of 2011, renewable energy sources (biomass & biofuels, geothermal, solar, water, wind) provided 4.687 quadrillion Btus of energy or 12.25% of U.S. energy production. By comparison, renewables accounted for 11.05% of domestic production during the first half of 2010 and 10.50% during the first half of 2009. (On the consumption side, which includes oil and other energy imports, renewable sources accounted for 9.45% of total U.S. energy use.)

More significantly, energy production from renewable energy sources in 2011 was 17.91% more than that from nuclear power, which provided 3.975 quadrillion Btus and has been declining in recent years. Energy from renewable sources is now equal to 79.83% of that from domestic crude oil production, with the gap closing rapidly.

Looking at all energy sectors (e.g., electricity, transportation, thermal), production of renewable energy, including hydropower, has increased by 15.02% compared to the first half of 2010, and by 22.79% when compared to the first half of 2009. Among the renewable energy sources, biomass and biofuels accounted for 46.04% in 2011 (54% from biomass and 46% from biofuels), followed by hydropower (37.00%), wind (13.40%), geothermal (2.33%), and solar (1.22%).

Looking at just the electricity sector, according to the latest issue of EIA’s “Electric Power Monthly,” with data through June 30, 2011, for the first half of 2011, renewable energy sources (biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) accounted for 13.97% of net U.S. electrical generation – up 26.14% from the same period in 2010. Hydropower accounted for 8.94% of U.S. electrical generation, followed by wind at 3.24%, biomass at 1.33%, geothermal at 0.41%, and solar at 0.04%. Thus, non-hydro renewables accounted for 5.02% of net U.S. electrical generation. Comparing the first six months of 2011 to the first six months of 2010, solar-generated electricity expanded by 43.6%, wind by 35.1%, hydropower by 30.3%, and geothermal by 4.9%; only biomass dropped – by 4.4%.

By comparison, nuclear power’s contribution to net U.S. electrical generation totaled 19.12% representing a decline of 3.8% compared to the first half of 2010 and a drop of over 5% compared to the first half of 2009. Similarly, coal-generated electricity also dipped by 4.8% from its mid-year 2010 level while natural gas increased by 2.4%.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration released its most recent “Monthly Energy Review” on September 28, 2011.  It can be found at:  http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/monthly.  The relevant charts from which the data above are extrapolated are Tables 1.1, 1.2, and 10.1.  EIA released its most recent “Electric Power Monthly” on September 15, 2011; see:  http://www.eia.gov/electricity/monthly. The relevant charts are Tables 1.1, ES1.B, and 1.1.A.

United States Now Produces More Renewable Energy than Nuclear Energy is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

By John Addison (10/4/11)

Chevron Technology Ventures launched an enhanced oil recovery (EOR) demonstration project using solar energy to recover oil. The 29MW project uses BrightSource technology including 7,644 mirrors to focus the sun’s energy onto a solar boiler. The steam produced is injected into oil reservoirs to increase oil production. The project is the largest of its kind in the world.

Desmond King, president of Chevron Technology Ventures, states, “This technology has the potential to augment gas-powered steam generation and may provide an additional resource in areas of the world where natural gas is expensive or not readily available.”

One of America’s oldest oil fields, the Coalinga Field began operations in the 1890s. Because the heavy crude oil produced at the field does not flow readily, it is more difficult to extract than lighter grades of crude.

Chevron currently enhances oil production from the Coalinga Field by injecting steam to heat the crude, thereby reducing its viscosity and making it easier to produce. Burning natural gas currently generates this steam. The solar-to-steam project will supplement the gas-fired steam generators and help determine the commercial viability of using heat from the sun instead of natural gas to generate steam.

BrightSource Addresses $4.7 Billion EOR Market

The 29MW solar-to-steam demonstration project is made up of 3,822 mirror systems, or heliostats, each consisting of two 10- by 7-foot mirrors mounted to a 6-foot steel pole. There are 7,644 mirrors that track the sun and focus the sunlight on a 327-foot-tall solar tower. Using heat from the concentrated sunlight, the solar tower system produces steam that is distributed throughout the oil field and then injected underground for enhanced oil recovery. The solar demonstration generates about the same amount of steam as one gas-fired steam generator. The project covers 100 acres, with mirrors covering 65 acres and 35 acres devoted to support facilities.

Extracting heavy-oil reserves, like the ones found at Coalinga, is a global challenge. According to a recent report by SBI, conventional oil recovery methods are only able to extract about 10% – 30% of the potential oil from any given reservoir, leaving nearly 70% – 90% of the reservoir’s oil in the ground.

“The energy intensity associated with extracting heavy-oil is extremely high. This presents a significant challenge to containing emissions and to the supply of fuel – such as natural gas – for this process,” said Paul Markwell, Senior Director, Upstream Research with IHS CERA. “Many of the known heavy-oil reserves around the world have limited access to cost-effective fuel sources and are located in areas with high solar resources. This provides an ideal environment for the use of solar thermal technologies for enhanced oil recovery.”

According to BCC Research, the global market for EOR technologies was $4.7 billion in 2009 and is expected to grow at a 5-year compound annual growth rate of 28%, reaching $16.3 billion in 2014.

Utility Market Even Larger for Solar Thermal

California utilities are required to have a 33 percent renewable energy portfolio by 2020, up from 20 percent today. Major investments are being made in solar PV and solar thermal. BrightSource Energy also provides solar thermal power plant solution for utilities. Called SolarPLUS, the offering combines BrightSource’s high-efficiency LPT power tower solar thermal technology with a two-tank molten-salt storage that can be used to deliver during peak hours when electricity is most valuable.

A BrightSource 392MW LPT solar thermal system is currently being deployed at the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS) in California’s Mojave Desert. Ivanpah, which started construction in October 2010, is the first project that will deliver power to serve the company’s signed contracts with PG&E and Southern California Edison. The project – which counts NRG Solar, Google and BrightSource as equity investors – is currently the largest solar plant under construction in the world. Bechtel is constructing the project.

BrightSource Energy with its leading solar thermal technology has raised about $530 million from investors that include VantagePoint Capital Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, Morgan Stanley, Black River, DBL Investors, Riverwood, Calstrs, Google.org, Statoil Hydro Venture, Alstom, BP Alternative Energy, and Chevron. Solar thermal projects of 2,600 megawatts have received $1.3 billion in federal loan guarantees. BrightSource has filed an S-1 for an IPO.

Alan Salzman, Managing Partner of VantagePoint Capital Partners, states, “In working closely with BrightSource Energy over the past several years, they have greatly impressed us with their deep understanding of the solar thermal industry and technological prowess. The company represents an extraordinary business opportunity and a catalyst for transformative change to the energy world as we know it. It’s exciting to be part of it.”

The solar-to-steam project will be managed by Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), a division of Chevron U.S.A., which champions innovation, commercialization and integration of emerging technologies and related new business models within Chevron. CTV is pursuing this goal through business units involving biofuels, emerging energy and venture capital.

Chevron Launches Largest Solar Enhanced-Oil-Recovery Project with BrightSource is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

By John Addison (10/3/11)

The movie Sideways added to the fame of the central coast of California with rolling hills covered with live oak, dramatic cliffs descending to the Pacific Ocean, and grapes harvested for premium wines.

For electric car drivers, the central coast has another reason for fame. Rabobank, a financial leader in 48 countries and headquartered in the Netherlands, has installed a network of electric car chargers that use the solar power installed on bank branch roofs. The charging network is a perfect match for early adopters of electric cars who prefer to charge with renewable energy.

The solar installations were done by Solar City, a leading solar power provider. Last week I was talking with Pete Rive, a Founder and COO of Solar City. Rabobank has 12 locations with 225kW of solar power that have Level 2 90A/240V chargers, which are publicly accessible from Highway 101. For many electric car drivers, this brings them closer to the dream of driving from Northern to Southern California, charging along the way. Pete Rive can make the drive now since he owns a Tesla Roadster with a 240-mile range between charges.

Solar City and Google

Google is one of the world’s leading employers to provide solar charging for its employees. Google GFleet Details

This year, SolarCity® and Google created a $280 million fund to finance residential solar projects. The fund is SolarCity’s largest project financing fund and the largest residential solar fund created in the U.S. SolarCity has now created 15 project funds with seven different partners to finance $1.28 billion in solar projects.

The SolarCity/Google fund will extend solar lease (SolarLease®) and power purchase agreement (SolarPPA™) options to customers who desire to have solar panels installed on their homes, but do not wish to make the larger upfront investment to purchase the systems. SolarCity serves Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Texas, and has more than 15,000 solar projects completed or underway. More than 12,000 of those customers have chosen SolarCity’s financing options, while 3,000 have purchased their systems.

Venture Capital Bets Big on Solar and on Electric Vehicles

I met Pete Rive at the GoingGreen Silicon Valley Conference.  Always On hosts conferences like these in various parts of the nation through the year to bring together leading technology firms and venture capitalists.

The Internet had made billionaires of a few people in the room. The Internet started as ARPANET, a government funded venture. Emerging companies such as Netscape turned to venture capitalists for help in recruiting top management, executing the right strategy, and needed funding. For every Google, venture capitalists have watched multiple investments fail.

As some members of Congress now try making the failure of Solyndra a reason to stop supporting cleantech, the hundreds of people at this conference move ahead, albeit with more difficult funding obstacles. Entrepreneurs see enormous opportunities in solar, vehicle electrification, energy efficiency, smart grid, grid storage, biotechnology, and many other areas. Investments will continue to be made. Most will fail. Some will change the world.

A successful venture capitalist that I met at Going Green was Steve Jurvetson, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson. His firm’s successes include China’s leading search engine Baidu, and Internet stars that are now part of Microsoft including Hotmail and Skype. Steve Jurvetson drives a Tesla and is on their Board of Directors. He states that all vehicles in the future will be electric, yet he has joined ExxonMobil in investing in Synthetic Genomics, a leader in biofuel from algae. I asked Steve to explain the seeming contradiction.

Synthetic Genomics (SGI), lead by Craig Venter, is developing disruptive technology in biofuel, bio-energy, petrochemical substitutes, and vaccines. Steve Jurvetson, as a Board member of Synthetic Genomics, is excited about transforming more products now plastic from petroleum. By contrast, ExxonMobil with $300 million invested in SGI is interested in algae biofuel feedstock made at breakthrough cost that can be blended at the refinery.

Yes, electric motors are at least four times the efficiency of diesel and gasoline engines, so electric cars have a huge future. Trucks and planes will need fuel for decades and we’re running out of low cost conventional oil. Both EVs and biofuels can successful.

As SGI pursues its multi-year efforts to progress from laboratory to large-scale commercialization, it is giving birth to multiple companies including one to take on some of the world’s most deadly diseases. Synthetic Genomics Inc. (SGI) and the not-for-profit research organization, the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) today announced the formation of a new company, Synthetic Genomics Vaccines Inc. (SGVI). The privately held company will focus on developing next generation vaccines using JCVI’s genomic sequencing and synthetic genomic research expertise, coupled with the intellectual property and expertise of SGI, to significantly advance and enhance vaccine development. SGVI is also announcing a three-year collaboration agreement with Novartis to apply synthetic genomics tools and technologies to accelerate the production of the influenza seed strains required for vaccine manufacturing.

Lithium Batteries – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Many at the conference see a big potential for electric vehicles charged with solar power and other renewables. For them it’s not just potential, its how they now travel.

What will happen to all these lithium batteries when they reach the end of their warranties, which are typically 100,000 miles or 8 years? At that point, a battery that once gave a LEAF driver like me 60 miles of freeway range may only delivery 50 miles. These batteries can be repurposed in solar power projects, storing electricity to be delivered during peak hours when the sun is no longer high in the sky.

Peter Rive, SolarCity COO, has projects for these repurposed batteries right now. He could see buying lithium batteries for $200 per kilowatt for wall-mounted storage.

We have an abundance of sunlight. We also have an abundance of brilliant scientists and engineers, innovative entrepreneurs, and investors who love to bet big on making the world better. Thanks to them, we will increasingly ride on sunlight.

Solar Power Charging Electric Cars is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

By John Addison (8/11/11)

Ford and SunPower offer a rooftop solar system that will allow Focus Electric owners and other electric car drivers to “Drive Green for Life” by providing renewable energy to offset the electricity used to charge the vehicle. The SunPower rooftop solar system also will be compatible with the C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid electric vehicle Ford is rolling out in 2012.

This pre-configured solution makes solar charging easy for new customers.  Many of the first 50,000 U.S. buyers of electric cars have been early adopters of solar power and renewable energy. Music legend Jackson Browne lives off-gird and charges his Chevrolet Volt with his own wind and solar power.   Johnson and Johnson installed 1.1MW of SunPower solar covered parking structures that includes 5 Coulomb electric car chargers. The U.S. Marine Corp at Camp Pendleton showed me their solar powered parking structure that charges their 291 electric vehicles. Solar Parking Structures

The 2.5 kilowatt rooftop solar system is comprised of the SunPower® E18 Series solar panels that produce an average of 3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually. These high-efficiency solar panels generate approximately 50 percent more electricity than conventional panels and utilize a smaller footprint on the roof. The system was sized to accommodate an electric car owner who drives about 1,000 miles per month.

The complete SunPower solar system is offered at a base price of less than $10,000 after federal tax credits. Local and state rebates, along with other incentives, may drive the system cost down even more, depending on a customer’s location. Included in the purchase is a residential monitoring system, which includes the ability to track the performance of their solar system on the web or through an iPhone application. Affordable financing options for the solar system are available through SunPower.

When Ford customers order their Focus Electric or C-MAX Energi they will have the option of indicating an interest in the SunPower system. SunPower leads the industry with more than 400 dealers in the U.S., and can support the initial Focus Electric roll out in all 19 markets. A participating SunPower dealer who will visit their home to begin the installation process will contact interested Focus Electric customers. Ford also has an agreement with consumer electronics leader Best Buy to offer a 240-volt home charging station for the Focus Electric and future electric vehicle owners.

I was impressed with my test drives of early versions of the Ford Focus Electric, which will challenge the Nissan Leaf. In 2013, NISSAN opens its new Tennessee plant with the ultimate capacity of making 150,000 LEAFs each year. The Ford C-MAX Energi will challenge the Chevrolet Volt’s leadership of plug-in hybrids. Chevrolet will make 65,000 Volts and Opel Amperas next year.

Electrification is an important piece of Ford’s overall product sustainability strategy, which includes the launch of five electrified vehicles in North America by 2012 and in Europe by 2013. Ford launched the Transit Connect Electric small commercial van in 2010 and will launch the all-new Focus Electric later this year. In 2012, these models will be joined in North America by the new C-MAX Hybrid, a second next-generation lithium-ion battery hybrid and C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid. This diverse range of electrified vehicles allows Ford to meet a variety of consumer driving needs.

Electric car critics and many oil industry executives claim that there will only be coal power charging electric vehicles. In my two years of interviewing electric car owners and fleet managers, I have yet to met someone who only uses coal to power their electric vehicles. Most use zero coal power. Many use 100 percent renewables. One oil giant who does not make the false coal claim is Total, which is buying the majority of SunPower stock. Total sees a billion dollar opportunity to charge cars with renewable energy.

Ford and SunPower Solar Charging Electric Cars is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

By John Addison (updated 8/10/11; original 8/5/11)

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake then tsunami triggered escaping radiation from nuclear reactors near millions of people in Japan.

On Sunday, August 7, a group of the world’s greatest musicians performed an inspiring benefit concert to support disaster relief in Japan. Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Jason Mraz, The Doobie Brothers, Tom Morello, John Hall, Kitaro, Jonathan Wilson,  and Sweet Honey in the Rock sang on behalf of  Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE). Music video links and breaking news are available at NukeFree.Org.

I was mesmerized by the music, the soaring harmonies of veteran cosmic rockers and new voices, and a dazzling performance powered with little grid energy. The Shoreline Amphitheatre concert stage was powered by an integrated system of SunPower solar PV in mobile SunPod modules, biodiesel gensets, mobile batteries, and WindTronics wind turbines. The energy-saving GRNLite LED lighting rig for the show has been donated by Bandit Lites, and Schubert Systems has donated the sound rig.

“The disaster in Fukushima is not only a disaster for Japan. It is a global disaster. We come together now across cultural boundaries, political and generational boundaries, to call for changes in the way we use energy, and in the ways we conduct the search for solutions to the problems facing humanity,” says Jackson Browne. “We join with the people of Japan, and people everywhere who believe in a non-nuclear future.”

It was shortly after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered multiple meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan that the decision was made by MUSE to coordinate the benefit. We have all read the news about the radiation in Japanese drinking water, food, and children exposed in radiation contaminated schools (New York Times Article).  When these great artists meet press members including me before the concert, Bonnie Raitt said, “We all live downwind.”

These musicians are committed to making a difference. Graham Nash uses solar power. As a father of three he told me of his compassion for all of our children. Speaking of nuclear industry executives he asked, “How can they do this. They’ve got their own children.”

“This is another massive world energy disaster from which there will be long-term effects,” adds Jason Mraz. “I am thrilled to be a part of this amazing show that will not only help those in Japan, but that will also call attention to the urgent need to embrace safe, clean energy alternatives.” Jason lives only 20 miles downwind from the aging San Onofre reactors built on an earthquake fault. Jason uses solar power and even had a solar party to educate his neighbors including my 86-year old friend Vera who now uses solar.

For over 25 years, Jackson Browne has lived off-grid using solar and wind power. Jackson rides on sunlight, charging his Chevy Volt with his renewable energy.

Major Nations Phase Out Nuclear

Germany makes it the age of renewables and will be ending its use of nuclear power in 10 years. By 2022, the last German nuclear power plant will be closed down. After the disaster in Japan, Germany has already permanently closed 7 nuclear plants. Germany’s world leadership in energy efficiency, wind power, and solar power, make the end of nuclear by 2022 feasible.

Italy is also no nukes due to a referendum where 90 percent of Italian voters called for the end of nuclear power. Italy is also showing strong leadership in solar power.

Reuters reports: “Japan, the world’s third-biggest nuclear power user, has only 16 of its 54 reactors on line, supplying less than a third of the total commercial nuclear generating capacity of 48,960 megawatts. The share of nuclear power in Japan’s power supply tumbled to about 18 percent in June from about 30 percent before the disasters struck.” Upgrading buildings and homes in Japan to LED and other energy efficient lighting would eliminate the need for those 16 reactors.

Most problematic in Japan are nuclear plants that are over 30 years old. Such dangers should give us pause in the United States where over 100 plants were built pre-1977 with 40-year target lives. 59 of those plants have had their licenses extended to 60 years. The nuclear industry has campaigned to stretch these to 80-year licenses.  In almost all cases, like Japan, the spent rods are stored onsite in U.S. plants. Some U.S. reactors are located near major earthquake faults.

The new generation of reactors are designed to be safer. Unlike wind and solar, nuclear provides electricity 24/7. Contrary to a common perception, nuclear is not as clean as renewable energy. The nuclear industry admits that the lifecycle greenhouse emissions from a nuclear plant are roughly equal to a natural gas plant, due to building with cement, mining, and spent fuel management. Promising innovation is occurring in small nuclear reactors, waste processing and the perpetual dream of fusion. But the industry constantly fails to meet commitments of being safe and cost-effective without government subsidy. Perhaps the greatest obstacle to new nukes in the U.S. is that financing requires taxpayer guarantees, taxpayers to insure the plants, and taxpayers on the line for future disasters.

It is no wonder that many Europeans have insisted on the phase-out of nuclear power after Chernobyl radiation spread to Europe, contaminating food and water. The cancer deaths from radiation exposure haunt people, as do child birth defects.

From my childhood, I remember when the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the United States and Russia to the brink of nuclear war.  Students were drilled to duck under our desks in the event on an atomic bomb. Neighbors built bomb shelters. We lived in fear. The threat still exists today as we watch the tension between North and South Korea, between Pakistan and India, and the threat of Nuclear Terrorism. The mideast worries that Iran’s nuclear ambitions go beyond generating electricity. If they do, another defiicit-financed war in the mideast will be the least of our problems.

Coal is the Other Unsafe Fuel

It would be tragic, however, if the phase-out of nuclear power lead to an increase of coal power. More people die each year from coal-power related lung cancer, asthma, and heart attacks, than die from nuclear plant radiation. Coal power plants emit mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide.

Even worse is the methane escape from blowing-up mountain tops to feed our hunger for coal. Basic chemistry informs us that methane and CO2 accumulate in our atmosphere trapping heat. Climate models show that increased heat is threatening our food, our water, and our future. My 87-year old mother has been evacuated twice in recent years from wildfires that followed record draughts.

Although many in the fossil fuel industry now work behind the scenes to shutdown the EPA, or at least reduce their budget to make them ineffective, we actually need the EPA to increase its vigilance in protecting our health and future.

Fortunately, when new power plants are built, coal is rarely cost-effective in comparison to efficient natural gas power plants. In some parts of the world, coal cannot compete with renewable energy such as hydropower and wind power.

Safe Energy Meets All of Our Energy Needs

The good news is that we are moving to an energy future that is brighter and safer. Nations are moving from last century’s model of energy waste and unused capacity to this century’s model of energy efficiency and renewable energy.

In the United States, only about 52 percent of our generation capacity is used on average. We have build an ancient power system designed for all the air conditioners to run on the hottest afternoon in August. Now that smart grid technology including smart meters are being installed by the millions, utilities can deliver the right price signals and charge more when energy demand strains the system, and less energy is plentiful. Using software based intelligent energy management, corporations can run processes at the most cost effective time and we can wash our clothes at times when we can save money.

Energy efficiency (EE) is also lowering our need for coal and nuclear power. LEED buildings use of fraction of the energy of our worst structures. The new LED lights that shine over me as I write to you use 5 times less energy than the incandescent bulbs I formerly used.

The cleanest solutions to global warming, air pollution and energy security are wind, water, and solar power (WWS).  As Dr. Mark Jacobson walks me through the numbers of his, Dr. Mark Delucchi, and their teams’ multi-year study, the renewable energy solution stands out as the clear winner. Dr. Jacobson is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University and an advisor to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Wind power has been doubling in capacity about every three years. It’s now over 200 GW; in 3 years it will be over 400 GW. 36 U.S. states generate enough wind power to replace one or more coal or nuclear power plants.  U.S. wind grew 39 percent in recession year 2009. In a growing number of global locations from Hawaii to Denmark, wind is the least expensive way to generate power. Their WWS study includes both on-shore wind power, which is plentiful from Texas through the Dakotas, and offshore with enormous potential along our Pacific and Atlantic coasts and our Great Lakes.

Solar includes the photovoltaics that cover homes and the faster growing PV that covers commercial roofs. It also includes the grid-scale PV and concentrating solar power (CSP) that generates the equivalent power of a natural gas or coal plant. The water in WWS includes hydropower, our most widely used source of renewable energy, and geothermal power, which uses steam to drive turbines.  Water also includes emerging, wave and tidal power generation. Brilliant minds, breakthrough innovation, and billions of investment in companies that deliver more cost-effective renewables and energy efficiency.

WWS can meet all of our needs for electricity. WWS can also meet all of our need for heat and for transportation. VantagePoint Capital Partners provide venture capital and management guidance to innovative leaders in energy innovation and efficiency, such as BrightSource, Better Place, and Goldwind.  VantagePoint was the presenting sponsor of the MUSE Concert.

Safer Energy and Economic Growth

During the next ten years, we will see major nations make their people safer by shutting down their last nuclear power plant. Due to the innovation and progress in energy efficient lights and buildings and thanks to the high growth of renewable energy their nations will better meet all their power needs.

Within the next three decades, all the of our global energy demands can be achieved with zero coal and nuclear power as we replace massive waste with intelligent energy management, replace darkness with energy-efficient lighting, and replace mercury and nuclear poisoning of our children with the power of the sun and the wind.

Safe Energy – MUSE for No Nukes is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

(7/12/11) By John Addison

It takes a lot of electricity to run Dow Jones, one of the world’s largest publishers and information providers. Dow Jones is now generating 3.6 MW of its own electricity with Solaire Generation Solar Parking Canopies. Solar parking structures allow organizations to reduce their utility bills, get more control of their own electricity generation, convert asphalt heat islands into attractive demonstrations of sustainability, and protect employees, customers and their cars.

I met with Solaire Generation CEO Laurence Mackler here at the Intersolar conference and exhibition being visited by over 22,000. Mackler explained that he founded the business because it made economic sense for his customers. They run the numbers and approve projects. Solaire is completely focused on parking structures with a patented dual-incline roof, the main surface south sloping for greatest efficiency. All Solaire parking structures use PV panels, not thin-film, to capture enough sun in the constrained space of the structures.

Increasingly, customers are also including solar electric car charging. Johnson and Johnson included 5 Coulomb Technology charge points in their 1.1 MW Solar Parking Canopy which uses SunPower panels. General Electric has a new Solaire parking structure that includes a number of the new GE charging stations.

The Arizona VA Hospital is installing 2.9 MW of solar panels from Kyocera and REC Group covering several parking lots. To research this article, I meet with Dr. Angiolo Laviziano, the CEO of REC Solar who is managing all aspects of this solar project.

The installation will add to a 302 kW single-axis tracker mounted system that REC Solar. Following the angle of the sun through the day, single axis systems are often 30 percent more efficient than fixed panels. Dr. Laviziano states that REC has 4.1 MW of added solar parking under contract from other VA Hospitals.

Like many organizations, the VA Hospital considered locating the solar panels on its roofs. This approach would have been more expensive; a uniform surface was not available due to rooftop located air conditioning and other equipment. Solar parking had the added benefit of giving employees and patients shading parking, instead of exposure to the blistering Arizona summer sun. Highly visible, the solar parking provides a positive public image which is often lost when solar is installed on roofs of high buildings.

REC Solar CEO Angiolo Laviziano is now expanding business for his 600-employee firm. REC plans to partner with several makers of electric charging equipment. Customers are expressing a growing interest in including electric car charge points in their electric parking structures. The least expensive time to install charging stations is when the power electronics, panels, and other equipment in being installed for the solar power, parking lighting, and other electric demands.

An informal REC survey of early adopters of electric cars, such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt, showed that these drivers also use solar power. Another 50 percent are interested in solar power. Angiolo is a perfect example of an early adopter of both. Years ago, he converted his Subaru to be an electric car using added lead-acid batteries in the trunk. He charges his car with his REC Solar system, a highly efficient two-axis system. He is the only owner I’ve met of an all-wheel drive electric car and certainly the only one who charges with a two-axis solar system.

Thousands of Parking Spaces Now Solar Shaded Globally

California State University Bakersfield (CSUB), Dr. Horace Mitchell and Sun Edison LLC, a leading worldwide solar energy services provider and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE:WFR), co-hosted a “Flip the Switch” ceremony to commemorate the activation of the 1.2 megawatt (MW) solar parking canopy located on the CSUB campus.

The oil industry is one of the world’s biggest users of electricity. Saudi Aramco, Saudi Arabia’s national oil company has covered 4,500 parking spaces with 10 MW of thin-film CIGS solar from Solar Frontier, a company in which they are a major investor. Nikolai Dobrott, a Managing Director with Apricum estimates that the nation of Saudi Arabia may need as much as 30GW of added electricity in this decade, currently using natural gas, oil, and diesel for virtually all power generation; solar is an attractive form of diversification.

Solar developer Belectric is managing the solar project at Saudi Aramco’s headquarters in Dhahran. Over 120,000 CIS (Copper Indium Selenide) photovoltaic modules cover 4,500 parking spaces at the North Park offices parking lot, sheltering vehicles from the desert sun.

Automakers Massively Deploying Solar Parking Structures with Electric Car Charge Points

Envision has made its business focus to offer pre-configured and custom solar parking structures. Many offerings are designed to be attractive, converting asphalt urban heat islands into beautiful urban forests. The structures were originally designed by Envision founder and architect Robert Nobel.

In 2010, General Motors selected Envision to install its CleanCharge™ solar powered electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations integrated into EnvisionTrak™ tracking Solar Trees® at prominent GM locations.

Renault is not only working with Better Place to put 100,000 Renault Fluence electric cars on the streets of Israel and Denmark, it is also implementing a world record 55 MW of solar parking structures at various manufacturing facilities.

Whether an organization is providing for patients, students, or employees, solar parking structures are creating clean energy, shaded electric car charging, and attractive urban forests.

Largest Solar Parking Structures Provide MW Electricity is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

German Government Cabinet Decision (6/6/11)

Energy Efficiency, Super Grid, 35 % Renewables by 2020

Germany is going to make it to the age of renewables and will be ending its use of nuclear power in 10 years. The decisions made by the Cabinet on June 6 have set the wheels in motion.

No later than the end of 2022 the last German nuclear power plant is to be closed down. The government is proposing to the parliament a clear and legally binding decision, with a precise step-by-step plan.

The seven nuclear power plants closed down after the disaster in Japan and the Krümmel nuclear power plant will remain closed. By the end of 2015 they will be joined by Grafenrheinfeld nuclear power plant. By the end of 2017 Gundremmingen B too will be shut down and by the end of 2019 Philippsburg 2. No later than the end of 2021 Grohnde, Gundremmingen C and Brokdorf will close their doors and the three youngest plants Isar 2, Emsland and Neckarwestheim 2 will cease operating no later than the end of 2022.

With its Energy Strategy the German government is ensuring that energy supplies will not be interrupted, that the cost of power does not become prohibitive, that Germany remains an attractive place to do business, and that we meet our climate change mitigation targets.

Boosting energy efficiency is key to this, by using modern technologies to reduce electricity consumption or by refitting our buildings, which in any case raises their value. The aim is to make Germany one of the world’s most energy-efficient economies while retaining a high level of prosperity. Germany has the chance to become the first major industrialised country to have a highly efficient energy system, based on the use of renewables. We can become a pioneer and an example for the rest of the world, demonstrating how a sustainable shift to renewables can be managed while remaining economically successful. This way forward into a future that will not leave any further negative ecological legacy, and that does not involve any dependence on expensive imported energy opens up excellent new prospects for Germany, in terms of exports, jobs and growth.

wind power and solar power Expansion

Even without nuclear power we are sticking to our target of reducing emissions of greenhouse gases by 40 percent by 2020 and by at least 80 percent by 2050 (taking 1990 as a base year). By 2020 power generated from solar power, wind power and other renewable sources is to account for a minimum of 35 percent of the total. Today they account for 17 percent.

The Renewable Energies Act remains the most important instrument for expanding the use of renewable energies. Wind power plays a central part. The German government aims to push ahead with harnessing wind power on land. Older turbines are to be replaced with more modern ones with a higher performance which makes them more environmentally friendly. Offshore plants in the North and Baltic Seas are to play an increasingly important role too. Hydro-power, photovoltaic systems, geothermal power and power generated from biomass round off the picture.

The amount paid by every electricity consumer to subsidise renewable energies is to remain unchanged at around 3.5 cent per KWh. Amounts paid for electricity generated from biomass will be reduced.  The German government also intends to support producers of electricity from renewable sources who do not pass this power on to network utilities, as is currently the case, but market it directly.

Germany will achieve its targets for expanding the use of renewables if plants can be planned and permits issued swiftly and without excessive red tape. The new Planning Acceleration Act will make it easier to build solar plants beside and on buildings.

If we close down nuclear power stations, other fuels will have to fill the gap in order to ensure the stability of the power network in the long term and to balance fluctuations in power generation. Importing nuclear power is not a viable option.

By 2013 new highly efficient gas- and coal-fired power stations that are already under construction should go online with a combined capacity of some 10 GW. By 2020 we will need the same again. A new Power Station Promotion Programme for small and medium-sized power generators will also help ensure secure supplies. The German government also intends to improve its promotion of combined heat and power units and continue this beyond 2016.

50 Reduction of Primary Energy Through Energy Efficiency

By 2050 we intend to cut our demand for primary energy sources by 50 percent. This will only be possible if we achieve massive energy savings and boost energy efficiency across the board.

40 percent of energy in Germany is used in the residential sector. The power used to heat our housing stock is to be cut by 20 percent by 2020. By 2050 buildings in Germany are to be practically climate-neutral, i.e. all the energy they need will be generated from renewable sources.

Today the German government already supports property owners and people building new properties to improve energy efficiency. To double the rate of efficiency measures, the government will top up the KfW’s Building Renovation Programme to 1.5 billion euros.  Energy modernisation measures are to be made partially tax-deductible (10 percent) to make them even more attractive.

The German government will make high energy efficiency criteria binding for new government facilities. Contracts will go only to contractors offering the highest possible efficiency category for goods and services.

Inefficient appliances must be taken off the market more rapidly, and highly efficient ones introduced more swiftly. Consumers must be able to see more easily how much energy each product consumes. The German government will be pushing for ambitious European standards for energy-consuming appliances.

6 Million electric cars

By 2020 a minimum of one million electric cars are to be on German roads, and this figure is to rise to six million by 2030. Germany, the nation of car-lovers, is to become the leading producer of electric vehicles and the leading market for these. To this end the German government will double the funds it makes available for research and development to almost two billion euros by 2013. Anybody buying an electric vehicle is to enjoy several advantages: no vehicle tax for ten years, designated electric vehicle parking spaces with charging stations and permission to use bus lanes.

Super Grid, Smart Grid, Storage

Today, Germany’s electricity networks are not yet geared to the transport of power generated from renewables. The Network Expansion Acceleration Act will make it possible to lay new high-voltage lines more quickly, also across state boundaries. This will foster north-south transport, for instance. An amendment to the Energy Management Act will strengthen the foundations on which to build intelligent networks and storage systems, by improving the conditions for intelligent electricity meters, to give but one example.

Wind power and solar power and not constant sources of energy. If we are to guarantee reliable supplies we must be able to “park” power until it is needed. Modern storage options make this possible.  The federal government will be providing a total of up to 200 million euros for research and development in this field for an initial phase, scheduled to run until 2014.

New Report: United States Can Generate All Electricity with Wind, Water and Solar

Germany to Close Last Nuclear Power Plant in Ten Years is a post from: Clean Fleet Report

Renault has received orders for 100,000 of its Renault Fluence Z.E. electric car from Better Place for massive deployment in Israel, Denmark, and other countries. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is the clear leader in freeway speed electric car sales with Nissan delivering the LEAF, and both using common electric drive system and lithium battery components.

These electric cars are zero emission from battery to wheels, but each car does contribute to tons of CO2 emission over its lifetime from manufacturing through thousands of electric charges to recycling of batteries and parts. Due to the 80 percent efficiency of electric drives compared to 15 percent efficiency of gasoline engine drives, electric vehicles produce 70 to 90 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline cars. Charging with renewable energy makes the reduction greater than a typical grid energy mix of 50 percent coal generation.

Renault wants to extend its leadership in carbon emissions reduction by installing the world’s biggest solar parking structure.  With a stunning 55 MW of solar energy, Renault will cut CO2 emissions by 30,000 tons a year. Project developer Gestamp Solar, using Trina Solar modules, is installing the biggest solar panel project in the global automotive industry. The project has added benefits of shelter cars, keeping them cooler in warm weather, and being easier to install than high roofs.

When the 450,000 m2 of solar panels are operational, they will cover an area equivalent to 55 football fields.  The project is part of Renault 2016 – Drive The Change, Renault’s strategic plan to reduce its carbon footprint by 10% by 2013 and by a further 10% between 2013 and 2016.

Renault has implemented several actions to reduce consumption at its plants (e.g. the zero carbon plant in Tangiers). With the solar parking and roof projects, Renault is showing its concern to conserve resources by diversifying the energy mix used to generate electricity, and particularly by using renewable energy sources. Solar panels will also cover the roofs of the delivery and shipping centers at the Douai, Maubeuge, Flins, Batilly and Sandouville sites, and the staff parking lots at Maubeuge and Cléon.

The start date for installation is mid-June 2011 and completion is scheduled for February 2012.

The Renault Fluence Z.E. lithium batteries can be switched at Better Place charging stations in minutes to give drivers unlimited range where switch station networks are installed. They batteries can also be charged at traditional charge points. At switch stations, stored batteries could be charged with renewable energy off-peak and battery power could be provided to the grid during peak hours, thereby reducing the need for dirty coal power and inefficient natural gas peaker plants.

Renault Leads in Electric Cars and Solar Power for its Manufacturing is a post from: Clean Fleet Report