What to do when the wind "don't blow an' the sun don't shine"

Solar and wind are the most talked about renewables when it comes to alternate energy sources. But when the wind doesn't blow, and the sun "don't" shine, how does one meet one's power needs?

A logical approach is to store electricity when those types of generators are out peak output, for consumption later. Batteries can be environmentally unfriendly, costly, and not meet performance goals.

Vanadium flow batteries offer the kind of low cost, high capacity energy storage solutions that will help transform the wind and the sun into power sources that rival fossil fuel plants for stability and reliability, but as always there are a couple of obstacles: where to get the transition metal vanadium, at a reasonable cost? One possibility is to recover the metal from other industrial activities, such as oil/gas production, or from recycling.

On a related note, why is the cost of solar so much less in Germany compared to the US? One possibility is that this s primarily due to Germany's more mature market, so market scale and associated learning-induced "cost reductions" are at work. However, as this article discusses, it seems the tax structure in the US is skewed away from adoption-incentives, resulting in higher costs for American buyers of solar over German ones.

Alternative to Autonomous Vehicles

You probably have heard of Uber and other car share apps/services. Here's twist - a self-organizing bus service. From Slashdot, we read...

'This new-old method of transport has comfortable seats and Wi-Fi. But its real innovation is in its routing. It is a "pop up" bus service, with routes dictated by millions of bits of data that show where people are and where they need to go. The private service uses chartered buses and is run by a start-up technology company called Bridj.' 'Bridj collects millions of bits of data about people's commutes from Google Earth, Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, LinkedIn, the census, municipal records and other sources. "We crunch these millions and millions of data points through a number of algorithms that are existing, or that we're refining, to tell us where people are living and working," Mr. George said. "And through our special sauce,we're able to determine how a city moves."'

Bridj collects millions of bits of data about people’s commutes from Google Earth, Facebook, Foursquare, Twitter, LinkedIn, the census, municipal records and other sources. “We crunch these millions and millions of data points through a number of algorithms that are existing, or that we’re refining, to tell us where people are living and working,” Mr. George said. “And through our special sauce, we’re able to determine how a city moves.”

The NYT has more...

The GoogleCar Will Change Our Cities, and Our Lives

A revolution in urban mobility, happening as we speak, says Alain Bertaud, senior research scholar at the New York University Urbanization Project.

"Within 10 years, urban transport will be transformed, and the productivity of large cities will improve."

From the outside, the nameless, prototype autonomous car looks like a cross between a golf cart and a Smart Car -- with two doors, two seats. The detailing and placement of the headlights and grille make the front look like a face with big child-sized eyes and a slight smile.

The inside lacks a steering wheel and column, and doesn't have a brake pedal or an accelerator. Classified officially by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as a Low-Speed Vehicle, a designation notable for its restricted top speed of 25 miles per hour, a regulation-approved glass windshield, the presence of side and rear-view mirrors, and a parking brake, the $150,000 electric Google robo-car can only go around 100 miles before needing a recharge. The autonomous self-driving technology uses pre-built maps overlaid by a real-time map built with a combination of cameras, sensors, and Lidar (a kind of laser "radar").

Bertaud predicts that the future of urban mobility will depend on autonomous vehicles that people use not only for the so-called "first-last mile," to connect people to public transportation systems when they live close to stops and stations, but not close enough, but also for when public transportation systems take too long to go relatively short distances.


The speed restriction falls into this classification of the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle, a sub-classification of the Low-Speed Vehicle that operates in mixed-used environments. Susan Shaheen, co-director of the Transportation Sustainability Research Center at the University of California, Berkeley, says, "These are cars that are uniquely different from a standard vehicle, and may be considered as an alternative to vehicle ownership."

In addition to the technological and socioeconomic hurdles the Google car tech faces, it must also win over regulators in each of the 50 states.

Read More at c|net...

Cycling Innovation - Dutch Style

At BBC, read how a team of Dutch designers is pioneering technology to make winter journeys even safer for and more attractive to cyclists.

Reflective crystals make lines in the road more visible in poor light, while other roads are getting underground heating.

I love being out in the fresh air. Most bicycle paths are placed near trees which provides oxygen. Being out in the sunshine also provides the body with Vitamin D. And many studies have shown cycling improves cardiovascular fitness by up to 7 percent. Some experts say cycling can cut your risk of coronary heart disease in half. You can even create an interval training routine by pedaling faster and then taking a break at regular intervals.
With long travel time comes more stress -- and other studies show commuting to work (by car) causes a tremendous amount of stress. People who have a long commute end up gaining weight. If your commute is long, you will just get in better shape by commuting on bike.

Of course, DC boasts some of the longest commute times. Why not enjoy the benefits of cycling, as this report (PDF) summarizes, to get the most out of spring?

Cycling, I've found, has a meditative effect that relaxes me -- although I have to pay attention to traffic and safety, bicycling does allow my mind to wander.

When you commute to work by bike, you are guaranteed to have two exercise sessions a day. Even if you don't feel motivated, you will be forced to ride your bike home at the end of the day. One study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed biking is associated with less weight gain in middle-aged women. Riding a bike burns plenty of calories, although exactly how many depends on your pace -- but you can lose weight by biking.

Today's info-graphic comes courtesy of Green Living,
http://greenlivingideas.com/2013/03/06/why-bicycle-commuting-saves-the-planet-an-inforgraphic/

Springtime (well, meteorological spring) Means Cycling!

Today's info-graphic comes courtesy of Green Living,




Of course, DC boasts some of the longest commute times. Why not enjoy the benefits of cycling, as this report summarizes, to get the most out of spring?
I love being out in the fresh air. Most bicycle paths are placed near trees which provides oxygen. Being out in the sunshine also provides the body with Vitamin D. And many studies have shown cycling improves cardiovascular fitness by up to 7 percent. Some experts say cycling can cut your risk of coronary heart disease in half. You can even create an interval training routine by pedaling faster and then taking a break at regular intervals.
With long travel time comes more stress -- and other studies show driving to work causes a tremendous amount of stress. People who have a long commute end up gaining weight. If your commute is long, you will just get in better shape by commuting on bike.
Cycling, I've found, has a meditative effect that relaxes me -- although I have to pay attention to traffic and safety, bicycling does allow my mind to wander.
When you commute to work by bike, you are guaranteed to have two exercise sessions a day. Lack motivation? You still have to ride your bike home at the end of the day. One study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed biking is associated with less weight gain in middle-aged women. Riding a bike burns plenty of calories, although exactly how many depends on pace.

Why High Speed Rail Won't Be Pulling into the Station Anytime Soon

High speed rail in the US is, unfortunately, unachievable, for many reasons, but one important one stands out: there are hundreds of thousands of at-grade-crossings. Too many roads and rail lines intersect, requiring crossing gates and slow transversal by trains. In Japan, the entire Shinkansen system resides behind concrete walls and high fences so pedestrians and automobiles don't have to be negotiated.
The culture of trains in other countries stems from a history of adoption of said transport method. Train evolution occurred simultaneously worked with the Industrial Revolution in England in the nineteenth-century, and served to play a crucial part in the lives of Victorians and urban development during this era. The impacts trains produced were unseen in relative terms as the technology pioneered was unlike anything previously.
This chap has an excellent discussion around the British culture is infused with rail technology -- at home and around the empire.
Unlike the poopy and slow horse that preceded this technological wonder, the railways enabled transportation times to dramatically decline. The debut of the steam locomotive of the 1830s turbo-charged the already booming British economy. The cultural impacts that took place due to the augmentation of the train and railways were visible almost immediately.
In Japan, a similar affectation for trains is infused in the culture. Love of all things transport-related is obvious to visitors to Japan, but trains are one if the most visible aspects of Nippon infrastructure loved by its people.


In the US, freight is the true winner for train traveling. Freight on railroads is the critical application for this surface transport. According to this, trains move 42 percent of the county's freight (measured in ton-miles) -- everything from lumber to vegetables, coal to orange juice, grain to automobiles, and chemicals to scrap iron -- and connect businesses with each other across the country and with markets overseas.
Rail contributes billions of dollars each year to the US economy through investment, worker wages, purchases, and taxes.

White Roof = Lower Temperature

Can light-colored rooftops and roads really curb carbon emissions and combat global climate change? The idea has been around for years, but now, a new study by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that is the first to use a global model to study the question has found that implementing cool roofs and cool pavements in cities around the world can not only help cities stay cooler, they can also cool the world, with the potential of canceling the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide carbon dioxide emissions.

“Cool roofs are one of the quickest and lowest cost ways we can reduce our global carbon emissions and begin the hard work of slowing climate change,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “By demonstrating the benefits of cool roofs on our facilities, the federal government can lead the nation toward more sustainable building practices, while reducing the federal carbon footprint and saving money for taxpayers.”

Read more...

Dolphins Protest Off Coast of California

The protesters in Washington DC were joined in spirit by our watery brothers, a huge gathering of dolphins who showed brotherly sympathy for those wanting to save this planet. When will we show the largest-brained mammals reciprocal respect?


- Posted by Tom/Bluedog

Seeking Economic Growth? Make Transit Free!

For municipalities interested in jump-starting economic growth, making public transportation free is one avenue to success.

Local governments are considering paying for public transport out of taxpayers receipts, making travel free. Such an incentive might take cars, and congestion, off roads, and help the environment. Many people think it's an idea worth considering, but the costs need to be considered.

In Belgium, local government made public transport free, and with success. Lots of money was saved by all parties; the transport companies, the government and particularly the customers.

Busses often make sense, unless they are underutilized -- then they can actually contribute to more pollution. We see diesel power systems undergoing revolutionary technological advancements that have already achieved dramatic reductions in emissions for urban buses and highway engines. Advances in emissions-control systems and ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD) are helping clean diesel engines achieve emissions performance equivalent to compressed natural gas (CNG) and other alternatives. But if ridership isn't maintained, the advantages of the bus and bus lane vanish.


Read more...

- Posted by Tom/Bluedog

Post-hurricane New Yorkers Turning to Bicycles

With subway service spotty at best and long lines forming for buses, many inner city commuters in New York are opting for the reliable bicycle. In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and with key commuting options crippled, a surge in cycling has resulted.

As East Coast residents assess the damage from the hurricane, many are seeking alternatives to get around in the coming days. Streets are flooded, tress are down, roads are blocked by debris, gas stations are powerless, and public transit is shut down. In New York City, the subway won’t reopen for a week, and the bus system is slowed down by cleanup efforts.

If you are looking for suitable routes, there are plenty of options.

Read more at CNBC...
- Posted by Tom/Bluedog

Want Power When it Storms? Here's Some Ideas

When I designed Bluedog's data center, I made sure it was a tier II facility, with adequate power conditioning and backup generator capabilities. But what could consumers do to keep the lights (and AC!) on when Mother Nature throws us a curve ball?
Government needs to help, by writing the rules so it makes sense to go green. And not penalize you if you invest in new technologies -- if you install solar or other supplemental power systems in your home in the Maryland suburbs of Washington DC, you can not sell power back to Pepco (the local utility) if you are net producer (make more electricity than you use). Unlike many other jurisdictions. This is a major reason recovery costs for investment in green or other alternate power solutions have such a long payback period in Maryland.
In Germany, specific pricing guidelines that encourage investment have helped make that country a leader in the uptake of solar.
The government should re-evaluate all the perks Pepco receives -- and incentivize them to bury lines, maintain repair crews on staff, etc.
Getting power from solar farms in the west would be practical with a nationwide power grid made with a superconductor-based grid.
Another approach might be to utilize fuel cells, small hydro or micro-nuke generation facilities spread out in neighborhoods to Decentralize power production -- making terrorists ineffective in attacking big infrastructure, lowering costs, and making our grid more resilient.

Federal IT Reform - on track, thanks to Cloud efforts

Over at Government CIO Magazine, read my thoughts on how the cloud has contributed to successes in Federal IT reform. Obviously, data center consolidation reduces expenditures. But some agencies' utilization of the Cloud has yielded surprising reductions in cost. Government CIO

Just out of college? Want to make a difference? Want a job? Apply Here

One-Year Green Position for Young People Rock Creek Conservancy has the opportunity to serve as a host organization for a Chesapeake Conservation Corps participant. The Chesapeake Bay Trust Conservation Corps program provides service learning opportunities and green job training for young adults (age 18-25) through environmental and energy conservation projects. The initiative pairs participants with organizations for hands-on environmental, leadership, and technical training opportunities for a one-year term of service to begin in late August 2012. There are a variety of options for on-the-ground environmental restoration and conservation projects in communities throughout Maryland. But we think one of the best opportunities is right here. Rock Creek Conservancy currently has a terrific Corps volunteer whose term ends in August, and we would love to have another one begin a one-year term of service in August 2012. The volunteer would receive a stipend from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to spend the year with us helping to build our neighborhood-based stewardship program to protect Rock Creek. Click here for more information. Interested applicants should apply directly through the Chesapeake Bay Trust by following instructions at www.cbtrust.org/chesapeakeconservationcorps. The application deadline is May 14, 2012. Applicants interested in a position with Rock Creek Conservancy should send also send a resume and cover letter to info@rockcreekconservancy.org. Thank you for help getting the word out about this wonderful program! Warmest regards, Beth Mullin Executive Director

Post-Weekend Update - Get Outside Already….

This weekend with my kids was 'get the gear ready' weekend, in anticipation of Spring. Is it too early to think about the great outdoors?

It should come as no surprise that being outside helps you, physically and emotionally. Green space is linked to less stress, as this article reports. And, according to Karjalainen and associates at the Finnish Forest Research Institute, one of the most enjoyable activities around can reduce stress and depression, ease muscle tension, counter attention deficit disorder, even calm an erratic heart: a walk in the woods. Ms Karjalainen explains, "Many people feel relaxed and good when they are out in nature. But not many of us know there is also scientific evidence about the healing effects of nature."

So my kids and I are prepping for the first hike/camping trip of 2012, but, in the mean time, we're getting the dog outside to air her out, and our own brains. I encourage you to do the same!

As DC installs more shared bikes, will the city adopt NYC's progressive stance?

It appears, according to Michael Kimmelman, that New York City is ripe for a revolution: "Decades ago the architects Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown wrote about how we see cities differently at different speeds… On a bike time bends. Space expands and contracts… it may sound a little crazy to talk about meditating on urban scenery when the issue is crashing into double-parked cars, abruptly opened taxi doors and reckless riders, which is where properly designed and enforced bike lanes come in, or increasingly will, as their network grows." He goes on to write that the ciry has installed 260 miles of bike lanes in the last four years, and is setting up a bike-share system.

In DC, the Capital Bikeshare is expanding. The planned expansion of the Capital Bikeshare program is underway this month with more docking stations being added at the most popular locations where riders pick up and leave bikes in the District. Thirty-six docks, which keep bikes securely locked between uses, were added to four stations Monday. Four other stations were expanded Friday, and a total of 18 stations will have the capacity to handle more of the red bikes when the expansion is complete.

This bodes well for the bicycle as an alternative to bus, train and car (oh, and walking). While the weather may be turning nippy, rest assured you can find me out on the streets and trails…

Cycling in America...not for the feint of heart

In this Economist article, the perils of being a cyclist in America are delineated. In Dublin, cyclists are even more reviled. Too bad -- bicycles relieve congestion, reduce pollution and encourage fitness.

http://www.economist.com/node/21528302?frsc=dg%7Cb

LEED ratings and Green

An example of applying entrepreneurial thinking in small-scale construction, I've been thinking about my efforts to have a high LEED rating for our house and its data center. I’ve participated in various discussions where the cost benefit analysis is done for LEED points. I would imagine the conversations at Bluedog's customers might be along the lines of, “We want to berated platinum. Figure out how to make it cost effective." Very different than my approach: what is the highest rating I can garner, with the resources at hand?

Benefits of a LEED Home from U.S. Green Building Council on Vimeo.

">intro to LEED in new home construction.

Upgrading to "green" doesn't work as well as "new"

Part of the trend in green home construction has focused on expensive upgrades. In fact, the "greenest" experience comes from new construction. No inefficient retrofitting, not "cobbling together" solutions. When a home is architected and built with "green standards" in mind, especially en mass, you get the most bang-for-the-buck.

Being socially conscious doesn't have to mean trading off economical purchasing. Read more about what it means to be 'green' in residential construction here...
http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,,HPRO_26519_5585755,00.html