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Author Archive for Cyrus Patten

The marriage of Solar and Natural Gas

Solar and natural gas combined for more efficient nat gas power generationLadies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the union of two nobody ever thought would join.  By the powers vested in me, I give you: Solar Energy and Natural Gas.

The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has developed a method of combining solar energy into the natural gas production process to produce cleaner energy output with the same fossil fuel input.  Put simply, natural gas power plants will soon be able to produce more electricity while using the same amount of natural gas.

What’s more, the process reduces greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas power plants at a cost that is competitive with traditional fossil fuels, creating a win-win-win scenario.

Natural gas is the next oil or gold rush. As production skyrockets, Americans are demanding natural gas as a cheap, slightly cleaner alternative to other energy sources.  As demand rises, natural gas power plants are being constructed at an alarming rate to take advantage of low cost fuels.  With this new method, scientists have sweetened the taste of natural gas even further.

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New Materials Promise to Dramatically Drop Photovoltaic Prices

new materials like those in the "solar shingle" will dramatically reduce renewable energy costsWhat si the single most significant barrier to widespread use of alternative energy?  Is it the right wing climate change skeptics?  No.  It’s economics.  If there is not money to be made at the same scale as in the fossil fuel industry, and if renewable, clean energy does not become cheaper than fossil fuels, alternative energy doesn’t stand a chance in the free market.

As technology moves often faster than society, politics, culture, etc., the economics of alternative energy look brighter and brighter.

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Achieving Net Zero Building Status Requires Occupant Engagement

All zeros: Net zero building requires occupant engagementOn February 26th, about 100 people gathered in San Francisco to discuss the world’s greenest buildings and the future of green building.  They discussed strategies that spawned a revolution in net-zero building as well as the frontier of new techniques and innovations.

Net-Zero, for those not familiar, is a term used to describe the net energy consumption and energy footprint of a building.  Whether a one-story garage or a skyscraper, a net zero building theoretically produces as much or more energy than it consumes.  Additionally, a net zero building does not produce carbon emissions.  This is often achieved through a combination of highly efficient design, carbon sequestration and offsets.

The February 26th convening came to an interesting conclusion: the future of green building is in the occupants, not the construction.  This doesn’t put the entire responsibility on the occupants.  Rather, it integrates behavior into the energy saving strategy.

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U.S. Coal Consumption Down

U.S. coal consumption is declining, but it does not offset the exponential growth of coal consumption globally. Despite record amounts being spent to propagandize the coal industry and the ridiculous concept of “clean coal”, United States coal consumption has gone down.  Sort of.

A recent report from the Energy Information Administration indicates the U.S.’s relative consumption has gone done, while the world consumption continues to rise at a nauseating rate.  This matters in a couple ways.  U.S. has typically driven fossil fuel consumption globally – so this is a step in the right direction.  However the aggregate amount of greenhouse gasses distributed into the atmosphere is what will make or break the environmental future for our children.  Countries like China continue to grow at exponential rates, those not seen since America’s industrial revolution.

Why am I not doing backflips about the U.S. dropping coal consumption?  Because the U.S. could stop coal’d-turkey (get it?) and if other countries continue at the same clip, we will still all have black marks under our noses and our children will cough like the Swammy Swans in Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax.
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GM and Nissan Announce Lower Electric Vehicle Prices

Nissan lowers price for Electric VehiclesFor those of you who always wanted an electric vehicle but the near $36,000 price tag was a deal-breaker: your time has come.  Nissan took the first step, announcing last month an 18 percent price cut, bringing the Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) from $35,200 to just $28,800.  That’s still a lot of money, but brings the entirely electric vehicle into a more reasonable price range for many people.

Depending on your state’s tax credits, combined with the feds, you may be able to purchase a Leaf for around $18,800.  This is for the lowest model, the “S”.  The higher-end models, the SV and SL, also saw price drops – although less significant.  The SV dropped 10 percent to $31,820 and the SL dropped 6 percent to $34,840. Read More→