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By the Renewable Energy Institute
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2-Bladed
Wind Turbines are Inefficient and Defective
Compared
to 3-Bladed Wind Turbines
Out-dated, Inefficient 2-Bladed Wind Turbines Are "Extinct."
Why 3-Bladed Wind Turbine Generators are Far Superior
and More Efficient
than 2-Bladed Wind Turbines
The argument has been settled and the debate is over.
Today's "modern" 3-bladed wind turbines represent the latest technological improvements in wind turbine generators, and are superior to the 20-30 year old technology that 2-bladed wind turbines represent.
First of all, it is important to remember that 2-bladed wind turbines may generate only about 90% of the power of a 3-bladed wind turbine of comparable size. While a 2-bladed wind turbine saves the weight of one extra blade when compared with a 3-bladed wind turbine, engineers of the most efficient wind turbines have determined that the extra blade used on 3 bladed wind turbines provide the optimum wind turbine efficiency and wind turbine design for the "ideal" wind turbine generators of today.
Secondly, the top-3 leading wind turbine manufacturers have standardized on the 3-bladed wind turbine. They do not manufacture any 2-bladed wind turbines. Plainly stated, a wind turbine with an even number of blades (2 blades or 4 blades) are NOT of optimum design or efficiency. In fact, this debate was settled years ago when the wind turbine engineers and designers began building wind turbines over 600 kW in power output.
The leading wind turbine manufacturers and their engineers have decided that 3 bladed wind turbines are the optimum number of wind turbine blades due to the stability of the wind turbine as well as the significant wind loads and stresses placed on a 2-bladed wind turbine. A wind turbine that has an odd number of blades is similar to a disc when calculating the computational fluid dynamics of the wind turbine. Engineers have learned that wind turbines that have an even number of blades - such as the 2 bladed wind turbines of the past - have stability problems for a machine with a stiff structure. The reason for this problem is simple, engineers recognized that when a 2-bladed wind turbine's top blade bends backwards - when the wind turbine's 2 blades are in the vertical position - since it is now generating the maximum power from the wind - that the lower or bottom blade is now aligned with the tower and the blade is hidden or blocked from the wind - and this generates a huge amount of stress and loads on the wind turbine and its' primary components such as the bearings, shaft, transmission etc.
Because of the extreme wind loads and stresses placed on 2-bladed wind turbines, the remaining 2-bladed wind turbine manufacturers have had to resort to a "teetered hub" that helps remove some of the stress and loads placed on 2-bladed wind turbines. While there are some very fine 2-bladed wind turbines, of smaller power output, the bottom line is, 3 bladed wind turbines are inherently better and more efficient than 2-bladed wind turbines.
For these reasons, community wind farm owners and developers, along with utility-scale wind farm owners and developers, would be wise to only consider 3-bladed wind turbines.
______________________________________________________________
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Wind, Information,
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NOW DEVELOPING WIND FARMS IN THE TEXAS/OKLAHOMA WIND BELT
Nothing quite compares with the opportunities in renewable energy technologies, and in particular, wind energy and wind farm development.
Wind energy and wind farm development is big business, and this is only the beginning! Today, less than 1% of our energy comes from wind energy.
President Bush and the U.S. government are calling for 20% of our nation's energy to come from wind energy by 2020.
Hundred of billions of dollars will be invested and made in wind energy!
Now is the time to get in on the ground floor of the wind energy and wind farm development business!
Look at the following facts about wind energy, according to the American Wind Energy Association (www.awea.org):
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The U.S. added nearly 1,400 megawatts of new wind energy capacity during the second quarter of 2008.
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New wind turbines this year will generate 7,500 megawatts of additional electricity which surpasses the 5,249 megawatts installed in 2007.
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Wind power accounted for more than one-third of the new electric generating capacity installed in the U.S. in 2007.
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The wind industry is projected to grow at a 45 percent pace for the second straight year.
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For every megawatt (MW) of wind energy produced, $1 million in economic development is generated. This includes revenue from planning, construction, etc.
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Wind energy revitalizes rural communities by providing steady income through lease and royalty payments to farmers and other landowners.
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Supplemental income: It is estimated that the income to a landowner from a single utility-scale turbine is approximately $2000 per year. For a 250-acre farm with income from wind at $55 per acre, this translates into an annual income from wind leases of $14,000, with no more than 2-3 acres removed from production.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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The U.S. added nearly 1,400 megawatts of new wind energy capacity during the second quarter of 2008.
-
New wind turbines this year will generate 7,500 megawatts of additional electricity which surpasses the 5,249 megawatts installed in 2007.
-
Wind power accounted for more than one-third of the new electric generating capacity installed in the U.S. in 2007.
-
The wind industry is projected to grow at a 45 percent pace for the second straight year.
-
For every megawatt (MW) of wind energy produced, $1 million in economic development is generated. This includes revenue from planning, construction, etc.
-
Wind energy revitalizes rural communities by providing steady income through lease and royalty payments to farmers and other landowners.
-
Supplemental income: It is estimated that the income to a landowner from a single utility-scale turbine is approximately $2000 per year. For a 250-acre farm with income from wind at $55 per acre, this translates into an annual income from wind leases of $14,000, with no more than 2-3 acres removed from production.
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Jobs: Wind energy resources bring needed jobs to rural communities and bolster farm incomes against bad weather. Worldwide, wind and solar industries are likely to be one of the main sources of new manufacturing jobs in the 21st century.
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Wind energy costs for consumers are low and stable. This is particularly beneficial for those on fixed incomes.
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As wind energy production becomes more efficient, costs will decline, while fossil fuel prices are expected to rise.
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Wind energy is a widespread, inexhaustible resource: 46 of 50 states have wind resources that could be developed.
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WIND ENERGY GENERATES CARBON FREE ENERGY & POLLUTION FREE POWER! Power generated from the wind reduces smog and eliminates a major source of acid rain. Wind energy has the potential to reduce Carbon Dioxide Emissions (one of the most potent of all Greenhouse Gas Emissions) by 1/3 in the U.S. and world Carbon Dioxide Emissions by 4%!
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Potential for growth: Development of just 10% of 10 of the windiest states could provide more than enough energy to displace emissions from coal-fired power plants.
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Cleaner air means healthier air, especially for people with respiratory disabilities.
Wind Power Generation vs. Traditional Power Generation
Power
generated from clean, green wind energy avoids numerous negative effects of
traditional electricity generation from fossil fuels:
• Emissions of mercury or other heavy metals into the air
• Emissions associated with extracting and transporting fuels
• Lake and streambed acidification from acid rain or mining
• Water consumption associated with mining or electricity generation
• Production of toxic solid wastes, ash, or slurry
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions
The benefits of wind power generation go on - including the leading role wind
energy provides in reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions into the atmosphere - the
leading cause of climate change and global warming.
Today, Carbon Dioxide Emissions in the United States approaches 6 billion metric tons/year.
39% of these Carbon Dioxide Emissions are produced when electricity is generated from fossil fuels.
If the
United States obtained 20% of its electricity from wind energy, the country
could avoid putting 825 million metric tons of CO2 annually into the atmosphere
by 2030, or a cumulative total of 7,600 million metric tons by 2030.
A relatively straightforward metric used to understand the carbon benefits of
wind energy is that a single 1.5 MW wind turbine displaces 2,700 metric tons of
CO2 per year compared with the current U.S. average utility fuel mix, or the
equivalent of planting 4 square kilometers of forest every year according to
AWEA 2007.
What is a Wind Resource
Assessment?
A Wind Resource Assessment is defined
as the process of characterizing the wind resources, wind
characteristics and the site's wind
energy potential for that specific site or geographical area.
NOTE:
FOR QUALIFIED LAND/RANCH OWNERS, WITH PROPERTY LOCATED IN AREAS WE ARE
DEVELOPING NEW WIND FARMS, WE CAN PERFORM THE WIND RESOURCE ASSESSMENT.
Wind Resource Assessment
All markets for wind turbines require an estimate of how much
wind energy is available at potential development sites. Correct estimation of
the energy available in the wind can make or break the economics of wind farm
development. Wind maps developed in the late '70s and early '80s provided
reasonable estimates of areas in which good wind resources could be found. But
new tools and new data available from satellites and new sensing devices now
allow researchers to create even more accurate and detailed wind maps of the
world.
Wind mapping techniques developed by the National Renewable Energy Lab ("NREL") and U.S. companies are being used to produce high-resolution projections of U.S. and foreign regions that are painting a whole new picture of wind potential. These maps are created using highly accurate GPS mapping tools and a vast array of satellite, weather balloon, and meteorological tower data, combined with much-improved numerical computer models. The higher horizontal resolution of these maps (1 km or finer) allows for more accurate wind turbine siting and has also led to the recognition of higher-class winds in areas where none were thought to exist.
The ability to accurately predict when the wind will blow will help remove barriers to wind energy development by allowing wind-power-generating facilities to commit to power purchases in advance. NREL researchers work with federal, state, and private organizations to validate the nation's wind resources and support advances in wind forecasting techniques and dissemination. Wind resource validation is important for both wind resource assessment and the integration of wind farms into an energy grid. Validating new, high-resolution wind resource maps will provide an accurate reading of the wind resource at a particular site. Development of short-term (1 to 4 hours) forecasting tools will help energy producers proceed with new wind farm projects and avoid the penalties they must pay if they do not meet their hourly generation targets. In addition, validating new high-resolution wind resource maps will give people interested in developing wind energy projects greater confidence as to the level of wind resource for a particular site.
____________________________________________________________________________
We
Develop Utility Scale Wind Farms,
Community Scale Wind Farms
We
are "vendor neutral" in terms of wind turbine manufacturer.
Our focus is maximizing revenues and minimizing expenses for our clients.
We assist clients with renewable energy project development services that generate environmental credits such as Certified Emission Reductions, Verified Emission Reductions, Carbon Dioxide Credits, or other types of Greenhouse Gas Emissions credits.
Our onsite power and energy projects produce the following benefits:
1. Reduced power and energy expenses for our customers
2. Healthy returns on investment for our
investors, and
3. Significant savings for our environment
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Wind Power Generation Saves Water!
20% of our nation's electricity requirements can be generated with wind power generation by the year 2030 according to the Department of Energy.
When we do, our nation will save over 4 Trillion gallons of water through 2030 through the displacement of typical electric power plants, such as fossil fuel power plants, that would have used vast amount of water. By switching to wind power generation for 20% of our nation's electrical requirements, we reduce overall water consumption by 17% in 2030.
See our website at: www.WindPowerGeneration.com for more information.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Economic and Environmental Benefits of Wind Power
According to the Department of Energy, our nation's electricity generation from wind power alone could top 20 percent of the total power generation mix by 2030.
This would have the economic benefits of creating 500,000 jobs and generate more than $400 billion.
Wind Power also reduces Greenhouse Gas Emissions and other pollution by 25 percent than otherwise.
Wind
Power Generation:
Growing Fast!
|
Installed Windpower Generation (in
Megawatts) by Country |
||||
|
Rank |
County |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
|
1 |
Germany |
18,415 |
20,622 |
22,247 |
|
2 |
United States |
9,149 |
11,603 |
16,818 |
|
3 |
Spain |
10,028 |
11,615 |
15,145 |
|
4 |
India |
4,430 |
6,270 |
8,000 |
|
5 |
China |
1,260 |
2,604 |
6,050 |
|
6 |
Denmark (& Faeroe Islands) |
3,136 |
3,140 |
3,129 |
|
7 |
Italy |
1,718 |
2,123 |
2,726 |
|
8 |
France |
757 |
1,567 |
2,454 |
|
9 |
United Kingdom |
1,332 |
1,963 |
2,389 |
|
10 |
Portugal |
1,022 |
1,716 |
2,150 |
|
11 |
Canada |
683 |
1,459 |
1,856 |
|
12 |
Netherlands |
1,219 |
1,560 |
1,747 |
|
13 |
Japan |
1,061 |
1,394 |
1,538 |
|
14 |
Austria |
819 |
965 |
982 |
|
15 |
Greece |
573 |
746 |
871 |
|
16 |
Australia |
708 |
817 |
824 |
|
17 |
Ireland |
496 |
745 |
805 |
|
18 |
Sweden |
510 |
572 |
788 |
|
19 |
Norway |
267 |
314 |
333 |
|
20 |
New Zealand |
169 |
171 |
322 |
|
21 |
Egypt |
145 |
230 |
310 |
|
22 |
Belgium |
167 |
193 |
287 |
|
23 |
Taiwan |
104 |
188 |
282 |
|
24 |
Poland |
83 |
153 |
276 |
|
25 |
Brazil |
29 |
237 |
247 |
|
26 |
South Korea |
98 |
173 |
191 |
|
27 |
Turkey |
20 |
51 |
146 |
|
28 |
Czech Republic |
28 |
50 |
116 |
|
29 |
Morocco |
64 |
124 |
114 |
|
30 |
Finland |
82 |
86 |
110 |
|
31 |
Ukraine |
77 |
86 |
89 |
|
32 |
Mexico |
3 |
88 |
87 |
|
33 |
Costa Rica |
71 |
74 |
74 |
|
34 |
Bulgaria |
6 |
36 |
70 |
United States — 50-Meter Wind Resource Map
Yearly Installed Wind Capacity Map
|
Texas Wind Power Map |
|
|
|
|
Section
45 Tax Credits
Renewable Energy Tax Credits
Our renewable
energy project development expertise has made us a leading authority of
helping our clients with Section 45 Tax Credits. Our company and our
attorneys are skilled in the areas of renewable energy project finance and
tax issues relating to renewable energy projects. We are able to assist
our clients in connection with Section 45 tax credit project finance.
Our experience in Section 45 tax credits has helped us structure optimal
renewable energy project solutions that match our clients unique economic
and tax goals and requirements, which include regulatory constraints and
regulatory compliance for most any state.
Section 45 tax credits generate $.021 cents per kwh of electricity
produced by the taxpayer and sold to an unrelated person or company.
Section 45 tax credits are available for renewable electricity produced
from certain renewable energy projects including, closed-loop biomass,
open-loop biomass, geothermal power plants, solar energy, small irrigation
power, municipal solid waste, and qualified hydro power production,
refined coal and wind power generation.
See one of our following sites at:
www.Section45TaxCredits.com or www.RenewableEnergyTaxCredits.com
for more information or call: (832) 758 - 0027 for more information
__________________________________________________________________________
Wind Energy Terminology & Glossary
AC - Alternating Current
Airfoil -The cross section profile of the leeward side of a wind generator
blade. Designed to give low drag and good lift. Also found on an airplane wing.
Air Gap - In a
permanent magnet alternator, the distance between the magnets and the laminates.
Alternating Current -
Electricity that changes direction periodically. The period is measured in
Cycles per Second (Hertz, Hz).
Alternator - A device
that produces Alternating Current from the rotation of a shaft.
Amperage - A unit of
electrical current, equal to Coulombs per second. This is the flow rate of
electrons moving through a circuit, very roughly analogous to gallons per minute
flowing from a faucet.
Ampere-Hour - A
measure of energy quantity, equal to amperes times hours. Also used to measure
battery capacity.
Anemometer - A device
that measures wind speed.
Angle of Attack - The
angle of relative air flow to the blade chord.
Annealing - A heat
treatment process that makes Cold-rolled steel more suitable for forming and
bending.
Area of a Circle - Pi
multiplied by the Radius squared.
Armature - The moving
part of an alternator, generator or motor. In many PM alternator designs, it
carries the magnets and is attached to the blades and hub. Also called a Rotor.
Axial Alternator - An
alternator design where a flat disc carrying magnets on the face (the Armature)
rotates near a flat disc carrying coils (the Stator).
Axis - The centerline
of a rotating object's movement.
Balancing - With wind
turbine blades, adjusting their weight and weight distribution through 2 axes so
that all blades are the same. Unbalanced blades create damaging vibration.
Battery - An
electrochemical device for storing energy.
Battery Bank - An
array of Batteries connected in series, parallel, or both.
Bearing - A device
that transfers a force to structural supports. In a wind generator, bearings
allow the Shaft to rotate freely, and allow the machine to Yaw into and out of
the wind.
Belt - A device for
transferring power from a rotating shaft to a generator. Allows the use of
Pulleys to change the ratio of shaft speed to and from the generator.
Betz Limit -59.3
percent. This is the theoretical maximum efficiency at which a wind generator
can operate, by slowing the wind down. If the wind generator slows the wind down
too much, air piles up in front of the blades and is not used for extracting
energy.
Blade - The part of a
wind generator rotor that catches the wind.
Braking System - A
device to slow a wind turbine's shaft speed down to safe levels electrically or
mechanically.
Bridge Rectifier - An
array of diodes used to convert Alternating Current to Direct Current.
Single-phase bridge rectifiers use 4 diodes, 3-phase bridge rectifiers use 6
diodes.
Brushes - Devices for
transferring power to or from a rotating object. Usually made of
carbon-graphite.
Ceramic Magnets - See
Ferrite Magnets.
Chord - The width of a
wind turbine blade at a given location along the length.
Coercivity--The amount
of power needed to magnetize or demagnetize a permanent magnet. Measured in
MegaGauss Oersted (mGO)
Cogging - The cyclic
physical resistance felt in some alternator designs from magnets passing the
coils and gaps in the laminates. Detrimental to Start-up.
Coil - A length of
wire wound around a form in multiple turns.
Cold-Rolled Steel -
Steel processed by working at room temperatures. More expensive than hot-rolled
steel.
Commutator - The
rotating part of a DC generator.
Concave - A surface
curved like the interior of a circle or sphere.
Convex - A surface
curved like the exterior of a circle or sphere.
Current - See
Amperage.
Cut-In Wind Speed -
The rotational speed at which an alternator or generator starts pushing
electricity hard enough (has a high enough voltage) to make electricity flow in
a circuit.
Cycles per Second -
Measured in Hertz. In electricity, it is the number of times an AC circuit
reaches both minimum and maximum values in one second.
Darrieus Wind Turbine
- A Vertical Axis Wind Turbine design from the 1920s and 1930s by F.M. Darrieus,
a French wind turbine designer.
DC - Direct Current
Delta - A 3-phase
alternator wiring configuration in which all phases are connected in Series.
Diameter - A straight
line passing through the center of a circle, and ending on both edges. Equal to
2 times the Radius.
Diode - A solid-state
device that allows electricity to flow in only one direction.
Downwind - Refers to a
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine in which the hub and blades point away from the
wind direction, the opposite of an Upwind turbine.
Drag - In a wind
generator, the force exerted on an object by moving air. Also refers to a type
of wind generator or anemometer design that uses cups instead of a blades with
airfoils.
Dump Load - A device
to which wind generator power flows when the system batteries are too full to
accept more power, usually an electric heating element. This diversion is
performed by a Shunt Regulator, and allows a Load to be kept on the Alternator
or Generator.
Duty Cycle - In a
circuit, the ratio of off time to on time.
Dynamo - A device that
produces Direct Current from a rotating shaft. See Generator.
Eddy Currents -
Currents that flow in a substance from variations in magnetic induction. See
also Lenz Effect. Laminates are used to prevent eddy currents, which cause
physical and electrical resistance in an alternator or transformer, therefore
wasting power.
Efficiency - The ratio
of energy output to energy input in a device.
Electromagnet - A
device made of wire coils that produces a magnetic field when electricity flows
through the coils.
Epoxy - A 2-part
adhesive system consisting of resin and hardener. It does not start to harden
until the elements are mixed together. NOT compatible with Fiberglas® Resin.
Excitation - Using an
electric current to create a magnetic field. See Electromagnet.
Fatigue - Stress that
causes material failure from repeated, cyclic vibration or stress.
Ferrite Magnets - Also
called Ceramic Magnets. Made of Strontium Ferrite. High Coercivity and Curie
Temperature, low cost, but brittle and 4-5 times weaker than NdFeB magnets.
Fiberglas®
Resin--Another 2-part adhesive system, NOT compatible with Epoxy. Often used for
making castings, since it is much cheaper than Epoxy.
Freewheeling - a wind
generator that is NOT connected to a Load is freewheeling, and in danger of
self-destruction from overspeeding.
Frequency - Refers to
electric current - Also see Cycles per Second.
Furling - The act of a
wind generator Yawing out of the wind either horizontally or vertically to
protect itself from high wind speeds.
Furling Tail - A wind
generator protection mechanism where the rotor shaft axis is offset horizontally
from the yaw axis, and the tail boom is both offset horizontally and hinged
diagonally, thus allowing the tail to fold up and in during high winds. This
causes the blades to turn out of the wind, protecting the machine.
Gauss - A unit of
magnetic induction, equal to 1 Maxwell per square centimeter. Higher Gauss
measurements mean more power can be induced to flow in an alternator. Gauss
readings can be increased by putting steel behind magnets, stacking magnets, or
using larger or higher-grade magnets.
Gearing - Using a
mechanical system of gears or belts and pulleys to increase or decrease shaft
speed. Power losses from friction are inherent in any gearing system.
Generator - A device
that produces Direct Current from a rotating shaft.
Governor - A device
that regulates the speed of a rotating shaft, either electrically or
mechanically.
Guy Anchor - Attaches
tower guy wires securely to the earth.
Guy Radius - The
distance between a wind turbine tower and the guy anchors.
Guy Wire - Attaches a
tower to a Guy Anchor and the ground.
H-Rotor - A Vertical
Axis Wind Turbine design.
HAWT - Horizontal Axis
Wind Turbine.
Hertz - Frequency
measurement. See Cycles per Second
Horizontal Axis Wind
Turbine - A "normal" wind turbine design, in which the shaft is
parallel to the ground, and the blades are perpendicular to the ground.
Hub - The center of a
wind generator rotor, which holds the blades in place and attaches to the shaft.
Impedance - See
Resistance.
Induction - The
production of a magnetic field by the proximity of a electric charge or the
production of a magnetic field by proximity of an electric charge.
Induction Motor - An
AC motor in which the rotating armature has no electrical connections to it (ie
no slip rings), and consists of alternating plates of aluminum and steel.
Kilowatt - 1000 Watts
(see Watt)
kW - Kilowatt.
Laminations--Electrical
circuit core parts, found in motors, generators, alternators and transformers.
When core parts are subjected to alternating electrical or magnetic fields, the
buildup of Eddy Currents causes physical and electrical power loss. Laminations
are made of thin strips of materials that make good temporary magnets and poor
permanent magnets, and each strip is insulated electrically from the next.
Leading Edge - The
edge of a blade that faces toward the direction of rotation.
Leeward - Away from
the direction from which the wind blows.
Lenz Effect - See also
Eddy Currents. From H.F.E Lenz in 1833. Electromotive force is induced with
variations in magnetic flux. It can be demonstrated physically in many different
ways--for example dragging a strong magnet over an aluminum or copper plate, or
shorting the terminals of a PM alternator and rotating the shaft by hand.
Laminates are used to reduce power losses from this effect.
Lift - The force
exerted by moving air on asymmetrically-shaped wind generator blades at right
angles to the direction of relative movement. Ideally, wind generator blades
should produce high Lift and low Drag.
Live - A circuit that
is carrying electricity.
Load - Something
physical or electrical that absorbs energy. A wind generator that is connected
to a battery bank is loaded. A disconnected wind generator is NOT loaded, so the
blades are free to spin at very high speed without absorbing any energy from the
wind, and it is in danger of destruction from overspeeding.
Losses - Power that is
harvested by a wind generator but is not transferred to a usable form. Losses
can be from friction, electrical resistance, or other causes.
Magnet - A body that
attracts ferromagnetic materials. Can be a Permanent magnet, Temporary Magnet,
or Electromagnet.
Magnetite - A common
Iron-containing mineral with ferromagnetic properties.
Magnet Wire - The kind
of wire always used in making electromagnets, alternators, generators and
motors. Uses very thin enamel insulation to minimize thickness and maximize
resistance to heat.
Magnetic Circuit - The
path in which magnetic flux flows from one magnet pole to the other.
Magnetic Field -
Magnetic fields are historically described in terms of their effect on electric
charges. A moving electric charge, such as an electron, will accelerate in the
presence of a magnetic field, causing it to change velocity and its direction of
travel. An electrically charged particle moving in a magnetic field will
experience a force (known as the Lorentz force) pushing it in a direction
perpendicular to the magnetic field and the direction of motion. Also called
magnetic flux.
Maximum Energy Product
- Determines how good a magnet that different materials can make. Technically,
the amount of energy that a material can supply to an external magnetic circuit
when operating within its demagnetization curve.
MegaGauss Oersted -
Magnetic force measurement, see Maximum Energy Product.
MGOe - MegaGauss
Oersted.
Moment - A force
attempting to produce motion around an axis.
NdFeB - See
Neodymium-Iron-Boron Magnet.
Nacelle - The
protective covering over the generator or motor at the top of a wind turbine
tower.
Neodymium-Iron-Boron
Magnet - The composition of the most powerful Permanent Magnets known to man.
The materials are mined, processed, and sintered into shape. Then, they are
subjected to an extremely strong magnetic field and become Permanent Magnets.
Ohm's Law - The basic
math needed for nearly all electrical calculations. Please see a dictionary or
Pocket Ref for all of the variations on Ohm's Law! E=I*R (voltage(E)=amperage(I)*resistance(R)),
and all of the algebraic variations of this (I=E/R, R=E/I). Also, for DC
circuits, Watts=Volts*Amps. For AC circuits, Watts=Amps * Volts * Cosine of
phase angle theta.
Open-Circuit Voltage -
The voltage that a alternator or generator produces when it is NOT connected to
a Load.
Parallel - In DC
electrical circuits such as a battery bank or solar panel array, this is a
connection where all negative terminals are connected to each other, and all
positive terminals are connected to each other. Voltage stays the same, but
amperage is increased. In AC circuits such as a wind generator alternator, each
parallel coil is connected to common supply wires, again increasing amperage but
leaving voltage the same. Opposite of Series. See also Star.
Permanent Magnet - A
material that retains its magnetic properties after an external magnetic field
is removed.
Permanent Magnet
Alternator - An Alternator that uses moving permanent magnets instead of
Electromagnets to induce current in coils of wire.
PM - Permanent Magnet.
PMA - See Permanent
Magnet Alternator.
Phase - The timing of AC current cycles in different wires. 3-phase alternators produce current that is cyclically timed between 3 different wires and a common wire, while single phase produces it in only 1 wire and a common. In a 3-phase alternator, wire #1 receives a voltage peak, then wire #2 receives a peak, then wire #3.
Pillow Blocks -
Bearings that support a horizontal shaft.
Pitch - Setting Angle
of an airfoil or blade.
Poles - A way of
picturing magnetic phenomena. All magnets are considered to be
"dipoles", having both a North pole (which would point North if used
in a compass) and a South pole (which would point South if used in a compass. In
an alternator, generator, or motor the number of Poles is a measure of how many
coils, permanent magnets or electromagnets are in the armature or stator.
Prop - Propeller.
Propeller - The
spinning thing that makes an airplane move forward. Often incorrectly used to
describe a wind turbine Rotor.
Pulley - A device for
transferring power when using Belts as Gearing. Changing to smaller or larger
Pulleys changes the gear ratio, and can be used to make a shaft turn faster or
slower than the shaft that is providing its power.
Pulse Width Modulation
- A regulation method based on Duty Cycle. At full power, a
pulse-width-modulated circuit provides electricity 100 percent of the time. At
half power, the PWM is on half the time and off half the time. The speed of this
alternation is generally very fast. Used in both solar wind regulators to
efficiently provide regulation.
PWM - See Pulse Width
Modulation.
Radius - The distance
between the center of a circle and the outside.
Rare-Earth Magnets -
See Neodymium-Iron-Boron magnets.
Rated Power Output -
Used by wind generator manufacturers to provide a baseline for measuring
performance. Rated output may vary by manufacturer. For example, one
manufacturer's 1500 watt turbine may produce that amount of power at a 30 mph
windspeed, while another brand of 1500 watt turbine may not make 1500 Watts
until it gets a 40 mph windspeed. Read manufacturer's ratings statements
very carefully.
Rectifier - See Diode.
Radial - An alternator
design in which the armature magnets are attached to the outside circumference
of a disc, with the stator coils mounted around the outside.
Regulator - A device
to adjust incoming power so as to avoid overcharging a battery bank. In solar
power, the regulator generally just turns the solar array off when the batteries
are full. With a wind generator, the regulator generally diverts all or part of
the incoming power to a Dump Load when the batteries fill, thus keeping a Load
on the wind generator so it will not Freewheel.
Relay - An
electromechanical switch that uses a small amount of incoming electricity to
charge an electromagnet, which physically pulls down a connecting switch to
complete a circuit. This allows a low-power circuit to divert the electricity in
a high-power circuit.
Resistance - The
voltage per amp needed to make electricity flow through a wire. See Ohm's Law.
Root - The area of a
blade nearest to the hub. Generally the thickest and widest part of the blade.
Rotor--1) The blade and hub assembly of a wind generator. 2) The disc part of a
vehicle disc brake. 3) The armature of a permanent magnet alternator, which
spins and contains permanent magnets.
RPM - Revolutions Per
Minute. The number of times a shaft completes a full revolution in one minute.
Savonius - A
vertical-axis wind turbine design by S.J. Savonius of Finland from the 1920s and
30s. Shaped like a barrel split from end to end and offset along the cut. They
are drag machines, and thus give very low rpm but lots of torque.
Series - In DC
electrical circuits such as a battery bank or solar panel array, this is a
connection where all the negative terminals are connected to the neighboring
positive terminals. Voltage increases, but amperage stays the same. In AC
circuits such as a wind generator alternator, each coil is connected to the one
next to it, and so on, again increasing voltage but leaving amperage the same.
Opposite of Parallel. See also Delta.
Servo Motor - A motor
used for motion control in robots, hard disc drives, etc. Generally designed
more like an alternator than a standard motor, most Servos need special control
circuitry to make them rotate electrically. Some can be used in reverse to
generate alternating current.
Setting Angle - The
angle between the blade Chord and the plane of the blade's rotation. Also called
Pitch or blade angle. A blade carved with a Twist has a different setting angle
at the Tip than at the Root.
Shaft - The rotating
part in the center of a wind generator or motor that transfers power.
Short Circuit - 1)
Parts of a circuit connected together with only the impedance of the leads
between them. 2) In wind generators, connecting the output leads directly
together so as to heavily load a generator in high winds. This creates a
"short" circuit path back to the generator, bypassing all other loads.
Shunt - An electrical
bypass circuit that proportionally divides current flow between the shunt and
the shunted equipment. It also allows high current measurements with low-current
equipment.
Shunt Regulator - A
bypass device for power not needed for charging batteries. When batteries are
full, the regulator shunts all or part of the excess power to a Dump Load to
protect the batteries from overcharging damage.
Slip Ring - Devices
used to transfer electricity to or from rotating parts. Used in wound-field
alternators, motors, and in some wind generator yaw assemblies.
Star - A coil
connection scheme for 3 phase alternators and generators in which all 3 coil
phases are connected in parallel--they all share a common connection.
Start-Up - The
windspeed at which a wind turbine rotor starts to rotate. It does not
necessarily produce any power until it reaches cut-in speed. See Cut-in Wind
Speed.
Stationary - With wind
generator towers, a tower that does not tilt up and down. The tower must be
climbed or accessed with a crane to install or service equipment at the top.
Stator - The part of a
motor, generator or alternator that does not rotate. In permanent magnet
alternators it holds the coils and laminates.
Tail - See Vane. The
proper term is actually Vane, but Tail is commonly used.
Tail Boom - A strut
that holds the tail (Vane) to the wind generator frame.
Tape Drive Motor - A
type of permanent magnet DC motor often used as a generator in small wind
generator systems.
Taper - The change in
wind turbine blade width (chord) along the length.
Temporary Magnet - A
material that shows magnetic properties only while exposed to an external
magnetic field.
Thrust - In a wind
generator, wind forces pushing back against the rotor. Wind generator bearings
must be designed to handle thrust or else they will fail.
Thrust Bearing - A
bearing that is designed to handle axial forces along the centerline of the
shaft--in a wind generator, this is the force of the wind pushing back against
the blades.
Tilt-Up - A tower that
is hinged at the base and tilted up into position using a gin pole and winch or
vehicle. Wind turbines on tilt-up towers can be serviced on the ground, with no
climbing required.
Tip - The end of a
wind generator blade farthest from the hub.
Tip Speed Ratio -The
ratio of how much faster than the windspeed that the blade tips are moving.
Abbreviation TSR.
Torque - Turning
force, equal to force times radius. See also Moment.
Tower - A structure
that supports a wind generator, usually high in the air.
Trailing Edge - The
edge of a blade that faces away from the direction of rotation.
Transformer - Multiple
individual coils of wire wound on a laminate core. Transfers power from one
circuit to another using magnetic induction. Usually used to step voltage up or
down. Works only with AC current.
TSR - Tip Speed Ratio.
Turn - In winding
stator coils, this is one loop of wire around a form. A coil will often be
referred to by how many turns of a certain gauge wire are in each coil.
Twist - In a wind
generator blade, the difference in Pitch between the blade root and the blade
tip. Generally, the twist allows more Pitch at the blade root for easier
Startup, and less Pitch at the tip for better high-speed performance.
Upwind - the direction
in which a wind turbine generator faces into the wind.
Vane - A large, flat
piece of material used to align a wind turbine rotor correctly into the wind.
Usually mounted vertically on the tail boom. Sometimes called a Tail.
Variable Pitch - A
type of wind turbine rotor where the attack angle of the blades can be adjusted
either automatically or manually.
VAWT - Vertical Axis
Wind Turbine.
Vertical Axis Wind
Turbine - A wind generator design where the rotating shaft is perpendicular to
the ground, and the cups or blades rotate parallel to the ground.
Voltage - A measure of
electrical potential difference. One volt is the potential difference needed in
a circuit to make one Ampere flow, dissipating one Watt of heat.
Volt-Amp - In an AC circuit, this is Volts * Amps, without factoring in the power factor, derived from the phase angle.
Watt - One Joule of
electrical energy per second. In DC circuits, Watts=Volts * Amps. In AC
circuits, Watts=Volts * Amps * the cosine of the phase angle. See also Volt-Amp.
Wild AC - Alternating
Current that varies in Frequency.
Wind Generator - A
device that captures the force of the wind to provide rotational motion to
produce power with an alternator or generator.
Windmill - A device
that uses wind power to mill grain into flour. But informally used as a synonym
for wind generator or wind turbine, and to describe machines that pump water
with wind power.
Wind Turbine - A
machine that captures the force of the wind. Called a Wind Generator when used
to produce electricity. Called a Windmill when used to crush grain or pump
water.
Windward - Toward the
direction from which the wind blows.
Yaw - Rotation
parallel to the ground. A wind generator Yaws to face winds coming from
different directions.
Yaw Axis--Vertical
axis through the center of gravity.
Some
of the above information provided with our thanks by the Department of Energy
and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Now Developing Solar
Power Parks with Our 40% HCPV
Solar Panels
Our
40% High-efficiency HCPV Solar
Technology Now Available
for Solar
Power Parks Located in the Southwest U.S.
OUR
HCPV SOLAR TECHNOLOGY
HCPV, or "High Concentration PhotoVoltaic," represents the highest efficiencies available in solar pv technologies.
The Renewable Energy Institute, in partnership with a U.S. based engineering company with over 30 years R&D in Solar HCPV and maximizing power output from HCPV technologies, is now offering this technology for locations in the Southwest U.S. The Solar HCPV company specializes in the design, research/development and distribution of this HCPV technology which is about to surpass the 40% efficiency barrier. While many of today solar PV panels are considered "efficient" at 15%, our HCPV technology is already at 40% efficiency, and in the near future, we will be increasing our efficiency to over 60%.
Even at today's 40% efficiency, our HCPV technology provides nearly 3 times the economic revenues of any 12-15% efficient PV panel. And today, our HCPV technology is already the most efficient, environmentally-friendly solar technology available anywhere in the world.
While
15-16% efficient PV panels are still in high demand—mostly due to
financial subsidies and incentives—these 15-16% efficient PV panels are
NOT profitable without the economic incentives. Our HCPV
technology is profitable from day one, even without financial incentives Investment
Tax Credits, Feed In Tariffs,
or any other government subsidies. Thus, we foresee our HCPV
solar technology to be the technology of choice not only in the
short-term, but the long-term as well.
Finally, and most importantly, our HCPV solar technology does NOT decrease in efficiency with time; which is the case with all other PV technologies available today.
Please review the following information and call the Renewable Energy Institute at (512) 772-3500 with any questions regarding our HCPV or to discuss a license, or one or more solar power parks using our HCPV solar technology.
mounted on a heat sink, operates
at 525 suns concentration, and
produces approx. 20W DC power.
Performance
characteristics of our HCPV Solar Cells
under actual working conditions
PERFORMANCE
CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT PV TECHNOLOGIES
Developers/Investors of Solar Power Parks:
Our Utility Scale HCPV Solar Power Plants have the Highest Efficiencies & Lowest Operating Costs and Lowest Levelized Cost of Energy Using Less than 1% of the Water Required by Typical Power Plants (including Concentrating Solar Power Plants)
Minimum Size HCPV Solar Power System: 1 MW
Warranty: 10 Years
Approximate Cost: $3.75 million
Area required: 3 acres
Time to install: 6-9 months after signed agreement
Preferred
Minimum Project Size:
10 MW with 35 Acres in Southwest U.S. Location
Now Developing Solar Power Plants With Our
Preferred HCPV
Solar Technologies in:
Arizona,
California, Nevada, New Mexico & Texas
Developers
of Solar Power Parks interested in
our solar power plant development services or HCPV
solar technology
call/ email with details relating to your project:
info@HighConcentrationPhotovoltaic.com
or
_______________________________________________________
What
is a Power Purchase Agreement?
A Power Purchase Agreement is a legal agreement wherein our clients agree to buy either the power
(electricity) or the power and energy (hot water, steam and/or chilled water for
air-conditioning) - or both - directly from us, for a term of 10 to 20 years, where we have
installed, own and operate our solar energy systems.
In
nearly every case, once we have installed our solar
energy systems at our client's facility, we can immediately
reduce our (commercial) client's electricity expenses by 10% over what
they were paying for their power electricity from their electric utility.
The
right Power Purchase Agreement,
solar
cogeneration or solar
trigeneration energy solution, may save your company
hundreds of thousands, and possibly millions of dollars over the term of the
agreement.
Simultaneously, having the wrong or poorly drafted PPA can cost your company thousands or millions of dollars. You wouldn't consult a brain surgeon to treat your child's broken bone! Selecting the wrong attorneys, law firm or team to promulgate or re-negotiate your Power Purchase Agreement can leave you "powerless" and penniless - and still requiring the skills and expertise of competent and qualified professionals to resolve the situation.
Because a Power Purchase Agreement is at the "heart" and underlying foundation of our projects, we can help your business with the selection and oversight of PPA's.
We can help your city or community create a Municipal Utility District or Public Utility District that may then qualify for our very competitively priced energy and electricity rates. Now is the time for cities, municipal and governmental clients to consider having our company install one of our renewable power and energy systems that will generate "clean" power and energy, lower costs, and avoid the coming electricity shortages and grid congestion problems!
Products and services provided by us include the following power and energy project development services:
-
Project Engineering Feasibility & Economic Analysis Studies
-
Engineering, Procurement and Construction
-
Environmental Engineering & Permitting
-
Project Funding & Financing Options; including Equity Investment, Debt Financing, Lease and Municipal Lease
-
Shared/Guaranteed Savings Program with No Capital Investment from Qualified Clients
-
Project Commissioning
-
3rd Party Ownership and Project Development
-
Long-term Service Agreements
-
Operations & Maintenance
-
Green Tag (Renewable Energy Credit, Carbon Dioxide Credits, Emission Reduction Credits) Brokerage Services; Application and Permitting
What Is a Solar Power Purchase Agreement (SPPA)?
A Solar Power Purchase Agreement (SPPA) is a financial arrangement in which a third-party developer owns, operates, and maintains the photovoltaic (PV) system, and a host customer agrees to site the system on its roof or elsewhere on its property and purchases the system’s electric output from the solar services provider for a predetermined period. This financial arrangement allows the host customer to receive stable, and sometimes lower cost electricity, while the solar services provider or another party acquires valuable financial benefits such as tax credits and income generated from the sale of electricity to the host customer.
With this business model, the host customer buys the services produced by the PV system rather than the PV system itself. This framework is referred to as the “solar services” model, and the developers who offer Solar Power Purchase Agreements are known as solar services providers. Solar Power Purchase Agreement arrangements enable the host customer to avoid many of the traditional barriers to adoption for organizations looking to install solar systems: high up-front capital costs; system performance risk; and complex design and permitting processes. In addition, Solar Power Purchase Agreement arrangements can be cash flow positive for the host customer from the day the system is commissioned.
How do Solar Power Purchase Agreements Work?
Figure 1 below illustrates the roles of all participants in a Solar Power Purchase Agreement.
A host
customer agrees to have solar panels installed on its property,
typically its roof, and signs a long-term contract with the solar services
provider to purchase the generated power. The host property can be either owned
or leased (note that for leased properties, solar financing works best for
customers that have a long-term lease). The purchase price of the generated
electricity is typically at or slightly below the retail electric rate the host
customer would pay its utility service provider.
Solar Power Purchase Agreement rates can be fixed, but they often contain an annual price escalator in the range of one to five percent to account for system efficiency decreases as the system ages and inflation-related costs increases for system operation, monitoring, maintenance, and anticipated increases in the price of grid-delivered electricity. A Solar Power Purchase Agreement is a performance-based arrangement in which the host customer pays only for what the system produces. The term length of most Solar Power Purchase Agreements can range from six years (i.e., the time by which available tax benefits are fully realized) to as long as 25 years.
The solar services provider functions as the project coordinator, arranging the financing, design, permitting, and construction of the system. The solar services provider purchases the solar panels for the project from a PV manufacturer, who provides warranties for system equipment.
The installer will design the system, specify the appropriate system components, and may perform the follow-up maintenance over the life of the PV system. To install the system, the solar services provider might use an in-house team of installers or have a contractual relationship with an independent installer. Once the Solar Power Purchase Agreement contract is signed, a typical installation can usually be completed in three to six months.
An investor provides equity financing and receives the federal and state tax benefits for which the system is eligible. Under certain circumstances, the investor and the solar services provider may together form a special purpose entity for the project to function as the legal entity that receives and distributes to the investor payments from the sale of the systems kWh output and tax benefits.
The utility serving the host customer provides an interconnection from the PV system to the grid, and continues its electric service with the host customer to cover the periods during which the system is producing less than the site’s electric demand. Certain states have net metering requirements in place that provide a method of crediting customers who produce electricity on-site for generation in excess of their own electricity consumption. In most states, the utility will credit excess electricity produced from the PV system, although the compensation varies significantly depending on state polices.
Some of the above information from the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Agency with permission.
More about Power Purchase Agreements
A Power Purchase Agreement is "behind" almost every power plant. A PPA is a contract involving the generation and sales of electricity - which is normally developed between the owner of a power plant generating the electricity, and the buyer of the electricity. PPA's can be quite lengthy agreements that may exceed 100 pages in length and take several months to even 1-2 years to finalize.
The
basic information contained in a Power Purchase Agreement
include the
following items:
* Definitions
* Purchase and
Sale of Contracted Capacity and Energy (such as steam, hot
water and/or chilled water in the case of cogeneration and trigeneration
plants
* Operation of
the Power Plant
* Financing of
the Power Plant
* Guarantees of
Performance
* Penalties
* Payments
* Force Majeure
* Default and
Early Termination
* Miscellaneous
* T&C's
For
more information about Power Purchase
Agreements, call or e-mail us today.
We develop renewable energy projects, and specialize in solar power and energy project development. Our company provides the total, turnkey solar energy system "in-house." This means our capabilities and core competencies include solar project:
Our company provides the total, turnkey solar energy system design/engineering through installation, "in-house." This means we provide the following;
-
project identification
-
project analysis
-
design/engineering
-
finance (through investors and joint venture partners)
-
installation or construction
-
ownership (with PPA)
-
operations
-
maintenance and service or our solar energy systems
We have successfully completed "turnkey" installations of our solar energy systems for clients that include residential, commercial, industrial, and government. Our present clients and projects include a large pipeline of solar energy systems projects that are now in design &/or under development or construction. Our present projects range in size from:
100 kW to 90 MW
We recently completed a 160 kW solar energy system for a major hotel wherein we self-funded their new "Rooftop PV System" with our Power Purchase Agreement.
Our solar power and energy project development services and capabilities include multiple solar technologies, including;
for utility scale solar power plant applications.
And our Super High Efficiency Solar Cogeneration & Solar Trigeneration Energy Systems:
-
Solar Cogeneration Energy Systems
-
Solar Trigeneration Energy Systems
for commercial, government, industrial and municipal clients.
What
are "renewable energy
resources?"
"Renewable energy resources" include;
-
Solar Power & Energy (for homes and businesses)
What is "carbon free energy?"
"Carbon free energy" is energy that is produced or generated without producing any carbon dioxide emissions. Even nuclear power plants generate "carbon free energy."Renewable energy technologies that are used in the production and generation of carbon free energy include;
-
Solar Desalination (Clean Water and Clean Power!)
Energy Efficiency Measures and Energy Conservation Measures such as Automated Demand Response and Demand Side Management and Energy Efficient Lighting, while not "generating" carbon free energy, provides significant increases in efficiencies, thereby reducing the overall need for energy, which may come from central power plants that are very inefficient and generate significant amounts of carbon dioxide emissions.
Even nuclear power plants generate "carbon free energy." These are just some examples of carbon-free renewable energy. The purpose of all these methods is to combat the increase in greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our impact on the environment as a whole.
Solar
Trigenerationsm
www.SolarTrigeneration.com
We install our Solar Trigenerationsm Energy Systems, for qualified commercial businesses, as well as cities, schools and government facilities with our Zero Up-front Cost program.
For some customers - based on their present location, utility company and electric rate - we are able to reduce their electric rate by 10%. Even more for other customers. Solar Trigenerationsm Energy System!
We provide the answers to your questions about solar power and energy!
Does your; business, city, school, or electric utility want a more sustainable solar power and energy solution?
Are you interested in transforming your facility, campus or building(s) to "Net Zero Energy"™ buildings?
Does your city or school have a problem with rising electricity and energy expenses, but not have the financial resources to provide the necessary updates and upgrades to make your buildings more efficient?
Maybe you have already decided to go solar, but you have a lot of questions, and don't know where to start. Call us, we have the answers to your solar questions.
What is the optimum solar solution? There are hundreds of companies in the solar power and energy industry..... Who do you call to help you with these questions to help you make the right decisions?
There's still more questions, that you may not have thought about..... which solar technology do you go with, and what is the return on investment?
Are there any solar rebates, refunds, tax credits or other incentives available?
What about investors that might be interested in owning/operating and maintaining our solar energy system under a Power Purchase Agreement?
You have numerous questions and need the answers to help in the decision-making process regarding the solar power and energy system you want to install. These decisions will have a long-lasting impact as the solar energy system that you install at your business or facility will probably be generating clean power for the next 40 to 50 years, if not longer! So, the decisions that you need to make now regarding your solar energy system will be a decision that will be either a long-term asset or a liability, depending on the equipment you select and who you choose to install it.
We can help cities, schools and commercial (and large residential) customers make the switch to solar!
And now, with our no up-front cost for our Solar Trigenerationsm Energy System, we can also transform your building(s) to a "Net Zero Energy Building"™ and many times, actually REDUCE your present energy expenses by 10%, and possibly more!
Examples of buildings/facilities where our Solar Trigenerationsm Energy Systems would benefit, include; universities, churches, data centers, shopping centers, schools, radio/television stations, food processing, warehouses, new real estate developments and subdivisions, and electric utilities - practically any commercial facility can be upgraded to one of our "pollution free power" systems featuring one of our solar energy systems, including our Solar Trigenerationsm system!
Call or email us, we can provide these answers. We are focused on providing the optimum solar energy systems for our clients. This begins with an initial review of your past 12 months energy/electrical bills. The next step would include a site visit which may include a Demand Side Management study and/or a Solar Feasibility Study which determines the optimum solar energy system for your facility or location. Once the optimum solar solution(s) are determined, we then have a blueprint to proceed that could include our installing one of our Solar Cogeneration™ or Solar Trigenerationsm energy systems. Or for a city, real estate development or subdivision, or an electric utility, one of our utility scale power plants which might be a Concentrating Photovoltaic, Concentrating Solar Power or High Concentration Photovoltaic power plants.
What is "Net Zero Energysm?"
Net
Zero Energysm - when applied to a home or commercial building, simply means that
the home or buildings generates as much power and energy as they consume,
a
monthly or annual basis, and with an onsite, renewable energy system, such as
our
Solar
Trigenerationsm Energy
System.
What is a Net Zero Energy Buildingsm?
A Net Zero Energy Buildingsm produces as much energy as it uses over the course of a year. Net Zero Energy Buildingssm are very energy efficient. The remaining low energy needs are typically met with on-site renewable energy.
First of all, understand that there is no such thing as a "zero energy building!" EVERY building uses energy, or you may as well be in a cave!
The important considerations are,
1. How efficient is the building?
2. How much energy does the building use, and how efficiently is it used?
3. How much "carbon free energy" or "pollution free power" is generated by the buildings' own onsite renewable energy system?
4. What are
the utility company's prices for the excess power generated and sent to the
grid?
(see: Net Energy Metering)
5. How difficult is it to interconnect the renewable energy system of the building with the utility company's powerlines/electric grid?
At the heart of a Net Zero Energy Buildingsm is the idea that any building can meet its energy requirements from low-cost, locally available, nonpolluting, renewable sources, like our Solar Trigenerationsm Energy Systems. Our Solar Trigenerationsm Energy Systems are the idea whose time has come, to make Net Zero Energy Buildingssm commonplace.
Solar Trigenerationsm Energy Systems Provide All of the Cooling, Heating & Power, for Any Size Building, with only the Energy of the Sun. Solar Trigenerationsm Energy Systems Provide Simultaneous Cooling, Heating & Power whether it is 12 Noon, or 12 Midnight, and can do so, WITHOUT Connection to the electric grid!
The
Diagram Below Shows How Our Solar
Trigenerationsm Energy System Works,
for Heating and Cooling a Building (next to the Solar Thermal Collectors, are the PV
Panels, that generate the Electricity).
Our
Solar
Trigenerationsm Energy
System
provides
"Cooling, Heating & Power" for your business,
or home with the free energy of the sun!
What is Net Energy Metering?
Net energy metering is used to measure a customer's total electric
consumption against that customer's total on-site electric generation. When
a customer's onsite generation of power exceeds the amount that they use, the customer's
solar energy system (or other renewable energy system) exports the extra electricity to the
grid. When the power requirements of the customer exceeds their onsite
generation of power, the customer imports the electricity they need from
electric grid. The customer pays the electric company for any extra power they
use over the amount they generate - OR - the customer receives a credit or
refund from the electric company if they exported more power to the grid, than
what they consumed.
Renewable Energy Is Necessary for Net Zero Energy Buildings
Much focus is placed on energy efficiency as the most cost-effective way to reduce energy use in commercial buildings. However, consumption can be reduced only so much. There is a point at which the cost of adding efficiency measures is higher than that of using renewable energy such as thin film photovoltaics and other solar energy systems.
Aggressive energy efficiency strategies can reduce a building's energy consumption by 50% to 70%. Renewable energy technologies must be used to reach the goal of a net-zero energy building (NZEB).
Supply-Side Technologies
Various supply-side renewable energy technologies are available for Net Zero Energy Buildings. Supply-side technologies, often called energy producers, collect natural energy and transform it into a useful form. Examples of these technologies include PV, solar hot water, wind, hydroelectric, and biofuels.
Ranking of Energy Options
All renewable sources are favorable over conventional energy sources such as coal and natural gas; however, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends the following ranking for these options (the lower numbers are preferable):
|
Option Number |
NZEB Supply-Side Options |
Examples |
|---|---|---|
|
0 |
Reduce site energy use through low-energy building technologies |
Daylighting, high-efficiency heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning equipment (HVAC), natural ventilation, evaporative cooling |
|
On-Site Supply Options |
||
|
1 |
Use renewable energy sources available within the building's footprint |
PV, solar hot water, and wind located on the building |
|
2 |
Use renewable energy sources available at the site |
PV, solar hot water, low-impact hydroelectric, and wind located on-site, but not on the building |
|
Off-Site Supply Options |
||
|
3 |
Use renewable energy sources available off site to generate energy on site |
Biomass, wood pellets, ethanol, or biodiesel that can be imported from off site; waste streams from on-site processes that can be used on-site to generate electricity and heat |
|
4 |
Purchase off-site renewable energy sources |
Utility-based wind, PV, emissions credits, or other "green" purchasing options; hydroelectric is sometimes considered |
This hierarchy is weighted toward renewable technologies within the building
footprint and site. Rooftop PV and solar water heating are the most applicable
supply-side technologies for Net
Zero Energy Buildings. Other supply-side technologies such as parking
lot-based wind or solar energy
systems may be available.
The goal in developing the ranking was to encourage technologies that:
-
Minimize overall environmental impact by encouraging energy-efficient building designs and reducing transportation and conversion losses
-
Will be available over the lifetime of the building
-
Are widely available and have high replication potential for future Net Zero Energy Buildings.
Solar
Trigenerationsm
www.SolarTrigeneration.com
Now, Your
Business Can Have Our Solar Trigeneration™
Energy System, installed for No
Up-Front Costs!
Through an affiliated partner company, we are now installing our Solar Trigeneration™ Energy Systems, for qualified commercial businesses, nationwide, with Zero up-front costs.
Some customers may even see a decrease in their energy expenses by as much as 10% to 20% with our Zero up-front cost Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System!
To qualify for our no up-front cost Solar Trigeneration Energy Systems, businesses must:
-
Have a good credit rating
-
Agree to buy all of the energy generated from the Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System through a 20 year Power Purchase Agreement
-
Other conditions may apply, depending on location, state or utility company you are presently buying power from.
We expect ALL of our customers will be very happy knowing that the clean, green, renewable power they are using is:
-
More reliable than the electricity from the power company.
-
Saving the environment by reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and helping reverse Climate Change and Global Warming.
-
Generated from their own reliable Solar Power System on their roofs.
-
Saving Money! At today's published electric rates at Southern California Edison, TXU, Reliant and Centerpoint, most of our customers will also enjoy a SAVINGS on their present electric bills by as much as 10% from what they are now paying for their electricity from the electric utility.
-
Under warranty.
-
At the end of the Power Purchase Agreement, the Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System is then offered for sale to our customers, for $1.00. And then their energy savings really start to add up as the power and electricity generated from their Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System is free!
Solar
Trigenerationsm
is Here!
Solar Trigeneration Provides (almost)
Any Building - with all of its
Cooling, Heating & Power Requirements. Solar
Trigenerationsm
is also the Greenest Way to
Cool, Heat and Power your Facility -
whether that's a Hospital, Data Center, Office Building or University
Campus
Commercial, Industrial & Utility Customers:
Reduce or COMPLETELY ELIMINATE
Your Electric Power & Natural Gas Expenses!
Stop
Paying High Utility Bills to the Electric and Natural Gas Companies!
Let us Show You How You
Can
"Cut the Cord" to the Electric Company!
Our
"Solar
Trigenerationsm" Power and Energy Systems
Generate Carbon Free Energy and
Pollution Free Power
Which is Sustainable, Clean, Renewable and Affordable
Solar Energy Systems provides cooler, cleaner, greener power and energy project development services. Our Solar Energy Systems are an environmentally-friendly and economically-superior choice to expensive natural gas and electricity. Additionally, our renewable energy technologies generate "green tags" or a Renewable Energy Credit.
We
provide
Solar
Power and Energy systems that we refer to as "EcoGeneration"
solutions that produce cooler, cleaner, greener power and energy for our
customers and our environment. Unlike most companies, we are equipment
supplier/vendor neutral. This means we help our clients select the best
equipment for their specific application. This approach provides our
customers with superior performance, decreased operating expenses and
increased return on investment.
Our company provides turn-key project solutions that include all or part
of the following:
-
Engineering and Economic Feasibility Studies
-
Project Design, Engineering & Permitting
-
Project Construction
-
Project Funding & Financing Options
-
Shared/Guaranteed Savings program with no capital requirements.
-
Project Commissioning
-
Operations & Maintenance
-
Green Tag/Renewable Energy Credit Application, and Marketing
Net
Zero Energy Buildingssm
www.NetZeroEnergyBuildings.com
The Audubon
Nature
Center
Installs
Solar
Trigeneration
System
Making this one of the World's First "Net
Zero Energy Buildings"
at Their New Facility in Los Angeles, California
GRID-FREE
SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM....
NO
CONNECTION TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY!
The Solar
Trigeneration
Provides All of their Facility's (5000 sq.ft.)
Cooling, Heating and Power Requirements - at 12 noon or 12 midnite,
WITHOUT ANY CONNECTION to the Electric Utility
with our Solar
Trigeneration Energy System!
The Sun
Powers the Audubon Nature Center's Solar
Trigeneration
System at Debs Park in Los Angeles. The Audubon Nature Center's
building is one of the world's first "Net
Zero Energy Buildings."
The Solar
Trigeneration
System Consists of a 10 Ton "Solar
Absorption Cooling"
System
Matched with a Solar
Electric
Power System and a Solar
Water Heating System
By: Monty Goodell, MBA
www.SolarTrigeneration.com
Los Angeles, California
There
is now a better, more efficient, “pollution
free power” and "carbon
free energy" solution for cooling, heating and powering
homes and commercial buildings where solar energy is available.
Solar Trigeneration is defined as the simultaneous generation of cooling, heating and power with only the free solar energy from the sun providing the "fuel".
Solar
Trigeneration is now
a reality at the Audubon
The Audubon Nature Center is totally powered by the sun’s energy and our Solar Trigeneration energy system!
The 5,300 square foot building operates entirely “grid-free” and without any electric connections to the electric grid, or natural gas connections – a truly sustainable power and energy solution.
Best
of all, the Audubon Center doesn’t rely on the over-burdened electric
grid or even natural gas. Therefore, the Audubon
Nature Center
NEVER receives an electric bill or
natural gas bill.... ever!
The
Audubon
Nature Center's 5,000 square foot
office and conference facility is powered by a Solar
Trigeneration
system that features a 25-kilowatt solar electric power system where the
energy is stored in a bank of batteries. The Center is cooled by a
10-ton solar
absorption cooling
system powered by an array of very efficient solar heat pipe vacuum tube
thermal collectors. The
collectors heat the water to temperatures of 200+ degree F stored in a
1,200 gallon insulated tank, another type of inexpensive battery. The Solar
Trigeneration
system at the Audubon not only provides the air-conditioning in the
summer but also heats the building in the winter, and provides the hot
water for the kitchen and bathrooms.
Absorption
chillers,
and cooling with solar energy with an absorption chiller are not new
technologies.
In fact, absorption chiller technology is over 70 years old.
The first refrigerators were powered by propane gas to run the
absorption chillers that used ammonia as a refrigerant.
Electricity and the electric compression chiller gained
popularity only because of the convenient “plug and play” appliance
and relatively cheap electric rates.
Electricity is no longer economically, or environmentally “cheap.”
History of Cogeneration and Trigeneration
Few people realize that the world's first commercial power plant, designed and built by Thomas Edison, was a cogeneration power plant that was first opened on Pearl Street, in Lower Manhattan, New York. That was in 1882! Edison not only generated, and sold electricity in the several blocks surrounding his "Pearl Street Station" but he also sold the hot water that was also generated from the cogeneration plant. The fuel Edison used for generating the electricity and hot water (cogeneration) came from "pulverized coal." The Pearl Street Station provided 110 volts of "direct current" power to 59 customers in lower Manhattan, around his Pearl Street laboratory.
Cogeneration is the simultaneous production of heat and power.
Trigeneration is the simultaneous production of cooling, heating and power.
Our company, in partnership with the Renewable Energy Institute and our affiliated partners, have perfected "Solar Cogeneration" and "Solar Trigeneration" which are the "heart" of our Net Zero Energy Buildings.
Unlike traditional cogeneration and trigeneration power plants that are fueled by natural gas - and Thomas Edison's cogeneration plant, which was fueled with pulverized coal, our Solar Cogeneration and Solar Trigeneration energy systems are fueled with the energy of the sun! And, while natural gas is a "cleaner" fuel, it still has its problems in that it is a limited resource and generates greenhouse gas emissions. Natural gas also have had extreme price swings and has a history of price volatility. Natural gas prices have gone from a high of $17.00/mmbtu to a recent low of under $3.00/mmbtu.
Regarding pulverized coal, yes, it's cheap in terms of the cost of generating electricity, but too many people forget about the "externalities" of pulverized coal that is not reflected in the "cheap" costs of generating electricity from pulverized coal. These costs not accounted for are the huge environmental cost relating to the use of pulverized coal. Pound for pound, pulverized coal and coal fired power plants generate more greenhouse gas emissions than any other fossil fuel. There are also the costs related to the health and safety issues of the miners that mine the coal. And, the costs to the environment in terms of the ever-increasing amounts of mercury that are "dumped" into the environment from coal fired power plants, is also not reflected in the "cheap" price of generating power from pulverized coal.
Unlike the problems inherently found with the use of fossil fuels, Solar Cogeneration and Solar Trigeneration have no such problems.
And talk about "cheap" costs of generating power and energy, there is nothing cheaper than free!!!!
The owners of the Audubon Nature Center never receive any monthly natural gas or electric bills!
And the owners of the Audubon Nature Center will never have to account for their greenhouse gas emissions, or comply with the ever-increasing regulations related to greenhouse gas emissions and the pending Cap and Trade laws..... thanks to our Solar Trigeneration energy system!
Solar
Trigeneration
is an EcoGeneration
solution. EcoGeneration
refers to a power and energy system that uses the “natural” energy
or fuel that is available for a specific site or location. Such energy
or fuel includes, solar, wind, BioMethane,
geothermal, and ocean power, including ocean tidal and ocean thermal
energy conversion. For
example, in the desert areas of the
Today,
the cause of the summer peak electric demand, electric supply problems,
and black-outs, are the result of the energy crisis in
Greater
Demands on California’s Limited Electric Supply, Lack of New Electric
Power Supplies, and This Summer’s Heat Wave are Compounding the
Problem Leading to the “Perfect Electric
Storm”
Many
people will remember the movie “The Perfect Storm” from several
years ago, when several storms came together in the northeastern part of
the
The
most likely time of year for a black-out in
How
Do We Prevent the “Perfect Electric Storm” from Occurring
in California and Other Regions in the U.S.?
Another
major concern is how do we prevent the “Perfect Electric Storm” from
happening, like the Northeast Blackout several summers ago, especially
for people living in the desert?
Governor
Schwarzenegger’s “Million Solar Roofs” program and the passage of
the 2005 Federal Energy Act will be the foundation to create a “Perfect Solar
Storm” to trigger the Solar Economy throughout California.
With
the threat of California’s seniors and elderly dying from heat
exhaustion due to power outages, black-outs, rolling black-outs and the
rising costs of electricity and natural gas, combined with the
continuing impact of global warming, the perfect solution is to create a
Solar Revolution by cooling, heating and powering the desert with solar
energy and technologies like Solar
Cogeneration or Solar
Trigeneration.
For
more information about Solar
Energy Systems, such as Solar
Cogeneration or Solar
Trigeneration,
call Monty Goodell at (832) 758 - 0027, or send an email to info@SolarTrigeneration.com.
The Audubon Center's new Solar Trigeneration
power and energy system
makes this building a "Net Zero Energy Building"
The Audubon's Roof showing
the Solar
Thermal Collectors, part of the
Solar Trigeneration
power and energy system
The heart of the Audubon's Solar Trigeneration
power and energy system
provides "free heating, cooling and domestic hot water," a
"net zero energy
building."
The hot water from the Solar Thermal Collectors
on the roof of the Audubon is pumped here for producing the building's
heating, cooling and domestic hot water.
Hot water is stored in the tank on the left for overnight.
_________________________________________________________________
Absorption Chillers
&
Adsorption Chillers
For Solar Trigeneration Applications
What Absorption
Chillers and How Does They Work?
Absorption chillers
use heat instead of mechanical energy to provide cooling. A
thermal compressor consists of an absorber, a generator, a pump, and a
throttling device, and replaces the mechanical vapor compressor.
In
the chiller, refrigerant vapor from the evaporator is absorbed by a
solution mixture in the absorber. This solution is then pumped to the
generator. There the refrigerant re-vaporizes using a waste steam heat
source. The refrigerant-depleted solution then returns to the absorber via
a throttling device. The two most common refrigerant/ absorbent mixtures
used in absorption chillers
are water/lithium bromide and ammonia/water.
Compared
with mechanical chillers, absorption chillers
have a low coefficient of
performance (COP = chiller load/heat input). However, absorption chillers
can substantially reduce operating costs because they are powered by
low-grade waste heat. Vapor compression chillers, by contrast, must be
motor- or engine-driven.
Low-pressure,
steam-driven absorption chillers
are available in capacities ranging from
100 to 1,500 tons. Absorption chillers
come in two commercially available
designs: single-effect and double-effect. Single-effect machines provide a
thermal COP of 0.7 and require about 18 pounds of
15-pound-per-square-inch-gauge (psig) steam per ton-hour of cooling.
Double-effect machines are about 40% more efficient, but require a higher
grade of thermal input, using about 10 pounds of 100- to 150-psig steam
per ton-hour.
In
single-effect absorption chillers,
all condensing heat cools and
condenses in the condenser. From there it is released to the cooling
water. A double-effect machine adopts a higher heat efficiency of
condensation and divides the generator into a high-temperature and a
low-temperature generator.
Actions You Can Take
Determine
the cost-effectiveness of displacing a portion of your cooling load with a
waste steam absorption chiller by taking the following steps:
-
Conduct a plant survey to identify sources and availability of waste steam
-
Determine cooling load requirements and the cost of meeting those requirements with existing mechanical chillers or new installations
-
Obtain installed cost quotes for a waste steam absorption chiller
-
Conduct a life cycle cost analysis to determine if the waste steam absorption chiller meets your company's cost-effectiveness criteria.
Absorption Chillers Refrigeration Cycle
The basic cooling cycle is the same for the absorption and electric chillers. Both systems use a low-temperature liquid refrigerant that absorbs heat from the water to be cooled and converts to a vapor phase (in the evaporator section). The refrigerant vapors are then compressed to a higher pressure (by a compressor or a generator), converted back into a liquid by rejecting heat to the external surroundings (in the condenser section), and then expanded to a low- pressure mixture of liquid and vapor (in the expander section) that goes back to the evaporator section and the cycle is repeated.
The basic difference between the electric chillers and absorption chillers is that an electric chiller uses an electric motor for operating a compressor used for raising the pressure of refrigerant vapors and absorption chillers use the heat for compressing refrigerant vapors to a high-pressure. The rejected heat from the power-generation equipment (e.g. turbines, microturbines, and engines) may be used with an absorption chiller to provide the cooling in a CHP system.
The basic absorption cycle employs two fluids, the absorbate or refrigerant, and the absorbent. The most commonly fluids are water as the refrigerant and lithium bromide as the absorbent. These fluids are separated and recombined in the absorption cycle. In the absorption cycle the low-pressure refrigerant vapor is absorbed into the absorbent releasing a large amount of heat. The liquid refrigerant/absorbent solution is pumped to a high-operating pressure generator using significantly less electricity than that for compressing the refrigerant for an electric chiller. Heat is added at the high-pressure generator from a gas burner, steam, hot water or hot gases. The added heat causes the refrigerant to desorb from the absorbent and vaporize. The vapors flow to a condenser, where heat is rejected and condense to a high-pressure liquid. The liquid is then throttled though an expansion valve to the lower pressure in the evaporator where it evaporates by absorbing heat and provides useful cooling. The remaining liquid absorbent, in the generator passes through a valve, where its pressure is reduced, and then is recombined with the low-pressure refrigerant vapors returning from the evaporator so the cycle can be repeated.
Absorption chillers are used to generate cold water (44°F) that is circulated to air handlers in the distribution system for air conditioning.
"Indirect-fired" absorption chillers use steam, hot water or hot gases steam from a boiler, turbine or engine generator, or fuel cell as their primary power input. Theses chillers can be well suited for integration into a CHP system for buildings by utilizing the rejected heat from the electric generation process, thereby providing high operating efficiencies through use of otherwise wasted energy.
"Direct-fired" systems contain natural gas burners; rejected heat from these chillers can be used to regenerate desiccant dehumidifiers or provide hot water.
Commercially, absorption chillers can be single-effect or multiple-effect. The above schematic refers to a single-effect absorption chiller. Multiple-effect absorption chillers are more efficient and discussed below.
Multiple-Effect Absorption Chillers
In single-effect absorption chillers, the heat released during the chemical process of absorbing refrigerant vapor into the liquid stream, rich in absorbent, is rejected to the environment. In a multiple-effect absorption chiller, some of this energy is used as the driving force to generate more refrigerant vapor. The more vapor generated per unit of heat or fuel input, the greater the cooling capacity and the higher the overall operating efficiency.
Double-effect absorption chillers uses two generators paired with a single condenser, absorber, and evaporator. It requires a higher temperature heat input to operate and therefore they are limited in the type of electrical generation equipment they can be paired with when used in a CHP System.
Triple-effect
absorption chillers can
achieve even higher efficiencies than the double-effect chillers. These absorption chillers
require still higher elevated operating temperatures that can
limit choices in materials and refrigerant/absorbent pairs. Triple-effect
chillers are under development by manufacturers working in cooperation
with the U.S. Department of Energy.
___________________________________________________________________
What is "Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide?"
Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CuInSe2) is a material that provides an extremely high absorption of light ( 99%) to be absorbed in the first micron of the material. Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide is projected to be the revolutionary material that some are saying, could put typical "central" power plants and some electric utilities, out of business, as it will be much cheaper for customers to generate their own onsite power with Thin Film Photovoltaics made from these materials.
When additional small amounts of Gallium is added to Copper Indium diSelenide, this increases its' light-absorbing band gap, thereby making the solar panel more closely match the solar spectrum of the sun. This, in turn, increases the voltage and the efficiency of the Thin Film Photovoltaics solar panel.
Solar panels produced with Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide cells have reached efficiencies of more than 20% - which is much higher than the other Thin Film Photovoltaics.
Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide solar panels create more electricity from the same amount of sunlight than other Thin Film Photovoltaics panels. This translates into a higher conversion efficiency.
The conversion efficiency of Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide PV technologies is very stable over time, meaning its power output remains stable over many years, while the power output of many other PV materials can rapidly decline with time.
What are "Building Integrated Photovoltaics?"
Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) are solar energy systems that are integrated into a part of the building, that serve as the building's exterior or the building's skin.
Commercial buildings and facilities (including houses) that integrate their own solar power systems into the building's exteriors, are referred to as "power buildings."
The technology that makes this possible is "Thin Film Photovoltaics."
What are Thin Film Photovoltaics?
Without a doubt, the most exciting technology in the solar power industry is "Thin Film Photovoltaics." Thin Film Photovoltaics technology represents the next big thing in renewable energy and solar power as it integrates nanotechnologies into the production of solar photovoltaics.
According to the Department of Energy, the recent technological advances in thin film photovoltaics make this a very exciting time to be in the solar energy industry. These advances have led to many new developments in the components and manufacturing of thin film photovoltaics. This has made thin film photovoltaics cheaper to manufacture as they are also now easier to install since they are extremely versatile, flexible, bendable, and much lighter.
Thin film photovoltaics have led many to believe that as much as 50% of our nation's future power will be generated by "power buildings" that integrate "building integrated photovoltaics" or "BIPV" into the building's skin or exterior surfaces, that convert sunlight into "pollution free power" for use in the building. This also designates these buildings (and homes) as "Net Zero Energy Buildings" and make the option for going grid-free, or not connecting to the grid, a real possibility.
According to the Department of Energy, the market potential for printed electronics will grow into a $47 billion market by 2018. Thin film photovoltaics represents a significant portion of this market - and based on this heavily researched solar technology, thin film photovoltaics now represents a $20 billion/year industry in the U.S.
The solar PV panels produced under the thin film photovoltaics umbrella have the potential to produce power significantly cheaper power than today’s typical silicon-based PV panels. The panels are usually made in the form of a monolithic piece of glass, upon which various thin films are deposited, although a number of firms are working on depositing the materials on a substrate, such as stainless steel or plastic.
Types of Thin Film Photovoltaics – there are primarily three types of thin film photovoltaics and include:
Amorphous Silicon had the largest share of the thin film photovoltaics market through 2006. It has been researched for the longest period of time, may be the best understood material of the three and has been commercial for the longest. Cadmium Telluride has the remaining share and is growing despite its highly toxic ingredients.
Thin Film Photovoltaics Advantages over Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics
-
Lower cost of production of the
-
Lower production facility cost per watt - CapEx
-
Uses as little as 1/500 of the amount used in standard silicon cells
-
Lower energy payback – amount of time until the product produces more energy than was utilized in its manufacture.
-
Produces more power/watt
-
Superior performance in hot and cloudy climates
-
Integrates seemlessly in homes and buildings – see Building Integrated Photovoltaics
-
Produces the lowest cost power
___________________________________________________________________
About Us
We provide renewable energy engineering services and turnkey installations of our solar energy systems for commercial, municipal, government, schools and utility clients with projects located in the U.S., Canada Central America and the Caribbean. In many cases, we may also be able to provide project finance or investment.
-
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Consulting
-
Carbon Emissions Consulting & Solutions
-
Greenhouse Gas Emissions consulting
-
Renewable Energy Credit consulting
|
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|
|||||
What is "Decentralized Energy"?
Decentralized Energy is the opposite of "centralized energy." Decentralized Energy energy generates the power and energy that a residential, commercial or industrial customer needs, onsite. Examples of decentralized energy production are solar energy systems and solar trigeneration energy systems.
Today's electric utility industry was "born" in the 1930's, when fossil fuel prices were cheap, and the cost of wheeling the electricity via transmission power lines, was also cheap. "Central" power plants could be located hundreds of miles from the load centers, or cities, where the electricity was needed. These extreme inefficiencies and cheap fossil fuel prices have added a considerable economic and environmental burden to the consumers and the planet.
Centralized energy is found in the form of electric utility companies that generate power from "central" power plants. Central power plants are highly inefficient, averaging only 33% net system efficiency. This means that the power coming to your home or business - including the line losses and transmission inefficiencies of moving the power - has lost 75% to as much as 80% energy it started with at the "central" power plant. These losses and inefficiencies translate into significantly increased energy expenses by the residential and commercial consumers.
Decentralized Energy is the Best Way to Generate Clean and Green Energy!
How we make and distribute electricity is changing!
The electric power generation, transmission and distribution system (the electric "grid") is changing and evolving from the electric grid of the 19th and 20th centuries, which was inefficient, highly-polluting, very expensive and “dumb.”
The "old" way of generating and distributing
energy resembles this slide:
The electric grid of the 21st century (see slide below) will be Decentralized, Smart, Efficient and provide "carbon free energy" and “pollution free power” to customers who remain on the electric grid. The electric grid of the future will be comprised of both Onsite Power Generation plants and "utility scale power plants" that are fueled/powered with Biomass Gasification, Biomethane, Concentrating Solar Power, B100 Biodiesel, Distributed PV, EcoGeneration Systems, Geothermal Power Plants, Synthesis Gas, Rooftop PV, Solar Cogeneration, Solar Energy Systems, Solar Power Parks, Solar Trigeneration and Wind Power Generation - located at Residential, Commercial, Industrial and City/Municipal Locations.
Some customers will choose to
dis-connect from the
grid entirely.
(Electric grid represented by the small light blue circles in the slide below.)
The transmission grid will be upgraded to a "Transmission Superhighway" with green electrons now being wheeled via "High Voltage Direct Current."
Typical "central" power plants and the electric utility companies that own them will either be shut-down, closed or go out of business due to one or more of the following: failed business model, inordinate expenses related to central power plants that are inefficient, excessive pollution/emissions, high costs, continued reliance on the use of fossil fuels to generate energy, and the failure to provide efficient, carbon free energy and pollution free power.
Carbon free energy and pollution free power reduces our dependence on foreign oil and makes us Energy Independent while reducing and eliminating Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
* Some of the above information from the Department of Energy website with permission.
_______________________________________________________________________
Amazing
Solar Fact!
Did you know
that the silicon
contained in only one ton of sand,
and used in manufacturing
solar photovoltaic
panels, could
produce as much electricity as burning 500,000 tons
of coal?
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
How To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
You can easily and affordably reduce or eliminate your company's "carbon footprint" via one or more of our Greenhouse Gas Emissions solutions. Whether you install a an anaerobic digester to generate biomethane, or a biomass gasification plant to generate synthesis gas, a "waste to energy" plant, community wind farm, or one or more solar power parks, we have several renewable energy technologies that can reduce your Greenhouse Gas Emissions, we can provide a tailored solution to your unique situation.
The EPA has targeted oil and gas companies as well as electric utilities, among other industries, to significantly reduce their Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The oil and natural gas industry is in the middle of the EPA "target" for achieving these reductions.
Did you know that Supreme Court ruled in April (2008) that the EPA already has the authority to regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions? The EPA now requires many oil and natural gas companies to begin "Greenhouse Gas Reporting."
Are you ready for these new regulations? We can help!
According to many sources, “Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Carbon Dioxide Emissions will be the world’s biggest commodity market and will probably soon be the world’s largest market, period."
Every day, leading companies are spending millions of dollars going "GREEN" and reducing their Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Carbon Dioxide Emissions Market Potential is staggering! According to a recent New York Times article, carbon trading is one of the “fastest-growing specialties in financial services.” Already, Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading and International Carbon Trading markets are worth in excess of $50 billion/year. The United Nations expects this market to be valued in excess of $2 Trillion/year by 2012 and others are saying this could easily exceed $5 Trillion/year within the next several years!
DO THE MATH on the Carbon Dioxide Emissions market!
You may be wondering, how can such a relatively new commodity grow so rapidly? Here in the USA, 40 billion tons of Carbon Dioxide Emissions are produced every year. At the target price of $50 per ton of CO2, the Carbon Dioxide Emissions market is valued at $2.0 Trillion (40 billion tons of Carbon Dioxide Emissions x $50.00/ton).
We can help your company monetize your Greenhouse Gas Emissions reductions.
How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
Carbon Emissions, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions can be reduced or completely eliminated with renewable energy technologies, such as our Solar Energy Systems - including our super high efficiency Solar Cogeneration and Solar Trigeneration energy systems. Brown buildings can be upgraded in to green buildings and "Net Zero Energy Buildings" through the products and services that we offer.
Qualified commercial, government, industrial and municipal clients can affordably have one of our Solar Cogeneration and Solar Trigeneration energy systems installed, with ZERO up-front costs, with our Power Purchase Agreement. Call/email us to learn more and find out if your business qualifies.
______________________________________________________________________________
Why We Need Renewable Energy & a "Feed In Tariff."
Monty Goodell, MBA, Founder and President of the Renewable Energy Institute, along with the Renewable Energy Institute's Scientific Advisory Board, which is comprised of several of our nation's leading experts, engineers, attorneys, professors and universities, is calling for our nation and all 50 states to adopt a Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) of at least 25% by 2025.
And even better than a Renewable Portfolio Standard, according to Mr. Goodell, is a "Feed In Tariff," which is the route Germany took, and why they have had such great success in their transition to a solar based economy. The fastest paths to jump-start the renewable energy industry, is through a "Feed In Tariff.
A Feed In Tariff is superior to a Renewable Portfolio Standard," according to Mr. Goodell. "For example, look at Germany's success in their transition to an economy based on the installation of solar energy systems, they adopted a Feed In Tariff, are further north from the Equator than we are here in the U.S., and they are placing solar panels on every rooftop and wind turbine generators throughout their country. They are leading the world in renewable energy technologies, primarily due to their early adoption of a Feed In Tariff"
What is a Feed In Tariff?
A Feed
In Tariff is a utility rate that is established by a state or federal
government, that requires a utility to pay higher electricity rates for green
electricity generated by the owners of the solar
energy systems, whether that is a homeowner or business owner. Feed
In Tariffs shifts the expenses of subsidizing green energy from taxpayers, to electricity ratepayers.
Feed In Tariffs also include guarantee
that the Feed In Tariffs' artificially
higher rates, will continue for periods as long as 25 years.
Germany's great success for jump-starting the solar energy industry there, first
established Feed In Tariffs in
1999. Germany now has about five times as many
solar photovoltaic panels installed as the United
States - even though their total combined installations of PV panels still
only account for about 0.5% of the electricity generated there.
"So, we go with a Feed In Tariff in lieu of a
Renewable Portfolio Standard.
Simultaneously, we need to start re-building our national
electric grid, and transforming it into 'Transmission
Superhighway' or 'Unified Smart
Grid' and dramatically
increase the nation's power supply as well as implement greater use of 'Energy
Efficiency Measures' - also referred to as Energy
Conservation Measures. And we need to implement "real" 'Demand Side Management' programs. Failure to
move in these areas and to do so immediately increases the risks to our country,
our national security and the climate" according to Mr. Goodell.
According to Mr. Goodell, our nation is at a crossroads and we have been 'over the Middle Eastern barrel of their fossil fuels' long enough. We must shift from energy dependence to energy independence and place significant emphasis and investments in our national energy security and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable energy, and only renewable energy provides the significant economic and environmental dividends our country now needs. Preferably, our fledgling renewable energy industry in the U.S., will be "jump-started" with a Feed In Tariff.
Some of the economic and environmental dividends that renewable energy will provide our country, include:
-
Creation of more than 3 million new jobs in the U.S..
-
Generate more than $1 trillion in economic impacts
-
Eliminates or Reduces Carbon Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
-
Significant reductions of oil imports
-
Reduce energy prices and save consumers as much as $50 billion on their energy bills
-
Elimination of billions of pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and other greenhouse gas emissions
-
Stimulate rural economies
-
Conserve natural gas supplies
-
Creates a clean, safe energy future
-
Position the US as a world leader in renewable energy technologies
According to the Energy Information Administration, the total US primary energy consumption is expected to increase from 100 quadrillion Btu (quads) in 2005 to 131 quads in 2030. However, the renewable electricity generation remains at 9% while use of coal increases 50 percent in 2030 to 57%. Ethanol use is expected to increase from 4 billion gallons in 2005 to 14.6 billion gallons in 2030, yet that is only about 8% of total gasoline consumption.
In January (2008) the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) blamed the burning of fossil fuels as a key contributor to global warming and accelerating climate change. The NCDC warned that the rate of the warming is accelerating and that the rise in temperatures over the past 9 years is “unprecedented in the historical record." This was underscored in February (2008) in the consensus report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that concluded with near certainty that human activity was the main contributor to global warming.
The renewable energy industry, single-handedly, provides a powerful argument and solutions for these problems.
Global warming and climate change are symptoms of a sick planet and the results of unrestrained "dumping" of huge amounts of pollution - in the form of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
The vast majority of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions comes from "dirty" fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) used in making electricity at power plants and dirty fuels (gasoline and petroleum diesel) that run our internal combustion engines in our cars, trains, planes, and trucks. Our planet is home to millions and millions of internal combustion engines that run on dirty fossil fuels - whether they are fueled with gasoline for running our cars and lawnmowers or running on diesel fuel in the engines of trucks and ships like the very large crude carriers that transport the crude oil all around the world...... every internal combustion engine that is running on dirty fossil fuels is dumping millions and millions of tons of carbon dioxide emissions and greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere - which is aggravating and exacerbating our sick planet - and making manmade climate change and global warming more difficult to resolve through manmade remedies and solutions.
______________________________________________________________________________
Why the U.S. Needs A "Unified Smart Grid" or "Transmission Superhighway"
According to Monty Goodell, the Chairman and Founder of the Renewable Energy Institute, "our country desperately needs to upgrade its' national electric grid. The grid of today is a relic from the past, that is inefficient and costly. Originally built in the 1930's, it is costing our nation approximately $120 billion every year due to its' outdated and out-lived existence. The national power grid as designed and built in the 1930's does not have the efficiencies and capabilities to keep pace with the national power grid's demands of today."
"What we need" according to Mr. Goodell, is what former Vice President Al Gore calls a "Unified Smart Grid" or what we prefer to call a "Transmission Superhighway."
A Transmission
Superhighway would be buried underground and "wheels" or transmits
the renewable power ("green electricity") from the wind farms of the
midwest, and solar farms of the southwest, and geothermal farms of the west, to
load centers throughout every corner of the U.S."
According to many estimates, the "Unified
Smart Grid" or "Transmission
Superhighway" could be built for about $400 billion. Through its'
increased efficiencies, savings and reliability improvements that it will
provide, the nation's new "unified smart grid" will be paid in full,
in less than 4 years.
___________________________________________________________________
Greenhouse Gas
Emissions
Linked to
the Loss of Polar Bears
Photo courtesy of Alaska Image Library. U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service
______________________________________________________________
“spending
hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars every year for oil,
much of it from the Middle East, is just about the single stupidest thing that
modern society could possibly do. It’s very difficult to think of anything
more idiotic then that.” ~ R. James Woolsey, Jr., former
Director of the CIA
______________________________________________________________
Price of Addiction
______________________________________________________________
###
to Foreign Oil
About the Renewable Energy Institute,
Climate Science,
Tax-payer Subsidies for Fossil Fuel & Nuclear Industries,
Peak Oil
& America's Clear and Present
Danger
Founder and Chairman
Renewable Energy Institute
The Renewable Energy Institute (REI) does not take a stand in the debate on global warming, and if there is global warming, is it "anthropogenic" or is it caused by the sun, or the sun's normal cycles. Or, if there is " climate change," is it "global cooling" caused by the water vapor in the atmosphere? The stand we take is that we need to invest in renewable energy technologies, producing clean, renewable energy that doesn't pollute the planet, and end America's addiction to crude oil from foreign countries where we now spend OVER $1 Billion/day, to buy the oil we need, and some of those suppliers (muslims in foreign countries) take our dollars and make bombs and bullets and send our boys back in body bags. We need to stop this, and put American's back to work, generating "green power and energy" right here at home.
At the Renewable Energy Institute, we are waiting for the "true" scientists who doing the real research, to provide us with the science and answers critically needed to formulate correct policy - and not the phony " scientists" who are following politically-motivated and profit-driven agendas of the United Nations and government leaders. These phony scientists are not interested in conducting real scientific research. Their very livelihoods are dependent on the government grants to fund their phony research that have pre-determined conclusions before and "research" is conducted.
Political-interference by governments, governmental agencies, and bureaucrats that hand out billions of tax-payers dollars to phony scientists to conduct "junk science" and research, expect the conclusions that supports anthropogenic global warming, or climate change.
When scientists conclude in their research that they find no evidence of anthropogenic climate change or global warming, they are summarily dismissed, and black-balled from their communities and colleagues, and never again receive funding or grants. Grants and funding by government bureaucrats with politically-driven agendas to "scientists" expecting their pre-determined results and conclusions supporting anthropogenic global warming must stop.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), in 2007
-
the solar industry received $198 million in subsidies.
-
the oil and natural gas industry collected $2.1 Billion in tax-payer subsidies.
-
the coal industry coal received $3.2 Billion in tax-payer subsidies.
And since 1960:
-
the nuclear industry has received nearly $70 billion in tax-payer incentives and tax-payer subsidies.
Taxpayers have bankrolled the oil and gas industry, and the coal industry for 100 years now, and the nuclear industry for 50 years, to keep these dirty fuels and energy "cheap." Take away the tax-payer incentives and tax dollars, and we believe the real cost of gasoline, would be similar to the gasoline cost in Europe - $7.00 - $8.00/gallon!
In the meantime, our U.S. Military is spending billions of tax-payer dollars each year protecting the Straits of Hormuz where much of the world's crude oil is produced and shipped through the straits' international shipping lanes. Each day, hundreds of "very large crude carriers" pass through the Straits of Hormuz carrying oil from OPEC and the Middle-East to the U.S. and many other countries.
Isn't it time we take some of the tax-payer dollars supporting the nuclear, coal and oil and gas industries, and start incentivizing clean, renewable energy technologies that don't pollute or harm the environment in any way? Isn't it time that America ends its reliance on non-sustainable energy sources and stop over $1 billion every day, to oil suppliers from foreign countries, and start putting this money in "solar on every rooftop?!?
Mercury Emissions from Coal Fired Power Plants Far More Harmful to the Planet and People than Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Regarding the harm being caused to our planet from energy use, far more harm is being done to the planet, as well as to people and plants and animals, particularly fish, from the mercury emissions from coal fired power plants than from the coal fired power plants' greenhouse gas emissions. We surmise that if any polar bears have died as a result of an environmental problem, it was more likely from the high levels of mercury in their food chain, than from greenhouse gas emissions.
The Renewable Energy Institute is supporting and advancing renewable energy technologies, as well as reducing and eliminating greenhouse gas emissions and the fossil-fuel problems related to America's oil addiction and ending our dependence on foreign oil. The renewable energy technologies we support are already deemed to be economic, viable and practical. Solutions such as Solar Trigeneration energy systems (see www.SolarTrigeneration.com for more information) for any kind of facility or building - office buildings, shopping centers, data centers, university campuses, etc.
Since 2003, a Solar Trigeneration energy system has been providing 100% of the power and energy for a 5,300 sq. ft. office building near downtown Los Angeles, and doing so without any connection to the electric grid, whether its 12 noon or 12 midnite!
The Renewable Energy Institute is also involved in research and advocacy of "Net Zero Energy" (see: www.NetZeroEnergy.com for more information) and "Net Zero Energy Buildings" (see: www.NetZeroEnergyBuildings.com for more information). Net Zero Energy Buildings generate as much (or more) energy than they use, and export their excess power to the grid, which we believe needs to be updated into a "Transmission Superhighway."
Climate Change, Global Warming or Global Cooling?
The past 10 years indicates the opposite of "global warming" has occurred - that the "Earths Fever" has and that global cooling has taken place.
Weather, on a daily basis, or even an annual basis, is not climate, and climate is not weather.
"Climate change" is always taking place, from one day to the next, and one week to the next, as well as one year to the next. The planet's climate is an ever-evolving, changing and dynamic process.
Again, researchers and scientists need to refrain from being political, and stay out of politics, and politicians need to stay out of the way of the scientists and researchers, and let them do their work. Politicians, government leaders and bureaucrats scientists need true and accurate data and climate research from scientists that do not have a political agenda.
In the meantime, as there may still be 30 years of research before there are conclusive answers concerning anthropogenic climate change, can we "risk" 30 years of our children and grand children's future, should there is a link between climate change and greenhouse gas emissions? Should we not err on the side of caution?
Hubbert's Peak Oil Predictions Now Proving True?
Marion King Hubbert was a geologist and scientist who worked at Shell Oil company's research lab in Houston, Texas. Hubbert made several important contributions to geology, geophysics and petroleum geology. Hubbert is most recognized for the "Hubbert Curve" and " Hubbert Peak Theory" which is now referred to as " Peak Oil.
Hubbert's life work determined that the world has a finite amount of petroleum that can be produced. (Similarly, there is a finite amount of coal.) Many scientists and engineers believe we have reached Hubbert's "peak oil" limit. Hubbert's espouses that when 50% of domestic crude oil production has been reached, that there will be such significant upward demand on prices of the limited supplies of oil production, that the U.S. economy will experience severe economic, social, and political turmoil.
Hubbert's Peak Oil predictions have proven to be true and this is validated as the U.S. in the early 1970's produced about 60% of its' oil demand and imported 40%. That equation has flipped since then, because our domestic oil production has been on the decline since 1970, so now, due to our declining domestic oil production, we have to import 60% of our oil supplies, to meet our country's oil/energy demands.
The Next Oil Shock Could be the "mother" of All Oil Shocks
How severe our economic calamity and next "oil shock" will depend upon a number of factors, including when this occurs, as well as the following:
1. the dependence of the individual country upon its own crude oil production to meet its energy needs and to subsidize consumer imports;
2. the rate of relative decline in crude oil production;
3. the degree of difficulty encountered in replacing missing energy inputs;
4.
the degree to which our country had prepared in advance for this inevitable geological
and economic calamity.
Examples of past "oil shocks" and the economic and political
calamities that followed:
United States: Our peak crude oil production of domestic oil occurred in
1970; the first "oil shock" and oil crisis followed in 1973 with the
Arab/OPEC Oil Embargo.
Iran: Their peak crude oil production occurred in 1974; They had their islamic revolution 1979 that overturned government and replaced it with radical islam.
Soviet
Union: Their peak crude oil production
was in 1989; what happened next?
Their country disintegrated and the collapse of the Soviet Union followed in 1991.
Indonesia: Their peak crude oil production was in 1991; their financial
and government crisis followed in 1997.
Iraq: Iraq's crude oil production was in 1989; they then invaded Kuwait (for their oil) in 1991.
Using Mr. Hubbert's predictions, that beginning around 2000 we would see peak (global) oil production, then, if the country's not weaning themselves off of their oil addiction, and had not begun making the switch to renewable energy, that the negative economic and political calamities would soon follow, including ever-increasing prices of energy that is from fossil fuels.
Now
is the time to begin weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels and making the
transition to and increasing the use of renewable energy. If
you don't believe in climate change, or global warming, GREAT! Join us in the
switch to renewable energy and a fossil-free economy!
America's "Clear and Present Danger"
America
Has INCREASED its' Dependence on Foreign
Sources of Energy by 50% Since 1973.
America
is even more "addicted" to foreign oil today, than we were in 1973 -
1974 when OPEC, Saudi Arabia and other suppliers from the
Middle-East
stopped selling us their fossil fuels, and created a significant blow to our
economy.
According to the CIA Fact Book, Every Day, the U.S.:
PRODUCES:
7,460,000 bbls of oil (within its borders)
CONSUMES:
20,800,000 bbls of oil
This Means that 65% of America's Energy Supplies are Now Imported from Suppliers from Foreign Countries.
Simply put, about 65% of the gasoline in your car's gas tank, comes from a foreign country.
EVERY day, the U.S. must IMPORT over 13 million bbls of oil from foreign countries and foreign suppliers to meet demand.
At
$80/barrel of oil, this also means that $1,040,000,000.00 American Dollars leave
our country, EVERY DAY, to foreign countries/suppliers of our fossil fuels, to
pay for the energy we need.
That's
$1 Billion EVERY day leaving our economy, and going to support a foreign
country's economy.
Talk
about our foreign trade deficit..... nearly $400 Billion each year, leaves our
country to pay for our oil addiction and the energy we need. To be exact,
that's $379,600,000,000.00 American Dollars.
This is NOT acceptable!
America needs to quickly transition to Energy Independence.
Renewable Energy is the Only Way America Can Achieve Energy Independence.
Millions of new and sustainable American jobs would be created here at home, if we would end our addiction to foreign fossil fuels, and quickly transition to an economy based on renewable energy and renewable fuels, produced here in the U.S.A.
The good news is that today, America already has all of the Renewable Energy Resources and Renewable Energy Technologies needed to make American Energy Independence a reality.
According to Monty Goodell, Founder and Chairman of the Renewable Energy Institute, "our increased dependence and reliance on foreign energy supplies represents a Clear and Present Danger to our national security, our economy, and the lives and livelihood of every American. Energy - including the energy we use from imported fossil fuels, is the very "lifeblood" of the American economy as it is for every industrialized country. An economy dies without it's lifeblood of energy. This Clear and Present Danger we face is far more serious than the problems related to greenhouse gas emissions. And while greenhouse gas emissions are very serious issue, in the long-term, pales in comparison to America's vital national security interests and America's economic stability in the short term. For this reason alone, America needs to transition away from its addiction to foreign energy supplies. And America's abundant renewable energy resources such as the energy we receive from the sun, and renewable energy technologies such as concentrated solar power (CSP) plants - can supply 100% of America's power requirements with a concentrating solar power plant measuring 75 miles by 75 miles, located in the Southwest U.S. By generating America's power from concentrating solar power plants, America resolves its' short-term Clear and Present Danger as it relates to importing its energy from foreign countries, and the long-term problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions."
Continuing, Mr. Goodell states that "too many Americans have forgotten what happened to us in 1973, when the Arabs and OPEC brought the United States economy to a screeching halt during the OPEC Oil Embargo. This happened because they (mainly the country of Saudi Arabia) disagreed with our foreign policy and is the reason why they "turned off the tap" of our need for their oil supplies. When Saudi Arabia and OPEC stopped the vital flow of oil to our country in 1973, they caused an "oil shock" that severely and negatively impacted our economy.
Mr. Goodell's question for us to ponder is, "do these countries who sell us 60% of our daily energy requirements, like us and our foreign policy, or might they leverage our addiction to their fossil fuels, and turn off the tap to make us adjust or revise our foreign policy?? Like any addict, America's foreign policy may be held hostage to its addiction, and in this case, our addiction to foreign oil, may over-ride our national interests."
Have
American's forgotten the gas shortages and long lines at
their gas stations to get
gas during the Arab Oil Embargo of 1973?
"Apparently so." Mr. Goodell states that "in 1973, America was 'addicted' and 'over the barrel' of foreign oil to the amount of 40%. Forty percent of our energy 'needs' in 1973 came from countries - many of which didn't like us then, and I'm afraid, many of them still don't. The difference between 1973 and today - is that today we receive 50% MORE foreign oil now than we did in 1973. And now we know about the problems relating to greenhouse gas emissions that we didn't know then. America needs to change course, and change course now, in terms of its' energy supplies and how we keep America's economy strong, without the threat of being held hostage to a middle-east tyrant or regime, that could once again, turn on us, and turn off our supply of foreign oil."
Remember ????
"
Sadly," Monty Goodell continues, " most Americans have forgotten the long lines of people waiting in their cars
- lined up and waiting
for gasoline at their nearby gas station, with lines that were many blocks
long. And, after waiting 4-5 hours, many even waiting overnight in many places, to
finally take their turn to fill up their car with gasoline, only to find that
the gas station
had run out of gas."
"Let me Repeat.... That was 1973 when we imported 40% of our daily energy requirements in the form of crude oil from overseas, and from foreign countries - and many of these from countries that don't like us.
Today, over 35 years later, America has yet to learn the lesson. We cannot continue our reliance on energy from foreign countries that supply us with 60% of the crude oil that our refineries use as a feedstock for producing gasoline and diesel fuel for our cars and trucks comes from overseas.
America is "over the barrel" and it's not our barrel, but the barrels of oil that we are addicted by and owned by other countries. Why have we not learned the lessons we needed to learn in 1973 when we were cut-off from the vital energy supplies we need?
Countries like China, are growing rapidly, and have an insatiable need for crude oil. China, with their booming economy, is increasingly growing in its clout and control over international supplies of crude oil - whether they do this through their ability to buy as much oil as they need on a daily basis, or whether they simply but American drilling rigs, technology, and explore and produce oil and gas from their own fields. China, is buying large amounts of oil for their country, and causing upward pricing on declining supplies. What happens if Russia, with all of their oil and natural gas, along with China and Venezuela, with or without the help of OPEC, decided to NOT sell oil to us????
To be sure, greenhouse gas emissions are a problem, and to some, greenhouse gas emissions are also a Clear and Present Danger, but not to the extent that it presents an imminent Clear and Present Danger.
America's reliance for 60% of our energy "needs" coming from foreign suppliers is un-acceptable.
The "driver" to get America to begin reducing and eliminating fossil fuel use should be our nation's national security and the welfare and safety of its citizens. And this can all begin with developing and investing in our own renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies, let's start by putting solar on every rooftop that has a clear and unobstructed view of the Southern sky. See www.RooftopPV.com or www.DistributedPV.com for more information. Let's create incentives begin with adopting a national "Feed In Tariff" as Germany did in 1990.
America,
we simply do NOT have the luxury of time on our hands. We need to end our
dependence and reliance on foreign fossil fuels, especially from countries that
don't like us! We need to rapidly begin expanding renewable energy
resources and renewable
energy technologies from our vast and abundant renewable energy resources,
such as; solar, solar energy systems, solar cogeneration, solar trigeneration,
"solar on every roof," waste to energy, waste to fuel, biomass
gasification, B100 Biodiesel, Biomethane, Synthesis Gas, geothermal, E100
Ethanol (from sugar cane and NOT from corn), and wind, where it makes economic
sense."
___________________________________________________________________________
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