Energy posts, articles, and infographics

In an Election Year, Time to Talk Energy

May 17, 2012 by Mark Green
with 121 views

Just a thought, but how great would it be if one of this fall’s presidential debates focused solely on energy issues?Past presidential debates have discussed the economy and jobs, national security and foreign policy, and of course all of those are important. Yet, when you think about it, energy is the nexus where all come together.... [read more]

What does Measurement & Verification mean?

May 16, 2012 by Bruce Thomason
with 150 views

Victor Correia/Shutterstock

M&V protocols vary from each utility to the next. What’s required in TX may not be necessarily required in Massachusetts. M&V plans are customized to each project, based on the scope work of the project, the technology, and the confidence level established by the utility with respect to the anticipated savings for the... [read more]

Saudi Arabia to Unleash Solar by Investing $109 Billion

May 14, 2012 by Rhys Clay
with 826 views

cofkocof/Shutterstock

Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest exporter of crude oil plans to install a solar capacity of 41,000 megawatts by 2032. Critics have noted that to achieve this, Saudi Arabia would need to produce and export approximately half of the world’s total annual installed capacity of solar. Can the country achieve this ambitious target? [read more]

The 21st Century Energy Transformation will be an Evolution, not a Revolution

May 9, 2012 by Sonita Lontoh
with 520 views

smartgrid.gov

The possibilities to become active participants in the 21st century energy evolution are plentiful. But to succeed in it, one needs to understand the fundamentals of the business and have the strategic focus, resolve, and patience to ride it for the long run. [read more]

On Wind Turbine Noise and Air Pressure Pulses

May 7, 2012 by Willem Post
with 1,154 views

The von Trapp family came to Vermont, because it reminded them of Austria, where “the hills are alive with the sounds of music”. Those sounds will soon be replaced by the health-damaging infrasound and low frequency noise from 3 MW wind turbines on 2,000-ft high ridge lines, courtesy of GMP/Gaz-Metro-Canada. GMP’s 21 wind turbines... [read more]

Military moves ahead on smart energy investments despite political opposition

May 3, 2012 by Peter Lehner
with 305 views

Frontpage/Shutterstock

Last month, the U.S. Army announced the opening of a 30,000-square foot research facility in Michigan for developing fuel cells, hybrid systems, battery technologies and advanced alternative fuels for the next generation of vehicles. Under Secretary of the Army Joseph Westphal described the benefits of the lab in his dedication speech:... [read more]

The Latest Publication from the World Business Council for Sustainable Development: 'The Energy Mix'

April 28, 2012 by David Hone
with 574 views

The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) held its annual company delegate conference in Switzerland this week. For the WBCSD Energy and Climate team the event marked the launch of the latest WBCSD publication “The Energy Mix”. This is a document that started life back in the middle of last year, originally as a response to the reaction from a number of governments to the events in Fukushima. The initial aim was to inform policy makers on the implication of sudden changes in energy policy, such as the decision by the German government to rapidly phase out the use of nuclear power. But as the work got going, the document took on a number of additional dimensions. [read more]

Wind Developers Have Same Problems as Keystone XL

April 27, 2012 by Amy Myers Jaffe
with 680 views

One of the most prominent arguments against expanded oil and natural gas drilling and major infrastructure projects like Keystone XL is that the United States should for environmental reasons focus on production of energy from renewables rather than sustain the use of oil and natural gas. But the reality is that local community activists... [read more]

The Hard Truth: Even Liberals are Big Fans of Oil Subsidies

April 23, 2012 by Robert Rapier
with 723 views

Survey Says…If you were to survey people and ask the question “Should we subsidize oil companies?” — the overwhelming majority would undoubtedly respond “No!” The notion that we are subsidizing oil companies generates outrage in many people, but in this article I will show why these subsidies aren’t going to go away any time soon. The... [read more]

Why natural gas is the ‘atomic bomb’ of the energy debate

April 20, 2012 by Corbin Hiar
with 752 views

The growing role of natural gas in the U.S. energy mix continues to confound and divide renewable energy experts and investors. Is America's abundant supply of shale gas a boon for the renewable industry, or undercutting it? [read more]

Expanding government-backed R&D to Solar

April 20, 2012 by Amy Myers Jaffe
with 247 views

I participated last week on a panel at the New York Times Energy For Tomorrow conference in New York City. My session, the Closing Plenary, which you can watch here, focused on the issue of energy subsidies. Our session chair, Joe Nocera, queried whether it made sense to subsidize all of our different energy sources. Such is the politics... [read more]

Audio Archive: Energy Storage and Renewable Power

April 19, 2012 by Henry Spethmann
with 381 views

Energy Storage and Renewable Power:Is Storage a Solution to Renewable Intermittence and Grid Inefficiency? The intermittent nature of natural, carbon-free energy sources like the sun or wind has always been one of renewable power's major limitations, leaving us reliant on fossil fuels or nuclear power to supply the majority of so-called... [read more]

Geothermal Steams Forward, Under The Radar

April 16, 2012 by Nino Marchetti
with 270 views

Geothermal has long been touted as the only stable form of renewable energy because it produces constant 24-hour energy from hot rocks deep underneath the ground.Like the energy it produces, the geothermal industry is proving to be strong and steady as well. According to a recent Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) report, the industry... [read more]

Smart Grid: From Vision to Benefits

April 16, 2012 by Sonita Lontoh
with 357 views

Conversations on the vision, challenges, and benefits of the smart grid with Sonita Lontoh of Trilliant and Christine Hertzog of the Smart Grid Library. A TV interview archive. [read more]

Apps to Save Electricity, Money and the Environment

April 12, 2012 by Antonio Pasolini
with 388 views

]Here at Energy Refuge we promote alternative energy tirelessly, but we are also big supporters of energy efficiency, which is one of the first steps toward a more sustainable planet. With the mass popularity of smartphones, there are millions of applications designed for them, some of which are designed to help users save electricity... [read more]