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I presented a webcast titled, “Geomagnetic Disturbances and their Impacts on Power Transformers.” The presentation generated many questions from the audience that I did not have time to address. This blog post addresses a few of those questions.[read more]

Canada’s vast quantities of oil sands have been described variously as the world's third largest proven crude oil reserve, Canada’s path to energy superpowerdom, ‘game over for the climate’, and ‘the most destructive project on earth’.[read more]

Some people are claiming that a Geomagnetic Disturbances (GMD) event can result in large scale transformer failures. Is this true? Another excellent question and answer session with Andrew Lawless on geoengineering risks.[read more]

On January 15, 2013, I presented a webcast titled, “Geomagnetic Disturbances and their Impacts on Power Transformers”. The presentation generated many questions from the audience that I did not have time to address. I especially want to respond to those questions pertaining to energy security, solar storms, geomagnetically induced currents, and energy risk.[read more]

Last month I participated in a webcast on The Energy Collective on the topic of carbon capture and the mounting climate crisis. While the discussion covered many approaches and some new ideas that are in the process of being tested, it did not give us time to go into details. Details I would like to explore here.The topic of the day –...[read more]

After several months of tiny taps and minor blows, the big hammer is coming down on U.S. wind power jobs.Citing a dearth of new orders — caused in no small part by the pending expiration of the production tax credit for wind — Siemens said yesterday it would lay off 615 wind workers in three states.image via SiemensMost of the job losses...[read more]

While cleaner forms of energy continue to make strides, global greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, with alarming changes in our climate such as a new, early low for Arctic sea ice this summer likely related. The fossil fuels that produce many of those emissions are likely to remain a major part of our energy mix for some time. Is it time to place more emphasis on solutions that directly address the CO2 they produce?[read more]

Eugene Suslo/Shutterstock

Offshore wind energy is one of the big sources of hope for a successful clean energy turnaround in Germany. The existing wind parks in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, however, have a performance of only 200 megawatts (MW) altogether - low compared to countries like Great Britain, with a current offshore performance of almost 1600 MW, or Denmark, with 850 MW.[read more]

Energy costs have steadily risen over the last decade and are expected to carry on doing so as consumption grows worldwide.Especially for businesses, the cost of energy is an increasingly significant issue. Indeed, a new analysis by Siemens Financial Services has found that companies have picked up the pace of their investment activities...[read more]

Electric vehicles have come a long way since the days for the botched EV-1 experiment of the 1990s. Fisker KarmaFormerly considered tin cans without much oomph or sex appeal, EVs took a back seat to the more trendy hybrids (Prius) and powerful SUVs. Yet, if this year's EVS26 at the Los Angeles Convention Center proves one thing to...[read more]

Researchers at technology company Siemens have developed an alternative material to polystyrene-based acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) plastic made from renewable-based polymers and carbon dioxide.The new material -- a result of a three-year project funded by the German Research Ministry and in collaboration with BASF, Munich...[read more]

People have been concerned about what global warming, GW, may do to their future well-being for at least the past 50 years. Governments and academia responded by performing studies to identify the causes and holding international meetings to get agreement on future actions. Current annual spending has risen to about $200 billion to...[read more]

While the need to reduce carbon emissions and protect the environment is growing, the world’s energy demands continue to rise due to the global trends of urbanization and industrialization. Cities today already emit 80 percent of human-made greenhouse gases and are responsible for 75 percent of the world’s energy consumption.The...[read more]

The days of free parking may be numbered. In a world where rapid urbanization and climate change are raising awareness of the high costs of traffic congestion, Citibank and IBM announced this week that they are joining forces to provide financing and technology for cities adopting smart parking technology.Smart parking technology allows...[read more]

Along with being a popular destination for tourists, the city of San Francisco is also a magnet for the cleantech industry—the most powerful one on the continent, according to Cleantech Group.  The company, which does industry research, analysis and events around the world, just named San Francisco the Cleantech Capital of North...[read more]

In the coming years, renewable energy resources are going to play a much bigger role in the energy mix – especially in Germany, but also in Europe and worldwide. However, when it comes to harvesting renewable sources, fluctuations in their availability pose some challenges. These can be overcome.[read more]

What technologies are at the cutting edge of energy innovation in 2012, and which ones show the most promise for helping us to establish a sustainable energy future and power our economy in the process? What are the respective roles of the public and private sectors in driving innovation in the space?Following on the heels of the...[read more]

For a long time ‘clean’ and ‘green’ marked the forward trend in the energy industry. Then came the quest for ‘smart’ energy. And now ‘innovation’ is the buzzword. But will energy innovation help the US job market? Or will the products be conceived here but be manufactured elsewhere?[read more]

Edward Davey, Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, has demonstrated the coalition’s support for renewable energy in opening the world’s biggest offshore windfarm located near Walney in Cumbria. The site comprises 102 turbines, enough to power 320,000 homes, and sits alongside 60 other turbines generating off the Cumbrian...[read more]

While politicians talk of Scottish independence from England, a world-beating €1.1 billion contract has today been announced to make the two countries even more interconnected.[read more]