Utilities Poised to Blow It When Smart Grid Rolls Out
March 12, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Photo via FeatheredTar
According to new research from IDC Energy Insights, utilities are not even remotely ready for the smart grid particularly when it comes to one vital piece of the puzzle – customer interaction. So far, utilities have been this big, lumbering entity to which you send money every month in order to have your lights stay on, your refrigerator keep cold, your heater to keep you warm. You don’t think about it daily, nor do you call up your utility for a chat often – or at all other than when you’re moving. But with real time pricing and new inte… Read the full story on TreeHugger
World Crude Oil Production Projected to Peak a Decade Sooner
March 12, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Source: iStock Photo via American Chemical Society.
Guest blogger Cara Smusiak is a journalist and regular contributor to NaturallySavvy.com’s Naturally Green section.
Alternative energy efforts received a bit of a boon this week from a study published in the American Chemical Society’s journal Energy & Fuels, which revealed conventional crude oil production might peak in 2014–… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Solar Power For Your House – Install Solar Power at Home One Step at a Time!
March 12, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
Does the idea of installing homemade solar power scares you?
When you know that energy sources are depleting at an alarming rate, and that more and more people move to green electricity to save money on their utility bills, you may want to think twice before deciding that green power isn’t for you.
Well, while thousands of home owners in the U.S. and all over the world choose to get rid of electricity to install their own solar panels, I understand that many of you are still skeptical about those alternative power forms. The solution for those who are still hesitant to install solar power at home is to start with smaller options. Instead of installing a complete solar panel kit, you can start with solar cookers or a simple solar heating system.
You can start with a solar home lighting system for example. It just take the power of the sun, and turn it in electricity. This is a simple way to start saving money and do more of the things you enjoy.
A question that you may ask yourself is will you have enough electricity during the night?
Don’t worry, you will have more than enough electricity for you and your family. In fact, your system will gather enough energy for your needs. Women can learn how to cook without electricity. I know it sounds crazy, but hundreds of people are already doing it. They use solar cookers. It is another way to start small and progressively go off the grid.
Once you get those small utensils and get used to them, you can think about installing solar power for house and create your own energy (without any bill).
Read more on Solar Power For Your House – Install Solar Power at Home One Step at a Time!…
Energy Tags: battery technology, energy resources
New Sources of Combustible Ice Could Power China for 90 Years
March 12, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
China has recently discovered major deposits of combustible ice on the tundra of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. According to the researchers, this new source of low-emission fuel could power China for 90 years.
NYU Releases Climate Action Plan to Reduce Carbon Footprint
March 12, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
New York University – March 12, 2010 (Investorideas.com renewable energy green newswire) – today released its Climate Action Plan (CAP), a comprehensive approach to reducing the University’s carbon footprint and enhancing its overall sustainability.
FuelCell Energy (Nasdaq:FCEL) Releases Data for First Year of Ultra-Clean Hybrid Power Plant’s Operation
March 12, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
DANBURY, Conn. – March 12, 2010 (Investorideas.com renewable energy green newswire) – FuelCell Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of high efficiency ultra-clean power plants using renewable and other fuels for commercial, industrial, government and utility customers
SunEdison to Build Europe’s Largest Solar Power Plant in Rovigo, Italy
March 12, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
ROVIGO, Italy – March 12, 2010 (Investorideas.com renewable energy/green newswire) – SunEdison, a division of MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc. (WFR 14.03, +0.04, +0.25%), received final approval from the Italian government to develop and construct a 72 Megawatt (MW) photovoltaic solar power plant in Northeastern Italy, near the town of Rovigo
After Smart Grids, Smart Sewage? Urine-Separating NoMix Toilet Gets Thumbs-Up in 7 European Countries
March 11, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
NoMix Toilet. Photo: Flickr
Technological Innovations in the Bathroom? You Bet!
Being green is all about solving problems and grabbing overlooked opportunities. It turns out that there’s such a double-win in most bathrooms around the world; if we had “NoMix” toilets that separate urine from solid waste, municipal wastewater plants would have a significantly easier task (and produce more methane to generate electricity), and we could much more easily extract precious nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen for use as fertilizer (instead of using fossil fuels). So what’s stopping us from going NoMix?… Read the full story on TreeHugger
Solar Headwinds, Part I
March 11, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
How Solar PV is like Ethanol
Tom Konrad, CFA
High levels of competition in the the
solar photovoltaic (PV) industry mean that buy-and-hold investors
should look elsewhere.
In May 2007, I published a
competitive analysis of the corn Ethanol
industry based on Michael Porter’s classic Five Competitive
Forces model. At the time, Ethanol stocks were flying high,
but my conclusion was that “the prospective ethanol investor should be
very
careful about investing in corn ethanol producers at random.” If
anything, I understated the case.
This chart shows three ethanol stocks that have survived since
2007. As survivors, they are among the best performers in the
industry; several others declared bankruptcy.
Corn ethanol is not a great business to be in; it’s too
competitive. If you buy assets at the right price, you can do
well, but it’s all about timing. A passive buy-and-hold strategy
will under-perform the same type of strategy in a less
competitive industry. Companies in less competitive industries
can
maintain higher returns on capital for longer periods.
Solar Manufacturers
It’s not a secret that I’m no fan of investing in solar stocks,
although I understand why enthusiasts
are
seduced by the sector. Unlike corn ethanol, solar PV will
likely be a significant part of any future sustainable energy mix, but
that is not the same thing as saying that today’s solar stocks will be
good long-term investments. Americans watch more television today
than ever before, but were network television stations a good
investment over the last 20 years? No, because new entrants came
in and stole their audience: the industry has become much more
competitive than it was 20 years ago.
Thinking that todays
solar stocks will do poorly over the long term is not the same as
thinking that the solar industry will flop. Rather, it is the
belief that increased competition will drive down returns at existing
companies. This will be great for buyers of PV panels, but not so
great for owners of PV stocks.
Porter’s five competitive forces model of competion bears this out,
just as it did when I analyzed the corn Ethaonol Industry in
2007. The next article in this series will take a look at the
five
forces, and how they apply to solar PV manufacturers.
DISCLOSURE: None.
DISCLAIMER: The information and
trades provided here and in the comments are for informational purposes
only and are not a solicitation to buy or sell any of these securities.
Investing involves substantial risk and you should evaluate your own
risk levels before you make any investment. Past results are not an
indication of future performance. Please take the time to read the full disclaimer
here.
Are you starving for change?
March 11, 2010 by admin · Leave a Comment
I received an e-mail today from a guy in Waterloo, Ontario, who is on a hunger strike until the opposition federal Liberals or Conservative government publicly commit to passing Bill C-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act, which would commit Canada by law to meeting its international climate-change obligations. Dante Ryel says he has been fasting since March 3, and it may still be a few weeks before legislators vote on the private-member’s bill, which was introduced by NDPer Bruce Hyer.
Ryel told me he’s had trouble getting the media to pay attention to his hunger strike. So I’m posting this here to help him spread the word. He’s got a Facebook page where he’s trying to build up members — so far he’s at 855. He’s calling his activist group Starving for Change. You can see some of the YouTube videos he has posted here.
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