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Energy Benefits from Humidity

Outside of greenhouses, there are very few upsides to humidity. It wrecks your hair, fogs up your car windows ― and according to new research, may be able to power a variety of small gadgets.

Scientists at Columbia University have developed a device that harnesses the change in size of bacterial spores as they absorb and release moisture and converts that into electricity.

Albert Schenning, a materials scientist at the Eindhoven University of Technology said:

This is one of the first experiments to show that humidity can be a source of fuel.

While the technology has so far only been used for fun experiments, like rotating a small, Ferris wheel-like device and power a toy car, they prove that a common inconvenience like humidity can be used to generate electricity.

So far, it seems that the technology will only be useful for power small devices that don’t require a lot of power, according to the scientists. But the new technology could provide a new source of very low cost energy.

Jun 17, 2015 | Leave a Comment | by

U.S. 100 Percent Renewable Energy Plan Lacks Price Tag

Engineers from Stanford and U.C. Berkeley have developed a state-by-state plan to convert the United States to 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. The plan aims to:

Eliminate air pollution mortality, create jobs and stabilize energy prices.

The researchers behind the plan, referred to as “The Solutions Project,” examined the amount and source of energy consumed by the residential, commercial, industrial and transportation sectors in each state. Though the plans calls for aggressive changes to infrastructure and energy consumption methods, Jacobson and Delucchi ― the engineers behind the project ― claim the conversion is technically and economically possible with technology that already exists.

Jacobson and Delucchi claim replacing all fuel usage with electricity through their plan would yield significant energy savings, reducing total end-use power demand by 39 percent by 2050.

Though a neat concept, the lack of a visible price tag is worrisome. The engineers admit that the up-front costs of conversion would be steep, but doesn’t seem to offer a comprehensive cost for the project, either by state or as a whole.

 

Jun 10, 2015 | 1 comment | by

New Opportunities for U.S. Oil?

In a surprising Monday move, the U.S. government approved Royal Dutch Shell PLC’s plans to drill in the Arctic Ocean this summer. The company has been pursuing drilling in the Arctic since 2007 and was set back by bad weather and mechanical failures in 2012. While the new drilling project will face tight restrictions, Royal Dutch Shell will be the first energy company to drill in the U.S. portion of the Arctic Ocean.

Opening up the Arctic Ocean is a big step for the oil and gas industry, but it still leaves 87 percent of the Outer Continental Shelf off-limits to the industry. While it’s a good sign of progress, this “big step” isn’t enough for some members of Congress. Three bills were introduced to the Senate on Tuesday that aim to open up parts of the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico and the Arctic to offshore drilling.

With the Interior Department considering drilling in the Atlantic for the first time in decades and Alaskan legislators calling for more ― not less ― oil and gas activity in the area, now is a great time to push the Obama administration to reconsider its restrictive drilling regulations and proposals.

May 13, 2015 | Leave a Comment | by

DOE Invests $75 Million to Create Fuel by Artificial Photosynthesis

The U.S. Department of Energy will invest $75 million in the quest to create liquid transportation fuels through artificial photosynthesis.

The funding will renew the Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis (JCAP), an Energy Innovation Hub established in the beginning of 2010. The hub, which is modeled after “the strong scientific management approaches typified by the Manhattan Project,” is one of several Energy Innovation Hubs established by the Department of Energy.

According to Under Secretary for Science and Energy Lynn Orr:

Basic scientific research supported by the Department of Energy is crucial to providing the foundation for innovative technologies and later-stage research to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change. JCAP’s work to produce fuels from sunlight and carbon dioxide holds the promise of a potentially revolutionary technology that would put America on the path to a low-carbon economy.

This commitment of new funding comes on the heels of an announcement from the Government Accountability Office stating that the department’s $28 billion loan program will cost taxpayers $2.21 billion over the lifetime of the loans. The cost skyrocketed by $500 million after several companies defaulted on their loan guarantees.

Apr 29, 2015 | 2 comments | by

White House Releases Quadrennial Energy Review for Earth Day

Yesterday, the Obama administration released the first installment of the new Quadrennial Energy Review (QER), a four-year cycle of assessments deigned to provide a roadmap for U.S. energy policy. This first installment focuses on the needs and opportunities for modernizing the nationwide infrastructure for transmitting, storing, and distributing energy. Dr. John Holdren and Dan Utech said:

Today, America has the most advanced energy system in the world. A steady supply of reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean power and fuels underpins every facet of our nation’s economy. But the U.S. energy landscape is changing dramatically, with important implications for the vast networks of pipelines, wires, waterways, railroads, storage systems, and other facilities that form the backbone of America’s energy system.

The administration hopes that careful analysis and modernization of energy infrastructure will promote economic competitiveness, energy security, and environmental responsibility.

This first QER installment comes just in time for Earth Day, which has spurred many sectors of the government into action. Over the past two days, the House of Representatives sent an energy efficiency bill to the president’s desk, the Department of Justice and the EPA levied $5 million in penalties against ExxonMobil for a 2013 oil spill, Democratic House members introduced the “strongest anti-fracking” bill yet brought to the House, which would ban fracking on all federal lands. The president is also doing his part, touting his plans to impact climate change at debates in Florida.

Though Earth Day has a tendency to bring out people’s far-fetched energy plans, it does do some good as well. According to the Annual Energy Outlook, improvements in energy efficiency, increases in energy demand, and the stabilization of energy-related carbon dioxide emissions have all benefited since the first Earth Day 45 years ago.

 

Apr 22, 2015 | Leave a Comment | by

Crowdfunding Oil and Gas

Crowdfunding energy and agriculture initiatives is nothing new. Yet new federal legislation has opened the gates to allow crowdfunding for for-profit companies — and the oil industry is jumping at the opportunity.

Two Texas companies, EnergyFunders and CrudeFunders, are reaching out to investors to fund smaller projects big banks would toss back. While crowdfunding efforts could open up the oil and gas industry to new investors, some experts warn those inexperienced with the industry to proceed with caution.

“I don’t want to pour cold water on what might be a valid new source of funding, but from the investor’s point of view I would say a very strong caveat emptor (buyer beware),” cautioned Christopher Ross, a former BP Plc executive and current finance professor at the University of Houston.

For those without an understanding of drilling technology, mineral leases and royalties, and geology, directly investing in the oil and gas industry could get tricky, he warns.

So far, EnergyFunders is doing its part to remain transparent by posting data on all of its projects, including lease information and seismic data, on its website for investors.

With prices expected to continue at record lows, now could be a great time to get in on the ground floor of an oil project. Potential investors should do their homework before jumping into any project they don’t fully understand.

 

Apr 15, 2015 | Leave a Comment | by

Gas Savings Conundrum

Families planning road trips this summer, rejoice: According to a new estimate from the U.S. Energy Department, drivers can expect to see the lowest summer gasoline prices in about six years.

Before you head out to buy a gas-guzzling SUV, be forewarned: falling gas prices might not be as good for your pocketbooks — or the economy — as you might think. Low oil prices have slowed job growth, shut down drilling operations, and taken money out of the markets.

Texas, which produces 11 percent of all goods made in the United States, saw its slowest job growth since 2011 and lost 9,500 manufacturing jobs. Across the nation, the U.S. oil rig count, which is commonly used as a barometer for the oil industry, has lost 164 rigs over the past four weeks, adding onto the 276 rigs closed in February. In Texas alone, the oil industry lost 3,500 jobs in February and 4,300 in January. This 7,800 job loss is the sector’s biggest job loss since 2009.

While the industry struggles, many citizens have been celebrating. A poll run by the Iowa-based Principle Financial Group reports that while forty percent of U.S. residents are using the gas-induced savings to pay routine expenses, 54 percent are using the money to pay off debt or grow their savings accounts.

Fifty-four percent of the money consumers are no longer spending on gasoline is vanishing from the markets, along with manufacturing and oil industry jobs. These troubling conditions raise troubling questions: How can we encourage people to invest their gas savings back in the market? What can companies do to adapt to these continuing, low oil prices? How long can these low oil prices keep up, particularly if the Obama administration lifts oil-related sanctions against Iran?

Apr 08, 2015 | Leave a Comment | by

Google Flies a Kite for Wind Energy

Austin’s 2015 South by South West Festival featured music, expos, and giant, airborne wind turbines. During the Interactive portion of the festival, Astro Teller, the head of Google X, accounted Google’s intention to begin launching is 84-foot airborne wind turbines:

There is an enormous benefit to going up higher. If this works as designed it would meaningfully speed up the global move to renewable energy.

Known as Project Makani, Google has seen success with its smaller, 28-foot models so far. It will begin launching its 84-foot, full-scale models next month.

The turbines represent a significant improvement over traditional turbines. Their tethers allow them to fly as high as 1,400 feet, nearly double the height of the largest wind turbines. At the higher altitudes, wind speed is faster and more consistent, allowing them to generate more energy.

Mar 25, 2015 | 1 comment | by

Sand Dune Lizard and Lesser Prairie Chicken Could Halt Industry

The plight of two species is putting thousands of acres and the future of the oil and gas industries at risk. If put on the endangered species list, the sand dune lizard and the lesser prairie chicken could block off land from oil and gas companies across multiple states.

The lesser prairie chicken was added to the threatened species list after a court ruling in March 2014. The chicken has known habitats in Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico, and land management decisions could impact over 100 million acres across the five states.

The sand dune lizard is posing particular problems for the oil industry in West Texas. The lizard’s 800,000 acre habitat spans Southeastern New Mexico and West Texas and just happens to sit right in the middle of Texas oil country.

Given the Obama administration’s recent demonstrations of its willingness to put potentially beneficial land under federal protection, many in the oil and gas industries are concerned that even the potential presence of these species could shut down oil and gas rich areas from exploration or further development.

Shutting down oil-rich areas to protect these species isn’t just bad for the oil and gas industry ― it’s bad for its employees as well. Texas state officials and energy executives have warned that classifying the sand dune lizard as an endangered species could cost thousands of Texans their jobs.

Mar 11, 2015 | 2 comments | by

Apple Ventures into Solar Power

Apple’s CEO Tim Cook threw his weight behind solar energy with an $850 million deal to buy power from First Solar, the biggest developer of solar farms in the U.S. This new pledge puts Apple on the same page as other big businesses, including Google, Microsoft and Amazon, who have also bought into solar power in a big way.

With this new purchase, Apple will get 130 megawatts of solar power, enough to power “60,000 California homes.” This new purchase isn’t Apple’s first foray into solar energy; Apple already has two 20 Mw plants in North Carolina, two more in development, and currently powers all of its data centers on renewable energy.

Though Cook stresses his belief in climate change, he emphasizes that Apple’s investment in solar is a good business deal.

Apple isn’t investing in solar as a gift to humanity. It’s doing it because it’s a good business deal, “We expect to have very significant savings,” Cook stressed at the Goldman Sachs conference. The $850 million agreement is expect to supply enough electricity to power “all of Apple’s California stores, offices, headquarters and a data center.”

With the price of solar dropping quicker than that of wind, Apple’s big deal could be “a milestone on the road to cheap, unsubsidized power from the sun.”

Feb 25, 2015 | 1 comment | by
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