dysviz/energy industry

From the page: "U.S. Tax Breaks Subsidize Foreign Oil Production

(Washington, DC) �" The largest U.S subsidies to fossil fuels are attributed to tax breaks that aid foreign oil production, according to research to be released on Friday by the Environmental Law Institute in partnership with the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. The study, which reviewed fossil fuel and energy subsidies for Fiscal Years 2002-2008, reveals that the lion�s share of energy subsidies supported energy sources that emit high levels of greenhouse gases.

The research demonstrates that the federal government provided substantially larger subsidies to fossil fuels than to renewables. Fossil fuels benefited from approximately $72 billion over the seven-year period, while subsidies for renewable fuels totaled only $29 billion. More than half the subsidies for renewables�"$16.8 billion�"are attributable to corn-based ethanol, the climate effects of which are hotly disputed. Of the fossil fuel subsidies, $70.2 billion went to traditional sources�"such as coal and oil�"and $2.3 billion went to carbon capture and storage, which is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants. Thus, energy subsidies highly favored energy sources that emit high levels of greenhouse gases over sources that would decrease our climate footprint.

The U.S. energy market is shaped by a number of national and state policies that encourage the use of traditional energy sources. These policies range from royalty relief to the provision of tax incentives, direct payments, and other forms of support to the non-renewable energy industry. �oeThe combination of subsidies�"or �perverse incentives��" to develop fossil fuel energy sources, and a lack of sufficient incentives to develop renewable energy and promote energy efficiency, distorts energy policy in ways that have helped cause, and continue to exacerbate, our climate change problem,” notes ELI Senior Attorney John Pendergrass. �oeWith climate change and energy legislation pending on Capitol Hill, our research suggests that more attention needs to be given to the existing perverse incentives for �dirty� fuels in the U.S. Tax Code.”

The subsidies examined fall roughly into two categories: (1) foregone revenues (changes to the tax code to reduce the tax liabilities of particular entities), mostly in the form of tax breaks, and including reported lost government take from offshore leasing of oil and gas fields; and (2) direct spending, in the form of expenditures on research and development and other programs. Subsidies attributed to the Foreign Tax Credit totaled $15.3 billion, with those for the next-largest fossil fuel subsidy, the Credit for Production of Nonconventional Fuels, totaling $14.1 billion. The Foreign Tax Credit applies to the overseas production of oil through an obscure provision of the U.S. Tax Code, which allows energy companies to claim a tax credit for payments that would normally receive less-beneficial treatment under the tax code.

ELI researchers applied the conventional definitions of fossil fuels and renewable energy. Fossil fuels include petroleum and its byproducts, natural gas, and coal products, while renewable fuels include wind, solar, biofuels and biomass, hydropower, and geothermal energy production. A graphic chart (soon to be released) that will be released on Friday presents general conclusions about the overall subsidies for fossil fuels versus renewables other than corn-derived ethanol. Nuclear energy, which also falls outside the operating definition of fossil and renewable fuels, was not included."

From the page: "In November, 2008 we drew 950KWh from the grid, and we paid $198.31. But since we're still on the tiered "consumer" plan, that means we're still not paying the top rate. My power bill for January, 2008�"one year ago�"was $446, after consuming 1,635KWh. 576KWh of that January total was over 300% of what PG&E calls baseline usage, and is the most expensive cost per KWh.

If we look at December, 2008, we consumed 1,369KWh, which was the peak for the past year. Everyone was home during the holiday season, including my two daughters. That meant more HDTV usage, more PC usage. Also, several big projects for ET meant running several high-end PCs almost all day. Still, my total power bill for December was $333.96, over $110 less than January 2009. And this was during the worst time of year for solar power.

So what was my total power bill for twelve months?

$1,460.73.

That's my power bill for twelve months. It's equivalent to about 3-1/2 months of peak winter power cost prior to installing the solar power system. To put it another way, our annual power cost for twelve months prior to installing solar power was $4,430. Based on those earlier rates, which are a little lower than current rates, we're paying about 32% of what we did in the year prior to installing solar power"

From the page: "Says the Guardian, if we all started topping off our homes with small wind or solar generating units, we�d be creating the energy equivalent of five nuclear power stations.
The Guardian�s thinking was inspired by a new report by the Department for Business, Energy and Regulatory Reform, commissioned to investigate microgeneration. The Micropower Council (not affiliated to the midget wrestlers, who doubtless had a lot of micro power) has summarised the findings like this, for your reading pleasure:

* With ambitious policy measures, up to 9 million microgeneration systems could be installed by 2020, producing as much energy as 5 nuclear power stations. This compares to an estimated number of current installations of less than 100,000.
* By 2030, microgeneration equipment could be saving thirty million tonnes of CO2 - an amount equivalent to removing the emissions from all Heavy Goods Vehicles and Buses from UK roads.
* If consumers are to take up microgeneration in these numbers, they need to see a compelling economic reason to do so �" environmental benefits are not sufficient on their own to create a genuine mass market.
* That legally binding government targets for microgeneration, supported by concrete policy measures, would improve the confidence of those investing in the sector.
* A government target of 2-3 million units installed by 2020 could readily be met through a combination of cost-effective measures

That a range of these support measures would be needed, including:

1. A long lasting and consumer-friendly financial incentives scheme to stimulate substantial uptake (to deliver the equivalent of over 40p/kWh in above energy price for wind and photovoltaics, 5p/kWh for microCHP and 2p/kWh for sustainable heat technologies such as heat pumps and solar thermal systems).
2. Flexibility for consumers to choose to receive these incentives up-front or spread out over a long period to help with the high initial costs of equipment and installation.
3. Adhering to the policy of zero carbon new build housing from 2016 and all buildings in 2019, with clarity over the extent to which developers are allowed to offset their consumption using offsite electricity generation.
4. Large scale field trials or an early public procurement scheme to support technologies that are not yet ready for full-scale commercial production.
5. Continued consumer campaigns to improve consumer accounting for energy-based decisions, focused on lengthening consumer time horizons when considering energy purchase."

jet stream windpower is a reliable source of energy, and i avoids the NIMBY reaction from annoying opposition to local windpower.

From the page: "Energy prices have risen by an average of 15 per cent in the European Union in the last year. 54 per cent of Europe�s energy is imported at a cost of �,�700 for every EU citizen. We have to address this urgently, by taking measures to increase our energy efficiency and reduce our dependence on imports. We have to invest and diversify.”

A big worry for Europe is the fact much of that imported energy comes from Russia and the potential for disrupted gas supplies in the future remains high.

One of the proposals is for the development of a blueprint for a North Sea offshore grid, interconnecting national electricity grids and plugging into planned offshore wind farm projects. This wouldd also connect to the rest of Europe with a �oeMediterranean energy ring”, which would exploit the solar and wind energy potential in that region.

In tandem with energy supply the EC proposals address the issue of energy consumption. The energy review proposes a package of energy efficiency proposals for making energy savings in key areas, such as reinforcing energy efficiency legislation on buildings and energy-using products, and enhancing the role of energy performance certificates as well as inspection reports for heating and air-conditioning systems.

As you can expect from anything out of Brussels, the review is a bit of a weighty tome. These are just some of the key points but there�s more in-depth material from the EC here."

solar concentrator project photo
Seth Fisher and his solar concentrator. Photos via IntelScryve Corporate Social Responsibility Rating

The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, the world's largest international pre-college science competition, is underway this week, and a few of the 1,500 kids participating have come up with some great environmentally savvy science projects. From oil spill-cleaning robots to lighting powered by cow dung, the future of cleantech can be seen in the kids standing at their booths in the show.

This week, more than 1,500 of the world's smartest high school students are in Reno, NV to compete in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Here are a handful of some of the projects addressing environmental issues as access to clean water and sustainable solutions for alternative energy:

� Liquid solar panels for powering electronics: Nathan Monroe from Jacksonville, FL concentrated his research on building a cheaper, more efficient solar panel to power small electronic items and eventually buildings and cities. His solar panel is in liquid form so it can be sprayed on surfaces. For example, Nathan created a polymer chemical that he sprayed on the bill of his hat to capture solar power to charge his iPod.

clean burning wood pellet stoves and the importance of the catalytic converter
woodpelletes, an ideal back-up heating system for a solar apartment building!

Principle of the NAS Cell

NAS battery consists of sulfur at positive electrode, sodium at negative electrode as active materials, and Beta alumina of sodium ion conductive ceramic which separates both electrodes.
This hermetically sealed battery is kept at approx. 300 centigrade and is operated under the condition that the active materials at both electrodes are liquid and its electrolyte is solid. At this temperature, since both active materials react smoothly, and internal resistance becomes low enough, NAS battery has an excellent performance. Because of reversible charging and discharging, NAS battery can be continuously used.
Principle of NAS Battery

Approx. 2V voltage generated between positive and negative electrode at about 300 centigrade. If a load is connected to terminals, electric power is discharged through the load. During the discharge, sodium ions converted from sodium in a negative electrode pass through solid electrolyte then reach to sulfur in positive electrode.
The electrons finally flow to outside circuits. The electric power is generated by such current flow.
With the progress of the discharge, sodium polysulfide is formed in positive electrode; on the contrary, sodium in negative electrode will decrease by consumption.
During the charge, the electric power supplied from outside form sodium in negative electrode and sulfur in positive electrode by following the reverse process of the discharge. Because of this, the energy is stored in the battery.
Safety Design of Single Cell

For the safety application of sodium and sulfur, NAS battery employs a structural design, which builds in a metal insert inside the solid electrolyte tube. If solid electrolyte tube has a breach in the cell, the chemical reaction between sodium and sulfur is retained inside, which can prevent the trouble from extending outside. According to evaluation tests in case of a troubled battery, a troubled system, an irregular operation, and a disaster, a NAS battery has proven its safety for every test.
Compact Design of Module Battery

A module battery contains many single cells in a thermal enclosure which is equipped with an electric heater to raise or maintain temperature. The single cells are densely arranged and connected with metallic bars inside the enclosure. This module battery is a basic unit to consist a system; however, the module itself can be operated as well. To make an enclosure compact, a module battery employs a heat insulating structure, which makes inside the walls of enclosure vacuum. Several safety measures are adopted inside a module battery; therefore, it can be utilized without care.