The 50MPG Tata Nano- auto Solution, or Pollution Nightmare?

Tata Nano the smallest car ever in India is expected to come in market in mid- 2009 with its two variants: standard and deluxe. Both these versions will be available in the market in various body colors and equipped with many accessories so that on an overall the car can fulfill the desires of a particular individual. The world’s cheapest and the most anticipated car. It is expected that Tata Nano launch revolutionize the auto industry that has been generated immense interest in India and abroad.

In January 2008, at New Delhi's Auto Expo, Tata Motors had unveiled a bubble-shaped car called the Nano. Integrating sleek curves, a roomy interior, and a small but powerful engine, the vehicle has a shockingly low price: Rs 1,000,000, = $2,500: a four-seat family ride for the price of an high-end laptop.

Middle-class household incomes in India start at roughly $6,000 a year, so a $3,000 car is the kind of innovation that could create millions of new drivers. 8 million Indians currently own cars, and another 18 million have the means to buy one. However, the Nano could increase that pool of potential auto owners by as much as 65 percent, to 30 million. "This goes beyond economics and class," says Ravi Kant, managing director of Tata Motors. "This crosses the urban-rural divide. Now a car is within the reach of people who never imagined they would own a car. It's a triumph for our company. And for India."

The Tata Group is the General Electric of India, a sprawling conglomerate with a commanding presence in media, telecom, outsourcing, retailing, real estate, locomotives and autos. In 1998, Tata Motors introduced the country's first indigenously designed car- the homegrown Tata Indica, which now sells for around $6,000, became ubiquitous as a taxi.

Ratan Tata, the company's chair and the great-grandson of Jamsetji, got the idea for the Nano when he was sitting in traffic, battling Mumbai's gridlock, and he noticed a single scooter carrying an entire family. Suddenly it struck him: The poor driver and his passengers represented not just a vast social need but an immense market opportunity. The success of the Indica gave him the confidence to try to tap it.

In India, the new vehicle could make the dreams of millions of dreams come true, but at the same time, the prospect of a flood of additional cars terrifies city planners and environmentalists. Metropolises throughout the developing world are expanding at breakneck speed. In many places, the crumbling roads are already crammed beyond capacity. Traffic fatalities are on the rise, and air pollution threatens to choke remaining pockets of green space. Sure, a single Nano is a step toward independence, security, and social mobility — but to some observers, millions of Nanos spell apocalypse.

Tata insists that the Nano will pollute less than the two-wheelers it is intended to replace. The Nano's catalytic converter appears to reduce most pollutants by about 80 percent—not as much as the 99 percent Western models do, but still a big reduction. Environmentalists, though, say that it will probably fail after a few years on the road. The reason: Indians typically don't keep their autos in tip-top shape. When the catalytic converter fails, emissions of pollutants could shoot up fivefold.

The story gets worse when greenhouse gases like CO₂, which escape catalytic converters, are considered. The more gas burned, the more CO₂ released. The Nano is likely to replace motor scooters and motorbikes, which get about 54 kilometers to the liter, more than twice what the Nano (20 kilometers per liter of gasoline, which is equal to 50 miles per gallon) is expected to get. And that does not account for a decline in fuel efficiency if the cars are not maintained well.

Western environmentalists know they have little moral standing to criticize Indians for wanting cars, particularly one that meets the highest Western emissions standards. But they're rattled in part because they didn't see this coming, and will have to recalculate projections for the buildup of greenhouse gases based on a world of many more drivers. "In none of our reports did we assume there'd be a car like this," says Judy Greenwald, director of innovative solutions at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. "This is a new category. It will affect everybody's projections."

The 80 Billion Energy component of the 787 Billion Stimulus package

So now that the 787 Billion USD stimulus package has been passed, are you wondering, how much of it will be energy related?

Wrapped inside the economic stimulus package is about $80 billion will be devoted to the Energy sector- to spending, loan guarantees and tax incentives aimed at promoting energy efficiencies, renewable energy sources, higher-mileage cars and clean coal. As a stand-alone measure, these investments would amount to the biggest energy bill in history.

Eighty billion dollars is a lot of money, and the federal agencies overseeing its disbursement must provide strong regulation to ensure that it is spent wisely. Here are some of the provisions that will bear close watching as the money flows to states, cities and businesses:

Energy Efficiency: Homes and buildings soak up 40 percent of the energy generated in the United States - more than vehicles. Of the $25 billion provided for energy efficiency, more than half is aimed at helping low-income families weatherize 1 million homes and helping governments at all levels retrofit public buildings.

Renewable Energy: In addition to new money for research into alternatives fuels, the measure provides roughly $20 billion in tax incentives for wind, solar, hydroelectric and other renewable power sources. These incentives, which are crucial for future development, were the subject of endless congressional debates last year.

Smart Grid: The measure invests $11 billion in grants and $6 billion in loans to modernize the electric grid and increase its capacity to deliver power generated by renewable sources. These programs will need especially careful oversight.

Mass Transit: Federal transportation spending has long favored highways over mass transit by a 4-1 margin, even though mass transit is far more effective in the reduction of gasoline consumption and in greenhouse gas emissions. The package improves this ratio while providing $17.7 billion for mass transit, Amtrak and high-speed rail, nearly a 70 percent increase over present spending levels.

The package includes other potentially useful energy-related provisions: $2 Billion in grants and loans for research into advanced car batteries, a tenfold increase over the existing program; and $3.4 Billion to develop coal-fired power plants that can capture and store greenhouse gases, also a tenfold increase.

Much more will be required to fully address climate change and oil dependency. And President Barack Obama promised much more in his campaign. But the stimulus package is a good beginning.

Source: International Herald Tribune http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/02/18/opinion/edenergy.php

Hybrid vehicles - not the same as Electric Vehicles

What is a hybrid vehicle?

A hybrid vehicle is an automobile powered by an engine assisted by an electric motor, in a way that fuel efficiency is combined with low running cost and performance.

In a Hybrid vehicle, the electric motor assists the engine in high fuel consumption conditions like standing starts and accelerations, helping reduce fuel consumption.
This means that compared to a regular car of the same size, a hybrid is cheaper to run. Furthermore, electric motors deliver maximum torque from zero rpm for powerful, exhilarating standing starts and added power for acceleration. Combining fuel efficiency, and driving performance with environmental performance through reduced fuel consumption and reduced CO₂ emissions: that is what hybrid vehicles are all about.

Types of hybrid vehicles.

Today, there are three different types of hybrid vehicles.

Parallel hybrids, in which the engine is the main power source with the electric motor providing assistance as needed.

The engine serves as the main power source. The motor, which delivers maximum torque from zero rpm, is called upon to assist the engine during standing starts and during acceleration, when engine fuel consumption is high. This type of hybrid is also simple: a parallel hybrid can be created simply by adding an electric motor and batteries to an existing vehicle.

Combined hybrids share characteristics of series and parallel designs. The electric motor alone is used at low speeds, and the engine and electric motor work together at higher speeds.

The electric motor powers the vehicle from a standing start and at low speeds. As speed increases, engine and electric motor work in combination to efficiently provide the power required.

The system is more complex, featuring a power split device and a generator. The engine is also required to power the generator.

Series hybrids, like electric vehicles, run solely on power provided by electric motors.

The vehicle runs on power from the electric motor. The engine only powers the generator that charges the batteries.

The system powering the vehicle is the same as that of an electric vehicle, but because the vehicle also has an engine, it is considered a hybrid.

Source: http://world.honda.com/automobile-technology/IMA/ 

Biofuels

With all the discussions about biofuels, have you ever wondered, what exactly are biofuels, why they have achieved so much prominence, and where this is headed?

Biofuels are so relevant in the context of today’s energy crisis and global warming, because they have the potential for Co2 reduction. Biofuels are liquid fuels produced from biomass materials and are used primarily for transportation. The term biofuels most commonly refers to ethanol and biodiesel. In 2007, the United States consumed 6.8 billion gallons of ethanol and 491 million gallons of biodiesel. By comparison, 2007 consumption of motor gasoline and diesel was 139 billion gallons and 39 billion gallons, respectively.

Biofuels are made by converting various forms of biomass such as corn or animal fat into liquid fuels and can be used as replacements or additives for gasoline or diesel. Biofuels generally have lower life-cycle carbon dioxide emissions than do their fossil fuel counterparts.

What Is Ethanol?

Ethanol is a clear, colorless alcohol—the same as is found in alcoholic beverages. In fact, ethanol is produced when yeast ferments sugar in a process similar to that used to produce beer. Ethanol can be made from the starches or sugars found in various agricultural crops, such as corn, barley, and sugar cane.

Prior to the passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, gasoline sold in certain geographic areas was required to contain oxygen, which helps the fuel mixture combust more completely. Originally, a chemical called methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) was the preferred oxygenate, but it was phased out due to concerns about seepage into groundwater and ethanol was mandated as a replacement. The usage of ethanol also gained market share due to the Renewable Fuel Standard requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Today, a little more than half of the gasoline in the United States has some amount of ethanol blended into it, and these blends are named by their ethanol content: for example, a blend of 90% gasoline and 10% ethanol (by volume) is known as E10. However, because ethanol contains approximately 67% the energy content of gasoline per gallon, usage of ethanol blends results in decreased gas mileage. Despite this reduced gas mileage, high crude oil prices and government incentives have resulted in the consumption of increasing amounts of ethanol.

While almost any regular gasoline car can run on blends of ethanol up to E10, special cars known as “flex-fuel” vehicles are required for use of blends above E10. Flex-fueled vehicles are currently available from every major American automobile manufacturer and are almost identical to regular gasoline vehicles, except for a few modifications to the fuel system and minor engine components. On a mass production basis, it costs less than $200 extra per car to make a flex-fuel automobile compared with a conventional gasoline vehicle.

What Is Biodiesel?

Biodiesel consists of chemicals known as fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) that can be used as a diesel fuel substitute or diesel fuel additive. Biodiesel is typically made from oils produced from agricultural crops such as soybeans or canola but can also be made from various other feedstocks such as animal fats.

Currently, most biodiesel in the United States is produced from soybean oil, but recent increases in soybean crop prices have caused producers to switch to other feedstocks such as waste animal fats from processing plants or recycled grease from restaurants. Biodiesel can be made from virtually any feedstock that contains an adequate amount of free fatty acids, which are the raw materials that are converted to biodiesel through a chemical process. Research is underway to harvest algae for biodiesel production because they contain fat pockets that help them float, and this fat can be collected and processed into biodiesel.

Biodiesel has chemical characteristics much like petroleum-based diesel and, therefore, can be used as a direct substitute for diesel fuel or blended with petroleum diesel in any percentage without suffering any significant loss of fuel economy.

In 2007, the United States consumed 6.8 billion gallons of ethanol and 491 million gallons of biodiesel. According to EIA’s Annual Energy Outlook 2008, ethanol usage is predicted to increase to nearly 24 billion gallons in 2030, which would represent approximately 16% of total gasoline consumption by volume in 2030. Biodiesel consumption is predicted to increase to 1.2 billion gallons by 2030, or approximately 1.5% of total diesel consumption.

Source: Energy Information Administration

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/biofuels_use.cfm

 

Recycling cell phones

Cell phones are potentially hazardous waste because they contain lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic. If thrown in the trash and sent to incinerators or landfills, environmental contamination can occur from combustion and leaching into soil and groundwater.

Sadly, less than 2% of old cell phones are being recycled today.

There are more than 500 million used cell phones in the U.S. sitting in people's drawers or in our landfills, and The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that cell phones will be thrown away at a rate of 130 million a year by 2005 that equals 65,000 tons of waste containing toxic metals!

Many of the materials found in cell phones are also on the EPA's list of persistent bioaccumulative toxins (PBTs). Because PBTs accumulate in fatty tissue of humans and animals, the toxins are gradually concentrated, putting those at the top of the food chain at the greatest risk, especially children. According to the EPA, "PBTs are associated with a range of adverse human health effects, including damage to the nervous system, reproductive and developmental problems, cancer and genetic impacts."

It is incumbent upon each of us to recycle our cell phones.  

There are a number of organizations that recycle cell phones. Cell phones and accessories received in working order can be recycled back into reuse, the highest form of recycling. If the cell phone is broken, but has useful parts, it is possible to create working phones from the scraps. These affordable refurbished cell phones help bridge the digital divide and improve the quality of life for people in the developing world who purchase them.

Even if the overall phone is not in a functional condition, batteries, chargers, and accessories are reused. Before recycling, it is important to ask fo information on how the hazardous waste is processed.

 

The Wall Street Journal shares ideas on going GREEN

Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article about going green during tough economic times, with 10 energy-saving ideas.

1. High-Tech Thermostats

Programmable thermostats make it easy to preset a week's worth of temperatures -- and give you much greater control over energy bills. For instance, you could program the gadget to lower the temperature when everyone's asleep, something you might forget to do on a nightly basis.

COST: $50 to $150.

PAYBACK: About a year, assuming the thermostat controls both heating and cooling. The estimates assume natural-gas heat and electric central cooling.

2. Smarter Water Heating

Drain-water heat-recovery systems warm up water for your shower by capturing the heat from waste water as it travels down your drain. (You can also get the systems for dishwashers and other appliances.)

COST: $500 to $700, plus $100 or so for installation.

PAYBACK: Around five years, assuming you heat your water with natural gas and pay fairly high rates. If you use electricity, payback can be under three years. And if your utility offers a rebate for installation, as many do, that payback time can be less than a year in some cases.

  3. Sealing Air Leaks

Filling in the gaps around windows and doors, and sealing up ducts, can be a simple way to cut energy bills.

COST: Weatherstripping that goes under and around external doors runs $20 a door. With windows, you insert caulk between the frame and siding, wherever the air is going through, at a cost of about $10 a window. Then there's an often-overlooked source of air leaks: the electrical outlets on exterior walls. These can be fixed with outlet sealers, which cost under $10 for a pack of six.

You can do all those fixes yourself. But you often need to hire someone to seal heating and cooling ducts. The job will usually run from $300 to $1,000, depending on the size of your house.

PAYBACK: About two to three years -- but there are lots of variables.

4. Low-Flow Fixtures

Low-flow showerheads and faucets limit the volume of water you can get out of the fixtures, reducing the amount you spend on water -- and on electricity or gas to heat the water. Although the technology is improving, you'll still feel a difference in water pressure.

COST: Low-flow showerheads start at around $30, while faucet aerators cost $2 and up. Both are simple to install.

PAYBACK: For aerators, almost immediate. For showerheads, a few months. In addition, several utilities offer rebates for buying low-flow fixtures.

5. Leasing Solar Panels

Buying and installing a set of solar panels can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But leasing the same system can be a cost-effective alternative.

Several companies—most of them in California and a handful of other states—will install solar panels on your property, then charge you for the power the panels generate. Essentially, the company owns the panels, and you "rent" them by paying the cost of the power. That rate is often lower than your regular utility rate. (In Oregon, the rate's the same, but people often choose the panels for environmental reasons, according to Lyndon Rive, chief executive of solar leasing company SolarCity.) You'll also have to pay your utility for power when the panels aren't generating any electricity, such as nighttime. But you'll be paying much less than you ordinarily would.

COST: Sometimes nothing. Many companies don't charge an upfront fee for the panels, and their plans promise to reduce your total electric bill immediately by about 11%. Consider a typical plan for condominium owners from Applied Solar LLC. The company says its arrangement delivers savings of $15 per month on a total electricity bill, or $180 a year, for an owner in San Diego Gas & Electric territory who used to pay $135 per month and is buying solar from a 2-kilowatt system.

However, some companies do charge an upfront fee, often $2,000 to $5,000. In some cases, that fee is considered a prepayment on the solar-power portion of your bills -- so you end up paying less for that power every month. In other cases, the fee doesn't lower your monthly bill; it's simply a down payment.

PAYBACK: Immediate, if you pay no upfront fee. If you pay a fee that lowers your rates, payback can take a while. Let's say you prepay $2,000, which some solar companies say can save you an extra 10% a month on your payments for panel-generated power. In a typical case, that translates into saving $25 a month on your total electric bill, or $300 a year -- for a payback of seven years.

If your upfront fee is just a down payment, though, the payback time is much longer -- because you don't get any extra discount on your bill. Assuming you save $180 a year with the panels, your payback time on a $2,000 down payment would be about 11 years.

6. Air Filters

Keeping the air filter clean saves about 7% in electricity costs a year.

 COST: New filters cost about $10 each for central systems. Window-unit filters can simply be wiped clean.

PAYBACK: Less than a year in warm climates for central units. Immediately in all climates for window units.

7. Compact Fluorescent Lights

These advanced bulbs (13 watts) use up to 75% less energy than regular bulbs (typically 60 watts), and they last about six to 12 times longer. Experts say that replacing regular lights with CFLs can be the cheapest, most effective way to get big savings on energy bills.

COST: About $3 a bulb.

PAYBACK: 3 to 7½ months.

8. Lighting Motion Sensors

Although they're more common in commercial buildings, motion sensors that automatically turn off lights when a room isn't occupied can offer big energy savings in a home. They're particularly useful when installed on outdoor lights, which are often left on all night.

COST: Many porch lights have built-in sensors and cost about $50 to $60.

PAYBACK: Under a year.

9. Window Treatments

Putting shades on southerly or westerly facing windows can reduce your costs by 6%. Insulated curtains curb losses from air conditioning and heating.

COST: Inexpensive pull-down blinds that provide summer shade run $5 to $10; curtains that promise greater insulation typically sell for as little as $30 and can run as high as $150.

PAYBACK: From just under a year to almost four years, depending on a host of variables.

10. Attic Insulation

It's well known that insulating attics can reduce the amount of heat escaping through the roof. But many attics, especially in older homes, still have too little insulation -- or none at all.

COST: About $500 to nearly $700 for an average 2,000-square-foot house; less if the attic already has some insulation. That doesn't include installation costs, which can vary widely.

PAYBACK: A year and a half, but it can vary depending on the climate, cost of insulation and other factors. Installation costs can also boost the payback time.

The full article is available at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123378447725049229.html

Why is it so important to recycle electronics?

Electronics are a fast-growing waste stream of hazardous materials

As we replace old electronic products with newer models, the stockpile of used and obsolete products grows. On February 17, 2009, most television stations in the USA will broadcast only in digital, as required by the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005  and numerous televisions around the country will become obsolete. The National Safety Council projects that nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years and mobile phones are discarded at a rate of 130 million per year.

Hazardous materials, such as lead, mercury, and hexavalent chromium, can be found in all these electronic products. A television or cathode ray tube (CRT) monitor contains four pounds of lead on average. Circuit boards, batteries, and CRTs are just some of the common electronic parts that can be released into the environment through incinerator ash or landfill leachate.

EPA reported that in 1998, over 112 million pounds of materials were recovered from electronics, including steel, glass, and plastic, as well as precious metals. Reusing and recycling the raw materials from end-of-life electronics conserves natural resources and avoids the air and water pollution, as well as greenhouse gas emissions that are caused by manufacturing new products.

 

BG- America's first Neighborhood Electric Vehicle has been approved

The future of transportation has arrived and it's safe, reliable, affordable and 100% electric. With the release of this new neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV), the C100, BG Automotive Group, Ltd. is a viable solution to the energy crisis. The C100 exceeds all Department of Transportation/National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (DOT/NHTSA) requirements.

"The current state of the economy makes it the perfect time to introduce the C100, America's first mass-produced Neighborhood Electric Vehicle," said Barry Bernsten, President of BG Automotive Group. "There is an ever-growing demand for alternative fuel vehicles and BG's fully electric cars meet those demands."

BG Automotive Group will produce affordable electric vehicles for all consumers who wish to make the commitment to switch from gas combustion cars to electric vehicles. For the environmentally conscience driver, the C100 is a perfect solution. The car ranges in price from $15,995 to $17,995 and costs less than $0.02 cents per mile to operate. 

Depending on federal and state regulations, the C100 is legal to travel on roads with posted speed limits of 35-45 mph. The C100 will be able to travel 60-120 miles per charge depending on the vehicle's motor, battery configuration, load capacity and driving conditions. The batteries used in BG's NEV are 95% recyclable. 

The C100 is a four-door, four-passenger hatchback that produces no noise, no emissions and no pollution. Each model comes fully loaded with features such as air-conditioning, AM/FM stereo and CD player, front-wheel drive, power steering, power brakes and an onboard charger with a 30-foot cord that the consumer can plug into a standard 110V or 220V outlet. Additionally, each car has a free in-dash 8G i-Phone (an upgrade to 16G is available) for music, navigation and hands free telephone capabilities. 

The C100 is ideal for shore and golf communities or other suburban areas with travel needs that are close to home. The C100 is also perfect for high school or college students. Parking authority attendants, governmental agencies and fleet buyers will find the C100 an ideal eco-friendly vehicular alternative as well. In fact, many states and companies are adapting new legislation and mandates that requires a specific percentage of their fleets to be electric.

BG Automotive Group is currently evaluating proposals from several states to determine where the first mass-production facility will be located. BG is planning to develop six facilities in the next 24 months for a total production of approximately 100,000 vehicles by year-end 2010. 

BG is committed to the manufacturing, continued development and advancement of the world's safest EVs. Equipped with dual airbags, the C100 is the safest Neighborhood Electric Vehicle in production. The future is now, and safety and affordability are the keys to success in the electric vehicle industry.

More information available at: BGelectricCars.com. 

California to get world's largest Solar Project

Great news for the world of Renewable Energies! Especially good news, given the recession....

The desert outside of Los Angeles is about to get a system of solar thermal plants that will, at maximum output, produce 1.3 gigawatts of electric power. That is higher than even some large nuclear plants. This is officially the world's largest planned solar project till date.

The plant is a joint project of Southern California Edison, the utility that serves the area, and Brightsource, the company who will be building the power plant. The power will be produced by focusing light from a large area with mirrors onto a tower. The heat will then be used to boil water and the steam will turn a turbine, just like a traditional coal or nuclear power plant.

The main advantage of these "solar thermal" power plants over photovoltaic power plants is that the technology is very simple, and thus cheaper. They aren't as efficient per acre, but they're a lot cheaper to build. Solar thermal plants have been shown to, over their lifetimes, be an even better investment than coal-fired power plants, even without government subsidies, so the resurgence in their construction should come as no surprise.

There will be seven of these towers built, each producing between 100 and 300 megawatts of electricity. The first will be finished in 2013 with the rest of the seven to follow.

A film on Biodiversity

Director Howard Hall is the creator of Under the Sea 3D. The film will be released only in IMAX theatres starting February 13, 2009.  

Under the Sea 3D discusses the effect of climate change on the oceans.

It is strongly predicted that there are very specific changes that the oceans will undergo because of increased carbon dioxide levels- some of those changes are already happening, while some others are not yet well-known. One reason for making this film was to show people how important it is to do something about climate change and carbon dioxide excess.

A large purpose of this film is to explain what goes on in the coral reef community, and what affects coral reefs. Some of these things are increasing water temperatures, increased carbon dioxide levels dissolved in the seawater, acidification of seawater and the loss of mangroves. The loss of these mangroves affects the siltation on the reef, increasing the amount of debris that washes off the islands and onto the reef. When mangroves are removed, the reefs don't have protection. There is a mangrove sequence in the film which is quite beautiful. The roots grow right out into the seawater and produce a habitat for a wide variety of animals that are really wonderful.

Once people see a myriad of beautiful sea animals, like the Flamboyant Cuttlefish or Weedy Sea Dragon, they're going to fall in love because not only are these creatures remarkably beautiful, but also have really interesting behaviors and personality, and it is heartbreaking to imagine that some of them are so threatened.

There are a lot of issues affecting coral reefs, and the animals that call it home. The development of islands, ocean shorelines and industries- especially in the the emerging economies, are all creating a huge impact. While there is a benefit to that kind of development, there is also a major benefit of having coral reefs around the world, and those beautiful sea animals out of danger.

Google takes on the SMART GRID

Google wants to give Power to the People

The search giant on Tuesday, February 10^th, 2009, showed off a prototype Web application that displays home energy consumption broken down by appliance. The software uses so-called smart meters, which can communicate home energy consumption back to utilities every few minutes.

The driving idea behind the Google PowerMeter iGoogle gadget--and nearly all smart-grid companies--is that giving consumers access to more detailed home energy data will lead to lower usage. There are dozens of smart-grid trial programs now going on, offered through utilities.

Google’s mission is to "organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful," and the company believes that consumers have a right to detailed information about their home electricity use.

Currently, our utility company sends us a bill at the end of the month with very few details. Most people don't know how much electricity their appliances use, where in the house they are wasting electricity, or how much the bill might go up during different seasons. But in a world where everyone had a detailed understanding of their home energy use, we could find all sorts of ways to save energy and lower electricity bills. Google reports that studies show that access to home energy information results in savings between 5-15% on monthly electricity bills. It may not sound like much, but if half of America's households cut their energy demand by 10 percent, it would be the equivalent of taking eight million cars off the road. The Google Powermeter is currently being tested by Googlers and is not available to the public.

There are currently about 40 million smart meters in use worldwide, with plans to add another 100 million in the next few years. Google is also trying to influence smart-grid policy. On Tuesday, it published recommendations to the California Public Utility Commission, advocating that home energy data be available to consumers in real time for free in standard formats.

"Unfortunately, many of today's smart meters don't display information to the consumer. We consider this unacceptable. We believe that detailed data on your personal energy use belongs to you, and should be available in a standard, non-proprietary format," according to the announcement on the Official Google blog.

The Google PowerMeter as an extensible platform, much the way the Google's Android software is for mobile devices. By building on the relatively simple features it introduced on Tuesday, Google could get into other businesses, such as coordinating the flow of energy from plug-in hybrid cars to the power grid during peak times.

There are several incentives for smart-grid deployments--the Obama administration has set a target of bringing smart meters to 40 million homes over the next three years--are a big part of the stimulus package being considered by Congress, with as an early draft offering $11 billion for research.

Making Solar Power cost effective

The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) announced on Jan 29^th, 2009, that it has launched the second of two projects to help electric power companies add solar energy to fossil-fueled electric power plants, reducing fuel costs and plant emissions, thereby enabling reliable, cleaner electric energy.

Both this project, and a parallel study launched in October, 2008, at natural gas-fueled facilities, involve adding steam generated by a solar thermal field to a conventional fossil fuel-powered steam cycle to offset some of the fuel required to generate electric power.

These projects will use breakthrough technologies to demonstrate a near-term and cost-effective way to use large amounts of solar energy at commercial scale to provide clean electric power. These ‘hybrid power plants’ will combine the low-cost reliability of existing fossil power plants with the environmental benefit of renewables, and help companies meet federal and state mandates to reduce their emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases with renewable energy.”

The projects will provide a conceptual design study and two detailed case studies. Design options to retrofit existing plants will be analyzed and new plant design options will be identified. EPRI will rely on its expertise in solar technologies, steam cycles, and plant operation, as well as past solar and fossil plant studies. EPRI holds two patents in solar steam cycle optimization.

Currently, 27 states in the U.S. have enacted renewable portfolio standard (RPS) policies. Some include specific mandates that a percentage of the requirement be met with solar energy. However, most current solar applications are not cost-competitive with other power generating options. Using solar to augment coal or natural gas potentially might very well become the most cost effective option for adding solar power to the generation fleet, as it utilizes existing plant assets. And because the highest-intensity solar energy typically is within a few hours of peak summer loads, it makes solar augmented steam cycles a particularly attractive renewable energy option.

 

The First SmartGrid City in the USA

The first SmartGridCity in underway in the USA, in Boulder, Colorado. SmartGridCity is the nation's first fully integrated smart grid community and will boast the largest and densest concentration of these emerging technologies to date. 

Xcel Energy is performing the nation’s first large test of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technologies as part of its internationally recognized SmartGridCity project. PHEVs with V2G are able to both charge from and discharge power back to the electricity grid, making them sources of distributed generation.

Phase I of the project involves four cars. An Xcel Energy PHEV has already been converted to be V2G capable as part of the SmartGridCity demonstration home project at the University of Colorado (CU) Chancellor’s Residence. In addition, three Boulder County Toyota Prius PHEVs will have special inverters installed that will allow the utility to pull power from the battery of the car during periods of peak power usage. These converted vehicles will become energy storage devices used as part of the technology tests currently underway in Xcel Energy’s SmartGridCity.

Phase 2 of the project involves converting another 60 existing hybrid electric vehicles to PHEVs with V2G technology. The cars are part of the City of Boulder, Boulder County, the University of Colorado fleets. A mix of onboard V2G technology and smart grid charging stations will be used in this part of the project. The smart charging stations will be installed in several Boulder-area locations. In subsequent phases, the goal is to add another 500 PHEVs to the grid in Boulder and to test V2G technology on a significantly larger scale.

In SmartGridCity, there is the unique opportunity to test and demonstrate how plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with V2G capabilities can act as sources of distributed energy storage. The environmental benefits of adding these PHEVs to the SmartGridCity project will be significant. Beyond the overall reduction in emissions associated with transportation, PHEVs are excellent energy storage devices that will allow addition of even more intermittent renewable energy generation to the grid.

Partners for the project include, the City of Boulder, Boulder County, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the Governor’s Energy Office and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. 

http://smartgridcity.xcelenergy.com/news/releases/10-23-2008.html

What is a Smart Grid?

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama promised to retrofit America by "updating the way we get our electricity, by starting to build a new smart grid that will save us money, protect our power sources from blackout or attack, and deliver clean, alternative forms of energy to every corner of our nation." To that end, the House version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act authorizes the Department of Energy to spend $4.5 billion dollars to stimulate the deployment of smart grid technologies. 

A smart grid means computerizing the current electric grid using advanced wireless two-way information and communications equipment, deploying an array of sensors to monitor activity, and developing the software to control and track in real time all aspects of electricity generation, transmission, and consumption. Smart-grid technology allows consumers to understand their energy usage, and gives them the option to intelligently manage, monitor and reduce the usage. In additional to smarter energy management, potential benefits include lower bills, better grid reliability, greater energy efficiency and conservation options, increased use of renewable energy sources, and options for using plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and intelligent home appliances.

Energy Information Administration (EIA) describes the current national U.S power grid as the "largest interconnected machine on earth." The U.S. electric power infrastructure is worth over $1 trillion. It consists of more than 9,200 electric generating units with more than 1 million megawatts of generating capacity connected to more than 300,000 miles of high voltage transmission lines and 5.5 million miles of distribution lines. 

Modernization would certainly help the current transmission network, which is so overburdened that blackouts are now bigger, lengthier, and more common. The EIA estimates that outages currently cost the economy as much as $150 billion per year. Even as demand for electricity has grown, transmission capacity has been lagging. In addition, Americans are projected to use about 30 percent more electricity by 2030. The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the think tank of the utility industry, estimates that smart grid technologies could potentially lowerprojected annual energy consumption in 2030 by 1.2 to 4.3 percent. This would mean that fewer power plants and transmission lines would need to be built in the future.

For many proponents, however, the chief reason to create a smart grid is that it promotes energy conservation. For example, the smart grid concept envisions smart meters in homes or businesses allowing consumers to fine-tune their energy consumption, such as setting dishwashers or washing machines to turn on at night when electric power is relatively cheap and more plentiful. And consumers have the ability to grant utility companies permission to send signals that lower the temperatures on residential hot water heaters or reduce air conditioning when the grid is threatened with an overload on hot summer days. Some pilot projects report that consumers using this technology have cut their energy bills by an average of 10 percent.