How Clean is Your Cloud and Telecom?

598 Comments

1. May 15, 2015 at 11:20 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Computer Cooling System Could Save $6.3 Billion a Year in Electricity
   http://www.techbriefs.com/component/content/article/1198-ntb/news/news/22113

   A patented passive cooling system for computer processors from the University of Alabama could save U.S. consumers more than $6.3 billion per year in energy costs associated with running their computer cooling fans. The system uses convection to circulate 3M’s Fluorinert FC-72 electronic cooling liquid through channels in a computer’s processor, and then into a heat sink that serves as an external radiator.

   Its adoption could save computer manufacturers $540 million annually in manufacturing material costs by eliminating fans and associated wiring. Fluorinert FC-72 is a colorless, odorless, biologically inert and chemically stable dielectric liquid that is nonflammable and has a boiling point at 56 °C.

   Reply
2. May 18, 2015 at 3:38 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Save Energy Through Smart Feeder Design
   http://ecmweb.com/electrical-testing/save-energy-through-smart-feeder-design

   Energy savings is often thought of something extra you do, after the fact, to reduce thermal losses.

   Let’s look at a very common area of error: nominal voltage. Commercial and industrial facilities typically use some combination of 480/277V and 208/120V. Often, the electric utility provides 480V at the service. A center tap on that service transformer provides 277V.

   For offices and general receptacles, you need 120V, so stepdown transformers supply 208/120V. Sometimes, this is just one big transformer and one big panel. While that arrangement saves the design engineer time, it typically increases the cost of construction and definitely increases the cost of operation.

   Ideally, you will distribute 480V as far inside the building as you can — so far that all feeders are 480V and only branch circuits are at a lower voltage. First of all, it costs less in labor and materials to carry that same power at 480V than at 120V (smaller wire due to lower current, smaller raceway due to smaller wire, etc.). More important, the distribution itself is more efficient at 480V. The closer the 120V transformer is to its 120V loads, the more energy-efficient your system will be. Thus, it’s smart to:

   Use several small, strategically situated 480V-120/208V transformers instead of one large, centrally situated one. The idea here is to get the shortest 208/120V branch circuits that are practical.
   Use a similar approach for 277V. Rather than a center tap off the service transformer, use several smaller 480V-480/277V transformers. Better yet, see if you can replace 277V with 480V, since the typical uses (lighting and reheat boxes) are available in 480V versions.

   Reply
3. May 26, 2015 at 11:32 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Power Grid Collaboratives
   http://www.eeweb.com/company-blog/mouser/power-grid-collaboratives/

   This article presents the power grid collaborative networks that enable new levels of power utilization. It also describes the two revolutionary changes that will enhance the well-known advantages of Smart Grids.

   The first change is that the large fossil-fuel generating stations that public utilities use to pump out energy to the grid will be challenged by smaller power-generation networks – mostly solar initially – that leverage collaborative energy exchange.

   Aggregating solar energy requires intelligence at every level, including smart meters, but it also has to include solar inverters “upping their game” so that they can assist in the critical task of estimating how much power can be generated at any given moment and what to do with it.

   The second change will be to accommodate – and exploit – the emergence of electric vehicles. As more electric cars come online, one natural consequence will be more 240V charging stations in homes, which will radically change the load profile of the average residential customer. Charging electric vehicles may also stress the capacity of existing power distribution systems. Under the right circumstances, however, car batteries may also be used as a local energy resource. Vehicle-to-home adapters can be designed to discharge their energy to power a home during a brownout.

   The essence of collaborative networking is that smart homes communicate with each other to create a community – as opposed to each smart home communicating independently with the public utility. Solar aggregators and other suppliers of local power manage the community’s energy resources.

   Typically, solar panels installed in a residential setting have a single power inverter, which basically handles the conversion of unregulated DC power from all the solar panels in the system, to high-quality AC power that can be used by the consumer. The downside of a single-inverter power conversion topology is significant. Most striking is the reliability issue: if the inverter malfunctions, the energy being generated by all the panels is lost until the inverter is fixed or replaced. Single-inverter topologies also are limited in efficiency because each panel has different operating characteristics that are “averaged out” during conversion.

   The problems of single-inverter topologies can be addressed by using a micro inverter for each individual solar panel. In many applications, using micro-inverter topology can significantly improve overall system efficiency.

   Collaborative power networks based on sharing solar generation with a traditional utility grid for support share many characteristics of the Smart Grid. Internet-enabled appliances and other products as small as light bulbs feed their information into a Home Area Network (HAN) using ZigBee, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or some other wireless protocol.

   Reply
4. May 26, 2015 at 10:57 pm

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   The 5 psychological barriers to climate action
   What we think about when we try not to think about global warming, and what to do about it.
   http://boingboing.net/2015/04/03/the-5-psychological-barriers-t.html

   It’s all too easy to distance and doubt ourselves away from climate facts. Particularly since they are sometimes presented in abstract, doom-laden, fear-mongering, guilt-inducing, and polarizing ways. We seem to have a rich repertoire of ways to avoid changing the behaviors that belong to our sense of self. We’re clever at guarding ourselves against messages that we don’t really want to hear.
   Excerpted from Per Espen Stokne’s What We Think About When We Try Not To Think About Global Warming: Toward a New Psychology of Climate Action, available from Amazon.

   Scan any given day’s media and Internet coverage of climate, and you’ll see all those modes of distancing and self-defense on display.

   Reply
5. May 28, 2015 at 6:45 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   The (Power) Answer Is Blowing In The Wind
   http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1326685&

   As a leading source of green energy, wind power is on a roll. Total installed capacity in the US grew from 2.5GW in 2001 to over 66GW in 2014. That’s only good enough for No. 2, though – China is the world’s wind power leader with over 115GW of installed capacity.

   Almost all of this capacity comes from onshore wind farms. We’ve all seen them, either in person or on video – large fields of turbines rotating lazily in the wind. But many installations have incurred years of delay due to community opposition, with protesters citing concerns about health, lowered property values, and visual or noise pollution. In addition, onshore wind patterns are inconsistent – most wind farms average between 15% and 25% of capacity.

   In search of a better solution, wind farm developers are looking at both coastal areas and the deep ocean as possible sites for huge wind farms that might eventually generate a large percentage of the world’s energy. Significant technical and financial hurdles still remain, but first, an education on the field:
   Wind turbines 101

   Most commonly, wind turbines (both offshore and onshore) consist of a steel tubular tower, up to 325 feet tall, which supports both a hub securing wind turbine blades and the nacelle which houses the turbine’s shaft, gearbox, generator, and controls. A wind turbine is equipped with wind assessment equipment; it will automatically rotate into the face of the wind, and pitch its blades to optimize energy capture.

   How does a wind farm product electricity? When wind blows past a turbine, the blades convert the energy into rotational motion which drives a generator through a gearbox as shown above. The maximum power that can be extracted from the wind can be calculated by Betts’s law, which gives a theoretical maximum power efficiency of 0.59 – i.e., no turbine can capture more than 59% of the kinetic energy in the wind. Current-generation wind turbines have power efficiencies of 0.35 – 0.45. Factoring in other losses, between 10 –30% of the power of the wind ends up as usable electricity.

   At very low wind speeds, there is insufficient torque exerted by the wind on the turbine blades to make them rotate. As the speed increases, the wind turbine begins to rotate and generate electrical power. The speed at which the turbine first starts to generate power is called the cut-in speed and is typically between 7 and 9 mph (3 – 4 meters/second).

   As the wind speed rises above the cut-in speed, the level of electrical output power rises rapidly as shown above. However, typically somewhere between 27 – 38 mph (12 -17 m/s), the power output reaches the limit that the electrical generator is capable of, called the rated power output. At higher wind speeds, the turbine is designed to limit the power to this maximum level. The precise mechanism varies; large turbines typically adjust the blade angles so as to maintain the rated power.

   As the speed increases above the rated power output wind speed, the forces on the turbine structure continue to rise and, at some point, there is a risk of damage to the rotor. As a result, a braking system is employed to bring the rotor to a standstill. This is called the cut-out speed and is usually around 56 mph (25 m/s).

   Offshore vs. onshore wind power

   Offshore wind farms have three main advantages compared to their onshore counterparts:
   More wind.
   Less Community opposition.
   Fewer bird deaths.

   Current and planned offshore installations

   Europe leads the world in offshore wind power, especially in the North Sea which is home to the London Array, the world’s largest installation at 630MW capacity. It is located 12 miles off the Kent Coast

   Although the US has the capacity to generate an estimated 4,200 GW of electricity from offshore wind farms, it has lagged behind in their development.

   Reply
6. May 28, 2015 at 8:38 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Slovak architects have developed a mini home that gets along with just wind and solar power. Since 2008 been running a project to show that two adults in a small home can not do without connection to the fixed electricity grid.

   Ekokapseli is almost 4.5 meters long, 2.4 meters plate, and nearly 2.5 meters high. Living sector consists of eight square meters.

   The upper part of the capsule is coated with a solar cell with a surface area of ​​2.6 square meters. The capsule is flanked by a 750-watt wind turbine. The equipment produces up to 4200-watt-hour of electricity, which is collected batteries.

   Power is sufficient at times when you do not bake.

   Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2885:minikoti-parjaa-uusioenergialla&catid=13&Itemid=101

   Reply
7. May 28, 2015 at 9:11 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Revolutionary Solar Cell Technology Delivers High Efficiency at a Low Cost
   http://www.eeweb.com/blog/eeweb/revolutionary-solar-cell-technology-delivers-high-efficiency-at-a-low-cost

   Renewable energy technology has been a part of the American energy infrastructure for decades now—taking the form of wind turbines, home-installed solar panels, and even water wheels. As awareness of our negative impact on the Earth’s climate and environment increases, so does the cost of the fuel. Interestingly enough, our dependence on finite fuel resources has not faltered, despite advancements in renewable energy technology like solar.

   So why hasn’t solar caught replaced nuclear power plants in the US? Well, for one, solar technology has not yet reached grid parity—the point in which it becomes cheaper than purchasing power from electric grids—which is a crucial achievement in order for the mass adoption of solar technology. However, this is all beginning to change. One company in particular—Natcore Technology—has developed a new method of assembling solar cells that not only boosts efficiency, but lowers the cost of implementation down to a point where we might be seeing a lot more solar panels in the neighborhood. EEWeb spoke with Natcore’s President and CEO, Chuck Provini, about their revolutionary heterojunction cell technology, how it will enable mass adoption of solar panels, and the company’s exciting new partnership with Eurotron, a Dutch solar equipment manufacturing company.

   Natcore’s new technology is their back-contact heterojunction cells, which they believe is the fastest way to achieve 25% efficiency—the number that every solar company is trying to achieve.

   Reply
8. May 28, 2015 at 10:55 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   The ‘echo chamber’ effect misleading people on climate change
   Dubious bloggers like DeSmogBlog refuse to accept consensus
   http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/05/28/climate_change_echo_chambers/

   Trick-cyclists in America have come out with research which could explain why the debate on climate change continues to rumble on, even though there is a solid consensus on the facts of the matter.

   Essentially, according to the researchers, people tend to live in “echo chambers” as far as climate matters go, seeking out information and advisers who agree with what they already believe. Thus, they may persist in deluded views regardless of what others think.

   “Individuals who get their information from the same sources with the same perspective may be under the impression that theirs is the dominant perspective, regardless of what the science says,” explains Professor Dana Fisher, the corresponding author who led the research.

   The prof is of course correct: people will continue to believe marginal bloggers on climate matters, even when their “information” is debunked by proper climate scientists

   On a larger scale it’s been repeatedly established in recent surveys that most people don’t agree with the idea that climate change is mainly caused by human activities. The United States Senate recently declined to endorse this position, also. And it’s well known that nations around the world have consistently failed to sign up to any binding agreement on significant cuts to carbon emissions, no matter what position they may espouse on climate change.

   So it’s pretty clear that the “dominant perspective” here is the sceptical one: the belief that climate change certainly occurs, but it’s not been proven to be primarily driven by carbon emissions

   And yet many people, living inside their misguided “echo chamber”, keep on insisting that the science is settled in the alarmist direction and the case for economic pain is made – or alternatively, that no pain is involved in emissions cuts, quite the reverse (though in that case it seems odd that people haven’t just cut emissions on their own). These people obdurately persist in their denial of the consensus position.

   “Our research underscores how important it is for people on both sides [our emphasis] of the climate debate to be careful about where they get their information. If their sources are limited to those that repeat and amplify a single perspective, they can’t be certain about the reliability or objectivity of their information,” Jasny says

   Reply
9. May 28, 2015 at 11:18 am

   Tomi Engdahl says:

   Thanks To the Montreal Protocol, We Avoided Severe Ozone Depletion
   http://news.slashdot.org/story/15/05/27/2235254/thanks-to-the-montreal-protocol-we-avoided-severe-ozone-depletion

   Scientists say the ozone layer is in good shape thanks to the Montreal Protocol, which has helped us avoid severe ozone depletion. Research suggests that the Antarctic ozone hole would have been 40% bigger by now if not for the international treaty.

   Thanks to the Montreal Protocol, we avoided severe ozone depletion
   http://www.techienews.co.uk/9731979/thanks-to-the-montreal-protocol-we-avoided-severe-ozone-depletion/

   Concentrations of ozone depleting chemicals was at its peak in 1993, but over the years they have declined and a new research points out that the Montreal Protocol, which came into force in 1987, has played a major role in not only ensuring that use of these chemicals is not only reduced, but also has helped us avoid a severe ozone depletion.

   A new study in Nature Communications confirms the huge part the Montreal Protocol has played in saving the ozone layer.

   Without the Montreal Protocol, the new study reveals that a very large ozone hole over the Arctic would have occurred during that cold winter and smaller Arctic ozone holes would have become a regular occurrence.

   Reply
10. May 29, 2015 at 1:56 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Heating houses with ‘nerd power’
    http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32816775

    All computers produce heat, but computer servers produce a lot of heat – so much that it usually costs a fortune to cool them down. So why isn’t this heat used instead to keep homes or offices warm? Actually, “nerd power” is already being tried out.

    Ask Jerry van Waardhuizen about his new radiator and you get an excited response. “I’m very enthusiastic,” he says. “It’s a beautiful thing.” The sleek white box, which has been hugging his wall for two weeks, looks nice enough as radiators go. But what’s really got Waardhuizen excited is what’s going on inside.

    Instead of hot water, it contains a computer connected to the internet, doing big sums and kicking out heat in the process. It was created by a Dutch start-up called Nerdalize, and could be part of a solution to a big problem for the tech industry.

    We talk about data being “virtual” and stored on a “cloud”.

    To prevent the server stacks overheating, tech companies spend vast sums on cooling technology – more than a third of a data centre’s hefty energy bill may go on air conditioning. With data centres estimated to account for 1.5% of global electricity consumption (in 2010), this wastage is costly to businesses and to the environment too.

    Nerdalize’s solution is, effectively, to spread their data centre across domestic homes linked by fibre-optic cable. The excess heat can then be used instead of going to waste.

    The radiators take a little longer than average to heat up – about an hour, Waardhuizen says – and a single unit won’t be enough to heat a room in mid-winter. But, after a small set-up fee, the heat is completely free to users. Nerdalize gets its money for providing data services.

    The server in the radiator does not stop working when the unit is turned off, but the heat is pushed into an extractor on the outside wall. And in the unlikely event that a user needs heat but the internet is down and the radiator has nothing to work on, it starts performing dummy equations.

    Nerdalize have what any start-up needs, after a good idea and financial backing – a nice story.

    In fact, the initial impetus for that research was a slightly different problem. Microsoft was wondering what to do with all its old servers, which were less efficient and gave off more heat.

    Nerdalize is one of a number of small companies to have taken these ideas forward, but Microsoft itself has so far put data furnaces on hold.

    the big tech companies are currently focused on making billions from the explosion in cloud computing, not saving millions by reselling the waste heat the sector produces.

    In addition, there are some limitations. “A network of data furnaces is not equivalent to a data centre,” Whitehouse says. While Nerdalize’s radiators are ideally suited to labour-intensive tasks on a small dataset, like gene-mapping or video game rendering, other jobs require fast processing of large amounts of data.

    There are also practical obstacles, Whitehouse says, such as the cost of maintaining remote servers, and the issue of data security. He notes that Nerdalize’s radiators are in a tamper-proof case, and use encrypted data but even so, “there are probably a fair number of computing jobs that companies would not push out into people’s homes. They would want to have them in a secure data centre. So again that limits the total market share they could achieve.”

    Reply
11. June 1, 2015 at 12:09 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    How Elon Musk’s Growing Empire is Fueled By Government Subsidies
    http://yro.slashdot.org/story/15/05/31/045246/how-elon-musks-growing-empire-is-fueled-by-government-subsidies

    By the Los Angeles Times’ reckoning, Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors, SolarCity, and SpaceX together have benefited from an estimated $4.9 billion in government support. The figure compiled by The Times, explains reporter Jerry Hirsch, comprises a variety of government incentives, including grants, tax breaks, factory construction, discounted loans and environmental credits that Tesla can sell. It also includes tax credits and rebates to buyers of solar panels and electric cars. “He definitely goes where there is government money,” said an equity research analyst.

    And as Musk moves into a new industry — battery-based home energy storage — Hirsch notes Tesla has already secured a commitment of $126 million in California subsidies to companies developing energy storage technology.

    Elon Musk’s growing empire is fueled by $4.9 billion in government subsidies
    http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-hy-musk-subsidies-20150531-story.html#page=1

    Los Angeles entrepreneur Elon Musk has built a multibillion-dollar fortune running companies that make electric cars, sell solar panels and launch rockets into space.

    And he’s built those companies with the help of billions in government subsidies.

    Tesla Motors Inc., SolarCity Corp. and Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX, together have benefited from an estimated $4.9 billion in government support, according to data compiled by The Times. The figure underscores a common theme running through his emerging empire: a public-private financing model underpinning long-shot start-ups.

    “He definitely goes where there is government money,” said Dan Dolev, an analyst at Jefferies Equity Research. “That’s a great strategy, but the government will cut you off one day.”

    Reply
12. June 2, 2015 at 11:00 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    http://thebulletin.org/nuclear-fuel-cycle-cost-calculator/model

    This page estimates the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for each of the three configurations of the nuclear fuel cycle considered by this tool. Below, users can select the fuel cycle they would like to examine, change cost estimates for each component, and alter the form of the model output.

    Clicking the “distribution” button to the left will show a blue curve that represents the distribution of model-simulated electricity costs given the user-specified fuel cycle technology and parameter values. This distribution illustrates the uncertainty inherent in such large-scale projects.

    Reply
13. June 4, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Electricity, Energy, and Global Warming By the Numbers, Part 1
    http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1326343&

    Measurement data shows a correlation between carbon dioxide emissions and a rise in temperatures. We will review the problem, by the numbers, and in Part 2 discuss possible solutions and their merits.

    Reply
14. June 10, 2015 at 11:02 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Wheel Lane to produce electricity in the Netherlands
    The Dutch are proud of the world’s first solar panel at the wheel who knows

    Yes, he is a bit proud of this bike path, which runs the train of ground Krommenien a small town about twenty kilometers from Amsterdam. That is a first global public bus traffic, which is embedded with the solar panels.

    “In the beginning it felt a little strange,” said Guzman, who treads the same path every day traineeship true local nursing home.

    “But we are the first in the world, which is like this. It’s great.”

    Around the 70-meter-long solar cycle lane has been in place now for seven months. During this time, the road embedded solar panels have produced more energy than we dared to expect.

    In half a year aurinkopaneelitie has been producing electricity for more than 3 000 kWh, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of a Dutch household per year.

    Due to the good experiences Bike Path developers expect annual production to reach more than 70 kWh per square meter per year, says Sola Road Project spokesman Sten de Wit.

    “We expect that a year we have produced electricity for about two to three household needs,” said de Wit.

    “We are very pleased.”

    The solar panel road is able to withstand hard wear, as it is along the cycling every day about 2 000 people. For this purpose, the solar cells are embedded in the concrete shell and coated with a durable safety glass, whose surface is treated to prevent slipping.

    EUR three million in the liver of a pilot project has been used in both public and private money. A large part of it has passed the coating development.

    “The goal is that we can develop within five years a commercially interesting bike paths.”

    Car road as regards the challenge is greater, because of the way required endurance louder. It developers hope to find a solution fit for sale in eight years.

    “Construction will, of course, more expensive than the normal way, but the extra cost would pay for itself in 15 years in the form of energy production,”

    Source: http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/a1433830174111

    Reply
15. June 10, 2015 at 11:02 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    EU struggles from dependence on Russia

    Europe is currently trying to find ways in which it should be added sufficiency in energy and reduce its dependence on Russian energy.

    At present, about 30 per cent of the use of EU gas comes from Russia.

    The EU is generally a large energy importer. More than half of all the energy consumed in the EU countries comes from outside the Union.

    The EU Commission has envisaged the solution of common European gas and the construction of the electricity market.

    Self-sufficiency is to be increased by developing renewable energy production as well as building more LNG terminals in Europe.

    EU countries have set a target that by 2030 27 per cent of the energy used in the EU Member States comes from renewable energy sources such as wind, water or solar power.

    The target is not binding on the individual Member States, but is common to the Union.

    Source: http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/a1433830174111

    Reply
16. June 11, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    NASA Releases Massive Climate Change Data Set
    http://news.slashdot.org/story/15/06/10/1622202/nasa-releases-massive-climate-change-data-set

    NASA is releasing global climate change projections to help scientists and planners better understand local and global effects of hazards. The data includes both historical measurements from around the world and simulated projections based on those measurements. “The NASA climate projections provide a detailed view of future temperature and precipitation patterns around the world at a 15.5 mile (25 kilometer) resolution, covering the time period from 1950 to 2100.”

    NASA releases detailed global climate change projections
    http://climate.nasa.gov/news/2293/

    Reply
17. June 12, 2015 at 9:50 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Solar Power Capacity Installs Surpass Wind and Coal For Second Year
    http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/15/06/11/2253256/solar-power-capacity-installs-surpass-wind-and-coal-for-second-year

    Residential rooftop solar installations hit a historical high in the first quarter of 2015, garnering an 11% increase over the previous quarter and a 76% increase over the Q1, 2014. New installations of solar power capacity surpassed those of wind and coal for the second year in a row, accounting for 32% of all new electrical capacity, according to a new report by GTM Research and the Solar Energy Industries Association.

    Residential solar installation costs dropped to $3.46 per watt of installed capacity this quarter

    Reply
18. June 12, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Best practices for energy-efficient machines
    http://www.controleng.com/single-article/best-practices-for-energy-efficient-machines/ee5d1ffb599647fe3d5f6d79ed7eaf28.html

    Machine control designs are changing to integrate best practices in energy management. These steps include measurement and monitoring of energy use and control and optimization to minimize energy consumption.

    Energy efficiency should be designed into a machine, by measuring and monitoring energy consumption, and optimal states of machines, production lines, and entire facilities can be determined and implemented through control systems and other changes.

    Power is measured during all parts of the programmed process to better determine when energy consumption is the highest and to identify possible areas for improvement.

    Reply
19. June 15, 2015 at 9:46 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Racing Around the World in 80 Days—Without Fossil Fuels
    http://www.wired.com/2015/06/racing-around-world-80-days-without-fossil-fuels/

    One of Jules Verne’s most popular works will come to life next year, with a decidedly modern twist.

    In April, as many as 30 teams will set out from Paris on a race around the world, each aiming to cover 25,000 miles and make it back to the French capital within 80 days—which means covering about 320 miles a day. And they have to do it without burning any fossil fuels.

    The “80 Day Race” obviously is inspired by Verne’s 1873 novel Around the World in 80 Days, in which protagonist Phileas Fogg bets he can circumnavigate the globe in record time, thanks to new technologies like the steam engine.

    “New technology allowed [Fogg] to do something really radical,” says race co-founder Frank Manders. “We are currently now in exactly the same situation.” Electric and fuel cell vehicles are within striking range of internal combustion engine-powered vehicles when it comes to efficiency, range, and cost. An international competition to improve the technology is just what’s needed, he says.

    For the first iteration of the race, Manders says teams will compete only on land. The race will organize ocean crossings that are as sustainable as possible, possibly using flights burning biofuels (currently commercial aviation’s great hope for cutting emissions). That’s for practical reasons

    Reply
20. June 16, 2015 at 9:22 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nokia boss sees growth seam in a surprising direction

    “Solving environmental issues is a huge potential for growth”, says Nokia CEO Rajeev Suri.

    Bby utilizing wireless technology it is possible to address global resource problems. He raised the example metropolitan water supply enhancement: wireless sensors will enable, inter alia, the detection of pipeline leaks early.

    Source: http://www.tivi.fi/Kaikki_uutiset/2015-05-30/Nokia-pomo-n%C3%A4kee-kasvusaumaa-yll%C3%A4tt%C3%A4v%C3%A4ll%C3%A4-suunnalla-3321338.html

    Reply
21. June 22, 2015 at 11:37 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    1 In 3 Data Center Servers Is a Zombie
    http://it.slashdot.org/story/15/06/21/1421200/1-in-3-data-center-servers-is-a-zombie

    dcblogs writes with these snippets from a ComputerWorld story about a study that says nearly a third of all data-center servers are are comatose (“using energy but delivering no useful information”).

    1 in 3 data center servers is a zombie
    http://www.computerworld.com/article/2937408/data-center/1-in-3-data-center-servers-is-a-zombie.html

    A new study says that 30% of all physical servers in data centers are comatose, or are using energy but delivering no useful information. What’s remarkable is that that percentage hasn’t changed since 2008, when a separate study showed the same thing.

    IDC estimated the number of physical servers worldwide last year at 41.4 million; that figure is expected to grow to 42.8 million by the end of this year.

    A study last year by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), with the help of major vendors, estimated that in the U.S. alone data centers used 91 billion kilowatt-hours of electrical energy in 2013. That use is expected to increase 53% by 2020. It estimated that electrical usage could be reduced by 40% by getting rid of zombie servers and improving energy efficiency. That figure represents only half of the technically possible reduction in energy use.

    Reply
22. June 22, 2015 at 11:39 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Data centers are the new polluters
    http://www.computerworld.com/article/2598562/data-center/data-centers-are-the-new-polluters.html

    IT managers may be too cautious about managing power, and businesses are unwilling to invest in efficiency, study finds

    U.S. data centers are using more electricity than they need. It takes 34 power plants, each capable of generating 500 megawatts of electricity, to power all the data centers in operation today. By 2020, the nation will need another 17 similarly sized power plants to meet projected data center energy demands as economic activity becomes increasingly digital.

    Any increase in the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity will result in an increase in carbon emissions. But added pollution isn’t an inevitability, according to a new report on data center energy efficiency from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental action organization.

    The NRDC makes a sharp distinction between large data centers run by large cloud providers, which account for about 5% of all data center energy usage, and smaller, less-efficient facilities. Throughout the industry, there are “numerous shining examples of ultra-efficient data centers,” the study notes. These aren’t the problem. It’s the thousands of other mainstream business and government data centers, and small, corporate or multitenant operations, that are the problem, the paper argues.

    The efficiency accomplishments of the big cloud providers “could lead to the perception that the problem is largely solved,”

    Data centers are “one of the few large industrial electricity uses which are growing,” Delforge said, and they are a key factor in creating demand for new power plants in some parts of the country.

    Businesses that move to colocation, multitenant data center facilities don’t necessarily make efficiency gains. Customers of such facilities may be charged according to a space-based pricing model, paying by the rack or by square footage, with a limit on how much power they can use before additional charges kick in. That model offers little incentive to operate equipment as efficiently as possible.

    In total, the report says, U.S. data centers used 91 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity last year, “enough to power all of New York City’s households twice over and growing.” By 2020, annual data center energy consumption is expected to reach 140 billion kilowatt-hours.

    Reply
23. June 24, 2015 at 9:10 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Understanding the network energy efficiency challenge
    Dr Kerry Hinton ticks off seven key energy-saving techs for El Reg
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/06/24/understanding_the_network_energy_efficiency_challenge/

    At the end of last week, the GreenTouch telco energy-efficiency consortium told a presumably-glittering event in New York that its five-year project to design more energy-efficient telecommunications has been a success.

    In fact, the group said, it reckons that if adopted, its approaches could improve mobile network efficiency by 10,000 times by 2020.

    Which is all well and good, but what does it all mean?

    1. Optical interconnect

    Right now, optical links span kilometres or thousands of kilometres, but they’re also valuable to cut power over shorter distances.

    The growing deployment of optical interconnect “from chip to circuit board to rack” will make a big contribution to telco and data centre energy efficiency

    2. Router efficiency

    “By and large,” Hinton said, “equipment for the core network is built for traffic of a certain type. So a router, for example, might be optimised to get maximum throughput of packets of minimum length.

    “That means machines miss the chance to be efficient for different traffic types.”

    3. Optical transponders

    As traffic grows, Hinton said, transponder energy consumption can become dominant in the core network.

    One reason is that transponders are designed for worst-case behaviour: “the transponders in the switch or router are designed for fixed-length links – whether it’s metres or kilometres.”

    It’s a problem that becomes more pressing givefn the extra energy used to process traffic at 400 Gbps or 1 Tbps.

    4. Access network

    “The biggest issue for most wireline access networks is the home router,” Hinton said – and that’s only going to get worse as carriers roll out more sophisticated, and higher-speed, services.

    When that happens, the home gateway “has to do more processing and chew up more energy”.

    5. NFV

    The other way to make the gateway use less power is to make it less sophisticated. Why have fifty devices in the same street spending five watts each on simple firewall functions (250 Watts) when you probably only need a few watts to run virtual machines in the carrier infrastructure?

    “Again, reducing what the CPU is doing [in the gateway] gives you big, big savings.”

    6. Small-cell wireless

    wireless systems that combine MIMO and beam-forming make more efficient use of the radio signal.

    7. Cellular interference

    “At the moment, when you get your mobile out of your pocket and you only see one or two bars of reception, that might be because of interference from all the other phones around you”, Hinton said.

    The crude workaround today is for the phone to assume it’s got to adjust its power upwards – which is bad for energy efficiency.

    “If all phones can reduce the power they transmit, you reduce the overall power consumption.”

    Reply
24. June 25, 2015 at 8:28 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Evaluating UPS system efficiency
    http://www.csemag.com/single-article/evaluating-ups-system-efficiency/acdb95ef5dddca47ff4575040faa1e93.html

    Many modern uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems have an energy-saving operating mode. Data show that very few data centers put it to use because of the potential risks.

    Understanding cogeneration systems
    http://www.csemag.com/single-article/understanding-cogeneration-systems/beab40ddd2ded850ca66a5e08f2bdc8b.html

    Cogeneration systems—also known as combined heat and power (CHP) systems—generate both electricity and usable thermal energy. These systems typically are used on campuses that have high heat load requirements.

    Reply
25. June 25, 2015 at 8:31 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Implementing microgrids: Controlling campus, community power generation
    Microgrids can lower cost and raise reliability for the owner, and for surrounding communities.
    http://www.csemag.com/single-article/implementing-microgrids-controlling-campus-community-power-generation/04146d15974998d99b3b1426fb1e80df.html

    Microgrids are subsets of the regional electrical grid that have the ability to operate independent, or “island,” from the local utility. Microgrids normally operate in parallel with the utility, but they can operate in an isolated mode when utility service is interrupted or providing poor power quality. The design and operation of microgrids are optimized around the needs of the specific end users they serve. Because of their closer proximity to the end user’s loads, microgrids can provide more reliable and resilient power and a lower net cost of thermal and electric energy than can many utilities. They also are less subject to storm damage than long overhead utility cables. Microgrids can include conventional power generating equipment, energy storage, and renewables.

    Reply
26. June 26, 2015 at 7:04 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Powering Ethernet, Part 1: Designing for Low Power Consumption in Operation
    http://www.edn.com/design/power-management/4439694/Powering-Ethernet–Part-1–Designing-for-Low-Power-Consumption-in-Operation

    Analyzing power consumption in Ethernet circuitry shows it to be far from efficient. This is in part because Ethernet consumes similar energy during both traffic and idle periods, and in fact, idle periods typically account for more than 97 percent of the time. This was key to determining where improvements could be made to reduce power consumption, when investigated by an IEEE task force; resulting in the standardization of IEEE 802.3az, or Energy Efficient Ethernet.

    Energy Efficient Ethernet shows great promise to universally succeed where earlier attempts to reduce idle period power have somewhat failed with methods such as Wake-on- LAN. Complimenting Energy Efficient Ethernet, additional power savings can also be made both during normal traffic and link down. This paper outlines where the current is consumed and how to design for the lowest power consumption, both in operation (Part 1) and standby (Part 2), since calculating the power consumption of an Ethernet circuit is not always straightforward.

    In the case where Ethernet datasheets publish the device only current consumption, calculating the total circuit current consumption requires the designer to add typically around 40mA per 100Base-TX or 70mA per 10Base-T PHY for dissipation in the transformers. As a result, a lower device only consumption at 10Base-T will rarely equate to lower total circuit current consumption, relative to 100Base-TX mode.

    A designer must consider the following two modes: Normal Operation and Standby, when trying to further reduce power consumption.

    The reality is long quiet periods followed by relatively short bursts of traffic

    During these quiet periods, Ethernet power consumption might be expected to significantly drop, however, this turns out to not necessarily be the case.

    1000Base-TX and 100Base-TX are both designed so that the link partners are continually synchronized to each other. To enable this, when no traffic is being transmitted the PHY will automatically send out IDLE symbols (11111 5B code). As a consequence, during any quiet period the PHY transmitter is still operating in a manner similar to full traffic – meaning it consumes a similar amount of power.

    It is strongly advisable with multi-port Ethernet devices, to disable any unused port (PHY), since simply by connecting to a link partner, around 40mA current is consumed even with no traffic present.

    10Base-T operation differs during quiet periods, since when no traffic is present, the PHY transmitter does not transmit out any IDLE symbols. Instead, it sends out a single link pulse approximately every 16ms, designed simply to keep the link alive. The power consumption of the PHY itself during a quiet period in 10Base-T operation will not reduce significantly, but the current consumed externally in the transformer will reduce to negligible, saving around 70mA per PHY compared to full traffic.

    waveform is designed to ensure that the PHY is capable of operating up to a minimum 100m of CAT5 grade cable

    However, in practice, many applications do not require the capability of 100m-cable reach and can guarantee a much shorter length. A simple change to the circuit can reduce the PHY transmitter current drive, typical set by a resistor, from the standard ±1V amplitude of the 100Base-TX signal down by up to 50 percent and still operate error free over a 10-20m reach (typical for automotive networks). For example, doubling the resistance will half the typical 40mA 100BT drive current to around 20mA per port. Longer cable reach could be achieved while operating at reduced current drive by installing higher quality cable e.g., CAT6 or above, that exhibits lower attenuation. System costs, however, are increased.

    The use of cable diagnostics features, such as Micrel’s LinkMD®, offer has the ability to measure the connected cable length, using time domain reflectrometry techniques. This allows designers to intelligently adjust the drive strength according to the cable length

    Another area important to explore when ensuring maximum energy efficiency is the power management of the Ethernet device. Many modern devices operate using a single voltage, typically 3.3V, and provide internal regulation for core voltage(s).

    Power consumption in electronic applications has increasingly been viewed as critical, with worldwide legislation forcing manufacturers to improve energy efficiency.

    Powering Ethernet, Part 2: Optimizing Power Consumption during Standby Operation
    http://www.edn.com/design/power-management/4439759/Powering-Ethernet–Part-2–Optimizing-Power-Consumption-during-Standby-Operation?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_analog_20150625&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_analog_20150625&elq=77e7384171544bfca1b57f1318186eea&elqCampaignId=23620&elqaid=26666&elqat=1&elqTrackId=6a5ea7981f0d48a2aa25371a698c3c56

    Power consumption during the standby operation is also of concern, especially when designing to specifications such as the ‘One Watt Initiative.’ This is an energy-saving initiative by the International Energy Agency to reduce standby power-use by any appliance to not more than one watt in 2010, and 0.5 watts in 2013, which has given rise to regulations in many countries and regions and impacts device design.

    Typically, the Ethernet device power-down state is controlled via an internal register bit, which, when enabled, completely powers down the device except for the management interface.

    Power saving mode is used to reduce the PHY power consumption automatically when the cable is unplugged or link partner disabled. The receive circuit detects the presence or absence of a signal, commonly known as ‘energy detect’ to enter or exit power saving mode.

    Wake-on-LAN (WoL) seems to offer a solution to wake up the system during a low power idle state. However, the reality is that such this feature rarely achieves its goal. In WoL, a special wake up sequence is sent to the Ethernet device, which it detects and asserts an interrupt signal used to notify the host to power up the rest of the system. WoL has arguably never become popular because it is not standards-driven, nor does it have a single common defined wake up sequence, which hinders interoperability across vendors.

    A second limitation when minimizing standby power is found in the implementation of WoL functionality in the MAC, not PHY layer.

    The IEEE has clearly recognized power consumption inefficiency within Ethernet circuits. Its 802.3az task force, also known as Energy Efficient Ethernet, was targeted to reduce power consumption during periods of low link utilization (idle time).

    Reducing power consumption during low link utilization periods allows for drastic improvement in power efficiency. Known as Low Power Idle (LPI), this technique will disable parts of the PHY transceiver that are not necessary, whilst still maintaining the link integrity.

    Conclusion

    IEEE802.3az Energy Efficient Ethernet will prove to be a significant aid in reducing idle period power. Complimenting Energy Efficient Ethernet, additional power savings can also be made both during normal traffic and link down.

    Reply
27. June 26, 2015 at 7:55 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    People Who Claim To Worry About Climate Change Don’t Cut Energy Use
    http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/14/07/15/0111219/people-who-claim-to-worry-about-climate-change-dont-cut-energy-use?sdsrc=popbyskid

    Those who say they are concerned about the prospect of climate change consume more energy than those who say it is “too far into the future to worry about,” the study commissioned by the Department for Energy and climate change found.

    High power use doesn’t have to be dirty: Replace coal, methane, and petroleum with nuclear, wind, solar, etc.

    People who claim to worry about climate change use more electricity
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/greenpolitics/10965887/People-who-claim-to-worry-about-climate-change-use-more-electricity.html

    People who say they are concerned about climate change use more electricity than those who say the issue is ‘too far away to worry about’, government-commissioned study finds

    People who claim to worry about climate change use more electricity than those who do not, a Government study has found.
    ADVERTISING

    Those who say they are concerned about the prospect of climate change consume more energy than those who say it is “too far into the future to worry about,” the study commissioned by the Department for Energy and Climate Change found.

    That is in part due to age, as people over 65 are more frugal with electricity but much less concerned about global warming.

    However, even when pensioners are discounted, there is only a “weak trend” to show that people who profess to care about climate change do much to cut their energy use.

    Those surveyed were asked if they agreed or disagreed with the statement: “The effects of climate change are too far in the future to really worry me.”

    “However, we found this was largely due to the effect of age, as older households were much more likely to agree with this statement, and also had lower energy consumption.

    Curiously, people’s claims about trying to avoid leaving appliances on when not in the room had “no discernible effect on the hours of TV being on, but were significant for computers being on.”

    “This means that policy makers cannot rely on stated behaviours alone in assessing the extent to which households turn off unused appliances,” the report noted.

    Reply
28. June 29, 2015 at 2:42 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    imec Power Model Minimizes Power Consumption of Mobile Networks
    http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/powersource/4439773/imec-Power-Model-Minimizes-Power-Consumption-of-Mobile-Networks?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150629&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150629&elq=1424320750924042b5cd182614a2d810&elqCampaignId=23656&elqaid=26697&elqat=1&elqTrackId=aa377971aacb49d38ac5677a9cb407e8

    Data traffic is increasing sharply, new applications and services are heavily driving energy consumption; networks are optimized for capacity not energy. Energy consumption, cost and environmental impact are increasingly becoming critical for service providers while today’s technologies are not properly suited to control this sharp energy consumption growth. In order to reduce energy consumption we need to focus upon optimizing networks for energy efficiency now!

    GreenTouch was formed in 2010 following Bell Labs’ vision and leadership. This global research consortium with major industry leaders, equipment providers, operators, research institutions and academia is committed to develop a roadmap, architectures, protocols and technologies to improve energy efficiency in networks by 1000x, compared to 2010 levels. They will invent and demonstrate these technologies and provide a roadmap by this year 2015.

    To date their accomplishments are as follows:

    A technology demo in 2011 for a Large Scale Antenna System
    A technology demo in 2012 for a Bit-Interleaving Passive Optical Network (Bi-PON)
    A research Progress Report in 2013 for a Green Meter study that showed that net energy consumption in networks can be reduced by up to 90% by 2020
    Plus technology demos in 2014 for a Virtual Home Gateway and a Point-to-Point Optical Transceiver

    •New approaches can improve energy efficiency of mobile access networks by more than 10,000x compared to 2010 reference scenario.

    •Significant energy efficiency gains have been made in other network areas as well:

    Core networks stand to gain up to a 316x improvement
    Fixed access residential networks have the potential for a 254x improvement

    •Overall net energy consumption in end to end network can be reduced by 98% compared to 2010 while supporting traffic increase from 2010 to 2020.

    Energy savings correspond to equivalent greenhouse gas emissions from 5.8M cars

    •Portfolio of technologies and architectures are being showcased at the event.

    •Public launch of new GWATT application to visualize all the GreenTouch results.

    The power model for wireless base stations

    imec’s advanced power model provides clear design guidelines for component and base station manufacturers. Network providers and operators can use the tool to gain knowledge to develop network concepts and deployment strategies for their current and future networks.

    Reply
29. June 30, 2015 at 8:56 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Bill Gates Investing $2 Billion In Renewables
    http://hardware.slashdot.org/story/15/06/29/1441222/bill-gates-investing-2-billion-in-renewables

    Bill Gates has dumped a billion dollars into renewables, and now he’s ready to double down. Gates announced he will increase his investment in renewable energy technologies to $2 billion in an attempt to “bend the curve” on limiting climate change. He is focusing on risky investments that favor “breakthrough” technologies because he thinks incremental improvements to existing tech won’t be enough to meet energy needs while avoiding a climate catastrophe.

    He says, “There’s no battery technology that’s even close to allowing us to take all of our energy from renewables and be able to use battery storage in order to deal not only with the 24-hour cycle but also with long periods of time where it’s cloudy and you don’t have sun or you don’t have wind. Power is about reliability. We need to get something that works reliably.”

    Bill Gates to invest $2bn in breakthrough renewable energy projects
    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jun/26/gates-to-invest-2bn-in-breakthrough-renewable-energy-projects

    Bill Gates plans to double investment in green energy technology and research to combat climate change, but rejects calls to divest from fossil fuels

    Reply
30. June 30, 2015 at 12:23 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The world’s best LED lamp was awarded – could save 850 terawatt hours

    Angled Nanoleaf-LED-lamp are granted to promote the development of energy-efficient equipment Sead Organization Global Efficiency Medal award. Nanoleaf One NL02-1200-300K shine 75-watt incandescent lamp life brightness but consumes 87 percent less energy.

    Nanoleafin power of 10 watts and a luminous flux of 800 lumens. Indicating lamp color rendering Ra value of 80 and a color temperature of 2 700-3 000 kelvins.

    Developed by the American Cree Cree LED Lighting A21-16050OMF-12DE26-1U100

    Competition-winning light bulbs will not be sold in Europe.

    LED lamps will have in a significant impact on the energy consumption of the world, because lighting accounts for the world’s electricity consumption is 15-19 per cent. If all the world’s household bulbs replaced with LEDs there would be 850 TWh savings annually.

    Source:
    http://www.tivi.fi/Uutiset/2015-06-29/Maailman-paras-led-lamppu-palkittiin—voisi-s%C3%A4%C3%A4st%C3%A4%C3%A4-850-terawattituntia-3324844.html

    Reply
31. July 6, 2015 at 8:54 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Wood-fired LED lantern converts waste heat into light & power
    http://www.edn.com/electronics-products/electronic-product-reviews/other/4439816/Wood-fired-LED-lantern-converts-waste-heat-into-light—power-?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_review_20150703&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_review_20150703&elq=6ce493d98330410aaeb4aaa87ba7c25b&elqCampaignId=23755&elqaid=26832&elqat=1&elqTrackId=633c3a8f734347968dc091abf7feae10

    Don’t let the Stove Lite LED lantern’s appearance deceive you. Beneath those old-timey looks, lies a thermo-electric generator (TEG), which uses the Seebeck effect to convert the heat of your wood stove into enough energy to run its LED lamp.

    With a price tag of $149 ($199 for the Pro model), Stove Lite may be too pricey for use as a toy. But for serious campers, off-gridders and preppers

    In addition to providing a light that’s bright enough to read by, this wood-powered LED lamp has a USB jack which allows it to charge a mobile phone. The lamp’s built-in heat sink fan even does double-duty by maintaining a temperature differential on the TEG module while helping circulate warm air throughout your living room, cabin or siege bunker.

    Reply
32. July 7, 2015 at 10:02 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Prototype Wave Energy Device Passes Grid-Connected Pilot Test
    http://news.slashdot.org/story/15/07/06/2158244/prototype-wave-energy-device-passes-grid-connected-pilot-test

    A prototype wave energy device advanced with backing from the Energy Department and U.S. Navy has passed its first grid-connected open-sea pilot testing.

    Prototype wave energy device passes grid-connected pilot test
    http://www.networkworld.com/article/2943526/data-center/prototype-wave-energy-device-passes-grid-connected-pilot-test.html

    According to the DOE, the device, called Azura, was recently launched and installed in a 30-meter test berth at the Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site (WETS) in Kaneohe Bay, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

    This pilot testing is now giving U.S. researchers the opportunity to evaluate the long-term performance of the nation’s first grid-connected 20-kilowatt wave energy converter (WEC) device to be independently tested by a third party—the University of Hawaii—in the open ocean, the DOE said.

    The Navy also supports the need to assess WEC device performance, durability, and environmental impacts by managing the associated infrastructure and testing opportunities to determine the feasibility of using WEC technologies in appropriate locations where local energy costs are high.

    Last year the agency said it would spend $6.5 million to set up a competition that challenges individuals, universities, and existing and emerging companies to improve the performance and lower the cost of energy produced by wave energy devices. The agency has said n the past that the US could generate up to 1,400 terawatt hours of potential wave power per year. One terawatt-hour of electricity is enough to power 85,000 homes, according to the agency.

    Reply
33. July 8, 2015 at 1:46 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Facebook’s New Data Center To Be Powered Entirely By Renewables
    http://tech.slashdot.org/story/15/07/08/0322205/facebooks-new-data-center-to-be-powered-entirely-by-renewables

    Facebook’s new $500 million data center in Forth Worth will be powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to a 200-megawatt wind project nearby. The data center will come online next year, and the company further plans to power the rest of its data centers with at least 50% renewables by the end of 2018. It’s long-term goal is 100%.

    Facebook’s next data center to rely only on renewable energy
    http://www.computerworld.com/article/2945045/data-center/facebooks-next-data-center-to-rely-only-on-renewable-energy.html

    Facebook is building a new data center in Fort Worth, Texas, that will be powered entirely by renewable energy.

    The company will invest at least US$500 million in the 110-acre site, which is expected to come online late next year.
    warning ios 18 percent
    Warning: iOS accounts for 18% of all online sales

    Combined together iPhones and iPads account for 18 percent of all online transactions across the planet
    Read Now

    The new location will be the social-networking giant’s fifth such facility, joining existing data centers in Altoona, Iowa; Prineville, Oregon; Forest City, North Carolina; and Luleå, Sweden. It will feature equipment based on the latest in Facebook’s Open Compute Project data-center hardware designs, it said.

    For sustainability, the Fort Worth data center will be cooled using outdoor air rather than energy-intensive air conditioners, thanks to technology it pioneered in its Oregon location. Those designs are now offered through the Open Compute Project.

    It will also be powered entirely by renewable energy as a result of a new, 200-megawatt wind project now under construction on a 17,000-acre site in nearby Clay County. Facebook has collaborated on that project with Citigroup Energy, Alterra Power Corporation and Starwood Energy Group; it expects the new source to begin delivering clean energy to the grid by 2016.

    Reply
34. July 8, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Apple’s U.S. facilities now get 100% of their power from renewables
    http://www.computerworld.com/article/2913596/data-center/apples-us-facilities-now-get-100-of-their-power-from-renewables.html

    Company has been building new solar power plants around the U.S. and in China

    All of Apple’s U.S. facilities — and 87% of its operations worldwide — are now powered by renewable energy, according to an annual report released this week.

    In its Environmental Responsibility Report, Apple said that as of 2014 all of its U.S. data centers, corporate offices and more than 450 Apple Retail Stores around the world are running on renewables.

    “But our goal is to power all of them with 100% renewable energy. So we’re tapping into energy from solar, wind, micro-hydro, biogas fuel cells, and geothermal sources,” the company said. “We’re designing new buildings and updating existing ones to use as little electricity as possible.”

    Reply
35. July 8, 2015 at 1:52 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Greenpeace fingers YouTube, Netflix as threat to greener Internet
    http://www.computerworld.com/article/2920551/sustainable-it/greenpeace-fingers-youtube-netflix-as-threat-to-greener-internet.html

    The next time you watch “House of Cards” on Netflix, think about the impact you might be having on the environment.

    As the Internet powers ever more services, from digital video to on-demand food delivery, energy use in data centers will rise. To reduce their impact on the environment, companies like Apple, Google and Facebook have taken big steps to power their operations with renewable energy sources like hydro, geothermal and solar.

    But despite those efforts, the growth of streaming video from the likes of Netflix, Hulu and Google’s YouTube presents a pesky challenge to the companies’ efforts to go green, according to a report Tuesday from Greenpeace.

    “The rapid transition to streaming video models, as well as tablets and other thin client devices that supplant on-device storage with the cloud, means more and more demand for data center capacity, which will require more energy to power,” the report’s authors wrote.

    It might seem that online services, like video streaming, would reduce carbon footprint versus, say, driving to a movie theater. But by enabling much higher levels of consumption, the shift to digital video may actually be increasing the total amount of electricity consumed, and the associated pollution from electricity generation, the report said.

    “Unless leading Internet companies find a way to leapfrog traditional, polluting sources of electricity, the convenience of streaming could cause us to increase our carbon footprint,” wrote the authors of the report, “Clicking Green: A Guide to Building the Green Internet.”

    Clicking Clean:
    A Guide to Building the Green Internet
    http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/Global/usa/planet3/PDFs/2015ClickingClean.pdf

    The internet is rapidly working its way into nearly
    every aspect of the modern economy. Long
    unshackled from our web browser, we now find
    the internet at every turn, and ready to play a
    bigger role in our lives with each passing day.
    Today, the internet is rapidly transforming how
    you watch TV. Tomorrow, the internet may be
    driving your car and connecting you to high-
    definition video from every corner of the planet
    via your watch.

    The magic of the internet seems almost limitless. But each
    new internet enabled magic trick means more and more
    data, now growing over 20% each year

    While there may be significant energy efficiency gains from
    moving our lives online, the explosive growth of our digital
    lives is outstripping those gains. Publishing conglomerates
    now consume more energy from their data centers than
    their printing presses. Greenpeace has estimated that the
    aggregate electricity demand of our digital infrastructure
    back in 2011 would have ranked sixth in the world among
    countries.

    The rapid transition to streaming video models,
    as well as tablets and other thin client devices that supplant
    on-device storage with the cloud, means more and more
    demand for data center capacity, which will require more
    energy to power.

    The transition to online distribution models, such as video
    streaming, appears to deliver a reduction in the carbon
    footprint over traditional models of delivery. However,
    in some cases, this shift may simply be enabling much
    higher levels of consumption, ultimately increasing the
    total amount of electricity consumed and the associated
    pollution from electricity generation.

    Reply
36. July 9, 2015 at 11:51 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Facebook’s going to blow even harder
    The Social NetworkTM announces Fort Worth as site for new wind-powered bit barn
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/08/facebooks_going_to_blow_even_harder/

    The energetic electrons will come from a 200 MW facility being built by Citigroup Energy, Alterra Power and Starwood Energy Group, Patchett writes.

    Reply
37. July 12, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Solar activity predicted to fall 60% in 2030s, to ‘mini ice age’ levels: Sun driven by double dynamo
    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150709092955.htm

    Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)
    Summary:
    A new model of the Sun’s solar cycle is producing unprecedentedly accurate predictions of irregularities within the Sun’s 11-year heartbeat. The model draws on dynamo effects in two layers of the Sun, one close to the surface and one deep within its convection zone. Predictions from the model suggest that solar activity will fall by 60 per cent during the 2030s to conditions last seen during the ‘mini ice age’ that began in 1645.

    It is 172 years since a scientist first spotted that the Sun’s activity varies over a cycle lasting around 10 to 12 years. But every cycle is a little different and none of the models of causes to date have fully explained fluctuations.

    Reply
38. August 11, 2015 at 10:33 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Take THAT, Tesla: Another Oz energy utility will ship home batteries
    Ergon sees the writing on the PowerWall
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/08/11/take_that_tesla_another_oz_utility_to_ship_batteries/

    The Tesla PowerWall announcement is having an effect in Australia, but perhaps not the one Elon Musk predicted: utilities are moving to head it off with their own solar/storage offerings.

    Shortly after the Tesla battery launch, NSW’s AGL announced its solar customers could add electrical storage, and now Queensland’s Ergon energy is toying with the same idea.

    Ergon’s managed to secure government funding for a trial: the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has agreed to hand over AU$400,000 to support the $2.6 million project.

    Ergon will offer solar PV panels from SunPower and batteries from Sunverge (the two companies inked a partnership late in 2014, nominating Australia as one of their target markets).

    Initially, the Ergon offering will be tested in 33 homes, which will get a 4.9kW array feeding either 12kWh or 5kWh storage.

    The systems, to be installed in the Queensland locales Cannonvale, Toowoomba and Townsville, will be centrally monitored to manage what’s fed into the grid and reduce peak load on the network.

    The company says it will feed data back to ARENA to help manage the impact of renewables on Australia’s national energy market.

    Ergon has found that leaving customers in charge of their solar usage is a pain in the neck.

    Reply
39. August 11, 2015 at 10:38 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    How much of ONE YEAR’s Californian energy use would WIPE OUT the DROUGHT?
    What causes drought? Laziness
    http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/07/31/how_much_of_one_years_californian_energy_use_would_wipe_out_the_drought/

    Analysis That California drought – it’s terrible, isn’t it? But there’s nothing to be done. If it doesn’t rain for a few years, and doesn’t snow up in the mountains, Californians must just yield to Mother Nature and stop watering their lawns, stop washing their cars, maybe even stop growing those delicious but thirsty almonds.

    Or … must they? It doesn’t seem very American to just meekly give up on such iconic indulgences as carwashes, lawn watering and almonds. One might think that the muscular spirit of US techno-capitalism would find some way around this problem.

    But it’s a big problem. No less an authority than NASA, having used satellites to scan the depleted watersheds of California, has stated that it would take no less than 11 TRILLION gallons of nice fresh water to sort out the Golden State and eliminate the current drought. That’s an awful lot of water – and you can’t just make drinking water, can you?

    Of course you can: this isn’t the dark ages. Seventy per cent of the planet is covered in seawater, and handily a lot of that is right next to California’s biggest cities. Seawater can be desalinated to make nice fresh water – and you don’t have to distil it either. Reverse-osmosis technology has been scalable since the 1980s.

    But hey – desalination means using energy, right? And a lot of desalination means a lot of energy. And energy use is bad, because carbon. Anyway, enough energy to desalinate 11 TRILLION gallons would be a ridiculous, unfeasible amount. It could never be affordable. Right?

    Let’s find out.

    So, in general it takes 7 kilowatt-hours to desalinate an entire tonne (1000 litres) of seawater in a reverse-osmosis plant.

    Dr Wolfram tells us: 264 trillion BTU annually, or a measly 3 per cent of the energy California already uses.

    What would it cost?

    $13.61 per month per Californian, using the Energy Information Administration’s cost figure.

    For context, though, typical Californian water bills are already in the $40-$70 per month range

    What have we learned today?

    California doesn’t need to be having a drought at all right now.

    And it’s not just Californians. There’s no reason for developed-world citizens living within reasonable reach of seas or estuaries to ever lack for water.

    Reply
40. August 11, 2015 at 10:56 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Solar Cell, Battery Combo May Simplify Power Generation
    Storing its own energy streamlines process
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1327366&

    Ohio State University (Columbus) claims to have produced the first aqueous flow battery with solar capability, which they call an “aqueous solar flow battery.”

    Solar cells today usually drive an inverter that turns their DC output into AC, which is then used locally with any excess being dumped onto the grid. Ohio State, on the other hand, thinks a better way is to integrate a DC battery with the each solar cell, thus generating and storing the energy in one easy step. Their most recent iteration of this project integrates an aqueous lithium-iodine flow battery with die-sensitized solar cells, thus creating a solar cell plus battery in a unit that both generates and stores solar energy.

    “Our aqueous lithium-iodine solar flow battery is based on a rechargeable battery system that integrates a photo-electrode into the device for solar energy conversion,” Mingzhe Yu, a doctoral candidate working in the lab of professor Yiying Wu, told EE Times.

    The team’s goal was to produce a 3.3-volt DC energy source to drive electronics directly, using a combination of the output from the solar cell and the battery, compared with the battery by itself.

    “The most important innovation here is that we have demonstrated the aqueous flow inside our solar battery,” Yu told us. “Because of the use of aqueous electrolyte, this system is totally compatible with current redox flow battery technology, very easy to integrate with existing technology, environmentally friendly and easy to maintain.

    “The next step is to achieve a fully solar-chargeable battery, with 100% of the battery energy from sunlight,” Yu told us. “Ultimately, we hope this solar flow battery design will be applied for grid-scale solar energy conversion and storage, as well as producing ‘electrolyte fuels’ that might be used to power future electric vehicles.”

    Reply
41. August 11, 2015 at 10:58 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Building-Integrated Photovoltaics About to Take-off, Say Analysts
    http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1327364&

    PARIS — In its latest report, industry analyst firm n-tech Research predicts the total market for building-integrated solar photovoltaic (BIPV) systems will triple from about USD 3 billion in 2015 to over USD 9 billion in 2019, and surge to USD 26 billion by 2022, as more truly “integrated” BIPV products emerge that are monolithically integrated and multifunctional.

    What comes out of the report is that the long-anticipated evolution of BIPV is in truly monolithically integrated PV materials in which there is no clear distinction between the energy and roofing subsystems.

    Within this transition comes a new set of economic rules and guidelines, in which n-tech Research analysts see huge cost-saving opportunities. Primary among them is a shift in supply-chain thinking to create new BIPV business ecosystems that align PV and construction product firms (e.g. glass companies) with flatter and wider networks of local and regional partners.

    Aesthetically pleasing and smart
    Educating architects and installers is still very much needed so they appreciate that there is “life after rooftop PV racking.” Building a strong network of downstream partners, ones who understand the value and messaging around BIPV, are as crucial today as ever.

    An alternative straight-to-channel strategy leaves the architect out of the picture, surrendering some of BIPV’s higher value to systems integrators, construction firms, installers and retailers, to encourage their buy-in. Not everyone will be able to go this route, however.

    For the “true” BIPV leading into monolithic and multifunctional products, it sees the real opportunities in the glass sector in particular, representing roughly USD 2.1 billion in shipments by 2018 and USD 6.3 billion by 2022.

    Reply
42. August 12, 2015 at 8:41 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Saving energy with power infrastructure equipment
    http://www.csemag.com/single-article/saving-energy-with-power-infrastructure-equipment/2a85c0f6eb57dcb84ee2c9197d421fda.html

    One of the best ways to save money on an electric bill is to reduce the amount of energy used in a facility, either through the use of more energy-efficient devices or through intelligent building-control systems. While specific energy-efficient devices directly cut costs, intelligent building controls leverage new or existing technology to reduce energy consumption through advanced load-management strategies.

    Three main load types dominate electric use in commercial facilities: lighting, HVAC, and power plug loads (from office devices and computers). Combined, these three represent almost 85% of all electric energy consumed by commercial customers. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (2008), 39% of commercial-building energy is used for lighting, 28% for HVAC, and 33% is used for computers, office devices, refrigeration, and other electrical equipment. This third part will explore ways to save money by specifying energy-efficient motors, drives, transformers, and other power infrastructure options.

    we can calculate the annual and lifetime monetary savings gained by using a NEMA Premium efficiency motor.

    The low-end of life expectancy for an induction motor is 10 yr. The yearly energy savings quickly dwarfs the increase in motor cost for extremely rapid payback periods.

    As with the induction motor, transformers are also integral components in power systems.

    NEMA Premium efficiency transformers improve the performance of dry-type transformers over previous standards by employing improved magnetic windings and core materials, drastically reducing losses.

    ROI: The case for using a NEMA Premium efficiency transformer for new construction is obvious. Older transformers present an excellent opportunity for replacement, as the amount of energy and monetary savings incurred through the use of a NEMA Premium efficiency transformer will pay the cost back quickly.

    Let’s assume that a facility is thinking about upgrading an existing 75-kVA classic transformer with a NEMA Premium efficiency unit. The cost for the new transformer is around $4,500. Given the cost savings per year, the Premium transformer will pay for itself in 7 yr and last 20 to 40 yr. However, if a NEMA TP-1 unit is already installed, it is most likely not a viable investment to upgrade.

    High-efficiency uninterruptible power supplies (UPS systems)

    Most commercial buildings today have some UPS units installed to protect critical loads in office and/or data centers within the facilities.

    ROI: The savings from using a new high-efficiency or Premium UPS varies by size of the UPS and depends upon the unit that the new UPS is replacing.
    Payback is generally less than 2 yr.

    Reply
43. August 12, 2015 at 8:44 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Harnessing next-level power efficiency from Green Grid’s data center maturity model
    The evolution of the Green Grid’s DCMM offers engineers tools to design more energy-efficient data centers.
    http://www.csemag.com/single-article/harnessing-next-level-power-efficiency-from-green-grids-data-center-maturity-model/06416129d3423f0047925962e54bab26.html

    Since its establishment in 2006, the Green Grid organization, with its data center maturity model (DCMM), has charted many paths to data center efficiency. Its model, now widely adopted and supported by more than 200 member companies, defines best practices and ranks these practices across a six-tier spectrum from “minimal” to “visionary.”

    The DCMM provides the information and tools for consulting specifying engineers and data center operators to benchmark their energy efficiency against common metrics, and to create roadmaps to set priorities for improvements.

    The efficiency of power-distribution and protection systems is a central pillar in the DCMM. From utility power quality and distribution to system backup and protection, power is one of the top three energy efficiency considerations for data centers, after power for information technology (IT) equipment and facility cooling.

    Power usage effectiveness, or PUE, is the common industry and DCMM metric for energy efficiency. While this efficiency metric (calculated as the sum of an IT infrastructure’s energy use divided by the utility power input to the facility) should be a theoretical limit of 1.0 (meaning no energy loss between the power supply and power load), most conventional data centers tend to operate at levels above 2.0 to close to 1.3 or better.

    So while PUE metrics are widely adopted, full “power-in versus power-to-load” monitoring and measurement definitions and tools are not consistently deployed.

    Newer best-practice levels now require monitoring power efficiency levels at or near vital power-distribution and protection equipment, because each point along the power path contributes to energy loss. A host of power technologies reside between the utility meter and IT load such as automatic transfer switches (ATS), transformers, switchgears, UPS systems, rectifiers and battery backup systems. But there are some challenges in this level of comprehensive monitoring. There is the cost of measurement or metering equipment for each piece of equipment along the power path. It’s also difficult to integrate a single power measurement protocol across different equipment platforms and software platforms, making consistent data collection difficult. Data center operators often incur the additional expense of creating custom data analytics tools to measure systemwide efficiency.

    The costs of metering and analysis should be weighed against the gains of total cost of ownership (TCO) models that calculate power efficiency and its related operating expense (OpEx) savings.

    Transformer-based double-conversion UPS systems have a typical power efficiency rating in the range of 88% to 92%. These conversion levels put these traditional devices at a Green Grid DCMM Level 0 (minimal) to Level 3 (best practice today) rating, significantly impacting annual data center energy operating budgets.

    Newer three-level insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) UPS technologies, which reduced switching and filtering power conversion losses, offer DCMM Level 5 efficiency levels approaching 97% in double-conversion mode and up to 99% efficiency when operating in energy-saving eco-mode, or multimode. Fast-switching technologies in the range of 2 msec

    Library & Tools
    http://www.thegreengrid.org/en/library-and-tools.aspx

    Reply
44. August 14, 2015 at 10:40 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    World’s first off-grid Ecocapsule home to hit the market this year, shipping in 2016

    Read more: World’s first off-grid Ecocapsule home to hit the market this year, shipping in 2016 | Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

    Reply
45. August 14, 2015 at 10:41 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    World’s first off-grid Ecocapsule home to hit the market this year, shipping in 2016
    http://inhabitat.com/worlds-first-off-grid-ecocapsule-home-to-hit-the-market-this-year-shipping-in-2016/

    If your fantasy is to live totally off-the-grid anywhere around the world, that dream just got one step closer to reality. Nice Architects just unveiled the first photos of their incredible egg-shaped Ecocapsule home – and the tiny solar and wind-powered dwelling will be available for sale later this year. Nice Architects has already completed a prototype, and they plan to ship the first units as soon as Spring 2016 – check out the first photos of this low-energy sanctuary after the break, and picture yourself living the dream.

    Read more: World’s first off-grid Ecocapsule home to hit the market this year, shipping in 2016 | Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

    Reply
46. August 20, 2015 at 8:54 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    UK constructing the world’s first negative emission power plant
    http://www.electronicproducts.com/Sustainable/Research/UK_constructing_the_world_s_first_negative_emission_power_plant.aspx

    A power station that delivers negative emissions is the paragon of excellence that all sustainable energy ventures should aspire to emulate. Through the combination of biomass fuel made from forests in the American South and underwater carbon capture and storage, one of the world’s largest mega-polluters of greenhouse gases will be reversed into one the world’s largest industrial absorbers of CO2.

    The giant coal power station at Drax in Yorkshire supplies the UK with 10% of its entire power needs, releasing 23 million tons of carbon dioxide from its sacks each year. But now, its owners are in the process of replacing coal with wood pellets shipped from forests in Mississippi where the trees are immediately replanted, an effort which stems the tide of pollution in the opposite direction if performed in tandem.

    The next phase of the project sees the creation of a £500-million underwater carbon capture and storage that, beginning in 2020, could capture up to 2 million tons of CO2 before sending it down a 165-kilometre pipeline for burial underneath the North Sea. Together with biomass burning and replanting, this venture is expected to make the electricity carbon-negative for approximately 600,000 homes.

    Reply
47. August 25, 2015 at 3:44 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    The Wall Street Journal reports: “Solar power has gotten so cheap to produce—and so competitively priced in the electricity market—that it is taking hold even in a state that, unlike California, doesn’t offer incentives to utilities to buy or build sun-powered generation.” Falling cost is one factor driving investment. ”

    Next Texas Energy Boom: Solar
    Companies are spending $1 billion on new projects to harvest electricity from the sun
    http://www.wsj.com/articles/next-texas-energy-boom-solar-1440149400

    FORT STOCKTON, Texas—A new energy boom is taking shape in the oil fields of west Texas, but it’s not what you think. It’s solar.

    Solar power has gotten so cheap to produce—and so competitively priced in the electricity market—that it is taking hold even in a state that, unlike California, doesn’t offer incentives to utilities to buy or build sun-powered generation.

    Pecos County, about halfway between San Antonio and El Paso and on the southern edge of the prolific Permian Basin oil field, could soon play host to several large solar-energy farms responsible for about $1 billion in investments, according to state tax records.

    State incentives in California, Nevada and North Carolina helped fund the construction of many large-scale solar farms designed to sell electricity into those local power grids. But in Texas, while there is federal financial support for such projects, there are no state subsidies or mandates that encourage solar power.

    Texas’ growth will be driven by falling prices, said Warren Lasher, ERCOT’s director of system planning. By the end of the decade, he said, “Solar is going to become one of the most cost-effective sources of electricity on the grid.”

    In 15 years, ERCOT predicts between 3% and 9% of its electricity generation will come from the sun, though that could be slowed by low natural gas prices, according to the grid operator and energy company officials.

    West Texas “is flat, the land is open, available and cheap and there is a lot of sun”

    Another reason for the boom: Texas recently wrapped up construction of $6.9 billion worth of new transmission lines, many connecting West Texas to the state’s large cities. These massive power lines enabled Texas to become, by far, the largest U.S. wind producer.

    Solar developers plan to move electricity on the same lines, taking advantage of a lull in wind generation during the heat of the day when solar output is at its highest.

    The cost of big-scale solar projects is also plummeting, making them competitive in the state’s low-price power market.

    Reply
48. September 9, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Is solar-powered LED lighting finally getting a chance to shine?
    http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/led-insights/4440223/Is-solar-powered-LED-lighting-finally-getting-a-chance-to-shine-?_mc=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150909&cid=NL_EDN_EDT_EDN_today_20150909&elq=d19ab76f8ebb4296853ab580093321c6&elqCampaignId=24702&elqaid=27993&elqat=1&elqTrackId=7a7ba963405e45b3bf4934e6a1fb900b

    For a good many years, there have been periodic articles about “solar powered lighting,” a supposed creative way to bring lighting to where connection to the grid is next to impossible. But a little cost/benefit analysis has always seemed to put a damper on things. Although there are now dozens of firms in the US which offer such products made in the US or China, there has so far been little traction.

    So, what’s the problem here? In a basic system, a solar panel charges a battery during the day and the battery then powers an LED light fixture at night. Sounds simple enough, right? The fact that an LED requires so much less electricity than an incandescent lamp makes the idea worthy of discussion. Furthermore, the inherent directivity of LED emitters makes them much better than any HID lamp in actually delivering lumens to a desired surface, no matter what the specs seem to say for any HID luminaire.

    But the devil’s in the details. First of all, a solar panel rated at X watts only delivers those watts at noon in a cloudless sky. In reality, if you do a little 5-minute test yourself with a simple ammeter connected right across any solar panel output to measure the short circuit current (yep, that’s what you do to measure the panel’s efficiency in changing light levels), you will find that any solar panel (they’re all “fundamentally” the same no matter what you’ve been told) with an overcast sky will only deliver 20-30% of its rating, and only 50-70% in a cloudless sky in the morning or late afternoon.

    This really means that unless you are located in Phoenix or the Sahara, you need a solar panel 2-3 times what you might think to be sure a battery bank will always be adequately charged.

    Now that we know the solar panels need not be a major cost issue, we need some healthy batteries.

    However, things are changing. LEDs at 5000K have gone from 50 LPW (lumens per watt) in 2006 to more than 150 LPW in 2015. And not just in some company’s R&D lab, but actually for sale off the shelf from Nichia, Cree, Lumileds, and others.

    The killer in all this is when we need those lights on all night at full brightness.

    If somebody wants a parking lot light on for security purposes, they want it on at full brightness all night.

    Let us jump to an area where solar powered lighting in fact offers surprising benefits. There are now more than 25,000 non-stadium-type youth athletic fields in the US which have no lighting at all. Many of these are also used for youth lacrosse and football practice. If you want to bring lighting to such a field, where no AC mains power has previously been present, it will cost you (the community) between $150K-200K—best case—to dig long trenches, bury high voltage cables per code, bring in overhead power from a distant utility pole transformer, install various service panels per code, and undergo perhaps a 12 month aggravating process with a utility company.

    The traditional $150K-$200K process to bring in AC mains power for youth sports field lighting can be reduced to less than $50K if solar power is used.

    The major cost is not in the LED luminaires and poles but in bringing in that AC power—an eye-opening challenge. The massive task of doing all that trenching, HV-cable laying, and utility connection is totally eliminated with solar.

    The bottom line is the sharp increase in LED efficacy and drop in LED prices, coupled with drops in solar panel pricing, are making it possible to use LED lighting for surprising new applications, matched to need and driven by economics—just when we thought there was not much new going on in LED lighting!

    Reply
49. September 10, 2015 at 7:56 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Turning Smog Into Gemstones And Pollution Awareness
    http://hackaday.com/2015/09/09/turning-smog-into-gemstones-and-pollution-awareness/

    Wait what? The Smog Free Project by [Daan Roosegaarde] is another one of those head scratchers where somehow art, engineering, and a designer collide — to produce what looks like an actual working concept…?

    The oddly shaped white tower is essentially a massive air purifier.

    To help spread awareness, they then take the waste cubes and integrate them into jewelry. Essentially they’re physical carbon credits!

    Reply
50. September 10, 2015 at 8:54 am

    Tomi Engdahl says:

    Researcher: The US Owes the World $4 Trillion For Trashing the Climate
    http://news.slashdot.org/story/15/09/09/2110218/researcher-the-us-owes-the-world-4-trillion-for-trashing-the-climate?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Slashdot%2Fslashdot%2Fto+%28%28Title%29Slashdot+%28rdf%29%29

    Researcher Damon Matthews has quantified how much historically polluting nations owe their global neighbors—and it’s a lot.

    http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-us-owes-the-world-4-trillion-for-trashing-the-climate

    In a just world the United States would pay back the $4 trillion dollars it owes, according to new research, for trashing the climate.

    Global warming wasn’t created equal. Rich, industrialized nations have contributed the lion’s share of the carbon pollution to our currently-unfolding catastrophe—the more CO2 in the atmosphere, the hotter it gets, of course—while smaller, poorer, and more agrarian countries are little to blame. The subsequent warming from our carbon-stuffed skies will, naturally, impact everyone, often hitting the poorer countries harder. So, since the rich fueled the crisis that’s about to soak the poor, they might help chip in to soften the blow.

    Reply