AltEnToday

Just a quick post here - I’ve got my reading to do tonight! SEPA (Solar Electric Power Association) has released a new white paper for business and political leaders to consider the issue of “decoupling.” I have only recently become aware of this issue, so I’m hoping for good things from this paper.

Essentially, the decoupling issue (as I’ve come to understand it) centers around the profits of utility companies. Utilities make profits by producing electricity and selling it (duh). In the future, as more homeowners put solar panels on their roof, this creates a point of contention. Utilities would love to have increased power, but unless they actually are the ones providing it, they’re left with reduced profits. So how can we have a distributed electric grid while simultaneously supporting the pre-existing utility industry structure?

Hopefully this white paper can help me figure that one out. Download the full report for yourself at SEPA’s website: solarelectricpower.org. I’ve also archived a copy of it right here: Decoupling Utility Profits from Sales.

I’ll post my thoughts once I’ve had the chance to read it.

The Obama administration today moved to rescind a 2007 decision by the EPA to not allow individual states the opportunity to set their own emissions standards. Under the previous state of EPA control, states couldn’t create emissions standards that were greater than federal ones - the argument being that automakers might be forced to build multiple versions of the same cars depending on what state they were being purchased in. On top of that, a car bought in one area with lower emissions standards might need to be modified after-the-purchase to allow that car to operate in a state with higher emissions standards (smog certifications could become quite an adventure). [Read more →]

Just wanted to share a quick note about an article found at Forbes: Solar Energy’s Sunny Side… Some pretty good thoughts included in both the future of the industry as well as the investment opportunities that might present themselves.

And to Jim Cramer, you’re great “booyah!” but frankly, this industry is anything but “done.” Stay tuned…

In perhaps one of the bleaker stories I’ve read on the solar industry in recent months, Hayward, CA-based OptiSolar has announced that it will layoff 290 workers, according to a report on SFGate. This comes even as the Obama administration has come in to the executive office with promises for new spending and investment in solar and renewable industries.

So what ailed OptiSolar? Its strong contracts and deals with California’s PG&E utility appear sound, but future growth opportunities are apparently stunted by frustrations in the credit markets. [Read more →]

One of the aspects of the alternative energy future that has caught my attention in recent weeks is the electricity grid. On one hand, it’s such an ubiquitous feature of modern life that it’s hardly worth paying attention to… On the other, it’s a product of an era of the previous century. Even during the Solar Power 2008 conference in San Diego last October, Congresswoman Maria Cantwell mentioned the importance of infrastructure upgrades and the necessity of pioneering a more advanced grid. A smarter grid. Friedman mentioned it as well in his latest book (as mentioned in the last few posts). And of course, most solar systems are ‘grid tied’ systems that integrate in to this system.

With this in mind, I set about trying to find a good book or research source to learn more about the grid: It’s past, it’s present, and the challenges we may all face in upgrading it for the future. [Read more →]

Congrats again to President Obama and Vice President Biden on their ascent to the highest powers in the lands. It appears that with Steven Chu, new Secretary of Energy at the helm, we may see a powerful ally to the alternative energy sector in the executive branch of government today. One thing I did want to make sure that I did, however, is copy down verbatim what Obama’s official website declares about his energy policies and goals. [Read more →]

I’d like to offer my congratulations to the new President of the United States, Barack Obama. Change is an exciting platform to run on, and I hope that as he begins performing his duties in the coming weeks and months, alternative energy becomes a beacon of opportunity in this country. 

We are at an exciting precipice in time. Our 20th century challenges are now evolving in to 21st century opportunities, and climate change, environmental consciousness, energy independence, and technology achievements may culminate in to a tide change in how we treat energy and our economy as a whole. I wish the Obama administration my best wishes, and I look forward to seeing if we can all change the world for the better, together.

Just wanted to share a few links to some sites that I’m finding interesting. They’re not exclusively about alternative energy, but considering how interconnected alt-en is with everything else; I find each of these worth reading to become well versed in a portion of the equation:

Thomas Friedman : Author of the latest book I’ve read, Hot, Flat and Crowded, Friedman was the one who really shined a light on the triumphs and challenges of globalization. Now he’s perhaps the most vocally outspoken author on the tangible reality of tomorrow’s energy and sociopolitical landscape.

Robert Reich : Former labor secretary under the Clinton administration and now a lecturer / professor at UC Berkeley, Mr. Reich’s book Supercapitalism was thought provoking and a worthwhile read. I particularly enjoy the regularity he updates his blog (damn near daily). Always something worth thinking about.

Francis Vanek : Author of Energy Systems Engineering, Mr. Vanek is a new blogger but posts some interesting facts and thoughts in his first few posts. I hope he keeps it up and I encourage you to take a read at what he’s stated so far.

As I’m reading through Thomas Friedman’s Hot, Flat, and Crowded, I’m caught by the fact that he’s uttering the same arguments that I’ve heard from many that support the next green energy revolution - it’s time we recognize that pollution and the “common space” is not just a freebie that doesn’t have to be accounted for. If we could catch traditional - coal, oil, and gas - sources of energy polluting and causing “externalized” harms (that they do not presently pay for), suddenly technologies like solar, wind, geothermal, and *gasp* even nuclear become quite attractive. 

A recent news event has gone by the news cycle bizarrely nearly completely ignored - a massive spillage of toxic coal ash mixed with water that has created an environmental disaster right in peoples’ back yards. The culprit? [Read more →]

Howdy alternative energy seekers, and welcome to 2009! I’ve had a great run so far, after graduating (finally) from San Jose State University with my Bachelors of Business Management, and am now in the hunt for that illusive alt-en job. So far the prospects look good but I have to believe in this bleak economic climate that we’re collectively facing right now that hiring managers are being swamped with resumes and job inquiries, so I’ll stay patient and vigilant. I’ve found some pretty exciting prospects from several local bay area companies such as Mountain View’s SolFocus and Foster City’s Solar City, so hopefully I’ll hear back from these firms in the near future and sit down for a chat with them. 

In the meantime, I’ll be resuming my regular updating of the site, so please stay tuned for more! Thanks again for visiting, and of course I welcome and encourage your feedback. Also, I’m just finishing Thomas Freidman’s Hot, Flat and Crowded, so I’ll have a writeup on my thoughts on his work in the next couple of days.