green energy

What Will McCain and Obama Do About Nuclear Power?

jplatt — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:34:26 -0400

When it comes to the environment, few topics cause as much debate and friction as nuclear energy.

On the one hand, nuclear energy is relatively clean, creating no emissions and running at relatively low cost.

On the other hand, the byproducts of nuclear energy production take hundreds of years to become safe. They pose security questions, and no one seems to want the waste stored in the backyards.

Energy policies are obviously critical to this election, so it might come as a surprise to you that both candidates are actually pro-nuke.

Both McCain and Obama told ScienceDebate2008.com that nuclear power is critical to this country's ability to generate electricity without producing carbon emissions. Says Obama, "It is unlikely that we can meet our aggressive climate goals if we eliminate nuclear power as an option."

But Obama takes a hard-line look at nuclear security: "However," he says, "before an expansion of nuclear power is considered, key issues must be addressed including: security of nuclear fuel and waste, waste storage, and proliferation."

As for McCain, he tells ScienceDebate2008.com it's time to "recommit" to nuclear energy. He says he will "put the country on track" to build 45 new reactors in the next 20 years. Obviously, that's well past any term he would serve, but if he puts the investment in during his time in office, it's unlikely that any future administration would pull the plug.

So how about the issue of nuclear waste storage? Writing on his web site, Obama says he does "not believe that the current Yucca Mountain site is suitable." He promises to develop requirements for waste storage "using the most advanced dry-cask storage technology available." McCain has historically been pro-Yucca Mountain, but he has also called for the creation of an "international" site, although he has also suggested opening an international center overseas to store nuclear waste. (In other words, "Not in my backyard.")

So how do you feel about nuclear power? Will either candidates' position sway your vote? Let us know!

Want Solar Power? Let RoofRay Calculate Your Solar Potential

jplatt — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:48:24 -0400

Thinking about putting solar panels on your house, but not sure how effective they'll be? RoofRay has an answer.

This great online tool uses Google Maps to calculate the amount of energy that you will likely be able to collect by placing solar panels on the roof of your house or business.

RoofRay is incredibly simple to use. You put in your address, and it pulls up a satellite image of your house or business from Google Earth. Once that image appears, you click on the corners of your roof, and the RoofRay system calculates the approximate square footage of your rooftop. Then you drag a small indicator to tell the calculator which direction your roof slants. RoofRay already knows how much sun your part of the country gets, so its calculators do the rest.

According to my test of the system (which took all of 45 seconds), putting solar panels on my house could generate up to 11,000 watts of electricity at peak performance.

RoofRay also tells me which months will be the best for my solar panels (obviously, December and January won't be ideal). Next, it tells me how much I can expect to save on my electric bills each month of the year. Finally, it estimates the costs of my solar panels, deducts likely state and federal rebates or tax credits, and tells me how much the panels will cost or save me over their anticipated 25-year life.

According to RoofRay, installing solar panels will cost me about $100,000 to start, but create a net positive cash flow of more than $88,000 over 25 years. That's a pretty good illustration of the effectiveness of solar power.

RoofRay won't connect you with contractors to install your solar panels, but if you're just looking for information, this could be the first step toward your energy independence.

Google Goes Geothermal. Can You?

jplatt — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 09:00:00 -0400

Google recently announced it would invest $10 million into the development of geothermal energy systems. Geothermal, one of the hot new ideas in "clean technology," uses the natural heat under the Earth's surface to provide heat or create electricity.

Could geothermal be the "killer app" of the energy world, as Google predicts? More specifically, can you take advantage of it for your home or business?

Geothermal isn't a new idea (it's been around for centuries), but new technologies are making it a more viable energy alternative for today's electricity-starved world.

Geothermal power for homes or businesses comes in two "flavors": direct geothermal taps hot water under the ground to provide heat, while ground-source heat pumps moves heat from below the surface for heating during the winter and removes heat from the surface in the summer. Geothermal can also be used to drive electric generators in larger facilities and power plants.

So can you use geothermal? Depending on your location, the answer is probably yes. Western states appear to have the best resources, but you might be able to tap into geothermal energy no matter where you live. Talk to your local power company or energy contractors to find out about your options.

For more information on geothermal power, visit the U.S. Department of Energy's Geothermal Technologies Program.

Cold Soda Equals High Energy Costs

jplatt — Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

When the city of Juneau, Alaska, experienced a severe energy shortage last month, local businesses quickly unplugged some of their most energy-dependant appliances: vending machines.

According to the U.S. government's ENERGY STAR program, the average vending machine costs a business $311 a year in electricity costs alone. But an ENERGY STAR-qualified vending machine costs half that -- $158 -- or less if includes software to further reduce energy use during non-peak times.

When you consider that the average business has several vending machines, you can see how costs can quickly spiral out of control.

There are several ways to green your vending machines, which will help you to save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One way is to replace older vending machines with ENERGY STAR-rated models. Another is to invest in the VendingMiser from USA Technologies. These plug-and-play devices use passive infrared sensors to monitor their surroundings, turning vending machines off when no one is around. The also monitor vending machine temperatures, keeping drinks cool while using less energy. USA Technologies says their VendingMiser makes any vending machine as efficient as an ENERGY STAR device and can save a business up to $150 a year in energy costs, while also reducing annual maintenance costs by another $40-$80.

So the next time you see one of your employees carrying an ice-cold soda back to their desk, think about how much that can or bottle is costing you, and take a small step to protect the environment. Your bottom line will thank you.

Solar-Powered Table Lights Up the Night, Charges Your Devices

jplatt — Wed, 14 May 2008 12:00:00 -0400

The solar innovations keep on coming. This time around it's the SOLo Lounge Table from Intelligent Forms Design. This intriguing indoor-outdoor table features a tabletop array of solar panels which can generate more than 17 kilowatts of power over the course of a year.

What does the SOLo do with that power? It comes with USB ports and standared three-prong electrical outlets so you can use the table to power your laptop, MP3 player, cell phone or just about any other portable device.

The table is also embedded with internal LED lights, providing night-time glow of 16 million possible colors, as well as built-in music speakers.

Priced at $14,000 and built to order, the SOLo is obviously a high-end, luxury device, and probably intended more for spas, lounge ships and other businesses than your average consumer. But just think -- it probably won't be many more years before you can put a table like this in your own back yard. Boy, won't the neighbors be jealous!

Energy Star: It's About More Than Refrigerators

jplatt — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:00:36 -0400

My wife travels a lot, so I thought I would try to make those long trips more fun by buying her a portable DVD player. But being a good greenie, I wanted to make sure I chose the most energy-efficient model. My quest led me to a Sony device that happened to have the government's ENERGY STAR logo stamped on the package.

But wait, I thought, isn't ENERGY STAR just about refrigerators and air conditioners?

No, it turns out that the program is much broader, ranking all kinds of home and business appliances, electronics and other commercial products. In addition to home heating and cooling devices and major appliances, the program evaluates TVs, battery chargers, stereos, cordless phones, computers, copiers, lighting systems --- and even new homes!

According to ENERGY STAR's website, "Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2007 alone to avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 27 million cars — all while saving $16 billion on their utility bills."

Sounds like a program doing good work, while helping us all in the process. So keep an eye out for that logo -- it definitely makes a difference.