Category Archives: Technology

Money Saving Light Bulbs

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During the summer of 2014 several high school students interned at the Cambridge Energy Alliance helping with canvassing and outreach across Cambridge. The interns also wrote a few blogs on topics they were interested in related to energy efficiency and solar power. The following is one of their blogs.  

 

Today, unfortunately, money is on the minds of many people. This blog offers a simple and straightforward strategy to save money, and energy, by using different types of light bulbs. Currently in the US most people use incandescent light bulbs in their households. However, slowly the tide has turned to Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) bulbs, which offer greater service and economic satisfaction. But what is it that makes these light bulbs so different? Of course they all have differences in their structure, design and technology, but which one is the best?

Incandescent

These bulbs are definitely not energy efficient since most of their energy is expelled as heat and not light. Today most cities do not accept the recycling of incandescent light bulbs as they have stopped being sold in the United States. Nonetheless, because they do not contain any toxic materials they can simply be thrown away.  Some people choose to re-package their light bulbs to avoid anyone getting hurt in the process of disposing them. Other people choose to reuse their light bulbs if they are not broken as forms of decoration, ornaments, and DIY crafts.

CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamps)

CFLs have become way more popular over the past few years because of their fair prices and energy saving qualities. Unfortunately, a downside they have is that they contain a small amount of mercury, which means one should be particularly careful when recycling these light bulbs. Whether one can recycle or dispose these light bulbs depends on the current state of the bulbs. Nonetheless, it is imperative that CFLs be recycled. CFL light bulbs contain a small amount of mercury so when disposing these light bulbs it’ll be best to not release those chemicals to the environment. Most of the materials used to make CFL light bulbs can be recycled, and in some states and/or local jurisdictions, CFL light bulbs are required to be recycled. CFL light bulbs will not only be more energy efficient for your home, but will also save you money in the long run. Although CFL light bulbs are a bit more expensive than their incandescent counterpart, they last more than 10 times longer and use 4 times less energy while providing equally good quality light. Since CFL’s use much less watts than regular incandescent light bulbs, not only will they last longer but they will also save you money.

LED (Light Emitting Diodes)

LEDs are probably the pinnacle in light bulb technology. Their design and structure has resulted in a more durable, resistant and stylish light bulb. LED light bulbs are slowly being adopted now that their high prices are coming down. Unlike their more primitive counterparts, LEDs contain fewer hazardous materials, and are much more resistant to temperature, humidity and force. LED’s also last roughly 50,000 hours (5.5 years), about 5 times longer than CFLs.

Japan and Cambridge Target Renewable Energy

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During the summer of 2014 several high school students interned at the Cambridge Energy Alliance helping with canvassing and outreach across Cambridge. The interns also wrote a few blogs on topics they were interested in related to energy efficiency and solar power. The following is one of their blogs.  

 

Renewable energy and energy efficiency may be a common topic in Cambridge, but there is still much we can learn from around the world.

In Japan, energy efficiency policies have been administered under the Energy Conservation Law since 1979, which forces manufacturers to increase the energy efficiency of their products. However, energy efficiency and renewable energy has become more essential in Japan today.

After the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami, which took place in Fukushima Daiichi in March 2011, Japan reconsidered its energy sources for the rest of the century. At the time, Japan was still generating 30% of its electricity from nuclear power. To replace that energy, Japan had to look elsewhere. Since Japan doesn’t have its own significant fossil fuel reserves, Japan considered a switch to solar power. According to the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Japan saw a significant increase in renewable energy generation capacity after July 2012, the nation’s renewable energy production capacity rose by 5.85 million kW. Solar power accounted for over 90 percent of the increase, at 5.6 million kW.

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Another impact of the 2011 earthquake was the growth of energy efficiency and conservation. This movement is called “Setsuden” and is encouraging people and companies to save electricity by taking simple steps like changing light bulbs, or turning off big screens and exterior lighting. Also, the dress code in offices has eased up in order to reduce demand for AC. Even these small improvements have proven to have a short-term impact. Greentech Media reports that “they’ve dramatically increased the awareness of energy use and energy efficiency, and large companies are running high-profile efficiency programs.” Now demand reduction makes up a sizeable portion of Japan’s power generation.

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The City of Cambridge is also taking steps to reduce energy use in its municipal buildings. The graph below demonstrates the fluctuations in energy usage and emissions from year to year, with an overall downward trend.

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Looking at Japan’s achievements, a key lesson can be applied to Massachusetts: solar energy and demand reduction through efficiency can dramatically change the power generation in a short period of time. Just as in Japan, there is both great solar and efficiency potential in the state of Massachusetts and City of Cambridge.

 

Sources:

https://www.cambridgema.gov/~/media/Files/publicworksdepartment/greenliving/Energy%20efficiency%20presentation.ashx

http://theenergycollective.com/guayjguay/366271/how-japan-replaced-half-its-nuclear-capacity-efficiency

http://fortune.com/2013/09/23/japans-green-energy-evolution/

http://www05.abb.com/global/scot/scot316.nsf/veritydisplay/5a74498fcc9fbabbc1257864005160e4/$file/japan.pdf

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/states/electricity_generation.cfm/state=MA

Solar Panels in Cold Climates

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During the summer of 2014 several high school students interned at the Cambridge Energy Alliance helping with canvassing and outreach across Cambridge. The interns also wrote a few blogs on topics they were interested in related to energy efficiency and solar power. The following is one of their blogs.  

 

Think about this: as of now, Germany is the world leader in solar energy. It uses more solar power than any other country in the world. Now think about this: Germany is equal to Alaska in solar resources. If Germany is a good place for solar paneling, then Cambridge must be too! But can cold climate places really sustain solar paneling?

What most people don’t know is that solar panels run off of light, not heat. Many panels have the ability to track the sun’s movement and even rotate during the day. As a matter of fact, solar panels perform better in very cold weather than they do in very hot weather for two reasons: first, solar panels sometimes malfunction when they get too hot themselves; second, as temperatures go down, the system’s voltage increases. Furthermore, by combining this higher voltage with a current identical to a warm weather current, a higher wattage is produced. Therefore, more power is created.

Unfortunately, cold weather tends to come with clouds, rain, and snow. These forms of precipitation do have an effect on a solar panel system because they affect how much the panels are exposed to sunlight. However, it must be noted that estimates for the expected production of energy over the course of a solar system’s lifetime take into account the days with lower output due to weather obstacles such as snow and clouds.

On a cloudy day, not as much light can reach the panels. The amount of energy produced when there is cloud cover depends on the density of the clouds, but is usually about 10-25% of the system’s rated capacity. However, panels produce the most energy at the moment when the sun peeks across the edge of a cloud. When this happens, panels actually produce in excess of their rated capacity.

Usually clouds come with rain, and although there isn’t much daylight, rain can actually help solar paneling systems. Rain helps to keep up the maintenance of solar panels by washing away dust and dirt. Also, when the sun comes out, it reflects off of surrounding rainwater and onto the panels, increasing the amount of light being absorbed.

The biggest weather issue that solar panels seem to face is snow. When covered with snow, panels are no longer subject to sunlight, and they are not able to produce power. Nonetheless, it’s easy to resume their operation immediately by just brushing off the snow. By removing as much snow as possible, more of the dark-colored panel will be exposed to the sun, allowing a current to flow which will heat up all the panels and melt the remaining snow. It’s also common in snowy climates to install solar at a steep angle. This way, snow will slide off faster, allowing sunlight to reflect off of nearby snow and onto the panels. Imagine this working in the same way that a skier can be burned on a sunny winter day: Just like the sun reflects off of the snow and onto the skier’s skin, it will reflect off the snow and onto the panels, increasing power generation.

Capture

Now, how about our hometown? This past winter, Cambridge’s lowest temperatures averaged at about 1°F (-17°C) and the city saw approximately 40 days of snow. Therefore, for 89% of the year, roofs in Cambridge were exposed to sunlight and saw great potential for solar paneling. Just like Germany, the cold winters of Cambridge can give way to solar paneling for houses all around.

 

Bibliography:

“Ask a Builder: How Well Do Solar Panels Work in the Winter?” Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. N.p.,                             n.d. Web. 31 July 2014.

“Extreme Winter Weather Affecting Some Solar Panels’ Energy Output, Maintenance, Officials                                       Said.” NJ.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2014.

“Solar Panel Effectiveness & Production in the Winter.” Winter Solar Panel Effectiveness & Production.                  N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2014.

“Frequently Asked Questions about Solar Panels.” Frequently Asked Questions about Solar Panels. N.p.,                  n.d. Web. 31 July 2014.

“Winter, Snow, and Solar Panels: A Mixed Forecast – CNET.” CNET. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2014.

“2014 Winter Blasts Affecting Energy Output and Maintenance of Solar Panels — Environmental                                  Protection.” 2014 Winter Blasts Affecting Energy Output and Maintenance of Solar Panels —                              Environmental Protection. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2014

“Are Solar Panels Usable in Snowy Climates?” AccuWeather. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2014.

“Solar Energy in Rainy Weather | Sunbridge Solar.” Sunbridge Solar. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2014                             “SEIA.” Solar FAQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 July 2014.

“Germany the World’s Leading Light in Solar Capacity.” Www.edmontonjournal.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31               July 2014.

First-Ever Energy Star Label for Clothes Dryers Now Available

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The EPA has announced a brand new energy efficiency certification for clothes dryers under the Energy Star label. As known energy hogs, the potential savings are big: if all residential clothes dryers sold in the U.S. meet these new requirements, the utility cost savings will grow to more than $1.5 billion each year and more than 22 billion pounds of annual greenhouse gas emissions would be prevented.

Over 80% of U.S. homes have a clothes dryer, which on average account for approximately six percent of residential electricity consumption. In order to reduce dryers’ energy use by over 20% of the minimum 2015 standards, Energy Star dryers will incorporate technologies such as:

  • Auto termination sensors
  • Heat pumps to recapture lost hot air
  • Performance data and alerts
  • Smart grid readiness

Explains U.S. EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy: “Working with industry on innovative approaches to address our changing climate, we are helping consumers select more energy efficient appliances, save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Read more about this news from the EPA newsroom.

 

Cities Lead the Way

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Last night, I attended a meeting hosted by SF Environment, a department of the city and county of San Francisco.  I was in awe and inspired by how much one city can accomplish when it comes to educating the public about energy efficiency and environmental consciousness.  Not only is San Francisco leading the domestic urban composting charge with a city-wide composting program, whereby the city mandates composting in addition to recycling, but the city is making the process of being an ecoconsumer easier and easier.

When I relocated here two months ago, I was astounded at how commonplace composting was – the city simply places compost bins throughout the city and provides them to each city resident.  In addition, SF Environment provides free compost containers for your kitchen so you can easily discard of food scraps.  The city has also instated a ban on styrofoam and plastic bags and provides easy access for toxic waste disposal and removal. Thus far, the plastic bags ban remains in effect predominantly at larger retailers, however, SF Environment expects to push this ban across a wider market.

And the data is impressive. Over 5,000 restaurants and businesses, in addition to city residents, compost over 600 tons of food scraps and other compostable materials each day. This compost is then used to produce and foster the organic food sold to these same restaurants and consumers.  The cycle is continuous and is saving the city money by reducing the amount of food waste that goes to landfills. In fact, today SF recovers a remarkable 77% of the materials it discards, bringing the city closer to its goal of zero waste by 2020.

Like San Francisco, Cambridge has also focused on recycling and waste reduction for several decades, which is why waste currently contributes only  1% of greenhouse gas emissions. Residents can bring compost to the DPW recycling center and to the local Whole Foods stores.  While composting and waste reduction are excellent everyday actions that residents can do to reduce waste, there are also other ways to make a big impact on the City’s greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency in one’s home or business.  Heating, cooling and lighting buildings contributes to 80% of greenhouse gas emissions.  In addition, a free home energy audit can address energy waste, helping move Cambridge toward zero-waste in both recycling and energy usage.

Cities like San Francisco and Cambridge are leading the way in the United States when it comes to progressive environmental measures and programs.  It’s truly a win-win situation that other cities across the United States, and the world, should emulate for a more prosperous, sustainable and localized economy.

EPA report cracks down on hydraulic fracturing

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Missouri, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia Flags, ca. 1876 by Cornell University Library

The clean energy revolution has never been more critical.  In a report released December 8th, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made a direct link between the con­tro­ver­sial drilling prac­tice known as hydraulic frac­tur­ing and ground­wa­ter contamination.  For years, hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” a method to extract oil and gas from under­ground deposits that uses a mix­ture of sand, water and chem­i­cals to frac­ture shale rock and release the gas, has been taking place across the country, mainly unabated and unquestioned by politicians and industry professionals.

Now however, it’s official: fracking has been correlated to tainted groundwater that is often entirely undrinkable by area residents and wildlife alike.  The EPA report specifically notes high con­cen­tra­tions of ben­zene, xylene, gaso­line and diesel fuel in groundwa­ter sup­plies linked to waste­water pits and deeper fresh water wells.  This indi­cates the dif­fi­culty in track­ing all fracking-related chem­i­cals as the gas indus­try is not required to reveal all chem­i­cal elements, a product of a loophole commonly referred to as the “Halliburton Loophole.”

While this particular EPA report focuses on the town of Pavilion, WY; Dimock, a town of 1400 people in northeastern Pennsylvania, has made recent national headlines as well over the question of drinking water quality.  In fact, last week residents and nonprofit groups from neighboring areas, including New York City, drove to Dimock to supply fresh drinking water to its residents as the PA DEP had decided to ignore the issue altogether.  Cabot Oil and Gas, the company responsible for fracking in Dimock, had recently ended daily deliveries of clean water asserting that “Dimock’s water is safe to drink.” The PA DEP gave Cabot permission last month to stop paying for clean water and a judge, who sits on the state’s Environmental Hearing Board, “declined to issue an emergency order compelling Cabot to continue the deliveries.”

Never has the need for clean energy alternatives been more necessary.  Fracking is a national energy dilemma: on one side energy companies stand to gain considerable profit on harvesting natural gas, while on the other citizens, eager to make quick money, learn only too late the harsh environmental and health-related risks related to the industry.

The EPA report comes at a critical time.  As the U.S. is steamrolling hundreds of new fracking sites each month, we are  still hesitant to embrace cleaner, renewable technologies. Fracking is a dangerous practice that is clouded by many political and industry interests.  The EPA report is a good place to start for stronger regulation and awareness of a very questionable method of extracting this domestic energy source.

 

 

 

 

Western MA Tornado Relief: ReBuild Western Massachusetts

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Image by Tara Holmes

On June 1st, three tornadoes touched down in western Massachusetts during a surprise series of storms, leaving a wake of destruction and confusion. Massachusetts, not known for tornadoes, is now beginning to rethink state policies surrounding severe weather preparation and emergency response.

ReBuild Western Massachusetts, a program developed by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and administered in partnership with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), was announced on August 4th and will distribute more than $8 million to help building owners affected by the tornadoes rebuild using energy efficiency practices and renewable energy technologies. Eligible participants include those who can document damage caused by the June 1 storms, and who own buildings in communities in Hampden and Worcester Counties, including: Agawam, Westfield, West Springfield, Springfield, Wilbraham, Monson, Brimfield, Southbridge and Sturbridge.

The program will offer incentives for solar PV and solar thermal systems, as well as for renewable heating and hot water systems. Zero-interest loans and grants for building with energy efficient windows, doors, attic and wall insulation, and heating equipment will be offered to homeowner victims. Later this year, offerings will include energy efficiency and renewable energy assistance for other building owners, including businesses and municipalities. “There is now a package of incentives for these communities to rebuild cleaner, greener and more efficiently than ever before,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “For homeowners and businesses these programs bring significant reductions in energy costs and deep energy efficiency savings. These measures will also cut energy consumption, cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce our dependence on imported energy sources.”

It is important to note that of the approximately $22 billion Massachusetts spends annually on energy, 80% – or nearly $18 billion – goes out of the state and the country to purchase coal, oil and natural gas from Canada, the Middle East and South America.  ReBuild Western Massachusetts aims to encourage building owners to rebuild using cleaner energy alternatives thereby helping to keep energy sources local while decreasing GHG emissions.

 

Google Pushes for Solar Panels

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Google, a company that continues to invest in and push for clean energy technology, has recently announced its newest, and potentially biggest, capital venture: funding a no-cost installation solar panel program for homeowners.  While already investing in other mammoth clean energy projects across the US, such as a $100 million investment in the world’s biggest wind farm, the company is now creating a $280 million fund to finance SolarCity‘s residential solar projects. Google essentially aims to erase any initial economic burden thereby moving more rapidly towards installation.  Given many homeowners today struggle with the up-front costs of putting up solar panels on their roofs, even with state-funded rebate programs and incentives, such a program comes at an opportune time.

Of course, Google also expects to make plenty of return on its investment.  Rick Needham, Google’s Director of Green Business Operations and Strategy, believes that SolarCity is “attractive enough for us to invest given the risks of the project.” Furthermore, Google will reap a 30% federal tax investment credit for installed solar systems. In addition, SolarCity’s CEO Lyndon Rive expects Google’s funding will allow the company to install between 7,000 and 9,000 new rooftop systems. “This is one of the first corporate investments into distributed solar. Historically, most of the investments have been made by the banks. These have a limited amonts of capital that they can distribute, which is a constraint for solar adoption,” says Rive.

SolarCity hopes Google investment will encourage other corporate investment in the solar panel market. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, less than 0.1% of U.S. homes have rooftop solar panels today, however, that number is expected to increase to 2.4% by 2020.  Investments like Google’s are important market drivers in the demand for clean energy and renewable technologies and it will be interesting to see how much of an impact Google continues to have in this arena.  Countries like Germany, for example, have already pioneered the rapid installation of resident solar panels through widespread government subsidies and incentives and China is not far behind.  The US, however, continues to shift between the push for cleaner energy and our continued reliance on fossil fuels.  Corporate investments, such as Google’s, may be just the message the US needs in order to help kick-start a sluggish national clean energy economy.

Dresden Moving on Climate Protection

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Dresden, a city of 220,000 in the eastern part of Germany, was the target of Allied firebombing in World War II that largely destroyed the city.  The wonderful skyline of towers built by the Saxon kings was restored and the downtown area is vibrant.   While the eastern part of Germany has suffered from emigration to other regions, Dresden has been growing modestly.

The City is bisected by the Elbe River and has a number of tributaries that flow into it.  In 2002, Dresden saw a major flood that inundated the city center, including the central railway station.  Over 1 billion Euros in damage was inflicted by the floods and some lives were lost.  The flooding was the result of the Elbe River overtopping its banks, rising groundwater, and the Weisseritz River defying its re-direction and flowing in its historic route.  The 2002 flood is at the front of City officials’ minds as they develop responses to climate change.

Dresden has a small climate protection office formed in 2010 and headed by Ina Helzig.  The office focuses on climate mitigation initiatives.  Dresden’s goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% below 2010 levels by 2030.   The City sees their climate and sustainability program as part of their economic development strategy.

Work on adaptation has been centered in a regional initiative called REGKLAM that is funded by the federal government.  The adaptation program is at the stage of assessing Dresden’s vulnerabilities in order to develop their strategy.  But they have already taken action to prevent a repeat of the 2002 flood.  The City’s strategy includes preventing additional development in floodplains, monitoring weather conditions, raising flood retention walls by about 1 meter, creating a system of temporary flood retention barriers to protect the city center, modifying the combined sewer system to store more water and reduce the frequency of sewage overflows to the Elbe, and lowering groundwater levels under key buildings.  An underground retention facility was constructed at a central pumping station to hold 35,000 cubic meters of storm flows.   The City has also installed additional gates in the combined sewer conduit system to shut down the pipes and use them for storage.  Dresden believes the improved system will help them minimize the flooding effects of climate change.

One other climate-related strategy that Dresden, and some other German cities, employs is to protect air flow channels coming down from of the surrounding mountains.  Most of the land within the city boundaries is open space.   There are valleys that slope down to the Elbe River that bring cooler air to the Elbe and into the city.  Land use changes and development that would reduce this effect are restricted.  While this wasn’t done as an adaptation measure, I think this strategy will help Dresden cope with rising temperatures.  This approach has not been taken in any American cities as far as I know.  But it would complement other efforts to reduce the urban heat island effect.

The March on Blair Mountain

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Mountain streams in Ouray County, Colorado run yellow because of the tailings from the gold mills (LOC) by The Library of Congress

On June 5th, roughly 600 activists and marchers began a five day 50 mile hike from Marmet, West Virginia to Blair Mountain in protest of mountain top removal (MTR), a destructive and highly contested form of strip mining. Blair Mountain, one of the last, originally standing mountains in that region of Appalachia to avoid MTR, is also an historical site with battle fields and artifacts dating back to the Civil War and before.  It’s also, like many of the pristine mountains in that region, loaded with coal reserves.  Unfortunately, for the residents of states such as West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia, MTR is an all too common reality.  Current data show that as of 2010, an area the size of Delaware has been mined using MTR techniques and there is, tragically, no end in sight given our insatiable demand for coal-fired power.

The March on Blair Mountain aims to draw attention not only to the environmental devastation plaguing Appalachia, but to the countless union jobs lost as a result of MTR. Before MTR became standard practice, union laborers mined for coal in these same mountains using traditional deep-mining methods. Today however, the mechanization of MTR has made the mining process more “efficient” thereby cutting half the workers that deep mining traditionally employs. In Boone County, WV the state’s most heavily mined county, 2,053 miners working in underground mines produce more than 10 million tons of coal a year, while 1,086 surface miners produce 12 million tons. One local miner was quoted as saying, “MTR is a job killer, it is not a job creator.”

While coal mining alone remains a contested topic for both energy policy and environmental policy, what’s currently taking place in Appalachia is complete annihilation of million-year old mountains and the associated streams and ecosystems that sustain life in that region.  Tens of thousands of acres of land have already been demolished – if not irreparably – and water tables are now laden with coal runoff and other debris impacting the health of local residents and wildlife alike. At the same time, energy demand continues to rise, while the Earth’s precious resources remain finite. And mountain top removal is just one of the high-impact energy extraction industries; the Alberta tar sands, hydrolic fracturing (“fracking”) and deep-ocean drilling are all loosely regulated, dangerous and environmentally damaging businesses.

We need a cleaner, renewable revolution for our pressing energy woes and we need clean, green job alternatives and training options for those pushed out of archaic industries, such as coal mining.  This revolution also comes in the form of energy efficiency behavior changes at home and renewably sourced energy options from utility providers.  The Earth simply cannot sustain current energy demand without an alternative (and immediate) solution on a global scale.  Please visit The Last Mountain to learn more about action points you can take and to see clips of the new documentary film coming out this month about Blair Mountain.