Monday, June 30, 2014
Climate Stories You Missed While Watching The World Cup
Thomson Reuters Predicts the Top 10 Innovations for 2025
The Intellectual Property & Science business of Thomson Reuters has released a new report titled, "The World in 2025: 10 Predictions of Innovation ," which offers the company's predictions on the landscape of science and technology in 2025 by mining global patent data and scientific literature.
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First Wind Subsidiary Snatches Up Texas Project
EDF Places 450 MW Order As Part Of Vestas MSA
RES Americas To Begin Construction On Border Winds Project
Gamesa Signs Construction Agreement In Uruguay
Obama says US supporting Chilean solar power plan
Obama was meeting in the Oval Office on Monday with Chilean President Michelle Bachelet.
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Growth In Green Bond Market Underscores Need For Market Standards
YieldCos Could Cut Renewables Costs by 20%, Study Finds
Detroit Electric Minus Detroit, Audi A3 e-tron Priced, Envia + GM Again?… (EV News)
There’s been some quite interesting electrified vehicle (EV) news in the past few days. Like the ongoing World Cup in Brazil, it seems like some things are simply upside down. Have a look: Detroit Electric Minus Detroit: The Detroit Electric brand is supposed to be getting a revival, but the odd thing is that none
Detroit Electric Minus Detroit, Audi A3 e-tron Priced, Envia + GM Again?… (EV News) was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.
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Yingli to leave 'solar legacy' in Brazil following World Cup
Pass the Mustard: Why Carinata is Taking Root as Biofuel
South Africa Crosses 500 MW In Installed Solar Power Capacity
The world’s most attractive emerging solar market just crossed 500 MW in installed capacity, entering the list of top 10 countries in terms of solar power capacity. The milestone was reached after four utility-scale solar power projects were commissioned in South Africa in May this year. According to online solar power projects tracker WikiSolar, these
South Africa Crosses 500 MW In Installed Solar Power Capacity was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.
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Our Comment in Nature Calling for Oil Sands Moratorium
Green, Astudillo power BlueClaws past Power - www.app.com
www.app.com | Green, Astudillo power BlueClaws past Power www.app.com CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Zach Green hit two home runs and Willians Astudillo hit another, as the Lakewood BlueClaws snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 10-5 win over the West Virginia Power on Sunday afternoon at Appalachian Power Park. POWER BASEBALL: Loss to Lakewood snaps West Virginia's five-game win streak Miscues prove costly for Power in defeat Green homers twice for BlueClaws |
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Tendril Has a New Idea for Helping Utilities Make Money on Efficiency and Distributed Energy
In the residential sector, companies offering software-based energy management products are often operating in a different world from home performance contractors.
Opower, the most well-known intelligent efficiency provider, has become nearly a billion-dollar company through building an "engagement platform" that brings reliable savings of 2 percent across a utility's customer base. Meanwhile, the thousands of small, disaggregated contractors insulating homes and replacing windows can bring much bigger double-digit improvements, but struggle to scale beyond local markets or clearly monitor savings.
It's hard to make money in retrofitting homes. That's why most intelligent efficiency companies haven't touched the space, and why SolarCity ditched its efficiency business in favor of a web-based tool allowing it to outsource retrofits to local contractors.
Can the two worlds ever come together?
Tendril CEO Adrian Tuck thinks they can. And he's developing a plan to put Tendril in the middle.
In May, Tuck described Tendril's new microtargeting platform designed to give utilities a new way to deliver energy services to homeowners. Along with sending messages to customers about basic efficiency techniques -- an offering pioneered by Opower and now offered by many different companies -- Tendril is looking to create a "broader set of interactions" that can get contractors in the door to implement retrofits.
In an interview at last week's Grid Edge Live conference, Tuck described the company's latest approach to residential home energy management.
"A lot of these services are organized around silos. As a consequence, you buy energy efficiency, solar or other individual services. We want to move in a direction that brings them all together with the customer at the center," said Tuck.
What does that mean, exactly? Tuck wants to use Tendril's existing platform to help energy service providers bid for customers, while giving utilities a chance to make money on the transaction.
After a long struggle with its business model that almost brought the company down, Tendril ditched its hardware-centric approach and focused on behavioral analysis that brings 1-3 percent savings through simple mailers, emails and web alerts. The company has started winning contracts again, most recently to manage a customer engagement program for 100,000 of NV Energy's customers.
In the wake of its near-implosion, Tendril was "not invited to the table" many times for utility procurements, said Tuck. But the company is now winning roughly half of the contracts it bids for, and has started unseating incumbents in the bidding process.
Tuck said utilities are once again interested in Tendril because of its vision for how to pull in more transactions beyond simple behavior changes.
"When we talk to them about why we won [a contract], they understand that efficiency enables a broader way to deal with customers. One interaction can help create a broader set of interactions," said Tuck.
Under Tendril's expanded model, which is still in the early pilot phase, the company would send a notification to a customer with detailed information on how they're using energy. With help from software it acquired from Recurve, Tendril could create a model of the home and offer different payback scenarios for equipment upgrades or distributed energy systems. Tendril would then use its brokering technology to allow vendors to bid on the service and provide a quote to the customer. The entire process is white labeled so that it looks like comes from the utility.
Tuck said the approach solves three big problems. The competitive bidding creates a true market and eliminates the perception that utilities are choosing contractors. It also allows the utility to make money off the transaction if completed, giving power companies an incentive to offer new services. Finally, he believes it will make customers feel like utilities are "on their side."
"The utility gets paid, we make a market and the consumer feels empowered. This is Tendril's view of how this business gets cracked," said Tuck.
The platform is somewhat similar to SolarCity's "energy explorer" service that connects efficiency contractors to homeowners. But unlike SolarCity, Tendril wants to put the utility at the center of the transaction. It already has millions of customers that could feed into the system, assuming it scales up. And as Tuck explained in a previous interview, solar providers like SolarCity could eventually compete for new customers through Tendril.
It's still very early for this new model. So far, Tendril has only found a few utilities willing to start pilots. It's also unclear if revenues from brokering energy services can make up for lost electricity sales. But Tuck believes its an important way to get utilities more connected with the homeowner and less afraid of selling services that cut into the bottom line.
"This passes several levels of 'sniff tests,'" said Tuck. "We think we've cracked the code."
Tendril's plan is seemingly unique from other residential intelligent efficiency companies. Every firm operating in the space is firmly focused on the concept of "customer engagement," but each has a different approach.
Opower is attempting to expand by moving into behavioral demand response, managing the customer billing side of solar programs or broker the sale of smart thermostats. C3 Energy is firmly entrenched in the data analytics side, and thinks more information is the way to get customers to get more efficient. And firms such as Bidgely, PlotWatt and Pulse Energy think that disaggregation -- using submeters and pattern recognition software -- offer an extremely targeted solution that can bring double-digit savings in the residential and commercial sector.
In Tuck's view of the world, data should be used not just for visualization and simple behavior changes, but also for delivering "hard products" to homeowners through the utility.
"We ultimately think the market is going to move in that direction," he said.
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Inteco, RE-Pro partner on 135 MW of renewable projects in Europe
Solar-users will save less on utilities next year
Vivint Solar technicians install solar panels on the roof of a house in Mission Viejo, California, in this October 25, 2013 file photo.
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Investment In Clean Energy And Efficiency Could Spur A $12 Billion Market
Off-grid renewable energy is one of the cheapest, most effective ways to get electricity to the 1.3 billion people around the world who lack it, the Sierra Club argues in a new report.
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You Can Plant A Virtual Tree That Grows To The Rhythm Of Your Heartbeat
In the real world, watching a tree grow would take years. But thanks to Belgian artist Naziha Mestaoui , you can watch virtual trees grow and blossom before your eyes.
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UK's pioneering low carbon heating scheme helps just 79 households
Fears that renewable heat incentive hailed as 'first of its kind in the world' will repeat slow take-up of green deal scheme
The much-delayed government scheme to encourage Britons to switch to low carbon heating has helped just 79 homes install new boilers in the two months since it launched.
Greg Barker, the climate minister, trumpeted the scheme as the first of its kind in the world when it was launched in April, but already there are fears it will go the way of the green deal the governments energy efficiency programme which achieved very low take-up.
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Tesla Gets First Service Station Approved In New Jersey
Last Thursday, the Paramus, New Jersey Zoning Board of Adjustment approved a 27,000 square-foot Tesla service center and store
Tesla Gets First Service Station Approved In New Jersey was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.
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Investment In Clean Energy And Efficiency Could Spur A $12 Billion Market - ThinkProgress
ThinkProgress | Investment In Clean Energy And Efficiency Could Spur A $12 Billion Market ThinkProgress Off-grid renewable energy is one of the cheapest, most effective ways to get electricity to the 1.3 billion people around the world who lack it, the Sierra Club argues in a new report. The report looked at how energy access can be delivered more cost ... Off-Grid, Clean Energy Access Market Valued At $12 Billion |
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Renewable Energy Provides 88 Percent of All New Generation for May, But Fossil Fuel Use, CO2 on the Rise
Renewable energy records set in California and Texas
Yingli to leave 'solar legacy' following World Cup in Brazil
Industry Complaints About the New EPA Carbon Pollution Rule? We've Heard It All Before
Global Renewable Energy Capacity Has Nearly Doubled to 1,560 Gigawatts Since 2004
In the past nine years, global renewable energy capacity has nearly doubled from 800 gigawatts to 1,560 gigawatts, with solar and wind showing the biggest gains.
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Investment In Clean Energy And Efficiency Could Spur A $12 Billion Market - ThinkProgress
ThinkProgress | Investment In Clean Energy And Efficiency Could Spur A $12 Billion Market ThinkProgress Off-grid renewable energy is one of the cheapest, most effective ways to get electricity to the 1.3 billion people around the world who lack it, the Sierra Club argues in a new report. The report looked at how energy access can be delivered more cost ... Off-Grid, Clean Energy Access Market Valued At $12 Billion |
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What If Oil Companies Apply The Same Tactics For Cybersecurity To Safety?
Why We Need CCS, Part 4: Carbon Negative Solutions
Switching On Power Sector Reform in India
China Becomes World's Largest PV Market
2015 Nissan Leaf Gets Minor Updates
For 2015, Nissan Leaf buyers will have a new color option called Morningsky Blue, which replaces the popular Blue Ocean color on the palette.
2015 Nissan Leaf Gets Minor Updates was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.
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Megawide earmarks $100-M for renewable energy
MANILA, Philippines Megawide Construction Corp. has earmarked $100 million to develop several renewable energy projects to help address the country's power shortage issues.
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3 Harmful Dietary Habits That Can Drain The Energy Right Out Of You - Huffington Post
3 Harmful Dietary Habits That Can Drain The Energy Right Out Of You Huffington Post Don't compound the problem by maintaining a diet that drains the energy right out of you. For example, sugary foods may seem like a good idea, as they may give you a quick burst of energy, but they're actually not as your blood sugar will wind up lower ... |
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The Need for a Trend Break in the Carbon Intensity of Energy Use
NREL To Fuel Cell EV Critics: La-La-La-La-La
NREL bets the ranch on fuel cell electric vehicles, forms a new R&D partnership with GM to cut the cost of EV fuel cells with materials
NREL To Fuel Cell EV Critics: La-La-La-La-La was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.
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Capital Stage acquires 16 MW solar projects in France
4 New Energy Maps Show A Lot About Renewables - CleanTechnica
Herald Scotland | 4 New Energy Maps Show A Lot About Renewables CleanTechnica When the U.S. Energy Information Administration launched its new U.S. Energy Mapping System last fall and upgraded it for use on mobile devices in early June, it powered a system allowing anyone to visualize some of the reams of data the EIA compiles ... Illinois putting $30M of solar into energy mix Stumbo should stick to the facts on renewable energy |
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Chinese group looking for partners to develop solar projects in Russia
Business Leaders Call on Congress to Extend Clean Energy Tax Credits
Business leaders are calling on Congress to take action and extend clean energy tax incentives.
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UK: PV popular "north of the border"
Shaking off the energy crisis: how far can kinetic deliver on its promises?
When the sun sets in Kenya, tens of millions of people set about the daily challenge of lighting their homes. Some 80% of the population lives off-grid, according to the World Bank, while 550m people across Africa lack access to electricity. Despite the rise of solar technology, burning kerosene oil is still commonplace for many Kenyans, a practice that weighs heavily on the household purse and exposes families to noxious fumes.
Sudha Kheterpal, the former percussionist with the band Faithless, has developed a prototype percussion shaker to help children in rural Kenya gain access to a few hours' extra light and learn about renewable energy. Shaken for 12 minutes, it can yield an hour of power.
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Scotland shale gas reserves 'a fraction of those in northern England'
Midland Valley of Scotland has up to 134.6 trillion cubic feet of shale gas below ground, according to British Geological Survey
Shale gas reserves in Scotland are a fraction of those in northern England, a new study shows.
Published on Tuesday, the survey is the third in a series of reports by the British Geological Survey (BGS) to map shale gas and oil reserves across the UK.
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Some Energy System Home Truths
Tofu ingredient could clean up solar cell recipe
Tofu has long been touted as a good way to clean out your insides, but now a researcher at the University of Liverpool says an ingredient in tofu could also be used to clean up solar cells.
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Storms Hog Power bioenergy plant up and fully operational
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Trudeau Tries to Bury Father's Legacy on Alberta Energy - Bloomberg
Trudeau Tries to Bury Father's Legacy on Alberta Energy Bloomberg The last time a politician named Trudeau tried to regulate Canada's energy industry, it sparked outrage in Alberta. Justin Trudeau is betting his plan to manage growth in the oil sands will be less combustible. The Liberal Party leader and son of ... |
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Abbott Modellers Assume Australian Households Will Invest $30 Billion In Rooftop Solar
RenewEconomy ACIL Allen, the modellers hired by Tony Abbott’s review of the renewable energy target, is assuming that Australian households will invest $30 billion of their own money in rooftop solar in the coming decades, even if the government brings large scale renewable energy investment to a crashing halt. The modelling conducted by ACIL Allen
Abbott Modellers Assume Australian Households Will Invest $30 Billion In Rooftop Solar was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.
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Conserve Energy to Save Water - New York Times
Conserve Energy to Save Water New York Times Chances are you've washed your hands a few times today. Have you ever considered the energy footprint of this ritual? Or how much water is needed to power your lights, computers and cars? Water is an integral part of energy development and production. |
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Clive Palmer says his carbon tax repeal amendment will help industry too
MP says change he is demanding will enforce price reductions for large industrial power users as well as households
Clive Palmer says the amendment he is demanding in return for his partys Senate votes to repeal the carbon tax will include price reductions for large industrial power users that have direct contracts with generators, as well as for households.
He also suggested it could apply to businesses that put up prices due to the carbon tax, other than the electricity and gas companies covered by the competition watchdogs price exploitation powers.
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Modesto Irrigation District corrects fumble over solar rebates
The Modesto Irrigation District appears to have appeased dozens of customers by reopening for a short period a window for solar rebate applications.
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NV Energy's CEO pumped up profits, walks away with millions - Las Vegas Sun
NV Energy's CEO pumped up profits, walks away with millions Las Vegas Sun When Michael Yackira took charge of NV Energy in 2007, the company was earning big profits just a few years after it almost went bankrupt. Nevada's main electric utility stayed in the black on his watch, despite his steering more cash to shareholders ... |
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Fast Growth Forecast For Nanogrids, Microgrids
Inside Buffalo's bid for clean energy
"I said, 'Man, that's exactly what we're doing.' I know how this model works. I've seen the success of it.
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Off-Grid, Clean Energy Access Market Valued At $12 Billion - CleanTechnica
Off-Grid, Clean Energy Access Market Valued At $12 Billion CleanTechnica The Sierra Club just released a new report — Clean Energy Services For All (CES4All) - - showing that off-grid clean energy is the right tool for the energy access job. That's because it's the fastest, cheapest, and most effective means of ending ... Bill Gates: 'miracles' needed in clean energy sector |
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Commentary: Working together on energy needs - Washington Post
Commentary: Working together on energy needs Washington Post The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rules that would cut carbon pollution significantly by 2030 come at a time when elected officials in the Washington area have been focusing on the need to upgrade the region's energy infrastructure. The EPA ... |
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23 Trillion Reasons to Invest in These Energy "Pick-and-Shovel" Providers - Motley Fool
23 Trillion Reasons to Invest in These Energy "Pick-and-Shovel" Providers Motley Fool According to the International Energy Agency, the world needs to invest $48 trillion by 2035 to meet its energy needs. Of that amount, $23 trillion will need to be invested to help offset current energy supplies as oil and gas wells deplete, as well as ... Motley Fool: Energy portfolio could get boost from National Oilwell Varco |
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New wind turbines generate back the energy it took to make them in just six months say new study
Joe Romm of Think Progress reports A New Wind Turbine Generates Back The Energy It Takes To Build It In Just 6 Months, based on a study just published by The European Photovoltaic Industry Association which says, " epending on the type of PV system and the location of the installation, the EPBT at present is between 0.5 and 1.4 years."
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Largest Private-Led Community Solar Garden (SunShare) 100% Subscribed
Community solar is really taking off. The nation’s largest privately developed and subscribed Community Solar Garden, implemented by Colorado energy company SunShare in Colorado Springs, has just sold out its 10,000+ panel installation, which could power over 500 average Colorado homes. Construction begins this fall, and SunShare is already compiling a waitlist for the next
Largest Private-Led Community Solar Garden (SunShare) 100% Subscribed was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.
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Seven Natural Boosters For Summer Energy - Santa Monica Mirror
Seven Natural Boosters For Summer Energy Santa Monica Mirror Now that summer is here, match that burst of energy that that causes blossoms to form and flower. Feel ready and raring to tackle outdoor chores, plant gardens, and just be outside feeling invigorated. 1. Spring training. Mix up your exercise routine ... |
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France Sees Escape From Russian Energy Dependence in Azerbaijan
See all those languages up there? We translate Global Voices stories to make the world's citizen media available to everyone.
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World’s Most Affordable Solar Light Bulb?
By Terri Steele Nokero International, LLC last week announced availability of its ultra-efficient solar light bulb, the N182, billed as the world’s brightest and most affordable LED solar light bulb. Offering double the light output in housing two-thirds the size of its predecessor, the new, trimmer N182 employs the most efficient LED on the market
World’s Most Affordable Solar Light Bulb? was originally published on CleanTechnica. To read more from CleanTechnica, join over 50,000 other subscribers: Google+ | Email | Facebook | RSS | Twitter.
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