Geothermal Pics

Here are pics of the Casey geothermal installation, courtesy of Mara Auster and the Daily Camera.

-Tiffany

Background

Hi -
I am doing a project on ways to replace mountaintop mined coal energy for another class and came across some stuff that we should probably include somewhere as background information.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/trends/rentrends.html

I think we should say something like:

Renewable energy accounts for 7 percent of the energy consumption in the U.S. according to official energy statistics from the U.S. government.

This chart shows the main sources America uses to generate renewable energy:
(I just made this chart in excel based on the one from EIS and saved it in photoshop)

Possible photos to use as needed

Hi -
I found some commercial commons photos we could use if needed for our site here they are:
"Darling Wind Farm" by warrenski's photostream
(a ton of Wind farm photos on his stream)











"Wood Pellets" by thingermejig's photostream (Wood pellets are a form of biomass)








"day 68 Illinois Corn" by Randy Wick's photostream

"Geothermal borehole house" by lydurs' photostream

Resources and Definitions

Resources
Find out more about the current state of renewable energy in the U.S.

• National Renewable Energy Lab: http://www.nrel.gov/
• Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: http://www.eere.energy.gov/
• Department of Energy on the Smart Grid: http://www.oe.energy.gov/smartgrid.htm
• Mother Nature Network on renewable energy: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/eia-how-much-renewable-energy-do-we-use
• Environmental Protection Agency on where stimulus funding is going: http://www.epa.gov/recovery/where.html
• http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/
• http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/geothermal/geothermal.html
• http://news.mongabay.com/bioenergy/2008/03/cu-boulder-awarded-project-solar.html
• http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/07/17/celestial-seasonings-others-partner-with-boulder-on-biomass-study/
• http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/feb/24/boulder-county-host-meeting-proposed-biomass-sorti/?partner=RSS
• http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?lname=US+Biomass+Power+Producers+Alliance&year=2008
• http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biomass.html

Definitions
• Check this site out: http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/rea_data/gl.html - If everyone could look at this and pull out and rewrite the ones that they use in their stuff we should have a fairly compressive list).
• Biomass: Biological material that is a form of renewable energy.
• Biofuels: Fuel created from biomass plants like corn.
• Biomass gas (Biogas): A gas created from organic reactions in for example landfills.
• Renewable Energy: Energy that is sustainable and naturally is replenished such as sola, wind, ocean energy etc.
• Wood energy: Wood is a form of biomass energy that is a renewable energy source that is found in may forms including but not limited to wood chips and round wood.


- Joanna

More on Wind from Cassie and Joanna

Hi all-
We interviewed Dave Newport at the CU-Environmental Center today and he had a lot of great things to say! Apparently CU is working towards reducing carbon emissions by switching over to renewable forms of energy in the next ten years or so... We used the flip video camera and are editing the video and will post this informative video soon. Also, I've e-mailed Paul Komar ( a wind expert) about using some of his content on our site.
Cheers,
Joanna

Is the Stimulus Reaching You?

A link to Colorado Public Radio - KCFR is tracking the stimulus in Colorado
http://www.publicradio.org/applications/formbuilder/user/form_display.php?isPIJ=Y&form_code=6f38d121bfb5

AND/OR

http://www.kcfr.org/

- Lauren

Geothermal Cost Comparisons

Things I Have:
- An economic assessment of a residence in Englewood, Colo. completed by Geo-Energy Services, LLC
- Residential federal tax incentive pdf

- And this e-mail from a designer with Rocky Mountain Geothermal:

Lauren,

Here is a recent study we have provided:

I have put together this economic summary.  Normally, this indicates a 7-10
payback, occasionally higher or lower.  When I put this together, I did not
really believe it, but I’ve looked over all of my inputs and other features
this thing indicates.  What this indicates is that the 30% tax credit, makes
this system a near immediate payback because it has a lower installed cost
from the initial start.

Here is the basis of assumption:
Modeled House: 24,570 sqft built with energy code compliant walls, roofs,
and windows.

Conventional system (Alternative 2): Hot water boiler for radiant floor
heating in the basement and hot water serving  4-pipe fan coils for the main
and upper level.  Air-cooled chiller for chilled water serving fan coil
units of main and upper level.  Primary chilled water and hot water
circulation pumps.

Geothermal system (Alternative 1): hot water for radiant using
water-to-water heat pump units in the basement and then water-to-air heat
pump units for the main and upper level.  Primary water pump from ground
loop heat exchanger to all heat pump units in house.  A vertical ground heat
exchanger using approximately 22-400’ deep vertical boreholes.

Convention system installation cost: $15/sqft included for all HVAC system
costs = $368,550

Geothermal system installation cost: $15/sqft plus a 15% premium above
conventional (although I argue the interior cost is nearly the same cost,
but to be prudent let’s assume a 15% up charge for whatever reason) and then
an estimated $120,000 for the ground loop heat exchanger cost.  As it stands
now, the entire geothermal system cost is a 30% tax credit (attached
brochure) = $368550 (inside HVAC) + $55,282.50 (15% premium) + $120,000
(ground loop) = $543,832.50 -$163149.75 (30% Tax Credit) = $380,682.81

Current Xcel utility rates for electricity and natural gas with 3%
escalation per year for electricity and 5% per year for natural gas (both
DOE stated escalation factors for Life Cycle Analysis purposes)

Also understand in this analysis that general assumptions about use of the
house have also been assumed with appliances, TVs, lights, etc. throughout
the house, but as far as this energy model goes, the same general
information with this respect have been applied to both HVAC systems.

This is a scalable analysis , so if installation costs were presumed higher,
say $20/sqft for the conventional system and $23/sqft for the geothermal
system, the payback calculation would remain relatively the same, just the
installation costs would be higher.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thanks,

Trey

Warren (Trey) Austin, III, P.E.
Certified GeoExchange Designer
Certified Energy Manager

Background on Wave Energy

How it Works

Ocean waves, provided they’re captured at the right spot, can supply almost endless amounts of usable energy. Wave energy can be thought of as stored, concentrated wind energy, created as the wind blows over the surface of the water and transfers its energy to the waves. The waves create surface motion, as well as pressure fluctuations under the water’s surface, which can be captured by complicated devices called Wave Energy Converters (WECs).


These devices contain either a turbine or hydraulic motors, which convert the wave’s power into electricity. But their mechanisms are all very different. These devices are usually put together in “wave farms,” concentrated in sections of the ocean. Right now there are four major types of WECs, which can be used close to shore, offshore, and far offshore, depending on the needs of the device.


Terminators: One of the most complicated mechanisms, terminators are rooted on shore, and rely on breaking wave energy to move a column of air through a two-way turbine. As the water hits the air, it forces the air through a narrow column, the pressure of which turns the turbine as it enters and as it recedes. (See an example here.)


Point Absorbers: These mechanisms use buoy technology to float along with the waves. As they move up and down, water flows into a chamber through the bottom of the buoy and is forced into a narrow cylinder in the center. The force of the water then turns a turbine at the top of the buoy, creating electricity. (See an example here.)


Attenuators: Looking like a submarine about to emerge from the water, attenuators are long, cylindrical tubes that are positioned perpendicular to the incoming waves, usually close to shore. The tubes are connected by hinged joints, which move with the waves, causing pressure changes within an internal hydraulic system. As the hydraulic arms move they turn motors that in turn drive electrical generators to produce electricity. Many attenuators can be connected, in various layouts, to produce more energy. (See an example here.)


Overtopping devices: These structures act much like hydroelectric dams—except in the middle of the ocean. A semi-circular reservoir is constructed in deep water and moored to the seabed just like a ship. The sides of the reservoir are short and steep; as waves hit them they ride up the side and “overtop” into the reservoir, which is several feet above the ocean surface. Gravity pulls the water back into the ocean through common hydro-electric turbines which use nothing but the water’s energy to create electricity. (See an example here.)


Ocean currents: A developing technology
Another potential energy source uses the ocean’s natural currents to turn underwater turbines rooted to the ocean floor (much like wind turbines on land). Though water moves much more slowly than wind, its density—800 times that of air—can transfer much greater energy. According to the EIS, experts say that using just 1/100th of the available energy from the Gulf Stream would be enough to supply 35 percent of Florida’s energy needs. Though the technology is being investigated, currently no commercial current-fed turbines are connected to the grid.


Sources: The United States Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service Environmental Impact Statement on Ocean Energy


Current and future potential
Since wave power is not consistent in all parts of the ocean, wave energy is not feasible in every part of the world. Currently the most viable wave-energy-rich locations are on the western coasts of Scotland, northern Canada, southern Africa, Australia, and the northwestern coasts of the United States.


Utilities and universities in Hawaii, Washington, Rhode Island, California and Oregon are testing various types of WECs. An exciting possibility would combine offshore wind turbines—already is use in the U.S.—with wave energy converters.


According the Department of Energy, the potential extractable wave energy around North America is some 2,100 TWh (terawatt, or a trillion watts, hours) per year, representing 75 percent of the US’s current demand. But the US lags behind many European countries that are already taking advantage of ocean power.


Disadvantages
Because of the invasive nature of wave energy converters, experts have isolated the following potential disadvantages to the technology:
-Possible disruption of shipping lanes and recreational boaters’ space
-Potential effects on marine habitats
-Toxic releases from hydraulic or other fluids necessary to work the devices
-Noise and sight disruptions, especially those close to shore. These vary according to the type of device, but can include underwater noise effects on marine life.


Local Information
Though you won’t see wave energy being added into the renewable portfolio in Colorado anytime soon, local scientists at NREL are part of the development technology.


The Obama Factor
Though wave energy is not a top priority within the Economic Recovery Package (according to this breakdown), the government has promised some $2.5 billion toward the study of new renewable energy technologies.


Additional Resources
The Department of Energy on wave power
A presentation by the Department of Energy on current research and developments in ocean energy
The Electric Power Research Institute
Watch a new generation wave energy mechanism in action

--Tiffany

More Photos for Doub Profile

from left to right, Xcel check, sun space, inverter and utility meter, copper piping in geothermal system.

Eric Doub - solar aficionado

First of 5-part series profile/feature of Eric Doub, owner of green building company EcoFutures (by Molly)

Eric Doub’s net-zero-energy home

Daily, a futuristic-looking house in north Boulder devours energy bestowed by Colorado’s generous sunshine. Solar Harvest is the first net-zero-waste, energy-producing house in Boulder. Forty photovoltaic and solar thermal panels drape the roofs of the modern stucco landmark.

“It’s a laboratory for what we do, and we happen to be living in it,” said Eric Doub, general contractor, owner of Solar Harvest and of the green building firm EcoFutures. He designed the home with his wife Catherine and lives in it with third-grade son Brian and 11-year-old daughter Ariel.

Doub, 45, is about six feet tall with thick, smoke-colored hair and a focused blue gaze. He’s helped hundreds of houses exploit the sun’s free energy since founding EcoFutures in 1993. His mission is to build homes that create zero waste, and he approaches his job with an idealistic and innovative spirit that spills over into his personal life and influences his family, employees, clients and others in both the environmental and building industry. Doub judges the current sustainability movement, even his own progress in green building, as better than nothing but not nearly good enough. He wants to help society raise the bar, which is why he built Solar Harvest.

On a balmy Tuesday morning in late February, Doub led two prospective clients from Kansas and two curious onlookers on a room-by-room, two-hour tour of Solar Harvest. He couldn’t have been more comfortable leading strangers through his home. A transfixed listener and communicator, Doub is happy to venture onto ecological and philosophical tangents. He can also rattle off engineering quotients and mechanical data that make your head spin, which he directed mainly toward the mechanical engineer on the tour.

Since moving into the modern stucco home in 2005, Doub has led 2,600 prospective clients and solar buffs around to show off the geothermal ins and outs and luxurious accoutrements of the solar house.

“The novelty is still there after two-plus years. It’s been really cold this winter, and you come inside from outdoors, and it’s just toasty warm,” Doub said. “And you go, ‘Where is this heat coming from? Oh yeah, it was sunny two days ago and the house is still holding the heat.”

Visitors squinted as the sun melted recent snow off his solar panels. Energy monitors by the garage showed the house was generating 5,000 watts at that very moment. A microwave uses about 1,500 of those watts. A 6.4-kilowat photovoltaic array was mounted on the roof, its flat-plate panels containing cells made of silicon semiconductors. When sunlight hits the plates, the semiconductors collect energy and knock electrons loose to flow freely. An electric field in the panel forces the electrons to flow in one direction and an electrical direct current, or DC, is created. The DC is then passed through an inverter and is converted into the alternating current, AC, that powers Doub’s home.

The system, tied to the grid, sells extra energy to Xcel Energy on sunny days and buys energy on cloudy days. On a partly cloudy day in March, Solar Harvest generated about 21 kilowatt-hours (kWh,) consumed about 17 kWh and sold 4 kWh to the grid. Over the course of a year, net-zero homes produce as much or more energy than they consume.

Wind power background component

Technology

Wind is a clean, inexhaustible, and renewable energy resource that holds the potential to provide huge amounts of power in the U.S. Wind energy is one of the fastest-growing forms of electricity generation in the world. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the U.S. can currently generate more than 25,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity from the wind, which is enough to power about 7 million average American homes. Industry experts predict that, with proper development, wind energy could provide 20 percent of our country’s energy needs.

Wind turbines capture wind power, turning kinetic energy into mechanical power. Wind turns the large, scythe-like blades, which in turn spin a shaft inside the turbine that is connected to a generator that makes electricity. Small turbines can be used for individual homes or uses, while large turbines—the monolithic structures seen on wind farms—are more efficient and supply bulk energy needs for the grid.

Benefits of wind power include:
• Clean fuel source
• Turbines don’t produce emissions contributing to acid rain or greenhouse gasses
• Wind supply in U.S. is abundant
• Low price technology
• Economic benefits to land owners who rent their land for wind power farms
• Wind turbines don’t consume or require water
• Energy can be used in a variety of applications from individual sailboats to large-scale wind plants

The Department of Energy (DOE) provides a comprehensive background on wind energy, as well as detailing the advantages and disadvantages of wind energy.

Local Scoop

Although the potential for wind power is abundant in Colorado, electricity is primarily generated from fossil fuels, with over 83 percent produced from coal. Yet Colorado is increasingly looking to wind power in terms of wind farm development, cutting-edge research at NREL's National Wind Technology Center, and partnerships between private utility companies and progressive environmental nonprofits.

• Wind Farms

Colorado has an estimated 6 million acres of windy lands, particularly on the eastern plains. Two large-scale wind developments exist at Ponnequin Wind Farm near the Wyoming border, Cedar Creek Farm outside of Greeley, and the Peetz Table Wind Farm near Sterling.
If you’re curious about the Ponnequin wind farm you can read a little about it here at the American Wind Energy Association website or have an aerial look on Google maps.

Additionally, Vestas Wind Systems of Denmark is currently building a turbine blade plant in Windsor, Colo., north of Denver. This will better accommodate the delivery of large turbine blades to wind farm sites in the western U.S.

• NREL

NREL's National Wind Technology Center is preparing to install the two largest turbines ever tested at the laboratory in order to further increase turbine performance and technological efficiency. NREL also partnered with Wind Powering America to launch the Wind for Schools project in 2005. A pilot project in Walsenburg, Colo. resulted in one small turbine powering the local school in conjuction with a wind energy curriculum. This project (link to PDF) is set to install small wind turbines at rural schools, replicating the Colorado pilot process in six Great Plains states (CO, ID, KS, MT, NE, SD).

• Xcel

Xcel Energy launched Windsource in 1998. The program gives Colorado consumers a chance to pay a premium to support the development of electricity generated by Colorado wind farms. About 47,000 customers enrolled, yet according to a recent article in the Rocky Mountain News the utility company overcharged customers for the program and will refund them in the near future.

Xcel built Colorado's first commercial wind farm, Ponnequin Wind Farm, and also purchased the entire energy output of the state's second wind farm, Ridgecrest near Peetz. Xcel also uuses wind energy from the Colorado Green, Spring Canyons, Peetz Table, Logan Wind, Twin Buttes, and Cedar Creek wind farms.

Policy Mechanisms

See information on the American Wind Energy Association website on how President Obama's stimulus package will affect wind energy development. Wind power is capable of becoming a major contributor to America’s electricity supply over the next three decades, according to a report by the U.S. Department of Energy. The groundbreaking report, "20% Wind Energy by 2030: Increasing Wind Energy’s Contribution to U.S. Electricity Supply," looks closely at one scenario for reaching 20 percent wind energy by 2030 and contrasts it to a scenario of no new U.S. wind power capacity. The AWEA explains the report in light of a new energy agenda prompted by the Obama administration.

There are many significant provisions to benefit renewable energy in the economic recovery legislation passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, including:

* a Treasury Department grant program for renewable energy developers,
* a long-term extension of the wind energy production tax credit,
* an Energy Department loan guarantee program for developers and manufacturers,
* an expansion of Energy Department research, development and deployment funding, and
* a tax credit for advanced energy manufacturers.

See the AWEA Summary of Provisions of Interest to the Wind Energy Industry (March 2009) and the AWEA Summary of Provisions of Interest to Small Wind Turbine Producers and Consumers (March 2009) for further information, as well as the AWEA web site. [FYI these are PDF files and will need links.]

Glossary
Wondering what a yaw drive does? The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) provides a comprehensive, web-based glossary on any technical and general terms associated with wind power.

--Cassie

More On Geothermal and $$

- I've found 13 Geothermal businesses in Colorado - 2 are in Boulder

- Boulder has requested $6M to convert 60 hybrid electric vehicles to Plug-In Hybrids
(http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_city/Boulder/CO)
- Stimulus money in Colorado going to 3 "energy" projects - 2 in Durango, 1 in Boulder
- Total cost of all projects sumbitted by Colorado = $2,447,922,036
Total cost of all energy projects submitted by Colorado =$24.4M
(http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_city/Boulder/CO)
- An estimated $130M of Colorado stimulus money is allocated for Energy Weatherization and Efficiency
(http://www.colorado.gov/recovery)

Translating Uncle Sam

Just found this on the Mother Nature News Network about how much renewable energy we're using: http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-uncle-sam/stories/eia-how-much-renewable-energy-do-we-use

Interesting!
-Tiff

MORE Funding Breakdowns

Tiff -
I have some other sites that offer stimulus breakdowns. I don't know about wave energy, but you can take a look.

http://www.stimuluswatch.org/project/by_state/CO
http://www.energy.gov/colorado.htm
http://www.epa.gov/recovery/where.html
http://www.colorado.gov/recovery

-Lauren

Funding breakdowns

Hey, in case anyone is interested, I found this breakdown of the Stimulus Package and how renewables will be funded. Looks like $2.5 billion to renewable energy research, specifically:

$800 million for projects related to biomass, $400 million for geothermal activities and projects, $1.3 billion for base program activities, such as research and demonstrations into additional renewable technologies.

I think my wave energy falls under "additional renewable technologies."
-Tiffany

More questions

Agreed, Lauren's are spot on. Here are a few more for the mix:

• Are renewable energy technologies reliable?
  
• Following the increasing needs of energy in Colorado and the U.S., can renewable energy satisfy and match these growing needs?
• Are there any negative environmental impacts from different types of renewable energy?
• Which renewable energy resource is cheaper in the short run? In the long run?? What is the greatest factor that has kept renewable energy sources from being universally accepted/adopted?
  

Next up: each of us should come up with a short list (2-3) of potential experts/interesting sources to interview no later than 4/3. How does that sound?

--Cassie

Questions for Talking Heads

I tried to come up with some other questions, but I think everything I want to ask is captured in Lauren's questions. That being said, I am still open to asking five different questions, depending on the person. I think it might make it more interesting and easier to formulate questions--we want specific answers from each of them anyway.

On another note, I'm looking for funding/policy information on wave energy. Has anyone found a good site that breaks down the stimulus funding? Or anywhere else?

-Tiffany

Possible Questions for Interviews

1. What do you think the future of renewable energy looks like in Colorado?
2. What do you think the future of renewable energy looks like on a national scale?
3. Do you think the recession will affect renewable energy progress? How? Why?
4. How do you think the Obama administration will affect renewable energy in Colorado?
- Lauren

Working out some ideas - the whole group

Background Content:
Wind
Solar
Ocean
Biomass
Geothermal

Profiles:
Three profiles: their stories, tax and other benefits

1. Wind farm
-Turbine on Folsom
-Facilities research

2. Net zero energy house - Paul
- Possible home tour or audit tour

3. Geothermal projects - summit charter middle school that converted

Extra content:
Smart grid video

Voices/Comment section:
-Student
-expert
-politician
-local person
-cu president
-industry person

New Captain Planet Teams:
-Geothermal - Tiff + Lauren
-Net Zero - Molly
-Wind +Video - Cassie + Joanna

To Do:
Contact denver wind people, school and tour...
Post the ONE question you think we should ask...

NY Times: Cali City to Help Finance Solar Panels?

Hey Molly,
The NY Times printed an article today about California residents lobbying to finance solar panels the same way water or power lines are financed. Thought it might be interesting for you.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/15/science/earth/15solar.html?_r=1&hp
-Lauren

Geothermal Information

Geothermal literally means ‘heat from the earth’

- .32%: The amount of geothermal power used by the U.S. in 2002 http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/geothermal/geothermal.html
- .34%: The amount of geothermal power used by the U.S. in 2006 http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/geothermal/geothermal.html
- Geothermal energy production on track to double in next few yearshttp://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS85499+14-Feb-2009+PRN20090214
- Government agenda: 10 percent of our electricity will come from renewable sources by 2012, and 25 percent by 2025 http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/energy_and_environment/
- Onions and garlic are dried geothermally in some areas in Nevada
http://geothermal.marin.org/map/usa.html
- There are 43 operating geothermal plants in California (which produce about two-thirds of the total geothermal generation in the U.S.) http://www.energy.ca.gov/geothermal/
- Read the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s full text (renewable energy appears under Subtitle B—Energy Incentives) http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=111_cong_bills&docid=f:h1enr.pdf

SOME GOOD WEB SITES:
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal/
http://www.eia.doe.gov/cneaf/solar.renewables/page/geothermal/geothermal.html

ADVANTAGES:
- No pollution
- The heat and water already exist, it’s just a matter of harnessing the energy

Biomass article idea....

It looks like there are biomass collection facilities for Boulder County. It might be interesting to see this or do a story on them. What do you guys think? Would you want to see a bunch of waste burning?

More Biomass Info

Biomass
What is it: If you have ever burned wood then you have used a renewable source of energy known as biomass to produce heat. Biomass is defined as “organic material made from plants and animals.”

But energy does not exist is a vacuum, it comes from somewhere. On earth we get our energy from the suns rays. Plants absorb that energy through photosynthesis and animals chow down on plants (and sometimes other animals) to get energy as well.

So lets go back beside the fire for a moment. When you torch a log you are burning the suns stored energy and releasing it as heat and steam.

There are many other ways to gain access to stored energy in natural materials though. Below are some of the different types of technology.

Wood/Garbage waste
Biofuel
Biogas -Methane
Ethanol
Algae

Usually to get at the energy stored in biomass one of four processes must happen:
1. Burning
2. Alcohol Fermentation
3. Anaerobic Digestion
4. Pyrolysis
To learn more about each of these methods click here (http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/types/biomass/methods.html)

Advantages: There is a ton of biomass on the planet – think of all the trees that grown on our earth or all of the algae in the water. Another advantage is that in general biomass is a fairly cheap way to get energy (http://rhlx01.rz.fht-esslingen.de/projects/alt_energy/bio/ADVAN.HTML) though this is debatable. Also, it is a renewable resource if managed with sustainable practices. Some environmental benefits of biomass include: less waste being sent to landfills, no net gain in greenhouse gas emissions if plants reabsorb the output. A huge advantage of this source of energy is that it can be converted into different type of energy, not just one form from gases to heat energy (http://www.centreforenergy.com/silos/biomass/biomassOverview09.asp).

Disadvantages: Chemical reactions often have byproducts, which is just a fancy way of saying leftovers. In biomass reactions there is always waste left behind. Greenhouse gas emissions from directly burning biomass can contribute to further climate change. It can be expensive to produce if not harvesting from pre-existing sources and converting biomass to alcohol is an expensive process. (http://library.thinkquest.org/20331/types/biomass/advant.html).


Local Information:
http://news.mongabay.com/bioenergy/2008/03/cu-boulder-awarded-project-solar.html
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2008/07/17/celestial-seasonings-others-partner-with-boulder-on-biomass-study/
http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2009/feb/24/boulder-county-host-meeting-proposed-biomass-sorti/?partner=RSS “The board on Tuesday approved a new set of regulations to allow the establishment of biomass yards in unincorporated Boulder County”
http://www.bouldercounty.org/foresthealth/pages/biomass_faq.htm - About Biomass collection sites.
http://huey.colorado.edu/LTER/datasets/streams/streambio/strmbims.html

The Obama Factor: Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will receive a huge boost in funding. The Biomass Program will receive a hefty $800 million dollars in funding.

The Biomass Program's vision is to creates, “a viable, sustainable domestic biomass industry that produces renewable biofuels, bioproducts and biopower, enhances U.S. energy security, reduces our dependence on oil, provides environmental benefits including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and creates economic opportunities across the nation.”

The stimulus sets aside this money for this program, but ethanol and biofuels will see little benefit from this huge chunk of change.

“The legislation extends the production tax credit (PTC) for biomass energy projects until the end of 2013 from 2010 and allows investors in projects placed into service by then to claim the investment tax credit (ITC) that, until now, had been reserved for the solar energy industry. In 2008, biomass facilities fueled with dedicated energy crops, as well as wind, solar and geothermal energy operations, received a $0.021/kWh PTC,” reported Bioenergy Business (https://www.bioenergy-business.com/index.cfm?section=lead&action=view&id=11861).

Additional Resources:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biomass.html - an informative and basic description of biomass.
Information on Biomass lobbyist spending: http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?lname=US+Biomass+Power+Producers+Alliance&year=2008

Graphics/interactive ideas:
-Biomass quiz
- Interactive graphic or flash media that shows how photosynthesis works and how that energy is captured in biomass and made into usable energy for day-to-day human activities
- An activity where users could click on different types of biomass and learn about each and then select one to burn…..maybe this could work on a large scale for our whole project. We could have a graphic with different renewable energy sources and than have people match up pros and cons with each one or click on each one and see what happens….like the paper or plastic bag graphic…

Project Proposal

And finally, the long-anticipated posting of our project proposal!

Renewable Energy and the Stimulus Package
Cassie, Molly, Tiffany, Joanna, Lauren

Purpose:
To inform users about the background, opportunities, policies, and implementation of renewable energy. At the nexus of so much innovation, we have a unique perspective to offer given our location in Boulder, Colo. This package will look to local labs, sources and strategies to explain the efficacy and potential of the renewable energy revolution. Driven by the current Obama stimulus package that is committed to supporting and investing in renewable energy, this multi-media capsule is both current and relevant.

Scope and scale:
This package will provide basic information about the state of renewable energy and its potential vis-à-vis Obama administration policies. However, it will neither explain detailed scientific mechanisms nor explore all possible energy sources.

Information components/suggested story slugs:
• Federal government policy: Obama’s Stimulus Package
• Opportunities and potential: Analyzing Boulder’s Smart Grid with a potential chart to show flow of energy
• Funding history of renewable energy: Graph of governmental funding changes over time
• Technology (research, development, categories, transfer from development to market):
• Current state of renewable ventures in the US: Map of different renewable hot spots
• Boulder as Model City: local news feed, Climate Smart, local policy measures
• Resources: Multi-media bibliography, glossary, and noted scientists

Initial Divisions of Labor:
Tiffany: Ocean
Joanna: Biomass
Molly: Solar
Cassie: Wind
Lauren: Geo-thermal

Anticipated barriers or obstacles:
Getting too wrapped up in the minutae of scientific explanations and the limitless amount of information/angles we could take.

Solar Energy Basics

SOLAR

Technology
Most R&D is focusing on two main solar technologies: photovoltaics and concentrated and concentrated solar power.

Photovoltaic (or PV) uses solar cells to convert sunlight into electricity. Solar cells are postage-stamp sized clusters of semiconductors that connect together to form modules. Modules connect together to form a PV array, which are the shiny silver panels you see on rooftops. The physics of the process is well-described at the DOE's renewable energy site.

PV Benefits

• is costing increasingly less to produce and use, thus becoming more affordable and available
• no air pollution, fuel inputs or combustion
• only hazardous waste is only small amounts of chemicals in PV factories
  
• style is modular and thus easy and flexible to mass-produce
  
• reliable and requires little maintenance (can be 80% efficient even on cloudy days)
  
• economic benefits like price stability relative to fossil fuels
  

The second technology, concentrated solar power (or CSP) uses mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto receivers. The receivers convert this energy to heat, which then produces steam to turn a turbine and, finally, drive a generator.

CSP Benefits

• generates fairly inexpensive electricity
• can deliver power during peak demand
  
• can be integrated with low-cost thermal storage
  

Local Scoop
Colorado has really jumped on solar. Denver is one of DOE's 25 Solar America Cities, a program designed to spur innovation and "help lay the foundation for a solar energy market that can serve as a model for cities around the nation."

The program is a partnership between DOE, industry, universities, state and local government and NGOs. There are a few Boulder participants we may want to look at/contact, including:

• Colorado Power Industries
• Sinton Consulting, Inc.
• testing crystalline silicon cells and modules
• Sunwave Lighting
• working on an efficient cell that can generate more light from less energy
• Xcel Energy
  

NREL is doing super-innovative technical testing on thermal storage methods (needed for concentrated solar) such as heat-transfer fluids and storage vessels described here.

"NREL is studying a new class of nanofluids that possess enhanced thermophysical properties including thermal conductivity, heat capacity, freezing point, boiling point, and high-temperature thermal stability."

Policy Mechanisms to make solar more viable

• Renewable portfolio standards
• Emissions credits
• Production and investment tax credits for large systems
• State and federal tax credits for small systems
• Other buy-downs or credits for installation of a solar system
• Favorable mortgage interest rates for solar-equipped buildings.

Glossary
DOE put together a comprehensive solar glossary, which alleviates us of that task.

Biomass

Just getting my thoughts together on Biomass. Is this kind of how everyone else is going to go about this? Let me know.
Biomass
What is it: If you have ever burned wood then you have used a renewable source of energy known as biomass to produce heat. Biomass is defined as “organic material made from plants and animals.”

But energy does not exist is a vacuum, it comes from somewhere. On earth we get our energy from the suns rays. Plants absorb that energy through photosynthesis and animals chow down on plants (and sometimes other animals) to get energy as well.

So lets go back beside the fire for a moment. When you torch a log you are burning the suns stored energy and releasing it as heat and steam.

There are many other ways to gain access to stored energy in natural materials though. Below are some of the different types of technology.

Wood/Garbage waste
Biofuel
Biogas -Methane
Ethanol
Algae

Advantages: TK--
Disadvantages: Chemical reactions often have byproducts, which is just a fancy way of saying leftovers. In biomass reactions there is always waste left behind. TK--

Local Information:TK--
http://news.mongabay.com/bioenergy/2008/03/cu-boulder-awarded-project-solar.html

The Obama Factor: Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will receive a huge boost in funding. The Biomass Program will receive a hefty $800 million dollars in funding.

The Biomass Program's vision:
“A viable, sustainable domestic biomass industry that produces renewable biofuels, bioproducts and biopower, enhances U.S. energy security, reduces our dependence on oil, provides environmental benefits including reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and creates economic opportunities across the nation.”

The stimulus sets aside this money for TK---

Additional Resources:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/biomass.html - an informative and basic description of biomass.
Information on Biomass lobbyist spending: http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?lname=US+Biomass+Power+Producers+Alliance&year=2008

Graphics/interactive ideas: TK--

NPR story on Stimulus

NPR had a story last night about the stimulus package where different people could call in and ask questions. Some of the questions were relevant to renewable energy so this might be a good thing to link up with....
-Joanna

Wind Challenge? and Stimulus Dollars

Cassie - This might be interesting for you, or maybe you know something about it. I saw an ad in a mag - something about ClimateSmart and a Boulder County wind challenge. I don't know anything about it or if it's even current, but I thought you might find it interesting.

Also, on a general policy note: The White House blog site, http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/02/17/Signed-sealed-delivered-ARRA/, includes Obama's remarks about the stimulus package and provides a link to http://www.recovery.gov/, a site that will allow the public to track where the money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going. Transparency made easy!

-Lauren

On renewable energy

I watched Obama's speech last night...good stuff that we should quote on the site! Here, from the NY Times transcript:

"Because we know we can’t power America’s future on energy that’s controlled by foreign dictators, we are taking a big step down the road to energy independence, and laying the groundwork for a new, green energy economy that can create countless well-paying jobs. It’s an investment that will double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years, and provide tax credits and loan guarantees to companies like Namaste Solar, a company that will be expanding, instead of laying people off, as a result of the plan I am signing.

In the process, we will transform the way we use energy. Today, the electricity we use is carried along a grid of lines and wires that dates back to Thomas Edison – a grid that can’t support the demands of clean energy. This means we’re using 19th and 20th century technologies to battle 21st century problems like climate change and energy security. It also means that places like North Dakota can produce a lot of wind energy, but can’t deliver it to communities that want it, leading to a gap between how much clean energy we are using and how much we could be using.

The investment we are making today will create a newer, smarter electric grid that will allow for the broader use of alternative energy. We will build on the work that’s being done in places like Boulder, Colorado – a community that is on pace to be the world’s first Smart Grid city. This investment will place Smart Meters in homes to make our energy bills lower, make outages less likely, and make it easier to use clean energy. It’s an investment that will save taxpayers over one billion dollars by slashing energy costs in our federal buildings by 25% and save working families hundreds of dollars a year on their energy bills by weatherizing over one million homes. And it’s an investment that takes the important first step towards a nationwide transmission superhighway that will connect our cities to the windy plains of the Dakotas and the sunny deserts of the Southwest."

--Tiffany

Energy ideas

I think renewable energy could be an awesome topic. Its timely because Obama has promised to generate new green jobs and work towards this goal, but I think Tiffany is right that there are not many specifics.

Some initial things that might be interesting to look at are:

• Is Boulder ahead of the rest of the country in terms of its use of renewables and how?
• Is renewable energy feasible on a large scale? From what I understand we use wind power only during peak energy times and we don't have the infrastructure to distribute green energy yet.
• Will renewable energy require a massive effort to re-grid the U.S.?
• How have some people used renewable energy off-the-grid in Boulder? Will they go back to the grid if the country changes?

Just some thoughts.

What the stimulus package means

I was reading this article in the NY Times about how the stimulus package breaks down.
"Programs to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy sources are big winners in the stimulus package, receiving more than $45 billion in new spending and tax breaks."

Maybe we use the site to explain exactly how renewable energy is funded (now and in the past)? We'd have some good sources at NREL. I just don't think I've ever read anything that coherently explains how the government is/isn't supporting renewable energy.

-Tiffany

Responses

I have to say, I'm leaning more toward the generational profiles than the one-stop shop idea. While I think that's interesting, I also think it could take away from the marketing campaigns the NRDC, Sierra Club, etc. have in place. I guess I'm having a hard time envisioning how users would interact with it in addition to/instead of directly with the organizations. It also would be really hard to make evergreen--we'd have to keep updating content.

On the "seeing the environmental movement through multiple generations" front, I really like that it could be rife with pictures and audio, and would give people a better understanding of where our grandparents (and undergrads) are coming from. Work wise, it would be easy to divvy up, since we each could take one or two profiles and do all the work on them. Then we could add in the contextual history about the times these people are talking about.

I think we should try to meet again early next week to finalize. Maybe before Thomas Friedman?

--Tiffany

More on Molly's idea

I like the idea of providing a service that lets users sort though a bunch of different environmental sites and choose the best one for their interests. Maybe we could have a report card that rates each site. We could answer questions like:

• Where does the money you donate actually go?
• What have they done in the past?
• Who is behind the site/campaign

It could be similar to Open Secrets or Skin Deep in that its a database/clearinghouse with independent research done on environmental groups.

There are tons of environmental advocacy groups here in Boulder so we could even just focus on Boulder groups.

What do you think?

a one-stop soapbox

Do you ever feel like you believe in a bunch of worthy causes, follow those movements, subscribe to their newsletters, and once in awhile sign petitions to tell your local or national politicians how you feel? Well, a lot of people do (including my mom). But who wants to get five e-mails a week from the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, SaveOurEnvironment.org, the Wilderness Society, the Sierra Club, and the list goes on?? Even the most ardent environmentalist probably doesn't have the time to read each letter, learn up on each issue, sign a petition or donate to each cause.

What if there were one Web site that streamlined these groups according to one's concerns and sympathies? You want to see about the bills out there affecting endangered species, so click on the Wildlife section of our Web site: we've aggregated all of initiatives by interest groups, legislation in the government, and current events going on with polar bears or picas. Or, you're more interested in carbon, renewables, so click on Energy: see the national policies, bills, and global goings-on with "clean" coal, nuclear, etc. So we help you be an activist by doing the legwork.

There are so many environmental groups and non-profits dedicated to spreading awareness, but the issues are spread out across a wide spectrum of organizations. We would bring them all together (and analyze, possibly) and be a one-stop shop for concerned citizens to come, show support and direct their signatures or donations to whichever causes they choose.

This would be less original content-driven and more of a gateway for users who are in some way, some form, interested in the environment but are tired of keeping up with so many valuable groups independently (not to mention sick of the ad campaigns.) It's a super practical idea that hasn't been done a thousand times, wouldn't require originating a ton of content, and would be all about the design, structure and usability of the site. - Molly

One More Idea

I love the topics below, and I'm especially interested in the Millenials as hipster tree-huggers given our recent in-class discussion on their journalistic values. How do these attitudes relate to the environmental movement at large? The potential for sources is obviously incredible here at the University. My sense is that making it timely could mean making the history meet the contemporary. Even within a singular environmental organization, such as Thorne Ecological Institute here in Boulder (who doesn't love Oak Thorne?), viewpoints and issues might be divergent depending on generation.

Another project idea I'd thought I'd throw out:

"Feeling the Climate Change at Altitude": Examining climate change "at altitude" meaning we could look at pine beetles, ski areas, alpine ecosystems and lakes, run-off/snowpack/water supply, INSTAAR, etc. It seems like a lot of our work could perhaps unite under this theme...And has excellent multi-media potential.

I'm also wondering how we can see who authors the posts? (This is Cassie)

Time

We're trying to weave some history into our Web site without making it a snoooore. When it comes to environmental issues, many people lack a big-picture view because they're not familiar with how things came to be the way they are - suburban sprawl, our nightmarish automobile infrastructure, land development, pollution, etc.

We could weave these histories in through focusing on several generations of Americans, interviewing and profiling some of these folks, and tracing their outlooks, habits and assumptions about the environment back to the era they grew up in and the philosophies that dominated at the time.

For example, we could find an undergrad from the millenial generation from, say, the midwest, who has differing notions of public transportation and recycling than her contemporary who grew up in Boulder.

We'd talk to some people in their 60s who lived through the Wilderness Act, the development of the EPA, Earth Day, the Reagan Administration. How do they make sense of Boulder's Carbon Tax and other environmental issues facing us today?

Our worldviews and leanings are shaped by our experiences and environments. We would talk to people with strong feelings and opinions about the environment and do a sort of taxonomy of those feelings and opinions. Might be too wishy-washy, but the idea of making it generational has potential.

Environmental History/Report Card

A few interesting pieces in the NY Times this week in the vein of what we've been talking about.

First, this Environmental Views, Past and Present article from yesterday. Click on the graphic on the left to see a good comparison of where Bush started and where he ended in terms of our environmental impact.

Second, a sort of score card about Obama's promises and what he's delivered on (though the environment is only a small portion).

Though we probably want to stay away from too much policy, I thought these would be good to have on hand.

On another note, Molly and I started discussing the possibility of an interactive feature that rates how environmental you are. We were thinking of a spectrum type thing, with climate change naysayers on one end and serious scientists on the other--you could roll over and see pictures/quotes from them about their opinions (and Thomas Friedman would be the perfect voice to have in here).

We could also integrate some sort of "quiz," where you could read a bunch of statements and click on ones you agree with (similar to ones during the election that resulted in a perfect candidate for you based on what you agreed with). The result would be your own placement on the spectrum, relative to how dire you think the environmental issue is. I think it would be interesting for people to be able to put themselves in context of the broader issue.