The market has received another shot in the arm with the International Energy Agencys (IEAs) forecast that the global oil demand will reach 106 million barrels per day in 2030 from 84.5 million barrels per day in 2008. This steady rise in demand for oil will hike the price of oil globally. According to the IEAs latest report, the nominal oil price is projected to escalate to $200 per barrel by 2030, from nearly $100 per barrel in the medium term, says the analyst of this research. Rising fuel price in the long term is a key incentive to buy a hybrid, considering that better fuel economy is the primary appeal of hybrids. The predominant battery technology for hybrid cars is nickel metal hydride, while lithium ion batteries are also expected to make a splash in the market. For electric motors in hybrid cars, permanent magnet motor has emerged as manufacturers first choice.

Despite its fuel advantage, some consumers may be reluctant to invest in a hybrid due to its high upfront costs. In such a scenario, the penetration levels will depend greatly on the extent to which the central government leverages sponsorship to private consumers. Meanwhile, the government has taken regulatory initiatives to reduce CO2 emissions, giving a boost to the market. In line with the global trends, the Chinese Government has started to regulate vehicle fuel economy, notes the analyst. Since 2005, the countrys rapidly growing new passenger vehicle market has been subject to fuel economy standards, which are geared toward reducing Chinas dependence on foreign oil and encouraging automakers to bring more fuel-efficient vehicle technologies to the Chinese market. Vehicles using conventional internal combustion engines alone will be inadequate to meet the stringent emission targets. The automotive industry will have to rely heavily on fuel-efficient cars such as hybrids to comply with the legislation.

The IEAs forecast of increased oil demand over the next two decades will significantly influence the increased production of hybrid vehicles and hybrid electric cars. A good sign for the environment.

source: foxbusiness.com

The best source of using hydrogen and natural gas is in powering automobiles, trucks and buses. These alternative fuels are significantly more eco-friendly than gasoline and diesel.

Hydrogen gas is created by using fuel cells that convert water into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The hydrogen is then used to generate energy to increase the fuel efficiency of the internal combustion engine used by today’s vehicles. Although hydrogen is a combustible and volatile fuel source, if it is used “on demand”, and not stored as a liquid, it is a very safe fuel alternative. Hydrogen gas powered vehicles are being tested in many countries.

Natural gas is already used in many parts of the world. Europe is the world leader, using it to help fuel it’s transportation sector. Propane is another alternative fuel used in Europe’s transportation sector. Propane is also known as Liquefied Petroleum Gas or LPG.

Natural gas can be blended with hydrogen to make H/CNG (Hydrogen gas/Compressed Natural Gas) to fuel vehicles. Using these blends is the first step in making hydrogen-based transportation available in the future. H/CNG vehicles may be able to offer immediate environmental benefits, such as reducing nitrogen oxide emissions. They also can help in the transition to using fuel cell technology in cars.

Governments around the world are partnering with their domestic auto manufacturers and chemical companies to do more research and development in the area of Gas Blends. In the United States, a hydrogen and compressed gas generation and fueling facility is being built in Phoenix, Arizona. It will provide pure hydrogen and hydrogen/natural gas blends to light-duty vehicles that have been modified to use these alternative fuels.

All of the major car manufacturers have H/CNG prototypes that are currently being tested. Hydrogen Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles being tested today include the 100% hydrogen-powered vehicles Roush/Chevy Silverado, Mercedes Sprinter , Ford F-150 32V and the Ford F-150 16V.

Hydrogen/Compressed Natural Gas (H/CNG) blended vehicles being tested include the Ford F-150 prototypes using 30%, 50% and 15% H/CNG.

Tax Credit Plug-In Incentives
Currently there is a federal tax credit available for plug-in vehicles ranging from $2,500 - $7,500 depending on the distance a car can be driven on electric power. Providing more incentives for the purchase of plug-in cars by building on the federal tax credit and extending the duration of the tax credit are important.

Enact Low Carbon Fuel Standard
California has a requirement that transportation fuels be 10 percent less carbon-intensive by 2020. The other 49 states should follow it’s lead. Fuel providers can reduce emissions or purchase credits from cleaner fuel providers such as utilities.

Plug-In Electric Vehicle Fleets
Government, State, County and even City agencies and groups could begin to purchase plug-in hybrids and plug-in electric cars to replenish their transportation fleets. The city of Seattle has already converted a dozen Priuses to plug-in hybrids.

Develop the use of Clean, Renewable Electricity
As more plug-in hybrid electric cars hit the road the demand for electricity will increase. Using wind power is a perfect fit for charging vehicles at night and solar power can ensure that charging stations are widely available.

The time has come to move forward on the recommendations above.

source: plugintexas.org, businesswire.com

The new policy is being instituted after a project in California that used the new technology was shut down by technical problems and encountered community opposition, federal documents indicate.

The project, by Seattle-based AltaRock Energy, would have fractured bedrock and extracted heat by digging more than two miles beneath the surface at a spot called the Geysers, about 100 miles north of San Francisco. The company ran into serious problems with its drilling and faced accusations from scientists and local residents that it had not been forthcoming enough about the earthquake risk. AltaRock denied those accusations.

The documents, provided to The New York Times by the Energy Department, indicate that the Geysers project has run through $6 million in federal financing in several unsuccessful efforts to drill to the necessary depth. As a result, the Energy Department “considers the project in the Geysers to be concluded,” according to a letter addressed to Henry A. Waxman, the California Democrat and chairman of the House committee on Energy and Commerce.

The letter, dated Dec. 30, is signed by Cathy Zoi, an assistant energy secretary. The Times reported in early December that AltaRock had removed its drill rig from the site and informed the department that the project would be abandoned, but the company had refused to comment publicly.

In a second document dated Sept. 11, 2009, but not previously disclosed, the department concluded that earthquakes that would have been set off by the AltaRock project would “not have a significant impact on the human environment.” And in another endorsement of the company, the department later awarded AltaRock $25 million to try a similar project at the Newberry Volcanic Monument near Bend, Ore.

The Oregon project was one of 123 geothermal projects in 38 states that received $338 million through the Obama administration’s economic stimulus package, Ms. Zoi said in the letter.

Two seismic experts who read the documents said the message about the perils and potential of geothermal energy was unclear. But Ernie Majer, a seismologist and deputy director of the Earth Science Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said that the new standards were a welcome development. The letters show that the department “is being ultra-careful about any induced seismicity,” he said, referring to earthquakes triggered by humans.

Among the new safeguards are requirements that geothermal energy projects monitor ground-motion sensors and other data and have an approved plan to shut down if earthquakes induced by the drilling are too powerful. Companies must also file estimates of expected earthquake activity and submit project proposals to outside experts for a review of the risks and the likelihood of success.

Ms. Zoi conceded in her letter that the department’s findings were “likely to have little practical effect on the AltaRock project at the Geysers,” because the project apparently no longer exists. But she said that the defunct project and the findings “have provided valuable lessons.”

In a statement responding to questions on the documents, Stephanie Mueller, a spokeswoman for the department, said that those lessons “will help the United States succeed in safely harnessing geothermal energy.”

Donald O’Shei, AltaRock’s chief executive, said in an e-mail message that the company was pleased by the department’s finding that the Geysers project would not have had a significant impact on people in the area.

Regarding the Oregon project, Mr. O’Shei said that the company was “working on an initial planning process for the technical, permitting, and community education and outreach aspects of the project.”

Mr. O’Shei added, “Bend is located approximately 22 miles away from the demonstration site, which is in a sparsely populated area to the west of Newberry in central Oregon.”

It is imperative that the US Energy Department impose new safeguards on geothermal energy projects that drill deep into the Earth’s crust. But will ground-motion sensors and filing paperwork be effective safeguards?

Let’s face it, when it comes to deep geothermal drilling we are embarking into unknown territory.  Shouldn’t common sense tell us it to explore this promising alternative energy technology in areas not prone to earthquakes?

source: New York Times

Detroit’s auto show featured an “Electric Avenue” with electric cars in the pipeline from Japan’s Nissan Motor Co and China’s BYD Auto Co. Italy’s Fiat SpA, which took over US icon Chrysler LLC this year, touted an electric-only Fiat 500. Young Californian firm Tesla Motors Inc celebrated the production of its 1,000th electric sports car.

Their efforts were backed up by a study from consulting firm McKinsey & Co, timed to be released with the auto show, which found that electric cars could become a viable alternative to petrol vehicles in “mega cities” like New York and Shanghai within the next five years.

For other manufacturers it was hybrid vehicles, which use both electric and gasoline motors, that took center stage. Toyota, which pioneered the hybrid market for the last decade with its popular Prius, unveiled a smaller, cheaper hybrid concept car that could be released in the next three years.

Its Japanese rival Honda Motor Co displayed a production-ready “sporty” compact hybrid, the CR-Z, while a hybrid version of the Ford Fusion was named car of the year by North America’s automotive journalists. US giant General Motors Co displayed its Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid that is due to come out some time towards the end of the year.

A battle is brewing between hybrids plug-ins and electric cars. “The next decade will be the decade of electricity,” said Michael Robinet, vice president of global vehicle forecasts for CSM Worldwide.

Yet others argue that battery technology is not nearly advanced enough to make these alternatives anything more than a niche for the environmentally conscious, or those with money to spare.

Anthony Pratt, an automotive analyst with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, forecast that hybrids are to take up just 4 per cent of the market by 2015, up from about 1 per cent last year. Most people cannot easily afford a hybrid, or are unwilling to settle for the more limited driving range that comes with an electric vehicle.

“There’s a long way to go and they are only part of the solution,” Pratt said.

That was backed up by a December study from the US-based National Research Council, which argued that the battery technology powering plug-in hybrids is far less advanced than carmakers would care to admit. That could put such cars out of the reach of the general public for the foreseeable future.

The study estimated that the lithium-ion batteries GM plans to use for the Volt would add more than 18,000 dollars to the production cost. That price is expected to drop only about one third by 2020. Industry analysts expect the Volt to cost upwards of 30,000 dollars.

Despite the hype in Detroit, many carmakers recognize the problems with electrics and their limited potential. Yet with the threat of global warming pushing governments to raise fuel standards, the industry is faced with little choice.

John Mendel, head of Honda’s US sales, said the technological challenges facing carmakers are “the toughest that the industry has faced ever in its history,” while GM also concedes that the first version of its Volt will not quite be a mass market vehicle.

“What we are all trying to do is to get this technology to be cost effective,” said Denise Gray, who heads battery development for GM. “We are not done yet.”

Toyota, which has so far cornered the hybrid market, is also sceptical that the technology would ever take up more than a small segment of the market. Instead, most carmakers are going to have to work on making smaller cars and cleaner conventional petrol engines to meet fuel-efficiency standards.

“I would say within 10 years, that hybrids might be at 10 per cent market share,” said Bill Reinert, Toyota’s US manager for advanced technology. “Plug-ins are a very small subset of that. Electric vehicles are a smaller subset of the subset.”

One this is certain, gasoline powered vehicles will be replaced sooner than later because the health of our environment depends on it. The use of alternative fuel technologies in the transportation sector will be paramount to replacing gasoline powered vehicles. We are now seeing an increased demand for advances in alternative fuel technologies.

Will electric cars ever become viable? Although some experts are pessimistic, there is no way to predict what technological advances will occur in the near future. Who could have foreseen the rapid technological advancements that have been made in the electronic technologies (e.g. cell phones).

We can expect the same kind of explosion in alternative fuel technologies and the electric car.

source: earthtimes.org

Finally.

The Detroit Auto Show, traditionally the place for car makers to show off the whizz-bang gadgetry they have in store for the future and may never bring to showroom floors, opens today. And it will include a new emphasis on small cars, fuel-efficient cars and yes, finally, electric cars. The auto show will include a 37,000-square-foot feature on its main showroom floor showing off the electric cars the world’s automakers are bringing to market after years of talk.

General Motors plans to roll out its Chevrolet Volt later this year, after years of effort. The Volt, a plug-in hybrid with a small gasoline engine that kicks in to extend its electric batteries’ range, has been in the works since long before GM tumbled into bankruptcy, and is one of the vehicles the company is counting on to lead it back to the promised land of profitability.

But the Volt won’t come cheap when it comes to the masses, at least not at first. GM plans to price the first-of-its-kind American car in the $40,000 price range, the kind of cost one associates with a lower-end BMW more than a Chevy. But here’s a nice incentive from GM’s majority stockholder, the U.S. government. Buy a Volt and you’ll get a $7,500 tax credit.

That’s not a bad incentive, as incentives go.

GM has showed off the Volt at the auto show before. But this time, it’s on the eve of actually bringing the car to market.

GM isn’t the only one of the big automakers that will be showing off its new green colors at the show. Nissan’s Leaf, a rechargeable electric car, will make its debut at a U.S. auto show beginning today. While the Leaf, which lacks an engine to charge its battery, won’t go as far as a Volt, it will cost about $10,000 less.

If you want a Ford Focus plug-in, or a Toyota Prius Plug-in, you’ll have to wait until 2011.

And there will be other electric offerings on display, but just for display. Volvo will show off an electric version of its C30 and Fiat will show an electric 500.

And of course, none of these can claim the title of the first electric car to market. The electric car is already on the road, and spinning off entire new companies.

Tesla’s pricey roadster, weighing in with a $101, 500 price went on the market in 2008 and already has showrooms in places like Los Angeles. Fisker Automotive, another venture-funded car maker, will roll out its Karma sedan, priced at $87,900, later this year.

While the new kids on the block are clearly aiming for consumers with plenty of spare change, the mass market is another matter. And the big question for GM, Nissan and everyone else is whether consumers who have stayed away from car lots in droves in the past year will return for new, even revolutionary, products.

That’s a tough one to guess at, though hybrids have certainly been more popular than their original detractors expected. And there is one place to turn for guidance—Wall Street.

When a company with no profits to show so far went public last fall, it made the biggest splash of the IPO year. A123Systems just happens to make the kind of batteries that will be used in electric cars, among other things. Wall Street bet $370 million on that company, the largest IPO of 2009.”

The new decade officially kicks off the production ready electric car and plug-in hybrid car market. Exciting times for green living.

source: portfolio.com

Biomass is any organic material which can be used as a fuel. Biomass energy sources include wood resources and wastes, agricultural residues including wheat straw and barley straw. Biomass energy can also be tapped by from agricultural wastes, like corn cobs. Almost all biomass resources can be used in some way or other.

Biomass, unlike fossil fuels, is a carbon neutral form of energy. Fossil fuels are trapped forms of carbon from a previous carbon cycle. By burning fossil fuels, this trapped carbon is re-released into the atmosphere, which places additional carbon dioxide into the cycle that contributes to the green house effect and increases temperatures. As biomass is energy which is part of the current carbon cycle, no additional carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere.

Biomass is also a renewable form of energy because the growth of new plants and trees replenishes the supply. Renewable simply means the rate of consumption and resource replacement are equal. While fossil fuels are not replaced, new plant growth creates additional sources of biomass.

Experts estimate the global population could double over the next ten to twenty years and the dwindling reserves of fossil-fuels could be replaced by that renewable energy source - Biomass. Using Biomass in conjunction with other renewable energy sources, such as solar energy and wind power may help meet the world’s demand for energy without negatively effecting the environment.

Perhaps the most efficient, economical and safe use of biomass fuel is to convert it into pellet form. Biomass in pellet form are more economical to transport (pellets are denser), and safer to transport (risks of the loose biomass explosion due to dust). This alternative fuel can replace the use of heating oil and coal. Biomass is an excellent source of alternative fuel because it can be used for industrial use or for heating individual homes in pellet stoves and boilers.

We can all expect to see a significant increase in the use of renewable energy sources such as Biomass to supply the power needed to survive.

source: biomasspelletmill.com, oregon.gov

1. Control Your Driving
   The most obvious thing you can do is to reduce energy costs is to cut down on the amount you normally drive. You can consolidate your shopping errands into one excursion, walk instead of driving and take public transportation. All of these tips will help to realize saving now. At the same time, you will help reduce carbon emissions. 
2. Cruise Control
   There is a reason why cruise control is such a useful tool. Using cruise control on highways increases fuel efficiency when compared to using the gas pedal to control your speed. It’s a good way to avoid unconsciously violating speed limits. 
3. Drive The Speed Limit
   If you drive 75 mph in a 55 mph speed zone, you reduce fuel efficiency by over 20%. We all know that driving the speed limit can be difficult to endure. But if you want to save gas now, this is an effective strategy. 
4. Tire Pressure (PSI)
   According to tire experts, taking proper care of your tires can prolong tread life by as much as 50 percent. Under inflated tires can cost you up to one mile per gallon in fuel economy. Furthermore, it can be downright dangerous. Driving on under inflated tires can lead to handling problems and even cause tires to overheat and blowout.
   Over inflated tires can increase fuel efficiency but it is strongly discouraged. Over inflation of tires are more susceptible to blowouts and it increases tread wear. 
5. Junk In The Trunk
   Are you driving around with a 50 pound bag of cement in your car? How about golf clubs, your bowling ball or even that 100 pound toolbox. The extra weight significantly decreases fuel efficiency. 
6. Warming Up The Engine
   Unless you own a vehicle made in the 70’s, there is no reason to warm up your car for more than one minute. However, in the winter time you may want to warm it up longer. Not to warm the engine, but warm the interior. 
7. Sitting Idle
   This should come as no surprise. When your car isn’t moving, your gas mileage drops to zero.
   In addition, car experts say that excessive idling can damage your engine’s components, including cylinders, spark plugs and the exhaust system. 
8. Aerodynamics
   Luggage racks and open windows increase drag and significantly reduce fuel efficiency. Not securing luggage tightly on the luggage racks can also lead to deadly accidents. 
9. Hypermiling
   Hypermiling is using a set of driving techniques to maximize fuel economy. Some of the techniques include knowing and planning your route, minimize braking, and shut the car off immediately when not in use. Other radical ideas of hypermiling include shutting the car engine off when going down big hills. 
10. Purchase an Electric Car
    The absolute best way to save gas is to purchase an electric car. Electric cars are the perfect alternative energy that eliminates the need to buy gasoline. Electric cars are equipped with batteries that can be charged directly from a wall outlet in your home. Although the initial cost of an electric car is high, you can offset the costs with tax rebates and the reduced cost of powering your car. Purchasing an electric car puts you on the road to green living.

As the economies of China and India explode so does their citizens standard of living. This will result in a significant demand for energy that fossil-fuels cannot support. A big part of the answer is developing renewable energy sources.

Renewable energy is energy obtained from natural sources. Sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat make up the bulk of renewable energy sources. Renewables are estimated to responsible for about 20% of global final energy consumption.

The benefits of using renewable energy are obvious. Besides the ecological impact, increased use of renewable energy sources has the potential to significantly reduce energy costs overall. Research and start-up costs to make renewable energies feasible will require a significant investment.

Another major benefit of using renewable energy sources is that they will never be depleted. Fossil fuels are a limited resource that will end up being more expensive as demand and availability increases.

There is a potential downside to the development of renewable energy sources. Companies and businesses that are based on fossil fuel products will have to adapt or become obsolete. The effect the economy would be dire - businesses would close and people would lose their jobs.

Electronic waste, e-waste or e-scrap describes loosely discarded, surplus, obsolete, broken, electrical or electronic devices. Electronic equipment some very serious contaminants such as lead, cadmium, beryllium and brominated flame retardants.

Rapid technology change, low initial cost, and planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of electronic waste around the globe.

If you are an advocate for green living than the recycling of electronic waste should be a top priority. Here are some facts about electronic waste:

• Nearly 2 millon tons of electronics wind up in landfills in the United States alone every year
• Approximately 50 million tons of electronic waste ends up in landfills worldwide
• Less than 20% of electronic waste is recycled
• Many recyclers sell electronic waste to brokers who ship it to developing countries where it is picked through by cheap labor and then melted down for salable products.

Electronic Waste has a serious impact on both human health and the environment due to the heavy metals and substances commonly contained in electronics. These materials include:

• Lead
• Mercury
• Cadmium
• Brominated and chlorinated fire retardants

It seems that the ecological problem that electronic waste cause aren’t being taken seriously. Whether or not you’re an advocate of green living, t’s time to spread the word about the harmful effects of electronic waste.

source: green.wikia.com