Energy

Energyis the key aspect or resource that allows earth’s various systems, including human cultural systems, industries and economies to survive adapt and grow. It is a natural capital that we as humans harness, convert and make use of in our daily lives.

Various resources like the sun, wind, water flows, fossil fuels or nuclear power are able to provide us the energy that we need to survive and grow today. However, in the interest of sustainability, there is one category that interests us the most, which is Renewable Energy.

Renewable energy, like solar-energy or wind-energy, is that which does not use or consume its resource faster than it is replenished, while Non Renewable energy, like fossil-fuel energy, will eventually deplete its resource within the near and foreseeable time span of our existence.

Anuradha Munshi

EcoCloud Energy Lead

Featured Articles:

Energy Tools Evaluation Report This section summarizes the evaluation of various Energy tools which are used today to manage energy demand, control energy cost and consumption, improve energy reliability and minimize environmental impacts>>

CleanTech Open Global Forum 2011 CleanTech Open is the world’s largest clean technology business competition for clean tech entrepreneurs. This annual event in the U.S. that was started in 2006 seeks to discover, promote and reward the most promising and upcoming clean tech entrepreneur companies of today, by mentoring and training these companies and providing opportunities for Venture Capital funding of up to $250K. Since its inception, this program has resulted in the creation of more than $300M of private capital by its alumni companies and has led to more than 2500 clean tech jobs in the market. >>

U.S. Renewable Energy Production and Usage 2010 Renewable energy consumption for generating electricity in the U.S. stands at 8% of the total energy consumed. The largest contributions come from hydro (35%) followed by wood (24%), bio-fuels (20%) and wind (9%).>>

Featured Papers & Case Studies:

Smart Data Center Revolution: New Opportunities to Control Costs and Increase Strategic Advantage

Data cen ter s present multiple challenges – and opportunities, as well.

The challenges Data Centers use between 1.5 and 2 percent of world electricity with this usage set to grow 12% annually, according to a report published April 2011 by Greenpeace International – and today the lifetime energy expense for powering and cooling data center equipment can cost more than the equipment itself. Companies balancing concurrent demands to optimize performance, control costs and reduce negative environmental impact have to reconsider their data center design and management strategies. Technology refresh rates are accelerating, and along with them equipment and rack densities are outstripping the electrical capacity of traditional buildings, leading to facility obsolescence.

But the o pport unities are clear. Data centers are the factories of our age. Plan, build and utilize them thoughtfully and your organization will realize a significant and enduring competitive advantage. This whitepaper, written as a collaborative effort between Sustainable Silicon Valley and our partner Vantage Data Centers, will help put your organization on the right path. Read the full white paper.

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Comment by Heather Durham on May 2, 2012 at 4:17am: We just submitted our 28 minutes that we filmed at the ARAP-E Energy Summit this year with Bill Clinton Speaking on Energy. You can watch next Monday at 7:00pm on Channel 15 San Jose, our show SVTAGS for Silicon Valley -Technology, Art, Green and Sustainability (www.svtags.org). You can watch at the same time online at www.creatvjs.org if you do not live in San Jose or Campbell. We are currently working on a mini documentary on energy and would love more people from Silicon Valley to interview. Please call 408-971-7558 if you are interested in participating! Thanks!

Comment by Eckhart Beatty on October 26, 2011 at 11:10am: A plurality of our energy needs is represented by thermal energy (globally, yes, but in the U.S. as well). Sollector is a micro Concentrated Solar Power patent-pending technology with its business design to optimize thermal energy production. My Sollector team in the Cleantech Open two weeks ago claimed 2nd place in a field of 9 in the California region of the competition. We are seeking interested partners in completing our prototype as well as in financing. I look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers,

Eckhart

Comment by William Cassius on September 16, 2011 at 2:37pm: I am guilty of spending, many, many days in summer filling my apartment with air-conditioning to conserve energy, and to keep the animals I rescue and foster from suffering in heat waves. (((Ever seen cats or dog looking miserable in the heat? Their tongues hanging out and their bodies sprawled out- hugging the floors for a bit of relief. And yet, as I try to "reserve" my energy, and protect their feelings, I am the culprit for robbing the plant of its natural resources. And wasting it to the tune of $1,000- my electric bill for a three month period (june, July, August)

Hey, I'm a good guy, but I have to own up and take responsibility for contributing to wasteful practices.

Comment by Ursula Syrova on July 12, 2011 at 3:10pm: The most fun I've ever had thinking about US energy production, use, and waste, involves an interactive infographic published by GOOD entitled The American Energy Spectrum. Using data assembled by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the graphic shows 2009 numbers for total US energy generation across nine categories. As you float your mouse over each one, the journey of that energy (rendered in QBTU--quadrillions of British Thermal Units) is highlighted. 94.5 QBTU of energy were generated, and of that 26.1 QBTU (27.6%) were wasted just in transmission. Once it was delivered for use by four sectors (residential, commercial, transport, industrial), another 28.4 QBTU were wasted in inefficiency. The grand total percentage of what was wasted: 57.7%. 42.3% used and 57.7% wasted. If you don't see some opportunity there, I don't know where you'd see it!

Comment by Heyward Robinson on March 25, 2011 at 5:23pm: ARPA-E held an Energy Innovations Summit from February 28 - March 2 2011. Presentations from the summit have been posted at http://arpa-e.energy.gov/EventsWorkshops/2011InnovationSummitMaterials.aspx

A couple of presentations to note:

"Green Electricity Network Integration"

http://arpa-e.energy.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=5HgCyYpmHeI%3d&tabid=414

"The Energy-Water nexus"

http://arpa-e.energy.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=5MHRS3ClqXQ%3d&tabid=414

"Sunshot"

http://arpa-e.energy.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=l3q2VLnwzaY%3d&tabid=414

Grid Storage (this is an overview; other presentations delve more deeply into specific technologies)

http://arpa-e.energy.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=Kcd3wWhI02o%3d&tabid=416

Advanced Batteries

http://arpa-e.energy.gov/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=4fNGxKN85oY%3d&tabid=415