Resources and Reflections

JAN 29 2009

PG&E CONNECTS WITH WAVE POWER

California’s renewable energy outlook caught a rising tide today as the California Public Utilities Commission approved $4.8 million in funding for a major program to develop and demonstrate emerging wave power technology.

The study, called WaveConnect, will be led by PG&E off the coast of Mendocino and Humboldt counties. The program will receive an additional $1.2 million from the Department of Energy.

PG&E’s first step will be to conduct meetings with local stakeholders and agencies to learn about their issues and concerns. After completing appropriate environmental reviews and permit applications, which could take a couple of years, PG&E then plans to build an undersea infrastructure, including power transmission cables, to support wave energy demonstration projects. The utility will then invite manufacturers of wave energy devices to install them offshore for testing and comparison.

Ultimately, the demonstration will help promising technology companies find funding and guide PG&E (and other utilities) in choosing which wave power developers to partner with.

Finavera AquaBuoy

There are many different approaches to choose from. Some systems take their power from surface waves, others from pressure changes below the surface. Some bob up and down with the waves, others let waves wash over them. Some even rest on the sea floor. WaveConnect will help sort out the technology whales from the minnows.

read more on The Next 100 PG&E’s blog site.
PG&E corprate headquarters

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Wind Farms Impacting Weather
Environmental Engineers Detect Turbines’ Turbulence Effects

October 1, 2005 — Wind farms may have an impact on local weather patterns. As environmental engineers have discovered, wind farm propellers create a lot of turbulence in their wake, mixing air up and down with effects that can be detected for miles. But more efficient rotors may significantly reduce this problem. 

DURHAM, N.C.–You’ve seen the prices at the pump go up and now home heating costs are on the rise. And scientists are looking to the wind for a much needed alternative to fuel.

They’re the things that fuel our lives, but what fuels them is running low. Scientists may have found an answer with wind farms. Somnath Baidya Roy, from the department of civil and environmental engineering at Duke University in Durham, N.C., says, “It’s very clear to everybody that we have to move away from conventional fossil fuels like coal and oil and look at alternatives.”

With a new power source comes an impact to our environment. Roy says, “Large wind farms can significantly affect local meteorology.” He studied these massive machines and believes wind farms can actually impact our weather because wind turns the blades of the turbine around a rotor, which helps generate electricity the blades create a lot of turbulence in the wake

Duke University

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Building and Buying Green in Indian Country: A Practical Guide for California Tribes  is a guide that provides tribal project decision makers and planners with an overview of “green” building practices to help them evaluate and choose sustainable options as they develop projects with architects, contractors, suppliers, or other building professionals.

Published on Tribal Court Claeringhouse

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  WASHINGTON — As Congress weighs imposing a mandatory limit on climate-altering gases — an outcome still far from certain — it is likely to turn to a system that sets a government ceiling on total emissions and allows polluting industries to buy and sell permits to meet it.
That approach, known as cap and trade, has been embraced by President Obama, Democratic leaders in Congress, mainstream environmental groups and a growing number of business interests, including energy-consuming industries like autos, steel and aluminum.

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ScienceDaily (May 17, 2009) — Scientists are a step closer to making environmentally-friendly ‘magnetic’ refrigerators and air conditioning systems a reality, thanks to new research published May 15 in Advanced Materials.
Magnetic refrigeration technology could provide a ‘green’ alternative to traditional energy-guzzling gas-compression fridges and air conditioners. They would require 20-30% less energy to run than the best systems currently available, and would not rely on ozone-depleting chemicals or greenhouse gases. Refrigeration and air conditioning units make a major contribution to the planet’s energy consumption – in the USA in the summer months they account for approximately 50% of the country’s energy use. Read the rest of the article on ScienceDaily
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This thread is intended as a tool for debating and implementing sustainable practices with particular reference to tourism. Pursuant to our philosophy and business model, we wee the Green Community not just as a vital local asset, but as a magnet for the visitors we will bring here. More »

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