Tag Archives: biofuels
In Focus: Current Alternative Energy Tax Breaks
Production Tax Credits The tax credits for producers of renewable energy, such as from wind energy, solar power, fuel cells, geothermal systems, and combined heat and power systems, were extended through the year 2013. Wind farms receive the largest tax credit – 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour. Other producers receive a tax credit of 1.1 cents [...]
Romney’s Concern For Solar Power Project Developers
In the last week or so there has been a lot of media attention with regards to that secret video of Mitt Romney and the now infamous comments he made to some campaign donors about the 47%. However, what got my attention was another thing he said on that video which should give solar power project [...]
How The Green Button Will Change Energy Data
Since their introduction, smart meters and “connected” appliances have offered the potential for customers to better access and control their energy data. Tens of millions of smart meters later, there’s a massive amount of data being gathered, but few ways for customers to understand it. A desire to make sense of this treasure trove of [...]
Energy Efficiency: Is It The Real Deal?
According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), peak electric loads in the U.S. are 20,800 MW lower than they would be without utility energy efficiency programs[1]. If it is correct it represents perhaps 100 power plants that did not need built that would have otherwise been required. Similarly, the EIA data shows that electric usage [...]
Electrofuels: Pros and Cons
In the race to end the world’s addiction to oil, scientists and researchers are more active than ever in seeking solutions to this problem. What if a fuel management system involved converting sunlight into fuel instead of just reducing the amount of fossil fuels fleets consume? How would this be possible? This is exactly the [...]
The Problem With Biofuels
Biofuels are liquid fuels that can be obtained from biomass like plant matter or by the waste that living creatures produce, such as manure. They are mostly used to help meet transportation fuel needs. The two most common types of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol – Any biomass which is high [...]
Biofuels: Pros and Cons
Biofuels are liquid fuels that can be obtained from biomass like plant matter or by the waste that living creatures produce, such as manure. They are mostly used to help meet transportation fuel needs. The two most common types of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol – Any biomass which is high [...]
$246B Market for Solar, Wind, Biofuels in 2011
Global economic turmoil and solar company bankruptcies be damned — economies of scale and falling prices are keeping green energy growing. That’s according to research firm Clean Edge, which reported Tuesday that global revenue for solar PV, wind power and biofuels rose 31 percent to reach $246 billion in 2011. Clean Edge put the global [...]
In Focus: The ‘Artificial Leaf’
The use of photosynthesis in the production of biofuels is something we all have heard of, but how this process can be more potentially utilized, still remains under explored. The present indices about the low efficiency of photosynthesis show that with major crops like wheat and rice, we barely manage to squeeze about a five [...]