Last Friday, as part of a joint WADE and CSIRO conference group, I visited the CSIRO Energy Centre in Newcastle, Australia, which is the headquarters for both CSIRO Energy Technology and the Energy Transformed Flagship. The building is experimental with considerable innovation in energy design with creative ways to reduce heat and lighting requirements, as well generating electricity in a variety of ways including integrated solar panels of various types. The Centre also provides a great environment to support thinking and research projects, and foster innovation about energy and local power, ie decentralised energy and power generation. We were only afforded a brief overview, however it was heartening to see work being done on solar thermal and photovoltaic projects, wind, energy efficiency, and cogeneration. One of the projects is a called the "virtual power station", where a range of renewable energy generators, such as solar panels, could be grouped with a storage device to become a single electricity supplier, able to take advantage of high demand pricing in the network. Not only does this approach make renewable energy more dependable, projects such as the "virtual power station" increase our energy security, acting more like an energy Internet.
It was also heartening to learn that some of the projects, such as the solar thermal tower, are moving to joint venture early stage commercial projects, and that's exactly what we need...more renewable energy entrepreneurs!!
2 comments:
I think we best be getting on with the promise of making America energy independent.Iran just asked OPEC to reduce production by yet another 1.5 million barrels per day.This past year and the record gas prices played a huge part in our economic meltdown and seriously damaged our society.We keep planning to spend BILLIONS on bailouts and stimulus plans.Bail us out of our dependence on foreign oil. Make electric plug in car technology more affordable. It cost the equivalent of 60 cents a gallon to drive an electric plug in car. The electric could be generated from wind or solar. Get with it! Utilize free sources such as wind and solar. Stop throwing away money on things that don't work. Invest in America and it's energy independence. Create cheap clean energy, create millions of badly needed green collar jobs. Put America back to work. It is a win-win situation. We have to become more poractive citizens, educate ourselves and demand our elected officials move this country forward into the era of energy independence. Jeff Wilson's new book The Manhattan Project of 2009 Energy Independence NOW outlines a plan for America to wean itself off oil. We need a plan and we need it now! www.themanhattanprojectof2009.com
Yes, moving to a renewable energy economy, away from oil and coal has to be the priority for us all, and it makes economic sense. The IT revolution was led by new thinking, by innovation, by entrepreneurs. The RE revolution will need that plus a plan and a variety of government and industry initiatives. Developing and exporting the new energy technologies will be the businesses of the future - countries that work that out will be the economic powerhouses of this century. And they may well be located in Asia!
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