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Time to Bring Back the Solar Panels, Mr. President

admin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 05:05:48 +0000

Since moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just three months ago, President Obama and the First Lady have added their personal touch to the White House landscape. There is an organic vegetable garden (see more) on the South Lawn. A gleaming new swing set (see more) has been installed a short distance away and within sight of the Oval Office. And let’s not forget about dying the White House fountain green (see more) in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.

Though the fountain water now runs clear, Obama can make the White House itself permanently “green” by bringing Jimmy Carter’s solar panels back. With oil prices again on the rise and energy legislation pending in Congress, now is the time for Obama to highlight the importance of renewable energy to power our economy, curb the emission of climate changing greenhouse gases, and reduce our dependence on imported fuel.

President Carter had solar panels installed on the White House roof in 1977, the same year he established the Department of Energy in response to the oil embargo four years earlier which highlighted America’s dependence on foreign energy. The energy generated from the solar panels powered the water heaters located in the White House residence.

There was barely enough time to draw a warm bath before President Reagan removed the solar panels after taking office in 1980 (most of the panels were subsequently acquired by Unity College in Maine, where they now, see more, provide hot water for the cafeteria) see more. The early 1980s were not a particularly promising time for solar energy. Solar tax deductions introduced by Carter were not renewed during this period and the Solar Energy Research Institute had its budget slashed by almost eighty percent.

Solar energy was quietly reintroduced to the White House grounds in 2002. Small scale panels were installed on a maintenance building to provide electricity and hot water. A solar energy system was also installed on the White House cabana to heat President Bush’s pool and spa. The panels were placed out of plain view and the White House issued no press releases on the installations. There was scant media coverage (see more) of the solar energy systems and what little coverage there was came about six months after the installations were completed.

Obama should take the opposite approach. Solar panels should be placed conspicuously on the White House roof to draw attention to his cap-and-trade plan, which has attracted opposition in Congress across party lines, and the critical need for a clean energy revolution.

Obama should also use this opportunity to showcase 21st century clean energy technology and current research initiatives in the renewable power sector. Solar energy alone has come a long way from the 500 kilowatts produced worldwide when panels were first installed at the White House in 1977. Global production of solar energy now generates over 2,500 megawatts (see more) of renewable power to fuel a cleaner world economy. There is no need to wipe the dust from Jimmy Carter’s solar panels.

At the same time, although technological advancements in clean energy are occurring on a massive scale, continued innovation will only happen if demand increases for renewables. Federal stimulus dollars directed at spurring renewable energy research and development should help lower the cost of equipment like solar panels and encourage average citizens to follow Obama’s lead by generating their own green electricity.

The passage of historic federal climate change legislation may not be feasible over the coming months. When summer arrives and the hot sun and oppressive humidity dominate the day’s news, however, solar panels on the White House roof can serve as shining symbols of the homegrown power harnessed by renewable energy. Perhaps as Obama is wading in the White House pool, he will catch a glimpse of the solar panels lining his home’s roof and spot a choice location for a wind turbine.

Written By Jason Marshall

Jason Marshall is a Boston attorney and a member of the Boston Bar

Association’s Telecommunications and Energy Committee.

Chevy Volt Fails to Deliver

admin — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 03:37:08 +0000

Many have speculated that GM’s new electric car will revolutionize the way we travel and begin to diminish our demand on oil. But has GM taken the volt far enough? Obviously if I am asking a loaded question like that the answer is no, but the answer is also a real eye opener to the potential of electric vehicles.

In 1996 GM introduced the EV1 (electric vehicle1) and began allowing the public to lease them. The EV1 could do everything the Volt will do, amply accelerate, reasonable top speed (around 80 mph), and Charge of the grid or solar panel. There is one area that the EV1 far surpasses the volt. The EV1 could go 3 times farther on a single charge with a range of up to 150 miles. It may not seem far, but most people don’t commute to work further than 60 miles anyways. In fact most people don’t drive that far every day.

GM’s next move has been very controversial, they had pulled all working EV1’s off the streets by 2003 and crushed them, then proceeded to sell the patent for their batteries to Texaco (part of the conglomerate of oil comapies). Learn more by watching the video documentary ”Who Killed the Electric Car.” To make it more drastic some universities that were given deactivated EV1s have reactivated them and come under fire from GM for violating agreements. GM reacted sternly to the schools for allowing the cars to be driven on the road, which violated the agreement.

There is no fear because this will all soon become GM’s loss as a result of independent automakers beginning to produce electric vehicles with ranges around 250 miles and quick chargers that can charge these batteries in 10 minutes. To learn more see Electric Cars, Renergy Cafe’s Top 3.

Whatever the reason for GM creating a vehicle with a range of only 40 miles is now irrelevant. What is important is that there is new technology that truly can change the future of our world.

Author James Moelk, site owner

Amazon.com Widgets

Obama’s Energy Plan, Energy Independence

admin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:32:55 +0000

It is an Apollo like project like this one laid out by President Elect Obama, which is exactly what America as a country and as a leader in the world, must have for progression. A strong renewable energy plan is not only a beneficial for relieving the united states and other countries from expensive and hostile foreign oil, but is the pathway to many and many new jobs and an increased economic stability. If this plan in enacted, Barack Obama say’s it will create 5 million jobs and place 1 million vehicle on the road that receive over 150mpg. His plan is good for the environment, good for, economy, good for the consumer, and good for the world.

Up to 20% Higher MPG’s | Routine Engine Maintenance

admin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 19:21:21 +0000

Under Hood or a Toyota Prius

In October of 2005 consumer reports did a study on the EPA rated MPG’s and the actual received. In most cases the actual was well below the EPA, in some cases as much as 50%. In this same study Consumer Reports posted what they believed were big contributors to fuel economy loss. Here is what they mentioned about maintenance

Keep your vehicle in top shape. A poorly maintained engine can cut gas mileage by 10 to 20 percent. A clogged air filter can cause up to a 10 percent increase in fuel consumption. Underinflated tires require more energy to roll and can reduce fuel economy by 5 percent. Follow the maintenance schedule in your owner’s manual, and keep the tires properly inflated.

Many components can decrease your fuel economy, but the major threats are the, air filter, tire pressure, spark plugs and fuel filter. These components should be checked and replaced according to your vehicles maintenance schedule, but here is what a typical schedule looks like for your key MPG components, and links on how to check and change them.

Air Filter – 12,000 Miles inspect, clean and if needed replace. Replacing typically cost between $7-$15 and takes about 10 minutes.

Tire Pressure – Check at least every time you change your oil.

Fuel Filter – In vehicles older than six years, it is recommended that you inspect and if needed change annually. (The how to shown is very specific to a Lincoln, each car has its own particular procedures for changing the fuel pump. Please refer to Haynes (or equivalent) manual before attempting this procedure.)

Spark Plugs – It is recommended that you check and if needed change every six months to a year.

If you have lost your owner’s manual you can still find the proper maintenance schedule for your particular vehicle here http://www.edmunds.com/maintenance/select.html.

Overview of How to Improve Your Fuel Economy

admin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 21:43:37 +0000

While both nationally and globally we wait for a renewable energy explosion to finally offer relief at the pump, we find there are small efforts we can make to keep our consumption of gas down. Everything from not topping off your tank when you fill up to making sure your air filter is clean, can help keep a little more “green” in your wallet. A vast number of resources cite lists of tips and tricks to improve your fuel economy. Depending on the model, year and condition of your vehicle, you could see improvement of up to %30 or more with healthy fuel economy habits.

Renergycafe.com will be running a series of blog posts on how you can improve your fuel economy. We will be stating tips and tricks and their respective results in a wide variety of vehicles. To give a brief overview of these posts, below we have chosen a few broad tips your can start practicing to improve your own MPG’s.

The top rated 3 tips by renergycafe.com

1. Maintenance, change it if it is old, clean it if it is dirty, fill it if it’s low.
a. Air filter, spark plugs, tire pressure, etc

2. Driving style, this may offer the biggest increase on your over-all improvement.

a. No sudden starts or stops, stay near posted speed limits

3. Aerodynamics, often overlooked.

a. Keep windows up when above 30mph, avoid car-top carriers, keep your car clean

You can continue to follow our blog post on our Cafe Discussion page by selecting our Improving Your Fuel Economy drop down box.