IDT Energy is continuing the thread from last time. The NREL is working diligently on improving hybrid automobile performance. The goal is to get millions of commuters to switch from using fully gasoline powered cars to automobiles which use electricity for a large percentage of its fuel needs. One issue that needs addressing is increasing the cars range to at least 100 mpg, making the cars more reliable, and of course reducing costs. In addition all this must be achieved while reducing tailpipe emissions to acceptable levels.

IDT Energy New York wants you to know about the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL.) This laboratory

was first established as the Solar Energy Research Institute in 1974 by an Act of Congress known as the Solar Energy Research Development and Demonstration Act. In 1977 the NREL began operations and was designated to be a national laboratory of the United States Department of Energy (DOE) in September of 1991. Among the varied and abundant work being done at the NREL is research into improving the performance of hybrid cars, which are cars that run on electricity as well as fossil fuel (gasoline.) If performance could be made efficient enough hybrid cars will become more attractive and more people will join those who own the newest technology to reduce fossil fuel consumption.

As IDT Energy in New York continues to offer to its customers the choice of getting some of their electricity produced by alternative energy sources, politicians also continue to create legislation to encourage the switch to renewable energy as a source of electric power.

As reality settles in in Washington much of the far reaching goals set by candidate Barak Obama are being whittled down by Congress to more realistic and manageable goals.

During his campaign and early presidency Obama was enthusiastically calling for 25% of the United States’ electricity to come from renewable sources such as solar, wind and other alternatives to coal and oil, by the year 2025.

Tempering this enthusiasm is a strong whiff of reality from congress brought on by compromises made with utilities to exempt them in some cases and to meet some of these goals with increased efficiency rather than an actual switch to increased use of green energy.

The large climate bill which will be considered by Congress in the coming weeks would require 20% of electricity production to come from renewables by the year 2020. Even this more modest amount won’t be reached due to compromises and exemptions.

Compared to the original goals set by Obama of 10% renewable energy use by utilities by the year 2012 and 25% by 2025, this is a disappointment for the president indeed.

‘Big box’ stores such as Cosco, Wal-mart and other warehouse style facilities are looking for more cost effective methods of climate control, as well as “greener”, or environmentally friendly solutions than traditional cooling systems.

Evaporative cooling is more economical and  friendly to the environment for at least six reasons.

1.    Evaporative cooling systems use up to 75% less power than standard systems.
2.    They leave a smaller “hydro footprint.” Meaning they use less water than the traditional cooling systems.
3.    Evaporative cooling systems actually weigh less than traditional systems, requiring less structural support, so less materials end up eventually in landfills.
4.    All the cooling media used is paper-based recyclable material and the equipment is made from easily recyclable metals and other substances.
5.    Evaporative cooling systems are free from harmful HCFCs .
6.    These systems are true 100% outside air (OA) systems. In addition to providing cooling, the large amount of air that is moved also provides air that is 50% rh, the perfect amount for good health.

In summary, evaporative cooling uses the system that nature uses to cool large spaces, uses much less power, leaves a much smaller hydro and carbon footprint, saves on structural building materials, is made of recyclable materials, and maintains a 100% OA system. It seems clear that evaporative cooling should be the method of choice for cooling big box stores.

Until 1998 New York State residents were spared the option of choosing which company supplied their electricity and natural gas. In that year New York embarked on a process to phase-in consumer choice in the expectation that customers would be able to save money. Until 1998 Con Ed (Consolidated Edison) was the only energy supplier in New York City. Today it is still Con Ed that delivers all the electricity. What was de-regulated was which company is actually responsible for the customer’s energy supply. Companies, such as IDT Energy, are competing for the energy supply market and are known as ESCOs, or Energy Supply/Service Companies.

We hear so much about “greenhouse gases”, but what are they exactly?

These are gases which are released into the atmosphere which contribute to global warming by trapping heat instead of allowing the heat from the sun to escape back into space. These gases act in a similar way to the plastic roof of a greenhouse which allows the light and heat from the sun to enter, but not to escape, creating warmth within.

This extra warming is dangerous for the earth, since it effects global climate in an unnatural way and can lead to a rise in sea level, more intense and dangerous weather conditions, and other bad effects.

There are some greenhouse gases that occur naturally, and others which are produced as a result of human activities. These gases are:

•    Carbon dioxide (CO₂) – Burning fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural gas, solid waste, trees, and other chemical reactions all contribute to the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

•   Methane (CH₄) – This gas is produced when coal, natural gas and oil is produced and transported. Organic waste decay in municipal solid waste landfills and livestock production also add to methane emissions.

•   Nitrous Oxide (N₂O) – Industry and agricultural activities contribute these gases to the atmosphere, as well the burning of fossil fuels and solid waste.

•    Fluorinated Gases – These gases, such as hydrofuorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride are powerful greenhouse gases and are often called “High Global Warming Potential” gases or High GWP gases. These are synthetic gases produced during many types of industrial processes.

We are all quite familiar with the famous types of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind. Perhaps surprisingly, in the United States biomass actually supplies fifteen times as much energy as solar and wind power combined. And biomass has the potential to supply even more.

Biomass was mankind’s first use of renewable energy, ever since humans have been making fire. Today there are many sources for biomass; it can come from grass, trees, forestry, agricultural and urban wastes.

What make biomass renewable? Ultimately the source of the energy in biomass is the sun. The secret of converting solar energy into the chemical energy held in plants is the process of photosynthesis. Using the sun’s energy, carbon dioxide from the air and water from the earth, plants create carbohydrates which can later be burned for the energy, returning the water and carbon dioxide back to the environment. We can think of biomass as a kind of battery which stores the solar energy from the sun until we are ready to use it. This “battery” can last indefinitely as long as the biomass is produced in a sustainable fashion, only using as much as is grown.

Texas Windmill

There is historical evidence that windmills were invented in the 9th century, in Persia. This ancient means of harnessing a renewable energy source was used for grinding corn or to draw up water. Windmills spread to Europe via Islamic Spain. By the end of the 12th century windmills were used to grind grains/cereals in northwestern Europe and were also used in China in the 13th century.

Water pumping windmills, developed in the United States, was a major contributor in the development of farming and ranching throughout huge areas of North America, which by and large had no easy access to water. Without water-pumping windmills early steam-locomotive rail systems could not have developed, since the water needed to pump from wells to wherever the locomotive was located.

In the late 19th century there were two major brands of windmills, The Eclipse and the Aermotor. The Aermotor became the most popular because it is designed to withstand windstorms and not fly apart. Today Aermotor is the only water-windmill manufacturer in the U.S. Aermoter windmills are still being used in places in the world where there is no realistic way to connect to power lines.

Traditional sources of energy, such as coal, gas and oil contribute to the dangerous “greenhouse effect” which we hear so much about. But what is the greenhouse effect, and why is it such a concern to scientists and environmentalists, and anyone that cares about the quality of life on earth, not just today, but for the future?

When carbon dioxide and other gasses are released into the atmosphere as by-products of energy production from coal, oil and gas, heat energy from the sun is trapped near the earth’s surface. This causes an increase in temperature, known as “global warming.”  This process is similar to the way a greenhouse works to grow plants that are sensitive to cool temperatures, or the way your car heats up inside when the sun shines on it while it’s parked with the windows closed.

Even a temperature increase of just a few degrees can drastically change the earth’s climate, causing an increase in number and severity of storms, floods, droughts and hurricanes all of which can devastate economies and societies.

For this reason it is important to be aware and work towards an increase in use and development of renewable energy.This is one of the goals of IDT Energy.

At IDT Energy we hope to educate people about alternative sources of energy production. As the hub of world trend-setting, New York and its citizens should know about the different types of renewable energy that are in use today.

One new source of energy, which isn’t really new at all, is wind energy. We are all familiar with windmills which have been used for centuries to grind wheat and other grains, and sailing ships which harness wind energy.

In the early settlement of America colonists used windmills not just for grinding grains, but also for pumping water and cutting wood at sawmills. Even as late as the 1920’s windmills were even used to generate electricity in outlying areas where there was no electric service yet.

Wind is mysterious. It can’t be seen except through the other things which it moves, but it certainly can be felt. Wind is simply the motion of air, which is caused when the air temperature is different in different places.

As the sun beats down on the earth during the daylight hours the air above water heats up more slowly than air over land. At night the air over land cools more quickly than air over water. Since warmer air rises while cooler air falls, this movement is what creates wind that we can turn into energy.

This effect is global and not just local, as air near the equator is heated up much more than air near the poles.

Wind is used today mostly to produce electricity, and is very definitely a renewable source of energy, as it owes is production to the effects of the sun on the surface of the earth and its atmosphere.