North Bay Eco Geek

Steven Cowley: Fusion is energy's future

2009-12-23T03:32:00.000-08:00

http://www.ted.com Physicist Steven Cowley is certain that nuclear fusion is the only truly sustainable solution to the fuel crisis. He explains why fusion will work

2009-12-23T03:29:00.000-08:00

Peak Moment 141: (same as 3/4/09 with added diagrams) Trathen Heckman takes us on a step-by-step tour of how to make a safe, ecological and legal suburban home graywater system.

Geothermal in Hawaii

2009-01-05T16:47:00.000-08:00

Island of Hawaii has a 30MW geothermal plant but no power lines to the other side of the island.
Under sea cables are almost impossible between islands because of the depth and rough floor -- cost is out of sight.

Existing U.S. Energy Generation Base

2008-10-14T10:49:00.000-07:00

Video: Intro to Enhanced Geothermal Systems

2008-10-11T14:38:00.002-07:00

The energy from the heat beneath the earth's surface is essentially an unlimited resource. What if it could be developed to help solve our energy challenges and fight global warming? Enhanced Geothermal Systems, or EGS, attempts to do just that. EGS produces heat and electricity by harnessing the energy from hot rock deep below the earth's surface, expanding the potential of traditional geothermal energy by orders of magnitude. EGS is a big challenge, but with the potential to power the world many times over, it demands our immediate attention. At Google we've launched an effort to advance EGS through R&D, investment, policy and information.

--Google

3D Model and Animation of the Cooper Basin EGS Projec

2008-10-11T14:38:00.001-07:00

Video: An animation of the 50 MW Habanero EGS system, under development in Australia's Cooper Basin. The 3-D models featured are available for download below and can be viewed in Google SketchUp:

Temperature at 4.5 km

2008-10-11T14:31:00.000-07:00

Found some data about how deep we need to drill to make steam.

Temperature at 3.5 km

2008-10-11T14:29:00.000-07:00

Geothermal Aquaculture in Idaho

2008-09-11T14:42:00.000-07:00

Geothermal aquaculture is big business in Idaho. Catfish, tilapia, ornamental fish, coral, aquatic plants, and alligators are all being raised in the state thanks to our geothermal water, which is perfectly suited for these life forms. People have been using this natural hot water in Idaho since 1973 for aquaculture businesses and research. The map below shows the locations of geothermal aquaculture establishments currently in operation.

Fish and Alligators for Eating

Leo Ray was probably the first person in Idaho to put geothermal water to work for raising aquatic life. Mr. Ray's business, Fish Breeders of Idaho, is located near the Snake River in the Hagerman Valley of Twin Falls County. Catfish, tilapia, and alligators are raised in 95° F water. Tilapia is the most commonly raised fish in Idaho's geotehrmal waters. Geothermal water is an excellent environment for the alligators of southern Idaho. Mr. Ray's alligators serve multiple purposes. In addition to being edible, they help with waste management by consuming cull fish from Ray's other acquaculture opertions. The hides are also cured and processed into leather products such as boots, vests, and purses.

Nine of the 13 geothermal aquaculture businesses raise tilapia, making it the most commonly grown fish in Idaho using warm water. However, the tilapia industry has faced some challenges. In the U.S., tilapia producers had to make changes in marketing practices when the cost of producing fillets ceased to be competitive with oversea producers. Bob Williams, owner of Arraina Inc. and Ace Development, has created a lucrative aquaculture oasis in the Owyhee desert that is successful because of creative marketing. The company delivers live tilapia to Vancouver, British Columbia, where the large Asian population prefers to buy live seafood. Additional markets in large west coast cities such as Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco have been developed for Idaho's live tilapia product.

Ornamentals and Aquatic Plants

Six places in Idaho use geothermal water for raising ornamental aquaculture products. In south-central Idaho, angel fish are grown for tropical fish tanks. Goldfish are being raised in Caribou County and ornamentals in Twin Falls and Owyhee Counties. In Ada County, Flora Company raises koi and shobukin in a cascading application that is downstream from their geothermal greenhouses. Also in Ada County, the Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation (GARF) raises a collection of aquatic plants, fish, and reef animals and products. One of GARF's goals is to stimulate interest in, appreciation for, and an understanding of these marine organisms.

In addition to fish and reef colonies, GARF raises a variety of aquatic plants. One would never know passing by this home that, nestled in the back, is this magnificent wetlands project. The project was started 20 years ago, and consists of valuable aquatic plants collected from around the world to enhance the study of algae control plants and the balance of nature. All of these plants thrive and reproduce rapidly due to the continued availability of geothermal water in the Boise Warm Springs Water District.

Source:http://www.energy.idaho.gov/alternative_fuels/geothermal/aquaculture.htm

Cost to Drill a Well

2008-08-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

According to Calpines literature, It cost 2-3 million to drill a well. They totally outsource this part of the job to a company like ThermaSource. To put things in perspective, The town of Windsor has population of 25,000 people. The town spends about $5,000,000 per year on public safety. This is 20% of the entire budget, Which translates to about $200 per year, per person. About $16 per month. In 2005 there were 87 violent crime incidents.(source:http://safety.fizber.com/California/Windsor/) This translates to 1 violent crime every 4 days. This also means that 1 out of 287 Windsor residents was violent at least once per year.

Here are some more numbers to think about:
CalPine The Geysers Project
Cost to drill one well: $3 Million
Number of active wells: 350
Calpine Anual Energy Production: 30,000 megawatts
Cost to build Power Plant:???
Number of people needed to operate power plant: 1

Google invested $10 Million in Geo Thermal

2008-08-20T01:04:00.000-07:00

In a nutshell Google
invested $10 Million in Geo Thermal.
http://dotearth.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/08/19/google-to-invest-in-geothermal/

To me, this confirms that Google's legions of innovative PHDs are
steering Google in the same direction I think we should investigate. I
wonder if Windsor can position it self to be plausible place for
Google to investment. Some companies are created for the sole purpose
of being bought by Google. Can we get Google to pay attention?

Given Sonoma State University's proximity to California's premier
place for Geo Thermal activity, I think that this region can lead the
rest of the country in sustainable energy adoption, if SSU produces
Geo Thermal engineering talent. Perhaps their green building programs
will expand over the next few years to include green power design.
This area is flooded with professionals who have been involved with
local Geo Thermal industry related to the 17 Geo Thermal power plants
within the 40 mile radius.

The Geysers

2008-08-17T00:45:00.000-07:00

Do you know about The Geysers?
See Map: http://www.geysers.com/img/Geysers_Map.jpg

The Geysers (own by Calpine Corp) is one of the most reliable energy sources in California delivering extremely high availability and on-line performance and accounts for one-fourth of the green power produced in California.

I think it’s fair to say that in 2004 Sonoma county powered one fourth of the 6th largest economy in the world. It could very well be that electricity is Sonoma County’s biggest export.

Why is this relevant?
We can make hydrogen cheaply.
We can use cheap hydrogen to fuel cars, buses, trains and motorcycles.
We can be in control of our electricity prices.
We can be self reliant by having our own local grid.
We can energize power hungry technology.
We can sell surplus energy to neighboring counties and use proceeds to enhance community programs.

We are wealthy. All we have to do is look down.

Calpine corporation understands this, which is why they had nearly $8 Billion in revenue last year. The year before that it was about $7Billion. Between 2006 and 2007 their revenue grew by 16%.
Source:http://finance.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NYSE:CPN

To get the scope of how much $8 Billion is, here is an article on Sonoma County Wine Industry that has an $8 Billion impact.
http://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2005/05/23/daily30.html

I am excited about our energy potential, if you want to have a conversation about this, get in touch with me arsen yeremin at gmail com

References:
http://www.lao.ca.gov/2004/cal_facts/2004_calfacts_econ.htm
http://www.geysers.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgGlE97rJl4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRAQrDduaU0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUQy86ZMpQ
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6641103737354173076&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3753378027366882455&hl=en
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=284642880869092090&vt=lf&hl=en
http://www.ecogeek.org/content/view/990/
http://www.hydrogentrain.eu/
http://www.hydrail.org/
http://www.hydrail.org/hydrail.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norsk_Hydro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calpine_Corporation

Algae Bio-Fuels

2008-05-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

After reading a fesability report released by DEA, I tried experimenting growing my own algae in my back yard. Though my experiments were inconclusive, I am still interested in people exploring this bio fuel option. Here is an interesting video on the topic.

Maker Faire

2008-05-01T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Maker Faire is in a few days. Hope to see some North Bay projects there.

Brammo

2008-05-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

This motorcycle was being demoed at a Venture Capital Event in Santa Rosa. Brammo is based in Ashland Oregon and are looking for up to 15 million in funding. The bikes are sold for around $12k. Though I could not ride it due to time constrains and liability. The bike appeared to be solidly made. It's my understanding that the bikes will be manufactured in Oregon if the cost of assembly is less than the cost of shipping from china.

Top Speed: 50mph
Range: 45 miles
Charge Time: 3 hours

Sustainable Conference

2008-04-23T22:38:00.000-07:00

Friday, May 2
Sonoma Mountain Village, Rohnert Park, CA

-Understand sustainability and the challenges and opportunities it presents.
-Discuss environmental impacts and ways in which enterprises can reduce their impact.
-Offer tools that are strategic and practical - from generating a vision of a sustainable enterprise, to optimizing resource management, to metrics systems for measuring progress.
-Develop frameworks for producing or reformulating products and services that are
environmentally and socially sound.
-Illustrate, through experiences or cases, the rewards and risks of sustainability initiatives as an entrepreneur or within a larger enterprise.
-Explore strategies for communicating and creating alignment among coworkers and colleagues.
-Network with other organizations and people to successfully implement innovative sustainable operating practices and policies.

http://sustainableenterpriseconference.com/

Zap Alias Prototype

2008-04-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

I saw the prototype chassis at ZAP HP in Santa Rosa. I understand the prototype is drivable, but test drives are not open to the public yet. You can put down a $5k deposit for when it comes out in 2009 for around $30k.

Several years ago I spoke with one of Zaps Execs as he were demoing
The Smart Car

inside Costco. He said that there was government regulation resistance to have these cars imported to America. I may be wrong, but this issue seems to be side stepped by simply importing the parts and assembling them it in the United States. This is what appears to be what will enable Zap to get these cars out the door sooner rather than later.

One thing to be said about Smart Cars is that I was not impressed by the demo I saw several years back. Although I applaud the engine being made by BMW the rest of the car was the quality of Saturn. I owned both both brands and will never buy one of them again. I understand that zap was not responsible for designing the product and I still applaud them for trying to give us something that gets 60+ MPG long before the Prius left the drawing board.

This time ZAP has the opportunity to do it right. Please, please don't skip on quality of the interior, convenience of controls on the steering wheel, sound insulation from outside noise, quality and functionality of plastic switches, sturdiness of all moving parts, and of course a good sound system with auxiliary input.

If ZAP does it right, at $30k people will be lining up to get one. If the quality is there I will be the first in line. I guess for now the only other cool option is Tesla for $100k. I am going to have to hold off, at least until ZAP releases their Allias.

Wi-Fi in Sebastopol, CA, USA

2008-04-22T17:21:00.000-07:00

Two days ago while I was talking to someone at Windsor Chamber of Commerce, a remark was made about people in Sebastopol being stupid. It's unfortunate that such statements are made because some Sebastopol residents are outraged about the city's decision to ban sonic.net Wi-Fi. I was walking down Sebastopol's Main Street while asking a friend what he thought about the city council's decision, when a stranger sitting on a bench jumped in to answer. "It is stupid" he said. "They are stupid; They don't understand that there is a signal already all around us" He pulled out his keys with a hot-spot detector attached to the chain showing us signal strength. We nodded our heads and kept on walking. My friend says "That about sums it up". I respect people decision not to want to be exposed to 2.4Ghz frequency as much as I respect people who are afraid of the dark. I really do. Phobias are very real to those experiencing them.

We have to remember that radio frequency is all around us.
Most lights emit 60Hz.
The earth itself emits around 3kHz -8kHz signal.
Our brain emits a frequency (600Hz).
Our heart beats on an electrical signal from our brain (1.17Hz).
The SETI project is receiving signals from space across a huge spectrum.

To me, free Wi-Fi represents free sharing of knowledge. If you ever go to Sebastopol, you will quickly realize that people here are all about sharing. Sharing housing, sharing food, sharing bikes, etc... It's a community of openness. Most are open minded (except when absolute dogmatic statements are made). Sebastopl is home to O'Reilly Media. The poster child of open source book publishing. Zap(Zero Air Polution), an Electric Car pioneer of our time was founded in Sebastopol. Intuit's Quickbooks was started there also.

While the decision to cut Sebastopol's free internet access does not affect me, (my phone has EVDO internet connection and Wi-Fi, so I bridge the connection to re-broadcast my own hotspot for others can connect to), majority of residents are the ones at a loss. I think this can be summed up in 2 statements. They are loosing their option to connect. They are perceived as uneducated fools.

I think it would be interesting if there was a ban on electricity. It would be an experiment we can learn from.

Solar Trailer

2008-04-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

One of my friends is building a solar trailer. Very cool. I took the Alpha version of the product for a test drive. It's promising but still needs extensive refinement. His purpose is to ride across the United States while making a documentary on sustainable living. Right now the batteries last about 2 hours and the motor tops off at about 15 MPH. It would be cool if he could ride up to 10 hours per day on a single charge. This would allow him to cover 150 miles per day before having to recharge. I realize the extra weight will reduce the top speed and add to strain of the batteries.

Tesla

2008-01-13T15:43:00.000-08:00

I saw 2 of these while driving through Mountain View. You never see these in the North Bay. I guess all the action is in Silicon Valley. The Tesla cost around $100k. If there was a dealership in Sonoma, I would definitely test drive one.

Ariel Atom

2008-01-11T15:47:00.000-08:00

This car is the second fastest non-race car on the market after Bugatti. While Bugatti is going to start out around $800k, The Ariel Atom can be had for 80k.
http://www.arielatom.com/

2007-12-27T15:52:00.000-08:00

MSRP: $54,995
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase 76 in
Track 60 in
Ground Clearance 4 in
Seat Height 19.5 in
Dry Weight 750 lbs
GVWR 1100 lbs

CHASSIS
Main Frame TriRod 2-1 Straddle Mount, Steel Tubular Frame
Seat 2 Up
Fuel Tank 4.5 gallons
Front Fenders Carbon Fiber – Upright Mount
Rear Fender Carbon Fiber – Swing Arm Mount
Body Panels Carbon Fiber
Saddle Bags Optional - Frame Mount, Hard Bags
Windscreen Sport/Half Windscreen – Body Panel/Frame Mount
Foot Controls Forward Controls – Billet Aluminum
Hand Controls Performance Machine Billet Aluminum

SUSPENSION/STEERING
Front Suspension Double, Unequal, Non-Parallel A-Arm, Rocker with Pull Rod, Inboard Shocks (Penske Racing Shocks)
Front Hubs Heat Treated Chrome-Moly, Tapered Bearings
Front Uprights Billet Aluminum
Rear Suspension Mono-Shock, Rocker & Linkage
Steering Handle Bars, Electronic Power Steering Assist

DRIVETRAIN
Engine JIMS Twin Cam – B, 120 Cubic Inch – Natural Finish/Chrome
Exhaust 2 into 1
Transmission 6-Speed, Overdrive, Right Side Drive, Natural Finish/Chrome
Primary Drive Double Row Chain, Closed Primary, Oil Bath, Chrome Inner Cover, Chrome Outer Cover
Secondary Drive 125 Tooth Belt, Kevlar Reinforced
Final Drive 125 Tooth Belt, Kevlar Reinforced
Clutch Wet, 9 Plate
Reverse Drive Optional - Electric

WHEELS/TIRES
Front Rims 18 x 9, Billet Aluminum, Speed Nut
Front Tires 235/40-18, Pirelli P Zero Nero
Rear Rim 20 x 12, Billet Aluminum
Rear Tire 325/25-20, Pirelli P Zero Nero

BRAKES
Calipers Rear – Billet Aluminum, 2 Piston, Front – Billet Aluminum, 4 Piston
Rotors Motorcycle Type, Stainless Steel, 10” Rear, 13” Front (Floating Rotors)

ELECTRICAL
Charging System 32 amp
Gauges Analog Speedometer with Digital Odometer and Tripmeter, LED Indicator Lights, Fuel Gauge
Optional Electronics Power Port - Gauge Area
Lighting Halogen Headlight – Flush Mount with Bodywork, Tailight/Turn Signals – LED

2007-08-26T16:27:00.000-07:00

Solar Car. The Dutch are at it again.

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Dutch solar car Nuna4 won the 20th World Solar Challenge, a 3,000 km (1,864 mile) race through the Australian outback, race officials said on Friday.

The Nuna4 took 33 hours and 17 minutes for the race and was the fourth win for the Dutch team Nuon Solar, which holds the race record at 29 hours and 11 minutes.

The sun-powered-cars from around the world raced from Darwin on Australia's tropical north coast to Adelaide on the country's southern coast. Traveling only during daylight, sometimes in scorching temperatures, Nuna4's average speed was 90.7 kmph (56.3 mph).

2007-07-22T16:39:00.000-07:00

Not sure if these are test drivable in the Netherlands. I'd love to take one for a spin nex time I am there. They are priced under $20k.

The Amazing Flying Dutch Car

2007-06-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

Why drive when you can fly? I've seen these promises made in 1995. Show me the prototype.

2006-01-23T00:44:00.000-08:00

Australian Solar Power Tower
http://www.enviromission.com.au

2006-01-13T22:33:00.000-08:00

I was recently talking with a friend about my Mobile HotSpot Tracking idea. He pointed out that some phones are GPS enabled. When a cell phone manufacture claims they are GPS enabled it’s likely that the GPS they are referring to is not satellite based. Cell phone towers are used to triangulate the position of the phone. The problem with this is that I don’t have a way to access Mobile Phone Company backend to mashup with Google Maps API.

Engadget.com posted an article regarding tracking down a kidnapped baby who was in the car along with the cell phone when it was stolen. The process for acquiring the position for the cell phone was at best two-and-a-half hours. Not so good for real-time tracking.
See Article:
http://gps.engadget.com/2006/01/12/sprint-employee-refuses-to-divulge-kidnapped-babys-gps-info/

2006-01-13T22:27:00.000-08:00

There is a home for sale in my area with soloar pannel.
Listing Details Price: $639,000 (Sale)
Property Type: Single Family
MLS#: 20529804
Year Built: 1990
Street Address: 1049 Hampshire Ln
Lot Sq. Ft.: 6,600 (approx.)
City: Windsor
Acreage: 0.152 (approx.)
County: Sonoma
Bldg Sq. Ft.: 1,990 (approx.)
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Comments :
Pride of Ownership! Beautiful 4 Bdrm, 3Ba, 1990 sq. ft. Freshly painted, New Wood Laminate, New Armstrong Lino, 3 new low flow toilets, Skylight in Master Bath, 2 Attic Fans, 7 Ceiling Fans, Pellet Stove, Solar Powered Home! 3 car garage with RV Parking! Also to Sweeten this up, $5000 carpet or closing cost credit at closing!

Source:
http://www.greathomes.org/property.asp?PropID=20529804&cat=1

Looks kind of ugly. I am begining to have second thoughts about spending $25k to have this pannels installed. The ROI is supposed to be 5-7 years

2006-01-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

I think the neighbors may have a problem if I mount one of these motorized solar posts in my back yard. They actually track the sun, so it's noon all day long. Much more efficient than having stationary pannels on the roof.

2006-01-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

Prototype

2006-01-09T06:58:00.000-08:00

Fuel cells for bikes. That's reasonable. I wonder if anyone is working on this.

2006-01-09T06:52:00.000-08:00

The dome burned due to propane tank exploding while the whole structure was lifted from the groud by the water rushing from the Russian River.

2006-01-09T06:49:00.000-08:00

This shed was under water. Real Goods (http://www.realgoods.com/) should have picked higher ground for their storage location.

2006-01-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

Though these panels were submerged in 10 feet of mud water, they should still work after spraying them off.

2006-01-09T06:30:00.000-08:00

This weekend I went to RealGoods Hopeland to see the damage caused by the Russian River flood. An article in the Press Democrat (http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060105/NEWS/601050378/1036/BUSINESS) said there was $150k of damage caused by over 10 feet of water. So I though I better go checkout the facility before it's too late.
Anyway, mounting a couple of these to the bike is probably out of the question. Maybe one day we'll have solar assist biking, but I dont think it's today, unless you want to use the solar pannels as wings to create lift as you peddal. Just kidding.

2006-01-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

This phone is used to give my laptop wireless DSL speeds (Where EVDO is available)
It also serves as my POD and Camera
By the way, all pictures below were taken using this device.
See the link about other features
http://www.mobiletechreview.com/Sprint-PPC-6700.htm

2006-01-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

That battery is heavy. Sometimes I rather ride without it.

Laptop

2006-01-09T06:07:00.001-08:00

2006-01-09T06:07:00.000-08:00

I can also use the speaker and track controller to interface with my SonyAtrack3Plus or my Sony Net MD

2006-01-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

This is the battery/motor enclosure. I got it from Zap

2006-01-09T05:36:00.000-08:00

I bought this bike from Costco for $145 about 3 years ago.

2006-01-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

Strap that laptop to your bike and you are on the way.
Next project: tap in to the battery that powers the motor (see the unit next to the bike) to power the laptop.&

Zap at San Francisco Car Show

2005-11-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

Zap was the only electric car company I saw at the show. Lot's of cool cars, but non electric. They are a local company so I hope to see something cool from them in the future.

This prototype is not quite ready for action. It's interesting looking, but it's too soon to tell. At this point it does not even have windows.

The convertible is not electric or hydrogen. It's simply a gas efficient car.

It seems Zap is considering Fuel Cell Technology. Today this costs $100k+. I am not holding my breath for this one.

Electric:Cool; Style:None;

Bicycle + Ajax.net + Wifi+ GPS + Google API = MHST (Mobile HotSpot Tracking)

2005-11-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

Here is the idea. I’d like to be able to allow other technology enthusiast to share my internet connection while I ride my bicycle from Windsor to Santa Rosa. This is about an 8 mile commute.

If you are not enthusiastic enough to strap your laptop to your bike, your alternative may be to:

Use your pda for internet radio streaming

Listen to your Podcast

You may also synchronize your pda with a website, so that your loved ones know exactly where you are on the road. You may even send a notification alert if you do not reach your destination co ordinance by a specified time.