Monday, May 31, 2010

Solar stimulus would power homes, jobs

Extending two solar energy stimulus programs would generate 200,000 jobs and enough solar energy to power 2 million homes, according to an independent study released today (May 31) by The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). The study indicated that extending the Department of Treasury Grant Program by two years and including solar manufacturing in the industries' existing tax credit would add 200,000 new domestic jobs to the solar workforce and supporting industries in the United States and generate 10 gigawatts of new solar installations by 2016.

“The clean energy grant program created in last year’s stimulus bill allowed enough renewable energy to come on line to power four cities the size of Seattle and create over 140,000 new jobs,” said Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wa). “Extension of the Treasury Grant program is essential to continuing our nascent economic recovery and moving to a cleaner, more distributed 21st century energy system. Tens of thousands of jobs hinge on continuing this successful program, including thousands of new solar jobs in Washington State in the next two years. These are high-paying jobs that our economy needs.”

“Unemployment across the country remains near 10 percent, while the construction industry is suffering at nearly 22 percent unemployment,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “But during the last year, the solar industry has been one of the bright spots in our economy with the creation of 17,000 new jobs. These jobs were created by the Recovery Act, and it’s time for Congress to extend the programs that have given new opportunity for Americans in the solar industry.”

“The Treasury Grant Program is essential to keeping project financing—the lifeblood of the solar industry—moving forward. SolarCity has hired more than 300 people in the last 12 months and believe we and others in the industry can continue replacing jobs lost in the recession as long as this critical program is extended,” says John Stanton, vice president of Government Affairs for SolarCity based in Foster City, California.

SEIA’s study complements research released in April by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory that found the TGP “has provided significant economic value” and showed strong employment levels in renewable energy industries during 2009.

“From coast to coast, the solar industry is putting Americans back to work with safe, stable careers that offer hope for their families and for the country. We need to support these workers with stable, common-sense policies like an extension of the Treasury Grant Program that provides opportunity while saving the tax-payer money,” says Resch.

Friday, May 28, 2010

Older Americans feeling 10 years younger

As Americans get older, they still feel younger, according to a new survey by HealthSpan Solutions. Six in 10 baby boomers – ages 45 to 65 – feel five years younger than their chronological age.

Nearly all (90 percent) respondents 65 and older said they felt 10 years younger.

The perceived youth and sense of vitality may be surprising to some, given that nearly 60 percent of respondents 65 and older are managing at least one chronic health condition. Among that group, four in ten must manage at least two other health conditions – 80 percent of those conditions are related to heart health.

One possible explanation for the newfound youth: the survey respondents are already taking steps to stay healthy and active and don't want to lose their youthful attitude.

In addition to the consumer survey, the research included a survey of 1,200 healthcare and nutrition practitioners and research about the links between nutrition and healthy aging. Findings include:

  • Older adults aren't getting enough protein. Six in ten adults age 65 and up don't get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for protein intake.
  • Decreased protein and decreased activity lead to health problems. A lack of both protein intake and physical activity will reduce muscle mass, which can quickly lead to many of the diseases and conditions associated with aging.
  • Older adults turn to the Internet and their practitioners for health information. Consumers ages 65 to 75 are twice as likely to use the Internet for information on health-specific nutrition products than consumers ages 19 to 45. One in four adults ages 55 to 75 buy products based only on recommendations by their healthcare practitioners; the only one in ten of younger set (ages 19 to 45) do the same.
  • Spending on preventable chronic diseases accounts for 70 percent of healthcare expenditures for adults 65 and up. Almost 100 percent of those diseases can be managed through better nutrition and activity.

Scientific team tells congress not to cook the books in developing climate change legislation

Ninety of America's leading scientists today (May 28) urged U.S. House and Senate leaders to make sure that any climate/energy bill or regulation accurately accounts for carbon dioxide emissions when it comes to bioenergy, including biofuels such as ethanol.

In the letter to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, U.S. Majority Leader Harry Reid, and key Obama Administration officials, scientists caution that ignoring the carbon impact of bioenergy can actually lead to increases in greenhouse gas emissions because not all forms of bioenergy produce less carbon dioxide pollution than fossil fuels.

They write: "Replacement of fossil fuels with bioenergy does not directly stop carbon dioxide emissions from tailpipes or smokestacks. Although fossil fuel emissions are reduced or eliminated, the combustion of biomass replaces fossil emissions with its own emissions (which may even be higher per unit of energy because of the lower energy to carbon ratio of biomass)."

"There may be a public perception that all biofuels and bioenergy are equally good for the environment and are all lower in carbon emissions than fossil fuels, but that's not true," said Dr. William Schlesinger, president of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. "Many produce just as much or more carbon pollution than oil, gas, and coal. If our laws and regulations treat high-carbon-impact bioenergy sources, like today's corn ethanol, as if they are low-carbon, we're fooling ourselves and undercutting the purpose of those same laws and regulations."

What the United States decides to do in terms of accounting for bioenergy will have major repercussions around the globe, the group wrote.

"U.S. laws will also influence world treatment of bioenergy. A number of studies in distinguished journals have estimated that globally improper accounting of bioenergy could lead to large-scale clearing of the world's forests," the wrote.

Failure to properly account for bioenergy CO2 emissions could seriously undermine other efforts to address climate change, the scientists warn.

"Many international treaties and domestic laws and bills account for bioenergy incorrectly by treating all bioenergy as causing a 100% reduction in emissions regardless of the source of the biomass. … Under some scenarios, this approach could eliminate most of the expected greenhouse gas reductions during the next several decades …"

The letter from the scientists cautions decision makers about the basic mistake that biomass is "carbon neutral," explaining: "Clearing or cutting forests for energy, either to burn trees directly in power plants or to replace forests with bioenergy crops, has the net effect of releasing otherwise sequestered carbon into the atmosphere, just like the extraction and burning of fossil fuels. That creates a carbon debt, may reduce ongoing carbon uptake by the forest, and as a result may increase net greenhouse gas emissions for an extended time period and thereby undercut greenhouse gas reductions needed over the next several decades."

For the full list of the 90 scientists and the text of the joint letter, go to http://216.250.243.12/90scientistsletter.pdf.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Americans prefer gas to alternative fuels

Americans still prefer plain old gasoline according to a recent poll from Harris Interactive. Of more than 12,000 people polled, the majority of respondents were more interested in technologies that provide fuel economy for existing gasoline engines over flexible or clean-fuel engines. Why? Concerns over the higher cost of alternative fuel engines. One in five indicated they would be extremely or very likely to purchase a start stop system or an ECO drive assistant , both of which provide an estimated 10 percent gain in fuel economy. Barely one in six owners said they would be extremely or very likely to purchase flexible fuel engines or a clean diesel engine.

"Consideration for clean diesel engines has been consistent over the past several years of the study, while that of flexible fuel engines has decreased,” says David Duganne, senior research director of Harris Interactive Automotive and Transportation Research. “With the current push of clean diesel by European automakers, we anticipate this will start to increase while consideration for flexible fuel will continue to decrease, especially as other alternative fueled engines continue to come to market."

Even less interest exists for purchasing the newer, more costly and/or fully developed fuel efficient engines. Only one out of 25 vehicle owners are extremely or very likely to consider purchasing fuel cell engines, hybrid-electric engines, plug-in hybrids and pure electric engines. A comparative bright spot is a 10 percent level of consideration of compressed natural gas engines.

In the meantime, interest in technology-driven approaches using traditional gas engines is growing. ECO drive assistant doubled its level of consideration from the 2009 study (19 percent in 2010, up from 11 percent in 2009).

While price is certainly a factor for adoption of newer engine technologies, other barriers also exist. The price of the fuel, the lack of an infrastructure for refueling or recharging, concerns about service and repair of the vehicles and, in the case of the electric vehicles, how long the charge will last in respect to one's daily commute are all detrimental to consumer acceptance.

"Although there are some significant entry barriers, we believe that as consumers become more familiar with alternative fuel approaches, and gasoline costs rise, demand will grow. To raise mass market appeal automakers and government agencies must educate consumers on the benefits they offer, while reducing infrastructure issues,” says David Pulaski, vice president of Harris Interactive Automotive and Transportation Research. “Education must not only address what is being done, but connect with the emotional elements of the concerns. At some point technologies that nip away at enhanced fuel economy aren't going to provide automakers with the gains needed to keep up with industry requirements."

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Fiber consumption remains irregular

Recent research suggests fiber is noticeably absent from the typical American diet. One in three respondents to a recent survey conducted by Mintel consider their diet to be healthy, but only one in five report actively looking for and buying products with added health claims. Based on these results, only a minority of adults are likely to be interested in fiber-enhanced products with digestive claims.

While 30 percent of consumers say they make it a point to eat naturally fiber-rich foods, studies show most Americans are failing to meet their recommended daily fiber intake. This may be explained by the 27 percent of respondents who think food with added fiber usually has an unpleasant taste.

"Many people have negative perceptions about the taste of fiber," says Molly Heyl-Rushmer, senior health and wellness analyst at Mintel. "The taste deters them from eating a fiber-added product that has numerous health benefits."

Twenty-five percent of respondents think fiber is only necessary for those who suffer from irregularity or other digestive problems, with men being more likely than women to hold this belief. Thirty percent of men (compared to 23 percent of women) also believe supplements are just as effective as fiber-enriched foods.

Despite the fact that research shows that a lack of fiber is linked to various cancers, heart disease and diabetes, 22 percent of consumers don't know enough about fiber to know if it is important to their health. Furthermore, 37 percent believe they can get enough fiber from regular foods, so supplements and food with added fiber are unnecessary.

"Consumers are more likely to report limiting sugar, fat, sodium, and calorie intake than they are to eat naturally fiber-rich foods," notes Molly Heyl-Rushmer. "Adults don't fully understand the link between fiber and health."

"The way men view fiber is a considerable obstacle for marketers to overcome," adds Molly Heyl-Rushmer. She believes utilizing "macho" spokesmen in commercial advertising to gently poke fun at these false beliefs, and convince men they're incorrect could be a successful marketing tool.

Molly further advises marketers to implement money-back guarantees and educational initiatives to dispel negative perceptions, as well as inform consumers about fiber's importance in their diet.

Pistachios can help combat cholesterol

It may be all the exercise involved in shelling them, or it may be the presence of a family of anti-oxidant compounds. Whatever it is, research at Penn State University suggests that pistachio nuts, eaten as part of a healthy diet, can help decrease unhealthy, oxidized LDL cholesterol.

"Our previous study showed the benefits of pistachios in lowering lipids and lipoproteins, which are a risk factor for heart disease," said Penny Kris-Etherton, professor of nutrition, Penn State. "This new study shows an additional effect of pistachios so now there are multiple health benefits of eating pistachios."

The researchers note in the May 20 issue of the Journal of Nutrition that "pistachios are high in lutein, beta-carotene and gamma-tocopherol relative to other nuts; however, studies of the effects of pistachios on oxidative status are lacking."
Beta-carotene is the precursor to vitamin A and gamma-tocopherol is a common form of vitamin E. Lutein is found in dark green leafy vegetables and is important in vision and healthy skin. All three compounds are oil soluble vitamins.

Antioxidants are of interest because oxidized low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are implicated in inflammation and plaque buildup inside blood vessels, which are major culprits in heart disease. Antioxidants should prevent LDLs from oxidizing, migrating into the blood vessel walls and causing inflammation.

But researchers note that anti-oxidant studies have offered mixed reviews.

"Currently, studies on antioxidants do not show major benefits," says Kris-Etherton. "Maybe we are not studying people long enough. Maybe there is something in the food that travels with the antioxidants. The antioxidant story is very disappointing to the scientific community."

The reason for the disappointment is that studies on specific antioxidants currently do not show health benefits, but epidemiological studies seem to indicate benefits. Many people feel that we have not figured out antioxidants yet, said Kris-Etherton.
If antioxidants are important, then pistachios fit the bill as antioxidant-laden food.

The researchers conducted a randomized, crossover design, controlled feeding experiment to test the effects of pistachios on antioxidant levels when added to a heart healthy moderate-fat diet.

The participants began the study by eating a typical American diet. They then tested three diets for four weeks each with about a two-week break between each diet. All three diets were variations on the Step I Diet, a cholesterol-lowering diet in general use. The diets included, as a control, a Step I Diet with no pistachios. The pistachio-enhanced diets were Step I Diets with 10 and 20 percent of the energy supplied by pistachio nuts, respectively.

Both pistachio diets produced higher blood serum levels of beta-carotene, lutein and gamma-tocopherol than the typical American diet. Compared to the pistachio-free diet, the pistachio-enhanced diets produced greater blood plasma levels of lutein and gamma-tocopherol. After eating both pistachio-enriched diets, the participants had lower oxidized-LDL concentrations in their blood than after the pistachio-free diet.

When the researchers controlled for the change in LDL-cholesterol produced by the pistachio-enhanced diets, increases in beta-carotene and gamma-tocopherol were still associated with decreased oxidized-LDL for the 3-ounce pistachio-enhanced diet.
"Our results suggest that a heart-healthy diet including pistachios contributes to a decrease in serum oxidized-LDL levels, in part through cholesterol lowering, and also due to an added benefit of the antioxidants in the pistachios," said Kris-Etherton.

Utilities wising up to smart-grid challenges

Smart Grid pilot and demonstration programs are under way in 33 states, but utilities and associated industries need to reach out to consumers if momentum is to continue, according to a recent report from Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Other challenges include managing project costs and establishing functional, cross-industry alliances.


"We're seeing signs in the utility and power generation industry that suggest regulator and customer interactions and technology and business alliances will rapidly evolve as these massive infrastructure projects are executed. These factors could, in some ways, redefine the way utilities will do business going forward," says David Etheridge, utilities and power generation industry leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers. "Rate cases are on the increase as utilities try to find ways to manage investments and project costs. Utilities are forming alliances with the auto and tech industries, adding several layers of operational complexity. And the biggest question of all is whether customers will embrace or reject Smart Grid technology."


According to the report, six key areas that highlight the growing pains associated with Smart Infrastructure technology and its deployment:


  1. Additional expense: Some 62 percent of utilities surveyed globally cited smart grid initiatives (advanced metering infrastructure, protection and control relays and substation automation) as the reason for rising capital budgets in 2010. Nearly two-thirds forecasted boosting capital budgets for 2011. That’s a double whammy for the energy industry, which increased capital spending from $36 billion in 2004 to an estimated $75 billion in 2010. – adding smart grid costs to already-expanding capital expenditure budgets are being raised, in areas such as communications systems and smart meter installation and maintenance. These concerns come as overall capital investment by the utilities industry is estimated to reach $75 billion in 2010, more double that in 2004 ($36 billion).
  2. Utilities, Regulators & Customers: At the core of a fully optimized smart grid are customer adoption and satisfaction. In a recent study, sixty eight percent of Americans have never heard of a smart grid.

    Sixty three percent have never heard of a smart meter. Additionally, in another survey, U.S. utilities executives said rate cases would be their no. 1 one focus during the next year. The number of rate cases filed by shareholder-owned electric utilities rose to 66 - the highest in two decades. Base rate increases among US electric utilities in all were $4.2 billion, with 58 cases in 2009, up from $2.9 billion with 42 cases in 2008. As of February 2010, 83 major U.S. electricity or gas retail rates cases were under consideration.
  3. Costs vs. Benefits: Estimating future costs and the benefits of AMI and smart grid technologies has proven to be a prickly. To date, there is no shortage of estimates of the savings that a fully integrated smart grid could bring. But as smart grids move from theoretical projections into the nuts and bolts of deployment, real effectiveness and attendant savings will come to bear.
  4. Hacking the system: As smart infrastructures expand, so too will the urgency to safeguard against cyber-attacks -be they accidental and petty, or malicious and devastating. The number of successful cyber-attacks against supervisory control and data acquisition systems at power generation, petroleum and nuclear plants and at water treatment facilities has grown tenfold since 2000.
  5. Data overload: Data management and optimization will present significant challenges to utilities in the short term. As data from millions of smart meters streams in--and streams back out to customers—utilities could have a wealth of useful data available to optimize the grid. Or, they could end up with an underutilized and unleveraged data overload. Inevitably, more and more energy-use data will need to be managed as smart meter-enabled home appliances and devices equipped to send data go mainstream.
  6. Managing new partners: Utilities may be thrust increasingly into the role of "clean energy systems integrator," charged with integrating legacy and emerging operations that have traditionally operated independently. In many cases, utility companies are learning how to work with new partners and are adjusting vendor-management behavior. Five years ago, some technology vendors in the smart infrastructure world were willing to develop solutions for utilities at lo-cost or no-cost , generally on a "proof-of-concept" basis. More and more, these same vendors are expecting to be paid.


"Utilities will be challenged on many different fronts to get the equation right - from regulators, customers and technology partners to name a few," says Etheridge. "But the potential benefits and savings for both utilities and their customers are significant. Billions are being invested, and there is the possibility of billions in savings - not just in dollars, but also in emissions reductions. The utility industry is at an inflection point in its 100+ year history - the smart infrastructure is the driving force behind an industry transformation."