U.S. Better Buildings, Better Plants Program saves $1 billion!

The United States Energy Department recently released a list of more than 120 manufactures and businesses that are leading the charge to cut down on carbon emissions while simultaneously saving money on energy costs. The Obama Administration has already come out with the bold prediction that they'll double energy production by 2030 while simultaneously cutting costs. So far so good it seems, as the Department’s “Better Buildings, Better Plants Program” is reporting that nearly 1,800 facilities across the U.S. will save an estimated $1 billion this year.

Oh – and those businesses also happen to be cutting down on 11 million metric tons of CO2! That’s 11 million metric tons of poison we won’t be breathing in the future.

“Through the Better Plants program, American manufacturers are cutting energy waste and saving millions of dollars each year,” says Kathleen Hogan, the U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency. “These manufacturers are leading by example – demonstrating the promise of energy efficiency, increasing competitiveness in the private sector and reducing harmful carbon pollution.”

Across the U.S., businesses spend more than $200 billion a year to power their offices and facilities. Through the Energy Department’s Better Plants Program, businesses take a voluntary oath to reduce their consumption by 25% over the next decade. As of today, the 120 participating companies represent nearly 8% of the country’s manufacturing energy footprint.

If they can change, then anyone can change!

During today’s World Energy Engineering Congress, Hogan recognized five companies in particular – AT&T, Cummins, Metal Industries, TE Connectivity and United Technologies Corporation – for exceeding their 25% consumption reduction goal. Along with the other Better Plants participants, these companies are modeling alternative yet affordable energy management strategies that save bottom lines and strengthen the competitiveness of the U.S. on the global market.

The “Better Buildings, Better Plants Program” is only one aspect of President Obama’s grander plan to make American commercial and industrial buildings at least 20% more energy efficient. His initiative also includes the Better Buildings Challenge, where businesses, universities, and local governments can agree to cut down on their energy consumption by the aforementioned 20%.

Do you own a business? Then what are you waiting for? Step up to the challenge! Or tell your boss that you know a way to save the company TONS of money over the long term. It makes for a great publicity stunt. And not to mention – you'll be doing the right thing!

So join NRGLab in helping create a better, greener future for us all. Because people come and go. The Earth is here forever.

Unites States Energy Department, Obama Administration, carbon emissions, energy production, NRGLab, Kathleen Hogan

Are you being fooled by “renewable” energy?

The green energy movement comes with its own unique language. Words like “renewable” are often thrown around without wondering if people actually understand them. Turns out most of today’s “renewable” technologies aren't all that – well, renewable.

Are you being fooled?

When I say “renewable” energy, I’m talking about energy that doesn’t increase pollution, doesn’t deplete natural resources, and can be produced within the planet’s annual solar budget. By this broad definition, practically none of today’s existing “renewable” energy sources strictly qualify. In some instances, renewable alternatives could never be viable sources of energy without the fossil fuel inputs on which they’re based. In such instances, these alternatives aren’t truly “renewable” due to their fossil fuel dependence.

Take wind turbines, for example. The turbines themselves are made of steel, which is produced courtesy of coal. They’re anchored by concrete, the production of which is a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions.

Wind turbines, as well as solar panels, are produced with limited rare earth elements. Even crops for fuel production are typically grown with pesticides and herbicides derived from petroleum and fertilizer made from natural gas.
“What about corn-ethanol?” you ask. “Isn’t that all-natural and renewable?”

Well, corn-ethanol is produced using electricity generated from natural gas or coal, and processed with steam derived from natural gas. Biodiesels in general are normally produced using an oil feedstock derived from methanol. Many advanced biofuels depend on hydrogen, which is made almost exclusively from natural gas.

Turns out these “all-natural” sources of energy aren’t so “all-natural” after all.

Technology that consumes limited resources, degrades topsoil, depletes aquifers faster than they can be revitalized, or causes pollution to build up in the ecosystem is frequently called renewable, but it isn’t practically sustainable.

And that’s what the world needs – a sustainable plan for the future.

As with most things in life, we have to make trade-offs when it comes to green energy technology. Generally those trade-offs are economic. We’re forced to consume fossil fuels during the production of renewable alternatives in order to keep consumer prices stable. But renewable energy that depletes resources will ultimately pose the same threat as fossil fuels. It’s time we turned “renewable” into “sustainable.”

NRGLab is heavily invested in making green energy technology sustainable for the entire world. For information on projects like the polycrystalline SH-Box, or the SV-Turbine for the efficient conversion of agricultural waste into useable fuel, visit nrglab.asia.

green energy, renewable energy, NRGLab, natural resources, fossil fuels, energy sources, generate electricity, SH-box

Germany’s push for green energy putting stress on consumers

Germany’s attempt to transition away from fossil fuels and shut down the country’s nuclear power plants has proven more arduous than originally anticipated.

Over 30 wind turbines off the Coast of Borkum Island in the North Sea won’t be operational until next year, and the project is currently running into some costly obstacles. As the newly constructed turbines turn, they remain unconnected to an energy grid in desperate need of expansion. And despite the country’s best efforts, carbon emission levels actually rose last year! (Reserve coal-burning plants were forced to go back online in order to close the gap in energy supply and demand.)

In the meantime, German families are being hit by rapidly increasing electricity prices, to the point where an alarming number can no longer afford to pay their monthly utility bills. Small business owners are growing worried that rising energy costs will essentially put them out of business. Some energy-intensive businesses have even begun to shy away from Germany for fear that they’ll be at a disadvantage on the global market.

“Often times, I don’t go into my living room in order to save electricity,” says Olaf Taeuber, a small business owner in Berlin. “You feel the pain in your pocketbook.”

Taeuber relies on a single five-watt bulb to light his kitchen when he comes home from work. In times of emergency, he switches on a neon tube, which consumes all of 25 watts.

So what you probably use to light your closet, Taeuber uses to light his kitchen!

Taeuber is only one of a number of Germans suffering to survive the country’s ambitious energy reformation.  But because the project has unilateral political support, there has been no publ backlash during the current election campaign.

In the emotional aftermath of the nuclear disaster in Japan back in 2011, Chancellor Merkel, of the conservative and pro-business Christian Democrats, decided to make a push for green energy. It calls for Germany to close all nuclear power plants by the year 2022 and transition almost entirely to alternative energy sources by 2050.

The chancellor’s gamble could prove to be her most lasting domestic legacy – or it could turn out to be an utter failure!

According to government estimates, the final cost of the project is expected land somewhere around $735 billion. Yet as the project’s variables have grown, so too have the costs for consumers.

Can't there be a way to transition towards renewable energy without hurting people and families? NRGLab thinks so. Visit nrglab.asia to see what we've got cooking up in innovative green technology.


green energy, coast of Borklum island, NRGLab, coal-burning plants, Chancellor Merkel, fossil fuels, nuclear power plants

U.S. almost energy rich: but for how long?

The United States energy industry is evolving quickly (but not congress’s ability to come to an agreement concerning climate change). The global price of oil per barrel is $70 higher compared to back in 2004. As a result, even though the U.S.’s domestic oil production has risen over the past two years (from 5.5 million barrels a day to 7.5 million), their annual bill for importing oil has skyrocketed to $365 billion.

Why?

All signs points to wasteful consumption habits. Americans simply take too much for granted. Companies focus more on profits than manufacturing conversion efficiencies, or utility bills, or energy alternatives.

The shale gas bubble in the U.S. has caused the domestic price of gas to drop from $10 per million cubic feet in 2010 to less than $4 million today. If car manufactures were to replace their gasoline and diesel engines with ones that ran on compressed gas, Americans could be paying as little as $0.50 cents a gallon. Imagine that!

Conventional power providers now fear that their coal-fired and nuclear plants are fast becoming extinct. Worse yet – their former customers might even become competitors, generating electricity for sale from new technology like the SH-Box by NRGLab – a portable generator capable of producing electricity for as little as $0.03 per kWh.

The U.S. government has barely addressed this impending energy revolution. Neither the Obama administration nor opposing Republicans have presented a clear-cut plan for how best to utilize the country’s newfound abundance of energy resources. A comprehensive reform of current energy policies must be conducted, while new policies that revitalize middle-class jobs must be passed.

But without a plan, will the U.S. allow this potentially world-changing opportunity to slip through their economic fingers?

While the rest of the world sits idly by and waits, NRGLab is striving towards a greener future with an array of innovative energy projects. From the aforementioned SH-Box, to the SV-Turbine for the gasification of agricultural waste, NRGLab is prepared to face the diverse problems we’ll surely face in the future.

For more information, visit nrglab.asia.


energy rich, shale gas bubble, energy industry, price of oil, climate change, diesel engines, NRGLab, SH-box, sv-turbine

More fracking protests in England

On Monday, a high court in West Sussex, England, upheld protesters’ rights to camp outside of a potential fracking sit in Balcombe, saying they can stay until early October. Residents of the small, Mid-Sussex village have recently been evicted to make way for yet another fracking operation. Big machinery. Manpower. No room for the indigenous population, apparently.

How many lives have to be uprooted for a country to stay competitive on the global energy market?

The court ruled that the eviction notice handed down by the local council was flawed, and therefore, additional hearings will be held until a judgment is reached. Hundreds of protesters have been camping out at the site over the summer, with crowd numbers soaring into the thousands during the most intense protests.

Cuadrilla Resources, an oil and gas company based out of the United Kingdom, is currently seeking to explore for oil in Balcombe. But the protests are only the most recent setback for the company which, over the years, has endured a series of them in the UK. Back in 2011, earthquakes at their Blackpool fracking site forced a shutdown that last over a year.

The judge has adjourned the Balcombe case until October 8th, when the local council will have to decide if the public backlash is worth proceeding.  While many support the protest and oppose fracking and, others are aggravated by protestors camping out in their backyards.

"We are delighted to see sanity and justice prevailing for the Balcombe protectors,” says Vanessa Vine, a local resident and protestor. “When will West Sussex county council take action to evict those who are genuinely posing a threat to the local community – those within the gates of the drill site who are putting us at grave risk, for short-term ecocidal corporate gain?"

NRGLab has been asking a very similar question. But until justice is done, we’re determined to offer cost-effective, environmentally friendly solutions to today’s energy crisis. We believe energy independence shouldn’t jeopardize familiar stability. If anything, it should make the family stronger by providing them with self-sufficient means of producing electricity for lighting and heating their homes.

If you’d be interested in something like the SH-Box – a carbon free, polycrystalline generator capable of producing electricity for as little as $0.03 per kWh – or the SV-Turbine – for the gasification of biofuels into clean, useable fuel – visit nrglab.asia, and review our slate of energy projects.

You can help create a better tomorrow.


protests in England, global energy market, NRGLab, Cuadrilla Resources, Balcombe case, energy crisis, sv-turbine, gasification

From pirates to hackers: how energy terrorism affects national security

The global energy infrastructure is incredibly complex, and as a result, pipelines, shipping ports, and fossil fuel reserves have become obvious targets for terrorists. Last week, citing the increasingly important role energy plays in national security, NATO’s Secretary General officially inaugurated the NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence in Vilnius, Lithuania.

“I strongly believe that most resource issues will be settled by the power of the market, not by the power of guns,” says Anders Fogh Rasmussen, Secretary General of NATO. “Energy security is not a call to arms. But when it comes to understanding the security implications of global resource developments, NATO must be ahead of the curve.”

How effective can NATO really be in resolving this situation?

Well, so far, their anti-piracy legislation protects maritime supply chains. NATO also provides a reliable network for sharing information, educating and training, and collaborating with allied countries, as well as experts from the private sector on new methods of protecting vulnerable aspects of our energy infrastructure (against hackers, for example).

Additionally, NATO is proceeding with plans to “go green” with their armed forces by developing alternative energy projects. Rising fuel costs and depleting resources make energy –efficiency more crucial than ever. Compared to World War II, fuel consumption per soldier today is ten times higher!

NATO forces in Afghanistan currently consume over four million liters of fuel per day, most of which is transported through areas vulnerable to terrorist attack. Reducing the number of fuel convoys not only reduces the militaries impact on the environment, it means fewer soldiers’ lives are put in danger.

“This isn’t just about saving money,” claims Rasmussen. “It’s about saving lives, and saving the environment.”

NRGLab believes the best way to accomplish both of those goals is to end our dependence on fossil fuels. If NATO had access to a portable, renewable source of electricity like the SH-Box, perhaps they wouldn’t need fuel convoys, or maritime legislation, or to concern themselves with their troops’ energy efficiency. In fact, they could be paying as little as $0.03 per kWh!

For more information, visit nrglab.asia.

energy terrorism, national security, NATO Energy Security Centre, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, fuel consumption, SH-box, NRGLab

Armed rebels in Libya have hijacked the oil

Billions of dollars’ worth of oil are now under the control of armed rebels in Libya, costing the country more than $130m (£82m) a day on the global market.

Libya was producing approximately 1.5 million barrels of oil a day earlier this year, compared to last week’s total of 700,000, confirming the long-held belief that whoever controls the energy, controls the fate of the nation.

The rebel groups consist mostly of former employees who had been hired to guard the country’s oilfields. Although they aren’t making any specific demands, rebel leaders cite industry corruption as a main inspiration for their siege. Not much has changed since vicious dictator Muammar Gaddafi was removed from office two years ago, they claim. Others are demanding more autonomy for the country’s eastern borders, where most of the oil lies. Still others are striking over salaries, or being fired and replaced by former militia members willing to work for less.

In response, the Libyan government is moving forward with treason charges. They believe the rebels are seizing the oil in an attempt to sell it themselves, and what’s worse – they’re afraid the civil unrest will ward off foreign investors who currently operate many of the country’s largest oilfields.

“The security issue is essential, and we know a situation like this is not encouraging for investment, but I assure [investors] it's temporary, not permanent," says Deputy Oil Minister Omar al-Shakmak.

Libya’s parliament has already passed legislation to raise civil servants’ salaries by 20%. But is it a little too late? Now that the rebels control the oil, are they really motivated to comprise?

All authorities can do for now is petition local citizens to put added pressure on these protestors in hopes that familial and communal tensions will force them to surrender.

"A lot of [the trouble] has to do with day-to-day expectations not being met, politicians and government failing people at the very basic level in terms of service delivery," says Ahmad Safar, an independent economic adviser. "We haven't seen a decentralized system that guarantees equal share to the wealth of the country; we haven't seen proper and fair distribution among Libyans - south, east, west, north.”

Roughly 30% of Libya’s fuel is refined domestically. So when rebels initially hijacked the oil, fuel shortages resulted in mass panic. People started stocking up on gasoline and propane. There were lengthy blackouts. Oceans of stand-still traffic. Even shoot-outs.

NRGLab is working towards preventing situations like the one in Libya from erupting elsewhere in the world. By empowering people with cheap, reliable access to electricity, we can break free from the bonds of a centralized energy infrastructure. We can take precautions against corruption. Prevent civil wars. Save lives. And create a greener, more sustainable future for our children.

For more information on how NRGLab plans to revolutionize the way we approach green energy, visit nrglab.asia, or follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/NRGLabJohnWish.