Energy Efficiency: The Low-Hanging Fruit of the Clean-Energy Revolution.

From "Not Sky-High"
Newsweek International
By Jeremy Oppenheim, Eric Beinhocker, and Diana Farrell
November 15, 2008

The first step in the clean-energy revolution is to dramatically improve energy efficiency. Through a variety of measures ranging from better building efficiency and low-energy lighting to more fuel-efficient vehicles, we have the potential to cut world energy-demand growth by more than 64 million barrels of oil a day—equivalent to one and a half times current annual U.S. energy consumption.

Best of all, improvements in energy efficiency more than pay for themselves. We estimate that dramatically increasing energy efficiency would require annual investments of $170 billion over the next 13 years. But these investments would generate a return of well over $900 billion annually by 2020 through lower energy costs.

Energy efficiency is the low-hanging fruit of the clean-energy revolution.

To radically increase carbon productivity we not only need to slow growth in energy demand, we also need to cut emissions while keeping economic output up. That means the power sector needs to decarbonize while still producing the megawatts, and the transportation sector needs to cut emissions while still getting us from point A to point B.

Full article here.

Great Inventor Series: VW Jetta Clean Diesel Wins 2009 Green Car of the Year

Somewhere, Rudolph Diesel is smiling. Though best known for his invention of the pressure-ignited heat engine that bears his name, he was also a well-respected thermal engineer and a social theorist. Rudolf Diesel's inventions have three points in common:

1. They relate to heat transference by natural physical processes or laws
2. They involve markedly creative mechanical design
3. They were initially motivated by the inventor's concept of sociological needs.
   

Rudolf Diesel originally conceived the diesel engine to enable independent craftsmen and artisans to compete with large industry. And he ran it on peanut oil.

GreenCar.com article

New York Times test drive

Onward to Toronto & Boston

Interesting week coming up with stops at the Canadian GeoExchange Coalition's Annual Meeting in Toronto and then on to Boston for GreenBuild. Long time away from the temperate climes, but should be fun.
By the way, I hear the Northern California Chapter of the Green Building Council is up for an Advocacy award. If you will be attending either or both (!) events, drop me a line or give a call.

Thanks to All

With the two minute time constraints of YouTube spech-making, I did not get a chance to properly thank everyone who worked on Project GroundSource. So here goes:

Hats off to Jarred Potter, Jim Basler and Jason Unzelman-Lansdorf for conceiving of and developing the GeoJetter prototype in the first place. Without them, we've got bubkus.

Special rounds of applause for team members Suzanne Nolan, Theresa Keeler, Tom Scharfeld and John Nolan for their help and support. The checks are in the mail.

Thanks to Tina Basler for organizing both Potter and GroundSource so well, and actually managing to never spending any billable time on GroundSource stuff at all! Many thanks to "deep" thinker Mark Hankowski for all his effort with business planning. A shoutout to GrandMaster Tom Wideman for all his snide remarks from far away.

Lastly, three cheers to Team GroundSource Mentors Ron Long, Donald Smith and Julian Sweet. Be prepared for my continued correspondence, guys.

Sustainability Award

GroundSource Geo was the winner of the California Clean Tech Open's 2008 Sustainability Award. The judges recognized the tremendous energy savings of ground source heat pumps as well as the the efficiencies and sustainable life cycle approach of the Geo solution.

CCTO Green Building Award

GroundSource Geo was the Runner Up for the 2008 CCTO Green Building Award.

California Clean Tech Open: Two for the Road

Six clean technology startups won cash, office space and consulting, as well as a year of incubationa services from the City of San Jose, at the California Clean Tech Open awards event Thursday night at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco.

The Clean Tech Open is a business plan competition that offers mentoring and business plan help to finalists and then prizes to help winning plans get off the ground.

The Sustainability Prize was awarded to GroundSource Geo, which also was the Runner Up in the Green Building Competition.

Prizes were awarded in six clean technology categories from transportation to air, water and waste.

To sweeten the $600,000 in prizes, Mayor Chuck Reed made a surprise announcement at the event, saying that he’d offer the winners free rent for a year at one of two incubators in San Jose, either the San Jose BioCenter or the Environmental Business Cluster.

“We know our young companies need a place to work, and a nice warm place with lots of nutrients for companies to grow and grow and grow,” Mayor Reed said.

“We’re not asking much, we’re just asking you to change the world,” he told the companies.

A star is born...

Enabling Drilling Technology for Ground Source Heat Pumps.

GroundSource Geothermal, Incorporated, became official today, spinning off from Potter Drilling, LLC.