Intro to Renewables

Institutions, companies, and various entities WANT to be green. At a trade organization dinner, a conference, or the occasional cocktail party you will here oil prices quoted within a dollar, another conversation will center on a wind farm project, a third might be an in depth discussion of national energy policy. If you can slip into the conversation you might ask one of the more knowledgeable speakers how many KW they purchased from the local utility for use in their own residence last month. What could be more proactive than being aware and taking control of your own little isolated box.
You want to go green with a wind generator? The designer will ask for your last five year usage history and design a 1 megawatt wind turbine at $1 per watt to match the historic load. It takes about 2 years to design, approve, and finance your wind turbine. Imagine spending $40,000 on a comprehensive maintenance and optimization program for two years prior to the design. Such programs can reduce consumption by 10 or 15% or aggressively applied, 30% or more. But there is no funding for operations & maintenance. I need capital benefits. So in the end the county executive presents you with a plaque for the largest greenest wind turbine connected to the most inefficient building in the county. Has it happened...... I am not aware of it.
Cogen sets? Pretty much the same.
A lot is the funding. Talk going green and sustainable and the conversation leads to funding sources. "Who will buy me equipment to help me save money?"  Have we become a planet of green purchasers? "Buy one of those and save money." Use the deferred maintenance cost from the old equipment to enhance the ROI even though the new efficient model may be more maintenance intensive. A funding source had to buy it. Where will the maintenance money come from?

Remember the old story about people not recognizing opportunity when it knocks because it wears work clothes?
Well, the green sustainable renewable energy man was singing on my doorstep:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y67hStSFMso&feature=related


No work clothes on this one!

A Nudge From Switzerland

I had a happy day today. On LinkedIn my friend James Ferguson of KWIQLY.com fame popped up with an amusing comment on "Rules of Thumb". I countered and was challenged to get back to work. I thank James for that an this brief returning post is in honor of his support.

As I wrote in April, my 64 year stride was interrupted by circulatory issues caused by poor maintenance. Yes, I do buildings a lot better than my own body. And I am very fussy about cars as well.
I have started a few public presentations by telling the audience I live in a house built in 1853 and on the weekends I drive a 1960 Buick. "And I am here to talk about sustainability and maintenance of assets."
So with a renewed outlook on health and a real desire to share knowledge gained I want to start on many current and critical topics. They include:
Efficiency
Waste
Design for maintenance
Cogeneration & Trigeneration
Delta T.
Absorption
Managerial Politics
and the Supportive Role of Management.
Did you ever sit in a meeting thinking that there is no one in this room I would associate with outside of work.
Have you ever looked at a person and had the conscious thought that no matter now inept or incompetent they seem someone chose them for their job. They did not give it to themselves.
These are thoughts and topics of my mind. I know how to combat these and put on a little smile in the presentation.
Tomorrow I plan a surprise for cogeneration. I am for it  and can make a plant run. Would I want my son to be responsible for construction, start up, and implementation of a plant? Nope!
Find out; we are going places the other guys are scared to go.
Bernie