Peak Oil Book Review: Plug-In Hybrids

Website: MrEnergyCzar.com My review of the book Plug-in Hybrids. This is a good educational book about the history of electric cars and the people that have advocated for them. MrEnergyCzar rating is 3 stars. Facebook www.facebook.com Twitter: Twitter.com Video Plug-in Hybrids Chelsea...

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How offshore wind turbines could be more efficient

A Cambridge University study suggests that offshore wind farms could be 100 per cent more efficient in terms of energy payback if manufacturers embraced new methods for making the structures that support the turbines.

http://phys.org/news/2012-08-offshore-turbines-efficient.html

Energy from microbes for drying sewage sludge

A new biodrying process from Siemens quickly converts sewage sludge into a usable form while saving energy. When dried with the new process, sludge from wastewater treatment can be used as fertilizer, dumped in landfills or incinerated. Unlike thermal drying processes, the new technique, known as "mechanically enhanced biodrying" or MEB, does not require any outside source of heat. Instead, it uses the energy produced by microbes in the sludge. The operational costs are therefore 30 percent lower compared to thermal drying processes.

http://phys.org/news/2012-08-energy-microbes-sewage-sludge.html

Major advance made in generating electricity from wastewater

Engineers at Oregon State University have made a breakthrough in the performance of microbial fuel cells that can produce electricity directly from wastewater, opening the door to a future in which waste treatment plants not only will power themselves, but will sell excess electricity.

http://phys.org/news/2012-08-major-advance-electricity-wastewater.html

Chinese Solar Imports Drop for Three Consecutive Months

June import value declines 60 percent from 2011 levels

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--For the third straight month, imports of Chinese solar cells and panels into the United States decreased year-over-year, according to the Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing (CASM). In June, Chinese solar imports totaled $99.6 million, down almost 60 percent from $241.5 million in June 2011, according to the Department of Commerce’s “U.S. Imports of Merchandise” database. The year-over-year decline is significant and reflects the market’s rising recognition of the costs, risks and uncertainties associated with importing Chinese solar cells and panels, according to CASM.

While some of the year-on-year decrease is due to sharply falling module prices from 2011 to 2012, June 2012 imports of Chinese solar cells and panels were also down 20 percent from the previous month’s total of $124.1 million. Between the same two months in 2011, the value of Chinese imports increased 7 percent.

Despite three months of declines, Chinese import levels for all of 2012 are still ahead of last year’s record pace: For the first six months of this year, the total value of Chinese cell and panel imports reached $1.32 billion, up from $1.23 billion for the same period of 2011, an increase of 7.3 percent, according to the Commerce data. The increase is even more significant because dumped and subsidized Chinese pricing has lowered the per-watt average import values so dramatically in 2011 and 2012.

Importantly, June was the first month in which Chinese manufacturers were fully affected by both preliminary anti-subsidy duties of up to 4.73 percent on Chinese cells and panels that Commerce announced on March 26, 2012, and preliminary antidumping duties on Chinese solar cell and panel imports ranging from 31 percent to 249.96 percent announced on May 25, 2012, according to CASM. The 31 percent rate applies only to specifically named combinations of producers and exporters; companies not specifically listed by Commerce must pay duty deposits at the 249.96 percent rate. Because of a ruling of critical circumstances, the anti-subsidy duties were retroactive to Dec. 27, 2011, and the anti-dumping duties were retroactive to Feb. 25.

Commerce’s ongoing investigations are focused on the actual amount of dumping that occurred during the second and third quarters of 2011, and the amount of unfair subsidies benefiting China’s solar industry in calendar year 2010. Final margins in both cases, which are scheduled to be announced Oct. 9, could differ. In fact, Commerce has already identified additional categories of illegal subsidy programs that are likely to increase the final countervailing duty rates. Commerce also found that both Wuxi Suntech and Trina Solar were not creditworthy at various times during part of the review period.

The final determinations will finalize the estimated duty deposit rates for current entries of Chinese imports. The final amounts of duties owed by importers for imports after October 9 will not actually be finalized for more than a year. If Commerce determines that Chinese pricing fell more than production costs for those imports, then the final duty margins also will increase.

Although the value of all global imports decreased in June 2012 compared to the previous year, imports from several countries rose significantly, compared with shipments in June 2011. These countries include Malaysia ($113.2 million, up almost 96 percent year-on-year), although much of this increase was due to imports by First Solar, a U.S. thin film producer not subject to antidumping and countervailing duties. Imports from Taiwan ($32.4 million,) and the Philippines ($39.2 million) also increased. CASM continues to work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to detect and prevent any circumvention of preliminary duties. In addition, CASM continues to have serious concerns about reports of Chinese producers engaging in minor alteration or processing of products in third-countries like Taiwan, in order to evade the antidumping and countervailing duties. CASM has asked the Commerce Department to address this issue in its final determination by clarifying that such products are covered by the scope and subject to duties.

The Coalition for American Solar Manufacturing, founded by seven companies that manufacture solar cells and panels in the United States, has more than 220 employers of nearly 18,000 workers who have registered their support for CASM's case. The founding manufacturers have plants in nearly every region in the United States, including the Northwest and California, the Southwest, Midwest, Northeast and South and support several thousand U.S. manufacturing jobs. For details about CASM, go to www.americansolarmanufacturing.org; email media questions to media@americansolarmanufacturing.org; other questions or comments may be emailed to contact@americansolarmanufacturing.org.

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120813006169/en/Chinese-Solar-Imports-Drop-Consecutive-Months

Peak Oil Book Review: Resource Wars

Website: MrEnergyCzar.com Review of the book Resource Wars. Oil wars, including future ones, are discussed. The South China and Caspian Sea oil region hot spots are covered well. Potential water conflicts in the Nile and Jordan river basins are explained. MrEnergyCzar rating is 4 stars....

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Chevy Volt: How To Wash The Chevy Volt

Website: MrEnergyCzar.com Giving the Chevrolet Volt a car wash is easy. Just remember to wash the Volt in the shade. First, wet the Volt. Second, fill up a soap bucket and use a wool mitt soaping the Volt from the top down. Third, wash the wheels like the rest of the car, they have a clear coat finish. Fourth, rinse the Volt from the top down. Lastly, wet a chamois and wipe the entire Volt while wringing out the chamois. Facebook www.facebook.com Twitter: Twitter.com Chevy Volt Plug-in "Electric Car" Extended Range Electric Vehicle 2013 Ampera Holden EV Clean Video World oil supply high demand solar how to alternative fuels global warming "Peak Oil" crisis understanding explaining peakoil petroleum future apocalypse end crash energy inflation gas gasoline reserves strategic reserve prices unemployment fuel finance resource wars middle east war military kunstler heinberg martenson simmons save money powerdown howto Vlog preparing for peak oil solar heating array inverter homestead survival supplies sustainable living permaculture crops tips ideas tools protect family cut Saudi Arabia Libya Iran Yemen Nigeria Syria Iraq tar sands Chavez high gas prices bakken shale ethanol electric DIY Betterplace Russia clean green economy IEA EIA Top Gear

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Credit: mrenergyczar