Simplify Energy

Green Energy, Black Numbers

Now, I love numbers. 

Numbers strengthen an argument, every language understands numbers, and very often only numbers can be decyfered from layer upon layer of bullshit.

I was super excited to receive this book from fellow TEDster Bill Gates in the mail a few weeks ago, I tore through it in a matter of days, drinking up every last detail. Even if Green Tech doesn't wet your whistle, I'm sure you can see the benefit in at least reading the witty repartee from Cambridge professor turned political energy adviser, David MacKay. Below are some takeaways, which I have provided because I think they are the most important points made in David's book "Sustainable Energy - without the hot air", because the numbers make sense, because "green tech" is my thing, and because whether we are true believers in sustainability or not, everyone agrees - as a species, our electricity demands will grow exponentially over time. 

If you don't believe me - do the math. The good news is, the numbers over time are black, not red.

Takeaways from "Sustainable Energy - without the hot air"

1. Wind, Solar, and Biomass are extremely exciting, but may not be politically realistic due to land restrictions. 
Resolution: Import solar power from sunny countries

2. If you make a small change, you'll see a small change. 
Resolution: Gadgets only contribute 5% to our daily consumption, cars and buildings make a bigger difference.

3. There's only so much lithium to go around - so pick - nuclear fission or batteries! 
Resolution: Let's make better batteries first and ramp up solar and wind as we continue to better the technology.

4. There are many options to integrate renewables, we just have to pick one and stick with it! 
Resolution: All else being equal if the only thing that matters is the bottom line: Nuclear wins. On a level economic playing field with a strong price signal preventing the emission of CO₂, we don’t get a diverse solution, we get an economically optimal solution that delivers the required power at the lowest cost. And when ‘clean coal’ and nuclear go head to head on price, it’s nuclear that wins. (The capital cost of regular dirty coal power stations is $2 billion per GW, about the same as nuclear; but the capital cost of clean coal power, including carbon capture and storage, is roughly $4 billion per GW.) Offshore wind also loses to nuclear, but I’ve assumed that onshore wind costs about the same. 

Maker Faire Africa

As I impatiently wait to see if the solar lamps I sent to be tested in Kenya have arrived in Nairobi, I would like to point your attention to a very exciting event happening next week!

Maker Faire Africa, a celebration of African ingenuity, innovation and invention - the idea for Maker Faire Africa came from the thought that it would be a powerful event to bring together African inventors and innovators in the same way that Maker Faire happens in the US. So, with the blessings of O’Reilly to use that brand, we set out to create MFA.

Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event to MAKE, create, learn, invent, CRAFT, recycle, think, play and be inspired by celebrating arts, crafts, engineering, food, music, science and technology.

Next event: Nairobi, Kenya on August, 27th and 28th, 2010

For more information, check out http://makerfaireafrica.com/

I'm thinking Rochester, NY may need one of these... hmm....

Say it ain't slow, smart grid?

We are awesome at making refrigerators and computers more energy efficient, but we really stink at improving our Grid infrastructure.

That was the conclusion found at the CleanTech Open yesterday, at UC's Institute of Energy and Environment. Bottom line, the U.S. hasn't done a good job of of improving the efficiency of complex systems like homes or the energy grid. So let's take a look at the four excuses the big companies are throwing out there for why the U.S. is having such a hard time with moving forward with the Smart Grid:

1) Regulation.
Regulating our power utilities so that the sale of power is de-coupled from profits is the first task. Utilities must incentivize to promote efficiency, but my issue with adoption is that it's working in California, Vermont and the Midwest but slow to materialize in states with cheap energy. Policies should be clearly articulated, and incentives should be performance based. RoHS was a joke at first, but now every PC component manufacturer has to be RoHS (meaning Green and Lead-free).

2) Who actually owns commercial buildings?
It is tricky to get an energy efficiency retrofit contract signed because of the focus on payback instead of return on investment. The payback times demanded by companies today is 18 months, which is completely achievable. But often the decision makers are not the building owners; they are facility or property managers focused on annual expense management who are usually distrustful of the energy savings promised by building technologies. Needless to say, I don't really "buy" this excuse either.

3) Waiting out the storm.
The sales velocity and deal flow is very slow in the energy efficiency space. If you are a start up company and can find the funds to endure the wait for a deal to close, the payoff will be large. For example, the movement to light bulbs from fire was slow, but now everyone has light bulbs, right?! So what's the problem? Just continue to support your customers and you'll grow the market.

4) The residential consumer value proposition.
"Consumers just don’t seem inspired to buy whole home retrofits", said the panel at the CleanTech Open. I agree, but that's mainly because a whole home retrofit is product/service that is only available for niche customers (i.e.: crap product with no growth strategy). The best way to motivate a consumer to buy energy efficiency products is to sell ones that serve an actual benefit in addition to the "smart grid". For example, the PICOwatt Smart Plug that our team at Tenrehte Technologies designed, allows users to control a single "energy hog" device from their smart phone from anywhere in the world - not only are we giving the user a cheap, easy to install consumer product that works with their mobile lifestyle - but it also saves the Earth and has a Facebook Application! That's how you cross the chasm of mass consumer demand - give them something to BUY!

Come on, companies in the energy efficiency space, if you make GOOD products, that offer people REAL value, they won't just care about the "return on investment". They will see the bigger picture if you show it to them.

The real issue is that the big companies that control the grid infrastructure in the U.S. are disinterested in investing their futures in the Smart Grid, until consumers stop paying their bills, that is.

These big companies haven't been revolutionary in 100 years or so, when the Grid was first built, it's time for some young blood.

Clean Energy's 800 lb Gorilla

I never really accepted the symbolism behind the "800 pound Gorilla" in the room metaphor until I came face to face with one. First, a Gorilla approaches you, not the other way around. Second, if you are cornered by a Gorilla you just let things happen and let external forces for the most part decide your actions.

The United States of America’s energy policy – particularly on climate change – poses a “serious threat” to economic and national security. According to a report by the CNA, the predicted effects of climate change “have the potential to disrupt our way of life” and “create sustained natural and humanitarian disasters on a scale far beyond those we see today.” That, in turn, will likely foster political instability both at home and abroad. The result, the report argues: The country cannot afford business as usual when it comes to energy.

Given the integral link between economic and national security interests, the Department of Defense is “uniquely positioned” to lead the way in clean energy technology, it says. Just as China, Spain, Germany and the United Arab Emirates have made substantial progress in clean-energy technology, the U.S. can take advantages of the economic opportunities that clean technology presents. The U.S leads in the realm of developing cutting edge technologies and innovation in research and development.

So what is the "800 lb Gorilla" in the room? Maybe if the Defense Department can become a leader in Clean Energy investment because of its size and extensive experience in technological innovation we can finally see the kinds of exponential advancements in Clean Energy the planet really needs. NSF should be shaking in their boots.

Just don't make any sudden movements.

Rwanda's Clean Construction

I just returned from a fact-finding tour of clean energy practices in East Africa - namely in Kenya and Rwanda.

The best story I have to tell you is the black fiber project going on in Rwanda right now. The new cable will enable 3G technologies and have a high capability to carry data throughout the entire country.

Not only does Rwanda have a great clean energy generation portfolio, of 90% hydroelectric power, supplementing the rest with small solar installations, but they also work without using gas-guzzling construction Goliaths such as trench diggers or cranes, unless they absolutely must. There is even a law, restricting the ability to cut down a tree in the process of constructing the trench to lay the high speed broadband cable.

You must be thinking that not using large scale contrstruction machines the project must be moving slower than molasses - but you'd be wrong. Thousands of state workers slinging pick-axes can do great work in a short amount of time, in three short days traveling between Kigali and Virunga, I watched 5 miles of fiber get hand laid, without a single damaged tree or road.

Once connected it would mean that Rwandan will have the opportunity of benefiting from Seacom’s 1.2Tb bandwidth capacity or the initial capacity of 640Mb from the EASSy project.

Mr. Patrick Nyirishema, Rwanda Information Technology Authority’s (RITA) Deputy Executive Director, said the fiber roll out throughout the country will offer the country a high-speed broadband access with about 70% to 90% population coverage. The consultants estimate that the cable will bring down the Internet costs in the country by 40%. RITA the agency which commissioned the national backbone feasibility study is the country’s high powered think-tank with the mission to lead the process of creating Rwanda’s information society. It is also tasked with developing the economy in line with the aspirations of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) vision for Rwanda. One of the clearly spelt out visions is to become a regional ICT hub.

This project is just another in a long line of works done in Rwanda that tread lightly on the Earth. Rwanda has a strict methodology for conservation to protect their natural resources, one that can serve as an example for many other countries.

Laying fiber optic cable in the US with bull dozers, trench diggers, and unmanned labor would be 20x the cost, not considering cost of labor. In the minds of the Rwandans I spoke with, the US could not complete a job like this, because of the high hurdles that would need to be climbed in order to set a law to protect trees during construction or put thousands of people to work with hand tools digging the trenches.

Waste is everywhere in US. Rwandans waste nothing.

Stay tuned for more green energy stories from my June 2010 Simplify Energy trip to East Africa!

The First Shipment

When millions of environmental activists gathered on college campuses and in major cities 40 years ago for the first Earth Day they helped stimulate historic action. The rallies, lectures, and organizing led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and passing of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.

Today, Tenrehte Technologies will do it's part to match the achievements of Earth Days long past.

As promised and delivered, by a small team of engineers working hard to do our part for a better tomorrow, Tenrehte made it's first shipment today, on Earth Day, April 22, 2010.

As I arrive at FedEx to drop off the first shipment, say "Yes" to buying the carbon offset credits, and kiss the first box goodbye; I think, "This is only the beginning of a very Green future - in more ways than one."

Happy Earth Day 2010

Sustainable Energy = ?

I think diagrams do a great job of simplifying ideas. There are not too many other topics out there more convoluted or confusing then global energy. So tonight I set out to make a diagram of what it is I am actually trying to achieve with my work. And this is what I came up with... a sloppy mess, but then again, so is global energy - so is humanity. Basically the twin pillars of sustainable energy, that is energy that can last through human exsistance without depleting natural resources (ie: killing the planet) is a function of two main areas: renewable energy and energy efficiency. You need these two ideas to support future energy generation the same way a human needs two legs, a jenga skyscraper needs two pillars, or a barge needs two floating buoys. P.S.: I really think Nuclear is a major piece of the Renewable Generation Puzzle, but i crossed it out because while it's the only source that will meet our human gluttonous need for more power (ie: 40 Trillion Kilowatt-Hours or 678 Quadrillion BTUs by 2030 - yes this figure includes if we buy a Chevy Volt). Terrapower doesn't solve all the issues we have with uranium depleation, and No. Nuclear is not really a renewable energy source.

Convenience is Green

Simplify Energy

sim·pli·fy play_w2("S0419100") (smpl-f) tr.v. sim·pli·fied, sim·pli·fy·ing, sim·pli·fies To make simple or simpler, as: a. To reduce in complexity or extent. b. To reduce to fundamental parts. c. To make easier to understand. If there is ANYTHING the "Green" Movement is missing now, it's simplification. The message is good, Save the Planet, it's not that difficult for us to grasp. We as inhabitants of this planet consume more resources than we require and this has devastating effects on our biosphere. I think it only right to make my first official post on the "idea worth spreading" that I bring to the TED community and the rest. My idea is to simplify energy. My plan of attack: 1. Get people talking about the direct consequences of energy overuse - famine, drought, depleted natural resources, disease, death. 2. Start working in developing nations, countries which have adopted a less "wasteful" system for distributing energy. 3. Deliver your message to the entire world - that energy can be clean, cheap, and abundant! 4. Repeat. I believe this plan of attack will accomplish two things: one it will serve as a testament to my definition of "green" energy - which is that the greenest energy is energy we do not use; and second large countries move to slowly adopt new ideas and new technologies with too much hesitation and risk mitigation and if there is one thing that we need right now (besides more investment in technology instead of military) it's action without hesitation. Just something to chew on...

about jen

Jen Indovina is the CEO and Founder of Tenrehte Technologies, a semiconductor company developing wireless smart-grid applications. Basically that means giving people MORE control over the power they consume. Forget the utilities and power conglomerates, as individuals we can make a significant difference in our personal energy consumption by just having the ability to turn our appliances on/off whenever we want over the Internet!

Jen is the first person from Rochester, NY to become a TED fellow. She is also a writer, engineer and political energy adviser. Jen is always looking for opportunities to grow, learn, and share what knowledge she has accumulated so far.

While renewable clean energy is her passion, she is also quite good at spinning chips, product marketing, financial planning, business development, handling operations, writing software, and advocating for conservationism in Kenya. Jen graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology in 2007 with an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering and an MBA. Jen was raised in Boynton Beach, Florida and now lives and works in Rochester, NY.