Shifra Mincer

 

Posts by Shifra Mincer


Nuclear power has more than just an image problem.

With huge up front development costs, it is increasingly seen as dangerous and governments are responding to people’s fears by closing plants, blocking new construction and even halting reactor construction mid way. In its latest Vital Signs Online (VSO) report, Washington DC-based think tank Worldwatch Institute documented the numbers for falling nuclear power usage across the globe. Keep reading →


Although solar photovoltaic (PV) panel prices are rapidly dropping, integrating a high quality solar energy into the grid will have added costs, particularly because solar is an intermittent resource with highly variable output and repercussions for transmission grids.

To assess the issue, the US Department of Energy and Nevada’s utility, NV Energy, jointly sponsored a study conducted by Navigant Consulting on what the integration of solar in Nevada will mean for the utility. Download the full study here. Keep reading →


Things are not always as they seem.

I learned that, at first excitedly and then painfully, during my eight-month stint as Associate Editor of Breaking Energy. I’ll be moving to Israel next month where I will be apprenticing with a midwife and continuing to cover the energy sector with a focus on Israeli clean tech. Keep reading →


The solar shakeout has been spreading far and wide, with the most recent announcement of 40-year-old BP Solar quitting the mix thinning competitors even further.

There have been various strategies for survival for the remaining players as they attempt to keep up with rapidly dropping panel prices but steady manufacturing costs. One California-based solar PV company, HyperSolar, recently announced it would abandon solar panels altogether and will focus instead on making solar powered nanoparticles that can float in wastewater to clean it and at the same to,e produce methane gas. Keep reading →


What if all the energy we needed was stored underneath the ground we walk on every day?

Geothermal power, generated from capturing earth’s core heat stored deep underground, has become a growing reality as the industry marks a total US generation capacity of 3,000 MW this year. But unlike more recognized renewable energy sources like wind, solar and biomass, geothermal power is not widely recognized for its capability to produce base load, dependable, renewable energy. Keep reading →


Even as global nuclear power prospects have been overshadowed by events in the past year, US nuclear power has remained relatively steady. But controversy following the Fukushima disaster is starting to impact operations at existing nuclear units as well as permitting for proposed facilities.

Particularly controversial has been upstate New York’s Indian Point nuclear plant run by Entergy in Buchanan, New York. As the plant reaches its fortieth year and Entergy applies for a new 20-year license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, several key stakeholders are trying to block the way. Keep reading →

Court upholds Cape Wind contract with National Grid – this is a major victory! http://www.capewind.org/news1231.htm #capewind @capewindproject


While solar critics decry the intermittent nature of photovoltaic technology that can capture the sun’s light and turn it into electricity only when its sunny, developers have been busy finding ways to store the sun’s power even overnight.

By using molten salts in its water tower, California-based solar company, BrightSource Energy, has developed a method to store overnight energy collected during the day by its concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. In late November, the company announced that it will be including its SolarPLUS thermal energy storage technology to several of its CSP plants. Keep reading →


An owner of 900 companies globally and 70 in the US, IT giant Hitachi has recently been increasingly focusing on smart grid technology and sustainable infrastructure development.

From fiscal years 2010-2012, Hitachi has dedicated 1.6 trillion yen (roughly $20.5 billion) to what it calls “social innovation business.” During that same period, the company has also dedicated 1.2 trillion yen to research and development in the social innovation business, according to Hitachi Director of Corporate Branding, Lauren Raguzin. Keep reading →


Given the man7 light bulb choices available today and the new bulb efficiency standards that are set to go into effect in 2012, selecting the right bulb for your home can difficult. Below, check out the tips from the Natural Resources Defense Council for selecting the light bulb that both looks best and is energy efficient. The efficiency standards that are set to take effect on January 1, 2012 mean that older, incandescent bulbs will be phased out. Consumers, however, will still have a choice between newer, more efficient incandescent bulbs, CFLs and LED bulbs, reports the NRDC.
This story was originally published here on HuffPost Green.

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