Category: Policy

How Recontouring the Baylands can Make the Bay Area More Resilient

How Recontouring the Baylands can Make the Bay Area More Resilient

How Recontouring the Baylands can Make the Bay Area More Resilient

10/17/18

“How can making the sediment in the Baylands help protect the Bay Area against climate change?”

 

The Bay Area has a problem. Decades of infill developments in the Baylands have changed its sediment runoff cycle and left it exposed to flooding from rising sea levels. However, a consulting group has found that by reversing things to its natural order through softening its edges, tidal wave energy can be dissipated and upgradings the Bay’s safety by an order of magnitude. This is How Recontouring the Baylands can Make the Bay Area More Resilient!

 

[Image: Public Sediment/courtesy Resilient by Design]

Why Rooftop Solar Could be Greatly Beneficial for India

Why Rooftop Solar Could be Greatly Beneficial for India

Why Rooftop Solar Could be Greatly Beneficial for India

10/16/18

“How could India greatly benefit from rooftop solar initiatives?”

 

India’s urban population is massive. Totaling over 300 million people, It is nearly equal to that of the entire United States! This in turn will lead to a massive consumption of energy, which could result in further air pollution and carbon emissions. However, this can be challenged by implementing rooftop solar. This will result in locally generated, clean power that will bright up the cities. As a result, Rooftop Solar Could be Greatly Beneficial for India.

 

How Microgrids Can Help Indigenous Communities

How Microgrids Can Help Indigenous Communities

How Microgrids Can Help Indigenous Communities

10/14/18

“How can indigenous communities benefit from the deployment of microgrids?”

 

The freedom brought by Distributed Energy Resource technologies such as microgrids can benefit almost anyone. But one group which can greatly reap the rewards are indigenous communities. By being able to generate their own non-pollutive energy independent of any outside regulator, they will be able to develop more resource independence and greatly enhance their quality of life.

 

Photo credit http://www.pembina.org

The Port of Long Beach is Getting a Microgrid

The Port of Long Beach is Getting a Microgrid

The Port of Long Beach is Getting a Microgrid

10/12/18

“How is the port of Long Beach becoming more sustainable?”

 

Big news everyone! The Port of Long Beach, one of the largest in the United States and right by my hometown of Los Angeles, is receiving a big upgrade. Specifically, it will soon be receiving a brand new microgrid designed by the world famous Schneider Electric! This project, consisting of a 300-kW solar array, a 250-kW microgrid-extending mobile battery energy, A 500-kW diesel generator, and a plethora of power monitoring and control technologies, which go towards making the port resilient in the face of a power outage and achieving its goal of becoming a net-zero green port. All I can say is that I am super stoked that The Port of Long Beach is Getting a Microgrid.

 

Image credit http://pacifictycoon.info

 

How Microgrids will Help Rural and Remote Communities

How Microgrids will Help Rural and Remote Communities

How Microgrids will Help Rural and Remote Communities

10/08/18

“How will Microgrids be useful for rural and isolated communities?”

 

Traditional power transmission infrastructure is not beneficial for rural and remote communities. Long power lines from centralized generation sources are prone to failure and are expensive to maintain. Plus, due to their limited lifespan, they will have to be replaced which can greatly drive up costs!

To solve this, we need to completely rethink how we transmit electricity. One possible solution is to implement microgrids with distributed energy resources. This will take away the need for complicated transmission, and can enable grid independence. This is How Microgrids will Help Rural and Remote Communities.

 

Image credit: smedia2.intoday.in

Energy Poverty

Energy Poverty

Energy Poverty

09/30/18

“What happens when a community lacks sufficient access to energy resources?”

 

In the developed world, it is hard to imagine not having access to electricity. But in many parts of this the developing world, this is a pure reality. When a community lacks sufficient access to energy, they are said to be in Energy Poverty. Energy poverty can affect all factors of human development, such as emergency medical situations not having enough power or children not being able to do homework at night because of lack of access to lighting.

 

Image credit whyelectricitymatters.com

Vehicle Emission Standards

Vehicle Emission Standards

Vehicle Emission Standards

09/27/18

“How can we regulate vehicle emissions?”

 

Much of the debate around decarbonization centers around the energy sector. But in some areas such as California, the transportation sector have become the highest emitter of CO2 emissions. To combat this, governments can adopt Vehicle Emissions Standards which regulate how polluted vehicle emissions can be.

How Electric Vehicle Charging Forecasting will Help with Net Zero Emissions Policy

How Electric Vehicle Charging Forecasting will Help with Net Zero Emissions Policy

How Electric Vehicle Charging Forecasting will Help with Net Zero Emissions Policy

09/20/18

“How can predicting electric vehicle charging help with environmental policy?”

 

Electric Vehicles are one of the fastest growing market segments in the world. Their smaller pollution factor will greatly help in decarbonization policy. But they have one catch to them. Because they require a great deal of charging and might replenish their energy at non-peak generation times, they have the potential to cause great harm to the grid. But if we can predict when and how EVs will charge it can allow us to plan out policies to achieve balance. This is How Electric Vehicle Charging Forecasting will Help with Net Zero Emissions Policy.