Our lunch conversation over Thai food focused on an article spotted in today's Wall Street Journal: "Start-Up Claims Fuel-Cell Breakthrough," an article by Jim Carlton. Bloom Energy Corp has developed an Energy Server leveraging fuel cell technology, which produces power around the clock.
So...how eco-friendly is fuel cell technology?
We are encouraged to see the passion surrounding fuel cell technology, another option for consumers in terms of eco-friendly power generation - both commercial and residential.
We support further exploration of different uses of fuel, such as Biomass or other alternative, sustainable sources, rather than natural gas which is mentioned in the article. We hope companies focused on fuel cell technology will eventually consider more bio-related sources such as E-Fuel Corporation with its GridBuster ethanol generator.
Don't underestimate the power of the sun. We believe any successful eco-strategy will require the use of multiple, renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, small-scale hydro and Biomass.
25 February 2010
22 February 2010
You’ve heard of Wind Farms and Solar Power – but how about Biochar?
Working with the Mundiali team is not only a passionate joy but ongoing education for all of us, learning about renewable energy concepts, principles and processes. These are things we can’t keep silent about and therefore can’t wait to share with our clients. Many of these concepts have been in practice for thousands of years, perhaps a bit under the radar or out of range for us here in the States. Frankly, other countries are leaps and bounds ahead in leveraging many of these concepts; this is one of the reasons our CEO, Alex, selected a university outside of the States for his rigorous coursework in this field. When it comes to learning from top institutions about issues so critical to our planet’s future it would be foolish to be fenced in by artificial, political boundaries. After all, environmental changes and impacts don’t stop at border crossings.
So, what is Biochar? If you ask Wikipedia, Biochar is “...charcoal created by pyrolysis of biomass, a potent form of long-term (thousands of years) biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (C02) derived from investigation of the extremely fertile Terra Preta soils of the Amazon Basin.” Perhaps to put it more simply, Biochar is a type of charcoal used as a soil enhancer. And this is charcoal which is touted to be carbon negative. It presents an interesting alternative because the foundation for its use is in soil enhancement and biosequestration and it also boasts potential to be used as a gas or bio-oil for fuel and heating. [Bio-sequestration is the practice of mitigating excessive emissions of harmful Carbon back into our atmosphere.]
The Kyoto Protocol, founded in 1997, targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting binding (not voluntary) targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community. These amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012. An increase in biomass usage - and therefore, Biochar - could aid in the reduction of these gas emissions.
We believe, as many scientists do, that organic waste can be a fuel of the future. Everything from crop residues to animal waste contains carbon, and when left on land or in a landfill it emits harmful carbon emissions. At Mundiali, we see a potential solution to mitigating these bad emissions through the process of pyrolysis, A by-product of pyrolysis is Biochar. Biochar, or Terra Preta (“black soil”) as best known in Brazil, has been used in the farming community in Latin America for thousands of years – a solid, proven best practice.
Biochar and the pyrolysis process are scalable and transferrable. Mundiali is interested in further research and development of Biochar for its multiple forms of use; this requires further studies and assessments, such as a Mundiali Risk Assessment – where environmental direct and indirect impacts are taken into account and studied. Or a Mundiali planning assessment, where we gain insight on how Biochar can be a profitable commodity.
We are actively seeking partnerships in our quest to develop real solutions to real problems facing our planet today.
So, what is Biochar? If you ask Wikipedia, Biochar is “...charcoal created by pyrolysis of biomass, a potent form of long-term (thousands of years) biosequestration of atmospheric carbon dioxide (C02) derived from investigation of the extremely fertile Terra Preta soils of the Amazon Basin.” Perhaps to put it more simply, Biochar is a type of charcoal used as a soil enhancer. And this is charcoal which is touted to be carbon negative. It presents an interesting alternative because the foundation for its use is in soil enhancement and biosequestration and it also boasts potential to be used as a gas or bio-oil for fuel and heating. [Bio-sequestration is the practice of mitigating excessive emissions of harmful Carbon back into our atmosphere.]
The Kyoto Protocol, founded in 1997, targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by setting binding (not voluntary) targets for 37 industrialized countries and the European community. These amount to an average of five per cent against 1990 levels over the five-year period 2008-2012. An increase in biomass usage - and therefore, Biochar - could aid in the reduction of these gas emissions.
We believe, as many scientists do, that organic waste can be a fuel of the future. Everything from crop residues to animal waste contains carbon, and when left on land or in a landfill it emits harmful carbon emissions. At Mundiali, we see a potential solution to mitigating these bad emissions through the process of pyrolysis, A by-product of pyrolysis is Biochar. Biochar, or Terra Preta (“black soil”) as best known in Brazil, has been used in the farming community in Latin America for thousands of years – a solid, proven best practice.
Biochar and the pyrolysis process are scalable and transferrable. Mundiali is interested in further research and development of Biochar for its multiple forms of use; this requires further studies and assessments, such as a Mundiali Risk Assessment – where environmental direct and indirect impacts are taken into account and studied. Or a Mundiali planning assessment, where we gain insight on how Biochar can be a profitable commodity.
We are actively seeking partnerships in our quest to develop real solutions to real problems facing our planet today.
04 February 2010
Wild Horse Wind Farm Journey
By Alejandro Agudelo, Founder and CEO
I was invited by the Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) to attend a field trip to the Puget Sound Energy “Wild Horse” Wind Farm site in mid September 2009. I did not hesitate to accept on this rare opportunity, and I was excited to meet others from the council and see firsthand how a wind farm is currently being maintained in the USA. Much to my pleasant surprise the farm was spectacular (in scope, assembly, and upkeep). The day was sponsored by a well-known energy producer – enXco. EnXco is a company based in France and they are developing a new wind farm in Kittitas County, Washington. Their Project and Program Managers hosted the tour. I was excited to be there, and as we drove up to the farm I was amazed at how quiet the turbines were. The property is a perfect land location with rolling hills throughout the property, creating a constant flow of wind at different altitudes. As well, it was great to see all the turbines up close.
The tour had many small business owners, including the chairman and president of the local NMSDC.
Right away I noticed that not all the turbines were functioning, and from what we gathered this was by design - not because the turbines had issues. This methodology of remotely managing the turbines and controlling the rotations to control the wear and maintenance of the turbines (in my mind) prevents our society from moving forward with this technology. I understand why there are limitations and control limits due to the high cost of maintenance and replacement of parts on the turbines. I am disappointed that we are controlling costs, limiting our progress within this critical resource solution. It limits our progress and prevents lowering the costs of such activities.
I challenge us as a society to use more renewable energy, to request more wind power, to push power companies to leverage and maximize the usage of all turbines….we will not be able to drive costs into an appropriate level until there is widespread use of all aspects of a product.
As I stood there right next to one of the non-moving turbines there was an abundance of wind blowing and it didn’t stop – it was a constant strong wind right there at ground level and upward…to stand there and see a turbine not spinning due to controlling maintenance costs disappointed me because I see the revenue potential blowing away down the canyon…I see the vast amount of additional resources yet untapped.
I was invited by the Northwest Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) to attend a field trip to the Puget Sound Energy “Wild Horse” Wind Farm site in mid September 2009. I did not hesitate to accept on this rare opportunity, and I was excited to meet others from the council and see firsthand how a wind farm is currently being maintained in the USA. Much to my pleasant surprise the farm was spectacular (in scope, assembly, and upkeep). The day was sponsored by a well-known energy producer – enXco. EnXco is a company based in France and they are developing a new wind farm in Kittitas County, Washington. Their Project and Program Managers hosted the tour. I was excited to be there, and as we drove up to the farm I was amazed at how quiet the turbines were. The property is a perfect land location with rolling hills throughout the property, creating a constant flow of wind at different altitudes. As well, it was great to see all the turbines up close.
The tour had many small business owners, including the chairman and president of the local NMSDC.
Right away I noticed that not all the turbines were functioning, and from what we gathered this was by design - not because the turbines had issues. This methodology of remotely managing the turbines and controlling the rotations to control the wear and maintenance of the turbines (in my mind) prevents our society from moving forward with this technology. I understand why there are limitations and control limits due to the high cost of maintenance and replacement of parts on the turbines. I am disappointed that we are controlling costs, limiting our progress within this critical resource solution. It limits our progress and prevents lowering the costs of such activities.
I challenge us as a society to use more renewable energy, to request more wind power, to push power companies to leverage and maximize the usage of all turbines….we will not be able to drive costs into an appropriate level until there is widespread use of all aspects of a product.
As I stood there right next to one of the non-moving turbines there was an abundance of wind blowing and it didn’t stop – it was a constant strong wind right there at ground level and upward…to stand there and see a turbine not spinning due to controlling maintenance costs disappointed me because I see the revenue potential blowing away down the canyon…I see the vast amount of additional resources yet untapped.
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