When are we going to STOP the insanity that is the useless Daylight Savings Time?

I'm serious. It seems to do more harm than good:

Daylight Saving Time is hot garbage
End the madness!

When Benjamin Franklin proposed Daylight Saving Time — he invented it — it was a joke. These days, it's more like a practical joke we play on ourselves every single year. It's time to end this dumb prank once and for all.

[...]

Proponents of DST will tell you that it saves energy. This is because a study in the 1970s found a 1 percent benefit to energy use in Daylight Saving Time. You may notice, though, that the 1970s are now 40 years ago, and energy consumption has changed somewhat in the interim. More recent research shows no difference in energy usage in places where it doesn't go into effect, compared to places observing DST. A few studies suggest Daylight Saving Time actually means more energy is used, rather than less. Take, for example, this 2008 paper that looks at southern Indiana: DST actually increases electricity demand to the tune of $9 million a year in Indiana alone. [...]

The article goes on to describe the affects of sleep deprivation, and the spike in the number of car accidents and accidents at work that occur for six weeks after DST kicks in. There are many, many embedded links to support what she says; the author really did her homework. Read the whole thing for embedded links, the history of DST, Ben's joke, and more.
     

Elon Musk makes the Future Happen

Has the future finally arrived? I hope so:

Tesla's Elon Musk Unveils Solar Batteries for Homes and Small Businesses
The system could easily take a home off the power grid, especially with the use of many solar panels, Musk said

From a man who made his name and charted his career with lofty goals and often unexpected financial decisions, the news came with little surprise: Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Motors Inc., unveiled a product line of electric batteries late last night in Los Angeles.

Musk introduced the Tesla Powerwall, a wall-mounted lithium-ion electric battery for homes and small businesses, and the Tesla Powerpack, a heftier version of the same core product designed for utility-scale use.

He also announced a new wing of the company, Tesla Energy, which will begin shipping the Powerwall systems to domestic customers in three to four months. Deliveries will trickle out slowly, he said, then accelerate next year when the company begins shipping orders out from its so-called Gigafactory in Nevada.

Yet Musk spoke first about rising emissions and climate change solutions, not cars. He used a slide show of power plants and smoggy skies to introduce the problems. “It sucks, exactly,” he said. “I think we, collectively, should do something about this,” he added, “for us and a lot of other creatures.”

The Powerwall battery charging system, which can be stacked up to nine batteries high and mounted on an inner garage wall or outside, costs $3,000 for a 7-kilowatt-hour system and $3,500 for the 10 kWh option. The entire Powerwall system is roughly 3 feet wide and 4 feet long, and would stick out about 7 inches once mounted. It could easily take a home off the power grid, especially with the use of many solar panels, Musk said.

“Tesla is not just an automotive company, it's an energy innovation company,” the firm said in a statement. “Tesla Energy is a critical step in this mission to enable zero emission power generation.”

The utility version comes in 100 kWh blocks that can be grouped together. Musk said one utility company is already interested in a 250-gigawatt installation of Powerpack systems alone.

Shifting cities to 'stored sunlight'
“This entire night has been powered by batteries,” he told the audience in the warehouse in Hawthorne, Calif., pointing to gray, blocky Powerpack systems standing on end and powering the facility. “Everything you're experiencing is stored sunlight.”

Musk's solution is as audacious as it is simple. By harnessing energy from the sun—“this handy fusion reactor in the sky,” he called it last night—getting enough renewable energy on the power grid and smoothing out energy generation and use between peak and off-peak hours, the nation and planet can shift away from fossil fuels' dominance as a power source, he told the crowd.

The new batteries, he said, will help speed that transition worldwide. “These is going to be a great solution for people in remote parts of the world,” he said, noting that it allows homeowners to leave the power grid and ditch electric cables.

“It can scale globally,” he added, likening the battery systems' potential in emerging economies to mobile phones that penetrated markets faster than old technology and leapfrogged landline sales.

Tesla, the first American car company to go public since Ford Motor Co., has been a darling stock to many in recent years, climbing from trading in the $30 range in 2012 to above $200 a share for most of the past year.

In a research note about yesterday's announcement from Deutsche Bank AG, which was reported by Bloomberg, the authors struck a bullish tone, writing: “Based on the preliminary work on the economics of stationary storage, we believe that this has the potential to be more significant” than Wall Street analysts expect. The battery system, they wrote, could add up to $100 a share.

Karl Brauer, a senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book, said Tesla's new battery division could be even more successful than its car business. [...]

The German bankers recognize the potential. This is really exciting. I had posted previously about this new type of power grid that such batteries would create. Now it's actually starting to happen.

Hooray!
     

Fossil Fuels: They've only just begun

I posted earlier about Peak Oil/increased-demand theory , causing shortages. But the following article from Salon.com changes all of that. It maintains that solar and wind power are endangered, not fossil fuels, which are in fact poised to really start to kick in:

Everything you've heard about fossil fuels may be wrong
The future of energy is not what you think it is

[...] it appears that the prophets of an age of renewable energy following Peak Oil got things backwards. We may be living in the era of Peak Renewables, which will be followed by a very long Age of Fossil Fuels that has only just begun.

Thanks to shale oil and natural gas, and new technologies that not only make them more easily available world-wide, but make them a cleaner alternative to coal. Read the whole thing, it's very thorough. It explains it's premise in detail, and presents a very compelling case. Gosh and Golly. Whodathunkit?
     

"Peak Oil" and/or "Increased Demand"?

The Peak Production theory:

Peak oil

Peak oil is the point in time when the maximum rate of global petroleum extraction is reached, after which the rate of production enters terminal decline. This concept is based on the observed production rates of individual oil wells, and the combined production rate of a field of related oil wells. The aggregate production rate from an oil field over time usually grows exponentially until the rate peaks and then declines—sometimes rapidly—until the field is depleted. This concept is derived from the Hubbert curve, and has been shown to be applicable to the sum of a nation’s domestic production rate, and is similarly applied to the global rate of petroleum production. Peak oil is often confused with oil depletion; peak oil is the point of maximum production while depletion refers to a period of falling reserves and supply.

[...]

Some observers, such as petroleum industry experts Kenneth S. Deffeyes and Matthew Simmons, believe the high dependence of most modern industrial transport, agricultural, and industrial systems on the relative low cost and high availability of oil will cause the post-peak production decline and possible severe increases in the price of oil to have negative implications for the global economy. Predictions vary greatly as to what exactly these negative effects would be. If political and economic changes only occur in reaction to high prices and shortages rather than in reaction to the threat of a peak, then the degree of economic damage to importing countries will largely depend on how rapidly oil imports decline post-peak.

Optimistic estimations of peak production forecast the global decline will begin by 2020 or later, and assume major investments in alternatives will occur before a crisis, without requiring major changes in the lifestyle of heavily oil-consuming nations. These models show the price of oil at first escalating and then retreating as other types of fuel and energy sources are used.[3] Pessimistic predictions of future oil production operate on the thesis that either the peak has already occurred,[4][5][6][7] that oil production is on the cusp of the peak, or that it will occur shortly.[8][9] The International Energy Agency (IEA) says production of conventional crude oil peaked in 2006.[10][11] Throughout the first two quarters of 2008, there were signs that a global recession was being made worse by a series of record oil prices.[12] [...]

A Dark Warning on Global Oil Demand

Many top corporate and political figures gathered in Houston on Tuesday for the annual CeraWeek conference on the outlook for energy, and they got an earful from John B. Hess, chairman and chief executive of the Hess Corporation.

“An energy crisis is coming, likely to be triggered by oil,” he predicted. “Demand is expected to grow on an annual basis by at least one million barrels per day, driven by the developing economies of the world and by a growth in transportation as we go from one billion cars today to two billion cars in 2050.”

The problem, he said, is not that the world is running out of oil. He estimated that while the world has produced one trillion barrels of oil, two trillion more remain in the ground. Meanwhile surplus oil production capacity is three billion to four million barrels a day.

But watch out for the future. “As demand grows in the next decade, we will not have the oil production capacity we will need to meet demand,” Mr. Hess said. “Supply will then have to ration demand, and prices will skyrocket – with the likely outcome of bringing the world’s economy to its knees.”

So where are oil prices going? “The $140-per-barrel oil price of three years ago was not an aberration,” he said. “It was a warning.”

Mr. Hess’s policy prescription was not surprising: he wants more drilling, including in the Gulf of Mexico, and more natural gas used in the generation of electricity, among other proposals. His stark vision of the global energy future stood out nonetheless.

Either way, Peak Oil or Increased Demand, the same end result: rationing? Are the days of abundant cheap energy about to become a thing of the past? At least in the way that we knew it be. As more energy producing sources are developed, and more efficient ways of using energy are implemented... well. I can't say exactly how it's going to turn out. But it's likely going to be different from what we have known. Another unfolding aspect of Our Brave New World.

     

A really, truly, SMALL but full featured PC

I think I want one! This has to be one of the best small Nettops I've seen:



Smallest full-featured Linux PC ever?

CompuLab is readying a full-featured Ubuntu Linux PC that draws six Watts and costs $245-to-$400. The Fit-PC2 packs a 1.1GHz or 1.6GHz Atom processor, 160GB hard drive (or SSD), and DVI/HDMI video up to 1920x1080 into a passively cooled case smaller than three CD cases.

Measuring 4 x 4.5 x 1.0 inches, the Fit-PC2 would be dwarfed by a stack of three CD jewel-cases, which would measure about 5.5 x 5 x 1.25. The Fit-PC2 is touted for its innovative, ruggedized die-cast aluminum case. There are no venting holes, but the fanless device is said to be designed so that the case itself dissipates heat.

[...]

The Fit-PC2 is offered in 1.1GHz "Value" and 1.6GHz "Performance" models. Besides the faster chip, the Performance model adds built-in WiFi. Both models offer 1GB DDR2, as well as a microSD slot for expansion. A 2.5-inch (normal laptop-sized) 160GB SATA hard disk drive is standard, with an optional SSD available. A gigabit Ethernet port and six USB ports offer considerable expansion possibilities.



Specifications for the Fit-PC2 Linux Value and Performance models include:

* Processor -- Intel Atom Z530 1.6GHz (Performance); Intel Atom Z510 1.1GHz (Value); both with Intel US15W SCH
* Memory -- 1GB DDR2
* Flash expansion – miniSD socket
* Display -- supports DVI output up to 1920x1080 via HDMI connector
* Storage -- 160GB SATA 2.5-inch HDD; optional SSD
* Networking -- gigabit Ethernet port
* WiFi -- 802.11b/g (Performance model only)
* USB -- 6 USB ports
* Audio -- "high definition 2.0" audio; line-out; line-in; mic
* Other features -- IR receiver; fanless; aluminum case
* Power -- 12V power supply; 6W typical consumption; up to 8W under load; under 1 Watt standby
* Operating temperature -- 32 to 113 deg. F (0 to 45 deg. C) with HDD; 32 to 158 deg. F (0 to 70 deg. C) without
* Dimensions -- 4 x 4.5 x 1.0 inches (101 x 115 x 27 mm)
* Weight -- 13 oz (370 gr) including HDD
* Operating system -- Ubuntu Linux 8.04 (Windows XP and diskless, zero-OS versions also available) [...]

It's made by a manufacturer in Haifa, Israel. Read the whole article for more details. There will be several configurations to choose from, even one offering Windows XP, all at reasonable prices:

[...] The Fit-PC2 is shipping later this month, says CompuLab. The PC is offered initially in the following configurations:

* 1.1GHz Z510, no OS, no drive -- $245
* 1.1GHz Z510, with Ubuntu 8.04 on 2.5-inch 160GB SATA drive -- $300
* 1.6GHz Z530, with Ubuntu 8.04 on 2.5-inch 160GB SATA drive -- $360
* 1.6GHz Z530, with Windows XP on 2.5-inch 160GB SATA drive -- $400
[...]

I call that reasonable, for the small size, rugged portability and feature set. It's a lot in a small package.


Related Links:

Compulab's website

fit-PC2 Wiki

World's greenest PC?
     

High Tech "Green" city being built in Abu Dhabi

I read this in CNNmoney.com this morning, it's facinating:


A green city blooms in the desert
Abu Dhabi, which reckons the world will wean itself from fossil fuels, is building a city that runs on solar power, recycles all waste, and bans cars. How will it work?

The leaders of Abu Dhabi have declared that petroleum belongs to the 20th century, so they are making an investment in the 21st century by building Masdar, the world's first zero-carbon, zero-waste city, powered almost entirely by the desert's plentiful sun. Ground was broken last winter for the $22 billion project, financed by the government of Abu Dhabi and outside investors and slated for completion in 2016. While more expensive to build than a traditional city, Masdar will use 75% less electricity and 60% less water.

Within the walls will be a green-tech research institute, developed with help from MIT. The city itself will act as a laboratory to test carbon-free products and prove that alternative energy can be deployed on a massive scale. "We want Abu Dhabi to be an energy player, not just an exporter," says Khaled Awad, Masdar's director of property development. [...]

It makes good sense to build such a city in a place where there is such an abundance of sunlight and heat. The article is divided up into ten short segments, each focusing on a different aspect of the New City and how it works.


It's a quick read and there are plenty of graphics and diagrams throughout, I found it very interesting. And to think it could be finished by 2016. The future is practically here already!
     

A Low-Cost Heating Alternative that uses New Convection Heating Technology

We closed off a porch on our house last year, and made it a kind of farm office/mud room/dog room (I keep a desk out there for managing farm-related stuff, I hang dirty overalls and boots there so I don't track mud in the house, and the dogs sleep out there at night). The room is very comfortable in the spring and summer months, but in fall and winter it gets quite cold.

We originally wanted to put a wood stove out there, but that proved prohibitive for a variety of reasons. I was going to get one of those kerosene heaters made for camping trips, when my sister told me about the solution she had used for the attic space in her house which she had converted into living space. The solution was electric heating panels by a company in Texas called Econo-Heat. They claim the panels only cost pennies to run. My sister claimed that they were indeed economical to run, and efficient too. I was a bit skeptical, but it sounded too good not to try so I ordered one.

Here is a description from their website:

[...] ECONO-HEAT electric space heater panels are the energy efficient, versatile and low-cost alternate heating solution to keeping warm in winter for a cheaper heat bill. The Econo-Heat electric heater operates mainly by heat convection. Designed to be left on for long periods of time, the ECONO-HEAT electric heater panel operates at relatively low surface temperatures, thereby giving a constant, gentle background heat whilst using very little electricity in any house / apartment room such as basement, wall, garage, office, or bathroom and locations such as any baseboard, desk, or wall. This concept is similar to a baseboard heater and performs the same task as central heating systems, however the ECONO-HEAT electric space heater is far less expensive to purchase, install and operate - keeping you comfortably warm, for a cheap alternate heating system!


NO FIRE RISK. Because the ECONO-HEAT electric heater panel has no exposed electric elements and there are no areas for dust to buildup, there is no fire or burn risk, giving you great peace of mind.

SAFE FOR CHILDREN AND PETS.. The surface temperature of the electric space heater panel does not exceed 165°F in normal operating conditions and there are no exposed elements, or fans to entangle hair, making them safe for children and pets. [...]

You can read the rest of the page for the full description. We've been using it for a while now, and haven't seen any significant increase in our electric bill. We bought two more panels, another for the back porch, and another for our RV. We got thermostats for them too, and they do the job quite well, we are really happy with the results.

If you are looking for an economical way to add heating to your living spaces, I would recommend trying the panels sold by Econo-Heat. You can read about the product and see it's specs, a photo and pricing here.

I give them a high recommendation, the panels are worth every penny.