“Our shoes will march for us.” Symbolic & poignant Silent March by 20,000 pairs of shoes in Paris on Nov. 29, 2015. (credit: Nicole Ghio of the Sierra Club)
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I’ve been away for quite a while. But this event definitely needs to be shared, despite how busy life may get. Even though the focus of Sun Is The Future is to promote, educate, and share information regarding solar energy, please do keep in mind that the transition into use of solar energy would help to reduce pollution, solve energy problem, slow down climate change, eliminate international conflicts, and generate local jobs and economy.
This may seem to be the worst of times, but it holds the promise of a future for the best of times….on this eve of the COP 21 climate talks (when leaders of nearly 200 countries will be joining for a global conference on climate change in Paris), climate activists and Parisians once again stepped up with creativity, in Place de Republique, to demonstrate not only to those in the City of the Light, but also to all of those around the world: placing about 20,000 pairs of shoes as a symbol of the poignant “silent march,” after being told by French authorities that they couldn’t march in Paris.“This is a way of symbolically and powerfully joining the climate march and each pair of shoes shows the determination of Parisians to have their voices heard on climate change,” said Iain Keith of Avaaz, which helped plan the action. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon dropped off a pair of his running shoes, saying, “As the world gathers in Paris to stand up for climate action, let us also stand in the shoes of all victims of terrorism, war and persecution and respond with compassion.” Pope Francis sent along a pair of shoes to be placed on his behalf.
Human Chain (nearly 10,000 people participated in the human chain, according to Agence France Presse) in Paris demanding the oil to be kept under the ground (credit: 350.org)
When the clock struck noon in Paris today (Nov. 29, 2015), thousands of Parisians and activists joined hands to form a human chain down Boulevard Voltaire, starting from Place de Republique, passing the Bataclan Theater (where most of the lives were taken during the tragic attacks of November 13th), and down to Place de la Nation. At the Bataclan, participants left a 100-meter gap for the memorials that line the sidewalks. Nearly 10,000 people participated in this human chain, according to Agence France Presse.
Human Chain in Paris, on November 29, 2015, from near Place de Republique to Place de la Nation (credit: Ben & Jerry’s)
“We joined hands today against climate change and violence,” said Hoda Baraka, Global Communications Manager for 350.org. “People here in Paris, and hundreds of thousands who are taking part in climate marches worldwide, have a clear message for world leaders: keep fossil fuels in the ground and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy.” In London an estimated 50,000 showed up. In Belfast and Berlin and Barcelona, climate activists took to the streets. Here in the United States, climate marches are underway in New York and Nashville, in Louisville and (later today) in Los Angeles. In Bargny, Senegal, demonstrators flowed through the streets. Please allow me to share some of the images by 350.org of marches (Global Climate March) that broke out in Africa, Asia, Australia, Middle East, Europe, and North and South America.
Climate March Nov 2015-Bargny Senegal (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Wellington New Zealand (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Warsaw Poland (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Tuvalu (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Quezon City Philippines (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Paris France (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Oakland CA (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Oakland CA 2 (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Moruya New South Wales (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Melbourne Vic Australia (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Melbourne, Australia2 (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Melbourne, Australia (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-London England (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Human Chain Paris (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam2 (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Green Groups Declare That Our Survival Is Non-Negotiable2 (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Green Groups Declare That Our Survival Is Non-Negotiable (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Forest City, Rockford, IL (credit: 350.org )
Climate March Nov 2015-Fiji (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Dhaka Bangladesh (credit: 350.org )
Climate March Nov 2015-Coppenhagen Denmark (credit: 350.org)
Climate March Nov 2015-Cliffs of Moher, Ireland (credit: 350.org)
It is time to let our Sun Shine In Throughout Our Planet Earth It Is Time To Let Our SunShine In for it is the Clean and Renewable Energy such as Solar and Wind Energy that will slow down the climate change, solve pollution and energy problem, reduce international conflicts, enable prosperity for clean energy industry by creating more local jobs. Leaders of the world, will you be riding on the top of the wave of Solar Tsunami or below it ?! The decision is yours!
Capturing The Sun is also available at www.sunisthefuture.com (credit: sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker)
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This is a presentation titled “Clean Disruption: 100% Electric Transportation and 100% Solar Energy By 2030“, presented to AltCars Expo and Conference in Santa Monica, CA, by Tony Seba, on Sep. 19, 2014. In his matter of fact manner, Mr. Seba pointed out the historical pattern of disruptions from the past as a way to help us to envision our future of Solar-Electric-Self Driving Vehicles, below:
Mr. Seba points out the 5 reasons why EV (electric vehicle) is “disruptive”:
Electric Motor is 5x+ more energy efficient than the internal combustion engine (ICE).
EV energy costs are 10x cheaper than ICE vehicle.
EV maintenance costs are 5-10x cheaper than ICE vehicle.
Wireless charging
Electric Motor is far more powerful than ICE.
The question to ask now is: how long will the transition take from ICE to EV? It is comforting to know that since 2010, the battery costs have been dropping at ~16%/year as a result of 3 multi-trillion dollar industries (IT/Electronics, Automotive, and Energy) all interested in investing in battery technology. The simple fact that Tesla’s $5 Billion Battery GigaFactory is being built will double world battery production and will bring down the battery pack costs by >30%, leading to the eventual cost of an average EV at US$31,000 by 2020 and low-end EV at US$21,000 by 2022. Therefore, mass migration from ICE (gasoline) to electric vehicles is anticipated to occur around 2017-2018 and 100% of mainstream cars will be electric by 2030.
Another functionality of the EV is its eventual autonomous feature. Along with this feature, there will be improved highway capacity and higher efficiency. This will translate to a shrinking auto industry and shrinking need of parking spaces or need of car ownerships. Solar industry has been growing exponentially 43%/year since 2000. If such growth rate continues, 100% of the energy in the world will be solar by 2030. We will be facing a new world, a cleaner, healthier, and more efficient world.
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, photographed, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any comments and suggestions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:
Just a quick reminder for you all, Solar Enthusiasts, that Solar Power International 2015 will be held on September 14-17, 2015 at Anaheim, CA, at Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA, at 800 W Katella Ave., Anaheim, CA 92802, (714) 765-8950. This is an exciting time for solar industry in USA: 8 gigawatts of solar PV will be installed this year (2015), with California being in the forefront, having more installations than Australia, India, and Canada combined.
The above is the video of Rhone Resch, President & CEO of SEIA, inviting you all to attend the Solar Power International 2015. There will be more than 600 exhibitors from around the globe, 24 hours of networking, 100+ educational opportunities, hands on training labs, and solar strategy sessions for businesses. There will also be the Startup Alley at SPI2015. An example of a business/company in Startup Alley at Solar Power International 2015, below:
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any comments and suggestions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:
Permanent art installations from Janet Echelman, Kendall Buster, Norie Sato, Charles Sowers, and Walter Kitundu of San Francisco (SFO) international terminal in Terminal 2, formerly known as the “Central Terminal” replaced Rotunda A as SFO’s international terminal in 1983. (photographed by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker)
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Of all the photos I took during the trip to Intersolar North America at San Francisco, CA, I find this one (above) truly reflects the spirit of San Francisco. Take a look at how this piece of sculpture by Janet Echelman is described in wikipedia:
Echelman transforms the terminal with fictional nature that subtly engages viewers with real and imagined natural forces. Her sculpture installation cuts three round skylights into the ceiling, from which descend delicate layers of translucent colored netting to create three voluptuous volumetric forms. A series of shaded outlines below are embedded into the terrazzo floor, reflecting the precise shadows that would occur on the summer solstice if the sun could penetrate through the roof. During the day, sun streams through the skylights to cast real shadows that interplay with the fictional shadows in the floor. At night, the artist’s program of colored lighting makes the sculpture glow from indigo to purple, magenta to red-orange. Computer-programmed mechanized air-flow animates the fluidly-moving sculpture at different intervals throughout the day, as if the wind could magically flow through solid walls.
The artist achieved the sculpture’s physical presence by braiding fibers and knotting twine into sculptural netting suspended from powder-coated steel armatures. Despite their large scale, more than 120 feet in circumference for a single form, her sculpture is experienced as ephemeral and weightless. Visually, the sculpture evokes the contours and colors of cloud formations over the Bay and hints at the silhouette of the Golden Gate Bridge. Aesthetically, the sculpture looks both backwards and forwards, drawing its color from the heyday of psychedelic music, the Summer of Love, and San Francisco’s prominence in the beat poetry movement, while also referencing the contemporary bay area as a hub of innovation and interconnectivity for the world of technology.
There is definite intention behind how and why San Francisco is such a hub of innovation and interconnectivity for the world of technology. I have personally observed, on more than one occasion, how San Francisco network had actively gathered/netted in talents from other parts of the USA and good part of the planet earth. On this particular trip, more than ever, I have gained so much information, hope, and optimism for the future of solar industry and technology during Intersolar North America 2015, that I can truly appreciate such netting mechanism radiated from this little area of approximately 46 sq mi. That is why the artist/sculptor Janet Echelman from Tampa, FL , has her sculpture displayed in San Francisco International airport terminal 2 instead of in Tampa, FL. In the short 3-4 days of Intersolar North America 2015, more than ever before, I can see the future certainty of Solar Tsunami. Coming from a background of mathematics and engineering (civil and mechanical), I’ve gained much of my understanding for the power/energy industry by having an in-house (hubby) technical advisor with electrical engineering background. What seemed to me, intuitively, the natural solution for Energy-Pollution-Economy-Climate Change-International Conflicts during my freshman year in college more than three decades ago, the Solar Energy, will finally be in the main stream!
There will be a series of posts and videos from Intersolar North America 2015 during the remaining of this week and good part of the next week demonstrating how Solar Energy will soon be in the main stream. World wide, we have Germany to be thankful for. USA wide, we have CA and San Francisco to be thankful for.
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any comments and suggestions are welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:
Intersolar North America 2015 (Exhibition: July 14-16, 2015, Conference: July 13-15, 2015, https://www.intersolar.us/en/home.html)
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Just a quick note to remind you all that Intersolar North America 2015 will take place in San Francisco, Moscone Center, Exhibition between July 14-16, 2015 and Conference between July 13-15, 2015. This is the most attended Solar Event/Exhibition in the United States. 27,000 trade visitors are expected. There will be high caliber conference with renowned speakers and multitude of workshops. It also provides great international marketing opportunity.
For the first time in California history, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory water use reductions on Wednesday, April 1, 2015. No Foolin’! Finally the state’s four-year drought had reached near-crisis proportions after a winter of record-low snowfalls.”This historic drought demands unprecedented action,” Brown said, standing on a patch of dry, brown grass in the Sierra Nevada mountains that is usually blanketed by up to 5 feet of snow. In an executive order, Gov. Brown directed the State Water Resources Control Board to impose a 25% reduction on the state’s 400 local water supply agencies (serving 90% of California residents). The agencies will be responsible for coming up with restrictions to cut back on water use and for monitoring compliance. State officials said the order would impose varying degrees of cutbacks on water use across the board — affecting homeowners, farms and other businesses, as well as the maintenance of cemeteries and golf courses.
“We’re in a new era,” Gov. Brown said. “The idea of your nice little green grass getting lots of water every day, that’s going to be a thing of the past.” The state had trouble reaching the 20% reduction target that Gov. Brown set in January 2014 when he issued a voluntary reduction order. The state water board has the power to impose fines on local water suppliers that fail to meet the reduction target set by the board over the coming weeks.
The California Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House majority leader, said, “The current drought in California is devastating. Today’s order from governor should not only alarm Californians, but the entire nation should take notice that the most productive agriculture state in the country has entered uncharted territory. I’m from the Central Valley, and we know that we cannot conserve or ration our way out of this drought.”
To Gov. Brown and Rep. McCarthy, I’d like to say, “Consider Solar Desalination!” Below is taken from Wikipedia on the topic of solar powered desalination unit. There are also several videos helping to explain the process of seawater desalination and various technologies of solar desalination, utilizing our abundant sea water. Historically, due to the great deal of energy that is required in seawater desalination, desalination has not been utilized much in USA. With the dramatically decreased cost of solar coming on scene, Solar Desalination is now more likely to be an economically feasible solution to the California drought. Please be sure to also view the last video on “Seawater Desalination via Solar Power Satellites” that will utilize the currently existing 27 oil rigs and off-shore platforms to serve as receiving antennas for the power beams of space solar satellites, running salt water desalination plants and using excess energy to power homes, cities, and industries in California.
A solar powered desalination unit produces potable water from saline water through direct or indirect methods of desalination powered by sunlight. Countries such as Australia, Italy and Egypt have adopted this system as an alternative source of water for the population.
The intermittent nature of sunlightand its variable intensity throughout the day makes predicting its efficiency difficult. However, incorporating a thermal energy storage system solves this problem and ensures constant performance even during non-sunlight hours and cloudy days, improving overall efficiency.
There are some concerns regarding seawater desalination such as the efficiency level and environmental impacts that would need to be monitored continuously. But solar desalination may provide California with the viable solution, I am optimistic.
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
~have a bright and sunny day~
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics: www.sunisthefuture.net
THANK YOU ALL FOR MAKING THIS CAMPAIGN A MASSIVE SUCCESS!! Thanks to you, we will now be able to provide solar power to Other Avenues! AND we’ve almost doubled the size of the revolving Solar Seed Fund, which will allow us to build more community-based solar projects even faster. Thank you for showing us what a grassroots solar movement looks like.
This is terrific news! Congratulations! Thank you for planting the seeds of hope for all of us working with various communities in different parts of the world. Let those of us who are involved within our communities to take note that, with cooperative effort, many community solar projects can be accomplished!
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your questions/comments/suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:
I really need to share this “Standing Ovation at the InterSolar North America Open Ceremony” with you all, taking place in July of 2014, at Moscone Center of San Francisco, CA.:
California Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. was met with a standing ovation as he delivered the keynote remarks at Intersolar North America’s Opening Ceremony 2014. Following the Governor’s remarks, San Francisco’s Mayor Edwin M. Lee took the stage. New York State Senator Kevin S. Parker similarly championed local policies that have grown the solar energy industry significantly in New York. Franz Untersteller, minister of the environment, climate protection and the energy sector, Germany, discussed the major policy incentives implemented in Germany that have played a key role boosting the solar industry. Finally, CALSEIA’s executive director Bernadette Del Chiaro concluded the session with a discussion of California’s solar policies and an inspirational call to action, asking the audience to help quadruple the solar industry in the next six years.
It is important to point out/remind ourselves that:
1. There is much more solar that needs to be installed in the decades to come!
2. There is much more needing to be done. We’ve not yet met the turning point to Sustainability.
3. The cost of PV modules has dropped 80% in the last five years.
4. Solar Industry employs more than 142,000 people in USA (more than 50,000 in CA).
5. We can look to and utilize much of the lessons learned from Germany.
6. Solar is desperately NEEDED now, especially in light of climate change.
7. 16.5% of the electricity supply of CA on any given day is from Solar (without including the 2 GW on rooftops).
8. CA Solar Industry now employs more people than the three investor-owned utility companies combined.
So, let those of us in the rest of the 49 states also align ourselves with this tremendous task of transitioning into the Renewable/Solar Energy Future!
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your questions/comments/suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:
I wish I had asked a lot more questions during this particular interview with the president and founder of Nuance Energy Group, Brian C. Boguess. On July 9, 2014, above the Yerba Buena Gardens, during InterSolar North America 2014, Mr. Brian Boguess had much to share about various mechanisms in securing rapid solar deployment in California and beyond.
Mr. Boguess started the talk by introducing SunPods Power Platform systems, (manufactured by Nuance Energy Group), which are ballasted ground-based solar racking systems for on grid and off grid solar applications. These units are made of a heavy gauge, cold rolled steel frame with a galvanized standard G-90 finish, with proprietary racking containing solar panels and inverters and power adjustable legs accommodating uneven terrain (engineered to 23 degree slope). Nuance Energy assembles these solar units off site, set units in specified site location and level each solar array, whereas certified partners finish installation of BOS (balance of system) component, wiring and connect to the grid. The wonderful thing about SunPods Power Platform units is that these units deploy and install in minutes and help to avoid prevailing wage cost (Davis Bacon Act) on municipal, government and military projects! These self-ballasted engineering systems eliminate ground penetration and is the solar application recently proven and released (2013) by a 2-year California Energy Commission (CEC) PIER (Public Interest Energy Research) Program report on solar PV development for California closed landfills. These SunPods PowerPlatform units are modular in design, and connect to scale for large solar projects. Some of its key markets are: agriculture, remote mining operations, international export, emergency disaster preparedness, shared community solar farms and rural residential projects. Video below:
The exciting part of the conversation is in finding out from Mr. Boguess that there are 225 closed landfills in California occupying 35,000 acres of land (presently not economically viable for traditional development) with potential of becoming utility scale solar farms! Currently there are 74 landfill sites within CA producing electricity from the landfill generated methane gas in micro-turbines. There are also 1,262 contaminated sites occupying over 2 million acres in CA. Just think of all of these Solar Potential waiting to be tapped! We will be looking forward to seeing/hearing more Sun Power being tapped from these underutilized brownfields/landfills via SunPods Power Platform systems!
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your questions/comments/suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:
At InterSolar North America 2014 in San Francisco, CA, I came across a potentially game-changing technology that holds much promise for low cost solar power in the future. This technology, the perovskite thin-film solar cells, is currently being developed by Oxford PV (a spin-out from the University of Oxford in 2009-2010 to commercialize this technology, which has exclusively licensed the intellectual property developed by Professor Henry Snaith and his team of 20 scientists). The perovskite thin-film solar cells can be directly printed/sprayed onto glass to produce a semi-transparent colored coating. Below is an interview with the Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Christopher Case, of Oxford PV:
The apparent enthusiasm of Dr. Case is seen in his discussion of the perovskite cell technology. One can understand the source of Dr. Case’s enthusiasm. According to Dr. Case, “the perovskite in solar application is the fastest increasing photovoltaic efficiency of any solar photovoltaic thin film material ever! In just a few years, it went from a lab efficiency of about 6% to well over 17%…the material is a very good solar absorber….bringing the material to 25% efficiency in a monolithic layer and 30%+ in a perovskite tandem layer….potentially the future replacement for silicon.” This perovskite solar cell technology is optimized to drive a paradigm shift in the aesthetics, performance, and cost of BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaic) systems, potentially bringing low cost electricity to the solar market much sooner than predicted. It is no wonder the highly respected international journal, Nature, has named Dr. Henry Snaith of University of Oxford as one of the ten people who have made the most difference in science during 2013 in recognition of his work on this next generation solar power technology. Let’s also take a look at the comparison between Convetional PV vs. Oxford PV, below (provided by www.oxfordpv.com):
Conventional PV Oxford PV_________________
Opaque Range of transparency options
Blue or Black Palette of colors and tints
Contains scarce elements and rare earths Sustainable, abundant, organic ingredients
Complex, high temperature and high vacuum manufacturing Simple screen printing manufacturing processes
High capital cost of manufacturing Low capital cost of manufacturing
Heavy panels physically attached to building Aesthetically attractive glazing panels integrated into the building envelope
Without using the titanium dioxide as a semiconductor, this technology results in higher levels of efficiency, much lower processing temperature, and improved cell stability. Oxford PV plans on continuing to optimize this technology’s cell efficiency and accelerate the transfer of the technology into production. Furthermore, it aims to develop the range of substrates to which the cells can be applied.
Oxford PV has a strong supporting team (such as Kevin Arthur, Dr. David Fyfe, Paul Vickery, etc.) With its promising future, we, the solar enthusiasts and investors alike, should keep our eyes on Oxford PV in the coming years.
~have a bright and sunny day~
Gathered, written, and posted by sunisthefuture-Susan Sun Nunamaker
Any of your questions/comments/suggestions will be welcomed at sunisthefuture@gmail.com
Please also get into the habit of checking at these sites below for more on solar energy topics:
