Announcements

Welcome back!

RAEL's first meeting of the new semester is on
Wednesday, September 1st from 12pm-1pm. We will meet in the Sutardja Dai Hall in Room 240 close to the North Gate of UC Berkeley.

We hope to see many of you there!

 

Driving Green's going to get easier

Publication Date: 
July, 2010
Source: 
Daniweb- IT Discussion Community
A new smart phone application, Virtual Test Drive, from Virtual Vehicle Company (VEVco) will allow a phone to track the user's driving patterns in order to help them improve their mileage. The application uses the phone's GPS chip in order to track factors like when a user starts and stops driving, their customary speed, and the length of the the trips they take. The application requires no manual data input from the user.

When logging into the Virtual Test Drive site, the user is shown routes for previous trips with factors such as hills, acceleration points, and distance, along with information regarding how several types of plug-in car would have performed.

 

Knowing his or her driving patterns can help a driver determine the car that's best for them in terms of range, efficiency, cost and mileage, letting them pick from the variety of green cars available, as well as helping them choose between leasing and buying. The company believes that a lack of consumer information about electric and hybrid vehicles is slowing the adoption of such vehicles, and seeks to supply that need. Three quarters of car shoppers research their vehicle on the web before buying, and VEVco hopes to tap into that market.

UC Berkeley Study Touts Economic Benefits of a Feed-In Tariff

Analysis shows unparalleled job growth, tax benefits,
and investment potential of a comprehensive FIT achieving the 33% RPS

Berkeley – University of California, Berkeley announces today the results of a study examining the economic benefits of a comprehensive Feed-In Tariff (FIT). The analysis shows that enacting a robust FIT in California to achieve the state’s 33% Renewables Portfolio Standard (RPS) would create 3 times the number of jobs, over 2 billion in additional tax revenue, and stimulate tens of billions in new investment. Furthermore, the adoption of a comprehensive FIT will cost-effectively fulfill California’s 33%-by-2020 goal on schedule.

RAEL teams up with Climate Earth Inc. to cut PG&E's emissions

Publication Date: 
June, 2010
Source: 
Next100

PG&E Takes Aim at Supply-Chain Emissions

 Shrinking your carbon footprint isn’t as simple as cutting your direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—whether from your car or your fireplace. It’s also a matter of watching what you buy, so you don’t embed hidden emissions in your purchases.

Credit: Nick Saltmarsh

The same principle holds for companies. As the largest California utility, with a $4 billion annual purchasing budget, PG&E can have a big impact on GHG emissions through its procurement decisions. But making informed choices, in an economy that does not (yet) price carbon emissions, is no easy task.

"Including the indirect land use change impacts of biofuels is integral to the efficacy of fuel policies aimed at climate mitigation"

Author: 
Michael O'Hare, Anand Gopal and Daniel Kammen
Publication Date: 
June, 2010
The attached document is a response to the recently published opinion piece in the ARE Update: Zilberman, D., Hochman, G. and Rajagopal, D. (2010) “Indirect Land Use: One Consideration Too Many in Biofuel Regulation”, Agricultural and Resource Ecomomics Update, 13(4), Mar/Apr 2010.

The RAEL authors insist on the fact that indirect land use change GHG discharges are real, consequential, and important.

Recognizing them in consequential policy is essential to an incentive environment that will move the world towards more, better, climate stabilization.
RAEL Author: 
Journal: 
RAEL

Dan Kammen participates in Washington DC panel: "Accelerating the Clean Energy Economy: Key Pathways, Policies, and Pitfallsl"

Date: 
Tuesday, June 29, 2010 - 12:00pm - 2:00pm

In the shadow of the Gulf oil spill, the U.S. Senate will soon debate energy and climate legislation that will seek to claim American leadership in the global clean energy race. The question at hand: How can we build the best policy and financing platform to deliver the right outcomes – from short-term job creation, carbon reduction, and clean energy megawatts on the grid to long-term economic competitiveness and energy security?   

On Tuesday, June 29 at 12:00 pm, the NDN Green Project will host a group of NDN fellows, partners, and experts in a real-time review of the status of the energy and climate debate and a discussion of the ideas that can help create a clean energy economy.

To attend this event at NDN or to watch via our live webcast, please RSVP.  The live webcast will begin promptly at 12:15 pm.

Panelists to include:

Bay Area Electrified Vehicle Charging Infrastructure: Options for Accelerating Consumer Access

Author: 
Teal Brown, John Mikulin, Nadia Rhazi, Joachim Seel, and Mark Zimring
Publication Date: 
June, 2010
This paper makes the case that EVs will play an important role in reducing air pollution and GHG emissions from the transportation sector. It describes barriers to EV market penetration and argues that the public sector, including local governments, should act to reduce these barriers. The paper then focuses on EVSE infrastructure deployment—describing available options, highlighting existing government financial and policy supports, and laying out the steps local governments can take to address the EVSE deployment challenge.

Key Recommendations

1)     Public charging stations

2)     Curbside charging station deployment for multi-unit dwellings

3)     Adaptation of urban planning codes

4)     Stakeholder education

5)     Public-private partnerships

6)     Establishment of a financing mechanism for private charging stations

7)     Streamlining the charging station installation process

This paper expands on the last two recommendations. It argues that PACE financing programs can reduce the upfront cost barrier to EV market penetration. Finally, the paper lays out a streamlined, consumer-friendly charging station installation process and the process reforms necessary to achieve it.
Journal: 
RAEL- Goldman School of Public Policy

Dan Kammen participating in "Renewable Energy Policy, post-spill" panel

Publication Date: 
June, 2010
Source: 
KQED

In his Oval Office speech on the BP disaster Tuesday night, President Obama was expected to call for action on legislation to move the nation away from fossil fuel dependence. But how close are we to having viable, cleaner alternatives? In California, utilities are struggling to meet the state's goal that they provide one-third of their power from renewable resources by 2020. The panel took a look at the most promising developments in the world of alternative energy -- and at some of the obstacles to large-scale adoption.

A supply chain carbon footprint analysis of the University of California, Berkeley

Author: 
Christopher M. Jones and Daniel M. Kammen
Publication Date: 
May, 2010

New RAEL analysis of UC Berkeley's carbon footprint: 97% of emissions are indirect

RAEL, in collaboration with the UC Berkeley Office of Sustainabilty, has developed a new hybrid life cycle model to estimate of the carbon footprint of UC Berkeley. Total emissions are 424,000 metric tons for the year 2008.

Carbon Footprint of the UC Berkeley

Direct emissions (Scope 1) are only 3% of the University's total carbon footprint. Indirect emissions from purchased energy (Scope 2) account for 37% of the total, with 60% from other indirect sources (Scope 3). The official UC Berkeley greenhouse gas inventory includes roughly 50% of the total carbon footprint.

Journal: 
RAEL

Laura Schewel's team wins CITRIS' "Big Ideas" award

Publication Date: 
April, 2010
Source: 
CITRIS

Laura Schewel's team won the annual Big Ideas competition of CITRIS. Her Virtual Electric Vehicle Test Drive Project made the co-first place and received an $8,000 award.

Congratulations from RAEL!