Follow up - Smart Grid

NPR has another couple of good bits on the smart grid; and how the utilities are using 'greenwashing' to sell their plans for major power lines.  

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103415232&ft=1&f=1001

Also - this interactive map of the power grid *really* opened my eyes as to why nukes are so popular in the energy generation world.  They make metric shit-tons of power: 

http://www.npr.org/news/graphics/2009/apr/electric-grid/

Smart Meters

Recently there has been a lot of talk about what a smart grid is.. or what it could look like.  

Having read a few things on this, especially this piece on NPR's site recently, I thought I'd expound a bit and hopefully clarify what the smart grid really is.  

A bit of background:

Right now, our power distribution system runs like a giant bath tub.  (There are big pipes between the different nationwide bath tubs that allow power to be fed from one to another... but note that those pipes leak heavily and a lot of electricity is wasted in transport. )  Every power generating system out there feeds into this bathtub of power and as more power is pulled out... more power must be fed in to keep it at the same level. This variation in power is what causes changes in the hourly price of electricity.  As more expensive power generation systems are brought online to fill the tub - the price of electricity varies.  

Consumer/business level equipment: Meters that report usage back to a central database.  Web sites that report on that database. Smart appliances and software to more directly manage usage with time of day and calender restrictions. All of this is within reach; once a standard protocol or two is specified for this power management system. I fully expect power companies to offer discounts to people who drastically or even automatically restrict their electric power consumption when electric prices are at peak levels.  

For the consumer the smart grid is going to include a web site that allows you to understand how much electricity you are using.  As the NPR piece put it: wasting electricity is like leaving the water sprinkler going long after your yard has overflowed and it's flowing down the gutter. This web site, or rather web sites will be hosted by your power company, google, or any number of other service providers to try and 'help' you (read advertise to you) on ways to cut back on your usage.  Overall, these web sites will be awesome for helping many people cut back on their electric bills.  I foresee a plethora of web applications that will tie in things like remotely turning off and on your lights, TVs, computers, even the whole house's breaker box or perhaps just zones of the house with smart networked breakers.  Appliances will tie into these applications and people will begin to manage how and when they run - based on the current cost of electricity. Home automation systems are going to get a big bump from efforts to make the consumer level grid smarter.  

For the business the smart grid will be less about micromanaging the electricity usage... and more about gross usage.  You'll see computers being shut off more, and older less efficient computers replaced once a company can see the actual numbers change in their own versions of the above web sites.  You'll likely even see a push to get people out of the office and perhaps working from home once they see the new 'electricity cost per person'; and then again, perhaps not. Perhaps that electricity cost will simply be passed to the employee as a 'benefit' that is part of their total compensation.  For companies that have some control over their buildings; I foresee many looking for ways to alter the building to be more efficient; and a market blossoming around efficient office spaces.  Big windows will be OK - if they are sealed well. Daylighting and light piping into the interior spaces in order to cut down on electricity usage will be greatly desired. Companies may even begin to source their equipment on how *few* little lights are on them.  Think about all those power strips in use with a small light that always runs - that's what is called a power vampire.  That network switch with little blinking lights - shut the lights off when they are not needed;  For many of the more advanced things like computers and network switches - it's merely a matter of a bios upgrade; but there has to be a demand for it.  

For the electric industry the smart grid means something completely different.

The industry's 'smart grid' is more about upgrading their transformers and major power distribution centers to be networked and remotely controlled.  Does it surprise you that most of those big fenced off transformer areas are dumb?  In the past; the monitoring that is done on those systems is 'is this circuit on?' or 'how much power is flowing?' If you're lucky there might be a security camera or two.  I've even heard of some companies putting up cameras aimed at the meters to be able to check the meter remotely!!!  When something goes wrong an alarm sounds at the central office and someone is dispatched to take a look at what went wrong.  

If all this sounds like it's decades old tech - that's because it is.  The power distribution system was designed originally almost a century ago, with some fairly minor 'upgrades' since then.The 1950's and 60's saw a major nationwide deployment of electrical infrastructure that has basically sat in place ever since. When the industry talks about a 'smart grid' what they are talking about is a *major* revamp of the way they monitor and control power at all these switching and generator stations. 

One additional driving force behind upgrading out nations electrical infrastructure is the fundamental, but slowly building shift from huge central, fossil fuel, nuclear and major hydro power stations; to a massively distributed alternative 'green' energy system. Right now our power system is designed to flow one direction: from the big generators toward the electrical consumer. With the entire nation beginning to focus on smaller, distributed generation systems like rooftop solar power or wind turbines the grid has to be modified if it wants to take advantage of that power generation.  

Here, it's a safety thing. With the power only flowing one way - you can cut off the power at the source - like flipping the breaker in your homes breaker box and safely work with the wiring.  When you have power coming at you from a bunch of different directions - it's a lot harder to stop the flow of electricity.  Right now, many American power companies have basically said that solar and other alternative energy systems can *only* feed the location they are designed for and are *not* allowed to feed their extra power back to the grid. A one-way valve is installed that allows power to circulate locally, but not back into the big bathtub. This drastically reduces the value of these systems as the option of selling surplus energy to the pool of power is not allowed and that energy is basically dumped. 

Some places in Europe have taken a different, and much more progressive tack.  They subsidise their solar panel installations by forcing the power companies (government run usually) to buy back the surplus generation from alternative energy installations.  This created a sea change in those locations.  Solar power systems cannot be installed fast enough.  Because all of a sudden, instead of getting a power bill every month; individual consumers and companies can get a CHECK.  It becomes an income stream and drastically reduces the payoff period for solar system installations.  In America right now, no power company is doing this; though I have high hopes for Austin Energy to come around fairly soon.  Once they do - I'm moving away from the deregulated Oncor system, even though I can buy my Green Mountain alternative energy and into Austin proper.  I'll set up a 10Kwh solar system and get a check every month instead of a bill. 

This consumer stuff above is the marketing fluff and 'green' spin the electric industry is using to help get the average Joe willing to spend money on it. Smart meters are nifty tech and will catch on in a big way... but the real push for the 'smart grid' is the upgrading and advanced networking of the major power distribution systems.  

So, now you know.  

Shopping for a home - Part 3

This elevator was all glass; dark at the moment because the lobby wasn't all that special; but as we began to rise my eyes went wide and my wife's jaw dropped.

On one side of us; a huge column of water teeming with fish rose soaring to the ceiling; the three other sides opened into a teeming multi-layer jungle of plants birds and bees. Flowers and fruit were everywhere. Several people in white coveralls wandered through the place; either harvesting the ripe fruits or waving instruments over them.

The windows darkened slightly as we emerged above the canopy and the light from the windows and solar lights shone in. Then, oddly the elevator came to a stop - seemingly suspended in air. I hadn't notice Brian manipulating the controls.

"The first level is currently set up for a tropical environment. This quarter of the floor is in high summer. The other three quarters of the building arc around this central aqua-farm. We use tinting in the windows and climate control systems to modify the seasons for the plants; though we follow an Alaska summer inspired season cycle - with lots of long days. The plants love it and as such tend to produce much more volume. Our winters are more likely to follow a Texas winter schedule... a couple of frosts and then we're back as quickly as possible to spring again. We actually are able to squeeze in nearly two years of crop cycles annually and since we're rotating the quads through the seasons; we always have the whole years worth of produce available"

I turned reluctantly from the window where every color of song bird danced and darted above the trees; and was captivated by the majesty of the central water column. A couple of huge fish swam past; chasing a school of smaller, faster fish.  "Did you say this was a fish farm?" I asked quietly.  Not sure why I lowered my voice... habit I guess from other trips to see large aquariums with the kids.  

"Yes; the fish play a vital role in our process here. We basically have an artificial ecosystem here.  We pre-process the sludge and water waste from the rest of the facility in an artificial swamp.  That we keep below ground because it's not exactly scenic... and it tends to smell like... lets just say tours don't usually go in there.  We harvest methane and other gasses from the bio-processor and of course use it to generate electricity.  From there the water and remainder of the liquid waste is channeled to an algae farm - some of which generates the bio-diesel that runs the trucks and trains that come through here.  Unfortunately we're still on the waiting list for the new all electric trucks.  Any surplus of the bio-diesel is sold to the surrounding area's truck-stops and trains. There's a good market still for the long-haul interstate truckers.  After the algae processes it; we feed the fish with that emulsion.  The fish do their thing and we use the fish waste and water to irrigate the plants in here, and the facilities green roofs.  We have been experimenting with the mix of fish we have in the aquarium; looking for an ideal mix of market desire; and eco-system maintenance.  The freshwater tilapia is really popular in the on-site restaurants"  Brian makes a face.  "Though I'll admit I'm a bit tired of it.  I'm really hoping the rainbow trout do well."  

My wife finally closed her mouth enough to squeak out..."All the beautiful birds!?"

Brian smiled "Pollinators! We need something to move pollen around.  The combination of birds is mostly pollinators; but we have a few owls and hawks in here as well to help control the population and weed out the sickly.  Some of the plants actually require bats to pollinate them; we have a couple of different species of bat in the facility.  The imported fruit bats are kept indoors since the outside climate isn't suitable for them; but the Mexican free-tails are given free reign of the next floor as well as the rest of the facility.  We love our bats because they also help keep the insect populations in check. We actually built them a couple of artificial 'caves' to roost where we can control their guano habit."

Brian started the elevator again and we began to rise slowly.  We rose through a thick ceiling and emerged into a dense hydroponic farm.  Plants were carefully managed and groomed to grow in specific ways - their roots cradled in long covered trays from which a mist curled. Their branches trimmed and pruned to allow optimal penetration of light and access to the over-abundance of fruits.  Again, people in white coveralls moved through the area either picking or inspecting the produce.  Large fans moved air around and caused branches and leaves to vibrate.  This time though; Brian didn't stop the elevator and we kept going; penetrating another 3 floors of dense hydroponically supported farming.  "A lot of people work here!?" I asked.

"Yes, it's the facility's largest employer. We actually have a waiting list of applicants to work here too.  By working in local businesses; many people get a housing stipend.  It's not enough to get a place like what you guys are considering; but it's enough to get you a small apartment and a full meal ticket.  It's very popular with the students.  We really like to support people living and working here on-site.  If you or your wife set up your work here, you too would become eligible for the stipend."  

The elevator ride stopped in a rather plush restaurant lobby.  There was a stand for a host but no-one was manning the station.  "This place opens for dinner in a couple of hours but we're here for the view so we can just go on in."  As we emerged from the lobby I noticed that we were in a large donut shaped room.  The central core being the kitchen and tables spread out on levels like a wedding cake - tiered down so that everyone had a great view of the outside.  We started down the stairs towards the walls and I noticed an odd light shining against my legs and looked back. The tiers we were walking on were actually the top of the giant aquarium.  You could see into the top levels of the water column and the light shining out from it bathed the interior of the restaurant with a cool glow.  

We walked to the window walls and I noticed that the side facing the sun was darkened, as well as the side directly opposite.  I understood the logic of the sunward side... but not the opposite so I headed that direction.  My wife and Brian followed me and I realized the reason for the tint when I looked out and down at what seemed like acres of reflections.  All of the windows and solar panel patio covers were aimed in such a way to reflect the sunlight back at the tower we were standing in.  I covered my eyes and tried to see why the windows, supposedly vertical,  were reflecting so much light up at us.  Brian deduced what I was squinting at: "The window walls are polarized as well as laser cut to produce a high reflectivity while still remaining transparent.  We love our sunlighting but the problem of windows is pretty universal.  Lots and lots of solar heat energy can penetrate the building at a window.  In the cooler climates it's a good thing... here in the south it's a lot more useful to deflect that heat energy.  We designed the windows to reflect a significant portion of the solar rays back to where they are most useful - growing the food we need to eat. If I was to show you the guts of this building - you'd see light-pipes that penetrate from the walls all throughout those thick ceilings - channeling that sunlight deep into the interior of the building."  We almost never have to use electricity during the day to light the interior of this; or much of the main facility either.  At night is of course a different story but we have really efficient lighting that takes over."

I stood at the window and contemplated all of the small touches and design elements that went into this place.  It was obsessively eco-friendly, but not obtrusively in your face about it.  The restaurant I stood in looked like any other high-end downtown eatery; better actually because of the view.  The elevator ride was built to awe... and it was awesome.  I was only beginning to see the value in having your food grown this close by; carbon footprint and all that jazz.  I had once done an analysis and was shocked to see that much of the fruit my wife loved so much was flown in daily from South America and Australia. I knew there was no way to stop her from wanting that fruit; even in the dead of winter when it costs the most; so I had not bothered caring about my carbon footprint since then.  It just wasn't worth the hassle.  

Even the buildings I looked at seemed 'typical' if a bit on the over-built side.  Tiers of condos snaked around the place in a single unified building.  Like layers on a South American pyramid the condos were stair stepped up to five floors above the central garden, though the height varied to as low as 3 stories.  It was certainly more visually interesting than the usual apartment complex where the exact same building looked like it was scattered across the landscape - with the areas between filled with parking lots and tiny green spaces if you were lucky.  Here there were no visible parking lots.  A couple of golf-cart like vehicles were in use and the tour-group from earlier was now outside getting ready to ride around on those silly two wheeled segways; but no cars were visible.  

I kept looking around and Brian waited patiently for the next question.  My gaze moved over the new trees and my attention caught on a waterfall pouring into the valley between the buildings and running off in a stream across the roof of the mall.  The source looked like a mansion perched on one of the highest points of the facility; though with the number of people moving around up there it wasn't likely a residence.  I noticed that a wedding was in progress just as my wife exclaimed 'Awww'.  Yup, she had seen it too.  Brian spoke up. The wedding was happening at the local community center.  It was a combination hang-out, convention center and special event hotspot for the residents.  There was the usual: sport courts; meeting center and a big gym though it wasn't the only one in the place; apparently Curves had established several franchises throughout the building at the request of the women residents.  Brian mentioned that there were several good sized meeting halls and auditoriums that during the week were either rented to local businesses or used for college classes and seminars hosted by the community college.  "We'll do a walk through on the way back to my office." He finished.  

Nodding and putting more questions on that to the back burner; I began to walk the perimeter of the tower.  We came around and stopped again where we could see the newest construction.  "Is that where we would buy?" 

"Not necessarily.  You have the option of several different locations depending on the layout you choose as well as the amount of square feet you ultimately decide upon.  The park level is the most expensive per square foot; the closer you get to the newer construction it gets a bit cheaper to help attract people to the new space.  The mini-mansions you see all along the roofline are typically owned by corporations or wealthy individuals; they aren't exactly in your price range. "  We have a couple of smaller spaces still available towards the core of the building but given your initial requirements I'd say you're likely looking at something round about there."  Brian pointed towards an area that looked freshly built - but the plants hadn't yet gone in.  "The plantings on your patio space are yours to choose; from a list we provide of course.  We have to be careful to ensure that the plants can't break through their pots into the lower floors.  Many people like the climbing vines as you will be able to tell once summer really takes hold here.  Almost the entire south wall turns into a riot of green and flowers. "

I focused again on the new construction.  Massive steel framing was being covered by concrete.  I was no engineer - but again the word 'overbuilt' came to mind.  Most buildings and houses are mere frames - using as little material as possible.  I'd seen more than a couple of high-rises being built from my down-town office.  Here it looked like they were using a *lot* more concrete than normal; and every floor had a half-height floor between it.  I assumed the half-floor was for the 'droids' though why they needed an entire floor I wasn't sure.  However; even some of the major load bearing interior walls were being poured thickly with more concrete.  All in all; this place was being built to last a *long* time.  I turned to Brian: "Why are you building this thing so sturdy - is it because of the plants on the roof?"  

"That's part of it, though not the whole story.  The designers of this place have leveraged a basic property of a really old fundamental of construction - Thermal Mass.  The more mass is in the walls; the more regulated the temperature will be.  If you've ever dug into the dirt of your back-yard during the summer; you've probably noticed that the ground is a lot cooler than the air.  The large amount of concrete in the walls and the soil on the roof keep the interior so cool; we actually have to heat it slightly even in the middle of the summer.  The half height floor you see is partially for the utility systems (we don't need to tear up floors to access the utilities); partially for the droids; but mostly for moving air around in the interior to keep the temperature to a human comfortable level.  Adding this much mass to the building costs a bit extra for the initial construction; but over the life of the building it reduces the energy cost to keep it comfortable to near zero."  

"Would you like a closer look?  We can head down to see a couple of the recently sold places going in."

Clean coal

First off: NO SUCH THING

This stuff is *dirty* and probably emits more radiation into the atmosphere than all the nuke plants out there - minus of course Chernobyl 

First: an informative link: 

http://science.howstuffworks.com/clean-coal.htm

Now for the real fun: 

Shopping for a home Part 2

Brian stood and waited patiently while we gathered up the kids.  They were reluctant to leave the sandbox but Brian's assistant saved the day with small snow-cones.  I sipped at my coke while the kids picked their flavors and then, finally, we began to move back into the house.  This time however we followed Brian to a new door off the main entrance way.  He held the door and we all filed down a spiral stair.  Again, even though we were inside, I noted that the light in this stairwell was really quite bright - almost to the level of needing the shades I'd left in the car.  

"Watch your hands" Brian said as he stepped into the stairwell behind us.  "This is an escalator, though it's powered  by us and merely assists our progress. "  I had *no* idea what he was talking about... an escalator?  I was walking down stairs!  Then I noted the walls were moving past faster than we were descending and the speed picked up just a bit.  "As we apply downward force from our walking; we power the escalator's motor.  I love having a bunch of people on here because it goes that much faster... in fact - we're here."  We stepped off and I looked around once more.  After only descending about two floors of stairs - we had descended all the way to the retail level - six flights total.  I glanced back to see the escalator and noted it was almost stopped.  Brian noted my gaze: "When we descend it can use the momentum to recapture electricity and feed it back to the buildings electrical grid.  That of course brings it to a stop pretty quickly"  Hmph - I thought to myself... slick tech, 'green' too but more convenient than the usual eco-friendly stuff.

We emerged from a hallway and looked down a broad promenade.  It was crowded with shops and people but that didn't phase my wife or kids... who seemed to get an even more cheery look as she began to take inventory of all the things on display.  Inwardly I groaned, wondering if my wallet would survive the next few minutes.  

Brian set off at a brisk pace, leading us towards the center of the promenade.  Here too were escalators of the horizontal variety.  I'd used these many times when moving through the larger airports.  My wife chimed in asking if these too harvested human energy.  "Of course!" Brian responded with a smile.  "Though, we have a petition from the home-owners to supplement the power for late night walks - there's usually not enough people about to run the moters and they can slow down or even stop without enough traffic.  I'm pretty sure the HOA board will comply, there's plenty of electrical surplus that we're feeding back to the city, even late at night. Though, once this place is fully populated, we likely won't have to supplement much to keep them running all night. "  

While we had been talking I watched the shops going by with one eye, and the kids with another.  We were dropped off in a crossroads and I took a minute to really look around again.  We had moved from the usual mall shops to a more 'organic' market. Picking up his queue as our tour guide, Brian spoke up "These are stalls and shops that the home-owners have set up.  We have a policy here that the home-owners vote, not just with their dollars but with an online polling system on which shops are allowed to be in the mall.  As administrators, we try to keep the mix of available amenities complete but they have the final say on what actual companies are allowed on the premise.  This facility has the home-owners reserving just a few percent of the available floor space for owner-owned shops; but again we expect that to grow dramatically as we finish the build-out."  My wife stopped at a table of arts & crafts while the kids raced to another one covered in hand-made toys of every description.  Smiling older ladies manned both stalls and began to make their pitches.  The kids were absolutely delighted with small wood sculptures of the vertical farm.  Gathering them up and thanking the proprietors profusely we moved on again.  

"We are likely to walk through areas that may not be safe for kids."  Brian stopped in front of a big window-wall.  Through the wall we saw a large playground of children running and playing on all manner of inflatable structures, big nets and plastic tubes and slides.  "If you're OK with leaving them here I'll be happy to waive all the fees.  Also, that tablet you are carrying will allow you to check on them whenever you wish, and will notify you immediately if you are required to return.  I glance down and a new icon was flashing "Playscapes Unlimited", Curious I touched the icon and it expanded to a live video feed of the window wall and a log-in prompt.  It even showed the back of one of my own - pressing her face to the glass. "It won't let you actually view inside the facility until you have your own children inside".  I noted that kids faces were also blurred out in the video image; but the adults that circulated among them in bright yellow shirts were not.  "Your kids will of course be supervised."  

My wife turned to me for the decision.  The kids would be much better off here than with us looking at condos; and this way I wouldn't have to always split my attention.  Besides - it's hard to turn down free babysitting. "Sure" I nod in agreement.  

Squealing in delight the kids rush to the door.  Corralled by the smiling staff they are each given bracelets and told not to lose them.  "The bracelets identify the munchkins as yours... if you'll sign in on your tablet to take ownership of the RFID's in the bracelets you'll be able to vid them from anywhere in the facility - even and especially if they got out of the playground for any reason."  

I put my John Hancock in the box on the screen and immediately a map with dots for each child and a video stream of the playscape popped up showing my kids waiting impatiently at the gate. I tapped the blinking gate and it opened.  I glance up just in time to see the kids disappear into the maelstrom of children.  I glance back down and note that my boy was already climbing as high as he could get while the girls found tunnels near the bottom.  The video screen split and tracked each - automatically switching to different cameras to keep them in line of site.  I glance at the wife... I could get used to this!!  With a big grin I turn back to Brian... "Where to?"  Brian smiles in return at the effect of the tech has had on me and I catch the staff coughing... Yeah yeah... another noob.  I don't let it affect my mood as we start off.  I hand the tablet to the wife and she spends a few moments assuring herself that the kids are fine.  

As we start off again, Brian mentions to my wife that they offer a couple of different packages for blocks of time at the playscapes.  Playscapes?  Plural?  Yup, there are three on site.  One with a pool area, this inside one and one up in the central park.  They are all part of the on-site school system and are attached to the different classroom clusters.  Enrolled kids have automatic amounts of playground time assigned to each, but you can purchase more if you wish. He indicates with a wave of his hand the brightly colored lobby of what looks like a pretty typical elementary school - letters and numbers all over the walls; toys & books in long rows of shelves and more screens than I have at the office.  Looking carefully I note again that there is very little paper to be seen.  In fact, turning back to the large hallway they were walking down... everyone seemed to be carrying a screen of some size or other; and very few bags or packages.  

My wife had noted this as well.  "Where are all the things everyone is buying?"  Brian's response catches me off guard: "Oh, the droids take care of package transport. "  "Droids!?" I exclaim.  "Haha, sorry, inside joke here.  We have a package transport system that moves goods around. In fact; I can show it to you right here."  Brian steps quickly to a small utility door and opens it - leading towards the back hallway of the mall shops.  "Most people opt to have the droids deliver their packages to their local drop-boxes; or even into their homes if they desire, though that's restricted to our higher end homes that incorporate a drop station inside the house space.  "  Coming around a corner Brian open another door.  This one has an LED panel that automatically identifies Brian and unlocks as he approaches.  Again, missing nothing he sees me eyeing the panel and clarifies: "The locks here are all electronic and RFID enabled.  He holds out his hand and shows me a plain looking gold ring.  My ring has a RFID chip in it and the building keeps track of me with it.  I can unlock any door I have permission to just by walking up to it. Of course, if I ever loose my ring I can simply pick another RFID holding device like the bracelets your kids are wearing, or my phone here, or heck - even my belt buckle and that now becomes my keychain.  It's really convenient. "  

"Here we go..." Looking down I see a conveyer system with boxes and crates of goods moving along at a fairly high rate of speed.  An insulated box flys by with a big sticker on it from the local supermarket.  "Once the boxes get to the end they are taken up levels by a really big version of a dumbwaiter.  Most people purchase things from the onsite shops; but if there is anything they want shipped in from online shops like Amazon - it's dropped off at a shipping room and moved to their house via this system.  One of the biggest issues we had to overcome with having this many people living in such close proximity was the movement of all their stuff. Now, going to the grocery store is merely walking down the isle, either physically or virtually and picking the things you want dropped off.  Then you just unload it once you get home - just like taking it out of the trunk of your car.   You drop the empty boxes and crates back in the hoppers and they are cleaned if necessary and re-used."

Brian gives us a minute to stare and think about the ramifications of never pushing another grocery cart with screaming kids grabbing at everything.  When we turn back to him my wife has a happy smile and I know the look on my face is a bit dazed.  "Ready to continue?" he asks politely.  I nod mutely, still thinking about how efficient this all is - I'd once seen a UPS shipping center with conveyers running everywhere and was amazed at the speed at which we could move goods these days - that was the same thing as here... only it was embedded in a building people lived in.  

We exit the utility hallway again and walk towards an ramp leading outside.  The wind had picked up and pushed against us as we walked up into the sunlight.  I noted an odd noise and looked up.  The walkway was roofed here with a thin lattice work with lots of spinning fans in it. I had thought they were blowing air into the place; but with the wind this strong I realized they were actually harvesting the wind energy.  Small wind turbines.  Brian followed my gaze and nodded to me. "Yes, they are capturing the energy from the breeze and feeding it into the buildings electrical system.  We designed this place on the premise of 'Micro-Generation' from a bunch of different energy sources.  We do have a big power plant here in case we need it; but we usually only run that off the trash & bio-waste the people here generate.  We have a natural gas backup but with gas prices what they are and the issues with carbon emissions, we try and avoid that if possible.  All the power is fed into a co-op pool managed by the HOA.  Any surplus power is sold to the city outside and that money goes into a HOA fund that the owners can decide what to do with.  A lot of that money was recently put into adding even more of the large and efficient wind turbines you can see up there."  Brian pointed up to the roofline where several large wind turbines were spinning and a rotorless tower was being worked on in preperation for another.  "That investment should pay off nicely in the next year or so.  There is talk of purchasing a bit of distressed land near the south rail line and building a water park that would be within walking distance. It's got a lot of homeowner support but the city hasn't yet given the approvals so they opted for just generating more power; and thus more income.  Oh, and some of that extra gets funneled into paying for other things; like the local-goods fund. Every month you get an allowance in the mall shops that you can spend on locally produced things - and especially the vegtables and produce that the Vertical Farm generates."

We had been walking along the pathways dodging bikers and foot powered scooters and in general marveling at the whole place.  We probably looked the part of tourist but most people either pretended not to notice or just smiled at us.  Up ahead there was a group of honest to goodness tourists following a briskly walking and talking tour guide.  Her shirt said 'Austin Eco Tours' in bright pink letters.  Many had cameras out and were taking pictures of the glass tower that dominated the center of the park.  

I started looking for someplace to toss my long empty coke can and noticed that there were trash 'tubes' scattered about in key places.  Walking up to one, I looked for the sign to tell me where to put my can, vs the normal trash but didn't see anything.  Hey, I'm not totally uncaring about the environment and will recycle when convenient.  "It's single source" Brian states; and again I'm at a loss.  Noting my confusion he continues: "All of the waste is gathered by the same system.  You'll also note that there isn't a bag in these waste receptacles.  They drop directly to the droids and they help sort it into the right places.  Everyone here likes being green - but we also really like our conveniences too.  And this way, we don't have the possibility of an overflowing trash can.  Part of the moving of peoples stuff... is the moving of what remains after they are done with said stuff."  I drop my can in and we move on.  

"We can get a good birds eye view of where the final construction is occurring from the top of the VF... vertical farm.  Most of just abbreviate it it VF though.  If you'll follow me we'll get past this tour group before they invade. "  We pick up the pace to make it to the doors of the VF tower and just barely make it into the lobby as they began to follow us in.  Brian stops us in the wide open entrace area and we step to the side to allow the tour group to assemble.  Indicating the pink-lettered tourguide: "Melissa gives a good summary of the place if you want to stay and listen.  They'll head into the theater in a minute to watch a video and we can then take the elevator upstairs."  

Melissa hops up on a small stage in front of a large mural depicting intertwined cycles of food, water and technology.  "The Vertical Farm here provides most of the fresh produce that this GaiaShip needs.  It also filters the water for the facility allowing a totally closed cycle of water. Once water is captured in the GaiaShips cisterns from either rain or the feed from the city, it's used and reused many times.  This drastically reduces the load this facility puts on the city's general population's resources.  In fact; following the GaiaShips example and with the help of the engineers here, the city is looking to adopt other vertical farms in town to help control the rising costs of food and water from the recent drought.  

"The bottle of water some of you carry may have had a fish swimming in it, and then fed to a plant not more than a day ago.  Yes of course it has been purified... but it was done by the plant itself.  The produce itself is always in season here.  Strawberries and blueberries year round; tomatoes that grow to the size of softballs and even cherries fresh from the branch.  We'll stop at the organic grocier a bit later and you will have the opportunity to buy any of this produce.  I highly recommend the 'Chef's Special'. Chef Javi comes up with some really unusual mixes of the fruit and his dipping sauces are to-die-for.  

Melissa hops down and with a cheery "follow me" parades the group through double doors into a darkend theater.  

Brian turns to us:  "Ready to continue?"

Random Bits

Quick aside - the series I've just started about buying a home at the GaiaShip may be a bit long.  And as is probably obvious - I'm going to intersperse those bits with normal blogging bits.  

I want your feedback on the story.  I'll refine it as suggested before posting it to the up-coming gaiaship web site.  

So, today I'm fartin around at work (shhh) and thinking hard about future plans.  I began to wonder about schooling - specifically what schools are right for me... and what major should I settle on.  When I went back to school, I had Architectural Engineering and Aerospace engineering, with a minor in business administration as my declared majors.  As I've done more and more research; I've realized that Civil is really what I want to do.  With a follow up masters degree in business administration & project management.  

  So; in a search for good engineering and business colleges I've settled on my top three:

1. University of California - Berkley.  This one is my stretch goal.  If I can get in here  WOOO WEEE!  With UCB's emphasis on sustainable design; this meshes really really well with my life goal of getting GaiaShips built.  
   
2. MIT - This one too; going to be hard to get into; but what prestige!!
   
3. And amazingly enough - UT of Austin.  Yup; my local mega-college is one of the best engineering and business colleges in the US of A.  I'm already on track to transfer to this place sometime before 2015 (sigh... night classes) 
   

In the interest of keeping around the fruits of my research into berkley; I'm stashing a few links for later: 

http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/prospective-students/admissions/transfer-faq.html#chances

http://coe.berkeley.edu/students/prospective-students/admissions

http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/epm/

http://www.ce.berkeley.edu/

(ripped from the FAQ web site for reference)

Important Reminders

• Completion of at least 80% of the lower division admission requirements for your intended major is extremely important.  You may find the admission requirements and selection criteria by visiting www.assist.org and selecting "University of California, Berkeley" > a community college > and your intended major under the "By Major" menu.

• All applications are administered by the UC Berkeley Office of Undergraduate Admission.  For more information on the application process and eligibility to apply, see the admissions web site. 
  

 

Questions about junior transfer admission?

• Questions concerning application procedures, UC eligibility, general admission policies, unit requirements, deadlines and technical difficulties should be directed to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.  If you have questions specifically regarding engineering lower division admission requirements, feel free to contact us.

And the student run Progressive Living Wiki

http://progressiveliving.pbwiki.com/

Shopping for a home - Part 1

The drive was uneventful, the family was a bit tired from seeing four houses already, all nice places, but not what I was looking for; they were all so far away from the office downtown.  One was a great suburban house in a trendy neighborhood, the blue siding would *have* to go but the wife loved the kitchen.  She kept going on and on about all the windows the house had and she really loved the little park on the corner lot.  

The real-estate agent kept going on and on about this and that, but I had tuned out long ago.  She kept repeating sales pitches and going on about how the last house was a great buy due to the developers adding things like granite counter tops or tile floors.  Bah - cosmetics.  We needed a safe place for the kids to play, good schools and enough bedrooms to sleep the bunch of us.  I really wanted an office at the house but every house had their office areas right off the living spaces, or in a corner of the master bedroom.  That wouldn't do at all.  When the kids were playing games, the noise was simply too distracting and would make me want to put down the work and go play.  Or in the case where the office was in the bedroom - I never liked that either.  The bedroom is for resting and getting away from it all, that and my wife would never let me get away with working late into the night if she had the glare of the screens and my incessant typing to deal with.  

"And this next place..." the agent segued.  I tuned in.  "... is something completely different.  Now we're going to meet up with another agent here who can tell you more about it than I can.  Given our conversations today I think it will really meet your needs"  I tune out as I realize she's not going to tell me anything substantial and begin thinking about my latest project at work.  

The car pulling into a tunnel and entering a large subterranean parking garage tunes me back to the present.  I blink as the light dims a little, but there is bright light bathing the vast parking area from overhead lights so I quickly adjust.  I glance at the wife and she has a secret smile.  OK, she knows something about this and they are surprising me.  I can play along.  I was pretty sure we were house shopping, not going to the mall.  

We step out and pop out the little stroller.  With the kids situated we start towards a bank of elevators.  Lots of people are coming and going and we join the small crowd at the doors.  Ding, we climb in.  The back wall of the elevator is transparent and the kids crowd the glass; waiting eagerly to see whatever appears.  We climb what feels like several stories and emerge above ground again and look out across a large greensward dotted with small trees in really big pots - the classic 'new tree' look, though the pots look odd - really wide and low, why not just plant them in the ground?  Gazing further afield I see a glass tower rising from the center of what looks like a huge amphitheater of balconies.  The glass has a bit of a tint to it, probably to shield the people inside from the reflections off the balconies' solar panel roofs.  Most people get off at the ground level and I see many of them hop onto scooters and go racing off across the field's pathways.  One of them disappears down a ramp and I follow him with my gaze as we start rising again.  I see down into what appears to be a retail strip mall... buried underground!?  Well, that explains the pots for the trees - they are actually on the roof of the retail mall.  Re-aligning myself I note that beyond the balconies I can see for quite a ways.  The whole complex from underground garage to the tops of the buildings varies from 4-8 stories.  The wide grass and tree covered roof looked more like a natural park than I can believe - good landscapers!

I look again at the central tower, something about it doesn't exactly say 'office space'.  Perhaps it's the trees branches coming out the sides, or the vines growing up the walls.  "OH!" I smack my head as I realise what it is and where we are.  This is the new eco-development in town. I remembered something in the news about it opening and how it was hailed as an answer to all of our problems or something.  I had dismissed it then as more eco-frippery, everybody is freakin 'green' lately, though I was having second thoughts now as I gazed out across what looked like a large central park.  The tower must be that highrise farm that New York has been going on about but never seems to get off the ground.  Feeds thousands they say.  

The elevator stops again and another young couple get off.  I had ignored all the other people earlier but now I looked closer... wondering if they were eco-nuts.  They didn't look any different from anyone else I had seen in the neighborhoods earlier, though they seemed happier and actually met my gaze and smiled.  "Have a good day!" the young woman says as she leaves, walking out into a hallway lit again by the same bright lights as down in the garage.  "Thanks!" is all I can manage in surprise before the doors close again.  No-one had spoken to my entourage all day.  In fact comparing these folks with the people he'd seen in the neighborhoods - here they seemed happier and friendlier.  I had dismissed one of the houses completely just because one of the neighbors had frowned when we drove up.  

I glance at my wife to reassure her that I wasn't scoping out some other woman but her gaze is firmly planted out the glass wall, though that little smile was back and I knew she noticed everything.  Sighing I looked over at the Agent, she too had a smile and was looking out the back wall, though hers was more fixed and her eyes were glassy.  It was obvious that there was something about this place that confused her.  She was also uncharacteristically quiet.  I gave a silent prayer of thanks for that because I didn't really like her all that much; but she was a friend of a friend and was helping us look for a new home.  

The doors dinged again, and like a robot springing to life, the 'Agent' was back in true chipper form and led us from the elevator.  We were actually almost as high as it was possible to get and my gaze expanded once again.  We were walking down a glass enclosed walkway.  I looked out at the rooftop of the building we had just risen through to yet more grass and trees.  In fact - every roof here was either planted somehow or shaded by discrete solar panels.  And the panels weren't the ugly black-blue ones that the downtown buildings had grafted on.  These blended with the architecture and weren't blatant about their function.  I decided the effect was actually quite nice.  

Checking back on the kids I called to them to settle down.  The eldest boy had run well ahead and had to be called back as we turned off into what looked like a fancy model home.  I was very familiar with these.  We'd spent quite a bit of time walking through these in the last month or so.  I hated most of them for their impersonality and garish touches.  I braced myself for yet another one... this one with lots of "ECO-FRIENDLY" to boot.  

We entered the grand entrance way and it was all I had feared and I quickly glanced around for the brochure so I could pretend to read something.  The brochures usually summarized the talking points of the sales people.  I liked analyzing them so I could ask the sales rep tough questions.  It was kind of a game to test them on how well they knew the pitch.  No luck - no brochure... in fact, no empty document holders either.  Ah yeah... gotta save the planet and all - can't use paper.  Bla.  

Then I tuned in to the screens that were *everywhere*.  OK, high dollar flashy is the name of this game.  I was about to approach one when a young man steps forward to greet us.  I shake hands and again brace myself for the pitch.  After the introductions are made, this guy doesn't pitch anything... in fact he escorts us out to the 'back yard' where the kids find a playscape and we take seats on the veranda.  A small water feature burbles nearby and he takes our drink orders!?!  The breeze is blowing and the kids are playing hard.  I begin to relax and really look around.  No pitch?  Even the agent has stepped away and I look at my wife with a question on my face.  "She's gone to get someone... Brian I think she said the name was."  

Brian appears with a tablet and drink in hand as our own drinks are set down.  "Ah excellent" He notes our drinks and asks if we wouldn't prefer a glass of wine or a beer instead.  We pass indicating that we have to drive later and he chuckles quietly.  "I sometimes forget about the need for that. "  That sounds odd to me... but I guess he must have a place here.  

"So, you're looking for a home right?"  He begins and I tense up once more.  "Yes" my wife responds.  She takes the lead and begins to outline what kinds of things we're looking for, I'm happy to let her but this time I pay closer attention, that earlier smile got me wondering. Good school, church, place for the kids to play, amenities nearby, neighborhood pools and parks, big kitchen, lots of light, environmentally friendly if possible, low utility bills, my office space and a play room for the kids.  She even goes into how much we're hoping to spend.  It's a bit high for my comfort, I add in the average utilities as part of the cost of a house and this would push our budget.  But, hey - we can negotiate later when they fail to meet all of our needs right!?

Brian taps a bit at his tablet as she talks, taking notes I think.  When she is done he lays out the tablet and we see floor plans laid out.  "Your budget allows for a wide range of options here. Note that what I'm going to show you is only the beginning. All of these floor plans can be customized extensively to your needs.  What I have here..."  He starts quickly flipping through a few, showing a wide range of configurations and then jumps back to the beginning and hands me the tablet.  My wife leans over as I begin moving from one to the next - always finding something I didn't like, a room to small or placed in a funny place.  I note that the list doesn't stop and looking down am shocked to see hundreds of options.  All of the other custom builders had shown me only four or five houses, of which I could only really change countertops and paint colors.  "All of these meet our requirements?" I ask.  Brian nods.  

"Most of these plans are purely conceptual that people online have put together.  We have a few popular plans; those are the ones at the beginning.  But I've already filtered the list according to your basic requirements.  Note also that you can make your own configuration or change one of these very easily."

"How is this possible!?"  I ask incredulously.  I look out again at the balconies and note that while there is some variation, there is little hint of the possible diversity found in the condos behind their window walls.  

"We sell blocks of square feet - you get to choose what you do with those square feet"  This might make more sense if we go for a walk.  Would you like a tour? "  

Better Living through Discussion

So I've been following Michelle Kaufmann's blog for a few months now - her approach to sustainable architecture makes me want to work for or with her *sooo* badly; but the thousand+ miles between Texas and Cali makes it a bit hard.  

There's a recent post about an ecosalon - a discussion group of like-minded folks talking about sustainable things... in this case sustainable communities.  She does a good job of summerizing the discussion and calls out a good question: how do you explain the benifits of a human and earth sustainable living arrangement?  

I think the better question is how do we declaim how much value sustainable living can have for the mass of people who just want a quiet cul-de-sac (avoiding traffic - minimized car requirement), little yard for kids to play in (community, rooftop and micro parks), friendly neighbors who can be shut out completely (sound-proof shared walls), shopping, community & civic centers nearby (pedestrian friendly streets).  

In short - how do we bring the masses a message that the suburban ideal... isn't all that ideal? And, how can we create sustainably DENSE living arrangement for thousands that  can not degenerate into a slum?  Yes I said slum - people have *long* held the impression that dense living was for the very poor.  Wealth is expressed by land-ownership... the more the better.  It is this fundamental mind-set from our frontier and settler past that we fight against today when convincing people that the New Urban designs are better than the 'house in the country'.  

I need $40 million

Anyone want to front me $40 Million US?  

Val Kilmer is selling his ranch in new mexico.  He had apparently been talking with Michelle Kaufmann, a leading eco-architect in California about building an eco-community.  With the sale of the land; that's not likely to happen now... unless I can get my hands on it.  

Can you imagine a Gaia-Ship built in these surroundings!? 

It's not close to a city... sigh... but with a decent train line into Pecos - scratch that Santa Fe-  it could still work well.   

EPA's Bold Move

If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way.

  - Bertrand Russell

Not sure if I can even link to this... but hey it was funny enough that it should spread

The EPA has classified Carbon Dioxide as a human health hazard...

EPA’s proposed endangerment finding is based on rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific analysis of six gases – carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulfur hexafluoride – that have been the subject of intensive analysis by scientists around the world. The science clearly shows that concentrations of these gases are at unprecedented levels as a result of human [motor vehicle] emissions, and these high levels are very likely the cause of the increase in average temperatures and other changes in our climate. 

The scientific analysis also confirms that climate change impacts human health in several ways. Findings from a recent EPA study titled “Assessment of the Impacts of Global Change on Regional U.S. Air Quality: A Synthesis of Climate Change Impacts on Ground-Level Ozone,” for example, suggest that climate change may lead to higher concentrations of ground-level ozone, a harmful pollutant. Additional impacts of climate change include, but are not limited to: 

• increased drought;
• more heavy downpours and flooding;
• more frequent and intense heat waves and wildfires;
• greater sea level rise;
• more intense storms; and
• harm to water resources, agriculture, wildlife and ecosystems.

In proposing the finding, Administrator Jackson also took into account the disproportionate impact climate change has on the health of certain segments of the population, such as the poor, the very young, the elderly, those already in poor health, the disabled, those living alone and/or indigenous populations dependent on one or a few resources. 

So, global warming & climate change from these fairly common pollutants has *finally* been called a health hazard by the Environmental Protection Agency.  One gets the impression that the EPA is trying to leapfrog to relevancy after 8 years of being crushed under the elephant's cowboy boots.  As an environmentalist and green enthusiast - let me give a great big YEEE HAW.  

For a more detailed look at the proposal: http://epa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html

This is in a public comment period - I highly recommend you follow the below steps to let them know you support this.  Note the details... this focuses on these gasses being emitted from motor vehicles... not uncle Joe or his cattle.  

Electric cars FTW

Submitting Comments on Proposed Finding

The public comment period is open for 60 days following publication in the Federal Register. (Please note that official comments on the proposed finding cannot be submitted until the Federal Register publication).

Written Comments

Written comments on the proposed finding (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0171) may be submitted by using the following instructions:

• Instructions for Submitting Written Comments (PDF) (3 pp, 39KB, About PDF)

When providing comments, please submit them with reference to Docket ID No.  EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0171.

Light Piping

I've been discussing the requirement to move exterior light into buildings for a year plus now... and this video does a good job of summerizing the state-of-the-art in light pipes.  

Epic Treks & Millenia Apart

So it's been more than a little while since I've presented my thoughts.   Some might thank me for that... but those that would can just close the browser. :)

In the intervening period I've delved the MIT Clean energy prize; finding that while I have yet another good idea... it too costs too much for me to start by just opening my wallet.  I've read that you must find a 'soul-mate' in order to really get a startup off the ground.  I've looked for that person; but never find anyone with my passion and a bit of funding to spare.  (yes that's a solicitation for offers of help)

I've got an LLC just sitting here - waiting for the right push.  

On the plate today: 

The GaiaShip - which for the purposes of the MIT competition morphed into a Pre-Fab manufacturing system with on-sight factories cranking out green buildings.  Neat idea, they said - needs a lot of startup capital.  Like 4 Million... yeah le-sigh.  I am wondering if a network of commercial partners could pull it off - but to do that I'd probably have to be able to build a prototype facility... and we're back to large amounts of funding.  Check out our MIT submission 'startup' registration web site.  I've decided that I need to re-do this blog's content into a real web site (read: "I'm a real boy!" said in high pitched Disney style).  The YouNoodle thing is interesting - a community aggregator for startups - it's not what I think of when I think 'Company's web site'.  The GaiaShip web site isn't up yet... I hope you'll visit once I open the genie's bottle.  

Matamayore - A green restaurant run by my someday maybe brother in Law, the great and illustrious Chef Javi Mata and his ever loyal; yet somewhat flighty front of house manager, Kevan Drake (Yay Sis!!).  This one has the most in depth business plan; hell we even have the menu planned; the building designed, even the freaking decorations picked out - but $30K doesn't grow on trees and banks won't lend to start up yet another no-name resteraunt without lots of cash on hand.   

My Dad's nascent solar installation & home weatherization idea.  This one might get off the ground out of sheer necessity.  Poor bugger is living under the threat of layoffs... in this age of fallout from idiots-in-charge who isn't?  I'm hoping to help him out and steer him towards full blown weatherization contracting - not just another panel installer.  That way I could help out as a consultant... I might know a thing or two about this shizzle (aka - read the rest of this blog ;)

What not really in the list - yet still knocks around in my brain every few days?  

A vertical farm - yup a stand-alone vertical farm with a 'farmers market' & restaurant (see above) on the ground floor where I'd sell out-of-season and popular produce year round.  By leveraging the niftiness that is hydroponic and aeroponic growing techniques this would be pretty labor intense; but really quite profitable if the pundits and cheerleaders are right.  Also needs a BUNCH of money to get off the ground & lots of exceptions from the local zoning gov types.  

A party facility equipped to handle the usual - birthdays; weddings; bachelor/ette parties; the big game; epic LAN gaming; Orgies (yah... those aren't really advertized ;) raves and the annual costume ball & black tie gala.  This is a spin-off of the mildly successful private LAN party business I ran a few years back - we always wanted to do it up and do it right; but never really had the money. This one also needs a mil or two.  

Finally; pure and simple Land & Infill development.  Buying of property - fixing it up (see solar panels & eco-friendly modular inputs) and either renting or reselling it.  This one takes only a hundred K to get started... and most of that can be a Mortgage loan.  

Funny thing about all these ideas... if I get to build the GaiaShip and can maintain control over some significant percentage of it's design & a small amount of the square footage...

I can do all of them at once!!!

So... that's my focus.  Set up the facility and siphon off my own little corners of the place to build my 'toy' businesses.  :)