Knowledge Based Feature: Energy Analysis

Green is the new black.  When it comes to the latest trends in energy, wind, solar, water, geothermal and biofuels are the leading renewable energy sources.  Rising oil prices, energy security and global warming are all contributing to the hype of ‘going green’.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, renewable energy accounted for eight percent of the total U.S. energy consumption in 2009.  In a press release on September 17, HOMER Energy, a local Boulder business, announced its intent to partner with the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Institute at the University of Colorado to explore new energy scenarios over the next year. Boulder’s strong political will to integrate clean energy resources, the latest in smart grid capabilities and the existing electric grid makes it an ideal case study to explore new energy scenarios.

“Multiple factors are causing policy makers to focus on alternatives to traditional centralized electricity systems,” said Dr. Paul Komor, a Lecturer in the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Colorado Boulder.  “Those factors include the falling costs of renewable technologies such as wind and solar, rapid advances in electricity storage and plug-in vehicles, and the integration of information technology with the power system.”