It’s a good sign when cars once considered among the “greenest” around find it harder to hold on to that distinction.

The growing range of choices in hybrid and electric cars has put ever-growing pressure on automakers looking to earn fuel-efficient accolades such as the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy’s (ACEEE) annual Greener Cars list.

“Earning a spot on the ‘Greenest’ list is proving to be a real challenge for automakers given the variety of vehicle technologies on the market and the proliferation of highly efficient conventional vehicles,” said Shruti Vaidyanathan, the ACEEE’s lead vehicle analyst. “Just using the latest technology does not guarantee a top spot.”

This year, according to the ACEEE, if you’re a US motorist looking to boost your “green cred” with a new car purchase, the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV is …

Just days on the job, Britain’s new Energy and Climate Change Secretary Edward Davey sent the message that he is serious about the government’s “Green Deal” by creating a new division in his department: the Energy Efficiency Deployment Office, or EEDO.

“I’m hugely enthusiastic about energy efficiency,” said Edward Davey in his first speech since replacing Chris Huhne, who resigned in the wake of questions regarding speeding charges against him. “It’s the cheapest way of cutting carbon — and cutting bills for consumers. It has to be right at the heart of what we do.”

The concept of energy efficiency is a fairly simple one. Basically, the more closely energy into something (a car, a data center, an air conditioner, an Xbox, etc.) matches that something’s useful energy output (“useful” meaning …

Transform boring, old technology into something with next-generation smarts and huge market potential, and what do you get?

Exciting new business opportunities? Check. A stepping-stone to even more innovation? Check. An open-door invitation to a lawsuit?

Check.

As the smart-grid industry matures and evolves, it should come as no surprise that there will be mergers and acquisitions, winners and losers … along with increasingly fierce competition along the way. And with the competitive territory comes an increased likelihood of litigation.

Now that advanced energy meters and smart thermostats have entered the mainstream, the competition is heating up. This week, Honeywell dialed up the temperature a bit more by filing a lawsuit against Nest Labs, which last year unveiled its Nest Learning Thermostat.

Honeywell alleges that Nest is infringing on seven of its own thermostat …

What’s the best way to understand developments in the energy world? A Daily Ticker story on Yahoo! Finance provides a glaring example of how not to do so.

Serious energy analysts usually find lots to complain about in the mainstream media’s coverage of energy issues, and those complaints — a tendency toward stenography, innumeracy, lack of context and “magical thinking” — are often justified. But the Daily Ticker article titled “US to Be Free from Foreign Oil by 2030: BP” dials those complaints up to 11.

How? Let’s have a look, shall we?

Start with the headline: “US to Be Free from Foreign Oil by 2030: BP” – This is supposedly the big news flash coming out of BP’s latest “Energy Outlook 2030,” which was released last month. Only that’s not what …

Compared to natural gas, the US is using proportionately less coal than it once did for generating electricity. “Proportional,” though, doesn’t necessarily means less overall. In fact, despite some up-and-down fluctuations, coal consumption in the US has been hovering at around 1 billion short tons per year since 1996, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

The US remains the world’s second-largest consumer of coal. And, globally, coal use has been on the rise, growing by more than 70 percent between 2000 and 2010, with China dominating the market. Not only is China the top consumer of coal … it’s also the leading producer by far.

“China’s share in global coal production is almost four times that of Saudi Arabia’s production of oil,” the International Energy Agency (IEA) notes in …

One challenge in connecting more renewables to the grid is how to balance fairly predictable demand with the more unpredictable nature of on-and-off sources like wind and solar.

Beyond that challenge, though, is another one that doesn’t always get as much public attention: how to incorporate the impact of renewables into energy trading markets.

Making our power grids “smarter” and cleaner can affect energy trading markets in a number of ways. For one, by creating so-called “supergrids” that connect many smaller and more local grids, energy buyers and sellers will have a wider, more competitive market open to them … with all sorts of new implications for prices.

For example, the Tres Amigas SuperStation project being developed in the southwestern US will link three regional grids that until now have operated as virtual energy islands, …

Governments, energy companies and tech firms all talk about the “smart grid” a lot, but what exactly is the smart grid?

Google that question, and you’ll quickly find more than 1 million results, including definitions from the US Department of Energy, its spin-off website SmartGrid.gov and Wikipedia. All, though, are describing essentially the same thing: an energy infrastructure with built-in, automated and real-time or near-real-time sensing, monitoring, measurement, communications and control capabilities.

What the smart grid does, on the utility side, is make it possible to manage energy demands and issues not only at the consumer level but at every key point along the transmission and distribution network.  Another benefit is demand response, in which energy users reduce or switch off non-essential energy-using devices during times of peak demand …

Call it penny-wise, pound-foolish (or Euro-foolish) … although “cutting off your nose to spite your face” might be more apt. Budget-cutting governments are putting the brakes on spending for a variety of clean-energy and sustainability measures, raising the likelihood that our bills for energy and dealing with the impacts of climate change will be even higher in the future.

Consider these recent developments:

Spain this past week announced a “temporary” freeze on any new incentives payments for installing renewable technologies. The AEE, Spain’s wind-energy association, warned the move “involves a significant risk to the wind industry and the more than 30,000 people it employs.” The organization also noted that the country’s wind industry had zero impact on worsening the national deficit, and actually benefits the government’s bottom line by preventing the need for …

The sustainable-living mantra of “reduce, reuse, recycle” is usually applied to low-tech or consumer goods: things like glass jars, old magazines and obsolete cellphones. But we could become a whole lot more sustainable if we followed those concepts for much larger items as well … say, for example, buildings.

While advanced technologies and green building standards like LEED certification have helped to make many new construction projects über-efficient and energy-smart, it turns out that the greenest building of all really is — as architect Carl Elefante has said — “one that is already built.”

A new, first-of-its-kind, detailed analysis shows why, in most cases, renovating an old building in the right way is usually far more environmentally responsible than new construction, even new construction built to the highest, greenest standards.

“(I)t takes 10 to 80 years …

The year 2012 might not see the fulfillment of any ancient Mayan “prophecy” of the end of the world, but it does appear to be signaling a different “end time” … one marking the end of business-as-usual trade with China.

In his State of the Union address late last month, President Barack Obama spent a lot of time outlining plans for a more energy-independent, “all-energy-sources-go” US. And while he didn’t specifically mention the Commerce Department’s ongoing investigation into solar-cell “dumping” by China, he did announce the launch of a new Trade Enforcement Unit and added, “There will be more inspections …”

Now, as OilPrice.com notes, “it’s wind power’s turn.”

Asking whether a US-China “energy trade war” is imminent, OilPrice.com’s John Daly writes that …

You can’t turn an energy-technology dream into reality by voting for it, can you?

Or maybe you can.

For the first time, the US Department of Energy (DOE) is using a social media strategy similar to Facebook’s “like” button to let website visitors choose which startup companies they think have the best chance of becoming “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator.” Between now and the morning of Monday, Feb. 6, people who visit the DOE’s Energy Innovator page can pick one or more companies they’d like to see go to the agency’s annual ARPA-E Innovation Summit, which brings together entrepreneurs, researchers, government officials and investors to share ideas and promote development of new energy technologies.

This year’s ARPA-E Summit is set to be held in Washington, DC, from Feb. 27 – …

It’s been said that water is the next oil … as in, it’s the next resource we’ll find increasingly harder and more costly to use. That presents a growing challenge not only for individual users, but for the water companies that supply them.

Water utilities, like electricity companies, are trying to meet the challenge by adopting “smart” technology that measures, monitors and manages every last drop flowing through their systems. That’s not always easy, considering the water infrastructure in many parts of Europe, the US and elsewhere are aging and prone to failure … even moreso than power grids.

Adding a layer of “smart” onto even outdated water systems, though, can help bring service into the 21st century. In India, for example, a residential water meter upgrade in Delhi is aimed at — …

In his most recent State of the Union address, President Barack Obama laid out an all-energy-sources-go strategy for boosting the country’s energy security. That strategy, he added, was bolstered by the fact that, “We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years.”

Earlier that same day, though, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a sneak-peek at its 2012 Annual Energy Outlook, which included a dramatic cut in the agency’s estimate of “technically recoverable” shale gas resources from 827 trillion cubic feet to 482 trillion cubic feet. The agency attributed the revision to a rapid improvement of information based on extensive drilling in areas such as the Marcellus shale formation. Despite that correction, the EIA predicts US natural gas production will rise …

If you don’t care about the environment or climate change, start kicking the oil habit for the sake of the economy.

That’s the message from two scientists who warn that declining oil supplies and increasing price volatility are posing a growing threat to the global economy, and a more immediate threat than global warming.

“Historically, there has been a tight link between oil production and global economic growth,” researchers James W. Murray and David King write in a commentary in the journal Nature. “If oil production can’t grow, the implication is that the economy can’t grow either.”

And recent world oil production, they point out, is a serious reason for concern. Before 2005, if oil prices started going up, so too did production. In the past seven years, though, prices have risen by an …

The renewable energy industry might be suffering growing pains, but the key word there is “growing,” not “pain.”

For all the challenges the clean-power sector has faced in the past year — fast-dropping prices for solar panels, stiff competition from Chinese manufacturers and a number of high-profile bankruptcies — renewables have not only proven themselves in the market, but in some cases (as with solar) are coming close to price parity with traditional fossil fuels. That’s good for the environment and consumers  … if not always for the companies that make and install clean-energy technologies.

The market has now clearly moved into the maturing stage, with lots of action in mergers and acquisitions last year: a record $53.5 billion in deals in 2011, according to PwC. That’s 40 percent more than in 2010 ($38.2 billion). …

Energy and water are linked in many ways, though we don’t always give much thought to the connections. A lot of water, for example, is used in producing electricity … whether it’s to provide cooling at nuclear power plants or to create steam to drive generators at a solar-thermal plant.

While most of us can’t control those kinds of water-energy systems, we can improve the efficiency of the water and energy systems in our homes. Heating water for showers and baths, for instances, takes energy, and the water heaters we use are often out-of-date and wasteful.

It’s with that kind of water-energy connection in mind that two utilities in the UK are teaming up in a unique partnership.

Thames Water and British Gas, the country’s largest water company and largest energy company, respectively, are kicking off …

Energy is the “lifeblood” of the global economy, as a report issued at the just-wrapped-up World Economic Forum (WEF) noted. But in most parts of the globe, the energy sector itself makes a surprisingly small contribution to national GDP.

In Germany, for example, energy-related industries accounted for an average of just 2.5 percent of GDP in the years between 1994 and 2003, according to the WEF report, “Energy for Economic Growth: Energy Vision Update 2012.” That’s less than half the 6.5 percent contributed by the health and social work sector during that same time period, and only one-ninth the share — 22.3 percent — generated by manufacturing.

Of course, the picture’s different in oil- and gas-rich countries. Norway, for instance, which produces an abundance of fossil fuels from the North Sea, draws nearly …

While we’ve focused plenty of attention and energy on the need for a low-carbon economy over the last several years, one big part of the picture often gets overlooked: the world’s oceans.

That’s a major oversight, considering all the sustainability challenges related to the marine environment:

There is, of course, ever more dissolved carbon dioxide and the increasing acidity of ocean water — both effects of rising atmospheric carbon levels and both a threat to numerous species of marine life.
Then there’s the “Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch,” a wide swath of trash that swirls slowly in the North Pacific Ocean Gyre. (There’s one in the Atlantic as well.)
Now, scientists have identified yet another source of ocean pollution: “microplastics” believed to be released …

The energy revolution might not necessarily be televised, but it will increasingly be monitored, measured and automated to push “intelligent efficiency” up to once-unimaginable levels.

For an idea of what that revolution could look like, consider a cluster of around 30 commercial and industrial buildings in an area west of London. Part of a £30-million project called the New Thames Valley Vision (NTVV), the investment here pales in comparison to billions pouring in to build London-area venues for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Over the long term, though, the impact of this project could far outweigh that of a new stadium or athletes’ housing complex.

“NTVV has the potential to revolutionize our existing networks, and help us to manage resources and equipment more effectively as the UK heads toward a low-carbon economy,” said Stewart Reid, NTVV …

Imagine dozens, maybe even hundreds, of towering turbines, spinning in concert to generate a steady, non-polluting supply of electricity for a city somewhere. The array looks almost like any other wind farm … only residents of the city can’t see it.

That’s because those turbines are below the surface of the city river, producing power from the continual flow of water downstream.

It’s called hydrokinetic power, and there’s a growing effort around the world to tap into it. After all, with nearly three-fourths of the Earth’s surface covered by water, much of which is in constant motion, it makes sense to try and put all that liquid energy to good use.

Easier said than done, though. For all the world’s hydrokinetic riches, a lot of obstacles stand in the way of harnessing that power. It’s …

The US will produce 20 percent more crude oil a decade from now, become a net exporter of liquefied natural gas by 2016 and will see energy-related carbon dioxide emissions stay below 2005 levels all the way through 2035 … if current laws and regulations remain unchanged.

That’s a big if, of course. But that’s what the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) sees in the country’s energy future under status quo circumstances.

Released this week, the EIA’s “Early Release Reference” case provides a sneak preview of the agency’s Annual Energy Outlook (AEO), which is scheduled to come out this spring. The predictions based on a business-as-usual environment paint a fairly encouraging broad-brush picture, from an energy security standpoint.

As usual, though, the devil is in the details. Study the image a bit more closely, …

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address this week highlighted a lot of issues related to energy and sustainability, sandwiched between opening and closing nods to the military.

Which, when you consider the oil-rich hotspots where US armed forces have been engaged lately and how much fuel the military itself consumes, is also an issue related to energy and sustainability.

Coming from a leader who has emphasized the need for clean energy and advanced technology development throughout the first three years of his term, most of Obama’s speech wasn’t surprising in content. The tone in many parts, though, was more forceful than usual — almost in-your-face forceful — clearly a message intended for political opponents from the right wing.

So what do Obama’s words signal for the year ahead and, depending on the outcome of November’s presidential election, …

In a warming, rapidly urbanizing and penny-pinching world, what’s the best way to help move millions of people around cities without the carbon pollution of cars or the budget-busting expense of light rail?

Many urban areas have found the answer in bus rapid transit, or BRT. Using standard-issue but efficient buses on standard-issue but dedicated traffic lanes, BRT systems can be relatively quick, easy and affordable to implement, and can help cure numerous commuting headaches in big cities. And they’ve proven to be popular from Göteborg to Johannesburg, and many other places in between.

Officials in cities that haven’t yet jumped aboard the BRT bandwagon will soon have some extra encouragement, thanks to a “one-stop shop” for BRT information from around the world. Being created with support from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the …

Will computers one day replace that TV drama favorite, the police detective? Analytics programs might not offer Columbo’s quirky brand of human insight or “Minority Report”-like prescience, but they’re advancing rapidly in their own abilities to put more than two and two together.

In other words, it’s no accident that IBM’s Jeopardy!-winning computer system is named “Watson.”

A growing number of police and public safety departments around the world are already finding that silicon-based detective work is providing invaluable help to traditional, carbon-based detectives. Consider these examples:

Smarter technology is helping to bring together public-safety agencies that have traditionally had separate responsibilities: police and fire, for example. In Hamburg, Siemens helped put in place a command-and-control center that lets information systems for police, fire and ambulance service work together seamlessly. …

There’s been plenty of squawking about the Obama Administration’s spending on solar-energy development (ie, the overwrought hoopla surrounding the Solyndra “scandal”). But any missteps the US government has taken pale in comparison to what’s been going on across the pond.

Coming into office with the promise to build the “greenest government ever,” Prime Minister David Cameron’s coalition has instead drawn an increasing amount of fire from environmentalists, clean-energy advocates and others calling for a more sustainable Britain. In the case of the government’s proposal late last year to abruptly cut incentives for solar-panel installations in half, even the country’s High Court of Appeals is crying “foul.”

A three-judge panel found today that the government’s claim that it could reduce those incentives at will ahead of the predetermined expiration date “offends …

It’s not a modern, technology-focused retelling of “Goldilocks,” but Mitsubishi’s “Pittari Home” aims to portray a future that’s “just right” from an energy and sustainability perspective.

Set to go on display when Mitsubishi Heavy Industries reopens two newly revamped exhibits at its Minatomirai Industrial Museum in Yokohama next month, the Pittari (Japanese for “just right” or “perfect”) Home was designed to portray “the basic unit for living in the community of tomorrow.” Among the technologies on display will be smart energy meters, next-generation energy-saving appliances, electric vehicles and large-scale batteries.

Another updated exhibit, the Transportation Zone, will feature a bird’s-eye view of the fictional Pittari City, “a typical smart community.” In the display, the city’s virtual mayor will discuss how the city works, using systems that, for example, enable a stable …

Smarter energy grids with more renewable power, automated controls and electric cars will bring changes to the buildings we live and work in too. And the sooner our buildings can adapt to tomorrow’s energy environment, the smarter and more energy-efficient they — and we — can be.

That’s the premise behind a new suite of tools and products unveiled today by the smart-grid firm Echelon. Designed for building owners and professionals working with energy technologies, the new offerings are designed to help make buildings more “grid-aware” and ready to respond to a changing energy environment.

Built on Echelon’s existing energy-management platform, the new suite includes a guide for defining and building “grid-aware” buildings, an application that integrates current building automation standards, a royalty-free network operating system for energy management and grid awareness, a software and …

Rising levels of dissolved carbon dioxide in the world’s oceans could drive fish “crazy,” seriously threatening their survival, according to Australia’s ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies.

Earth’s oceans are currently the largest natural “sink” for carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere, and the amount of CO2 they absorb is rising along with atmospheric levels of the greenhouse gas. The more carbon dioxide seawater absorbs, the more acidic it also becomes.

That increased acidity poses a threat to shellfish, because more acidic water can dissolve the calcium carbonate that makes up their shells. But now it looks as if dissolved carbon dioxide itself is also bad for sealife, by affecting their brains and central nervous systems.

In fact, the carbon dioxide levels predicted for the oceans …

North Sea oil production passed its peak more than a decade ago, but the UK is still looking offshore for future energy supplies … from the ocean waters themselves.

With the potential to generate up to 27 gigawatts of ocean energy by 2050 — that’s as much as is produced by eight coal-fired power plants — the southwestern coastal regions of Britain have been officially dubbed the nation’s first “Marine Energy Park.”

The designation is aimed at bringing together national and local government agencies, local enterprise partnerships, local industries and the Universities of Plymouth and Exeter for a common goal: speeding up the development of marine power in the UK. Among those taking part is Cornwall’s Wave Hub, a grid-connected, offshore research facility for testing wave-energy technologies.

The South West …

The smart grid is often referred to as the “internet of things,” but does the comparison really hold up?

In one way, the analogy works pretty well: the “regular” internet links computers (and now smartphones, etc.) around the world with one another to create one giant, interconnected, information-based thing. In a similar way, the smart grid would network homes, businesses, power plants, transmission and distribution systems, electric cars, etc., to create one giant, interconnected, energy-based (and information-based) thing.

When you think about how each of these internets is used, though, the resemblance isn’t so clear. We rely on the server-based web for news, business, social interaction and entertainment. But the internet of things would be all about monitoring, measuring and managing energy — hardly fun-and-games-type material.

Or is it? Some smart-grid observers believe fun and games (along with …