Podcasts about pike research

Nationwide, a growing contingent of building owners is embracing green design principles by opting to construct BIPV curtain walls or roofs. BCC Research reports that the BIPV glass sector “had a capacity of .2 megawatts in 2010 but is expected to increase at a 670% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach a capacity of 5,439 megawatts in 2015”, while Pike Research reported that the global BIPV market would "see strong growth in the coming years, with annual wholesale revenues rising from $744 million in 2010 to nearly $4 billion in 2016, under a base case scenario.” This trend is driven in part by increased efficiency and by the development of aesthetically pleasing solar shingles. New York City is one of the epicenters of green architecture where alluring tax incentives and retrofit financing structures have met with nonpareil design brilliance. In this meeting, we examine avenues of collaboration between architectural, design and BIPV trades to harness the sun’s potential for building and development in such a highly urban setting. Where are the areas of highest BIPV potential in New York City given the strong effect of shading on performance? What are the cost comparisons and trade-offs between BIPV vs. mounted PV arrays? What is the ROI? For residential vs. commercial buildings? What factors are considered in calculating ROI? Are BIPV's cost effective for existing buildings? What are the added benefits of BIPV? (e.g. temperature and lighting control by transparent PVs) What BIPV technologies show the best promise for traction (e.g. CIGS, quantum dots)? What opportunities exist for integrating BIPV with solar thermal, solargeothermal technologies for further building efficiency? What are the solutions to the barriers of scaling up (e.g. cost, demand for customization)? Speakers: Udi Paret, Pythagoras Solar, Vice President, Business Development and Marketing Fiona Cousins, Arup, Principal Gregory Kiss, Kiss + Cathcart, Co-Founder Jose Alcala, RELAB, LLC, Principal Partner Rob Watson, EcoTech International, Founding Chairman (Moderator)

In the age of nuclear nonproliferation policy, rogue nations seeking to develop their own nuclear technology, and an epic disaster in Japan, nuclear energy is a hot topic that many people are now familiar with. What many are unaware of is the story of what nuclear power could have been at the dawn of the atomic age. Join Richard Martin, Editorial Director at Pike Research and Contributing Editor for Wired magazine, for a thought provoking discussion about the history and future of thorium power.

Thorium (start time 4:54). It sits at the bottom of the periodic table of elements, among its fellow radioactive substances, including uranium and plutonium.  It’s called Thorium, named for the Norse god of thunder. Decades ago, uranium won out over thorium as the nuclear fuel of choice to power the world’s reactors. A new book makes the argument that it’s high time to revisit thorium as a way to wean ourselves off fossil fuels and deliver a safe energy source for the future. Co-host Susan Moran interviews the author, Richard Martin, a journalist and editorial director at Pike Research in Boulder. The book is called"Superfuel: Thorium, the Green Energy Source for the Future." Space Weather (start time 13:15). It has been said that "You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows."  However, you DO need a weather satellite and space researchers to know which way the solar wind blows, and if that solar wind will affect anything orbiting or on the Earth.  So, today How On Earth co-host Joel Parker talks with Space Weatherman Joe Kunches, at NOAA’s National Weather Service, Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colo., to explain the Sun-Earth connection and why we should care about space weather forecasts.  Kunches is a space scientist. Formerly he was Secretary of the International Space Environment Service.  Kunches says he is in his fifth solar cycle in the space weather field. Hosts: Susan Moran and Joel Parker Producer: Shelley Schlender Engineer: Jim Pullen Executive Producer: Joel Parker Listen to the show:

Tom McKinnon and Peter Asmus of Pike Research discuss electrical utility municipalization from a national perspective.  Peter adds an interesting statistic -- the photovoltaic industry already has created more jobs than coal mining even though at present it produces much less power. Shelley Schlender interviews Bill Hoch of Montana State University about why leaves turn colors in the fall.  Bill punches some holes in the conventional wisdom on the topic and notes that the color change is a critical step in the trees retaining important nutrients. Hosts: Tom McKinnon & Ted Burnham Producer: Tom McKinnon Engineeer: Ted Burnham Headlines: Beth Bartel Executive Producer: Tom McKinnon Listen to the show:

On today's show we offer two interview features. Feature #1: Last week the Environmental Protection Agency published a seminal report about nitrogen, which is an enormous environmental and public health problem that some scientists put on par with the carbon imbalance. Nitrogen is essential for all life, including ours, but excess nitrogen in the environment is turning out to be a predicament of crisis proportions. It kills fish, creates "dead zones" in places like the Gulf of Mexico, contaminates drinking water, and causes human illnesses. Co-host Susan Moran interviews Dr. Hans Paerl, who has served on the EPA science advisory board and co-authored the report.   He’s a professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences, at the UNC-Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences. Feature #2: Our reliance on petroleum-fueled vehicles can be blamed, at least in part for a wide range of problems we face today, from local air pollution to global warming, the balance of payments deficit to political instability on a global scale.  One possible solution is to shift from a reliance on gasoline to the use of electricity for transportation.  Co-host Tom McKinnon interviews John Gartner, a senior analyst at Pike Research in Boulder, to discuss the electric vehicle outlook in the U.S. Hosts: Susan Moran, Tom McKinnon Producer: Susan Moran Engineer: Ted Burnham