Tuesday, November 8, 2016

More Government Programs
=
Better Infrastructure

Programs like the one recently awarded to EV Connect by the NYPA (New York Power Authority) are the foundation of a new infrastructure. It is crucial for us to create a network of charging stations that will be both large enough and efficient enough to handle the expected rise in consumption of EVs in the coming years.
If we fail to do so, people will continue to be frustrated by inconveniences that are easily avoidable within a reliable infrastructure. This will result in EV sales to freeze and this movement to die before it even begins. I will say it again - the successful replacement of gas engine vehicles will only come about when we have the infrastructure to support it. So let's get to it!



Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Much Needed Press.


For years, EV's have been pushed to the back of auto show rooms, given minute advertising budgets, and produced by some companies solely to appease standards set by the EPA. That is all beginning to change. 

The Tesla Model S is now "by far the best selling large luxury sedan in the US market," and is showing no sign of slowing down. With production being ramped up on all of their projects, Tesla looks to lead the US into the year 2017 with a fresh outlook on how EV's can shape our future. 













Article Here

Tuesday, August 30, 2016


Verdek In Argentina


Verdek CEO Guy Mannino recently took a trip to the Galileo BioGas treatment plant in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The system recovers 99.9% of available methane from the raw gas.

The Cryoboxes, also pictured, are shown producing energy for the Buquebus ferries that make regular trips from Buenos Aires to Montevideo.




Monday, August 1, 2016

The Master Plan, Part Deux


Elon Musk is the world of clean energy's hero. In a time where the average person lacks the patience, passion, and funding to make a difference in our lack of infrastructure, Tesla doesn't see any reason to be hesitant. In the second part of his master plan, Musk goes beyond his original goal of making a high-performace EV that is affordable for everyone. He envisions a world completely run by his Teslas, and homes that power themselves. 


In summary, the four-point plan is stated as:

- Create stunning solar roofs with seamlessly integrated battery storage
- Expand the electric vehicle product line to address all major segments
- Develop a self-driving capability that is 10X safer than manual via massive fleet learning
- Enable your car to make money for you when you aren't using it

Skeptics of the proposed timeline still abound, but Tesla and Elon Musk seem up to the challenge.

Full Article Here


Thursday, July 28, 2016

Verdek Now Offering BioGas Solutions!

Raw Biogas generally has a content of methane ranging from 50% to 75%. Galileo Biogas Treatment Module (BTM) produces RNG (renewable natural gas) capable of being injected into pipelines; it can be used in industrial applications such boilers or it can be used as fuel for transportation.



Biogas production is increasing all over the world and Galileo’s solution efficiently resolves the challenge of cleaning the raw biogas for an effective use.
Just ask for any of Galileo’s product range - the BTP has a small footprint and feature a modular design for easy installation and organic growth.

Verdek BioGas

Tuesday, July 26, 2016


White House Guarantess Loans For EV Chargers

The Obama administration has stepped up in its waning days and contributed to the EV movement. By announcing a new federal loan guarantee for EV charging stations, coupled with regulations and partnerships made by several of the industry's top producers, a solid groundwork has been laid for a boom in infrastruture over the next few years. The key is for all of these industry players to take full advantage of the incentives that have been put in front of them. Now is the time for action!

Article


Friday, July 22, 2016

BuqueBus's Ferry Francisco goes from Buenos Aires to Montevideo using LNG produced by the Cryobox.



Wednesday, July 20, 2016


EV Road Trips:

Taking long road trips in an EV will soon be a reality - but not yet. It is feasible to do so already, but the lack of a solid infrastructure when it comes to reliable dc fast-charging stations is still holding us back.

Choosing to take an EV on your road trip will not only tack on plenty of time to your route, but it also requires extensive planning to make sure you don't find yourself powerless with no charging stations near you.


The fact that it is possible at all, however, shows that we are headed in the right direction. Technological advances coupled with a focus on the improvement of infrastructure will lead to cross-country EV trips being as common as anything else.

Article

Monday, July 18, 2016

Who Needs Marketing?

"If you build a truly revolutionary product, the marketing will take care of itself." - Elon Musk has managed to create some pretty unimaginable discrepencies between the amount of money he spends on advertising compared to his competitors in the auto industry. 

By focusing solely on the quality of the product, Tesla has bypassed the need for expensive marketing campaigns and provides a highly transparent business model for its customers. It has also managed to brand itself as the "future" - making it almost impossible for the public to ignore. 


A new precedent has been set for the world of marketing and we can expect to see the effects of this throughout many other large-scale production industries. 

Article

Wednesday, July 13, 2016


Saying Goodbye to Diesel.

Toyota is taking a step in the right direction as it intends to stop investing in diesel fuel entirely. Options like these seem drastic and economically inefficient in the short term - but for a revolution of infrastructure to take place there needs to be noticeable changes made. This means that other manufacturers should take note of Toyota's move and consider making a similar effort. If every producer decided to shift away from fossil fuels (as they will all inevitably have to), the transition could be made less painful for everyone.

Article



Thursday, July 7, 2016

There have been several instances in history where a single product opened an entirely new market for itself, while simultaneously shutting the door on another. The Tesla Model 3 is now in line to do the same thing - as long as the EV industry itself is able to hold up in the coming years. This means that if we are going to predict that Model 3 sales will usurp gas vehicles entirely, there has to be more than just a willing customer base. Once all of these cars have been purchased, there needs to be system in place for efficiently charging all of them. If there is no infrastructure, it will be a disaster as people scramble to find an open station.

Article


Wednesday, July 6, 2016

It would be a shame if some of the money given back by VW wasn't used as a catalyst in the green revolution. The EV infrastructure of this country is lacking and this could be the start of a solution - handed to us on a silver platter, no less.  



Everyone has their own ideas as to what the future of automotive infrastructure will look like. In this article Tesla tries to paint a picture of what they think the future holds for the modern gas station - and how it will likely not be selling gas! In order for the clean energy movement to gain traction, the infrastructure must be the main target.

Article



Thursday, June 30, 2016

Is owning an electric vehicle in the city really worth it? This article highlights several reasons why it might not be, given where you are. Focusing on New York, it is shown that there is a lack of convenient charging stations, and a high cost of accessing them in parking garages. Furthermore, there is no way for the consumer to offset this cost because most do not have the ability to purchase a station for themselves - there is simply nowhere to put it. But is this true across the board? Far from it. When a city commits to altering their infrastructure in a way that makes electric vehicles the priority, the system works. Boston, Austin, and Atlanta are excellent examples of places that committed to an overhaul of their system, and their citizens are now reaping the benefits. A city split between its goal to go green and its fear of losing revenue will never be able to provide a truly stable environment for the electric vehicle driver. Commitment to the change is key.

Article



The EV market is progressing fast and the drive to achieve a low-cost, high-mileage vehicle is causing the older models to get left in the dust.

Article


Monday, June 27, 2016

The world is struggling to keep up with the massive advances in EV and lithium fuel - both of which have made strong cases to be the foundation of transportation in the near future.

“Never before has there been commodity supply that is this fantastically tight,” says Alfred of Oroplata Resources

Article

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Colorado follows in Connecticut's footsteps as they look to make incentives for purchasing EV's more enticing. The plan is to offer a cash rebate at the point of sale instead of requiring the customer to take it in the form of tax breaks.

Article


"Hopefully, our journey increases more awareness for sustainable transport and proves that the electric cars are as good, if not better, than fuel-consuming cars across different conditions and terrains.”

Article

Tuesday, June 21, 2016


Take a look at all the vehicles that have paved the way for the electric vehicles we drive today. Each one stepping stone to the next breakthrough model. 

Monday, June 20, 2016

The market for used EV batteries continues to expand, as microgrids look to become the new standard in back-up power for the nation.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Microgrid! Solar Impulse 2 Completes US Flight


http://microgridknowledge.com/solar-impulse/

"The flying microgrid is on a quest to circle the globe. If it succeeds, Solar Impulse will be the first plane fueled only by the sun to make it 24,855-miles around the world."

Friday, June 10, 2016

EV design has come a long way - Chinese Company Faraday Future releases designs for futuristic sports EV...Introducing the FFZERO1!


Thursday, June 9, 2016

"This partnership will provide our Wentzville, Mo., assembly plant more flexibility to keep up with continued demand for mid-size trucks and full-size vans." - Cathy Clegg, GM's vice president of North America manufacturing and labor relations.

Navistar to Build GM's Cutaway Vans


EV Ride-Sharing Gains Traction

Sunday, April 3, 2016








2016 New York Auto Show 
Electric Vehicle Report
Several car manufacturers introduced new electric and plug-in electric vehicles at the New York Auto Show. At the same time Tesla launched the Model 3. We are approaching the moment in which EVs will join the mass market. 
The target is to have an electric vehicle with approximately 200 mile range and a price of $30,000-$35,000. 






The New Electric Vehicles

Chevrolet Bolt is the first to reach the target of 200 mile and a price of $30,000, it will be available later this year.
CHEVY VOLT

This week Tesla finally unveiled the expected Model 3 which is designed with the same objectives of the Bolt. The price is set at $35,000 and the range is 230 miles. Tesla says they already received 130,000 reservation.


TESLA MODEL 3
Hyundai launched the Ionic with 3 models: a pure EV with 110 mile range, a plug-in hybrid with 25 mile range and hybrid version just like the original Prius.

HYUNDAI JONIC

All electric vehicles enjoy the $7,500 federal tax credit and the State tax credit which varies from $0 to $5,000 depending on the State.


The New Plug-In Hybryd Vehicles

Volvo presents the T90 and the XC90 both plug-in hybrid with approx. 25 mile range and a very powerful 2.0L 4 cylinder turbo gasoline engine.
VOLVO XC90


VOLVO T90

Toyota introduced the all-new Prius Prime with a new attractive design and overall better performance for batteries and engine.



PRIUS PRIME

BMW displayed a full range of Plug-In Hybrid cars and SUVs that will line up next to the i3 and i8 models.
The Series 3, Series 5, Series 7 and X5 are all available with a plug-in hybrid options.
Also Porsche featured the Panamera and the Cayenne with a plug-in Hybrid option.
Nissan Leaf has now a larger battery pack option to reach 110Mi.

Hyundai Market Research 

As you can see this year the auto show has a larger participation of EVs compared to last year when oil prices were almost double of the current prices.  This means that EVs are now more main stream.

During the Hyundai press conference, the auto maker reported on the results of of a market analysis on what drivers want to see in an EV. Frankly there are no big surprises but it is important that now the car manufacturers are listening:
  • Better design, electric does not mean ugly
  • Safety
  • Ease of use, designed for all not just techies
  • Range confidence, add more charging stations
Many of the models shown in New York meet these requirements.

Carlos Goshn


CARLOS GOSHN, CEO NISSAN-RENAULT
Carlos Goshn was the keynote speaker at the breakfast conference, just before the official opening of the NYAS. He gave an overview of the results of Nissan-Renault Group, their commitment to electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure. In the next 2 years we  see an acceleration of the introduction of more appealing and cost competitive EVs which will attract a much broader consumer base. The stricter emission regulations forcing the car manufacturers to offer more efficient engines and the lower cost of the lithium batteries will move the EVs from the niche to the mass market.




Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Source of Electricity Generation in the US

Natural Gas Replaces Coal as Main Source of Electricity
U.S. Energy Information Administration announced that "This year, natural gas is expected to supplant coal as the No. 1 source of electricity in the United States. Gas will supply 33.4 percent of power, and coal will contribute 32 percent", the EIA projected in the March installment of its Short-Term Energy Outlook.
“This would be the first time that natural gas has generated more power than coal on an annual basis,” the agency says. Natural gas beat out coal during several months last year, but beating it out for the year is another matter and far more momentous.

Saturday, March 19, 2016

                                                           THE FUTURE OF LNG

Deloitte Consulting's report on LNG titled "LNG at the Crossroads" gives an accurate overview of the
ever-evolving LNG business. LNG has gone through a classic case of boom-bust.
We experienced an impressive growth and now we are going through a phase a major restructuring.

LNG global trade has quadrupled in the last 20 years and is expected to further double in the next two decades mostly from the US and Australia, according Deloitte Consulting LLP. The report outlines the seven key factors that will shape the LNG industry in the years to come:
  • Global economic growth: LNG consumption is driven by global growth in Europe and Southeast Asia. A slip in regional growth, particularly China, would flatten natural gas demand in key importing countries.
  • Energy efficiency: Energy intensity of global growth has declined over the last few decades as high energy prices and environmental concerns have driven the adoption of higher efficiency technologies.
  • Excesses capacity: New capacity coming online in the U.S. and Australia is weighing down on an already saturated market. As few as one in twenty planned projects may be need to meet demand through 2035, and only those with lower costs, direct access to markets and signed buyers will move forward.
  • Shipping costs: Shortening the trading distance with more flexible contracts and widening of the Panama Canal can reduce the cost of shipping, driving an increase in volumes as incremental margins improve. This will reduce the natural gas price differential required to drive investment.
  • New markets: Japan and South Korea import half of all LNG volumes, historically paying a premium over shipments in the Atlantic basin. Growth in trade will require new LNG regasification facilities to be built in more countries to meet growing global fuel needs.
  • New end users: LNG is traditionally consumed for utility-scale power generation, but LNG as an alternative transport fuel for shipping, trains or trucks as well as a power source for remote small-scale grids will provide a long tail of potential demand growth.
  • Market Liquidity: Floating liquefaction and regasification combined with new countries building both import and export capacity can transform the current contract-dependent market into one that provides trading opportunity through transparent gas benchmarks and a flexible spot market.
With these changes, it is imperative to understand the industry’s strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats. LNG ventures are prone to cost overruns and delays, according to the report. The best example is Chevron Corp.’s Gorgon LNG in Australia which has exceeded its budget and timetable.
New technology improvements make it possible to unlock value from increasingly smaller fields and markets, according to Deloitte. Growing demand is expected from small-scale regas in isolated markets or as transport fuel for heavy-duty trucks, trains and shipping
LNG makes it possible to monetize stranded gas reserves and provides more predictable cash flows and diversification compared to the traditional exploration and production business.  The Galileo Cryobox offers an advanced technology permitting a easy entry in the LNG market with lower capital investment than the conventional production plants and the flexibility of a modular production. Furthermore Cryobox can start and stop withing 30 minutes offering great demand response.
                                          Galileo Cryobox - Capacity 12 Ton/Day

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Today the Wall Street Jounal has an article titled "Chevron LNG Bet Meets Big Chill".
The total investement of the  Gorgon project mushroomed from $37 to $57 billion.
The installed capacity is 15.6 million metric tons per year. Chevron now faces lower than expected demand due to cool down of the economy in China and low gas prices.

We think a more decentralized production strategy of LNG is actually more efficient and less costly.
The Galileo Cryobox is easy to install and produces on demand with minimum personnel. Each module can produce 4,500 metric tons per year. In the pictures below the San Vincente plant in Argentina produces 32,000 metric toms per year. One operator manages the plant and all activity can be remotely controlled via Galileo SCADA.
                                          San Vincente - Cryobox Plant
                                     


Thursday, January 28, 2016

OIL & GAS
In the Marcellus and Utica oil and gas fields, production has grown rapidly over the past several years, and infrastructure growth has not kept pace. This is partly because pipeline projects are costly and may take several years to bring online. As a result, there is a large backlog of wells that have been drilled but won't produce until there is available infrastructure or until the price of natural gas increases. Our Galileo wellhead compressor and Virtual Pipeline system reduces the investment necessary to perform the gas gathering on geographically dispersed wells and gives the producer the possibility to sell gas directly to the consumer, skipping all intermediaries in the value chain.
APPLICATIONS
We designed a full range of systems for a variety upstream applications such as wellhead, gathering, re-injection, fuel booster, transportation.
WELLHEAD
At wellhead applications, the conditioning of the gas for the compression stage is a critical stage of the process. The Galileo Wellhead units have a system of horizontal separation with automatic drain that separates solids from liquids before entering the compression system. All the process is fully automated and can be remotely control via Galileo SCADA.
UPSTREAM VIRTUAL PIPELINE

The Virtual Pipeline coupled with the Galileo wellhead compressors is an efficient solution to the geographical dispersion of wells and makes the traditional gas gathering economically viable.