Lesson 2 – My Niche – Mark Mulhollem

There are a few reasons for why renewable energy sources are not being given the attention they should. For example, wind and solar are very good sources and are very plentiful so why are we not investing in installing more of these systems? The main reason is that they are cyclical. They cannot produce electricity on demand like our present day carbon fuels or nuclear power can. A lot of research is going into nuclear to make it safer and more manageable. China has produced a new generation of nuclear reactors that are smaller and less of a danger. However, what if we had a storage system that could store the power that photovoltaic and wind produced? If that storage system could level out the cycles and give a reliable sources of electricity then we would more likely invest in solar and wind?

This leads me to my niche. I have been in the electrical field sense I was 17 years old and I have seen a lot of new technologies. This is possible to do. A few utility companies have tried to store the electricity by converting it from AC into DC and storing it in batteries. I think there are better ways to capture and store electricity and that is where I would like to start my entrepreneurial niche. I know people think it is a long shot but my response to them is, “only those that attempt the ridicules can achieve the impossible”. If a small lighting bug can produce light I think I have a chance.

4 thoughts on “Lesson 2 – My Niche – Mark Mulhollem

  1. http://engr312.dutton.psu.edu/2014/09/05/pcm5122-nuclear-niche-solar-lesson-2/#comments
    It does appear that everyone is on the same page regarding renewable energy storage and distribution issues, as in transmission lines for large wind farms. I am also an environmentally friendly nuclear proponent, especially as nuclear R & D is producing new systems that don’t rely on water power for shut downs. One of the references in my post states that polls on nuclear power in the U.S.A shows that over 80% of Americans favor nuclear power because it has been around so long with very few negative impacts from its existence. I assume that’s why politicians favor it also.

  2. I love it! Solar is such a wise investment that I do not understand why more companies are not developing the technology to better manage the energy that can be harnessed for practically free. Perhaps one day we will see traditional utility companies become essentially backup batteries, or generators, while residents take advantage of whatever renewable is most available to them in their locale.

  3. Have you ever heard of Enphase microinverters? It is really cool technology. I’ve put in thousands of them in the last year. They automatically sync to the grid. That is the type of equipment I use whenever I install solar photovoltaic. It converts the DC voltage from the solar panel to AC immediately from the solar module. Since AC voltage travels better than DC voltage it makes it to where you can use smaller wiring for the same amount of distance. Nice post.

    J. Bond

    • And smaller wiring is less expensive, making the technology even more productive. I’m going to check out the Enphase microconverters now, thanks to your post.

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