Author Archives: jdb5661

“Personal Power Systems”- Your source for limitless energy by Jonathan Barnes

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          I believe personal, sustainable power systems will be the future.  They will be the final frontier in human developed energy production. The days of dependency on foreign or domestic sources of energy are dwindling. The decentralization of not just energy, but the decentralization of everything is the way of the future. There will always be entities trying to get customers “hooked” to lifelong products and services. (i.e. big pharma, big food, etc.) However, the world has come to a point where resources are scarcer than ever, actual future viability is questioned and I truly believe someone, somewhere is working on an idea that will touch on the American and more simply, human right, to personal freedom as it extends to all aspects of life on this planet to include personal energy consumption and supply. The technology will arrive soon specifically because of the current economics of energy. It will look like some sort of power pack, probably the size of a cell phone yet it will have the ability to plug in and be plugged into. It will allow various charging options like solar, pendulum motion energy, magnetism, and traditional grid electricity.  It will have sufficient power to charge “personal traveling machines” that may have the ability to fly, ride, or sail. As well as hook to public transportation track or rail systems that will be 100% powered through maglev or sustainable energy. You might then take your personal “traveler” to far away destinations and only be responsible for the power from say your home to the terminal. The real key or future issue I think is to make sure we do it right this time. No single entity should be the benefactor of the tremendous wealth generating possibility of future high efficiency limitless personal energy. However, there is tremendous opportunity for products and services that will complement this new future…

Understanding the Cost of Capital

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Financial backers of my renewable energy project would generally want to know how much return on their investment I can make them.  I would first show them relevant historical data on energy potential at my chosen site location. Then, I would explain any tax credits and incentives that help speed up the initial payback period. I would also explain why the investment is better than the average “T-Bond” using NPV, WACC, ROE and other accounting formulas. I would explain the effects current geopolitical events have on energy markets i.e. shale boom, ISIS, Russian Natural Gas. I would research and explain all recent and proposed legislation that might affect demand for my renewable project. I would explain the triple bottom line theory of People, Planet, Profit and how they (the investors) could see similar monetary results investing elsewhere, but investment in my project would guarantee “environmental return”.

http://energy.gov/public-services/funding-financing

3.5 “What have we learned”- Barnes

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The best policies are the policies that everyone loves. For energy policies to really take hold and be effective, everyone needs to embrace them. Everyone needs to be on board, wanting to because it makes sense, believing not doing it would be totally un-cool and very irresponsible. For example, we all agree that if an ambulance is in an emergency and needs to get through we all pull over, there is no right or wrong way to do it, we all just use common sense and pull over (unless we are listening to music). We do it because it makes sense and we would like people to do the same. My point is that government needs to develop energy policy with this type of thinking in mind. The U.S. government historically uses PSA’s (public service announcements) for pressing issues relating to public health, the environment, and the earliest form of PSA, that of war time government bonds which, through some web work for this post, I learned is credited with giving birth to advertising. Companies made note of how effective war time bond ads were and soon placed the very first product advertisements ever, that for baking powder, soap, and railroad travel in newspapers. Some people are familiar with Keep America Beautiful’s PSA featuring the crying Native American as he witnesses someone throwing fast food trash out their car window. Also, who could forget the “This is your brain on drugs” PSA in the 1980’s. If done tastefully, with honesty and truth, PSA’s and even public school age sustainability awareness courses have the potential to change the way young people use and think about energy. Hopefully it can serve as a catalyst for a generational shift in our approach to energy efficiency and sustainability. Most energy policies make sense, but most people don’t understand them. Even further they avoid changing until change is blatantly and overwhelmingly accepted.

My business idea is to develop a graphics and production company specializing in extremely effective, visually captivating service ads and commercials. We would contract famous and respected people from all genres and age groups explaining the need to take steps as a species to live smarter more sustainable lives. To piggyback an earlier discussion post of my own, where I mention using a “total transparency” method of publishing a product or service’s real cost after adjusting for negative and positive externalities could be used in PSA’s as well. These “energy facts” will expose energy wasteful products and hopefully reward companies that are considering their carbon footprint and striving towards sustainability.

References:

Goodwin, Bill. “PUBLIC SERVICE ADVERTISING.” PSA Bibliography. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. <http://www.psaresearch.com/bib9830.html>.

“Greening Schools – Resources – Sustainability – Integration into Teaching.” Greening Schools News. Illinois EPA and WMRC. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. http://www.greeningschools.org/resources/view_cat_teacher.cfm?id=113

“Keep America Beautiful.” Keep America Beautiful. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. <http://www.kab.org/site/PageServer?pagename=index>.

“The Crying Indian – Full Commercial – Keep America Beautiful.” YouTube.com. Web. 14 Sept. 2014. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OHG7tHrNM>.

Barnes -Lesson 1

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Hello everyone my name is Jonathan Barnes, most people call me Jonny. I live in North Huntingdon, Pa. and though I spent the past 6 years away from Pennsylvania, I’ve basically been born and raised here. I really want to be passionate about whatever career I choose. To be completely honest, I still don’t know exactly what it will be but that makes me very excited and hopeful. I’m specifically interested in this course because I truly believe the world is in a unique time where paradigms shift daily. I believe the systems we decide to use for future energy use will have an enormous impact on the future and I want to be a part of it.

In middle school my best friend Dave and I would convince his dad to drive us to the bulk candy store and we would buy bulk candy then turn around and sell it individually to kids in school and make a profit. We also turned that business into a homemade beef jerky and snow removal service (we were dynamic at age 12). Other than that, I’ve never started a business. I feel global oil businesses have the greatest impact on the renewable energy industry.