Due Diligence: How to Evaluate a Renewable Energy Technology
by Robert Rapier (R Squared/Consumer Energy Report) …When I am asked to comment on a press release, I try to be cautious with my opinions until I have peeled the onion a bit. There are technologies with real potential, and just because a company hypes their technology doesn’t mean it won’t work. So my opinion on technologies that I haven’t particularly studied will tend to be general and conservative.
But let’s say you are interested in becoming a stakeholder in the process. You could be a private investor, a government entity, or you could be someone from the media who is interested in sorting out hype from reality in order to protect potential stakeholders (such as taxpayers). That requires quite a different level of investigation than rendering an opinion based on a press release, and many people don’t know where to start.
In my own experience, perhaps 90% of the stories you see promoting various technologies are at least exaggerated. So how do you separate fact from fiction and wishful thinking from reality? …
Understand the Levels of Scale and the Hurdles that Come With Each Step …
Data Omitted From the Press Release: How and Who to Get it From …
First Questions …
Know the Limits of Computer Modeling …
Biomass Feedstock, Economic Assumptions, and Energy Requirements …
Competitors and Former Employees Can Be a Source of Valuable Info …
Read Between the Lines and Use Common Sense …
Summary of Some Important Questions … READ MORE
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- Renewable Energy and Technology Conference & Exhibition February 3-5 Washington, DC
- The Signs: Good News for the Aces of Bio-Based May Spell Trouble for the Renewable Fuel Standard
