Third Industrial Revolution - Rifkin.

Started reading Jeremy Rifkin's Third Industrial Revolution, TIR. Not exactly what expected, but in many ways what was long sought. Chiefly about renewables distributed generation supplanting old central models.

Five pillars of TIR:

1. renewables.
2. micro-power at buildings.
3. storage - hydrogen emphasized, but arguments works just as well for any way of storing electrons or converting electrons to storage.
4. Internet of Things, IoT, for energy grid.
5. transportation to take advantage of new electron sources and storage.

Moving Storage - Melrose, Malden, Medford

Had very positive experience with recent storage and move. Happened to rent a new larger warehouse space and was in no way dissatisfied with previous storage spots. Would use again and recommend to others:

http://www.melrosestoragefacility.com/

If you need close to Melrose (and the Malden Orange Line MBTA) and you are flexible about climate control (though it was fine for what it was where I stored in old carriage house space) then this is your space. Bob, Julie, Pedro and others are great. Family feel.

http://www.cubesmart.com/massachusetts-self-storage/medford-self-storage/180.html

If you want climate control, good access hours and close to Malden/Medford (and the Wellington Orange Line MBTA) then this is great. Staff always friendly and helpful.

Have had nothing but good luck with BCb movers in Malden.

http://bcbmoving.com/

BCb did an apartment to home move for me two years ago, and just recently moved me from the above spaces to new warehouse space.

• Four fellows and two trucks (with the owner and a spare truck on backup).
• Very quick, efficient and straightforward.
• Great upfront statement of work and responsibilities.
• Easy going, helpful…

Not sure what else I can say *grin*. If they have a slot available, BCb is a great pick.

Batteries and Energy Storage

Many friends and colleagues are deeply devoted to Lithium battery technologies. There is some great research at my alma mater Dalhousie University.
http://fizz.phys.dal.ca/~dahn/jeffDahn.html

But, though not very exciting, the past, present and potential of Ni-x chemistries and ultracapacitors seem very real
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NiMH_battery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel%E2%80%93hydrogen_battery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel%E2%80%93iron_battery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nickel%E2%80%93zinc_battery
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NiCad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_double-layer_capacitor

One must make the mental leap to supporting such with electronics and devices (charge and discharge) tuned to a charge bucket instead of a chemical cell.

And when it comes to equations involving battery mass and volume (transportable), it is hard to beat Lithium systems.