In a conversation the other day, Ed Kummer of Disney made a really thought-provoking observation: the spread of solar energy units to homes and businesses is an analog to other forms of user-generated content, and the overall trend towards a two-way network. While it's possible to set up a solar system completely off the grid, most of the new customers feed power into the grid during sunlight hours, and draw from it when the daylight wanes. If we move to a solar power economy, it will be much more distributed and cooperative than the current one-way model.
It's fabulous to put the internet and Web 2.0 into a broader context, and to think about how the new network economics that we're seeing on the internet may be adopted in other fields. With VoIP, we're seeing the internet subsume the telephone network. With distributed solar, and the kinds of distributed energy monitoring technology that Adam wrote about the other day, will the internet model also colonize the power grid?
I believe that solar power can be used in different spheres in people's lives. It can help a lot, we just only should learn how to use and implement solar power. Solar power has great future and will be spread everywhere one day.
This blog is designed to support my research and teaching on the use of the web in government and politics. The blog helps me:
1) monitor emerging trends in the development and delivery of web-based public services;
2) explore the implications of these trends for people and institutions; and
3) connect with practitioners and scholars that share these interests.
James K. Scott, Ph.D. is Associate Professor in the Truman School of Public Affairs and Director of the European Union Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
2 Comments:
Speaking of Energy 2.0, are you aware of this conference?
http://www.mitenergyconference.com/
I believe that solar power can be used in different spheres in people's lives. It can help a lot, we just only should learn how to use and implement solar power. Solar power has great future and will be spread everywhere one day.
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