Alternative Energy/Commons based cases in AE

Answer the questions:

1. Commons based cases (the cases that we know will appear in the right part of the quadrants)
   • Identify cases
   • Correlate them with their main outputs (Data. Narratives. Tools)
   • How and in what extent they are “experimenting” or “adopting” commons-based approach. Are they adopting OA policies, for instance? Are they adopting Social Responsible License approaches?
   • Identify these cases and treat them as entities that will also be placed in our mapping device (the quadrants)
   • Identify what actors are participating on this and what actors are just observers (Use the questionnaire to guide your research when appropriate - Carol will select specific relevant and helpful questions)

POSSIBLE CASES TO DISCUSS:

• An open source toolkit for utility automation and wind power applications
  • This paper appears in: Transmission and Distribution Conference and Exposition, 2008. T&D. IEEE/PES
  • ISBN: 978-1-4244-1903-6
  • INSPEC Accession Number: 10014137
  • Digital Object Identifier: 10.1109/TDC.2008.4517111
  • http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/freeabs_all.jsp?arnumber=4517111
  • An open-source Toolkit for constructing IEC-61850-based systems for a variety of utility automation applications. I will need to investigate how to read the full article since I was not able to initially access the publication.

• MAKE: Alternative Energy Gift Guide
  
  • http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/11/alternative_energy_gift_g.html
  • The projects are designed to focus on learning concepts involved in solar, wind, biodiesel, and nuclear energy creation while also creating something practical. For example: MAKE Magazine- Volume 14 contains a "Solar Power System Desig" that explains how to use solar panels to supplement your home electricity needs. Another example is in MAKE Magazine - Volume which contains "Wind Powered Generator" instructions on how to build an inexpensive windmill generator.

• Pure Energy Systems Wiki: Finding and facilitating breakthrough clean energy technologies.
  
  • http://peswiki.com/energy/OS
  • This is a wiki devoted to sharing energy technology using open source licensing. The site provides a place for posting project information and discussing results. Over all, it looks like an idea that never took off but the lack of success should teach us something too.
    

• Alternative Energy Network by Open Source Energy Network (OSEN)
  • http://www.osen.org/
  • This site provides a forum for sharing alternative energy technologies (it wanders outside our scope) under open source licensing. In addition to discussion, the site provides document upload and search abilities. The site has very few participants and low growth but the model may be instructive.

• Google Energy Information
  • http://www.google.org/powermeter/
    • http://groups.google.com/group/energyinformation/browse_thread/thread/b58a34221e048603
    • http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/28/googles-energy-ideas-might-emerge-under-open-source-licenses-or-not/
  • Google's charitable arm, Google.org, has created 'Google PowerMeter" which provides real-time feedback on energy consumption. The purpose of this project is to promote smarter power consumption. It is not yet clear whether the code will be released under an open source license (as is hinted at in the nytimes article) or if their will be community elements to the project.

• Eco-Patent Commons
  • http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=MTQ3NQ&doOpen=1&ClickMenu=LeftMenu
    • http://blog.wired.com/sterling/2009/02/the-smart-plane.html
    • http://news.cnet.com/Eco-Patent-Commons-shares-earth-friendly-tech/2100-13844_3-6225735.html
    • http://news.zdnet.co.uk/hardware/0,1000000091,39292114,00.htm
    • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSnY3bO-kyY
  • Environmentally related patents pledged by members of the commons are made available to members as well as non-members. Currently there are 85 patents and the focus does not appear to be on alternative energy. Despite the lack of focus on our topic I included this because the project may grow into the topic area given some of the large companies contributing.

• Facebook Group: Americans for Alternative Energy
  • http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2207495974
  • The productivity of such a group should be approached with skepticism but it is worth noting that the "officers" of the group appear to be US representatives. Apparently the coherent goals of the group include sharing news on alternative energy and "sending a message" to political leaders.

• US Department of State: Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
  
  • http://www.state.gov/g/oes/rls/fs/2006/75369.htm
  • Summary: 2006 data in URL results in 404 ERROR, 2009 data is available
    

• Governance and co-ordination of distributed innovation processes: patterns of R&D co-operation in the upstream petroleum industry
  
  • http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~content=a714007521~db=all
  • Summary: Distributed Innovation process is analyzed but it is only in abstract form at this URL and appears to focus on the petroleum industry