user: IN: Go figure: 49ers’ Greg Roman hot candidate elsewhere
Eric Branc, San Francisco Chronicle

Photo: Don Feria / Getty Images

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 28: San Francisco 49ers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman walks onto the field during pregame warm ups against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on December 28, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Don Feria/Getty Images)

SANTA CLARA, CA - DECEMBER 28: San Francisco 49ers Offensive...

Go figure: 49ers’ Greg Roman hot candidate elsewhere

One team’s beleaguered offensive coordinator can double as another team’s attractive candidate.

Consider the case of the 49ers’ Greg Roman, who is receiving a fair amount on interest around the NFL.

On Tuesday, the Jaguars requested permission to interview Roman for their offensive-coordinator opening, NFL Network reported. Roman has interviewed for Tampa Bay’s offensive-coordinator spot and will interview for Buffalo’s head-coaching vacancy.

Roman is not expected to return to the 49ers, who ranked 20th in the NFL in yards per game and 25th in points in 2014. Roman absorbed much of the criticism for the sputtering attack, most memorably from the daughter of general manager Trent Baalke, who said of Roman, via Twitter, “The 49ers don’t want you no more,” after a 19-3 loss to Seattle on Thanksgiving.

It’s not surprising the Jaguars might want Roman, given his connection to Jacksonville general manager David Caldwell. Roman and Caldwell were teammates at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, and lived together when they broke into the NFL with the Panthers in the mid-1990s.

Two years ago, Caldwell acknowledged that he was interested in Roman for Jacksonville’s head-coaching vacancy, but he hired Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley while Roman was unavailable because of the 49ers’ run to the Super Bowl.

The Jaguars fired offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch after they ranked 31st in total offense in 2014. The next coordinator will be charged with helping to develop quarterback Blake Bortles, the No. 3 pick in last year’s draft.

Harbaugh’s version: In Jim Harbaugh’s telling, his “mutual” parting with the 49ers continues to sound, well, not so mutual.

On Tuesday, the new Michigan head coach said he realized he wouldn’t return to the 49ers after speaking with CEO Jed York during the season.

“I had a conversation with the owner,” Harbaugh said on ESPN Radio, “and understood the direction the organization wanted to go.”

Harbaugh also dropped another not-so-subtle hint at his news conference after the regular-season finale against Arizona when asked if it was his decision to leave the 49ers.

“You work at the pleasure of the organization,” he said. “That’s what we all do.”

After that game, defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie relayed a farewell conversation he had with the outgoing head coach.

Said Jerod-Eddie: “I talked to Harbaugh personally and I told him, 'Congrats.’ He said, 'No, not congrats. I want to be here.’”

Eric Branch is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: ebranch@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Eric_Branch
What is a short summary of the above article?

OUT: On Tuesday, the Jaguars requested permission to interview Roman for their offensive-coordinator opening, NFL Network reported.  Roman and Caldwell were teammates at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, and lived together when they broke into the NFL with the Panthers in the mid-1990s.  Two years ago, Caldwell acknowledged that he was interested in Roman for Jacksonville’s head-coaching vacancy, but he hired Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley while Roman was unavailable because of the 49ers’ run to the Super Bowl.  The Jaguars fired offensive coordinator Jedd Fisch after they ranked 31st in total offense in 2014.  The next coordinator will be charged with helping to develop quarterback Blake Bortles, the No. 3 pick in last year’s draft.  Harbaugh also dropped another not-so-subtle hint at his  news conference after the regular-season finale against Arizona when asked if it was his decision to leave the 49ers.  [...] game, defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie relayed a farewell conversation he had with the outgoing head coach.


IN: Vanadium battery technology could transform power grids
New York has a reputation as the city that never sleeps. But it does use much less electricity after dark — and its utilities charge a lower price for power then.

On top of a Manhattan skyscraper is a car-sized battery that charges itself at night, when most of the building is empty and electricity costs less. When office workers arrive the next morning — and the electricity price rises — the battery discharges to power the building. The mega-battery was produced by American Vanadium (don't let the name fool you, it's actually Canadian, run out of Vancouver). And its technology has the potential to transform electrical grids, along with our ability to make use of green energy such as wind and solar power.

The metal vanadium is element 23 on the periodic table, between titanium and chromium.

American Vanadium owns the world's largest known deposit of vanadium, at a mine in Nevada.

Bill Radvak, the company's president and CEO,is looking for ways to exploit the resource.

Vanadium has long been used to strengthen steel — just a tiny amount can make steel 10 times stronger, allowing thinner beams to be used to building construction.

But recently, there has been lots of interest in using it to make batteries.

Vanadium is a unique battery material because it's the only element that can be used on both sides (positive and negative) of the same battery, Radvak said.

When there are different elements on the two sides of the battery, as in a lithium battery, the electrodes degrade with every charge, he added.

"But when you actually have the same element on both sides, the battery lasts essentially forever."

According to Radvak, vanadium batteries can be used for more than just saving money on bills by buying and storing electricity when it's cheap for use when electricity is more expensive.

"It's part of the way of changing the way energy is distributed."

Consider that grids are built for the the highest demand days — often in the summer when air conditioners are at full blast. In Canada, there are usually only a handful of maximum load days on the calendar. Still, electrical utilities must have distribution lines to carry that load year-round.

If vanadium batteries could provide the boost on days when it's needed, utilities wouldn't need as much carrying capacity. They could invest less in distribution systems without risking a brownout. The United States, particularly in the desert south, has embraced vast solar fields and wind farms. But you can't control when it's windy — and sometimes you need power more at night than when the sun is out. So how do you store the power generated for when you need it? Vanadium can hold large amounts for long periods, without decaying the battery itself. This idea alone has utilities worldwide fascinated by the possibilities. But it's not yet the great solution. That Nevada mine is not yet being exploited on a mass commercial level. Likewise, the technology is not fully proven. It has only been used on a small scale and more research and development work to be done before it can reach the point of mass commercialization. But if it works and is cost effective, vanadium could have a transformative effect on power generation, storage and consumption.
What is a short summary of the above article?

OUT:

assistant: Batteries made of the metal vanadium have the potential to transform electrical grids and our ability to make use of green energy such as wind and solar power, CBC's David Common reports.