Friday, March 13, 2009

Solar Power On A Large Scale

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., March 11 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world's largest manufacturer of photovoltaic (PV) modules, in partnership with the City of Santa Barbara and Tioga Energy, a leading solar financing firm, today announced the activation of the City's first large-scale solar power system. The 384 kW DC system is the first large-scale solar deployment for the City of Santa Barbara as well as the largest solar power system in the City.

The ceremony and educational tour are to be held from 2:00 - 3:00 PM beginning in the David Gebhard Meeting Room, located at 630 Garden Street in Santa Barbara. The speaker program includes local Nobel Prize Laureate and sustainability advocate Walter Kohn and Santa Barbara Mayor Marty Blum, who will dedicate the City's Corporate Yard solar system.

"We are excited to produce clean, renewable power here in Santa Barbara while simultaneously reducing our energy costs," said Marty Blum, Mayor of the City of Santa Barbara. "Our climate is perfect for solar, we can apply the savings to other city programs, and we are helping the environment. This is a tremendous win for everyone."

The system, which is spread among the Corporate Yard's roofs, features Suntech modules designed to minimize aesthetic impact while providing maximum energy output. Suntech solar panels were chosen for their consistent high quality, reliable performance, and efficiency. Suntech Energy Solutions installed the system in Fall 2008 in less than three months.

"Working with the City of Santa Barbara and Tioga Energy has been a pleasure for Suntech," said Marco Garcia, Vice President of Project Development for Suntech Energy Solutions. "We look forward to helping cities and local governments follow Santa Barbara's lead in converting unused land and roof space into power generating assets."

The solar energy system was built without any large capital outlay on behalf of the City of Santa Barbara. Instead, the system is financed and operated by Tioga Energy, through its SurePath(TM) Solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). Through the SurePath PPA agreement, Tioga Energy sells the energy generated by the system to the city at a fixed, predictable price over the 20-year contract term. As a result, the city receives immediate energy savings and a hedge against future utility rate increases, without the hassle of owning the system outright.

"With its commitment to clean energy, the City is demonstrating that solar power is an affordable option for public agencies concerned with reducing carbon emissions," said Paul Detering, CEO of Tioga Energy. "Our collaborative effort with the City of Santa Barbara and Suntech provides the City with predictably-priced power and demonstrates how successful public-private partnerships can help municipalities meet their financial and sustainability objectives."

The system will produce 550,000 kWh of energy per year, effectively offsetting 421,466 lbs, or 191 metric tons, of carbon dioxide. This is equivalent to removing 35 cars from the road, saving 21,328 gallons of gasoline, or powering over 100 Santa Barbara-area homes a year (based on a single family occupancy energy use of 5,000 kWh per year).

"This first system is a first step in reducing our energy costs and producing clean, renewable energy. We look forward to 'throwing the switch' on more projects in the years to come," said Mayor Marty Blum.

Friday, March 6, 2009

New Legislature For Renewable Energy Industry

DUBLIN, Ireland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/983f7e/legislative_and_re) has announced the addition of the "Legislative and Regulatory Review: Renewable Energy Industry Recruitment and Support" report to their offering. Legislative and Regulatory Review: Renewable Energy Industry Recruitment and Support is an overview of state efforts to support the development and expansion of renewable energy manufacturing companies.

Over the last few years, numerous states have launched incentive programs to attract and retain companies that manufacture products for generating renewable energy. Competition for the recruitment of these companies has been fierce as these incentives not only give the renewable energy industry a boost, but also create jobs within states, leading to stronger economies.

The Review provides readers with a summary of the legislative and regulatory rules that have been or are being implemented by the 16 states that have implemented tax credits, loans, grants, and other forms of financial assistance. It serves as a valuable resource for those wishing to track economic development incentives for renewable energy manufacturing or compare rules across states.

For more information visit:
http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/983f7e/legislative_and_re

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Biodiesel From Algae?

SCOTTSDALE, AZ--(Marketwire - March 5, 2009) - PetroSun, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: PSUD) announced today it has agreed to provide five drums of B100 biodiesel derived from algae for three independent emissions studies being conducted by Carnegie Mellon, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and NextEnergy. The information produced from these studies will be of benefit to the algae-to-biofuel industry and assist in the Company's efforts to establish a carbon credit program for commercial algae operations.

The emissions studies conducted by Carnegie Mellon will include the investigation for scientific evidence that the emissions from the combustion of algae derived biofuels are characterized and provide a comparison of emissions to that of fossil fuel combustion. The program calls for emissions testing from several different sources.

The UCLA program, funded by a multi-year grant from the US Department of Energy, will conduct research to advance scientific knowledge of particulate emission rates and the chemical and physical properties of those particles relevant to climate. Other properties of the fuel such as nitrogen oxide emissions and organic compound speciation may also be completed.

The NextEnergy research will be conducted as part of the National Biofuel Energy Laboratory program based in Detroit, Michigan. The goal of the project will be directed at comparing the effect of biofuels on a lab scale basis, engine dynamometers and the operation of vehicles during cold weather.

PetroSun BioFuels, a wholly owned subsidiary, will provide the algal oil feedstock for conversion into B100 by a third party biodiesel refiner. The five drums (275 gallons) of B100 for the emissions studies will be allocated from an initial run of approximately 80,000 gallons of algal oil for conversion into ASTM spec biodiesel.

Ohio Biomass Project Now Started

BELLEFONTAINE, Ohio, March 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Bellefontaine Gas Producers LLC today started commercial operation of its landfill gas-to-energy project at the Republic Services-owned Cherokee Run Landfill here.

The renewable energy project is owned by Bellefontaine Gas Producers LLC, which is a joint venture between DTE Biomass Energy and Shaw Environmental & Infrastructure Inc. The project, which utilizes three Caterpillar engines for a capacity of 4.8 megawatts, will sell energy produced at the facility under a long-term power sales agreement into the PJM Interconnection regional transmission organization.

"The generating facility follows on a very successful leachate evaporation project operating at the site since 1999," said Mark Cousino, DTE Biomass Energy president. "The collaboration between the DTE Biomass Energy-Shaw partnership and Republic resulted in an environmentally beneficial energy project which will produce renewable energy for years to come."

The renewable electricity produced at this facility from landfill gas is enough to supply the yearly electric requirements of 4,800 households.

"Republic is very excited that an existing, mature use of the landfill gas at Cherokee Run through the evaporator has been supplemented with an electric generating project that will provide green power to the area," said Bill Held, senior director of renewable energy for Republic. "This demonstrates the ability of multiple partners to work together creatively and positively."

DTE Biomass Energy is a subsidiary of DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE), a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy-related businesses and services nationwide. DTE Energy's operating units include Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.2 million customers in Southeastern Michigan, MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan and other non-utility, energy businesses focused on power and industrial projects, coal and gas midstream, unconventional gas production and energy trading.

Information about DTE Biomass Energy is available at www.dtebiomassenergy.com.
Republic Services Inc. has been building on success since its inception in 1998, becoming an industry-leading provider of waste and environmental services. The company provides trash collection to commercial, industrial, municipal and residential customers in 40 states through its 427 collection companies. Republic Services owns or operates 252 transfer stations, 216 solid waste landfills and 85 recycling facilities. The company is headquartered in Phoenix and has more than 35,000 employees. For more information, visit the Republic Services web site at www.republicservices.com.