NASHUA, NH--(Marketwire - April 16, 2009) - New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, and former Pennsylvania Congressman John E. Peterson are among those scheduled to speak at the upcoming "Heating the Northeast" conference on April 29-30 in Nashua, NH at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center.
The conference, which addresses an often-overlooked source of renewable thermal energy, will explore the advantages, challenges and necessity of using wood pellets, grasses, and other biomass fuels for heating homes and businesses.
"We're thrilled to have such distinguished speakers who are paying attention to the regional alternative energy options in our own backyards," said Charlie Niebling, General Manager of New England Wood Pellet in Jaffrey, NH, and a member of the conference's steering committee.
The scope of the conference ranges from international biomass fuel suppliers and manufacturers to local businesses, including Pelletsales.com, a Goffstown-based company that sells and distributes wood pellets throughout the country and Canada, as well as BioHEAT USA, a North American distributor for innovative high-efficiency wood and wood pellet boilers. Participants will explore how the Northeast could move to a significant adoption -- or even a complete transfer -- to biomass heating, bringing with it jobs, a reduced carbon footprint, and a decreased dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil.
"This event appeals to the technology sector, home heating industry, environmental activists, legislators focused on creating jobs and tax revenue, and the average consumer concerned with saving money on monthly heating bills," said Jon Strimling, President and CEO of PelletSales.com and a member of the conference's steering committee.
Other scheduled speakers include: Charlie Niebling; Charlie Levesque, President, Innovative Resource Solutions; Lennart Ljungblom, Publisher and Editor of The Bioenergy International in Stockholm Sweden.
For more information or to register to attend, visit www.heatne.com
Conference sponsors include: Propell Energy, New England Wood Pellet, PelletSales.com, BioHEAT USA, Primary Packaging, Inc., Biomass Energy Resource Center, Biomass Commodities Corp., ACT BioENergy, Wellons FEI Corporation, Ernst Conservation Seeds, Inc., Viability Incentives, LLC, Schuld/Bushnell, International Wood Fuels, LLC, Biomass Combustion Systems
Thursday, April 16, 2009
FTA And BTI Working With CTE To Make Better Buses
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fuel cell buses have operated successfully in public transit fleets around the world, according to a new report written for the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) by the Breakthrough Technologies Institute (BTI) and the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE).
The report examined hydrogen bus demonstrations in 19 cities in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Among other things, the report found that the vast majority of buses performed better than expected and were very popular among passengers. The buses also were popular with drivers, many of whom reported being less tired at the end of their shifts, primarily because fuel cell buses make significantly less noise than their internal combustion counterparts.
“Fuel cell buses were more reliable, better performing, and easier to integrate into public transportation fleets than many had expected,” said William Vincent, a lead author of the report. “With additional research and development, they hold real promise to reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and petroleum dependence in public transportation fleets.”
The fuel cell buses typically were operated daily in 16-hour duty cycles. Collectively, they covered more than 1.6 million miles and served more than seven million passengers. The fuel cells were much more reliable than many transit agencies had expected and the operating life was increased significantly over previous generations of fuel cell technology. For example, fuel cells in the European demonstrations averaged over 3,000 hours operating life, with a maximum of 5,000 hours. Moreover, the hydrogen fueling stations proved to be very safe. The buses were refueled more than 11,000 times without any major incident.
Based upon this success, most transit agencies that demonstrated fuel cell buses are eager to deploy larger fleets in the future. In fact, AC Transit in California recently purchased four additional fuel cell buses and BC Transit in British Columbia purchased a fleet of 20 fuel cell buses. Many transit agencies also called for enhanced government support for fuel cell buses, thus enabling more buses to be deployed in a shorter timeframe.
The report, “A Report on Worldwide Hydrogen Bus Demonstrations, 2002-2007,” can be downloaded free from the FTA’s website: http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/ReportOnWorldwideHydrogenBusDemonstrations_2002to2007.pdf.
Contacts
Breakthrough Technologies Institute (BTI)
Jennifer Gangi, 202-785-4222, Ext. 17
The report examined hydrogen bus demonstrations in 19 cities in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Among other things, the report found that the vast majority of buses performed better than expected and were very popular among passengers. The buses also were popular with drivers, many of whom reported being less tired at the end of their shifts, primarily because fuel cell buses make significantly less noise than their internal combustion counterparts.
“Fuel cell buses were more reliable, better performing, and easier to integrate into public transportation fleets than many had expected,” said William Vincent, a lead author of the report. “With additional research and development, they hold real promise to reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and petroleum dependence in public transportation fleets.”
The fuel cell buses typically were operated daily in 16-hour duty cycles. Collectively, they covered more than 1.6 million miles and served more than seven million passengers. The fuel cells were much more reliable than many transit agencies had expected and the operating life was increased significantly over previous generations of fuel cell technology. For example, fuel cells in the European demonstrations averaged over 3,000 hours operating life, with a maximum of 5,000 hours. Moreover, the hydrogen fueling stations proved to be very safe. The buses were refueled more than 11,000 times without any major incident.
Based upon this success, most transit agencies that demonstrated fuel cell buses are eager to deploy larger fleets in the future. In fact, AC Transit in California recently purchased four additional fuel cell buses and BC Transit in British Columbia purchased a fleet of 20 fuel cell buses. Many transit agencies also called for enhanced government support for fuel cell buses, thus enabling more buses to be deployed in a shorter timeframe.
The report, “A Report on Worldwide Hydrogen Bus Demonstrations, 2002-2007,” can be downloaded free from the FTA’s website: http://www.fta.dot.gov/documents/ReportOnWorldwideHydrogenBusDemonstrations_2002to2007.pdf.
Contacts
Breakthrough Technologies Institute (BTI)
Jennifer Gangi, 202-785-4222, Ext. 17
Monday, April 13, 2009
New Solar Power Network Acquired By ITOCHU
NEW YORK, April 13 /PRNewswire/ -- ITOCHU Corporation, jointly with ITOCHU International Inc. (collectively, ITOCHU), has agreed to acquire the business of SolarNet LLC, a solar energy solutions provider that includes DC Power Systems, the largest privately-held wholesale distributor of solar energy systems in the US, and Stellar Energy Solutions. ITOCHU has been actively implementing a global solar energy strategy since 2006 and has made a number of strategic investments, including the acquisition of California-based wholesale distributor and systems integrator Solar Depot in 2007. With the acquisition of SolarNet, the combined market share of Solar Depot and DC Power will give ITOCHU collectively the largest solar distribution network in the US. SolarNet will be operated as a majority-owned subsidiary of ITOCHU, beginning immediately. While the current management and employees will be retained, ITOCHU personnel will be added to strengthen the capability of SolarNet.
ITOCHU also supplies manufacturing equipment to solar module manufacturers globally and is involved in the systems integration, financing and development of solar energy projects in various countries. Observing the rapid growth in the solar industry, ITOCHU recently centralized all its solar energy related business into a new business department in order to provide a stronger and more streamlined approach to executing its solar energy business.
"ITOCHU is pleased to add the substantial business experience and capabilities of DC Power and Stellar Energy Solutions to our rapidly growing solar energy business activities in the US market and around the world," said Harutoshi Okita, Senior Vice President, ITOCHU International Inc. "This acquisition expands our presence in the US distribution market and extends our capabilities with regard to the development of large-scale solar systems."
ITOCHU expects this development to result in an improved product offering and level of service for solar dealers and customers across the country, making world-class solar solutions available at the most competitive prices. The acquisition also positions ITOCHU as a leading integrator of commercial-scale solar power systems, with a project pipeline of over 80MW across the US.
"SolarNet's partnership with ITOCHU will give our companies the resources to execute our aggressive business plan and continue to provide outstanding customer service in a rapidly growing business. We are excited to have a partner with such a long-term vision and global reach," said Joseph Marino, President of SolarNet. Mr. Marino will continue with SolarNet after the acquisition as a member of the Board and as Founder.
ITOCHU will actively expand SolarNet's business throughout the US market by building on its existing solar energy business activity and utilizing its global business network to add value to SolarNet. Through these efforts, ITOCHU expects its growing solar operations to accelerate the adoption of solar power in the US.
Minority owners of SolarNet and Board Members include Chris Tyson and Mark Sampson, who will focus on providing financing services to the company and solar industry (www.energyfinancecompany.com and www.newedgesolar.com).
ITOCHU also supplies manufacturing equipment to solar module manufacturers globally and is involved in the systems integration, financing and development of solar energy projects in various countries. Observing the rapid growth in the solar industry, ITOCHU recently centralized all its solar energy related business into a new business department in order to provide a stronger and more streamlined approach to executing its solar energy business.
"ITOCHU is pleased to add the substantial business experience and capabilities of DC Power and Stellar Energy Solutions to our rapidly growing solar energy business activities in the US market and around the world," said Harutoshi Okita, Senior Vice President, ITOCHU International Inc. "This acquisition expands our presence in the US distribution market and extends our capabilities with regard to the development of large-scale solar systems."
ITOCHU expects this development to result in an improved product offering and level of service for solar dealers and customers across the country, making world-class solar solutions available at the most competitive prices. The acquisition also positions ITOCHU as a leading integrator of commercial-scale solar power systems, with a project pipeline of over 80MW across the US.
"SolarNet's partnership with ITOCHU will give our companies the resources to execute our aggressive business plan and continue to provide outstanding customer service in a rapidly growing business. We are excited to have a partner with such a long-term vision and global reach," said Joseph Marino, President of SolarNet. Mr. Marino will continue with SolarNet after the acquisition as a member of the Board and as Founder.
ITOCHU will actively expand SolarNet's business throughout the US market by building on its existing solar energy business activity and utilizing its global business network to add value to SolarNet. Through these efforts, ITOCHU expects its growing solar operations to accelerate the adoption of solar power in the US.
Minority owners of SolarNet and Board Members include Chris Tyson and Mark Sampson, who will focus on providing financing services to the company and solar industry (www.energyfinancecompany.com and www.newedgesolar.com).
Surprising Results For BioEthanol In U.S. Mid Region
ScienceDaily (Apr. 13, 2009) — At a time when water supplies are scarce in many areas of the United States, scientists in Minnesota are reporting that production of bioethanol — often regarded as the clean-burning energy source of the future — may consume up to three times more water than previously thought.
Sangwon Suh and colleagues point out in the new study that annual bioethanol production in the U.S. is currently about 9 billion gallons and note that experts expect it to increase in the near future. The growing demand for bioethanol, particularly corn-based ethanol, has sparked significant concerns among researchers about its impact on water availability. Previous studies estimated that a gallon of corn-based bioethanol requires the use of 263 to 784 gallons of water from the farm to the fuel pump. But these estimates failed to account for widely varied regional irrigation practices, the scientists say.
The scientists made a new estimate of bioethanol's impact on the water supply using detailed irrigation data from 41 states. They found that bioethanol's water requirements can be as high as 861 billion gallons of water from the corn field to the fuel pump in 2007. And a gallon of ethanol may require up to over 2,100 gallons of water from farm to fuel pump, depending on the regional irrigation practice in growing corn.
However, a dozen states in the Corn Belt consume less than 100 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol, making them better suited for ethanol production.
"The results highlight the need to take regional specifics into account when implementing biofuel mandates," the article notes.
Sangwon Suh and colleagues point out in the new study that annual bioethanol production in the U.S. is currently about 9 billion gallons and note that experts expect it to increase in the near future. The growing demand for bioethanol, particularly corn-based ethanol, has sparked significant concerns among researchers about its impact on water availability. Previous studies estimated that a gallon of corn-based bioethanol requires the use of 263 to 784 gallons of water from the farm to the fuel pump. But these estimates failed to account for widely varied regional irrigation practices, the scientists say.
The scientists made a new estimate of bioethanol's impact on the water supply using detailed irrigation data from 41 states. They found that bioethanol's water requirements can be as high as 861 billion gallons of water from the corn field to the fuel pump in 2007. And a gallon of ethanol may require up to over 2,100 gallons of water from farm to fuel pump, depending on the regional irrigation practice in growing corn.
However, a dozen states in the Corn Belt consume less than 100 gallons of water per gallon of ethanol, making them better suited for ethanol production.
"The results highlight the need to take regional specifics into account when implementing biofuel mandates," the article notes.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Can BIO Create More Jobs?
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Continuing to build advanced biofuels production capacity can create thousands of new jobs throughout the economy, contributing to U.S. economic growth and increasing energy security. The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) today welcomed the release of a new report by Bio Economic Research Associates (bio-era™), U.S. Economic Impact of Advanced Biofuels Production: Perspectives to 2030, which analyzes how growth of an advanced biofuels industry will impact four areas critical to U.S. economic recovery, including job creation, economic output, energy security and investment opportunity.
Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial and Environmental Section, said, “The advanced biofuels industry could create 29,000 new jobs and create $5.5 billion in economic growth over the next three years, as companies continue to deploy the technology. As the advanced biofuels industry grows to the levels established in the Renewable Fuel Standard, it will create more than 800,000 new jobs throughout the economy. These new jobs will be in sectors of the economy that have experienced the highest rates of job losses over the past year, including agriculture and construction.”
The new study’s results include:
Direct job creation from advanced biofuels production could reach 29,000 by 2012, 94,000 by 2016, and 190,000 by 2022.
Total job creation, accounting for economic multiplier effects, could reach 123,000 in 2012, 383,000 in 2016, and 807,000 by 2022.
Direct economic output from the advanced biofuels industry is estimated to rise to $5.5 billion in 2012, $17.4 billion in 2016, and $37 billion by 2022.
Taking into consideration the indirect and induced economic effects, the total economic output effect for the U.S. economy is estimated to be $20.2 billion in 2012, $64.2 billion in 2016, and $148.7 billion in 2022.
Advanced biofuels production under the RFS could reduce U.S. petroleum imports by approximately $5.5 billion in 2012, $23 billion in 2016, and nearly $70 billion by 2022.
The cumulative total of avoided petroleum imports over the period 2010–2022 would exceed $350 billion.
Erickson continued, “Increasing advanced biofuel production to a modest target of 45 billion gallons by 2030, which can be achieved by maintaining the same pace of technology development, could create more than 400,000 jobs within the industry and 1.9 million new jobs throughout the economy. Further, it could provide an economic boost of $300 billion. Continued federal support can help the industry quicken the development of the necessary technology and weather the risk of oil price volatility.
“The biotechnology and advanced biofuels industry is working to make commercial production of cellulosic biofuels a reality in the near future. There are more than 30 existing and planned cellulosic biorefineries set to begin production of advanced biofuels within the next few years. Many other projects and promising technologies are on the drawing board. These pioneer cellulosic biofuel facilities will prove that the technology works and that the industry can meet and exceed the goals established in the Renewable Fuel Standard. As oil prices rise, the need for domestically produced advanced biofuels should remain a priority for U.S. policymakers and consumers.”
A map of these cellulosic biofuel facilities is available on the web at http://biofuelsandclimate.wordpress.com/about/.
The Advanced Biofuels & Climate Change Information Center presents the latest commentary and data on the environmental, greenhouse gas and other impacts of biofuel production. Drop in and add your comments, at http://biofuelsandclimate.wordpress.com/.
BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.
Upcoming BIO Events
BIO-Europe Spring March 16-18, 2009Milan, Italy
BIO IP Counsels' Committee Conference March 25–27, 2009Phoenix, AZ
BIO National Venture Conference March 31–April 1, 2009Boston, MA
BIO Windhover 2009 April 13-15, 2009New York, New York
BIO-LES Business Development Basics Course May 15–17, 2009Atlanta, GA
BIO-LES Advanced Business Development Course May 15–17, 2009Atlanta, GA
BIO Executive Presentation Workshop May 17, 2009Atlanta, GA
2009 BIO International Convention May 18-21, 2009Atlanta, GA
BioEquity Europe June 9-10, 2009Munich, Germany
World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing July 19-22, 2009Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Brent Erickson, executive vice president of BIO’s Industrial and Environmental Section, said, “The advanced biofuels industry could create 29,000 new jobs and create $5.5 billion in economic growth over the next three years, as companies continue to deploy the technology. As the advanced biofuels industry grows to the levels established in the Renewable Fuel Standard, it will create more than 800,000 new jobs throughout the economy. These new jobs will be in sectors of the economy that have experienced the highest rates of job losses over the past year, including agriculture and construction.”
The new study’s results include:
Direct job creation from advanced biofuels production could reach 29,000 by 2012, 94,000 by 2016, and 190,000 by 2022.
Total job creation, accounting for economic multiplier effects, could reach 123,000 in 2012, 383,000 in 2016, and 807,000 by 2022.
Direct economic output from the advanced biofuels industry is estimated to rise to $5.5 billion in 2012, $17.4 billion in 2016, and $37 billion by 2022.
Taking into consideration the indirect and induced economic effects, the total economic output effect for the U.S. economy is estimated to be $20.2 billion in 2012, $64.2 billion in 2016, and $148.7 billion in 2022.
Advanced biofuels production under the RFS could reduce U.S. petroleum imports by approximately $5.5 billion in 2012, $23 billion in 2016, and nearly $70 billion by 2022.
The cumulative total of avoided petroleum imports over the period 2010–2022 would exceed $350 billion.
Erickson continued, “Increasing advanced biofuel production to a modest target of 45 billion gallons by 2030, which can be achieved by maintaining the same pace of technology development, could create more than 400,000 jobs within the industry and 1.9 million new jobs throughout the economy. Further, it could provide an economic boost of $300 billion. Continued federal support can help the industry quicken the development of the necessary technology and weather the risk of oil price volatility.
“The biotechnology and advanced biofuels industry is working to make commercial production of cellulosic biofuels a reality in the near future. There are more than 30 existing and planned cellulosic biorefineries set to begin production of advanced biofuels within the next few years. Many other projects and promising technologies are on the drawing board. These pioneer cellulosic biofuel facilities will prove that the technology works and that the industry can meet and exceed the goals established in the Renewable Fuel Standard. As oil prices rise, the need for domestically produced advanced biofuels should remain a priority for U.S. policymakers and consumers.”
A map of these cellulosic biofuel facilities is available on the web at http://biofuelsandclimate.wordpress.com/about/.
The Advanced Biofuels & Climate Change Information Center presents the latest commentary and data on the environmental, greenhouse gas and other impacts of biofuel production. Drop in and add your comments, at http://biofuelsandclimate.wordpress.com/.
BIO represents more than 1,200 biotechnology companies, academic institutions, state biotechnology centers and related organizations across the United States and in more than 30 other nations. BIO members are involved in the research and development of innovative healthcare, agricultural, industrial and environmental biotechnology products. BIO also produces the BIO International Convention, the world’s largest gathering of the biotechnology industry, along with industry-leading investor and partnering meetings held around the world.
Upcoming BIO Events
BIO-Europe Spring March 16-18, 2009Milan, Italy
BIO IP Counsels' Committee Conference March 25–27, 2009Phoenix, AZ
BIO National Venture Conference March 31–April 1, 2009Boston, MA
BIO Windhover 2009 April 13-15, 2009New York, New York
BIO-LES Business Development Basics Course May 15–17, 2009Atlanta, GA
BIO-LES Advanced Business Development Course May 15–17, 2009Atlanta, GA
BIO Executive Presentation Workshop May 17, 2009Atlanta, GA
2009 BIO International Convention May 18-21, 2009Atlanta, GA
BioEquity Europe June 9-10, 2009Munich, Germany
World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology & Bioprocessing July 19-22, 2009Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Hybrid Energy Group Gets A Special Visit
DENVER, CO--(Marketwire - February 19, 2009) - Amid the hoopla at Tuesday's President Barack Obama's visit to Denver for the signing of the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a Colorado renewable energy investment firm took pride in a job well done.
Denver-based Hybrid Energy Group (HEG) is the owner and operator of the solar array on the roof of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden toured Tuesday during the bill-signing ceremony.
"It was a spectacular event for Colorado and the renewable energy industry, and we are pleased that our solar array was the backdrop to this important moment in history," said HEG President, Woody Beardsley. "The stimulus package will double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years and that bodes well for clean energy projects across America."
The $720,000 museum array includes 465 solar panels generating 134,500 kilowatt hours of electricity on average -- enough to power 30-35 homes. Under the terms of a twenty-year agreement, Hybrid Energy Group owns and operates the photovoltaic array, selling the solar electricity it generates to the museum. Namaste Solar was the installer on the project.
"We structured the development and ownership of the array so that an investment in solar energy was much more attractive to the museum," said Beardsley. "By working with HEG, the museum was able to acquire renewable energy for less than if it had purchased the array on its own."
The Museum solar project is the first in a broader Community Solar Program HEG is unveiling to provide solar power to non-profit institutions and governmental entities. "Our business model is designed specifically to benefit community institutions like museums, schools, and hospitals," said Ted Ramsey, HEG's Director of Energy Services. "These are community entities that are naturally committed to the President's long-term vision of health and sustainability, so we've designed our projects to pass as much value as possible through to them as system hosts."
The company is pleased to be achieving success during the economic downturn and recently closed a second financing round. "We're bullish on renewables," said Beardsley. "From what we can tell of the Stimulus Bill, more people are going to be in a position to take advantage of solar investment opportunities than were yesterday at this time."
About Hybrid Energy
Founded in 2005 to facilitate investment in renewable energy resources, Hybrid Energy Group is in the process of expanding their Community Solar Program for commercial, governmental, and non-profit entities and expects to develop an additional Megawatt (1mW) of solar power by the end of 2009. For additional information about HEG and the Community Solar Program contact, Woody Beardsley or Ted Ramsey at 303-495-2216 or visit http://www.hybridenergygroup.com/
Denver-based Hybrid Energy Group (HEG) is the owner and operator of the solar array on the roof of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, which President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden toured Tuesday during the bill-signing ceremony.
"It was a spectacular event for Colorado and the renewable energy industry, and we are pleased that our solar array was the backdrop to this important moment in history," said HEG President, Woody Beardsley. "The stimulus package will double the amount of renewable energy produced over the next three years and that bodes well for clean energy projects across America."
The $720,000 museum array includes 465 solar panels generating 134,500 kilowatt hours of electricity on average -- enough to power 30-35 homes. Under the terms of a twenty-year agreement, Hybrid Energy Group owns and operates the photovoltaic array, selling the solar electricity it generates to the museum. Namaste Solar was the installer on the project.
"We structured the development and ownership of the array so that an investment in solar energy was much more attractive to the museum," said Beardsley. "By working with HEG, the museum was able to acquire renewable energy for less than if it had purchased the array on its own."
The Museum solar project is the first in a broader Community Solar Program HEG is unveiling to provide solar power to non-profit institutions and governmental entities. "Our business model is designed specifically to benefit community institutions like museums, schools, and hospitals," said Ted Ramsey, HEG's Director of Energy Services. "These are community entities that are naturally committed to the President's long-term vision of health and sustainability, so we've designed our projects to pass as much value as possible through to them as system hosts."
The company is pleased to be achieving success during the economic downturn and recently closed a second financing round. "We're bullish on renewables," said Beardsley. "From what we can tell of the Stimulus Bill, more people are going to be in a position to take advantage of solar investment opportunities than were yesterday at this time."
About Hybrid Energy
Founded in 2005 to facilitate investment in renewable energy resources, Hybrid Energy Group is in the process of expanding their Community Solar Program for commercial, governmental, and non-profit entities and expects to develop an additional Megawatt (1mW) of solar power by the end of 2009. For additional information about HEG and the Community Solar Program contact, Woody Beardsley or Ted Ramsey at 303-495-2216 or visit http://www.hybridenergygroup.com/
Wind Power On a Large Scale
ScienceDaily (Feb. 23, 2009) — Research by TU Delft shows that Dutch power stations are able to cope at any time in the future with variations in demand for electricity and supply of wind power, as long as use is made of up-to-date wind forecasts. PhD candidate Bart Ummels also demonstrates that there is no need for energy storage facilities. Ummels will receive his PhD on this topic on Thursday 26 February.
Wind is variable and can only partially be predicted. The large-scale use of wind power in the electricity system is therefore tricky. PhD candidate Bart Ummels MSc. investigated the consequences of using a substantial amount of wind power within the Dutch electricity system. He used simulation models, such as those developed by transmission system operator TenneT, to pinpoint potential problems (and solutions).
His results indicate that wind power requires greater flexibility from existing power stations. Sometimes larger reserves are needed, but more frequently power stations will have to decrease production in order to make room for wind-generated power. It is therefore essential to continually recalculate the commitment of power stations using the latest wind forecasts. This reduces potential forecast errors and enables wind power to be integrated more efficiently.
Ummels looked at wind power up to 12 GW, 8 GW of which at sea, which is enough to meet about one third of the Netherlands’ demand for electricity. Dutch power stations are able to cope at any time in the future with variations in demand for electricity and supply of wind power, as long as use is made of up-to-date, improved wind forecasts. It is TenneT’s task to integrate large-scale wind power into the electricity grid. Lex Hartman, TenneT’s Director of Corporate Development: “in a joint effort, TU Delft and TenneT further developed the simulation model that can be used to study the integration of large-scale wind power. The results show that in the Netherlands we can integrate between 4 GW and 10 GW into the grid without needing any additional measures.
Surpluses
Ummels: ‘Instead of the common question ‘What do we do when the wind isn’t blowing?’, the more relevant question is ‘Where do we put all the electricity if it is very windy at night?’. This is because, for instance, a coal-fired power station cannot simply be turned off. One solution is provided by the international trade in electricity, because other countries often can use the surplus. Moreover, a broadening of the ‘opening hours’ of the international electricity market benefits wind power. At the moment, utilities determine one day ahead how much electricity they intend to purchase or sell abroad. Wind power can be better used if the time difference between the trade and the wind forecast is smaller.’
No energy storage
Ummels’ research also demonstrates that energy storage is not required. The results indicate that the international electricity market is a promising and cheaper solution for the use of wind power.
Making power stations more flexible is also better than storage. The use of heating boilers, for instance, means that combined heat and power plants operate more flexibly, which can consequently free up capacity for wind power at night.
The use of wind power in the Dutch electricity system could lead to a reduction in production costs of EUR1.5 billion annually and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 19 million tons a year.
Wind is variable and can only partially be predicted. The large-scale use of wind power in the electricity system is therefore tricky. PhD candidate Bart Ummels MSc. investigated the consequences of using a substantial amount of wind power within the Dutch electricity system. He used simulation models, such as those developed by transmission system operator TenneT, to pinpoint potential problems (and solutions).
His results indicate that wind power requires greater flexibility from existing power stations. Sometimes larger reserves are needed, but more frequently power stations will have to decrease production in order to make room for wind-generated power. It is therefore essential to continually recalculate the commitment of power stations using the latest wind forecasts. This reduces potential forecast errors and enables wind power to be integrated more efficiently.
Ummels looked at wind power up to 12 GW, 8 GW of which at sea, which is enough to meet about one third of the Netherlands’ demand for electricity. Dutch power stations are able to cope at any time in the future with variations in demand for electricity and supply of wind power, as long as use is made of up-to-date, improved wind forecasts. It is TenneT’s task to integrate large-scale wind power into the electricity grid. Lex Hartman, TenneT’s Director of Corporate Development: “in a joint effort, TU Delft and TenneT further developed the simulation model that can be used to study the integration of large-scale wind power. The results show that in the Netherlands we can integrate between 4 GW and 10 GW into the grid without needing any additional measures.
Surpluses
Ummels: ‘Instead of the common question ‘What do we do when the wind isn’t blowing?’, the more relevant question is ‘Where do we put all the electricity if it is very windy at night?’. This is because, for instance, a coal-fired power station cannot simply be turned off. One solution is provided by the international trade in electricity, because other countries often can use the surplus. Moreover, a broadening of the ‘opening hours’ of the international electricity market benefits wind power. At the moment, utilities determine one day ahead how much electricity they intend to purchase or sell abroad. Wind power can be better used if the time difference between the trade and the wind forecast is smaller.’
No energy storage
Ummels’ research also demonstrates that energy storage is not required. The results indicate that the international electricity market is a promising and cheaper solution for the use of wind power.
Making power stations more flexible is also better than storage. The use of heating boilers, for instance, means that combined heat and power plants operate more flexibly, which can consequently free up capacity for wind power at night.
The use of wind power in the Dutch electricity system could lead to a reduction in production costs of EUR1.5 billion annually and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 19 million tons a year.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Harvesting Hydrogen From Wood
ScienceDaily (Feb. 17, 2009) — Tomorrow's fuel-cell vehicles may be powered by enzymes that consume cellulose from woodchips or grass and exhale hydrogen. Researchers at Virginia Tech, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), and the University of Georgia have produced hydrogen gas pure enough to power a fuel cell by mixing 14 enzymes, one coenzyme, cellulosic materials from nonfood sources, and water heated to about 90 degrees (32 degrees Celsius).
The group announced three advances from their "one pot" process: 1) a novel combination of enzymes, 2) an increased hydrogen generation rate -- to as fast as natural hydrogen fermentation, and 3) a chemical energy output greater than the chemical energy stored in sugars – the highest hydrogen yield reported from cellulosic materials. "In addition to converting the chemical energy from the sugar, the process also converts the low-temperature thermal energy into high-quality hydrogen energy – like Prometheus stealing fire," said Percival Zhang, assistant professor of biological systems engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.
"It is exciting because using cellulose instead of starch expands the renewable resource for producing hydrogen to include biomass," said Jonathan Mielenz, leader of the Bioconversion Science and Technology Group at ORNL.
The researchers used cellulosic materials isolated from wood chips, but crop waste or switchgrass could also be used. "If a small fraction – 2 or 3 percent – of yearly biomass production were used for sugar-to-hydrogen fuel cells for transportation, we could reach transportation fuel independence," Zhang said. (He added that the 3 percent figure is for global transportation needs. The U.S. would actually need to convert about 10 percent of biomass – which would be 1.3 billion tons of usable biomass).
The research is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research; Zhang's DuPont Young Professor Award, and the U.S. Department of Energy
The group announced three advances from their "one pot" process: 1) a novel combination of enzymes, 2) an increased hydrogen generation rate -- to as fast as natural hydrogen fermentation, and 3) a chemical energy output greater than the chemical energy stored in sugars – the highest hydrogen yield reported from cellulosic materials. "In addition to converting the chemical energy from the sugar, the process also converts the low-temperature thermal energy into high-quality hydrogen energy – like Prometheus stealing fire," said Percival Zhang, assistant professor of biological systems engineering in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech.
"It is exciting because using cellulose instead of starch expands the renewable resource for producing hydrogen to include biomass," said Jonathan Mielenz, leader of the Bioconversion Science and Technology Group at ORNL.
The researchers used cellulosic materials isolated from wood chips, but crop waste or switchgrass could also be used. "If a small fraction – 2 or 3 percent – of yearly biomass production were used for sugar-to-hydrogen fuel cells for transportation, we could reach transportation fuel independence," Zhang said. (He added that the 3 percent figure is for global transportation needs. The U.S. would actually need to convert about 10 percent of biomass – which would be 1.3 billion tons of usable biomass).
The research is supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research; Zhang's DuPont Young Professor Award, and the U.S. Department of Energy
DuPage Habitat for Humanity Urges Us To Go Green
WHEATON, Ill., Feb. 24 /PRNewswire/ -- DuPage Habitat for Humanity, ComEd, and College of DuPage today announced a green partnership in the development of a $3 million Habitat for Humanity residential subdivision in DuPage County. The new homes, which will be built in the Pioneer Prairie neighborhood of suburban West Chicago, will allow 11 limited-income families to purchase attainable, sustainable homes.
ComEd is playing a central role in providing energy efficiency expertise for construction of the homes of Pioneer Prairie and the working families who will occupy them. Through an innovative new class called Sustainable Design Initiative taught at College of DuPage, architecture and construction management students will work alongside industry professionals and technical experts, like the ComEd Energy Doctor, to evaluate green building strategies for the 11 forthcoming Habitat homes - and for DuPage Habitat for Humanity in the long-term.
"ComEd is committed to helping all our customers become smart energy consumers, especially in the current economic climate. That's why we're suggesting simple steps our customers can take to shrink their carbon footprints - and their energy costs," said Anne Pramaggiore, executive vice president of Customer Operations, Regulatory, and External Affairs, ComEd.
"This creative collaboration allows ComEd to expand our energy efficiency education efforts by providing technical expertise to DuPage Habitat for Humanity and the students of Sustainable Design Initiative."
At the semester's conclusion, the students of Sustainable Design Initiative will present a plan to DuPage Habitat for Humanity detailing money-saving green solutions available to all homeowners and home developers. The plan will offer a complete cost-benefit analysis of energy efficiency recommendations for home construction, recycling, and landscaping.
Later this year, DuPage Habitat for Humanity, ComEd, and College of DuPage plan to publicize the students' findings through a series of free community events designed to inform area residents of low- and no-cost options for managing energy costs and reducing energy usage.
"This has been a great opportunity for our students to see the real-world applications of sustainable design principles," said Jane Ostergaard, Architecture Coordinator, College of DuPage. "Working with Habitat has pushed the students to look carefully at the cost benefits and consequences of the recommendations they are preparing."
In June, DuPage Habitat for Humanity will break ground on Pioneer Prairie, a three-acre residential subdivision of 11 detached, single-family homes. The neighborhood is located at the intersection of Sherman and Pomeroy streets in West Chicago. In addition to the new homes, the development will provide many benefits to local residents and the surrounding community, including new infrastructure, increased home values, and enhanced aesthetic appeal thanks to new sidewalks, parkway trees, streetscapes, and an expanded, revitalized Pioneer Park.
"DuPage Habitat offers families a hand up, not a hand out. Habitat's model for community-centered development of affordable homes offers community benefits, infrastructure improvements and now energy efficiency solutions through partnerships with local families, donors and volunteers that increase the supply of much-needed, sustainable, attainable homes in DuPage County," said Sarah Brachle, executive director of DuPage Habitat for Humanity.
DuPage Habitat for Humanity builds and sells homes to qualified hard-working, limited-income families. Families must earn sufficient income to pay their 30-year mortgages to DuPage Habitat. In addition, homeowners complete 250 "sweat equity" hours building their own home and their neighbors' homes, and participating in finance, budgeting, and home repair classes. All Habitat homeowners pay local property taxes and utilities.
The next homeowner application session will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 28 at the DuPage County Building, located at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton. The session, offered in English and Spanish, is a requirement for application to the program.
DuPage Habitat for Humanity has raised $2.5 million in philanthropic, government, and community support for the 11 Pioneer Prairie homes and five scattered-site rehabbed homes. The donors are not only funding the development of 11 new energy-efficient homes, they are creating a 30-year annuity that continues to help fund affordable home construction in DuPage County for years to come. Donors include: ComEd, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Ambitech Engineering, Matrex Exhibits, Tyndale House Publishers, Air-Rite Heating and Cooling, Goldman Sachs, Painters and Allied Trades Union, Mark Fessler, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, and Showalter Roofing.
Supporting the development of Pioneer Prairie contributes to Exelon 2020, the comprehensive corporate strategy of ComEd's parent company, Exelon, to reduce, offset, or displace more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020.
ComEd is playing a central role in providing energy efficiency expertise for construction of the homes of Pioneer Prairie and the working families who will occupy them. Through an innovative new class called Sustainable Design Initiative taught at College of DuPage, architecture and construction management students will work alongside industry professionals and technical experts, like the ComEd Energy Doctor, to evaluate green building strategies for the 11 forthcoming Habitat homes - and for DuPage Habitat for Humanity in the long-term.
"ComEd is committed to helping all our customers become smart energy consumers, especially in the current economic climate. That's why we're suggesting simple steps our customers can take to shrink their carbon footprints - and their energy costs," said Anne Pramaggiore, executive vice president of Customer Operations, Regulatory, and External Affairs, ComEd.
"This creative collaboration allows ComEd to expand our energy efficiency education efforts by providing technical expertise to DuPage Habitat for Humanity and the students of Sustainable Design Initiative."
At the semester's conclusion, the students of Sustainable Design Initiative will present a plan to DuPage Habitat for Humanity detailing money-saving green solutions available to all homeowners and home developers. The plan will offer a complete cost-benefit analysis of energy efficiency recommendations for home construction, recycling, and landscaping.
Later this year, DuPage Habitat for Humanity, ComEd, and College of DuPage plan to publicize the students' findings through a series of free community events designed to inform area residents of low- and no-cost options for managing energy costs and reducing energy usage.
"This has been a great opportunity for our students to see the real-world applications of sustainable design principles," said Jane Ostergaard, Architecture Coordinator, College of DuPage. "Working with Habitat has pushed the students to look carefully at the cost benefits and consequences of the recommendations they are preparing."
In June, DuPage Habitat for Humanity will break ground on Pioneer Prairie, a three-acre residential subdivision of 11 detached, single-family homes. The neighborhood is located at the intersection of Sherman and Pomeroy streets in West Chicago. In addition to the new homes, the development will provide many benefits to local residents and the surrounding community, including new infrastructure, increased home values, and enhanced aesthetic appeal thanks to new sidewalks, parkway trees, streetscapes, and an expanded, revitalized Pioneer Park.
"DuPage Habitat offers families a hand up, not a hand out. Habitat's model for community-centered development of affordable homes offers community benefits, infrastructure improvements and now energy efficiency solutions through partnerships with local families, donors and volunteers that increase the supply of much-needed, sustainable, attainable homes in DuPage County," said Sarah Brachle, executive director of DuPage Habitat for Humanity.
DuPage Habitat for Humanity builds and sells homes to qualified hard-working, limited-income families. Families must earn sufficient income to pay their 30-year mortgages to DuPage Habitat. In addition, homeowners complete 250 "sweat equity" hours building their own home and their neighbors' homes, and participating in finance, budgeting, and home repair classes. All Habitat homeowners pay local property taxes and utilities.
The next homeowner application session will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 28 at the DuPage County Building, located at 421 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton. The session, offered in English and Spanish, is a requirement for application to the program.
DuPage Habitat for Humanity has raised $2.5 million in philanthropic, government, and community support for the 11 Pioneer Prairie homes and five scattered-site rehabbed homes. The donors are not only funding the development of 11 new energy-efficient homes, they are creating a 30-year annuity that continues to help fund affordable home construction in DuPage County for years to come. Donors include: ComEd, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Ambitech Engineering, Matrex Exhibits, Tyndale House Publishers, Air-Rite Heating and Cooling, Goldman Sachs, Painters and Allied Trades Union, Mark Fessler, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, and Showalter Roofing.
Supporting the development of Pioneer Prairie contributes to Exelon 2020, the comprehensive corporate strategy of ComEd's parent company, Exelon, to reduce, offset, or displace more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
NASA Invests In Methane-Power With New Rocket
On January 16, 2007, at a facility on the Mojave Desert, NASA tested an engine with methane as its fuel.
With methane abundantly available in the solar system, it is considered a better fuel to use than conventional fuels such as liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) and solid chemicals—what is used on the engines of the Space Shuttle.
Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4. Although this test of the methane-powered engine is in the very early stages of development, such an engine could be key for successful exploration of the outer solar system.
NASA contractor Alliant Techsystems manufactured the main engine in the test. The engine had a thrust of 7,500 pounds. Alliant (ATK), spun off from Honeywell in 1990, is a major U.S. defense and aerospace contractor. With headquarters in Edina, Minnesota, ATK Launch Systems Group (formerly known as ATK-Thiokol) will build the Ares I launch vehicle for the new NASA Project Constellation, which replaces the Space Shuttle fleet.
XCOR Aerospace, which partnered with ATK on the methane test rocket, is a private rocket engine and spaceflight development company. It is headquartered in Mojave, California, within the Mojave Desert. Another of its activities is development of the reusable suborbital spaceplane Xerus for use with tourists and researchers.
NASA scientists and engineers are working on a LOX/methane engine for future missions in the solar system. Burning methane in the presence of oxygen (O2) produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O): CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O.
Methane, instead of LH2, is very advantageous because it is lighter to store (due to it being able to be stored at lower temperatures and in smaller containers, being denser than hydrogen), thus, cheaper to use. Plus, methane is much safer to use.
One of the main difficulties with using methane with oxygen is that methane needs an ignition source (some current fuels spontaneously combust with liquid oxygen, such as the fuel used in the solid rocket boosters of the Space Shuttle, which is called Ammonium Percholoate Composite Propellant, or APCP). Thus, NASA is working on a reliable ignition source that can be used in the extreme temperatures of outer space. [last two paragraphs modified 5-7-2007 per comment #1]
However, methane’s biggest plus may be that it can be made on other planets and celestial bodies. For example, on Saturn’s moon Titan, methane lakes and rivers contain abundant amounts of liquid methane. A methane-powered spacecraft, manned or unmanned, could land on Titan, explore the moon, and than gather enough methane to return to the Earth. Rather than send fuel for one round trip, only one-half the fuel would be needed for the outgoing part of the trip. The other half of the fuel could be obtained on the moon, itself.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all contain methane, which opens up the possibilities of grand exploration missions to these planets with methane-powered engines.
Go to NASA’s “Methane Blast” website to view the video on the methane-powered rocket test.
With methane abundantly available in the solar system, it is considered a better fuel to use than conventional fuels such as liquid oxygen (LOX)/liquid hydrogen (LH2) and solid chemicals—what is used on the engines of the Space Shuttle.
Methane is a chemical compound with the molecular formula CH4. Although this test of the methane-powered engine is in the very early stages of development, such an engine could be key for successful exploration of the outer solar system.
NASA contractor Alliant Techsystems manufactured the main engine in the test. The engine had a thrust of 7,500 pounds. Alliant (ATK), spun off from Honeywell in 1990, is a major U.S. defense and aerospace contractor. With headquarters in Edina, Minnesota, ATK Launch Systems Group (formerly known as ATK-Thiokol) will build the Ares I launch vehicle for the new NASA Project Constellation, which replaces the Space Shuttle fleet.
XCOR Aerospace, which partnered with ATK on the methane test rocket, is a private rocket engine and spaceflight development company. It is headquartered in Mojave, California, within the Mojave Desert. Another of its activities is development of the reusable suborbital spaceplane Xerus for use with tourists and researchers.
NASA scientists and engineers are working on a LOX/methane engine for future missions in the solar system. Burning methane in the presence of oxygen (O2) produces carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O): CH4 + 2O2 → CO2 + 2H2O.
Methane, instead of LH2, is very advantageous because it is lighter to store (due to it being able to be stored at lower temperatures and in smaller containers, being denser than hydrogen), thus, cheaper to use. Plus, methane is much safer to use.
One of the main difficulties with using methane with oxygen is that methane needs an ignition source (some current fuels spontaneously combust with liquid oxygen, such as the fuel used in the solid rocket boosters of the Space Shuttle, which is called Ammonium Percholoate Composite Propellant, or APCP). Thus, NASA is working on a reliable ignition source that can be used in the extreme temperatures of outer space. [last two paragraphs modified 5-7-2007 per comment #1]
However, methane’s biggest plus may be that it can be made on other planets and celestial bodies. For example, on Saturn’s moon Titan, methane lakes and rivers contain abundant amounts of liquid methane. A methane-powered spacecraft, manned or unmanned, could land on Titan, explore the moon, and than gather enough methane to return to the Earth. Rather than send fuel for one round trip, only one-half the fuel would be needed for the outgoing part of the trip. The other half of the fuel could be obtained on the moon, itself.
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune all contain methane, which opens up the possibilities of grand exploration missions to these planets with methane-powered engines.
Go to NASA’s “Methane Blast” website to view the video on the methane-powered rocket test.
How Can Hamsters Create More Energy?
ScienceDaily (Feb. 14, 2009) — Could hamsters help solve the world's energy crisis? Probably not, but a hamster wearing a power-generating jacket is doing its own small part to provide a new and renewable source of electricity.
And using the same nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have also generated electrical current from a tapping finger – moving the users of BlackBerry devices, cell phones and other handhelds one step closer to powering them with their own typing.
"Using nanotechnology, we have demonstrated ways to convert even irregular biomechanical energy into electricity," said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regent's professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. "This technology can convert any mechanical disturbance into electrical energy."
The demonstrations of harnessing biomechanical energy to produce electricity were reported February 11 in the online version of the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters.
The study demonstrates that nanogenerators – which Wang's team has been developing since 2005 – can be driven by irregular mechanical motion, such as the vibration of vocal cords, flapping of a flag in the breeze, tapping of fingers or hamsters running on exercise wheels. Scavenging such low-frequency energy from irregular motion is significant because much biomechanical energy is variable, unlike the regular mechanical motion used to generate most large-scale electricity today.
The nanogenerator power is produced by the piezoelectric effect, a phenomenon in which certain materials – such as zinc oxide wires – produce electrical charges when they are bent and then relaxed. The wires are between 100 and 800 nanometers in diameter, and between 100 and 500 microns in length.
To make their generators, Wang's research team encapsulated single zinc oxide wires in a flexible polymer substrate, the wires anchored at each end with an electrical contact, and with a Shottky Barrier at one end to control current flow. They then attached one of these single-wire generators to the joint area of an index finger, or combined four of the single-wire devices on a "yellow jacket" worn by the hamster.
The running and scratching of the hamster – and the tapping of the finger – flexed the substrate in which the nanowires were encapsulated, producing tiny amounts of alternating electrical current. Integrating four nanogenerators on the hamster's jacket generated up to up to 0.5 nanoamps; less current was produced by the single generator on the finger.
Wang estimates that powering a handheld device such as a Bluetooth headset would require at least thousands of these single-wire generators, which could be built up in three-dimensional modules.
Beyond the finger-tapping and hamster-running, Wang believe his modules could be implanted into the body to harvest energy from such sources as muscle movements or pulsating blood vessels. In the body, they could be used to power nanodevices to measure blood pressure or other vital signs.
Because the devices produce alternating current, synchronizing the four generators on the hamster's back was vital to maximizing current production. Without the synchronization, current flow from one generator could cancel out the flow from another.
The research team – which also included Rusen Yang, Yong Qin, Cheng Li and Guang Zhu – solved that problem by using a substrate that was flexible in only one direction, forcing the generators to flex together. Still, there was substantial variation in the output from each generator. The differences result from variations in the amount of flexing and from inconsistencies in the hand-built devices.
"The nanogenerators have to be synchronized, with the output of all of them coordinated so the current adds up constructively," Wang noted. "Through engineering, we would expect this can be resolved in the future through improved design and more consistent manufacturing."
To ensure that the current measured was actually produced by the generators, the researchers took several precautions. For instance, they substituted carbon fibers – which are not piezoelectric – for the zinc oxide nanowires and measured no output electrical signal.
The research team encountered a number of obstacles related to its four-legged subjects. Wang's team first tried to outfit a rat with the power-generating jacket, but found that the creature wasn't very interested in running.
At the suggestion of Wang's daughter, Melissa, the researchers found that hamsters are more active creatures – but only after 11 p.m. They had to experiment with a jacket configuration that was tight enough to stay on and to wrinkle the nanogenerator substrate – but not so tight as to make the hamster uncomfortable.
"We believe this is the first demonstration of using a live animal to produce current with nanogenerators," Wang added. "This study shows that we really can harness human or animal motion to generate current."
The research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Air Force, and the Emory-Georgia Tech Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence.
And using the same nanotechnology, Georgia Institute of Technology researchers have also generated electrical current from a tapping finger – moving the users of BlackBerry devices, cell phones and other handhelds one step closer to powering them with their own typing.
"Using nanotechnology, we have demonstrated ways to convert even irregular biomechanical energy into electricity," said Zhong Lin Wang, a Regent's professor in the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. "This technology can convert any mechanical disturbance into electrical energy."
The demonstrations of harnessing biomechanical energy to produce electricity were reported February 11 in the online version of the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters.
The study demonstrates that nanogenerators – which Wang's team has been developing since 2005 – can be driven by irregular mechanical motion, such as the vibration of vocal cords, flapping of a flag in the breeze, tapping of fingers or hamsters running on exercise wheels. Scavenging such low-frequency energy from irregular motion is significant because much biomechanical energy is variable, unlike the regular mechanical motion used to generate most large-scale electricity today.
The nanogenerator power is produced by the piezoelectric effect, a phenomenon in which certain materials – such as zinc oxide wires – produce electrical charges when they are bent and then relaxed. The wires are between 100 and 800 nanometers in diameter, and between 100 and 500 microns in length.
To make their generators, Wang's research team encapsulated single zinc oxide wires in a flexible polymer substrate, the wires anchored at each end with an electrical contact, and with a Shottky Barrier at one end to control current flow. They then attached one of these single-wire generators to the joint area of an index finger, or combined four of the single-wire devices on a "yellow jacket" worn by the hamster.
The running and scratching of the hamster – and the tapping of the finger – flexed the substrate in which the nanowires were encapsulated, producing tiny amounts of alternating electrical current. Integrating four nanogenerators on the hamster's jacket generated up to up to 0.5 nanoamps; less current was produced by the single generator on the finger.
Wang estimates that powering a handheld device such as a Bluetooth headset would require at least thousands of these single-wire generators, which could be built up in three-dimensional modules.
Beyond the finger-tapping and hamster-running, Wang believe his modules could be implanted into the body to harvest energy from such sources as muscle movements or pulsating blood vessels. In the body, they could be used to power nanodevices to measure blood pressure or other vital signs.
Because the devices produce alternating current, synchronizing the four generators on the hamster's back was vital to maximizing current production. Without the synchronization, current flow from one generator could cancel out the flow from another.
The research team – which also included Rusen Yang, Yong Qin, Cheng Li and Guang Zhu – solved that problem by using a substrate that was flexible in only one direction, forcing the generators to flex together. Still, there was substantial variation in the output from each generator. The differences result from variations in the amount of flexing and from inconsistencies in the hand-built devices.
"The nanogenerators have to be synchronized, with the output of all of them coordinated so the current adds up constructively," Wang noted. "Through engineering, we would expect this can be resolved in the future through improved design and more consistent manufacturing."
To ensure that the current measured was actually produced by the generators, the researchers took several precautions. For instance, they substituted carbon fibers – which are not piezoelectric – for the zinc oxide nanowires and measured no output electrical signal.
The research team encountered a number of obstacles related to its four-legged subjects. Wang's team first tried to outfit a rat with the power-generating jacket, but found that the creature wasn't very interested in running.
At the suggestion of Wang's daughter, Melissa, the researchers found that hamsters are more active creatures – but only after 11 p.m. They had to experiment with a jacket configuration that was tight enough to stay on and to wrinkle the nanogenerator substrate – but not so tight as to make the hamster uncomfortable.
"We believe this is the first demonstration of using a live animal to produce current with nanogenerators," Wang added. "This study shows that we really can harness human or animal motion to generate current."
The research was supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Air Force, and the Emory-Georgia Tech Center for Cancer Nanotechnology Excellence.
BP Solar Contract With Comverge
EAST HANOVER, N.J., Feb. 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Comverge, Inc. (Nasdaq: COMV), a leading provider of smart grid demand response and energy efficiency solutions, announced today that BP Solar has selected Comverge to develop data acquisition and deployment solutions using Comverge's recently announced Apollo(R) integrated demand response platform, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) enabling technology, and information command center technology. The award is part of BP Solar's DOE sponsored project known as Solar America Initiative: "Reaching Grid Parity Using BP Solar Crystalline Silicon Technology".
The new contract with BP Solar calls for Comverge to integrate its advanced metering infrastructure technology utilizing its advanced PowerPortal(R) In-Home Display. Developing interfaces that provide solar production and other system information, BP Solar will have the option to integrate demand response using ZigBee(R) enabled intelligent thermostats and digital control units. Onsite systems data will be acquired and communicated offsite for performance monitoring, control, utility and customer information portals.
Robert M. Chiste, chairman, president and CEO of Comverge said, "We are pleased to be chosen by BP Solar for this important development initiative. We believe that the selection of Comverge is tangible recognition of the value of our integrated clean energy AMI enabled and solar power solutions, including our recently announced Apollo Platform(R) and PowerPortal In-Home Display." Mr. Chiste continued, "It is becoming generally recognized that, because of the uneven nature of solar and wind generation, demand response programs can act in concert with these alternative energy supplies to 'level' capacity. This relationship with BP Solar is an important step in Comverge's strategy to facilitate the integration of alternative energy solutions as part of the nation's drive toward energy independence."
The new contract with BP Solar calls for Comverge to integrate its advanced metering infrastructure technology utilizing its advanced PowerPortal(R) In-Home Display. Developing interfaces that provide solar production and other system information, BP Solar will have the option to integrate demand response using ZigBee(R) enabled intelligent thermostats and digital control units. Onsite systems data will be acquired and communicated offsite for performance monitoring, control, utility and customer information portals.
Robert M. Chiste, chairman, president and CEO of Comverge said, "We are pleased to be chosen by BP Solar for this important development initiative. We believe that the selection of Comverge is tangible recognition of the value of our integrated clean energy AMI enabled and solar power solutions, including our recently announced Apollo Platform(R) and PowerPortal In-Home Display." Mr. Chiste continued, "It is becoming generally recognized that, because of the uneven nature of solar and wind generation, demand response programs can act in concert with these alternative energy supplies to 'level' capacity. This relationship with BP Solar is an important step in Comverge's strategy to facilitate the integration of alternative energy solutions as part of the nation's drive toward energy independence."
Thursday, January 22, 2009
More Biomass Could Mean More Fuel
ScienceDaily (Jan. 22, 2009) — Microbes may well be the answer to our global energy crisis. By fermenting biomass to produce biofuels, they offer a possible climate-friendly solution to the anticipated shortfall in fossil fuel supply. A review by Professor Arnold Demain from Drew University in New Jersey, USA, on how microbes could be used to salvage the energy crisis has just been published online Springer’s Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology.
According to Professor Demain, the petroleum-based economy in the US is getting close to the end of its lifecycle. Global oil reserves and new petroleum discoveries will not be enough to meet the annual demand worldwide. It is therefore essential to anticipate and avoid any shortfall in future supply and to provide access to new bioenergy alternatives for the marketplace.
In the context of a strong global political and economical debate on the gradual substitution of petroleum by renewable alternatives such as biofuels, Demain reviews how microbes can help solve the energy problem, and focuses on the organisms that ferment lignocellulosic biomass to produce bioethanol, biobutanol, biodiesel and biohydrocarbons in particular. His review also highlights how the use of these biofuels would help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The plants that produce the biomass remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as part of their growth and normal metabolism.
Demain also highlights a number of important commercial developments, including the establishment of biotechnology companies in the biofuel sector since 2006, either alone or with companies of the petroleum and chemical industries. In addition, there have been a number of U.S. Government initiatives pushing for and backing the development of biofuels.
Demain concludes that:
“What remains is a major effort and challenge to biochemical engineering at the many new plants being built for biofuel production. The new processes have to be scaled up and carried out in a cost-effective way. The future of biofuels looks very bright…the best is yet to come.”
According to Professor Demain, the petroleum-based economy in the US is getting close to the end of its lifecycle. Global oil reserves and new petroleum discoveries will not be enough to meet the annual demand worldwide. It is therefore essential to anticipate and avoid any shortfall in future supply and to provide access to new bioenergy alternatives for the marketplace.
In the context of a strong global political and economical debate on the gradual substitution of petroleum by renewable alternatives such as biofuels, Demain reviews how microbes can help solve the energy problem, and focuses on the organisms that ferment lignocellulosic biomass to produce bioethanol, biobutanol, biodiesel and biohydrocarbons in particular. His review also highlights how the use of these biofuels would help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The plants that produce the biomass remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as part of their growth and normal metabolism.
Demain also highlights a number of important commercial developments, including the establishment of biotechnology companies in the biofuel sector since 2006, either alone or with companies of the petroleum and chemical industries. In addition, there have been a number of U.S. Government initiatives pushing for and backing the development of biofuels.
Demain concludes that:
“What remains is a major effort and challenge to biochemical engineering at the many new plants being built for biofuel production. The new processes have to be scaled up and carried out in a cost-effective way. The future of biofuels looks very bright…the best is yet to come.”
Reducing Carbon Emission To Reduce Costs
ScienceDaily (Jan. 21, 2009) — The least cost way to reduce power related carbon emissions in Europe would be to supplement the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) with the introduction of Emissions Performance Standards for energy, according to a new study.
Such a system, successfully used in some US States where it has helped put renewable energy on a more equal footing with traditional energy sources, could cut the EU power sector’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 by more than two-thirds – more than 800 million tonnes per year.
'Scenarios on the Introduction of CO2 Emission Performance Standards for the EU Power Sector', carried out by the consultancy Ecofys for environmental groups WWF, Bellona Europa, ClientEarth, E3G and Green Alliance, says such an outcome could be achieved if binding emissions limits are introduced for all large power stations in the EU on a staged basis between 2010 to 2020.
The study also shows that an early phase-in of Emissions Performance Standards (EPS) would be more cost-effective and have greater impacts than a delayed introduction. It would overcome some weaknesses of the ETS, which has been criticised for providing some of Europe’s heaviest polluters with windfall profits as a result of governments giving away rather than auctioning carbon emission permits.
“The current EU Emissions Trading Scheme unfortunately does not prevent high polluting coal-fired power stations from being built,” said Stephan Singer, Director of WWF’s Global Energy Programme.
“We need new emissions limits to ensure Europe invests only in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and CO2 capture and storage facilities for coal-fired power stations. Otherwise, Europe will fail to deliver its contribution to keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.”
A CO2 Emissions Performance Standard is a limit on emissions per unit of energy output. EPS in the power sector has been in place in California, US since 2007 and has subsequently been introduced by Oregon, Washington State and Montana.
All of these states are part of the Western Climate Initiative, formed with the aim of cooperating on the introduction and operation of cap and trade-systems, and the report stated there was a clear indication that the fruitful co-existence of EPS and ETS (Emissions Trading System) schemes was considered feasible.
In general it was found that EPS schemes were implemented successfully, especially if the right framework conditions were created, by helping operators to bear the costs of EPS compliance through incentivizing legislation (taxation related). In the EU this could also be supported by a more stringent EU-ETS with higher certificate prices.
With such a limit, new power plants that cannot meet the standard would not be built and existing power plants that do not plan to upgrade pollution controls or implement equivalent measures would close down.
Utilities will have clear incentives to invest in energy efficiency measures, equip their new plants or retrofit the existing ones with CO2 capture and storage, or switch to renewable sources of energy.
The study clearly shows that an Emission Performance Standard needs to be phased in through stages for both new and existing plants. Imposing a very demanding limit of 150g CO2 / kWh just on new plants from 2010 would deliver reductions of 10 per cent of power sector greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, while a staged introduction of a less stringent 350g standard for new plants from 2010, extended to existing plants by 2015, could save up to 46 per cent of power sector emissions by 2020.
In contrast to continuing to allow construction of new conventional fossil fuel power stations under the guise of 'capture readiness', an Emissions Performance Standard is an effective means of providing the real regulatory certainty needed to shift investment decisions in the power sector, and avoid dangerous lock-in to high carbon power infrastructure.
It will also be key to move Europe’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 20 per cent to 30 per cent as soon as a new international agreement is in place
Such a system, successfully used in some US States where it has helped put renewable energy on a more equal footing with traditional energy sources, could cut the EU power sector’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 by more than two-thirds – more than 800 million tonnes per year.
'Scenarios on the Introduction of CO2 Emission Performance Standards for the EU Power Sector', carried out by the consultancy Ecofys for environmental groups WWF, Bellona Europa, ClientEarth, E3G and Green Alliance, says such an outcome could be achieved if binding emissions limits are introduced for all large power stations in the EU on a staged basis between 2010 to 2020.
The study also shows that an early phase-in of Emissions Performance Standards (EPS) would be more cost-effective and have greater impacts than a delayed introduction. It would overcome some weaknesses of the ETS, which has been criticised for providing some of Europe’s heaviest polluters with windfall profits as a result of governments giving away rather than auctioning carbon emission permits.
“The current EU Emissions Trading Scheme unfortunately does not prevent high polluting coal-fired power stations from being built,” said Stephan Singer, Director of WWF’s Global Energy Programme.
“We need new emissions limits to ensure Europe invests only in renewable energy, energy efficiency, and CO2 capture and storage facilities for coal-fired power stations. Otherwise, Europe will fail to deliver its contribution to keeping global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.”
A CO2 Emissions Performance Standard is a limit on emissions per unit of energy output. EPS in the power sector has been in place in California, US since 2007 and has subsequently been introduced by Oregon, Washington State and Montana.
All of these states are part of the Western Climate Initiative, formed with the aim of cooperating on the introduction and operation of cap and trade-systems, and the report stated there was a clear indication that the fruitful co-existence of EPS and ETS (Emissions Trading System) schemes was considered feasible.
In general it was found that EPS schemes were implemented successfully, especially if the right framework conditions were created, by helping operators to bear the costs of EPS compliance through incentivizing legislation (taxation related). In the EU this could also be supported by a more stringent EU-ETS with higher certificate prices.
With such a limit, new power plants that cannot meet the standard would not be built and existing power plants that do not plan to upgrade pollution controls or implement equivalent measures would close down.
Utilities will have clear incentives to invest in energy efficiency measures, equip their new plants or retrofit the existing ones with CO2 capture and storage, or switch to renewable sources of energy.
The study clearly shows that an Emission Performance Standard needs to be phased in through stages for both new and existing plants. Imposing a very demanding limit of 150g CO2 / kWh just on new plants from 2010 would deliver reductions of 10 per cent of power sector greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, while a staged introduction of a less stringent 350g standard for new plants from 2010, extended to existing plants by 2015, could save up to 46 per cent of power sector emissions by 2020.
In contrast to continuing to allow construction of new conventional fossil fuel power stations under the guise of 'capture readiness', an Emissions Performance Standard is an effective means of providing the real regulatory certainty needed to shift investment decisions in the power sector, and avoid dangerous lock-in to high carbon power infrastructure.
It will also be key to move Europe’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 20 per cent to 30 per cent as soon as a new international agreement is in place
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Are Solar Cells Becoming More Simplified?
ScienceDaily (Dec. 1, 2008) — Currently, solar cells are difficult to handle, expensive to purchase and complicated to install. The hope is that consumers will one day be able to buy solar cells from their local hardware store and simply hang them like posters on a wall.
A new study by researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has shown that the dream is one step closer to reality. Reporting in the Nov. 26 edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Yang Yang, a professor of materials science and engineering, and colleagues describe the design and synthesis of a new polymer, or plastic, for use in solar cells that has significantly greater sunlight absorption and conversion capabilities than previous polymers.
The research team found that substituting a silicon atom for carbon atom in the backbone of the polymer markedly improved the material's photovoltaic properties. This silole-containing polymer can also be crystalline, giving it great potential as an ingredient for high-efficiency solar cells.
"With the reality of today's energy crisis, a new-game changing technology is required to make solar cells more popular," Yang said. "We hope that our newly synthesized polymer can eventually be used on solar cells far beyond their current rooftop applications. Imagine a house or car covered and powered by flexible solar films. Our dream is to see solar cells used everywhere."
Polymers are lightweight, low-cost plastics used in packaging materials and inexpensive products like insulators, pipes, household products and toys. Polymer solar cells utilize organic compounds to produce electricity from sunlight. They are much cheaper to produce than traditional silicon-based solar cells and are also environmentally friendly.
But while polymer solar cells have been around for several years, their efficiency has, until recently, been low. The new polymer created by Yang's team reached 5.1 percent efficiency in the published study but has in a few months improved to 5.6 percent in the lab. Yang and his team have proven that the photovoltaic material they use on their solar cells is one of the most efficient based on a single-layer, low-band-gap polymer.
At a lower band gap, the polymer solar cell can better utilize the solar spectrum, thereby absorbing more sunlight. At a higher band gap, light is not easily absorbed and can be wasted.
"Previously, the synthesizing process for the polymer was very complicated. We've been able to simplify the process and make it much easier to mass produce," said Jianhui Hou, UCLA postdoctoral researcher and co-author of the study. "Though this is a milestone achievement, we will continue to work on improving the materials. Ideally we'd like to push the performance of the solar cell to higher than 10 percent efficiency. We know the potential is there."
"We hope that solar cells will one day be as thin as paper and can be attached to the surface of your choice," added co-author Hsiang-Yu Chen, a UCLA graduate student in engineering. "We'll also be able to create different colors to match different applications."
The study was funded by Solarmer Energy Inc. and a UC Discovery Grant. Solarmer Energy Inc. has recently licensed the technology from UCLA for commercialization.
A new study by researchers at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science has shown that the dream is one step closer to reality. Reporting in the Nov. 26 edition of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Yang Yang, a professor of materials science and engineering, and colleagues describe the design and synthesis of a new polymer, or plastic, for use in solar cells that has significantly greater sunlight absorption and conversion capabilities than previous polymers.
The research team found that substituting a silicon atom for carbon atom in the backbone of the polymer markedly improved the material's photovoltaic properties. This silole-containing polymer can also be crystalline, giving it great potential as an ingredient for high-efficiency solar cells.
"With the reality of today's energy crisis, a new-game changing technology is required to make solar cells more popular," Yang said. "We hope that our newly synthesized polymer can eventually be used on solar cells far beyond their current rooftop applications. Imagine a house or car covered and powered by flexible solar films. Our dream is to see solar cells used everywhere."
Polymers are lightweight, low-cost plastics used in packaging materials and inexpensive products like insulators, pipes, household products and toys. Polymer solar cells utilize organic compounds to produce electricity from sunlight. They are much cheaper to produce than traditional silicon-based solar cells and are also environmentally friendly.
But while polymer solar cells have been around for several years, their efficiency has, until recently, been low. The new polymer created by Yang's team reached 5.1 percent efficiency in the published study but has in a few months improved to 5.6 percent in the lab. Yang and his team have proven that the photovoltaic material they use on their solar cells is one of the most efficient based on a single-layer, low-band-gap polymer.
At a lower band gap, the polymer solar cell can better utilize the solar spectrum, thereby absorbing more sunlight. At a higher band gap, light is not easily absorbed and can be wasted.
"Previously, the synthesizing process for the polymer was very complicated. We've been able to simplify the process and make it much easier to mass produce," said Jianhui Hou, UCLA postdoctoral researcher and co-author of the study. "Though this is a milestone achievement, we will continue to work on improving the materials. Ideally we'd like to push the performance of the solar cell to higher than 10 percent efficiency. We know the potential is there."
"We hope that solar cells will one day be as thin as paper and can be attached to the surface of your choice," added co-author Hsiang-Yu Chen, a UCLA graduate student in engineering. "We'll also be able to create different colors to match different applications."
The study was funded by Solarmer Energy Inc. and a UC Discovery Grant. Solarmer Energy Inc. has recently licensed the technology from UCLA for commercialization.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Nuclear Energy On The Rise In The Phillipines?
MANILA: The Philippine government has officially restarted its nuclear energy development program after it entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Korean government for a feasibility study on the possible revival of the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).
In a statement, the National Power Corp. said it had signed the MOU with Korea Electric and Power Co (KEPCO) last November 25 in Cebu City.
KEPCO, according to Napocor, is the best partner for this undertaking, as it is well known for its nuclear projects.
The state-run power generation firm added that the nuclear reactor in the BNPP has a “twin sister” in South Korea, the 650-MW Kori 2, commissioned in 1983 and which has been operating since then.
“It is also expressly understood that the signing of the MOU does not give KEPCO any preferential right to future projects or plans that Napocor may undertake on the BNPP. It is clearly understood between Napocor and KEPCO that nothing in the MOU shall be construed as a commitment by the National Power to KEPCO to rehabilitate the BNPP, and that the MOU is non-exclusive,” it said.
Napocor president Froilan Tampinco and KEPCO Philippines president Kang Won Lee signed the MOU, which will be valid for three years.
The agreement will “promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of nuclear power plant operation, maintenance and rehabilitation through the exchange of data and experience, visits and joint work.”
Both parties expect to benefit from “sharing invaluable experience and knowledge to be gained from such cooperation.”
The MOU also covers the exchange of data; activities related to determine the feasibility of the rehabilitation of BNPP; exchange of visits by experts, engineers and technicians in nuclear power generation; and cooperation in nuclear power plant rehabilitation, operation and maintenance and other related business fields.
Based on the agreement, Napocor and KEPCO will conduct various studies, such as those for preparation, planning and implementation of the cooperation project; site survey for the project, subject to the safety and security regulations of Napocor; nuclear legislation, regulation and administration; studies on environmental impact of the project; human resources development related to the project.
Full Story
In a statement, the National Power Corp. said it had signed the MOU with Korea Electric and Power Co (KEPCO) last November 25 in Cebu City.
KEPCO, according to Napocor, is the best partner for this undertaking, as it is well known for its nuclear projects.
The state-run power generation firm added that the nuclear reactor in the BNPP has a “twin sister” in South Korea, the 650-MW Kori 2, commissioned in 1983 and which has been operating since then.
“It is also expressly understood that the signing of the MOU does not give KEPCO any preferential right to future projects or plans that Napocor may undertake on the BNPP. It is clearly understood between Napocor and KEPCO that nothing in the MOU shall be construed as a commitment by the National Power to KEPCO to rehabilitate the BNPP, and that the MOU is non-exclusive,” it said.
Napocor president Froilan Tampinco and KEPCO Philippines president Kang Won Lee signed the MOU, which will be valid for three years.
The agreement will “promote bilateral cooperation in the fields of nuclear power plant operation, maintenance and rehabilitation through the exchange of data and experience, visits and joint work.”
Both parties expect to benefit from “sharing invaluable experience and knowledge to be gained from such cooperation.”
The MOU also covers the exchange of data; activities related to determine the feasibility of the rehabilitation of BNPP; exchange of visits by experts, engineers and technicians in nuclear power generation; and cooperation in nuclear power plant rehabilitation, operation and maintenance and other related business fields.
Based on the agreement, Napocor and KEPCO will conduct various studies, such as those for preparation, planning and implementation of the cooperation project; site survey for the project, subject to the safety and security regulations of Napocor; nuclear legislation, regulation and administration; studies on environmental impact of the project; human resources development related to the project.
Full Story
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Farm Show Hopes to Shed Light On Cleaner Fuels
HARRISBURG, Pa., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Department of Environmental Protection will energize the 2009 Pennsylvania Farm Show with a display that teaches visitors to make the connections between climate change, energy conservation and renewable energy.
"Pennsylvania has made tremendous progress in the past year to increase the production of clean energy, to make it easier for consumers to use energy more wisely, and to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emission," said acting Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger. "This engaging Farm Show display highlights how Pennsylvania's progressive energy and climate policies will protect the environment and lead to greater energy independence."
The 400,000 visitors expected to visit the Pennsylvania Farm Show will be invited to "Feel the Power of Energy Conservation" at DEP's display in the Main Hall. Guests can climb aboard a bicycle-powered electric generator to see how much easier it is to power energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs than traditional incandescent lights.
A second human-powered generator in the display will give guests the ability to demonstrate that there are many energy alternatives to fossil fuels.
The DEP display also features an encore appearance of the comically drawn farm animals from last year's "What's Your Carbon Footprint?" display. Pigs, chickens, horses and goats are depicted in everyday human situations that highlight steps people can take to reduce their impact on the environment, especially by reducing energy consumption.
Pennsylvania is now working to draft a climate change mitigation plan that will provide a roadmap for economically reducing the state's greenhouse gas emissions. The effort is the result of Governor Edward G. Rendell signing the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act into law in 2008.
Last year, Governor Rendell also signed into law measures that embody the goals of his Energy Independence Strategy, including a $650 million Alternative Energy Investment Fund to spur the development of alternative and renewable energy sources and help families and small business conserve energy and use it more efficiently; as well as new biofuels mandates and incentives that will add nearly 1 billion gallons of home grown fuel alternatives to in-state supplies and spur additional economic growth.
The Governor also signed legislation putting in place one of the most aggressive electricity conservation programs in the nation that will save power consumers $500 million over the next five years and up to $800 million annually by 2013. The law, Act 129, requires utilities to implement energy conservation plans that will reduce total consumption by 3 percent and peak demand by 4.5 percent during the 100 most expensive hours of the year.
"The cleanest and cheapest unit of energy is the one never used," said Hanger. "Energy efficiency and advanced conservation technologies, coupled with creating an increasing share of electricity from clean sources such as wind and solar power, will help us reduce the potentially devastating effects of climate change and to leave a better, cleaner world to future generations."
Together, Pennsylvania's clean energy and energy conservation programs will spur as much as $3.5 billion in new, private economic development projects from alternative energy companies and will create at least 10,000 good-paying jobs in a rapidly growing industry.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show runs Jan. 10-17 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. For more information about the Farm Show, visit http://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/.
"Pennsylvania has made tremendous progress in the past year to increase the production of clean energy, to make it easier for consumers to use energy more wisely, and to find ways to reduce greenhouse gas emission," said acting Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger. "This engaging Farm Show display highlights how Pennsylvania's progressive energy and climate policies will protect the environment and lead to greater energy independence."
The 400,000 visitors expected to visit the Pennsylvania Farm Show will be invited to "Feel the Power of Energy Conservation" at DEP's display in the Main Hall. Guests can climb aboard a bicycle-powered electric generator to see how much easier it is to power energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs than traditional incandescent lights.
A second human-powered generator in the display will give guests the ability to demonstrate that there are many energy alternatives to fossil fuels.
The DEP display also features an encore appearance of the comically drawn farm animals from last year's "What's Your Carbon Footprint?" display. Pigs, chickens, horses and goats are depicted in everyday human situations that highlight steps people can take to reduce their impact on the environment, especially by reducing energy consumption.
Pennsylvania is now working to draft a climate change mitigation plan that will provide a roadmap for economically reducing the state's greenhouse gas emissions. The effort is the result of Governor Edward G. Rendell signing the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act into law in 2008.
Last year, Governor Rendell also signed into law measures that embody the goals of his Energy Independence Strategy, including a $650 million Alternative Energy Investment Fund to spur the development of alternative and renewable energy sources and help families and small business conserve energy and use it more efficiently; as well as new biofuels mandates and incentives that will add nearly 1 billion gallons of home grown fuel alternatives to in-state supplies and spur additional economic growth.
The Governor also signed legislation putting in place one of the most aggressive electricity conservation programs in the nation that will save power consumers $500 million over the next five years and up to $800 million annually by 2013. The law, Act 129, requires utilities to implement energy conservation plans that will reduce total consumption by 3 percent and peak demand by 4.5 percent during the 100 most expensive hours of the year.
"The cleanest and cheapest unit of energy is the one never used," said Hanger. "Energy efficiency and advanced conservation technologies, coupled with creating an increasing share of electricity from clean sources such as wind and solar power, will help us reduce the potentially devastating effects of climate change and to leave a better, cleaner world to future generations."
Together, Pennsylvania's clean energy and energy conservation programs will spur as much as $3.5 billion in new, private economic development projects from alternative energy companies and will create at least 10,000 good-paying jobs in a rapidly growing industry.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show runs Jan. 10-17 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg. For more information about the Farm Show, visit http://www.farmshow.state.pa.us/.
2009 Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard
Boston, United States [RenewableEnergyWorld.com]
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has released regulations expanding support for renewable energy and alternative energy technologies mandated by the Green Communities Act, the energy reform legislation that the state enacted last year.
The Green Communities Act called for changes in the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) that would double the rate of increase in the use of new renewable energy, create a new Class II RPS to support the continued operation of older (pre-1998) renewable energy generating facilities. Principal provisions of the regulations include creating two different classes of renewable technologies under the RPS.
This new class of RPS, is limited to generation that went online on or before December 31, 1997. Utilities and other electricity suppliers are required to purchase RECs from Class II facilities equal to at least 3.6 percent of sales, or to make ACPs per megawatt-hour to meet the Class II RPS obligation. The initial ACP rate is US $25 per megawatt-hour in 2009, and will be adjusted each year with the Consumer Price Index.
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has released regulations expanding support for renewable energy and alternative energy technologies mandated by the Green Communities Act, the energy reform legislation that the state enacted last year.
The Green Communities Act called for changes in the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS) that would double the rate of increase in the use of new renewable energy, create a new Class II RPS to support the continued operation of older (pre-1998) renewable energy generating facilities. Principal provisions of the regulations include creating two different classes of renewable technologies under the RPS.
RPS Class I Renewables
Geothermal, hydroelectric, and marine and hydro-kinetic (including wave and tidal) energy are now eligible technologies under RPS Class I (in addition to solar and wind technologies), as is algae, as an eligible biomass fuel. In addition, liquid biofuels eligible for RPS Class I are required to meet lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and other standards set by the Clean Energy Biofuels Act of 2008.Compliance by utilities and other electric suppliers with the RPS requirement will be by purchase of the renewable attributes of electricity generated by eligible renewable energy facilities in the form of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) or by making an Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP). The ACP rate began at US $50 per megawatt-hour of RPS obligation in 2003 and is currently US $58.58, changing each year with the Consumer Price Index.
RPS Class II Renewables
This new class of RPS, is limited to generation that went online on or before December 31, 1997. Utilities and other electricity suppliers are required to purchase RECs from Class II facilities equal to at least 3.6 percent of sales, or to make ACPs per megawatt-hour to meet the Class II RPS obligation. The initial ACP rate is US $25 per megawatt-hour in 2009, and will be adjusted each year with the Consumer Price Index.
“By increasing our commitment to renewables, ensuring strict carbon emission standards are met before receiving state support, and creating new incentives for efficient power generation such as Combined Heat and Power, the state is taking several important steps down the clean energy highway,” said Sam Krasnow, policy advocate at Environment Northeast.
The new RPS and APS emergency regulations can be found downloaded from the state, which will be holding public hearning on the topic in the coming weeks.
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