Wind Industry Short of Workers

John Davis

If you’re looking for a career change or you’re just joining the workforce, you might consider a job in the wind industry.

This story in the Seattle Times says while the industry has taken off like a shot, installing 3,200 turbines last year alone… and that number expected to be repeated this year, the number of workers has not kept pace:

[W]ind-power officials see a much larger obstacle coming in the form of its own work force, a highly specialized group of technicians that combines working knowledge of mechanics, hydraulics, computers and meteorology with the willingness to climb 200 feet in the air in all kinds of weather.

That work force isn’t keeping up with the future demand, partly because the industry is so new that the oldest independent training programs are less than five years old.

awea.jpgThe American Wind Energy Association, a Washington, D.C.-based trade group, estimates the industry employs about 20,000 people, not including those making turbines or other equipment.

Future need is harder to quantify, given the uncertainties of the industry’s growth. But with two-man teams generally responsible for seven to 10 turbines, the industry would need up to 800 technicians to serve the turbines expected to be installed this year alone.

Park developers, turbine manufacturers and utilities are investing in training programs, attempting to lure workers with wages of up to $25 an hour, or teaming up with the growing number of wind-energy training programs offered at community and technical colleges.

The article goes on to say that some wind energy companies are so in need of skilled workers, they are snatching up those in the technical programs at colleges before they even finish their training.

So if you’re career future is still up in the air, you might consider the industry that is gaining a whirlwind of support: wind power.

Wind

Canadians Bemoan the Lack of Availability of Biofuels

John Davis

Canadians seem to be willing to use ethanol and biodiesel… if they can get the green fuels.

This story in the Vancouver Sun says there are only TWO E85 ethanol pumps in the country, and biodiesel seems to be available mostly just for farmers and large fleets. But some groups are trying to change that:

crfaandcvma.jpgThe Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers Association and the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association have lobbied government for programs and tax incentives not only to increase production of biofuels, but also to get them to customers.

“You’ve got to be able to allow them to source the fuel,” said Gordon Quaiattini, president of the renewable fuels group.

Robert Sicard, president of UPI Energy which opened the first E85 pump in Guelph, Ont., last January, said it costs $30,000 to convert a gas pump to handle E85 and a government incentive program would help spread them across Canada much faster, as it has done in the U.S.

There are some 600,000 flex-fuel vehicles on Canada’s roads.

Any vehicle can take up to E10 without any engine modifications. Higher ethanol blends require a flex-fuel vehicle and there are 28 models available in Canada today, most from Daimler Chrysler, Ford and GM.

Many Canadians don’t even know they own a flex-fuel vehicle (the gas cap will be yellow), which isn’t surprising because many car salespeople don’t know what they are either, said Sicard.

“They didn’t know they had flex-fuel vehicles on the floor,” said Sicard, who supplied Guelph and Chatham car dealerships with yellow tags to hang on the rear-view mirrors saying “You are sitting in a flex-fuel vehicle” with a map on the reverse to the fuel station. Sales have picked up. Who doesn’t like this stuff? Who can find fault with environmentally friendlier products?”

In addition, the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association has stepped up its efforts to refute what it considers the false claims that biofuels add to world hunger. So, they’re trying to educate on two fronts: the government into providing the incentives to help make biofuels available… and the public so they can be assured they’re getting an environmentally-friendly fuel.

Biodiesel, E85, Ethanol, News

Virgin Flies Green

John Davis

virginplane.jpgUK-based Virgin Atlantic airlines has flown the world’s first flight of a commercial airlines running on biofuel today.

This story from Fox News says the flight from England to The Netherlands ran on a fuel made from coconut and babassu oils:

branson.jpg“This breakthrough will help Virgin Atlantic to fly its planes using clean fuel sooner than expected,” Sir Richard Branson, the airline’s president, said before the Boeing 747 flew from London’s Heathrow Airport to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.

He said the flight would provide “crucial knowledge that we can use to dramatically reduce our carbon footprint,” he said.

Sunday’s flight was partially fueled with a biofuel mixture of coconut and babassu oil in one of its four main fuel tanks. The jet carried pilots and several technicians, but no passengers.

Virgin Atlantic spokesman Paul Charles predicted this biofuel would produce much less CO2 than regular jet fuel, but said it will take weeks to analyze the data from Sunday’s flight.

The article goes on to say that the flight comes as airlines are trying to find ways to beat the high price of oil while also reducing their carbon footprint. Virgin officials point out that they had to make no modifications to the aircraft for the biofuel.

Biodiesel

Pennsylvania Gets First Ethanol Plant

Cindy Zimmerman

BioEnergy InternationalBioEnergy International was the first to break ground in Pennsylvania and construct an ethanol plant. Pennsylvania will be home to a new Bionol Clearfield biorefinery.

BioEnergy International, LLC announces ground breaking for the Bionol Clearfield LLC, 100 mgpy corn ethanol biorefinery under construction in Clearfield, Pennsylvania.

The corn and cellulosic pilot plants to be built in Clearfield are core to BioEnergy’s mission of integrating the development of novel biocatalysts for use in innovative, state-of-the-art biorefineries. Guided by a strategic business model and supported by proprietary technology, BioEnergy is a responsible leader in the new industrial revolution.

“Renewable fuels like ethanol offer this nation an immediate opportunity to begin the hard work of mitigating the impacts of climate change, developing greater energy independence and creating jobs and economic opportunity at time when the economy faces significant challenges. The U.S. ethanol industry stands eager to join with Pennsylvanians and the people at BioEnergy International to help meet the energy and environmental challenges this country faces,” said Renewable Fuels Association President Bob Dinneen.

Ethanol, Facilities, News, RFA

Ethanol Fires Up LPP Gas Turbines

John Davis

LPP CombustionLPP Combustion has successfully created a way to operate gas turbines using ethanol. The company says their operation offers another alternative for clean, renewable energy.

LPP Combustion, LLC, using its patented LPP Combustion System, has recently demonstrated natural gas-level emissions from bio-derived ethanol (ASTM D-4806) during gas turbine combustor testing. Emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter (soot) were the same as natural gas-level emissions achieved using current dry low emission (DLE) gas turbine combustion technology. In addition, the combustion of this bio-derived ethanol produced virtually no net carbon dioxide emissions.

LPP Combustion has developed a Lean, Premixed, Prevaporized (LPP) combustion technology that converts liquid biofuels, such as biodiesel and ethanol, into a synthetic natural gas. This LPP Gas can then be burned with low emissions in virtually any combustion device in place of natural gas, providing users with substantial fuel flexibility. A DLE gas turbine utilizing LPP Technology to burn biofuels creates a low emissions power plant with no net greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in the cleanest use of renewable fuels.

Biodiesel, Distribution, Energy, Ethanol, Facilities, News, Production

The Persian Gulf of Solar Energy

John Davis

abengoa.gifArizona is being touted as becoming the “Persian Gulf of solar energy,” as a Spanish company unveils plans to build a three-square-mile sized solar power plant in the desert.

This story on CNN says when it is done, it will be one of the largest solar plants in the world:

Abengoa Solar, which has plants in Spain, northern Africa and other parts of the U.S., could begin construction as early as next year on the 280-megawatt plant in Gila Bend — a small, dusty town 50 miles southeast of Phoenix.

The company said Thursday it could be producing solar energy by 2011.

Abengoa would build, own and operate the $1 billion plant, named the Solana Generating Station.

Solana will be enough to supply up to 70,000 homes at full capacity.

What makes this plant unique is that it relies on the sun’s heat… not the rays… to produce electricity. And with temperatures that soar to 120 degrees, there will be no shortage of a “feedstock” for this renewable energy source.

Solar

Industry Optimism

Cindy Zimmerman

The chairman of the Renewable Fuels Association is excited about the developments in cellulose technology for the future of the ethanol industry.

Chris Standlee“And we fully believe that many of these technologies will in fact be proven to be economically viable on a commercial scale,” said Chris Standlee, who is executive vice president of Abengoa Bioenergy in St. Louis.

He says support from the US Department of Energy through research grants is definitely helping to speed the process along. “We are fortunate enough to be the recipient of a grant to prove our cellulose technology on a commercial scale in a facility that we are building in southwestern Kansas,” one of six grant-funded plant that are scheduled to be in operation by 2010.

Standlee says the recent article in Science challenges the ethanol industry to step up its efforts to make sure the public gets the whole truth about ethanol, not just part of the story. “Even the study itself acknowledges the greenhouse gas emissions benefits of the use of ethanol,” he says. It just makes assumptions about land use for biofuels production that “just simply are not true.”

As chairman of the RFA, Standlee is looking forward to the upcoming National Ethanol Conference in Orlando February 25-27, to celebrate success and look forward to the future. “We have record attendance this year as we’ve had virtually every year since the start of the conference,” he said. “We expect somewhere in the neighborhood of 2500 people to be attending the conference. It really is an exciting opportunity.”

More information about the National Ethanol Conference can be found on the RFA website.

Listen to RFA’s “The Ethanol Report” podcast with Chris here, or subscribe to it on “The Ethanol Report” blog.
[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/rfa/ethanol-report-07.mp3]

Audio, Cellulosic, Ethanol, National Ethanol Conference, News, RFA

“Golden” Energy for the ‘Golden State’

John Davis

BTBT is getting a new solar power system for its Americas’ Headquarters in California. The new system will utilize a sun tracking system that’s meant to maximize the production of renewable energy.

BT has announced it has entered into an agreement to begin construction next month (March) of an approximately 500 kW-AC solar photovoltaic system for its North American corporate headquarters site, located in the City of El Segundo, California. Once the system is fully operational by late summer, BT expects to reduce carbon emissions by 642,000 pounds (291.2 metric tons) annually as well as decrease its overall power costs for the site in future years.

The solar power system is designed to maximize energy production, with the vast majority of the system’s approximately 2,000 solar modules mounted on top of a state-of-the-art, elevated single-axis tracking system to be installed above the site’s south facing parking lot. Once completed, the system will be among the largest of its type in Southern California and is expected to generate approximately 917,000 kWh per year.

According to Environmental Protection Agency figures, the solar power system is expected to reduce carbon emissions equivalent to removing 63 automobiles from operation for one year or planting 243 acres of trees or powering more than 150 average-sized California homes for 12 months.

Energy, Facilities, Solar

Conventional Wind

John Davis

RicardoCan you imagine the day when wind power is nothing special, just your average source for heating and lighting your homes? General Compression and Mechanology can. Both companies are teaming up with Ricardo, the Eco-Innovation Technology Company, to engineer and develop the technology and expertise to make wind power as reliable as conventional power.

Of the potentially large-scale renewable energy resources wind is perhaps the most universally available, as virtually every part of the earth’s surface experiences the natural force of the wind. However, as the wind is subject to the vagaries of the weather and as such is inherently unpredictable, wind energy has traditionally been seen as an intermittent source of electrical power.

General Compression’s proprietary Dispatchable Wind(TM) system carries the descriptive tagline ‘wind energy on demand’ because it decouples wind energy capture from electrical power generation by substituting the electric generators in its wind turbines with advanced compressor systems linked to a central high pressure compressed air reservoir at each wind farm. The reservoir acts as an energy buffer, storing compressed air which can be passed through an expander plant in order to generate electricity whenever it’s needed – not just when the wind is blowing.

Dispatchable Wind is based on the use of the innovative, high energy density Dragonfly(TM) compressor under development by Mechanology, Inc. Ricardo has been chosen by Mechanology to be one of its key product development partners to assist in developing the Dragonfly(TM) such that it will meet or exceed the rigours of round-the-clock operation with an expected life in excess of 20 years.

Energy, Wind

Last Survey Contest Reminder

Chuck Zimmerman

This is your friendly reminder and request to take our Domestic Fuel Reader Survey. There’s only about 12 easy questions so it will only take a minute and we’d really appreciate your participation.

We’re going to pick one lucky winner from all the people who participate in our survey for a brand new, personalized 4G iPod Nano.

The Official Rules here (Word doc). I thank you very much for participating!

Miscellaneous