HyperSolar has filed a patent application for its technology to produce natural gas using solar power. According to the company, the natural gas is a carbon neutral methane gas that can be used as a replacement for fossil-fuel based natural gas. “The sun is our greatest source of energy and a method to use this energy to make clean, renewable …
Hawaiian Electric Renews With REG
Hawaiian Electric Company has again selected Renewable Energy Group® (REG) to supply their sustainable biodiesel needs. Under the new contract, REG will continue to supply 3-7 million gallons of high quality biodiesel annually for Hawaiian Electric’s 110-megawatt combustion turbine generator at Campbell Industrial Park Generating Station for three additional years. Like the current supply contract, the biodiesel will be processed …
Solar Takes Over St. Louis
Solar energy has taken over St. Louis. The St. Louis Housing Authority recently completed five solar energy projects that included powering its administrative building along with four affordable housing complexes. The 617 KW combined solar projects were designed, installed and engineered by Real Goods Solar and the energy produced is expected to reduce the complexes’ electricity use by more than …
Kingman I Wind & Solar Farm Begins Operations
The Kingman I wind and solar project located in Kingman, Arizona and owned by Western Wind Energy has begun operations. According to the company, the 10.5 MW combined wind/solar energy farm is the first purpose-built wind and solar project in North America. In other words, the combined wind and solar energy facility was designed and built for the power purchase …
NY Landfill Solar Project Completed
Here is unique use of solar. Carlisle Energy Services (CES) has completed its Sepctro PowerCap Exposed Geomembrane Solar Cover system in Madison County, New York. This technology will “cover” the landfill for up to 30 years. The eight-acre demonstration system feature’s the GeoTPO Geomembrane with a south-facing 40kWp DC integrated solar photovoltaic array powered by Uni-Solar. The system is expected …
Youth in South Africa to Attend Solar Training
Local youth in Durban, South Africa will be participating in a two-week solar training course compliments of Greenpeace. The 30 youth will learn about solar photovoltaic (PV) and other renewable energy technologies in addition to completing course modules covering social entrepreneurship and Greenpeace’s Energy (R)evolution report. The PV panels were donated by the SunPower Foundation and will be installed as …
How To Accelerate Wind Energy Development
Renewable energy is one of the fastest growing sectors of energy in the U.S. Last year wind energy was only second to natural gas in terms of providing new electric generation. Bill White with David Gardiner & Associates told me during an interview that it won’t be long before wind energy surpasses all other forms of energy for new electric …
Arizona State Leads Way in Use of Solar
The U.S.-based University that uses the most solar energy in its mix is Arizona State University (ASU), which exceeds 10 megawatts (MW) of solar-energy capacity. The solar energy produced is enough to power 2,500 average sized homes. This is according to Ameresco Southwest, Inc. “Surpassing 10 megawatts of solar energy capacity is a tremendous accomplishment for ASU and our partners,” …
Solectra Renewables Awarded $2.1M DOE Contract
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a $2.1 million contract to Solectria Renewables as part of its SunShot Initiative, to develop integrated smart-grid ready photovoltaic (PV) inverters with utility communications. The project will be completed in partnership with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Detroit Edison, National Grid, and Xcel Energy. The DOE program is aimed at bringing cost-competitive …
Book Review – The Powers That Be
I felt like an academic when I read this week’s book, “The Powers That Be Global Energy For The Twenty-First Century And Beyond,” although author Scott L. Montgomery wanted the book to be “fun.” I sported my black geek glasses and curled up in a chair at a local coffee shop and attempted to give off the personae that I’m …