Teen Cites Family in Winning Biodiesel Essay

John Davis

A Minnesota teenager has cited personal family ties in her winning essay on biodiesel. Morgan Dahl, a 2012 graduate of Greenbush-Middle River High School, won first place in the Reuben Youngerberg Memorial Biodiesel Essay Scholarship, an annual scholarship open to all high school seniors in Minnesota.

In her essay, Dahl talked about being raised on a family century farm and the loss of her grandmother in 2009 to Bronchial Alveolar Carcinoma. While the exact cause of her grandmother’s rare form of non-smoking cancer aren’t known, Dahl said they do know it was something in the air or environment, and she believes “that the use of biodiesel may reduce the risk of being afflicted by cancer or other devastating diseases.”

Dahl, the daughter of Donavon and Laura Dahl of Middle River, Minnesota, will receive a $1,600 check from the American Lung Association in Minnesota, which recognizes biodiesel as a “clean air choice” fuel. She plans to attend the University of North Dakota and seek a degree in Early Childhood Education, with a focus on Special Education.

“I would like to thank the American Lung Association of the Upper Midwest for giving me the opportunity to receive this scholarship, and for selecting my essay as the first place winner,” Dahl said. “The scholarship will definitely help pay for my college expenses. It truly means a lot to me.”

Second-place essayist Laura Winters, a recent graduate of Schaeffer Academy in Rochester, Minn. receives a $500 award. Her compelling argument for biodiesel pointed out that too much imported petroleum comes from areas of the world that are either unstable or unfriendly to the U.S., and “it seems prudent and logical to decrease our dependence on them for a product that is vitally important to our infrastructure.”

The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council sponsors contest, with additional contributions from the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association, MEG Corp, National Biodiesel Board and the Renewable Energy Group.

Biodiesel

“Forever Young” Switchgrass for Cellulosic Ethanol

John Davis

Scientists at the USDA might have found a way to keep switchgrass forever young and better for cellulosic ethanol. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) geneticist Sarah Hake, working with University of California-Berkeley plant geneticist George Chuck, found that taking a gene from corn called corngrass and inserting it into switchgrass keeps the grass always in a juvenile form that doesn’t flower, doesn’t produce seeds, and doesn’t have a dormant growth phase. And that means the sugars in the plant starch are more readily available for conversion into cellulosic ethanol.

The scientists observed that the leaves in the transgenic switchgrass are not nearly as stiff as leaves in switchgrass cultivars that haven’t been modified. In addition, they determined that leaf lignin is slightly different in the transgenic switchgrass than leaf lignin in other plants. This could lead to new findings on how to break down the sturdy lignin and release sugars for fermentation, a development that will be essential to the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol.

The researchers are now introducing DNA segments called genetic promoters that would “turn on” the expression of the corngrass gene just in aboveground switchgrass shoots. This could help increase root mass development that otherwise would be inhibited by the gene. Hake and Chuck also suggest that developing nonflowering switchgrass varieties would eliminate the possibility of cross-pollination between transgenic switchgrass cultivars and other switchgrass cultivars.

The work was published in 2011 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

biomass, Cellulosic, corn, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Research, Science, USDA

Renewable Energy Part of Obama Acceptance

Cindy Zimmerman

Renewable energy was part of President Obama’s acceptance speech Thursday night as the Democratic nominee for 2012.

“We have doubled our use of renewable energy, and thousands of Americans have jobs today building wind turbines and long-lasting batteries,” Obama said to applause. “In the last year alone, we cut oil imports by 1 million barrels a day, more than any administration in recent history. And today the United States of America is less dependent on foreign oil than at any time in the last two decades.”

“We’re offering a better path where we — a future where we keep investing in wind and solar and clean coal, where farmers and scientists harness new biofuels to power our cars and trucks, where construction workers build homes and factories that waste less energy, where — where we develop a hundred-year supply of natural gas that’s right beneath our feet,” he continued.

The president’s acceptance speech added to comments Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack made the night before at the Democratic National Convention, noting that the Obama administration has made “smart investments in clean energy—wind, solar, biofuels as part of an all-of-the-above energy strategy that supports thousands of jobs, not in the Middle East, but in the Midwest.”

biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News, politics, Solar, Wind

Despite Challenges Advanced Biofuels Grow

Joanna Schroeder

Even though the past year has been tough for the biofuels industry, the “Advanced Biofuels Market Report 2012,”  from Environmental Entrepreneurs (E2) says the advanced biofuels industry is still growing. Today, advanced biofuel production has exceeded 685 million gallons. Estimates are that the industry has the ability to grow to between 1.6 billion to 2.6 billion by 2015.

There are several drivers to growth including the California Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2). As the industry matures, costs should come down as well as carbon emissions. The policies both include reduction of carbon emissions measured by a carbon intensity score and this becomes an added incentive to commercialize advanced biofuels. The study estimates if the standards come to full fruition, somewhere between 18,407 and 47,700 new jobs could be created.

“What this report shows is that we have sufficient, proven technology to meet these new standards that will help clear our air, strengthen our economy and provide new choices in transportation fuels,” said Bob Epstein, co-founder of Environmental Entrepreneurs.

Each year Californians use about 18 billion gallons of transportation fuel and these same fuels produce nearly 40 percent of the state’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Of the 27 new advanced biofuels facilities expected to go into production by 2015, three will be located in California. The state is home to eight advanced biofuel refineries already in production and is expected to house several additional demonstration projects in the near term.

advanced biofuels, Research

Kohl’s Expands EV Charging Station Initiative

Joanna Schroeder

Kohl’s is expanding its electric vehicle (EV) charging station initiative with 36 new stations across 18 different locations in the U.S. Once the additional EV stations are complete this fall, the company will have 101 charging stations at 52 Kohl’s locations across 14 states. Customers are able to charge up at no cost while they shop.

“Since Kohl’s EV charging station initiative began in December 2011, it has received extremely positive feedback from our customers who are excited about the added convenience,” said John Worthington, Kohl’s chief administrative officer. “From our solar program to our green building efforts, Kohl’s has been pleased to be able to grow sustainability programs that make sense for our business, customers and communities – and our EV program is one more great example.”

The program is a partnership between Kohl’s, Duke Energy, ChargePoint, and ECOtality. In Indiana, the company worked with Duke Energy to install six charging stations as part of Indiana’s Project Plug-IN. The company has expanded its partnership with ECOtality to install 30 EV charging stations at 15 Kohl’s in Illinois, Texas and Wisconsin.

Drivers can activate the charging stations in several ways including radio frequency identification (RFID) cards available at Kohl’s customer service desk or via phone numbers provided on the charging stations.

Electric Vehicles, Electricity, Energy

Have You Signed up for a Solar Tour?

Joanna Schroeder

October is National Energy Awareness Month. The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) National Solar Tour is taking place beginning the first Saturday of the month with additional tours being held throughout the month. The largest grassroots solar event in the U.S., last year more than 160,000 people visited over 5,500 buildings in 3,200 communities across the country.

The national event is coordinated by ASES along with dozens of partner organizations. Here are several examples of where some of the events will be held:

  • Solar Connecticut – CT Solar Tour in All, CT on 10/06/2012
  • Solar tour in Mahomet, IL on 10/06/2012
  • Houston Solar Tour in Houston, TX on 10/20/2012
  • San Antonio Solar Tour in San Antonio, TX on 10/07/2012

Here is the tour I want to go on. There is a tour of three “Ghost Houses” in Knoxville, Tennessee that are more than 100 years old and have been rehabilitated. They were sitting abandoned for some time and thus the the Ghost Houses moniker stuck. The project was unique with the designers having to deal with zoning issues, regulations and historic preservation issues but the team was successful and as part of their eco-friendly homes added solar energy. This is just one example of a solar tour that will take place in October.

Click here to find a tour near you.  Click here if you want to list a tour in your area.

Electricity, Energy, Solar

China Dominates Renewable Energy Market

Joanna Schroeder

According to the most recent Global Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices Report (CAI), China will continue to dominate the global renewable energy market. The country has quadrupled its solar capacity target to 50GW by 2020. At the top of the All Renewable Index (ARI), China will have to overcome some challenges including oversupply of wind turbines and solar panels as well as solve many grid transmission issues to reach its goal.

While China’s score is on the rise, America’s score is going downward. The U.S. dropped 1.5 points to share in second position with Germany. The decline was caused by ongoing uncertainty in U.S.’s long-term energy strategy and a failure to indicate if there will be an extension to the Production Tax Credit for wind projects. The rise in Germany’s score was a result of the government’s approach to addressing barriers to offshore wind development and stability in its solar market.

“While the U.S. and Germany markets are level within the ARI, the contrast between these two markets is evident. The upcoming elections have led to an understandable slowdown in the decision making process in the US, while Germany is pushing ahead with its ambitious renewable energy agenda — including the introduction of a new solar PV tariff and compensation for offshore grid connection delays,” explained Ernst & Young’s Global Cleantech Leader, Gil Forer.

He continued, “Having made positive progress, the challenge now facing Germany is making sure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to ensure the renewable power generated in the north of the country can be shipped to customers in the south. It is important for any country not only to focus on policies that support supply, but also on those that will encourage and simulate demand.”

Next on the leaderboard is India, who fell one point due to recent severe blackouts causing speculation that the country has not attracted enough private investment to modernize its power infrastructure. There are worries that the investments in renewable energy will also suffer due to an unreliable power grid.

Rounding out the top five is the UK who overtook Italy who fell due to worsening economic conditions. However, UK seems to be in the turbulent boat with general consensus that policy and subsidy announcements have fallen short of establishing transparency, certainty and longevity within the market.

Energy, International, Research, Solar, Wind

SoloPower Adds Another Patent to Portfolio

Joanna Schroeder

SoloPower has added another patent to its growing solar portfolio. The company specializes in the development and manufacture of thin-film solar cells and modules. This patent is the company’s 50th with 41 patents in the U.S. and nine patents internationally. SoloPower was the first to receive certification of flexible CIGS panels to both UL and IEC standards.

“The strength of SoloPower’s intellectual property portfolio enables us to cover all key aspects of our solar solutions, technology, and manufacturing processes, giving us a competitive advantage in the marketplace,” said Dr. Mustafa Pinarbasi, Chief Technology Officer, SoloPower. “By developing and owning the new technologies and manufacturing methods that are critical to our integrated solar solutions, we are constantly able to increase our flexible, lightweight module efficiencies while driving down costs.”

The company says its approach embodies critical technology, manufacturing, and cost advantages that enable large-scale “fab-style” production of high-efficiency CIGS-based photovoltaic cells. The cells are packaged into unique, flexible, lightweight solar modules. Non-penetrating kit technology was developed for installation.

Company CEO Tim Harris added, “SoloPower’s world-class technology team is constantly pushing the envelope, and our innovations will continue to help us make rooftop solar the primary energy source for the world’s commercial and industrial buildings. We’re excited as we prepare to open our high-volume manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon, which will enable us to meet the strong demand we’re seeing from our customers around the world.”

SoloPower will be showcasing its solar power technologies September 11 to 13, 2012 at Solar Power International in Orlando, Florida.

Electricity, Energy, Solar

Terranol C5 Yeast Marketing Deal Solidified

Joanna Schroeder

Novozymes has solidified a deal to register and market Terranol’s C5 yeast technology. C5 yeast is an important aspect in the production of cellulosic ethanol. The partnership will enable Novozymes to speed up the global rollout of Terranol’s yeast to the emerging cellulosic industry. It is believed that the product will help the industry ramp up from pilot-scale to commercial-scale production.

“We want to make sure there are no biotech-related hurdles to the creation of a cellulosic ethanol industry,” said Poul Ruben Andersen, Vice President Bioenergy at Novozymes. “Terranol’s C5 yeast is currently one of the best strains developed, and by getting it registered and marketed around the world, we can help make it available to the biofuel industry. This will provide a higher degree of certainty in the commercialization of cellulosic ethanol.”

Although the cellulosic industry has made great technological strides over the past few years, there are still areas that need additional improvement. Novozymes says that the C5 yeast is one product that will help producers gain improvements in the fermentation process. When producing cellulosic ethanol (or any form of ethanol), enzymes convert cellulose and hemicellulose in biomass such as corn stover and wheat straw to sugars. The sugars are then fermented into ethanol. The goal is to achieve optimal yields so it is important to ferment both the easily accessible C6 sugars (glucose), and more difficult C5 sugars (xylose and arabinose).

“A yeast that ferments C5 sugars is essential to cost-efficient production of cellulosic ethanol,” said Birgitte Rønnow, CEO of Terranol. “Our C5 yeast is among the furthest developed in the industry and by leveraging Novozymes’ global marketing muscle we can speed up its commercialization.”

advanced biofuels, Cellulosic, Ethanol

CBD Energy, Westinghouse Solar Announce Projects

John Davis

Australia-based CBD Energy Ltd. has announced it is getting into the renewable energy businesses in the U.S. The move comes after the company revealed its proposed merger with Westinghouse Solar, Inc., and its technologies and services will be debuted during the upcoming Solar Power International conference, Sept. 10-13, 2012 in Orlando, Florida.

“CBD Energy’s pending merger with Westinghouse Solar offers an ideal platform for the expansion of our renewable energy business into the world’s largest market,” said Gerry McGowan, Managing Director and CEO of CBD Energy Ltd. “In addition to building upon Westinghouse Solar’s business in the U.S., CBD Energy plans for U.S. operations built around its core strengths in design, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of commercial solar projects; energy efficiency and storage technologies; and energy services.”

“CBD Energy sees tremendous opportunity in the solar market in the U.S., particularly with their EPC expertise combined with Westinghouse Solar’s success in driving down installed system cost by innovating the design and ease of installation of solar panels,” said Margaret Randazzo, Chief Executive Officer of Westinghouse Solar, Inc.

The company’s focus will be on the engineering and building of solar projects, as well as the financing of those ventures. The two companies have already collaborated on a contract to build a 1.4 MW solar project in New Jersey, as well as projects in Italy and Australia.

International, Solar