FREE Webinar: Solar in the Military

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. military has taken a strong lead in the use and development of alternative energy including solar energy. On Thursday, July 19th at 12:00 pm EDT, Principle Solar Institute is hosting a free webinar: Solar in the Military. The focus is on the Department of Defenses’s (DOD) strategic vision for solar energy and its goal for implementation. Pew Charitable Trusts says that DOD clean energy investments increased nearly 300 percent between 2006 and 2009.

The webinar will feature two speakers:

The pair will review DOD’s strategy for solar energy adoption as well as discuss current and future implementation strategies. Click here to learn more about the webinar and to register for the free event.
Electricity, Energy, Solar

New Biofuels Conference on the Block

Joanna Schroeder

There is a new conference on the block – the 2012 Collective Biofuels Conference hosted by Promethean Biofuels. The event takes place at Temecula Creek Inn on August 17 – 19, 2012 and is designed for small biofuels producers with a focus on industrial scale-up production. The conference will educate the industry on biofuels basics, research, community, quality, ASTM testing, and more.

Jon Van Gerpen, PhD, a professor in the Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering at University of Idaho will be the featured speaker. Other speakers include: Don Scott, National Biodiesel Board; Dr. Virginia Gordon, Rapid Biodiesel Testing; Jeff Fetkenhour, Gorge Analytical; Rod Yawn, ALX Enterprises; Atul Deshmane, Whole Energy; and Dara Lor, National Cooking Oil Recyclers Association.

“I highly recommend attending this conference. It’s one of the best places to get such a wealth of information all in one place,” said Graydon Blair with Utah Biodiesel.

For more information about the Collective Biofuels Conference and to register, click here.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, conferences

South Dakota to Award Blender Pump Grants

Cindy Zimmerman

The South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) is now accepting applications for nearly $1 million in funding for the Ethanol Infrastructure Grant Program in the 2013 fiscal year.

The program was created last year to help station owners defray the cost of installation of ethanol blender pumps, which offer consumers a greater variety of fuel choices, including non-ethanol fuels and higher blends like E15, E30, and E85. The first $760,000 of qualifying project applications will be awarded grants. The additional $200,000 portion of the program funds will be awarded on a competitive basis following the completion of the first phase of funding.

“The fact that the first year’s grants were snatched up so quickly proves that South Dakota retailers see the tremendous benefit in installing blender pumps,” said Dana Siefkes Lewis, president, South Dakota Ethanol Producers Association. “We’re expecting that same enthusiasm this year as even more stations opt for offering consumers a home-grown, renewable choice at the pumps that is good for our state and for our nation.”

“Since the start of the program earlier this year, we are already helping to fund the installation of 55 ethanol blender pumps in the state at 26 different retail locations,” said Hunter Roberts, GOED energy policy director. “We are happy that we can continue to have a program in place that helps support local industries and local jobs as well.”

Ethanol producer organizations says the program will help provide more consumer choice at the pump.

“Ultimately, retailers and consumers both benefit from this program,” said Ron Lamberty, vice president, American Coalition for Ethanol. “Retailers can afford to install pumps that offer choices like E15, E30, and E85 to consumers, drivers can choose the blends that work best for them, and since ethanol costs less than gasoline, history tells us they’ll choose more ethanol.”

“South Dakota has always been at the forefront of providing its consumers with more choices at the pump,” said Growth Energy CEO, Tom Buis. “Governor Daugaard is a true champion of ethanol and a leading voice when it comes to the future progress of the industry.”

The grant program was created in 2012 to help businesses offset the cost of installing Flex Fuel pumps, which offers higher blends of ethanol like E15, E30 and E85. Last year, the program resulted in 55 new Flex Fuel pumps at 26 locations.

ACE, blends, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Growth Energy

Ethanol Output and Exports Drop

Cindy Zimmerman

U.S. ethanol production is the lowest its been in nearly two years, and exports are continuing to drop.

eiaAccording to the latest Energy Information Administration data, ethanol production averaged 821,000 barrels, or just under 34.5 million gallons, per day the week ending July 6. That is down 36,000 barrels per day from the week before and is the lowest weekly output figure of the year, in fact, the lowest since this time in 2010. Stocks of ethanol stood at 19.5 million barrels, the lowest since January.

U.S. exports of ethanol of all types totaled 58.6 million gallons (mg) in May, down 21% from April and the lowest level since August 2011. Exports of denatured ethanol for fuel use accounted for most of the May shipments, totaling 46.7 mg. Exports of undenatured ethanol for fuel use in May totaled 11.3 mg. Canada was the top destination, followed by the United Kingdom, and Finland. Notably, Brazil did not import any U.S. ethanol in May.

However, May U.S. distillers grains exports were up 25% from April, reaching the highest level since November 2010. Exports totaled 761,470 metric tons (mt) in May, with China accounting for 253,437 mt. Notably, in May, Chinese ethanol producers withdrew their complaint alleging dumping of U.S. DDGS and the Chinese government abandoned its anti-dumping investigation in June.

Distillers Grains, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Exports

Dyadic Unveils Biofuels Enzyme Product

Cindy Zimmerman

Global biotech company Dyadic International today unveiled its latest biofuels enzyme advancement, AlternaFuel® CMAX3™, which the company says is a next generation product that enables the production of cellulosic biofuels and bio-based chemicals from a wide range of renewable non-food feedstocks under broad operating conditions.

“The data supporting this product clearly demonstrates Dyadic’s scientific capabilities to leverage our C1 technology platform to create enzyme mixtures whose performance rivals the leading biofuels enzyme product on the market,” said Dyadic President and CEO, Mark Emalfarb. “The results obtained with AlternaFuel® CMAX3™ are not only relevant for the production of biofuels but also for bio-based chemicals and biogas. Dyadic and its licensees are continuing to develop better performing enzymes to further reduce the total cost of producing advanced biofuels and other bio-based products.”

AlternaFuel® CMAX3™is the latest generation of a cellulase and hemicellulase complex based on Dyadic’s C1 platform technology which enables efficient conversion of multiple forms of non-food biomass into fermentable sugars at broad pH and temperature ranges that can be used to produce biofuels, bio-based chemicals, biogas and other bio-based products.

advanced biofuels, biofuels, Ethanol, Ethanol News

SoloPower’s Flexible Solar Cells Receive Certification

John Davis

California solar cell maker SoloPower received ETL certification for its next-generation, thin, flexible SF1, SP1, and SP3L SoloPanels to UL 1703 and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards. Company officials say this just adds to to its track record on flexible solar modules:

[Tim Harris, CEO, of SoloPower says,] “It represents another step towards our goal of making solar the main source of energy for commercial and industrial buildings worldwide…”

“Being ETL certified to both UL and IEC standards is a significant milestone on the road to full scale commercialization,” said Bruce Khouri, President & Chief Commercial Officer and a building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) pioneer. “In addition to bringing to the market world-class, high efficiency, flexible modules, our first-of-their-kind rooftop installation kits are designed to rapidly expand the versatility for commercial and industrial rooftop solar applications. With BIPV as one of the fastest growing segments of the solar industry, we are thrilled to be able to share our unique solutions at Intersolar.”

Another SoloPower product, the SP3S SoloPanel, has been ETL certified to UL standards and is anticipated to be certified by the IEC soon. The SF1 and SP1 SoloPanels are made for twelve-inch and sixteen-inch standing-seam metal roofs, with the SP3L and SP3S SoloPanels best for commercial and industrial low-slope buildings. The company is also boasting three first-of-their-kind, easy, non-penetrating installation kits: the SoloSaddle(TM), SoloEdge(TM), and the SoloBridge(TM), more versatile on a variety of roofs.

Solar, technology

National Security, Renewable Energy Linked

John Davis

A group of former military leaders has made a call for more use of renewable energy in today’s military as a way to help national security. During an event sponsored by Operation Free, a coalition of veterans advocating for renewable energy, former members of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps made their pitches for the military’s clean energy initiatives.

Retired U.S. Army Colonel Dan Nolan told the panel, entitled “Clean Energy & the Nation’s Security: A Military Call for Action,” that the dependence on a sole energy source for transportation, fossil fuels, makes the military vulnerable. “Options have to be explored, because when you have only one option, you have no options.”

Norm Seip, a retired Air Force three-star general, echoed Nolan’s sentiment in a line I heard many times in my days in the Air Force: Flexibility is the key to airpower. And he contends that reliance on oil, particularly from foreign sources that might not be too friendly to the U.S., costs us dollars and lives. He says having to write letters to parents whose sons and daughters have been killed hauling fossil fuels to the battle is heartbreaking. And it’s costing this country too much money. “When the price of oil goes up by $10 a barrel, it becomes a $1.3 billion bill for the [Department of Defense],” he said. And he modified the earlier saying to “flexibility is the key to energy security.”

Former Rear Admiral Larry Baucom said that extra cost for fuel comes out of other areas of military readiness, because the operations tempo does not decrease, and the budget will certainly not be getting bigger. “We’re going to have to do things better, smarter, faster and cheaper.”

Stephen Cheney, a retired Marine Corps general, said we need to wean the military and the U.S. in general off of foreign oil. “We need to fuel America’s fleet with made in America fuel. It’s America’s fleet, America’s fuels, made by American farmers,” he said. Cheney also defended the high initial costs of the military’s investment in biofuels, which has some estimates right now at $26 a gallon explaining that initial research and development in any system is always more expensive upfront but for the military should be cost competitive with oil-based products in a few years.

Government

IRFA Irked Over Blender Pumps Exclusion in Farm Bill

John Davis

The Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Executive Director Monte Shaw is calling out the U.S. House after the latest version of the Farm Bill attempts to modify the existing Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) to specifically exclude blender pumps from eligibility:

“It was very disappointing to see the blender pump exclusion maintained in the House Ag Committee Farm Bill. IRFA’s number one priority for this farm bill will be to ensure the final version includes blender pumps… All too often over the past year, the House seems more interested in carrying the water to protect Big Oil’s near monopoly on fuel than in providing American consumers with the freedom to choose their own fuel – perhaps a lower-cost ethanol blend – at the pump.”

Shaw pointed out that while the House has voted against renewable fuels, it has done nothing against Big Oil monopolies and subsidies. He says it’s embarrassing for the House and Iowa voters will be taking note.

During the debate, Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA) pushed for specific money to be allocated for REAP and the blender pumps. “Without mandatory funding levels, these rural development programs are more than likely to be left out in the cold by the Appropriations Committee,” he said. Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) said today’s consumers should have the choice to put in their cars the blend of ethanol they want, “whether that’s 0 percent or 15 percent.” Both of their amendments were withdrawn.

Listen to Boswell and Noem, as well as Ranking Member Collin Peterson (D-MN), talk about blender pumps during debate in the House Agriculture Committee here: Blender Pump Debate in House Ag Cmte

Audio, blends, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Iowa RFA, Legislation

Renewable Energy in House Farm Bill

John Davis

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee has passed its version of the Farm Bill… better known as the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act or FARRM Act… but the measure doesn’t seem to give much love to renewable energy… and by love, we mean FUNDING!

Because of the lack of funding, most proposed amendments were withdrawn. One that did pass that required no specific funding was Arkansas Republican Rep. Rick Crawford’s measure for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP). Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) introduced the measure in the committee on Crawford’s behalf that would protect funding already invested. “The worst thing we could do to a project that has benefited and been a part of the BCAP program is pull the funding from it before it has had a chance to establish itself,” she told the committee. Noem added that if existing projects have their funding pulled before coming to fruition, it would send the wrong message to the farming community about biomass fuels. Despite some misgivings about the overall program from Ranking Member Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN), the amendment passed and is headed to the House floor with about 40 other amendments.

Listen to the debate on the BCAP amendment here: BCAP amendment debate in House Ag CommitteeRead More

Audio, biomass, Government, Legislation

RFA Reiterates Safety of Ethanol By Rail

John Davis

While the fiery derailment and crash of a train carrying 90,000 gallons ethanol in Columbus, Ohio makes for some spectacular pictures and video, the folks at the Renewable Fuels Association point out that this is the exception and not the rule as 99.99 percent of all hazardous materials are delivered by rail without any issues:

“Billions of gallons of ethanol safely travel American railways without incident each year. Unfortunately, some accidents do occur which are out of our control. For whatever reason, some trains derail. In order to help ensure the safety of the public near these railways, the Renewable Fuels Association has been partnering with the federal government, rail carriers, railroad operators, and other stakeholders to conduct safety seminars for first responders all across the country. Since beginning the program in 2010, the RFA has conducted more than three dozen trainings for more than 1,500 first responders nationwide. These fire departments and other essential safety organizations now have the proper understanding and tools to respond in the unlikely event of a train accident involving ethanol.”

The RFA also has founded the Emergency Response Coalition (ethanolresponse.com), designed to educate responders on what to do in such an incident.

Check out the video from ABC News below. While I can’t agree about some of the characterizations of the green fuel, the video of the actual explosion is pretty amazing.
video platformvideo managementvideo solutionsvideo player

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA, Video