Sonoma High Schools Go Solar

Joanna Schroeder

School has started for many kids across the country and its no exception for the students of West Sonoma County Union High School District. But this year the students came back to a little face lift. The school has commissioned its 834 kW solar power system that should provide 80 percent of its power needs and Analy, El Molino and Laguna High Schools. The system, which is a combination of roof panels and ground mounted panels, was designed by Real Goods Solar and engineered and installed in less than four months.

WSCUHSD Superintendent Keller McDonald said, “Using solar will save the school district approximately $250,000 a year, plus the state of California will be providing an incentive for building the project of approximately $1.1 million, to be paid out over the next five years.”

The 2,600 Sunpower 320 modules are 70 percent elevated and 30 percent ground mounted. The district is expected to produce nearly 1,250 megawatt hours of electricity per year, or the enough to power 300 average sized homes. The students will be getting hands-on lessons in renewable energy and through Real Goods Solar’s curriculum and 12-acre solar demonstration center, called the Solar Living Institute.

Tyson Grul, Director of Commercial Solar for Real Goods added, “As a graduate of WSCUHSD, I find it particularly gratifying to be helping reduce its carbon footprint. With school continually facing budget cuts, this is a great example of a district taking control over its financial future and proving that ‘green energy’ is good for the environment and the economy.”

Electricity, Energy, Solar

CCSE Residential Energy Roadshow Kicks Off in Cali

Joanna Schroeder

A CCSE Residential Energy Roadshow has kicked off an 18-week tour in San Diego, California designed to “educate and inspire” Southern Californians to learn more about energy saving technologies, alternative fuel transportation and energy efficiency. The sponsors are the California Center for Sustainable Energy (CCSE), ROUSH CleanTech and Ferrellgas.

“Thanks to generous donations from ROUSH CleanTech and Ferrellgas, hundreds of thousands of Californians will be able to learn about home energy efficiency, solar energy and the products and incentives available to them when visiting the mobile exhibit,” said Irene Stillings, CCSE executive director. “This is a perfect example of how multiple clean technologies can work together to demonstrate energy savings, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote more sustainable practices.”

The tour includes a trailer that is being towed by a Ford F-250 pickup converted to run on propane autogas. When the truck needs to fill up, it will roll on into one of Ferrellgas’s 200 propane stations to refuel. In addition to ROUSH and Ferrallgas, the tour is also funded with money from the Department of Energy’s BetterBuildings Neighborhood program along with two state programs: Energy Upgrade California and go Solar California!

“Ferrellgas is proud to partner with the California Center for Sustainable Energy and ROUSH CleanTech to educate Californians about ways to save money and the environment by implementing energy efficiency solutions in their homes and at their businesses,” said George Koloroutis, president of Ferrell North America and senior vice president of Ferrellgas. “As the nation’s leading propane retailer, we’ve been doing just that for more than 70 years.”

Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing for ROUSH said that this is a great way demonstrate that propane autogas is the most readily deployable and flexible alternative fuel that can immediately address air concerns.

Education, Electricity, Energy, energy efficiency, Propane, Solar

Green Scissors 2011 Released

Joanna Schroeder

Remember the Green Scissors report from last year that suggest to save money cut ethanol subsidies? Well, the latest version is now available. Green Scissors 2011 says that ending a half trillion in environmentally harmful subsidies will go a long way to solving our budget woes. The report, sponsored by Friends of the Earth, The Heartland Institute, Public Citizen, and Taxpayers for Commonsense, provides a roadmap for savings up to $380 billion over five years. The group says this equals the amount the congressional Super Committee has been charged with cutting in half the time.

The authors write in the report, “While all four groups have different missions, histories, goals and ideas about the role of government, we all agree that we can begin to overcome our nation’s budgetary and environmental woes by tackling spending that is not only wasteful but environmentally harmful.”

So what do they want to cut? Fossil fuel, nuclear, alternative energy, and crop subsidies to name a few. They also want to cut land and water projects and kill road projects along with some Army Corps of Engineers water projects.

According to the report the federal government could end the following programs and save the United States:

  • $72,000,000,000 for general revenue transfers to the Highway Trust Fund
  • $30,000,000,000 for crop insurance
  • $4,820,000,000 for Oil and Gas Royalty relief

Several lawmakers reacted to the report and Rep. Earl Blumeanauer (D-OR) said, “The 2011 Green Scissors Report is a reminder that it’s time for Congress to have a serious, rational discussion about cutting the budget. With painful budget cuts already under discussion that will require American families to make sacrifices, it is only fair, for example, that we also stop the handouts to our richest oil companies.”

Hey, I’m all for cutting budgets and its good to see that the report recommends cutting energy subsidies across the board, but I must ask what would happen to our energy bills if poof, over night they’re all gone? Will we we lose our innovation in alternative energy technologies and be stuck with the status quo? Now how environmentally friendly is that?

biofuels, Energy, Environment, Opinion

TESSA – A Car That Heats Your Home

Joanna Schroeder

I came across this story today and thought it was kinda cool. TESSA is a car that uses stored heat from the engine to produce heat energy that can be used in homes for hot water and central heating. This “new age” car will be showcased for the first time at Nextgen, a free environmental trade show taking place October 5-6 in Warwickshire, UK. Nextgen is co-located with two other events that focus on renewable energy technologies such as solar, wind, bioenergy, and hydro power generation.

TESSA stands for Thermal Energy Storage and Saving Automobile and the prototype is a Land Rover Freelander. Atmos Heating Systems fitted the SUV with a thermal energy storage and transfer system.

“We are delighted to be able to demonstrate the energy and carbon saving benefits TESSA offers at Nextgen. We have developed and patented a means of storing waste heat on board the vehicle, and a practical means of transferring the stored heat into a building for use as hot water and/or space heating,” said John Thomason, General Manager of Atmos Heating Systems.

Today an internal combustion enegine only manages a mechanical power efficiency averaging around 30 percent. The remaining 70 percent is dissipated as heat, through the radiator coolant system and the exhaust. Although some of the coolant system energy is used to heat the interior of the vehicle, the rest is simply lost.

“In other industries such horrendous waste would not be tolerated, and with the transport sector responsible for 40% of carbon emissions, this must not be left to continue. Whilst our technology does not reduce CO2 emissions from the vehicle, it utilizes heat that is otherwise wasted, resulting in lower fossil fuel consumption in the home and thereby an overall net benefit to the environment,” said Thomason.

The thermal heat technology can be integrated with other renewable technologies in the home such as solar thermal and heat pumps. In addition, it can be retrofitted with vehicles using biofuels instead of gas and diesel fuels to ensure additional environmental benefits.

bioenergy, biofuels

From Farm to Biorefinery

Joanna Schroeder

Today American farmers are producing twice as much corn on virtually the same amount of acres as a generation ago. This makes them the most productive and efficient of any farmers around the world. Similarly, productivity and efficiencies are being mirrored across domestic ethanol production.

The Renewable Fuels Association has begun a series on efficiency and as part of the dialogue, RFA Vice President Geoff Cooper takes on the critics who claim that both farming and ethanol production is simply too energy-intensive. Cooper says those critical of farmers and by extension ethanol producers, will tell you that the tremendous growth in corn production is due to increased fertilizer use.

Yet Cooper says these are not the facts. USDA data shows that 2010 application rates of three common macronutrient fertilizers (nitrogen, potassium and phosphate) were the same or below the application rates seen in the early 1980s. As such, nitrogen application per bushel of corn has decreased more than 30 percent since this time while potassium and phosphate usage per bushel is down nearly 40 percent.

Also reduced between 1987 – 2007 is water, energy and land usage required to produce a bushel of corn according to Keystone Alliance. For example, the energy requirement (as measured in British Thermal Units or BTUs) to produce one gallon of ethanol has dropped by 28 percent since 2001, to just shy of 26,000 BTUs. Cooper says that compares to 77,000 BTUs found in one gallon of ethanol. Electricity demand has fallen by 32 percent and water use has decreased by 47 percent.

“As the data clearly demonstrate, America’s ethanol producers are mirroring the efficiency gains of the American farmers upon whom they rely for feedstock,” said Cooper. “As existing processes evolve and new production technologies emerge, ethanol production in the U.S. will not only increase in volume, but also in efficiency. Without a doubt, today’s ethanol industry is high-tech and increasingly energy efficient.”

biofuels, Electricity, energy efficiency, Ethanol, Ethanol News, water

ICM Enters Into Partnership With EISENMANN

Joanna Schroeder

ICM has announced that it has entered into a technological partnership to couple its gasification system with EISENMANN Corporation’s dual-field wet electrostatic precipitation (WESP) technology. This technology was proven successful at ICM’s commercial-scale demonstration gasifier located adjacent to the Harvey County municipal solid waste transfer and recycling facility in Newton, Kansas.

The gasifier underwent several performance tests with multiple feedstocks including but not limited to refused-derived fuel (RDF), tire derived fuel mixed with RDF, wood chips, wheat straw, switchgrass, and corn stover. Combined with ICM’s thermal oxidizer and heat sink, the WESP 2-F system cleans removes all particulate matter as well as acid gases from a variety of fuel sources and meets all levels of emission control requirements.

“We’re thrilled with the recent commercial deployment of our biomass gasifier technology, as it allows us to offer our waste-to-energy system on a global level,” said ICM CEO Dave Vander Griend.”Recognizing the strength of collaborative partnerships, ICM is pleased to work with EISENMANN and their WESP technology to enhance our biomass gasifier applications.”

bioenergy, Company Announcement, Waste-to-Energy

IRFA Wins Legislative Leadership Award

Joanna Schroeder

The 2011 American Coalition for Ethanol conference concluded today in Des Moines, Iowa and yesterday the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) was awarded the Legislative Leadership Award. It’s presented each year to a policymaker or leader at either the federal or state level for introducing or supporting public policies that promote ethanol.

As the award was being presented, Ron Lamberty, ACE senior vice president said, “ACE is proud to award IRFA with the Legislative Leadership Award. Over the last few years, IRFA has demonstrated extraordinary leadership in support of renewable fuels in Iowa. ACE is pleased with their leadership in the 2011 legislative session to pass Senate File 531, a bill that included E15 incentives, liability protection for retailers and infrastructure grants and will undoubtedly make a difference to Iowa consumers and retailers.”

SF 531 contained a number of provisions, including:

  •   – 3-cent per gallon E15 retailer tax credit
  •   – Biodiesel production tax credit.
  •   – Misfueling liability protection for retailers.
  •   – An enhanced E85 retailer tax credit.
  •   – An extension of the biodiesel retailer tax credit for blends of B5 and higher.
  •   – $3 million in annual funding for Iowa’s Renewable Fuels Infrastructure Program (which provides grants for installation of blender, E85 and   biodiesel dispensers as well as biodiesel terminal infrastructure).

Monte Shaw, IRFA’s executive director added, “It is indeed an honor for IRFA to receive this prestigious award from ACE. Iowa is the leader in ethanol production and the IRFA Board made it a priority for Iowa to become a leader in ethanol policy as well. The passage of SF531 accomplished that goal with its first-in-the-nation E15 incentive for retailers. The real credit goes to the IRFA Board for setting high goals and working hard to achieve them. Further, we would not have been successful without the bipartisan support of the Iowa Legislature and Iowa Governor Terry Branstad.”

conferences, Ethanol

The Wind Blows in Ireland

Joanna Schroeder

Several companies have signed agreements to work together to co-develop three Irish wind farms valued at euro 18 million. Gaelectric, and XEMC VWEC will first deploy the XV90 turbines at three Gaelectric on-shore sites: Roosky in Co. Roscommon; Leabeg in Co. Offaly; and Crowinstown in Westmeath. Total combined energy produced is expected to be at least 13.6 MW.

During an event highlighting the signing of the contract in Dublin, Ireland, Zhou Jianxiong, XEMC’s Group Chairman said, “Gaelectric’s pipeline of wind farm projects in key locations, combined with our shared focus on innovation in renewable energy technologies, makes us ideal allies in co-developing Gaelectric’s portfolio of renewable power projects.”

“We are particularly pleased that the sites that we intend to co-develop with Gaelectric are very suited to establishing our Direct Drive Permanent Magnet Generator (PMG) turbine technology as the leading global wind generation technology delivering low service and maintenance costs, competitive pricing, and high availability and annual yield,” he added.

XEMC has 820 of its XE-series turbines installed in China. Its XE-series are the largest turbines in mass production in China.

“Our alliance with XEMC is a significant strategic step for Gaelectric. With the backing of XEMC’s industrial strength and technological capacity, and their track record and commitment to long term relationships, we are confident that Gaelectric’s portfolio of wind farm sites will be realised to the highest commercial and technical standards,” said Gaelectric CEO, Brendan McGrath. “Our visit to China in March of this year confirmed to us XEMC’s commitment to research and development which combines Dutch engineering design and pedigree, with Chinese industrial power. We also share a vision for the significant opportunities from off-shore wind energy generation on which we are already working closely together.”

Electricity, Energy, Wind

Getting Ready For Farm Shows

Chuck Zimmerman

We’re nearing fall farm show time. So where are you going? Here’s the results from our latest ZimmPoll. We asked, “Which of these fall farm shows will you attend?” 29% of you said Farm Progress Show, 16% said Husker Harvest Days, 11% said Farm Science Review, 10% said World Dairy Expo, 8% said Sunbelt Ag Expo, 15% said Regional/Local Show and 11% said More than one. The ZimmComm team will be at a number of these shows starting with next week’s Farm Progress Show. There’s no doubt we’ll find some news on biofuels at these events and will bring it to you right here.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “What is your opinion on ag-related sponsorships of sporting events??” Your input and thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

ZimmPoll

Plug My Ride

Joanna Schroeder

Westport, Connecticut now has its first electric vehicle (EV) charging station. The charging station was installed as part of Connecticut Light & Power’s (CL&P) EV research project and is believed to be one of the first in the nation to offer drivers a pay-by-phone option.

“We’ve worked hard to make Connecticut an early market for EVs,” said Jeff Butler, CL&P’s president and chief operating officer. “We’re excited to see towns like Westport take advantage of the opportunity to become a leader in clean technology.”

The new charging station is located at Luciano Park Commuter Lot on Charles Street and already had its first customer the same day it was unveiled – a 2011 Chevy Volt from Karl Chevrolet in New Canaan. Westport First Selectman Gordon Joseoff downloaded a mobile phone application and then plugged the Volt into the charging station.

The Level II, 240-volt charging station in Westport can fully charge a Chevy Volt in four hours. Volts can also be charged using a regular 120-volt wall socket but it takes twice the time. According to CL&P, the electricity needed to fully recharge an EV battery costs about $3.00 on average, while a driver who “tops off” could do so for as little as 25 cents.

“Westport has always been a leader in promoting green and protecting the environment,” added Joseloff. “We are pleased to join CL&P in pioneering this latest effort to encourage Americans to make a lifestyle change to help preserve our planet.”

There are plans to have at least 30 EV charging stations by year end in Connecticut, western Massachusetts and New Hampshire and they will acquire data for parent company Northeast Utilities (NU) as part of the EV research project. Also part of the program is a new online tool – Plug My Ride – to connect consumers and others interested in electric transportation.

Electric Vehicles, Electricity, Energy