Principal Solar Acquires Capstone Solar

Joanna Schroeder

Principal Solar, Inc. (PSI) has announced its acquisition of Capstone Solar, a news and networking site geared to solar professionals. Terms were not disclosed but Principal Solar said the deal fits within their unique company solar strategy. Capstone Co-Founder Dan Bedell said it is great to find a group of people so committed to the advancement of solar power as the PSI team and he believes the company has the wherewithal to bring its vision to fruition.

“We look forward to combining Capstone’s interactive web conferences and dynamic communities with the existing resource base of PSI’s Definitive Solar Library—an online library that is under development and dedicated exclusively to the solar industry,” said Rick Borry, co-founder of Capstone and chief technology officer at PSI.

Michael Gorton, CEO and Chairman of PSI added that with the favorable and competitive cost of photovoltaics he has complete confidence that his company’s model will be a “unifying force” for making solar energy available worldwide.

Company Announcement, Solar

Biomass Harvest Still Allows Soil Conservation

Cindy Zimmerman

New data shows that responsible harvesting of biomass for ethanol can be part of good soil management efforts for farmland.

POET Project LIBERTYIowa State University has completed analysis on data from the third year of an ongoing study for POET’s “Project LIBERTY” near Emmetsburg, Iowa to monitor how soil health is affected when crop residue is removed. The planned 25 million-gallon-per-year cellulosic ethanol plant will use corn cobs, leaves, husks and some stalk to produce renewable fuel.

According to POET, the latest data shows that “removing about 1 bone-dry ton per acre (which is about 25 percent of the area’s above-ground crop residue) will not cause significant nutrient loss. In fact, corn yields continued to show no yield loss or moderate increases in fields with this rate of biomass removal.”

“Based on this study, we conclude that 1½ to 2 tons/acre of corn stover can safely be harvested” from fields similar to those used in the study, according to the research summary prepared by Dr. Douglas L. Karlen with USDA-Agricultural Research Service and Dr. Stuart Birrell with Iowa State University. Appropriate removal rates will vary depending on how productive the soil is in a specific area.

Project LIBERTY Director Jim Sturdevant said POET is committed to a conservative approach to biomass harvesting. “We’re contracting for fewer tons per acre to ensure good soil management even in years when yields are lower. Also, our farmers have moved away from traditional methods of stover removal: of chopping, raking, baling and leaving the field black,” he said.

Farmers harvesting for POET typically turn off the chopper on their combines and leave windrows behind during grain harvest. Farmers do not rake the biomass before the baler gathers it. Last fall, 85 farmers harvested 56,000 tons of biomass, and they are almost finished delivering it to Project LIBERTY’s 22-acre stackyard.

biomass, Cellulosic, Ethanol, Ethanol News, POET

Free BioGen Workshop Announced

Joanna Schroeder

Sprague Energy Corp and BIODICO are hosting a FREE workshop designed to encourage the use of biodiesel in diesel powered generators and power units. The use of biodiesel blends significantly reduces air pollution and can also help cut energy costs. The workshop will take place on June 9, 2011 from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm at Bronx Community College at the Playhouse Auditorium (New York). Speakers will include industry experts, state agency experts, biodiesel users and engine manufacturers.

The workshop is targeted to biodiesel enthusiasts, engaged consumers, private businesses, maintenance contractors, schools, hospitals, municipalities, utilities and public buildings. The state of New York recently passed legislation requiring a 2 percent blend biodiesel (B2) to be used in all heating oil, known as BIOHEAT but biodiesel blends can also be used effectively in diesel equipment such as generators. After the speaker presentations, there will be an audience question and answer session. Participants will also receive educational materials provided by BioGenset.

Space is limited so please RSVP to info@biogenset.com. You can also register online at www.biogenset.com. The workshop is partially funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) and also supported by the New York City and Lower Hudson Valley Clean Cities Communities.

Biodiesel, Education

RFA Co-Hosts California Ethanol Safety Seminar

Cindy Zimmerman

RFAThe Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) and the San Joaquin Valley Clean Cities Coalition will be co-hosting a free Ethanol Safety Seminar in Stockton, California at the San Joaquin Delta College on June 6.

Seminar attendees will receive in depth information on proper training techniques that first responders and hazmat personnel need to effectively respond to an ethanol related emergency. While primarily targeting first responders, hazmat teams, safety managers, and local emergency planning committees, it is also open to the general public.

“California is using 1.3 billion gallons of ethanol a year thanks to facilities like Pacific Ethanol located in Stockton. Pacific Ethanol alone is producing, storing and transporting 60 million gallons of ethanol a year,” said Robert White, RFA Director of Market Development. “With this amount of ethanol being produced and consumed in the state, first responders and hazmat teams should be familiar with the plant facility and well informed on ethanol fuel so they are able to appropriately respond to a related emergency.”

The seminar will feature both a morning session from 9:00am-2:00pm and an evening session from 5:30pm-10:00pm. Certificates of participation will be distributed following the completion of the seminar. Lunch and dinner will be sponsored by Pacific Ethanol. There will also be an ethanol plant tour at the Pacific Ethanol facility between the two sessions.

For more information and to register, visit www.rfa.traincaster.com.

Ethanol, Ethanol News, RFA

Farm Bill Changes Called For

Chuck Zimmerman

Of course we planned our latest ZimmPoll to coincide with the first public hearings on the new farm bill. Uh. Right. But that’s how it worked out. This past week we’ve asked the question, “What is your opinion about the farm bill?” Early in the poll there was not a large gap in response but then things changed and the choice of Needs Overhaul zoomed out in front with 61% choosing it. That’s followed by 31% who said it Needs Minimal Change and then 8% with Leave as is. I guess the bottom line is that something needs to change, eh?

If you missed the first hearings by the Senate Ag Committee you can still watch them:

Food for Thought: The Role, Risks and Challenges for American Agriculture and the Next Farm Bill in Meeting the Demands of a Growing World

Opportunities for Growth: Michigan and the 2012 Farm Bill

Our new ZimmPoll is now live. We’re asking the question, “Have you ever used your smartphone to scan a QR code?” Well, have you?

And if you have any questions you want to suggest for future ZimmPolls please let us know.

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

ZimmPoll

DFCast: The Biofuels Industry Gets Married

Joanna Schroeder

The biofuels industry got married when a first generation ethanol plant walked down the isle with a second generation algae plant in Shenandoah, Iowa. BioProcess Algae and Green Plains Renewable Energy (GPRE) tied the knot and celebrated their anniversary last month with the announcement that their first babies, a set of Grower Harvester bioreactors, went online. This marked the last phase into adulthood – the algae plant is months away from commercial scale production.

Tim Burns, CEO of BioProcess Algae said this project is about both co-location opportunities as well as adding value to carbon. The algae plant will utilize the waste streams of the ethanol plant including waste nutrients and waste water. In addition, the algae plant uses the carbon dioxide from the corn ethanol plant to grow and thrive. Suddenly a product produced from a first generation ethanol plant with what amounts to negative value now has a tremendous positive value to a second generation plant. When people figure out that carbon from things such as a first generation ethanol plant has value, others will be on board, said Burns.

Years ago, Todd Becker, CEO of Green Plains Renewable Energy, said his company began looking for emerging technologies that could add value to his plant. These included adding things such as inedible corn oil extraction technology, but also the partnership with a second generation biorefinery that could utilize their plant’s waste streams. His company recognized the incredible partnership before any others and this fall his company along with BioProcess Algae will be building their algae farm, the last phase before they begin to produce commercial scale algae biofuels.

In the future, Becker and Burns both believe that every first generation biofuel plant will marry a second generation technology and with these marriages, the biofuels industry will rise to the challenge of producing billions upon billions of gallons of domestic renewable energy for America.

Learn more about the first biofuel marriage here: Domestic Fuel Cast

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

algae, biofuels, Domestic Fuel Cast, Environment, Ethanol

Book Review – Switching to Solar

Joanna Schroeder

I’m writing this post, sitting outside, overlooking a pool sparkling in the sunshine. OK, not really but it gets your mind in the right place – a sunny day. Solar energy has been gaining ground in both the U.S. and especially Europe so I thought it was high-time I learn more about the history of solar. “Switching to Solar,” by Bob Johnstone should become the industry and consumer reference to the worldwide solar story.

I have to admit that reading books on energy, environment and ag can be a bit dry regardless of the veracity of the information. But Johnstone broke the mold with his engaging story telling, compelling information and insights on the solar industry. It probably helps that he is a journalist, but he takes us through the history of solar weaving through Europe and taking a stop in Germany and coming back to the States – a country that was winning and now is losing, the solar technology race to countries overseas such as China.

There are several issues that are discussed in the book that are of special importance to the solar industry: rate of conversion, subsidies/tariffs, industry viability, legislation, and technology. He also talks about overcoming utility resistance to renewable energy and their adoption to both energy efficiency strategies and the adoption of renewable energy. Two areas he didn’t discuss in detail are the challenges with storage and transmission lines/ smart grid issues.

He writes, “For utilities, promoting energy efficiency was an unnatural act. Thus far, their entire rationale had been to encourage customers to use more energy, not less. their rate structure was designed to reward consumption, by charging customers less for the additional kilowatt-hours they used. Their domestic sales departments came up with promotional gimmicks to encourage usage. Utility salespeople gleefully handed out free hair dryers to their customers.”

See this ladies. It’s the utility companies’ fault that we’re contributing to global climate change with our old school hairdryers.Read More

book reviews, Electricity, Energy, Solar

Students In India Study Water Hyacinth for Ethanol

Joanna Schroeder

Students around the world are in search of new alternatives to fossil fuels. Several biotech students in Surat, Gujarat are studying the water hyacinth as a feedstock to produce ethanol. The students are looking for ways to reduce fuel costs – earlier this month the Central government announced that the price of fuel would increase five rupees across the country. Ethanol is also of interest because it can be used as a fuel for heat and light as well as a transportation fuel.

“Our objective of the project is to produce ethanol, which is a cheaper source of energy. Currently, ethanol is produced from grinds and sugarcane, but they are costing between 12-15 rupees per piece. We want to help cut down the price of fuel in the market, by using waste material, which is called Eichhornia (Water Hyacinth), which grows plenty in the wastewater and fresh water,” said R.K. Krishnamurthy, a biotechnology professor in an article in DailyIndia.com.

Krishnamurthy continued, “In another way it is creating pollution to the water bodies. We want to use those materials which is available at a throw away cost, it is freely available.”

The water hyacinth is considered an invasive pest by researchers; yet, it could be a viable ethanol feedstock because of its abundance in hydrosphere. The research team is collecting samples, then they wash them and dry them overnight at high temperatures. From there the dried water hyacinths are crushed and treated with diluted Sulphuric acid. Eventually, yeast is added and the plant is fermented to ethanol.

The students are racing against the clock. They are trying to produce a product to help mitigate the rising cost of fuel as well as meet the government’s goal of increasing biofuel production and use by 2012.

Shweta Patel, a biotechnology student added, “By 2012, we aim to increase the production of ethanol and reduce pollution by 10 percent in our area. Our target is to create as much as bio-ethanol and help the government.”

biofuels, Ethanol, International

Technology Can Make Ethanol From Coal

Cindy Zimmerman

A new technology to produce ethanol from coal could be a new alternative to plant-produced ethanol.

Chemical product company Celanese recently introduced investors to Celanese TCX™, a new and proprietary technology for ethanol production from coal, petroleum coke or natural gas. According to company officials who call it game-changing technology, Celanese TCX™ can produce ethanol at the equivalent of gasoline produced with $60 per barrel crude oil.

Celanese, which has offices around the world and in Dallas, Tex., is planning to build two facilities in China by the end of the year that will use coal to produce ethanol for industrial uses. Officials say they may produce ethanol for fuel as well in China and other countries.

Ethanol, Ethanol News

Turning Glycerin to Soap Could Add Profits

Joanna Schroeder

A byproduct of the biodiesel production process is crude glycerin. The boon of the biodiesel industry has helped to create a glycerin glut and many biodiesel producers are having to dispose of the product rather than sell it. However, Diesello Verde S.A., based in Costa Rica, has developed technology that could provide biodiesel producers with a new revenue stream for the glycerin – eco-friendly, natural cosmetics products such as glycerin soap.

Diesello believes that using low value waste stream provides significant competitive advantages for biodiesel producers, especially with the multi-billion dollar green product industry. As margins on biodiesel production are typically tight, diversification of products can add additional revenue to the producer.

The company believes that by exploring new product development within a biodiesel company’s existing infrastructure, they can expect greatly improved profitability, lower production costs, and a larger and more diverse client base. As such, they will visit a plant, assess its current technology and products, and then create a strategy to expand the business into revenue generating cosmetics products, such as glycerin soaps.

Biodiesel, biofuels, biomaterials