First Solar Reaches for the Sky

John Davis

An Arizona-based maker solar panels has really taken off, as it has signed a long-term agreement to provide solar panels and its profits have doubled.

This story from Forbes says First Solar Inc. has seen its stocks surge as its solar business takes off:

First Solar also said Wednesday it is entering the U.S. residential market through a five-year contract with SolarCity Corp.

First Solar, which produces cadmium telluride-based solar panels, will supply 100 megawatts of modules to SolarCity, a Foster City, Calif.-based residential solar installer, beginning in the first quarter of 2009. First Solar will also make a $25 million equity investment in SolarCity, which is part of a $30 million round of financing that will fund SolarCity’s continued U.S. expansion.

Analysts say that First Solar is on track in its strategy to expand its U.S. utility presence.

Solar

New York Looks to Regulate Wind Energy

John Davis

Wind energy is a popular alternative energy source… so popular that New York’s Attorney General wants to make sure it’s done legally.

This story from WRGB-TV in Albany, NY has details:

Cuomo announced Thursday a new Wind Industry Ethics Code to ensure that development of alternative energy continues in New York properly and legally.

“Wind power is an exciting industry for the state that will be a cornerstone of our energy future,” Cuomo said in a statement Thursday. “But it is important to make sure that this alternative energy sector develops in a way that maintains the public’s confidence, and that is what this new code of conduct does.”

Two companies have already signed on to the ethics code: Noble Environmental Power, based in Essex, Connecticut, and First Wind, based in Newton, Mass.

The attorney general has previously investigated whether wind-farm companies improperly sought land-use agreements with citizens and public officials, and whether those companies have tried to sway lawmakers into backing wind farm development with improper benefits.

The Wind Industry Ethics Code prohibits conflicts of interest between municipal officials and wind companies, and establishes new public disclosure requirements.

Wind

Improved Filter for Biodiesel Hits Market

John Davis

An eco-friendly filter could help purify biodiesel, no matter what is used as a feedstock.

This story from Biodiesel Magazine says Schroeder Biofuels out of Pennsylvania has introduced the Eco2Pure, a filter made of cellulose and is considered natural and sustainable:

“It has the powerful dry washing capability of a magnesol, but has the applicability of a column-based treatment,” said Jonathan Dugan, Schroeder biofuels product specialist.

“We’ve also built a system which we’ve applied to the Eco2Pure product – an industry proven technology, which allows for a producer to be able to tell hundreds of gallons before the Eco2Pure system is exhausted that it is going to be exhausted shortly, instead of producing lots of bad fuel and finding out afterwards,” Dugan said. “We think it is important if you want to produce spec fuel.” The system indicates expiration through pressure indication, flow measurement and particle counts.

The Eco2Pure system works by passing unwashed biodiesel through a fixed bed of purification media, cleaning the fuel and removing residues, fuel contaminants and soaps. “Each kilogram of the system is capable of purifying between 93 to 185 gallons of biodiesel, keeping the frequency of media replacement to a minimum,” Dugan said.

Schroeder Biofuels officials say the new filter will bring down biodiesel purification costs about two cents a gallon, capable of cleaning batches of biodiesel from homebrew to million-gallon operations.

Biodiesel

2010 Ford Fusion to be Flexible Fuel

According to Motor Trend and cars.com, the Ford Fusion will be E85 compatible in 2010. The midlevel Fusion with a 3.0L V-6 250 horsepower vehicle will have the flexible fuel engine. Ford spokesman Alan Hall said the V-6 Fusion will only be available with an automatic transmission.

The 2009 flexible fuel vehicles Ford offerings include nine models: Ford Crown Victoria, Ford E-Series Commercial Van, Ford Expedition, Ford F-150, Ford Lincoln Navigator, Lincoln Town Car, and Mercury Grand Marquis.

Ford, along with General Motors and Chrysler have all promised to produce half their lines as E85 compatible by the year 2012.

Although the specific fuel mileage and power specs of the 2010 Fusion have not been confirmed, both have been reported improved from previous models.

Car Makers, E85, Flex Fuel Vehicles

Biomass Conversion Technology Development

Cindy Zimmerman

A Texas company is moving forward with technology that converts non-food biomass into chemicals that can be processed into ethanol and other renewable fuels.

TerrabonTerrabon has developed and is currently licensing its MixAlco™ biomass conversion technology to commercial customers. The company will dedicate its research facility on November 7 in Bryan, Texas to test the scaled-up commercial feasibility of the MixAlco technology.

TerrabonTerrabon CEO Gary Luce addressed the National Renewable Resource Laboratory’s (NREL) 21st Growth Forum meeting this week in Denver. “Terrabon’s MixAlco technology is a cost effective, sustainable solution to the urgent need to produce biofuels and bio-chemicals that satisfy the world’s appetite for renewable energy resources and reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil,” Luce said. “MixAlco, which was inspired by the digestive processes of the ordinary cow, is an advanced bio-refining process that employs carboxylic acid fermentation followed by downstream chemistry to convert biomass products such as municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, forest product residues and non-edible energy crops, into industrial chemicals and renewable gasoline.”

When completed, the new semi-works facility in Bryan will have the loading capacity of 400 dry tons of biomass, equal to a loading rate of five dry tons per day. The Company will use sorghum as the primary feedstock with the objective of producing organic salts and converting them to ketones, which can be converted to renewable gasoline. The MixAlco technology has already been successfully tested for the past three years at Terrabon’s pilot plant in College Station, Texas.

Cellulosic, Ethanol, News, Research

South Florida Trains to Run on Biodiesel

John Davis

Some trains in South Florida will be running on a nearly pure mix of biodiesel.

This story from the Miami Herald says the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority’s commuter train system, Tri-Rail, is planning to run eight of its 10 locomotives on a 99-percent biodiesel blend:

Thanks to South Florida’s comparatively temperate climate, Tri-Rail is one of the few commuter rail systems in the country that can operate on such a pure blend of bio-fuel.

The nation’s top transit regulator praised the authority for taking an important step toward energy independence at a press conference Wednesday morning in West Palm Beach.

”The Federal Transit Administration is committed to encouraging the use of alternative fuels in the nation’s rail and bus systems,” said FTA Administrator James S. Simpson.

The article does point out that the trains use a bit more fuel when using biodiesel, but the biodiesel costs are significantly lower… making the green fuel a good deal for the environment and taxpayers.

Biodiesel

Summit Looks at Algae Biodiesel Future

John Davis

More than 650 attendees and 50 speakers looked at the future of algae biodiesel at a recent conference in Seattle.

The Algae Biomass Summit, hosted by firms Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and Byrne and Company, brought together those exploring the scientific and commercial advances of the field of the slimy green biodiesel feedstock. Our friends at Biodiesel Magazine covered the event sponsored by the Algal Biomass Organization and filed this report (and, of course, several others):

Mario Tredici from the department of agricultural biotechnology at the University of Florence in Italy said algae has many of the properties for a second green revolution that could help satisfy the world’s energy and food needs. However, algae have very specific culture requirements to produce near their theoretical potential. Changing light conditions as the density of cultures increase can limit the efficiency of the plants ability to convert sunlight into biomass. “Algae are not a miracle,” he said. “It must obey the laws of thermodynamics.” He does believe, with the proper technology and understanding of algae’s biology, that yields of 70 to 80 tons of algae can be produced per hectare (approximately 2.5 acres), producing 15 to 20 tons of oil and about twice that much protein.

The true value of algae will rely on the total amount of biomass not just the oil content, said Mark Tegan, chief executive officer of Inventure Chemical. Inventure processes biomass products into value-added products. Algae produce three distinct products – oil, carbohydrates and protein. Each component can be processed downstream into a variety of valuable products. “There is a lot of opportunity available in the chemical market,” Tegan said.

The coverage included discussions on how the current credit crisis might actually be good for the algae biodiesel business and the market potential of the feedstock and fuel.

algae, Biodiesel, biomass, conferences

Biodiesel Conference Early Bird Registration

John Davis

It’s that time of year again… to start making plans to attend the National Biodiesel Board’s Conference & Expo! This year’s event takes place Feb. 1-4th, 2009, in San Francisco. While that is a while off, now is the time to sign up to save some serious money on your registration.

It’s an event you won’t want to miss!

Conference features include:
Keynote Speakers
Gavin Newsom – Mayor, City and County of San Francisco
Pete Bethune and Bryan Peterson – Around the World on Biodiesel
Hear the harrowing tales from two men who led pioneering expeditions powered by Biodiesel!
Educational Tracks
Production, technical, fuel distribution, policy/regulations, and markets/users sessions
Exciting Networking Events
Golf Tournament
Super Bowl Party
Special California Wine Tasting & Jazz Reception

You can do your registration online by clicking here!

Biodiesel, Biodiesel Conference

Advanced Energy Center Announces 2008 Energy Conference

With the world’s existing supply of fossil fuels projected to last between 25-40 years, technologies for alternative fuels are now a critical component of a nationwide energy policy. Visionary solutions to the global energy crisis — from solar power to bio-fuels — will be unveiled at the Advanced Energy Conference on November 19 and 20 at the Hyatt Regency Windwatch in Hauppauge, NY.

The conference is expected to draw nearly 800 attendees including leading researchers in alternative fuels, top government officials, legislators, energy policy-makers, environmentalists, and leaders from the worlds of business, academia, and the not-for-profit sector. Among solutions to be explored related to increasing oil reserves are renewable energy such as solar, wind, bio-fuels and geothermal power.

The conference is being produced by the Advanced Energy Center in association with National Grid and LIPA. The Advanced Energy Center is a public-private partnership dedicated to the advancement of energy research and technology deployment. This is the second Annual Energy Conference produced by the Advanced Energy Center.

BIO, Energy, Environment, News

EPA, UPS Team Up for Green Brown Trucks

John Davis

""Shipping giant UPS has teamed up with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to put more eco-friendly delivery trucks on the road.

""This story from CNN says UPS will order some new vehicles that uses technology developed by the feds, namely, a hydraulic hybrid system:

The Environmental Protection Agency holds many of the patents on the innovative technology, which was developed in an EPA fuel-emissions lab in Ann Arbor, Michigan, with the help of engineers from Eaton Corp., which designs hydraulics systems.

"This vehicle to my right may look like a brown package truck that you'd see every day in your neighborhood," said UPS Chief Operating Officer David Abney, standing beside a prototype of the hybrid truck at a news conference Monday. "But underneath the hood is a whole different kind of technology."

The trucks combine a diesel engine with a unique hydraulic propulsion system that replaces the conventional drivetrain and transmission. Using hydraulic pumps and storage tanks, the vehicle captures and stores energy the way a battery does on an electric hybrid car.

The motor converts pressure from the hydraulic fluid into rotating power for the wheels and uses stored energy to accelerate the vehicle, thereby recovering more than 70 percent of the energy normally wasted during braking.

The article goes on to say that the design is perfect for the stop-and-start driving UPS does in cities. The first truck will hit the road in Minneapolis soon after the first of the year.

Reaching out: as the audience diversifies, MTV networks scores points at connecting with its many segments.(MTV Networks: targeting the multicultural customer)(Music Television)

Multichannel News September 20, 2004 MULTICULTURAL MARKETING. CABLE OPERATORS HAVE HEARD ABOUT IT FOR DECADES BUT IT’S ONLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT MOST HAVE REALIZED IT HOLDS THE KEY TO A BIG PART OF THEIR FUTURE SUBSCRIBER GROWTH As the U.S. population continues towards a much more diverse mix of racial, ethnic and social backgrounds, cable companies must work harder than ever to reach out to important segments of their audience. Most know the first step in accomplishing that goal: offer programming that grabs viewers and connects with them each time they tune in.

All of this adds up to growing demand for shows that can pull off that vital connection, and that’s a trend that bodes well for MTV Networks.

Known since its early days as a company that stays tuned to its viewers’ every whim, MTVN has been honing its skills at serving the needs of increasingly diverse audience segments. website keenan and kel

Hence, the growing viewership at VH1 includes a sizable complement of African Americans, who didn’t used to consider the network an entertainment option, but now routinely do. Ditto MTV2, where a hip approach to hip hop fans has helped produce the highest ratings in the network’s history.

MTVN’s multicultural roots go way back. At the flagship network, pioneering shows like Real World have included racially diverse casts since their creation two decades ago, while Nickelodeon’s first original series, Clarissa Explains It All, smashed the long-held axiom that boys wouldn’t watch a show built around a female main character.

Today, the diversification continues and the audience has taken notice. A recent Horowitz Urban Market study singled out MTV as the top brand among Hispanic young people, while a Beta Research survey found the same group of viewers ranks MTV Espanol and VH Uno first and second among their favorite Spanish language digital networks.

VH1 Soul, another digital channel, has cultivated a unique audience of upscale, high income African Americans, while MTV Jams puts a 24-hour-a-day spotlight on one of the most influential contemporary music genres: hip hop.

At Nickelodeon, groundbreaking bilingual series Dora the Explorer entertains while teaching little kids Spanish words. Its digital spinoff, Nicktoons, will add a Spanish language riced next month while another digital sibling, The N, has wrapped production on Miracle’s Boys, a five-part drama about a young man who gives up a scholarship to MI’I” to come home to Harlem and raise his two brothers after the death of their mother. see here keenan and kel

Executives at MTV Networks have long attributed their ability to stay steeped in popular currents to their constant trolling for different points of view and a workforce that mirrors the audience at large. Company chairman Judy McGrath, in an interview earlier this year, described her approach this way: “It’s not about getting advice from the most powerful people. It’s about finding the person with the next idea for The Apprentice or The Osbournes and making sure that person has nay phone number.” MTVN’s penchant for diverse casts, evident in shows ranging from Nickelodeon’s Keenan and Kel to MTV’s Pimp My Ride, MTV2’s Sucker Free Sundays, and VH l’s Hip Hop Honors, make its portfolio of networks an attractive option for cable operators segmenting their marketing to different sectors of an increasingly multiethnic audience.

It’s an approach that hasn’t gone unnoticed.

Jenny Alonzo, president of the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications, singled out the company as an industry leader last year during an interview with Multichannel News. “MTV [Networks] is very forward thinking and they have been for many years,” Alonzo said. “They have a great story to tell, not just on air, but also off-air within their ranks and within their corporate offices. I think they represent diversity at every level–not just color diversity–but gender, sexual orientation, etc. They really do understand the value of having a team that represents our people.”

Government, Miscellaneous