Corn Growers Rally for the RFS Again

Joanna Schroeder

rfs-worksCorn growers will be rallying for rural America on Capital Hill Wednesday, July 15 at Upper Senate Park to support the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS).  More than 250 corn growers will be on hand and have invited all others who support the RFS) to join them.

The main goal of the rally is to call on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to raise the RFS volumes for corn-based ethanol that were cut in the final rules for 2016. According to the National Corn Growers Association, biofuels such as ethanol strengthen and support American farmers and rural economies.

Featured speakers will include U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, U.S. Representative Tammy Duckworth, and NCGA President Chip Bowling.

Agribusiness, corn, Ethanol, RFS, Uncategorized

IFC Invests in Renewable Energy

Joanna Schroeder

IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, has announced the company is investing $25 million power company Alcazar Energy to develop and multiple solar and wind projects in the Middle East, Turkey and Africa. The hope is that the projects will aid the country’s economic growth while meeting growing power needs.

Screen Shot 2015-07-09 at 3.08.46 PM“MENA’s solar potential alone is massive,” says Maroun Semaan, Alcazar Energy co-founder and chairman. “Enough solar energy hits the region every year to satisfy the planet’s demand for power. The investment from IFC will help tap into that potential and boost power generation across the region at more competitive costs.”

Many areas throughout the MENA countries don’t have access to realiable power supply. However, cited by IFC show that power demand will grow by 84 percent by 2020. It is estimated that around $280 billion of investment will be required over the next five years to meet MENA’s growing electricity demand and the goal is to ensure much of the power demand is met by renewable energy sources.

“Powers shortages are a key barrier to economic growth and development across the region,” added Mouayed Makhlouf, IFC regional director for the Middle East and North Africa. “By harnessing the region’s considerable renewable potential, we can increase supply of sustainable, clean energy, helping to boost economic growth and alleviate poverty.”

The initiative is part of IFC’s broader regional strategy that focuses on improving the region’s infrastructure through renewable energy projects and fostering regional integration by helping companies expand operations to different parts of the region.

Clean Energy, Electricity, International, Solar, Uncategorized, Wind

BIO Announces Conference Workshops

Joanna Schroeder

The Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) has announced the schedule of workshops for the 2015 World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology. These workshops are designed for focused discussions on the newest trends in business strategies, investment opportunities and technology development in industrial biotechnology. The BIO World Congress on Industrial Biotechnology will be held July 19-22, 2015 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal in Montréal, Canada.

Screen Shot 2015-07-09 at 2.53.27 PM“Industrial biotechnology is driving innovation in the chemical industry and biobased industry has shown great potential in creating new jobs and business opportunities across manufacturing, industrial and agricultural sectors in the United States and around the world,” said Brent Erickson, executive vice president for BIO’s Industrial & Environmental Section. “Government policies supporting the development of biomass and biobased products signals to private investors that there is a strong market for these products. The confluence of policy and investment drives us towards a bioeconomy that can provide better, greener, and more sustainable products that meet consumer demands.”

The workshops will be held on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. Click here for a full list.

advanced biofuels, biomaterials, bioplastics, bioproducts, Biotech

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1FPL Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Florida Power & Light (FPL), have announced an energy conservation project that will save Miami International Airport more than $40 million in energy and water over the next 14 years. The Sustainability Project at MIA is part of a large-scale energy and water conservation effort contracted to FPL Services by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD). The Sustainability Project at MIA is one of the largest energy performance contracts ever undertaken in Florida.
  • Wuxi Suntech, a subsidiary of Shunfeng International Clean Energy, Ltd. (SFCE), has achieved a new round of efficiency breakthroughs for its silicon solar cells. The Hypro modules that use these solar cells, together with Sunways inverters, will contribute significantly to the optimized and integrated EPC solar solutions that SFCE is rolling out around the world. Tested by the National Center of Supervision and Inspection on Solar Photovoltaic Products Quality, the conversion efficiencies of Suntech’s monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar cells have reached yields as high as 20.82% and 19.11% respectively, positioning Suntech as a leader in the global photovoltaic industry.
  • The total onshore wind installed capacity in Serbia will soar from just 20 MW in 2014 to an estimated 542 MW by 2025, boosted by announcements over the past three years for a number of new projects, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData. The whitepaper states that Serbia’s nascent onshore wind sector will expand more than fivefold by the end of 2015, when it is expected to have an installed capacity of 122 MW. By 2025, the sector is forecast to increase at an impressive Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 35%.
  • SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. a global leader in PV inverters, power optimizers, and module-level monitoring services, and Sunrun, the largest dedicated residential solar company in the U.S., have formed a strategic supply relationship. As part of the agreement, SolarEdge will serve as Sunrun’s preferred supplier of optimized inverter solutions available for use in Sunrun’s home solar installations and through its distribution business, AEE Solar.
Bioenergy Bytes

What Are Crop Conditions Like In Your Area

Chuck Zimmerman

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What’s on your grill this July 4th?”

Hot dogs and hamburgers came out on top and the other category included ribs and brats. We hope everyone had a safe and tasty Independence Day!

Here are the poll results:

  • Hot dogs – 22%
  • Hamburgers – 22%
  • Steak – 17%
  • Chicken – 17%
  • Other – 17%
  • Fish – 5%
  • Pork chops – 0%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, How are the crops in your area looking?

Lots of areas in the United States are suffering from either too much moisture or not enough this growing season. Whether it’s the drought in California causing farmers to fallow land, too much rain in Texas delaying the planting of cotton, or so many areas in the Midwest getting so much rain that fields are being flooded, Mother Nature is throwing lots of curve balls. How do the crops look in your part of the country? And please feel free to leave some comments.

ZimmPoll

UAI: EPA Emissions Model on Ethanol Flawed

John Davis

UAIEPA1A group representing ethanol and air quality interests says the government’s emissions model regarding ethanol is flawed. The Urban Air Initiative filed documents with the U.S District Court in Washington, D.C., that show the model used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to measure tailpipe emissions inaccurately blames ethanol for increased air pollution, jeopardizing any hope for ethanol expansion.

The written arguments were filed as part of an ongoing legal challenge by the Urban Air Initiative, Energy Future Coalition, the State of Kansas and the State of Nebraska. These groups are asking that the EPA suspend its use of the Motor Vehicle Emissions Simulator (MOVES) model based on faulty and incomplete data. States are required to use this model to demonstrate compliance with federal air quality standards and would effectively be prohibited from using more ethanol under this model.

The Urban Air Initiative hired a certified fuels modeling consulting firm to run the MOVES model by adding various levels of ethanol to gasoline. But due to faulty fuel blending in the model, ethanol blends are shown to increase most of the pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act, when in fact the opposite is true when using fuels currently marketed to consumers.

“The consultant confirmed our fears, which was that this model is biased against ethanol and blocks the goal of Urban Air Initiative to reduce toxic emissions and promote a cleaner fuel for today and future generations,” said UAI President Dave VanderGriend. “We have clear data to support that when simply adding ethanol to gasoline, a better fuel is created with fewer toxic emissions. However, the calculations in the MOVES model were primarily directed by oil interests and do not reflect what happens in the real world.”

The new data submitted to the court follows a series of steps the plaintiffs have taken during the past year, including a direct appeal to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy to suspend the model.

EPA, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government

EWEA Calls on EU for Climate Policy Reform

Joanna Schroeder

The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) is calling on the EU to make modernization changes to the EU Trading System in order to better integrate renewable energy and reduce the use of fossil fuel-based energy sources.

EWEA logo“The ETS needs root and branch reform. The instrument must be realigned with Europe’s political ambition on climate change. The removal of surplus permits and the elimination of free allocation would be the first steps to achieving this,” said EWEA Chief Policy Officer Kristian Ruby.

Ruby noted that in addition to stimulating a higher price on carbon, ETS reforms post-2020 must include tools that will drive fossil fuel-dependent Member States toward decarbonised and renewable energy portfolios. For example, Ruby explained, the modernisation fund, which will set aside a share of ETS allowances for investment projects between 2021 and 2030, must be key to addressing renewable energy integration in lower income Member States.

“Putting measures in place to phase out the most polluting assets in Europe should be a top priority in this reform, particularly for those Member States in Central and Eastern Europe that rely heavily on coal-fired generation,” continued Ruby. “Already we see that wind energy, particularly onshore, represents the strongest business case for European countries trying to balance decarbonisation pledges with economic competitiveness and growth. With a functioning ETS and a robust carbon price, we can speed up Europe’s energy transition and reach our goals in a more cost-effective manner.”

Ruby also called for the European Investment Bank to play a role in improving the ETS.

Clean Energy, International, Wind

IRENA Launches INSPIRE Energy Platform

Joanna Schroeder

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has launched a new online platform called INSPIRE, or the International Standards and Patents in Renewable Energy platform. The project is the first of its kind, and provides information on nearly 400 international standards and more than 2 million patents for renewable energy technology.

INSPIRE platform2“The INSPIRE platform provides a strategic window into the innovation and growth taking place in the renewable energy sector,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “It consolidates vast collections of renewable energy patents and standards, which can foster collaboration between innovators, spur improvement through product comparison and benchmarking and help identify partners, matching domestic energy needs to innovative energy solutions.”

The project came to fruition with a partnership between IRENA, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The platform features several features including a standards section that allows users to search through a database of more than 400 internationally used standards and generate reports as needed. It also explains what standards are, how they can be used and why they are important for quality assurance, investor confidence and technology trading. The patents section houses the world’s most comprehensive global patent database for carbon mitigation technologies, the EPO’s PATSTAT, which contains nearly two million patent documents.

“The INSPIRE platform demonstrates the role of the global patent systemINSPIRE platform1 as a support for innovation in renewable energy, encouraging research and development in technologies to serve modern energy needs while addressing climate change,” added EPO President Benôit Battistelli. “INSPIRE also showcases the role of patent information, which provides valuable high-level information to advise policy makers on the renewable energy sector.”

IRENA said the combination of resources on INSPIRE will help users analyse various aspects of renewable energy policy and innovation, and the platform can help indicate the effectiveness of policies to promote renewable energy innovation through the analysis of trends in patent activity.

Clean Energy, Climate Change, Renewable Energy

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1Phibro Animal Health Corporation’s Ethanol Performance Group has become the Minnesota Bio-Fuels Association’s newest vendor member. The Phibro Ethanol Performance Group was formed in 2007 and its portfolio comprises of antimicrobials, yeast, process cleaning products, corn oil recovery and other products aimed at boosting ethanol plant profits.
  • According to GTM Research’s latest report, North American Microgrids 2015: Advancing Beyond Local Energy Optimization, cumulative investments in U.S. microgrids from 2015 through 2020 will surpass $3.5 billion. By then, the U.S. will be home to an estimated 2.8 gigawatts of total microgrid capacity, a 127 percent cumulative capacity increase to 2015 numbers. GTM Research forecasts that generation procurement will account for 40 percent of the total microgrid investment during the period. Fuel-based generators represent nearly all generation to-date, however renewables are expected to grow by over tenfold (to 730 megawatts) to account for 26 percent of total microgrid capacity by 2020.
  • Enrollment is open for 35th annual The Alcohol School 2015 taking place in Montreal September 13-28, 2015. The Alcohol School has a educates fuel ethanol and distilled beverage producers in the science of alcohol production. This weeklong program will covering a variety of topics including: Enzyme usage; Yeast biology; New technologies for alcohol production; and Bacterial contamination and control. Leading industry scientists and academics, as well as Ethanol Technology Institute experts – including scientific director Dr. Graeme Walker – will direct lectures and laboratory demonstrations.
  • Third Way is hosting an advanced biofuels event in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, July 15th in the Russell Building, Room 328 A. “Advanced Biofuels: Why We Want Them. How We Get Them,” will be a panel discussion will be moderated by Ryan Fitzpatrick, Third Way and will feature Amy Davis, Novozymes; Jeff Navin, Boundary Stone Partners; Jesse Stolark, Environmental and Energy Study Institute; and Aaron Whitsel, DuPont. Topics will include why advanced biofuels matter beyond the corn belt, EPA’s action on the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and what role advanced biofuels play in meeting climate change and economic goals.
Bioenergy Bytes

Trevor Day School Uses Geothermal for Energy, Education

Joanna Schroeder

Trevor Day School, located in New York City, is using geothermal for energy and education. The technology used is the first by an educational institute as well as the first on the East Coast to contribute to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 80 percent prior to 2050.

The system contains structural piles that are made from reinforced concrete. They are turned into heat exchangers by adding loops of plastic pipes down their length with some going more than 80 feet deep. They provide both support for the building, but also allow the structure to extract and store heat from the earth to use in heating and cooling the building.

A view from First Avenue of Trevor's new LEED qualifying, state-of-the-art, geothermal school building; a first of its kind on the East Coast. (Photo: Business Wire)

A view from First Avenue of Trevor’s new LEED qualifying, state-of-the-art, geothermal school building; a first of its kind on the East Coast. (Photo: Business Wire)

To learn more about the project, DomesticFuel spoke to several of the project team members including Michael Paquette, P.E. senior project engineer for Langan. He explained that this technology was different than many current geothermal projects.

On ‘traditional’ geothermal projects, the geothermal loops are installed in boreholes drilled specifically to install the geothermal loops, or in shallow trenches excavated specifically for geothermal loops, explained Paquette. However, at Trevor Day School, the geothermal loops were installed in pile foundations that were already required for the building (hence the term ‘energy piles’).

“The value of the energy piles is that the piles must be installed for the building’s foundation support, so adding geothermal loops inside the piles themselves is a relatively lower cost compared to drilling dedicated boreholes for the geothermal loops,” continued Paquette. “The piles serve dual purpose as foundation support and energy transfer. Although energy piles are becoming more common in Europe, Trevor Day School is one of the first projects in the USA to use this technology and will hopefully serve as a catalyst for other developers in the U.S. to consider this technology.”

What is the return on investment of this clean energy technology? Read More

Clean Energy, Education, Electricity, Geothermal