Kansans Want More Solar

Joanna Schroeder

Kansans want more solar. A recent poll finds 73 percent of Kansans agree that the opportunity for homeowners to adopt solar energy is an important part of providing choice and competition. In addition, 79 percent of respondents agree that Kansas could benefit from new jobs created by the solar industry. Today, one of every 78 jobs in the U.S. is in the solar industry. The poll was conducted by Magellan Strategies and commissioned by The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC).

This 10 kW ground-mount at @PLHSKAWS features 40 @SolarWorldUSA panels and @IronRidge racks in Perry, KS. #KSSolar Photo Credit: Cromwell Solar

This 10 kW ground-mount at @PLHSKAWS features 40 @SolarWorldUSA panels and @IronRidge racks in Perry, KS. #KSSolar Photo Credit: Cromwell Solar

“Solar jobs in Kansas have been increasing at a rate over 30% each year; these are good-paying, skilled jobs that are at risk if Westar attempts to eliminate solar competition,” said Aron Cromwell, CEO Cromwell Solar, based in Lawrence, Kansas.

According to TASC, Westar Energy awaits the Kansas Corporation Commission’s ruling on a proposal that would impose higher tariffs on solar customers in its service territory. The proposed change would force solar customers onto discriminatory rates with high monthly charges that will stop the growing solar market in Kansas. TASC and Cromwell Solar have petitioned to intervene in the rate case to advocate for residential rates that encourage consumer energy choice. Westar has opposed both parties’ participation in the case.

Additional finding include that 76 percent of Westar customers oppose Westar’s proposal to impose a tariff fee on customers with solar panels. With 80 percent of Republicans and 75 percent of Democrats agreeing that their utilities’ positions on clean energy are based on what’s best for these companies’ profits, the results, said TASC, call into question Westar Energy’s motives in proposing this anti-solar change.

“It is rare to see this level of bipartisan support for anything, but it is clear from these results that Kansans will not stand for Westar Energy or any utility to take away their ability to install solar,” said David Flaherty, CEO of Magellan Strategies.

Westar’s rate case is pending before the Kansas Corporation Commission. Public hearings are planned for July 21 and 23. The Commission should issue an order by the fall.

Clean Energy, Electricity, Renewable Energy, Solar

Husker Motorsports Races into Lincoln, Neb

Joanna Schroeder

The Formula SAE series is heading to Lincoln Airpark, located in Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 17-20, 2015. More than 250 universities from around the world participate in the series, where teams have a choice of using E85 or unleaded gasoline. One of the participating teams is the University of Lincoln, Nebraska-based Husker Motorsports that races on E85 and is supported, in part, by the Nebraska Ethanol Board (NEB).

Husker_Motorsports_team“We run E85 because it is a part of Nebraska’s culture and we like to represent our state well at competitions,” said Charles Lee, Husker Motorsports member. “There is an additional technical benefit of E85 having an extremely high octane rating.  We are very fortunate that the competition moved to Lincoln several years ago, which led to the formation of our team and provides great opportunities for our members. We are proud to represent Nebraska and UNL by going head to head with some of the country’s top universities.”

In addition to the competition, there will be a meet and greet with Dan Schwartzkopf, former National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) drag racer, June 17 from 1-4 p.m. at the main Airpark tent. Schwartzkopf, who raced more than 15 years, was the first producer of race ethanol provided to the Indy Racing League. He has been promoting ethanol as a performance fuel since 1992, and continues to work as a fuel tech for Ethanol Performance Fuel and other venues.

“Ethanol is cleaner-burning with higher octane allowing it to compete with all race fuels while reducing emissions,” Schwartzkopf said. “Ethanol is competitive in several ways: it costs less, performance is equal or better than unleaded gasoline, non-toxic octane booster for high-compression engines, and it’s healthier for the driver and the environment.”

Alternative Vehicles, E85, Ethanol, Racing

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1The Alternative Fuel Vehicle Roadshow is set to open June 15, 2015 in Gainesville, Georgia with an 8-city tour led by Georgia Public Service Commissioner Tim Echols. The series brings together a vehicle showcase and discussion panels on the practical impact of converting fleets to clean, alternative fuels like propane, E85, natural gas, electric (EV) and compressed natural gas (CNG). Questions on financing, safety, maintenance and fuel considerations of clean vehicle conversions will be answered by government fleet managers and private sector fleets, along with vehicle manufacturers and utilities who will highlight their success transitioning fleets, based on need and use.
  • DNC Energy, an environmental firm focused on building renewable energy infrastructure, announced today that it has received major funding through a bond program to construct a waste wood and crop residue fired biomass electric generation plant in Ukraine’s Kyiv region. The 25 MW facility is the 13th biomass plant to be built in the Ukraine, which currently has six burning biomass plants and seven biogas anaerobic digester systems.
  • Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin joined PSEG Solar Source, Encore Redevelopment, juwi solar Inc. and Vermont Electric Power Producers Inc. to dedicate the PSEG Essex Solar Center. The 3.6-megawatt-dc facility, located roughly four miles northeast of Burlington, VT, is the state’s largest solar farm.
  • Canadian Solar Inc. has announced it closed a GBP35 million (US $53 million) project financing facility with Investec Bank plc, for a portfolio of four solar power plants with an installed capacity totaling 40.2 MW. Located at four different locations across England, the installations have been built under the Renewables Obligation regime and became operational in March 2015.
Bioenergy Bytes

Solenis Launches Scale Inhibitor at #FEW15

Cindy Zimmerman

few15-solenisSolenis introduced a new scale inhibitor for ethanol plant evaporators at the 2015 Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo (FEW) in Minneapolis last week.

Solenis, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, launched the Polystabil™ AS4535 scale inhibitor specifically designed to help fuel ethanol producers control scale in their evaporators, improving heat transfer and reducing downtime while still meeting regulatory guidelines for chemical usage.

solenis-inhibitor“Today’s fuel ethanol processes tend to generate more scale than ever before,” said Allen Ziegler, global biorefining marketing director. “This novel product performs significantly better than polyacrylate chemistries and allows fuel ethanol plants to split feed the chemistry, for example at the front of the evaporators to treat the whole system, and then with an additional dosage before problem areas, such as the evaporator where inorganics are concentrated. This results in improved heat transfer efficiency and a reduced need for cleaning and related downtime. Fuel ethanol operations using Polystabil AS4535 scale inhibitor are therefore able to maintain maximum efficiency while staying within regulatory limits.”

The new scale inhibitor represents one of many solutions recently developed for fuel ethanol producers by Solenis, which was previously known as Ashland Water Technologies. Other process and water treatment innovations include FDA-approved corn oil extraction aids for both disk-stack and tricanter systems; a proprietary control system that allows for around-the-clock surveillance and control of process and water treatment programs; a low-corrosion microbiocide for cooling water systems; and new antibiotic-free fermentation aids.

2015 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by
Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by Novozymes
Ethanol, Ethanol News, FEW

Iowa RFA Praises State Legislature

Cindy Zimmerman

irfaAs the Iowa Legislature wrapped up the 2015 legislative session last week, the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association (IRFA) praised several key pieces of legislation that were passed to expand use of higher ethanol and biodiesel blends.

Before the gavel went down on the 86th General Assembly, Iowa lawmakers passed key legislation that allows E15 infrastructure investments to become eligible for Iowa Renewable Fuels Infrastructure grants. Previously, the funds were only available for blender pumps and dispensers offering E85. Additionally, the Iowa legislature passed a bill that will establish a new grant program for fuel retailers to replace old underground storage tank (UST) equipment with new components that are UL listed to be fully compatible with E85.

“After a long, spirited session, we sincerely thank the Iowa Legislature for remaining committed to increasing the use and availability of higher ethanol and biodiesel blends,” stated IRFA Policy Director Grant Menke. “With an uphill climb for renewable fuels ahead in terms of federal policy, forward-thinking state initiatives are a must to continue to build upon the successes of Iowa’s nation-leading renewable fuels industry.”

Earlier in the session, the Iowa Legislature included a 3-cent per gallon differential tax rate for B11 and higher biodiesel blends in its road infrastructure legislation. Iowa RFA says this provision, which takes effect for five years on July 1, will help encourage the increased use and availability of higher biodiesel blends.

Biodiesel, Ethanol, Ethanol News, Government, Iowa RFA

Novozymes Talks Fermentation at #FEW15

Cindy Zimmerman

few15-novo-derekOne of the most well-attended breakout sessions at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop last week in Minneapolis explored “Best Practices for Yield Maximization.”

Novozymes research associate Derek Payne focused on propagation and fermentation optimization and getting data from small scale fermentations to find out what works. “By doing the smaller scale first you can predict patterns you would see in larger scale before implementing it,” said Payne who compares small scale fermentations to micro-breweries. “As technology gets better, we can more closely mimic what’s going on in the plant, in the lab itself.”

Novozymes offers lab services consulting and advanced laboratory seminars, depending on a plant’s needs. Listen to Derek explain more in this interview: Interview with Derek Payne, Novozymes

2015 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by
Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by Novozymes
Audio, enzymes, Ethanol, Ethanol News, FEW, Novozymes, Production

FPL and FIU to Build Solar Power Center

Joanna Schroeder

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and Florida International University (FIU) have solidified a partnership to build a commercial-scale distributed solar power facility that will both generate electricity for FPL’s 4.8 million customers and serve as an innovative research operation.

Artist's conceptual rendering of the 1.6-megawatt solar installation FPL plans to install at Florida International University in 2015. The solar-powered parking canopies will also create about 600 shaded parking spaces in the parking lot of FIU's Engineering Center. (PRNewsFoto/Florida Power & Light Company)

Artist’s conceptual rendering of the 1.6-megawatt solar installation FPL plans to install at Florida International University in 2015. The solar-powered parking canopies will also create about 600 shaded parking spaces in the parking lot of FIU’s Engineering Center. (PRNewsFoto/Florida Power & Light Company)

The project includes the installation of more than 5,700 solar panels on 23 canopy-like structures that will be built this summer in the parking lot of the university’s Engineering Center. Using data from the 1.6 MW solar array, faculty and students from FIU’s College of Engineering and Computing will study the effects of distributed solar photovoltaic (PV) generation on the electric grid in real-life South Florida conditions.

“This innovative solar project builds on FIU’s relationship with FPL, one that provides our students with unparalleled and unique training opportunities,” said FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg. “Through this project, our engineering students will make a direct contribution to the growth of solar energy in our state, while gaining invaluable experience working side by side with professionals from one of the most forward-thinking utilities in the nation.”

Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL noted, “FPL is proud to be a leader in advancing solar energy in smart ways, making sure to keep costs low and reliability high for our customers. As the economics of solar continue to improve, we look forward to harnessing more and more energy from the sun. Our partnership with FIU is designed to help us manage solar power’s interaction with the greater electric grid as part of our commitment to reliably deliver affordable clean energy for all of our customers.”

FIU students have already begun gathering information to be used in their research, including historical weather data and energy production and usage patterns. The research will take Florida’s unique weather conditions into consideration and help determine the types of technology that may be needed to ensure the grid’s reliability is not negatively affected by fluctuations in solar PV production due to clouds, thunderstorms and other variables.

Clean Energy, Electricity, Research, Solar

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDF1SNC-Lavalin has announced that Transmission & Distribution (T&D)  has been awarded a new project by BC Hydro and Power Authority to produce the design and provide project and construction management services for the new BC Hydro Meikle Wind Terminal—a 230-kilovolt (kV) switchyard located approximately 23 kilometres northwest of Tumbler Ridge in British Columbia, Canada. The new switchyard will serve as the point of interconnection to the BC Hydro power grid for the Meikle Wind Energy Project, a wind farm being developed in the Peace River region. The wind farm will provide approximately 180 MW of energy.
  • Dairyland Power Cooperative has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for up to 25 MW of renewable energy from one or more new utility-scale photovoltaic solar facilities. The RFP seeks proposals from qualified bidders for up to 25 MW of capacity with commercial operation to begin by July 1, 2016. Dairyland is receptive to a variety of proposal options, including Dairyland ownership of new facilities, power purchase agreements (PPAs) or other arrangements, single or multiple sites.
  • Bay Area Trash Compactor has announced the installation of the first-of-its-kind combination solar powered trash compactor and portable cardboard baler at the LEED Platinum Certified Bardessono Hotel and Spa in the Napa Valley, California. Completely off the grid, the solar powered compactor packs 16 yards of loose trash into just 4 yards, reducing waste pick-up at the busy property to just once per week.
  • Intersolar North America, taking place July 14-16, 2015 in San Francisco, California, will feature intensive and in-depth panel discussions on the new financing models driving the market. This program features a special nine-session financing package, eight of them developed with the SunSpec Alliance, a trade alliance of more than 70 solar and storage distributed energy industry participants, as well as an additional panel focused on discussing the latest developments in U.S. solar policy that will impact financing.
Bioenergy Bytes

Gevo’s Biojet Fuel Catches Air

Joanna Schroeder

Gevo’s technology to convert wood waste to biojet fuel has achieved a breakthrough in its fermentation technology and will soon “catch air” as its soars in the sky in test flights. The wood waste is first converted to isobuanol and then converted into alcohol-to-jet fuel.

Gevo has an operational plant in Luverne, Minnesota that has flexible feedstock technology allowing the plant to produce isobutanol from multiple feedstocks. In the past the primary feedstock has been corn and the resulting fuel has been tested by airlines and the U.S. military in their planes. This new process uses forest residues. Removing waste helps to prevent forest fires.

tree copy

Photo Credit: Joanna Schroeder

According to the company, they have adapted their patented Gevo Integrated Fermentation Technology(R) (GIFT(R)) to convert the cellulosic sugars from wood into renewable isobutanol. They then use their patented hydrocarbon technology to convert the cellulosic isobutanol into alcohol-to-jet-synthetic paraffinic kerosene (ATJ-SPK) fuel.

“There are significant economic and environmental benefits of renewable jet fuel, which makes it a great market for Gevo. This announcement demonstrates the flexibility of our technology and reinforces our technology leadership,” said Dr. Pat Gruber, Chief Executive Officer of Gevo, Inc. “The next two milestones for renewable jet fuel are the approval by ASTM and the scheduled commercial test flights. Our team is actively engaged in both of these activities.”

Gevo’s cellulosic isobutanol production will be conducted at a demonstration facility in St. Joseph, MO, that the company jointly operates with ICM Inc. The ATJ-SPK will be produced in Silsbee, Texas, at the demonstration facility the company operates with South Hampton Resources.

The company is a member of the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) and is providing the organization with technology to enable the commercial scale processing of cellulosic sugars from wood waste into valuable products. The cellulosic jet fuel made using Gevo’s technologies will be used in a 1,000-gallon renewable fuel demonstration test flight that NARA announced yesterday in conjunction with Alaska Airlines. Gevo’s isobutanol and ATJ-SPK technologies are both planned to be licensed by NARA as part of this project.

Ralph Cavalieri, director of NARA, added, “We’re encouraged by Gevo’s work with the NARA team in converting Pacific Northwest forest residual biomass into jet fuel, and look forward to working with them on this test flight and in the next phases of the commercialization of this technology.”

advanced biofuels, aviation biofuels, biojet fuel

Ethanol Industry Thoughts on Presidential Candidates

Cindy Zimmerman

few15-bob-brookeSeveral new presidential hopefuls in both parties have officially declared their candidacies recently and more are planning to announce soon. During a press briefing at the 2015 Fuel Ethanol Workshop, Bob Dinneen with the Renewable Fuels Association and Brooke Coleman with the Advanced Ethanol Council were asked how they think the candidates, declared and undeclared, rate when it comes to the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Dinneen attended the Iowa Ag Summit in March where nine Republican presidential hopefuls were asked their views on the RFS and was not surprised that the only two who said they were opposed were from Texas – the first declared GOP candidate Sen. Ted Cruz and former Gov. Rick Perry, who just formally declared this week. “That’s a dog bites man story if there ever was one,” said Dinneen. “I would think less of those two men if they weren’t sticking up for their big Texas oil industry.”

Dinneen was surprised by the candidates who did express support for the RFS, some of them publicly for the first time, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who is expected to announce his candidacy later this month, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, both of whom have yet to declare.

On the Democratic side, another new candidate announced this week was former Rhode Island governor Lincoln Chafee, but the big dog in the fight is still Hillary Clinton and Coleman was impressed with her recent op-ed in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. “It suggested that she understands the different intricacies of the challenges we face in this industry,” said Coleman. “However, one op-ed does not make a candidate and we will have to continue to work with Secretary Clinton to make sure that she is helpful to make sure she is helpful with regard to what we are dealing with in the administration right now because there is no better person to help us than Hillary Clinton when it comes to where the Obama administration is in the Renewable Fuel Standard.”

Listen to Dinneen and Coleman here: Comments from RFA's Bob Dinneen and AEC's Brooke Coleman at FEW

2015 Fuel Ethanol Workshop Photo Album

Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by
Coverage of the Fuel Ethanol Conference is sponsored by Novozymes
AEC, Audio, Ethanol, Ethanol News, FEW, politics