PlanET Biogas UK Ltd. has contributed a donation towards a newly set up forage aid for rural farmers and will support the fundraising tractor and trailer run through the counties of Somerset, Avon, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire. With approximately 12 stops planned en route the run will start from Sedgemoor and end in Telford on February 11, the opening day of the Energy Now Expo 2015. PlanET Biogas UK Lt. will exhibit at stand 100.- The Solar Energy Finance Association (SEFA), has announced the launch of its new membership program with enhanced offerings for the coming year. SEFA’s long term goal is to promote solar as an asset class and thereby improve the solar industry’s access to capital, reduce financing costs and increase the footprint of distributed solar power in the U.S. To do so, SEFA will carry forward, promote and administer many of the valuable work products and initiatives developed by the Solar Access to Public Capital (SAPC) working group, a 3-year initiative to increase the availability of capital to the solar industry, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and led by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
- ICM, Inc. has announced that Redfield Energy LLC has purchased ICM’s patent-pending Selective Milling Technology and patent-pending Fiber Separation Technology for their Redfield, South Dakota ethanol plant. SMT and FST are value-added platform technologies that increase ethanol yield and oil recovery for their customers.
- The global solar photovoltaic (PV) balance of system (BOS) market will decline in value from an estimated $34.9 billion in 2014 to $24.9 billion by 2020, due to falling BOS costs and the slow increase in global annual capacity additions according to GlobalData. The report indicates that while developed markets, such as the US, UK and Germany, will be the main contributors to this decline, some emerging countries, led by China, will witness growth over the forecast period. The largest drop will occur in the US, where the solar PV BOS market value will more than half, from $6.7 billion in 2014 to $3.3 billion by 2020.
Vernier Offers Wind Energy Lab Book
A new lab book, Investigating Wind Energy is now available for students in grades 4-6. Vernier Software & Technology spearheaded the effort. The book was written for and aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The lesson plans encourage students to apply learned knowledge as they explore electric circuits and investigate blade design variables using a variety of materials and technologies using a variety of materials and technologies, including the KidWIND MINI Wind Turbine, the Vernier Energy Sensor, and more.
“Our new lab book provides students with multiple hands-on investigations that explore renewable energy science, as recommended by NGSS,” said David Vernier, co-founder of Vernier and former physics teacher. “These types of inquiry-based investigations engage students in scientific discovery at an earlier age and provide the foundation needed as they progress through STEM instruction.”
The lab book includes ten investigations and one culminating project where students design, test, and refine a wind turbine blade set that converts wind energy to electrical energy. The investigations are designed to help students explore quantitative current, potential difference, power, energy and more in an engaging, hands-on way.
The lab book includes a table showing the Disciplinary Core Ideas, Crosscutting Concepts, and Science and Engineering Practices covered in each investigation, making it easy to use with the EQuIP rubric from Achieve. Additionally, it includes information on related skills, estimated completion times for the investigations, equipment tips, teaching tips, answers, sample data, and graphs in the teacher information pages. An accompanying CD with editable Word files for all of the student pages allows teachers to adjust lessons to meet their needs.
Geothermal Economic Survey Released
According to a new issue brief based on a the survey, “The Additional Economic Benefits of Geothermal Energy,” substantial revenues from taxes and royalties to state and local governments, long-term local employment and millions of dollars in environmental benefits have been delivered by the geothermal industry. This supports reports from the U.S. Energy Information Agency (EIA) that geothermal power is a long-term consumer bargain for the western power grid.
The survey was conduced by the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) and found:
- In 2013, geothermal power producers paid $29 million dollars in annual property taxes, including $21 million dollars to the State of California.
- A 50-MW geothermal plant will require 310 person-years of construction and manufacturing employment.
- An average 50-MW facility will create permanent employment for about 100 people.
GEA notes that properly developing the remaining identified geothermal resources estimated by the U.S. Geologic Survey to exist in the State of California alone could add 2,500 permanent on-site jobs, another 20-30 million dollars in property tax revenue for the state and almost 15,000 construction and manufacturing jobs.
The Issue Brief was prepared by GEA’s Analyst & Research Project Manager Benjamin Matek. He said, “The report supports the view of the industry, EIA and others that geothermal development is by far among the most economically beneficial out of the renewable resources available to western states.”
“These plants bring substantial economic benefits to communities through permanent employment, property taxes, rents and royalties,” added Matek. “Building one small geothermal plant in a community can generate $6.3 to $11 million dollars in property taxes that can be used toward education or other local services and provide 20-30 permanent jobs.”
SRS, Biodiesel Experts Develop Enzyme Catalyst
A pair of biodiesel experts have teamed up to develop an enzyme catalyst for biodiesel. SRS International‘s and Biodiesel Experts‘ transesterification system for biodiesel production uses enzymes to produce efficiently quality biodiesel on any scale, allowing SRS to supply turnkey enzymatic biodiesel production facilities.
While using high-FFA feedstock, the primary job of the enzyme becomes the conversion of FFA to FAME. The enzymes are able to convert high-FFA feedstock with reaction chemistry into FAME by performing both transesterification and esterification simultaneously. This occurs in two steps. (1) The glycerides are first hydrolyzed to FFA (2) The FFA and methanol are esterified to produce FAME. Careful monitoring during the reaction of methanol, water and enzymes, temperature, and rate of conversion are critical to ensure high-quality finished biodiesel and optimize the number of enzyme reuses.
“We are excited to be working with Biodiesel Experts. Incorporating their enzymatic technology into our biodiesel refinery processes is an important milestone to add to our current technologies,” said George Hawranik, Senior Engineer of SRS International. “The hurdle of making enzyme catalyzed transesterification economically viable on a commercial scale has been overcome.” “The enzymatic process works at a production cost per gallon that is comparable to that of traditional biodiesel, requires lower capital investment, allows the use of less expensive, more varied feedstocks with free fatty acid content as high as 100 percent and the enzymes are immobilized so they can be used for long periods without replenishing, making it economically feasible.”
Biodiesel Experts officials say this enzymatic process knowledge will revolutionize the biodiesel industry by allowing producers to cut production costs and allow them to use up to 100 percent FFA feedstock.
Neutral Fuels to Supply Biodiesel for Dubai
Waste oil-to-biodiesel maker Neutral Fuels will supply Dubai with locally produced biodiesel. This Neutral Fuels news release says the agreement makes Dubai the first city in the world to adopt biodiesel made 100 percent locally from 100 percent waste cooking oil for use in municipality vehicles.
Karl W Feilder, CEO & Chairman of Neutral Fuels, said: “This is a fantastic day for the UAE, for Dubai and for biodiesel. In adopting biodiesel – which doesn’t even require any engine modifications on diesel vehicles – the Municipality is creating a sustainability benchmark which the rest of the world should note.
“We are proud to be part of the UAE’s bold vision for a sustainable future, and applaud the Municipality for making such a strategic move.”
Today, VIPs, Dubai Municipality staff and a host of media gathered at the Municipality Headquarters in Al Rigga, Dubai, to celebrate the agreement, but also to witness another world first: a life-sized demonstration of how a biorefinery works.
“Neutral Fuels is keen for everyone to see for themselves exactly how Dubai’s used vegetable cooking oil is chemically converted into pure, clean biodiesel – so we recreated our Dubai production facility in the Municipality car park!” said Feilder.
Neutral Fuels has been producing biodiesel in the UAE since 2010, when it became the first biodiesel manufacturer ever to be licensed in Dubai.
Anti-RFS Bill Re-Introduced
Representatives Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Steve Womack (R-AR) and Peter Welch (D-VT), today re-introduced legislation called the RFS Reform Act “to reform the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) to help ease concerns created by the ethanol mandate and protect consumers, livestock producers, food manufacturers, retailers, and the U.S. economy.”
Livestock and poultry producer organizations are among those supporting the bill, but general farm groups and corn growers say the RFS is working fine just the way it is.
“The elimination of the corn-based ethanol mandate and blend cap will gut the nation’s biofuel production, strand existing investment in second generation biofuel production and hurt family farmers, ranchers and rural communities that have experienced much-needed reinvestment from this policy,” said National Farmers Union president Roger Johnson. “This is not only a bad step for agriculture, but also is a major setback to the environment and our nation’s attempts to manage its carbon emissions.”
National Corn Growers Association president Chip Bowling notes that “the price of corn today is lower than the cost of production, and less than when the RFS was passed” and that “repealing the RFS would increase the cost of farm programs, hurt rural communities, and make America more dependent on foreign oil.”
Renewable Fuels Association President and CEO Bob Dinneen called the legislation a “reckless paean to Big Oil” and said it was “a slap in the face to corn farmers across the country who responded to the RFS with increased production and yields.”
Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says the bill is also a gift to Big Food “in their effort to extend their record profitability by blaming ethanol for food price increases” even as corn prices have been declining. “This has provided an economic boon to the integrated U.S. livestock and chain restaurant industries that tout their profitability to their stakeholders while consumer food prices, led by the meat sector, continue to escalate,” said Buis.
According to the sponsors, the RFS Reform Act “eliminates the corn-based ethanol requirement, caps the amount of ethanol that can be blended into conventional gasoline at 10 percent, and requires the EPA to set cellulosic biofuels levels at production levels.” There are currently 34 co-sponsors for the bill.
RMI Launches Business Renewables Center
The Business Renewables Center (BRC) has been launched with more than 25 founding members, including major corporations, renewables project developers and transaction service providers, by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI). The BRC is a collaborative platform designed to accelerate renewable energy procurement. The Center’s goal is to add another 60 GW of wind and solar by 2025, which will nearly double installed U.S. capacity.
Nearly two-thirds of Fortune 100 and nearly half of Fortune 500 companies have commitments to shift to renewables. However, most have not taken action due to the high transaction cost and complexity of large-scale renewables transactions. The BRC will remove the main obstacles preventing corporations from building renewables into their energy profiles.
“Corporations can be a powerful lever for expanding renewable energy in the United States and beyond. They can lock in long-term affordable prices for clean energy that supports the bottom line, reduce their carbon footprint, and fulfill their corporate sustainability commitments,” said RMI Managing Director Hervé Touati.
The BRC founding transaction service providers include Altenex, Climate Friendly, Customer First Renewables, Origin Climate, Renewable Choice Energy, Renewable Power Direct and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. The BRC founding project developers include Apex Clean Energy, E.ON-Climate and Renewables North America, FirstSolar, Invenergy, NextEra Energy Resources, NRG Energy, OneEnergy Renewables, OwnEnergy and SunEdison.
Quayle Hodek, CEO of Renewable Choice Energy a founding member, noted, “The next decade will be a watershed for U.S. renewables. The establishment of the BRC is a testament to explosive industry growth and to the increasing appetite of corporations for easily adoptable, clean power solutions. Through collaborative efforts, the BRC is an exciting resource for everyone in the industry and for our clients.”
Gigawatt Global Grid Connects Solar Project
The Rwanda field, a $23.7 million, 8,5 MW solar energy plant has been connected to the power grid. Developed by Gigawatt Global, this is the first utility-scale project to reach financial close and come online under the Africa Clean Energy Finance (ACEF) program that is part of the Power Africa Initiative. The Rwanda field – constructed in the shape of the African continent – brought together an international consortium of financing partners.
Rwanda’s Minister of Infrastructure, Hon. James Musoni, and the Chief of Staff of the U.S. Government’s Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), John Morton, led a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village (ASYV) near where the solar plant is located.
“Top quality developers like Gigawatt Global are the keys to success for President Obama’s Power Africa Initiative,” said Elizabeth Littlefield, president and CEO of OPIC. “After OPIC provided critical early-stage support through the ACEF program, Gigawatt smoothly and swiftly brought the project online to give Rwanda enough grid-connected power to supply 15,000 homes. Gigawatt Global in Rwanda is a clear demonstration that solar will be a key part of Africa’s energy solution.” The project was completed in one year.
Chaim Motzen, Gigawatt Global Co-Founder and Managing Director, and the main force behind the development of the project, noted, “Our project proves the viability of financing and building large-scale solar fields in sub-Saharan Africa, and we hope that this solar field serves as a catalyst for many more sustainable energy projects in the region. The speed with which this project was completed is a tribute to the strength of the Rwandan government’s institutions and their laser-focus on increasing Rwanda’s generation capacity as well as to the nimbleness of our team and partners which spanned eight countries.”
The Rwandan project is built on land owned by the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village, whose mission is to care for Rwanda’s most vulnerable children orphaned before and after the Rwandan genocide. The Village is leasing land to house the solar facility, the fees from which will help pay for a portion of the Village’s charitable expenses. Gigawatt Global will also be providing training on solar power to students of the Liquidnet High School on the grounds of the Youth Village.
“This utility-scale solar field at the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village is a symbol of hope for sub-Saharan Africa’s tens of millions of orphans and 600 million people without power, ushering in a new era of impact investing that we will hopefully be replicating throughout Africa,” added Yosef Abramowitz, president of Gigawatt Global. “We want to thank President Obama and Secretary Kerry, along with our other financial partners, for the opportunity to celebrate this landmark electricity-generating project under Power Africa.”
Green Charge Networks & Flextronics Partner
Green Charge Networks has partnered with Flextronics to provide “on-demand” manufacturing of Green Charge’s GreenStation intelligent energy storage system at its customer innovation center in Milpitas, California. The company says California’s investor-owned utilities are seeking to deploy energy storage solutions at an accelerated rate. This includes energy storage capacity installed “behind the meter” on-site at commercial and industrial companies, a mid-tier market sector that Green Charge is pioneering with its GreenStation intelligent energy storage solution.
“Flextronics is proud to be Green Charge’s manufacturing partner, helping them to better meet the demands of their growing customer base,” said Scott Graybeal, vice president, energy at Flextronics. “Energy storage technology is rapidly evolving and we are thrilled to help companies like Green Charge with our advanced innovative solutions and platform offerings that increase their competitiveness and decrease their time to market.”
Vic Shao, CEO and Founder at Green Charge Networks added, “Green Charge has developed a leading-edge intelligent energy storage solution that not only benefits our customers, but helps pave the way towards a sustainable electric grid infrastructure of the future. Partnering with Flextronics, we’re thrilled to contribute to the revitalization of manufacturing in the U.S.”
NRDC Launches Airline Scorecard
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has launched a first-of-its-kind scorecard that rates airlines’ use of integrating sustainable biofuels into their fleets. Air travel emits more than 650 million metric tons of carbon pollution each year – nearly the amount emitted of 136 million cars. The leader of the pack is Air France/KLM.
“It’s great to see certain airlines becoming leaders in the use of sustainable biofuels,” said Debbie Hammel, senior resource specialist with NRDC’s Land & Wildlife Program and author of the scor
ecard. “As the world rises to the challenge of curbing climate change and cutting carbon pollution, addressing air travel pollution has to be part of the mix. The aviation sector has been pretty proactive about this issue, and an industry-wide increase in the use of sustainably produced biofuels is definitely on the horizon.”
NRDC’s Aviation Biofuel Sustainability Scorecards evaluated airlines’ adoption of biofuels, focusing on the use of leading sustainability certification standards, participation in industry initiatives to promote sustainability certification, public commitments to sustainability certification in sourcing, and the monitoring and disclosure of important sustainability metrics. The leading sustainable carrier is Air France-KLM, followed by British Airways, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay Pacific and Alaska Airlines.
NRDC has found that the airline industry has made great strides in recent years. During the past five years, 40 commercial airlines around the world have flown nearly 600,000 miles powered by biofuels. Low-carbon fuels will play a key role in the industry’s efforts to hold its carbon emissions steady after 2020 and cut net carbon emissions to half of the 2005 level by 2050 according to NRDC. To meet these goals, a new market has emerged to provide biofuels for the aviation sector. But, said NRDC, the adoption of credible, third-party sustainability certification systems are necessary to ensure that the emerging aviation biofuels market is providing fuels that are sourced sustainably.
The scorecard and issue brief encourages airlines to send clear market signals notifying suppliers of the importance of sustainability certification – ideally using the certification framework created by the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB) – and make a public commitment to source 100 percent certified-sustainable biofuels.
“How airlines move forward is still up in the air,” Hammel added. “While some in the industry have made real progress in implementing sustainability commitments this past year, there’s more to do. The industry must commit to robust standards for sourcing these fuels to ensure that they’re truly sustainable in the long-term.”