SheerWind Pilots Wind Project in Apollo Beach

Joanna Schroeder January 14, 2015

SheerWind has been selected by Tampa Electric for a wind energy pilot project to be commissioned in Apollo Beach, Florida at Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station. Tampa Electric has selected the 200-KW INVELOX wind power generation to be built as a pilot project in 2015. According to SheerWind, after sufficient data is collected (6 to 8 months) and if the technology is shown to be viable, Tampa Electric may purchase a utility-scale 1.8MW INVELOX system.

The company explains its INVELOX funnel system is a solution that utilizes current wind power turbines and rotors but brings them to ground level for easier, safer, and cheaper operation and maintenance. Multiple turbines can be used in a row or series to increase output capacity for each tower while reducing downtime to near zero.

“We are pleased to be included in Tampa Electric’s Big Bend Power Station. They understand the importance of exploring and showcasing new technology,” said Steve Hill, Chief Operating Officer of SheerWind. “This project will assist in SheerWind’s mission to provide sustainable, affordable, electrical energy to anyone, anywhere.”

Electricity, Renewable Energy, Wind

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder January 14, 2015

The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has approved a USD 420,000 preparation grant to Jumeme – Rural Power Supply Ltd (JRPS) to support the development of a portfolio of independent solar-hybrid mini-grids in rural growth centres in Tanzania. Specifically, the SEFA grant will finance the costs related to technical studies, lender’s due diligence support, legal and financial advisory services. Tanzania’s national electricity coverage is estimated at about 21%, with transmission grid covering a minor part of the country and leaving out most of the territory, particularly in western and southern regions.
Innovative Solar Systems (ISS) has secured all approvals and is ready to start construction on an 80MW Solar Farm Project in North Carolina. ISS has all approvals in place including interconnection agreements, purchase power agreements, state, federal and regulatory approvals for Innovative Solar 46, an 80MW solar farm project located in Hope Mills, NC. This project will be the single largest solar farm project ever built in the United States on this side of the Rockies.
HOMA Pump Technology is now generating 100 percent of its anticipated electricity usage at its Ansonia, Connecticut facility from a recently completed solar project designed, engineered, and installed by the Ross Solar Group. Commissioned in December of 2014, the 104,640-watt installation is comprised of 320 high-efficiency SunPower solar panels, and four SMA Tripower 24000 TL inverters. The system is expected to generate in excess of 125,000 kilowatt hours of clean energy per year.
According to a new report from Navigant Research, worldwide revenue from distributed energy storage systems (DESSs) is expected to grow from $452 million annually in 2014 to more than $16.5 billion in 2024. The report analyzes global market forecasts for power capacity, energy capacity and revenue through 2024.

Bioenergy Bytes

Participate in “Shout Out for Solar” Day

Joanna Schroeder January 14, 2015

“Shout Out for Solar Day” is taking place on Friday, January 16, 2015 on Facebook, Twitter and other social media venues. The event coincides with the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) 41st anniversary as well as the release of The Solar Foundation’s “National Solar Jobs Census” report on Thursday, January 15.

“With the U.S. solar energy industry coming off a record-shattering year, next week’s ‘Shout Out For Solar’ Day is the perfect time for Americans to voice their support for increased development of solar resources nationwide,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO. “In a short period of time, solar has become a true American success story, benefiting both the U.S. economy and our environment, and we need to be shouting that news from every rooftop.”

According to estimates, the U.S. now has more than 20 GW of installed solar capacity, enough to effectively power nearly 4 million America homes – or every single home in a state the size of Massachusetts or New Jersey – with another 20 GW in the pipeline for 2015-16. SEIA says the growth is being spurred, in part, by the affordability of solar. According to SEIA/GTM Research, national blended average system prices have dropped 53 percent since 2010.

“By any measurement, these policies [net metering] are paying huge dividends for both the economy and environment,” Resch continued. “Yet despite all of the progress we’ve made, solar faces an uncertain future in Washington and in some state capitals. It’s more important than ever for the voices of our supporters to be heard.”

Anyone can participate in the event. Pictures can be uploaded to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #GoSolar. Supporters can download and print signs for their pictures here. SEIA is also hosting a Thunderclap, which will send out coordinated Tweets and Facebook posts from hundreds of supporters on January 16.

Education, Electricity, International, Solar

TruMarx Offers Biodiesel and RINs Transactions on COMET

John Davis January 14, 2015

TruMarx Data Partners is now offering biodiesel and renewable identification numbers (RINs) transactions on COMET, the energy industry’s on-demand platform for custom bilateral OTC transactions.

COMET now supports direct bilateral transactions for biodiesel and assigned RINs, separated D4 RINs, and RIN-less biodiesel (wet gallons). This new capability allows users to:

• Electronically and confidentially structure their transaction to include important product details such as quality, certification, blend, facility info, delivery details, Q-RIN designation, QAP provider, etc.
• Publish the structure to any pre-screened COMET counterparts via a one-to-many request for price.
• Negotiate the terms of the transaction via multiple one-to-one confidential negotiations until the originator accepts or rejects a particular transaction.
• Receive an automated transaction confirmation with full transaction details.
• Generate a comprehensive transaction audit trail to help meet a variety of audit and regulatory compliance standards.

“We are excited to introduce this new biodiesel transaction capability for COMET. It will allow active traders in this important energy category to enjoy the tremendous benefits that COMET provides”, said Jon Olson, Founder, President and CEO. “Our customers have asked for this platform and we are excited to deliver”, said Mr. Olson.

TruMarx says this new biodiesel/RINs capability will offer many benefits for users, including reducing fraudulent transaction concerns, increasing market transparency and scope, allowing self-service price discovery, and making it overall easier for users with on-line and on-demand access.

Biodiesel, RINS

First Biodiesel Testing Lab in Southeast to Open

John Davis January 14, 2015

The first lab for testing biodiesel in the Southeastern United States is set to open in Asheville, North Carolina. This article from the Asheville Citizen-Times says it is opening at the Enka campus of Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.

Researchers at the lab “will provide convenient, cost-effective testing of biodiesel to assure quality products are going to market,” said Sam Brake, of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture Bioenergy Research Initiative in Oxford.

“Consumers will be assured they’re getting high-quality product,” said Brake, who added that the state Department of Agriculture awarded the project a $150,000 grant. “Long-term, it should help boost demand and help boost production.”

“Having a lab here decreases the testing-turnaround time so it increases biofuel companies’ ability to release batches (of fuel for customers),” said Sarah Schober, senior director of A-B Tech’s BioNetwork, a program throughout the North Carolina community college system that focuses on biotechnology and life sciences.

The school donated $60,000 to the project.

Biodiesel

Algenol Receives EPA RIN Status

Joanna Schroeder January 13, 2015

Algenol’s advanced biofuel has received D-5 classification status under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). As such, their bio-crude co-product patented Direct to Ethanol pathway, is now eligible for a Renewable Identification Number (RIN).

“The EPA approval is a milestone event for Algenol. The EPA validates that our suite of fuels meet the GHG reduction requirements set by the EPA for advanced biofuels and allows blenders and refiners to use our fuels to meet their Clean Air Act obligations under the RFS,” said Paul Woods, founder and CEO of Algenol.

RINs can be purchased by blenders to document compliance with the RFS. As part of this approval, the EPA determined that ethanol produced from the Algenol process resulted in an approximate 69% reduction in greenhouse gases when compared to gasoline.

“The RINs ascribe both GHG reduction value and real economic value to Algenol’s fuels,” continued Woods, “but the true game changing part originates from paying for CO2 emissions by converting them into valuable, low cost transportation fuels. Just imagine how refreshing the carbon dialogue would sound if CO2 emissions become a corporate asset rather than a liability.”

advanced biofuels, RFS

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder January 13, 2015

SunShare and Mortenson have announced a strategic relationship to develop and build solar gardens in Minnesota. The announcement comes just a week after Xcel Energy announced its plan to more than double its renewable energy by 2030, including exponential growth in solar from 14 megawatts today to 2,400 megawatts in 2030.
Boralex Inc. has announced the acquisition of the equity interest owned by Northland Power Inc. into the Frampton community wind power project that has a total capacity of 24 MW. Owned by the municipality of Frampton at 33,3% and, after closing of the transaction, by Boralex at 66,7%, the Frampton project shall be located on private lands in the municipality of Frampton, in the Chaudière-Appalaches region in Québec. Once constructed, Frampton will consist of 12 Enercon E-82 wind turbines and is covered by a power sales contract with Hydro-Québec. With a 20-year term, the contract was awarded under the Hydro-Québec Distribution request for proposals for 250 MW of wind power in 2009.
OnlineSchoolsCenter.com has released their list of the Top 50 Green Schools recognizing colleges and universities that go above and beyond for their students, the environment, the community, and the school as a whole to provide an environmentally-conscious, ‘green’ campus life. Schools included in the list boast multiple, simple and complex, means of contributing to the planet’s health in ways including, but not limited to, sustainability, clean-energy, solar power, recycling and landscape management.
ROUSH CleanTech has earned California Air Resources Board (CARB) retrofit certification for all Ford 6.8-liter vehicles for model years 2012 to 2015. Any 2012 – 2015 model year Ford E-450, F-450, F-550, F-650, F-53 and F-59 vehicles can now be converted to run on propane autogas in all 50 states, making it easier for U.S. fleet operators to transition to this clean-burning, domestically produced alternative fuel.

Bioenergy Bytes

Ag Secretary Stresses Biofuels Support at AFBF

Cindy Zimmerman January 13, 2015

Real farmers from around the country had a chance to ask Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack questions during an informal town hall-style meeting at the American Farm Bureau convention this week in San Diego.

The last question he took was from a South Dakota farmer who asked about continuation of strong biofuels policy in the United States. Vilsack detailed his continued support for the industry, particularly in the area of exports. “I am a firm believer in the future of the biofuels industry,” he said. “Ethanol production is at record levels…we’re now beginning to see great interest in the export market, not just for ethanol but also for dried distillers grains.”

Beyond the Renewable Fuel Standard, Vilsack said USDA is working hard to encourage the Defense Department to use more biofuels. “They are scheduled this year to begin a process of buying hundreds of millions of gallons of biofuels for jets and ships,” he said.

The last point the secretary made was on the need to update the research on ethanol in particular, especially when it comes to indirect land use. “A lot of the push back to the industry is based on studies that took place 15 years ago, 10 years ago, and there have been enormous increases in productivity of American farmers, that basically suggest the indirect land use calculations are not as accurate as they need to be,” he said.

Listen to the secretary’s comments on biofuels here: Secretary Vilsack at AFBF on biofuels

2015 AFBF Convention photo album

Audio, Biodiesel, biofuels, Ethanol, Farm Bureau, USDA

UMass Researchers Identify Genes to Improve Biofuels

Joanna Schroeder January 13, 2015

Plant geneticists including Sam Hazen at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Siobhan Brady at the University of California, Davis, now have a handle on the gene regulatory networks that control cell wall thickening by the synthesis of the three polymers, cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. This breakthrough could have a positive impact on developing more efficient production technologies to convert cellulose to biofuels and biochemicals.

The authors say that the most rigid of the polymers, lignin, represents “a major impediment” to extracting sugars from plant biomass that can be used to make biofuels. Their genetic advance is expected to “serve as a foundation for understanding the regulation of a complex, integral plant component” and as a map for how future researchers might manipulate the polymer-forming processes to improve the efficiency of biofuel production.

According to the researchers, the three key components, found in plant tissues known as xylem, provide plants with mechanical strength and waterproof cells that transport water. Working in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, Hazen, Brady and colleagues explored how a large number of interconnected transcription factors regulate xylem and cell wall thickening. Results appeared in a recent issue of Nature.

The researchers write in the paper that “understanding how the relative proportions of these biopolymers are controlled in plant tissue would open up opportunities to redesign plants for biofuel use.” Hazen, Brady and colleagues’ study identified hundreds of new regulators and offers “considerable insight,” the authors say, “into the developmental regulation of xylem cell differentiation.”

Specifically, using a systems approach to identify protein-DNA interactions, they screened more than 460 transcription factors expressed in root xylem to explore their ability to bind the promoters of about 50 genes known to be involved in processes that produce cell-wall components. Hazen says, “This revealed a highly interconnected network of more than 240 genes and more than 600 protein-DNA interactions that we had not known about before.”

advanced biofuels, biomass, Research

World’s First Wood-to-Biodiesel Plant Running

John Davis January 13, 2015

The world’s first biorefinery to turn wood into renewable diesel has opened in Finland. UPM says its Lappeenranta biorefinery is now in commercial production, turning out about 30 million gallons of the green fuel a year.

“Lappeenranta Biorefinery is the first significant investment in a new and innovative production facility in Finland during the ongoing transformation of the forest industry. It is also a focal part in the implementation of our company’s Biofore transformation strategy,” saysHeikki Vappula, Executive Vice President, UPM Biorefining.

“The production process works as planned and the high quality end product, UPM BioVerno diesel, fulfils customer specifications. The start-up phase of the biorefinery began in early autumn, and it has included customary new process and production related challenges. The biorefinery is first of its kind in the world. We are now happy to move forward from start-up phase and be able to concentrate on regular production process”, says Petri Kukkonen, Head of UPM Biofuels business.

A lot of the feedstock, a residue of wood pulp production, is produced at UPM’s own pulp mills in Finland. UPM says its BioVerno renewable diesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80 per cent compared to traditional diesel.

Biodiesel, International

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