ACE Conference 2026

Varying Opinions on Farming Tech

Jamie Johansen

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How can technology make farming even better?”

We all seem to have a different opinion on what type of farming technology would be the most beneficial. Right now I am leaning towards weather control. It would be nice to simply click a button when we need some rain. I still believe that is a little farfetched. However, I know we will all be seeing drones and robots in our near future.

Here are the poll results:

  • Remote control tractors – 15%
  • Drone crop management – 22%
  • Robot livestock feeders – 19%
  • Remote crop & livestock sensors – 15%
  • Weather control – 15%
  • Can’t imagine it yet – 7%
  • Other – 7%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, I prefer to get my farm news from:

In this day and age we can get news at the drop of the hat. It is pretty much everywhere we look. But we all have our preferred source for the latest news in the agriculture community. Let us know where you prefer to get your farming news.

ZimmPoll

Plug-In Electric Vehicles Talk in the Cloud

Joanna Schroeder

Plug-In electric vehicles (EV) will soon be “talking in the cloud” as Ford Motor Company collaborates with seven of the world’s largest automakers and 15 utility companies to develop technologies for EVs to talk to the utilities via the cloud. According to Ford, this would help manage energy use and improve the efficiency of the power grid.

The pilot program will create a standards-based communications platform for use by plug-in EVs and the electric grids. This platform will enable the utilities to contact vehicle customers who have opted-in to the program, sending a request for those cars to stop charging temporarily to help manage a grid that is DCF 1.0becoming overloaded. This approach uses existing communications technology and standards, such as Ford’s MyFord® Mobile App, and pushes to advance those systems by enabling two-way communication between the electric grid and electric vehicles.

“This innovative platform provides a critical enabler for the next step in vehicle electrification,” said Mike Tinskey, associate global director, Electrification Infrastructure for Ford. “It’s a way for plug-in electric vehicle drivers to be financially rewarded for their willingness to help manage the electric grid.”

Participating utility companies are prepared to offer financial incentives to owners who make their cars available to the grid, similar to utilities offering customers discounts for allowing their home air conditioning to run intermittently during times of high demand. Customers who opt-in to the program can charge their cars at a location of their choice and have the ability to ignore the utility’s request to stop charging.

The formal collaboration between the automakers, utilities and Electric Power Research Institute began in fall 2012. However, the concept and application of electric vehicle/grid integration has been studied extensively by numerous research groups for more than 10 years.

Alternative Vehicles, automotive, Electric Vehicles, Energy, Utilities

UIC Researchers Convert Waste Carbon to Fuel

Joanna Schroeder

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) scientists, under the lead of Amin Salehi-Khojin, UIC professor of mechanical and industrial engineering, have synthesized a catalyst that improves their system for converting waste carbon dioxide into syngas. The syngas is a percursor of gasoline and other energy-rich products and this recent achievement in the the research team’s process has brought the production of CO2 to energy closer to commercial viability. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications on July 30, 2014.

The research team developed a unique two-step catalytic process that uses molybdenum disulfide and an ionic liquid to “reduce,” or transfer electrons, to carbon dioxide in a chemical reaction. The new catalyst improves efficiency and lowers cost by replacing expensive metals like gold or silver in the reduction reaction.

UIC researcher Amin Salehi-KhojinMohammad Asadi, UIC graduate student and co-first author on the paper said the discovery is a big step toward industrialization. “With this catalyst, we can directly reduce carbon dioxide to syngas without the need for a secondary, expensive gasification process,” explained Asadi. In other chemical-reduction systems, he noted, the only reaction product is carbon monoxide. The new catalyst produces syngas, a mixture of carbon monoxide plus hydrogen.

Salehi-Khojin, principal investigator on the study continued the explanation by noting the high density of loosely bound, energetic d-electrons in molybdenum disulfide facilitates charge transfer, driving the reduction of the carbon dioxide. “This is a very generous material,” said Salehi-Khojin. “We are able to produce a very stable reaction that can go on for hours.”

The proportion of carbon monoxide to hydrogen in the syngas produced in the reaction can also be easily manipulated using the new catalyst, said Salehi-Khojin.

“Our whole purpose is to move from laboratory experiments to real-world applications,” he said. “This is a real breakthrough that can take a waste gas — carbon dioxide — and use inexpensive catalysts to produce another source of energy at large-scale, while making a healthier environment.”

Alternative energy, biogas, Carbon, Research

MSU to Develop Hardier Switchgrass for Biofuels

Joanna Schroeder

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) along with the U.S. Department of Agriculture have awarded $1 million to Michigan State University (MSU) to develop hardier switchgrass. The feedstock is a North American native plant that holds great potential as a biofuel source. The research team believes that if switchgrass would better survive northern winters, the plant could be an even better source for clean energy.

Robin Buell, MSU plant biologist, will work to identify the genetic factors that regulate cold hardiness in switchgrass. “This project will explore the genetic basis for cold tolerance that will permit the breeding of improved switchgrass cultivars that can yield higher biomass in northern climates,” said Buell, also an Robin Buell MSUMSU AgBioResearch scientist. “It’s part of an ongoing collaboration with scientists in the USDA Agricultural Research Service to explore diversity in native switchgrass as a way to improve its yield and quality as a biofuel feedstock.”

One of the proposed methods to increase the biomass of switchgrass is to grow lowland varieties in northern latitudes where they flower later in the season. Lowland switchgrass is not adapted to the colder conditions of a northern climate, however, and merely a small percentage of the plants survive. It is these hardy survivors that are the subject of Buell’s research.

“Dr. Buell’s investment in this collaborative project will identify important genetic elements in switchgrass that control survival over the winter and can be used to breed better adapted cultivars to meet biomass production needs,” noted Richard Triemer, chairperson of the plant biology department.

Buell hopes to identify alternative forms of the same gene that is responsible for cold hardiness by studying switchgrass’ genetic composition, These could then be applied in breeding programs for switchgrass that can thrive in northern climates.

advanced biofuels, feedstocks, Research

BioEnergy Bytes

Joanna Schroeder

  • BioEnergyBytesDFGevo, Inc. has announced that it intends to offer and sell, subject to market and other conditions, common stock units. Each common stock unit will consist of one share of common stock and a warrant to purchase a certain number of shares of common stock. The units are to be sold by Gevo subject to market and other conditions in an underwritten public offering. Gevo currently intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to fund capital to complete the side-by-side configuration of its Luverne, MN facility, to fund working capital and for other general corporate purposes.
  • The Solar Foundation has recognized community-owned solar developer Clean Energy Collective as a 2014 Solar Foundation Award recipient for exceptional work and dedication to advancing solar energy. Clean Energy Collective received the Industry Advancement Award for its innovative approach to community-owned solar.
  • San Carlos Solar Energy, Inc. was recently presented with the 2014 Philippines Solar Photovoltaic (PV) System Integrator of the Year award at the 2014 Frost & Sullivan Philippines Excellence Awards held on July 17, 2014 at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel, Manila. This award is presented to the company that has demonstrated excellence in the three key areas of demand generation, brand development and competitive positioning.
  • JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. has announced that China Development Bank International, the Macquarie Greater China Infrastructure Fund, a fund managed by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets, and New Horizon Capital have agreed to invest a total of US $225 million in the company’s downstream solar power project business.
Bioenergy Bytes

New Jersey Home to First Energy Resilience Bank

Joanna Schroeder

New Jersey has created what they term the first of its kind in the U.S. “Energy Resilience Bank” (ERB) to focus on energy resilience. The bank was created in response to the impacts of SuperStorm Sandy where over 8 million people lost electric power in the region – many for several days. The ERB will provide $200 million for municipalities to finance clean resilient power solutions. Projects could include those that “would ensure a highly reliable power supply to critical public facilities such as water and wastewater treatment plants, hospitals, shelters, emergency response centers and transit networks in the event the larger electrical grid fails.”

New Jersey Disaster Recovery Action PlanOn July 23, 2014, the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approved a sub-recipient agreement with the New Jersey Economic Development Authority to work jointly in the establishment and operation of the ERB. The ERB would be financed through use of $200 million of New Jersey’s second Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) allocation. According to the Governor Christie’s announcement, “the ERB will support the development of distributed energy resources at critical facilities throughout the state …to minimize the potential for future major power outages and increase energy resiliency.”

Clean Energy Group’s President, Lewis Milford, applauded the creation of the ERB. “New Jersey has created a model for all states to finance resilient power projects, to protect against power outages during severe weather events. The ERB is an important way for states to finance projects like solar with energy storage in food banks, fire stations, wastewater treatment plants, and schools. It deserves to be a national infrastructure finance model for states around the country.”

The Clean Energy Group is working with states and communities to help deploy more resilient power projects, and the organization cites financing as a remaining a key stumbling block. The New Jersey approach through the new ERB is a model that all states should consider as they deal with increasing problems of severe weather and the power system, problems that are only growing worse, according to Clean Energy Group.

Alternative energy, Clean Energy, Electricity

Free Webinar: Muncipal Solid Waste to BioProducts

Joanna Schroeder

Renewable-Waste-IntelligenceMunicipal solid waste is a big concern for cities around the world and many are discovering that they can make money from their waste. How? But converting the waste stream into biofuels and bioproducts. Yet a question that remains to be answered is where and when will this development play out and how are developers strategizing their business model to reach commercialization?

People can learn the answers to these questions by signing up for Renewable Waste Intelligence’s  free webinar, “The challenges of achieving a commercial scale MSW to biofuels and bio-products project“. The webinar will take place Thursday, August 7, 2014 at 10:30 am ET.

Speakers include experts from several of the country’s leading biofuels and bioproducts companies who will share their views on the unfolding project plans, how commercialization has been reached and how MSW can be used to produce a viable and green “drop in” solution for the biochemicals industry.

Speakers include:

  • Tim Cesarek, VP, Enerkem
  • Steve Csonka, Executive Director, CAAFI
  • Sadesh Sookraj, EVP, Novomer

For more information and to register click here.

advanced biofuels, biomaterials, Waste-to-Energy

DF Cast: Syngenta Helps Ethanol Infrastructure Efforts

John Davis

A company that is getting more ethanol out of corn is trying to get more infrastructure for higher blends of ethanol. Recently, Syngenta announced a new fund to help fuel retailers put in infrastructure to handle higher blends of ethanol from E15 to E85. The announcement was made at a NASCAR event, where fans have been able to witness just how good the higher blends are for engines.

In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we hear from Syngenta’s David Witherspoon and Growth Energy’s Kelly Manning, as they talk about the effort to get more ethanol infrastructure into gas stations and how Americans, especially NASCAR fans, have really come around to the green fuel.

Domestic Fuel Cast - Increasing Ethanol Blends

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

American Ethanol, Audio, corn, Domestic Fuel Cast, E15, E85, Enogen, Syngenta

SheerWind Offers INVELOX for Wind Power

Joanna Schroeder

There is a new technology available for wind power generation: INVELOX system. The new concept for wind power generation was developed by SheerWind and uses multiple turbines in a row or series to produce greater electrical power output. In essence, the INVELOX system is a large funnel that captures, concentrates and accelerates wind before devlivering it to turbines located at ground level, according to the company.

The company explains that by placing two turbines ina series, power increased by 1.7 times when compared to a single turbine. For example, one 1,000 kilowatt turbine-generator system in an INVELOX produces electrical energy for 341 homes, and two turbines operating in succession produces enough electricity to power 579 average sized homes.

“Because the INVELOX system directs and controls wind, we are able for the first time in history, to place multiple turbines together to produce more energy. This means a single INVELOX tower is able to increase its output— reducing cost per kilowatt— all without additional structure or land use,” said Cyndi Lesher, President of SheerWind “Increasing the ability to operate in areas never before feasible or economical with even less environmental impact.”

In addition, the company explains that because there are multiple turbines in a single INVELOX tower there is nearly no operational downtime because maintenance can be done on one turbine while the other continues energy production. With INVELOX, turbines are installed safely and conveniently at ground level, making maintenance less costly, safer and more efficient, according to SheerWind.

Electricity, Renewable Energy, Wind

Martifer Solar Completes Ukraine PV Project

Joanna Schroeder

Martifer Solar has completed a 8 MW solar power project in the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine. The project, known as Shargood, was developed during what the company said was amid complex political and economic events that occurred in the country. The Shargorod plant is located less than 300 km southwest of Kyiv in the Vinnytsia Oblast of Ukraine.

Martifer Solar completed the 8 MW PV plant on an area of approximately 160,000 m2, using 33,000 modules installed on fixed structures. The Shargorod plant is expected to produce an estimated 9.2 GWh/year. With Martifer Solar Ukraine Shargorod Solar Project.jpgthis production capacity, the project will offset 3,855 tons of carbon dioxide on an annual basis, which is sufficient energy to power more than 11,000 inhabitants in the Vinnytsia region per year.

“This new 8 MW plant is a significant achievement for the team as it strongly displays our company’s ability to adapt and manage complex projects under extreme conditions. In addition, this PV project is one of the first of its magnitude to satisfy the current local-content requirements in place within the country,” said Francisco Queirós, country manager for Martifer Solar in Ukraine. “We are proud to work closely in our partnership with Rengy Development to maximize the potential for solar development of the Ukrainian market.”

This new PV project is the sixth project which Martifer Solar has built in Ukraine for Rengy Development. In total, Martifer Solar now has a total portfolio of 29 MW of utility-scale PV implemented in the country dating back to August 2012.

Narek Harutyunyan, managing director of Rengy Development said of the new solar project, “As we maintain our investment and development of solar projects in Ukraine, we continue to rely on the strength and proven talent of Martifer Solar as a partner in the market. We have shared several success stories in the Ukrainian market and this 8 MW plant surpassed our expectations given the current situation in the country.”

Electricity, International, Solar