Taylor High School, located in Taylor, Texas, hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the installation of the school’s new renewable energy system. The new renewable energy system consists of a 33-kilowatt solar array and a 1-kilowatt wind turbine, with an integrated computer monitoring system. This project was initiated as a result of the school’s Beginners Learning Alternative Designs for Energy (BLADE) Club winning first place in last year’s IEEE High School Photovoltaic Design Competition at Austin Solar Day. Leveraging its prize money awarded by IEEE and Heliovolt, BLADE was able to secure $120,000 of funding from The State of Texas for this renewable energy project.- GP Strategies Corporation has announced that its Alternative Fuels business unit has signed a multimillion-dollar contract to design and construct thirteen liquefied natural gas (LNG) fueling stations for UPS across the US.
- Mortenson Construction has released its new children’s book, “Catch the Sun,” designed to educate future generations about the importance of solar energy. Catch the Sun is the second book in the Mortenson “Discover Renewables” series. The first book in the series, “Catch the Wind,” which was launched in 2008, was developed to teach readers about wind energy and the importance of making environmentally responsible choices.
- Genera Energy Inc. has announced the appointment of Keith Brazzell to the position of chief operating officer. Brazzell previously served as Genera’s vice president of operations and technology and brings strong management and operational experience to Genera’s team. In his new role, Brazzell will be instrumental in ramping up operational capability, positioning Genera to continue to improve and expand the systems, processes, and resource base required to create a complete and fully-integrated biomass system with the goal of delivering every possible link in the supply chain.
New Report Supports E15
A new analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) finds no “meaningful differences between E15 and E10 in any performance category.”
The NREL analysis reviewed 43 studies on the effects of E15 on engine durability, emissions, and other factors, including a controversial study by the Coordinating Research Council’s (CRC). Regarding that study in particular, NREL found “…the conclusion that engines will experience mechanical engine failure when operating on E15 is not supported by the data.”
“The disputed CRC engine durability study has been at the center of Big Oil’s political crusade against E15, and policymakers have been given the false impression that the CRC project is the one and only study that has been conducted on E15. Nothing could be further from the truth,” said Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association. The NREL report identified numerous flaws in the study, including faulty leakdown failure criteria, failure to use E10 as a control fuel, and inappropriate statistical analysis.
Read the NREL analysis here.
Singapore Micro-Grid to Use Biodiesel, Solar
Residents of an island of Singapore will be getting their electricity from a micro-grid powered by biodiesel and solar. Channel NewsAsia reports that about 30 residents and businesses on Pulau Ubin will be using the cheaper, cleaner power.
It is part of a test-bed by the Energy Market Authority to assess the impact of intermittent energy sources, such as solar, on grid operations.
Unlike conventional power generators which can provide a steady supply of electricity, solar energy is intermittent in nature and dependent on weather conditions.
Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran, who witnessed the launch, said the learning points from the test-bed will help to enhance Singapore’s ability to manage intermittent energy sources.
He added this will also enable Singapore to maximize the amount of solar and other forms of renewable energy that can be deployed when such technologies become commercially viable.
The micro-grid project has been two years in the making.
Darling Buying Another Renderer for Biodiesel
On the heels of last week’s announcement that Darling International Inc. is buying a Canadian renderer to gain feedstocks for products, including biodiesel, the Texas-based company is now acquiring a Dutch renderer to gain even more biodiesel-possible stocks. Darling says the nearly $2.2 billion deal with Vion Ingredients could close as early as this coming January.
Vion Ingredients’ global network of 58 facilities on five continents covers all aspects of animal by-product processing through six brands including Rendac (rendering), Sonac (proteins, fats, edible fats and blood products), Ecoson (green power), Rousselot (gelatin), CTH (natural casings), and Best Hides (hides).
Vion Ingredients’ rendering business has leading positions across Europe with operations in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Poland and Italy under the Rendac and Sonac brand names.
Randall C. Stuewe, Darling International’s Chairman and CEO said, “Our vision of creating a sustainable ingredients business for a growing population is well on its way. The combination of Vion Ingredients with Darling International will create the global leader in converting edible and inedible bio-nutrients streams into specialty products and ingredients for the food, feed, fuel, fertilizer and pharmaceutical industries.”
The merger is expected to see Vion Ingredients’ CEO Dirk Kloosterboer stay in his current position and take over chief operating officer for Darling International.
Canada to Create Wind Energy Growth Plan
During the Wind Energy Across Canada meeting this week, the Industry Leaders Panel during the plenary session agreed that the country’s wind energy industry is well positioned to build on its rapid growth to date and strong prospects for the next few years. However, for this to happen, there is a need to define the policy framework that will inform new electricity supply choices for the next decade.
While wind energy is expected to see strong and steady growth through 2016 across Canada, the country’s four largest wind energy markets (BC, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec) all have long-term planning processes underway that will determine how future wind energy development unfolds after 2016.
“There is little doubt that wind energy has become a significant and mainstream electricity source in all regions of Canada with another record year for installations expected in 2013,” said Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) President, Robert Hornung. “This does not mean, however, that our long-term future is guaranteed.”
Given provincial targets and pipeline projects already contracted to be built, Canada will see an average of 1,500 MW of new wind energy projects commissioned annually over the next three years.
Provincial governments across Canada are now engaged in processes to review future electricity demand and assess potential new supplies of electricity against some key criteria, including cost-effectiveness, environmental impact and economic benefits. By any objective measure, wind is well-positioned to meet all of these requirements. Wind is cost-competitive with almost any other generating technology, is one of the most environmentally sustainable sources of electricity available, and brings new jobs and investment to rural economies.
Pennsylvania Says No to Renewable Energy as Climate Solution
Earlier this week, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that it would not recommend the state’s Climate Change Advisory Committee (CCAC) debate or vote on a plan that considers increasing the state’s renewable energy law, the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (AEPS). The DEP also said that it would not be including information in Pennsylvania’s next Climate Action Plan about how the existing AEPS law reduces electricity prices for consumers.
“While other states in the region and around the country recognize the multiple benefits of renewable energy and have increased the requirements in their state portfolios, DEP is telling us upfront that they won’t consider the idea of increasing renewable energy in Pennsylvania,” said Christina Simeone, director of the PennFuture Energy Center and Chair of the CCAC. “This administration chooses to ignore the benefits renewable energy offers, including greenhouse gas reductions, cost reductions for electricity customers, and economic development opportunities. The administration claims they have an all-of-the-above policy yet their actions prove contrary.”
Simoene notes that increasing zero carbon renewable energy, such as wind and solar, are typically key elements of any strategy to address climate change. Not only do these technologies benefit the environment, she says, they create jobs and drive economic growth. In 2012, Pennsylvania added approximately 550 MW of wind, a significant portion of that total developed by Pennsylvania companies using turbines manufactured in the state.
The CCAC was established by law in 2008 and is charged with making recommendations to DEP on greenhouse gas reduction strategies and other actions to address climate change in Pennsylvania. Earlier this year, DEP staff introduced a plan to the CCAC that considered a modest increase in renewable energy from the existing 8 percent standard to a 10.5 percent standard. DEP later withdrew the plan for internal review and informed the CCAC they would not be re-introducing it. The Department also removed a detailed “price suppression” analysis describing how existing renewable energy requirements can reduce electricity prices for consumers.
“An August 2013 study from the Ohio Public Utility Commission found that existing and planned renewable energy projects would save customers $28.5 million by suppressing wholesale electricity market prices. Similar studies covering Pennsylvania have confirmed this cost saving phenomenon, yet DEP doesn’t want to include the information,” said Simeone.
BioEnergy Bytes
- Hydro Dynamics, Inc. of Rome, Georgia has announced that it has been granted a patent, U.S. Patent Number: 8,430,968) covering its Shock Wave Power Reactor (SPR) cavitation technology for ethanol yield enhancement. The Patent covers the application of the SPR cavitation reactor to provide ethanol yield enhancement in the fuel ethanol industry. SPR technology uses the pressure fluctuations produced by controlled cavitation to liberate entrapped starch and sugar from corn, making them more available for conversion to ethanol during the fermentation process.
- Texas Renewables 2013 has invited energy industry leaders to identify market opportunity, clarify new policy, define new financial tools and report on economic development across the Texas energy market. The Texas Renewables 2013 conference and exhibit will provide a solid understanding of the forces at play to further the vision of an “All-of-the-Above” energy world and discuss strategies to sustain continued growth for Texas energy providers as a whole. The conference runs November 11 – 13, 2013 in San Antonio, Texas.
- Avianca Brasil has selected the Byogy Renewables Alcohol to Jet (“ATJ”) fully renewable aviation biofuel process to source their environment friendly alternate low carbon aviation fuels. Avianca Brasil is the fastest growing airline in Brazil and plans on leveraging the Byogy ATJ process and lead the world in the development of a truly sustainable renewable aviation fuel industry.
- Dresser-Rand Group Inc. has reached agreement with MBB Clean Energy AG for the latter’s acquisition of three photovoltaic power plants designed, built and commissioned by Dresser-Rand in Italy. Dresser-Rand will provide long term O&M services, and the purchase is consistent with the company’s business model to stay integrally involved with its equipment throughout its total life cycle.
UPS Ups Its LNG Game
UPS is once again increasing its commitment to liquified natural gas (LNG) with plans to invest nearly $50 million to build an additional nine LNG fueling stations bringing the total number of stations to 13. Four were announced in April of 2013 and these stations should be operational by the end of 2014.
The enhanced LNG fueling infrastructure will support the operation of approximately 1,000 
UPS LNG tractors that will displace more than 24 million gallons of diesel fuel annually. UPS has used LNG vehicles for more than a decade and says they have benefited from lower fuel prices compared to imported petroleum.
“The natural gas industry needs companies to commit to using natural gas to help establish a reliable alternative to traditional fuel, and that is just what UPS is doing,” said David Abney, UPS chief operating officer. “The UPS strategy is both environmentally friendly and economically viable. LNG is becoming more readily available, plus it’s more insulated from market volatilities than diesel fuel.”
The expansion will include on-site fueling stations in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. Construction is already underway at previously-announced UPS facilities in Tennessee and Texas. Currently, UPS operates LNG tractors in Las Vegas, Nev., Phoenix, Ariz., Beaver and Salt Lake City, Utah and, Ontario, Calif. UPS began using LNG tractors in its delivery fleet in 2002.
“Building these fueling stations is a solid future investment for UPS,” said Abney. “Since vehicles represent approximately 35 percent of UPS’s carbon footprint, a cornerstone of the company’s environmental strategy is to support the development and use of lower-emission alternative fuels. By 2017, our goal is to reach one billion miles driven by our alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet. To accomplish this goal the company must continue to innovate and help pave the way toward more sustainable transportation solutions.”
UPS operates one of the largest private alternative fuel fleets in the industry with more than 2,700 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles. This includes all-electric, hybrid electric, hydraulic hybrid, CNG, LNG, liquid propane gas (LPG), biomethane, and light-weight fuel-saving composite body vehicles.
Between 2000 and the end of 2012, the UPS alternative fuel and advanced technology fleet logged 295 million miles. In 2012, the growing fleet drove 49 million miles, a 43 percent increase compared to 2011.
SGB Gets Financing to Turn Jatropha into Biodiesel
A California-based biofuel maker has lined financing to grow jatropha to turn into biodiesel in Guatemala. This news release from SG Biofuels (SGB) says the company inked a deal with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for the debt financing of a 25,000 acre Jatropha bioenergy project that is estimated to cost about $76 million.
“The IDB’s decision to accept the mandate letter is a significant milestone and confirms that the project’s vision and benefits are aligned with the bank’s funding priorities,” said Kirk Haney, president and chief executive officer of SGB. “We look forward to working with the IDB to assure that the project meets the bank’s rigorous financial, technical and environmental standards.”
The project utilizes SGB’s improved Jatropha hybrids – an energy crop that is native to the Guatemala region – grown on sub-prime land that is not desirable for food production.
“The development of locally produced renewable energy is an important goal for Guatemala,” said Edwin Rodas, Guatemala’s deputy minister of mines and energy. “The ministry of energy supports the efforts of SGB and its team of partners and investors to develop a project that will directly address our objectives related to energy security, while promoting rural development through the creation of jobs in areas of the country that needs it most.”
The project is expected to 6.2 million gallons of plant oil and 640,000 metric tons of biomass per year while creating more than 1,000 new jobs.
Pacific Ethanol Extracting Corn Oil for Biodiesel
In an effort to add value to its ethanol operation, a western green fuel refinery is now extracting non-food grade corn oil that could be turned into biodiesel. This article from the Sacramento (CA) Business Journal says the Stockton, Calif. operation for Pacific Ethanol Inc. adds the corn oil extraction to the list of other products the plant produces, including wet distillers grain for animal feed.
“Corn oil production at our ethanol plants is an important strategy to further diversify our plant revenue streams and significantly improve operating income,” CEO Neil Koehler said in a news release.
The company operates plants in Stockton, Madera, Boardman, Ore., Burley, Idaho. The plant in Madera is currently idled. The Stockton plant is working at near capacity, [company spokesman] Paul Koehler said.
Pacific Ethanol is based in Sacramento and started in 2003.