Mounting Systems is introducing two new PV racking systems during the Solar Power International trade show October 21-24, 2013 being held in Chicago, Illinois. Dubbed Alpha+ (Alpha plus) and Tau+ (Tau plus), the new pitched roof racking systems employ Mounting Systems’ all-new Clickstone technology. This new connection technology gives Photovoltaic system owners and installers a higher level of installation speed, simplicity and economy. An updated version of the Mounting Systems Quick Configurator planning tool with greater functionality and an improved user interface will also be introduced.- Good & Quick located in Nevada, Iowa has announced it has sent in its registration to offer E15 to 2001 and newer vehicles.
- Valeo is inviting engineering students to take part in the global Valeo Innovation Challenge. The goal is to design equipment that, between now and 2030, will make the car more intelligent and intuitive. For the initial selection rounds, engineering students are to develop bold, revolutionary solutions for the society of tomorrow. The 20 finalist teams will then create a model in the format of their choice. Each team will be given €5,000 to put their idea into practice and build a functioning demonstrator. The three finalist teams will present their projects to the Challenge jury of Valeo experts and external partners, chaired by Valeo CEO Jacques Aschenbroich, at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.
- The 14th Annual Alberta Power Summit will take place November 12-13, 2013 at the Metropolitan Conference Centre in Calgary (Canada). Registration is open and keynote speakers include The Honourable Ken Hughes (invited), Alberta Minister of Energy; and Dana Woodworth, Alberta Deputy Minister of Environment.
BDI Upgrading Biodiesel Plants in US & UK
A pair of biodiesel plants, one in the U.S. and the other in the UK are being upgraded. Biodiesel Magazine reports Austria-based BDI-BioEnergy International AG will upgrade and get back to running an unnamed plant in Atlanta (suspected to be Renewable Energy Group’s currently idled 15 MMgy Atlanta-based biodiesel facility) and beef up the British plant’s (also unnamed) purification capabilities.
BDI stated it has been commissioned to carry out basic engineering assignments at the Atlanta-based biodiesel plant, a prerequisite for successfully implementing its RetroFit Program at the site. “The aim is to modernize the plant, which is out of operation at the moment, in such a way that a profitable restart of production can be guaranteed,” BDI stated.
BDI has also been commissioned by an unnamed British biodiesel manufacturer to implement a biodiesel purification unit. With the help of this optimization unit, the contaminant content of the biodiesel, particularly the residual monoglycerides, will be reduced to a level that is far lower than the relevant limits specified by the strict European biodiesel quality standard. This project will guarantee not only a considerable improvement in quality but also an increase in the output of the biodiesel plant.
The two jobs have a value of about $540,000.
Report: Renewable Energy Gains Market Share
Renewable energy sources, particularly solar, wind, and biofuels, continue to make gains when it comes to the share of energy produced and used in this country. According to SUN DAY Campaign, a non-profit research and educational organization, the latest numbers from U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows through the first half of this year, renewable energy made up 10 percent of U.S. energy consumption, 12 percent of domestic production and 14 percent of net electrical generation.
Compared to the same time frame in 2012, overall renewable energy production, including conventional hydropower, was 2.00% higher while production from non-hydro renewables grew by 4.13%. Specifically, solar grew by 32.46% in 2013, wind by 20.14%, geothermal by 0.89%, and biomass by 0.42%. Hydropower slipped by 2.59% and biofuels by 5.92%.
Among the renewable energy sources, hydropower’s share during the first half of 2013 was 30.18%, biomass 25.26%, biofuels 20.18%, wind 18.80%, solar 3.19%, and geothermal 2.39%.
Production from all renewable energy sources, including conventional hydropower, is about 60% higher in 2013 than it was in 2003 while production from non-hydro renewable energy sources has more than doubled.
Over the past decade, domestic energy production from wind has increased by a factor of nearly 16 while output from both biofuels and solar is now about five times higher than in 2003. Geothermal has also grown – by about 30% – while biomass and hydropower have remained largely unchanged.
Domestic renewable energy production is outpacing both fossil fuels (11 percent) and nuclear (about 1 percent). Ken Bossong, Executive Director of the SUN DAY Campaign, says renewables are the real growth industries in the energy market over the past decade.
“If recent trends continue, they will eventually eclipse both fossil fuels and nuclear power.”
Cellulosic’s First Community Advisory Panel to Meet
The Nation’s first Community Advisory Panel (CAP) on cellulosic biofuels will meet early next week in Iowa. Officials from DuPont’s cellulosic ethanol facility in Nevada, Iowa will talk with more than 30 Central Iowa residents including business leaders, farmers, conservationists and educators Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Nevada’s SCORE Pavilion from 6:30-8:30 pm.
Designed to provide an ongoing dialogue between DuPont and the surrounding community, the CAP will meet up to four times each year Dr. Mark Edelman, CAP Facilitator, has more than 32 years of experience as a professor of economics and extension specialist in agricultural policy analysis, community entrepreneurship, and economic development. Edelman also teaches an economic development course and serves as Community Vitality Center Director at Iowa State University. During this inaugural meeting, CAP members will discuss the panel’s goals and objectives, and a process for ongoing engagement with the new facility’s management team.
DuPont’s commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol facility is expected to produce 30 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year after it comes online in the second half of 2014. The $200 million facility will be among the first and largest commercial-scale cellulosic biorefineries in the world. Corn stover is expected to be the main feedstock.
Butamax Starts Biobutanol Retrofit on Ethanol Plant
Delaware-based Butamax Advanced Biofuels LLC has begun work with Highwater Ethanol LLC, to retrofit Highwater’s ethanol plant in Lamberton, Minnesota for the production of biobutanol. This Butamax news release says its cutting edge technology package will include the installation of novel corn oil separation technology, an important part of the full retrofit to biobutanol production.
Butamax CEO Paul Beckwith said “This is an important milestone for Butamax and its partners. We formulated a strategy to provide the most advanced technology to improve current biofuel production, offer better co-product profiles, and pave the way for near-term, large-scale isobutanol production. Today, our vision is becoming reality.”
Highwater Ethanol CEO, Brian Kletscher stated, “We investigated other options for corn oil recovery, but we had the advantage of seeing the Butamax system first-hand and we were impressed with what we saw. Not only was the production class leading, but the expertise Butamax assembled is unparalleled, including experts from BP, DuPont and Fagen. We are very excited to execute this stage and move to negotiations for biobutanol production.”
Commercial production is expected to start this winter.
House Hears Debate on Wind Production Credit
Some pretty ill winds are blowing around Washington, D.C. these days, and some of those are directed at the wind energy industry. As I told you yesterday about what would come, Republicans launched their attack in the House Oversight and Government Reform subcommittee on Energy Policy, arguing, according to this blog post from The Hill, that the production tax credit for wind farms is not worth the money being invested. They point to an analysis that shows a one-year extension of the tax credit would cost about $6.1 billion over 10 years. But Democrats on the committee argue it’s a bigger bargain than what we’re getting from the oil companies’ subsidies and tax credits.
“Big oil still gets subsidies even though just the biggest five oil companies … made a combined $118 billion in profits in 2012,” Rep. Jackie Speier (Calif.), the top Democrat on the subcommittee, said. “Oil and gas have received over $4.8 billion each year in government subsidies over 90 years.”
She added, “If you want to get rid of the PTC, then let’s get rid of all the subsidies for all the various forms of energy. We need to give as much support to clean renewable energy sources as we have provided and continue to provide for the fossil fuel industry.”
Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) said that “the detractors of the wind industry are asking the government to pick winners and losers by removing federal subsidies for only one particular sector of the energy capacity, which is wind energy, but leaving all the other subsidies intact.”
The credit was extended at the beginning of this year as part of the deal to avoid sending the country over the fiscal cliff. But wind energy backers say now is the time to extend the credit for years to give the industry better stability and encourage more private investment and growth.
RFA, Growth Energy Call Out Big Oil’s Lies
While a new poll from Big Oil tries to paint biofuels and the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) in a bad light, the Renewable Fuels Association and Growth Energy are trying to shine a little truth on the subject.
The poll from the American Petroleum Institute (API), aka “Big Oil,” tries to make it look like Americans don’t support the RFS and don’t want to use E15. But RFA points to another poll that shows 73 percent of Americans support the RFS, and three out of four Americans want a renewable fuels choice at their gas station… all coming while many are already using E15 where available.
“If Big Oil push polled any harder, they would have broken respondents’ arms to get the biased answers they sought. This poll is yet another insincere stunt concocted by API to attack the RFS and higher level ethanol blends. If you want to see scary numbers, just look at the outrageous profits oil companies are posting thanks to their monopoly on the fuel market. It is bad enough that Americans are held hostage to environmentally damaging, expensive oil,” stated Bob Dinneen, President and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association.
Dinneen goes on to point out that ethanol is helping lower gas prices by $1 per gallon on average this year and last year. He adds that instead of scaring people, Big Oil should invest in the infrastructure to expand choice at the pump.
Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis chimed in his agreement:
“The oil industry’s cycle of mistruth continues, how much longer can they attempt to deceive the public before the facts catch up to them? Higher blends like E15 are a choice – voluntary for the consumer and the retailer. And they are safe for all vehicles 2001 and newer. E15 has been the most tested fuel in our nation’s history. All the biofuels industry is asking for is the opportunity to compete in a fair and open marketplace.
Buis also countered API’s claims that biofuels are raising food prices, pointing out that, according to numbers from the World Bank, petroleum prices are the biggest driver in food prices. He invited consumers to get more of the facts at www.yourenodummy.com.
Florida Tow Truck Driver Looks to Hook Up Biodiesel
In a sign of the growing trend for more entrepreneurs to go more green and save some green, I ran across this article about a tow truck driver in Florida who wants to run his fleet on biodiesel. This story from the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel tells the tale of Westway Towing owner Craig Goldstein, who also has a side business, Oil Recovery Interests, collecting used cooking oil to sell to biodiesel refiners. Now, he wants to be the source of his own fuel.
No longer content with being the middleman, he wants to start a biodiesel plant at his location. He would use the biodiesel to fuel his fleet of 40 tow trucks and market it to others, he said.
“It’s environmentally friendly,” he said, adding that the federal government provides $2.50 in tax credits and renewable energy certificates for every gallon produced. “It’s the wave of the future.”
Turning used french-fry oil into truck fuel sounds like something out of Back to the Future, says employee Deron Key, recalling when Christopher Lloyd’s character, Doc Brown, returns from the future and is able to use banana peels and other garbage to fuel his time-traveling DeLorean.
“That’s what I see. That’s awesome,” said Key, who found out about the operation after being hired to paint some of the tanks.
Goldstein, who already has the biodiesel brewing equipment, just needs approval from city commissioners, who have already indicated support. If he gets it up and running, he could brew up to 2,500 gallons of biodiesel a week.
The Bull Riding Thrill
Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What is your favorite rodeo event?” It looks like the majority of you are most entertained by the bull riding. Maybe it has just that extra thrill to see a cowboy ride such a huge animal!
Our poll results:
• Bull Riding 48%
• Barrel Racing 19%
• Bareback Riding 10%
• Tie-Down Roping 10%
• Team Roping 5%
• Steer Wrestling 5%
• Other 5%
“Wild Horse Race”
• Saddle Bronc 0%
Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Is there a difference between animal welfare and animal rights?” Which term is the best to use do you think? Or do they mean the same thing? Let us know!
New Facility to Turn Ethanol Byproduct into Bio-Resin
A Nebraska-based company has expanded its operation to turn an ethanol byproduct into a bio-based resin additive. Composites World reports Laurel BioComposite LLC held an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for its new 20,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, which will crank out 7 million pounds annually of its trademarked Bio-Res PE.
Tim Bearnes, CEO of Laurel BioComposite, was on hand to welcome special guests Gov. Dave Heineman, Nebraska State Director Maxine Moul, USDA Rural Development and Mayor Mark Patefield. “We held the event to celebrate some important milestones,” says Bearnes. “It also gave us the chance to thank a lot of people that supported our project from its inception and believe in our future.”
Laurel BioComposite’s mission Bearnes explains is to produce Bio-Res PE products from a renewable resource. “Our product replaces a portion of traditional plastic resins and creates a positive environmental impact by reducing the industry’s reliance on crude oil,” he says. “It remains our goal to cost-effectively manufacture a quality bio-based product. We don’t make the plastic. We make the plastic greener.”
The new production line converts feedstock into a powder for thermoset applications or master batch pellets for use in thermoplastics applications such as injection molding.
A second phase currently underway will expand the company’s annual output to 48 million pounds. The products made from Bio-Res include shipping materials, lawn and garden, agricultural and automotive products.