A new report has been released “Global Markets and Technologies for Biofuel Enzymes,” that includes an overview of the global market for biofuels enzymes, including amylases, lipases, cellulases, and proteases; and fuels, which include biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol, and biogas. The report also includes an analysis of global market trends, identification of markets by industrial end users, such as the aviation industry, road transport, heating purposes, and off-road equipment, and a discussion of new and different types of regulations.- ReneSola Ltd has announced its 72-cell polysilicon modules have been listed by UL (“Underwriters Laboratories”) as meeting required standards for use in PV systems up to 1,000 volts. At the same time, the Company’s 60-cell and 72-cell modules have been listed by UL as meeting required standards for use in PV systems up to 600 volts.
- Real Good Solar is partnering with Smart Center San Francisco to giveaway a three-year lease on a 2013 smart electric drive vehicle and 1.5kW solar power system to off-set the energy required to charge it. Entrants must live in CA, CO, CT, MA, NJ or VT.
- Amyris has appointed Zanna McFerson as Chief Business Officer.
- The Eagle Leasing Company has completed two photovoltaic solar systems at the company’s facilities in Orange, CT and Oxford, MA. Eagle Leasing teamed with Dynamic Energy to install systems totaling 246.74 kW, consisting of 978 solar panels on the roof of the facilities.
DF Cast: Biodiesel Innovators Recognized in BioVegas
When you think of Las Vegas, you probably picture the bright lights, wild nightlife and gambling… probably not a home for environmentally friendly biodiesel innovation. But if you think about it, the gambling aspect really came out for a group that was an early adopter of the green fuel.
In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we talk to Russell Teall, President and Founder of Biodico; Gary H. Weinberg, who was with Haycock Petroleum and is now with Western Sierra Services; Frank Giordana, a transportation director with the Clark County School District; and James Morwood, Fleet Services Manager Support Services at the Las Vegas Valley Water District. These biodiesel pioneers gambled big on biodiesel and are now part of the group recognized with the Eye on Biodiesel: Inspiration award during the 10th Annual National Biodiesel Conference and Expo. Listen to their story about how they overcame their own doubts about the green fuel and how all of what we’re now calling BioVegas came up big winners.
You can listen to the Domestic Fuel Cast here: Domestic Fuel Cast - Las Vegas Biodiesel Innovators
You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.
State-by-State Ethanol Update
The Renewable Fuels Association has released a state-by-state update to the “Contribution of the Ethanol Industry to the Economy of the United States,” an economic impact analysis performed by Cardno ENTRIX. The original report, released earlier this month at RFA’s National Ethanol Conference, found that the industry has supported over 383,000 direct and indirect and induced jobs across all sectors of the economy last year. The industry contributed $43.3 billion to GDP and $30.2 billion in household income.
Commenting on the state-by-state breakout, Bob Dinneen, RFA’s president and CEO, said, “It is clear that the ethanol industry is a powerful economic driver. We are successfully creating job and economic opportunities in a tough economy. Not only are we helping revitalize rural communities across this country, we are positively impacting states outside of the Corn Belt. We are building ethanol refineries and hiring staff for newly operational plants across this nation. We are becoming an economic engine coast to coast, border to border.”
“This economic momentum should not be jeopardized by tampering with the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS). The RFS is a proven success when it comes to creating jobs, increasing American energy independence, and improving the environment. Don’t mess with the RFS,” concluded Dinneen.
The top ten states experiencing the economic benefits of having ethanol plants operating locally are: Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, Minnesota, Indiana, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Kansas, and North Dakota.
Click here to read the full report.
RMI Announces Solar Research Project
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is launching a Simple BoS project, or Balance of Systems, in partnership with Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), to explore the cost divide between the U.S. and Germany for residential solar photovoltaic systems. BoS costs now account for more than 60 percent of the price of U.S. rooftop PV systems, according to RMI, yet such costs are 75 percent lower in Germany, who is the solar PV global leader.
RMI sees reducing BoS costs—all the related solar energy system costs besides the panels themselves including permitting, financing, installation, and inspection—as a critical pathway to affordable PV and widespread solar adoption. RMI and GTRI are partnering with key solar installers across the two countries to explore specific components of the cost divide between solar installation processes in the U.S. and Germany. Using survey data and time-and-motion studies, the project will measure the status quo in both countries, analyze key differences, and then propose solutions to improve the installation process in the U.S. and beyond.
“Despite the U.S.’s failure to lower soft costs to date, others—notably Germany—show it can be done,” said Jon Creyts, program director at RMI. “Identifying the key drivers of price differences between the two markets will help us understand how U.S. installers can dramatically lower these costs and drive the industry into the future.”
Building on the recommendations of RMI’s 2010 charrette on achieving low-cost solar PV, the Simple BoS project will delve deeply into the installation processes and will look at several key factors in the solar installation process, including the labor hours of PV installation, the impact of local government involvement and permitting regulations on installation time and pricing, and the difference in time-to-system activation—the length of time it takes for a solar project to go from signed contract to energized system—between the U.S. and Germany.
RMI is actively recruiting installers now to participate. Interested companies should click here.
North Carolina Releases PEV Readiness Plan
The North Carolina Plug-In Electric Vehicle (PEV) Taskforce has released the first draft of its PEV Readiness Plan along with four regional plans. The plans were created through the N.C. PEV Readiness Initiative: Plugging-in from Mountains to Sea and was one of 16 projects awarded from the U.S. Department of Energy. The project covered the entire state of North Carolina with a focus on four metropolitan areas in the Greater Asheville, Charlotte, Piedmont Triad and Triangle areas.
The report includes a survey of incentives offered by neighboring states and provides recommendations for state and local policy options. North Carolina offers no state incentives for the purchase of PEVs or charging stations while nearby South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Maryland do, the report reveals.
“Electric vehicles offer substantial gains in efficiency, emissions and long term savings to the purchaser and incentives can play an important role to spur more wide spread adoption,” said Anne Tazewell, the N.C. Solar Center’s Transportation Manager.
Other key highlights from the NC PEV Roadmap Plan include: there are more than 700 PEVs registered in North Carolina and estimates indicate there will more than 750,000 PEV on state’s roads by 2030; and there are 350 public and 170 private charging stations in the state.
“Currently, North Carolina is still in the beginning stages of plug-in electric vehicle adoption and the statewide NC PEV Roadmap recommends continuing to move forward with collaborative efforts to ensure a more seamless integration of these vehicles and to maintain its position as a leader in plug-in electric vehicle readiness,” said Katie Drye, project manager, Transportation Initiatives, Advanced Energy.
The N.C. Solar Center was one of five principle partners who worked on the PEV project. The Center’s Clean Transportation program co-lead the Piedmont Triad PEV planning process with Piedmont Triad Regional Council and lead the state wide Incentives and Economic Development (IED) Work Group with the N.C. Dept. of Commerce Green Economy team.
American Ethanol Continues Support of Austin Dillon
American Ethanol will be continuing its partnership with Richard Childress Racing and driver Austin Dillon, who won Rookie of the Year last year, for the 2013 NASCAR season. Dillon will race the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Michigan International Speedway on June 16 and will drive a RCR-fielded entry in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Eldora Speedway on July 24 with an American Ethanol paint scheme.
“We want to show the people coast-to-coast there is a great alternative to imported oil and our association with NASCAR and RCR is doing that extremely well,” said Jon 
Holzfaster, a Paxton, NE farmer and chairman of the National Corn Growers Association’s NASCAR Advisory Committee. “Ethanol is also responsible for bringing a rural renaissance from Main Street to the family farm.”
In addition to the races mentioned above, American Ethanol, a program that seeks to expand consumer awareness of the benefits of ethanol and E15, will be an associate sponsor of Dillon’s No. 3 AdvoCare Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, Feb. 23, and Honey Nut Cheerios No. 33 car in the Sprint Cup Series this weekend at Daytona International Speedway.
“American Ethanol is extremely pleased to once again partner with Austin Dillon, Richard Childress and the entire RCR team to help promote a sustainable homegrown American fuel that is better for our environment, reduces our dependence on foreign oil and creates jobs right here in the U.S., while revitalizing rural economies across America,” said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy.
As part of the sponsorship, Dillon has become and official spokesperson for American Ethanol. “It feels good to be able to help spread the news about American Ethanol and encourage every American to run the fuel of the future, American Ethanol, in their personal vehicles,” said Dillon. “If American Ethanol can withstand the rigors of NASCAR, it can withstand everyday driving. Homegrown biofuels like American Ethanol have stepped up to help our nation’s economy, and are proving to be a better fuel. I am proud to wear the American Ethanol colors in NASCAR and I hope I can bring them to Victory Lane in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2013.”
TRANSCAER Honors RFA’s Missy Ruff
Missy Ruff, Market Development Manager with Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), was recognized by the TRANSCAER Executive Committee for a 2012 TRANSCAER Individual Recognition for her successful efforts to plan, organize and implement TRANSCAER training dedicated to safe handling of ethanol and awareness response training for emergency responders across the U.S. More specifically, the award is given to an individual or company who has gone beyond the normal call of duty to advocate, demonstrate and implement TRANSCAER’s principles, 
enhance their public recognition and increase participation in their programs.
“Missy’s dedication and commitment to ensuring that our emergency responders from across the U.S. are trained on the safe response to ethanol is impressive,” said Donna Lepik, Staff Executive, TRANSCAER. “The TRANSCAER Awards program allows us to acknowledge and thank our dedicated volunteers for their truly remarkable accomplishments, demonstrated through their continuous efforts to ensure communities are prepared to deal with possible hazardous materials transportation related incidents.”
For more than five years, Ruff has worked to expand ethanol infrastructure around the country. She has helped retailers understand the benefits of blending mid-level and higher blends of ethanol and has played an important role in the increasing number of E85 and blender pumps across the country. She also works with first responders to ensure their safety and the safety of communities, by teaching them how to handle ethanol should an accident occur.
“I am honored to receive this recognition from TRANSCAER,” said Ruff. “Safety is a priority in the ethanol industry. Educating and preparing first responders on how to properly respond to ethanol emergencies is extremely important for their own safety and for the communities they protect.”
UPS Adds Solar to Distribution Facilities
UPS is adding solar power to its distribution facilities located in Parsippany, New Jersey and Secaucus, New Jersey. The 1.2 megawatt Parsippany project was completed in the fall of 2012 and the 1.2 megawatt Secaucus project is planned for completion in the spring of 2013. These projects will expand UPS’s solar power generating capacity from 360 kilowatts to 2,760 kilowatts and will produce in excess of 3 million kilowatt hours of renewable energy per year.
UPS says the projects are part of its continued sustainability initiatives and decided to finance and build its own solar projects following a drop in solar panel installation costs, continued improvements in the technology and the availability of supportive government incentives.
“Federal and state government incentives encouraged our investments in solar energy sources,” said Steve Leffin, director of global sustainability at UPS. “We develop, engineer, own and operate our solar capacity, which is a departure from contracted power-purchase agreements in which a company pays a solar power provider for a set price of electricity for 20 years. Under this arrangement, we not only benefit at UPS, but can also help community power grids by providing a hedge against possible energy price hikes during peak usage times.”
New Jersey has also established incentives for the generation of renewable power that serve as a catalyst for businesses to adopt renewable energy. The state is currently second in the U.S. for total installed capacity of solar energy technology.
Bioenergy Bytes
- Solectria Renewables has announced today that SolarOne Financial, has chosen their Solectria’s PVI 60-95KW inverters to power the 1.2MW solar PV installation at Fleamasters Market in Fort Myers, Florida.
- Genomatica and DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Company, LLC have announced the first successful commercial- scale production of 1,4-Butanediol (BDO) using a bio-based manufacturing process.
- CalCharge and San Jose State University (SJSU) are teaming up to launch a “battery university” in the high-tech capital of the world – Silicon Valley. Battery university courses—to be offered through SJSU’s professional education program—will educate a specialty workforce needed now for the rapidly growing battery industry. Classes are expected to start this summer in partnership with SJSU’s engineering college, which produces more engineering professionals to Silicon Valley than any other university.
- According to the report, “Reaching for the Sun: How San Antonio and Austin are showing that solar is a powerful energy option for Texas,” sponsored by Environment Texas Research & Policy Center, the Metroplex, Dallas and Fort Worth, lag behind in solar power. The report finds there are 972 kilowatts (KW) of solar energy that have been installed in Fort Worth and 1,243 KW in Dallas, in part from incentives from the local utility Oncor. The report finds that the municipally owned utilities in the two cities installed four times more solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity than the rest of Texas combined or 85 percent of the state total. The report credits the cities’ strong policies that encourage solar power on residences and businesses, and in utility-scale installations.
- E2 Technologies (E2T), a joint venture between the University of Dayton Research Institute and Concurrent Technologies Corporation has been awarded a five-year Air Force Research Laboratory contract with a $99 million ceiling for research, testing and transition of new energy and environmental technologies to the Air Force and other Department of Defense agencies. The contract included an initial award of $1.5 million for evaluation, testing and installation of advanced renewable energy storage and management technologies at the Maui High Performance Computing Center.
- Real Goods Solar has appointed Tony DiPaolo as Chief Financial Officer, succeeding interim CFO Angy Chin who will remain in an advisory role during the transition. DiPaolo previously served as president and chief financial officer of Incentra Solutions (now Presilient).
Anacaho Wind Farm Dedicated
E.ON Climate & Renewables (EC&R) has officially dedicated its new Anacacho Wind Farm. The project, located in Kinney County, Texas, is approximately 14 miles southeast of Brackettville and consists of 55 Vestas 1.8 megawatt (MW) turbines providing 100 MW of power. Anacacho Wind Farm began commercial operation in December.
“We are honored to be a part of the local community and we look forward to providing economic support and renewable, homegrown energy for many years to come,” said Steve Trenholm, CEO, EC&R North America. “Wind farms create jobs, and provide an economic shot in the arm to farmers, ranchers, and rural communities across America.”
The company says it has invested more than $5 billion dollars in the U.S. in the last five years. Locally, this project will contribute more than $17 million in local taxes, while paying $8 million in local salaries and more than $34 million to landowners. This is the company’s 18th operational wind farm in North America.