Fuel Your Natural Gas Vehicle at Home

Joanna Schroeder

The Gas Technology Institute (GTI) is partnering with the Center for Electromechanics at the University of Texas at Austin (UT-CEM) to engineer ways to fuel natural gas vehicles at home. GTI has been focused on making natural gas vehicles more competitive in the marketplace, and last week I brought you the story about how their FuelMule fueled up natural gas buses during both the republican and democratic conventions.

There are two major barriers to widespread adoption of natural gas vehicles. One is infrastructure and two is cost. With a $4 million grant to develop a cost-effective compressor for at-home natural gas refueling systems, these two issues could become a part of the past. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), through its Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E), is funding this cutting-edge project. It is part of DOE’s new program, titled Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy (MOVE).

The team will develop a compressor that will use fewer moving parts. The goal is to replace current technology, which comprises multiple pistons and cylinders, with a single cylinder and piston moving through a linear motor. This easier to use system will also be a safer fueling technology. Current technology costs around $4,000 but this new system would cost less than $2,000.

Researchers will also work with Argonne National Laboratory to identify and apply a cost-effective surface coating for the inside wall of the cylinder. “With their help, we look to identify a coating system that will extend the longevity of our one moving part—the component most susceptible to wear and maintenance,” said Tony Lindsay, GTI RD&D Director, who will oversee the project.

Natural Gas

Fuel Prices Are Impacting Farms and Businesses

Melissa Sandfort

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Have high fuel prices had an impact on your farm/business?”

Our poll results: Sixty-four percent said Yes, big impact on our budget; fourteen percent said Yes, minimal impact on our budget; twelve percent said No, not yet; and ten percent said No, don’t expect any.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What grade would you give the new student lunch program? Tell us why with a comment.” New government nutrition standards, which went into effect this year in a bid to combat childhood obesity, require schools to serve more variety and larger portions of fruits and vegetables. What do you think – are these new lunches a good thing or will students just toss more food in the trash can?

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

USDA, ZimmPoll

Free Biodiesel Producer Conference Call

Joanna Schroeder

Lee Enterprises Consulting is hosting a free conference call for those in the biodiesel industry on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 beginning at 2:00 pm CDT. There are several key topcis and speakers featured during the call.

1. “Recent OSHA Developments in Safety and Process Safety Management for Biodiesel Plants,” presented by Nathan Vander Griend with ERI Solutions. OSHA is currently conducting focused inspections under the chemical facility National Emphasis Program (NEP) to verify compliance with the PSM standard (29 CFR 1910.119) at covered facilities that include biodiesel and ethanol biorefineries. Inspections are underway and Vander Griend will counsel producers on PSM requirements and compliance.

2. “Selling Your Biodiesel with RINS: Promoting RIN Integrity,” presented by Susan Olson, Genscape’s RIN Integrity Network. With the volume of biomass-based diesel set at 1.28 billion gallons for 2013 under the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), producers need to under what obligated parties need to know to ensure security when buying biodiesel and the associated RINs. Key measures to improve the integrity, transparency and liquidity of the biodiesel and RINs markets will be discussed along with a roadmap to RIN integrity and a pathway to a more efficient biodiesel market will be presented.

3. “The Effect of the New Health Care Legislation on Biodiesel Plants with Employees,” presented by Jim Schmidt, Eide Bailly, CPAs & Business Advisors. With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in effect, individuals will be required to have health insurance as of January 1, 2014. The Act provides certain incentives and penalties to individuals and businesses related to obtaining or providing health insurance. This session will provide a high level overview of the Act, and how you can obtain information that will allow you to make decisions that are beneficial and cost effective for your business and your employees.

Click here to learn more about the conference call and to register. The event is free but space is limited.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, Education

Texas A&M Showcases Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

Joanna Schroeder

Three 20-kilowatt vertical axis wind turbines are now generating energy for Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. The turbine trio is the largest vertical axis wind turbine installation of its kind in the United States as well as the largest of their kind. The main campus also installed a 4-kilowatt wind turbine that can be horizontally lowered and opened for education and research.

When the entire wind energy network is complete, there will be 11 wind turbines with a combined capacity of 92 kilowatts. The 20-kilowatt wind turbines are 75 feet tall, while the 4-kilowatt turbines stand at 40 feet.

“The wind turbine project is an exciting opportunity to show how the University is emerging as a leader in renewable energy,” said President Flavius Killebrew. “This initiative will not only provide students and faculty with excellent learning and research opportunities, but will open doors for future generations who want to pursue this green technology.” The turbines have real-time data collection for faculty and students in engineering to analyze on a network.

The initiative was funded by a $955,000 Distributed Renewable Energy Technology Stimulus Grant from the State Energy Conservation Office and the U.S. Department of Energy. The University then matched $265,000 in funds, for a total of $1.2 million for the project.

The wind turbines were distributed by 3eWerks, manufactured by Urban Green Energy and installed by Nouveau Construction and Technology Services.

According to Dr. L.D. Chen, associate dean of Engineering and Computing Sciences and director of the School of Engineering and Computing Sciences added that with the increase in community wind power technology and projects, the small wind turbines are an excellent laboratory for faculty and students.

Education, Electricity, Energy, Wind

Porterville Unified School District Adds Solar

Joanna Schroeder

School systems continue to be high adopters of solar energy. This week Porterville United School District (PUSD), located in California, has begun generating electricity from its 3.7 megawatt solar system. Installed across six schools, the system in its entirety has the capacity to reduce the district’s electricity costs by nearly $44 million over the next 25 years.

“This project will allow Porterville Unified School District to significantly reduce our electricity costs at the schools receiving these systems and recover valuable funds needed for our academic programs,” said Superintendent Dr. John Snavely. “By partnering with SunPower, we are maximizing our savings as well as the District’s use of clean, renewable energy. It is the right thing to do for our students and our community.”

The solar system, featuring SunPower solar panels, has two major components: ground-mounted solar arrays and solar shade structures in school parking lots. The solar systems were financed through Qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs), allowing the district to own the systems and receive the full benefit of the energy cost savings and incentive payments.

“Porterville Unified School District can rely on its high efficiency SunPower solar systems to deliver guaranteed performance for the next 25 years or more,” said Howard Wenger, SunPower president, regions. “SunPower works with school districts across California to reduce operating costs and repurpose the savings to the classroom. It is extremely rewarding to deliver needed savings to our public schools with power from the sun.”

SunPower is also collaborating with PUSD’s Successful Pathways program. The goal of the program is to prepare students for technology based careers that includes studying various factors of solar energy such as engineering, mathematics and more.

Electricity, Energy, Solar

Utah State Dragster Runs on Cheese Waste Biofuel

Cindy Zimmerman

A team of engineering students from Utah State University has set a new land speed record using a car that burns a new form of sustainable biofuel made from a waste product of the cheese manufacturing process.

“How many people get to drive a car they helped build with fuel they created from a living microorganism?” asks USU undergrad biochemist Michael R. Morgan, who drove the dragster across Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats Speedway to its landmark finish earlier this month.

The Aggie A-Salt Streamliner, as it’s officially known, runs on yeast biodiesel derived from the industrial waste of cheese production. The sleek, Aggie-blue hot rod was among some 200 high-tech racers competing at the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association’s 2012 World of Speed event Sept. 8-11.

At its top speed, the Aggie vehicle clocked in at 65.344 miles per hour. At first glance, that speed may fail to impress NASCAR fans or even most interstate motorists. But make no mistake; it’s a head-turning achievement for a biofueled vehicle with a one-liter, two-cylinder engine. The USU team raced the dragster in separate runs, using petroleum diesel and the yeast biofuel, respectively. Powered with the latter, the speedster was able to match its previous petroleum-fueled run.

“Developing a biofuel on a large enough scale to run in the dragster was a tough undertaking,” says USU biochemist Alex McCurdy, a third-year doctoral student in Seefeldt’s lab, who is supported by a National Science Foundation research assistantship and is the recent recipient of a departmental environmental chemistry award. “It’s one thing to produce a small amount in the lab and discuss how it will work in theory. It’s another to actually put it in a dragster, while everyone watches it take off.”

Read more from USU.

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, feedstocks, Research

Oregon New Home to Large Wind Farm

Joanna Schroeder

The Shepherds Flat Wind Farm, owned by Caithness Energy, is operating near Arlington, Oregon, and has the ability to generate 845 Megawatts of clean energy per year. A kick-off event marked the official commissioning of the wind farm.

“This is a great day for Gilliam and Morrow counties, for Oregon, and for the rest of the United States,” said Senator Wyden, who attended the ceremony. “This project proves that we can create jobs and lift up the rural economy by generating clean, carbon-free, renewable energy while still allowing local ranchers to graze their herds on the surrounding land just as they have for generations. That’s why I fought so hard to make sure Shepherds Flat stayed on track, and why I’m proud to be standing here today.”

Many of the state’s political leaders were on hand for the “first turn of the wind turbine” including Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and Oregon Representative Greg Walden. The wind farm is one of the largest wind farms in the world. According to Caithness Energy, the wind farm will eliminate 1.483 million metric tons of CO2 annually, the equivalent of taking approximately 260,000 cars off the road. Producing an estimated 2 billion kWh each year, the wind farm will have an annual economic impact of $37 million for the state. Additionally, the project employed over 400 workers during its construction, and will permanently employ 45 workers.

The commissioning of Caithness Shepherds Flat could be one of the last new wind farms to go online this year if the Production Tax Credit (PTC) is not extended. Many wind manufacturing companies have already begun to lay off vital workers due to industry uncertainty. But at least for today, the industry has something positive to celebrate and an example of how the wind energy industry is benefiting America in many ways.

“Caithness Shepherds Flat is a prime example of smart energy – energy that simultaneously bolsters the economy, creates American jobs, and enhances our environment for future generations,” added Derrel Grant, Vice President of Development at Caithness Energy. “By utilizing domestic renewable energy, Caithness Shepherds Flat will help make our country energy independent and our economy prosperous.”

Electricity, Energy, Wind

Disconnect Between Biofuel Mandates & Demand?

Joanna Schroeder

A new study, Global Biofuels Outlook to 2025, authored by Hart Energy, finds a disconnect between mandates established in the U.S. Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) and Renewable Energy Directive in the European Union, and actual market demand. While many have speculated this to be the case, it has not been highly discussed.

The study, focused mostly on biodiesel and ethanol, analyzes local and global drivers, public and fiscal policy developments, production capacity, feedstocks, and supply and demand projections through 2015, 2020 and 2025. Both first generation biofuels, as well as advanced biofuels along with ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) were included in the analysis.

The study focused on four key regions:

  • North America: the United States, Canada, and California (U.S. state)
  • EU-27: Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom
  • Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru
  • Asia Pacific: China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand

Biofuel demand in all regions combined is estimated to be 5.4 percent by energy content by 2025 (110 million toe). Total ethanol demand is projected to reach over 35 billion gallons and biodiesel over 14 billion gallons. In terms of energy, market demand is estimated to increase by 23 percent from 2015 to 2020 and another 16 percent from 2020 to 2025. The projections, however, may not be met if supply is not available, and supply will depend on feedstock and capital availability.

“The U.S. vehicle market simply cannot accept more ethanol,” said Tammy Klein, assistant vice president of Hart Energy. “It’s not a matter of lack of supply or lack of commercial development of cellulosic ethanol.”

Maelle Soares Pinto, director of Hart Energy’s Global Biofuels Center, said the situation in Europe is similar. “The vehicle pool cannot use the amount of ethanol or biodiesel necessary to meet the Renewable Energy Directive. The European Union’s sustainability criteria also constrain the type of biofuels that can be used to meet the mandates and the situation could get worse if the EC’s proposal for ILUC factors is approved in its current form.”

advanced biofuels, Biodiesel, Ethanol, International, Research

Iowa E15 Sales Strong

Joanna Schroeder

E15 sales in Iowa are proving to be strong right out of the pump. This may be a poor metaphor, but the good news is that Linn Co-op Oil Company, the first retailer to officially sell E15 in Iowa, has seen sales soar to more than 30 percent of the day’s sales after an open house event on Friday, September 21, 2012. The ethanol fuel blend is the most tested fuel blend in the history of the U.S. and is approved for drivers of owning a 2001 or new vehicle, SUV or light-duty truck.

“Friday’s open house event at Linn Co-op proved to be a great success,” said Lucy Norton, Iowa Renewable Fuels Association Managing Director. “Attendees showed a deep interest in E15, specifically asking for the fuel and provided a large uptick in E15 sales. Iowa motorists are excited to have another high-octane, low-cost ethanol option that supports local jobs and contributes to the state’s economy.”

As part of the introduction of E15, Linn Co-op held an open house on Friday, September 21, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. E15 customers received a 15 cent discount on each gallon of E15 purchased.

To introduce E15 to Marion residents, the IRFA, Iowa Corn and the Iowa Power Fund Community Grant Program are sponsoring a media campaign that includes radio and print ads, billboards and direct mail. The campaign will run throughout September. A similar campaign is available to any Iowa retailer who offers E15 for 2001 and newer vehicle owners, says Norton. Retailers preparing to offer E15 in the future are urged to contact the IRFA for promotional assistance.

“E15 is bringing in many new customers to Linn Co-op,” added Jim Becthold, Service Manager for Linn Co-op Oil Company. “During our open house event, I saw countless new faces from all over the county. Also, a great deal of our customers specifically asked for E15 and Friday’s sales reflected that.”

biofuels, blends, Ethanol

Sweet Sorghum Leading Southern Bioenergy Crop

Joanna Schroeder

A lot of research has gone into studying sweet sorghum’s potential as a bioenergy crop. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has found that there are several attributes of the feedstock that make it uniquely suited to produce biofuels. One assest is its lower need for water, making it an ideal crop to grow in drought prevalent areas. In addition, it has low nitrogen fertilizer requirements and high biomass content. This according to molecular biologist Scott Sattler and Jeff Pedersen with USDA’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

Sweet sorghum produces sugar that can be converted to biofuel. The fibers in the feedstock left over after the juice is extracted can be burned to create electricity. Sorghum and sugarcane are good crops for the southeastern part of the U.S. because they are complementary crops and can extend the biofuel production season. Both feedstocks also use the same equipment so a grower would not need to invest in new technology to plant or harvest either crop.

The sweet sorghum research is part of USDA’s work in studying biofuel crops to meet the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandate of 36 billion gallons of biofuel by 2022. Of this total, 21 billion gallons will come from sources other than grain-based ethanol, of which sweet sorghum is one possible feedstock.

Other teams are also studying sweet sorghum including a group led by geneticist William Anderson with the ARS Crop Genetics and Breeding Research Unit in Tifton, Georgia. This team is working on identifying desirable bioenergy genes and working on improving them. To date, the team has studied 117 genotypes from the ARS sorghum germplasm collection with more research underway.

advanced biofuels, bioenergy, feedstocks, Research, sorghum