Domestic Fuel

The second book in my  2012 La Nina Reading List was “Roosters of The Apocalypse,” by Rael Jean Isaac. This book could be a dictionary definition of “opposite” as compared to Climate Wars. Where Climate Wars is on the far right side of hysteria of the evils of climate change, Roosters of The Apocalypse is on the far left side of hysteria that it is a major, orchestrated hoax upon the world that is costing us billions upon billions of dollars.

So what is a rooster anyway? Isaac quotes Richard Landes who describes “those who initiate and build support for these movements as roosters (aka Al Gore) for they crow an exciting new message, and their opponents as owls, gloomsters counseling caution and skepticism (Real Issac).” Issac weaves the message of the Xhosa throughout the book, a parable about an orphan girl’s vision of truth. I can’t tell you her truth because I was unable to follow the thread. Rather than explain it in one section, she drops little nuggets of the story throughout the book and not in a clear, concise way.  I could have looked up the story on Google, but quite frankly, I’m far to lazy to go to the trouble.

Anyway, the key to building momentum is getting “elites” to join the cause. Al Gore, or U.S. Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid would be considered rooster elites.  Once that happens, ordinary people will join in.  Isaac tells the story of how the prophecy of global climate change caught fire and spread around the world in breathtaking speed.  While doing this, she deconstructs all the “deceptive techniques” and fakery” used by organizations such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). I won’t rehash the scandal involved in their report but the bottom line was accusers claim they fudged the numbers to support climate change.

It is no doubt that those on the “right side of green” will make millions on global climate change.  
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According to a new report from GlobalData, government incentives and fuel demand are helping to boost biofuels markets. “Biofuels (Biodiesel and Bioethanol) Market – Global Production, Regulations, Export-Import Analysis and Key Country Analysis to 2020,” found that countries in Europe, Asia and North America (U.S.) are heavily involved in biofuel production – both ethanol and biodiesel.

Ethanol production globally began in ernst in 2003 and has grown significantly with the help of government subsidies. Canada and China both have blending targets, as well as the U.S. who passed a Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS2) to drive the use of biofuels. In 2003, production numbers were 33,514 million liters and grew to 105,608 million liters by 2011. The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) was 15.4 percent during this time period and the report expects production to grow another 4.4 percent between 2011-2020.

Biodiesel production picked up speed on a global level in 2005, and has also seen various government subsidies and incentives spurring growth. Key biodiesel exporters in 2010 were Germany, China, the Netherlands, Argentina, Belgium and the U.S. In 2005, global production of biodiesel was 4,854 million liters, and grew to 23,579 million liters by 2011. Biodiesel boasted a CAGR rate of 30.1 percent and is expected to grow an additional 3.5 percent between 2011-2020 for an annual production level of 4,205 million liters.

The report says the the growth demonstrates the importance of government and environmental policy for the current growth of the industry. It also concludes that future production increases will be dependent on similar support from global governments.

Did you know that June 15 is Global Wind Day? Well now that you do, there are many fun activities you can take part in to learn more about wind power.

The event is coordinated by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) along with the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). This year, they are holding a photo competition.  To enter, find a way to convey wind energy technology in a new way. You can capture the turbines at dawn or capture the activities that take place around a wind turbine or in any way your heart desires.

Once you get your award winning picture, submit your photo to the Global Wind Day website. The winner will receive a  €1,000 Amazon voucher and the winning photo will become part of online professional photography archive.  The photo will also be published in Recharge and Wind Directions magazines.  Five runners up will get a voucher worth €250.

Yet what might be the coolest aspect of the competition is that all photos will be displayed in the European Union section of the event being held in Brussels.  The deadline for submissions is May 6th so you’d better start snapping away!

The wind energy industry contributed $32 billion Euros to the European Union’s (EU) gross domestic product (GDP) between 2007 and 2010. In addition, the industry grew more than twice that of the EU’s GDP overall. The information is part of the ‘Green Growth‘ report that was released today during the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) International Conference.

The report also determined that the number of people employed in the wind energy industry increased by 30 percent from 2007 to 2010 with approximately 240,000 people employed in the field. It is estimated that there will be nearly 520,000 jobs in the sector by 2020.

The industry was a net exporter of 5.7 billion Euros worth of goods and services in 2010 while the energy created avoided 5.71 billion euros of fuel costs in the same year. In addition, the industry invested approximately 5 percent of its spending back into research and development (R&D), while on average, wind turbine manufacturers invested close to 10 percent of their revenue back to R&D.

“Wind energy is a recession-busting industry,” said Arthouros Zervos, President of EWEA. “It is countering the recession – providing increasing economic activity, more jobs and exports every year to an EU struggling with an economic crisis intensified by ever increasing amounts of fuel being imported at rising costs to European citizens.”

To ensure the continued growth of the industry, Green Growth states that several things must happen including stable national renewable energy frameworks; a post 2020 energy policy with a binding renewables target for 2030; a joined up European power grid and single energy market; a more ambitious 30 percent greenhouse gas reduction target for 2020; and sufficient and dedicated EU funding for wind energy research.

The solar photovoltaic (PV) systems market is growing with the help of government incentives that encourage investment. This news came as a result of a new report by GBI Research, “Semiconductors in Solar PV Power Systems to 2015 – Government Incentives and Feed-in Tariffs to Create Growth Potential for Semiconductor Manufacturers.” The report concludes that investments in renewable energy will continue to be a major driving force of technological advances in the global semiconductor market. Semiconductors are used in solar PV systems.

The growth of the industry was helped along by programs such as feed-in tariffs (FIT). The majority of countries leading in solar PV adoption are in Europe including Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, France, and the UK. While there is no federal FIT program in the U.S., some states have experimented with them including California, Florida, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Washington.

Both China and Japan have announced their support in being the leaders in creating more efficient solar PV technologies and this has also helped boost the semiconductor market. Sales in solar PV systems were nearly $27.8 billion in 2011 are expected to grow to $32 billion by the end of 2015. Ultimately, the increase in semiconductor revenue has been invested back into development and improved the technology’s efficiency, which has improved the efficiency of solar PV systems.

The report said that next technological advancements will be focused on reducing energy losses and cost-per-watt in an effort to extend the grid to more remote places.

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is awarding Northern Power Systems (NPS), a Vermont-based company that designs, manufactures and sells wind turbines globally, its Renewable-Energy Exporter of the Year Award. The honor was given today during the Bank’s 37th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C.

“Northern Power Systems is a great example of an innovative company that is creating American jobs by helping other nations meet their energy needs,” said Fred P. Hochberg, chairman and president of the Ex-Im Bank. “Ex-Im’s financing for renewable energy projects exceeded $720 million last year, and the Bank remains committed to supporting U.S. exports in this vital sector.”

NPS 100 wind turbines are exported into European Feed-in-Tariff (FIT) wind farms and hybrid power applications. Typically, the wind energy offsets diesel-generated power. To help grow its business, NPS recently used Ex-Im Bank’s Renewable Express financing to export 55 wind turbines for a FIT project in Italy. This was the largest export sale from the U.S. to date.

John P. Danner, President and CEO of Northern Power Systems said of the award, “Ex-Im Bank helps NPS successfully compete in global markets by allowing us to offer customers very attractive project financing. We are looking forward to expanding our relationship with Ex-Im beyond Italy to the United Kingdom and numerous other markets.”

It’s NBA Green Week this week, sponsored in part by Sprint, and many companies are finding unique ways to reach basketball fans with green messages. One such partnership is between FirstEnergy Solutions and the Cleveland Cavaliers.  On April 10, FirstEnergy donated 40 Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset the electricity use during the game. The REC’s were generated at the Meyersdale wind facility located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

How does a REC work?  When a renewable energy facility, such as a wind farm, produces electricity that is certified and then sold into the wholesale electricity market, REC’s are produced. (This is similar to a Renewable Identification Number (RIN) being produced for a gallon of ethanol or biodiesel.) Ultimately, RECs represent the positive environmental attributes associated with renewable energy.

Dave Hennekes, vice president of Retail Marketing at FirstEnergy Solutions said his company was pleased to donate the renewable energy credits for the game in an effort to help support further development of renewable energy.

Here are a few other initiatives:

• Golden State Warriors and Esurance partnered to promote eco-friendly transportation options in the Bay Area on March 29.
• Phoenix Suns are supporting a solar energy project.
• The Trail Blazers unveiled several electric car charging stations at Rose Garden.

The first book on my 2012 La Nina Reading List was "Climate Wars" by Gwynne Dyer. The premise of this book is that global warming is happening and will continue to happen and as the world overheats, the result will be a range of "climate wars".  One of his hypotheses is that the climate will change and affect different regions and countries differently but all countries will be negatively affected in multiple ways.

First, claims Dyer, the globe will experience a crisis in the food supply. Dyer writes that another major factor in the world's future is that today a number of great powers are already using climate change scenarios to plan military strategy. To prove his hypothesis Dyer created eight future scenarios based on published science and current or past events with each ranging from worst-case to moderate case.  Each scenario focuses on one or two countries and their reactions to climate change.  After each scenario is presented, and written as if the events had already occurred, he then reviews the science and events used to create the scenario.

A reader asked the question, "What does climate change have to do with DomesticFuel?"  Everything, I argue because of you buy into the concept of climate change or global warming, the largest contributor to warming is carbon.  The largest generator of carbon are fossil fuels and fossil fuels are used to create energy and electricity – the crux of this blog. The theory would then be, if you reduce or replace the carbon generated by fossil fuels with lower or no carbon alternative energy sources, then the reduction would help to help to stave off the heating of the planet.

So how does Dyer portray fossil fuels and alternative energy in his scenarios?

Not with much hope.
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A new petition has been launched today to help encourage the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support biofuels development. The petition is sponsored by Frontiers of Freedom, who says that advanced biofuels allow America to reduce its dependence on foreign sources of oil while simultaneously exploring next generation biofuels. Frontiers of Freedom also say that renewable energy can and should be produced in the U.S. and production would create jobs.

“When we fill our cars with gasoline, we contribute to the global demand for petroleum and give money to our enemies,” said Frontiers of Freedom President, George Landrith. “As a nation committed to liberty and freedom, we must find alternatives to foreign oil.”

In a statement from the organization, producing biofuels domestically will keep our energy dollars at home. In addition, the U.S. sends an estimated billion dollars a day oversees to import oil from the Middle East and other parts of the world. “It is time to return that money into our back pockets and keep it out of the hands of the world’s worst tyrants,” said the statement.

Frontiers of Freedom believes that in a short time, American innovation will create energy that is cheaper and more plentiful than oil. However, the only way to achieve this is to remain committed and invest in advanced biofuel technologies, and “this journey begins with the EPA exhibiting the courage to promote and advance biofuel development.”

Click here to sign the petition.

Hughson Nuts, a California based almond processor, has completed a 586 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system at its 50,000 square foot almond facility. The system has the capacity to produce more than 970,000 kilowatt hours of energy each year and will be used to power the blanching, dry roasting, and cutting lines for producing sliced, slivered, diced and milled almonds. The system was installed by Cenergy Power who says that the energy produced from the solar system will be equivalent to offsetting 730 tons of CO2 from the atmosphere. This is the second solar project Hughson Nut has undertaken.

“Cenergy Power did a great job on an initial 504 kW solar project for a related nut hulling business over a year ago so we were very confident in their capabilities on this second solar project,” said Martin Pohl, principal of Hughson Nut. “They were a company of their word, which really helps us meet our dual goals of environmental sustainability while reducing energy costs for the benefit of our growers and partners.”

As part of the solar arrangement, Cenergy Power will be providing 10 years of scheduled operations and maintenance for the system, that includes touch-free panel cleanings, preventive maintenance & repair, and overall system warranties.

Earth Day snuck up on me this year which is surprising considering all that people can talk about is the hot weather in the Midwest caused by “global warming”. Think what you will about that statement, Earth Day is April 22nd coined “Mobilize the Earth,” and because I can’t come up with new ideas (it must be the unusual heat) I’m going to review four environmental books and one movie leading up to the big day.

Inevitably, I’m going to get both applauded and ostracized for what I’m about to do – two of the books will be pro climate change and two of the books will be anti-climate change. Someday I may be drowning off the coast of Iowa and I will go under screaming and flapping my arms that you can’t learn and move forward if you don’t educate yourself about an issue as a whole – and that means all sides of the issue should be heard.

My review of books and movies is not an endorsement of the author’s beliefs – the point of the review is to let you know what the author thinks to determine if it’s a book you want to read in your lounge chair on the beach of Council Bluffs this summer.  And without further ado…My 2012 La Nina Reading List:

• Climate Wars by Gwynne Dyer
• Roosters of Apocalypse by Rael Jean Issac
• Eaarth by Bill McKibben
• Climategate by Brian Sussman
• Carbon Nation

Well I’m off to the scuba shop to buy gear for my qwest to find the Hollywood sign….

The propane industry is about to celebrate its 100th anniversary and as part of industry events, there is a Propane Centennial Celebration and Propane Clean Air Rally & Autogas Parade beginning on April 14, 2012. The rally and parade will kick off at 12:00 noon on April 14th in Centennial Olympic Park and will include a Blue Bird school bus and a Ford pickup truck both featuring the ROUSH CleanTech liquid propane autogas fuel system. There will also be vans, taxis, forklifts, lawn movers and more, all powered by propane autogas.

Propane was discovered in 1910, yet it wasn’t until 1912 that propane was first used in a commercial application. Shortly thereafter, in 1913, propane was used to fuel a vehicle. Thus, 2012 marks propane’s 100th birthday and according to ROUSH CleanTech, now fuels more than 17 million vehicles.

“Propane has seen many changes along its 100-year journey to what we call propane autogas today, both in application and acceptance by fleet managers, lawmakers and automobile industry leaders like ROUSH,” said Joe Thompson, president of ROUSH CleanTech. “This domestically produced, abundant fuel offers so many economical and environmental benefits to vehicle operators, and we’re pleased to celebrate its birthday and its bright future.”

The parade will kick off the 2012 National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) Southeastern Convention & International Propane Expo beginning on April 14th at the Georgia World Congress Center. On April 15, one lucky person will win a propane autogas fuel system installed in a 2012 F-250 donated by ROUSH CleanTech and raffled at 4:00 PM EST in booth 309.

Thompson added, “Propane is as American as baseball and apple pie, and that’s something to celebrate. This is a major milestone in American history as we look toward the next 100 years of propane achievement.”

There were 679 renewable energy initiatives supported by 23 federal agencies and their 130 subagencies in fiscal year 2010. This according to a study by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) on renewable energy. The leading agencies in renewable energy support included the Department of Defense (DOD), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of the Interior. Combined, 60 percent of the projects were supported by these four departments.

Of all the alternative energy sources reviewed, the majority of the supported projects were in bioenergy, solar and wind. There was a mix between projects awarded to public and private sector companies, with private companies winning the majority of awards. In addition, the study found that many projects contained the development of technology that used multiple sources of energy.

Two thousand and ten proved to be some of the highest amount of funds invested in renewable energy, in part due to the allocations of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. However, with those funds spent and not anticipated to be renewed, the study concluded that future levels of funds for renewable energy projects was uncertain.

For the most part, awards were given to projects in four categories: supporting research and development; using renewable energy in vehicle fleets and facilities; providing incentive for commercialization and deployment; and regulation, permitting and ensuring compliance. The study found that within these four key roles, different agencies took the lead in development.  Research and development was led by DOE, DOD and USDA; fleets and facilities was led by DOD and the General Services Administration; commercialization and deployment was led by Treasury and USDA; and regulation, permititng and compliance was led by Interior and EPA.

While the report was robust, there is no corresponding list of the projects cited nor any recommendations. You can view the entire report here.

Algae.Tec has announced that its two biofuels projects are full speed ahead. The company, founded in 2007 has offices in Atlanta, Georgia and Perth, Western Australia, and its company is focused on developing algae to biofuels technology using an enclosed algae growth and harvesting system. One project is underway in Australia- Shoalhaven One- and one in Sri Lanka.

Shoalhaven One is making good progress despite major rain and flooding. The cement platform structure along with the associated plumbing is complete. The next step is to install the containerized bioreactor technology. The company’s technical director, Earl McConchie, is arriving in Australia this week to oversee the final phase of the project.

A different use of the algae technology is underway at the Holcim cement plant in Sri Lanka. Bioreactors, currently being fitted at the Algae Development & Manufacturing Centre in Atlanta, GA will head to Sri Lanka in May whereupon installation will begin. This site will use the algae to capture carbon created during the production of cement and then produce advanced biofuels.

“In Nowra, the Algae.Tec facility will take a carbon feed from the Manildra Group operations, and in Sri Lanka the facility will take a feed from the subsidiary of industrial giant Holcim, the world’s largest cement and building materials company,” explained Roger Stroud, Executive Chariman for Algae.Tec.

Stroud said that the company is focused on producing global-scale biojet fuel from algae. Algae.Tec has biofuels MOUs with the European airline Lufthansa, and a 50/50 equity joint venture with Chinese company the Kerui Group for roll-out in China.

Rochester, New York based Sweetwater Energy and BioGasol ApS, a Danish biotechnology company, have entered into a strategic partnership to improve sugar extraction from biomass. Sweetwater is a cellulosic sugar manufacturer and will use BioGasol’s pretreatment technology, Carbofrac, as part of an overall technological solution to increase the amount of sugar extracted from plant-based feedstocks.

“We’re very excited about this partnership,” said Arunas Chesonis, Chair and CEO of Sweetwater Energy. “The combination of BioGasol’s pretreatment technology merges so well with the advances we’ve made in hydrolysis and inhibitor reduction that the relationship almost seemed inevitable.”

Sweetwater produces low-cost sugars and then sells these sugars to refineries. The refineries then use the sugars to produce biofuels, biochemicals and bioplastics. Dr. Sarad Parekh, along with his team, developed a way to dramatically increase the efficiency of the extraction and fermentability of extracted sugars from a variety of biomass. Ultimately, this technology is able to produce cost-effective sugars that bioenergy companies can then profitably convert to next generation bioproducts.

Anders Weber, CEO of BioGasol added, “Our two companies have remarkably similar philosophies in that we both believe smaller, decentralized pretreatment and hydrolysis facilities are the key at this stage to making cellulosic biofuels and biochemicals work. Sweetwater has the business model and technology that fits perfectly with BioGasol’s high yield and flexible pretreatment equipment. We couldn’t be more enthusiastic about this partnership.”