Domestic Fuel

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.

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.

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.

A new “airnasium,” or solar panel-lined roof on a metal structure constructed by Allied Steel Buildings has helped take the Virgin Islands Montessori School and International Academy off the electrical grid. The school is located in St. Thomas and is the only school in the territory completely powered by solar energy. Electrical costs for the school were nearly $84,00o per year,  but school officials say with the new solar power system and steel structure, that cost is now zero.

“The school was undergoing a major expansion, and we were brought in to provide design and build options for the gymnasium and other structures,” said Mike Stock, who spearheaded the project for Allied Steel Buildings’ Caribbean and Latin American Department. “We worked with them on the design so they could get off the grid.”

The 9,000-square-foot outdoor structure has no walls and will serve multiple purposes – both an auditorium and a sports facility. There is a playground for toddlers with sand on one side, and also has a dedicated area that can be set up with a stage for special events. The solar panels on the roof of the building have an output of about 13,000 kilowatt/hours of power a month. When combined with other solar-powered projects, that’s enough to power the entire school. The new building is also used to collect rain water, and has the capacity to provide 25,000 gallons of water for the school to use on irrigation.

To celebrate the new building, the school held a Solar Splash Concert with a number of local bands performing at an eco-fair event under the roof lined with solar panels. At the event, attendees got the chance to learn more about how they can start to save on energy bills while at the same time helping the environment.

ROUSH CleanTech is now offering three new propane autogas fuel systems for Ford F-59, F-53 and E-450 stripped chassis. The company is the first Ford Qualified Vehicle Modifier (QVM) to offer fuel systems for these platforms.

According to ROUSH, the Ford F-59 commercial step van chassis and the Ford E-450 stripped chassis adapt to numerous fleet delivery applications, such as bakery, textile, multi-stop package delivery service, linen and medical services. The company says the Ford F-53 platform offers a flexible commercial platform for trolleys, lunch trucks and more. The size and cargo capabilities of all three platforms are customizable for specific business vehicle applications.

“With excellent vehicle range and affordable price points, these platforms are a home run for hub and spoke model fleets,” said Todd Mouw, vice president of sales and marketing for ROUSH CleanTech. “These commercial stripped chassis platforms operating on propane autogas can help companies save $35,000 or more in fuel and operating expenses over the vehicle’s lifetime. And whether fleets use public fueling stations or install onsite private refueling, they’ll find refueling is inexpensive and easy.”

Built on a 2013 model year or newer chassis with a 6.8-liter, V10 engine, the ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas powered Ford F-53 and F-59 feature a 67-usable gallon propane autogas fuel tank. The ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas powered Ford E-450 stripped chassis comes equipped with a 41-usable gallon propane autogas fuel tank.

According to a report from the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), global installed wind energy capacity increased by 19 percent in 2012 to 282,000 megawatts (MW).  Canada remains a global wind energy leader as it experienced the 9^th largest increase in installed capacity in 2012 (936 MW). Both China and the United States, the world’s wind energy leaders, installed more than 13,000 MW of new capacity in 2012.

“While China paused for breath, both the US and European markets had exceptionally strong years,” said Steve Sawyer, Secretary General of GWEC. “Asia still led global markets, but with North America a close second, and Europe not far behind.”

Canada now ranks 9^th globally in total installed capacity with more than 6,500 MW of wind energy in operation – providing enough power to meet the annual needs of almost 2,000,000 Canadian homes. Ontario is the Canadian leader in the production of clean wind energy with more than 2,000 MW of installed capacity now supplying over 3 percent of the province’s electricity demand. Both Ontario and Quebec will lead the country with new installations of clean wind energy in 2013 as the Canadian Wind Energy Association (CanWEA) expects to see a record year for new installations with the addition of almost 1,500 MW of new capacity – driving over $3 billion in new investments.

The growth of wind energy development in Ontario and Quebec continues to have strong public support. According to a survey, 69 percent of Ontarians agreed that, “Ontario should be a leader in wind and solar energy production,” compared to only 20 percent that disagreed. The same poll also found that solar and wind energy scored highest in a top-of-mind question about Ontarians’ preferred choice for new electricity generation.

“Wind energy continues to enjoy strong majority support as a choice for new electricity generation in Ontario and Quebec because it is understood to be both good for the environment and a provider of significant economic benefits for local economies that host developments,” said Robert Hornung, president of CanWEA. “Less well known is the fact that wind energy is also now cost-competitive with virtually every option for new electricity generation. It is for these reasons that wind energy continues to be the fastest growing mainstream source of electricity in the world.”

The rapid growth of wind energy in Canada is also reflected south of the border where the American wind industry had its best year ever in 2012, with more than 13,000 MW installed. The extension of the Production Tax Credit (PTC) in the U.S. means that although the market will slow substantially in 2013, it is unlikely to be as much of a slowdown as originally expected, said Sawyer.

SunWize Technologies is developing two major solar photovoltaic projects in the Republic of Ecuador in conjunction with Solexica Energy Corporation, JCM Capital and Radical Energy, Inc. that have created a North American Consortium to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency. The two photovoltaic projects—known as Condor Solar and Solarconnection, represent 30 megawatts (AC) and 20 megawatts (AC) respectively. Combined, these installations will have an estimated peak capacity of 62.5 megaswatts (DC) and will feature approximately 234,000 solar panels, multiple inverters and a substation to process and distribute energy to over 100,000 households in northern Ecuador.

“Photovoltaic solar energy doesn’t pollute air, soil or water, making it a sustainable and environmentally-friendly choice for energy production worldwide. As members of the North American Consortium, we look forward to providing the people of Ecuador with an energy resource that will serve them well in the years ahead,” said Scott Tonn, CEO of SunWize.

Both the Condor Solar and Solarconnection projects will be constructed in a region of the Andes Mountains called Canton Pedro Moncayo. According to SunWize, the area’s average temperature allows solar panels to operate at optimum efficiency, while its altitude and location near the equator offer abundant sunshine with few impediments. In addition to its climate, there are other factors which make Pedro Moncayo an ideal location for solar projects. During the development of both solar projects, surrounding communities will host activities to promote and ensure sustainable development throughout the region. These activities will include training programs focused on renewable energy, health, sustainable agriculture, and arts and culture.

SunWize President and COO David Kaltsas, added, “Pedro Moncayo’s geographic location will help these projects be both economical and efficient. However, the area is also surrounded by a number of tourist attractions, including the Mojanda stratovolcano. As a result, Pedro Moncayo is uniquely positioned to serve as a model of sustainable energy use that thousands of tourists will have the opportunity to discover and appreciate in the years ahead.”

The North Carolina Solar Center at North Carolina State University has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to expand the use of alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technologies with a $500,000 award for the Alternative Fuel Implementation Team (AFIT) for North Carolina Project. The AFIT project is a two-year collaboration of U.S. DOE designated Clean Cities coalitions in the Triangle, Charlotte and Asheville regions, Clean Cities coalitions in five nearby states, Advanced Energy and industry leaders such as the Biofuels Center of North Carolina, Duke Energy, Holmes Oil Co, the NC Propane Gas Association, Public Service North Carolina, and Piedmont Natural Gas.

The AFIT project is focused on reducing barriers to more widespread deployment of biofuels such as biodiesel and E85, electric vehicles, natural gas and propane in public and private sector fleets. Fuel specific charettes will result in actions to accelerate the use of alternative transportation technology solutions to enhance North Carolina’s economy and environment. In year two, a Petroleum Displacement Plan (PDP) toolkit will be developed to assist fleet managers and vehicle owners in making decisions on which alternatives will best support their mission and goals. The PDP toolkit will include cost/benefit criteria and best application options and scenarios for specific alternative fuels based on national and North Carolina specific parameters.

As part of the AFIT project, a two-day North Carolina symposium, “Southeast Regional Alternative Fuels Conference,” will be held that includes sharing success stories and recognition awards.

“We are very excited to have the opportunity to bring together all the key parties in the southeast to leverage our unique talents and common interests in providing transportation technology and policy solutions to energy and air quality concerns,” said Anne Tazewell, Transportation Program Manager at the N.C. Solar Center and the AFIT project lead. “We look forward to the results of a cleaner environment and more business opportunities for alternative fuels.”

There may be a connection between two different types of cell wall glycans (sugars) and specific wall protein known as arabinogalactan protein. The initial discovery was made by Li Tan, who then approached researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA to continue the research. According to Tan and Debra Mohnen, who both work at part of the BioEnergy Science Center, this connection is not known to exist and does not conform to the commonly held scientific definitions of plant cell wall structure. Yet what they found could redefine the understanding of basic plant biology, and it may lead to significant improvements in the growth and processing of biofuel crops.

“This is totally new,” said Tan, a research scientist in the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and lead author of a paper detailing the group’s findings published in the online journal The Plant Cell. “We had never seen linkages between these structures before, and we had to develop a variety of new tests to prove that what we saw was not simply a mistake or a contamination.”

The scientific community generally agrees that complex sugars like pectin and xylan, which allow for cell wall structure, extension and growth, exist in separate networks from cell wall proteins. However, the UGA researchers have identified a direct and indisputable link between these two domains.

“What this means is that plant scientists’ view of the plant cell wall is at least partially wrong,” said Mohnen, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology and also a  member of UGA’s Complex Carbohydrate Research Center. “There have been hints over the last 30 or 40 years that this link might exist, but no one has been able to prove it until now.”
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Conergy has added more solar capacity in Greece. The company has just completed a 500 kilowatt plant on 2.25 acres of roof space at the warehouses of Hellenic Energy S.A. in Agios Ioannis Rentis on the edge of Athens.

Conergy acted as main contractor and was responsible for the overall planning, engineering and design of this turnkey rooftop installation, as well as for the supply of the components and the handling the construction where they cooperated with Hellenic Energy S.A. After connection of the power plant at the end of January, 58 inverters are feeding the clean electricity produced by more than 2,000 Conergy PowerPlus modules on Conergy SolarFamulus mounting systems into the grid. The company says the solar system has an annual production of over 700,000 kilowatt hours and the plant can supply around 200 households in Agios Ioannis Rentis.

“Thanks to the country’s excellent climate, solar installations in Greece provide the perfect combination of sound economic thinking and environmental protection,” said Dr. Stefanos Melissopoulos, Managing Director of Conergy Greece. “But the country’s high insolation levels are not the only advantage. Greece has a large amount of industrial roof space, providing the perfect conditions for making clean and safe investments. There is still great potential.”

Ioannis Kavalis, Managing Director of Hellenic Energy, added, “Conergy possesses a unique track record and many years of experience. This is absolutely vital when planning complex roof spaces. It means everything is supplied from a single source and we are assured of absolute top quality. This is very important when making an investment, particularly in today’s difficult times.”

Real Goods Solar has been selected by a leading production homebuilder to deploy solar in certain of its new communities beginning in California and then expanding into other states. As part of the partnership, Real Goods Solar will design, engineer, service and manage the installation of residential solar systems. The systems will be designed to offset a good portion of the electrical needs of the home.

“We are excited about this important expansion of our homebuilder program that allows homeowners to benefit from the advantages of having solar electricity from day one when they move into their new homes,” said Kam Mofid, Real Goods Solar CEO. “With our management team’s deep experience in home building and solar we were able to offer an outstanding value and the best overall solution as part of the homebuilder’s efforts to broadly offer solar in new homes.”

Josh Price, vice president of residential operations for Real Goods Solar, added, “Home builders are seeing demand strengthen across the country but buyers are often concerned about the rising electricity costs. Including solar in new homes allows home buyers to see savings in their energy costs and therefore reduce the overall cost of owning their dream home.”

According to a new report, “Eastern Winds,” analyzing the emerging wind power markets in Central and Eastern European countries, plus Turkey, Ukraine and Russia, wind power will become a significant source of electricity production by 2020. In addition, Turkey’s wind power generation capacity will grow even faster as long as there is a stable legal framework in place. The report was published by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA).

“Wind energy in Central and Eastern Europe, including Turkey, will substantially reduce the fossil fuel dependency of the power sectors, “said Christian Kjaer, Chief Executive Officer at EWEA. “But some countries – such as the Czech Republic, Hungary and Bulgaria – are without stable renewable energy legislation, and investors and banks will withdraw unless governments put in place long-term renewable energy policies.”

According to EWEA 12 newer EU Member States in Central and Eastern Europe plan to increase wind power capacity from the 6.4 gigawatts installed at end of 2012 to 16 gigawatts by 2020. This is equivalent to the electricity supply of 9 million households. Turkey wants to increase wind power capacity from its current 2.3 gigawatts to 20 gigawatts by 2023.

In 2012, Poland and Romania almost doubled their annual installed wind power capacity in 2012: Poland had 2.5 gigawatts, Romania 1.9 gigawatts, and Bulgaria 0.7 gigawatts of wind power capacity installed.

Renewable Energy Systems Americas (RES Americas) has completed the Twin Ridges Wind Farm  located in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. The 139.4 MW wind farm was completed in December 2012 and is now fully operational.

RES Americas served as the Balance of Plant Contractor for the project, which was developed and is owned by EverPower.  The Twin Ridges Wind Farm consists of 68 2.05 MW REpower MM 92 turbines that will interconnect to PJM through the Potomac Edison affiliate of FirstEnergy Corporation.

“RES Americas is pleased to have completed construction on the Twin Ridges Wind Farm for our valued client Everpower,” said Andrew Fowler, Chief Operating Officer.  “The continued development of Pennsylvania’s renewable energy resources will bring additional capital investment, jobs and tax revenue to the state.  We are proud to be a member of this community and look forward to continuing our operations in the area.”

RES Americas has now constructed 381 MW of wind projects in Pennsylvania. The 101 MW Armenia Mountain Wind project was completed in 2009 and is located in Tioga and Bradford Counties, and the 140.8 MW Mehoopany Wind Farm, located in Wyoming County, was also completed in 2012.

Chile is ramping up its renewable energy sector with two recent project announcements. SunEdison and the Chilean mining and steel group CAP have signed an agreement to construct what the two companies believe will be the largest solar photovoltaic power plant in Latin America and one of the largest on the world. The plant is designed to have an installed capacity of 100MW (DC) and will be located in the Atacama Desert of Chile. It is estimated that the plant will produce as much as 15 percent of the mining group’s energy needs.

The plant will be built using SunEdison technology. More than 300,000 Silvantis monocrystalline silicon modules will be installed, which according to the company, are made from non-toxic, non-polluting material that can be recycled at the end of its useful life, together with solar trackers designed by SunEdison, for which steel produced by CAP is expected to be used.

Mainstream Renewable Power, has announced they have completed financing and begun construction of its 33 MW Negrete Cuel Wind Farm in southern Chile. The farm is expected to be fulling operational in September 2013. Goldwind is supplying the project with GW87 1.5 MW wind turbines. Mainstream also owns and operates a 150MW Calama Oeste wind farm located in Atacama Desert.

Mainstream’s Chief Executive Eddie O’Connor said, “I am delighted to announce Mainstream’s fifth project to go into construction across three continents in a period of just six months. Since entering the Chilean market back in 2009 Mainstream has built a very strong and growing portfolio of wind and solar projects, many of which are in the mid to late development stages.

In a letter to U.S. Energy Department employees today, Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced his decision to not serve a second term. In his remarks he highlighted the tremendous progress of the last four years.

Chu wrote, “Serving the country as Secretary of Energy, and working alongside such an extraordinary team of people at the Department, has been the greatest privilege of my life. While the job has had many challenges, it has been an exciting time for the Department, the country, and for me personally.

I’ve always been inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, who articulated his Dream of an America where people are judged not by skin color but “by the content of their character.” In the scientific world, people are judged by the content of their ideas. Advances are made with new insights, but the final arbitrator of any point of view are experiments that seek the unbiased truth, not information cherry picked to support a particular point of view. The power of our work is derived from this foundation.”

Chu highlighted several areas where he felt there was great success especially in the country’s move to clean energy. Four areas he noted in which he felt demonstrated tangible signs of success included: in the last four years, the production of clean, renewable energy from wind and solar has doubled; in addition to approximately $25 billion annual budget, also made a $36 billion investment through the Recovery Act to help ensure that the clean energy jobs of tomorrow are being created here in America today; the Department has helped one million low income homeowners weatherize their homes; and administered a loan program that generated a portfolio of loans and loan guarantees to 33 clean energy and advanced automotive manufacturing projects.

You can read his full letter of resignation here.