Domestic Fuel

The solar industry has a new resource for information about the solar industry. Principal Solar has launched the “Definitive Solar Library,” an online resource center dedicated exclusively to solar energy. The company believes this is the first of its kind worldwide.

“Efforts to capture the power of the sun at a reasonable cost continue to evolve, positioning solar energy as one of the hottest topics around the world and creating the need for straightforward information and perspectives that improve upon the renewable energy exchange of ideas,” said Michael Gorton, CEO and president of Principal Solar, Inc. “By defining the issues, collecting and distributing information, the Definitive Solar Library will serve as a valuable educational outpost for leaders of government, business and academia. It will also be accessible to consumers who want to join the dialogue.”

To demonstrate the value of the Library, Principal Solar also released two white papers. The first, “Under the Sun: Putting Environmental and Regulatory Issues to Work,” was co-authored by Michael Gorton, CEO and chairman of Principal Solar and Scott D. Deatherage, partner Patton Boggs. This paper guides investors through the technical, legal and environmental issues required for making solar projects work successfully.

The second white papers, “Interfacing with the Electrical Grid,” was co-authored by Ken Allen, chief operating officer of Principal Solar and Ron Seidel, PE, board of directors, Principal Solar. This paper outlines the interconnection of power sources with renewable generation and the roles of federal, regional and state regulatory agencies in the processes.

Gorton added, “Because more entities have become aware of solar energy and its many attributes, timing for this launch is ideal. We expect the Library to improve upon existing practices and deliver additional solutions that advance significant social and economic value to communities, governments and individuals worldwide.”

A second geothermal plant designed and manufactured by Ormat Technologies has been inaugurated in Las Pailas, Costa Rica. Ormat was contracted by Banco Centroamericano de Integracion Economica “BCIE”, to supply all the power equipment, supervise the installation and conduct the testing and start-up of the 42 MW power plant. The plant will actually be operated by the Costa Rican National Electricity and Telecommunications Company.

Several country leaders attended the event including the president of Costa Ricka, H.E. Laura Chinchilla Miranda. Also on hand was the former Minister of Energy, Teofilo de la Torre who was recently nominated as the Executive President of ICE, the country’s national power utility. Dr. Nick Rischbieth, president of BCIE, along with other members of the government and distinguished dignitaries rounded out the attendees.

“We are very pleased to continue our collaboration with ICE which started with the 18 MW Miravalles Unit 5 in 2004. The Las Pailas plant demonstrates the trust that ICE and BCIE have in Ormat and its Binary Technology,” said Ormat’s Chairman, Lucien Y. Bronicki.

The state of Illinois has formed the Illinois Biomass Working Group (IBWG) to study near-term uses for biomass in Illinois. The team is comprised of academics, government, industry and the private sector. Ted Funk, an Extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering at the University of Illinois is one of the founding members and saw the need for the group because “everyone is talking about liquid biofuels.”

“Can we grow biomass on the farm and put it in your car tank? Yes, we know it’s possible, and we’re getting closer to that day, but we’re still sometime away from it,” said Funk. “My fear is that we’ll have a bio-refinery system built, based on what we’re learning about turning cellulosic materials into liquid product, but we won’t know how to get huge quantities of biomass to those refineries.

Funk said he felt there was a need to pull people together to discuss opportunities, what markets are available today that could accept large quantities of biomass and how to put together supply chains.

To answer those questions, Funk and others, including Hans Blaschek and Natalie Bosecker from the Center for Advanced BioEnergy Research at Illinois, and Fred Iutzi from the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University, organized a conference to analyze three markets they felt were currently open to the use of biomass for heat and power. One market is pellets to replace liquid propane, a second market is biomass to replace some of the coal used in industrial boilers and the third market is gasification.

“The IBWG has been an excellent way to get the right people in the room and start talking about possibilities,” added Funk. “We feel that the main function of the IBWG is to identify supply chains and put things together,” he concluded, “so that when the bio-refinery system is here, the supply chains will be here as well.”

While wind energy is growing exponentially, renewable energy in the U.S. makes up less than 4 percent of total energy use. To increase energy created from wind power, several issues need to be address including transmission infrastructure and advanced energy storage. These very opportunities will be discussed and more during the first Wind & Transmission Leadership summit in Big Sky Montana from September 25-28, 2011.

The C-level summit will focus on seeking solutions to energy policy and wind development and will bring together leaders from the wind, energy storage and transmission industries as well as people from state and federal governments, finance and investment firms, academia, associations, environmental groups, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

“This conference is well positioned to bring together the leaders in industry and government that are working to solve our greatest challenges to establishing a renewable energy standard for the U.S. and to address the continued risk to our economy and environment,” said Randy Stratton, Conference Co-Chairman. “We can solve these challenges with the private sector working with the government to fund research and development in wind, energy storage, transmission technology and electric vehicles. We must move forward now before we fall further behind the rest of the world.”

Several break-out sessions will occur during the three-day summit and focus on a key segments of the market. Sessions include: community wind development, transmission solutions, state and federal policies and incentives, opening electricity markets in the West, siting issues, large wind technology, public lands and transmission infrastructure, wildlife concerns, national and regional energy programs, eminent domain, smart grid advancements, finance/investment and risk/liability issues.

Tom Kaiserski, Director of Energy Promotions for the State of Montana added, “This summit is designed to bring together the players with the vision and resources capable of building a 21st century clean and renewable power and transmission system that will result in thousands of new jobs, billions of investment, millions in new tax revenues that will help secure our energy future.”

Click here to learn more about the conference and for online registration.

Want to move the angle of your solar panels? Got an app for that. At the touch of an iPhone, 382 solar trackers were brought into position perpendicular with the sun marking the completion of the largest solar installation in Vermont and according to AllEarth Renewables, the largest solar installation of its kind in North America.

The 382 AllSun Trackers use GPS and wireless technology to follow the sun’s path throughout the day producing more than 40 percent more energy than fixed solar according to AllEarth Renewables. The company manufactured the technology just four miles from the site of the 2.2 megawatt solar farm.

“This project not only produces renewable energy from the sun, it creates a lot of local clean energy jobs,” said David Blittersdorf, CEO and founder of AllEarth Renewables. “We’ve innovated and refined our AllSun Tracker so it can be affordably used to power homes or businesses, and at the same time make up a utility-sized farm like this project in South Burlington.”

The solar farm will sell an estimated 2.91 million kWh of power each year to Vermont’s Sustainably Priced Energy Development (SPEED) program. This is part of the state’s Standard Offer program that was established as part of the Vermont Energy Act of 2009. Attending the ribbon cutting event was Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin, Lt. Governor Phil Scott and Speaker of the House Shap Smith. They joined nearly 75 others on hand to commemorate the solar farm.

This has definitely been a summer of solar – both in terms of oppressive heat as well as dozens upon dozens of new solar power systems going online. Recently Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) along with the Matrix Group, commissioned a 3 megawatt (MW) solar power project in South Brunswick, New Jersey that is part of PSE&G’s Solar 4 All program, aimed at helping the state reach it solar energy goals. The 12,684 crystalline solar panels cover more than 318,000 square feet of roof space and will produce enough power for 500 homes.

“We have put more than 43 megawatts of solar capacity into service over the last 18 months, and along the way created good jobs, developed the New Jersey solar market in a cost effective way and helped the environment,” said Al Matos, PSE&G’s Vice President – Renewables and Energy Solutions. “All of this solar power flows into the grid, to provide clean solar energy to all of our electric customers.”

Over three years, Solar 4 All will develop 80 solar megawatts, enough to power 13,000 average sized homes in New Jersey. The program is structured so the financial benefits – the value of the solar credits (SRECs), federal tax credits and the sale of the solar energy and capacity– are returned to customers by offsetting the overall cost of the program. In addition the solar now powering the South Brunswick site, Matrix also hosts a 2.8MW solar system in Perth Amboy that went online in January 2011.

Richard F.X. Johnson, Partner of Matrix Renewable Energy Services added, “We are extremely proud of the partnership we’ve established with PSE&G in New Jersey, where Matrix is committed to energy-efficiency best practices at the more than 10 million square feet of commercial space that we own and manage throughout the state, as well as the buildings owned by clients of our Renewable Energy Services division,” stated Johnson. “This solar venture gives us the ability to play a significant role in expanding access to clean energy— an important step toward achieving the state’s goal of becoming a recognized leader in the renewable energy arena.”

U.S. Foodservice, located in La Mirada, Californa, has activated its new rooftop solar system consisting of 5,000 DelSolar modules. The system is powerful enough to provide 16 percent of the facility’s power needs each year, or about the equivalent of powering 150 average sized homes annually. The solar system was designed and installed by California-based Stellar Solar who has a goal of installing 6 megawatts of solar energy in 2011.

“This was a very exciting project to be a part of. Working with two global leaders in DelSolar and U.S. Foodservice was a great experience,” said Kent Harle, founder and CEO of Stellar Solar. Both of those companies are walking the talk when it comes to business practices that are sustainable and have a positive effect on the bottom line. Two thousand eleven is shaping up to be our best year ever at Stellar Solar and this project played a significant part in making that happen.”

In addition to the completion of this project, the company is also in the process of installing solar systems for Salk Institute in La Jolla, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Cedars Sinai Hospital, San Diego Cardiac Center and the City of Tustin. Stellar Solar also installs residential solar power systems.

I ran into Yingli Green Energy during the InterSolar North America conference a few weeks back in San Francisco. Today Yingli Solar, the brand that the company markets its photovoltaic (PV) products under, announced that its PV modules were installed in the largest solar plant in Greece. Yes, it would be odd if a solar plant did not create its energy from solar but strangely enough this happens. The 10 megawatt (MW) utility-scale solar project is located in Larisa and is estimated to produce enough solar power to energize nearly 3,700 homes.

The project was developed by Selected Textiles S.A., a Greece-based textiles group, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Selected Energy S.A., which specializes in the development and operation of renewable energy sources projects including solar and biomass energy. The construction company was Biosar Energy S.A., also a Greece-based solar system specialist that in addition offers maintenance and management services. The project was financed on a long term, non-recourse basis from the Project Finance team of Piraeus Bank. Piraeus Bank Group is the leading bank in Greece in green business financings.

“We are pleased to cooperate with STIAFILCO and Biosar to complete the largest solar plant in Greece,” said Mr. Liansheng Miao, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Yingli Green Energy. “Because of the country’s favorable natural solar irradiance and the Greek government’s strong commitment to renewable energy, Greece is considered an important market for PV. We continue to see increasing demand for our premium-quality solar products, which further confirms our leadership position in this market.”

Yosemite National Park’s new 700 kW solar system is now in operation. The project was completed by Suntrek Industries and incorporates over 2,800 solar panels that are estimated to produce 800,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year. The company collaborated on the project with the National Park Service, Taylor Teter and PIA and today all were on hand to celebrate the “flip of the switch” to solar power.

Suntrek project manager Alex Smith said, “Yosemite is the jewel of our National Park system and Suntrek Industries, Inc. could not be prouder of the fact that efforts of the NPS and the solar energy teams to design and build this project went without a hitch. We designed the systems so that we could produce clean solar energy from roof tops, car ports, construction yard walls, and the façade of the building itself. This was an architecturally diverse project for everyone to admire and all the components are made in the USA.”

The majority of the solar energy produced will be used to power the maintenance facility. The building walls faced South and are also at an angle making them ideal for solar panels. However, with limited space available the solar power team needed to be creative when designing the system.

Yosemite National Park Superintendent Don Neubacher added, “This energy-saving photovoltaic project reflects Yosemite National Park’s commitment to sustainable and renewable energy sources.”

I’ve been traveling around the country quite a bit this summer and I can’t get over the growth of the wind industry. On a few occasions I’ve watched components of wind turbines pass me by and I’ve always wanted to get up close just to see how big these blades and the base really are. Well now I know. I pulled over at a rest stop in Davenport, Iowa on Monday and there were four trucks carrying wind turbine blades parked in the lot and boy were they creating interest.

So just how big are these blades? I walked from tip to tip and it took me 39 seconds walking at a normal pace. Here is a video of my journey. BTW – the song is called “Wind Energy Song” and was written by Monty Harper. Here are some of the lyrics:

This is the sun shining down on Earth.

This is the warmth of the
sun shining down on Earth.

This is the air rising up through the
warmth of the
sun shining down on Earth.

This is the wind blowing in beneath the
air rising up through the
warmth of the
sun shining down on Earth.

This is the rotor spinning in the
wind blowing in beneath the
air rising up through the
warmth of the
sun shining down on Earth.

I also took photos as I was driving (don’t try this in the car!) and I have pictures of a wind farm off of 1-80 Iowa. Did you know that Iowa is the second leading state for wind power generation behind Texas? The state is also the leader in renewable energy – 20 percent of Iowa’s power comes from renewable resources. Take that California! I also took pictures of a wind farm in off of 1-74 in Illinois. Click here to see my Summer 2011 photo album.

First Wind has completed a 60 megawatt (MW) wind farm in Penobscot County, Maine. The Rollins Wind project is comprised of 200 wind turbines that are estimated to power nearly 23,000 average sized homes each year. The power is being delivered to Maine homes and businesses and is cost-competitive due to two long-term electricity supply contracts with Bango Hydro and Central Maine Power, the state's Public Utilities Commission.

“The Rollins Wind project is clean energy, made in Maine for the people of Maine. It will deliver clean, renewable energy to Maine homes and businesses at a cost competitive with fossil fuel plants, but without the emissions of many other forms of energy," said First Wind CEO, Paul Gaynor. “This is a significant addition to our growing portfolio of wind projects in Maine that now have the capacity to generate 185 MW of clean energy. We’d like to thank all of our partners, the members of the surrounding community and our supporters for helping to make this project a reality.”

First Wind says this project was a significant source of revenue and new jobs in the area with more than $30 million spent directly with 97 Maine-based businesses. The Rollins Wind Project will also generate additional activity through its ongoing operations.

“The State of Maine is fortunate to have a company like First Wind and its partners in the Rollins Project bringing such a significant investment into the Lincoln Region,” said Rep. Stacey Fitts, House Chair of the Legislature’s Energy Utilities and Technology Committee, who spoke at the event. “This project is a significant step in the effort to move Maine away from our dependence on fossil fuels. This is not easy, and we should congratulate everyone involved in this project for their efforts.”

According to a new report from the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), clean energy policies would boost Midwestern economies. Last week, the Brookings Institution released a study that found the private-sector “green” economy in the Midwest already employs nearly 40,000 people. However, “A Bright Future for the Heartland: Powering the Midwest Economy with Clean Energy,” estimates that this number is already higher and will continue to grow.

In particular, the report found that the Midwest has great potential to produce electricity from renewable resources including wind, biomass and solar. Iowa is already the leading state for wind and biofuels and other Midwestern states like Minnesota are following close behind. The UCS report says that renewable energy has the ability to cut home and business energy bills, drive billions of dollars in new business investment and create thousands of jobs. All of this can happen, says the report, while reducing the use of energy created by coal.

“Adopting stronger clean energy standards can help transform the region’s economy,” said Steven Frenkel, director of UCS’s Midwest office. “Generating more renewable energy will put people back to work manufacturing the components needed to power the clean energy economy, such as wind turbines and solar panels. At the same time, reducing energy use can help keep Midwest businesses competitive by cutting their energy costs.”

The study analyzes the possible impact of a clean energy strategy that would help the economy. The duo approach includes policy combined with the adoption of energy efficient technologies. More specifically, the “proposed” policy would require 30 percent of each state’s electricity to come from renewable sources by 2030 coupled with the goal of a 2 percent reduction in annual power consumption by 2015 with an additional 2 percent reduction each following year. The study also found that while individual state policies can have an impact, the greatest achievement would happen if all states acted together.

Claudio Martinez, UCS energy analyst and report author added, “Few places in the world have the combination of a great renewable energy potential, a strong manufacturing base and the skilled workforce needed to realize that potential. And the Midwest is one of those places.”

San Juan Water District (SJWD) is now powered by solar energy. The solar panels will now supply up to 90 percent of the electricity consumed by the water treatment plant, administration buildings and booster pump station. The district estimates that the solar panels will save them $12 million in energy costs over the 25-year life of the system. SunPower designed and built the solar power system on nearly 4 acres of District-owned land and the panels were mounted on the SunPower to Tracker system which rotates the panels to follow the sun during the day.

“San Juan always looks for programs that benefit our customers,” said Ted Costa, San Juan Water District board president. “This project will allow the district to minimize the long-term impacts on ratepayers from rising energy costs. When we have the opportunity to help the environment and improve our bottom line, that’s a win/win.”

To help offset the costs of the solar panels, the district received a California Solar Initiative rebate from PG&E that will cover almost 40 percent of the construction costs. SunPower says the balance will be recovered through energy costs saving over the next nine years. In addition, using EPA figures, they almost estimate the CO2 reductions will be similar to removing 3,525 cars off of California roads over the next 25 years.

“With SunPower systems operating at more than 20 water agencies, representing approximately 20 megawatts in total, our experience and ability to deliver guaranteed performance sets us apart,” said Jim Pape, president of SunPower’s residential and commercial business group. “We applaud SJWD’s decision to convert a small piece of underutilized land into an asset that generates clean, reliable solar power and significant savings. Solar power makes good sense today for public agencies and our environment.”

Yards Brewing Co. is now brewing its beer with wind power. The company is one of Pennsylvania’s largest breweries and to fulfill its mission of “going green” the company is participating in Washington Gas Energy Services’ (WGES) 100% CleanSteps WindPower to Yards program. One reason the company chose wind power to provide renewable energy is because they said it produces no air or water pollution.

“Our green power purchase just makes sense – it fulfills our business philosophy and falls in line with our community efforts to be more environmentally sustainable,” said Yards Owner and Founder Tom Kehoe. The company hopes other Philadelphia businesses will follow suit and also switch to clean power.

For companies who participate in the WGES program, there is no installation of new equipment or wiring needed. Instead, CleanSteps (SM) WindPower customers receive one monthly bill from the local electric utility with WGES charges reflected as a separate line item. In addition, the local utility company continues to deliver electricity (aka wind energy) read meters and respond to any issues such as power outages.

Harry Warren, president of WGES added, “WGES is very excited to be able to help Yards Brewing Co. meet its environmental goal of reducing its carbon footprint. Yards Brewing Co.’s purchase of 100% WGES CleanSteps (SM) WindPower is equivalent to burning approximately 52,000 fewer gallons of gasoline or taking 91 cars off the road for one year.”

The Department of Energy is funding several geothermal projects in the United States including a project by GeoTek Energy to design its Gravity Head Energy System (GHES). The company received $450,000 with the potential for an additional $2.4 million to validate the design and for further development of the technology.

Geothermal energy uses heat from the earth to produce steam or hot water. This “energy” is then used to drive a turbine to generate electricity. Unlike some renewable energy sources, geothermal power is produced all the time making it easier for a utility to predict output and manage load requirements.

The GHES uses the force of gravity to eliminate pumps and motors typically needed in binary geothermal energy production. Once validated, the technology allows geothermal providers to sell as much as 35 percent more electricity over the current technology on the market. This will not only increase energy output, but profits as well.

“GeoTek was one of only eight projects nationwide recently approved for a total of $11 million funding by the Geothermal Technologies Program to advance geothermal power technology,” said Kenneth Fryrear, GeoTek’s chief operating officer. The company plans to supplement the government funds with private capital.