Domestic Fuel

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.

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.

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.

Google has gone far beyond “web searches” and delved into projects that would save “Google” earth. The company has invested in several high profile projects, one being the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System (ISEGS). Once completed, this project is being hailed as the largest solar project in the world and will use the lastest solar technologies to capitalize on converting the hot sun of California’s Mohave Desert into golden power.

Ivanpah is located on 3,600 acres of land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Once complete, it will produce 392 megawatts of power each year. The project is a joint effort between BrightSource Energy, who is developing the solar thermal power facility, Google and NRG Solar. In addition to the monies invested by the partners, the project has also received a U.S. Department of Energy Loan guarantee.

Here are some of the highlights of the project:

• A 392 megawatt (gross) solar complex using mirrors to focus the power of the sun on solar receivers atop power towers.
• The complex is comprised of three separate plants to be built in phases between 2010 and 2013, and will use BrightSource Energy’s LPT solar thermal technology.
• The electricity generated by all three plants is enough to serve more than 140,000 homes in California during the peak hours of the day.
• The project will provide power to Southern California Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

This project is experiencing large amounts of attention for two reasons.
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Joule Energy is practicing what it preaches – when it comes to the adoption of solar energy. The company is installing a 28kW solar system on its primary office. They are not only installing alternative energy, but are also using the installation as a training tool and demonstration tool for other companies to see how a large-scale solar installation is designed and installed. The installation is featuring several different types of inverters that will demonstrate the differences in inverter model power efficiences.

“As a solar contractor, the choice to put solar on our own roof was a no-brainer,” said Ross Reilly, Principal at Joule Energy. “The cost of solar panels is at an all-time low, so businesses that have a long-term view can easily justify the investment.”

Currently, there are federal tax incentives for PV systems at 30 percent as well as accelerated depreciation formulas that help make solar power affordable to install. Solar power also saves companies (or consumers) money on electricity costs as well.

Despite a last minute plea by President Obama, the Senate today rejected a plan to end oil company subsidies.

“Right now, the biggest oil companies are raking in record profits –- profits that go up every time folks pull up into a gas station,” said Obama in a Rose Garden speech this morning. “But on top of these record profits, oil companies are also getting billions a year — billions a year in taxpayer subsidies -– a subsidy that they’ve enjoyed year after year for the last century.”

The president stressed the need for increased domestic oil and gas production, but also for alternative energy. “It also means that we’re going to keep developing more advanced homegrown biofuels, the kinds that are already powering truck fleets across America,” he said. “We’re going to keep investing in clean energy like the wind power and solar power that’s already lighting thousands of homes and creating thousands of jobs.”

Truman Project Fellow and Operation Free Veteran Terron Sims was present at the Rose Garden address (top center in photo) and said he was proud to stand with the President and offer support for the administration’s energy initiatives to reduce dependence on foreign sources of oil. “I’m glad that my Commander in Chief is doing what it takes to make sure we have true energy independence by taking steps to reduce our oil use and increase clean, renewable sources of American energy,” Sims said. “I hope Congress will work with the President on these goals for the sake of America’s security.”

Sims is a former US Army Captain and Iraq War veteran. Operation Free, a campaign of the Truman National Security Project, is a national coalition of US military veterans working to send the message that America’s security relies on ending our addiction to oil and establishing clean, renewable sources of energy.

The attempt to curtail oil company tax breaks was defeated in a Senate filibuster this morning to prevent the legislation from advancing. Republicans against the measure were joined in opposition by Democrats from oil-rich states.

New sun-tracking solar devices have been installed by NEXUS EnergyHomes to the rooftop of a row house residence on Federal Hill in Baltimore, Md.
The device, a Dual-Panel Tracker (DPT), consists of two 235 Watt solar panels attached to a sun-tracking mount affixed to the roof. An advanced GPS-controlled drive unit rotates the panels to follow the sun and capture 30 to 45 percent more energy than conventional fixed panels on a flat roof. DPT is manufactured by Advanced Technology & Research (ATR) Corp. based in Columbia, Md.

“With electricity prices reaching unprecedented rates, American home owners are demanding better energy choices,” says NEXUS CEO and President, Paul Zanecki. “This sun-tracker system is the first of its kind to offer higher performance results that make it that much easier to reach electric net-zero goals.”

In 2010 alone, Maryland residential customers paid an average of 24 percent (14.32/kW) more than the national average (11.54/kW per hour).

Carl Chirichella, the row house home owner and an engineer for ATR, was initially intrigued by the technology but says the financial incentives were also very compelling to him as a homeowner. He can expect to see a nearly 20 percent reduction in his electric bill with just the one dual-panel system installed so far. But he can add more at any time. Five such systems would allow him to achieve an electrical “net-zero” balance for his home—eliminating the electrical bill, and potentially offering him energy credits.

“Utilizing the dual-panel tracker is an innovative solution to generating on-site renewable energy within the small footprint that city living affords,” Chirichella says.

Financial incentives beyond the reduction or elimination of power bills include solar renewable energy certificates (SRECs), clean energy grants, and residential renewable energy tax credits. These incentives combined with monthly energy savings will allow homeowners to recoup their solar investment in about 5 years. After that, the system is paid for and will supply free electric power for many years.

SoloPower’s next generation solar panel has achieved an aperture area efficiency of 13.4 percent, a record for flexible copper, indium, gallium and (di)selenide (“CIGS”) based modules. The measurements were made by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

“Importantly, the cells were made in SoloPower’s San Jose manufacturing facility, so we know we have the systems in place to deliver high-efficiency, light-weight, flexible modules to our customers around the globe,” said Tim Harris, CEO of SoloPower, a San Jose, California-based manufacturer of flexible thin film solar cells and modules. “This benchmark is a testament to our technology team and to our commitment to continuously pushing the envelope in power and performance, while reducing costs for our customers.”

SoloPower uses innovative manufacturing technology to produce low-cost, high-efficiency CIGS-based photovoltaic cells. The CIGS cells are then packaged into unique, flexible, lightweight solar modules. The modules require less balance-of-system hardware and are easier to install than traditional solar panels.

“SoloPower’s achievement of an aperture efficiency of 13.4 percent for our flexible CIGS modules is a result of efficiency improvement projects that have been in place during the past two years,” said Dr. Mustafa Pinarbasi, CTO at SoloPower. “We were the first company to certify flexible CIGS modules to UL 1703 and IEC standards (61646 and 61730) in 2010. We have improved the efficiency from 11.2 percent to 13.4 percent with new processes implemented in our roll to roll production line and have a strong pipeline of improvements yet to come this year.”

Currently SoloPower is hiring engineers and technicians for its state-of-the-art, high-volume manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon, which will begin commercial production later this year. SoloPower’s operations in Portland are ultimately expected to have a capacity of 400MW and employ 450 people.

As work on the Transportation Bill progressed in the Senate Tuesday, two amendments that would have extended tax incentives for renewable energy sources were defeated.

An amendment offered by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) failed on a tie vote of 49-49, since 60 votes were needed for passage. The amendment would have extended a variety of incentives, including the Cellulosic Biofuels Producer Tax Credit (PTC) the Accelerated Depreciation Allowance for Cellulosic Biofuel Plant Property, and the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit available to blender pumps and other ethanol fueling infrastructure, the Production Tax Credit (PTC) for wind and grants in lieu of tax credits to eligible solar projects, all of which are due to expire at the end of this year.

“Unfortunately the Senate missed an opportunity to put to bed the pressing need to extend expiring tax incentives for cellulosic biofuels and other sources of domestically produced clean energy,” said Advanced Ethanol Council Executive Director Brooke Coleman. “Echoing the 49 U.S. Senators who voted for the Stabenow amendment today, we cannot afford to miss any more opportunities to get this done.”

The measure would have also extended the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax incentive, which expired at the end of last year, through the end of this year. Another amendment offered by Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS) that would have extended the biodiesel tax credit was also defeated. “We thank Sen. Stabenow and Sen. Roberts for including biodiesel in their amendments, and we urge Congress to break this partisan gridlock and find a way to enact policies like the biodiesel tax credit that have strong bipartisan support,” said Anne Steckel, vice president of federal affairs for the National Biodiesel Board.

While the extension amendments failed to pass, an amendment to repeal most of the same tax incentives by Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) was also defeated in the Senate. DeMint’s amendment would have repealed tax credits for the wind, plug-in vehicles, and renewable fuels, but would have also addressed some taxes for fossil fuels. It failed by a much more resounding vote of 72-26.

Solar energy, specifically solar thermal water heating (SWH), is catching on in colder states like Wisconsin, Colorado and Oregon as well as countries like Canada and Germany.

"Many people assume that SWH is not an option for them because they do not live near a scorching desert or by a sun-drenched beach," said Nigel Cotton, OEM Team Leader of the International Copper Association (ICA) and founder of Solarthermalworld.org, a web community for solar thermal professionals. "However, in a solar thermal system, the energy of the sun is used to heat water in a ‘holding tank.’ This warmed water is circulated to provide hot water throughout the system.While SWH may not be able to provide for all hot water needs in colder climates, it can provide significant savings."

Colorado home owners are finding cost savings with SWH. According to the Colorado based Center for Resource Conservation, a solar thermal heating system for domestic hot water use can be a long-term cost saving addition for a home. They estimate that when replacing an electric system, SWH can save a household $625 annually. This kind of long-term investment in solar thermal also can pay off for business operations.

A laundromat in Toronto, Canada installed a SWH system that is saving money on energy costs. According to the Canadian Solar Industries Association, the solar thermal system is expected to pay back its investment in less than ten years if energy prices remain stable, but will achieve faster payback as energy prices rise.

"Solar thermal technology is able to capture the energy of the sun and transfer it into heat in many regions around the globe," says Baerbel Epp, editor of the Solarthermalworld.org newsletter. "It is helpful for families and businesses to explore the different ways of using the free-of-charge energy from the sun no matter where they live."

The White House today released a one-year progress report on the “Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future,” the Administration’s all-of-the-above approach to American energy.

Among the highlights noted in the report is that the plan has resulted in a doubling of renewable energy generation from wind, solar, and geothermal sources since 2008. According to the report, “Since 2009, DOI has approved 29 onshore renewable energy projects—about 6,600 megawatts—including: 16 solar projects, 5 wind farms, and 8 geothermal facilities. These projects include the first solar projects ever permitted on public lands.”

In the area of developing advanced alternative fuels, the report notes that in 2010, “President Obama set a goal of breaking ground on at least four commercial scale cellulosic or advanced biorefineries by 2013. That goal has been accomplished, one year ahead of schedule. Together, these projects, and associated demonstration and pilot projectswill produce a combined total of nearly 100 million gallons per year of advanced biofuels capacity.”

In addition, EPA’s continued implementation of the National Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) has supported a growing domestic renewable fuels industry. Last year, industry reported production of approximately 14 billion gallons of renewable fuels, about 8% of total U.S. highway vehicle fuel. In fact, U.S. biofuel production is at its highest level, as average monthly production increased more than 40 percent between 2008 and 2011. EPA worked with stakeholders in evaluating new fuel technologies and feedstocks to support expanded opportunity for these fuels to be an important part of the domestic transportation fuel market. To help support deployment of advanced fuel infrastructure, in 2011, the Department of Agriculture provided over $4 million in grants to fund 265 flex fuel dispensers in 30 states.

The report also made note of progress in the development of aviation biofuels, more alternative fueled vehicles in the federal fleet and the launch of the National Clean Fleets Partnership, an initiative to help large, private sector companies improve the efficiency of their fleets and reduce the country’s dependence on oil.

Read the report here.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) introduced an amendment to the Transportation Bill (S.1813) Thursday that would extend tax incentives for domestically produced energy sources, including biodiesel, ethanol, cellulosic biofuels, electric vehicles, wind energy and solar.

The measure would re-instate and extend the $1 per gallon biodiesel tax incentive, which expired at the end of last year, and the Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit, which expired in 2010.

The amendment also includes extending tax credits for companies that install charging stations for electric vehicles and alternative fuel dispensers, like ethanol blender and E85 pumps. It would extend the $1.01/gallon production tax credit for cellulosic biofuel production through 2014, for grants in lieu of tax credits to eligible solar projects, and the Production Tax Credit for wind energy. “We cannot allow a tax increase on American businesses that are creating clean energy jobs in America,” said Senator Stabenow.

The amendment is one of 30 the Senate is considering before a vote on the final legislation takes place, possibly next week. Several of those were considered Thursday, most were rejected, and the remaining amendments are scheduled to be taken up on Tuesday.

Stabenow, who chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, spoke to members of the agriculture community gathered in Washington DC Wednesday night for National Ag Day festivities. During a brief interview, she was asked if she thought maintaining the Renewable Fuel Standard was more important to agriculture than a new Farm Bill. “I think they’re both important. The farm bill covers everything from support for production agriculture, risk management, crop insurance, nutrition in schools,” she said. “Obviously energy is important to that as well. We need both.”

Listen to Senator Stabenow comment here: Senator Debbie Stabenow

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During a speech at a truck manufacturing plant in Mount Holly, North Carolina this week, President Obama outlined specifics for an energy plan that includes alternative-fueled vehicles and fueling stations.

“We’ve got to develop every source of American energy — not just oil and gas, but wind power and solar power, nuclear power, biofuels,” Obama said, noting that he has directed “every department, every agency in the federal government, to make sure that by 2015, 100 percent of the vehicles we buy run on alternative fuels — 100 percent.”

But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much natural gas, or flex-fuel or electric vehicles you have if there’s no place to charge them up or fill them up. So that’s why I’m announcing today a program that will put our communities on the cutting edge of what clean energy can do.

To cities and towns all across the country, what we’re going to say is, if you make a commitment to buy more advanced vehicles for your community — whether they run on electricity or biofuels or natural gas — we’ll help you cut through the red tape and build fueling stations nearby. And we’ll offer tax breaks to families that buy these cars, companies that buy alternative fuel trucks like the ones that are made right here at Mount Holly. So we’re going to give communities across the country more of an incentive to make the shift to more energy-efficient cars.

Growth Energy CEO Tom Buis says ethanol producers embrace the president’s “all of the above” energy policy that focuses on giving consumers greater choice for motor fuel. “With ethanol trading at a buck a gallon less than gasoline, it only makes sense to speed more biofuels like ethanol to the marketplace to help reduce prices at the pump,” said Buis. “We know that there are a lot of developing alternative fuels out there that can help replace foreign oil – someday. But today, ethanol is the only commercially-viable alternative to foreign oil that we have, and we ought to be embracing policies that give consumers greater access, not less.”

As the ethanol industry was meeting in Orlando last week, President Obama was talking energy just a few hundred miles to the south at the University of Miami.

“If we’re going to take control of our energy future and can start avoiding these annual gas price spikes that happen every year — when the economy starts getting better, world demand starts increasing, turmoil in the Middle East or some other parts of the world — if we’re going to avoid being at the mercy of these world events, we’ve got to have a sustained, all-of-the-above strategy that develops every available source of American energy,” the president said. “Yes, oil and gas, but also wind and solar and nuclear and biofuels, and more.”

President Obama spoke strongly about the need to end oil industry tax benefits. “I said this at the State of the Union — a century of subsidies to the oil companies is long enough. It’s time to end taxpayer giveaways to an industry that has never been more profitable; double down on clean energy industries that have never been more promising — that’s what we need to do. This Congress needs to renew the clean energy tax credits that will lead to more jobs and less dependence on foreign oil.”

The president talked about a variety of renewable energy sources, including algae. “We’re making new investments in the development of gasoline and diesel and jet fuel that’s actually made from a plant-like substance — algae,” he said. “If we can figure out how to make energy out of that, we’ll be doing all right.”

Read the full text of the president’s remarks here.

New Mexico farmworkers are receiving green job training installing solar panels, according to the Association of Farm Worker Opportunity Programs.

HELP-New Mexico, a statewide community-based organization headquartered in Albuquerque, helped prepare a group of farmworkers to obtain certifications that will provide them with the skills, knowledge, and ability to work together with journeyman electricians to design and install solar panel systems. The 48-hour training culminated over the weekend with a hands-on solar panel installation of a system on the homes of two low-income families in Berino, New Mexico.

“The class has provided workforce participants, many of whom are currently unemployed and/or underemployed, with a way to enhance their skills in targeted industries and provide them with a “leg up” in the job market”, states Roni Spetalnick, Southwest Regional Manager, HELP-NM.

Classes began on November 15, 2011, at the El Paso Electricians Apprenticeship Training Facility where a journeyman electrician/trainer helped prepare the New Mexico trainees to take the entry level North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) certification exam. Last Saturday, the trainees used their new skills to install solar systems on two homes built by Tierra Del Sol Housing, a nonprofit agency that builds affordable homes for low income individuals. They worked under the guidance and direction of a local solar installation company, Border Solar.