Domestic Fuel

A new “joint principles” document has been created by the Electricity Storage Association (ESA) and the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) to help level the playing field for clean energy technologies. Both organizations advocate for public policies that will remove barriers and increase market access for emerging clean energy technologies such as wind. In the current climate, it has been challenging for clean technologies to compete with established energy sources. Another challenge? Energy storage.

“ESA feels strongly about advocating for the use of energy storage to modernize the power grid,” said Brad Roberts, Executive Director of ESA. “Our policymakers need to understand the potential for these resources to improve our electric grid reliability, while creating jobs and stimulating American innovation and manufacturing.  While wind energy makes our grid cleaner, energy storage makes our grid more flexible and reliable.”

The agreed principles include the value of energy storage across the utility industry. The wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine, so how do you capture and store the energy created by wind and sun for later use? The organizations want more focus on energy storage and potential solutions to strategically store energy on wind farms.

Specific policies supported by ESA and AWEA include:

• • Wholesale energy markets and ancillary services markets should be created and expanded, and barriers to entry into those markets eliminated.
• • Market and operating rules should be based around the type of service needed, and any technology that is able to reliably provide a needed service should be able to provide it. In many cases, previously bundled services should be disaggregated
• • Low cost grid operating reforms that will create more competition and make the grid operate more efficiently, such as greater balancing are coordination and faster generator dispatch intervals, should be implemented as soon as possible.

“Large amounts of wind energy are being reliably and cost-effectively integrated onto the power system today,” said Denise Bode, CEO of AWEA. “Energy storage can be a valuable resource for the power system in maximizing the efficient use of this resource, and add flexibility for electric utilities. We look forward to working closely with ESA on regulatory policy that will enable these growing industries to fully benefit both consumers and the economy of the U.S.”

Global Wind Day is around the corner on June 15, 2011. Organized by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) and the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC), the groups hope to use the day to educate people about the benefits of wind energy through fun activities. Last year there were 220 events in 29 countries that took place from Austria to Australia, to Japan and Germany to Canada, Uruguay and the Ukraine, citizens will be able to participate in various activities including parachuting from wind turbines, watch open air theater, build kites for kite surfing and visit wind farms. In addition, there will be wind industry job fairs throughout the world.

“With wind, we can achieve a genuine energy revolution, and on 15 June, people on all continents celebrate the promises that wind power holds for our planet,” said GWEC’s Chairman Klaus Rave.

Event highlights include the German Technology Museum in Berlin opening its doors for a wind energy exhibition and an announcement in New York City of WindMade – an initiative to develop a consumer label for companies and products using wind power.

EWEA President Arthouros Zervos added, “Fukushima, the Arab spring and the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico have created enormous public interest in the future of energy. Global Wind Day encourages citizens to find out for themselves how wind can make our energy supply more secure and environmentally friendly.”

To learn more about events near you visit www.globalwindday.org.

Vaisala has released the new WTS Wind Management System that has been specifically engineered for wind resource assessment, power curve measurement and monitoring of wind farms. The system was designed to help wind farm managers better understand and manage the impact of weather on operations. Vaisala wind sensors can be found at the National Weather Service’s Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) sites and most airport Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) sites.

“With alternate energy sources being the need of the hour, the Wind Energy industry is receiving billions of dollars worth of investments globally. For its success, it requires economical investment grade equipment that provides accurate and reliable measurements,” said Richard Pyle, segment director, Weather Critical Energy for Vaisala. “Combining several decades of experience in weather observation, and working closely with the wind energy industry, Vaisala has designed affordable world class systems that maximize certainty and minimize risk and long term costs for investors, developers, and operators.”

There are five different configurations within the wind measurement system. They include a cold climate option and an option that employs sensors designed to last more than 20 years and are largely maintenance free. In addition, each system includes a combination of sensors that provide accuracy and quality, a data logging system, power supply and tower. The wind measurement system is now available globally and customers can choose either a lease or purchase option.

A new white paper has been released that details the role offshore wind could play for the UK. According to Shadow Energy Minister, Huw Irranca-Davies, along with Chairman of the Environment Agency Lord Smith, without investments along with skilled workers, the industry will not flourish to its full capacity. Today, only 3 percent of energy currently consumed comes from renewables but the government has set a goal of 15 percent by 2020.

While the country does not current have any energy crisis, according to EU MD of E. On Renewables Michael Lewis, and Ben Goldsmith, co-founder of WHEB Partners, the government must “plan very rapidly to avoid one” and the UK “must use every from of renewable energy conceivable.

“I think we do have a cross-party consensus, that we can use to put certainty into the market that we will drive investment in, and fill that energy gap before we do have a crisis,” said Irranca-Davies.

Goldsmith added that the only way renewable energy projects will be built is if the asset class becomes institutionally credible, which it is not currently. To do so, the industry must deliver great returns.

The offshore wind industry could create 80,0000 to 100,000 jobs but a skills shortage is a major obstacle that must be overcome. The panel suggested ways to do this including more education with secondary aged school children and more promotion of science and technology as a well-paid career.

Also considered in the white paper as an energy source was nuclear. Lord Smith added, “Renewables and nuclear both need to be part of the picture – if you’d asked me 15 years ago I’d have said no to nuclear power, largely because of all the waste issues. But climate change has made a realist of me.”

Murphy, North Carolina a small community in Cherokee County, has a new 1 megawatt (MW) solar farm designed, engineered, procured, installed, and managed by ESA Renewables. The solar power system is located on 16 acres in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains. In order to optimize the installation and ensure maximum energy generation, 26 feet of dirt was leveled. The power generated by the solar system will be sold back to the Tennessee Valley Authority, who manages the local utility grid.

“Renewable energy installations like Wingate aid the movement toward clean solar energy powering homes and businesses across the country,” said Jeffrey Burkett, president of ESA Renewables. “ESA is pleased to be an integral part of that movement.”

The solar array consists of around 4,340 230 watt Canadian Solar polycrystalline modules, which, ESA says are known for their industry leading PTC efficiency ratings. Now operational, the system could produce an estimated 1.3 million kilowatt-hours each year, which is enough to power more than 150 average sized homes. In addition, it is estimated that the PV system will reduce carbon emissions of 936 tons of CO2 a year, which is the equivalent of 4,681 trees sequestered annually.

“The installation of this clean energy project has had a large community impact through job creation. Eighteen local construction workers, supervisors, electricians and engineers have been employed since its inception,” added Burkett.

This week I decided to bone up on some energy 101 so I read “Energy Myths & Realities” by Vaclav Smil, an energy scientist. He discusses eight myths and attempts to set the record straight by disseminating the true facts around the issues. He believes several of the myths have been mired in the past while others are perpetuated by the media.

For example here is one myth that he demystifies: Electric cars will replace conventional cars in the near future. The reality according to Smil: Electric cars are expensive, their adoption rate will be slow, and internal combustion engines will dominate the market for decade to come. He also believes that EVs will not provide much, if any, energy savings.

So why does it matter if there is discourse among energy advocates? Because, says Smil, these incorrect facts and fallacies are hampering the development of effective new energy policies and wasting time and money that could be better used in pursuit of a constructive, scientific approach to the global energy challenge.

Here are some other myths that Smil addresses, all dished up as solutions, or part of a solution for our energy woes.

• The world will soon run out of oil.
• Carbon sequestration is the solution to global climate change.
• Ethanol will replace gasoline as a significant source of automobile fuel.
• Wind power will soon become the world’s leading source of electricity.

I’ll play my hand here and agree with Smil that carbon sequestration is not a solution. In fact, I believe it is a multi-billion dollar farce. Yet where I diverge with Smil is while he believes various forms of alternative energy should have no role, or will only play a small role, I think it’s shortsighted to ignore parts of the energy portfolio that are right in front of us. But I digress.
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The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has released a paper on the potential of renewable energy and its impacts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are believed to contribute to global climate change. The report found that close to 80 percent of the world’s energy supply could be met by renewables by mid-century if supported by the right policies.

More than 120 researchers worked with IPPC on the report, “Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation (SRREN),” and the findings also indicate that the rising penetration of renewable energies could lead to cumulative GHG savings of 220 to 560 gigatonnnes of carbon dioxide between 2010 and 2050.

“With consistent climate and energy policy support, renewable energy sources can contribute substantially to human well-being by sustainably supplying energy and stabilizing the climate,” said Professor Ottmar Edenhofer, Co-Chair of Working Group III at the report launch. “However, the substantial increase of renewables is technically and politically very challenging.”

According to a news release, the upper end of the scenarios assessed, representing a cut of around a third in GHGs from business-as-usual projections, could assist in keeping concentrations of greenhouse gases at 450 parts per million. If this were the case, it could help to hold the increase in global average temperatures to 2 degrees Celsius, a goal laid out in the Cancun Agreements (COP-16).

Youba Sokona, Co-Chair of the Working Group III, said: “The potential role of renewable energy technologies in meeting the needs of the poor and in powering the sustainable growth of developing and developed economies can trigger sharply polarized views. This IPCC report has brought some much needed clarity to this debate in order to inform governments on the options and decisions that will needed if the world is to collectively realize a low carbon, far more resource efficient and equitable development path.”

The six renewable energy technologies reviewed were bioenergy, solar energy, geothermal energy, hydropower, ocean energy and wind energy. The report, which is a summary of a longer, 900 plus page research document, will feed into the broader work of the IPPC as they prepare its Fifth Assessment Report that is scheduled to be released in September 2014.

Germany has inaugurated its first offshore wind farm located in the Baltic Sea. Now that the project is operational, it is the country’s second offshore wind farm to go online. To commemorate the achievement, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was onsite to mark the occasion. The 50 megawatt (MW) wind part is expected to generate up to 185 gigawatts hours of electricity each year, enough to power about 50,000 average sized German homes. This wind farm project is part of the country’s offshore wind “gold rush” in the North Sea and Baltic Sea and marks another project that will get Germany closer to its renewable energy goals.

“Germany’s offshore wind industry is taking off. Two parks off two very different coasts have been completed and others are in development. A pipeline is already in place to serve Europe’s largest market and political backing for wind energy is strong. This recipe has led to manufacturers, suppliers and researchers lining up along the country’s coastlines,” said Anne Brautigam, wind energy expert at Germany Trade & Invest in Berlin.

The EnBW Baltic 1 wind farm is comprised of 21 turbines, at a water depth of 50-60 feet, located 10 miles from Germany’s Baltic Coast. The power generated by the wind turbines are connected to the grid via several 410 feet tall transmission lines and the German grid operators covered a large share of the wind farm costs.

Germany generates 17 percent of its electricity needs via renewable energy with a majority coming from wind. Offshore park alpha ventus (60 MW) in the North Sea began operating last year and served as a cooperative test project for utilities, installers and manufacturers. In development is the BARD Offshore 1 (400 MW) project in the North Sea as well as several other projects including Baltic 2, Dan Tysk, (each 288 MW) Nordsee Ost (295 MW), and Amrumbank West (300 MW).

I spent Earth Day 30,000 feet up and I must admit that there was a tiny part of me that felt guilty. So to make myself feel better, I read “World On The Edge,” by Lester Brown.  The book focuses on how to prevent environmental and economic collapse and operates on the assumption that it’s not “if” global warming will change business as usual, but when. It should be noted that Brown is the founder and president of Earth Policy Institute and has been advocating for change relating to environmental concerns such as climate change for more than 30 years.

In the first part of the book, Brown lays out the problems at hand including falling water tables and shrinking harvests, eroding soils and expanding deserts and finishes with a discussion about the effect of rising temperatures including the melting of ice and glaciers and food security. He notes that several researchers conducted a study whereby they aggregated the use of earth’s natural resources including CO2 and discovered that we first surpassed the earth’s regenerative capacity around 1980. In 1999, global demands on the earth’s natural systems exceeded sustainable yields by 20 percent and today it would take 1.5 Earths to sustain our current consumption.

Next Brown begins a discussion of the consequences as a result of our foundation in peril. He discusses rising food prices and food scarcity, environmental refugees (think Hurricane Katrina where more than 300,000 people were displaced and many never went back) and failed states such as Somalia and Iraq. During the first part of the book, the big link, or the big disaster, is failed agriculture. He notes that many archeologists have determined that many civilizations that disappeared did so because of food shortages and he believes this is the weak link for today’s civilization.

He uses the 2008-2009 “food bubble” as an example. This was when energy prices hit record highs and food prices also hit record highs. He explained that with countries producing fuel from food crops, such as the U.S. producing ethanol from corn, energy prices/fuel prices are now directly tied to food prices.

“The question is not whether the food bubble will burst but when,” says Brown.
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California has made yet another move for renewable energy. Last week, Gov. Jerry Brown (D-CA) signed S.B.2X. This new law requires 33 percent of all electricity generated in the state to come from renewable resources by 2020. Apparently concerns over the growth of renewable sources in the state mobilized last year under Prop 23 was not a deterrent to increase the state’s Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) from 20 percent by 2020 to now 33 percent by 2020. The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) applauded California for passage of S.B.2X.

The bill was signed into law at SunPower/Flextronics solar manufacturing plant in Milpitas, Cali. During the event, Brown indicated that he thinks 40 percent renewable energy production is a feasible goal. In his signing comments, Brown said, “This bill will bring many important benefits to California, including stimulating investment in green technologies in the state, creating tens of thousands of new jobs, improving local air quality, promoting energy independence and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

He continued, “Our state has enormous renewable resource potential. I would like to see us pursue even more far-reaching targets. With the amount of renewable resources coming online, and prices dropping, I think 40 percent, at reasonable cost, is well within our grasp in the near future.”

The bill had some challenges to passage until it received a malleable target in Brown. According to an article in Solar Industry Magazine, S.B.2X was a bill that evolved from S.B.14 that was approved by California’s houses, but vetoed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger who did not re-run last year due to term limits. A modified bill – S.B.722- was introduced in December 2010 with strong support, but not enough to pass before the session deadline. The current version, S.B.2X was authored by State Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto).

In a press release, Simitian said of his bill, “This bill establishes California as the national leader in the use and development of renewable energy. The new law will stimulate the economy and improve the environment, while protecting ratepayers from excessive costs.”

This new RPS will apply to all electricity retailers in the state including municipal utilities, independent sellers and investor-owned. All of these entities will ramp up their required use with 20 percent of all energy produced from renewables by the end of 2013 and 25 percent by the end of 2016 with the 33 percent requirement being met by the end of 2020.

The wind energy industry has joined forces with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to develop a wind energy habitat conservation plan for the Midwest Region. Harm to animals, especially birds, has been a concern of people opposed to wind energy. Today, the group that includes the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), has signed an agreement to develop a plan that will outline measures to conserve threatened and endangered species that may be affected by wind farm developments. In particular, the plan calls for conservation of Indiana bats as well as other protected species in eight states including Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

“I believe this positive step will help the Service proceed on a scientifically sound basis to pursue the conservation of endangered species and facilitate the development of a renewable energy source at the same time,” said Tom Melius, the Service’s Midwest Regional Director.

John Anderson, AWEA’s Director of Siting Policy said, ”It is the industry’s expectation that development of the regional HCP will streamline the permitting process, allowing effective conservation of wildlife and easing the Service’s administrative burden, while also allowing for more wind energy to be deployed nationally. This is a shining example of how industry, the Service, states and other stakeholders can work collaboratively to develop an overall conservation strategy that is in the best interest of the affected species.”

Under the HCP, wind developers will acquire an Incidental Take Permit (“Take” in this instance means harming, harassing or killing endangered or threatened species), which will exempt otherwise lawful activities (i.e., construction and operation of a wind energy facility) from the prohibition of take under the Endangered Species Act. The Service has awarded states in the Service’s Midwest Region an Endangered Species Act grant of $3,362,364 to develop a broadly constructed HCP designed to address the potential impacts of wind energy with the wind industry’s commitment to provide 10 percent of matching funds.

The Conservation Fund, an environmental nonprofit, will lead the strategic conservation work accompanying the HCP.

Recently, Dr. Richard Newell from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) testified during a Senate Ag Committee Hearing to discuss high gas prices and the role agriculture may play in developing energy sources for America. Newell believes that agriculture could have a very prominent role in the country’s energy production over the next 20 years.

“Starting with a high level overview of the linkages with agriculture and energy, EIA estimates that energy use on farms accounts for about 1 percent of total U.S. energy consumption. In addition to direct farm use energy, agriculture is indirectly affected by energy requirements in the fertilizer industry. Agriculture has also current and potential future role as an energy supplier,” said Newell in his testimony. “Ethanol use in motor vehicles as grown from 1.7 billion gallons per year in 2001 to an estimated 13.2 billion gallons per year in 2010. Other important energy supply opportunities for agriculture include biodiesel, energy sources from waste, and the siting of wind farms on farms with attractive wind resources.”

Listen to Dr. Richard Newell’s testimony here: Dr. Richard Newell's Testimony to the Senate Ag Committee

Newell said that the EIA expects continued tightening in world oil markets over the next two years. particular in light of recent events in North Africa and the Middle East, the world’s largest oil producing region. The organization’s forecast, issued in March, projects retail gasoline prices at the pump will average $3.77 per gallon this summer and $3.56 per gallon for the entire year. This is about 77 cents per gallon higher than last year’s level. Highway diesel prices are expected to be nearly $1.00 per gallon higher than in 2010. This month the EIA issued an updated forecast and called for a 40 percent increase in pump prices this summer.

During his testimony, Newell cautioned that there are regional price variations as well as significant uncertainties in these forecasts. He then went on to forecast what role his agency thinks ethanol might play in the coming years.

“While ethanol production has grown nearly eight fold since 2001, EIA expects slow growth in ethanol production over the next two years with forecast production of 13.8 billion gallons in 2011 and 14 billion gallons in 2012, about 9.9 percent of the forecast volume of gasoline sales in those years,” said Newell.

Although the EPA has granted waivers for the use of E15 in vehicles model year 2011 and newer, the EIA expects both slow growth in E15 and also E85 (as explained in detail in his written testimony). In conclusion, the EIA expects biofuels to grow to 24 billion gallons of ethanol equivalent by 2022 and 39 billion gallons in 2035.

The National 4-H program, along with the National 4-H Council, have announced that their 2011 youth science event will focus on the possibilities of wind energy. The 2011 National Science Experiment, Wired for Wind, will invite youth from across the country to complete a single, innovative experiment around wind energy, on 4-H Youth Science Day, being held on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011.

The program was designed by the University of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension in partnership with KidWind. The experiment is set up in a way that will demonstrate how implementing alternatives to traditional energy production can have a positive impact on ecosystems and communities. The 4-H youth who participate in the program will enhance their engineering skills by designing, building and testing two different wind turbine models. Wired for Wind will also help youth relate their scientific experiences back to their own lives as they determine the best location for a wind farm in their state or local area by calculating wind power and studying wind data and maps.

“4-H National Youth Science Day is a great opportunity for young people across the country to have a hands-on experience about a current science topic. Introducing science and technology innovation to youth is why 4-H started more than 100 years ago,” said Lisa Lauxman, director of 4-H National Headquarters. “In the Wired for Wind experiment, youth will explore the science and engineering of wind energy technology, which may be the spark that encourages them to learn more about wind and other alternative energy sources and discuss the implications for the communities where they live.”

Now in it’s fourth year, the National Youth Science Day is a way for students to have hands-on scientific experience. Each year, Cooperative Extension System faculty and staff from the nation’s 109 land-grant colleges and universities are invited to submit proposals outlining and detailing an innovative experiment for youth to conduct during 4 H National Youth Science Day.

“We created this year’s experiment to help young people understand the important link between energy, the environment and their community,” said F. John Hay, Associate Extension Educator in Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln Extension, who developed the National Science Experiment. “Ultimately, we hope that this experiment will inspire young people to continue their interest in science and engineering throughout their secondary education, into college and on into career opportunities.”

The University of North Texas (UNT) football stadium will be powered by wind energy for the 2012 football season and beyond. UNT was awarded a $2 million grant from the State Energy Conservation Office to install three 100 kilowatt wind turbines that will feed the electrical grid that powers the football stadium along with several other buildings on the west side of Interstate 35E coined the “Mean Green Village.” The new stadium will open in September and will be the first collegiate stadium to use onsite renewable energy.

“The effort by the staff of the UNT System and the university to meet the requirements of the Department of Energy and the State Energy Conservation Office to win the grant for these new turbines underscores our commitment to creating a carbon-neutral campus,” said V. Lane Rawlins, president of UNT. “Our university has a 50-year legacy of environmental research and sustainability and we’re proud to be the first university in Texas to install wind turbines on campus.“

This community scale wind project will be monitored through a web-based monitoring system and provide details on energy production, carbon reduction statistics and empirical data that can be used for educational and research purposed. The UNT System will also be seeking LEED Gold or Platinum certification. If the project is awarded LEED Platinum, it will be the first of its type to achieve this rating in the country.

“The construction of wind turbines at UNT will be an invaluable asset to the university and surrounding communities,” said Richard Escalante, vice chancellor for administrative services. “The reduction in carbon emissions from the use of fossil fuels will be a collective benefit for the entire North Texas region. Sustainable initiatives, such as the use of renewable energy technologies, ensure that future generations of the UNT and Denton communities are equipped with the necessary tools to continue economic expansion while simultaneously protecting the environment and human health.”

More and more companies are moving to powering their manufacturing facilities and company headquarters with renewable energy. This week the EPA announced its Top 20 On-Site Generation List. This is a list of the organizations that are using the most on-site green power to energize their operations. The list is part of the Green Power Partnership. The winner was Kimberly Clark Organization who generates 7 percent of its electricity from biomass. Several cities in California made the top 20 including San Diego, San Francisco and San Jose. Also on the list: Wal-Mart and the U.S. Air Force.

Also on the list at number 18 was Zotos, a hair care brand. According to the EPA’s site, nearly 60 percent of the company’s electricity is generated from on-site wind energy. The reason Zotos stands out is while most companies purchase renewable power from electricity companies, they actually generated their power from wind turbines located right on their campus. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the Zotos Wind Project is considered one of the top on-site wind projects currently being undertaken by a manufacturing company in the United States.

“It was a  sizable investment to purchase the wind turbines, but it was a small price to pay when compared to the major benefits it creates for the community of Geneva, NY, and our environment,” says Anthony Perdigao, Zotos Chief Sustainability Officer.

With approximately 6.5 million kWh of electricity produced annually, the Zotos wind turbines will provide more than 50 percent of organization’s energy requirements and are expected to reduce overall CO2 emissions by 50 percent in 2011. Zotos’ energy goal is to utilize 100 percent renewable energy by 2012.