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Direct Energy recently announced it has begun offering two new renewable energy plans in Texas.
According to Direct Energy, the Clean Texas Wind Plan uses 50 percent renewable energy at a cost to the customer of 11.85 cents per kilowatt-hour based on an average monthly usage of 1,000 kWh and a $5.34 monthly charge, while the company's Pure Texas Wind Plan is a 100-percent renewable product available to customers at a one-year fixed price for 12.64 cents per kWh based on an average monthly usage of 1,000 kWh and a $5 monthly charge. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 8/23/2005.
Temple Beth Israel in Eugene has lit the way for other congregations by installing a solar-powered eternal light, which hangs above the Torah ark and represents the eternal presence of God. "I'm thrilled that we've connected the Eternal Presence with the way we observe our ark in the sanctuary," said Lisa Arkin, who chairs the congregation's K'vod Ha-Teva (Honoring Nature) Committee.
The idea, conceived by the congregation's K'vod Ha-Teva Committee, became a reality as Jan Fillinger, a principal with Solarc Architecture & Engineering Firm, arranged the installation of the solar panel with the help of David Parker of Advanced Energy Systems. The total cost was about $1,000, which was paid through a generous donation from congregation member Alice Resseguie.
Oregon Interfaith Power and Light Advisory Council Member, John Paterson of Mr. Sun Solar congratulated Temple Beth Israel at the June 12 ceremony. A project of Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon's Interfaith Network of Earth Concerns, OIPL offers faith communities guidelines, resources and advice on how to save energy and reduce global warming through conservation and investment in renewable power.
The conventional electricity powering the congregation's previous ner tamid contributed to global warming and, in the event of a power outage, would have been extinguished. The solar-powered light of the current eternal light, however, doesn't pollute and never goes out. It is a shining beacon of Temple Beth Israel's commitment to k'vod ha-teva, Fillinger explained.
The photovoltaic solar panel powering the eternal light's battery is installed on the temple's courtyard roof. The eternal light itself is made of a many small LEDs (light-emitting diodes), which last up to 100,000 hours and are hundreds of times more energy-efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs. The solar panel charges the eternal light's battery, so the light stays lit all night-and even during power outages.
The synagogue's K'vod Ha-Teva committee received a Creation Care award from the National Religious Partnership for the Environment in June. This honor was given in recognition of the congregation's outstanding and ongoing efforts to build a Jewish framework for environmental action.
Believing that "As people of faith, we have an obligation to care for our environment," OPIL offers opportunities for "putting faith into action through wise electricity choices and energy conservation." OIPL will arrange either a presentation at a congregation concerning energy stewardship choices the congregation or individuals can make and/or an energy audit to access steps to reduce energy use for possible tax credit or rebates. Source: By Teri Ruch, Jewish Review, 8/25/2005.
This fall, Golden Valley Electric Association will begin offering so-called green power to its members. GVEA's Sustainable Natural Alternative Power—SNAP for short—gives members the opportunity to fund locally produced wind- or solar-generated power.
Under the voluntary program, members pay an extra fee each month, which goes into a pool to pay small local energy producers who agree to give their green energy to GVEA. The individual members decide exactly how much extra they are going to pay each month, with a $2 minimum.
The price for those members who do not want to participate in the program will not be affected. "We know we have a segment of our membership who would love to support green power," said GVEA spokeswoman Dianne Porter. "(SNAP) allows those people who want to or can to do so without impacting those who don't want to." Basically, she said, SNAP participants are investing in renewable energy in Fairbanks. "But your dividend is that you feel good," Porter said.
The local producers pay for and set up their own equipment. GVEA pays them for their power as independent contractors directly from the pool of money collected from SNAP contributors. Depending on how much power is produced and how much money is contributed, the local producers can earn up to $1.50 per kilowatt-hour.
GVEA's program is based on one developed by the Chelan County Public Utilities District in central Washington. Jim White, Chelan County PUD senior energy engineer, came up with the idea in 2001. White said they couldn't decide how much to charge for the new service. "So we decided we'll just let the market figure it out," he said.
That's when they developed the idea of letting contributors pick the amount of their monthly contributions. In Chelan County, White said, they have about 700 contributors to their SNAP program, who collectively pay more than $25,000 a year. Most contributors pay $5 a month. Chelan County has about 40 SNAP producers, mostly generating solar power.
Porter said GVEA's initial goal is to have 3 percent to 4 percent of their members contribute to the program. They are hoping that if enough people contribute, local producers will be motivated to invest in the project, since green power can be costly to produce.
The SNAP program is limited to small energy producers, less than 25 kilowatts. But GVEA is also looking into green energy possibilities on a larger scale. Porter said GVEA is gathering data on wind power potential on Murphy Dome and near Healy. But so far it's been difficult to find a site where conditions are just right. Source: Robinson Duffy, Daily News - Miner.com, 8/24/2005.
The Georgia Electric Membership Corporation recently announced that the state's first renewable energy program, Green Power EMC, has added 11 new members, bringing the state's total number of electric cooperatives to 28.
According to GEMC, the program contracts electricity from such renewable sources as solar, hydro and biomass. GEMC noted that Green Power EMC has also generated more than 50 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from landfill gas at two sites that began operating in October 2003.
Customers signing up for green power pay an additional charge each month ranging from $3 to $5 per 150 kilowatt-hour block, depending upon the participating EMC. Source: EIN Renewable Energy Today, 8/23/2005.
Centerbrook Architects has once again turned itself—or more specifically its roof—into an experiment in clean energy. Last week, work crews from A.J. Shea Construction of Essex were walking across the roof of the architectural firm's building on Main Street in Centerbrook installing 100 solar photovoltaic panels. These slim, lightweight panels will convert sunlight into non-polluting electricity.
Centerbrook's system is Connecticut's largest corporate solar energy project to date. It is made possible with support from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. The 100 solar photovoltaic panels are expected to generate approximately 10 percent of the firm's annual electrical needs, or about $4,000 a year. Given today's rising oil prices, the savings might be greater.
The total installed cost of the solar system, both materials and labor, is $141,500. Centerbrook received a $74,550 subsidy from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, and federal tax credit estimated at $6,700. All this means a net cost to Centerbrook of $60,250.
Unlike solar systems introduced in the 1970s, this system is simple to install, requires little or no maintenance, and is connected directly to the firm's electric meter.
Centerbrook Architects will evaluate the solar energy system after one year. Source: By Marianne Sullivan, Shore Publishing, LLC, 8/25/2005.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo invited power intensive industries to invest or relocate in Valencia, Negros Oriental and enjoy a 50 percent subsidy of their electricity costs. The President made her invitation call when she visited the 20-megawatt Palinpinon 2 Geothermal Optimization Project in Sitio Nasulo, Barangay Puhagan, Valencia town, some 35 kilometers from Dumaguete City.
The expansion project forms part of the Philippine National Oil Company's 192-MW Southern Negros Geothermal Production Field that supplies the power needs of the eight provinces in Negros, Panay, Guimaras and Cebu Islands. Power supply to Panay, Guimaras and Cebu is conveyed through the submarine cables of the National Power Corporation.
The 192-MW Palinpinon I and II geothermal field in Valencia town ranks fourth in the country in installed capacity. The three others are the 708-MW geothermal plant in Tongonon, Leyte; the 425.7-MW Mak-Ban plant in Laguna, and the 330-MW Tiwi plant in Albay.
The expansion project in Sitio Nasulo includes the development of a 20-MW geothermal field that involves the drilling of one production well and construction of the corresponding fluid collection and re-injection system. To date, the plant site has already been prepared for the target commissioning of the 20-MW geothermal power plant in 2007.
It also forms part of the President's agenda under the Philippine Energy Plan of 2005-2014 to find cheaper and alternative sources of clean and renewable energy such as wind, solar and natural gas to drastically reduce the country's dependence on imported fuel.
When commissioned to active service, it will help cushion the impact of the spiraling oil prices in the world market. "It is important that we move away from oil-based fuel," the President stressed, adding that the Philippines is one of two major geothermal power users in the world today. The Philippines today is the number one consumer and number two producer of geothermal power, next to the United States.
President Arroyo also thanked the town of Valencia for making its geothermal power available, and congratulated the Napocor-Palimpinon for being the most efficient Napocor plant in the country. PNOC said the Palinpinon field has contributed $457.8 million in foreign exchange savings for 2004, and because of the increasing price of oil in the world market, it has also generated savings of $267 million from January to July so far this year.
Aside from providing power, the Palinpinon 2 geothermal expansion project will also take advantage of the incentives from the Kyodo Protocol that was signed by 155 countries including the Philippines in 1997 and ratified by Congress last year. In response to the country's desire to avoid harmful gases from oil, the Dutch government offered to buy credits equal to the Philippines' estimated avoided carbon dioxide emission from the Nasulo project of 40,000 tons per year at $5.6 per ton or a total of $224,000 per year for 10 years.
Since Palinpinon is such a big source of geothermal energy, the President said it is also receiving some P250 million in royalty which is applied not only for livelihood, education and related projects, but also for the 50 percent subsidy on the electric bills of the consumers in Valencia. Source: PIA Information Services, 8/26/2005.
The Rev. Larry Rice rolled out the first of the home-built solar energy devices that his New Life Evangelistic Center wants to provide to people whose electric service has been cut off. "We want to help them have some light," Rice said. He held a news conference at the center, 1411 Locust Street in St. Louis, to show off the first two of the portable devices. Each has a 2-by-4-foot solar panel mounted onto a sloped wooden cart, with storage batteries mounted inside. Connected to the battery is an extension cord and power strip. Rice said the device would operate independently of a home or apartment's electrical service, and could produce enough electricity during a day's sunshine to power a fan and energy-saving light bulb at night. Source: By Tim O'Neil, The Post-Dispatch, 8/24/2005.
Youakim Alkalaani, NIU assistant professor of technology, has taken a step in the measurement of alternative energy sources in Northern Illinois University’s Department of Engineering Technology. He has had solar panels installed on the roof of one of the university’s oldest buildings, Still Hall, across from the Art Building parking lot.
“There are few studies that provide for real-time analysis of existing systems and most studies have been conducted by private companies that supply confidential results to their clients; the results are not available to the general public,” Alkalaani said. “There is a need for greater understanding of the basic data and measurement for evaluating actual energy distribution throughout the system.”
Does it work here? How efficiently? How is the outcome measured? And how can the principle be best taught to students? The researcher sees this as a pilot study. Alkalaani came to NIU five years ago from South Carolina. He has a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Cleveland State University and has been encouraged in his project here by College of Engineering Dean Promod Vohra.
“The study will help people who live in clean-energy homes to better understand and appreciate why they have selected this type of technology—and what energy-efficient features are most valued,” Alkalaani explained. “In addition, the project will give NIU students and faculty a platform and on-line system data monitoring to help understand renewable energy by developing curricular material with applied projects to boost creativity at all levels. “The research is intended to involve students and the data will be displayed on the Internet,” Alkalaani said.
Installation of the huge panels, about 4 feet by 6 feet, was not a easy matter and he worked with the dean, his department chair and physical plant employees. He also had to get an OK from the State of Illinois, because Still Hall is on the register of historic buildings.
How long will the solar panels be in place? A row of solar panels sits atop Still Hall at Northern Illinois University. The panels are part of a project that assistant professor Youakim Alkalaani is working on. “As long as we need them,” Alkalaani said. “The electricity is being sent to Still Hall, so it will reduce our dependence (on fossil fuel). It also will help reduce pollution from the building.”
He noted that the state has a goal of increasing the use of alternative energy sources annually. He said the total cost of installation was about $10,000. He appreciates the help of Physical Plant Director Mike Saari.
Saari said the Illinois Board of Higher Education “has put out a research initiative to all state universities to explore alternative energy—including solar and wind power. We want to look at what is available, to see what we can use with existing buildings. We need adaptations.” Source: By Diane Strand, The MidWeek, 8/24/2005.
Bekaert, a leading manufacturer of solar control and safety window films, has released their most revolutionary architectural product to date via its area distribution center - spectrally selective Solar Gard(R) LX 70, specifically developed to meet the sophisticated daylighting and solar control needs of architectural properties.
"Solar Gard LX 70s impressive solar capabilities and exceptional transparency are a result of Bekaert's state-of-the-art manufacturing process, premium raw materials and unique, patent-pending layering of exotic metals, such as titanium oxide, gold and silver," said Peter Persoone, Ph.D, Senior Project Manager of Bekaert's Technology Center. "Bekaert's cutting-edge technology allows this film to block select wavelengths of the sun's unwanted radiation, while still transmitting a high amount of visible light - keeping out the heat you don't enjoy and maintaining the light you love."
Solar Gard LX 70s ability to block over 99 percent of damaging ultraviolet radiation and 95 percent of uncomfortable infrared heat, while not noticeably effecting the visible light transmission are what make this film so unique. Home, business and storefront occupants will immediately benefit from the elimination of hotspots around windows and glass doors, balanced room temperatures, and improved personal comfort. Long-term benefits include reduced energy costs and a prolonged lifespan of furnishings and decor. All while maintaining the appearance of the glass.
Solar Gard LX 70 is an optically clear, polyester-based glass coating that is applied to a room's interior glass surface through a network of independent window film professionals. Windows with Solar Gard are cleaned and maintained as usual. And, the product offers industry-leading warranty coverage of 10-years to lifetime. For more information contact Bekaert at 61-(0) 2-9838-8888. Source: Businesswire, 8/23/2005.
After years of on again/off again discussion, the Muscatine County Supervisors are nearly ready to make a commitment for installing a geothermal heating and cooling system for the courthouse. The Board is looking into the new system for the 1907 courthouse because the boiler in the courthouse is about 40 years old and could stop working at any time because of its aging condition.
The Board began discussing the geothermal option about four years ago but the upfront cost was a major sticking point. Now, the Board appears convinced it's the most cost-effective option for replacing the boiler. Supervisors previously agreed by consensus that a geothermal system would be the best replacement.
The system uses very little electricity and is easy on the environment, according to the Geothermal Education Office, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Farris Engineering of Omaha, Neb., presented two options with a considerable difference in initial costs. The first option, at an estimated cost of about $670,000, would consist of about 40 closed-loop vertical boreholes at a depth of 300 feet. The Farris report said the cost for this system is higher because of having to drill through extensive bedrock under the courthouse campus.
The second option is a single water-well type of system that would pump water from the ground and discard the water after heating or cooling the building, using a flow of about 60 gallons per minute. The estimated cost is about $451,000. The payback for the loop system could take 17 years; the single-well system payback is estimated at 13 years. The paybacks are based on reduced energy and maintenance costs, according to the Farris report.
Supervisor Lewis Morrison said his first instinct is to go with the lower-cost well system to save the county money, but other Board members said they feel it is more important to consider the use of water. "Nobody wants to save the county $200,000 more than I do," said Supervisor John Oberhaus. "But the (importance of our) natural resources takes precedence in this case." Supervisor Dave Watkins agreed.
"I'm not going to dump that much clean water down the drain," Watkins said. "It is too valuable of a resource." The Board agreed to meet with Muscatine Power and Water officials before making any final decisions about going ahead with the project. Contact Connie Street at 319-527-8164. Source: By Connie Street, Muscatine Journal, 8/25/2005.
The litigation stalling Calpine Corporation's construction of its geothermal energy project at Glass Mountain near Medicine Lake in Siskiyou County should be resolved by the end of this year giving Calpine the final go-ahead for the project and President Bush's recently passed energy bill will give Siskiyou County a bigger share of revenue, said Rick Thomas from Calpine.
Calpine Corporation Vice President Rick Thomas and company representatives Charlene Wardlow and Andrew Whittome, who was introduced as the one who built the largest geothermal project in Indonesia, provided the Siskiyou County Supervisors with an update of Calpine's progress on Aug. 9.
Thomas said Calpine's two projects near Medicine Lake have all the necessary government permits in place. If the legal challenges to the project are resolved this year, something he anticipates will happen, Calpine will begin full operation of its geothermal electric generating plants in 2006.
Thomas said three challenges remain. "We are looking for a favorable decision in the fall for the Four Mile Hill project. If favorable, the Telephone Flat project issue will also be resolved. Arguments are scheduled for a hearing later in the year on the third lawsuit against both projects."
He said that Calpine continues to do field work at the two Glass Mountain sites, looking for full operation in 2006. The good news for Siskiyou County is that it will receive a larger share of the royalties because of the president's energy bill that passed on Aug. 8 - 45 percent instead of 20 percent.
"Previously the law split the royalties with 20 percent going to the county," Thomas said. "The new law gives 25 percent to the county and 50 percent to the state with 20 percent of the state's portion going to the county. Siskiyou County will receive 45 percent of the royalties."
He said the geothermal plants will provide 250 new jobs and a $200 million increase in the county's tax base. Thomas said that California is an importer of energy with over one half of it coming from fossil fuel burning. "Now only 11 percent comes from renewable power. A project like Glass Mountain will go a long way to reach the 20 percent state goal."
Although Calpine had originally intended to be generating electricity at Glass Mountain by 2005, the company continues to be active at the sites while waiting for litigation to be resolved. Whittome said that Calpine continues to collect data while maintaining its five well heads. Source: Siskiyou Daily News via George Frye, 8/19/2005.
The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America program, the American Public Power Association and Western Area Power Administration invite you to participate in an upcoming series of teleconferences on integrating wind energy into electric cooperative and public power systems.
Teleconferences are limited to the first 40 callers, with electric cooperative and public power personnel receiving preference. There is no charge to participate, but the sponsors ask that you reserve a spot beforehand so that the maximum number of participants can be accommodated. Please sign up only if you know you will be able to attend since conference seating is limited. Register by contacting Debbie Rock at 720-962-7271.
Registrants will receive a link to the presentations on the Web, along with call-in information a week before the teleconference. The teleconference moderator will be Bob Putnam of CH2M HILL, technical support contractor to NRECA. During the teleconference, participants can e-mail Bob, and he will query the intended speaker(s) following the presentations.
All teleconferences are scheduled for 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. MST.
Dates:
Other programs to follow in 2006, including “Wind in a Box.”
Space is still available for the 10th National Green Power Marketing Conference, set for Oct. 24 to 26 in Austin, Texas. The conference reviews the status of green power marketing in electricity markets and explores strategies to increase the development of renewable energy resources through customer choice programs. Conference organizers include the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Center for Resource Solutions.
This year's conference will celebrate and build on a decade of success by examining the growth of green power markets, with particular emphasis on communicating "best practices" for product design and marketing, and program implementation. Attendees will hear from national and regional experts on important topics such as best practices in green power product design, effective marketing strategies and tools for acquiring customers, defining renewable energy attributes and values, using green premiums to finance renewable energy projects, and the interplay of voluntary and compliance markets. For more information on the conference, access the Green Power Network. Source: Energy Analysis at NREL - August 2005
Plan now to attend the Geothermal Resources Council 2005 Annual Meeting on Sept. 25 through 28 at the Reno Hilton Nevada Conference Center. Co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, this year’s Annual Meeting theme is Geothermal Energy-The World’s Buried Treasure, highlighting geothermal energy technologies as a premium renewable base-load generation resource in the United States and globally. With its Technical Program and other events, the GRC 2005 Annual Meeting will also provide a unique opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their projects, equipment and services at the Geothermal Energy Association Trade Show.
The GRC 2005 Annual Meeting will feature distinguished Keynote Speakers at its Opening Session, as well as Technical and Poster sessions on a broad range of timely geothermal resource and development topics. This year’s event will also offer Technical Workshops; Field Trips to nearby geothermal projects; the GRC Banquet and Annual Awards Luncheon; and the GRC Golf Tournament.
For more information on the GRC 2005 Annual Meeting visit the GRC web site or contact them at Geothermal Resources Council, 2001 Second St., Ste. 5, P.O. Box 1350, Davis, California 95616 • USA, Phone: (530) 758-2360, Fax: (530) 758-2839.
The Department of Energy’s Wind Powering America program and the American Public Power Association are accepting nominations for the 2005 Wind Power Pioneer Award. All public power utilities are eligible to apply. Entrants will be judged on leadership and innovation in four areas:
All nominations are due by 5 p.m. EDT, Sept. 1, 2005. Questions can be directed to Randy Manion at 720-962-7423.
Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins earns high marks in environmental citizenship for reducing energy consumption and investing the savings in enough wind energy to power the school for a month. Source: CRES Clips, 8/25/2005
Resource planning by electric utilities is becoming “increasingly sophisticated in their treatment of renewable resources and the costs and risks that they both entail and mitigate,” says an analysis by a U.S. federal laboratory.
Resource plans in states which have a renewable portfolio standard should consider evaluating renewable resources as an option “above and beyond the level required to satisfy RPS obligations,” recommends “Balancing Cost & Risk: The Treatment of Renewable Energy in Western Utility Resource Plans” produced by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The report examines how 12 utilities in western states treat renewable energy in their recent resource plans, and highlights the “growing importance of utility resource planning as a current and future driver of renewable generation.”
Resource planners should explore a broader array of renewable resource options and the value of the federal production tax credit for renewables (and its risk of permanent expiration) could be more consistently addressed on an after-tax basis, it suggests in a list of ten recommendations. “Methods for evaluating wind integration and transmission costs, and capacity value, should continue to be refined and applied at successively higher wind penetration levels” and exogenous caps on wind penetration should be eliminated as analysis of wind integration and transmission costs and capacity value improve.
Utility resource planning has emerged as an important driver of generation from new renewable energy facilities in the western U.S., the report notes. The 12 utilities, in aggregate, supply half of all power demand in the western U.S. and have used the resource planning process to call for the addition of 8,000 MW of new green power capacity by 2014.
State or federal requirements are not the motivator in nearly half of the additions, but because utilities are finding that renewables can make good business sense for them and their customers. Growing utility acceptance of renewables, especially wind power, “is motivated by the improved economics of renewables, as well as an increasing recognition of the inherent risks in fossil-based generation portfolios,” explains co-author Mark Bolinger.
“Markets for renewable energy have historically been motivated primarily by policy efforts, but a less widely recognized driver is poised to also play a major role in the coming years: utility integrated resource planning,” the report states. “Formal resource planning processes can help utilities and their regulators to consistently and fairly assess a wide range of supply- and demand-side measures in meeting customer needs.”
It recommends that resource plans evaluate a broad range of possible fuel costs, and subject a large number of candidate portfolios to risk analysis, while environmental compliance risks could be more consistently and comprehensively evaluated. “Steps should be taken to ensure that each risk has an opportunity to impact portfolio selection” and utilities and regulators should conduct research to evaluate ratepayer risk preferences.
“Our review of the planning efforts of these utilities reveals that resource plans are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their treatment of renewable resources and the costs and risks that they both entail and mitigate," adds co-author Ryan Wiser. "Many analytical improvements have been made in just the past few years."
Despite progress, the authors identify numerous areas that could be improved. Source: ReFocus, 8/24/2005
As the cost of oil hovers at 66 dollars a barrel, and gasoline prices approach three dollars a gallon in some parts of the US, the development of alternative energy sources has never been more attractive. Some business leaders in Northern Colorado are taking that interest another step. Northern Colorado Business Report Editor Bob Baun says they think so-called clean energy can become a force for economic development in the region. Source: By Bob Baun, KUNC, 8/25/2005.
The UWIG Fall Workshop will be held November 7-9 in Sacramento, CA. Meetings of the UWIG User Groups will take place on November 7 at the Hyatt Regency, followed by a day and a half workshop at the Sacramento Convention Center. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District is assisting with coordination of a tour opportunity in the area on November 9. An announcement on this event has been posted and we will begin accepting registrations next month. Source: UWIG E News - August 2005
A recent SNL article discusses the energy bill as it affects renewable technologies, speaking to representatives from the major trade groups. Geothermal was "a small winner," Karl Gawell, executive director of the Geothermal Energy Association, told SNL. Geothermal benefited from a few key elements in the new energy package, but Gawell noted that "we still have a tremendous problem locating geothermal resources without very expensive drilling.” The two-year tax exemption is good, but not great, for the geothermal sector, Gawell noted. "It could easily take a geothermal project three or four years to get up and running. So this will be a quick burst of new projects, but one of the real issues with the Energy Policy Act is that it doesn't have a real long-term vision or policy support for renewable technology," he said. The industry would have been better served if the production tax credit had been either made permanent or extended to at least five years, Gawell said.
The article concludes that, “overall, the renewable sector, long the ugly stepsister of the energy industry, has mixed feelings about the Energy Policy Act. On one hand, industry people are miffed that they did not get more out of the energy package and frustrated by its short-sighted approach to the country's energy needs. On the other hand, renewables are so used to being neglected that they're pleased they got something out of it. Source: GEA Update August 12 2005
Rockland County is seeking to waive the sales tax on the purchase and installation of residential solar energy systems. County Executive C- Scott Vanderhoef says solar energy is cleaner and safer than traditional power sources. He says he wants to offer an economic incentive to encourage Rockland homeowners to install solar power systems that will benefit residents and the environment. The cost of a solar power system for a home is about 20-thousand dollars. State and federal governments have developed tax incentives to encourage homeowners to turn to this source of clean renewable energy. The county executive says his resolution will be referred immediately to the county Legislature for consideration. Source: 1010Wins.com, 8/25/2005.
Italy is blessed with some of Europe's most brilliant sun and cursed with some of its highest electricity rates, but the nation has long lagged behind its more inclement neighbors in harnessing energy from the sun's rays. But the government, hoping to cash in on Italy's most abundant natural resource, is trying to change that. It approved incentives this summer that could see solar panels blooming on Italy's rooftops like bougainvillea on sun-kissed terraces.
The measures could mean that Italian homeowners, condominium buildings and private businesses can profit by selling solar power to energy companies at a handsome, government-guaranteed price. Under the incentive system, approved last month, surplus energy produced by photovoltaic panels can be sold at triple the average rate set by electricity giants like Enel and Edison or by local energy distributors.
The fledging incentives are similar to arrangements long used in Germany, which had more than 100,000 photovoltaic units as of 2004. Spain and Greece, two Mediterranean countries known for sunny climes, also outstrip Italy in solar energy production. "The direction to go is really that, guaranteeing purchases of renewable sources of energy,'' said Alberto Fiorillo, who works on energy policy at Legambiente, an Italian environment group. "Considering Italy is nicknamed the country of the sun, we are way behind.''
Because of their high electricity rates, many Italians opt for the lowest cost utility contract in their homes in return for lower caps on available electricity. In practical terms, that translates into choices like whether to run a washing machine or start dinner in the electric oven. Industry Minister Claudio Scajola predicted that the average family could save as much as $1,100 annually in electricity bills. If there is energy to spare, the family can sell the excess.
Enel SpA, Italy's largest utility, estimates a single family installing $24,366 worth of panels across about 300 square feet of sun-exposed surface could recoup its expenses in 10 years and reap 8.6 percent annual yield on the investment.
A blackout in 2003 that left almost all of Italy without power - in some places for as long as 18 hours - jolted many Italians into awareness over the vulnerability of a nation that imports some 85 percent of its energy. Italy rejected nuclear power in a referendum in 1987, a year after winds blew radiation from the Chernobyl, Ukraine, explosion across much of Europe.
The enthusiasm of the utility companies for solar power stems in part from the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement aimed at reducing greenhouse gases in the battle against global warming. Under the pact, backed by the European Union, utilities are allowed to "trade'' purchases of clean energy like solar power for credits that essentially allow them to go on polluting. Source: Guardian Unlimited, By By Frances D'Emilio, Associated Press Writer, 8/25/2005.
Record oil prices and incentives to find alternative fuel sources are lighting a fire under research to turn biomass materials such as manure into energy. Texas Agricultural Experiment Station personnel scoop up samples of manure to ship for laboratory heat tests. High oil prices are resulting in a renewed effort in research to convert biomass into energy.
Texas Senate Bill 20, signed this week by Gov. Rick Perry, compliments research under way to determine how and where biomass can be used. The new law requires more renewable energy to be developed and used in the next 10 years.
Combining consumer energy needs and agriculture industry trends with the legislation will push the research to become reality, said Dr. John Sweeten, resident director of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at the Texas A&M University System Agriculture Research and Extension Center here.
Researchers have long worked with manure as a fertilizer and have studied ways to convert it into energy, but this latest push of legislation and research should result in more energy projects becoming a reality, Sweeten said.
Research is concentrating on finding alternative uses for the growing supplies of manure, Sweeten said. Irrigated cropland use of manure as a fertilizer is dwindling, but the livestock industry is growing. Other trends contributing to a potential excess are increasing imports of grain-based nutrients to feed the cattle; less irrigation water; and the switch to crops which use less water and require fewer nutrients.
"Things are in reasonable shape now, but in 10, 20 or 30 years from now, we need to have alternate uses that are not based exclusively on land application," he said. Energy production has been researched for more than 20 years, but "$60 a barrel oil recruits a lot of interest in biomass," Sweeten said.
"The question becomes, how do you convert biomass into energy?" he said. The solid feedlot waste presents a different challenge than the liquid waste from hog or dairy operations, Sweeten said. Researchers are trying to determine what process and what mix of the product will create the most useable heat and, as a result, energy.
For this study, composite samples of raw/mixed/uncomposted manure from the Experiment Station feedlot at Bushland have been sent for testing at several labs. The manure samples were harvested May 17-June 2 from two types of pens. One set of pens were paved with fly-ash, a byproduct of the coal-fired power generating industry, and the other manure was from unpaved pens. The manure was composted and test results from the two showed a large difference for several constituents measured, especially ash content, Sweeten said.
Ash, an unusable material as far as energy is concerned, was lower in the composted manure samples from the paved pens than the dirt pens — 20.2 percent compared to 58.7 percent. As a result, the low-ash manure had about twice the organic matter and heating value, he said. "The low-ash feedlot biomass would be much better fuel than high-ash feedlot biomass," Sweeten said. "The problem is, there is not that much of it in the commercial feedlots."
Large bulk samples from the compost pile that came from the paved pens will be tested further in a small-scale combustion testing project in College Station. These test results will focus on using pulverized manure samples as reburn fuel in a secondary combustion chamber to lower the nitrogen oxides and specific metal emissions from coal-firing in the primary combustion chamber, Sweeten said.
Re-sampling will begin next week upon completion of 50 days of composting of the two windrows. The analysis will be repeated on the partially-composted manure to determine changes in fuel quality produced by more than six weeks of composting, he said. Another research project involves using the byproduct combustion ash as a fertilizer or construction material, Sweeten said.
"By assuring year-round uses of manure, the cattle feed yards in this area could not only stay current on manure harvesting, but the fuel quality of manure improves with more frequent harvest," Sweeten said. "An even greater benefit is that frequent surface manure harvesting by scraping is an accepted method of dust control." Source: Science Daily, 8/24/2005.
The Associated Press recently reported that Kaheawa Wind Power, LLC has developed a plan, with help from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to help protect endangered species near the company's proposed 20-turbine wind farm in the mountains of West Maui, HI.
Under the plan, AP said Kaheawa would spend between $1 million and $4.5 million over a 20-year period to protect two species of seabird — the Hawaiian petrel and Newell's shearwater — as well as the Hawaiian goose and the Hawaiian hoary bat. Specifically, AP said Kaheawa proposes conducting surveys of the seabirds and constructing a release pen for the geese. Additionally, the company would spend $20,000 to support Hawaiian hoary bat habitat research by the Hawaiian Bat Research Cooperative. Source: AP, 8/14/2005.
Tom Acker and the Sustainable Energy Solutions Group of Northern Arizona University have teamed up with the Ecological Monitoring and Assessment Program at NAU to produce an Arizona online
interactive wind resource map. This map allows users to add or subtract layers (such as county boundaries and transmission lines), to zoom in for more details, and to measure distances (for example, how far to the nearest transmission line). Although the team just launched the project and is in the middle of debugging, you can check out Arizona's map online. Source: NREL, 8/24/2005.
On August 18, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind and Hydropower Program announced that it would make up to $1.75 million available for a five-year period, from 2006 to 2011, for research activities that address barriers related to wind energy grid integration. Research topics to be covered by this funding opportunity include “critical issues for wind deployment” and “basic wind energy data.”
The program expects to award one or two grants with projects incrementally funded on a DOE fiscal year basis. Grant applications must be submitted to DOE through the grants Web site by 8 p.m. Eastern Standard time on October 4.
For grant applications and more information on both funding opportunities, go to the Web site above, click on “Apply for Grants,” click on “Download Application,” then search by Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number, which is 81.117. Look for announcement #DE-PS36-05GO95026 for the Department of Energy. Information is also available on https://e-center.doe.gov/ or by contacting Beth Dwyer at the DOE Field Office in Golden, Colo. Source: AWEA Wind Energy Weekly, 8/19/2005.
This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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