Ten Green New Years Resolutions

Picture courtesy of Mother Jones

Read the Ten Best Green New Years Resolutions. Article by Kiera Butler (no relation) at Mother Jones 

Maryland Increases Renewable Energy Laws

Power suppliers in Maryland will be required to buy additional energy generated from solar power under a recently enacted law.

The AP reports that the law will shift the timetable for the state's renewable portfolio standard in an effort to create jobs in the solar sector. Ratepayer impact for residential bills is expected to be approximately $0.05 per month; the impact for the average commercial ratepayer is estimated to be $0.66 per month.
 From AP

Iowa Firm Orders 258 Wind Turbines from Siemens

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (AP) Siemens Wind Power has received an order for 258 2.3-megawatt turbines from MidAmerican Energy Co. of Iowa.

MidAmerican Energy says the turbines will be installed in western and central Iowa. The companies say the turbines will be built at Siemens' plants in Hutchinson and Fort Madison, Iowa. The deal was announced on Tuesday.

Siemens also will provide service and maintenance for the three wind farms.

The Hutchinson plant, which officially opened Dec. 3, will produce the turbines' nacelles, which hold all the equipment for turning wind power into electricity. The Fort Madison plant produces the turbines' blades.
From KLEM News,  LeMars Iowa

Turning Sun into Storable Hydrogen. New Prototype Reactor Offers New Green Alternative Energy.

Move over photovoltaics and geotherm get out of the way. Here come the newest form of green energy. Swiss and American researches have developed a new prototype reactor that can utilize sunlight to generate storable hydrogen fuel. The reactor reportedly uses a quartz lens that focuses sunlight into a cylinder lined with cerium oxide (ceria).

When the sun’s rays heat up the ceria, it will thermochemically break down the water and carbon dioxide that is being pumped into the cylinder. The by products are carbon monoxide and hydrogen, which can then be converted into liquid fuel. This hydrogen fuel can then be used with hydrogen fuel cells. Alternatively, the hydrogen-carbon monoxide mixture could be converted into syngas, a combustible gas. Read the whole story from Mobile Mag.

Solar Powered Drone Breaks Endurance Records

LOS ANGELES – A lightweight, solar-powered drone with a massive 73-foot wingspan flew above the clouds for 14 consecutive days, shattering long-standing aviation endurance records, according to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale. Whole Story from WJ Hennigan of the LA Times.

China's Photovoltaic Production Accounted for Half of the Global Capacity in 2010

The total capacity of China's photovoltaic products in 2010 exceeded 8 gigawatt, making up about half of the global output, according to Zhao Yuwen, director of the photovoltaic division of the China Renewable Energy Society.

Global capacity this year is expected to be of 15 to 16 gigawatt.
Full Story from the Peoples Daily Online and the Global Press

Sustainble Energy Brings Light to the Darkest Areas of the World.

Imagine taking a three hour cab ride to get your cell phone charged?  Then having to wait three days for it to get done?  That is what this young Kenyan woman had to do until a small solar system brought communication and light to her darkened existence. Read this story and others from the NY Times and view the emotionally moving photos in the slide show.

If you would care to help bring light and power to people who spend dusk to dawn in darkness in Central and South America, as well as Africa, vist this site. Son Light Power Inc.



Photo by JP Fossil, NY Times.

 



Helios Solar Powered Aircraft

 This is really amazing!
Click the link Watch the Video and read the story!

Worlds Largest Solar Powered Christmas Tree

The focal point of the World by Night Celebration in Brisbane, Australia is this solar powered decorated Christmas tree, touted as the Largest in the World. Read the Whole Article by Annie Huang in LuxEco Living.

Maryland Windfarm Project Blocked by Conservationists over Bats

Some conservationists have filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the startup of Maryland's first industrial wind farm because it allegedly threatens federally protected Indiana bats.
The complaint filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt seeks to stop Baltimore-based Constellation Energy Group Inc. from beginning operation of its 28 turbines on Backbone Mountain in Garrett County unless the company first obtains an "incidental take permit" from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for any Indiana bats that might be hit or injured by the spinning blades.


Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/news/nation/2010/12/conservation-groups-sue-block-md-wind-farm#ixzz19093WNO5

Comment from the blog writer:

I was always told that bats fly by sonar. They emit a high pitched sound that echoes back to highly senstive ears that can detect a bug in the air or a branch in the way. Why would they fly into whirling fan blades if they do not blindly crash into blowing tree branches? It doesn't make sense! I saw one fly between cage bars that were only an inch wider then the bat when he turned sideways. He knew exactly when to get sideways too.

Four out of Six Finalists for the 2.2 Million Dollar Green Energy Award in Abu Dhabi are Americans.

Abu Dhabi, the alternative energy leader of the Middle East, thinks the US is a major player in green technology.
Read the entire story from Reuters posted on Wednesday

Look into the future of renewable energy with a virtual visit to Masdar City in Abu Dhabi. Masdar City is aiming to be the worlds premier hub built on sustainable energy and home to IRENA and the Masdar Institute of Science and Techology.

Ancient Pyramids Inspire Solution for Future Energy Crisis

Check this out! Pyramids were built with Wind Turbines.

NRG to Aquire 209 Mega Watt Agua Caliente Project from 1st Solar

Project will be the largest photovoltaic solar field in the world when completed; Enhances NRG’s growing Arizona business. Here is the whole story from todays Renewable Energy Sources.

Semprius Concentrating PV. Is it the Future?

Semprius has a core semiconductor technology the firm believes can make concentrating photovoltaics (CPV) a competitive solar technology.

Semprius and the CPV industry has its work cut out for it.   The flat panel photovoltiacs (PV) industry has grown at a compound annual rate of about 41 percent per year for the last decade to reach its current 2010 shipment pace of 15 gigawatts.
Full Story from Greentech Media

New Four Legged Wind Turbines for Deepwater US Coastal Windfarm

Located off the coast of Rhode Island and Massachussetts, Deepwater Wind, located in Providence, RI has designed the largest US Windfarm to be constructed in 52 meters of water. The new four legged platform design enables the project to be built 27 to 54 miles from shore and out of the sight of land. The massive turbines will rise 150 meters out of the water and produce 5 MW of power each.
Read the complete article

Proposed Maine Windfarms have Residents and Developers at Odds

Developers in poor rural counties in Maine face stiff opposition to the 300 proposed wind turbines. The project in Somerset County and neighboring Piscataquis County is expected to cost 1 to 2 billion dollars and increase tax revenues by 9 million dollars per year. The main objection to the project is what is perceived as a detriment to the quality of life. Go to the story here by Erin Rhoda in the Sunday Morning Sentinal

Cate Blanchett Promotes Rooftop Solar Panels on Sydney Theater Company

Read the whole story and view the rooftop photo of Cate and company atop the roof on this spectactular photovoltaic array.

Al Gore - "Fox News Manipulates Climate Coverage"

"Fox News has consistently delivered false and misleading information to its viewers about the climate crisis. The leaked emails now suggest that this bias comes directly from the executives responsible for their news coverage."
Read the Full Story from the Huffington Post.

Why Tax Credits Make Lousy Renewable Energy Policy

Read the Full Story in John Farrells Blog in Renewable Energy World.

Port of LA Completes 1 MW Solar Project on World Cruise Center Rooftop

Dec 14, 2010 (Close-Up Media via COMTEX) -- The Port of Los Angeles announced that it has completed its World Cruise Center solar rooftop project, a 71,500 square foot, one megawatt system capable of generating approximately 1.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) energy grid.

According to a release, the solar photovoltaic installation, which is expected to result in an annual $200,000 energy cost savings, is the first phase of a multi-location solar power program that will eventually produce 10 megawatts of solar system generation capacity. The $10.8 million project includes a total of 1.16 million square feet of rooftop solar panels, larger than the size of a football field. Three additional project phases are slated for completion over the next five years. Whole Story from Sports Techy

Largest Offshore Windfarm to be Constructed Off Rhode Island Coast.

PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND (Commodity Online): A proposed 1,000-megawatt offshore wind farm near Rhode Island would be the largest in the United States, developers said.

The Deepwater Wind Energy Center project, with up to 200 wind turbines, replaces a 350-megawatt, 100-turbine proposal that was put forward by Providence, R.I., wind power developer Deepwater Wind two years ago.

Under the new plan announced this week, Deepwater would also build an undersea transmission network that would stretch from Massachusetts to New York and connect to multiple states to which the company could sell its power.
As published in Commodity Online December 13, 2010.  Read the Full Story

Wacker to Build New Plant in Tennessee

Polycrystalline Silicon for the Solar Industry 

Wacker Chemie AG (Munich, Germany) will build a new and fully integrated polycrystalline silicon production site near the city of Cleveland, Tennessee (USA). The chemical company announced the decision on December 9, 2010.  Read The Full Story

Tax Extenders Bill to Include Renewable Energy Provisions

Thanks to the hard work of the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and the Solar Energy Industry Association (SEIA) the Tax Credit Extenders Bill has been compromised to include a one year extension of the Treasury Grant Program (TGP) to allow developers a 30% investment tax credit, in the form of a grant, for their renewable energy projects. A vote in the Senate is expected Monday. Read the full story

Solar Powered Thermo-Accoustic Engine

Check Out the Video

Worlds Largest Solar Boat

A woman walks on the photovoltaic module deck of the Turamor PlanetSolar, the worlds largest solar powered boat. The Catamaran measures approximately 30 meters long and 16 meters wide and contains over 500 square meters of solar panels.
Photo by Gerardo Garcia - Reuters

Largest PV Power Plant Online in Nevada

With 775,000 PV modules installed by 350 workers and boasting a whopping 48MW the Copper Mountain Solar Facility went online last week.
Read the Full Story

Wind Turbines Posing Health Hazard?

According to Dr. Alec N. Salt of the Cochlear Fluid Research Laboratory, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Mo. wind turbines generate high levels of infrasound in rural areas that can have an adverse effect on some individuals.
This is similar to the reports about cell phones causing brain damage in the 90s, fluorescent lights causing cataracts in the 80s and microwave ovens causing cancer in the 70s. They are now a accepted part of our environment as will wind turbines be someday in the near future.
To read the full story and form your own opinion please read the article by Dr. Salt.

Defense Dept to Test Skyline Solars New Photovoltaic Concentration Technology

The US Dept. of Defense will test the new photovoltaic concentration system, developed by the Silicon Valleys Skyline Solar, at Edwards AFB in California and Ft. Bliss in Texas. The system appears much like a trough system but does not use the central pipeline of heated liquid. The solar fields will produce over 100KW each reinforcing the pentagons effort to eliminate dependency on oil. Link to Story

Purple Wind Turbines for the Birds Sake?

Could purple wind turbines be in our future? A European study says possibly. White and gray whirling blades attract bugs which in turn attract birds and bats. The result as you can imagine may not be pretty. What if technology employed a color that was least attractive to bugs?

Read the Story Today on PeachyGreen.

China Becomes World Leader in Renewable Energy Market

Ernst and Young reports that China leads the US by 5 points in the index of the countries most desirable for renewable energy products. The US was top ranked since November of 2006. Once again the US falls to China in the energy market. Read the Story.

The Best States for Solar Power

The Huffington Post published a list of the states that are best suited for Solar Power. I thought I would see the states with the best rebate/certificate programs. I was wrong. The states with the highest insolation and the highest energy costs along with the lowest installation costs lead the pack. Here is a link to the article.

Spanish Consortium Plans 15 MW Offshore Wind Project

Officially called Azimut Offshore Wind Energy 2020, a conglomeration of Spanish Companies announced yesterday to move ahead with this, 100 percent homegrown, 15 Megawatt project. Gamesa along with Alston Wind, Acciona Wind Power, Iberdrola Renovables, Acconia Energia and 22 others are expecting to invest 25 million Euros into the project. The Science and Innovation Ministry's Center for Industial Technology has given its approval for the project to progress.

Read the Full Story.

Sunpower and NRG Plan 250 Million MW California Solar Ranch

San Jose, California based SunPower Corp. and Princeton, N.J. based NRG Solar, a subsidiary of NRG Energy Inc., announced their plans to build a 250 megawatt solar ranch in San Luis Obispo County. The huge photovoltaic ranch, creating over 350 jobs and powering 10,000 homes, will be one of the largest in the world. NRG Solar plans on investing 450 million dollars in equity into the project over the next 4 years subject to the projection of the cost of the project and the terms and conditions of financing.
The project will greatly help California achieve its 33% renewable energy goal.
Read the Story in PR Newswire.

Power Generation and Renewable Energy Conference in Pakistan

The International Conference on Power Generation Systems and Renewable Energy is being held this week in Islamabad, Pakistan at the International Islamic University. For information regarding this important event of worldwide scope please visit this site of the University.

Clean Energy Advocates Rest on New Tax Package.

With the financial incentives set to expire at the end of this year, 5 billion of which goes to Ethanol and renewable energy (mostly wind and solar), clean energy advocates are banking on an omnibus tax package to be ushered in during the lame duck congress. It is unclear how much of these incentives will actually make it into a bill. Read the full story here in the  National Journal.

3rd Quarter Solar Inverter Shipments Up 7.2 Percent

With Europe, the Middle East and Africa accounting for 80% of the market, the shipment of solar inverters is up from 5 percent in the second quarter to 7.2 percent in the third quarter. The top three markets accounted for 90% in the second quarter but that drop of ten percent is attributed to a lessening demand by Germany, the worlds leader, and an increase in American demand.
You can read the full story here.

Fate of Arizona Solar Farm Rests on Groundwater Supply

The Kalauplai Solar Farm received its Certificate of Environmental Compatibility from the Arizona Corporate Commission but is facing a hurdle due to its necessary consumption of water for cooling.  The 2 billion dollar project, located on a 4000 acre parcel of privately owned land 27 miles north of Skinner, is a parabolic trough farm. These farms utilize long trough shaped parabolic reflectors with a pipe that runs down the center at the point where the suns rays are the most concentrated.  This pipe contains a liquid, generally oil, that is heated  by the sun to produce steam and power a generator.  Unlike the photovoltaic panel arrays that convert light photons directly to electricity, that most people are familiar with from seeing them on rooftops, these parabolic systems need a great deal of water to cool down components.
Original plans were to use the water from a reclamation plant nearby for cooling but it appears that the plants full capacity will not be ready in time, therefore the utility's dependency on ground water is the only option for operation to remain cost effective.

Photo by Goddessjoy c/o Photobucket

A similar parabolic trough system has been approved for construction in Nye County, Nevada
Parabolic trough technology has history dating back to at least 1912 when a farm was first built in Meadi, Egypt by a Philadelphia solar visionary and entrepreneur named Frank Shubert.  His plans were ended with the onset of WWI followed by the discovery of vast Middle Eastern oil fields. Almost 100 years later those same oil fields are still posing a challenge to solar energy progress.
Read the whole story as published

New Mexico Stores 2 - 4 MW Hours from Solar Energy

New Mexico has laid the paving for PNM and two educational partners to get underway, along with Sandia National Laboratories, in one of many national solar and wind produced storage and distribution projects being initiated throughout the country.

Millions of dollars have been budgeted by Federal and State Governments, along with concerned private corporations, to study and develop means to store energy for release in the future as needed.

After receiving 2 million dollars from the department of energy towards the overall cost of 6 million, the PNM project is positioned to install a lead acid battery system capable of delivering energy on demand from a 500 kilowatt photovoltaic array.

The unprecedented 2-4 megawatt hours of electrical storage will be used primarily to balance off peak demand and to power air conditioning according to a document from the Department of Energy.

The construction, not far from the community of Mesa Del Sol, just off of I-25, is called the Prosperity Energy Storage Project. It lies just south of Albuquerque International Sunport.

Please read the entire story from http://www.solarhbj.com/ here.