Rainmakers: How GE Engineers Squeeze Savings from the Digital Cloud
Data centers guzzle down 2% of the electric grid’s capacity and run up $2 billion worth of monthly utility bills. Furthermore, it’s estimated that by 2020, CO2 emissions from data centers will top the emissions by the airline industry. How do we get the cloud under control?
One solution might be improving the efficiency in how data centers draw electricity in from the grid. A recent post from GE Reports takes a look at how 99% of this electricity could be pulled in more efficiently by bypassing ‘filters’ when they’re not absolutely necessary.
If all data centers (‘the cloud’) did this, we’d be able to save 4,000 megawatts of electricity worth more than $3 billion per year.
U.S. wind industry adds 6,800 MW in 2011
The U.S. wind industry installed 6,816 megawatts (MW) in 2011, 31 percent higher than 2010, for a total
of 46,916 MW installed to date, the industry's trade group said in a release Thursday.
Setting the stage for a strong 2012, the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) also said there were more than 8,300 MW of wind power under construction across the United States.
The nation has about one million megawatts of generating capacity with about 400,000 MW coming from natural gas burning plants, 300,000 MW from coal, 100,000 MW from nuclear, 80,000 MW from hydropower, 50,000 MW from oil and the rest mostly from wind and other renewables.
One megawatt powers about 1,000 homes.
Wind and natural gas are the two largest sources of new generating capacity in the United States. Wind has provided about 35 percent of new U.S. power capacity over the past five years, AWEA said.
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TROJAN BATTERY LAUNCHES VIDEO TUTORIAL SERIES TO EXPAND UNDERSTANDING OF DEEP-CYCLE BATTERY TECHNOLOGIES, MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY
Trojan Battery Company launched "Trojan Tips," its video tutorial series created to provide in-depth information
focusing on a variety of battery topics such as deep-cycle battery technologies, maintenance practices, charging procedures and safety when handling batteries. "Trojan Tips" is designed to expand awareness of deep-cycle battery technology.
A new "Trojan Tips" video tutorial will premiere each month throughout 2012 on the Trojan Battery corporate Web site. The first "Trojan Tips" video, which debuts today, reviews the various battery technologies available on the market today, and what to consider when selecting a battery for a particular application.
Click here for the first "Trojan Tips" video tutorial.
Cogenra Solar and Kendall-Jackson Winery Unveil Nation's Largest Rooftop Solar Cogeneration Array
Cogenra Solar, a provider of distributed solar cogeneration systems, today announced the nation's largest rooftop solar cogeneration system to date at Kendall-Jackson's Kittyhawk winery in Windsor, California. Expanding on Kendall-Jackson's existing energy and water conservation projects, the 96-module, 241kW hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV) and thermal array is expected to save approximately $30,000 in annual energy costs.
"Our founder Jess Jackson was a trailblazer who made sustainability a core part of Kendall- Jackson's DNA largely through innovation"
U.S. Congressman Mike Thompson and local business leaders convened today at Kendall-Jackson's Wine Center to celebrate the company's commitment to sustainability and unveil the solar cogeneration system, now supplying solar hot water and electricity to power the winery's extensive tank and bottle washing operations.
Click here for Full Press Release:
The long, long (long) road for algae fuel
Earlier this week algae fuel startup Sapphire Energy announced that it’s in the process of raising a whopping $144 million from private investors, which will be used to build out its first commercial demonstration algae farm in New Mexico. That farm could be able to produce 1.5 million gallons of Sapphire’s green crude per year by 2014, says Sapphire’s VP of Corporate Affairs, Tim Zenk.
That might sound impressive, but it’s a far cry from the company’s previous projections. Back in 2009, Sapphire was hoping its algae farm would be able to produce 1 million gallons of green crude per year by 2011, followed by 100 million gallons per year by 2018, and 1 billion gallons per year by 2025. When Sapphire made those projections, the sheer volume was so much more than any of their competitors were putting out there, that I asked if Sapphire was going to be “the gorilla of algae fuel?“
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RENEWABLE ENERGY EXPERIENCES EXPLOSIVE GROWTH DURING FIRST THREE YEARS OF OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
According to the most recent issue of the "Monthly Energy Review" by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), with data through December 31, 2011, renewable energy sources expanded rapidly during the first three years of the Obama Administration while substantially outpacing the growth rates of fossil fuels and nuclear power.
Between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2011, renewable energy sources (i.e., biofuels, biomass, geothermal, solar, water, wind) grew by 27.12%. By comparison, during the same three-year period, total domestic energy production increased by just 6.72% with natural gas and crude oil production growing by 13.66% and 14.27% respectively. Moreover, during the same period, nuclear power declined by 1.99% and coal dropped by 7.16%.
Full Press Release:
Floating Windmills in Japan Help Wind Down Nuclear Power: Energy
Japan is preparing to bolt turbines onto barges and build the world’s largest commercial power plant using floating windmills, tackling the engineering challenges of an unproven technology to cut its reliance on atomic energy.
Marubeni Corp. (8002), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. (7011) and Nippon Steel Corp. (5401) are among developers erecting a 16-megawatt pilot plant off the coast of Fukushima, site of the nuclear accident that pushed the government to pursue cleaner energy. The project may be expanded to 1,000 megawatts, the trade ministry said, bigger than any wind farm fixed to the seabed or on land.
“Japan is surrounded by deep oceans, and this poses challenges to offshore wind turbines that are attached to the bottom of the sea,” Senior Vice Environment Minister Katsuhiko Yokomitsu said at a meeting in Tokyo this month. “We are eager for floating offshore wind to become a viable technology.”
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NRG Energy, Inc. to Build Unprecedented Electric Vehicle Fast-Charging Infrastructure in California
The California Public Utilities Commission and NRG Energy (NYSE: NRG) have entered into an agreement where NRG will build a comprehensive electric vehicle (EV) charging network in California, investing approximately $100 million over the next four years.
"And we will be helping the State meet its clean car goals as embodied by its Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate."
This fee-based charging network will consist of at least 200 publicly available fast-charging stations—installed in the San Francisco Bay area, the San Joaquin Valley, the Los Angeles Basin and San Diego County—which can add 50 miles of range in less than 15 minutes of charging. Additionally, NRG's EV infrastructure commitment will include the wiring for at least 10,000 individual charging stations located at homes, offices, multifamily communities, schools and hospitals located across the State.
Full Release:
WorldWide Solar Cell Production Growth Flattens but still Gigantic in 2011
Global PV cell production grew to an impressive 37.2 GW in 2011, according to a market survey by PHOTON International - The Solar Power Magazine, for a 36-percent increase over the 27.4 GW produced in 2010.
But the annual survey also reveals a dramatic reduction in year-on-year growth. Compared to a record 120-percent jump in 2010, the 2011 cell output was the PV industry's lowest growth rate since a 34-percent increase in 2003. The survey also shows a continuation of Asian dominance, with six Chinese manufacturers in the top 10 - with Suntech Power in first place for the second year in a row - and two from Taiwan. For the first time since PHOTON International began surveying solar cell producers, the top 10 did not include any solar cell producers from Europe or Japan.
"The days of solar cell production in western countries are numbered," says Michael Schmela, editor-in-chief of PHOTON International. "Like other commodities, solar cell production will continue its rapid shift to low-labor-cost countries in Asia, especially China." In 2008, only 33 percent of solar cells were made in China, a share that grew to an impressive over 57 percent in 2011.
Full Press Release:
President's trip designed to tout 'all-of-the-above' energy strategy
In an effort to find a visual counterpart to his rhetoric on energy, President Barack Obama is speaking at four types of energy production facilities in two days, each site representing a facet of his energy plan.
"I'll be talking about what we're calling an all-of-the-above energy strategy -- all of the above," Obama said, previewing his trip before a crowd gathered at a solar facility in Boulder City, Nevada. "A strategy that relies on producing more oil and gas here in America, but also more biofuels, more fuel-efficient cars, more wind power and, as you can see, a whole lot more solar power."
The visit to Boulder City on Wednesday was designed to tout the success of solar technology at the largest photovoltaic solar facility in the nation. Photovoltaic solar panels create energy directly from sunlight without the need for any water or moving parts.
Full Article:
U.S. solar to get Obama aid in battle with China
President Barack Obama's administration is expected to throw its weight behind U.S. solar panel producers on Tuesday in their battle against lower-priced imports from China that they say threaten the future of the industry in the United States.
A coalition of seven U.S. manufacturers has asked for duties topping 100 percent on Chinese-made solar cells and panels, which they say are subsidized by the Chinese government and "dumped" in the United States at unfairly low prices.
The case, which was filed last year, has created more friction in the U.S.-China trade relationship, already strained by clashes over Beijing's currency policies and U.S. duties on a number of other Chinese goods.
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Lux Research Reveals 2011 Top 10 Module Manufacturers
First Solar and Suntech led in module manufacturing in 2011 with both having around 2 GW of module production, according to Lux Research’s latest Solar Supply Tracker. Crystalline silicon module prices continue to be at a record low with Tier 1 manufacturers selling around $0.9/W while Tier 2 and Tier 3 manufacturers sold at even lower rates to burn through their inventories and survive the current market conditions.
The top 10 companies added up to 12.5 GW of module production, a significant share at 44% of the 2011 total global module production.
Top 10 2011 Module Manufacturers (In Order)
First Solar - 7% - 2,001 MW
Suntech Power - 6.5% -1866 MW
Yingli Green Energy - 5.5% - 1,554 MW
Trina Solar - 4.9% - 1,395 MW
Canadian Solar - 4.8% - 1,363 MW
Sharp - 4.1% - 1,155 MW
Hanwha Solar One - 2.9% - 825 MW
Jinko - 2.8% - 782 MW
LDK Solar - 2.7% - 774 MW
SolarWorld - 2.7% - 767 MW
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Senate Rejects Measure To Extend Wind Energy Production Tax Credit
The U.S. Senate has voted to reject an amendment to S.1813, the Surface Transportation Bill, that would have extended several important renewable energy incentives - including the production tax credit (PTC) for wind power - for one year.
The measure, introduced by Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., also called for an extension of the Section 48C advanced energy manufacturing tax credit, which expired in 2010, as well as an extension of the Section 1603 cash-grant program.
Although the vote on the measure was even at 49-49, the amendment required 60 votes to pass, and was, therefore, not agreed to. The news comes as a disappointment to the wind industry, which was hoping for a boon in an uncertain economic climate.
Read full article here:
Renewables Tax Extensions up for Vote, Senate considers amendment
The U.S. Senate is expected to vote Tuesday on a proposal that would extend renewable energy tax incentives and restore the cash grant program that saved the industry during the depths of the recession.
The proposals are included in an amendment offered by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), who introduced Senate Amendment 1812, which would extend the production tax credit (PTC) for one year, until the end of 2013, as well as extend the 1603 investment tax credit, the 48(C) manufacturing tax credit, in addition to including biodiesel and other provisions.
Amendment 1812 includes several provisions, including credits for biofuels and advanced manufacturing tax breaks. But the parts of most interest to renewables are a one-year extension of the PTC for wind energy and a restoration of the “cash grants in lieu of the credit” which expired at the end of last year.
Solar Panel Sales Seen Dropping First Time in Decade
Fewer solar panels will be installed this year as the first drop in more than a decade worsens a glut of the unsold devices that’s already slashed margins at the top five manufacturers, an analyst survey showed.
Homes and businesses will put up 24.8 gigawatts of solar panels worldwide, according to the average of six forecasts compiled by Bloomberg News. That’s equal to the power of about 20 nuclear reactors and down 10 percent from the 27.7 gigawatts added last year. Installations have grown 61 percent a year on average since 1999, Bloomberg New Energy Finance estimates.
The decline would be the first since Germany began offering premium rates for solar power in 2004, opening the way for mass, utility-scale installations. It will exacerbate price-cutting and a surge in inventories that last year forced Solyndra LLC into bankruptcy, prompted SunPower Corp. to seek a buyout and gutted margins at top manufacturers led by Suntech Power Holdings Co. and First Solar Inc.
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