News and Events by CCRES November 23, 2011

News and Events DOE, EPA Release the 2012 Annual Fuel Economy Guide The 2012 all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV was rated most economical with a 112 miles per gallon average, according to the 2012 Fuel Economy Guide. Credit: Mitsubishi DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released the 2012 Fuel Economy Guide on November 16th. The guide provides information that can help consumers choose more efficient vehicles that save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. While fuel-efficient vehicles come in a variety of fuel types, classes, and sizes, many new advanced technology vehicles debut on this year's annual list of top fuel economy performers. The 2012 all-electric Mitsubishi i-MiEV topped this list, after a conversion from gas-to-electric was factored in to give it a 112 miles per gallon (mpg) average. The Nissan Leaf electric vehicle, the Azure Dynamics Transit Connect Electric Van, the plug-in hybrid Chevrolet Volt, and last year's leader, the Toyota Prius hybrid, rounded out the top five spots. Fuel economy leaders within each vehicle category—from two-seaters to large SUVs—include widely available products, such as conventional gasoline models and clean diesels. Some 2012 models will be voluntarily displaying a new fuel economy and environment label that provides consumers with more comprehensive fuel efficiency information, including five-year fuel costs or savings compared to the average vehicle, as well as new greenhouse gas and smog ratings. These labels are will be required in model year 2013. The online rankings include the vehicles with the lowest fuel economy. Each vehicle listing in the guide provides an estimated annual fuel cost. The estimate is calculated based on the vehicle's mpg rating and national estimates for annual mileage and fuel prices. The online version of the guide allows consumers to input their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive personalized fuel cost estimates. See the DOE press release, the complete guide, and 2012 fuel economy leaders. DOE's $7 Million to Help Trim 'Soft' Costs of Solar Energy Systems DOE is committing $7 million via the SunShot Incubator Program to reduce the non-hardware costs of residential and commercial solar energy installations such as installation. Credit: Craig Miller Productions DOE announced on November 15 up to $7 million as part of the SunShot Initiative to reduce the non-hardware costs of residential and commercial solar energy installations. The funds will support the development of tools and approaches that reduce non-hardware, or "soft" costs, such as costs related to installation, permitting, interconnection, and inspection. Soft expenses can amount to as much as half the cost of a residential system. This work is supported through the SunShot Incubator Program, and will make the process of buying, installing, and maintaining solar energy systems faster, easier, and less expensive. The incubator previously focused on solving hardware challenges. This new round of funding applies to the soft costs of installing solar systems and acknowledges the vast potential for cost reductions in this area. The balance-of-system soft costs addressed by this funding opportunity include any non-hardware aspects of an installed solar energy system, such as labor, permitting and inspection, customer acquisition, financing, and contracting. Funding will be awarded in two tiers. Tier 1 includes awards up to $500,000 with a 20% cost share over 12 months to accelerate the development of innovative non-hardware concepts. DOE may issue approximately 3-5 awards in this category. Tier 2 includes awards up to $5 million with a 50% cost share over 18 months to transition innovative systems and solutions to the demonstration stage and eventually to full-scale deployment. DOE may issue approximately 1-3 awards in this category. The DOE SunShot Initiative is a collaborative national effort to reduce the cost of solar energy by about 75% by the end of the decade. A primary objective of the SunShot Incubator Program is to launch new start-up businesses and new business units within existing commercial entities. Concept paper applications for soft-cost funding are due January 16, 2012. See the DOE press release, the funding opportunity announcement, an Energy Blog post, and the SunShot Initiative website. Top U.S. Green Power Programs in DOE Spotlight DOE recognized four organizations on November 16 for expanding the market for electricity produced from renewable energy during the 11th annual Green Power Leadership Awards. These organizations' "green power" programs provide consumers with opportunities to purchase clean energy from environmentally preferred sources, such as wind and solar energy. Winners include San Francisco-based 3Degrees and Virginia's Washington Gas Energy Services, which were recognized as the Non-Utility Green Power Suppliers of the Year; Detroit Edison for Utility Green Power Program of the Year for developing its voluntary green power program; and The Clean Energy Collective, in Colorado, for Innovative Green Power Program of the Year. Organizations are evaluated on total annual renewable energy sales, number of customers served, market impact, resources and technologies used, and overall value provided to customer participants. According to the DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, about 860 utilities offer green power programs in the United States, and annual sales from utility green power programs have more than doubled since 2005. Annual green power market sales increased to more than 35 million megawatt-hours in 2010, and more than 1.8 million customers purchased green power in 2010 through a green power program, competitive marketer program, or renewable energy certificates marketer. See the DOE press release and the 2011 Green Power Leadership Awards on the Green Power Network, part of DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website. ARPA-E Announces 2012 Energy Innovation Summit DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) will hold its third annual Energy Innovation Summit on February 27–29, 2012, at the Gaylord Convention Center near Washington, D.C. The summit is designed to unite key players from all sectors of the U.S. energy innovation community to share ideas for developing and deploying the next generation of clean energy technologies. The event is co-hosted by ARPA-E and the Clean Technology and Sustainable Industries Organization. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and ARPA-E Director Arun Majumdar will join Bill Gates, founder and chairperson of Microsoft Corporation; Susan Hockfield, president and professor of neuroscience at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Lee Scott, former CEO of Wal-Mart; and other thought leaders as distinguished keynote speakers. In addition to featuring an expanded showcase, the Innovation Summit will again this year include top U.S. businesses focused on developing energy technology. The summit connects top corporate businesses with clean energy researchers and entrepreneurs with the goal of building lasting partnerships for commercialization. Some of last year's corporate participants included Lockheed Martin, Dow, DuPont, Battelle, and Bosch. See the DOE progress alert, the summit website, and the ARPA-E website.

Innovative Energy Storage Technologies Enabling More Renewable Power Solar and wind power provide the means for America to strengthen its energy security, create jobs in growing markets, and improve the environment. Thanks to breakthroughs in energy storage systems, including the first grid-tied solar and storage facility, that potential is getting closer to reality. By combining energy storage systems with smart grid technology, utilities are able to automatically "smooth" the output of energy. This allows intermittent energy sources to be available even when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing. Across the United States, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding is allowing 32 demonstration projects, including large-scale energy storage, smart meters, distribution and transmission system monitoring devices, and a range of other smart technologies, to explore the deployment of integrated smart grid systems on a broader scale. Recently, three of these projects have been recognized for their progress in the development and implementation of energy storage systems. As the worldwide market for clean energy expands, projects like these are continuing the tradition of American leadership in developing next-generation technologies. See Energy Blog post. Energy Matters: Industrial Energy Efficiency On November 16th, Dr. Kathleen Hogan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency, discussed industrial energy efficiency on an Energy Matters video livechat. Dr. Hogan answered questions, submitted by industry professionals and the interested public via email, Facebook and Twitter, on how commercial building efficiency, advanced manufacturing, and corporate partnerships can increase American competitiveness. The manufacturing industry represents 12 million American jobs and 60% of U.S. exports. DOE programs like the American Manufacturing Partnership and the Better Buildings, Better Plants create jobs, help companies boost their competitiveness, and strengthen the nation’s economic position. See the Energy Blog post. More info at: CCRES site. CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES November 09, 2011

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES November 09, 2011

News and Events DOE-MIT Search Engine Will Speed Materials Research Researchers from DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) jointly launched on November 3 a new online tool called the Materials Project. It operates like a "Google" of material properties, enabling scientists and engineers from universities, national laboratories, and private industry to accelerate the development of new materials, including critical materials. Discovering new materials and strengthening the properties of existing materials are key to improving just about everything humans use. For example, advances in a group of materials called "critical materials" are more important to U.S. competitiveness than ever before, particularly in the clean energy field. Wind turbines, solar panels, and a variety of military technologies depend on these roughly 14 elements (including nine "rare earth" elements). With about 90% of these materials currently coming from China, there are concerns about potential supply shortages and disruptions. With the Materials Project, researchers can use supercomputers to characterize properties of inorganic compounds, including their stability, voltage, capacity, and oxidation state, which had previously not been possible. The results are then organized into a database that gives all researchers at DOE’s national labs free access. The database currently contains the properties of more than 15,000 inorganic compounds, and hundreds compounds are added every day. Already, scientists are using the tool to work with several companies interested in making stronger, corrosion-resistant lightweight aluminum alloys, which could make it possible to produce lighter-weight vehicles and airplanes. Scientists have also already successfully applied the tool for prediction and discovery of materials used for clean energy technologies, including lithium-ion batteries, hydrogen storage, thermoelectrics, electrodes for fuel cells, and photovoltaics. See the DOE press release, the Materials Project website, and the DOE Office of Science website. DOE Recognizes 2011 Winners of its Sustainability Awards DOE announced on November 3 the winners of its 2011 Sustainability Awards. These awards recognize the achievements of DOE employees whose leadership and cost-reducing initiatives have saved taxpayer money by reducing the agency's use of energy, water, and paper, while improving the energy efficiency of federal buildings and vehicles. DOE's sustainability initiatives saved more than $4 million in fiscal year 2010 alone. Awards were presented to individuals, teams, and organizations for improving energy, water, and fleet efficiency, as well as reducing pollution and waste across the agency's facilities, including its national laboratories. In FY 2010, DOE reduced its energy use per square foot by 18.4% from the FY 2003 baseline, while significantly cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The agency also reduced its water use per square foot by 12.2% from the FY 2007 baseline, and it used renewable electricity equivalent to 9.2% of its total electricity use. The 2011 winners significantly improved DOE operations by constructing sustainable buildings, implementing green purchasing, replacing inefficient equipment, deploying renewable energy projects, and implementing other similar initiatives. DOE employees from multiple sites and offices were recognized, including the Argonne, Idaho, Lawrence Livermore, Oak Ridge, National Renewable Energy, Pacific Northwest, Princeton Plasma Physics, Sandia, and Savannah River national laboratories. Also recognized were the Bonneville Power Administration, Pantex Plant, East Tennessee Technology Park, Savannah River Site, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and Y-12 National Security Complex near Oak Ridge, Tennessee. DOE's headquarters, its Carlsbad and Golden Field Offices, and the Idaho and Richland Operations Offices were also honored. See the DOE press release, the complete list of winners, and DOE's Sustainability Performance Office website. DOE's NREL Wins 2011 GreenGov Presidential Award DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has won the 2011 GreenGov Presidential Award for Green Innovation. The White House Council on Environmental Quality announced on November 1 that it recognized NREL's Green Data Center for its innovative design that minimizes its energy footprint and reduces costs without compromising service quality. The GreenGov Presidential Awards celebrate extraordinary achievement in the pursuit of President Obama's Executive Order on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy, and Economic Performance. DOE’s National Renewable Energy Lab won the Green Innovation Award for its net-zero energy data center that is integral to the Research Support Facility shown here. Credit: Dennis Schroeder, NREL NREL's Green Data Center is located in the lab's 220,000 square foot Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum-rated Research Support Facility. Using the climate as a natural coolant, capturing waste heat to ventilate in the cooler months, and employing advanced equipment to minimize energy usage, the data center is designed to help achieve the building's net-zero energy goals. With these efforts and employee education, the data center is expected to save $200,000 in electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions by nearly 5 million pounds each year. See the DOE Progress Alert, the White House announcement, and the GreenGov Presidential Awards Web page. Ford, Chevrolet Rev Up All-Electric Cars Ford is taking reservations for its 2012 Focus Electric, which will be available in New York, New Jersey, and California before rolling out to other markets. Credit: Ford The next wave of alternative fuel cars in the United States rolled into the spotlight recently. Ford opened reservations for its first all-electric passenger car, the 2012 Focus Electric, on November 2. And last month, General Motors' Chevrolet announced it will produce an all-electric version of the Chevrolet Spark mini-car, the Spark EV. Last year saw launches of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, high-profile plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) that were rolled out across the United States. Ford's hatchback will be equipped with a 92-kilowatt electric motor and powered by a 23 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that is liquid-cooled. Ford said the EV would get a mpg rating that is competitive with other EVs in its category. The Focus Electric includes regenerative braking, a technology that Ford said captures more than 90% of the energy normally lost as heat during braking and recycles it to recharge the battery. The automaker said the vehicle's base price would be $39,200. It will be delivered in New York, New Jersey, and California first and then become available elsewhere. See the Ford press release and the Focus Electric website. Chevrolet announced on October 12 that it would produce the Spark EV, selling it in limited markets starting in 2013. The automaker said California would be one such market for the urban-style car. Chevrolet said that it would incorporate feedback from participants in its EV demonstration fleets in Shanghai, China, (Sail EV), Korea (Cruze EV), and India (Beat EV). Battery-maker A123 Systems will supply the advanced nanophosphate lithium-ion battery packs that will power the Spark EV. Details on specific markets, range, quantities and pricing will be announced later, the company said. See the Chevrolet press release. More info about RES & EE at: solarserdar@gmail.com CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

Kansans Save $2.3 Million in Challenge to Change Their Energy Behavior How did the Climate and Energy Project (CEP), a small environmental organization that has received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding, achieve $2.3 million in savings annually for Kansans? They found a way to bring together community groups in an effort to foster energy efficient behavior. CEP engaged Kansas residents through the Take Charge Challenge, a nine-month competition in which residents across 16 communities competed against each other to save the most energy and money. These communities held over 1,000 events and programs involving over 400,000 Kansans. Community leadership got together to develop strategies on how to best get their friends and families to reduce energy waste, including changing their lightbulbs or weatherizing their houses. Participants were saving money by saving energy and winning. The prize? Four communities each received a $100,000 energy efficiency or renewable energy grant. CEP recently announced the four regional winners, who will be supported by the Kansas Corporation Commission, which has received $47.7 million in Recovery Act Funds. The Commission allocated $1.2 million dollars—$400,000 for winners, $400,000 for communities to spend on the challenge, and $220,000 to CEP for staff, travel, promotion, and approved expenses—to run the challenge. Changing habits is no easy task, but when it becomes about winning, the benefits become much clearer: saving money, saving energy, and creating a sense of community pride. See the Energy Blog post. Walmart Sees the Light for Parking Lots By Roland Risser, Program Manager, Building Technologies Program I don't think about parking lots often. Hot in the summer and jammed with frantic shoppers during holidays, I try to spend as little time in them as possible. But because my passion is energy efficiency, I have recently thought a lot about how much it costs to illuminate these spaces and how much energy could be saved with updated lighting systems. Business owners have long recognized the potential of light-emitting diode (LED) technology to save energy, reduce maintenance costs and improve environmental sustainability. We wanted to take LEDs to the next level by validating the energy and cost-savings potential for LED lighting in retail parking lots and for wide-scale adoption. The experts in my DOE program, Building Technologies, collaborated with members of the Retailer Energy Alliance to take on this challenge. The LED Site Lighting Specification, a set of criteria retailers can follow to select energy saving and reliable LED parking lot lighting, came from that partnership. The specification provides information about luminaires (or light fixtures), their performance, and how a site should be lighted to optimize performance. The specification addresses business aspects such as aesthetics, branding and customer safety. It also recognizes the potential risks businesses face in adopting new technologies by requiring a five-year minimum warranty for LED luminaires. We were faced with a question: Was the market ready to adopt LEDs on a large scale? One of our commercial partners, Walmart, responded with a resounding "yes." See the Energy Blog post. More info about RES & EE at: solarserdar@gmail.com CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

FUEL PRICES in EU October 14, 2011

October 14, 2011	Unleaded (Superbleifrei, Euro sans plomb, Euro95)								Diesel (Gazole, Gasóleo)
MEMBER STATE	RETAIL PRICE				PRICE EXCLUDING VAT				RETAIL PRICE				PRICE EXCLUDING VAT
Austria	€ 1.390				€ 1.158				€ 1.364				€ 1.137
Belgium	€ 1.568				€ 1.296				€ 1.430				€ 1.182
Bulgaria	€ 1.232	2.41	лв.		€ 1.027	2.01	лв.		€ 1.257	2.46	лв.		€ 1.048	2.05	лв.
Cyprus	€ 1.200				€ 1.043				€ 1.240				€ 1.078
Czech Republic	€ 1.406	34.80	Kč		€ 1.172	29.00	Kč		€ 1.398	34.60	Kč		€ 1.165	28.83	Kč
Denmark	€ 1.679	12.50	kr		€ 1.343	10.00	kr		€ 1.527	11.37	kr		€ 1.222	9.10	kr
Estonia	€ 1.275				€ 1.063				€ 1.285				€ 1.071
Finland	€ 1.558				€ 1.267				€ 1.355				€ 1.102
France	€ 1.560				€ 1.304				€ 1.390				€ 1.162
Germany	€ 1.544				€ 1.297				€ 1.462				€ 1.229
Greece	€ 1.672				€ 1.359				€ 1.478				€ 1.202
Hungary	€ 1.343	394	Ft		€ 1.074	315	Ft		€ 1.332	391	Ft		€ 1.066	313	Ft
Ireland	€ 1.477				€ 1.221				€ 1.398				€ 1.155
Italy	€ 1.587				€ 1.323				€ 1.472				€ 1.227
Latvia	€ 1.259	Ls	0.889		€ 1.032	Ls	0.729		€ 1.257	Ls	0.887		€ 1.030	Ls	0.727
Lithuania	€ 1.318	Lt	4.55		€ 1.089	Lt	3.76		€ 1.231	Lt	4.25		€ 1.017	Lt	3.51
Luxembourg	€ 1.274				€ 1.108				€ 1.176				€ 1.023
Malta	€ 1.410				€ 1.195				€ 1.310				€ 1.110
Netherlands	€ 1.657				€ 1.392				€ 1.358				€ 1.141
Poland	€ 1.194	5.22	zł		€ 0.971	4.24	zł		€ 1.181	5.16	zł		€ 0.960	4.20	zł
Portugal	€ 1.452				€ 1.180				€ 1.272				€ 1.034
Romania	€ 1.261	5.45	lei		€ 1.017	4.40	lei		€ 1.251	5.41	lei		€ 1.009	4.36	lei
Slovakia	€ 1.464				€ 1.220				€ 1.371				€ 1.143
Slovenia	€ 1.313				€ 1.094				€ 1.263				€ 1.053
Spain	€ 1.342				€ 1.137				€ 1.291				€ 1.094
Sweden	€ 1.549	14.08	kr		€ 1.239	11.26	kr		€ 1.544	14.04	kr		€ 1.235	11.23	kr
United Kingdom	€ 1.590	£	1.387		€ 1.325	£	1.156		€ 1.647	£	1.436		€ 1.373	£	1.197
EU AVERAGE	€ 1.455				€ 1.183				€ 1.348				€ 1.121

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

22nd Annual Energy Fair June 17-19, 2011

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

promotes to you


22nd Annual Energy Fair June 17-19, 2011

Each year the MREA Energy Fair transforms rural Central Wisconsin into the global hot spot for renewable energy education. The Energy Fair brings over 20,000 people from nearly every state in the U.S. and several countries around the world to learn, connect with others and ready them for action at home. The Energy Fair is the nation's longest running energy education event of its kind.

The Energy Fair - 2011 Promotional Video

Watch and learn about this year's keynote speakers: Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power; Chris Paine, writer and director of Who Killed the Electric Car?; and a panel from the Central Wisconsin Resiliency Project. Enjoy lively entertainment provided by Baba Ganooj, VO5, Banned Wagon and other stellar talent. Don’t forget about the great food and local beer!

See who comes to the Fair, why they come, and what you can expect by attending. Enjoy viewing this video and share it with your friends!



The Energy Fair features:

Over 275 exhibitors - featuring sustainable living and clean energy products
Over 200 workshops - including introductory level to advanced hands-on education: solar, wind, green building, local sustainable food, and more
Clean Energy Car Show - featuring demonstration vehicles and exhibitors
Green Home Pavilion - emphasizing building and remodeling in a sustainable way
Green Building Demos - displaying sustainable building techniques in action
Sustainable Tables - including workshops, chef demos, and a farmers' market to bring sustainability to your dinner table
Inspirational keynotes, lively entertainment, great food, and local beer

Join us for the 22nd Annual Energy Fair, June 17-19, 2011

Dates & Times:

Friday, June 17 - 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 18 - 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 19 - 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Energy Fair Admission Tickets

All tickets are individually priced:
Adult 1-Day Pass: $15
Adult Weekend Pass: $35
Senior 1-Day Pass: $10
Senior Weekend Pass: $20
Youth 13-18 1-Day Pass: $10
Youth 13-18 Weekend Pass: $20
Kids under 13: Free
MREA Members: Free

Home Tour Tickets
We will make an announcement on the front page when Home Tour Tickets are available.

Energy Fair Receives Travel Green Certification
The Energy Fair has been certified as a green tourist event by Travel Green Wisconsin. Travel Green Wisconsin is a pilot program the Wisconsin Department of Tourism sponsors to recognize tourism-related businesses that are reducing their environmental impact through operational and other improvements. To gain Travel Green certification businesses have to meet several goals including showing how they encourage staff and vendors to be environmentally aware and how they reduce their solid waste generation and energy consumption.

The Energy Fair was recognized for the following best practices:

All food is served on reusable or biodegradable plates and food waste is composted
Shower house for guests is heated by solar water heating system
Organic, local, and fair trade products are purchased

To learn more about Travel Green Wisconsin vist www.travelgreenwisconsin.com

Contact MREA

MREA - Home Office
7558 Deer Rd.
Custer, WI 54423
715-592-6595

MREA - Milwaukee
1845 N. Farwell Avenue
Suite 100
Milwaukee, WI 53202
414-431-0758

More info about GREEN ENERGY at :
http://solarserdar.blogspot.com

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWALE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)