News and Events by CCRES June 21, 2013

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources News and Events June 21, 2013 Drivers Can Compare Gasoline and Electric Fuel Prices with eGallon   The Energy Department on June 11 launched the eGallon—a way for consumers to compare the costs of fueling electric vehicles versus driving on gasoline. The current national average eGallon price is about $1.14, meaning that a typical electric vehicle could travel as far on $1.14 worth of electricity as a similar vehicle could travel on a gallon of gasoline. On Energy.gov/eGallon, consumers can see the latest eGallon price for their state and compare it to the price of gasoline. Over time, consumers will notice that the eGallon price will be far more stable and predictable than gasoline prices. That’s because the eGallon price depends on electricity prices, which historically are very stable; gasoline prices depend on the global oil market, which can be very unstable and are often influenced by unpredictable international events. The eGallon provides a metric that is easily comparable to the traditional gallon of unleaded fuel. That comparison is made by calculating how much it would cost to drive an electric vehicle the same distance a similar conventional vehicle could travel on a gallon of gasoline. For example, if gasoline costs $3.60 per gallon in your state and the eGallon price for your state is $1.20, that means that for $1.20 worth of electricity you can drive the same distance as you could for $3.60 worth of gasoline. The eGallon price varies from state to state based on the price of electricity. See the Energy Department press release.   Energy Department Invests in Next Generation Efficient Lighting   The Energy Department on June 4 announced five manufacturing research and development projects to support energy-efficient lighting products. The projects will focus on reducing manufacturing costs, while continuing to improve the quality and performance of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The Energy Department’s $10 million investment is matched dollar for dollar by private sector funding. According to a new report by the Energy Department, LED lamps and fixtures installed in the United States have increased tenfold over the last two years—from 4.5 million units in 2010 to 49 million units in 2012. These installations, which include common indoor and outdoor applications such as recessed lighting and streetlights, are expected to save about $675 million in annual energy costs. During the same period, the cost of an LED replacement bulb has fallen by about 54%. Switching entirely to LED lights over the next two decades could save the United States $250 billion in energy costs and reduce electricity consumption for lighting by nearly 50%. By 2030, LED lighting is projected to represent about 75% of all lighting sales, saving enough energy to power approximately 26 million U.S. households. Projects selected include: Cree Inc. (Durham, North Carolina) will develop a modular design for LED lights that can link together multiple units to fit larger areas; Eaton Corporation (Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin) will develop an innovative manufacturing process that streamlines the LED fixture design and removes unnecessary materials and parts; LEDWorks, (Rochester, New York) will develop and demonstrate new spray-printing equipment that reduces overall manufacturing costs and could help support cost-competitive mass production; Philips Lumileds (San Jose, California) will develop an alternative to the standard flip-chip device that grows an LED face-down on the sapphire substrate; and PPG Industries, Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) will develop a cost-effective manufacturing process to help commercialize an integrated substrate that includes the glass foundation as well as the other necessary layers. See the Energy Department Press Release.   Energy Department Offers $9 Million to Advance Hydrogen Technologies   The Energy Department on June 11 announced up to $9 million in new funding to accelerate the development of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for use in vehicles, backup power systems, and hydrogen refueling components. The Energy Department will fund up to eight projects from industry, academia, and national labs. These investments will strengthen U.S. leadership in cost-effective hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and help industry bring these technologies into the marketplace at lower cost. Projects selected for funding will demonstrate, deploy, and validate hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in real-world environments. These efforts aim to reduce the costs of hydrogen and fuel cells industry-wide, expand critical infrastructure, and build a solid domestic supplier base. Selected projects will represent a wide variety of applications with potential for widespread commercialization. Topic areas include fuel cell medium-duty trucks; advanced hydrogen refueling components; rooftop installations of hydrogen-fuel-cell-backup power systems; and hydrogen meter research and development. See the Energy Department Progress Alert.   New Building Performance Database Launched by Energy Department   The Energy Department on June 17 launched the new Buildings Performance Database, the largest free, publicly available database of residential and commercial building energy performance information. This database will allow users to access energy performance data and perform statistical analyses on more than 60,000 commercial and residential buildings across the country, and new records are being added regularly. The database includes buildings' location; age; size and function; electricity and fuel consumption; equipment information and operational characteristics. The data can also be used to compare performance trends among similar buildings, identify and prioritize cost-saving energy efficiency improvements, and assess the range of likely savings from these improvements. An application programming interface (API) will allow external software developers to incorporate analytical results from the database into their own tools and services. The database tools have been designed to meet the content and usability needs of public agencies, building owners and managers, contractors, energy efficiency program administrators, and financial institutions, with over 1,000 users testing the site since March 2013. The Department hopes that public and private stakeholders will continue to submit data and expand the resource. All data is made anonymous and protected by stringent privacy and security protocols. Currently, commercial and residential buildings account for approximately 70% of the electricity consumption in the nation. The database strengthens the Department's commitment to provide U.S. industry, state and local governments, and researchers with innovative energy data tools that can help cut energy waste and save money. The database was developed for the Department's Building Technologies Office by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Building Energy Inc. See the Energy Department Progress Alert.   DOI Announces First Offshore Renewable Energy Lease Sale   The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) on June 4 announced that BOEM will hold the first-ever competitive lease sale for wind energy on the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. The auction, scheduled to take place on July 31, will offer 164,750 acres offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts for commercial wind energy leasing. The area being auctioned is located 9.2 nautical miles south of the Rhode Island coastline. The area has the potential for an installed capacity of 3,395 megawatts, according to a report recently released by the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory. This total could supply enough electricity to power more than 1 million homes. BOEM issued a revised environmental assessment (EA) for commercial wind lease issuance within the Wind Energy Area offshore of Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The EA considers reasonable foreseeable environmental and socioeconomic impacts from issuing renewable energy leases. The EA also considers the impacts of conducting site characterization such as surveys and assessment activities such as installation and operation of meteorological towers and buoys. As a result of the analysis in the revised EA, BOEM issued a "Finding of No Significant Impact," which concluded that reasonably foreseeable environmental effects associated with the commercial wind lease would not significantly impact the environment. See the DOI press release, the final sale notice in the Federal Register, and BOEM's EA and Finding of No Significant Impact .   DOI Approves Three Renewable Energy Projects in Arizona and Nevada   The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) on June 3 announced the approval of three major renewable energy projects in Arizona and Nevada that are expected to deliver up to 520 megawatts (MW) to the electricity grid. When built, the projects will generate enough power for nearly 200,000 homes. The 350-megawatt Midland Solar Energy Project and the 70-megawatt New York Canyon Geothermal Project are located in Nevada. The Midland Solar Project will be built on private lands about 7 miles southwest from Boulder City, Nevada, and will cross 76 acres of federal transmission corridor. The New York Canyon Geothermal Project and electrical transmission facility will be built on 15,135 acres of land managed by the DOI's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) about 25 miles east of Lovelock, Nevada, in Pershing County. The 100-megawatt Quartzsite Solar Energy Project, located on 1,600 acres of BLM-managed lands in La Paz County, Arizona, will use concentrating solar power (CSP) technology with integrated thermal energy storage technology. CSP technologies use mirrors in heliostats to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a central tower to produce heat, where liquid molten salt captures and stores the thermal energy which is then used to produce electricity. CSP systems are distinguished from other solar energy technologies by their ability to store energy as heat so that consumer demand can be met even when the sun is not shining, including during the night. The BLM has identified an additional 15 active renewable energy proposals slated for review this year and next. BLM identified these projects through a process that emphasizes early consultation and collaboration with its sister agencies at DOI—the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service. See the DOI press release and the BLM website.   NREL Highlights 2012 Utility Green Power Leaders   The Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) on June 5 released its assessment of leading utility green power programs. Under these voluntary programs, residential and commercial consumers can choose to help support additional electricity production from renewable resources such as wind and solar. The top 10 programs support more than 4.2 million megawatt hours /year (MWh/year) of voluntary green power. Using information provided by utilities, NREL has developed "Top 10" rankings of utility green power programs for 2012 in the following categories: total sales of renewable energy to program participants; total number of customer participants; the percentage of customer participation; green power sales as a percentage of total utility retail electricity sales; and the lowest price premium charged for a green power program using new renewable resources. Ranked by renewable energy sales in terms of MWh/year, Portland General Electric (Oregon) overtook Austin Energy in Austin, Texas, in 2012, selling the largest amount of renewable energy in the nation through its voluntary green power program. Dominion Virginia Power and Oklahoma Gas & Electric are new to the top renewable energy sales list. Ranked by the percentage of customer participation, the top utilities are City of Palo Alto Utilities (California), followed by Portland General Electric, Madison Gas and Electric Company (Wisconsin), Sacramento Municipal Utility District, the City of Naperville (Illinois) and Pacific Power (Oregon). In addition, six utilities provided green power supply that included at least 2% solar. See the NREL press release and the Green Power website.   Federal and Industry Partners Issue Challenge to Manufacturers   A coalition that includes the U.S. federal government and more than 200 major commercial building partners has recently challenged U.S. manufacturers to build wireless sub-meters that cost less than $100 apiece. The U.S. Federal Energy Management Program and U.S. General Services Administration are among the organizations issuing the challenge. A group of at least 18 manufacturers has already agreed to take up the challenge, pledging to produce devices that will meet the specifications outlined by the Energy Department and its private sector partners that have signed letters of intent to purchase the wireless sub-meters. The Energy Department worked with members of its Better Buildings Alliance and federal agencies to develop a performance-based manufacturing specification, and will offer third party verification that the wireless building metering systems meet the performance specifications. Electricity sub-meters provide building operators with the information they need to identify opportunities for savings. For example, a large commercial building might pay $10,000 a month or more for electricity, but not have any way to detect which systems are consuming the most electricity. A wireless sub-meter could be installed at various electrical panels throughout the building to give a more detailed picture of where the electricity is being used, thereby helping to identify savings. It might also allow commercial building operators to bill individual tenants for their electricity usage, creating an incentive for energy efficiency. Wireless sub-meters typically cost about $1,000 per installation now, so the goal is to reduce the cost by about 90%. The Department’s Washington, D.C. headquarters, the James A. Forrestal Building, will be used as a testing facility. See the Energy Department press release and the Better Buildings Alliance website.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

Building a 21st Century Electric Grid   As part of President Obama’s initiative to make America a magnet for jobs by building a 21st century infrastructure, on June 7 he signed a Presidential Memorandum that will speed the modernization of the nation’s electric grid. This will help make electricity more reliable, save consumers money on their energy bills, and support homegrown American clean energy jobs and industries by making renewable energy easier to access across the country. Transmission projects often cover hundreds of miles and involve multiple federal, tribal, state and local jurisdictions with diverse interests and responsibilities. Collaborating early to minimize duplication and delays is vital to getting critical projects to construction to better serve American homes and businesses. The June 7 Presidential Memorandum directs federal agencies to create an integrated pre-application process across the federal government to help identify and address issues before the formal permit application process begins, and streamline the coordination of permitting processes across the federal, state, and tribal governments. The memorandum also directs agencies to identify and improve the use of energy corridors on federal lands that are most suitable for siting electric transmission projects, to help expedite permitting while improving environmental and community outcomes. These energy corridors are designed to reduce regulatory conflicts, minimize negative impacts on natural and cultural resources and address concerns of local communities, decreasing the potential for permitting delays. For these corridors, agencies will work together to integrate new and innovative ways to avoid, minimize and mitigate the impact on environmental and cultural resources. The memorandum also prioritizes meaningful engagement with stakeholders and the public to arrive at the best quality projects with the least conflicts and most support. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES June 21, 2012

 

 

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources

News and Events June 21, 2012

SunShot Initiative Investments and Solar Contest Announced

DOE's SunShot Initiative has a new competition and investments making it easier and less expensive to deploy solar energy technologies. Credit: Craig Miller Productions

As part of the Energy Department's SunShot Initiative, the department announced on June 13 a new competition and investments to make it easier and less expensive to deploy solar energy technologies. The department is launching "America's Most Affordable Rooftop Solar" competition to aggressively drive down the cost of rooftop solar energy systems. It also is awarding nearly $8 million to nine small businesses to lower the cost of financing, permitting, and other “soft costs,” which can amount to nearly half the cost of residential solar systems. To spur the use of low-cost residential and small commercial rooftop solar systems across the nation, the department is launching America's Most Affordable Rooftop Solar competition to challenge U.S. teams to quickly lower the cost of installed rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems. The competition offers a total of $10 million in prize money to the first three U.S. teams that can install 5,000 rooftop solar PV systems at an average price of $2 per watt. By setting an ambitious target, the competition aims to spur creative public-private partnerships, original business models, and innovative approaches to make solar energy affordable for millions of families and businesses. See the America's Most Affordable Rooftop Solar competition Web page.

The Energy Department also awarded up to $8 million to support nine highly innovative startups in four states through the SunShot Incubator program. These companies, in California, Colorado, Massachusetts, and Minnesota, are developing transformative solutions to streamline solar installation processes such as financing, permitting, and inspection. See the list of projects.

The SunShot Initiative is a collaborative national effort to make solar energy cost competitive with other forms of energy by the end of the decade. Inspired by President Kennedy’s "Moon Shot" program that put the first man on the moon, the SunShot Initiative has created new momentum for the solar industry by highlighting the need for American competitiveness in the clean energy race. See the DOE press release, and the SunShot Initiative website.

 

Energy Department Awards Funding for Concentrating Solar Power

The Energy Department announced on June 13 its new investments in 21 projects designed to further advance cutting-edge concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. The $56 million in awards span three years, subject to congressional appropriations, and cover 13 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, and Washington. As part of the planned three-year initiative, Congress appropriated an initial $16.3 million in fiscal year 2011. The Energy Department plans to made additional requests totaling $39.7 million in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 to support these CSP projects.

The research projects—conducted in partnership with private industry, national laboratories, and universities—support the Energy Department's SunShot Initiative, a collaborative national effort to make solar power cost-competitive with traditional energy sources by the end of the decade. For example, DOE's Sandia National Laboratories will develop a falling particle receiver and heat exchanger system to increase efficiency and lower costs.

The awards will help speed innovations in new components to lower costs, increase operating temperatures, and improve the efficiency of CSP systems. The 3-year applied research projects will focus on achieving dramatic improvements in CSP performance while driving progress toward the SunShot goal of 75% cost reduction. CSP technologies use mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight to produce heat, which is then used to produce electricity. CSP systems are distinguished from other solar energy technologies by their ability to store energy as heat so that consumer demand can be met even when the sun is not shining, including during the night. See the DOE press release, the complete list of awards, and the SunShot Initiative website.

 

Six New Partners Join the Better Buildings Challenge

The Obama Administration announced on June 14 that six major U.S. companies are joining the Better Buildings Challenge, which encourages private sector leaders across the country to commit to reducing the energy use in their facilities by at least 20% by 2020. Starbucks Coffee Company, Staples, and the J.R. Simplot Company will upgrade more than 50 million square feet of combined commercial building space, including 15 manufacturing facilities. Financial allies Samas Capital and Greenwood Energy will make $200 million in financing available for energy efficiency upgrades through this national leadership initiative. And utility partner Pacific Gas and Electric has committed to offering expanded energy efficiency programs for its commercial customers, who are responsible for 30 million square feet of commercial building space.

The Better Buildings Challenge is part of a comprehensive strategy to improve the competitiveness of U.S. industry and business by helping companies save money by and reducing energy waste in commercial and industrial buildings. Under the challenge, private sector CEOs, university presidents, and state and local leaders commit to taking aggressive steps to reducing energy use in their facilities and sharing data and best practices with others around the country. With the addition of today's partners and allies, nearly 70 organizations have now joined the Better Buildings Challenge. Together, these organizations account for more than 1.7 billion square feet of building space, including more than 300 manufacturing plants, and they have committed almost $2 billion to support energy efficiency improvements nationwide. See the DOE press release and the Better Buildings Challenge website.

 

Northwestern University Wins Clean Energy Business Plan Competition

The Energy Department announced on June 14 that NuMat Technologies from Northwestern University has won the first DOE National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition. The other finalists included teams from the University of Utah, University of Central Florida, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and Columbia University. The competition aims to inspire university teams across the country and promote entrepreneurship in clean energy technologies that will boost American competitiveness, bringing cutting-edge clean energy solutions to the market and strengthening our economic prosperity.

NuMat Technologies presented a plan to commercialize a nanomaterial that stores gases at lower pressure, reducing infrastructure costs and increasing design flexibility. One potential application for this innovation is in designing tanks to store natural gas more efficiently in motor vehicles. NuMat Technologies won based on its commercialization idea, go-to market strategy, team plan, environmental benefits, and potential impact on America’s clean energy economy. As the winning team, Northwestern University was awarded $180,000, which includes seed money for their business plan and additional prizes from sponsors, including technical, design, and legal assistance.

Six teams were invited to present their business ideas to a group of judges from industry and academia after successfully winning at regional level competitions earlier this year. Each team created a business plan around a promising clean energy technology they identified from a university or national lab. The plans detailed how they could bring that technology to market, including financing, product design, scaling up production, and marketing. Funded through DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the university-led competition supports the next generation of energy leaders, who will boost American competitiveness. See the DOE press release.

 

New Centers for Building Operations Excellence Named

The Energy Department and the U.S. Department of Commerce on June 19 announced selections for three Centers for Building Operations Excellence that will receive a total of $1.3 million. The centers will create and deploy programs aimed at training and expanding current and incoming building operators. The Centers are part of the Obama Administration’s Better Buildings Initiative, which is working to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial buildings 20% by 2020 and potentially reduce business’ energy bills by approximately $40 billion yearly.

The three Centers for Building Operations Excellence will work with universities, local community and technical colleges, trade associations, and the Energy Department’s national laboratories to build training programs that provide commercial building professionals with the critical skills they need to optimize building efficiency. The DOE and Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technologies’ Manufacturing Extension Partnership are jointly funding the centers. The centers, chosen through a competitive grants process, utilize multi-organization partnerships and support from local and state governments. The centers are: The Corporation for Manufacturing Excellence in California, partnering with Laney College and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 39; the Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center in Pennsylvania, partnering with Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania College of Technology, and Drexel University; and the New York State Department of Economic Development in New York, partnering with City University of New York and Rochester Institute of Technology. See the DOE press release and the Better Buildings Initiative website.

 

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

  special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov 

Reports: $257 Billion Invested Globally in Renewable Energy in 2011

Total investment in renewable power and fuels last year increased by 17% to a record $257 billion, according to two new reports on renewable energy trends by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21). The Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2012 is the fifth edition of the UNEP report. It is based on data from Bloomberg New Energy Finance. Among the highlights is the fact that solar power generation passed wind power to become the renewable energy technology of choice for global investors in 2011. See the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2012 report.

According to the REN21 Renewables 2012 Global Status Report, renewables continued to grow strongly in 2011 in all end-use sectors: power, heating and cooling, and transportation. Renewable sources have grown to supply 16.7% of global energy consumption. Of that, the share provided by traditional biomass has declined slightly while the share sourced from modern renewable technologies has risen. See the REN21 Renewables 2012 Global Status report.

In 2011, the United States closed the gap with China at the top of the renewables investment rankings. U.S. investments grew 57% to $51 billion. China, which has led the world for two years, recorded renewable energy investment of $52 billion, up 17%. The top seven countries for renewable electricity capacity excluding large hydropower—China, the United States, Germany, Spain, Italy, India, and Japan—accounted for about 70% of total non-hydro renewable capacity worldwide. By the end of 2011, total renewable power capacity worldwide exceeded 1,360 gigawatts (GW), up 8% over 2010; renewables comprised more than 25% of total global power-generating capacity (estimated at 5,360 GW in 2011) and supplied an estimated 20.3% of global electricity. See the UNEP press release.

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)