Pilot Flies Landmark Biofuel 747 To Paris Airshow

Posted on June 21, 2011 by quest

By Kerry Reals: One of the pilots who flew the biofuel-powered Boeing 747-8 Freighter from Seattle to Le Bourget has described the landmark flight as uneventful, with nothing out of the ordinary to report.

Speaking to Flightglobal on board the aircraft, Captain Rick Braun said the fact that all four General Electric GEnx-2B engines were powered by a blend of 15% camelina-based biofuel and 85% kerosene had “no impact at all” on operations. The aircraft consumed the same amount of fuel as it would have done on the same flight using 100% kerosene, and the refuelling process took the same amount of time.

Boeing director of sustainable aviation fuels Darrin Morgan is hoping the “wow factor” of the flight – the first across the Atlantic of a large commercial jetliner with all four engines powered by sustainable jet fuel – will now be “replaced by the wow factor of airline customers starting revenue services [using biofuel blends].”Boeing could have used up to a 50/50 blend of camelina-based fuel and kerosene for the flight, but chose to use just 15% biofuel because “most airline customers won’t use higher blends than this at first”, said Morgan. The airframer chose to use camelina for the flight over other feedstocks simply because it “happened to be available, but there will be many options”, he added. “Going forward, we will use different blends. This is the next step.”

Camelina is a rotational crop, which in this case was grown in Montana. The goal is for each region to use locally available feedstocks.

NEXT GENERATION SUPERSONIC

Verizon’s Sustainability Initiatives

Solar Leasing Backed By SunTech

Posted on January 28, 2011 by quest

Solar Universe announces the availability of BriteLease, a residential solar lease program backed by Suntech, the world’s largest solar panel manufacturer. This lease offering makes solar accessible to homeowners with a small up-front deposit and low monthly lease payments. The solar lease payment in combination with a new lower electricity bill will result in lower monthly electric costs for most homeowners. And, the savings are immediate, giving homeowners the opportunity to use their money on other things or just save it.

In addition to the financial rewards, BriteLease makes going solar hassle-free with system maintenance, repair service and insurance coverage all included for the term of the lease. “This solar lease allows everyone with $500 to take advantage of the sun’s energy and save money at the same time. All you pay is a $500 deposit, that’s it! Every other solar company’s lease is 20 years, the BriteLease is only 15 years. If you sell your house within the 15 years, and the lease is transferrable. Electrical rates are guaranteed to rise every year, why not freeze your power bill now,” said Mitch Katz, Solar Universe Franchise Owner for Ventura & Los Angeles Counties.

Founded in 2001, Suntech produces the largest quantity of silicon solar modules in the world.

EXPLORE BIOMASS

LA Boost Power From Clean Renewable Energy

Posted on January 16, 2011 by quest

LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, joined by environmental leaders and representatives from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), to announce the achievement of a major milestone — providing 20% of the City’s power from renewable energy sources in 2010. Mayor Villaraigosa said, “When I became Mayor, I set a goal to generate 20% of the City’s power from renewable energy sources by 2010 and I am proud to say that we have achieved that goal. We went from worst to first and quadrupled our renewable energy portfolio in a few short years while also keeping our rates lower than other major utilities. Today’s announcement illustrates that the DWP is a national leader in cost-effective, environmentally responsible and reliable energy.” “This is a historic and substantial accomplishment for the Department of Water and Power and the City of Los Angeles,” said Austin Beutner, LADWP General Manager. “We need to continue to reduce the impact of DWP operations on the environment and do it in an economically sustainable manner.”

The 20% by 2010 goal has been achieved through a combination of major projects and power agreements made during the Mayor’s administration. In June 2009, LADWP began full operation of the Pine Tree Wind Power Plant — the nation’s largest wind farm owned by a municipal utility, in the Tehachapi Mountains. Wind power comprised nearly 50% of all LADWP’s renewable energy in 2010 with small hydro-electric contributing 30%, geothermal/biofuels, 22%, and solar, 1%.

Reaching this milestone is the latest in a series of significant achievements by LADWP to meet the goals of Mayor Villaraigosa’s GREEN LA Action Plan to lead the national fight against global warming. In conjunction with increasing renewables and energy efficiency, a key factor in reducing greenhouse gases and promoting a cleaner environment is ending reliance on coal-generated power. LADWP is currently making this transition away from coal and in 2010, only 39% of its power portfolio came from coal. LADWP is in the process of divesting of the Navajo Generating Station in Arizona by 2014, which will reduce carbon emissions by an additional 26%.

UNDERSTANDING SUSTAINABILITY

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to Speak at UN Energy Summit

Posted on January 12, 2011 by quest

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will address Heads of State and international delegates at World Future Energy Summit (WFES), a forum that promotes collaboration, innovation and investment opportunities in renewable energy, environment and clean technology. The summit will be held in Abu Dhabi from 17-20 January 2011, and hosted by Masdar.

The visit by the UN Secretary-General underscores the growing role the UAE and Abu Dhabi are playing in driving the global adoption of renewable energy and clean technology innovation. Through Masdar, a multi-faceted initiative advancing the development and deployment of renewable and alternative energy technologies, Abu Dhabi has demonstrated its long-term commitment to discovering a viable roadmap for sustainability. “Climate change is one of the defining challenges of our times,” added Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon. “The world needs to find the renewable energy and clean technologies which can mitigate its effects and set the world on a path to more sustainable economic growth and prosperity. The search for these solutions requires collaboration between governments, academia, enterprise and civil society. The longer we delay, the more we will pay – in resources, economic competitiveness, and lives.”

“The Secretary General’s leadership in ensuring climate change is addressed within a global framework and at the highest level of international cooperation has lead to significant progress,” said Dr. Al Jaber. “His enthusiasm and personal dedication, is one shared by the UAE’s leadership who have placed significant emphasis in ensuring the advancement of renewable energy and climate change mitigation are core elements of our economic development.”

The fourth World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi will be the world’s largest conference and exhibition on renewable and future energy solutions, innovations, investments, policy and vision. WFES, held at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre, ADNEC, expects more than 25,000 attendees from around the world. The Summit that will cover a wide range of themes including energy policy, investment and funding, green buildings, clean transport, solar, wind and biofuels.

VISIT THE SOLAR WALL

Solar and Energy Efficiency Key to Ecomagination

Posted on January 9, 2011 by quest

From the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas GE announced today a new phase of its $200 million open innovation challenge. Building on the record-breaking global success of the “ecomagination Challenge: Powering the Grid,” GE and its venture capital partners today announced the “Powering Your Home” Challenge, which begins January 18 and seeks the best ideas for harnessing and managing energy at home. GE and venture capital partners seek innovations to improve household energy efficiency and harness wind, solar, hydro and biomass power.

The global challenge invites technologists, entrepreneurs and start-ups to share their best ideas and come together to build and improve the eco home of the future with new technologies. The Challenge is one of the largest ever with more than 4,000 ideas submitted and more than 1,100 in the category of home energy use. In the next phase of the Challenge, these ideas will be reexamined and participants are encouraged to submit new ideas or resubmit an idea if it has evolved. The Challenge will be open between January 18 and March 1, 2011.

“We launched the Challenge to spur innovation that will help transform how we create, connect and use power, and the number of passionate and innovative people who got involved to collaborate on global energy solutions has been a real eye-opener for GE,” said Beth Comstock, chief marketing officer and senior vice president, GE. The Challenge launched in July 2010. The Challenge is part of GE’s ecomagination business strategy and was formed as a global commitment to build innovative, clean-energy technologies and help fund the most promising ideas. Proposals are sought in two broad categories of the eco-home: energy efficiency, including management software, appliances and air conditioning; and renewable power, including solar, wind, hydro and biomass. In addition to investment, commercial relationships and other partnership opportunities, the judging panel of GE executives and leading academics and technologists will select five $100,000 Innovation Award winners whose ideas represent pioneering entrepreneurship and innovation.

A GREEN CAREER

Greenleaf Gets More Biomass Power in California

Posted on December 14, 2010 by quest

Biomass renewable energy company, Greenleaf Power has reached an agreement to purchase Colmac Energy. Colmac is a 47-megawatt facility and is one of the largest biomass facilities in California. It has operated the Southern California plant since its construction and initial start-up in 1992 and sells its electrical output to Southern California Edison under a long-term agreement. The plant is fueled primarily using clean diverted wood waste, green waste and agricultural residues.

Greenleaf Power is focused on the acquisition and development of power plants fueled by residual biomass feedstock. Colmac is the third biomass acquisition by Greenleaf Power. Earlier this year, Greenleaf purchased the 30-megawatt Honey Lake biomass plant in Wendel, CA as well as a 28-megawatt biomass plant in Scotia, CA.

Hugh Smith, president of Greenleaf Power said, “The Colmac facility is a significant acquisition for Greenleaf Power. It will be a flagship plant for our growing fleet which now totals over 100 MW of capacity – and will provide the critical mass necessary to leverage the synergies that naturally result from the ownership of multiple facilities.” Greenleaf Power acquires, develops, owns and operates power projects that utilize residual biomass as fuel. Greenleaf Power currently owns and operates approximately 60 megawatts of biomass generating assets in California. Greenleaf Power has established independent management and recently relocated its corporate headquarters from Illinois to Sacramento, CA.

Greenleaf Power is backed by Denham Capital, a leading global energy-focused private equity firm. Biomass power plants use controlled, low-emission conditions to generate electricity. In addition, biomass facilities divert waste from landfills and displace the greenhouse gas emissions of the methane that would result from the decomposition and decaying of organic materials from landfills, forest accumulation or composting.