SunPower Shining on California Valley Solar Ranch

Posted on November 30, 2010 by quest

SunPower Corp. and NRG Energy, Inc. today announced groundbreaking agreements to begin construction next year of the 250-megawatt (MW) California Valley Solar Ranch in San Luis Obispo County. The solar power plant is expected to create approximately 350 jobs during construction, will power about 100,000 homes and will be one of the largest photovoltaic solar power plants in the world, when complete. Under the agreement announced today, NRG will, subject to certain conditions, assume all ownership and financing responsibilities for the California Valley Solar Ranch. SunPower will continue to develop the project, and will design, build, operate and maintain the solar power plant. Construction is expected to start in the second half of 2011, with a portion of the project expected to begin operating by the end of 2011 and the balance coming on line in 2012 and 2013. When fully operational, the solar power plant will help California achieve its 33% renewable portfolio standard.

Howard Wenger, President of the utility and power plants business group at SunPower said “This partnership with NRG Solar and the DOE represents a major milestone in delivering 250 megawatts of clean, renewable solar power to California’s electricity customers. For two years, SunPower has been working to develop this project responsibly, with respect for the environment and the community. We are delighted to have found in NRG a partner that shares our vision to build a solar power plant in San Luis Obispo County that enhances the local economy, protects local habitat and generates emission-free solar power for California. The DOE is playing a critical leadership role in supporting renewable energy that provides economic and environmental benefits, as well as a secure, stable energy supply in the U.S.”

California Valley Solar Ranch has executed 25-year power purchase agreements with Pacific Gas & Electric for delivery of 250 megawatts. The power purchase agreements have been approved by the California Public Utilities Commission.

ONLINE GREEN WEBINARS

Biofuels take flight

Posted on November 29, 2010 by quest

Global airline leader Lufthansa is set to begin a six-month trial using biofuel on commercial flights. is set to begin a six-month trial using biofuel on commercial flights. Starting in April 2011 with an Airbus A321 the test program is scheduled on commercial flights of the Hamburg-Frankfurt-Hamburg route. The primary purpose of the project is to conduct a long-term trial to study the effect of biofuel on engine maintenance and engine life. “Lufthansa will be the world’s first airline to utilize biofuel in flight operations within the framework of a long-term trial. This is a further consistent step in a proven sustainability strategy, which Lufthansa has for many years successfully pursued and implemented,” said CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber.

At a joint press conference today, Lufthansa Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber, with Peter Hinze, Parliamentary State Secretary and Government Aerospace Coordinator, and Professor Dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), presented a biofuel project planned by Lufthansa. The project is backed by the government within the framework of its aviation research program aimed at underpinning the sustainability of air traffic.

About 77 per cent of German aviation research funding (LUFO) is directly or indirectly related to the environment and sustainability. The Germans believe an integrated research approach offers the best chance of achieving the ambitious climate protection objectives by 2020 and, simultaneously, safeguarding the technological competitiveness of the German aviation industry.

ECO FRIENDS SHOP

Hydropower runs through it

Posted on November 27, 2010 by quest

RainPower a Norwegian technology company has set up a new subsidiary company in Sweden and has also entered into a cooperation agreement with engineering firm KTAB to become a fully integrated provider of hydropower technology and services in the Swedish market. Since it was set up in 2007, RainPower has developed proprietary turbine technology at its hydropower laboratory in Trondheim.

CEO Svein Ole Strømmen of RainPower said “Establishing Rainpower in Norway has been very successful, and we feel that the time is right to take a look at the exciting hydropower market in Sweden.” “KTAB is an engineering company that has developed hydropower expertise in Kristinehamn. This expertise combined with a highly qualified technical team in Kristinehamn and innovative research environment in Norway will create a competitive total supplier of hydropower services in Sweden for planning, production, maintenance and service.

RainPower has employees at Kjeller, Sørumsand in Trondheim, Oslo and Hangzhou in China. The company, which is based on Kvaerner’s and General Electric’s hydropower expertise, supplies, hydroelectric turbines and all associated equipment for the production of clean electricity.

QUESTPOINT IS MOBILE

A Peak at California environmental leadership

Posted on November 25, 2010 by quest

The Energy Coalition has been named by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as one of the 2010 winners of the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for its PEAK Student Energy Actions Program. “In a world where energy is a precious commodity, smart energy management is critical for the economic success of California,” says PEAK Program Manager Nikole Reaksecker. “PEAK creates a generation of individuals capable of controlling their energy future. The program recognizes that to effectively manage energy use, students must understand the entire energy equation from the science of how energy is created to the environmental ramifications of electrical generation and the financial impact of energy use on household budgets.”

PEAK is a statewide, standards-based educational program designed to empower elementary and middle school students with the knowledge and skills to manage energy use in their homes, schools and communities. The Energy Coalition has been developing energy initiatives with partners in the United States and Sweden for almost thirty years.
The organization’s purpose is to mobilize, educate, inform and empower individuals to change the way they think about and use energy. The Energy Coalition, which won the award for the best children’s environmental education program, is one of only 13 award recipients recognized at the Governor’s Global Climate Summit in Davis. Award recipients were chosen in ten categories based on their programs’ results, transferability, environmental impact, resource conservation, economic progress, innovation and uniqueness, pollution prevention and environmental justice.

ECO FRIENDS SHOP

A sustainable rainforest reserve in South America

Posted on November 24, 2010 by quest

World Land Trust-US and BTS USA, a strategic consulting firm have agreed to purchase and protect 100 acres of threatened tropical rainforest in South America’s Chocó biogeographic region. BTS made a donation to the organization, which prevents deforestation through strategic land purchase, as part of a commitment to sustainability. BTS USA’s donation will assist in establishing the Las Tangaras Nature Reserve in Colombia. In addition to safeguarding an expanse of rainforest and species, the Las Tangaras Reserve will also protect the watershed of the Rio Atrato – the Chocó’s most important river – which serves as a vital economic resource for tens of thousands of inhabitants living in poor rural communities. Future strategic land purchases would also benefit communities of the Embera indigenous group – by creating a buffer between indigenous lands and non-native colonizers.

Jonas Åkerman, president of BTS USA said, “continued success and growth brings with it a responsibility to build more sustainability into our business by supporting a more sustainable world. From the simulations we develop for our clients to our own employees, we are seeing sustainability reach a critical priority and we’re pleased to be able to fulfill our responsibility through this excellent organization, where we know the investment will be extremely productive.”

World Land Trust-US is a conservation organization that specializes in land purchase for biodiversity protection, working with local partners to acquire and save threatened tropical rainforests and other habitats for endangered species. Over the past 21 years, WLT-US has protected over 1.6 million acres for biodiversity conservation.

ECOTOURISM

Pole mounted Solar maker wins national green award

Posted on November 19, 2010 by quest

Petra Solar the New Jersey based solar manufacturer who is supplying the state of New Jersey 200,000 solar units for its “Solar 4 all” program has been selected by Green For All and SJF Institute as one of the first Green Jobs Award recipients. The Green Jobs Award honors innovative private businesses that contribute to the economy and the environment. The award was given at Citi Executive Conference Center in New York City. Green For All is a national organization working to build an inclusive green economy strong enough to lift people out of poverty. The SJF Institute is an independent non-profit institute that works with positive impact businesses and sustainable entrepreneurs to facilitate their access to capital, promote employee engagement, and help build sustainable economies. “We hope that by acknowledging the tremendous work these companies are doing, we can support their noble efforts, and inspire other business leaders to follow their lead,” says Bonny Moellenbrock, Executive Director of SJF Institute.

Petra Solar, founded in 2006 by CEO and president Kuran, is the pioneer of SunWave™, a grid-tied, pole-mounted, distributed solar generation system. “We are grateful for the recognition from Green for All and SJF Institute,” said Shihab Kuran, CEO and President of Petra Solar. “Our goal at Petra Solar is to create and grow green jobs as we create smart solar generation systems and export them across the nation and around the world.”By creating its own R&D and manufacturing supply chain, Petra Solar’s job count has grown from 15 in the spring of 2009 to 166 currently, over a 10 fold increase. In keeping with the company’s commitment to return ratepayer and taxpayer support, the company will create new manufacturing facilities in jurisdictions in which it does significant business. As a result, major contracts with utilities will result in the creation of jobs to staff local manufacturing operations.

“Each of the companies chosen this year does its part in building the green economy through innovation and job creation here in the United States,” says Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO of Green For All. “They are demonstrating that by addressing the climate crisis we can take real steps in addressing the economic crisis as well.”