Below are highlights from January 29 from the official blog of the 2015 National Biodiesel Conference Expo.
The end of 2014 delivered two powerful shocks to the transportation fuels sector. First, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) refused to decrease production to offset reduced demand, leading to the lowest oil prices in years. Then, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced it would finish the year without setting annual federal renewable fuels volume requirements for gas and diesel distributors.
Those burning energy issues and more were hot topics at the annual National Biodiesel Conference Expo which took place January 19 - 22 at the Fort Worth Convention Center. This was the 12th straight year NBB produced the premier U.S. biodiesel event, which featured demonstrations and discussions among thousands of biodiesel producers, distributors, and enthusiasts.
Full coverage can be found on the official blog.
Next Generation Scientists For Biodiesel
The Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel program continues to grow and there were 30 student scientists represented at this year's conference. Here are the Co-Chairs of the program James Anderson, Southern Illinois University, a PhD student in Agricultural Science; Katie Heil, University of Colorado - Boulder, an undergraduate in Electrical Engineering; Mike Morgan, Utah State University, an undergraduate in Biochemistry and Dan Browne, a graduate research assistant in the Dept. of Biochemistry Biophysics at Texas AM University.
I asked them to each describe the type of work they're doing related to biodiesel and then tell me what coming to the conference has meant to them.
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Leadership Discussion
This year's conference featured a discussion with industry CEOs led by Joe Jobe. On the panel were Dan Oh, REG; Gene Gebolys, World Energy; and Paul Soanes, Renewable Biofuels.
The conference has become very focused on the business of the industry and as you wander around the convention center you'll see small groups of people having serious business discussions.
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The post 2015 National Biodiesel Conference Expo - Official Blog Highlights from January 29 appeared first on Biodiesel Sustainability Blog.
I'm back from my two day mini lecture tour through Maryland and Delaware. On Saturday afternoon, I gave a talk on the economics of renewable energy with Scott Donnelly from the Eastern Shore Sierra Club at the Maryland Sierra Club's jamboree. It may seem strange that any outdoor types would want to spend any part of a Saturday afternoon indoors going through a PowerPoint presentation, but our talk drew an attentive and engaged audience, which included Allison Chin, the Sierra Club's national president (shown here with Scott and me).
Scott is among the local Sierra Club members who are quickly getting themselves up to speed on the economic, environmental and regulatory issues involved in bringing offshore wind power to Maryland. We shared our pride in being members of the organization founded by John Muir, whose vision led to the creation of the first national parks.
Sunday was Coast Day in Lewes, where I got an update on Bluewater Wind's efforts to line up more customers for the Delaware wind power project and learned that I live 142 feet above sea level, thanks to Google Earth and DNREC's coastal programs office.
That night, I led a town hall discussion at the monthly gathering of Dining with Progressives on the topic of energy economics. I had just started to describe Senate Bill 106, which created energy efficiency resource standards for Delaware, when someone asked, Isn't that (DNREC secretary) Collin O'Mara outside? Sure enough it was, and I stepped out to ask if he would take few moments to say hello to the group. Collin graciously added to an already long day by talking with the group about energy policy and environmental regulation before rejoining his wife and friends.
The key message of my weekend talks was that opponents of progress (whether wind power or climate change) will exaggerate the costs and dismiss the benefits. We saw it in the fight to bring wind power to Delaware, and we're seeing it again in the national debate on climate change.
Energy Made Clean are pleased to announce the recent recruitment of five new staff who will provide energy independence solutions to mid-to-large commercial power users connected to the SWIS. This is the first sales team ever for EMC, after over 10 years of business, with more than 20 years combined experience in the solar energy industry.
New members Dale Burden, Sean Scott, and Eamonn McDonnell join existing business development agents Anika Sweetland and Peter Milner, in response to strong growth indications within the marketplace for commercial solar generation.
CEO John Davidson says, "We are seeing the beginnings of a major uptake in large-scale solar power for commercial businesses and government. Having now built a number of projects, we are ready to offer WA businesses owners and operators competitive, clean, electricity from dispersed generation."
Eamonn has a strong sales history within the solar industry, built over eight years of working within the solar power industry at a range of levels. Sean has built his sales experience over a range of industries, while completing multiple training certificates, including those in Communications and Retail Management, Computer Studies, and language tutoring. Dale completed his Bachelors of Engineering, with B Class Honours, at Murdoch University, with accreditations from the Clean Energy Council and ABSA. He holds rich sales experience in photovoltaic and renewable energies from multiple positions within the industry.
The skills of our new recruits complement EMC's strong engineering expertise, and will aid in the ongoing integration of technology and economy of solar power for the benefit of consumers.
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LINDE WILL BE THE EXCLUSIVE SUPPLIER OF HYDROGEN FOR THE SHELL EVENT
Shell is hosting its fifth annual Eco-marathon, where teams of students from various universities demonstrate the potential of hydrogen fuel cells in the transportation sector. Shell expects that 54 teams will compete in the event this year, showcasing their fuel cells and how these energy systems can be used in vehicles. Linde, a leading producer of chemical gases, will be the exclusive provider of hydrogen fuel for this year's event.
COMPANY CONTINUES TO PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE EXPANSION OF HYDROGEN FUEL
Linde has played a major role in promoting the use of hydrogen fuel over the past few years. The company has helped develop new fueling technology and has bolstered the hydrogen infrastructures of the United States, Europe, and Asia. The company has shown particular support for clean transportation, highlighting the benefits of hydrogen over more conventional forms of fuel. In the coming years, hydrogen fuel is expected to become quite prominent in the clean transportation space.
Hydrogen Cylinders To Be Provided To Students Competing In The Eco-marathon
Linde will be providing ready-to-install hydrogen fuel cylinders to teams competing in the Eco-marathon this year. These cylinders can provide the hydrogen that fuel cells need to generate electrical power. They serve as convenient hydrogen supplies, reducing the need for fuel cell vehicles to spend time filling dedicated fuel tanks. The cylinders will also provide students with a chance to gain experience with new technology and understand how fuel cells can make use of hydrogen in different ways.
Event Could Provide Students With Valuable Experience Concerning Fuel Cells And Clean Technology In General
Shell's Eco-marathon represents a promising educational opportunity. Hydrogen fuel cells are gaining more popularity throughout the world and may soon become a primary source of power for the auto industry and residential sectors. Students gaining experience with these energy systems could equip them with the skills they need to find jobs in the fuel cell industry. The Eco-marathon is also meant to draw attention to the potential capabilities of hydrogen fuel cells in the transportation space.
For more alternative energy news headlines today.
As a result of solar PV cost declines, rising utility rates, and supportive public policies and incentives, residential rooftop solar PV has become an affordable option for millions of customers, especially in America's 50 largest cities. This is especially true if customers have the ability to access low-cost financing options like longer-term loans, leases, and third-party power purchase agreements (PPAs) that eliminate the upfront cost. Thus, the availability of solar PV (and other ways to more efficiently use energy) has caused many customers to seek their own degree of personal "energy independence" by focusing on ways they can diversify their energy choices and exert greater control over their utility bills.
However, most of the customers who want a greater degree of personal energy independence (and the community leaders who wish to help them get there) often do not understand (or are simply unaware) of how solar PV technology can help them save money and reap the rewards of a largely risk-free long-term investment. Often, the lack of familiarity most customers have with solar PV has the effect of increasing the costs (often called "customer acquisition costs") that solar PV installers must incur to educate consumers and make a sale. When one considers that selling more PV systems is how solar installers can reduce their other costs and make their businesses leaner, more competitive, and cost-effective without incentives, educating customers and community leaders about the "dollars and cents" value of solar PV truly is paramount.
The NC Clean Energy Technology Center at NC State University, a partner in the U.S. Department of Energy's SunShot Solar Outreach Partnership (SolarOPs), has developed a series of tools to help do just that. This month, we released "Going Solar in America: Ranking Solar's Value to Consumers in America's Largest Cities". The report's analysis shows that the combination of rising utility rates, declining costs of solar, and the existence of supportive public policies and incentives make investing in solar PV a prudent and conservative long-term investment for people of all walks of life. We also crunched the numbers and ranked the best places within America's 50 largest cities for customers to invest in solar PV.
Using the most current solar pricing data available (generously provided by EnergySage, the leading online marketplace for solar), we designed a ranking system for determining the "dollars and cents" value of investing in solar in these 50 cities. The rankings themselves are based on three metrics: (1) first-year average monthly bill savings, (2) the overall present-day value of a long-term investment in solar (as compared to an investment in a stock with an average return), and (3) the average or "levelized" cost of energy from a rooftop solar energy system.
The top ten highest ranking cities overall are:
* New York, NY
* Boston, MA
* Albuquerque, NM
* San Jose, CA
* Las Vegas, NV
* Washington, DC
* Los Angeles, CA
* San Diego, CA
* Oakland, CA
* San Francisco, CA
The three metrics factoring into the rankings, examined individually, show:
1. CUSTOMERS WITH A TYPICALLY-SIZED 5 KW SYSTEM CAN REALIZE SAVINGS OVER 100/MONTH, DEPENDING ON HOW EFFICIENTLY THEY USE ENERGY, AND HOW MUCH OF THEIR ENERGY USE FROM THEIR UTILITY THEY CAN OFFSET WITH SOLAR PV.
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2. WHEN CUSTOMERS CHOOSE A LOW-COST FINANCING OPTION LIKE A LOAN (OR A LEASE), SOLAR PV CAN BE A BETTER INVESTMENT THAN THE S height: 720px;">
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3. FOR CUSTOMERS IN 42 OF AMERICA'S 50 LARGEST CITIES, A FINANCED SOLAR PV SYSTEM IS ALREADY AT GRID PARITY, AND A SYSTEM PURCHASED UPFRONT IS AT GRID PARITY IN 14 CITIES.
Nevertheless, the non-hardware soft costs of solar PV still constitute 64% of the price of a solar PV system, and must be reduced in order for solar PV to offer customers significant savings and investment value without supportive public policies and incentives. Over the next two years, while solar PV may face some policy and market uncertainty with the scheduled expiration of the Federal Residential Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit at the end of 2016, local governments can help lower the costs of solar PV by taking targeted actions to reduce soft costs, and allow an even greater portion of the American public to choose solar energy if they so desire.
Jim Kennerly is a Senior Policy Analyst, and Autumn Proudlove is a Policy Analyst at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. Their special thanks goes to all of their colleagues working on the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) project, whose knowledge of policies and incentives in their states made this project greatly benefitted this project.
For more information on how your city can expand its local solar market and save consumers money on their utility bills, please feel free to contact Autumn Proudlove (afproudl@ncsu.edu).
Nevertheless, the non-hardware soft costs of solar PV still constitute 64% of the price of a solar PV system, and must be reduced in order for solar PV to offer customers significant savings and investment value without supportive public policies and incentives. Over the next two years, while solar PV may face some policy and market uncertainty with the scheduled expiration of the Federal Residential Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit at the end of 2016, local governments can help lower the costs of solar PV by taking targeted actions to reduce soft costs, and allow an even greater portion of the American public to choose solar energy if they so desire.
"Jim Kennerly is a Senior Policy Analyst, and Autumn Proudlove is a Policy Analyst at the NC Clean Energy Technology Center. Their special thanks goes to all of their colleagues working on the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE) project, whose knowledge of policies and incentives in their states made this project greatly benefitted this project."
"For more information on how your city can expand its local solar market and save consumers money on their utility bills, please feel free to contact Autumn Proudlove (afproudl@ncsu.edu)."
"AUTUMN PROUDLOVE"
"Policy Analyst"
"NC Clean Energy Technology Center"
"NC State University"
The post What's the Financial Value of Solar for Residential Customers? (Part 1): Ranking America's 50 Largest Cities appeared first on EnergySage.
The Most Extensive Study Yet Of The UK's Wind Resource, Blows Away Many Myths About Wind Power.
The research, conducted by Oxford University's Environmental Change Institute for the DTI, analysed hourly wind speed records collected by the Met Office at 66 locations across the UK since 1970.
The key findings are:
o The UK has the best wind resource in Europe. The recorded capacity factor for onshore wind energy in the UK is 27%, greater even than in Germany (15%) and Denmark (20%) where wind farms are currently most widespread.
o Availability of wind power in the UK is greater at precisely the times that we need it - during peak daytime periods and during the winter.
o The UK wind resource is dependable. The likelihood of low wind speeds affecting 90% of the country would only occur for one hour every five years.
o The chance of wind turbines shutting down due to very high wind speeds is exceedingly rare - high winds affecting 40% or more of the UK would occur in around one hour every 10 years and never affect the whole country.
Graham Sinden, author of the report from the Environmental Change Institute research team said:
"The UK wind resource offers a reliable source of electricity that is not only low carbon, but reduces the UK's reliance on imported fuels.
"By examining such extensive wind records from throughout the UK, we can be very confident that the study identified both long term trends and the most extreme wind conditions the UK will experience."
Many anti-wind farm campaigners persist in saying wind turbines are useless, don't work when needed, and inefficient. This evidence will hopefully finish the argument once and for all (who am I kidding?!).
More: Wind Power and the UK Wind Resource from the Environmental Change Institute
Last week, I wrote that the Sierra Club endorsed John Carney. While it hasn't been formally announced, the Sierra Club has endorsed Chris Coons as well.
The process reveals plenty about the divide between the parties when it comes to the environment. Chris Coons and John Carney earned their endorsements, which are decided by national and local leaders of the organization. As a member of the Sierra Club Delaware Chapter's leadership (I'm vice chair of the executive committee), I proudly voted to support them. But I am profoundly disappointed that their opponents never even bothered to return a questionnaire, despite repeated phone calls and e-mails asking for a response. In fact the only Republican candidate to represent Delaware in Congress who did fill out a questionnaire was Mike Castle.
In short, when it comes to the environment, Christine O'Donnell and Glen Urquhart don't even want to talk about it. You may remember that they both blew off a long-scheduled forum sponsored by most of Delaware's environmental organizations.
This is in sharp contrast with our current congressional delegation, who have made themselves and their staff available to environmental leaders. If O'Donnell and Urquhart don't bother to respond to environmental leaders in the campaign, one can only assume that they would ignore environmental issues if they were elected.
With Christine O'Donnell and Glen Urquhart at the top of the ticket, the Republican Party of Delaware has abandoned its historical interest in the environment. Russ Peterson who was elected governor as a Republican, and served as an environmental advisor to Richard Nixon, switched parties in 1996. Former Congressman Tom Evans, who is now an preservation advocate in Florida, was among the Republicans who endorsed Chris Coons yesterday.
Urquhart today published an op-ed in the "News Journal" that repeated the conservative campaign of misinformation on the economics of renewable energy. He claimed (without citing sources) that climate action would cost families 1,769 a year, 2.3 million jobs, a doubling of utility rates and 7-a-gallon gasoline.
Urquhart sounds like the opponents of wind power who wildly inflated the costs and dismissed the benefits of the Bluewater Wind proposal. He also repeated the rather thin accusation that John Carney improperly tried to get government funding for an enterprise to build the towers for the Bluewater Wind project. I refuted the criticism here and here, and applauded Carney for trying to bring wind power jobs to Delaware.
In his op-ed, Urquhart cites dubious and unsourced statistics about the economic costs of renewable energy, but when presented with the opportunity to weigh in on a tangible business plan, he preferred to attack his opponent and ignored the prospect of real, blue collar jobs at stake.
And speaking of spurious statistics, there is this startling assertion from Christine O'Donnell two years ago:
But only 1 percent of the oil pollution in the sea is the result of oil drilling, while 63 percent is the result of natural seepage on the ocean floor. If Glen Urquhart and Christine O'Donnell wanted to, they could sit down and have a genuine conversation, and perhaps be put at ease about their misinformed objections to environmental protection. But they don't seem to even care, which is another reason why we should send Chris Coons and John Carney to Washington.
