Search This Blog

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Using Aluminum to Lighten Manufacturers’ Load

The following is an excerpt from an article in:


The New York Times
Sunday, September 30, 2012

Using Aluminum to Lighten Manufacturers’ Load

By NICOLE LaPORTE

SHIPPING pallets, those slatted platforms that fill warehouses, are intended to move heavy loads, not people.  

But innovations in their design and manufacture may play an important role in creating a fleet of more environmentally sustainable cars and trucks.

Taylor Hopkins, 24, was part of a five-student research team at Ohio State University that recently created three novel designs for shipping pallets. Ordinary pallets are made of wood; the students’ prototypes are made of aluminum, which lasts longer.

The aluminum pallets are also much lighter than wood pallets, which saves fuel during shipping.

“We were presented with the problem of, try and come up with a new pallet that we thought could make an impact environmentally,” Mr. Hopkins said. “We ended up going with aluminum just because it’s very widely used and it’s lightweight.”

Aluminum is also significantly more expensive than wood, which means that the students’ designs are unlikely to become the industry norm soon. But the technology behind them could be useful to carmakers, which have started to embrace aluminum as a means of building lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

“This project is such an interesting microcosm of the challenges that the transportation industry in total is facing, in moving from heavy steel to lightweight aluminum,” said Randall Scheps, automotive marketing director of Alcoa, and chairman of the aluminum transportation group at the Aluminum Association. Mr. Scheps said the student team looked at various methods of joining, or bonding, metals. It also looked at forming, or bending, metals, and at recycling. “These are all issues that the auto industry is facing,” he said.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

NREL study: Hybrid delivery vans show nearly 20 percent higher fuel economy

News release:


NREL study: Hybrid delivery vans show nearly 20 percent higher fuel economy
Friday, September 28, 2012
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)'s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently completed a performance evaluation report that showed significant fuel economy benefits of hybrid electric delivery vans compared to similar conventional vans.

"During the on-road portion of our study, the hybrid vans demonstrated a 13 to 20 percent higher fuel economy than the conventional vans," said NREL Project Engineer Michael Lammert. "During dynamometer testing, three standard drive cycles were chosen to represent the range of delivery routes. The hybrids showed a 13 to 36 percent improvement in fuel economy and up to a 45 percent improvement in ton-miles-per-gallon. This wide range in fuel economy is largely dependent on drive cycle."

The new NREL report -- Eighteen-Month Final Evaluation of UPS Second Generation Diesel Hybrid Electric Delivery Vans-- details the impact of hybridization on fuel economy and performance and identifies the conditions under which the hybrids offer maximum fuel savings.

The NREL team collected and analyzed in-service fuel economy, maintenance, and other vehicle performance data on 11 hybrid and 11 conventional step vans operated by the United Parcel Service (UPS) in Minneapolis. The team also performed dynamometer testing at the Renewable Fuels and Lubricants (ReFUEL) Research Laboratory in Denver.

"The reliability of the hybrids was slightly lower, 92.5 percent compared to 99.7 percent, in part due to troubleshooting and recalibration issues related to prototype components," Lammert added. "Differences in per-mile maintenance and operating costs were not statistically significant."

The hybrid vans feature hybrid propulsion systems: 44 kilowatt electric motors, lithium-ion batteries and regenerative braking that captures energy normally lost during braking to power the electric motor. The comparable conventional vans were approximately the same age and were operated in similar conditions out of the same facility. The two vehicle groups switched route assignments during the study period to provide a balanced review of the vans on the same route.

NREL has been working in partnership with UPS for five years to track and evaluate the performance of its hybrid vehicles. The first study, performed in 2008, focused on first-generation hybrid vans operated by UPS in Phoenix. In 2010, UPS deployed 200 second-generation hybrid vans to eight U.S. cities, including the 11 under study in Minneapolis. These second-generation hybrids feature more advanced control algorithms and an "engine off at idle" feature that automatically stops and restarts the engine at stoplights and during other short-stop conditions.

These evaluations are part of the Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity, which supports the Energy Department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Visit www.nrel.gov/vehiclesandfuels/fleettest to learn more about NREL's fleet test and evaluation projects.

NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

###

Friday, September 28, 2012

Southern Company acquires nation's largest DC tracking solar installation

Press release:


Southern Company acquires nation's largest DC tracking solar installation

Sep 28, 2012


ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern Company today announced its acquisition of the largest direct current solar tracking array of its kind.  The Spectrum Solar Facility – a 30-megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic installation in Clark County, Nev. – will have greater DC capacity than any tracking-based installation in the United States.  Tracking technology enables greater operating efficiency by optimally directing solar panels as the sun moves across the sky.

The plant is located on a 311-acre site and will be built, operated and maintained by SunEdison, a leading global provider of solar energy services and a subsidiary of MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE: WFR).

"Southern Company is committed to energy innovation and leads our industry in proprietary research and development," said Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Thomas A. Fanning. "This project pushes the boundaries of solar energy by harnessing the power of large-scale tracking technology."

The Spectrum Solar Facility is the third facility jointly acquired by Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy.  This partnership demonstrates a commitment to energy innovation and the commercial viability of renewable energy resources in America.

Ted Turner, an internationally renowned philanthropist and environmentalist, teamed with Southern Company in January 2010 to strategically develop renewable energy projects in the United States. Southern Company and Turner are concentrating their investments in large-scale solar photovoltaic projects where solar resources are most available. 

The partnership's first project was the acquisition and development of the 30-MW Cimarron Solar Facility near Raton, N.M. It was, at the time of purchase, the largest solar PV plant in the nation. In June 2012, the companies made their second purchase, the 20-MW Apex Solar Facility located in North Las Vegas, Nev.

"It's gratifying to see that our partnership with Southern Company is achieving its goal of expanding large-scale solar power generation and demonstrating the technology's feasibility as a commercial-scale electricity source," said Turner. "Southern Company is taking a leadership position in finding innovative solutions to diversifying the nation's energy portfolio with a greater mix of renewables, and we're pleased to be a partner in that effort."
SunEdison continues to play a major role in the expansion of clean, renewable solar energy.

"We are pleased to once again work with Southern Company and Turner Renewable Energy to provide high-quality solar power plants as they continue to build their renewable portfolio," said Carlos Domenech, President of SunEdison.  "Our development capabilities and execution track record have made us a trusted provider in the marketplace.  We look forward to continuing to provide visionary leaders like Southern Company with solar energy solutions that make economic sense."

Construction of the Spectrum Solar Project is expected to begin in October and commercial operation is anticipated by the second quarter of 2013.

The plant's output will serve a 25-year power purchase agreement with NV Energy, making the Spectrum Solar Facility a natural fit in Southern Company's overall business strategy and low-risk profile.

NV Energy, Inc., headquartered in Las Vegas, provides a wide range of energy services and products to approximately 2.4 million citizens of Nevada and nearly 40 million tourists annually.

SunEdison is a global provider of solar-energy services. The company develops, finances, installs and operates distributed power plants using proven photovoltaic technologies, delivering fully managed, and predictably priced solar energy services for its commercial, government and utility customers. In 2011 SunEdison interconnected approximately 300 megawatts of solar throughout the world. For more information about SunEdison, please visitwww.sunedison.com.

Turner Renewable Energy is wholly owned by Ted Turner. Turner Enterprises, Inc., a private company, manages the business interests, land holdings and investments of Ted Turner, including the oversight of 2 million acres in 12 states and in Argentina, and more than 55,000 bison.

With 4.4 million customers and more than 43,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast.  A leading U.S. producer of electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications.  Southern Company brands are known for excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices below the national average.  Southern Company also is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.

SOURCE Southern Company

DECC Review - Summer 2012

Received Sept. 28, 2012.

DECC Review - Summer 2012

DECC press notice: Phase III and aviation auctions date announced

Received Sept. 28,2012.

DECC press notice: Phase III and aviation auctions date announced

DECC Press Notice: Greg Barker leads low carbon trade delegation to East Africa

DECC Press Notice: Greg Barker leads low carbon trade delegation to East Africa

Thursday, September 27, 2012

GE’s EPA ENERGY STAR Certified UPS to Help Data Centers, Hospitals and Banks Deliver Critical Power Efficiently

Press release:

27 September 2012
GE’s EPA ENERGY STAR Certified UPS to Help Data Centers, Hospitals and Banks Deliver Critical Power Efficiently
 

  • SG Series Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) with eBoost Technology is First Three-Phase UPS to Receive Environmental Protection Agency’ (EPA) ENERGY STAR Certification
  • eBoost, GE’s Patented Multi-Mode Operation, Offers Users Energy Efficiency up to 99 Percent
  • Multi-Mode UPS Operation Receives Endorsement from The Green Grid and EPA to Improve Data Center and UPS Efficiency

ATLANTA—September 27, 2012—GE‘s (NYSE: GE) ecomagination™-qualified SG Series Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) with eBoostTMtechnology today received the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) ENERGY STARTM certification. The certification includes the SG Series 300-750 kVA modules and is the first three-phase UPS in the industry to receive this recognition. The SG Series UPS provides reliable back-up power to mission critical facilities like data centers, hospitals and financial institutions.

“Increased amounts of energy consumption in data centers have become an industry-wide issue,” said Riccardo Rutili, general manager UPS for GE’s Digital Energy business. “Today, data centers consume large amounts of energy to run their computers and servers, including critical back-up power equipment like UPS. Our SG Series UPS with eBoost technology helps customers improve their power usage effectiveness (PUE) while reducing their carbon footprint.”

GE’s eBoost software increases UPS operating efficiency from 92-94 percent in double conversion mode, up to 99 percent in multi-mode operation, and improves data center overall efficiency as measured by PUE. The multi-mode UPS operating mode (generically called “eco mode”) is becoming a recognized trend in the data center industry. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the EPA and The Green Grid recognize how important it is to implement new energy efficiency technologies like multi-mode UPS into today’s data centers.

“The need to improve data center and UPS efficiency continues to grow as data centers become larger with the expansion of digital media, wireless networks and cloud computing,” said Robert Meyers, data center product manager, ENERGY STAR. “The EPA recognized the need to promote improved product efficiency in data centers and has expanded the EPA ENERGY STAR program to include UPS products. We included UPS multi-mode operation in the program as an innovative strategy for increasing energy savings in UPS systems.”

Recently, The Green Grid also announced its support of multi-mode UPS operation by including the energy-efficient operating mode in its Data Center Maturity Model as a recommendation for improving data center efficiency.

GE’s Digital Energy business is a global leader in protection and control, communications, power sensing and power quality solutions. Its products and services increase the reliability of electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to ensuring secure wireless data transmission and providing uninterruptible power, GE’s Digital Energy business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer. For more information, visit http://www.gedigitalenergy.com.

About EPA ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the U.S. EPA and the U.S. DOE designed to save money and to protect the environment through energy-efficient products and practices.

About The Green Grid

The Green Grid is a non-profit, open industry consortium of end-users, policy-makers, technology providers, facility architects and utility companies collaborating to improve resource efficiency in information technology and data centers. With more than 175 member companies around the world, The Green Grid seeks to unite global industry efforts, create a common set of metrics and develop technical resources and educational tools to further its goals.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE’s Digital Energy business on Twitter @YourSmartGrid.

GE Signs MaxPower Corp. as a Channel Partner for Its Critical Power Product Sales and Distribution

Press release:

27 September 2012
GE Signs MaxPower Corp. as a Channel Partner for Its Critical Power Product Sales and Distribution
 

  • MaxPower Will Now Support and Resell GE’s Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) Systems and Surge Protection Devices (SPD)
  • Agreement Strengthens GE’s Reach to U.S. Customers

ATLANTA—September 27, 2012—Strengthening its reach in the United States, GE’s Digital Energy business (NYSE: GE) today announced that it has entered into a national distributor agreement with MaxPower Corporation of Denver, Colo. Under the terms of the agreement, MaxPower will stock and resell GE’s critical power products to U.S. customers. MaxPower actively sells to approximately 1,200 resellers for both power and IT infrastructure, which in turn sell to an end-user customer base.
The agreement will allow MaxPower to distribute GE’s UPS products and services and surge protection devices in the United States. MaxPower will be reselling GE’s single-phase and three-phase UPS systems.
“MaxPower is an industry-leading UPS master distributor, which we feel will help us grow into the IT/facilities user base of customers,” said Ray Prince, UPS segment leader, North America for GE’s Digital Energy business. “This agreement will allow us to reestablish reseller relationships and build new ones. MaxPower’s reputation is strong, making us confident that our U.S. customers will continue to receive the level of service and expertise on our proven technology and services for which GE is well known.”
MaxPower is the largest master distributor of UPS systems in North America. Focused on growing the business of its reseller partners, MaxPower enables them to be cost-efficient, flexible and responsive to the needs of their customers. A network of regional sales teams and centralized technical teams offer added support, while same-day shipping on available stock that includes a wide range of UPS products allows each reseller to have access to increased product availability. MaxPower’s power protection and critical infrastructure portfolio includes UPS systems, rack power distribution, modular data centers and portable cooling. For more information, visithttp://www.maxpowercorp.com.
GE’s Digital Energy business is a global leader in protection and control, communications, power sensing and power quality solutions. Its products and services increase the reliability of electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to ensuring secure wireless data transmission and providing uninterruptible power, GE’s Digital Energy business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer. For more information, visit www.gedigitalenergy.com
.About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.
Follow GE’s Digital Energy business on Twitter @YourSmartGrid.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

European Solar Group Seeks Wider China Trade Inquiry

The following is an excerpt from an article in:


The New York Times
Wednesday, September 26, 2012

European Solar Group Seeks Wider China Trade Inquiry

By JAMES KANTER

BRUSSELS — Solar manufacturers called on European Union regulators on Tuesday to expand an investigation in China because of concerns that it unfairly subsidizes its clean energy industry.

The complaint is the second by EU ProSun, a group of European solar equipment manufacturers.

Because of an earlier allegation by the group, the European Commission is already investigating whether Chinese manufacturers sold solar equipment for less than the cost of making it.

That so-called antidumping investigation is the biggest case of its kind in terms of value, covering imports from China worth 21 billion euros, or $27 billion.

In the new complaint, EU ProSun asked the commission to look into whether Chinese state banks and the central government offered support that was illegal under World Trade Organization rules.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

USDA Rural Development Energy Funds Help a Puerto Rican Paint Manufacturer run on 100 percent Solar Power

From the USDA Blog:

http://blogs.usda.gov/2012/09/25/usda-rural-development-energy-funds-help-a-puerto-rican-paint-manufacturer-run-on-100-percent-solar-power/#more-42657

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

NREL: News - NREL Produces Ethylene via Photosynthesis

NREL: News - NREL Produces Ethylene via Photosynthesis

EPA Honors Organizations for Supporting Green Power

Press release:


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASESeptember 24, 2012

EPA Honors Organizations for Supporting Green Power

WASHINGTON –
Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented its 12th annual Green Power Leadership Awards to 24 Green Power Partners and three suppliers for their achievements in advancing the nation’s renewable electricity market. For most municipalities, electricity usage is the single-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. By using green power, communities and businesses can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create local jobs, and improve public health.
“Our 2012 Green Power Leadership Award winners have not only demonstrated commendable civic leadership in their efforts to use renewable energy sources, they’ve also helped to reduce our carbon footprint and cut back on pollution – all while supporting America's growing renewable energy industry,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “Thanks to their commitment -- and the commitment of all of our Green Power Partners -- our country is one step closer to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.”

“Green power” is electricity generated from renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas and low-impact hydro, and produces no net increase of greenhouse gas emissions.
From purchasing 100-percent green power to installing large-scale solar panel arrays, the award winners help demonstrate that green power makes sense not only for Americans' health and environment but for business' bottom lines.

The 2012 Green Power Leadership Award winners are listed below in the following categories:


First-ever Sustained Excellence in Green Power: Intel Corporation, Kohl’s Department Stores, Staples, and Whole Foods Market
Green Power Partner of the Year: City of Austin, Texas; Hilton Worldwide; Microsoft Corporation; and the University of Oklahoma
Green Power Community of the Year: Beaverton, Ore. and Oak Park, Ill.
Green Power Purchasing:
American University; Bloomberg L.P.; City of Philadelphia, Pa.; Hobart and William Smith Colleges; Kettle Foods; Lockheed Martin; McDonald’s USA, LLC; MOM’s Organic Market; NYSE Euronext; Quinnipiac University; TD Bank; and The North Face
On-site Generation:
Coca-Cola Refreshments and Zotos International, Inc.
Green Power Supplier of the Year: Renewable Choice Energy and Sterling Planet
Innovative Green Power Program of the Year: Wellesley Municipal Light Plant
The 24 award-winning partners were chosen from more than 1,300 partner organizations. Utilities, renewable energy project developers and other green power suppliers were eligible to apply for the Supplier of the Year and Program of the Year awards.

EPA also announced the winners of the second annual Green Power Community Challenge, a national
competition between communities to use renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to the Green Power Community of the Year award, Oak Park, Ill. also won the community challenge for achieving the highest green power percentage of total electricity use at 92 percent. Washington, D.C. also won the challenge for a second year in a row for using the most green power annually with more than one billion kilowatt-hours (kWh).

EPA, through the Green Power Partnership, works with partner organizations,
over half of which are small businesses and nonprofit organizations, to reduce the environmental impacts of conventional electricity use. Partners are voluntarily using more than 23 billion kWh of green power annually. Through their use of green power, these organizations are avoiding carbon pollution equal to that created by the electricity use of more than two million average American homes each year.

More on the Green Power Leadership Awards: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards/winners.htmMore on the Green Power Community Challenge: www.epa.gov/greenpower/communities/gpcchallenge.htm
More on the Green Power Partnership:
www.epa.gov/greenpower

R165
 

Monday, September 24, 2012

Data Centers in Rural Washington State Gobble Power


The following is an excerpt from an article in:


The New York Times
Monday, September 24, 2012

Data Centers in Rural Washington State Gobble Power

By JAMES GLANZ

QUINCY, Wash. — Set in the dry hills and irrigated farmland of Central Washington, Grant County is known for its robust harvest of apples, potatoes, cherries and beans. But for Microsoft, a prime lure was the region’s other valuable resource: cheap electrical power.

The technology giant created a stir here in 2006 when it bought about 75 acres of bean fields to build a giant data center, a digital warehouse to support various Internet services. Its voracious appetite for electricity would be fed by hydroelectric generators that work off the flow of the nearby Columbia River, and Microsoft officials pledged to operate their new enterprise with a focus on energy efficiency and environmental sensitivity.

“You’re talking about one of the largest corporations,” said Tim Culbertson, who was the general manager of the local utility at the time. “You’re talking Microsoft and Bill Gates. Wow!”

But for some in Quincy, the gee-whiz factor of such a prominent high-tech neighbor wore off quickly. First, a citizens group initiated a legal challenge over pollution from some of nearly 40 giant diesel generators that Microsoft’s facility — near an elementary school — is allowed to use for backup power.

Then came a showdown late last year between the utility and Microsoft, whose hardball tactics shocked some local officials.

In an attempt to erase a $210,000 penalty the utility said the company owed for underestimating its power use, Microsoft proceeded to simply waste millions of watts of electricity, records show. Then it threatened to continue burning power in what it acknowledged was an “unnecessarily wasteful” way until the fine was substantially cut, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.

“For a company of that size and that nature, and with all the ‘green’ things they advertised to me, that was an insult,” said Randall Allred, a utility commissioner and local farmer.

A Microsoft spokeswoman said the episode was “a one-time event that was quickly resolved.”

Internet-based industries have honed a reputation for sleek, clean convenience based on the magic they deliver to screens everywhere. At the heart of every Internet enterprise are data centers, which have become more sprawling and ubiquitous as the amount of stored information explodes, sprouting in community after community.

But the Microsoft experience in Quincy shows that when these Internet factories come to town, they can feel a bit more like old-time manufacturing than modern magic.

In Santa Clara, Calif., a hub of technology facilities in Silicon Valley, diesel emissions from generators at a Microsoft data center caught the attention of regulators for potentially threatening the health of workers at nearby businesses. Microsoft, which was notified by state regulators last year, says it has reduced its emissions.

Over the last few years, Quincy has become an unlikely technology outpost, with five data centers and a sixth under construction. Far from the software meccas of Northern California or Seattle, Quincy has barely 6,900 residents, two hardware stores, two supermarkets, no movie theater and a main drag, State Route 28, whose largest buildings are mostly food packers and processors. Its tallest building is a grain elevator.

“A farming community in the middle of a desert,” said Warren Morgan, the president of Double Diamond Fruit.

The remarkable scale of the Quincy data centers, and their power demands, have made this town something of a test tube for studying the planet’s exploding need to house and process digital information.

The data centers, which include Yahoo and Dell facilities, wound up in Quincy by way of the Columbia. The river flows 1,200 miles from the mountains of British Columbia to the spectacular gorge between Oregon and Washington, where the water crashes into the Pacific Ocean.

Along the way, about a dozen large hydroelectric dams tame the river, providing irrigation for farms and the cheap, plentiful power that has become a magnet for large agricultural operations and heavy industries like aluminum, steel, paper and chemical plants.

When Microsoft was searching the country for a location for its new installation, the Grant County Public Utility District, which owns two of the dams, says it offered the company rates that would range from 2.5 cents to 3.8 cents per kilowatt-hour in its first five years — far below the national industrial average of 6 cents to 7 cents, according to analysis based on federal figures by the Electric Power Research Institute. The power from dams is also highly reliable, a critical factor for data centers, which can crash with the slightest interruption.

Beyond power, Washington State has awarded the industry lucrative tax breaks, ostensibly to promote growth in rural areas. Although the initial expectations that private fortunes would be made on land sales and housing developments were quickly dashed, Quincy’s revenue from property taxes, which data centers do pay, has risen from $815,250 in 2005 to a projected $3.6 million this year, paying for a library and repaved streets, among other benefits, according to Tim Snead, the city administrator.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Data Centers Waste Vast Amounts of Energy, Belying Industry Image

The following is an excerpt from an article in:


The New York Times
Sunday, September 23, 2012

Data Centers Waste Vast Amounts of Energy, Belying Industry Image

By JAMES GLANZ

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Jeff Rothschild’s machines at Facebook had a problem he knew he had to solve immediately. They were about to melt.

The company had been packing a 40-by-60-foot rental space here with racks of computer servers that were needed to store and process information from members’ accounts. The electricity pouring into the computers was overheating Ethernet sockets and other crucial components.

Thinking fast, Mr. Rothschild, the company’s engineering chief, took some employees on an expedition to buy every fan they could find — “We cleaned out all of the Walgreens in the area,” he said — to blast cool air at the equipment and prevent the Web site from going down.

That was in early 2006, when Facebook had a quaint 10 million or so users and the one main server site. Today, the information generated by nearly one billion people requires outsize versions of these facilities, called data centers, with rows and rows of servers spread over hundreds of thousands of square feet, and all with industrial cooling systems.

They are a mere fraction of the tens of thousands of data centers that now exist to support the overall explosion of digital information. Stupendous amounts of data are set in motion each day as, with an innocuous click or tap, people download movies on iTunes, check credit card balances on Visa’s Web site, send Yahoo e-mail with files attached, buy products on Amazon, post on Twitter or read newspapers online.

A yearlong examination by The New York Times has revealed that this foundation of the information industry is sharply at odds with its image of sleek efficiency and environmental friendliness.

Most data centers, by design, consume vast amounts of energy in an incongruously wasteful manner, interviews and documents show. Online companies typically run their facilities at maximum capacity around the clock, whatever the demand. As a result, data centers can waste 90 percent or more of the electricity they pull off the grid, The Times found.

To guard against a power failure, they further rely on banks of generators that emit diesel exhaust. The pollution from data centers has increasingly been cited by the authorities for violating clean air regulations, documents show. In Silicon Valley, many data centers appear on the state government’s Toxic Air Contaminant Inventory, a roster of the area’s top stationary diesel polluters.

Worldwide, the digital warehouses use about 30 billion watts of electricity, roughly equivalent to the output of 30 nuclear power plants, according to estimates industry experts compiled for The Times. Data centers in the United States account for one-quarter to one-third of that load, the estimates show.

“It’s staggering for most people, even people in the industry, to understand the numbers, the sheer size of these systems,” said Peter Gross, who helped design hundreds of data centers. “A single data center can take more power than a medium-size town.”

Energy efficiency varies widely from company to company. But at the request of The Times, the consulting firm McKinsey & Company analyzed energy use by data centers and found that, on average, they were using only 6 percent to 12 percent of the electricity powering their servers to perform computations. The rest was essentially used to keep servers idling and ready in case of a surge in activity that could slow or crash their operations.

A server is a sort of bulked-up desktop computer, minus a screen and keyboard, that contains chips to process data. The study sampled about 20,000 servers in about 70 large data centers spanning the commercial gamut: drug companies, military contractors, banks, media companies and government agencies.

“This is an industry dirty secret, and no one wants to be the first to say mea culpa,” said a senior industry executive who asked not to be identified to protect his company’s reputation. “If we were a manufacturing industry, we’d be out of business straightaway.”

These physical realities of data are far from the mythology of the Internet: where lives are lived in the “virtual” world and all manner of memory is stored in “the cloud.”

The inefficient use of power is largely driven by a symbiotic relationship between users who demand an instantaneous response to the click of a mouse and companies that put their business at risk if they fail to meet that expectation.

Even running electricity at full throttle has not been enough to satisfy the industry. In addition to generators, most large data centers contain banks of huge, spinning flywheels or thousands of lead-acid batteries — many of them similar to automobile batteries — to power the computers in case of a grid failure as brief as a few hundredths of a second, an interruption that could crash the servers.

“It’s a waste,” said Dennis P. Symanski, a senior researcher at the Electric Power Research Institute, a nonprofit industry group. “It’s too many insurance policies.”

At least a dozen major data centers have been cited for violations of air quality regulations in Virginia and Illinois alone, according to state records. Amazon was cited with more than 24 violations over a three-year period in Northern Virginia, including running some of its generators without a basic environmental permit.

A few companies say they are using extensively re-engineered software and cooling systems to decrease wasted power. Among them are Facebook and Google, which also have redesigned their hardware. Still, according to recent disclosures, Google’s data centers consume nearly 300 million watts and Facebook’s about 60 million watts.

Many of these solutions are readily available, but in a risk-averse industry, most companies have been reluctant to make wholesale change, according to industry experts.

Improving or even assessing the field is complicated by the secretive nature of an industry that is largely built around accessing other people’s personal data.

For security reasons, companies typically do not even reveal the locations of their data centers, which are housed in anonymous buildings and vigilantly protected. Companies also guard their technology for competitive reasons, said Michael Manos, a longtime industry executive. “All of those things play into each other to foster this closed, members-only kind of group,” he said.

That secrecy often extends to energy use. To further complicate any assessment, no single government agency has the authority to track the industry. In fact, the federal government was unable to determine how much energy its own data centers consume, according to officials involved in a survey completed last year.

The survey did discover that the number of federal data centers grew from 432 in 1998 to 2,094 in 2010.

To investigate the industry, The Times obtained thousands of pages of local, state and federal records, some through freedom of information laws, that are kept on industrial facilities that use large amounts of energy. Copies of permits for generators and information about their emissions were obtained from environmental agencies, which helped pinpoint some data center locations and details of their operations.

In addition to reviewing records from electrical utilities, The Times also visited data centers across the country and conducted hundreds of interviews with current and former employees and contractors.

Some analysts warn that as the amount of data and energy use continue to rise, companies that do not alter their practices could eventually face a shake-up in an industry that has been prone to major upheavals, including the bursting of the first Internet bubble in the late 1990s.

“It’s just not sustainable,” said Mark Bramfitt, a former utility executive who now consults for the power and information technology industries. “They’re going to hit a brick wall.”

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Tax Credit in Doubt, Wind Power Industry Is Withering

The following is an excerpt from an article in:


The New York Times
Friday, September 21, 2012

Tax Credit in Doubt, Wind Power Industry Is Withering

By DIANE CARDWELL

FAIRLESS HILLS, Pa. — Last month, Gamesa, a major maker of wind turbines, completed the first significant order of its latest innovation: a camper-size box that can capture the energy of slow winds, potentially opening new parts of the country to wind power.

But by the time the last of the devices, worth more than $1.25 million, was hitched to a rail car, Gamesa had furloughed 92 of the 115 workers who made them.

“We are all really sad,” said Miguel Orobiyi, 34, who worked as a mechanical assembler at the Gamesa plant for nearly five years. “I hope they call us back because they are really, really good jobs.”

Similar cuts are happening throughout the American wind sector, which includes hundreds of manufacturers, from multinationals that make giant windmills to smaller local manufacturers that supply specialty steel or bolts. In recent months, companies have announced almost 1,700 layoffs.

At its peak in 2008 and 2009, the industry employed about 85,000 people, according to the American Wind Energy Association, the industry’s principal trade group.

About 10,000 of those jobs have disappeared since, according to the association, as wind companies have been buffeted by weak demand for electricity, stiff competition from cheap natural gas and cheaper options from Asian competitors. Chinese manufacturers, who can often underprice goods because of generous state subsidies, have moved into the American market and have become an issue in the larger trade tensions between the countries. In July, the United States Commerce Department imposed tariffs on steel turbine towers from China after finding that manufacturers had been selling them for less than the cost of production.

And now, on top of the business challenges, the industry is facing a big political problem in Washington: the Dec. 31 expiration of a federal tax credit that makes wind power more competitive with other sources of electricity.

The tax break, which costs about $1 billion a year, has been periodically renewed by Congress with support from both parties. This year, however, it has become a wedge issue in the presidential contest. President Obama has traveled to wind-heavy swing states like Iowa to tout his support for the subsidy. Mitt Romney, the Republican nominee, has said he opposes the wind credit, and that has galvanized Republicans in Congress against it, perhaps dooming any extension or at least delaying it until after the election despite a last-ditch lobbying effort from proponents this week.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

GE’s New Smallworld™ Office Suite 4.3 Delivers Big Updates to Global Utility Customers

Press release:

19 September 2012
GE’s New Smallworld™ Office Suite 4.3 Delivers Big Updates to Global Utility Customers
 

  • Upgrades to GE’s Gas Distribution, Electric, Water and Global Transmission Office Products
  • Features Industry-Specific Functionality for Electric, Gas and Water Utility Companies
  • Integrates with GE’s PowerOn Classic, PowerOn Fusion, and Smallworld Core Technology Software

SAN DIEGO—September 19, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) announced the official release of Smallworld™ Office Suite 4.3, the latest version of its industry-leading, utility-specific geospatial application for managing complex network infrastructures. The updated software features innovations specifically designed to reduce cost, improve decision-making and demonstrate bottom-line benefits for global utility customers managing today’s expanding and evolving infrastructure.

GE’s Gas Distribution OfficeElectric OfficeWater Office and Global Transmission Office products are key components of the Smallworld Office Suite 4.3 and offer a variety of innovative features. The new Quality Manager feature provides robust data quality analysis and reporting, enabling customers to reduce data quality related costs. Improvements to the Upgrade Framework include a graphical user-interface-driven management tool for use with any Office Suite or custom application. In addition, updated risk management tools address needs and regulatory mandates experienced by many Office Suite customers.

“The new Smallworld Office Suite 4.3 demonstrates GE’s commitment to parallel our solutions with the evolving needs of our customers,” said Bryan Friehauf, product line leader—smart grid solutions for GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business. “The 4.3 Office Suite provides an off-the-shelf software solution that allows utilities to manage their costs and risks in large-scale utility projects.”

The full Smallworld Office Suite 4.3 portfolio provides industry-specific functionality. The features enable growth in both the technical capability and subject matter coverage for electric, gas and water utilities around the world. It offers industry-proven functionality available “out-of-the-box” for quick installation and implementation. It also integrates with other GE software products such as outage management solution PowerOn Classic™ and distribution management solution PowerOn Fusion™, to provide a full end-to-end solution for utility companies.

Included with Smallworld Office Suite 4.3 is the latest release of GE’sSmallworld Core Spatial Technology™. This offering focuses on the productive management of geospatial data. New features include automated conflict resolution extensions and a user interface transition to Smallworld Application Framework architecture and Smallworld Interface Framework Toolkit presentation layer—engaging interface development via the new Quality Manager and Upgrade Framework.

The new update will provide GE’s Smallworld Design Manager, a product often used by utility companies to automate the design of new assets. Additional upgrades to the software include easy-to-use design layout tools with CAD-based precision placement features and improved support for formation and costing of designs. Other key features include compatible units, macro assemblies, points and spans, usability improvements to the design summary, menus and user interface framework and an administrative application with streamlined new project and design.

“All the software is connected to our core Smallworld network, providing enhanced integration and functionality,” added Friehauf. “We are happy to announce these latest products are now available from GE.”

GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business is a global leader in protection and control, communications, power sensing and power quality solutions. Its products and services increase the reliability of electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to ensuring secure wireless data transmission and providing uninterruptible power, GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer. For more information, visithttp://www.gedigitalenergy.com.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business on Twitter@YourSmartGrid.

With Electric Cars Slow to Gain Ground, BMW Focuses on Efficiency

The following is an excerpt from an article in:


The New York Times
Wednesday, September 19, 2012

With Electric Cars Slow to Gain Ground, BMW Focuses on Efficiency

By JACK EWING

MAISACH, Germany — Despite all the hoopla at car shows over the last few years, it has become clear that electric cars will not appear on roads fast enough to save the planet. As a result, when the Paris auto show opens next week, the emphasis will be on improved varieties of internal combustion.

A case in point is BMW, one of the most visible champions of battery power, which in recent days has been hedging its bets and trying new ways to get more out of conventional gasoline and diesel motors.

Such technology is not as futuristic or glamorous as BMW’s i-Series cars, the first of which, a battery-powered city compact, will go on sale next year. But in the short term, executives of the carmaker contend, the most realistic way to cut fuel consumption is through innovations like a three-cylinder motor that it showed to reporters at briefings last week and on Tuesday.

For more, visit www.nytimes.com.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

GE Launches PowerOn™ Precision to Deliver Real-life Benefits of Managing the Demand and Supply of Power on the Electric Grid

Press release:

18 September 2012
GE Launches PowerOn™ Precision to Deliver Real-life Benefits of Managing the Demand and Supply of Power on the Electric Grid
 

SAN DIEGO—September 18, 2012—A current challenge utilities face—reducing the rise in peak demand along with its high costs—just became easier. Utilities will welcome GE’s (NYSE: GE) new PowerOnTM Precision demand optimization technology to help ensure a more energy-efficient, reliable grid with economic benefits to both energy providers and consumers.

PowerOn Precision is a demand response management system that allows GE utilities to manage peak demand and/or provide support for grid stability and operations. The new technology is a comprehensive solution that uses proven GE software and continuous-learning algorithms to deliver dynamic pricing incentives and direct load control capabilities to consumers. Designed with open standards and a modular architecture that increases the functionality, flexibility and ease of integrating future technologies into the system, this solution delivers real-life benefits of greater power reliability, a cleaner energy mix and consumer empowerment. Utilities can reduce operational costs while consumers can lower their electric bills as the smart grid becomes more efficient.

By empowering consumers, PowerOn Precision helps contribute to economic development and a greener use of energy. Residential, commercial and industrial consumers will be able to participate in rate programs to adjust their energy usage and make other consumption-changing moves. In many cases, they can qualify for energy discounts and bonuses that lower their electric bills without affecting their way of life. The result is a better balance of power demand with available power supply to meet peak-time loads. GE’s smarter solution optimizes the load while minimizing the impact on participating customers.

“Today’s energy challenges are making us re-think how we deliver energy,” said Mike Carlson, general manager−smart grid solutions for GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business. “Increased peak demands, growing grid constraints and power interruptions are costly to global businesses. The demand optimization technology that utilities can implement will enable more reliable, efficient and cleaner energy, spurring economic development and improving lifestyles.”

PowerOn Precision enables several forms of communication—from home energy portals and smart appliances to building management systems, electric vehicle charging stations and other energy management systems. The solution will help lower the peaks of energy demand that occur throughout each day and during energy-intensive events, such as heat waves, adjusting the most practical loads at the right time and locations.

As PowerOn Precision continues to be implemented across the U.S., Europe and other regions, GE’s technology will help utility partners better manage the demand side of business, enable consumers to make smarter energy decisions and power a more productive and sustainable energy future.

GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business is a global leader in protection and control, communications, power sensing and power quality solutions. Its products and services increase the reliability of electrical power networks and critical equipment for utility, industrial and large commercial customers. From protecting and optimizing assets such as generators, transmission lines and motors, to ensuring secure wireless data transmission and providing uninterruptible power, GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business delivers industry-leading technologies to solve the unique challenges of each customer. For more information, visithttp://www.gedigitalenergy.com.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business on Twitter@YourSmartGrid.

It is Watt Your Wall Has Been Waiting for

Press release from General Electric.  Not a report about renewable energy or energy efficiency, strictly speaking, but still of possible interest.

18 September 2012
It is Watt Your Wall Has Been Waiting for
 

GE Launches the Stylish, Smart and Simple Wattstation Wall Mounted Electric Vehicle Chargers in Europe

MUNICH, GERMANY —September 18, 2012 —GE (NYSE: GE) has launched the wall-mounted version of its WattStation electric vehicle (EV) charger in Europe.

Unveiled at GE’s Global Research Centre, located in the Technical University in Munich, Germany, the GE WattStation Wall might look like a work of modern art. But the stylish device makes owning and using electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles an easier and more attractive proposition. There is even an app for it.

The GE WattStation Wall is compatible with all the main types of European EV charging connections and is suitable for use in private and public locations. The compact unit can be easily installed indoors or outdoors, and its robust construction will resist rain, sleet and even ice. A flexible cord conveniently wraps around the unit to keep it organized and off the ground. To prevent unauthorised use, the WattStation Wall charger can be switched on and off from a separate switch.

The energy management capability of the WattStation Wall allows for several chargers to be connected to an existing power supply, enabling the easy installation of multiple charging points in parking lots and fleet depots. It also can be connected to existing energy management systems and is compatible with smart grid technology allowing users to take advantage of cheaper tariffs and to avoid unnecessary vehicle charging over peak demand periods.

The WattStation Wall is an appealing option when charging points are to be located in public areas or alongside distinctive architecture; the sleek design can be customized to match existing decors or to incorporate customers’ corporate or favourite colours.

Getting Connected
WattStation Network, a networked version of the charger, which will be available early in 2013, will work with the WattStation Connect online service. It will meet the needs of car park operators, fleet managers and municipalities that require greater control of energy usage or the smart functionality necessary to collect payments and monitor usage.

User identification and online payment options will allow chargers to be made available to all EV drivers or restricted to authorised users only. Fleet managers also will be able to rebill users.

A WattStation smart phone app enables users to manage vehicle charging remotely and to obtain energy use information. The smart technology has been designed to accept future upgrades.

Charles Elazar, marketing director with GE Energy Management’s Industrial Solutions business in Europe, Middle East and Africa says: “Customers are now looking at electric vehicles from an economic rather than an environmental perspective. The new wave of hybrid vehicles is creating interest, and we also are seeing a niche develop with organisations purchasing complete ‘EV eco-systems,’ packages of vehicles and charging infrastructure to meet specific transport needs.”

The GE WattStation Wall meets these customers’ needs with its combination of smart functionality and “plug-and-play” simplicity.

Along with a range of chargers that includes the GE DuraStation, WattStation Wall and WattStation Connect, GE provides the full range of electrical systems and smart grid technology necessary to develop and manage a complete electric vehicle infrastructure. Through its Capital and Fleet Services businesses, GE also is able to provide the financing, vehicles and fleet management knowhow to support the widespread adoption of EV technology.

GE is a keen supporter of EVs. In 2010, the company announced plans to purchase 25,000 electric vehicles by 2015 for use as company cars and to lease to corporate customers through its Fleet Services business. At the time GE's Chief Executive Officer Jeff Immelt said he hoped the purchase would "move electric vehicles from anticipation to action.”

More information about the GE WattStation Wall is available at:www.gepowercontrols.com/ev.

For trade sales enquires contact Joerg Platzer at GE Energyjoerg.platzer@ge.com.

Notes
  1. The GE WattStation Wall measures 60 cm tall by 40 cm wide and 15 cm deep.
  2. The Watt Station Wall is supports type 1 plugs; type 2 plugs, type 2 sockets and type 3 sockets, the most commonly used EV charging connections in Europe, USA and Japan.
  3. GE WattStation Wall complies with IEC 62196-1 and IEC 62196-2 standards.
About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE’s Industrial Solutions business on Twitter @GEindustrial.

Elster to Offer Advanced Smart Grid Solutions Using Cisco Technology


PRESS RELEASE

Elster to Offer Advanced Smart Grid Solutions Using Cisco Technology

Cisco's Connected Grid Endpoint reference design SDK to be used with Elster's EnergyAxis® System

SAN JOSE, CA and RALEIGH, NC – Sep. 18, 2012 – Cisco and Elster announced today that Elster will offer smart grid solutions for field area networks using Cisco's technology. The solutions will integrate the Cisco Connected Grid Endpoint reference design with Elster's EnergyAxis System, and will showcase the power and flexibility of Elster's Universal technology while demonstrating support for Cisco's expertise in standards-based and interoperable communication solutions.
Through this integration of communication functions into advanced meters, utility customers will be provided with an even more flexible, secure, and economical Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) communications infrastructure. The combined solution will integrate the Elster EnergyAxis architecture within the Cisco IPv6 RF Mesh reference design.
Cisco has developed a complete suite of communications solutions for the smart grid. These include the Connected Grid Endpoint reference design as well as a full suite of switching, routing, network management and security products for the Field Area Network, Transmission & Substations, and Grid Operations. Plus Connected Grid Services to architect and optimize Smart Grid communications systems.
In addition to providing a comprehensive suite of AMI capabilities, Elster's EnergyAxis architecture enables smart meters to act as sensors for Distribution Automation and Asset Management applications such as Outage Notification, Voltage Monitoring, Asset Monitoring, and Loss Detection.  These advanced solutions enable utilities to extract even more value from their AMI investments. Elster is licensing the Cisco Connected Grid Endpoint reference design and software development kit (SDK).The addition of the Connected Grid Endpoint reference design further expands the EnergyAxis System interoperability and standards-based optimization.
With its innovative Software-Defined Radio and advanced software based metrology, Elster's REXUniversal meter platform offers utilities the flexibility to deploy this device with the Cisco GridBlocksTM Solution Architecture, the Landis+Gyr GridStreamTM architecture (previously announced), as well as the Elster EnergyAxis Architecture.
Elster intends to develop EnergyAxis communications firmware that will operate within Cisco's 1000 Series Connected Grid Routers, and leverage application programming interfaces from the Cisco Connected Grid Network Management System.
"Cisco is committed to supporting our customers' need for interoperable vendor solutions," said Lionel Chocron, Vice President, Connected Energy Networks at Cisco. "By licensing the reference design to industry leaders such as Elster, we are enabling utilities to combine AMI communications over a common, reliable and secure communications infrastructure."
"As a Smart Grid solutions industry leader, Elster is committed to true interoperability and innovation," said Ed Myszka, President of Elster Solutions. "This announcement builds on Elster's track record of collaboration and integration to deliver the next generation of interoperability needed by utilities as they deploy Smart Grid solutions."
About Cisco
Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking, is helping the energy industry modernize the electrical grid from generation to distribution to consumption - with highly secure, reliable and scalable communications solutions. The Cisco Connected Grid solutions include: Transmission and Substation, Field Area Network, Grid Security, Data Center and Grid Operations. To learn more, please visit www.cisco.com/go/utilities.
About Elster
Elster is one of the world's largest electricity, gas and water measurement and control providers. Its offerings include distribution monitoring and control, advanced smart metering, demand response, networking and software solutions, and numerous related communications and services – key components for enabling consumer choice, operational efficiency and conservation. Its products and solutions are widely used by utilities in the traditional and emerging Smart Grid markets. 
Elster has one of the most extensive installed revenue measurement bases in the world, with more than 200 million metering devices deployed over the course of the last 10 years. It sells its products and services in more than 130 countries across electricity, gas, water and multi-utility applications for residential, commercial and industrial, and transmission and distribution applications.
For more information about Elster, please visit www.elster.com.
###

Monday, September 17, 2012

NREL's Industry Growth Forum Attracts Clean Energy Investors 25th Forum to Feature 30 Clean Energy Companies

News release:


NREL's Industry Growth Forum Attracts Clean Energy Investors

25th Forum to Feature 30 Clean Energy Companies

Monday, September 17, 2012

Thirty clean energy companies will present their business cases to a panel of investors and industry experts in Denver Oct. 23-24 as the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) hosts the 25th NREL Industry Growth Forum.
The 30 companies were selected through an application and review process and will compete for the 2012 NREL Clean Energy Venture Awards. NREL's Industry Growth Forum is one of the nation's premier clean energy investment forums. NREL's unique approach and interactive format make the forum a must-attend event for the clean energy business and investment community. Since 2003, presenting companies have raised more than $4 billion in investment.
 
In addition to the business case presentations, NREL's two-day forum will highlight clean energy technology and business developments with a comprehensive agenda of speakers and panels that will address the most important topics in the industry today.
 
"It's critical for us to create opportunities that connect the key players in the clean energy startup community"said Richard Adams, director of NREL's Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, which organizes the forum. "We are bringing entrepreneurs directly together with financiers, policymakers and technology experts. By doing this we are laying the foundation for future conversations, partnerships and eventual business decisions that will strengthen the industry as a whole."
 
For more information, including the agenda, list of companies, list of sponsors and registration information see the 25th NREL Industry Growth Forum website at http://www.industrygrowthforum.org.
           
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
 
###

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Is the Solar Dream Still Alive?

Charles Yonts, Head of Sustainable Research, CLSA discusses the demand for solar energy and the role of alternative energy post the Fukushima disaster.
Video from CNBC (6:39).

Is the Solar Dream Still Alive?

Thursday, September 6, 2012

GE Introduces a New Level of Intelligence for Overhead Electric Distribution Networks

Press release:

06 September 2012
GE Introduces a New Level of Intelligence for Overhead Electric Distribution Networks
 

  • A Simple-to-Install, Cost-Effective, End-to-End Solution that Enables a Utility to Improve the Reliability and Maximize the Efficiency of Its Existing Distribution Networks
  • Delivers Accurate, Time-Synchronized Data from the Network to Mobilizes Repair Crews to Restore Power more Quickly
  • Identifies Maximum Network Capacity that Can be Utilized on Existing Subtransmission and Distribution Networks

MARKHAM, ONTARIO—September 6, 2012—GE Energy Management (NYSE: GE) announces the release of its Multilin™ Intelligent Line Monitoring System, an end-to-end overhead line monitoring solution with advanced analytics that provide actionable intelligence to distribution utilities for improving the reliability and efficiency of their networks. GE’s innovative solution enables utilities to maximize network throughput, reduce outage duration through accurate determination of fault location and optimize maintenance activities on assets when needed.

“With increasing demands on the distribution network and the emergence of distributed generation technologies and electric vehicles, increasing the information available in an economical manner is the key to enabling greater improvements in distribution reliability and efficiency,” said Juan Macias, general manager—Grid Automation for GE Energy Management’s Digital Energy business.

Installing GE’s Intelligent Line Monitoring System helps utilities solve multiple key challenges. This solution reduces network downtime by providing utilities with visibility of faulted and soon-to-be faulted circuits. The solution’s advanced analytics allow utilities to dispatch crews effectively to address network disturbances. In addition, the system also dynamically rates the feeders to allow for maximization of throughput while helping ensure safety due to increased sag conditions.

“An intelligent line monitoring system gives you a reliable starting point for locating and sectionalizing faults. This improves supply continuity and enhances public safety by precise dispatching of the fault response crew,” says Martin Hand, operations policy and safety engineer, ESB Networks, Ireland.

For more information on GE Energy Management’s full Distribution Automation portfolio please visit:
http://gedigitalenergy.com/IndSolutions/ind_distAutomation.htm.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE’s Digital Energy business on Twitter @YourSmartGrid.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

GE to Provide Cleaner, Efficient Power for China’s Zhejiang Province

Press release:

04 September 2012
GE to Provide Cleaner, Efficient Power for China’s Zhejiang Province
 

  • 6FA Technology Selected for Three Distributed Energy Projects
  • GE to Provide Approximately 575 Additional Megawatts of Power
  • High Cogeneration Efficiency, Low Emissions Plants to Replace Older Coal Units

BEIJING, CHINA—September 4, 2012—GE (NYSE: GE) will supply five Frame 6FA gas turbine-generators for three power plants in China’s Zhejiang Province that will help to meet the province’s strong power needs. Designed for high efficiency and low emissions, all three projects support the provincial government’s initiative to develop gas turbine cogeneration plants to replace less efficient coal-fired boilers in order to reduce environmental impact and increase energy efficiency in the region.

GE will provide two 6FA gas turbine-generators to Harbin Electric Corporation, the main equipment contractor for a combined-cycle power plant in Jiangshan county owned by Datang International Power Generation, Ltd. The plant will be a key energy supplier for the Jiangshan area. GE also will supply similar equipment for a facility in Quzhou city owned by Quzhou Puxing, a subsidiary of Wanxiang Group, which will supply power for the Quzhou Kecheng economic development zone. Each of these plants will produce up to 230 megawatts of power with a thermal efficiency of 53.5 percent in combined-cycle operation and up to approximately 80 percent in cogeneration mode. A typical coal-fired plant of similar size operates at efficiency levels around 30 percent.

In addition, GE will provide one 6FA gas turbine-generator for a power plant near Huzhou city owned by Amber Energy Co. Ltd. That plant, a key energy supplier for the Anji economic development zone, will have an output capacity of 115 megawatts.

When they enter commercial operation in December 2012, the three new plants will produce a total of approximately 575 megawatts of power in Zhejiang province, alleviating this year’s power shortage of approximately 7000 megawatts and securing the process heating supply for related industries in the area. Natural gas from China’s landmark West-to-East Pipeline II will be the primary fuel for each plant.

“Each project will meet the electricity and heating demands of the surrounding industrial areas and residential districts with limited environmental impact, compared with older technology plants,” said Walter Wang, GM, thermal enterprise commercial for GE Power & Water. “With their midrange output, high efficiency, high exhaust energy for steam production and low emissions, our 6FA gas turbines are an excellent match for distributed energy applications such as these.”

In a distributed energy project, electricity and heat are generated on-site, at or near the point of use. This is a highly reliable source of energy and eliminates the cost and the risk associated with distributing power from a centralized power plant over long distances.

The 6FA gas turbine is a mid-sized version of GE’s widely used 7FA and 9FA gas turbines. Designed for 50 or 60 hertz grids, the gear-driven 6FA gas turbine addresses mid-sized power block needs with high performance. Its output range, high exhaust energy, full packaging and robust design make the 6FA well suited for a wide range of distributed energy applications, including industrial cogeneration and district heating. More than 140 6FA gas turbines have been sold worldwide. The 6FA is ecomagination- qualified.Ecomagination is GE’s commitment to providing innovative solutions that maximize resources, drive efficiencies and help make the world work better.

About GE
GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and curing the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Follow GE Power & Water and ecomagination on Twitter @GE_PowerWaterand @ecomagination.