USDA to Co-Host Paccific Northwest Wood-to-Biofuel Conference

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Eini Lowell, Research Forest Product Technologist, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, on March 31, 2014 at 2:00 PM

In conjunction with Washington State University Extension, USDA is co-hosting the Northwest Wood-Based Biofuels/Co-Products Conference in late April. The conference will be April 28-30, 2014 in Seattle, Wash.

The goal of the conference is to bring together the community of researchers, business leaders, government agencies, and economic development personnel to share and exchange research findings, ideas, and strategies for the common goal of sustainable development of wood-based bio-refineries for production of biofuels and co-products in the Pacific Northwest.

As Secretary Vilsack has noted, advanced biofuels are a key component of President Obama’s ‘all-of-the-above’ energy strategy to reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign oil and take control of America’s energy future.  Energy derived from woody biomass has enormous potential benefits for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, developing clean, home-grown energy, and providing economic opportunities for rural America. Markets for woody biomass can also bolster forest restoration activities on both public and private lands, improving the ecological health of our forests and reducing the impacts of global climate change.

For more information, contact Vikram Yadama at 509-335-6261 or email: vyadama@wsu.edu

GE Energy Expands Telecom Power Portfolio

27 March 2012

GE Energy Expands Telecom Power Portfolio

 

New GPS 4827 and GPS 2436 Enable Telecom, Wireless, Cable Broadband and Satellite Service Providers to Shrink Utility Bills and Reduce Cooling Requirements while Lowering Capital Expenditures

DALLAS — March 27, 2012 — GE Energy (NYSE: GE) is launching its new GPS 4827 and GPS 2436 telecom energy systems with power electronics energy efficiency approaching 97 percent and flexible equipment leasing options. Designed to accelerate energy efficiency upgrades across mid-size central offices, mobile switching centers, internet datacenters and other communications facilities, the new Galaxy Power System™ (GPS) DC power plants help carriers cost-effectively achieve their sustainability objectives through Total Efficiency™ technology. The new GPS systems are estimated to save more than a billion kilowatt hours annually by reducing power loss and cooling requirements 50 to 70 percent.

“GE Energy’s GPS DC power plant continues to lead the DC Energy Systems segment based on its reliability, output capacity, energy efficiency and ease of operation,” said Jeff Schnitzer, president of GE Energy’s Power Electronics business. “These new GPS DC power plants enable our customers to simplify the operations and maintenance of their installed base, while also lowering power and cooling expenses.”

Equipment leasing financial options available through GE Capital ensure communications providers can optimize their CAPEX budget while in many cases funding the monthly lease payment from the utility savings achieved by upgrading legacy DC power plants. A Cost of Power™ calculator demonstrates how Total Efficiency investments may deliver one to two year return on investment payback periods.

The GE Energy GPS 4827 provides up to 1800 Amps of 48Vdc output while the GPS 2436 provides up to 2400 Amps of 24Vdc power. The integrated, multi-cabinet configurations are managed by the user-friendly Galaxy Millennium^® II controller. The new GPS energy systems utilize the same Infinity TE series rectifiers used in other GE Energy cell site and outside plant cabinet products to simplify and lower the cost of deployment, operations, maintenance and spare parts.

Pricing and Availability
GE Energy Galaxy Power Systems are approved for deployment with contract pricing at AT&T, CenturyLink, Comcast, FairPoint, Frontier, Verizon and other service providers. Ready-to-ship configurations of the GPS power plants, with associated services and training, can be rapidly deployed within weeks. For more information please visit www.ge.com/powerelectronics or call 877-546-3243 or +1 972 244 WATT.

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.

GE Energy works connecting people and ideas everywhere to create advanced technologies for powering a cleaner, more productive world. With more than 100,000 employees in over 100 countries, our diverse portfolio of product and service solutions and deep industry expertise help our customers solve their challenges locally. We serve the energy sector with technologies in such areas as natural gas, oil, coal and nuclear energy; wind, solar, biogas and water processing; energy management; and grid modernization. We also offer integrated solutions to serve energy- and water-intensive industries such as mining, metals, marine, petrochemical, food & beverage and unconventional fuels.

Follow GE Energy on Twitter @GE_Energy.

Leaders of the Fuel Cell Pack

Strictly speaking, fuel cells may not be renewable energy, but they are still of interest.

Leaders of the Fuel Cell Pack

February 17, 2012 - 10:32am

Fuel cell forklifts like the one shown here are used by leading companies across the U.S. as part of their daily business operations. | Energy Department file photo.

Sunita Satyapal

Program Manager, Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Technology Program

What does the report show?

• The 34 companies profiled used more than 250 fuel cells totaling 30+ MW of stationary power -- enough to supply electricity for over 21,000 households.

What do WalMart, Coca-Cola, Sysco, and Whole Foods have in common?

They’re leading the pack when it comes to hydrogen and fuel cells.

The Energy Department’s "Business Case for Fuel Cells 2011" report illustrates how top American companies are using fuel cells in their business operations to advance their sustainability goals, save millions of dollars in electricity costs, and reduce carbon emissions by hundreds of thousands of metric tons per year.

The report profiles 34 companies and highlights how they incorporate fuel cell technologies into their business models. According to the report, in the last year, profiled companies used more than 250 fuel cells totaling 30+ MW of stationary power -- enough to supply electricity for over 21,000 households. In addition, companies in the report purchased or deployed more than 240 fuel cells at telecommunication sites and more than 1,030 fuel cell-powered lift trucks.

Walmart, Coca-Cola, Sysco, and Whole Foods are leading the pack:

·      Walmart -- 6.8 MW for CHP (17 stores) and 70+ forklifts
·      Coca-Cola -- 2.1 MW (4 locations) and 70+ forklifts
·      Sysco Corporation -- 600+ forklifts at several locations, one hundred more on order
·      Whole Foods Market -- 1.2 MW (4 stores) and 60+ forklifts

So how do these companies deploy fuel cell technologies in their daily operations? Many use fuel cells as a cost-saving alternative to power lift trucks in their warehouses and distribution centers. The Department’s analysis of fuel cell-powered lift trucks deployed via the Recovery Act concludes that fuel cells provide eight times lower refueling/recharging labor cost and two times lower net present value of total system cost compared to batteries.

In addition, Combined Heat and Power systems are another attractive application of fuel cell technologies. When fuel cells generate electricity they give off waste heat. In a combined heat and power system, the waste heat is captured for a wide variety of applications, including space heating and hot water.  

You can read more about how fuel cells are beneficially impacting these companies’ bottom line while further promoting the use of clean energy technologies by checking out the report.