IBM Press Release:

IBM and Green eMotion Partners Aim to Simplify Electric Vehicle Roaming

First B2B-Marketplace Demonstration to Simplify Charging for Consumers

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ARMONK, N.Y. and BOEBLINGEN, Germany - 19 Dec 2012: IBM (NYSE:IBM) today announced a project that will simplify electric vehicle (EV) charging and payment for consumers, regardless of their location. The operational demonstration, called the B2B Marketplace will allow energy providers, car manufacturers, and charging point owners to share and integrate services on one common IT platform. This will create a network of EV charging services that are compatible regionally in Europe. 

In an effort to increase electric vehicle adoption, the B2B Marketplace demonstration allows drivers to charge their vehicle and pay in any location across borders and geographies, regardless of their energy provider – an approach similar to international roaming for mobile phones. This project aims to allow cross network communication between multiple charging stations and various utility companies, in any territory. As a result, EV drivers can travel without the worry of being too far from an allocated charge post or one supported by their provider.

Utilities will also benefit, as the IT platform provides interoperable standards and payment support, reducing potential management issues with financial settlement and international conversion.

Part of the Green eMotion project, the initiative is funded by the European Union with the goal to establish a Europe-wide infrastructure for electric vehicles by 2015. This is part of the broader European Recovery Plan to reduce C02 emissions by 60 percent by the year 2050.

"This marketplace will pave the way for the electromobility mass market in Europe. It allows for open access to charging spots throughout Europe thus making the journey with an e-car simple and convenient," said Dr. Heike Barlag, Siemens AG, Project Coordinator Green eMotion.

Based on IBM software and IBM SmartCloud Enterprise, the project creates a scalable open-standards environment that enables manufacturers and service providers to link their various services according to consumer and industry requirements. Using analytic software, participants will also have the insight to develop new or improved services to support more electric vehicles as the market grows. Green eMotion partners such as Enel, SAP and Siemens developed the required EV services.

"Green eMotion is spearheading many key developments that have the potential to reinvent Europe's complex transportation system and energy infrastructure. For other countries around the world, there is a lot to be learned from this initiative," said Clay Luthy, IBMGlobal Distributed Energy Resource Leader. "Our goal is to help add a new layer of intelligence to the electric vehicle market and a new level of convenience to the driver through the Green eMotion project. We believe the demonstration project will foster innovation and further transformation across a larger geographical footprint."

IBM is one of 43 partners in Europe involved in the Green eMotion project, including energy providers, electric car manufacturers, as well as cities and research institutions, working to enable electromobility across Europe. Similar to the recently announced project with ESB Networks IBM is helping to improve power grid reliability, encourage EV adoption amongst consumers, and address the challenges of financial and billing settlement – by combining cloud and analytic capabilities.

The E-Mobility B2B Marketplace starts in various regions in Europe. For more details, visithttp://www.greenemotion-project.eu/home/index.php. 

IBM and Smart Grid

IBM is involved in more than 150 smart grid engagements around the world, in both mature and emerging markets. More about IBM's vision to bring a new level of intelligence to how the world works—how every person, business, organization, government, natural system, and man-made system interacts, can be found here: http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet

For more information about Smarter Energy at IBM, please visit:www.ibm.com/press/smarterenergy. Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

December 19, 2012

New Reports Chart Offshore Wind's Path Forward

As the United States prepares to enter the global offshore wind market, what opportunities and challenges lie ahead? The answer to this question, among many others, is explored in two new reports released December 12 by the Energy Department.

The reports—Offshore Wind Market and Economic Analysis and U.S. Offshore Wind Manufacturing and Supply Chain Development—provide detailed assessments of the economic and energy potential of our nation's nascent offshore wind industry. Part of the Department's national offshore wind strategy, these reports are among a suite of tools designed to assist offshore wind project developers and industry stakeholders. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog.

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

December 19, 2012

EPA Awards $675,000 to Students in Sustainable Tech Competition

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on December 4 awarded a total of $675,000 in grants to 45 college teams in its "People, Prosperity and the Planet" annual student design competition. Each grant, which awarded up to $15,000 per team, will be applied toward designing and developing sustainable technologies to help protect health and the environment while promoting economic development.

For example, a team from Southern Polytechnic State University in Georgia will work on increasing photovoltaic panel energy output by having solar cells track the sun. Another team from Johns Hopkins University will study the integration of waste treatment with algal cultivation for aquaculture and renewable biofuel production.

After eight months of work on their projects, the teams will bring their designs to Washington, D.C. to participate in EPA's National Sustainable Design Expo, scheduled for April 20-21, 2013. A panel of scientific experts will judge the projects, and winners receive an award and recommendation for a second phase grant of up to $90,000 to further develop their designs and prepare them for the marketplace. See theEPA press release.

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

December 19, 2012

Report: Record 3rd Quarter U.S. Residential PV Installations

Installation of residential photovoltaic (PV) systems reached record levels, with more than 118 megawatts (MW) installed in the third quarter of 2012, according to a report released on December 11 by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and GTM Research. The quarter marked the third-largest on record for the U.S. PV industry and raised the total installed capacity through the first three quarters of the year to 1,992 MW, surpassing 2011's annual total of 1,885 MW.

In the third quarter, the top-ranked states were California, Arizona, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Nevada. Commercial installations grew 24% in the third quarter over the second quarter in 2012, led by notable growth in California and Massachusetts. The cumulative U.S. solar capacity is now 5.9 gigawatts of PV, which converts sunlight directly to electricity, operating from more than 271,000 U.S. installations. See the SEIA press release.

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

December 19, 2012

Industry Interest Sought for North Carolina Offshore Wind Energy

The U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced on December 12 it is publishing a Call for Information and Nominations to gauge the offshore wind industry's interest in acquiring commercial wind leases in three areas offshore of North Carolina. It is also requesting comments regarding site conditions, resources, and other uses within the subject areas.

In consultation with the North Carolina Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force, BOEM identified three areas on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore of North Carolina where commercial wind energy leasing could take place, totaling 1,441 square nautical miles. One area is located six miles from Kitty Hawk, and two areas are located seven and 13 miles from southern Wilmington. Each of the three areas has been designated to attract commercial offshore wind development while also protecting sensitive habitats and resources and minimizing space use conflicts. The call and a Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment were published in the Federal Register on December 13, and BOEM will accept public comments for 45 days. See the BOEM press release and the call in the Federal Register.

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

December 19, 2012

Energy Department to Fund CSP Integration with Fossil Fuel Plants

The Energy Department on December 17 announced $20 million in new funding that will help integrate concentrating solar power (CSP) systems with fossil-fuel power plants. These hybrid systems leverage the infrastructure of fossil fuel plants, such as turbine and transmission systems, helping to reduce the cost of solar-generated electricity and bring CSP plants online quicker. Today, between 11 and 21 gigawatts of CSP could be built and integrated into existing fossil fuel plants in the United States, enough to power between three and six million homes.

The new funding strives to overcome near-term market and technological barriers for cost-effective CSP hybrid system implementation. Additionally, CSP hybrid technology may help enable further cost reductions in stand-alone CSP projects and spur innovations across the broader CSP supply chain. The projects selected for funding under this program will work to design, build, and test cost-competitive integrated CSP/fossil fuel power generating systems. The Energy Department seeks applications from industry, universities, and national laboratories. Awardees are required to provide 75% of the total project cost.

The Department's SunShot Initiative, a collaborative national effort to make solar energy cost-competitive with other forms of energy by the end of the decade, is sponsoring the offering. See the Energy Department Progress Alert and the funding opportunity announcement.

This is an excerpt from EERE Network News, a weekly electronic newsletter.

December 19, 2012

New Energy Department Funding to Reduce Cost of Drop-in Biofuels

The Energy Department on December 14 announced up to $12 million in new funding for projects that aim to drive down the cost of producing gasoline, diesel, and jet fuels from biomass. These advanced biofuels can be blended with conventional petroleum fuels for use in traditional cars, trucks, and airplanes—giving U.S. consumers and businesses more options and helping to diversify the nation's energy economy.

The announced funding will support up to five research and development projects that will boost biofuel yields from non-food-based lignocellulosic feedstocks such as agricultural residues, fast-growing poplar trees, and switch grass. These projects will help improve the carbon, hydrogen, and separation efficiencies in bio-oil production. Successful applicants will provide a research and development plan to produce a hydrocarbon fuel blendstock at $3/gallon or less (gasoline equivalent). This funding opportunity is open to universities, national laboratories, industrial entities, and nonprofit organizations. See the Energy Department Progress Alert and the full funding opportunity announcement.