California’s Clean Energy Pioneers Come in Black and White

From the #USDA:

Posted by Sam Rikkers, Administrator, Rural Business-Cooperative Service, on May 27, 2016 at 12:00 PM

New recruits in the battle against climate change.

California has a pioneering spirit. Rural folks there have been on the frontier for generations. That frontier may have been gold mines and cattle grasslands in the past, but today that frontier is the very air, soil and water of California itself. Climate change is transforming California like it’s transforming our globe. But Californians are leading the pioneer charge to transform, with pragmatism, ingenuity and a commitment to rural communities.

Just recently, I visited a small dairy farm in Elk Grove, California, the site of an anaerobic digester. Case Van Steyn’s operation of around 700 cows produces manure, and the Maas Energy digester, secluded in an unobtrusive red shipping container, uses the manure to produce methane. That methane creates enough electricity to power 125 homes—and enough to sell electricity back to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District, or SMUD.

SMUD unveiled the Van Steyn anaerobic digester project last Thursday as its newest dairy-fueled renewable energy plant, financed in part by USDA’s Renewable Energy for America Program. Van Steyn works the cows and Maas Energy works the digester. It’s a new model, where every player does what they do best, and it may mean many more digesters will crop up in the future.

For the sake of California and our nation’s struggle with climate change, I hope we see a lot more successes just like the Van Steyns’. Dairies are a backbone of California agriculture; milk and cream products are the second largest agricultural export and represented over $9.4 billion in production value in 2014. Turning dairies into clean energy plants positions them in a new, more sustainable niche—one that supports California families and one that is better for the state’s air, the water, and the soil. With a digester, local dairies can produce milk for the world and clean energy for their own communities.

“Dairying isn’t farming,” said Van Steyn when I visited him. “Dairying is a way of life. If you don’t want to wake up at two in the morning on a Sunday to pull a calf, then this isn’t for you.”

Van Steyn’s commitment shows in the dairy itself, from the hand-built dairy sheds to the bright red digester. He inherited the land, the buildings, the cows, and the way of life from his parents, who bought the dairy in the 1970s. Now his son works with him to run the farm today.

Digesting on the dairy is certainly a new way of doing business. But the high-tech system helps Van Steyn to manage the manure and makes money, too. He calls it a win-win. And he says he couldn’t have done it without help from the USDA.

Dairyman Case Van Steyn, Nathan Nisly of Maas Energy, and RBS Administrator Sam Rikkers.

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Tags: anaerobic digester, California, cattle, Climate Change, dairy, Energy, Farmers, RD, REAP, Renewable Energy

Department of Justice

U.S. Attorney’s Office

District of Nevada

---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, May 5, 2016

California Man Pleads Guilty In Biofuels Stock Fraud Scheme

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – A southern California man has pleaded guilty to defrauding 157 persons of over $4 million from 2009 through 2011 by selling them worthless, unregistered stock in a number of purported biofuels development businesses, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Bogden for the District of Nevada.

Gilbert R. Rousseau, 57, of North Hollywood, Calif., pleaded guilty on May 4, 2016, to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and agreed to pay restitution of approximately $4.4 million.  Rousseau is released on a personal recognizance bond pending sentencing, and faces up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

According to the plea agreement, from January 2009 to February 2012, Rousseau and five conspirators defrauded the victims, many of whom were elderly, by selling them worthless, unregistered securities in the form of stock and stock purchase warrants in four Nevada limited liability companies. The companies, Go Green Home Stores, U.S. Biofuels, Vista Biofuels, and G-Tec Biofuels, were not established or operated to sell goods or services, but were actually fronts for the fraud scheme. Rousseau and the conspirators also created and used two other Nevada companies, G.G.H. Marketing and A.G.M. Marketing Group, to market the worthless securities.  Rousseau and the conspirators set up and operated websites for the companies that contained material misrepresentations and false promises to make them look legitimate and designed to get the victims to part with their money. The victims were solicited throughout the United States by telephone from call rooms operated by conspirators in California and Las Vegas. Some of the companies used Las Vegas addresses to receive funds from the victims.

The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Cowhig.

This prosecution is part of efforts underway by President Barack Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.  President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes.  The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources.  The task force is working to improve efforts across the federal executive branch, and with state and local partners, to investigate and prosecute significant financial crimes, ensure just and effective punishment for those who perpetrate financial crimes, combat discrimination in the lending and financial markets and recover proceeds for victims of financial crimes.  For more information about the task force visit: www.stopfraud.com[external link].

The kitchen's never been so smart (or so expensive)

From #NREL:

Energy Department Selects NREL Scientist for Exclusive Award

MAY 05, 2016

Scientist Adele Tamboli of the Energy Department's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been awarded additional funding as part of a select group of scientists in the early stage of their careers.

The recognition comes from the DOE's Office of Science, which chose 49 scientists to receive significant funding for research as part of DOE's Early Career Research Program. Of the 49 scientists, 22 work at DOE national laboratories and 27 are with U.S. universities. The selectees for fiscal year 2016 were chosen based on peer review of about 720 proposals.

"I'm very excited to have been selected for this award, and am looking forward to getting started on the work," said Tamboli, who joined NREL in January 2014. She is also a Research Assistant Professor at the Colorado School of Mines. "I am also incredibly grateful to my colleagues, and especially the students, who have contributed to preliminary experiments and developing the concepts that led to this award. I look forward to continuing these fruitful collaborations as the project progresses."

Tamboli is part of NREL's High Efficiency Crystalline PV research group, and her work focuses on photovoltaic materials and devices. The research she proposed for the Early Career Research Program centers on developing a new class of III-V analog phosphide and nitride materials, which may have applications in extremely efficient but inexpensive photovoltaics as well as into platforms for improved lasers and optical computing. Two examples of these materials, ZnSiP₂ and ZnSnN₂, have been the subject of preliminary research by Tamboli and colleagues, and already proven to be promising materials for photovoltaic applications.

"The research we're doing at NREL has so many positive implications for the future," NREL Director Martin Keller said. "It's exciting and encouraging to see one of our researchers being selected for additional funding and support from the Energy Department."

Under the program, researchers based at the national laboratories will receive $500,000 a year to cover salary plus research expenses. The research grants are planned for five years. University-based researchers will receive at least $150,000 per year to cover summer salary and research expenses.

"We invest in promising young researchers early in their careers to support lifelong discovery science to fuel the nation's innovation system," DOE Office of Science Director Cherry Murray said. "We are proud of the accomplishments these young scientists already have made, and look forward to following their achievements in years to come."

To be eligible for the award, a researcher must be a full-time employee at an Energy Department national laboratory, or an untenured, tenure-track assistant or associate professor at a U.S. college or university, who received a Ph.D. within the past 10 years.

Tamboli earned her B.S. from Harvey Mudd Collge in 2004, her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2009, and was a postdoc at California Institute of Technology from 2009-2011.

Research topics are required to fall within one of the Office of Science's six major program offices:

• Advanced Scientific Computing Research
• Basic Energy Sciences
• Biological and Environmental Research
• Fusion Energy Sciences
• High Energy Physics
• Nuclear Physics

A list of the 49 awardees, their institutions, and titles of research projects is available on the Early Career Research Program website.

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 the Energy Department by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

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From #NREL:

NREL Scientists and Engineers Recognized for Top Innovations as Lab Celebrates another Record-Breaking Year of Inventions

MAY 03, 2016

Today during its annual Innovation and Technology Transfer Awards ceremony, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recognized researchers and staff for 169 new innovations, a record-breaking number of scientific and engineering inventions in fiscal year 2015 (FY15). This is a 33 percent increase from last year.

The annual event acknowledges NREL's innovation and partnering successes and honors the scientists and engineers behind them, including this year's Distinguished Innovator David S. Ginley and Rising Stars Cory Kreutzer, Derek Vardon, and Jason Woods. The laboratory also recognized precision-engineered products manufacturer SPX Heat Transfer LLC for its commercialization successes. 

In opening remarks before the awards presentation, Dr. David Danielson, Assistant Secretary for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) recognized NREL's most innovative and impactful work this year leading to the commercialization of clean energy technologies.

"NREL continues to be a global epicenter for game-changing clean energy innovation. Our world-class researchers at NREL have once again set a new annual record for the number of new inventions, and I am so proud of the whole team for taking their innovation game to a whole new level over the past year," Danielson said. "The researchers being honored today truly embody the spirit of EERE's National Lab Impact Initiative - under which we are laser-focused on expanding the industrial impact of the work at DOE's National Labs."

Danielson joined Molly Kocialski, director of the Rocky Mountain United States Patent and Trademark Office, who noted the connection between her office's mission of promoting, fostering, and protecting American innovation in the global marketplace and NREL's mission of developing renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and practices, advancing science and engineering, and providing knowledge and innovations to integrate energy systems.

"As this event demonstrates, NREL continues to be a powerhouse of science and engineering innovation," Kocialski said. "The inventors recognized today exemplify the opportunities of moving intellectual property from the laboratory into the marketplace." 

Ginley Named Distinguished Innovator

During his nearly 25 years at NREL, David S. Ginley has contributed 20 issued patents-plus 15 additional patents prior to coming to NREL, more than 360 publications, and is credited with establishing 22 partnerships between the lab and private industry. His work is primarily focused on developing new atmospheric processing approaches to photovoltaics; his current activities are in areas of the general class of defective transition metal oxides. Another focus of his work includes the development of new nano-materials for organic electronics and biofilters. Ginley also was instrumental in the establishment of the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States to develop revolutionary solar electricity technologies without borders.

New Awards for Research Publication Impact

To help expand the recognition of NREL's science and engineering staff, two new awards were added this year: The Highest Impact Publication Award, based on the publications field-weighted citation index, and the Director's Publication Award. This year's awardees are:

• Highest Impact Publication Award - for Yixin Zhao and Kai Zhu's article in the Journal of Physical Chemistry, "CH3NH3Cl-assisted one-step solution growth of CH 3NH3PbI3: Structure, charge-carrier dynamics, and photovoltaic properties of perovskite solar cells"

• Director's Publication Award - for Katherine Brown and Paul King's article recently published inScience, "Light-driven dinitrogen reduction catalyzed by a CdS:Nitrogenase MoFe protein biohybrid."

Kreutzer, Vardon, and Woods Named Rising Stars

Rising Star awards recognize employees with fewer than six years of service at NREL and who have demonstrated increasing engagement with the laboratory's commercialization and technology transfer process. The three winners for FY15 are Cory Kreutzer, Derek Vardon, and Jason Woods.

• Kreutzer's research focuses on the design and implementation of vehicle technologies to reduce thermal loads in plug-in hybrids and heavy-duty trucks, focusing on heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems, computer-aided engineering human comfort and sensation, vehicle cabin, and full vehicle system analysis. 

• Vardon leads efforts in catalyst process design and integration for renewable chemical and fuel production, including producing renewable carbon fiber precursors, bioplastic, and bio-nylon intermediates. 

• Woods' expertise is in numerical and experimental heat and mass transfer, membrane HVAC processes, and liquid desiccant air conditioning. In 2012, he received an R&D 100 Award for his work in evaporative liquid desiccant air conditioners.  

"NREL's scientists and researchers have been leading clean energy innovations for more than 35 years, and last year's invention record demonstrates the impact our technologies are making," said NREL's Associate Lab Director of Innovation, Partnering, and Outreach Bill Farris. "We congratulate today's winners and celebrate their accomplishments."

SPX Heat Transfer LLC Recognized for Outstanding License

After entering into a collaborative research and development agreement (CRADA) with NREL in 1998 to improve geothermal power plant condenser technologies, SPX Heat Transfer has successfully commercialized the advanced direct contact condenser (ADCC) technology for geothermal and thermoelectric applications. This technology has been deployed in the 45-megawatt geothermal power plant in Germencik, Turkey; 38-megawatt geothermal plant in San Jacinto, Nicaragua; and four 70-megawatt steam turbines in the Rift Valley of Kenya.  

"One of the laboratory's primary goals is to conduct cutting-edge research and move those innovations to market," said Kristin Gray, director of NREL's Technology Transfer Office. "We're proud to recognize SPX Heat Transfer for advancing the use of clean energy technologies in the marketplace."

NREL partners with hundreds of industry, government, academia, small business, international organizations, and nonprofits organizations. CRADAs are one of many ways that private industry partners with the lab. Every dollar the Energy Department invests in a CRADA attracts another $5 in total value from all industry contracts.

NREL added 15 new CRADAs in FY15 for a total of 129 active CRADAs-among the highest across the DOE complex. Overall, there were 236 new partnership agreements signed in FY15, boosting the lab's number of total active partnerships to 696. Also in FY15, the lab signed 24 new intellectual property agreements and filed 82 new patent applications. NREL has a total of 230 issued U.S. patents and 60 issued foreign patents.

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 the Energy Department by The Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

###

From GE:

GE Supplies Inverters to DEWA’s Solar Project in Dubai

May 3, 2016

  inShare0 

 

• GE to Provide 220-Megawatt LV5 Series Solar Inverters for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s Solar Project
• Partnership Strengthens GE’s Presence in the Middle East and within the Solar Industry and Highlights GE’s Commitment to Driving Sustainable Energy in the Region
• GE’s Liquid-Cooled Inverters Have been Designed for the Specific Requirements of the Middle East Region and Conceived to Deliver in the Harshest of Conditions 

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES—May 3, 2016—Highlighting its support to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government’s commitment to sustainable development, GE (NYSE: GE) will provide 220-megawatt (MW) LV5 Series solar inverters for Dubai Electricity and Water Authority’s (DEWA) solar project in Dubai, the largest of its kind in the Middle East region.

DEWA’s solar project is considered a breakthrough for the solar industry, as the DEWA power purchase contract with ACWA Power had been signed at one of the lowest prices globally of 5.84 US cents/watt without subsidies, making solar power much more competitive compared to other energy sources. The project demonstrates GE’s confidence to provide reliable and cost-effective solutions that will make solar power a viable energy source to meet future energy demands in the region.

The inverters are part of a frame agreement between GE and Spanish engineering, procurement and construction company TSK. GE will supply outdoor solar SKIDs to TSK to be installed at the DEWA site, with GE’s scope of work including LV5 Series inverters, transformers and switchgears.

Developed for the specific requirements of the Middle East region, GE’s solutions have been designed to meet local environmental conditions while also fulfilling stringent demands from DEWA. GE’s liquid-cooled inverters are rated for outdoor use and have been conceived to deliver in the harshest of conditions imaginable.

Dalya Al Muthanna, president & CEO, GE Gulf, said, “We’re extremely proud to partner with DEWA and TSK on this groundbreaking solar project. Their trust in our technology for their utility-scale project adds weight to the trust shown by various industry players in GE’s solar offerings. GE is committed to supporting the UAE’s sustainable energy strategy to provide clean power for generations to come, and this project marks an important proof point for that.”

Hani Majzoub, renewables sales leader for the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey for GE’s Power Conversion business, added, “The Middle East is one of the most promising solar markets in the world, and our commitment to providing sustainable power for our region is highlighted through this project. We will continue to support utilities in the region with innovative technology such as our LV5 Series 1,500V inverters, which provide up to 3 percent cost savings in both CAPEX and OPEX. In addition to technology innovation, GE can also provide financing, long-term service and digital solutions to help enable efficient solar farms.”

The delivery of the 220-MW DEWA project is expected to start in summer 2016. GE’s involvement in some of the biggest solar projects with key market players strengthens its position as a key technology enabler within the industry. GE has a long history of utility-scale solar projects across the globe, including in countries like Germany, France, Japan, Chile, South Africa and the U.S.

Underlining its commitment to sustainable development, the UAE’s Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) to limit its emissions, submitted at the recently concluded COP 21 summit, have set the tone clearer than ever.

In addition, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, has announced the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, which aims to make the emirate a global center of green energy.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. For more information, visit the company's website atwww.ge.com.

About GE Energy Connections

GE Energy Connections designs and deploys industry-leading technologies that turn the world on. We transport, convert, automate and optimize energy to ensure we provide safe, efficient and reliable electrical power. Uniting all the resources and scale of the world’s first digital industrial company, we connect brilliant machines, grids, and systems to power utility, oil & gas, marine, mining and renewables customers, that keep our world running. www.GEEnergyConnections.com

About GE Power Conversion

GE’s Power Conversion business, a business unit of GE Energy Connections, applies the science and systems of power conversion to help drive the electrification of the world’s energy infrastructure by designing and delivering advanced motor, drive and control technologies that evolve today’s industrial processes for a cleaner, more productive future. Serving specialized sectors such as energy, marine, oil and gas, renewables and industry, through customized solutions and advanced technologies, GE Power Conversion partners with customers to maximize efficiency. To learn more, please visit:www.gepowerconversion.com

From GE:

Marching Towards a Greener Future Enabled by GE Technology

May 3, 2016

  inShare0 

 

• GE to Provide 220-Megawatt LV5 Series Solar Inverters to TSK
• GE and TSK Have Been Partners in Thermal Power Plant and Wind Businesses

MADRID—May 3, 2016—The future of energy is green and full of promise. Government regulations around the globe and the recently concluded COP21 summit have set the tone clearer than ever. Among many initiatives, advanced technology plays a key role in enabling a greener and more affordable energy future.

GE’s Power Conversion business (NYSE: GE) has recently signed a contract with TSK to provide 220-megawatt (MW) LV5 series 1,000-volt solar inverters and has established the possibility to expand the collaboration between both companies for future possible projects with the LV5 series solar inverters. GE and TSK have been strategic partners in the thermal power plant and wind businesses. The new deal expands the partnership into a new growing sector, the solar PV industry.

“It is imperative that we embrace the fast-growing renewables sectors, notably the solar PV sector. GE has been one of our long-term trusted partners and a reliable technology provider. We are excited to further strengthen our relationship by signing the 220-MW solar inverter deal. GE’s solutions like this complement our commitment to sustainably drive the energy sectors in which we operate,” said Alfonso Targhetta, procurement and subcontracting managing director, TSK

GE’s liquid-cooled inverters are rated for outdoor use and have been conceived to deliver in the harshest of conditions imaginable.

“We’re extremely proud of our relationship with TSK. Their trust in our technologies speaks volumes about GE’s competence in the solar industry. We’re confident about the abilities of our technology and remain open for further collaborations within the industry,” said Francesco Falco, global sales leader, GE’s Power Conversion business.

“In addition to technology innovation, GE can also provide financing, long-term service and digital solutions to help enable efficient solar farms. This is the example of the ”GE Store,” where GE businesses share knowledge and leverage each other’s strengths to deliver more valuable customer benefits,” added Francesco.

GE’s involvement in some of the biggest solar projects with key market players strengthens its position as a key technology enabler within the industry.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) is the world’s Digital Industrial Company, transforming industry with software-defined machines and solutions that are connected, responsive and predictive. GE is organized around a global exchange of knowledge, the "GE Store," through which each business shares and accesses the same technology, markets, structure and intellect. Each invention further fuels innovation and application across our industrial sectors. With people, services, technology and scale, GE delivers better outcomes for customers by speaking the language of industry. For more information, visit the company's website atwww.ge.com.

About GE Energy Connections

GE Energy Connections designs and deploys industry-leading technologies that turn the world on. We transport, convert, automate and optimize energy to ensure we provide safe, efficient and reliable electrical power. Uniting all the resources and scale of the world’s first digital industrial company, we connect brilliant machines, grids, and systems to power utility, oil & gas, marine, mining and renewables customers, that keep our world running. www.GEEnergyConnections.com

About GE Power Conversion

GE’s Power Conversion business, a business unit of GE Energy Connections, applies the science and systems of power conversion to help drive the electrification of the world’s energy infrastructure by designing and delivering advanced motor, drive and control technologies that evolve today’s industrial processes for a cleaner, more productive future. Serving specialized sectors such as energy, marine, oil and gas, renewables and industry, through customized solutions and advanced technologies, GE Power Conversion partners with customers to maximize efficiency. To learn more, please visit:www.gepowerconversion.com

Bringing up Better Biofuel

From the #USDA:

Posted by Rosalie Marion Bliss, Public Affairs Specialist, Agricultural Research Service, on May 5, 2016 at 11:00 AM

Agricultural Research Service scientists are testing a mobile pyrolysis system for on-farm production of bio-oil from agricultural waste. USDA-ARS photo by Mark Schaffer

The idea of replacing fossil-based fuel, such as petroleum, with a renewable energy source is enough to get any environmentalist excited. Now, Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists have advanced a process to produce crude liquid fuel called “bio-oil” from agricultural waste. The bio-oil is produced by a process called “pyrolysis,” which involves chemical decomposition of plant and other organic matter at very high heat without oxygen.  This new technology for producing renewable fuels is called “tail-gas reactive pyrolysis” or TGRP.

The TGRP method might be considered a new generation of pyrolysis because it holds promise for processing and improving bio-oil as an intermediate product toward finished biofuel.

Formed from organic compounds subjected to intense heat and pressure over time, natural petroleum is removed from beneath sedimentary rock. Crude petroleum is treated in established refineries to produce gasoline and other products. The TGRP method provides use of new refining techniques that are similar to those currently being used at these petroleum refineries.  TGRP is an important step toward the ultimate goal of producing cleaner bio-oils that can be distilled at petroleum refineries versus building new, specialized refineries.

Significantly, the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 calls for a minimum of 36 billion gallons of advanced biofuels to be produced in the United States by 2022. This effort will require, in part, the development of a new industry that produces 21 billion gallons of new biofuels from non-food sources.

Raw material called “biomass” is the basis for producing biofuel. The raw biomass material includes non-food-grade plant matter procured from agricultural or even household waste residue, including wood, switchgrass, and animal manure. A new high-output mobile processing unit can produce bio-oils from these materials at an accelerated rate. This is significant, because instead of shipping large amounts of agricultural waste to a refinery at high cost, the mobile unit converts the biomass into energy-dense bio-oil right on the farm.

The goal of using TGRP on the farm is to yield a higher-quality bio-oil that is more marketable to biofuel producers than bio-oil made from traditional pyrolysis methods. The research team is headed by ARS chemical engineer Akwasi Boateng, with the ARS Sustainable Biofuels and Coproducts Unit at the Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania.

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Tags: ARS, Biofuel, Biomass, Energy, Pennsylvania, Renewable Energy