Cleantech Update

This is from the Ca[pstone Website -Editor Stimulus Package Signed by President Obama On February 17, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R.1) into law. The package contains a number of measures designed to promote clean energy and energy efficiency, many of which could be beneficial to deployment of Capstone’s products and the continued development of our technology. For example, the Stimulus provides: Grants in lieu of the 10 percent investment tax credit (ITC) on microturbines and combined heat and power (CHP); $3.2 billion in block grants to states and local governments to spend on energy efficiency and $3,1 billion to fund state energy programs; $16.8 billion in funding for DOE to fund Research and Development of clean energy and efficiency technologies, among other programs; Bonus depreciation of capital equipment; $11 billion to fund clean energy and energy efficiency upgrades at federal buildings. The following summary contains more details on t...

The Administration is trying to publicize funding for Geothermal and Solar Recovery Act Funding projects: So far, it is putting the funds in the hands of government , not business, and these institutions are inceted to make the programs last as long as possible, not to be profitbale. When I Read these Funding Opportunities , it seems to me that 16 of the 18 opportunities are for research and development or demonstrations of technology we already know works. Yes, we will learn new things Yes, contractors who put up the demonstrations will earn money for the one project; maybe they will even get more contracts. Yes Solar manufacturing plants, even thinfilm plants will be built It is a hit near the target, but sorry sir, no cigar. Geothermal A Geothermal mapping program is a good idea, but lets generate some economy NOW by granting energy companies money to build plants in the places we already know they will work, like they Texas Gulf Coast, Northern California. Make them pay the money...

MERCED, Calif. -- A new study suggests converting biomass to electricity rather than ethanol for transportation produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions and offers more “miles per acre.” Researchers from Stanford University and the University of California, Merced, studied the lifecycle of plant-based electricity, or “ bioelectricity ,” and ethanol technologies to determine which delivered more miles of transportation with fewer environmental impacts. They concluded battery-powered vehicles that used electricity derived from biomass provided an average of 80 percent more miles of transportation per crop acre than internal combustion engine vehicles running on ethanol made from corn or switchgrass . " The internal combustion engine just isn't very efficient, especially when compared to electric vehicles," Co-author Eliott Campbell of U.C. Merced said in a statement last week. " Even the best ethanol-producing technologies with hybrid vehicles aren't enough to ove...

This is a repost of an great article By Lindsay Audin from June 2008 -Editor In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and give their organizations some green credibility, many facility executives are incorporating on- site renewable or high-efficiency sources of power into their operations. Federal income tax credits (available until the end of 2008) and state and utility-sponsored rebates, grants or low-interest loans are lowering the net cost for such on-site systems. Many facility executive are also purchasing renewable energy credits (RECs) or carbon offsets (also called Verified Emission Reductions, or VERs) that pay others to produce renewable energy elsewhere. Together, these processes help to minimize an organization’s carbon footprint. Financial incentives and novel contractual arrangements are opening new doors to such options, but finding the right paths may still be a challenge. With the major presidential candidates supporting some form of carbon regulation, m...