Cleantech Update

These come from a NCSU Solicitations Newsletter -Editor The RFPs created or supplemented as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act) are identified in the RFP titles. The Recovery homepage ( http://www.recovery.gov/ ) has links to State-level Recovery sites where you may be able to track down some sub-grantee opportunities. Washington State’s Recovery site does an outstanding job showing where WA Recovery funds are going and who to contact for more info. Here’s a link to all of the State sites: http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/state-recovery-page . 1) Renewables and Energy Efficiency Improvements The U.S. Department of Agriculture requests proposals for Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements. This program will provide support to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. $51.6 million expected to be available, up to 1,100 awards anticipate...

(June 5, 2009) Campbell, CA - Real Goods Solar (NASDAQ: RSOL) announced today it has signed a contract to design and install solar electric systems totaling 3.65 megawatts for the Fremont Union High School District in Sunnyvale, Cupertino and west San Jose, California. The new solar systems will be constructed as carports at all five high schools in the District and are expected to save District taxpayers over $12 million in the total cost of electricity over the next 25 years. The five systems will contribute enough electricity to cover about 45% of the power usage of each school. This solar program, exceeding $30 million, is believed to be the largest direct purchase by a secondary school system in North America, financed by a portion of a $198M school bond approved by the District’s voters in June 2008. The District researched many alternative energy options before choosing Real Goods Solar for these installations across school campuses. The system monitoring that Real Goods Solar ...

SB412 Testimony Submitted to the (California) Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce by Jonah Crawford, CEO, MicroGrid Systems Inc . on Monday, June 29, 2009 Honorable Members, The public analysis prepared for the June 29th Assembly Committee on Utilities and Commerce states: “When results of this study are assessed with the quantity of demanded installed capacity, one could conclude that even moderate subsidies and policy incentives could induce a significant over-investment in CHP or to a point where the marginal benefits significantly decrease.” However the report fails to qualify this adjective ‘marginal’. With or without fossil fuels when a technology or grouping of technologies such as CHP reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50% there is nothing marginal about them. The report goes on to state: “The ARB's target of 4,000 MW of CHP would equate to about 6.7% of total system power, which far exceeds existing solar (368 MW or 0.6%).” and further that: “The utilities have b...

When the intelligent grid gets built, will anyone notice?" Don Von Dollen, EPRI's IntelliGrid program manager, is only partly joking when he asks this question. Of course utilities will notice the benefits that come from greater intelligence in the power-distribution network--better diagnostics, & The Smart Grid Provides Smart Grid Technologies Reliability Efficiency Utilization Energy Efficiency for Utilities Smart Operations, Networks & Meters http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=l&ai=BGA6ldxhJSpPlLIjEmwaOocXmA8K3yYgBnNqHhgzAjbcBsNxZEAIYAiDO45ECKAM4AFCH_5uQ_v____8BYMmm7ozkpMATsgETd3d3LmFsbGJ1c2luZXNzLmNvbcgBAdoBPWh0dHA6Ly93d3cuYWxsYnVzaW5lc3MuY29tL3V0aWxpdGllcy91dGlsaXRpZXMvNDA1NjQ0MC0xLmh0bWyoAwHoA5IF6APpAegDsgPoA8kC9QMCBAAE&num=2&sig=AGiWqtxYNsBXf0NXdfFTQY1J_E4E0UJojQ&client=ca-pub-2905054723170537&adurl=http://www.telvent.com/sites/telvent/en/areasnegocio/energia/electricidad/descripcion/ Guardian Water & Power Submetering Products an...

As the dust settles on the nation's first serious effort to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, here's a look at some of the reactions to the House carbon cap-and-trade bill (a.k.a. the American Clean Energy and Security Act, the Waxman-Markey bill, or H.R. 2454). Environmental groups -- and their allies in industry -- were almost unanimous in their support of the legislation, but many noted limitations. Two groups opposed it and criticized it heavily, as did the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Every interest group pledged to make their opinions known to the Senate, which is expected to debate similar legislation -- but not for several months. The Good (with Some Ugly Noted) The Apollo Alliance , a coalition of environmental and industry groups that support clean energy investments and a national cap on carbon emissions, called the bill a "giant leap forward to establish energy security, reduce harmful carbon emissions, and create millions of green jobs that will put our citizens...

I found this five year old post that proclaims they time for cogeneration has come. It is more true today than ever. -Editor The Future of Small Scale Distributed Generation Feb 27, 2004 12:00 PM, By George Zirnhelt, P.E., Power Systems Research, Inc. Even though the United States’ electric utility system delivers only 20% to 30% of potential energy to end-users, it’s still the most cost-effective means of generation available today. Distributed generation (DG) has proven to be more efficient, but its cost has been prohibitive to this point. Its supporters have been pushing to capture more of the power market for years, but until it can compete on both levels, it will have trouble. In certain situations, however, economics, reliability, and/or quality have created a circumstance where it actually makes sense for the electric power user to generate his own power. Large-scale industrial users—especially those who can also use the by-product heat—can justify the investment on economic ter...

Did you see the Matthew Mcconaughey movie, Sahara? This appears to be a Concetrated Solar Facility like the one inthe movie. -Editor Starwood Energy Signs Power Purchase Agreement with Arizona Public Service Co.; To Build the World's Largest Dispatchable Solar Plant with Lockheed MartinPRNewswireGREENWICH, Conn.May 22 Solar-Thermal Electric Generating Facility Will Produce Up to 290 MWs of Clean Electrical Power and Serve Nearly 73,000 Customers Project is Latest Result of Starwood Energy's Alliance with Lockheed Martin to Build Utility-Scale Solar Energy Facilities GREENWICH, Conn., May 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Starwood Energy Group Global, LLC ("Starwood Energy"), a private investment firm focused on energy infrastructure projects, today announced that its affiliate, Starwood Solar I, LLC ("Starwood Solar") has signed a definitive power purchase agreement ("PPA") with Arizona Public Service Company. ("APS"). Starwood Solar will contract with ...

Capstone Receives Order for C200 Microturbines for China Southern Power Grid Pilot Project Capstone Turbine Corporation - 05.26.2009 Capstone Turbine Corporation (www.microturbine.com) (Nasdaq:CPST), the world's leading clean technology manufacturer of microturbine energy systems, today announced that it has received an order for three C200 microturbine systems for China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. ("CSG"). CSG was established on December 29th, 2002 as a result of the power sector deregulatory reform in China. CSG is one of two state-owned power grid companies in China. CSG invests in, constructs and operates the transmission and distribution networks in Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hainan provinces and regions. The low-emission, highly efficient, natural-gas powered turbines will be installed in a 330,000-square-foot CSG dispatch building and serve as a pilot project to show the benefits of microturbines in a combined cooling heat and power ("CCHP"...

Charlottesville to be First City in Dominion Virginia Power's 'Smart Grid' Network Innovative program opens doors to wide range of energy conservation options Press Release June 18, 2009 CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Charlottesville has been selected as the first city in Virginia and one of the first in the nation to benefit from "smart grid" technology that will make the delivery of electricity more efficient and less costly while improving customer service. Smart grid capabilities also will promote energy conservation and environmental responsibility. Dominion Virginia Power executives joined Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, University of Virginia President John Casteen, state and local officials, and private industry partners today to unveil SmartGrid Charlottesville. The $20 million program begins with the installation of about 46,500 "smart meters" in the city of Charlottesville and Albermarle County. More than half of the meters have been installed, with completi...