Energy Secretary Chu Approves Loan Guarantee to Record Hill Wind Project

U.S. Energy Secretary Chu has announced the Department of Energy’s $102 million loan guarantee to Record Hill Wind, LLC has been approved. The loan, to be given in combination with an investment by the Yale University Endowment, will support the Record Hill wind project – a 50.6 megawatt wind power plant near the town of Roxbury, Maine. The new project will not only supply green energy to thousands of residents but will fund 200 construction jobs. “This innovative project creates jobs in Maine while boosting domestic wind generation in order to achieve the Administration’s goal of doubling clean energy produced in America by 2035,” said Secretary Chu. “Clean energy is a major driver of American competitiveness, and investments like these are essential to secure our position as global leader.” The Record Hill project will use 22 turbines and new transmission lines to connect with the local power utility. Innovative Turbine Load Control (TLC) technology will be used to install the turbines, which involves a system that will reduce wear on the turbines, preserve the lifetime of turbine components, as well as reduce operation and management costs.

DOE Issues Conditional Loan to “Direct Wafer” Solar Development Project-

The U.S. Department of Energy Secretary, Steven Chu, has announced a conditional loan guarantee of $150 million to 1366 Technologies, Inc., that is in development of a multicrystalline wafer manufacturing project. This breakthrough process, called Direct Wafer, could potentially slash manufacturing costs of silicon wafers by 50 percent — significantly reducing the price of solar power. The project will create 70 permanent jobs and 50 seasonal construction jobs. “This project is a game-changer that could dramatically lower the cost of photovoltaic solar cells. It is exactly the kind of innovation that puts America at the forefront of the global clean energy race,” said Secretary Chu. “As global demand for solar cells increases, this kind of technology will help the U.S. increase its market share and be more competitive with other countries such as China, which currently accounts for 60 percent of the world supply of multicrystalline wafers.”

Department of Energy Press Release-

As part of the Obama Administration’s comprehensive plan to address rising gas prices, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu have announced a total of $47 million to fund eight research and development projects that will support the production of biofuels, bioenergy and high-value biobased products from a variety of biomass sources. These investments in clean, sustainable transportation fuels will help reduce U.S. oil imports, support economic development in rural America, create clean energy jobs for U.S. workers, and protect American families and businesses from future spikes in gas prices.

The advanced biofuels produced through these projects are also expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 percent compared to fossil fuels. “The projects selected today will help produce affordable, renewable biofuels right here in the U.S. to power our cars and trucks,” said Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “President Obama set a bold national goal to reduce America’s oil imports by one-third in a little more than a decade. By developing and commercializing advanced biofuels, we will create new economic opportunities for rural communities, provide consumers with new options to fuel their vehicles, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.” The projects are funded through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative and will help increase the availability of alternative renewable fuels and biobased products to diversify the nation’s energy resources. Funding is provided through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and DOE’s Biomass Program. Each award was made through a competitive selection process. Grant recipients are required to contribute a minimum of 20 percent of matching funds for research and development projects and 50 percent of matching funds for demonstration projects. Awardees must pursue projects that integrate science and engineering research in three areas: feedstocks development, biofuels and biobased products development, and biofuels development analysis.

The following projects have been selected for awards:

-U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, Mont., $5,309,320. This project will develop an integrated approach to investigate biomass feedstock production, logistics, conversion, distribution and end use centered on using advanced conversion technologies at existing forest industry facilities.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov.

DOE’s Biomass Program works with industry, academia, and national laboratory partners on a balanced portfolio of research in biomass feedstocks and conversion technologies. For more information on DOE’s Biomass Program, please visit the Biomass Program website.

Grant Marks $230M in Funding for EV Project Charging Infrastructure-

Finally, some good news for those who are thinking of buying an EV! This month, ECOtality North America received a $2.87 million grant from the city of San Francisco to establish charging stations throughout the U.S. The company is set to develop over 15,000 of their Blink charging stations in 16 cities throughout Oregon, Washington, California, Arizona, Tennessee and Texas – as well as the District of Columbia. To boot, owners of the Chevy Volt and Nissan LEAF who meet the criteria to participate in the EV Project will be given a residential charger at little to no cost. Just last year, ECOtality North America was given $99.8 million in grant money from the DOE to launch the EV Project. An additional $15 million was awarded in June 2010, so this $2.87 million grant marks a total of approximately $230 million in funds toward the Project. Data provided from the charging stations will be used to analyze the efficiency of local charging infrastructure and if the pilot program is successful, EV Project partners expect to include more charging facilities at additional locations. Map below highlights specific U.S. cities that will receive Blink charging stations.

Environmental & Socio-Economic Goals Being Overlooked in UK Funding-

The Department for International Development (DFID) is presently funneling 10 to 15 percent of its overseas aid budget through the World Bank. UK aid organizations have expressed concern, as the majority of this financing does not go toward the aid of under-developed nations, but rather has been funding a shocking number of coal-fired power stations. According to recent figures, World Bank funding for coal fired power plants has grown 40-fold over the last five years – hitting a record high of $4.4 billion in 2010. To boot, the UK just recently pledged £888 million per year for the next three years to the World Bank. “I would not want the UK to be spending its aid to encourage dirty fuel use… even indirectly as that is counter productive to climate change goals,” said Dr Tom Mitchell, from the Overseas Development Institute (ODI). According to Christian Aid, the World Bank is “failing to prioritize a low-carbon approach” and, in its support for commercial-scale power production, has failed to provide energy for villages that need it the most. The group also stated that out of all twenty-six projects reviewed in 2009 and 2010, absolutely none supplied direct power access for the needy. In relation to the UK’s climate change mitigation and forestry protection goals, the group maintained that World Bank’s financing has remained inconsistent with these objectives. Between 2003 and 2006, more than 50 percent of $4 billion in finance dollars was given to paper and pulp mills. A DFID spokesperson maintained that “the UK government is committed to low carbon development. We expect organizations such as the World Bank to pioneer innovative approaches in response to climate change and to support a shift to climate-smart investment and lending.” A review of the UK’s aid policy is expected to be released by the Department later this month.

Investment Platform OnGreen.com Receives Series A Round Funding-

OnGreen, an online social forum linking green entrepreneurs with investors, has received a $1.4M Series A round by China Southern Hong Kong Investment Ltd. Acting as an intermediary of sorts, OnGreen.com helps people with good ideas find the funding and resources they need to make their vision a reality. In a September survey, more than 50 percent of start-ups who completed their online business profile said they were connected with angel or VC investors with the help of OnGreen.com. CEO Nikhil Jain proudly calls the company the “LinkedIn” of cleantech investing. “We don’t just connect people with people, we connect ideas with money,” Jain said in a press release. Since its launch in July, OnGreen has received more than 300 business profiles from entrepreneurs around the globe looking for community feedback and funding. Roughly 40 percent of the users are outside the U.S. “OnGreen provides an exciting platform to find deals in a wide range of CleanTech industries. Just as important, is their easy to use functionality in finding specific industry experts who can analyze the opportunities we are evaluating,” said Peter Cowen, whose firm, Groundwork Equity, specializes in taking start-ups from idea to market. The company says it will use the investment to design new strategies for supporting green entrepreneurs on their road toward revolutionizing tomorrow’s cleantech industry.

Program Provides Solar Installations for Needy Families in CA-

MASH, or Multifamily Affordable Solar Housing, is a program using $108 million from the California Solar Initiative to help provide solar panels to lower income families. MASH has recently finished its first solar installation on Hacienda Townhomes, an inexpensive housing complex owned by the San Diego Community Housing Corporation. Several tenants living there only bring in around $27,000 annually for a family of four. This installation of 96 solar photovoltaic panels will produce 34,726 kWh of energy, lower electricity bills, and will reduce carbon emissions by 595 tons over the course of 25 years. To boot, the project created 5 temporary jobs and 3 permanent jobs. One of the Hacienda Townhomes residents, Omega Hatch, said that she has seen her August electricity bill drop from an average of $90 to $56. “Thank God,” she told Greenwire, “because I could use the money elsewhere. I have a 7-year-old, he’s about to go back to school. Any penny helps me get what I need to do for him.” To help programs like MASH grow throughout the United States, please sign this Change.org Petition and urge your government representatives to support affordable solar.

With New PV Installation, DIA will be Largest Solar Producer in CO-

In addition to its 3.6-megawatt (MW) ground-mounted solar array, Denver International Airport (DIA) will be implementing another 4.4 megawatts of renewable energy this fall. With a grand total of 8 megawatts, the installation will place DIA as the largest photovoltaic energy producer in all of Colorado. Constellation Energy will finance, own and operate the solar installation and DIA will purchase the electricity produced by the system from Constellation over a 20-year period. “Denver’s airport has a widespread reputation as a green airport. Our partnership with Oak Leaf Energy, Constellation Energy and Intermountain Electric not only expands our sustainability efforts, but is a great example of public-private partnerships advancing the green economy,” says Kim Day, aviation manager for the airport. Yingli Green Energy will supply the PV panels for the project. Construction will begin early this fall and is expected to wrap up early 2011. The new installation will reportedly supply the airport with 7,000 MWh of electricity and reduce 5,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions per year.

Two Bay Area Companies Donate Solar Power to Local Food Bank-

Two companies in California’s Bay Area have made a collective donation to Second Harvest Food Bank. The cash offering will fund a $1.1 million, 322-kilowatt rooftop solar power system at the food bank’s facility in San Jose, CA. SunPower contributed their solar technology and Cypress Semiconductor supplied $700,000 to support the project. Two types of SunPower solar roof tiles will be utilized. Over the 25 year life of the system, it is anticipated to save the food bank roughly three million dollars on their electricity bills. “The rooftop solar system, so generously donated by Cypress and SunPower, will help us to continue meeting the needs of our community,” said Kathy Johnson, CEO of the food bank. The SunPower tiles are already built into a frame, so they can be installed more swiftly when compared to a standard rooftop solar system. SunPower CEO Tom Werner said, “We hope this unique solar gift will shine a light on hunger, and encourage other businesses to support this worthy cause.” Since 1989, Cypress Semiconductor has donated approximately five million dollars, and around 500,000 pounds of food to the Second Harvest Food Bank. They raised the $700,000 for the solar project through employee fundraisers, and grants. T.J. Rodgers, the company’s president said, “Cypress is pleased to help reduce the organization’s operating expenses so that it can focus on what it does best–feeding the community.” The project is expected to wrap up in September.

Pluggable Solar Panel Kit to Lower Cost of Solar Installations-

Installing solar modules is typically a job reserved for certified professionals — however with renewable technologies advancing at such a rapid pace, solar panel installations may soon be as simple as 1,2,3. The “Sunfish”, designed by Chad Maglaque and Clarian Technologies, is a comparatively inexpensive solar module kit anticipated to release in stores by spring 2011. To begin installation, consumers would need to purchase a power module, circuit monitor and pluggable solar panel(s) from their local hardware store. Next, they must swap out a regular electricity outlet for the circuit monitor (which is as easy as installing a grounded outlet), plug in the 18-kilogram solar panel into the power module and mount it on the most sun-exposed side of their residence. The power module must then be synchronized with the circuit monitor using power metering software, such as Google PowerMeter. Once setup is complete, renewable energy will be readily available. “We’re talking about a [do-it-yourself] handyman on the order of cable guy level of installation,” Maglaque says. Depending on the consumer’s budget, one to five panel arrays may be implemented and can generate as much as 150 kilowatt-hours of electricity per month — enough electricity to offset one major appliance, such as a refrigerator. According to the company, one panel, with the module and circuit monitor will cost around $799. “I see that being $599 in the not-too-distant future,” Maglaque adds. “Solar continues to come down in price.” Although, to be realistic, it would take as much as four years to pay back that cost in electricity savings even with government rebates and tax credits. The system price is nominal when compared to a solar installation using a licensed contractor, however, which can skyrocket the total cost to around $20,000. Not to mention, an added benefit of the “Sunfish” system allows the consumer to tote the entire system with them if they happen to relocate to a different residence. The power modules, circuit monitors, and panels that make up the “Sunfish” are set to undergo thorough UL testing to certify the endurance and efficiency of the system.