Sunseap
Date: 2018-11-12
In Singapore, Sunseap, a sustainable energy provider, reports it will construct a 5-MWp offshore floating photovoltaic (PV) solar system north of Woodlands Waterfront Park, along the Straits of Johor. When fully operational, the facility will generate about 6,388 MWh per year of renewable energy and eliminate about 2,600 tpy of GHGs over the next 25 years, according to the Sunseap release.

Sunseap previously worked on the world's largest floating PV test-bed in Singapore at Tengeh Reservoir. (Source: Channel News Asia, Sunseap, 9 Nov., 2018) Contact: Sunseap Group,Frank Phuan, Co-founder, CEO, +65 68 16 1000, www.sunseap.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Sunseap,  Solar,  Floating Solar,  

Alabama Power
Date: 2018-11-12
Building on the success of its first Smart Neighborhood program, Alabama Power reports it has developed a home building program to partner with home-builders on smart neighborhoods across the state.

The Smart Neighborhood Builder Program promotes energy efficiency through collaboration with home-builders to build energy-efficient homes that feature advanced energy products and home automation.

Smart Community Neighborhood homes feature: enhanced energy-efficiency measures and smart home technologies such as voice-activated security, smart locks, lights, cameras and garage door control; Smart homes also will feature: Google Home smart speakers; Nest Learning thermostats; advanced energy-efficient building features such as improved insulation, high-efficiency heat pump and water heater and Energy Star appliances.

For the project, Alabama Power representatives will serve as technical experts, supporting builders on program standards and energy-efficient technologies.

Participating homebuilders include Holland Homes, Harris Doyle Homes and Curtis White Companies. (Source: Alabama Power, Smart Grid Observer, 9 Nov., 2018) Contact: Alabama Power, Greg Barker, Exec. VP Customer Services, www.alabamapower.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Smart Building,  Alabama Power,  Energy Efficiency,  

Eversource
Date: 2018-11-12
New Hampshire's largest electric power utility Eversource NH reports it is partnering with the Rochester School District on an upgrade of more than 5,700 light fixtures to energy efficient LED fixtures.

The upgrade, which is being executed by Affinity LED Lighting, is expected to save the school district $72,000 per year in energy costs and reduce carbon emissions by 309 tpy.

The new lighting system installation is expected to be completed early next year. (Source: Rochester School District, Eversource: 10 Nov., 2018) Contact: Eversource NH, Allison McLean, Community Relations Manager, (800) 662-7764, www.eversource.com; Rochester School District, Michael Hopkins, Superintendent, (603) 332-3678, www.rochesterschools.com /visitor.php?keyword=Energy Efficiency" target=_blank>Energy Efficiency news,  

More Low-Carbon Energy News Eversource,  LED Light,  Energy Efficiency,  

Western States Petroleum Association
Date: 2018-11-12
The third time around wasn't lucky for Washington States I 1631 groundbreaking carbon tax , despite broad support from MicroSoft's Bill Gates, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and the far away New York Times, labor organizations, environmentalist and others.

I 1631 aimed to charge oil companies and other significant emitters $15 per ton of carbon released -- increasing by $2 per year until 2035. The approximately $1 billion per year it was expected to raise was earmarked for clean energy projects, public transportation, environmental conservation, and green jobs programs.

In 2016, another initiative, 732, proposed a tax on carbon in exchange for reduced sales and manufacturing taxes and creating a fund for low-income families–an approach intended to appeal to conservatives. The strategy missed the marked with only 40.7 pct of the vote. Earlier this year, too, the state legislature attempted to pass a carbon tax measure, but that died when it failed to collect enough votes in the Senate to advance.

Organized opposition to I 1631 campaign was sponsored by the Western States Petroleum Association -- an umbrella organization for BP, Chevron, Shell,Exxon) and others. In Washington, 54.5 pct of Washington State's carbon emissions reportedly come from gas and diesel used in transportation. In most states, the power generation sector is credited with the bulk of the state's carbon emissions. (Source: Various Media, 9 Nov., 2018) Contact: Office of Washington Sate Gov. Jay Inslee, Communications Office, Tara Lee, (360) 902-4136, www.governor.wa.gov; Western States Petroleum Association, www.wspa.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News I 1631,  Carbon Tax,  Washington Carbon Tax,  Jay Inslee,  

FERC,Eversource
Date: 2018-11-12
In Concord, the New Hampshire Union Leader is reporting the debate over new legislation requiring the state's utilities to purchase power from wood-burning power plants at higher than market prices is is heating up, thanks to New England Ratepayers Association which filed a petition with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) challenging the legality of the biomass subsidy bill (SB365) that became law on a veto override in September.

According to the petition, requiring utilities to purchase power from wood-burning plants at above market prices is a violation of federal law that gives FERC sole authority to set wholesale prices for electricity. The petition claims that "precedent from the Supreme Court and this Commission make clear that whatever the states may do to encourage the use of renewable or fuel-diverse generation, they may not advance those objectives by setting the price for wholesale sales of electricity."

The petition asks for a declaratory order that SB 365 is preempted by federal law on or before Feb. 1. That's when electricity customers in the Eversource franchise area, more than 70 pct of the state, would begin paying the higher rates.

New Hampshire's six wood-burning power plants are located in parts of the state served by Eversource, which now faces the requirement to purchase their power. (Source: New Hampshire Union Leader, 8 Nov., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News New Hampshire Woody Biomass,  Eversource,  Woody Biomass,  FERC,  

Asian Development Bank,Energy Efficiency Services
Date: 2018-11-12
In the Sub-Continent, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) reports it will grant $13 million to Indian government-owned Energy Efficiency Services Ltd (EESL) to establish an energy efficiency revolving fund (EERF) to expand and sustain investments in the energy efficiency market in India, build market diversification, and scale up existing technologies.

According to the World Bank’s Country Director for India, Junaid Ahmad , energy efficiency is one of the “strategic pillars” of the bank’s engagement in India. (Source: World Bank, PR, IANS, 11 Nov., 2018) Contact: Asian Development Bank, +63 2 632 4444, www.adb.org; Energy Efficiency Services (India), www.eeslindia.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News Asian Development Bank,  Energy Efficiency Services,  

World Bank
Date: 2018-11-12
In Minsk, Belarus News reports the World Bank will grant Belarus an additional $160 million loan to implement energy conservation projects. The country's Standardization of the Republic of Belarus Department for Energy Efficiency notes that “Work is underway to raise additional financing to the tune of $160 million."

The World Bank loan will be used to build facilities running on local fuel and to improve energy saving and efficiency in apartment houses." (Source: Belrus News, 9 Nov., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News World Bank,  Energy Conservation,  

Pivot Energy
Date: 2018-11-12
Denver-based solar energy developer Pivot Energy is reporting the launch of SunCentral, a white-labeled community solar customer management cloud platform designed to improve the customer experience for community solar subscribers, and optimize the customer management process for project owners, operators, and developers.

SunCentral offers project owners, operators, and utilities a platform to manage community solar subscriptions while allowing subscribers to easily access information. Platform features include: seamless bill payments, energy production monitoring, access to contracts, photos of solar projects, downloadable financial reports, ability to view capacity and availability in multiple projects, data sharing directly with utilities, and more.

Pivot will sell the platform to other owner/operators as either a stand-alone cloud application, or an application combined with fully-staffed customer management services. (Source: Pivot Energy, PR, 8 Nov., 2018) Contact: Pivot Energy, Rick Hunter, CEO, 888-734-3033, www.pivotenergy.net; SunCentral, www.suncentral.net

More Low-Carbon Energy News Pivot Energy,  Community Solar,  

Bend Oregon
Date: 2018-11-12
In Oregon, the city of Bend -- pop. 94,500 +- -- reports it has qualified for a second $42,500 matching grant from Partners for Places, a national matching grant program. Funding will support the Bend Community Climate Action Planning project efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce fossil fuel consumption.

In July, the city, in partnership with The Environmental Center and The Oregon Community Foundation select Donor Advised Funds, asked Partners for Places for continued support of the Bend Community Climate Action Planning project, which is engaging diverse voices in creating a community climate action plan that balances equity, efficiency, economic development and meaningful climate benefits.

The Bend Climate Action Plan aims to cut community-wide fossil fuel use by 40 pct by 2030 and 70 pct by 2050. and called for development of a community climate action plan. (Source: City of Bend, KTVZ, Nov., 2018) Contact: Partners for Places, www.fundersnetwork.org; City of Bend Community Climate Action Plan, www.bendoregon.gov/community/sustainability/community-climate-action-plan; City of Bend, Community Dev., (541) 388-5580, www.bendoregon.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News City of Bend,  Bend Oregon,  Energy Efficiency,  

Metro Pacific Investments C
Date: 2018-11-12
In the Philippines, Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) reports it expects to close on a P15 billion, multi-MW agricultural and municipal waste biomass-to-power project by the end of the month.

MPIC, in a consortium with Covanta Energy LLC and Macquarie Group Ltd., has partnered with the government of Quezon City for the project which will process up to 3,000 metric tpd of Quezon City municipal waste to around 42 MW of power for some 60,000 to 90,000 homes.

MPIC is also conducting studies for a similar waste-to-energy project in Pampanga, along with Chinese partner China Everbright Group. MPIC is one of three Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd. (Source: METRO PACIFIC Investments Corp., PR, Business World, 12 Nov., 2018) Contact: METRO PACIFIC Investments Corp., www.mpic.com.ph

DNV GL
Date: 2018-11-09
In its recently published Energy Transition Outlook report DNV GL forecasts that by 2050, 12 pct of world primary energy supply will come from wind energy, of which 20 pct will come from offshore wind. In relative terms, offshore wind is growing 85-fold (2050 vs 2016), which is the same growth rate as for Solar PV which is also 85-fold.

The report notes that as electric power consumption accelerates, bottom fixed and floating offshore wind farms will play an increasingly important role to ensure that the society can meet this demand.

Download the DNV GL Energy Transition Outlook HERE. (Source: DNV GL, Windpower Eng., 7 Nov., 2019) Contact: DNV GL, Liv Hovem, CEO, +47 6757 9900, www.dnvgl.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News DNV GL,  Renewable Energy,  

Date: 2018-11-09

TransGrid
Date: 2018-11-09
In the Land Down Under, transmission system operator TransGrid is reporting the startup of the 91-MW Crookwell 2 Wind Park which feeds power into the grid of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

The wind farm near Goulburn in New South Wales incorporates 28 General Electric turbines to generate energy under a 20-year feed-in tariff (FiT) contract with the ACT government.

The wind farm is owned by Global Power Generation (GPG), a subsidiary of Spain's Gas Natural Fenosa (BME:GAS) and Kuwait Investment Authority. (Source: TransGrid, Renewables, 8 Nov., 2018) Contact: TransGrid, www.transgrid.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Wind,  Australia Wind,  

EIA
Date: 2018-11-09
In 2017, the US Energy Information Administration EIA estimates that U.S. wind generation averaged 697,000 MWh per day (MWh/d). EIA forecasts that wind generation will rise by 8 pct to 750,000 MWh/d in 2018 and by a further 6 pct to 793,000 MWh/d in 2019.

Solar power generates less electricity in the U.S. than wind power but continues to grow at a faster rate. EIA expects solar generation will rise 26 pct from 211,000 MWh/d in 2017 to 267,000 MWh/d in 2018 and jump 14 pct to 305,000 MWh/d in 2019.

After falling by 0.8 pct in 2017, EIA forecasts that U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will rise by 2.2 pct in 2018 -- largely due to higher natural gas consumption because of a colder winter and a warmer summer than in 2017. Emissions are expected to to fall 1.1 pct in 2019, as forecast temperatures are forecast to return to normal.

Download the full EIA report HERE. Source: EIA, Oct. 2018) Contact: EIA, www.eia.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News EIA,  Renewables,  CO2,  Carbon Emissions,  

More Low-Carbon Energy News EIA,  Renewables,  CO2,  Carbon Emissions,  

DNV GL,Windplus
Date: 2018-11-09
Energy advisory and certification specialist DNV GL is reporting completion of a lenders' technical due diligence on the 25-MW Windfloat Atlantic floating wind farm project now under construction off the coast of Portugal.

DNV GL's technical due diligence reportedly helped secure the €60 million from the European Investment Bank so the project could become the world's first project-financed floating wind farm.

The project is being developed by Windplus and will incorporate three 8.4-MW MHI Vestas turbines, the largest and most powerful wind turbines ever installed on a floating foundation platform.

Windplus is a subsidiary of EDP Renewables, Repsol and Principle Power.(Source: DNG GL, Windpower Eng., 7 Nov., 2019)Contact: EIB, www.eib.org; Windplus SA, www.offshorewind.biz/tag/windplus; EDP Renovaveis, www.edpr.com; DNV GL, Liv Hovem, CEO, +47 6757 9900, www.dnvgl.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Windplus,  DNV GL,  Floating Wind,  Offshore Wind,  ,  

International Finance Corporation
Date: 2018-11-09
The World Bank's International Finance Corporation (IFC) reports approval of a$71 million financing package for the construction of a new 51-MW wind power plant in Tafileh, southwest of Amman, Jordan.

The $103 million project is being developed by KOSPO and Daelim Energy, both of Korea.

IFC is providing a $10 million loan for its own account and also acted as lead arranger, mobilizing parallel loans of $26 million from Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Programme, $27.7 million from the Standard Chartered Bank and $8 million from Korea's Shinhan Bank. The IFC also structured an equity bridge loan of $26 million. (Source: International Finance Corporation, Daehan Wind Power Company, Jordan Times, 7 Nov., 2018) Contact: IFC, (202) 473-1000, www.ifc.org; Daehan Wind Power Company, www.daelimenergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Wind,  International Finance Corporation ,  

Poland
Date: 2018-11-09
In Warsaw, Polish State Secretary for Energy reports Poland plans to legislate the development of 8 GW of offshore wind by 2035. The Secretary's announcement was made in conjunction with the opening of a 1 GW onshore wind energy auction on Monday.

According to the Secretary, a survey of bidders participating in the auction suggests the prices will be between €43-63/MWh, with an average of €51/MWh -- lower than recent auctions in France and Germany. The auction is expected to be over-subscribed with more than 1 GW of wind farm projects bidding in.

The State Secretary also announced another onshore wind auction will take place in the coming months. (Source: WindEurope, Nov., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Poland Wind,  Onshore Wind,  Offshore Wind,  

UK Carbon Capture and Storage Association
Date: 2018-11-09
"Despite an impressive reduction in our power sector emissions over the past decade, the UK stands at a climate change crossroads. In order to have any hope of meeting our existing climate change targets, we need to drive deeper decarbonisation in heating, transport and heavy industry." -- Luke Warren, CEO, UK Carbon Capture and Storage Association.

The UK has 33 pct of Europe's CO2 storage capacity, and as much as the rest of the EU combined -- creating a potentially significant market opportunity to 'sell' storage space. It also has the considerable assets, infrastructure and skills needed to become Europe's leader in developing the technology, according to the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Association. (Source: UK Carbon Capture and Storage Association, Gas World, Nov., 2018) Contact: UK Carbon Capture and Storage Association, Luke Warren, CEO, www.ccsassociation.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News CCS,  Carbon Capture & Storage,  

National Academies of Science, Engineering
Date: 2018-11-09
A new report from the Washington, DC-headquartered National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine has concluded that a substantial research initiative should begin as soon as possible to learn more about the impacts, limitations and scalability of Negative Emissions Technologies (NETs).

According to the report, NETs , which remove CO2 directly from ambient air or enhance natural carbon sinks, could be scaled up to capture and store a significant amount of global carbon emissions, but not enough to prevent a global temperature increase of more than 2 degrees C. More research is needed to understand how to overcome existing constraints on the technologies, such as high costs and energy requirements, according to the report.

The report highlights two NETs -- direct air capture (DAR) and mineralization using chemicals and reforestation, changing agricultural practices to enhance soil carbon storage, using biomass produce electricity with CCS and enhancing the amount of carbon stored in coastal ecosystems. In addition to mitigating climate change, NETs could open an untapped market, the report notes. (Source: National Academies of Science, Engineering, Engineering News Record, Nov., 2018)Contact: National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, 202-334-2000, www.nationalacademies.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News CO2,  Carbon Capture,  Carbon Dioxide,  

Arizona State University
Date: 2018-11-09
The U.S. DOE has announced the awarding of a total of $80 million tp 36 early-stage bioenergy projects aimed at reducing the cost of algae-based, drop-in fuels to $3 per gallon by 2022, Of the $80 million total, two Arizona State University (ASU) research teams received a total grant of nearly $4.5 million.

The two ASU teams are headed by Wim Vermaas, Foundation Professor in the School of Life Sciences and a member of the Center for Bioenergy and Photosynthesis, and Bruce Rittmann, director of Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology.

Both ASU projects are developing innovative approaches for improving the efficiency of microalgae to capture waste CO2 and convert it into biodiesel transportation fuels and other valuable products.

Rittmann will explore ways to make CO2 delivery to algae more efficient. Traditional methods involve sparging (bubbling) CO2 within the liquid used to grow the algae, which releases about 60-80 pct of the CO2 back into the atmosphere. This wasteful process defeats a major goal of using microalgae to remove this greenhouse gas from the atmosphere and decreases cost efficiency.

Rittmann's team developed a membrane carbonation process that uses inexpensive plastic fibers to deliver pure CO2 with nearly 100 pct efficiency directly to the microalgae. The team estimates that the technology will capture fourfold more CO2 than traditional sparging methods.

The team is partnering with the Salt River Project to develop methods for harvesting CO2 from power plant emissions. They are also partnering with the city of Mesa to remove CO2 from the biogas generated from anaerobic digesters at their wastewater treatment facilities. Rittmann's team will investigate whether the fibers can be used with microalgae to remove CO2 from the biogas, which would leave nearly pure methane which could be distributed through existing natural gas pipelines.

Vermaas and his team were awarded $2.5 million to pursue an innovative multi-pronged approach toward improved CO2 utilization. One approach is to increase the solubility of carbon dioxide in growth medium by developing a nanobubble gas delivery system.. A second approach is to utilize amines in the medium, which greatly enhance the solubility of CO2, allowing the gas to be taken up by photosynthetic microbes for producing biofuel. The researchers anticipate at least a 50 pct increase in the efficiency of CO2 use with advanced biofuel production under industrially relevant conditions. (Source: ASU, PR, Nov., 2018) Contact: ASU, Prof. Bruce Rittmann, Dir. Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, (480) 727-8322, www.biodesign.asu.edu/environmental-biotechnology; Willem Vermaas, ASU School of Life Sciences, 480-965-6250, wim@asu.edu, www.sols.asu.edu/willem-vermaas

More Low-Carbon Energy News Micro Algae,  Biodiesel,  Drop-In Fuel,  CO2,  Algae,  Biofuel,  Carbon Dioxide,  

Neste, Clariant
Date: 2018-11-09
Basel, Switzerland-based Clariant reports it is partnering with Helsinki-headquartered sustainable diesel and renewable chemical specialist Neste and will use C2/C3 monomers derived from Neste's renewable hydrocarbons. The feedstock is manufactured from waste and residue raw materials including used cooking oil and renewable vegetable oils. The C2/C3 monomers will replace those currently used by Clariant to develop advanced polyolefin solutions in several applications.

With this partnership, Clariant will be able to provide sustainable polyolefin solutions derived from renewable hydrocarbons. (Source: Clariant, Chemicals Technology, 7 Nov., 2018) Contact: Neste, Peter Vanacker, CEO, Kaisa Hietala, VP Renewable Products , +358 10 458 4128, www.neste.com; Clariant, Markus Rarbach, Head of Start-up Business Biofuels & Derivatives, Hariolf Kottmann, CEO, +41 61 469 5111, Anja Pomrehn, Inv. Relations, +41 61 469 67 45 anja.pomrehn@clariant.com, www.clariant.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Neste,  Clariant,  Renewable CHemical,  

Michigan Energy Office
Date: 2018-11-09
The Michigan Energy Office (MEO) reports it is offering rebates up to $10,000 per facility to eligible small manufacturers in the Upper Peninsula, to spur energy waste reduction. These facilities must be actively working to achieve energy waste reduction onsite, match given funds on a 1-to-1 basis and involve equipment costing less than $5,000 to be eligible for the program. Those with 50 or fewer full-time employees are eligible, so long as they also agree to report project energy savings and complete a one-year follow-up survey.

The initiative is intended to kick-start a variety of energy waste reduction activities at small manufacturers in the Upper Peninsula which has some of the highest electric power rates in the country. As existing projects are the target, new construction, groundbreaking, and new or modified environmental permits and alterations to historical buildings are ineligible for the incentive. LED lights, renewable energy projects, and fuel switching efforts are all ineligible as well. (Source: Michigan Energy Office, PR, The Peninsula, 7 Nov., 2018) Contact: Michigan Energy Office, Anne Armstrong Cusack, Exec. Dir., www.michigan.gov/energy

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Consumption,  Energy Efficiency,  

Enel Group
Date: 2018-11-09
The Enel Group, through it subsidiary Enel Green Power Mexico, reports construction is underway on the 220 MW, Magdalena II solar photovoltaic park in Tlaxcala State, Mexico. The Magdalena II facility, which is expected to come in at approximately $165 million, is slated to commence operations in the second half of 2019 and will produce around 600 GWh of energy per year, according to a Enel Green Power statement. (Source: Enel Green Power, CNBC, 8 Nov., 2018) Contact: Enel Green Power Mexico, Paolo Romanacci, CEO, +52 55 5083 0310, www.enelgreenpower.com/country-mexico

More Low-Carbon Energy News Solar,  Enel Group,  Enel Green Power,  

Climate Change
Date: 2018-11-09
In the Tar Heel State, Gov. Roy Cooper (Dem) has signed an Executive Order affirming and formalizing North Carolina's commitment to cut greenhouse gas emissions to 40 pct below 2005 levels by 2025. The order also calls for a reduction in energy consumption and increased energy efficiency. The Executive Order directs:

formation of the N.C. Climate Change Interagency Council, which will include a representative from every state cabinet agency;

the N. C. Dept. of Environmental Quality will develop an N.C. Clean Energy Plan to encourage the use of clean energy, including wind, solar, energy efficiency and energy storage;

the N.C. Dept. of Transportation will develop a plan to accelerate the use of zero-emission vehicles across state government. Cabinet agencies will prioritize the use of such vehicles for trips;

the N.C. DEQ will help cabinet agencies improve their energy efficiency and publicly report utility energy consumption;

the e N.C. Dept. of Commerce will support the expansion of clean energy businesses and service providers, clean technology investment and companies with a commitment to procuring renewable energy;

all cabinet agencies will integrate climate mitigation and resiliency planning into their policies, programs and operations. (Source: Office of Gov. Roy Cooper, Smokey Mountain News, 7 Nov., 2018) Contact: Office of Gov. Roy Cooper, https://governor.nc.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  

MidAmerican Energy,Invenergy
Date: 2018-11-09
In the Hawkeye State, Des Moines-headquartered MidAmerican Energy is reporting the planned installation of a 4 megawatt-hours -- 1 MW of power for 4 hours -- battery energy storage system at an electrical substation in Knoxville, Iowa. 1 MW is enough electricity to power about 900 average Iowa homes.

Invenergy will install the lithium-iron phosphate battery system, housed in two truck-sized steel containers. The new system is expected to begin operating by the end the month. (Source: MidAmerican Energy, WeAreIowa, 8 Nov., 2018) Contact: MidAmerican Energy, Mike Fehr, VP Resource Development, (888) 427-5632, www.midamericanenergy.com; Invenergy, Nick Matchin, Manager Renewable Development, (312) 224-1400, www.invenergyllc.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News MidAmerican Energy,  Invenergy,  Battery Energy Storage,  

California Energy Commission
Date: 2018-11-09
In Sacramento, the California Energy Commission reports approval of $8 million in grant funding for the development of a high-capacity hydrogen fueling station at the Port of Long Beach.

The facility would service and promote the expansion of zero-emission fuel cell electric Class 8 drayage trucks used at the port facility. The station will source its hydrogen "from 100 percent renewable biogas," the Commission release notes. (Source: California Energy Commission, Nov., 2018)Contact: California Energy Commission, (916) 465-4500, www.energy.ca.gov

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biogas,  California Energy Commission,  Alternative Fuel,  Hydrogen ,  

Green Party Ireland,Bord na Mona
Date: 2018-11-09
In the Irish capital city of Dublin, the Green Party has launched its "Just Transition Bill" calling for a swift move away from a fossil fuel economy to a climate-friendly in the fairest way possible for those who have previously depended on the fossil fuel industries for their livelihood.

The bill aims to bring about a social, business and government dialogue to formulate and drive the concrete plans, policies, and investments needed for a fast and fair transformation to a low-carbon economy.

The Green Party initiative follows Bord na Mona's announcement of job cuts in its peat harvesting business by 2025. The Bill proposes that funding currently used to sustain peat-fired power plants be diverted to support job transition, peatland restoration and social protection for those who may lose their jobs in fossil fuel related industries. "The Bill is about moving from a fossil-fuel economy to a sustainable, climate-friendly economy as quickly and as fairly as possible," according to Green Part Leader Eamon Ryan. (Source: Green News ie, 8 Nov., 2018) Contact: Green Party Ireland, Eamon Ryam, Leader, www.greenparty.ie; Bord na Mona Plc, Mike Quinn, CEO, Patrick Madigan, Bioenergy Division, +353 45 439000, www.bordnamona.ie

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bord na Mona,  Low-Carbon Economy,  Peat,  Bord na Mona,  

Denver Green Roof
Date: 2018-11-09
Following up on our November 8, 2017 coverage, the Denver City Council reports the repeal and replacement of its 2017 building Green Roof requirement. The new regulation requires light-colored cool roofs on new and re-roofed buildings of more than 25,000 sf.

According to city estimates, the original green roof regulation could have added $193,000 -- about 2.8 pct -- to the construction cost of a five-story office building. The new law could cut that increase in half. Apartment buildings of six floors or less will be exempted from this provision. (Source: Denver City Council, Building Design & Construction, Nov., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News Green Roof,  Denver Green Roof,  Energy Efficiency,  

sonnen
Date: 2018-11-09
In Los Angeles, residential energy storage specialist sonnen reports it has partnered with Sarasota, Florida-headquartered Pearl Homes to bring the vision of solar + storage, home automation and home construction to life, resulting in a "Net-Zero-Plus and Climate-Positive community."

The community, which will launch at Hunters Point in Cortez, FL., will include 148 LEED standard homes equipped with rooftop solar, a new and affordable sonnen energy storage system designed for mass market appeal, a smart thermostat and an EV charger -- all controlled by sonnen's energy automation and artificial intelligence (AI) software platform.

The Hunter's Point sonnen community represents the first time an energy storage system has worked in concert with Google Home in a master-planned development capable of maximizing the intelligent use of each household's renewable energy. In total, the Hunter's Point sonnenCommunity projects represent 9MWh of storage capacity and 7.2MW of power. (Source: sonnen, PR, 7 Nov., 2018) Contact: Pearl Homes, Monique Viehman, MV@pearlhomesfl.com, www.pearlhomesfl.com; sonnen, Blake Richetta, Snr. VP, sonnen U.S. operations, www.sonnenusa.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News sonnen,  Solar,  Energy Storage,  

US Green Building Council
Date: 2018-11-09
In the Windy City, the Willis Tower -- fka Sears Tower -- owned and managed by EQ Office reports it has earned the US Green Building Council LEED Gold certification. The 110 story building is currently undergoing a $500 million plus renovation, the biggest restorative transformation in the building's 43-year history.

The Willis Tower upgrades include:

Installation of high-efficiency lighting systems with improved controls to reduce energy consumption, including the building's newly renovated LED antenna lighting system;

Improvements to the building's HVAC exhaust and return fan dampers, which along with the new building automation management system, will enable the operating team to better control temperatures in the building and reduce energy usage;

Introduction of all new air media, fan gearboxes and fan blades, along with the installation of new variable frequency drives to all four of the building's cooling towers. The modernization will supply the chillers with lower temperature condensing water, resulting in an approximate 20 percent savings on the electric energy consumed by the cooling towers;

Installation of low flow high efficiency units on more than 450 sinks, 650 toilets and urinals, saving approximately 11 million gpy of water consumption and reducing the building's water usage by 30 pct;

Replacement of all the building's automatic transfer switches, enhancing the integrity of its electrical infrastructure. (Source: EQ Office, PR, Nov. 7, 2018) Contact: EQ Office, www.eqoffice.com; USGBC Willis Tower, www.willistower.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News US Green Building Council,  

Verbio,DowDuPont
Date: 2018-11-09
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Verbio North America Corp. and DowDuPont are reporting the sale of DowDuPont's 30 million gpy cellulosic ethanol plant in Nevada, Iowa, to Leipzig, Germany's Verbio Vereinigte BioEnergie AG's North American subsidiary, Verbio North America, for an undisclosed price.

The cellulosic ethanol plant, which opened in 2015, uses corn cobs and stover as a feedstock. Verbio plans to install equipment to produce natural gas from corn stover and other cellulosic crop residue. (Source: Verbio, DowDuPont, PR 9 Nov., 2018)Contact: Verbio, +49 (0) 3493 747-40, www.verbio.de/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News Verbio,  DowDuPont,  Cellulosic Ethanol,  Corn Stover,  

Niger Basin Authority,African Developement Bank
Date: 2018-11-09
The African Development Bank (ADB) reports approval of $76 million financial package for the integrated development and climate change adaptation in the Niger Basin. The Green Climate Fund, the European Union, the Global Environment Fund, the Forest Investment Fund and the various governments will also participate bringing the total to $134 million.

The funded activities include recovery of 140,000 ha of degraded land; construction of 209 water conveyance infrastructure for agro-pastoral systems and fish farming; leveraging on the livestock and aquaculture compacts of the Technologies for African Agriculture Transformation (TAAT). The program will also touch on implementing 450 agricultural value chain development sub-projects; building climate change adaptation capacity for 1,000,000 households and operationalize a financing mechanism for natural resource management.

The Niger Basin Authority member states include: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroun, Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Chad. (Source: ADB, All Africa, 7 Nov., 2018) Contact: ADB, www.afdb.org/en

More Low-Carbon Energy News Climate Change,  African Developement Bank,  Climate Change Adaptation,  

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,Lekela Power
Date: 2018-11-07
Amsterdam-headquartered renewable energy develkoper and producer Lekela Power reports it is seeking $81.4 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) for the construction of a 250-megawatt, $400 million wind farm in Ras Ghareb, northeastern Egypt.

Lekela's Suez Gulf Wind Project -- the largest in the Middle East -- is part of a build-own-operate (BOO) system under which Lekela will develop, build, operate and own the plant for a period agreed with the Egyptian government.

The wind project's first phase was developed by Engie, in a consortium with Toyota Tsusho Corporation / Eurus Energy Holdings Corporation and Orascom Construction. The plant is scheduled to come on stream inQ4, 2019. (Source: Lekela Power , EBRD, Afrik21, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Lekela Power +31-20-241 7299, www.lekela.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News European Bank for Reconstruction and Development news,  EBRD news,  Wind news,  

More Low-Carbon Energy News European Bank for Reconstruction and Development,  EBRD,  Wind,  

Date: 2018-11-07
In the UK, more landlords will be required to improve the energy efficiency rating of rental homes, under government changes which should save tenants £180 a year.

Under new legislation, rental properties with an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of F or G must now be made warmer by landlords before they can be put on the rental market for new tenancies. Previously heating upgrades costing more than £2,500.were exempted but that cap has been raised to £3,500 beginning in 2019.

The average cost of upgrading a property to an EPC E rating is £1,200 and will improve 290,000 properties, accounting for around 6 approximately 6 pct of the market, according to the Ministry of State for Energy and Clean Growth. As a result, tenants will enjoy an average annual energy savings of £180.

Landlords may qualify for support from the Energy Company Obligation scheme, as well as local grants to improve their properties' energy efficiency. (Source: UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Your Money, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: UK Minister of State for Energy and Clean Growth, Hon. Claire Perry, www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state-minister-for-energy

Bloomberg Philanthropies
Date: 2018-11-07
Bloomberg Philanthropies has tagged Honolulu the 18th winning city in Bloomberg Philanthropies' American Cities Climate Challenge. Previous winners include: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, San Diego, San Jose, Saint Paul, Seattle, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C.

The American Cities Climate Challenge is a $70 million-dollar program that will accelerate efforts in 20 winning cities to tackle climate change and promote a sustainable future for residents. Through the Climate Challenge, Honolulu is accepted into a two-year acceleration program that will provide cities robust technical assistance and a support package that includes a philanthropy-funded team member to facilitate the development and passage of high impact policies, training for senior leadership to assist with implementation of their proposed climate plans, and citizen engagement support to maximize community buy-in. (Source: Bloomberg Philanthropies, Nov., 2018) Contact: Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge, www.bloomberg.org/program/environment/climatechallenge

More Low-Carbon Energy News Bloomberg Philanthropies,  

DEWA
Date: 2018-11-07
In a press release, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) reports it will expand its 700-MW concentrated solar power (CSP) project in Dubai with an additional 250-MW solar photovoltaic (PV) component.

The project is the fourth phase of the 5-GW Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park that combines CSP and PV technologies. (Source: DEWA, PR, Renewables, Others, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: DEWA, www.dewa.gov.ae.

More Low-Carbon Energy News DEWA,  Solar,  CSP Solar,  

Chalmers University of Technology
Date: 2018-11-07
Researchers at Sweden's Chalmers University of Technology are reporting development of a "solar thermal fluid fuel" that can store solar energy for a decade or more.

The fluid is a molecule in liquid form composed of carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen. When the fluid is hit by sunlight, the bonds between its atoms are rearranged and it turns into an energized new version of itself, called an isomer. Energy from the sun is thus captured between the isomer's strong chemical bonds, where it stays even when the molecule cools down to room temperature. When the energy is needed, the fluid is filtered through a special catalyst that converts the molecules back to their original form, warming the liquid by 63 degrees C (113 degrees F).

The researchers hope this warmth can be used for domestic heating systems, water heaters, and similar applications. (Source: Chalmers University of Technology, PR, Oct., 2018) Contact: Chalmers University of Technology, Prof. Kasper Moth-Poulsen, +46 761 99 68 55, kasper.moth-poulsen@chalmers.se, www.chalmers.se

More Low-Carbon Energy News Solar,  Energy Storage,  

city of Santa Clarita
Date: 2018-11-07
In the Golden State, the city of Santa Clarita -- pop. 210,000 -- reports it has begun the city-wide replacement of high-pressure sodium streetlights attached to traffic signals and intersections.

A total of 529 highway safety light fixtures will be replaced in the first phase, which is expected to be completed not later than 14 Nov. (Source: City of Santa Clarita, SCV News, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: City of Santa Clarita, Kevin Tonoian, (661) 290-2210, www.santa-clarita.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,  LED Light,  Energy Efficient Street Light,  

Westar
Date: 2018-11-07
In Topeka, Westar Energy is reporting subscriptions to its new Renewables Direct program have reached almost 90 pct with Kansas businesses and government agencies signing on for 200 MW of Kansas wind energy.

Under the program, participating major energy consumers can claim a portion of the energy generated by the wind farm as their own, retain all of the renewable attributes and lock in a portion of their electric power costs for up to 20 years.

Fourteen Kansas organizations enrolled in Renewables Direct and will receive all or a portion of their electricity from the Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center, beginning operations in Nemaha County by the end of 2020. (Source: Westar Energy, Wichita Bus. Journal, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Westar Energy, Greg Greenwood, VP Strategy, (800) 401-5666, www.WestarEnergy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Westar,  Wind,  Renewable Energy,  

Valero Energy,Darling Ingredients
Date: 2018-11-07
San Antonio-headquartered Valero Energy Corp. reports its Board of Directors has approved a project to increase production capacity at its Diamond Green Diesel (DGD) plant in Norco, LA. to 675 million gpy of renewable diesel.

DGD is a JV formed between a subsidiary of Valero and Irving, Texas-based low-carbon feedstock supplier Darling Ingredients Inc.

With low carbon mandates in North America and Europe projected to continue driving strong demand and premium pricing for renewable diesel, this expansion adds a second, independent parallel plant adjacent to the existing facility and a renewable naphtha finishing facility, which provides incremental low carbon fuel standard credit generation capability. Valero expects the project to be completed in late 2021. (Source: Valero Energy Corp.,PR, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Darling Ingedients, Melissa A. Gaither, VP IR , (972) 281-4478, mgaither@darlingii.com, www.darlingii.com; Valero, Joe Gorder, Pres., John Locke, VP Investor Relations, (210) 345-3077, www.valero.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Valero Energy,  Darling Ingredients ,  Green Diesel,  Renewable Diesel,  

Attis Industries
Date: 2018-11-07
Milton, Georgia-based Attis Industries, Inc. is reporting the launch of a video series on the technologies and bio-based products offered under the company's Innovations division. The video discusses the current inefficiencies in biomass processing and how the Company is taking the next steps to double the biofuel output from biomass.

The transcript of the video states in part: "Our [processing] outputs include pulp and a unique form of high purity lignin. While the pulp can be used in traditional pulp and paper markets or to produce cellulosic ethanol, it's this high purity form of lignin that allows Attis to substantially increase the value and products made from biomass. For every 1.0 pound of cellulosic ethanol produced, Attis is able to recover about 1.3 pounds of high purity lignin. This is an alarming amount of highly concentrated carbon, captured from carbon dioxide and stored by photsyntheisis in plants, that has been overlooked for decades. Attis plans to convert its lignin into transportation fuels such as gasoline, diesel and/or jet fuel which could double the fuel output of biomass, or to convert the lignin into various materials such as plastics, adhesives or carbon fiber."

Link to video HERE. (Source: Attis Industries, Inc. PR, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Attis Ind., Jeff Cosman, CEO, 678-580-5661, www.attisind.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biomass,  Attis Industries ,  Bioplastic,  Biofuel,  Bio Technologies,  

Blue Circle
Date: 2018-11-07
In Vietnam, Singapore-headquartered developer Blue Circle Pte Ltd. is reporting completion of the 12-turbine, 40MW Dam Nai project in Ninh Thuan province. The wind farm incorporates Siemens Gamesa G114-2.625MW turbines and is the country's largest onshore wind farm.

Commissioning is expected this month for commercial operations in December. Blue Circle notes that between 80MW and 120MW could eventually be added at the site.

With this new facility, Vietnam has approximately 269MW of installed wind capacity, according to Windpower Intelligence. The country's 2016-2030 renewable energy development strategy calls for 6GW of power by 2030. (Source: Blue Circle Pte Ltd, , WindPower, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Blue Circle, +65 6358 3414, www.thebluecircle.sg

More Low-Carbon Energy News Blue Circle,  Wind,  Vietnam Wind,  

Cooperative Producers
Date: 2018-11-07
According to a news release from the Nebraska Ethanol Board, Hastings, Nebraska-based Cooperative Producers Inc. (CPI) is dropping ethanol-free gasoline from its product line and adding E15 ethanol blend fuel at its farmer's cooperative locations in the state.

The EPA is set to release a proposed rule in February 2019 to allow year-round E15 sales in time for the driving season in Jun (Source: Cooperative Producers Inc., DTN, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Cooperative Producers Inc., (402) 463-5148, info@cpicoop.com, www.cpicoop.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News E15,  Ethanol,  Ethanol Blend,  

Kimberly-Clark
Date: 2018-11-07
Kimberly-Clark Corporation reports receipt of its sixth consecutive EPA SmartWay®Excellence Award for leadership in environmental performance and energy efficiency. The company also scored a 2018 Responsible Business Award for Climate Action from the UK-based Ethical Corporation.

According to Kimberly Clark-Kimberly-Clark release, it has reduced its Scope 1 and 2 absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 18 pct compared with a 2005 baseline, putting the company on track to achieve its 2022 goal of a 20 pct reduction in GHG emissions four years ahead of schedule. (Source: Kimberly-Clark, PR, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Kimberly-Clark, www.kimberly-clark.com; Ethical Corp., +44 0207 375 7212, http://ethicalcorp.com; US DOE SmartWay®Excellence Award, www.epa.gov/smartway

More Low-Carbon Energy News GHG Emissions,  Climate Change,  Energy Efdficiency,  

ICAO,European Commission
Date: 2018-11-07
According to European Commission (EC) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) data, by 2020, global international aviation emissions are projected to be around 70 pct higher than in 2005 and could grow by a further 300-700 pct by 2050.

Under the EU ETS, all airlines operating in Europe are required to monitor, report and verify their emissions, and to surrender allowances against those emissions. o date, the EU ETS is credited with reducing aviation sector's carbon footprint by more than 17 million tpy with compliance covering over 99.5 pct of aviation emissions.

The ICAO's Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) aims to stabilize CO2 emissions at 2020 levels by requiring airlines to offset the growth of their emissions after 2020. During the period 2021-2035, and based on expected participation, the scheme is estimated to offset around 80 pct of the emissions above 2020 levels. (Source: ICAO, AgriLand, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: ICAO, +52 55 52 50 3211, icaonacc@icao.int, www.icao.int

More Low-Carbon Energy News Aviation Emissions,  Carbon Emissions,  CO2,  ICAO,  CORSIA,  

Date: 2018-11-07
In Kigali, the Rwandan Minister of Infrastructure has announced the governemt will cut the country's dependence on biomass as a source of energy by half by 2024 to ease environmental degradation.

The country presently sources about 83 pct of its energy traditional biomass -- fuel wood, charcoal and agricultural waste -- which has a negative impact on forests and people's health. To alleviate the problem, the government plans to encourage the use of affordably priced institutional biogas and liquefied petroleum gas. (Source: Rawanda Infrastructure Ministry, Xinhua, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Rawanda Infrastructure Minister Claver Gatete, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claver_Gatete

Washington State
Date: 2018-11-07
Yesterday, Washington state voters nixed Initiative 1631, a proposed carbon fee on fossil-fuel emissions. The oil industry reportedly contributed most of the more than $31 million to help defeat the carbon tax legislation.

If passed into law, I-1631 would have come into force in 2020 and raised an expected $1 billion or more per year by 2023. The revenue would have been used for low-carbon, climate change related projects and initiatives in Washington State. (Source: Seattle Times, Various Media, 6 Nov., 2018)

More Low-Carbon Energy News I-1631,  Carbon Tax,  Carbon Fee,  

Corvus Energy, ISO 14001
Date: 2018-11-07
Richmond, British Columbia-based maritime energy storage systems specialist Corvus Energy reports it has achieved ISO 14001:2015 certification for its Environmental Management System and Processes in its operations in Bergen, Norway. Certification in its Richmond, BC, Canada offices was achieved in March 2018.

The scope of the ISO 14001 certification includes the environmental aspects of the company's design, manufacturing and service of products Corvus can either directly control or influence considering the life cycle perspective of lithium-ion based energy storage systems (ESS).

The ISO 14001 standard provides organizations with a framework to protect the environment and respond to changing environmental conditions in balance with socio-economic needs. As the leading manufacturer of energy storage systems for maritime applications, Corvus offers the innovative Orca ESS solutions portfolio and has unsurpassed experience from 170+ projects, totaling over 120MWh and two million operating hours. (Source: Corvus Energy, MarEx, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: ISO, www.iso.org/certification.html; Corvus Energy, Andrew Morden, Pres. & CEO, Sean Puchalski, VP Strategic Marketing, (604) 227-0280 ext. 123, spuchalski@corvus-energy.com, www.corvus-energy.com

More Low-Carbon Energy News Lithium-Ion Battery,  Corvus Energy,  Energy Storage,  

Growmark Energy
Date: 2018-11-07
Bloomington, Illinois-headquartered Growmark Energy reports it is now offering pre-blended E15 at its company-owned terminals in Amboy, Ashkum, and Petersburg, Illinois, Fort Dodge, Iowa, and St. Joseph, Missouri. Growmark has been working with the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) on a number of issues related to offering E15 at the terminals, including regulatory compliance, participation in the EPA's required fuel survey, and adoption of RFA's misfueling mitigation plan (MMP).

The RFA noted it will continue to work with interested retailers serviced by the six Growmark-owned terminals to assist them with the transition to offering E15 at retail. (Source: Renewable Fuels Association , Growmark Energy, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: Growmark Energy, (309) 557-6000, contactus@growmark.com​, www.growmark.com; RFA, Bob Dinneen, Pres., (202) 289-3835, www.ethanolrfa.org

More Low-Carbon Energy News RFA,  Biofuel Blend,  E15,  

British Columbia,Energy Efficiency
Date: 2018-11-07
In Victoria, British Columbia, the provincial government is touting its $1.2-million Better Buildings BC program challenging designers, builders and developers to help make energy-efficient buildings more affordable. The program will award financial support to proposals for the most cost-effective energy-efficient buildings.

According to a release from BC Environment Minister George Heyman, "Energy-efficient buildings are a key part of our commitment to building a strong, sustainable, innovative economy -- one that makes life more affordable for British Columbians." Buildings are a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions in B.C., Heyman added. (Source: BC Environment Minister, Hon. George HeymanStarMetro Vancouver, 5 Nov., 2018) Contact: BC Environment Minister, Hon. George Heyman, http://bcndpcaucus.ca/mla/george-heyman

More Low-Carbon Energy News Energy Efficiency,