The Portland Habilitation Center Northwest (PHCNW) has installed an 870 kilowatt PV system using panels from Day4 Energy of Burnaby, British Columbia. The system is more efficient than conventional PV according to Day4 Energypresident George Rubin because of advanced modules and a proprietary interconnect system.

Rubin says that the combination of the company's best performing modules and connection system for linking the modules using polymer film, copper wires and a special alloy are up to 13 percent more efficient than conventional PV featuring copper, tin and silver based connections. The extra efficiency enables the same amount of power to be generated in a smaller footprint.

According to Rubin, this is the second largest installation of the company's PV system that has been in development for 7 years. He said his system is price competitive with top-tier PV competitors.

Portland's Lucky Labrador brew pub is using solar power to heat water used in its beer making process. The brewery created the Solar Flare ale in honor of its installation of a $70,000 solar thermal system.

Portland's weather isn't very different from Germany, one of the world leaders in solar power.

Livestock operations account for about two-thirds of reported U.S. ammonia emissions, according to the EPA, and these gases pose a threat to people living and working near the farms, and contribute to acid rain and other atmospheric pollution. Nonetheless, the federal government is now recommending a rule change that would exempt factory farms from reporting large emissions of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide from animal manure.

Opponents of the rule change say agriculture lobbyists orchestrated a campaign to convince the EPA that the reports are not useful and misrepresented the effort as reflecting the views of local officials. They say the plan to drop the reporting requirement is emblematic of a broader effort by the Bush-era EPA to roll back federal pollution rules.

"One of the running themes we have seen is they have taken numerous industry-friendly actions that are shot down in the courts, but they buy time for industry" in appeals and reviews that could extend years into the next administration, said Frank O'Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch, a nonprofit environmental group based in Washington.

Not surprisingly, the livestock industry argues that the rule is unnecessary and ultimately has no impact on the environment.

In 2005, the National Chicken Council, U.S. poultry & Egg Association and the National Turkey Federation called the ammonia reporting rule "inappropriate, unwise public policy, which does not reflect the nature of poultry management practices, and does not improve environmental or public health outcomes in any way."

The livestock industry’s position seems to ignore the fact that there are various measures that can be taken to reduce the negative impacts of animal manure on air pollution, and the runoff into lakes and rivers. By adding aluminum sulfate (alum) to poultry manure and aluminum chloride to swine manure, runoff and ammonia emissions can be reduced dramatically, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s own research.

Now, if we knew that all farmers were undertaking these environmentally-responsible measures, maybe there wouldn’t be a need for emissions reporting. But the agriculture and livestock industry has a long and sordid history of resisting sound environmental practices and regulations. Exempting large livestock operations from emissions reporting would remove one of the few measures that’s now in place that keep tabs on the pollution caused by this industry. Seems like our government is headed in the wrong direction on this issue.

The company dedicated a very small portion of the program to renewables, but the company says it isn't wavering on its investment in solar, wind and biofuels.

The solar and wind revenues increased by 30 percent in 2007, and investments in solar will double this year. The company wants to compete with Sharp and Shell and be a top 3 supplier of solar panels.

Executive VP Vivienne Cox said the company invest $600 million in wind in 2008, and the company expects its installations in North America to grow by a whopping 80 percent. BP will have installed a total 3 gigawatts of wind capacity in North America by end 2010.

The company is also betting on biobutanol as a more energy efficient renewable alternative to ethanol.

So while BP will attempt to reverse its sagging earnings through more fossil fuel exploration in the short term, at least the company continues to push diversified energy sources (unlike ExxonMobil).

Now that biofuels are turning into big business, there is more scrutiny being placed on the production of these alternative fuels, and their overall impact on the environment. A new study published this week raises questions about the consistency of biofuel blends, and suggests that closer regulation of the industry is needed to ensure consumer confidence and level the playing field for biofuel distributors and manufacturers.

While biofuel blending is an integral part of the production process, some biodiesel blends don’t contain the advertised amount of biofuel, according to a study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Pure biodiesel (B100) is a chemically prepared mixture of animal fats and vegetable oils, and it is often used in modified diesel engines. Biodiesel “blends” combine B100 with traditional petroleum-based fuels so they can be used in regular diesel engines. Most blends are either 5 or 20 percent biodiesel, and labeled as B5 and B20.

When researchers sampled blends from more than a dozen distributors across the United States, they found that the actual percentage of biofuel ranged from as little as 10 percent to as much as 74 percent in blends advertised as B20. Only 10 percent of samples met the specifications for biofuel blends required for vehicles of the U.S. Department of Defense, one of the leading consumers of the products.

Although there is an enforceable standard for pure biodiesel, there is currently no method of enforcement in the U.S. to ensure that blends are done correctly. And if all this "splash blending" isn’t done accurately, there can be nasty consequences down the line.

Improper blending of biofuels could lead to engine problems for drivers in cold climates because it can freeze or clog fuel lines. There is also a consumer confidence issue, and implications for the taxation and tax credits for biofuel providers and consumers.

Like any young industry, biofuel is going to have some growing pains, but it’s a good sign that there is more attention and scrutiny on the manufacturing and distribution process. Hopefully, all these problems will be worked out sooner than later, so by the time I build out my biodiesel El Camino, I won't have any worries when I head to the pump.

It is, of course, the dirty little secret of alternative fuels that cellulosic ethanol is where the real environmental gains are. Cellulosic ethanol contains more energy and produces fewer greenhouse gases than corn ethanol. Better yet, the source plants can be grown in all regions of the country rather than on the midwest's prime farmland. Unfortunately, the agricultural wastes, switchgrass and other non-food materials used to make it are much harder to break down and, with today's refining techniques, this means cellulosic ethanol is much more expensive to produce.

That's why the Department of Energy announced on Tuesday that it would be investing up to $34 million for biomass energy projects. Industry is expected to kick in its share as well, meaning the total investment could be as high as $70 million. Money from this commitment will go to projects focused on improving the enzymes that convert plant cellulose to sugars, which can then be fermented into (no, not grain whiskey) ethanol. From the looks of things, DOE is betting big on biofuels, having announced $1 billion of funding for the technology over the last year.

Delivering the news, DOE's Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Andy Karsner said, "Success of these projects will play a pivotal role in the rapid development and deployment of renewable fuels to reduce emissions and dependence on foreign oil, and fundamentally change how we power our vehicles."

The investment is positioned to help meet the goal put forward by President Bush during last year's State of the Union address of reducing gasoline consumption by 20% by 2017. It is expected that most of this decrease will be achieved through the use of 35 billion gallons of alternative fuels like ethanol. The rest will come from the higher 35 MPG fuel economy standards passed by Congress in December.

The cash will be divvied up among four projects, chosen based on their ability to reduce the "enzymes per gallon" needed to make ethanol and increase the overall efficiency of the process (make it cheaper). This could be just the catalyst the biofuels industry has been looking for.

Bonus Link: Wired had a great article a few months ago on the science and business of cellulosic ethanol, including the race between those finding enzymes in nature and those engineering them in the lab.

The measure passed by 236-182 and would extend and provide new tax incentives for using renewable energy from wind, solar, biofuels, geothermal and others.

The Senate rejected two similar measures last year, and this time may be not be any easier. Oil finished over $100 a barrel, and Republicans fear that ending the tax credits for oil would push prices higher. However, many oil companies including ExxonMobil have recorded record profits during the past few years, so you can also argue that additional costs need not lead to a price increase.

President Bush has already said he would veto this type of legislation, so any legislation would likely have to be modified to become law.

The U.S. is far behind other nations in adopting renewable energy which has proved to create jobs and stimulate the economy. While there might be some short term pain for vehicle owners, this overdue law could very well stimulate the economy more than the recent stimulus package that passed.

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) have the potential to curb climate change, reduce the cost of transportation, and liberate us from foreign oil. But the expected jump in PHEV sales over the next few years could also have a few troublesome downsides, in the form of more coal-fired air pollution and strains on utility grids.

Although plug-in cars have lower tailpipe emissions than gas-powered cars, the trade-off is that about 49 percent of U.S. electricity is generated using coal, so in some regions a plug-in running on its batteries is nearly the equivalent of a coal-burning vehicle, according to new reports. If large numbers of plug-in hybrids are being recharged with power from the least sophisticated coal plants, "There is a possibility for significant increases of soot and mercury," says a report by environmental advocacy group Natural Resources Defense Council. Soot particles can make it hard to breathe, especially for asthmatics, and mercury is toxic. Plug-in hybrids can certainly make sense in areas that don’t rely on coal-powered energy plants, but in areas that do, it could be a bad equation for the environment.

Another study found that plug-ins also could result in more sulfur dioxide (SO₂) emissions, which contributes to acid rain. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency found that use of PHEVs would lower most emissions compared with other vehicles, but that resulting SO₂ emissions would be more than double those from gasoline vehicles and about three or four times greater than from driving a regular hybrid. The study also notes that PHEVs would emit more carbon dioxide (CO₂) than driving a conventional hybrid.

Of course, emissions aren’t the only concern with PHEV cars. As a new generation of plug-in hybrids starts arriving in dealerships over the next few years, some people worry that electric grids could become overwhelmed by increasing power demands.

There are some truly innovative and cool new PHEVs that will be hitting the streets in the very near future. Ford and GM recently unveiled plug-in hybrid concept cars, joining with Nissan, Toyota, Honda and others that have publicly stated interest in manufacturing plug-ins. The mayors of more than 50 cities and 150 utilities have joined the Plug-in Partners consortium, and municipalities in 41 states have promised to purchase plug-in hybrids as soon as they are available.

As the biofuel market has recently learned, it’s difficult to make a case for “clean energy” sources, after you factor in all the variables that go into energy production and emissions. Hopefully, by the time new hybrids hit the market, the environmental scales will tip in their favor, but this is certainly an issue to keep an eye on as PHEV technology develops.

Carbon offset programs were originally used by large corporations looking to make up for their own carbon emissions by investing in renewable energy, forest conservation, and similar projects. Over the last five years, individual consumers have been given more opportunities to invest in these programs, which are becoming more widespread and popular.

California’s biggest utility company, Pacific Gas & Electric, sponsors a program called ClimateSmart that offers its customers a chance to voluntarily contribute to the company’s investments in carbon offsets. This week, PG&E announced that it bought 200,000 tons of certified forest carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions reductions from The Conservation Fund as part of the program.

Under the ClimateSmart program, customers pay a separate amount on their monthly energy bill, based on their calculated energy use. Currently, about 18,000 PG&E customers are signed up for the program, and donate an average of $4.50 per month. The company invests this money in environmental projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In this case, the emissions reductions will be generated over the next five years through sustainable forestry on Garcia River Forest, which The Conservation Fund owns and manages. The Garcia River Forest is the largest, and one of the first forest-based projects supported by ClimateSmart.

Carbon trading based on tree growth is one of the most common offset programs, and it relies on the fact that growing trees absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. When more trees are preserved, more carbon is stored in the forest, thus reducing emissions. Redwood forests, like the Garcia River Forest in Northern California, are great investments because they store more carbon per acre than any other forest type on earth.

As part of the deal, the Conservation Fund will harvest the Garcia River Forest less aggressively than is allowed, and sell the excess carbon stored in protected trees in the form of carbon emissions reductions. Currently, that excess is about 77,000 tons of CO2 per year, and The Conservation Fund is finalizing forest-based sales of carbon emissions reductions totaling more than 500,000 tons over time.

If you aren’t a PG&E customer, and want to participate in a carbon offset program, there are a number of organizations that have set up similar plans, including Atmosclear, the Carbon Fund, Drive Neutral, and e-Blue Horizons.

 

The next time you cook some eggs or chop up vegetables, don’t miss out on a small, but significant opportunity to impact climate change. That is, every time we compost biowaste and reuse it in our yards, we capture carbon in the soil that mitigates greenhouse gas emissions.

By applying organic fertilizers to agricultural land, we increase the carbon stored in the soil and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study published in Waste Management & Research.

If  20 percent of the surface of agricultural land in the EU could be used as a sink for carbon, it could constitute about 8.6 percent of the total EU emission-reduction objective, according to the report.

The researchers also note that increasing organic matter in soils may cause other greenhouse gas-saving effects, such as improved workability of soils, better water retention, less production and use of mineral fertilizers and pesticides, and reduced release of nitrous oxide.

Since industrial farming techniques deplete carbon from soil, its capacity to act as a carbon sink is reduced, but this loss of carbon sink capacity is not permanent. By composting, we can restore soil quality and sequester carbon in the ground.

So go get your worm farm ready for the spring planting season, and feed your garden the natural way this year. Your body will thank you, and so will the planet.

WalMart is the first company to work with Accelerator. WalMart is looking for companies with sustainable practices in waste disposal as well as wind and water projects.

The company is also expanding its investment arm into India. Top venture capitalist Vinod Khosla will be the Chair of the new India group. According to the company clean tech investment in India increased 58% last year to total of $210 million.

India's economy is booming with clean technology and automotive industries such as Tata Motors ready to increase exports to the U.S.

The growing fleet of flex fuel vehicles is getting better access to ethanol thanks to grocery chain Kroger. The company has partnered with VeraSun Energy to distribute its VE85 fuel at 20 new locations in Texas making it easy to pick up biofuel when you shop for vegetable oil.

In addition to the oil country of Texas, Kroger has also begun selling E85 in Michigan. If the grocer can build interest in the fuel where people like petroleum and big cars, then they should find success everywhere, even in Hollywood for a bargain price today.

During 2007 the number of E85 pumps grew by 35 percent, but that's down from 116 percent growth the previous year, according to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition. You can find where E85 is available in your area here.

The federal mandate for ethanol production ensures that more distribution centers and pumps will be installed. However it will likely take years before the majority of flex fuel vehicles consistently fill up with E85 because of the spotty availability. If gas prices continue to rise however, people will be more likely to go out of their way to find it.

Just about every major corporation has a green message these days, but when the rubber hits the road, some are more successful than other in living up to their pledges. Condé Nast’s Portfolio magazine put a green microscope on some of the biggest U.S. companies, and published a list of those with the best and worst environmental records.

The Portfolio staff consulted dozens of government agencies, court records, and environmental watchdog groups, and spoke with representatives from the corporations themselves. The list is not meant to be comprehensive, and is admittedly somewhat subjective. The biggest names on the magazine’s “Toxic Ten” list include Apple Computer, Boeing, Cargill, Ford, Chevron, and Alcoa, and each company has a rebuttal printed alongside the list of environmental offenses.

Apple’s major offenses include using toxins such as polyvinyl chlorides and brominated flame retardants in its new iPhone, after it pledged to phase out such chemicals. The computer maker’s recycling program is a dog, too, because it offers takebacks only when you purchase a new Mac. The company has, however, offered to recycle iPhones and iPods with no such strings attached.

Boeing came under fire from Britain's Advertising Standards Authority for overstating the fuel efficiency of its 747-8 Intercontinental, and it was hit with $500,000 in water-pollution fines for its laboratory near Simi Valley, California, which exceeded limits on dumping dioxin, lead, and mercury, among other pollutants.
   
Ford Motor Co. had the second-worst fleetwide gas-mileage rating in both 2006 and 2007, according to the E.P.A., and in 2006, Ford withdrew its guarantee that it would manufacture a quarter of a million hybrid vehicles annually by 2010, opting instead to explore alternative energy sources.

Green Heroes

There was also some uplifting news in the report, as Portfolio highlighted some big corporations that are taking their environmental pledges to the bank. Bank of America, that is, which offers employees who buy hybrid cars a $3,000 cash-back incentive.

Starbucks got a green star for its "bean-to-cup" approach, which creates eco-accountability at every stage of its supply chain, with recycled-paper sleeves alone saving the equivalent of 78,000 trees in 2006.

Whole Foods was the first major U.S. corporation to purchase enough wind-energy credits to offset 100 percent of its electricity use. Somewhat surprisingly, Wal Mart made the list, too, for having one of the most ambitious environmental plans of any U.S. company: a proposal to power every store with 100 percent renewable energy.

Other companies on the green list include Dupont, GE, Innovest, Organic Valley, and Ceres. And last but not least, Austin, Texas got credit for its plans to make city operations carbon neutral by 2020.
 

Last year, the U.S. wind industry grew by 45% and installation of solar capacity increased by 125%. However, the uncertain future of beneficial federal tax credits has wind companies holding their breath and the solar firms hoping they don't get burned. Originally created in the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the federal production tax credit (PTC) has had a bumpy road, expiring due to congressional inaction on three different occasions. The latest version, extended one year to December 2008, provides a 1.9 cent per kilowatt refund for renewable energy facilities and a 30% credit toward total project cost.

The legislation has been a boon to the renewable energy industry. In a recent press release, the Solar Energy Industries Association said, that most of its industry's growth is "directly attributable to the solar investment tax credits."

The one year extension hasn't been enough to keep investors from getting nervous. And for good reason. The last time the PTC was allowed to expire in December 2003, wind power installations fell 75% the next year. A new study (pdf) by Navigant Consulting estimates that losses totaling 116,000 U.S. jobs and nearly $19 billion in U.S. investment could be on the way if the PTC is not renewed.

Gregory Wetstone, Senior Director for Public and Government Affairs of the American Wind Energy Association warns that, "investors are holding back because of Congress’s delay in extending renewable energy tax credits, undermining one of the brightest and fasting growing areas of the American economy."

A new bill, titled the Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008 (H.R. 5351), is currently under consideration in the House of Representatives, and extends the PTC until 2011. The 10-year, $18.5 billion bill also provides a host tax breaks for renewable energy, efficiency, plug-in hybrids, and more. However, it looks like the oil companies may be getting the short end of the dip stick as they will be losing $1.4 billion in subsidies and tax breaks annually to offset costs.

With a recent Zogby poll showing 85% of Americans supporting greater incentives for renewable energy projects, support from environmental groups, and an aggressive lobbying effort on the part of wind and solar industry, I wouldn't be surprised to see this legislation receiving the red, nay green, carpet treatment in Washington.

Bonus Link:
The Center for American Progress has a great breakdown of H.R. 5351's provisions.

City buses are getting even cleaner as lithium ion batteries are enabling the drive for short distances using only electric power.

The city of Flint Michigan, along with Lithium Technology Corporation, Transportation Techniques, Kettering University, and UQM Technologies will soon test new diesel-hybrid electric buses using lithium ion batteries. The new buses can reduce fuel consumption by up to 40 percent by running part time in "zero emission" battery-only mode.

Lithium Technology of Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania will provide the batteries as part of a $4.7 million contract.

Daimler is also moving ahead with lithium batteries in the new line of Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid buses. The buses, which store energy in the roof mounted batteries, are expected to increase fuel efficiency by 30 percent over diesel buses.

The Benz buses use a diesel generator to recharge the batteries, so the buses are always powered by electricity. This is what GM calls an "extended range" electric vehicle, although since petroleum is involved, they are really hybrids with better battery system.

The city of New York is testing other Daimler bus technology, the Orion VII Next Generation diesel hybrids that according to a government report are far superior to an earlier version. Perhaps New York will be one of the places where the new buses are tested.

Diesel hybrid technology in trains and buses have proven to be fuel efficient, so we should expect large utility and construction vehicles to incorporate lithium ion batteries.

It’s been encouraging to see some of the big oil companies investing  in alternative energy projects as a hedge against single-source energy production, and to improve their public image. Of course, old habits die hard, and we also see some oil companies with a steadfast, single-minded approach to energy investment. This seems to be the case with British Petroleum, which started a renewable energy program in 2000, but recently did an about face and will abandon its green projects in favor of more oil investments.

With oil prices at record highs, new CEO Tony Hayward has decided to forget about environmental initiatives and return BP to its profitable roots. Of course, like every other oil company operating today, BP is still very profitable, but a series of missteps -- an explosion at one of its refineries, pipeline spills, and trading scandals – have hurt both the company’s reputation and bottom line.

So BP has decided to maximise its profit by focusing strictly on oil, including a much greater investment in the Canadian oil sands, which were recently labeled “the most destructive project on Earth”.

Back in 2000, BP unveiled a new green brand image, in an attempt to win over environmentally aware consumers, and even came up with an eye-catching new logo to celebrate the new direction. It was a green, white and yellow flower designed to show the company's commitment to the environment and solar power. It even adopted a new slogan, " Beyond Petroleum". At the time, environmental groups merely mocked the company's attempts.

"This is a triumph of style over substance. BP spent more on their logo this year than they did on renewable energy last year, " the environmentalist group Greenpeace said.

I don’t think many consumers boycott gas stations based on their energy portfolios, but enough bad press will likely have an impact somewhere down the line for BP. Likewise, with carbon taxes on the horizon in the UK, big oil companies will have to factor those into their long-term energy equations.

Chalk up another eco award for Austin, Texas. The Mueller airport redevelopment project, a massive live-work neighborhood breaking ground on the southeast side of the city has been named one of the top ten best, eco-friendly neighborhoods by Natural Home magazine.

Natural Home rated the neighborhoods based on energy usage and application of alternative energy sources; green building aspects, including LEED certification levels achieved, and reuse of previously developed land. The company that designed the project, Catellus Development Group, specializes in mixed-use development projects built with sustainable design principles. 

Catellus' Mueller community spans 711 acres in central Austin, and already has a foothold in the neighborhood, with a 220,000-square-foot retail center, a 127,000-square-foot medical office building, and the Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. The Mueller development is being design with “green urbanism” features, including more than 15,000 new trees, sidewalks on both sides of the street, and dedicated bike lanes and off-street hike/bike paths.

There are a number of different builders that will be involved in the Mueller housing development, most of which have green-building credentials.  All of the single family homes will meet or exceed a three-star energy efficiency rating, and some of the green construction features include rainfall harvesting, tankless water heaters, digital air conditioning controls, and energy-efficient air conditioners/heaters. Transportation is another key component of this planned neighborhood, and residents will have access to 16 Capital Metro bus routes, and a new MetroRail service is also in the works.  In addition, all of the commercial buildings at Mueller will meet or exceed a two-star energy efficiency rating from Austin Energy's Green Building Program or will be LEED certified.

To encourage a diverse mix of residents, there will be a wide range of housing options at the Mueller development, from single-family yard houses and row houses to live-work "shop houses", and mixed-use apartment and townhome buildings. Most homes will be priced between $120,000 to $160,000. About 25 percent of the homes are available specifically to households with lower than average incomes.

The first phase of residential construction is currently underway, with more than 4,600 single- and multi-family units planned at full build-out.

You may not have heard of Nobel Prize winner Dr. Richard E. Smalley, but you've likely heard of his most famous discovery, the buckminster fullerene, a carbon structure with properties of enormous strength, shock resistance, and possibly superconductivity. Why are we writing about him on an eco-tech blog? It turns out another one of his interests involved another kind of carbon, CO2.

In a posthumously-published editorial - he passed away in 2005 - in the Houston Chronicle this weekend, Smalley focuses on the problem of energy demand. With rising carbon dioxide levels, peak oil production around the corner and rising population, he says that we need tbetter ways to store energy. This is especially true of technologies like wind and solar, which rely on the whims of mother nature. Rather than work this problem on the gigawatt scale, Smalley recommends that we think locally. He believes that the problem is simply too big to address on the gigawatt scale, but, he says, "if you imagine attacking the energy storage problem locally, at the scale of a house or a small business, the problem becomes vastly more solvable."

Smalley lays out a vision of 100 million local sites, storing energy using batteries, hydrogen technology, and flywheels in order to buffer energy usage for hours or even days. An article by Reuters highlights the efforts of three companies working on this part of Smalley's vision. VRB power is ramping up production of a long-lasting vanadium-based battery, ITM power is developing a hydrogen electrolyzer, and U.S.-based EnerDel is hoping that its lithium ion battery will make its way into Th!nk City's 100 mile range electric car.

He also recommends creating a more efficient electrical grid, saying, "Instead of taking a hundred megawatts over a thousand miles, I need to take a hundred gigawatts over a thousand miles and do it cheaply". This would require super-efficient transmission lines. One material he suggests could do this herculean job is the carbon nanotube, a type of fullerene. Of course the nanotube electrical grid makes electrolyzers and batteries look easy. But Nanocomp Technologies seems to be getting the hang of it. They are able to make man-sized (6ft x 3ft) sheets of nanotube material now and hope to be making 10 x 10 ft sheets (NY apartment-sized?) by summer.