How to harness solar energy from roads, the Tennessee Valley Authority to purchase wind power from a North Dakota Company and Greenleaf Power acquires another biomass plant.

Harnessing Solar Energy from Roads

The long twisted ribbons of asphalt that bind America together can often be an environmental hazard. Thick black roads can reach temperatures as high as 140 degrees on a hot day as the asphalt absorbs the scalding heat of the summer sun. University of Rhode Island researchers have developed four methods of taking advantage of this opportunity by using hot roads to capture solar energy. First, flexible solar PV cells can be wrapped around highway dividers. The energy collected can power streetlights. Another possibility is to embed water-filled pipes under the asphalt and use the sun’s heat to warm the water. The water can then be piped to bridges to melt ice and reduce the demand for road alts and ice-removing trucks. Water can get even hotter than the asphalt above it, making this a powerful solution. The third proposal is to use a thermo-electric effect to generate energy by linking a hot and cold spot with semiconductors to generate electricity. The final and most complex solution is to replace the asphalt with electronic blocks embedded with PV cells, LED lights, and sensors. The blocks would produce electricity to illuminate lanes. K. Wayne Lee, URI professor of civil and environmental engineering is the leader of the joint project.

Spanish Solar Industry Unhappy with New Regulations

Spain’s solar power sector froze with the government’s announcement that will drop subsidized tariffs for ground-mounted solar energy projects 45 percent this year. Such a regulation will hinder future investment in the trade and paralyze the already struggling industry. Up to 75,000 jobs have already been lost as firms move abroad for better opportunities and cheaper production costs. In addition, merely 100 megawatts of generating capacity have been installed in the past two years as compared to the 2008 levels, which were more than ten times that number. The flustered solar companies have sued the Spanish government citing the regulation’s extreme measures as unconstitutional.

Tennessee Valley Authority to Buy Wind Power from North Dakota Company

The Tennessee Valley Authority has entered a wind power purchase agreement with the CPV Ashley Renewable Energy Company in McIntosh County, North Dakota. The TVA has a contract to purchase 200 MW of wind power over the next two decades. The project involves up to 133 wind turbines spanning about 17,400 acres. Power generation is scheduled to begin in 2012. The TVA, formed under Roosevelt’s New Deal programs, has its goals set for attaining cleaner energy. TVA has added 1,581 megawatts of wind resources since December 2008 and the company’s current renewable energy initiatives generate 4,443 megawatts of power from a variety of sources.

Greenleaf Power Acquires Second Biomass Plant

Greenleaf Power has made its second acquisition in its attempts to grow as a biomass energy company. The newly developed firm has purchased a 28-MW biomass power plant in California from Marathon Asset Management. Greenleaf’s first acquisition was when it bought the Honey Lake biomass power plant in Wendell, California. The newly acquired plant has been using biomass to power the town of Scotia, California and the neighboring sawmill since 1988. Once Greenleaf fully accepts the Scotia company, it aims to enhance efficiency and production through operational improvements to raise revenues.

Tennessee’s Largest Solar Energy Project Underway in Jackson

Jackson, Tennessee is home to the state’s largest solar energy project at the American Drive Business Center. The solar farm will have 4,914 solar modules manufactured by Sharp. Upon its completion, the project will generate enough energy to power up to 250 horses and a portion of the Business Center. The project is twofold with a one-megawatt solar power system and a 47-kilowatt solar installation. The Tennessee Valley Authority will purchase the power generated by the 1-MW array from the Jackson Energy Authority grid. The farm will be a part of the TVA Generation Partners Program and will be the second 1-MW solar project within the TVA region installed by Efficient Energy of Tennessee.

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