Maryland Research Institute Juggles 3 Clean Energy Goals

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD took President Obama’s goal of 80 percent renewable energy by 2035 to heart. The NIST campus now boasts three new facilities that are in line with clean energy goals. The Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility was built to resemble the average suburban home. NIST will employ researchers to simulate the daily energy use of a family of four to prove that the typical American can still conserve energy in the home. Also on the site are 2,000 solar energy panels that will feed up to 600-kW onto the grid. The third facility is the National Structural Fire Resistance Lab where researchers will try to build safer buildings, including some that can withstand even fire.

 

Veteran’s Affairs Solar Installment Extended

SunWize Systems has finished the first phase of its solar project for the Department of Veteran’s Affairs in Phoenix, Arizona. The undertaking is the largest solar carport yet and biggest hospital solar PV system, and SunWize is even extending Phase 2 of the initiative to 4.45-MW (previously 3.63) of solar production. The project is scheduled to be completed in early 2012. The installation will produce over seven million kWh of clean energy per year.

Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy Plan Promotes Energy Savings

Wisconsin utilities have partnered with several companies such as Pactiv and Xtel Energy to promote energy efficient technologies. New radiant heater bands were installed on machines at Xten and at Pactiv to boost warm-up times so that cool-down systems are more effective. This alone will save the companies over $10,000 in energy costs annually and eliminate 169,000 pounds of CO2 from being emitted into the atmosphere. The improvements are a part of the Focus on Energy plan, Wisconsin’s clean energy initiative that has been in place since 2001 to help businesses identify possible energy savings to lower their operating costs.

 

Shell Launches Fuel Efficiency Contest

Up to 70 teams from 18 high schools and 31 universities across Canada, Mexico and the U.S. are participating in Shell Eco-marathon Americas. The competition aims to test fuel efficiency to see which team can go the farthest using the least amount of energy on the streets of Houston, TX. The contest is a part of Shell’s “Smarter Mobility” program that seeks to find technological advancements to meet transport challenges for the future. There are two categories including Prototype and UrbanConcept for schools to enter their creations.

Ormat Signs Purchase Agreement in Kenya

Ormat technologies has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Kenya Power and Lighting Company to purchase 36-MW of clean energy from a power plant at Olkaria in Kenya. The plant is under construction next to the existing 48-MW Olkaria III geothermal power plant near Lake Naivasha. The plant is expected to be operational in 2013.

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