DOE awards $2.8M fund to Babcock & Wilcox for carbon capture research

The Babcock & Wilcox Co. subsidiary Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation Group Inc. has received $2.8 million in financial assistance funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for an emission control project.

The company will use funds to study chemical formulations to improve the performance of its Regenerable Solvent Absorption TechnologyTM process solvent used to capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from coal-fired power plants. The project will be managed by DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory under its Innovations for Existing Plants Program.

B&W will contribute $0.7 million in the form of in-kind research and development to the project, including research personnel and facility space, which will be conducted at the B&W Research Center in Barberton, Ohio. In addition, other project participants include the University of Cincinnati and First Energy Corp., which will act in an advisory role to provide input from a utility operator’s perspective.

KB Home introduces new energy efficient ZeroHouse 2.0 in California

KB Home has unveiled one of the first net-zero energy production homes in California during a special event held at Lake Forest. The offering of the ZeroHouse 2.0 in Lake Forest continues a national rollout of the net-zero energy homes that KB Home started earlier this fall.

The ZeroHouse 2.0, which is built under the U.S. Environment Protection Agency’s Energy Star qualification, uses additional energy-efficient features and an optional 6.75-kW solar power system. The energy efficient houses help homeowners eliminate their monthly electricity charges entirely with incorporation of the ZeroHouse 2.0 energy efficiency options into their home at the KB Home Studio.

Energy Risk magazine recognizes Karbone as ‘Best Broker’ in annual environmental rankings

Karbone, a full service firm specializing in renewable energy and environmental markets, has been recognized as the ‘Best Broker’ in U.S. Voluntary Emissions Reductions in the 2011 Environmental Rankings published by Energy Risk magazine. Overall, the company was named as a top broker in four separate categories according to the rankings released in the December issue of the magazine.

In addition, Karbone was recognized as: best broker (runner-up) for U.S Renewable Energy Certificates; best broker (runner-up) for U.S. Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI); and best broker (second runner-up) for U.S. Biofuels.

First Wind secures $210M in financing for 105-MW Wash. wind farm

First Wind has secured $210 million in financing for its Palouse Wind LLC subsidiary, which own the 105-MW Palouse Wind project in northernWhitman County, Washington.

The company intends to use funds to continue the construction of the largest renewable energy facility in the county with the capacity to generate enough clean energy to power about 30,000 Northwest homes. The project is expected to be operational sometime before the end of 2012.

As part of the financing, Palouse Wind closed an approximate $170 million construction and term facility loan and letters of credit of up to $40 million. KeyBank National Association served as the joint lead arranger and administrative agent, while Nordduetsche Landesbank Girozentrale, CoBank ACB and Banco Santander acted as joint lead arrangers.

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