Siemens To Close Solar Unit on $1 Billion Loss

Siemens AG will shut down its solar power unit after failing to find a buyer following losses of at least $1 billion since 2011. The shutdown of the solar division will affect about 280 workers at Europe’s biggest engineering company. Siemens said it will complete unfinished solar contracts, which include projects in Spain, where it paid 115 million euros in charges in the three months to the end of December for delays in the sector, before finalizing the unit’s closure.

IFC Reports that Over 60% of Geothermal Wells Drilled Globally were Successful

International Finance Corporation has released a new report regarding the success of geothermal wells drilled all over the world with data taken from both public and private sources. The report finds that for those wells which status could be verified, 78 percent of wells drilled were successful. In two thirds of the fields in the database, more than 60 percent of wells were successful. IFC notes that this is the first global database of wells in geothermal fields, making it the largest database of its kind.

California Energy Storage Plan May Need $3 Billion Investment

Energy companies may invest as much as $3 billion on power-storage systems in California to encourage wider use of renewable energy. Utilities owned by PG&E Corp., Sempra Energy and Edison International would be required to obtain 1,325 megawatts of storage capacity by 2020 under a June 10 proposal from the California Public Utilities Commission. According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Brian Warshay, storage systems based on lithium-batteries, which retain electricity, and molten salt, which holds heat that’s used to run a turbine to produce energy, may help utilities meet the requirements.

Solar Likely to Power 20% of New Homes in California This Year

As SunPower prepares to install its 10,000th residential system, the company says that they expect that solar power will be on 20% of all new homes built in California this year. California Solar Initiative (CSI) data shows that 4,000 new homes were built with solar in California last year. SunPower observes that that’s 10 times the number built in 2006. While previously some realtors thought solar could reduce the value of a home, newer evidence shows that solar adds some $17,000 to the resale value of homes in California.

Godawari Inaugurates Asia’s Biggest Solar-Thermal Plant

Godawari Power & Ispat Ltd. has started Asia’s largest solarthermal power plant as India moves toward renewable-energy targets with prices almost half the global average.  The 50-megawatt plant in northwest Rajasthan state boasts 5,760 solar mirrors that concentrate the sun’s rays, generating steam to drive electricity-generating turbines. India, troubled by blackouts as coal-power stations are idled due to lack of fuel, aims to install 20,000 megawatts of solar capacity by 2022, up from 1,700 megawatts now.

Obama Tells Keystone Foes That He Will Soon Unveil Climate Measures

With pressure coming from environmentalists to reject the Keystone XL pipeline project, President Obama plans to unveil a package of separate actions next month focused on suppressing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Obama’s promise comes in response to imploration from donors to reject the Keystone XL project, a $5.3 billion pipeline that would carry oil from Canada to U.S. refineries. While the President has not detailed the specifics of the plan, pipeline opponents foresee the package will include final rules from the Environmental Protection Agency to put a cap on greenhouse-gas emissions from new power plants.

Brazil to Attract Big Oil by Offering 30% of Libra’s Profits

Brazil is set to get the interest of big oil producers by offering at most a 30 percent take for developing its largest oil field. The oil regulator is preparing a road show to the U.S., Europe and Asia to market Libra, the largest oil discovery in Brazil that is up for auction in October. The country is counting on the so-called pre-salt region where Libra and its biggest finds are located to double crude output by 2020.

Vestas Sees Significant Growth in East Europe and Africa

Vestas Wind Systems A/S said that it sees significant growth in South Africa and Eastern Europe even as demand in traditional wind-turbine is slowing down. The company projects that 90% of the growth of energy consumption in the next 25 years will take place in emerging markets. Currently, orders have been logged from Chile, Uruguay, South Africa, Mexico, Croatia, Ukraine and Romania. The shifting patterns of demand means the proportion of orders from developing countries jumped to almost 60% this year from 42% last year.

Buildings account for nearly half of US energy consumption, consume 3/4 of the electricity and, excluding residential, are responsible for more than 45 percent of carbon emissions. The EPA suggests that some 30% of this energy is wasted.

New research from the Rockefeller Foundation and Deutsche Bank reveals that such inefficiency creates a mammoth investment opportunity — $279bn investment is needed, and the payback in energy efficiency could yield more than $1 trillion in cost savings over the next decade. Such a surge of activity stands to employ millions of workers, substantially reduce carbon emissions and provide investors with a handsome return on investment.

These are not the first reports to highlight the financial impact of efficiency upgrades. And real life examples, such as the retrofit of the Empire State Building, attest to the rewards of such investments. The building owners claim a more than 30% return on those investments.

Despite the attraction of implementing large scale efficiency projects, a lack of financing often complicates or derails such plans. Several new financing structures stand to improve the uptake of these projects, utilizing utilities, private finance and even local tax authorities to provide capital and ensure payment.

Among the most important findings of this research is the potential for job creation. Retrofit projects are labor intensive. More than 3 million job years are required to meet the requirements of these projects. (One job year = one person employed for a full year.) The machinery and materials to implement these improvements are equal in value to the labor employed — or about $130bn.

Sustainable investors such as Boardwalk Capital explicitly look for companies who are making such investments — raising profitability, and improving their earnings stability. These are competitive advantages that investors pay for in a higher market valuation.

Norway disregards Tariff Pleas by Gas Pipeline Investors

Norway’s Oil and Energy Minister Ola Borten announced that it would be difficult to abandon a plan to reduce levies on its pipelines by as much as 90%, ignoring requests made by investors to scale down the reductions from funds committing $5.6 billion to the network.   Last January, Norway announced its plans to cut tariffs paid by producers by almost 90% to boost exploration, but due to the cut, investors estimate that they will have lower returns of around 4%, which is below the projected minimum of 7%.

Goldman Sachs Eyes Japanese Offshore Wind in Expanding Clean Energy Generation

Goldman Sachs Group Inc. is planning to invest as much as 300 billion yen in Japan’s offshore wind after building up holdings in more established renewable energy sources such as solar.  Goldman established Japan Renewable Energy Co. in August after Japan started offering above-market rates to clean-energy producers. In the next half-decade, Japan Renewable Energy plans to invest as much as 50 billion yen directly into clean energy projects with capital provided by its partners. It will also take as much as 250 billion yen of loans for project financing. In total, the investments will amount to about 1,000 megawatts of clean energy.

Suntech Sued by Investor Seeking $550,000

Trondheim Capital Partners LP and Michael Meixler filed a lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court requesting a pretrial ruling ordering Suntech Power Holdings Co. to pay $550,000 in principal due on 3% convertible senior notes, plus interest, expenses and legal fees. Last March 15, Suntech failed to pay its obligation to repay $575 million to holders of the notes, which were issued last 2008. The China-based company also defaulted in March on $541 million of bonds.

EnerCap Plans $466 Million for Heat and Power as Renewables Weaken

EnerCap Capital Partners, a Czech Republic-based private equity company, plans to invest $466 million in combined heat and power plants in central and Eastern Europe as policy changes in the region make renewables less attractive. EnerCap may also liquidate assets in its 98 million-euro renewables fund with wind farms in Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic. The company decided to focus on gas and biomass-fired projects rather than on renewable power because of uncertainties about government support for wind and solar.

Italy to Cease Granting Tariffs for New Solar Projects

Italy, the second-largest market for solar-power, will stop granting feed-in tariffs for new installations after July 6 because its subsidy program has reached its 6.7 billion euro budget cap. The law restricts above-market rates for solar energy a month after the said threshold is reached. Italy’s solar subsidy plan, introduced in 2005, has spurred the installation of more than 526,000 solar plants with more than 17 gigawatts of capacity.

CAUSE Increases Effort to Keep Net-Metering Flowing through Study Requests

Californians Against Utilities Stopping Solar Energy (CAUSE) is raising its efforts to support clean, locally produced energy. The organization recently joined with the American Lung Association asking the California Energy Commission (CEC) to study the air as well as benefits the state’s net-metering policy offers to Californians. The study that CAUSE and its partners petitioned of the CEC would touch on the many reasons for using renewables as opposed to fossil fuels for electric generation.

Clean Energy Investments Shifts to Developing Nations

Renewable energy investments are now veering to developing nations as countries from Morocco to Chile pursue power sources that will sever their dependence on fossil fuel imports. The gap on clean energy spending between richer and developing countries diminished to 18 percent last year from 250 percent in 2007, marking a drastic change in investment patterns. Almost 70 percent of the 138 nations that now have clean-energy targets are in the developing countries. The biggest regional growth in investment was in the Middle East and Africa, where spending ballooned 228 percent to $12 billion in 2012.

Scotland Gives More Aid to Offshore and Floating Turbines

Scotland will give higher incentives to test new offshore and floating wind technology than standard turbines as it seeks to get all its power from renewables. Projects testing innovative new-to-market turbines will get 2.5 tradable Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROC) and programs testing floating turbines that are not fixed to a foundation will receive 3.5 ROC’s. Lawmakers are targeting enough renewable energy sources to produce all of Scotland’s power by 2020. It is estimated that the planned offshore wind projects in Scotland may total 10 gigawatts by 2020, generating $11 billion for its economy.

When I started this article, the answer seemed clear. Shockwaves resounded as I drilled down on this rather complex subject. Judgment is tempered on the possibility of a misunderstanding of the data.  Read on.

The formula to get clean water and drive energy to cleaner and more efficient resources is well known but poorly followed. Improvement resonates between environmental economics and policy. Incentives and investments by the public sector rarely achieve the desired results. Rather federal regulations followed by investments from the private sector are the formula for success. This then is the thesis of this discussion.

The ancient Greeks may have had it right after all. They believed the essential parts by which everything is based upon consists of earth, water, air, and fire.  It is somewhat strange why they did not include the sun and time within the portfolio of basic elements.  Nevertheless, the world as we know it is a subtle interplay between these classical elements. When it comes to the life, water and energy are the two requisite resources that sustain almost all life forms and brought man from caves to cities.

Society advances by finding better ways to harness water and energy.  Emerging civilizations use water to generate energy. Developed civilizations use energy to distribute water and improve its quality. With few exceptions, energy and water are inextricably linked – more power requires more water and cleaner water requires more energy. Improvement of energy and water resources resonates between environmental economics and policy.

From an improvement standpoint, is water and energy treated differently? Differently from the perspective ways and means to improve quality, where energy providers strives for cleaner and more efficient and reliable sources and water strives to distribute cleaner supplies for agricultural and human consumption.  Where way and means include investment, grants and regulations. While cost is ultimate driver to achieve these goals, the government tends to take a different approach to improve power and water resources. That is, improvement of America’s prosperity by addressing its energy challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.

Energy has the U.S. Department of Energy “to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.” On the Federal level, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates the interstate transmission of electricity, natural gas, and oil. However, FERC does not mandate resource allocation.

In an over simplification of a rather complex political, financial, technical, environmental and regional model, the DNA of renewable energy lies in a delicate balance between Renewable (Energy) Portfolio Standards (RPS) benchmarks and federal and state incentives and investments. Like most commodities, the cost and reliability of renewable energy remain the key drivers of installed capacity.

Regulation of the type of energy resource lies in the loosely controlled RPS mandated by each state. According to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (“NREL”), “an RPS is a statutory requirement to achieve a renewable energy goal by a certain date. RPS programs create a mandate for Load Serving Entities (LSE) to provide renewable energy; they create a lucrative captive market for renewable energy producers who are eligible in a particular state’s RPS program to issue Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) or Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (SREC).

The LSE weighs the relative price of the REC and the cost  of Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP) or Solar Alternative Compliance Payment (SACP) to determine whether it is financially advantageous to purchase REC / SREC (add capacity) or pay the ACP (defer additional capacity).   ACP or SACP is the amount that Load Serving Entities (LSEs), i.e. electricity suppliers, must pay per MWh of electricity that they are unable to generate themselves or buy rights to through REC or SREC purchases in order to meet the state’s RPS requirement. While the ACP or SACP is fixed in any given year, the price of REC or SREC varies based on the market forces of supply and demand.

Mostly vanished from today’s U.S. energy landscape  is a series of federal incentives such as renewable energy grants, energy investment tax credits (ITC), and production tax credits (PTC) amongst others. Also, federally mandated programs to stimulate use of clean energy resources including carbon credits were never a reality.

Figure 1 shows the actual and projected renewable energy consumption from 1980 to 2034 in the U.S. From 1980 to 2010, there was a negligible increase in the consumption of renewable energy. The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that by 2035 the U.S. economy will show only a 3% increase in renewable energy usage.

Figure 1: U.S. Actual and Projected Renewable Energy Consumption from 1980 to 2034

As shown in Figures 1 and 1A, about 9 percent of total energy consumed in the United States in 2011 was from renewable resources. Excluding hydropower, which in the conventional state (dams) is not always considered a renewable resource, the net contribution of renewable energy declines to less than 6 percent. The figures bear out the fact that the immediate contribution of solar and wind energy is much less than pundits would have you believe.

Figure 1A: 2011 U.S. Energy Consumption by Energy Source

Energy consumption increased 1.2 percent to 97.3 Quads in 2011 from 96.2 Quads in 2001, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, see ( http://www.eia.gov/totalenergy/data/annual/index.cfm#summary ). During this period, the U.S. population increased 9.2 percent to 311.5 million in 2011 from 285.3 million in 2001. This translates to a 7.4 percent decline in per capita energy consumption in the U.S. from 2001 to 2011. The decline in energy use per person comes largely through gains in appliance efficiency as well as an increase in vehicle efficiency standards.

From 2000 to 2014, the Department of Energy (DOE) allocated on the average only 5.4% of its budget to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) technologies aimed at clean energy applied Research, Development, Demonstration and Deployment (RDD&D) programs, see Figure 2. During this period, the total expenditure on EERE programs was approximately $20 billion.

There is no dedicated Federal Agency regulating the type of energy resource.  There are agencies, such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that approve the construction of power generation facilities. However, the approval system is based on construction and output requirements rather than the type of fuel used to generate power.  The EPA is a non-legislative agency that ensures people in every small community in America will have clean air, drinking water, waste disposal and related services that safeguard their health in a friendly and sustainable environment.

Figure 2: FY 2000 – 2014 Total DOE and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Budgets

U.S. Federal Agencies that ensure America’s prosperity by addressing its water challenges through transformative science and technology solutions includes Commerce and USDA. The regulatory aspects of water are the responsibility EPA, which was created 40 years ago.  Improving protection for public health, water quality and the environment falls under the Clean Water Act (CWA) and Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). On March 13, 2013, Michael H. Shapiro, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. EPA  reported to the U.S. House of Representatives that “Our nation’s drinking water meets standards as protective as any in the world, and we have improved water quality and increased public health protection in streams, lakes, bays, and other waters nationwide.” http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hhrg-113-ap06-wstate-shapirom-20130313.pdf

These acts enabled progress through the construction and operation of wastewater treatment facilities and drinking water systems and pipe. Shapiro’s testimony goes on and states,

“Two of the nation’s most important sources of water infrastructure financing are the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF and DWSRF) programs. In 2012 the SRFs provided 7.7 billion in funding to more than 2,600 communities across the country. Through FY 2012, total funding contributed by Federal appropriations and by states over the life of the two programs is closing in on $120 billion, with only $52.6 billion of these funds having come from Federal appropriations. The CWSRF program has made available approximately $97 billion for loans, and more than 32,000 individual loans have been made.”

Expenditures are one thing, their net impact is an entirely different another matter. Finding current and historical data on the quality of U.S. water inventory was difficult at best. Reports are too old, too narrow or too subjective to give a reliable picture on the current progress towards reducing groundwater contamination and improving the quality of drinking water.  This includes EPA’s “Progress in Water Quality an Evaluation of the National Investment in Municipal Wastewater Treatment,” June 2000; “Section 319 Nonpoint Source Success Stories;” “National Aquatic Resource Surveys;” and the ”Testimony of Michael H. Shapiro, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, before the Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies and Committee on Appropriations U.S. House of Representatives,” March 3, 2013. We will return to Mr. Shapiro’s testimony later in this piece.

Serendipity stuck in finding EPA’s website “Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results” (http://www.epa.gov/waters/ir ). The site provides information on water quality conditions for reporting years 2002 to current (considered 2012).

To the extent that states report data to EPA under the Clean Water Act, the EPA collects information from the states on the total amount of water (miles, acres, or square miles) assessed for the reporting cycle for each type of water (e.g., rivers, lakes, bays, coastal shoreline, wetlands and Great Lakes shoreline). Assessed waters are those for which monitoring or other types of information are used by the states to judge whether designated uses are being met. For definitions, terms and phrases see “FY 2012 NWPG Water Quality Measure Definitions,” (http://water.epa.gov/resource_performance/planning/FY-2012-NWPG-Measure-Definitions-Water-Quality.cfm).

Figures 3, 4 and 5 gives the Total Assessed Waters of the U.S. for Reporting years 2012, 2002 and Changes between each type of water resource for these years, respectively. The upper section of each Figure is a copy and paste from the EPA’s website. The lower section is my analysis of “Attainment Status” for Good, Threatened and Impaired Waters, in percent of Total Assessed Waters .Figure 5 gives the differences between the percentages given in Figures 3 and 4, i.e., subtract 2002 from 2012 numbers. Negative numbers indicate a reduction; positive numbers indicate an increase. For example, the attainment status of River and Streams shows a 4.9 percent reduction of “Good” water in 2012 from 2002. Similar, there was an 8.3 percent increase in “Impaired” water for Rivers and Streams in 2012 from 2002.

The data shows the percent of:

• “Good” water decreased in all but one of the eight categories,
• “Threatened” water slightly increase for the two reporting categories, and
• “Impaired’ water increased in all but one of the eight categories.

Without exception, there was a significant increase in water resources assessed from 2002 to 2012. Yet, as long as the EPA data is valid, the proportion of “Good” water decreased and the proportion of “Impaired” water increased. This was a rather startling finding and 180 degrees out of whack from that considered at the start of this piece. As to why, one must go back to Mr. Shapiro’s testimony before the House, (http://appropriations.house.gov/uploadedfiles/hhrg-113-ap06-wstate-shapirom-20130313.pdf ). He stated:

“We have come a long way in improving protection for public health, water quality, and the environment under the Clean Water Act and Safe Water Drinking Act since the creation of the EPA over 40 years ago.”

Mr. Shapiro further mentions:

“Our nation needs significant water and wastewater investment. According to the EPA’s surveys, America needs $300 billion in wastewater and $225 billion in drinking water infrastructure improvements over the net 20 years.”

It is certain that Mr. Shapiro has measures to support his statement. Just not, clear where to find that information. This may explain the nebulous note in EPA’s website:  “because of differences in state assessment methods, the information in this site should not be used to compare water quality conditions between states or to determine water quality trends.” That is, nebulous in terms of comparing individual state-to-state trends or year-to-year trends of the collective data from all the states.

Finally, the June 2000 EPA report “Progress in Water Quality: An Evaluation of the National Investments in Municipal Wastewater Treatment” describes the progress made in cleaning up America’s water, see http://water.epa.gov/polwaste/wastewater/treatment/upload/2002_06_28_wquality_wquality.pdf . The report documents the water quality benefits associated with the more than 16,000 publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) across the country. The report also emphasizes the role of the federally funded Construction Grants Program, which provided $61.1 billion in grants to local authorities from 1972 through 1995 to help finance improvements to the nation’s wastewater treatment facilities.

The report states: “Prior to Clean Water Act and federal funding, many of the nation’s waters were too polluted for fishing and swimming, or in severe cases, to sustain wildlife. Approximately 7 million tons of untreated wastewater was being dumped into America’s water every day. The 1972 Clean Water Act established goals to eliminate the discharge of pollutants into the nation’s waters and make its waters fishable and swimmable.”

Since the site “Watershed Assessment, Tracking & Environmental Results” starts in 2002, it is difficult to compare current information with that from the 2000 report. It is our perception and possibly experience that the quality of water across U.S. rivers, lakes and estuaries have improved. However, the current data profiling the last 10 years tends to refute that notion.

EPA is probably correct in saying “In 1997, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Clean Water Act, it was reported that more than 60 percent of the nation’s waters supported fishing, swimming and other uses, with the goal of continued improvement into the future. Despite population growth, pollution levels in the nation’s water were reduced 36 percent between 1972 – 1996.”

In conclusion, no definitive conclusion can be drawn regarding the thesis of this discussion – what is more effective – regulations, technology investments or government loans to drive clean up our water resources and get us in the business of clean energy.

If one considers, that federal investments of $20 billion will achieve a few percentage point increase in renewable energy resources, then possibly funded research, development and demonstration programs are the way to go. Efficiency improvements or just being smart how we use energy can go only so far without R&D and innovation. If society is serious in energy security and a cleaner environment, then a paradigm shift must occur in the ways and means we use energy.

Strong regulations backed up by stiff penalties in combination with a loan program to the private sector may be more effective in achieving results. This requires resolve by our lawmakers on Capitol Hill. It’s probably easier for Congress to legislate spending money we don’t have rather than taking the bull by the horn. With energy, we are investing for the unseen future and easy to skate the issue today.

In contrast, water remediation is a more complex subject in terms of scope, variability and its immediacy. This is underscored by the countless tens of billions of dollars spent and hundreds of billions of dollars needed to support, sustain and improve the water we drink and use. If the rhetoric and data can be believed, water quality improvements may have peeked some years ago and now taking a dip. It appears the more surface water we assess the more we find it not so good.

It would be helpful to have innovative ways to clean up water. Yet, with a plethora of available water treatment technologies, the regulatory rather than R&D pathway is a pragmatic approach to improve water quality throughout society. Federal loans are therefore a necessary fact of life. This is not to say research, development and demonstration programs are not needed, they are, but just not high on the priority list when it comes to water. Nevertheless, for the most part, it is a question of throwing conventional technology at an ever-growing problem. With water, we are investing for today. So what price is life?

The one thing that is hard to argue, without legislation, regulations, grants, sponsored RD&D, and loans the situation would be much worse for both clean energy and usable water. Now how do we pay the debt?

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author Dr. Barry Stevens, an accomplished business developer and entrepreneur in technology-driven enterprises. He is the founder of TBD America Inc., a global technology business development group. In this role, he is responsible for leading the development of emerging and mature technology driven enterprises in the energy, fuels and water treatment industries. To learn more about TBD America, please visit: http://tbdamericainc.com/

U.S. Army A Step Closer to $7 Billion Renewable PPA

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineering and Support Center and the Army Energy Initiatives Task Force announced its first Multiple Award Task Order Contracts to support clean energy projects on Defense Department Installations under the Renewable and Alternative Energy Power Production for DOD Installations. The first contracts are on geothermal projects, but additional contracts for solar, wind and biomass will follow throughout the remainder of 2013. The up-to $7 billion will be spent on 30-year or less power purchase agreements to which winning renewable energy plants will be built and operated using private sector financing.

Trina Claims EU Anti-Dumping Tariff Closes Markets for Solar

The tariffs imposed by the European Union to solar panels from China causes uncertainty in the markets and even close access to some of them, Trina Solar Ltd. claimed. Last June 5, the EU imposed 11.8 tariffs on Chinese panels, but starting August 6, the rate will rise to 51.5%.  Trina claims that even at 11.8%, a few of the markets can probably still close.  The EU says that other solar producing nations suffered as a result of dumping practiced by China, which cost the 27-nation bloc around 25,000 jobs.

Vestas Wins Orders for South African Wind Project

Vestas Wind Systems, a Danish wind-turbine maker, will supply a $213 million project in South Africa as the country seeks to reduce its dependence on coal-based energy. Aurora Wind Power, a venture by GDF Suez SA, ordered 47 V90 2-megawatt turbines for its West Coast One project. South Africa is targeting an additional 3,200 megawatts by the end of the decade, with more than a third of that using wind power. Vestas will deliver its turbines in the third quarter of 2014 with the wind farm due to start by May 2015.

Scholarships for Solar Energy Training Offered to Military Personnel

Under the Veterans and Active Duty Military Training Program, both past and present members of the military who are interested in solar energy can receive 100 percent tuition assistance for renewable energy career training from Solar Energy International (SEI).  Servicemen and servicewomen must apply for the SEI Solar Professionals Certificate Program and meet the selection criteria in order to qualify for full tuition assistance. After providing students with technical training, SEI will then connect graduates with its network of over 30,000 alumni in the renewable energy sector.

Asia Pacific Poised to Lead Geothermal Surge

A study by Navigant Research reveals that at the moment, there are 56 projects in either active drilling or construction stages and all are in the U.S., the Philippines and Indonesia. More than 4 GW of geothermal power capacity are expected to come online worldwide between now and 2018 and the figure could be just the tip of the iceberg. Navigant adds that although the US leads with the largest number of projects, the Asia Pacific has the most reported capacity under development, with a reported 7.4 GW currently in the pipeline, representing 40 percent of the global capacity under development.

San Onofre Perceived as the Latest Blow to U.S. Nuclear Energy

Edison International’s decision to abandon its San Onofre nuclear plant in California is the latest blow to the country’s struggling nuclear industry. Edison announced June 7 that it will permanently shut the plant’s two reactors, trimming the total U.S. operating units to 100 from 104 at the beginning of the year.  Experts says that California will need to hasten its shift to wind and solar alternatives as well as build gas-fueled plants in order to replace the 2,200 MW power generated by San Onofre.

Ford Buying 3 MW PV Project in Mexico

Ford Motor Co. signed an agreement with Sonora80M to purchase 3 megawatts of one of the largest photovoltaic farms being constructed in Mexico. The solar farm is located in Hermosillo in the Mexican state of Sonora, where the company fittingly produces hybrid and electric vehicles. Ford has previously constructed a 500-kW PV array at its Wayne, MI, Ford Michigan Assembly Plant. The company also has partnered with SunPower to offer its EV owners a chance to power their vehicles with solar power by installing PV arrays on their homes under a Power Purchase Agreement.

Palo Alto Improves Permitting Process for Residential Solar

Palo Alto has now streamlined the permitting processes for residential and commercial solar PV’s making it easier than ever for California residents to go solar. Under the new system, residents and business owners may receive approval within five days of submitting all paperwork to the center.  While reducing the time for permitting, the city also consolidated the inspection process. In launching these improvements, the city joins a growing number of communities that are working to reduce soft costs or non- equipment related-costs.

New Mexico OK’s Rock-Bottom PPA for the State’s Largest Solar Plant

The New Mexico Public Regulatory Commission has approved the proposed power purchase agreement between First Solar and El Paso Electric Power, for the state’s biggest solar power plant. First Solar bought the 50-MW Macho Springs solar project from Element Power a couple of months ago. The project is anticipated to provide enough power to more than 18,000 homes. It will have a 25-year power purchase agreement for only 5.79 cents per kilowatt-hour which is well below what other solar PV projects have been selling for.

U.S. Northeast Carbon-Offset Sale Raised a Record $124.5 M

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Inc., the nonprofit organization that administers the U.S. Northeast’s greenhouse-gas emissions program, raised a record $124.5 million in its auction of carbon allowances after slashing next year’s supply by almost half. RGGI sold all of the 38.8 million allowances that were offered at a clearing price of $3.21, up from $2.80 last March. Each permit gives a company the right to discharge one ton of carbon dioxide in a cap-and-trade program that includes the six New England states, New York, Delaware and Maryland.

NRC Orders Owners 31 U.S. Reactors to Reinforce Vents

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission ordered that operators of the 31 units, among the oldest of 104 U.S. reactors, overhaul vent systems to prevent hydrogen build-up that causes pressure-induced explosions. The NRC instructed that starting in June 2014, owners including Exelon of Chicago and Entergy of New Orleans should upgrade the wetwell structures that condense steam and control pressure.  And by June 2017, the owners must begin installing vents for the larger drywell surrounding a reactor, if an analysis deems the changes necessary.

Japan Deepens Nuclear Ties with France

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and French President Francois Hollande agreed to deepen cooperation on nuclear reactor exports and to work together on defense equipment development. Both leaders seek to market their country’s technological expertise abroad to re-invigorate their economies. Japan and France both agreed to promote the international use of the 1,100-megawatt Atmea reactor, developed by Mitsubishi and Areva. France and Japan’s foreign and defense ministers will meet as soon as possible for further talks on these matters.

Researchers have for many years trying to figure out how to create hydrogen for fuel. This simple atom can be created by splitting water (H2O) into two hydrogen atoms and oxygen gas. Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have now made important progress with PEC-cells – tiny devices that work much like conventional solar cells (photovoltaic).  The research team at NIST is optimistic that their innovation will one day contribute to cost-effective hydrogen production with solar power.

So how on the earth does this technology work? The basic gist is this: By exposing the PEC-cell to sunlight, the solar energy found in tiny light-particles called photons can be converted in electrons (or electrical current). The electrical power is used to drive a chemical process that splits the water-molecule into it`s smaller counterparts. The magic happens when these compounds are brought together again, which releases two byproducts: water and heat (energy).

The team`s innovation revolves around a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) design that drastically improves on previous models by increasing stability and efficiency, which in the long run would lower costs. The team measured the device at 2.9% efficiency (15 times better than similar devices, but much lower compared to solar panel efficiencies).

Hydrogen have several major benefits when compared to other energy carriers: It`s efficient, non-polluting and will help to stabilize energy fluctuations on the grid. As more and renewable power is added to the electrical power grid (e.g. solar and wind power), instability increases.  There is a certain level of unpredictability with these energy sources.

The sun is not delivering a constant stream of energy to our photovoltaic solar panels; neither is the wind blowing at a constant pace all the time. Storing the energy intermittently as hydrogen would help us with stability. This problem will inevitably arise at some point and we need to address it before it`s too late.

If hydrogen is the solution is unclear. Right now the processes to split hydrogen are too expensive. This is where the research team at NIST comes in (and many more like them). For more details on the project and how the device works, check out Science Daily.

The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of  the author, Mathias Aarre Mæhlum. He runs EnergyInformative, where you can find information about renewable and sustainable sources of energy such as wind, solar and geothermal.