School Buses are nearly a perfect fit for biodiesel. They travel local, well planed short routes so they can always be refueled from a biodiesel facility so that the driver doesn’t have to settle for fossil fuels in a crunch.
A couple of years back Gloucester Co. started a trial in which 20 of its school buses would be run off of biodiesel. Now, according to this article at WVEC every single school bus is run off of bio fuels made locally.
Roger Kelly, head of transportation for the district says that even the drivers are noticing a difference, although the accountants are not. Fuel cost is nearly the same for both biodiesel and regular but money is not always the most important thing.
“It’s hard to put a price on cleanness,” he said. “We’re definitely saving on better health for kids growing up,” said Kelly. “Buses going up and down the road that are putting out less emissions. So, there’s a dollar amount there.”
The drivers are noticing that the buses run better on biodiesel (something I have noticed in my own car) and because biodiesel lubricates better and cleans out fuel lines and tanks that buses will last longer possibly providing a financial benefit in that area.
Other area school districts are consulting with Gloucester about making the switch to biodiesel as well.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Minas Basin Pulp and Power Company Limited is a Canadian company started in 1937 to produce ground wood pulp, adding paperboard in 1946. Today they make 100 percent recycled paperboard products with power generated from their own hydro power plant. It’s estimated that their plant saves over 10 million cubic feet of landfill space a year. So what better recipient of a government program to produce diesel from recycled plastics?
On April 2, 2008 Premier Rodney MacDonald announced that the Canadian province would be investing up to 20 million in Minas Basin’s new green programs.
“We are committed to investing in innovative and resourceful companies that contribute to job growth, a green environment, and a strong economy for Nova Scotia,” said Premier MacDonald. “Minas Basin is taking a leadership role by helping to ensure environmental sustainability for this province.”
With this investment by the Government the company will be able to invest $27 million in capital investments.
“This assistance from the province allows us to enter the next phase of sustainable restructuring for Minas Basin,” said Scott Travers, Minas Basin president and chief operating officer. “It will create significant operational savings and increase the supply of renewable energy for Nova Scotia.
Details on the process that will be used at the Minas Basin facility were not readily available.
China began converting waste plastic into diesel in 1999, and since then have been importing large amounts of plastic waste that would otherwise go into landfills.
Popularity: 9% [?]
According to this article on the university website, the University of Delaware’s Institute of Energy Conversion will receive $3.75 million in grant money from the Department of Energy under the Solar America Initiative over the next three years.
Out of nine Universities receiving funding, Delaware is the largest recipient and will be working research projects with Dow Corning and SunPower corp.
“The Solar America Initiative is an exciting program that will enable us to continue our research in established areas, as well as develop expertise in new facets of photovoltaics working with our industry partners,” said Robert Birkmire, professor of materials science and engineering and director of IEC.
With Dow Chemical, the university will be working on flexible solar cells that are made by depositing semi-conductor material onto a flexible film.
The collaboration with SunPower will work towards improving the efficiency of solar cells beyond 26 percent.
“We’ve developed a great group of people here — an integrated team of scientists and students from different disciplines, which is critical to this research,” Birkmire noted.
Popularity: 4% [?]
13 Mar 08 |
Photo courtesy of expom2uk at Flickr.com.
A new study by the University of Colorado at Boulder has found a direct link between human activity in the American West and dust storms. This is the first time that the effects of human development (such as the introduction of wild horses, cattle grazing, and intensive farming) have been directly linked to dust. Researchers studied the sediment found in the bottoms of alpine lakes and concluded that dust levels have been 500-700% higher in the American West since the 1860’s.
On the plus side, dust levels have been declining since the 1934 Taylor Grazing Act, which was introduced during the Dust Bowl to prevent further erosion in American farmlands. So, while the study proves that humans can cause dust events, it also suggests that we can take steps to reduce our impacts.
Popularity: 5% [?]
Photo courtesy of taryn_* at Flickr.com.
At the end of 2008, the cost of installing and operating alternative power generators is set to rise. There are currently federal tax credits that offer a 30% rebate on solar improvements (up to $2,000), but a sunset clause will reduce the rebate from 30% to 10% after January 1st, 2009.
Also, there’s a production tax credit that offers incentives for utilities to use wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, and other alternative power sources. It’s also set to expire at the end of 2008. Unless these two tax credits are extended, industry studies warn that the US could lose more than 100,000 green collar jobs.
The open question is - how much truth lies behind these numbers? Even if the solar tax credit is allowed to lapse, there will be no effect on projects that cost more than $20,000. Is it possible that self interested alternative energy companies are trying to get legislators attention through fear? Since when did green power companies start behaving like coal lobbyists?
Popularity: 6% [?]
11 Feb 08 |
It seems like you can’t do a search on solar these days without finding some new solar program or installation going on in paradise. The islands have more to lose and more to gain than most; with beautiful scenery and weather that is perfect for solar nearly year round it certainly makes sense but it never ceases to amaze me that they actually have legislatures and even city government that can make such a decision and stand by it.
The city and county of Honolulu has dropped it’s permit fees on installing solar panels on homes and businesses according to this article.
“What the city gains is not only getting to protect the environment, but I think it’s an important statement,” said Charles Djou. “We live in Hawaii, we have great weather year round. If there’s any community that should be taking advantage of the sun year round, it’s the state of Hawaii.”
Councilmember Djou lead the fight for this measure which adds more and more onto the already great incentives to install solar panels. The fees used to range from 50 to 100 dollars for homeowners and 1000 dollars or more for businesses.
“This is a great day,” said Rick Reed, Hawaii Solar Energy Association President. “It makes renewable energy more affordable and anything that does that is good for the community and certainly good for the State of Hawaii.”
5500 solar systems were installed in Hawaii in 2007, the largest number in the US. Mahalo.
Popularity: 4% [?]
7 Feb 08 |
Hawaii is already ahead of a lot of places when it comes to solar energy. The government is entering into a an agreement with private industry to install solar panels on government facilities, and Costco just converted some of their businesses in paradise to solar.
Hawaii was the 2nd state in the US to establish a cap on greenhouse gases. On the islands research is being conducted to turn algae into biofuels, garbage is used to create electricity, wind and solar plants are going in and companies are installing geothermal plants to take advantage of the volcanic activities. The Hawaiian Clean Energy Initiative comes as no real surprise…although it is welcome news.
“This innovative, unprecedented partnership builds on the progress the state has made to increase energy independence by decreasing Hawai’i’s reliance on imported oil,” Gov. Linda Lingle said in a news conference today. “Our islands’ abundant natural sources of energy, combined with the considerable capabilities of the Department of Energy, will help Hawai’i lead America in utilizing clean, renewable energy technologies.”
The plan calls for converting the smaller islands to 100 percent renewable and the utilization of local crops for producing energy.
The plan also draws upon information from federal agencies and research laboratories to develop solar, wind, and biofuel solutions to the islands energy needs. The eventual goal is to make Hawaii one of the worlds first clean energy economies.
Anyone who has ever spent time in Hawaii understands that just about everything you get on the Islands carries with it the costs of transportation. So much more than in more conventional states fuel has to be transported great distances and has the dubious distinction of having the country’s highest prices at the pump. To repeat a much overused cliché, “necessity is the mother of invention.” While we here on the mainland may not have the drastic need that Hawaii has, we will eventually benefit from the advances made by them.
Popularity: 6% [?]
1 Feb 08 |
Photo courtesy of uzvards at Flickr.com.
Israel imports about 99 percent of its oil supplies. This fuel situation makes Israelis particularly sensitive to blockade, and the country’s economy is getting hammered by rising oil prices. Perhaps that’s why electric cars are taking off in Tel Aviv.
Thanks in part to a tax system that heavily favors electric vehicles, companies are designing and testing all-electric Israeli cars, and imports of hybrid vehicles are way up! If a combination of new technology and tax incentives works in Israel, perhaps the future will bring similar developments stateside. Wouldn’t it be ironic if a company in the Middle East put Big Oil out of business?
Photo courtesy of Project Better Place and Photographer Israel Hadari at Flickr.com.
Popularity: 7% [?]
14 Jan 08 |
I spent today hanging out on the outside deck at a coffee shop talking to one of my more bohemian friends. He’s a guy who just doesn’t live in the same world as the rest of us. He doesn’t believe in money; preferring to trade labor for whatever he needs and pretty much travels around the country sleeping in hostels and on strangers couches. He just got back from Hawaii, where a great deal of his time apparently was spent walking around picking up cigarette butts and trash off of the beaches and streets just because it needed doing. We talked about Polynesian culture and the high cost of living in paradise (I spent some time there back in the ’80s), and then I went home to find this article about Hawaii’s proposed solar energy plan.
The project would involve adding up to 3.4 million square feet of solar panels on roofs and parking lots. It would span 6 islands and generate a possible 34 megawatts of power. They are still receiving bids but the widely distributed solar farm could be up and running within a couple of years.
The plan calls for a private business to fund the equipment and installation, then sell the power back under a 20 year contract. After the 20 year period is up the state will have the option to purchase the equipment or negotiate a new contract for power purchase.
Popularity: 5% [?]
This is the largest solar photovoltaic plant in the US for a major public utility.
Colorado passed a lot in march that requires utility companies to derive 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020. The new solar plant will go a long way towards meeting that goal.
“With help from Governor Ritter and leading organizations including Xcel Energy and
SunEdison, Colorado is emerging as the renewable energy capital of the nation with the
deployment of the Alamosa photovoltaic solar plant and many other initiatives using
solar, wind and bio-fuels,” said United States Sen. Ken Salazar. “The development of
renewable energy resources will help to secure our energy independence, strengthen our
national and economic security and conserve our natural resources while revitalizing our
long-ignored rural communities. It is a win-win for everyone.”
This system occupies approximately 80 acres near Alamosa and will generate upwards of 17,000 Megawatt hours each year for the estimated 20 years the plant will be operational. That’s enough to light up 1500 homes. It’s a step in the right direction, at the very least.
Popularity: 4% [?]