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jpak
jpak's Journal
jpak's Journal
January 26, 2012
SunPower broke ground this month on a big solar installation at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California.
Though it's not a utility scale system of the magnitude being developed elsewhere in the desert – like the 392-megawatt (MW) Ivanpah concentrating solar plant, for instance – at 13.78 MW it is large enough to hint at the kind of solar development the military would like to see take place on its bases in the California desert.
<snip>
By going with a 20-year power-purchase agreement (PPA) – a first for a military project, SunPower said – the Navy will get the electricity "at up to 30 percent below the rate available through the more traditional 10-year PPA."
In dollar terms, SunPower said the system will help the Navy "reduce costs by an estimated $13 million over the next 20 years." The China Lake system will use SunPower's Oasis Power Plant product, which integrates the SunPower T0 Tracker with the SunPower E19/425 Solar Panel.
<more>
US Navy preps massive solar project
http://www.tgdaily.com/sustainability-features/61040-us-navy-preps-massive-solar-projectSunPower broke ground this month on a big solar installation at the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake in California.
Though it's not a utility scale system of the magnitude being developed elsewhere in the desert – like the 392-megawatt (MW) Ivanpah concentrating solar plant, for instance – at 13.78 MW it is large enough to hint at the kind of solar development the military would like to see take place on its bases in the California desert.
<snip>
By going with a 20-year power-purchase agreement (PPA) – a first for a military project, SunPower said – the Navy will get the electricity "at up to 30 percent below the rate available through the more traditional 10-year PPA."
In dollar terms, SunPower said the system will help the Navy "reduce costs by an estimated $13 million over the next 20 years." The China Lake system will use SunPower's Oasis Power Plant product, which integrates the SunPower T0 Tracker with the SunPower E19/425 Solar Panel.
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January 24, 2012
Jan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- KB Home, the Los Angeles-based builder that targets first-time buyers, will offer solar power systems as a standard feature on houses it’s building in some parts of Florida.
The first KB house with rooftop panels will be available next month at its Fisher Plantation development in Apopka, George Glance, president of KB Home’s Central Florida division, said today in a phone interview.
The 52-home community is the first in the region to include solar power as a standard feature, according to a company statement. Rooftop panels reduce homeowners’ monthly costs and increase resale value, and will make KB’s houses stand out in a tough real estate market, Glance said.
“We can create value in a new home that consumers couldn’t otherwise get from our competitors or on the resale market,” Glance said. The owner of a one-story, three-bedroom home may save as much as $1,200 a year on energy costs, KB Home said.
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KB Home Offering Solar as Standard Feature on New Florida Houses
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-24/kb-home-offering-solar-as-standard-feature-on-new-florida-houses.htmlJan. 23 (Bloomberg) -- KB Home, the Los Angeles-based builder that targets first-time buyers, will offer solar power systems as a standard feature on houses it’s building in some parts of Florida.
The first KB house with rooftop panels will be available next month at its Fisher Plantation development in Apopka, George Glance, president of KB Home’s Central Florida division, said today in a phone interview.
The 52-home community is the first in the region to include solar power as a standard feature, according to a company statement. Rooftop panels reduce homeowners’ monthly costs and increase resale value, and will make KB’s houses stand out in a tough real estate market, Glance said.
“We can create value in a new home that consumers couldn’t otherwise get from our competitors or on the resale market,” Glance said. The owner of a one-story, three-bedroom home may save as much as $1,200 a year on energy costs, KB Home said.
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January 24, 2012
<snip>
Futures added to Monday's gains that were sparked by Chesapeake Energy Corp.'s decision to cut production in response to low gas prices.
"This is continued momentum from yesterday's announcement from Chesapeake," said Matt Smith, an analyst with Summit Energy. "This has set in a concrete level where production will start to come off."
After gas fell to the lowest price in nearly a decade last week, signs that producers are prepared to turn off the taps have motivated investors to take profits generated from bets on falling prices, a move known as covering a short position.
Chesapeake on Monday said it will immediately curtail 0.5 billion cubic feet a day of gas production, or about 8% of its total output, adding that it could cut an additional 0.5 billion cubic feet a day.
<more>
free market manipulation
yup
Natural-Gas Futures Extend Gains
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203718504577180781984236586.html<snip>
Futures added to Monday's gains that were sparked by Chesapeake Energy Corp.'s decision to cut production in response to low gas prices.
"This is continued momentum from yesterday's announcement from Chesapeake," said Matt Smith, an analyst with Summit Energy. "This has set in a concrete level where production will start to come off."
After gas fell to the lowest price in nearly a decade last week, signs that producers are prepared to turn off the taps have motivated investors to take profits generated from bets on falling prices, a move known as covering a short position.
Chesapeake on Monday said it will immediately curtail 0.5 billion cubic feet a day of gas production, or about 8% of its total output, adding that it could cut an additional 0.5 billion cubic feet a day.
<more>
free market manipulation
yup
January 21, 2012
ELLSWORTH, Maine — The waves and tidal currents off the coast of Maine represent a vast, largely untapped energy resource capable of producing more than 15 trillion watts of electricity per year, according to two federal reports.
Maine’s turbulent oceans and surging tidal rivers have long been regarded as enormous pools of renewable energy. Two recent reports from the U.S. Department of Energy attempt to attach a figure to that potential in Maine and across the country as both policymakers and energy developers seek new, more environmentally friendly ways to meet the nation’s energy demands.
The two separate assessments of potential wave energy and tidal energy sources in Maine determined that if developed to their maximum potential those sources could contribute more than 15 terawatt-hours of electricity annually. Nationwide, the total theoretical generation capacity was more than 1,400 terawatt-hours per year, which is roughly one-third of the nation’s annual electricity use.
Federal officials acknowledged that those are theoretical figures and that not all the potential resources could realistically be tapped. But they said the reports showed the potential for expanding the nation’s use of hydropower of all types to generate electricity — and that Maine could play a major role in that expansion.
<more>
Federal reports highlight untapped energy potential of Maine tides, waves (
http://bangordailynews.com/2012/01/20/business/federal-reports-highlight-untapped-energy-potential-of-maine-tides-waves/?ref=latestELLSWORTH, Maine — The waves and tidal currents off the coast of Maine represent a vast, largely untapped energy resource capable of producing more than 15 trillion watts of electricity per year, according to two federal reports.
Maine’s turbulent oceans and surging tidal rivers have long been regarded as enormous pools of renewable energy. Two recent reports from the U.S. Department of Energy attempt to attach a figure to that potential in Maine and across the country as both policymakers and energy developers seek new, more environmentally friendly ways to meet the nation’s energy demands.
The two separate assessments of potential wave energy and tidal energy sources in Maine determined that if developed to their maximum potential those sources could contribute more than 15 terawatt-hours of electricity annually. Nationwide, the total theoretical generation capacity was more than 1,400 terawatt-hours per year, which is roughly one-third of the nation’s annual electricity use.
Federal officials acknowledged that those are theoretical figures and that not all the potential resources could realistically be tapped. But they said the reports showed the potential for expanding the nation’s use of hydropower of all types to generate electricity — and that Maine could play a major role in that expansion.
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January 21, 2012
Last week in the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address, he announced an initiative with a goal of quadrupling solar energy installations by 2013. In New York’s budget plan that was unveiled yesterday, details of the two new tax credits in what’s being called the “NY-Sun Initiative” were released.
First off, commercial customers would be exempt from state sales tax on solar electric systems. Local governments can opt to waive their local sales tax as well. This expands the current tax credit that is only for residential customers.
Leased systems will also quality for a state income tax credit of a proposed 12.5%, or half of what homeowners currently get for a purchased system.
Carol E. Murphy, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York said the group “applauds Governor Cuomo’s call for energy efficiency and the expansion of our renewable resources.”
<more>
New York State Expands Solar Incentives
http://www.solarnovus.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4176:new-york-state-expands-solar-incentives&catid=45:politics-policy-news&Itemid=249Last week in the New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s State of the State address, he announced an initiative with a goal of quadrupling solar energy installations by 2013. In New York’s budget plan that was unveiled yesterday, details of the two new tax credits in what’s being called the “NY-Sun Initiative” were released.
First off, commercial customers would be exempt from state sales tax on solar electric systems. Local governments can opt to waive their local sales tax as well. This expands the current tax credit that is only for residential customers.
Leased systems will also quality for a state income tax credit of a proposed 12.5%, or half of what homeowners currently get for a purchased system.
Carol E. Murphy, Executive Director of the Alliance for Clean Energy New York said the group “applauds Governor Cuomo’s call for energy efficiency and the expansion of our renewable resources.”
<more>
January 21, 2012
China's Ministry of Commerce is considering including solar products such solar panels and solar water heaters in its home appliance subsidy scheme for rural buyers in hopes to boost domestic consumption of solar companies and the green industry as a whole.Currently farmers are allegeable to receive subsidies equal to 13% of the price of designated types of electrical home appliances in the plan.
The shift in sentiment should benefit the China's solar industry, a sector that has been doing well in recent years driven by various governments' efforts to promote alternative energy. However, many of China's solar companies have suffered on Wall Street, given slow growth in the industry globally, overcapacity and shrinking foreign demand.
The Ministry of Commerce is considering more policies to stimulate domestic consumption and some "fiscal incentives" could be given to drive the sale of household solar products, MOC spokesman Shen Danyang told a press conference Wednesday.
<more>
Profit from China’s renewed solar appetite (will eat our lunch)
http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2012-01/profit-from-chinas-renewed-solar-appetite-jaso-csiq-yge-tsl.aspx?storyid=115423China's Ministry of Commerce is considering including solar products such solar panels and solar water heaters in its home appliance subsidy scheme for rural buyers in hopes to boost domestic consumption of solar companies and the green industry as a whole.Currently farmers are allegeable to receive subsidies equal to 13% of the price of designated types of electrical home appliances in the plan.
The shift in sentiment should benefit the China's solar industry, a sector that has been doing well in recent years driven by various governments' efforts to promote alternative energy. However, many of China's solar companies have suffered on Wall Street, given slow growth in the industry globally, overcapacity and shrinking foreign demand.
The Ministry of Commerce is considering more policies to stimulate domestic consumption and some "fiscal incentives" could be given to drive the sale of household solar products, MOC spokesman Shen Danyang told a press conference Wednesday.
<more>
January 21, 2012
Germany is installing so many solar panels that profits at coal-fired power stations run by EON AG and RWE AG may slide more than 40 percent by the middle of 2012.
The country, Europe’s biggest electricity market, installed a record 3,000 megawatts of new panels in December, the Bonn- based Bundesnetzagentur, the network regulator, said this month. The prospect of a glut of power may drive the margin from burning coal to generate electricity, the so-called clean-dark spread, as low as 5 euros ($6.43) a megawatt hour by July, according to UBS AG. It was at 8.70 euros at 8:15 p.m. in Berlin Wednesday, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
"There is not much overcapacity yet, but it will get worse as there is a lot of new supply coming," Patrick Hummel, an analyst at UBS in Zurich who has covered German energy for more than 10 years, said by e-mail on Jan. 16. Germany may be oversupplied for at least five years, according to the bank.
<snip>
Operators of coal and gas plants including EON and RWE lose a combined 300 million euros in pretax earnings per year, based on current installed solar capacity cutting operating hours at fossil-burning plants, according to Hummel.
<more>
Solar surge hurts coal, deepens Merkel's puzzle (Germany)
http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120120/BUSINESS09/120119057/Solar-surge-hurts-coal-deepens-Merkel-s-puzzleGermany is installing so many solar panels that profits at coal-fired power stations run by EON AG and RWE AG may slide more than 40 percent by the middle of 2012.
The country, Europe’s biggest electricity market, installed a record 3,000 megawatts of new panels in December, the Bonn- based Bundesnetzagentur, the network regulator, said this month. The prospect of a glut of power may drive the margin from burning coal to generate electricity, the so-called clean-dark spread, as low as 5 euros ($6.43) a megawatt hour by July, according to UBS AG. It was at 8.70 euros at 8:15 p.m. in Berlin Wednesday, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
"There is not much overcapacity yet, but it will get worse as there is a lot of new supply coming," Patrick Hummel, an analyst at UBS in Zurich who has covered German energy for more than 10 years, said by e-mail on Jan. 16. Germany may be oversupplied for at least five years, according to the bank.
<snip>
Operators of coal and gas plants including EON and RWE lose a combined 300 million euros in pretax earnings per year, based on current installed solar capacity cutting operating hours at fossil-burning plants, according to Hummel.
<more>
January 20, 2012
The 2500 GW to be generated are part of the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy facility, a 2012 energetic priority for the US Interior Department.
World’s biggest wind farm could be built in Wyoming with 1,000 wind turbines. Europe was the global leader with cumulative installed wind energy capacity of 86 GW at the end of 2010, Asia was second with 58.6 GW and North America was third with 44.1 GW of wind power.
Anyone who has ever travelled through Wyoming comes away realising that the US state is an iconic symbol of wide-open spaces, intimidating mountain ranges and powerful winds.
Building on this natural bounty, it now seems likely that the state will soon be home to North America’s largest wind farm — as many as 1,000 wind turbines generating up to 2,500 megawatts of emissions-free electricity for 30 years.
<more>
note: I'm pretty sure they meant 2500 MW - not GW...
World's Largest Wind Farm in Wyoming to Be Equipped with 1000 Wind Turbines
http://www.evwind.es/noticias.php?id_not=16059The 2500 GW to be generated are part of the Chokecherry and Sierra Madre Wind Energy facility, a 2012 energetic priority for the US Interior Department.
World’s biggest wind farm could be built in Wyoming with 1,000 wind turbines. Europe was the global leader with cumulative installed wind energy capacity of 86 GW at the end of 2010, Asia was second with 58.6 GW and North America was third with 44.1 GW of wind power.
Anyone who has ever travelled through Wyoming comes away realising that the US state is an iconic symbol of wide-open spaces, intimidating mountain ranges and powerful winds.
Building on this natural bounty, it now seems likely that the state will soon be home to North America’s largest wind farm — as many as 1,000 wind turbines generating up to 2,500 megawatts of emissions-free electricity for 30 years.
<more>
note: I'm pretty sure they meant 2500 MW - not GW...
January 20, 2012
Energy company First Wind has landed approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for its proposed 150 megawatt Oakfield Wind project in Aroostook County, Maine, where it could create 300 local construction jobs, according to the company.
The Boston-based wind energy company said it submitted an amendment in June 2011 to increase the size of its original proposal for a 51 megawatt Oakfield project, which received approval from the Maine DEP in January 2010. The company added that it hopes to move ahead with the project soon.
“The local review process on this project has been unprecedented,” Matt Kearns, First Wind’s vice president of business development, said in a statement. “We provided resources for the town to hire independent sound experts, engineers, and lawyers and participated in a lengthy and robust review process in which issues of local interest were fully reviewed. We did that both for the originally planned project, and again based on the revised project layout.”
Located about 2.5 miles from the center of Oakfield, Maine, the project will consist of 50 3-megawatt turbines that have the capacity to power more than 48,000 homes.
<more>
First Wind gets OK for (150 MW) Maine wind project
http://www.sustainablebusinessoregon.com/national/2012/01/first-wind-gets-ok-for-maine-wind.htmlEnergy company First Wind has landed approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) for its proposed 150 megawatt Oakfield Wind project in Aroostook County, Maine, where it could create 300 local construction jobs, according to the company.
The Boston-based wind energy company said it submitted an amendment in June 2011 to increase the size of its original proposal for a 51 megawatt Oakfield project, which received approval from the Maine DEP in January 2010. The company added that it hopes to move ahead with the project soon.
“The local review process on this project has been unprecedented,” Matt Kearns, First Wind’s vice president of business development, said in a statement. “We provided resources for the town to hire independent sound experts, engineers, and lawyers and participated in a lengthy and robust review process in which issues of local interest were fully reviewed. We did that both for the originally planned project, and again based on the revised project layout.”
Located about 2.5 miles from the center of Oakfield, Maine, the project will consist of 50 3-megawatt turbines that have the capacity to power more than 48,000 homes.
<more>
January 20, 2012
There is little to no evidence that wind turbines pose a risk to the health of residents living near them, a panel of independent scientists and doctors found in a report commissioned by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The panel concluded that there is no rigorous research showing that churning turbines or the resulting flickering light and vibrations produce dizziness, nausea, depression, or anxiety - a set of symptoms that critics call “wind turbine syndrome.’’
But the 164-page report released yesterday found “limited evidence’’ that the noise from wind turbines can result in sleep disruption and annoyance.
“It is extremely important that we have the best science available to us as we make decisions on wind energy,’’ Kenneth Kimmell, state environmental protection commissioner, said in an interview.
<more>
Report: Wind turbines don’t cause health problems
http://bostonglobe.com/metro/2012/01/17/report-wind-turbines-don-cause-health-problems/bkC5kpl9JKPr4Fp67UUAOM/story.htmlThere is little to no evidence that wind turbines pose a risk to the health of residents living near them, a panel of independent scientists and doctors found in a report commissioned by the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The panel concluded that there is no rigorous research showing that churning turbines or the resulting flickering light and vibrations produce dizziness, nausea, depression, or anxiety - a set of symptoms that critics call “wind turbine syndrome.’’
But the 164-page report released yesterday found “limited evidence’’ that the noise from wind turbines can result in sleep disruption and annoyance.
“It is extremely important that we have the best science available to us as we make decisions on wind energy,’’ Kenneth Kimmell, state environmental protection commissioner, said in an interview.
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