News and Events by CCRES July 19, 2012

 

 

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources 

News and Events July 19, 2012

Energy Department Breaks Ground on Turbine Test Facility

 

The Energy Department joined with Texas Tech University and the department's Sandia National Laboratories on July 17 to break ground on a new state-of-the-art wind turbine test facility in Lubbock, Texas. Supported by a $2.6 million investment from the department's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWIFT) facility will be the first public facility of its kind to use multiple wind turbines to measure how wind turbine wakes interact with one another in a wind farm. Scheduled to begin operation later this year, the facility will help wind turbine designers and manufacturers continue to drive down the cost of wind energy by reducing the aerodynamic losses of wind energy plants, enhancing energy capture, and mitigating turbine damage.

Along with the ability to monitor wind plant performance, the SWIFT facility will have additional advanced testing and monitoring capabilities, as well as space for up to ten wind turbines, allowing researchers to examine how larger wind farms can become more productive and collaborative. The facility, which will host both open-source and proprietary research, is the result of a partnership between the department's Sandia National Laboratories, the Texas Tech University Wind Science and Engineering Research Center, Group NIRE, and wind turbine manufacturer Vestas. The site will initially be equipped with two research-scale wind turbines provided by the Energy Department and a third installed by Vestas Technology R&D in Houston. See the DOE Progress Alert and the Wind Program website.

 

Energy Department Offers Public Review of Savings Protocols

 

The Energy Department is developing new voluntary procedures that will help standardize how state and local governments, industry, and energy efficiency organizations estimate energy savings. These protocols are being developed by technical experts through collaboration with energy efficiency program administrators, industry stakeholders, and home energy assessors. The department invites stakeholders from the public sector, industry, and academia to participate in an online public review of these new protocols in an effort to estimate energy savings from energy efficiency programs.

The new procedures provide a straightforward method for evaluating potential energy savings in residential and commercial building upgrades offered through ratepayer-funded initiatives. These common energy efficiency upgrades include energy-saving lighting, lighting controls, commercial air conditioning, and residential furnaces and boilers. These voluntary protocols will help energy efficiency program administrators and local governments improve the objectivity, consistency, and transparency of energy savings data; it will also help strengthen consumers' confidence in the results expected from energy efficiency upgrades. The protocols, being developed under the Uniform Methods Project, are available for review through July 27. See the DOE Progress Alert and the protocols for review.

 

New ARPA-E Projects to Boost Natural Gas Vehicle Technologies

 

A refuse truck powered by compressed natural gas in Washington state. Credit: Western Washington Clean Cities

The Energy Department on July 12 announced $30 million in funding for 13 research projects designed to find new ways of harnessing natural gas supplies for cars and trucks. Researchers in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin will work on the initiative. The grants are made through the Energy Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy (ARPA-E). The projects are part of Methane Opportunities for Vehicular Energy, which aims to engineer lightweight, affordable natural gas tanks for vehicles and develop natural gas compressors that efficiently fuel a natural gas vehicle at home.

Today's natural gas vehicle technologies require tanks that can withstand high pressures. They are often cumbersome, and are either too large or too expensive to be suitable for smaller passenger vehicles. ARPA-E's new projects are focused on removing these barriers, which will help encourage the widespread use of natural gas cars and trucks. For example, REL, Inc. in Calumet, Michigan, will receive $3 million to develop an internal "foam core" for natural gas tanks that allows tanks to be formed into any shape. This will enable higher storage capacity than current carbon fiber tanks at one-third the cost.

The projects will also focus on developing natural gas compressors that make it easier for consumers to re-fuel at home. The Center for Electromechanics at the University of Texas at Austin will use $4 million to develop an at-home natural gas re-fueling system that compresses gas with a single piston. Unlike current four-piston compressors, these highly integrated single-piston systems will use fewer moving parts, leading to a more reliable, lighter, and cost-effective compressor. See the Energy Department press release and the complete list of projects .

 

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

  special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

 

USDA Funds Improved Rural Electric Infrastructures

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced on July 12 that rural electric cooperatives and utilities in 15 states will receive $287 million in loan guarantees to make improvements to generation and transmission facilities and to implement smart grid technologies. The announcement includes support for more than $10 million in smart grid technologies. This will help utilities make efficiency improvements to the electric grid and help consumers lower their electric bills by reducing energy use in homes and businesses. With this funding, USDA Rural Development moves closer to reaching a department goal to fund more than $250 million for smart grid technologies.

In Texas, Houston County Electric Cooperative is receiving $9 million to build and improve 421 miles of distribution line and make other system improvements, serving 2,000 customers. The loan includes $670,000 in smart grid projects. The loan guarantees are provided by USDA Rural Development's Rural Utilities Service. The funding helps electric utilities upgrade, expand, maintain, and replace electric infrastructure. USDA Rural Development also funds energy conservation and renewable energy projects. See the USDA press release.

 

Global Clean Energy Spending Rebounds in Second Quarter of 2012

 

Global clean energy investments increased 24% in the second quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter, with new investment totaling $59.6 billion, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The amount was still 18% below the near-record quarterly figure of $72.5 billion in the second quarter last year.

The United States enjoyed solid gains in investment in the second quarter of 18% over the first quarter, reaching $10.2 billion, the report said. China surged 92% in investment to $18.3 billion in the April-to-June period. Overall, solar accounted for $33.6 billion of investment in the second quarter, up 19% over the first quarter, and wind had $21.6 billion, up 47% quarter to quarter. The largest venture capital and private equity deals of the quarter saw U.S. automaker Fisker clinch $148 million for its plug-in hybrid vehicle development. The figures draw on a comprehensive database of transactions in clean energy worldwide. See the Bloomberg New Energy Finance press release.

 

California Awards $1.1 Million for Energy Research Projects

 

The California Energy Commission on July 11 awarded $1.1 million for energy research projects, including a variety impacting renewable energy and energy efficiency. Funds for the 10 projects come from the Commission's Public Interest Research Project program. Commissioners approved $300,000 to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego in order to better understand differences in regional climate model projections for California and how they impact hydropower generation forecasting.

The remaining nine projects are from PIER's Energy Innovations Small Grant program. The program provides money to small businesses, non-profits, individuals, and academic institutions to conduct research establishing the feasibility of new, innovative energy concepts. These grants are capped at $95,000. Among the projects is a project dealing with small soluble organic molecules designed to increase the lifetime and reliability of photovoltaics, and a study of enhanced cooling towers for cooling buildings. See the California Energy Commission press release.

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources  (CCRES)

News and Event by CCRES May 03, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources News and Event May 03, 2012

Energy Department Boosts Initiative for Women in Clean Energy The Energy Department announced on April 26 a three-part plan to help implement the Clean Energy Education and Empowerment (C3E) Women's Initiative aimed at attracting more women to clean energy careers and advancing their leadership positions. The new program, in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Energy Initiative, is designed to translate the goals of C3E into action in the United States. The new components of the U.S. C3E action plan were announced at the Clean Energy Ministerial, a global forum of the energy ministers and leaders promoting clean energy technology and the transition to a global clean energy economy. Australia, Denmark, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States each committed to undertake meaningful activities to advance women in clean energy. The U.S. C3E plan includes drawing together ambassadors, a cohort of distinguished senior professionals sharing an interest in broadening the recruitment, retention, and advancement of highly qualified women in the field of clean energy. Also, the DOE C3E Awards program will recognize mid-career individuals who advance the leadership and accomplishments of women in clean energy by offering six awards, including a cash prize of $10,000. Finally, an invitation-only symposium will be held on September 28, 2012, bringing together women and men to help build a strong national and international community of professionals who support women in clean energy. The MIT Energy Initiative, in partnership with the Energy Department, will sponsor this event. See the Energy Department press release and the inaugural C3E Ambassadors.   Online Energy Department Tool Helps Consumers Cut Bills The Energy Department announced on April 30 that it has launched the Utility Data Access Map tool, an interactive Web platform that enables electric utilities across the country to show customers, in a simple way, the data they can access on their electricity use. DOE has already received responses from more than 500 participating utilities. Many consumers do not have enough data or they are not aware of the data they can access to make informed decisions about energy efficiency measures that could save them money. Among those who do have access to their data, some lack the ability to share it with service providers who might help them identify energy savings opportunities and verify savings once improvements have been made. The Utility Data Access Map tool provides "crowd-sourced" maps in user-friendly formats based on information gathered from electricity providers nationwide. It highlights local access to electricity data and allows consumers to compare their electricity data access to others in their state and across the country. The data access maps display different features of consumer electricity data, including the time period and timeliness of data—informing consumers, for example, whether their utility supplies same-day electricity use information—and the extent to which the data can be shared. By helping consumers better understand their energy use and providing new ways to compare, local utilities are adopting "smart grid" technologies. See the DOE Progress Alert, the Utility Data Access Map, and the DOE OpenEI website, a collaborative system managed by DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.   Limited Global Progress on Renewable Energy: IEA Report The International Energy Agency (IEA) on April 25 released an annual progress report highlighting the rapid progress made in some renewable energy technologies. The report, Tracking Clean Energy Progress, noted the gains are due to solar photovoltaic (PV) panels being easily installed by households and businesses as well as gains in onshore wind technologies. IEA said that onshore wind has seen 27% average annual growth over the past decade, and solar PV has grown at 42%, albeit from a small base. Even more impressive is the 75% reduction in system costs for solar PV in as little as three years in some countries. Photovoltaic and onshore wind were leaders among global renewable energy technologies, according to a new IEA report. Credit: LBNL According to the IEA, estimated energy use and carbon dioxide emissions would increase by a third by 2020 and almost double by 2050. The report notes that many technologies with great potential for energy and emissions savings are making halting progress at best. Vehicle fuel-efficiency improvement is slow, and significant untapped energy-efficiency potential remains in the building and industry sectors. The IEA is an autonomous organization that works to ensure reliable, affordable, and clean energy for its 28 member countries and beyond. See the IEA press release and the complete report.   University of Pennsylvania and Pac-12 Win Green Power Challenge The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced that the University of Pennsylvania won the 2012 College and University Green Power Challenge for the fifth consecutive year. The winner beat out 72 other schools across the country by purchasing more than 200 million kilowatt-hours of green power, which is 48% of its total power purchases. And at the conference level, the Pac-12 conference topped the list with more than 228 million kilowatt-hours, the largest total purchase among all conferences, and earned EPA recognition as the 2011-2012 Collective Conference Champion. Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas, and low-impact hydropower. Penn's green power purchases represent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions of approximately 27,000 passenger vehicles each year. See the EPA press release, the list of winners, and the Green Power Partnership website.   EPA Awards $1 Million to Colleges for Environmental Solutions The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on April 25 that it has awarded more than $1 million in grants to 15 university and college teams. The awards went to teams from across the country that participated in the eighth Annual National Sustainable Design Expo on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., for their innovative environmental solutions. EPA's People, Prosperity and the Planet (P3) award competition was held at the expo and featured more than 300 college innovators showcasing their sustainable projects designed to protect the environment, encourage economic growth, and use natural resources more efficiently. The P3 team projects include a new process that uses spinach to capture and convert the sun's energy to electricity, as well as a partnership with a local landfill to design a process that uses waste heat and drainage to grow algae for biodiesel production. Following an initial peer review process, this year's winners were selected from 45 competing teams after two days of judging by a panel of national experts convened to provide recommendations to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Each P3 award-winning team will receive a grant of up to $90,000 to further develop its design, apply it to real-world applications or move it to the marketplace. Previous P3 award winners have started successful businesses, and they are marketing technologies in the United States and around the world. See the EPA press release and the list of P3 award winners.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

HVAC Efficiency Controls Could Mean Significant Savings According to a new report from the Energy Department's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), commercial building owners could save an average of 38% on their heating and cooling bills just by installing a few new controls onto their HVAC systems. These findings mean significant potential savings for building owners who use commercial rooftop systems, but there's just one problem: the controls aren't currently commercially available. Srinivas Katipamula, the PNNL engineer leading the study, says the report makes "a convincing case for manufacturers to produce more advanced HVAC controllers and for building owners to adopt these energy-saving methods." The PNNL team hopes the report will encourage manufacturers to begin producing the four different control methods. Three companies currently manufacture HVAC controllers, but only one company offers a product with all the control options that resemble the team's simulations. To help the manufacturers better understand their market, PNNL's report examines potential pricing options for the controllers and how long it would take building owners to recoup that cost. Since packaged HVACs regulate more than 60% of the commercial building floor space in the United States, the potential savings from retrofitting advanced controls on these systems is enormous. See the complete story on the DOE Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources(CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES April 26, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources News and Events April 26, 2012

Energy Department Offers $9 Million to Improve Solar Forecasting The Energy Department on April 23 announced that $9 million is available this year to help utilities and grid operators better forecast when, where, and how much solar power will be produced at U.S. solar energy plants. Enhanced solar forecasting will allow power system operators to integrate more solar energy into the grid and help ensure the economic and reliable delivery of renewable energy. The selected projects, part of DOE's SunShot Initiative, will last up to three years and will require more than 20% of the total funding from private and other sources. Changes in weather conditions can cause variations in solar power production. Improved forecasting technologies will help utilities and power system operators better predict when clouds and other weather-related factors will reduce the intensity of incoming sunlight at solar facilities. This information will allow utilities and operators to more accurately anticipate changes in solar power production and take actions to ensure the stability of the national power grid. This can reduce the cost of integrating solar power plants into the grid. DOE will competitively select one or two projects for this funding, potentially partnering with national laboratories, universities, and industry. Awardees will strive to improve the accuracy of solar forecasting in the sub-hourly, short-term (1–6 hours), and day-ahead timeframes. The Energy Department plans to fund projects that could improve advanced weather modeling, find breakthrough methods for accurately predicting solar energy output, work to incorporate solar energy forecasts into power system operations, and demonstrate the economic benefits and improved system reliability from more accurate forecasts. See the DOE Progress Alert, the full announcement on the Funding Opportunity Exchange, and the SunShot Initiative website.   Energy Department Announces Solar "Plug-and-Play" Funding Solar A new SunShot Initiative effort is supporting plug-and-play photovoltaic for homes. Credit: MSB Energy Associates The Energy Department on April 24 announced that up to $5 million is available this year to develop "plug-and-play" photovoltaic (PV) systems. These are off-the-shelf systems that can be purchased, installed, and operational in one day. This effort is part of the Energy Department's strategy to spur solar power deployment by reducing non-hardware, or "soft" costs, such as installation, permitting, and interconnection, which currently amount to more than half of the total cost of residential systems. The funding, part of the Energy Department's SunShot Initiative, will help drive innovations to fundamentally change the design and installation of residential PV systems, reducing costs for homeowners and simplifying installations and grid connectivity. As the costs of solar PV modules continue to come down, soft costs and other non-module hardware costs, such as electronics and mounting hardware, now account for a majority of the total costs of systems. This offers significant opportunities to bring down costs through more efficient installation and permitting processes or new ways to affordably and effectively connect solar panels to the grid. Plug-and-play solar energy systems will make the process of buying, installing, and connecting solar energy systems faster, easier, and less expensive, potentially unlocking major cost reductions in this area. Plug-and-play PV systems could be installed without special training or tools, and simply plugged into a PV-ready circuit. An automatic detection system would initiate communication between the solar energy system and the utility. Plug-and-play systems are already in wide use in the computer and automotive industries, and DOE believes that similar innovations can be made in the solar energy industry to reduce costs and simplify installations. As part of a planned five-year program, DOE will invest an initial $5 million this year for two projects that will develop innovative plug-and-play prototypes through partnerships with universities, industry, utilities, and other stakeholders. The Energy Department plans to make an additional request of $20 million to Congress over the next four years to support these efforts. See the DOE press release, the full funding opportunity announcement, and the SunShot Initiative website.   Small Business Efficiency, Renewable Research Funding: Energy Department The Energy Department on April 9 announced that up to $9 million is available this year to fund about 50 small businesses to advance innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. This initiative will help businesses with promising ideas that could improve manufacturing processes, boost building efficiency, cut oil reliance, and generate renewable electricity. DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is offering the funding through the department's Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. These allow federal agencies with large research and development budgets to set aside a fraction of their funding for competitions among small businesses. Small businesses that win awards in these programs keep the rights to any technologies they develop and they are encouraged to commercialize them. This broad topic research solicitation gives small business broadly framed problems to work on and goals to achieve, and gives them the freedom to innovate. It also encourages small businesses with groundbreaking concepts to become part of the EERE programs' research teams. The funding opportunity includes 8 broad topics and 30 subtopics in areas including advanced manufacturing, energy-efficient buildings, biomass, hydrogen and fuel cells, solar energy, and wind and waterpower technologies. The Energy Department will fund selected small businesses with one-year awards of up to $150,000. Awardees with successful projects will have the opportunity to compete for more than $1 million in follow-on funding. See the EERE Progress Alert and the funding opportunity announcement on the Funding Opportunity Exchange website.   Michigan Company Unveils EV Systems Manufacturing Facility The Energy Department on April 16 announced the opening of an electric vehicle (EV) component manufacturing facility in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan. The Magna E-Car Systems plant received $40 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funding from the Energy Department. The facility will provide components for EV systems, including those in the 2012 Ford Focus EV. It helps support the department's EV-Everywhere Challenge, a broad initiative to make EVs more affordable and convenient to own than today's gasoline-powered vehicles within the next 10 years. The 50,000-square-foot-production facility will be able to manufacture a variety of EV components in high volume under one roof, and next year it will be able to produce 500,000 EV components. Production has already started, and at full production, the plant will be able to manufacture electric motors, power electronics, battery chargers, and vehicle controllers, enabling it to assemble complete electric vehicle drivetrains. The Magna E-Car Systems plant is one of 30 advanced battery and electric drive manufacturing facilities supported by the Recovery Act. See the DOE press release and the DOE Vehicle Technologies Program website.   Biomass Cogeneration Facility Opens at Energy Department Site The Energy Department and Ameresco, Inc. marked the successful operational startup of a new $795 million biomass-fueled cogeneration facility at DOE's Savannah River Site (SRS) in Aiken, South Carolina, on March 12. The 20-megawatt project created an estimated 800 jobs, and when fully operational, the plant will employ 25 fulltime jobs onsite and support the local logging community. The facility replaced a deteriorating and inefficient 1950s-era coal powerhouse and oil-fired boilers and will generate an estimated $944 million in savings in fuel costs and operation and maintenance costs over the next 20 years. Biomass, consisting of local forest residue and wood chips, and bio-derived fuels will be the primary fuel source for the high-tech renewable energy facility, which has the capacity to combust 385,000 tons of forest residue annually. The projects also was the "Renewable Recipient" of the 2012 Renewable Energy World Excellence in Renewable Energy Award for Biomass Project of the Year. SRS is a key DOE industrial complex dedicated to environmental management and cleanup, nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship, and nuclear materials disposition in support of the U.S. nuclear non-proliferation efforts. The project is also the single largest renewable energy savings performance contract (ESPC) in U.S. history. DOE signed a 20-year fixed-price contract with Ameresco, a leading energy efficiency and renewable energy company, in 2009 to finance, design, construct, operate, maintain, and fuel the new biomass site. ESPCs are contracts in which private companies finance, install, and maintain new energy- and water-efficient equipment at federal facilities. The government pays no up-front costs, and the company's investment is repaid over time by the agency from the cost savings generated by the new equipment. This allows the government to use the private sector to purchase more energy-efficient systems and improve the energy performance of their facilities at no extra cost to the agency or taxpayers. See the SRS press release.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

Harvesting the Sun at the West Tennessee Solar Farm The West Tennessee Solar Farm (WTSF) is now open for business! Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman attended the WTSF's ribbon cutting recently. At a capacity of five megawatts, the WTSF is the largest photovoltaic installation in the state of Tennessee and the seven-state Tennessee Valley Authority region. Located off I-40 in Haywood County, the WTSF is projected to produce enough energy to power 500 homes and offset 250 tons of coal per month. With $31 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds from the Energy Department, the WTSF is the largest funded project under DOE's State Energy Program. Over 100,000 hours of work were required to install 21,434 solar panels and connect the WTSF to the grid. Proceeds from the power sales will be used to operate, maintain, and expand the array, as well as fund education and demonstration related activities. The Tennessee Department of Transportation will soon begin construction on an Information and Welcome Center at the WTSF. The center, which will house an interactive educational display, is expected to be completed in 2013. Read the complete story on the Energy Department Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES March 14, 2012

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES News and Events March 14, 2012

President Launches DOE's 'EV-Everywhere Challenge' The Obama Administration launched a new program aimed at helping increase acceptance of EVs, such as the Chevy Volt shown with a replica lithium-ion battery. Credit: GM Corp President Obama on March 7 launched DOE's EV-Everywhere Challenge, allowing scientists, engineers, and businesses to collaborate to make electric vehicles (EV) more affordable than gasoline-powered vehicles in 10 years. The challenge is part of a strategy to help reduce dependence on foreign oil. The DOE initiative, which will bring together DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Vehicle Technologies Program, its Office of Science, and its Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E), will aim to make electric vehicles affordable. The team will target dramatic technological and cost improvements in batteries, electric motors, power electronics, lightweight structures, and fast-charging technology. The goal is to enable U.S. companies to be the first to produce a 5-passenger affordable EV with a payback time of fewer than 5 years. The challenge will involve working with industry, universities, national laboratories, and government partners to set technical goals for cutting costs for the batteries and electric drivetrain systems, reducing the vehicle weights while maintaining safety, and increasing fast-charge rates. As part of the initiative, DOE will organize a series of EV-Everywhere Challenge workshops across the country over the next few months. And, DOE will announce over the next few months a series of additional "Grand Challenges," each focused on technical innovations and reductions in cost that will enable clean energy technologies to compete directly, without subsidies, with the energy technologies currently in wide use. See the DOE press release and the President's remarks. DOE Launches Next Phase of Competition to Create Efficient Lighting DOE on March 8 launched the next phase of the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize) competition, which challenges the lighting industry to develop high-performance, energy-saving replacements for conventional light bulbs. The latest competition will spur leading-edge companies to build innovative LED replacements for conventional parabolic aluminized reflector (PAR 38) lamps, commonly known as spot or flood lamps. Approximately 90 million PAR 38 light bulbs are installed in the United States, and DOE estimates that replacing them with bulbs efficient enough to win the L Prize would save the country 11 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, approximately as much electricity Washington, D.C., consumes each year. The rigorous performance testing needed to win the L Prize ensures that the performance, quality, lifetime, costs, and availability of winning products meet expectations for mass manufacturing and widespread adoption. For the PAR 38 category, at least 50% of the LEDs must be produced in the United States, and all of the assembly must be done here. See the DOE press release and the L Prize website. DOE Offers $5.2 Million for Building Efficiency Technologies DOE announced on March 9 the availability of up to $5.2 million in fiscal year 2012 to develop improved building efficiency technologies. This funding opportunity includes advanced heating and cooling systems and high efficiency insulation, windows, and roofs. The funding will advance the research and development, demonstration, and manufacture of innovative building technologies to speed the commercialization of affordable, high-performance products. Homes and commercial buildings consume approximately 40% of the energy used in the United States, costing American consumers more than $400 billion annually. Nearly a third of that energy is used for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC). Advancing HVAC building technologies and improving the design and materials that make up a building's "envelope" or air seal will significantly reduce the cost of heating and cooling residential and commercial buildings. DOE seeks applicants for funding to support breakthroughs in energy-saving HVAC systems and building envelope solutions. Mechanical HVAC system projects should aim to increase the efficiency of cost-effective systems and components suitable for both existing buildings and new construction, while building envelope projects will focus on advancing high-performance cost-effective ways to minimize energy loss in homes and commercial buildings, particularly existing buildings. Applications will be accepted through April 17, 2012. See the DOE Progress Alert and DOE's Funding Opportunity Exchange website. Four Major Firms Join National Clean Fleets Partnership DOE announced on March 5 that four new corporate partners—Best Buy, Johnson Controls, Pacific Gas and Electric, and Veolia—are joining DOE's National Clean Fleets Partnership, a broad public-private partnership that helps the largest fleet operators reduce how much gasoline and diesel they use. The new partners join 14 other major national companies in committing to improve the fuel economy of the commercial fleets and integrate alternative technology vehicles such as natural gas trucks and electric vehicles into their fleets. National Clean Fleets Partners operate more than a million commercial vehicles nationwide, accounting for more than 12% of all commercial vehicles on U.S. roads. Under the partnership, DOE experts provide each company with specialized resources, technical expertise, and support in developing a comprehensive strategy to reduce fuel use and achieve greater efficiency and cost-savings. DOE also helps connect partners with clean fuel providers and equipment manufacturers where their fleets operate. The new partners have already begun taking action to develop and implement fuel-efficiency projects in their fleets. For example, Best Buy reduced its 5,000-vehicle fleet's carbon emissions by 21%, by taking steps including using the smallest, most fuel-efficient vehicles for the job. And Johnson Controls has committed to designing and delivering increasingly sustainable products, as well introducing more than 500 hybrids and all-electric vehicles to its 19,000 vehicles worldwide. See the DOE press release and the National Clean Fleets Partnership Web page.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

Energy 101 Video: Lumens On March 8, DOE launched the next phase of the Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize (L Prize), a competition that pushes for accelerated innovation and drives industry to create more energy-saving lighting options. And, with more high-performance, high-efficiency lighting options set to appear on store shelves, it's time to change the way we shop for light. Think about it: For decades, we have been buying light bulbs based on watts or how much energy they consume. But with new lighting options designed to use significantly less energy, buying bulbs based on watts is no longer a reliable way to gauge the right level of brightness. That instead takes lumens, which measure how much light you get from a bulb. More lumens means it's a brighter light; fewer lumens means it's a dimmer light. Read the complete story in the DOE Energy Blog. Not a Long Time Ago in an Energy Efficient Galaxy Not Very Far Away A manufacturer of crystalline solar cells has opened a new manufacturing facility for the assembly of solar panels by plant staff and robots in Milwaukee as a result of American Recovery and Recovery Act funds from the DOE's State Energy Program (SEP). Helios USA, LLC, is Wisconsin's first manufacturer of high-performance solar modules for deployment in residential, commercial, industrial, and utility-based solar electric systems. The company will supply solar panels to a number of customers. With a $1.4 million loan from SEP, Helios assembles solar panels in the newly opened facility, located in what was previously an abandoned manufacturing plant in the Menomonee Valley area of Milwaukee, with the help of staff and assistance from robots when “superhuman” precision and sensitivity is needed. As of December 2011, the Helios manufacturing plant has supported 26 jobs, and it is projected to create a total of 50 permanent jobs in the state. Read the complete story in DOE's Energy Blog. CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES February 08, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources  News and Events February 08, 2012

DOE to Launch New Advanced Battery Energy Innovation Hub DOE announced on February 7 its plans to launch a new energy innovation hub for advanced research on batteries and energy storage, with an investment of up to $120 million over five years. The Batteries and Energy Storage Hub will focus on accelerating research and development of electrochemical energy storage for transportation and the electric grid. The hub will be funded at up to $20 million in Fiscal Year 2012 and managed by the Basic Energy Sciences program of DOE's Office of Science. Universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private firms are eligible to compete and are encouraged to form partnerships when submitting their proposals. Interdisciplinary research and development conducted through the new Energy Innovation Hub will help advance cutting-edge energy storage and battery technologies. These technologies can be used to improve the reliability and the efficiency of the electrical grid; better integrate renewable energy technologies as part of the electrical system; and reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil using electric and hybrid vehicles. Energy innovation hubs are designed to bring together teams of scientists and engineers across intellectual disciplines to rapidly accelerate scientific discoveries and shorten the path from laboratory innovation to technological development and commercial deployment of critical energy technologies. Letters of Intent to apply are due March 1, 2012, with full applications due May 31, 2012. The award selection is expected this summer. See the DOE press release, the funding opportunity announcement and the energy innovation hubs website. DOE, Volvo Partner to Build Trucks that are more Efficient DOE highlighted on January 27 its partnership with the Volvo Group to commercialize and deploy cutting-edge trucking technologies that will help boost the competitiveness of the U.S. auto and manufacturing industries. Through DOE's SuperTruck program, the Volvo Group was awarded $19 million to improve the efficiency of heavy-duty vehicles like the Mack and Volvo Trucks. The company is matching the Super Truck program award dollar for dollar. The Volvo Group participating in one of the four SuperTruck development projects that focus on increasing the fuel efficiency of Class 8 trucks, known as 18-wheelers, by 50%. To achieve this goal, companies are developing and improving vehicle technologies in engine efficiency, aerodynamics, waste heat recovery, and hybridization, for example. DOE expects fuel economy increases from 6.5 miles per gallon (mpg) to 9.75 mpg. The Volvo Group has also embraced manufacturing efficiency as part of the DOE's Better Buildings, Better Plants program, pledging to reduce the energy intensity of its manufacturing plants with assistance and guidance from DOE. At the company's River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia, it has implemented a range of measures that reduced its energy intensity by almost 30% in just one year. See the DOE press release and a DOE brochure about the Volvo Group success. Houston Joins DOE's Better Buildings Challenge DOE announced on January 26 that Houston, Texas, is joining DOE's Better Buildings Challenge. Houston is the latest community to join the challenge, a public-private partnership that seeks to improve energy efficiency by 20% in commercial, government, and school buildings across the country by 2020. The City of Houston is committing to improving energy efficiency across 30 million square feet of public and private buildings throughout the city. Through its participation in the Better Buildings Challenge, Houston will work with local partners to implement initiatives that reduce emissions, protect air quality, and save taxpayers money. The Better Buildings Challenge is a national leadership initiative that calls on corporate chief executive officers, university presidents, and state and local leaders to make a significant commitment to energy efficiency. To date, more than 60 companies, cities, universities, hospitals, and other partners throughout the United States have committed to upgrading more than 1.6 billion square feet of building space nationwide. See the DOE press release and the Better Buildings Challenge website. DOE Report Shows Shift to Energy-Saving Lighting Products DOE released on January 24 a report showing that the adoption of energy-efficient lighting products in the United States has increased over the last decade. The 2010 U.S. Lighting Market Characterization report examines the current conditions and broad trends in the U.S. lighting market, broken down by technology and sector. The study shows that in 2010, lighting used approximately 700 terawatt-hours (TWh), or nearly 19% of the electricity produced in the United States. Of the total energy used for lighting, the commercial sector consumed nearly half, or 349 TWh, primarily with fluorescent lighting products. While nearly 6 billion light bulbs are installed in the residential sector compared to approximately 2 billion lamps in the commercial buildings sector, the mostly incandescent residential lamps were not used nearly as much per day, on average, as lights in the commercial sector were used. Also, the average system efficacy (a measure of the amount of light provided per watt of power consumed) of installed lighting increased from 45 lumens per watt in 2001 to 58 lumens per watt in 2010, due mainly to a move from incandescent to compact fluorescent lamps in the residential sector, and from T12 to more-efficient T8 and T5 fluorescent lamps in the commercial and industrial sectors. The new report updates a similar DOE model of the 2001 U.S. lighting market inventory. During the intervening decade, two trends emerged. First, there is push toward energy-saving lighting. Second, there is a continued increase in the demand for lighting, with most of the growth occurring in the residential sector, primarily because of an increase in the number of households, which increased from under 107 million in 2001 to more than 113 million in 2010. See the DOE Progress Alert and the technical reports listed on the Solid-State Lighting website. Interior Department Takes Key Step in Offshore Wind Leasing Offshore wind turbines like these may be closer to reality off the Atlantic Coast. Credit: Siemens The Department of the Interior (DOI) on February 2 marked a major milestone for offshore wind energy along the Atlantic Coast. DOE and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced that the department's initiative has passed a key environmental review. This approval will allow the process for wind energy lease sales off Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia to move forward. BOEM's National Environmental Policy Act assessment found that there would be no significant environmental or socioeconomic impacts from issuing wind energy leases in designated areas off the mid-Atlantic Coast. The bureau also published calls for information and nominations for Maryland and Virginia to solicit lease nominations from industry and to request public comments regarding site conditions, resources, and multiple uses of the wind energy areas. The bureau also announced the finalization of a first-of-its-kind lease form that will help streamline the issuance of offshore renewable energy leases. Financial and other terms, as well as any site-specific mitigation measures, will be added to each individual lease before it is executed. The lease form is available now and will be effective 15 days following publication in the Federal Register. See the DOI press release and the lease information in the Federal Register .

Hawaii Gets 'EV Ready' Hawaii is the most oil-dependent state in the nation, with more than 95% of its energy supplied by imported fossil fuels. Gas and electricity prices in Hawaii are also far above the national average. To increase its energy independence, Hawaii is revving up its state electric vehicle program, "EV Ready," thanks to $4.5 million in funding from the DOE's State Energy Program and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. As part of the program administered by Hawaii's Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism, residents and businesses can apply for rebates and grants to purchase electric vehicles and construct charging stations. In 2011, rebates were approved for 237 electric vehicles and 168 chargers. Last July, Governor Neil Abercrombie unveiled the first public charging station installed in the state capitol's underground parking garage. Since then, five additional charging stations have been installed at state-owned buildings in Honolulu, and another eight chargers have been installed at the motor pool for the state's new fleet of electric vehicles. The state awarded another $2.6 million in Recovery Act funds to six organizations charged with promoting, installing, and deploying charging stations and electric vehicles across the state. By April 2012, charging stations will be installed across all counties, as part of the EV Ready grant program. Read the complete story on the DOE Energy Blog. Tapping Top University Draft Picks to Engineer Solar Championships By Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Director, SunShot Initiative and Solar Energy Technologies Program As football fans buzzed February 1 about national signing day for college football prospects, excitement also builds for picks from a different higher education talent pool. On January 20, DOE announced two university research opportunities to advance the SunShot Initiative, a program that aims to dramatically decrease the total costs of U.S. solar energy. Like football, research is a team sport, no matter how high-powered any individual player may be. In that spirit, DOE is offering up to $10 million to partners in university-based projects to develop and demonstrate heat transfer fluids. The Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative: High Operating Temperature Fluids solicitation seeks applicants to develop innovative fluids that are more stable than current technologies at temperatures greater than 800°C. The goal is to improve the efficiency of concentrating solar power technologies and cut solar power costs. The second opportunity is a second round for the SunShot Initiative postdoctoral research awards. The awards, administered by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, provide an annual stipend as well as other benefits. Read the complete story on DOE's Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)