Solutions for Energy Efficient Logistics Wins 2011 Star of Energy Efficiency Award

October 10, 2011 By

1318226469 14 Solutions for Energy Efficient Logistics Wins 2011 Star of Energy Efficiency Award

PORTLAND, Ore., Oct 03, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –Solutions for Energy Efficient Logistics (SEEL), a minority business enterprise joint venture between Motor City International and Ecos, announced today that it has won the Alliance to Save Energy’s 2011 Andromeda Star of Energy Efficiency Award for its Neighborhood Energy Savings Outreach (NESO) program, an energy efficiency program implemented with Detroit-based DTE Energy. The award will be presented tomorrow evening in Washington, D.C. at the Alliance to Save Energy 19th Annual Evening with the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner.

SEEL was formed to bring the logistics power of Motor City International together with Ecos’ expertise in energy efficiency to work with DTE Energy. DTE Energy had SEEL target market transformation programs for their customers to save energy and money in Detroit.

“It’s an honor to be recognized by the Alliance to Save Energy,” says Louis James, president and chief executive officer of SEEL. “Working with DTE on the NESO program has been productive and rewarding. Seeing real, measurable results in reducing energy costs for the people of Detroit, reducing carbon emissions for the environment and moving over 100 people from blue-collar to green-collar jobs demonstrates that programs like this work.”

in June 2009, DTE Energy hired SEEL to implement its energy efficiency program for electric and natural gas customers in multi-family and commercial properties. in 2010, DTE Energy approached SEEL with an innovative and ambitious pilot program, NESO, to target customer areas with lower energy efficiency program participation and customer satisfaction ratings. SEEL concentrated on robust community outreach and highly trained installation crews who interacted directly with residents of lower and middle income neighborhoods to save energy.

The initiative required the hiring and training of over 100 full-time staff to conduct audits and installation of basic energy efficiency measures to 2,500 DTE customers per month making it one of the largest programs of its type in the country. in the first 8 months, NESO served 16,513 DTE customers, for a savings of 45,337 MWh and 177,862,000 cubic feet of energy. DTE Energy reduced 40,221 metric tons of carbon emissions through the programs. Both of SEEL’s programs have delivered significant improvements in customer satisfaction rankings as well.

“The NESO program has enabled us to work with our customers to save money and reduce energy use citywide,” said David Henderson, Manager – Energy Optimization for DTE Energy. “We are proud of the impact this program has had on such a large number of people and our partnership with SEEL to deliver the results.”

“Our joint venture to leverage the automotive logistics of Motor City International for field work with Ecos’ thought leading energy management solutions has exceeded our expectations. we are grateful for DTE’s strong leadership and proud to be a part of this success for the state of Michigan,” said Jon Thomsen, CEO of Ecos.

The Alliance to Save Energy is a nonprofit organization that promotes energy efficiency worldwide through research, education and advocacy. The Star of Energy Efficiency Award recognizes individuals and companies who have worked tirelessly to advance energy efficiency. The award will be presented by Congressman Clarke on October 4, 2011, at the Stars of Energy Efficiency Awards Dinner held in Washington D.C. The black tie affair typically draws more than 500 energy leaders from industry, government and academia.

about DTE Energy

DTE Energy /quotes/zigman/152195/quotes/nls/dte DTE +0.14% is a Detroit-based diversified energy company involved in the development and management of energy related businesses and services nationwide. Its operating units include Detroit Edison, an electric utility serving 2.1 million customers in Southeastern Michigan; MichCon, a natural gas utility serving 1.2 million customers in Michigan; and other non utility energy businesses focused on gas storage and pipelines, unconventional gas production, power and industrial projects, and energy trading.

about Motor City International

Motor City International (MCI) is a company within the MCLJASCO, inc. family. MCI has a rich history in Supply Chain Management services. Our customer base includes Chrysler, Ford, Sumitomo, Mitsubishi and General Motors. From inventory management, steel manufacturing, fulfillment capabilities to energy efficiency, the MCI family of companies support a diverse range of supply chain management services. MCI collaborates with its customers to make the global supply chain management process seamless with real time visibility encompassed with high quality and cost effective support. Our services include (but are not limited to) sequencing, sub assembly, container management, consolidation, deconsolidation, inventory management, stamping, welding MRO fulfillment and freight forwarding. we have the capabilities to manage the entire supply chain process for any organization with our inventory system and our team of managers and support staff.

The MCI family has experienced its growth due to its commitment to high quality as an ISO and TS certified company and because of our rich knowledge of logistic management services. for more information on MCI, visit www.mcljasco.com or call 313-841-5000.

about Advantage IQ and Ecos

Advantage IQ partners with Fortune 1000 organizations to maximize business results by reducing energy and other facility expenses, managing risk, and improving environmental performance. these outcomes are achieved through performance reporting, energy supply management, ENERGY STAR benchmarking, energy audits, carbon tracking, expense management and strategic energy planning. Advantage IQ’s patented systems provide online access to critical cost and consumption data, enabling informed strategic management. Advantage IQ collaborates with clients to process, measure, analyze, and improve resource administration in the key expense categories of energy, telecom, waste, and leasing.

a subsidiary of Advantage IQ, Ecos conducts research and policy and designs and delivers award-winning resource acquisition and market transformation programs on behalf of utility clients nationally. Advantage IQ is the primary non-regulated subsidiary of Avista Corp, NYSE: AVA. for more information about Advantage IQ, visit www.advantageiq.com or call 800-791-7564.

SOURCE: Advantage IQ

Advantage IQ Wendy Carhart, 503-525-2700 ext. 465 [email protected]

Copyright Business Wire 2011

1318226469 24 Solutions for Energy Efficient Logistics Wins 2011 Star of Energy Efficiency Award

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News Wales > Environment > Underwater windmills could help risk of flooding

September 28, 2011 By

News Wales > Environment > Underwater windmills could help risk of flooding

Farms of ‘underwater windmills’ could affect how sand moves around our coastal seas, affecting beaches, sand banks and ultimately the risk of flooding, according to Bangor University oceanographer, Dr Simon Neill.

Writing in Planet Earth, the award winning magazine of the Natural Environment Research Council, Dr Neill explains how tidal energy farms are like roadworks.

“When tidal currents are fast enough, they pick up grains of sand from the seabed, which are then transported with the flow. This is like cars picking up passengers en route to their destination.”

“Extracting energy from a tidal system, for example by installing a farm of tidal stream turbines or ‘underwater windmills’, will reduce the strength of tidal flows. This is like the impact of roadworks, leading to a reduced flow of traffic. a reduced flow of traffic means fewer passengers can be transported. in the sea, tidal energy farms will similarly reduce the volume of sand transported.”

This movement of sand feeds into the natural systems which protect our coastlines from storm waves, such as beaches and offshore sand banks. If a large tidal energy scheme were to disrupt the natural flow of sand, this could make our coastline more vulnerable to storm impacts, and could lead to increased flood risk.

Dr Simon Neill however, apart from the obvious benefits of low carbon electricity generation, artificial interventions by tidal-energy farms could lead to positive effects. Strategic placement of tidal-energy farms could even be used to create a natural form of coastal flood protection by artificially manipulating offshore sand deposits. however, such state-of-the-art geoengineering would have to be based on a sound understanding of the underlying oceanographic processes.

Details of this research are published in the Autumn 2011 edition of NERC Planet Earth.http://www.nerc.ac.uk/publications/planetearth/2011/autumn/aut11-renewables.pdf

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Tempe-based-First Solar dedicates 1st plant at Gateway

August 20, 2011 By

Tempe based First Solar dedicates 1st plant at Gateway

When it comes to its massive new factory in Mesa, first Solar Inc. tends to get a bit ahead of itself.

first Solar, based in Tempe, broke ground on the 1.3 million-square-foot facility even before it had finalized all the agreements necessary to authorize the project.

On Friday, it dedicated the first of what could be four solar-panel fabricating plants near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport even though not even half the steel has been erected yet.

Simultaneously, first Solar announced that 42-year-old Todd Spangler, who has moved from the company’s nearly identical factory in Perrysburg, Ohio, will be Mesa’s plant manager.

Rob Gillette, first Solar’s president, said the Mesa facility fits hand-in-glove with trends that will make the United States the company’s leading market by next year.

Previously, that distinction belonged to Germany.

Along with the Mesa plant, first Solar is building the largest solar-generating plant in the world near Yuma. The Agua Caliente facility will use nearly 5 million of the company’s glass panels, which turn sunlight into electricity.

Tom Alston, who is solar outreach and policy coordinator for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., said the Mesa factory was part of a revolution in the history of energy consumption.

Alston said he first became involved with the solar industry several years ago, when solar electricity cost $3 to $4 a watt.

first Solar’s technology has knocked that down to about $1.

“That first Solar is able to install panels at or below the $1 range per watt means that solar has become a disruptive technology,” Alston said. “They are leading the way to something called grid parity.”

That means solar power can be generated for about what it costs to use fossil fuels.

“Slowly and gradually, the public’s perception of solar begins to change,” he said. “It ceases to be alternative energy and it just becomes energy. it means that electrification of transportation can become a reality.”

Gillette used the occasion to plug federal loan guarantees and tax policies that have helped power solar’s growth but are now endangered in Congress.

“Financing costs are a critical part of every solar project,” he said. “It actually costs as much as the solar modules themselves.”

Gillette also touted the company’s potential to nourish other local businesses. Omco Solar of Phoenix is making the steel mountings for the Yuma project and another near Gila Bend. He said Omco expected its number of local employees to double from 150 over the next year “due to the growth in utility-scale solar.”

He said a Yuma company, meanwhile, is recycling all the metal scrap and cardboard packaging at the Arizona projects.

“When you start to think about how much packaging you need for 5 million solar modules, these boxes won’t exactly fit in those big plastic bins you put at the curb,” he said.

“First Solar is bringing a multiplier effect to the local economy, and that benefits all of us.”

first Solar is the first project to break ground on former General Motors Desert Proving Ground property now owned by DMB Associates of Scottsdale.

The first phase, which will see four production lines operating in the Mesa factory by mid-2012, will employ about 600 people. There is room in the building for six more lines.

The company is now interviewing for management and engineering positions; applications for line workers will be accepted by about the turn of the year.

first Solar’s campus, on the southwestern corner of Signal Butte and Elliot roads, has room to accommodate three other similar-sized factories with the potential for about 4,800 jobs. Mesa is aiming to generate at least 100,000 high-wage jobs in the Gateway area over the next few decades.

Friday’s ceremony included the unveiling of a bronze plaque that will hang in first Solar’s lobby, commemorating the business and political alliances that made the factory possible.

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Build A Wind Turbine – Just How Simple Is It To Use Wind Power?

August 13, 2011 By

Build A Wind Turbine Just How Simple Is It To Use Wind Power?

When it comes to harvesting renewable resources then the best choice would be to build a wind turbine. This dynamic idea creates virtually no carbon foot print on the environment and therefore does not increase the current pollution problem. An entire household can have power from this wonderful idea and become part of the new generation which cares for the earth.

The old adage of best laid plans is the right starting point for this unique idea. There are a number of plans available in the market place but a number of them are not really cost effective. The right plans can result in a successful outcome right from the start. The best plans are really affordable and simple to follow.

Following the instructions on the plans will lead to the purchase of a motor which will be ideally suited to the size of the project on hand. The plans should offer sound advice on the best place to purchase the correct motors to ensure that the wind generator works just as it should. By purchasing the right motor a successful outcome is practically guaranteed.

The construction of the blades is the next phase of this project to build a wind turbine. it is crucial that the blades are correctly constructed to make sure that they harvest the maximum amount of wind and convert it into energy. They will eventually be wired into the motor and an alternator to generate the necessary power. If this phase is not correctly completed then the system will not function as it should.

The tail is a guidance system which will keep the turbine blades pointed into the wind at all times. With the right guidance system this dynamic piece of equipment can function at its peak, and maximum benefits will be achieved right from the beginning.

Generator towers do not need to be constructed from scratch when you are considering how to build a wind turbine. There are plenty of old TV towers which can be recycled for the greater good of the environment. in some cases the owners will be happy to see them removed from their properties. They are really affordable but a new kit will not cost a fortune and they are really easy to put together.

Without battery packs and controllers this system will not function correctly. The controllers are needed to convert the energy from wind power to electricity. The battery packs are needed for storage of the power being generated. There are simple wiring diagrams which anyone can follow and before long the generator will be running as it should. With a robust system there will be no need to tap into the local power grid at all.

This is probably the simplest of DIY energy projects to start and complete, from beginning to end. By learning how to build a wind turbine, anyone can be the proud owner of one of these remarkable systems.

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Solar wind alternative power functioning in historic Bishop Hill

August 11, 2011 By

Solar wind alternative power functioning in historic Bishop Hill

Green Winds, a local company offering SWAP (solar wind alternative power) has a functioning solar-power system in place at a business in this historic Henry County community. Gary Lay of Galesburg, owner of Green Winds, has plans to also install a wind turbine at The Summer Cottage, the business owned by his mother, Arlene Rigg. The Summer Cottage sells hand-blown glass items for indoor and outdoor use. Rigg also shows off the SWAP system and lets customers look at brochures telling about the alternative energy project. Rigg, who has a fused spine, does not divulge her age, even to her children, but the senior citizen may have more energy than even her son’s SWAP system produces. A couple of years ago, she lost a freezer full of handpicked fruit when the power went out. “I didn’t know it,” she said of the power outage. Lay has the solar portion of the system up and running. there is a battery back-up and a wind turbine is in the works. He opened a door similar to those housing circuit breakers and showed the brains of the computer system that keeps the solar power running correctly. “this is the electricity for the system,” he said. “it actually has a computer chip in it that controls the system.” The system is fully automated, with the exception of a dimmer switch that Rigg can use to turn on and off a waterfall in back, as well as regulate the water flow. “this thing never allows it to go over 14 volts for charging,” Lay said. “it never allows it to go below 11.5 volts.” The digital read-out was 13.7 as Lay was displaying the brains of the system. The battery could be damaged if it is charged too much, the energy consultant explained. Eventually the plan is to use gel cells, but Lay currently uses a lead acid truck battery. The battery is in a compartment outside the store. He said the battery gives off hydrogen as it charges, which is why it can’t be inside. He plans to one day use solar and wind power for his mother’s house and store, through the use of 16 gel cells. there is a wooden structure that holds two solar cells, one a commercial product, one that Lay made from scratch using glass from Knox Glass in Galesburg. The individual cells come from Germany. The 13 acres Rigg’s house and store sit on are a peaceful combination of prairie grasses, gardens, large shade trees, pine trees just beginning to grow, as well as a large open area. The waterfall is surrounded by a large stone structure made out of fossilized stones. Lay had a brother who passed away at a young age due to MS. “So all of this is a monument to him,” he said. “It’s kind of a sanctuary for people and animals.” The soothing sound of the waterfall amidst all the nature makes for a peaceful place. Plans are to extend one leg of the small pond and build a stream. Powering the waterfall with alternative energy was Rigg’s idea. Lay said his mother called one day and talked about building the waterfall. “she said ‘why don’t you power the waterfall with your system?’ So it doesn’t cost as much for electricity,” he said. “It’s just the start of the system. I’m going to increase the solar and put up the wind system.” Lay needs to find a spot for the 30-foot-tall wind turbine. He said the turbine has to stand at least that tall to be above the tree line. “Where would that be, Mom?” he asked. “on the hill, out on the prairie,” she answered without hesitating. Anyone interested in looking at the solar-power system can call Lay and arrange an appointment during the hours the store is open, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. His phone number is (661) 993-0611. as for the grounds of The Summer Cottage, persons wanting some tranquility can picnic there, with permission, by calling Rigg at (309) 927-3359. Plans are being made for a “mad Hatter’s” croquet course and a gazebo for refreshments after a game of croquet. on a sunny day last week, the wind blew gently through the trees, the water gurgled over the falls, into the small pond below and insects sang their songs. “I play Native American music in the store,” Rigg said. “People love it, with the flute and the prairie. they think it is so peaceful.” it might seem like an unusual location for an advanced energy system, but SWAP is environmentally friendly. “I think it’s very Utopic,” Lay said, gazing out over his mother’s property. [email protected]

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Stored Energy project ended

August 7, 2011 By

Stored Energy project ended

Dallas Center — After spending more than $8 million on surveys and tests that showed land west of Dallas Center to be unable to hold pressurized air for energy use, the Iowa Stored Energy Park voted Thursday to end its five-year effort to develop one of the world’s few systems to store energy for electricity.

Results of two geological tests showed underground formations unable to hold sufficient pressured air from nearby wind farms that would later be released to power an electric generator to provide electricity to the grid during peak hours.

The tests surprised promoters of the project, primarily Iowa’s municipal utilities and the Iowa Power Fund, which thought that the presence of a decades-old natural gas underground storage cavern in nearby Redfield would signify the geological worthiness of the formations under Dallas County.

“This is a disappointment, but it is why we do due diligence,” said John Bilsten of Algona, chairman of the Stored Energy Board  and also a member of the board of the Iowa Power Fund, which two years ago approved a $3.2 million state grant to help fund the research.

Bilsten described the failed tests as “the biggest disappointment” of the Power Fund, which was ended by Gov. Terry Branstad that year after its formation by former Gov. Chet Culver. the Power Fund was authorized to spend up to $100 million over four years on various alternative and renewable energy projects.

The bulk of that Power Fund money, plus $3.8 million in federal funds and $1.4 million from municipal utilities in Iowa, Minnesota and the DakotaS, went to drill three test wells west of Dallas County near Iowa Highway 44.

The research money would be just the beginning of what was planned to be a $400 million project that would include a newly-constructed electric generator that would tie into the state’s electric grid. Municipal utilities would have first call on the reserve electricity, which would be generated by air converted from electricity from wind farms, compressed into air and stored underground, then released back into the generator to be re-converted back to electricity.

The stored energy project was envisioned as one answer to a problem that has long vexed electric utilities; that electricity cannot be stored. Because it is used  in real time, electricity’s wholesale price is subject to wild swings, as experienced a decade ago in California and less spectacularly in other areas.

Minneapolis consultant Robert Schulte, who acted as director for the stored energy project, said much of the interest and atttention in electricity storage now has swung toward large batteries, some the size of trucks, that are being tested.

For more news about Iowa agriculture and energy click here for the Register’s Green Fields page on Facebook.

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Green Machine Digest: Synthetic Bio-based Motor Oil for Earth Day — Look for More of this Soon

April 26, 2011 By

1303849819 87 Green Machine Digest: Synthetic Bio based Motor Oil for Earth Day Look for More of this SoonSo how does bio-based synthetic motor oil, made from a blend of American grown base oils, sound to you? it could reduce our addiction to foreign, imported oil, and from petroleum. so you’d get to make a contribution to the US economy, reduce the power of OPEC nations and the cost of foreign oil imports, remove offshore oil spills, help out your pocketbook as oil prices skyrocket, and reduce noxious emissions into the atmosphere. Sounds pretty good to me!
In Celebration of Earth Day, Green Earth Technologies, inc., a US manufacturer and marketer of “green” environmentally safer consumer packaged goods and products, has a campaign to “Change Your Oil, Change the World!”, encouraging consumers to switch from their current petrochemical motor oil brand to G-OIL, the world’s first and only American Petroleum Institute (API) Service SM Certified 5W-30 Bio-based Full Synthetic Motor Oil, grown and made in the USA. the company says the bio-based full synthetic motor oil provides superior performance and protection during the maximum oil change intervals recommended by vehicle manufacturers.

I think we’re going to see a lot more synthetic motor oil and engine fuel in the next few years. As mentioned, oil prices are rising, government regulations toughening up, and a lot of consumers want freedom from oil addiction, improved pocketbook efficiency, and cleaner air. 

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Evergreen Solar targets utility-scale projects

April 1, 2011 By

1301665214 26 Evergreen Solar targets utility scale projects

Evergreen Solar has entered into an agreement with RMT, inc., a renewable energy projects firm, to boost sales of its String Ribbon modules into the utility-scale solar plant market, which is expected to grow rapidly under new renewable energy strategies, recently adopted as part of the U.S economic stimulus pacts. the new agreement will see RMT handle all engineering, procurement and construction functions while Evergreen Solar will provide the solar panels.

“our relationship with RMT provides Evergreen Solar with increased access to the utility-scale solar power project market,” said Terry Bailey, Evergreen Solar’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “Relationships with utilities and large project developers can dramatically improve solar market delivery and further assist in closing the gap between solar and conventional energy costs while expanding renewable energy choices available to utility customers.”

The companies said that they have already submitted bids for more than 400MW of solar installations, which could be implemented over the next five years.

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HTTP Status 500 -

March 10, 2011 By

HTTP Status 500

type Exception report

message

description The server encountered an internal error () that prevented it from fulfilling this request.

exception org.apache.jasper.JasperException: java.lang.NumberFormatException: for input string: "1392169</link><guid" org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:418) org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:337) org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:266) javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:803)

root cause java.lang.NumberFormatException: for input string: "1392169</link><guid" java.lang.NumberFormatException.forInputString(NumberFormatException.java:48) java.lang.Integer.parseInt(Integer.java:456) java.lang.Integer.parseInt(Integer.java:497) org.apache.jsp.articles.viewarticle_jsp._jspService(viewarticle_jsp.java:319) org.apache.jasper.runtime.HttpJspBase.service(HttpJspBase.java:70) javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:803) org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServletWrapper.service(JspServletWrapper.java:374) org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.serviceJspFile(JspServlet.java:337) org.apache.jasper.servlet.JspServlet.service(JspServlet.java:266) javax.servlet.http.HttpServlet.service(HttpServlet.java:803)

note The full stack trace of the root cause is available in the Apache Tomcat/6.0.16 logs.

Apache Tomcat/6.0.16

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What are the cons of a Nuclear Power Plant in a neighborhood?

August 13, 2010 By
earth powered What are the cons of a Nuclear Power Plant in a neighborhood?


We are putting together a debate in my earth science class, and my group is against placing a nuclear power plant in a neighborhood. Any factual information is greatly appreciated!
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