Welcome to the Arkansas Renewable Energy e-newsletter! This newsletter is a bi-monthly feature of the Arkansas Renewable Energy website. Visit the website at www.arkansasrenewableenergy.org for more information on solar, wind, biomass, and other renewable energy resources!

Arkansas Renewable Energy News
January/February 2007

"First, there is the power of the Wind, constantly exerted over the globe.... Here is an almost incalculable power at our disposal, yet how trifling the use we make of it! It only serves to turn a few mills, blow a few vessels across the ocean, and a few trivial ends besides. What a poor compliment do we pay to our indefatigable and energetic servant!" — Henry David Thoreau

In This Issue...

News...

• Cellulosic Ethanol Demonstration Plant Slated for New York
  •  Green Energy TV Seeks Success Stories
  •  Advanced Cars Focus of Nissan's New Environmental Action Plan
  •  New Solar Cell Breaks Efficiency Record
  •  Report: Geothermal Development Can Create Jobs, Investments, and Other Benefits
  •  GM Taking Advantage of Solar Under Creative No-Cost Arrangement
  •  IRS Issues Bonds for Renewable Energy Projects

Funding Opportunities
Website Spotlight
Mark Your Calendars!
Tip of the Month

News

Cellulosic Ethanol Demonstration Plant Slated for New York
Mascoma Corporation has been awarded a $14.8 million grant for a cellulosic biomass-to-ethanol demonstration plant in Rochester , New York . The project will demonstrate cellulose-to-ethanol technology and industrial processes, using agricultural and forest products as biomass, including paper sludge, wood chips, Grant funds are from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Also supporting the project are International Paper Co., Cornell University , Clarkson University and the Natural Resources Defense Council. www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/news/story;jsessionid=1057E21B2FB611B2F46191DFF468F88A?id=46921

Green Energy TV Seeks Success Stories
Green Energy TV, a new Internet-based television channel, is seeking green energy success stories for its website. Project areas include solar energy, wind power, hydro power, hydrogen, biomass, biofuels, geothermal, energy conservation, and hybrid vehicles. Green Energy TV is asking viewers to send videos of green energy projects anywhere in the world, current or completed. It also is interested in featuring companies, inventors, colleges and universities that have developed green energy technologies.
www.greenenergytv.com/

Advanced Cars Focus of Nissan's New Environmental Action Plan
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., has announced its new environmental action plan, which focuses on reducing both exhaust and CO2 emission, and increasing recycling efforts. Nissan Green Program 2010 includes plans to introduce a variety of fuel-efficient vehicles by 2010, including an expanded number of flex-fuel vehicles and a new hybrid vehicle. Nissan also will commercialize a battery-powered electric vehicle and a fuel cell vehicle. The plan includes a commitment to accelerate Nissan's development of plug-in hybrid vehicles and an effort to develop a car by 2010 that can run 100 kilometers on three liters of gasoline (78.4 MPG) using advanced technologies and a continuously variable transmission. The company also will reduce its energy use in manufacturing, cutting carbon dioxide emissions of its auto plants by 7 percent by 2010.
www.nissan-global.com/EN/NEWS/2006/_STORY/061211-01-e.html

New Solar Cell Breaks Efficiency Record
Spectrolab, Inc. has developed a new concentrator solar cell with a sunlight-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 40.7 percent, a new world record in solar cell efficiency. The new cell uses a "multi-junction" structure, in which several layers each capture part of the sunlight passing through the cell. These layers allow the cell to capture more of the solar spectrum and convert it into electricity. The Spectrolab cell relies on an optical concentrator to focus sunlight onto the cell.

Researchers have been working toward the "40 percent barrier" for the past two decades. In the 1980s, multi-junction solar cells achieved about 16 percent efficiency, and DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory broke the 30 percent barrier in 1994. Today, most satellites use these multi-junction solar cells, and Spectrolab, a subsidiary of The Boeing Company, recently produced its two millionth solar cell using multi-junction technology. The new Spectrolab cell, developed with DOE funding, could lead to more affordable solar power systems, costing as little as $3 per watt to install and producing electricity at a cost of 8 to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour. www.energy.gov/news/4503.htm

Report: Geothermal Development Can Create Jobs, Investments, and Other Benefits
At a time when the U.S. geothermal industry is seeing a resurgence of new investment, the Geothermal Energy Association (GEA) has released a new publication on the socioeconomics of geothermal energy. A Handbook on the Externalities, Employment, and Economics of Geothermal Energy provides critical information about the costs, benefits, and other effects of geothermal development on people and communities around the country.

“Representing over a year of work and having undergone extensive reviews, this report solidly documents the many benefits of expanding geothermal energy use,” stated Karl Gawell, Executive Director of GEA. “We hope the Administration and OMB read this report,” he added, referring to recent proposals by the Administration to close down federal geothermal research efforts.
www.geo-energy.org/publications/reports.asp .

GM Taking Advantage of Solar Under Creative No-Cost Arrangement
A creative arrangement between General Motors (GM) and Developing Energy Efficient Roof Systems (Deers) has allowed GM to benefit from a photovoltaic installation at no cost. In the agreement, solar developer Deers paid for the cost to install a PV system on GM's roof. In return, GM signed a long-term contract to purchase electricity from the system from Deers. Because the electricity purchased from Deers is less expensive than electricity provided by the local utility, the arrangement is expected to reduce GM's energy costs by about 10 percent each year. www.nytimes.com/2006/10/21/business/21solar.html?ex=1319083200&en=a266e273fe14d52f&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

IRS Issues Bonds for Renewable Energy Projects
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has allocated $800 million in "tax-credit" bonds for a total of 610 renewable energy projects to be located throughout the United States . Unlike normal bonds that pay interest, tax-credit bonds pay the bondholders by providing a credit against their federal income tax. In effect, the new tax-credit bonds, called "Clean Renewable Energy Bonds," will provide interest-free financing for certain renewable energy projects. The new bond allocations range from $23,000 to $31 million and are set aside for 434 solar energy facilities, 112 wind power installations, 36 landfill gas facilities, 14 hydropower plants, 13 biomass power plants, and one refined coal production facility. The IRS selected the projects from among 709 applications for 786 projects. www.newrules.org/de/archives/000145.html

Funding Opportunities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is accepting proposals for its Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) Program. The purpose of CIG is to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies for environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. Categories of interest include: 1) National Natural Resource Concerns (atmosphere, water, soil, grazing land and forest health; and 2) National Technology (improved on-farm energy efficiency including but not limited to renewable energy resources, methane recovery, and water management). Some $2 million is expected to be available, with up to 60 awards anticipated. Responses are due February 2, 2007 . For more information, contact Tessa Chadwick at tessa.chadwick@wdc.usda.gov or go to: www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=11733.   Refer to Sol# USDA-NRCS-NHQ0701.

Website Spotlight
Renewable Energy Education: Teacher Resources

Looking for information to help teach children about renewable energy? This page is chock full of resources that can help! You'll find lesson plans on solar and other renewable energy technologies, energy conservation, and more.

http://www.arkansasrenewableenergy.org/education/teachers.htm

Mark Your Calendars!

 

Here's a sample of the many upcoming events focusing on energy issues. For a more complete list, see our Events Calendar!

 

Harvesting Clean Energy Conference VII
January 28-30, 2007
Boise , ID
The Harvesting Clean Energy Conference is a premiere gathering for agriculture and energy interests working to advance new opportunities for agriculture producers and rural communities in clean energy production. Clean energy offers real solutions – financial and practical – for our farmers, ranchers, rural utilities and towns, tribes, and regional economy.
www.harvestcleanenergy.org/conference/index.html

Biomass Project Feasibility Analysis Certificate eCourse
February 5 - April 30, 2007
Learn to analyze the feasibility of biomass projects through this distance learning college certificate course. www.renewableenergyaccess.com/rea/events/view?id=44515

Power-GEN Renewable Energy & Fuels
March 6-8, 2007
Las Vegas , NV
This event will cover the most important trends and issues impact the industry's progress. Bringing the wind, solar, biomass and fuels, hydro and geothermal sectors together for three days of information exchange and fast-track networking, POWER-GEN Renewable Energy & Fuels attracts the biggest names in renewables to discuss technical, strategic, regulatory, structural and economic issues.
http://pgre07.events.pennnet.com

Tip of the Month:
Take Advantage of Passive Solar Design

If you are planning to a new home or office, take advantage of passive solar design, which allows you to use the windows, walls, and floors to collect, store, and distribute solar energy. Passive solar design provides space heat in the winter, and helps reject heat in the summer. Unlike active solar heating systems, passive solar design doesn't involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices, such as pumps, fans, or electrical controls to move the solar heat.

Passive solar homes range from those heated almost entirely by the sun to those with south-facing windows that provide some fraction of the heating load. The difference between a passive solar home and a conventional home is design. The key is designing a passive solar home to best take advantage of your local climate. You can apply passive solar design techniques most easily when designing a new home or building. However, existing buildings can be adapted or "retrofitted" to passively collect and store solar heat.

For more information, see:

•  How a Passive Solar Home Design Works
www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/designing_remodeling/index.cfm/mytopic=10260

•  Passive Solar Design
www.greenbuilder.com/sourcebook/PassiveSol.html

•  Passive Solar Building Design
http://www.eere.energy.gov/de/passive_solar_design.html

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