North American Clean Energy July August 2009 by North American Clean Energy

VOLUME 3

ISSUE 4

Wind Energy: Forecasting & Assessment Harnessing Solar Power from Space Financing Clean Energy

Tide of Sea Wave power technology PLUSâ&#x20AC;Ś Regional Development Guide Intersolar North America show in print

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VOLUME 3

ISSUE 4

Wind Energy: Forecasting & Assessment

July/August 2009 Volume 3, Number 4

contents 06

News Bites

Patents, Litigation & Licensing: Emerging issues for clean energy technologies

The Forecaster’s Toolbox: Developing tailored solutions for transmission systems and wind plant operators

NWP Modeling and Wind Power Site Assessment & Forecasting

Big Parts Meet Big Solutions: Bringing lean automation to wind turbine production

Improving Wind Generation Station Proﬁts through Excellent O&M

Solar Thermal Poised for US Growth

Advance Controller Monitoring: How monitoring technology is shaping the solar thermal industry

Power Conversion: Film technology replacing electrolytic technology in solar applications

Beaming Down: Harnessing solar power from space

Warming Up to Geothermal: Understanding ground loop heating and cooling systems

Geothermal Growth Potential and Financing

Harnessing Solar Power from Space Spa Financing Clean Energy

Tid off S Tide Sea Wave power technology technolog PLUS…

EDITOR

Michelle Froese mfroese@nacleanenergy.com

Regional Dev Regional Development Guide Intersolar North America show in print

ART DIRECTOR

Rommel Ramirez production@nacleanenergy.com SALES MANAGER

Ian Stuart istuart@nacleanenergy.com

departments

CIRCULATION MANAGER

Wind Energy

Kristy Vail circulation@nacleanenergy.com

Solar Energy

ACCOUNTING

Alison Bell abell@nacleanenergy.com

Intersolar North America Show in Print

Geothermal Energy

Regional Development Guide

Investing in Clean Energy

BioPower

PUBLISHER

Ian Stuart istuart@nacleanenergy.com

255 NEWPORT DRIVE, SUITE 336

Port Moody, B.C. V3H 5H1 Phone: (604) 461-6223

North American Clean Energy is published bi-monthly by Action Media Ltd. Subscriptions: $48 per year. Foreign $89 per year. Editorial, Advertising, Production and Circulation are at 255 Newport Drive, Suite 336, Port Moody, B.C. V3H 5H1 (604) 461-6223.

Hydro & Marine Energy

Energy Efficiency

North American Clean Energy accepts no responsibility or liability for reported claims made by manufacturers and/or distributors for products or services; the views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily

those of North American Clean Energy. No portion of this

2009/2010 Regional Development Guide

Mitigating Change-in-law Risk Associated with RECs

The Financing of Clean Energy

Part II: Joint Ventures between Regulated Utilities and Developers: An alternative method for developing renewable energy generation

Dry Fermentation in Municipal Solid Waste Management

Case Study: CSI Biomass Co-generation project

Tide of Sea Energy: The Wave Hub power project

Annual Energy Efﬁciency Indicator: Survey reveals regulation and incentives will drive investment

Key Issues to Consider When Undertaking Renewable Energy Projects on Tribal Lands

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to Circulation department, 255 Newport Drive, Suite 336, Port Moody, B.C. V3H 5H1 email: circulation@nacleanenergy.com. Return undeliverable U.S. addresses to 515 University Ave., Henry, IL 61537. Subscription updates can be made at circulation@nacleanenergy.com.

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Photo by Michelle Moore

editor’s note Renewable energy, much like any other resource or commodity, is a business. Or, at least, the harnessing of renewable energy can be classified as such. And, as most any other business, this industry is not without its fair share of challenges. From financing projects and developing partnerships to generating new technology (not to mention new legislation) and forecasting and attaining profits, producing wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass power may not be considered “new” but, as an industry, these forms of power are really still in their formative years. To this end, our summer issue of North American Clean Energy is full of articles that offer answers to many of those business challenges—from financing clean energy (page 56; also see p 49) to dealing with patents, legislation, and licensing (p 8). We also bring you Part II of our look at “Joint Ventures between Regulated Utilities and Developers” (p 57) from last issue and present our first Regional Development Guide (p 51), which provides information on various cities, states, and provinces looking to develop clean energy and economic growth in their region. With this information in hand, it is also worth noting something Henry Ford once said: “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” In spite of the words coming from a past automobile manufacturer and founder who put a dealership in every North American city (granted, Ford probably didn’t guess that by 2006, transportation sources would account for approximately 29% of total US greenhouse gas emissions and would be the largest end-use source of CO2), there is merit to what he

said—perhaps especially in the renewable energy industry. In a world that often places money and business at the forefront (we live in a capitalist society after all), it is nice to be reminded of what matters and what is worth working for on a more profound level. If you haven’t already seen “Home,” a film by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, it is worth the YouTube search. Considered a “carbon offset” movie—meaning all of the CO2 emissions from the making of the film were calculated and offset by donations used to provide clean energy to those who don’t have any (check out www.home-2009.com)—it serves as a warning, with scientist telling us we have ten years to change the way we live and avert the depletion of natural resources. Agree or disagree? Regardless, you might want to reflect on just how your business is making a difference in the world; for our planet…does it make more than just money? At times, this is perhaps easier said than done. Interestingly, at press time for this issue, a much-debated 1,200-page House Climate Bill (formally known as the “American Clean Energy and Security Act”) was narrowly passed, requiring the US to “cap” or reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions by 17% from 2005 levels by 2020, and by about 80% by mid-century—it also mandates that 15% of electricity come from renewable sources by 2020. It isn’t clear if the bill, which would affect everything from electricity generation to new home design to foreign trade, will survive the Senate. Needless to say, controversy abounds. Agree or disagree with the bill? Send your thoughts our way…email mfroese@nacleanenergy.com. Thanks for reading!

Sincerely, Michelle Froese

news bites Climate inaction = inexcusable The most up-to-date report on climate science notes that global temperatures, sea levels, and frequency of extreme weather events are all increasing beyond the patterns of natural variability within which our contemporary society and economy have developed. That doesn’t bode well for the future of global economies and of civilization itself, nor on the ecosystems that our civilization depends on, unless global societies rise to meet the challenge of climate change. The report, based on a scientific congress held in Copenhagen in March, is an attempt to update the 2007 synthesis report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which has already become outdated. For instance, the IPCC report acknowledged a lack of understanding of the dynamic processes that cause polar ice to melt, so the report left those effects out and projected a sea level rise of up to 59 centimeters (23 inches) by 2100. New observations have nearly doubled that projection to one meter, or 39 inches, an increase that would threaten many islands, shorelines, and low-lying wetlands. The report also provides updates on our understanding of ocean surface temperatures and heat content, indicating that ocean warming is about 50% greater than the IPCC had reported. Further studies have shown that societies and ecosystems are highly vulnerable to even modest levels of climate change, and a global temperature rise of more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels will cause “major societal and environmental disruptions.” To help mitigate these disruptions, the world must limit its greenhouse gas emissions by heavily promoting energy efficiency while shifting to low-carbon energy sources, such as renewable energy. The report also identifies the eastern half of the United States as one of two critical agriculture centers for the future of the world. View the full report at: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/ news_detail.cfm/news_id=12599 US Department of Energy Efﬁciency and Renewable Energy www.eere.energy.gov 6

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Sustainable living made easy Interested in alternatives to the “grid” energy system? Consider William H Kemp’s book, “The Renewable Energy Handbook: A Guide to Rural Energy Independence, Off-Grid and Sustainable Living.” The book offers information, explanations, real-life examples, and practical applications to creating your own energy from home—touching on solar, wind, hydro, biofuels, and more. Available at www.amazon.com.

Software powers greenhouse gas meter Enterprise Information Management, Inc. (EIM), and Evergreen Energy Inc. offer a greenhouse gas meter called GreenCert, developed on IBM Websphere Portal-based software, which can calculate carbon reductions across multiple industries and devices. The absence of such compliance tools is cited as inhibiting the investment in and growth of the potential US$30 billion global carbon market, according to a World Bank report. GreenCert provides an automated software tool to gauge and document greenhouse gas management efforts and can transform this data into Certified Carbon Emissions Reduction Credits (CCERC). This greenhouse gas meter solution is a collaborative project among IBM Business Partner Enterprise Information Management, Inc. (EIM), Evergreen Energy Inc., and its subsidiary C-Lock Technology Inc. (C-Lock). The technology extends the global greenhouse gas reduction trading market to numerous sectors including power, agriculture, government and financial services. It can easily be deployed throughout power plants, cement factories, steel factories and commercial buildings, measuring outputs of greenhouse gases from florescent lights, printers, and other sources of energy output. GreenCert offers a standard, repeatable methodology for efficiently collecting and manipulating large volumes of information and calculating and documenting emissions reductions, a process which has typically relied on highly specialized labor and transaction intensive methods. C-Lock Technology, Inc. | www.c-locktech.com Evergreen Energy Inc. | www.evgenergy.com

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Patents, Litigation & Licensing Emerging issues for clean energy technologies By Mark C Scarsi, Lawrence T Kass & Chris L Holm Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP

From left to right: Mark C Scarsi, Lawrence T Kass & Chris L Holm

May 19, 1891, Lawrenceville Georgia. Today, the US Patent Office issued US Patent No. 452,546 to James M Mitchell for his invention: ‘Wind Apparatus for Generating Electricity and Charging Secondary Batteries.’ Mitchell filed the application for his newly issued US Patent in December 1890. That was only eleven years after Thomas Edison first demonstrated his improvements to the electric light in 1879, which allowed an incandescent lamp with a filament of carbonized sewing thread to burn for thirteen-and-a-half hours. Even now, Edison’s additional inventions are fueling the development of a massive electric utility industry across the Unites States. In an interview Mitchell stated, “I hope and believe that my invention will play a significant and important role in providing alternative and renewable energy sources to supplement the electric utility industry. It is also very relevant in providing electricity to people living in rural areas where the electric utilities do not provide service. I have been in discussions with the electric utilities in the hope of forming a partnership and licensing my technology.”

he press release is fictional and we don’t actually know what Mr Mitchell said the day his patent was issued in 1891, or whether he was able to license his patent. But over 100 years later, James M Mitchell’s dreams for alternative and renewable energy are finally coming to pass. Today, patents are playing an important role in the alternative and renewable energy industry, and they will continue to play an important role in the future. Patents are a force to be reckoned with as indicated by significant patent litigation. As just one example, in a patent infringement action at the United States International Trade Commission (“ITC”) in Washington DC, General Electric is asking for an order that will block US imports of certain Mitsubishi wind turbines. GE is asserting three US patents, all directed to wind power generation technology, in the ITC action. In May 2009, there was a hearing on infringement of the accused Mitsubishi products and validity of the asserted GE patents. An initial determination is due in August 2009. If GE is successful, and Mitsubishi does not take a license from GE, then the accused Mitsubishi wind turbines and components will probably be excluded from importation into the US until the last asserted GE patent expires in 2023. This wouldn’t be the first time a patent holder has successfully excluded US imports of wind power components by proving patent infringement at the ITC. Earlier, in 1995/96, Kenetech/Zond Energy successfully asserted US Patent No. 5,083,039 (“the ‘039 patent”) against Enercon. That ITC decision was affirmed in 1998 following appeal. GE acquired the ‘039 patent out of bankruptcy from Zond Energy in 2002, and GE is now asserting that same ‘039 patent along with two other GE patents in the current infringement action against Mitsubishi in the ITC action described above. As reported, after GE acquired the ‘039 patent, Enercon and GE entered into a cross-license agreement, and Enercon is now able to import the previously excluded wind turbines and components into the US. Therefore, by cross-licensing their respective patents, GE and Enercon can practice the inventions of the other’s licensed patents, by making, using, selling, offering to sell and/or importing products into the States, that might otherwise infringe those same patents. Although it is not clear whether the successful ITC action between Kenetech/ Zond Energy and Enercon had a role, wind power patent filings did increase dramatically thereafter. As illustrated, wind power patent filings were generally flat until about 2000, even though Kenetech/ Zond Energy began its ITC action against Enercon in 1995, received a favorable decision in 1996 and that decision was affirmed in 1998. Beginning in about 2000, the number of wind power patent applications filed each year followed a significant upward trend. The trend illustrated above mirrors a similar upward patent filing trend that was observed in the semiconductor industry over the last 40 years. Just as in the wind power industry, the semiconductor industry also reacted to successful patent infringement litigation by patent holders, and companies started to build their patent portfolios for use in licensing, cross-licensing, and litigation. 120

The semiconductor industry also provides some lessons learned for the alternative and renewable energy industries. As the IP climate was changing, some companies were slow to recognize the change and build their patent portfolios. In one particular case, when a company entered license negotiations with a large peer company with far more patents, the final cross-license had a significant $200M payment to the company with the larger patent portfolio. That fee might have been less if the numbers of patents owned by each side were more comparable. In other cases, companies launched new products without investigating their competitor’s patents, resulting in costly licenses or infringement suits. An early investigation before product launch might have mitigated impact from the competitor’s patents. In some cases, companies only focused on patents for their own products with the attitude of “if we don’t sell it, we don’t need to patent it.” As a result, in a cross-license negotiation, they had fewer patents to assert against their competitors, and got less favorable cross-license terms. Focusing on patents for their own products and considering their competitors’ products when filing patent applications might have given them better leverage in the cross-license negotiation. Finally, the semiconductor industry and other mature technology areas learned the value of early participation in the legislative process. This has been important as Congress considers changing the standard for injunctions, or imposing venue limits for patent infringement suits. Early and active involvement in the legislative process has allowed industry concerns to be heard, understood, and addressed by Congress as the legislation is being drafted, debated, and amended. While the alternative and renewable energy industries are more than just wind power, the wind power industry provides a good perspective for the alternative and Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP recently hosted a webinar entitled, “Inﬂuence of Intellectual Property on the Development of Renewable Energy Technologies.” The webinar provided additional details on the issues addressed in this article. To view a replay, please visit http://milbanklegalupdate.com/ve/ZZ98U79Fk79tG92BFS.

Number Filed Per Year

100

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

Year Filed

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renewable energy industries as a whole. For example, owners of wind power patents include individual inventors, companies with less than a handful of patents, and large corporations with many patents. That same diversity applies for all the alternative and renewable energy industry technologies. As illustrated below, in the area of wind power technology, there are a few companies with significant patent portfolios where GE, Hitachi, Vestas, Repower Mitsubishi, Nordex, and United Technologies have some of the larger portfolios. There are also many other companies with more modest portfolios including ABB, Gamesa, Ingeteam, Northern Power, Siemens, US Windpower. There are a number of companies that have less than five patents or patent applications, and also a significant number owned by the individual inventors and not assigned to any particular company.

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Not Assigned (617)

Wind Power Patent Ownership

< than 5 patents each GE (70) Hitachi (19) Vestas (16) Repower (14) Mitsubishi (12)

and royalty payments, and plans to begin large-scale production in 2010. American Superconductor recently acquired Windtec, including 27 patents and patents pending worldwide on wind turbine technology by former sole owner and founder of Windtec, Gerald Hehenberger. Significantly, AMSC Windtec will supply the turbine electrical systems to Inox as part of their overall licensing deal.

Nordex (12) United Tech. (12) ABB (11) Gamesa (6)

Mark C Scarsi is a partner at the Los Angeles office of Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP, Lawrence T Kass is a partner at the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New York office, and Chris L Holm is a senior associate at the Los Angeles office.

Ingeteam (5) North. Power (5) Siemens (5) U.S. Windpower (5)

Milbank Tweed Hadley & McCloy LLP www.milbank.com

All of this means that patent infringement litigation for alternative and renewable energy technologies is here to stay. That litigation will certainly occur in US District Courts, where damages and injunctions can be awarded. Some Courts (like the Eastern District of Virginia, the Western District of Wisconsin, and the Eastern District of Texas) are reported to have reasonably fast case dockets, and the time-to-trial in those courts can be relatively short. Other Courts, (like the District of New Jersey) have much longer time-to-trial. Some Courts also have special patent infringement trial rules, which helps to formalize discovery and patent-unique issues. Patent litigation for alternative and renewable energy technologies will also be prevalent at the US International Trade Commission, where a successful patent holder can get an order prohibiting importation of the infringing products into the US. The ITC is a specialized administrative court that is very experienced in patent law. Some unique requirements to sue in the ITC include: proof of a US domestic industry and import of the accused products into the US. If a plaintiff can satisfy those requirements, the ITC is a good place to sue. The time from filing a complaint at the ITC to getting an initial determination on infringement and validity is generally as fast or faster than almost every US District Court. To avoid or settle litigation, licensing will also be more common, as companies with strong patent portfolios force infringers to either stop making and selling their products, or take a license. Crosslicensing will also be more common, as companies with strong patent portfolios realize success in the marketplace will require that they have access to patents held by others, including competitors and suppliers, providing the freedom to practice the technologies covered by patents that are licensed from others. Indeed, there is an increased level of licensing activity in the renewable energy field. For example, last month American Superconductor subsidiary AMSC Windtec licensed its technology for 2 MW doubly fed induction wind turbines to Inox Wind Ltd. The license gives Inox rights to manufacture and sell the wind turbines worldwide. Inox will pay AMSC an upfront license fee North American Clean Energy

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wind energy

The Forecasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Toolbox Developing tailored solutions for transmission systems and wind plant operators By Ken Pennock

ind power forecasting has evolved as an essential tool to predict the variability associated with wind and energy production at a wind plant. Wind power forecast users tend to have different applications, each requiring a different type of forecast optimization. Understanding the unique needs of each user allows forecasters to develop optimization scenarios to address a variety of requirements. A forecast can be tailored to the needs of individual wind plant operators or transmission system operators who might be scheduling power from several wind plants in addition to conventional generation sources. Balancing area and transmission, system operators schedule and control how much electricity will be placed on the grid at any given moment. Paramount to grid management is ensuring the overall reliability of the system. System operators must make certain there is enough reserve power generation capacity poised to generate electricity if the demand suddenly increases or if the existing supply of electricity suddenly decreases. Standard scheduling procedures were historically optimized to function with dispatchable fossil fuel power sources. These sources offer a quick supply response to an electricity demand increase. By their nature, renewable energy sources are variable. If the variation in these power sources goes unforecasted, transmission operators must maintain system reliability by increasing the amount of spinning reserves, which raises electricity system production costs. Diverse forecasting tools have been developed to assist with dynamically scheduling electricity supply to match demand. Probabilistic, ramp event, and deterministic forecasts are three tools developed by forecasters to support a number of objectives.

event is defined as an observed change of 15% of wind plant capacity in one hour. Forecasts optimized for occurrences other than ramp events are prone to missing the duration or amplitude of a ramp event. The graph below shows an up-ramp in energy output. While the forecast and actual energy output track relatively close, the forecast was optimized to achieve the lowest RMSE (root mean square error) over the 48-hour forecast period. In this example, the forecast took a more gradual increase in MWh Output out to hour nine, and then never predicted the extreme lows or highs that actually occurred out to hour 48. When averaged out hourly over the 48-hour period, this forecast only contains a 5% margin of error due to the way it hedged the sharp increases and decreases in energy output. Looking at only hours five to nine shows how scheduling this power output could prove difficultâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a 150 MWh shortfall.

Probabilistic forecasts

A probabilistic forecast is often employed at the system operator level. This approach offers not only the most likely occurrence, but also provides users with a sense of wind events and associated power production that fall on both the high and low sides of the probability distribution. For example, the graph below demonstrates a forecast that gives confidence of an 80% chance of the wind plants in a region generating 1,400 megawatt hours (MWh) during hour three, and only a 20% chance of these same plants producing 2,100 MWh over the same time period.

If the opposite occurs and an unexpected down ramp happens, transmission system operators must spin up additional power generation and might be caught with not enough quick-start assets on line. This is a worst case scenario that schedulers must avoid, and do so by matching the severity of a ramp event with enough reserve to maintain overall system reliability. Deterministic forecasts

The probabilistic forecasting approach gives schedulers a broad sense of what type of energy output could occur in the future in a cost-effective manner. The wind power forecast in this example is used as a cost-deterrent mechanism by removing the need to keep a large amount of conventional generation in reserve and, perhaps, avoiding the need to keep slow-start based load units available. If a system operator is unsure about how much wind will be available to produce energy at a certain time, it has to keep a larger amount of conventional generation in reserve, and quite possibly keep some slow-start baseload units available. Ramp event forecasts

Outlier events are another unique forecast optimization that requires tuning a forecast to focus on events that have a low likelihood of occurrence, but have significant consequences on the occasion they do happen. For example, a ramp event is a significant increase or decrease in wind speed, which equates to a substantial change in energy output. A ramp 10

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Individual wind plants are often contractually obligated to provide off-takers an expectation of power generation over a future time interval. These users might request that a forecast be optimized to provide a deterministic energy output value. The deterministic forecasting approach offers users an exact energy output value that will occur over a time interval. These forecasts are often optimized to calculate future weather conditions in a region, and then model how wind plants will react to these conditions. A confidence band or a range of possible outcomes will not suffice in this situation. To best determine the exact energy output value, forecasts often employ a weighted ensemble technique that can determine what forecast algorithms to use and how to weight the importance of one predictive forecast algorithm over another, or even what combination of algorithms will produce the most accurate results. Solutions like AWS Truewindâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eWind forecasting system, for instance, employ weighted ensembles to optimize forecasts. With the increased penetration of wind throughout the world, wind power forecasting has developed into a crucial tool for effective grid management. A single forecasting approach will not satisfy the requirements of every user and, in some instances, multiple forecasting approaches are necessary to address the complex issues a single user faces. By understanding the unique scheduling obligations of forecast users, wind power forecasting can help bring about even greater penetrations of wind. Ken Pennock is the forecasting business manager at AWS Truewind, LLC. AWS Truewind, LCC | www.awstruewind.com

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Drive solutions for wind turbines

Machine condition monitoring Azima DLI’sWATCHMAN Remote Monitoring Services is a subscription-based service that addresses the equipment reliability and uptime needs of wind park owners by supporting safe and cost-effective machine condition monitoring of remote or unmanned installations. The awardwinning WATCHMAN Remote service features advanced web-based technology and a team of experienced engineers who rely on proven monitoring techniques and knowledge of the wind power industry to promote optimal performance of turbines and related equipment. Many of the turbines that went into service over the past several years are reaching the end of manufacturers’ warranties, putting wind park owners at risk for equipment failure. Because wind turbines are complex machines that operate under an infinite range of loads and conditions, utilizing traditional automated monitoring and alarming systems can be ineffective. WATCHMAN Remote provides wind park owners with a “virtual” expert condition monitoring team for a fraction of the cost of maintaining an inhouse program, and it does not require any capital purchase of monitoring hardware or up-front installation costs. Azima DLI | www.azimadli.com/remote

ABM has introduced newly developed drives for wind turbines. The program consists of high-grade yaw and pitch drives with important functions: they position nacelle rotor blades optimally in the wind to achieve the best energy generation. For these drives, a combination of AC induction motors (or optional AC permanent-magnet motors type Sinochron on pitch applications), multi-stage planetary gearboxes, and electromagnetic holding brakes have been selected. Motor outputs range from 2.2 up to 22 kW, and gearboxes can be delivered with ratios between 100 and 2000. Drives have been engineered for rated output torques from 2,000 to 50,000 Nm. ABM manufactures motors and gearboxes in-house, establishing the base for optimum fine tuning of all drive components. Exposed to the toughest environment they perform steady over the complete duration of 20 years and even more. High torsion resistance guarantees that even with high wind gusts, the exact position is maintained. ABM DRIVES INC. | www.abm-drives.com

What’s Missing from Your Wind Project? When Competitive Power Ventures Inc. (CPV), a power generation development and asset management company with extensive wind energy development experience, decided to sell Phase I of its wind farm development project located in Keenan, Oklahoma, to Oklahoma Gas & Electric Company, CPV turned to Dickstein Shapiro’s experienced wind energy and corporate counsel to structure, negotiate, and document

Lubrication for wind power applications Klüberplex BEM 41-141 is high-performance grease with a special blend of base oil and additives to cover the different lubrication requirements of the individual bearing applications within wind power stations. The beige grease is ideal for pitch and yaw bearings (high stresses, oscillations, vibrations), main bearings (low rpm, high stresses, vibrations), and generator bearings (high rpm and temperatures). Klüberplex BEM 41-141 can be used in all bearing applications, which allows consolidation of lubrication inventory. Another unique product is the priming and operational lubricant, Klüberplex AG 11-462, an effective lubrication for open gears. Klüberplex AG 11-462 is esthetically neutral because it is white in color and provides excellent adhesion, as well as superior protection against high loads and corrosion.

the transaction. CPV continues to rely on Dickstein Shapiro’s energy transactional and regulatory attorneys in connection with all aspects of its wind energy development program to help ensure that it remains a signiﬁcant player in the North American wind energy sector. Larry Eisenstat, Energy Practice Leader (202) 420-2224, eisenstatl@dicksteinshapiro.com

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wind energy

NWP Modeling and Wind Power Site Assessment & Forecasting By Scott Eichelberger

s the wind power industry continues to mature, accurate wind resource information has emerged as a mission-critical input into a wide range of decision-making processes. Developers and financiers, faced with tight and competitive credit markets, are under more pressure than ever to validate projected returns on investment. Many struggle to make the best use of observational data, while others make the mistake of assuming their limited window of measurement is representative of long-term climatology. A less than thorough understanding of a wind resource can easily translate to six-figure revenue implications over the lifetime of a plant. Once built, operators try to squeeze the greatest value from wind projects, which requires a high level of confidence in how much energy will be generated during the next hour, the next day, and beyond. As wind power accounts for an ever-increasing percentage of the total power generation portfolio, grid operators strive to integrate this variable energy supply. Fortunately, as in other industries, the maturation of the wind power industry has also propelled growth and scientific advancement in wind energy information services. Today’s wind resource assessment and power forecasting techniques go a long way in mitigating the risk of wind’s inherent variability, while also maximizing the value of this free fuel source.

NWP modeling at the core

Having a comprehensive understanding of the wind resource (i.e. the fuel of your project) is vitally important to all potential and operational wind projects. For projects that are still in the development phase, the long-term variability and expected production of the project must be well understood. Poorly performed wind resource assessments can quickly lead to large financial losses once a project becomes operational. For wind projects that are already operational, forecasting services can provide information on the expected variability of the wind resource over a range of timescales (minutes, hours, weeks), and are critical to properly integrate power into the grid and to maximize revenue. Wind resource assessment

In the past, a wind resource assessment relied upon three main sources of information: on-site observational data, off-site observational data, and the expertise of consulting meteorologists. The best source of information for understanding the wind resource at a particular project is high-quality, on-site observational meteorological data. However, these data are generally not of sufficient temporal or spatial coverage to fully represent the wind resource across potential project sites. This is especially true during the early phases of development when many critical decisions must be made. Traditional methods to gain a detailed understanding of the geographic variability of a wind resource are often too simplistic or too inefficient. A first guess of the spatial variability can be obtained by simply interpolating conditions from the on-site meteorological tower(s), when such data are available, for the location in question. These interpolation

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schemes usually take into account the topography and/or land use characteristics of the project site, but such techniques are simply not accurate enough at most project sites. This is especially true for projects sited in regions of complex topography. In these instances, the expertise of a consulting meteorologist can be useful. A consulting meteorologist can visit the site to obtain a better understanding of spatial variability. However, when developers are investigating multiple sites, it is often too time-consuming to send a consulting meteorologist to each and every potential project. Today, mesoscale numerical weather prediction (NWP) models play an important role in wind resource assessments. NWP models are sophisticated computer algorithms that solve the physical and dynamic equations of the atmosphere to simulate the fourdimensional variability of the wind resource. Previously, the significant computational costs associated with running mesoscale NWP models limited their use to operational forecasting and research by large governmental agencies and laboratories. With the increased efficiency and decreased costs associated with computer computations, processing of mesoscale NWP models can now be cost-effectively used to provide invaluable data in a timely manner. Data from these models can help to fill in the gaps of the observational datasets (both temporally and spatially), in addition to providing information for periods of time without direct observational measurements. Mesoscale NWP models can be run over any project site to provide a detailed analysis of the spatial variability of the wind resource. These simulations do not require on-site observational meteorological data and can be run at very high resolutions. NWP modelgenerated maps of the wind resource are extremely useful for understanding the relative windiness across project sites, as well as the direction of the prevailing flow. Such wind resource maps are valuable during the early phases of project development for siting meteorological towers at potential project sites. During the later phases of project development, these high-resolution maps can help to site turbines in the most appropriate locations. NWP model-generated maps of the wind resource are a cost-effective and timely solution to understanding the detailed, site-specific spatial variability of the wind resource allowing developers to focus on projects with the best resources first, and prioritize their efforts accordingly. Once on-site meteorological data are being collected at a project site, it becomes vitally important to determine whether the observed period of record is indicative of the longterm mean conditions. A year’s worth of data with a mean wind speed of 7.2 m/s is a good sign. However, without any context of past conditions, a single annual-mean value does not completely remove the “weather risk” in a developer’s ROI calculations. So, how does one determine if the observed period of record at the on-site meteorological tower is above or below average conditions? Traditional methods to determine a long-term correction to the on-site observational data have relied upon off-site observational data that have a longer record of measurement. Statistical techniques, such as measure-correlate-predict (MCP), can then be implemented to put the short-term, on-site observational data into the context of a longer-term record. Although an MCP analysis may be able to offer some information with regards to making a long-term adjustment to the on-site data, this technique is reliant upon the quality of not only the on-site data, but also the off-site data. Off-site meteorological towers are often not installed with the same level of quality as on-site meteorological towers, leading to increased uncertainty in the results of an MCP analysis. Even more problematic is the situation when off-site observational data are not available.

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Concrete tower base

Mesoscale NWP models are a valuable tool for placing on-site observational data into a long-term climatological perspective. NWP models can be run over the last several decades allowing for a thorough understanding of the year-to-year and decade-to-decade variability, even when off-site observational data are not available. On-site observational data can be combined with the NWP model data to provide corrected model output and validation statistics. NWP models allow developers and other stakeholders to cost-effectively analyze the long-term variability of a single meteorological tower or an entire portfolio of meteorological towers. During the final stages of project development, when a turbine layout has been defined, NWP model data can be used to determine the expected project-wide gross energy output. High-resolution model data are combined with long-term climate variability model data and on-site observational data to provide an energy assessment on a turbine-by-turbine basis. Such an analysis provides a continuous time series of gross project energy output over the entire period of the model simulation. These data increase the understanding of expected yearto-year variability, including how project variability is affected by climate indices (ex. the El Nino Southern Oscillation).

curate wind power forecasts. Much of this improvement has occurred within public, community supported NWP models such as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale NWP model. Furthermore, state-of–the-art wind power forecasting systems today use data from a multitude of sources including on-site observational data, purposefully sited offsite observational data, and neural network algorithms in coordination with mesoscale NWP model data. Exact forecasting methodologies are tailored for specific forecasting sites and the time frame of the forecast (from minutes to weeks ahead). While such forecasting systems are by necessity complex, decreasing computational costs have made these sophisticated methodologies scalable and cost effective. Scott Eichelberger, PhD, is the managing director at 3TIER North America. Vbine Jul Aug 09.ai

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Tindall Corporation recently introduced the Atlas CTB Concrete Tower Base, with patent pending. Tindall’s design team of engineers and specialty consultants developed the CTB hybrid tower to answer the need for higher-efficiency turbine output and an economical tower/foundation installation. Atlas CTB, which resulted from extensive research, is an economical way for wind farms to raise hub heights beyond 80 meters to 100 meters-plus. All CTB components are road and rail transportable. Erection takes place rapidly on a cured foundation. In a typical application, the Atlas hybrid tower base diameter is 15 to 18 meters, with a standard steel monopole upper section starting at approximately 31 meters. The steel monopole may extend to hub heights of 100 to 110 meters. System performance benefits from a higher tower, natural frequency, and the inherent damping properties of concrete construction. Enhanced life cycles of the blades, turbine, and other components are expected. The low-maintenance base requires no painting or bolt torquing; the anticipated service life is 50 years. Tindall | www.tindallcorp.com | www.atlasCTB.com

Reach stacker with task-speciﬁc attachment Taylor Machine Works has announced the addition of the TS-9973W to its product line. In developing the TS-9973W, Taylor is uniting capabilities of its performance-proven reach stackers with an attachment specifically developed for the needs of handling the varied components needed in the wind power industry. The Taylor TS-9973W is designed and manufactured for lifting, transporting, and positioning wind tower, blade, and ancillary components. With its task-specific attachment, the TS-9973W negates the need for slave attachments when handling these critical components. When equipped with a magnet, this attachment can also lift steel plate used in production of wind industry components. The TS-9973W can also be used for lifting and loading completed tower componentry onto trucks or transporting completed tower componentry to designated storage sites. Taylor Machine Works | www.taylorbigred.com

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Wind power forecasting

After a wind project has been built, wind power forecasting information is necessary to ensure proper integration into the electrical grid and also to maximize revenue. System operators need accurate forecast data (i.e. they need to know when wind speed values across project sites are expected to increase or decrease, so that the intermittency and variability in wind project energy output is effectively managed and coordinated with other energy sources). Power marketers also require forecast data to schedule expected energy output as accurately and as early as possible, thereby maximizing revenue. NWP models have been used as the primary tool for generating wind power forecasts for many years. However, NWP models continue to improve in their ability to capture small-scale effects critical to ac-

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wind energy

Big Parts Meet Big Solutions Bringing lean automation to wind turbine production By Rich Curless

ot since the revolution in aerospace manufacturing has the need for lean solutions that combine composite fabrication and large-part machining been so critical to an industry’s advancement as it is now for wind energy. Like aerospace, the solutions require breakthrough automation technologies that enable lean, repeatable, mass production of large composite and metal components. Fortunately, the foundation for a rapid evolution of manufacturing technology for wind power components was created by the experience of the aerospace industry, and it is already producing results. Aerospace providers have developed automation solutions for parts from blade tip to output shaft, including Rapid Material Placement and quick-cure mold systems for blades, which combine to reduce composite lay-up, infusion, and curing time by 50%. Plus, an array of new multitasking machine tools for super-sized metal components can, in many cases, produce completed parts in a single set-up, minimizing dangerous part handling and improving part accuracy.

Manufacturing on a massive scale

The imperatives driving wind turbine engineering and manufacturing are in many ways analogous to those of aerospace. The parts are massive, ever lighter and stronger, and engineered for safety and reliability while made with advanced metals and composites. The scale of the parts is mostly increasing, and a drive for weight reduction is always pushing those parts to their engineering limits. On the manufacturing side, there’s a need to automate with improved process control, repeatability, and process capability, while working with evolving composites and large metal components. Aerospace and other sectors of the energy industry have met this challenge with game-changing manufacturing technologies in composites and metalworking. In composites, automated tape layers and fiber-placement systems revolutionized the manufacturing of large aerostructures. In metalworking, purpose-designed aerospace machine tools with multiple spindles addressed the need to produce multiple large parts in a single set-up, working with aluminum or the toughest titanium. The critical mass to support similar developments for wind power components has been building. New composite technologies are tailored to the cost requirements of the wind industry—which are different from aerospace—and flexible enough for use with glass (the dominant material) and carbon fiber. One of the most innovative is a systematized approach consisting of a Rapid Material Placement System (RMPS), combined with a patent-pending quick-cure molding system. Together, they can reduce lay-up, infusion, and curing time by 50%. For metal components, the principal thrust in wind power is large-part multitasking capability, and the ability to complete more metal-cutting operations on one machine or completely finish a raw part on one machine. These manufacturing technologies bring distinct advantages to wind power components; chiefly lower cost, higher performance, and lower warranty/ownership costs due to lighter, stronger components produced to tighter tolerances—with the repeatability only automation can deliver. Automated blade fabrication

Rapid Material Placement technology brings an integrated approach to what has largely been a manual or piecemeal-automated process. A system like this is capable of spraying 14

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in-mold coatings, dispensing/lay-up of glass and carbon fiber materials, and dispensing/ application of adhesive. It brings 3 m/sec (10 ft/sec) lay-up speed to placement of materials in blade skin, spar cap, and sheer web molds, with laser- and vision-based wrinkle detection in cross or longitudinal directions. Depending on the laminate schedule, this type of system can reduce lay-up time 85% on a 45-meter blade. Programmed offline, the CNC-controlled machine uses a gantry system with multiaxis end effectors capable of manipulating spray heads and adhesive applicators, as well as tooling for spooling and placing materials. Two such systems adjacent to one another can each produce a 45-meter blade-shell half in less than two hours, with half the manual labor. The gantry system rides on rails that are flush with the floor, and carries bulk supply systems for gel-coat and adhesive. After application of gel-coat with spray-head tooling, a ply generator with a ten-roll magazine of material cuts and dispenses plies to a lay-up end effector on the gantry. The lay-up end effector spools up the material supplied by the stationary ply generator. As the fabric is paid out onto the mold, a pair of articulating powered brushes smoothes it to the tool surface. The lay-up system is mechanically repeatable to ±2 mm, with application tolerance of ±5 mm. Offline programming software supplied with the system creates the CNC code from imported CAD data. The same software can program a related five-axis machining system for root drilling/milling/sawing. New quick-cure mold technology uses specialized tooling built to a customer’s specs, and molds are produced using the customer’s CAD data. The system yields a finished blade to spec with each cycle. It can be infused with resin in an hour, followed by a twohour cure, which is about half the normal time. Like the lay-up system, the infusion/ curing system includes process control metrics for resin metering, temperatures, blocked channels, etc, with alarm limits. Other new blade fabrication technologies include a fiveaxis machining system for root drilling/milling/sawing. Multitasking brings lean to large metal parts

Many of the main metal components of wind turbines start out as castings or forgings that can require hundreds of hours of precision machining. Part accuracies are as high or higher than those of aerospace parts. Machining challenges include tight tolerances, capacity/ throughput, complex geometries, in-line bore precision, parallelism between bores, bore concentricity, and precision mating surfaces. Meeting these challenges on large parts is complicated by part weight and size. Great risk and time are involved when parts weighing up to 80,000 pounds are transferred from one machine to another to produce different features on different surfaces. Such transfers often degrade overall part accuracy, too, as tiny set-up errors stack up each time the part is re-fixtured. Reducing part transfers, and the attendant increased WIP, is the essence of lean manufacturing. It’s all about one-stop processing, which is accomplished with multitasking machine tools: machines that integrate normally dissimilar operations such as milling, turning, drilling, tapping, perimeter scalloping, boring, hobbing, and grinding. Four primary metal-cutting machines for massive wind turbine components—horizontal boring mills, vertical turning centers, horizontal or universal machining centers, and horizontal turning centers—are increasing their multitasking capabilities to meet the needs of the wind industry. Key components produced on these machines include rotors/ shafts, gear case assemblies, planetary carriers, hubs, rotor bearings, couplings, pinions, cylinder brackets, yaw beams, and rotary crowns. New developments in horizontal turning machines (for rotor shafts, pinions, and similar shaft-style parts) combine a wide array of unusual capabilities for finishing a large part in one set-up. These horizontal turning centers (HTCs) perform operations unheard of on a typical HTC: deep-hole drilling, serrating, grinding, hard turning, notch milling, hobbing, as well as cut-to-length and centering, rough and finish turning. European wind

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while the machine continues operations in other work zones. Another new machining concept places a torque table in the work zone of a UMC to enable the machine to do turning work with fixed tooling. This effectively adds vertical turning capabilities to a machining center. Horizontal machining centers are a mainstay of prismatic parts manufacturing

industry leaders are already using these machines to produce parts up to 1500 mm in diameter and 2800 mm long. Horizontal boring mills (HBMs), used to process gear case assemblies, planetary carriers, and hubs, are increasing their onestop processing capabilities with contouring heads and programmable boring bars, which reduce the number of tools (and tool changes/time/cost) needed to complete a part. One tool can bore multiple diameters and produce complex part geometries. A contouring head combined with a programmable boring bar can perform nine to ten different operations (atypical for a boring mill) on a part, including threading, grooving, turning, contouring, taper turning, and othersâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;internally and externally. Right-angle heads and precision rotary tables add capabilities for five-sided part processing in a single set-up. Vertical turning centers (VTCs) for production of bearing rings and planetaries normally apply a stationary tool on the end of a movable ram, but automatically interchangeable powered heads allow VTCs to add capabilities for drilling, milling, tapping, and similar operations with live tooling, all in one set-up. The addition of a full-contouring, 360,000-position C-axis table now enables drilling or mill turning of features anywhere on the workpiece. Turret heads provide excellent productivity on parts that do not require a lot of reach into the part. Vertical turning centers handle parts up to 4700 mm (185 in) in diameter or larger. The Universal Machining Center (UMC) is what its name implies: a machine that can approach a part from a horizontal or vertical orientation. Designed for large, complex geometry parts, the UMC allows five-axis/five-side machining with automatically interchangeable heads for faster processing and reduced work-in-process. With a spindle ram mounted on a crossrail, this machine can have a rail or moving-bed design. A rail design allows the machine to have multiple work zones under the spindle, so operators can load and unload parts

construction, and oversized ballscrews provide muscle and traverse speed to process large parts in volume. Rich Curless is the chief technical officer for MAG Industrial Automation Systems. MAG Industrial Automation Systems www.mag-ias.com

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and these machines are growing in size, speed, and multitasking capability to meet needs in wind energy manufacturing. Twin-pallet machines for wind parts typically have a table size of 1250 x 1600 mm, and accept parts weighing up to 7000 kg (15,400 pounds). Twin pallets and quick work change ensure high production rates, while robust, cast-iron

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wind energy Improving Wind Generation Station Profits through Excellent O&M By Bill Manganaro & Linda Fulsaas

very decision a wind turbine generating station owner or asset manager makes during operations and maintenance (O&M) has a long-term impact on the success of the project. As with any power generating facility, optimizing both short- and long-term plant performance—and the earnings—of a wind generating station is best achieved by applying the O&M experience gained from hundreds of plant-years at thermal generation stations. Investment in a wind generating station is best realized by following the same fundamental processes used at other types of facilities and using the same information as the basis for good decisions.

Wind O&M carries new risks

Generating electricity by wind has developed steadily during the last three decades into the largest growth segment of the power generation industry. The rapid evolution of the wind generating industry, the lack of third-party parts and maintenance, and the challenges of the investment/ownership environment all present O&M risks to the wind generating station owner not experienced at other types of generating stations. The technology is based on relatively short model runs and operational histories, with new models frequently introduced, and significant dependence on the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) for parts and service during and after the warrantee period. In addition, whereas thermal plant generators have an expected life of 40-plus years, straight-forward investment strategies with linear depreciation, and maintenance plans developed over decades of operating experience, including advice from multiple manufacturers and users groups, wind turbine generators have an expected life of 20 years, complicated investment strategies with continually evolving “production tax credits” for half of that life, and maintenance practices based mostly upon limited OEM experience.

As an independent third-party operator, NAES Corporation has identified many of the unique O&M needs of the independent wind generation station owner, including: • EPC contract and OEM service agreement review to obtain a more competitive agreement; • Options for service at the expiration of the warranty period; • High-quality services and parts at the lowest cost to the owner; • Customized CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) tailored to the needs of the wind generating station, including mobile devices; • 24/7 remote monitoring; • Employing skilled wind technicians and managerial staff; and, • Incorporating “lessons learned.” Adequate O&M stafﬁng enhances value

A common operation condition of many wind stations has been to contract the OEM to provide all service and maintenance during the warrantee period and, in some cases, for several years beyond with an owner representative periodically visiting the station and monitoring conditions; thereby, forgoing the expense of seasoned, on-site O&M personnel. This business model may have been appropriate during the early years of the industry when the primary value of wind farms was the production tax credits (PTC). Regardless of the size of the wind station, adequate O&M staffing from the start of the commissioning phase, through the warrantee phase and any OEM service and maintenance period, results in improved performance and maintenance of the owners’ equity value. These improvements easily offset the comparatively small cost of adequately staffing the facility, typically by about 2%. Traditional O&M methods translate to wind technology Necessary on-site O&M staff consists of a plant manager, a plant administrator, and By effectively implementing power plant fundamentals—safety, compliance, and perform- usually four wind technicians. The plant manager prepares an O&M plan and annual ance—traditional O&M methods translate to any type of generating facility, regardless of budget that, once approved, ensure the station’s operating goals align with the owner’s the technology. Standard O&M methods employed at wind generation stations are proven priorities. The wind technicians become the eyes and ears of the plant manager by to increase the bottom line, mitigate owner risk, and deliver top performance. Through routinely traveling to the wind turbines located over several miles of gravel roads and these practices, common pitfalls can be avoided in wind generation station O&M pracclimbing the turbine ladders for inspections. Working alongside OEM technicians, the tices, including short staffing and relying solely on the OEM. station technicians become familiar with the status of the equipment and the OEM’s maintenance practices, gaining the valuable knowledge needed for after the OEM warranty, service, and maintenance period ends. CanWEA’S ANNUAL All plant personnel work to publish proCONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION cedures that establish expectations for the TORONTO safe, consistent performance of the station. TORONTO, ONTARIO The staff accomplishes a number of activities that enhance the station’s earnings and SEPTEMBER 20-23, 2009 value: • Managing the station to the owner’s priCanada’s rapidly expanding wind energy industry is Join Canadian and global orities, rather than those of the OEM’s, well positioned for growth. More than 2,000 delegates industry leaders at Canada’s and 225 exhibitors will come together for CanWEA’s which are not necessarily consistent with largest renewable energy the owner’s; Annual Conference and Exhibition to explore the • Maximizing availability, not just to the inﬁnite possibilities of wind energy. conference. contract guarantee; • Using a computerized maintenance system (CMMS) to capture the costs and maintenance history of all equipment and parts used; • Monitoring faults to proactively identify warrantee issues and potential serial failures; • Providing better management of ongoing issues with the OEM at the end of the warrantee period; • Through knowledge gained, providing For more information on exhibitor and an alternative to continuing the OEM sponsor opportunities, please visit our website. contract at the conclusion of the OEM service and maintenance period; and,

Inﬁnite Possibilities www.canwea.ca

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• Enhancing community relations by providing a consistent relationship with the regulator, the power taker, landowners, and environmental agencies.

Windmill lifting brackets Hanes Supply, Inc.’s manufacturing of synthetic, chain, and wire rope slings include Slingmax and Twin Path Slings, along with unlimited design and fabrication for specialized equipment. Their windmill lifting brackets are fully adjustable for differing tower designs, and come with full technical support and convenient kits that provide everything under the hook. Further features include: a reduction in mobilization and cost in field work; ergonomic benefits that result in decreased field injuries; lightweight brackets, which eliminate the need for additional installation equipment; and, a color code and fastening system that are readily available. The Hanes Supply team has a vast inventory of a broad range of contractor, safety, and industrial supplies.

Beyond warranty, service, and maintenance

By applying proven electrical generating station principles of operation to the service and maintenance of a wind station, income and asset values are optimized. By providing a small staff, procedures, and management tools from initial commercial operation through the OEM warrantee, service, and maintenance period, the owner gains knowledge of his station and ensures that it is operated to his priorities. Station value is enhanced during the transition from warrantee to the follow-on service and maintenance period, providing the owner with options when this phase ends. The net cost can be zero with a significant upside potential. Bill Manganaro is a project manager for NAES with over 30 years of engineering, supervisory, and project management experience. Linda Fulsaas is the senior technical writer for NAES, with over 25 years of technical publications experience. As the world’s largest independent, third-party O&M provider, NAES Corporation (NAES) offers comprehensive generation services to industries that generate or consume power. NAES Corporation (NAES) | www.naes.com

Blade enclosure system

Hanes Supply, Inc. | www.hanessupply.com

Even heavy duty wind generation equipment needs protection from the elements. Ensuring turbine blades remain in top shape during storage and in transit, international shrinkwrap supplier Dr. Shrink introduces the Wind Bag—a blade enclosure system. The company’s thick, 10 mil shrinkwrap is used to make covers for wind turbine blades, protecting them from weather damage. Dr. Shrink’s thick mil shrinkwrap is constructed from 100% virgin resin and contains maximum UV inhibitors for long-term storage. Unlike tarps, this premium shrinkwrap will not move or chafe surfaces. Available up to 60 meters in length, the Wind Bag is easy to install and apply. Covers to protect blade ends against water and mold damage are also available. Environmentally responsible, the company offers the REBAG system, a shrinkwrap recycling program available in the US and Canada. Dr. Shrink | www.dr-shrink.com

Solar On

Solar Greening by Design

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wind energy Wind speed and power forecasting Weather Services International (WSI) recently announced WSI WindCast, a wind speed and power forecasting product, plus an innovative alerting service for the wind power marketplace. WSI WindCast is a graphics-based, statistical forecasting system for the energy market providing wind power and speed forecasts anywhere in the world. WSI’s new alerting service provides warnings when lightning, thunderstorms, or other severe weather events are approaching wind farm locales.

Developed in response to increased worldwide demand for wind power, WSI WindCast provides accurate, hourly forecasts that include weather-related parameters such as wind speed, wind direction, atmospheric pressure, and temperature, all at turbine height. Using these predictions, WSI WindCast then provides accurate wind power forecasts up to seven days out. WSI Corporation | www.wsi.com

Climbing assistance and fall protection DBI-SALA, a Capital Safety brand, introduces Climb Assist Ladder Safety System for wind turbines. The system provides both climbing assistance and fall protection to workers ascending a fixed ladder system within a wind turbine tower. Fallarrest rated, Climb Assist Ladder Safety is unlike any other system on the market because it does not require a separate or secondary fall protection system. The Climb Assist system is designed to lift between 45 to 120 pounds, which essentially decreases the climber’s weight by that amount, reducing fatigue, and allowing for faster and easier climbs. Activation and deactivation of the system is quick and simple—to use, the climber attaches the Lad-Saf Ladder Safety Sleeve to the cable system and to the front D-ring of his or her harness, activates the motor, and begins climbing. The 220V motor is deactivated if the user stops climbing. If the user slips while climbing, the system will lock and arrest the fall, allowing the user to regain his or her footing and handhold. Capital Safety | www.capitalsafety.com

For homes, farms, ranches, and businesses, wind energy creates opportunities to make money, save money and be more energy independent. The Small and Community Wind Conference & Exhibition will bring together industry leaders, project developers, economic development groups, municipalities,

November 3 – 5, 2009 COBO CENTER DETROIT, MI www.smallandcommunitywindexpo.org

and land owners to formulate and enact growth strategies for small and mid-sized wind applications. The program will offer information to help you capitalize on wind technology by learning about national renewable energy legislation, technology costs, zoning requirements, utility interconnection, tax revenues and investment opportunities.

Specialized adhesives for wind energy market ITW Plexus offers specialized adhesives for the assembly of wind blades, nacelle assemblies, lightning suppression systems, and repair work throughout the wind energy market. These GL approved adhesives require little or no surface preparation and cure at room temperature, thereby eliminating the need for costly heated fixtures or secondary curing ovens. The adhesives are supplied in cartridges for field repair and small assembly, as well as in 5 gallon and 50 gallon containers for larger applications. Plexus offers revolutionizing answers to bonding and dispensing needs. ITW Plexus | www.itwplexus.com

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On-site commercial power generation

Shaft grounding ring installation without drilling AEGIS SGR Bearing Protection Ring from Electro Static Technology can now be installed quickly and easily with conductive epoxy, eliminating the need to drill bracket holes in the motor’s end bell. For motors controlled by variable frequency drives (VFDs), the SGR channels harmful motor-shaft currents away from bearings and safely to ground, protecting them and extending their lives for a sustainable “green” solution. Installation of the SGR, whether by the motor manufacturer or end user, takes just minutes. Unlike conventional grounding brushes, the ring is maintenance-free and works with virtually no friction or wear for the service life of the motor. Installing the SGR with conductive epoxy takes only minutes and eliminates the need to mark and drill holes in the motor’s end bell. The motor shaft and end bell must be clean and free of any coatings, paint, or other conductive material. The installer simply applies the adhesive to the backside of the SGR, centers the SGR around the motor shaft, and holds the ring in place to allow the adhesive to set. Units are guaranteed for one year from the date of purchase against defective materials and workmanship.

Green Energy Technologies’ WindCube is designed for on-site commercial power generation in urban and suburban locations. The compact wind turbine has a unique shroud design that captures and concentrates wind to produce more power—WindCube produces the most energy in the smallest footprint of any wind turbine. One 22' x 22' WindCube produces energy equivalent to a traditional 170' tall wind turbine (which could not be sited in an urban or suburban location). The WindCube expects to be one of the first in the country to receive DOE/AWEA Certification that will soon be required for small wind turbines. After three years of development and 17 months of testing, the first WindCube is now being commissioned and several more installations are scheduled. Green Energy Technologies | www.getsmartenergy.com

19,500 ft. of roads, 43,000 ft. collection system and 20 foundations in 22 days

Just another day on the job

Electro Static Technology www.est-aegis.com

Machine tower ﬂanges to spec Climax Portable Machine Tools’ Climax CM6000 portable circular mills are now available as standard products for sale or rent. Fast becoming an industry standard for handling the extremely tight tolerances required in wind tower machining applications, the Climax CM6000 has a milling reach of between 1993.9 and 5003.8 mm (78.5 and 197 inches). It enables machinists to achieve a surface flatness tolerance of +/- 0.032 mm/m (0.0004 in/ ft.). The machine is ideal for in-situ machining of tower flanges in factory production and in the field, and cuts machining time up to 75%, taking only two hours to machine large flanges compared to 12 to 14 hours when using single-point machining tools. Machinist training on the basic operation and maintenance of the equipment is available. Climax Portable Machine Tools www.cpmt.com

LEVEL of THINKIN G A NEW

All it took was 17,000 tons of concrete, some specialized equipment and 57 craftsmen working 16 hour days. The 20-turbine Jeffers, MN Wind Farm project began in November and was completed before the ground froze. Just another concrete example of Carstensen’s commitment to a new level of thinking.

LEVEL of THINKIN G A NEW

CARSTENSEN C O N T R A C T I N G,

I N C.

507.825.2026 carstensencontracting.com

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wind energy Wind data analysis software

Gearbox contamination prevention

Wind energy transmission line installation

As no site is the same when it comes to determining the feasibility of a wind farm, Windographer was designed with flexibility in mind. Developed by Mistaya Engineering Inc. of Alberta, Canada, Windographer is a wind data analysis software with automated features that make analysis both faster and more reliable. Windographer automatically interprets a wide variety of wind resource data sets collected by meteorological towers, sodar, or lidar systems, and can dramatically increase productivity during the analysis process. The programâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s graphical displays reveal patterns in wind speed, wind shear, turbulence intensity, wind power density, and more. It also allows users to find and fix problems in the data set, to fill gaps, to calculate wind turbine energy production, and to estimate extreme wind speeds.

Water contamination can cause major problems for wind turbine hydraulic systems and gearbox machinery. Donaldson Company, Inc. has developed the T.R.A.P. Breather as a patented solution to prevent moisture build-up within these types of operational systems. Air breathers are designed to prevent atmospheric contamination from entering hydraulic reservoirs and gearboxes, allowing for sufficient air movement and pressure equalization inside the system chamber. The T.R.A.P. Breather uses a new, superior method to keep moisture out, and prevent contamination issues. The T.R.A.P. begins removing atmospheric moisture when air enters the reservoir or gearbox. Traditional breathers are limited by fixed water-holding capacity and require frequent change-outs, but the T.R.A.P. self-generates during reservoir breathing cycles, which helps it last longer, lowers maintenance, and reduces replacement costs.

Vermeer Corporation has introduced a series of underground products to aid in the installation of wind energy transmission lines. One challenge to installing wind energy transmission lines is the multiple passes required using traditional excavation methods. Vermeer designed the CL80 cable layer attachment to sort, configure, and feed three cables: one ground wire, one conduit with fiber optic cable, and one tracer tape. The attachment also places and secures the cables in the specified configuration in the trenchâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;all in one pass. A series of rollers guide the cables over the machine then feed them into a cable box where they are sorted in the appropriate configuration. On descent into the trench, the cables then begin to align in triangular formation, becoming more tightly knit on approach. The ground wire, conduit, and tracer tape are placed on top of the triangular formation as specified. The CL80 attachment eliminates the need for one machine to dig the trench and then another to come back and lay and secure the cable.

Mistaya Engineering Inc. | www.mistaya.ca

Donaldson Company, Inc. | www.donaldson.com

Vermeer Corporation | www.vermeer.com

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R&M Materials Handling, Inc. offers the Spacemaster SX Electric Wire Rope Hoist, featuring a load-handling capacity of a half-ton to 80 tons, with a large rope drum diameter and low headroom for safe, efficient manufacturing of wind turbines. Designed to provide easy load handling, the Spacemaster SX Electric Wire Rope Hoist offers versatile hook approaches, generous lift heights, and near true vertical lift for dependable lifting and precise positioning of components during wind turbine manufacturing. The space-saving design of the Spacemaster SX Electric Wire Rope Hoist provides efficient and dependable operation, delivering a long service life with reduced maintenance costs. The hoist motor is class F insulated with a 60% effective duty and thermally protected. The unique drum design extends equipment life through minimized rope wear and enhanced motor cooling. Designed to reduce stress on drum bearings, the gearbox extends component life, and the sealed trolley brakes require minimal adjustment over one million cycles. The Spacemaster SX is also equipped with a standard four-position hoist limit switch that includes a phase mismatch protection circuit to prevent the block from coming into contact with the hoist. R&M Materials Handling, Inc. www.rmhoist.com

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solar energy

Solar Thermal Poised for US Growth By Stefan Braendle

or the past decade, those referring to the solar industry in the United States and even North America largely meant photovoltaic or concentrating solar technology. Most solar companies, investments, and legislation dealt with those technologies that generated electricity from the sun. If you were installing a solar thermal system or even engaged in a lively discussion about the best way to capture heat from the sun for the purposes of hot water heating, solar cooling, or process heating, then chances are you were in Germany, Spain, or somewhere on the European continent. Until now. With new legislation by the Obama administration and a growing awareness of the potential for solar thermal amongst consumers and companies, the coming years will see a tremendous surge in interest in solar thermal systems in the US and North America. Already, new systems are being touted around the country and many European companies and suppliers are preparing outposts in North America to meet this expected rise in demand. Solar thermal systems harness sunlight to produce heat. Applications for solar thermal include heating, cooling, ventilation, cooking, hot water heating, or process heating. Solar pool heating has, perhaps, made the largest gains in terms of adoption in the US so far, but tax credit extensions and cap limits have created a fertile ground for solar hot water systems to take hold on both a residential and light commercial scale. Historically, larger hotels and hotel chains around the world have been a firstadopter for solar hot water systems because despite high up-front costs, the payback period is very short in this industry. There is a range of technologies in use, but most can supply more than halfâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and sometimes up to 80%â&#x20AC;&#x201D;of all hot water used. High sun areas obviously perform best and most efficiently. Depending on incentives and solar resource, the potential for early adoption by hotels in the US exists and should be a considered a ripe market opportunity.

Incentives prime the pump

The Energy and Improvement Act of 2008 is critical to the growth of solar thermal because it extended the 30% investment tax credit for another eight years to 2016. With these credits firmly in place, solar thermal companies can invest in production with confidence. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan, or stimulus bill, improved upon this legislation by removing the $2,000 maximum deduction limit imposed on private households. Now, individuals can purchase a solar thermal system and realize the entire 30% tax benefit. And, with a budget of over $800 billion, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan is also establishing the framework for a number of other programs such as grid improvements and public housing energy efficiency retrofits that will help push the renewable energy industry in the US even further. With this new legislation as a backdrop, many companies have begun to make investments in their production and distribution capacity in North America. Domestic makers of solar collectors still make up the majority of systems produced and sold in the States, but foreign companies are searching for ways to break into the market. A visit to any industry trade show will confirm this, as many of the exhibitors are consistently European manufacturers. The solar thermal market is much more mature in Europe because of yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; worth of incentives and investment, making these companies eager to share their knowledge and experience with US counterparts. What percentage of error can you afford? New technologies and applications are also gaining more widespread acceptance. A number of new installations have moved beyond traditional solar thermal for hot water systems into dualuse heating and cooling systems. These systems can offset the amount of natural gas used to produce heating or cooling and can provide heating or cooling during the day or night, and summer or winter. A handful of colleges and universities around the US are experimenting with this approach right now. Another great example of solar heating and cooling in action is the Fletcher Business Park in North Carolina. EnerWorks Inc., a North American The success of your investments can ride on the accuracy of your measurements. With 35 years of proven Th solar thermal technology company, defieeld experience, unmatched reliability, and exceptional measurement quality, you can trust Campbell ployed the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest solar thermal Sccientific data acquisition systems when your measurements matter. heating and cooling installation there 8JOE Solar â&#x2C6;&#x2020; 'JOE PVU NPSF 435.750.1880 earlier this year. The site features 640 www.campbellsci.com/renewables t 8JOE SFTPVSDF BTTFTTNFOU t 4PMBS SFTPVSDF BTTFTTNFOU rack-mounted roof top collectors that t 5VSCJOF QFSGPSNBODF t %JBHOPTUJDT BOE BMBSNJOH use Alanod-Solar absorptive surface t 8JOE GPSFDBTUJOH t 1FSGPSNBODF NPOJUPSJOH WBMJEBUJPO technology, and it is approximately t 3FTFBSDI BOE EFWFMPQNFOU t 3FTFBSDI BOE EFWFMPQNFOU one-and-a-half times larger than the

When Measurements Matter

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next biggest installation at the Beijing Olympic Village. Component providers like Alanod-Solar are also making gains in North America with a new domestic manufacturing and distribution facility for their absorptive technology, which is soon to be announced. Despite these impressive gains, one of the big bottlenecks to widespread growth of the solar thermal in the US is certification of collectors and systems. With only two accredited laboratories testing for SRCC quality standards, some projects have been slowed. However, industry groups and companies are working hard to alleviate this issue and are confident more labs will come online later this year. Overall, legislation and investment have made the future for solar thermal in the US promising, which is especially true because many new technologies and companies can leverage best practices from their European counterparts to more quickly take advantage of this growing market. The next year should prove to be a remarkable one for the North American solar thermal industry. Stefan Braendle is Director of Solar Applications at Alanod-Solar, the solar surfaces company. He has 20 years of solar experience in developing and building renewable energy technologies and businesses.

Solar cells protection DuPont announced the commercialization of two new families of photovoltaic encapsulant sheets that are expected to improve durability and efficiency of PV modules. The new DuPont PV5300 Series and DuPont PV5200 Series deliver long-term protection for the most sensitive part of PV modules—the solar cells. They contribute to longer life and reduced cost-per-watt, helping system manufacturers deliver more reliable and cost-effective solar power. DuPont PV5300 Series sheets are five times tougher and 100 times stiffer than materials typically used as encapsulants. Their structural properties make possible new module designs such as building integrated PV (BIPV) tiles that can be installed on building roofs. The DuPont PV5200 Series sheets are based on polyvinyl butyral polymer technology and offer high performance in physical processing. DuPont | www2.dupont.com

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Alanod-Solar | www.alanod-solar.com

Solar modules Siliken Renewable Energy has expanded their product line to include the SLK48P6L, which offers yet another option for solar system designers. Siliken solar modules range in power, from 170 W to 240 W, and have an excellent Power Tolerance of +3/0% with outstanding low-light performance. In 2008, Siliken opened a North American headquarters and solar panel manufacturing facility in San Diego to meet the demand of the US market. With over 162 MWp of solar energy installed worldwide, Siliken has become a benchmark in terms of product quality and performance. Siliken now offers these “Made in the USA” solar panels to installers, designers, contractors, and developers who are looking to provide their customers with “Real World Tested, Globally Trusted” solar modules. Ask about Siliken’s Black Framed modules, which are coming soon.

MARKETS ATLAS SERVES: Photovoltaics • Concentrated Solar Power • SolarThermal • Building Integrated Photovoltaics

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solar energy

Advance Controller Monitoring How monitoring technology is shaping the solar thermal industry By Michael Humphreys

lthough there remains uncertainty about the state of the North American economy, those in the solar thermal industry are proud to see markets continue to grow and flourish. Residential solar thermal installations have been on the rise in the US, as they are more efficient and economical than other renewable energy technologies at converting the sun’s energy to heat. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s (SEIA) “US Solar Industry 2008 Year in Review,” an estimated 20,500 solar water heating systems were installed last year in the States. Funding from federal stimulus programs distributed to states and communities will be reaching the marketplace over the next several months, and the industry is more than ready to handle the increased visibility and demand. Now more than ever, solar thermal is prepared to stand up and be compared to other solar technologies, due in large part to the positive features that advanced controllers and

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system monitoring can provide for installations. The combined demand, first in Europe and now in North America, has pushed the solar thermal market to develop and deliver improved controllers with several new features including advanced monitoring capabilities. Controller and monitoring components are simple in theory for solar thermal systems. However, being able to determine how a system is performing is essential to having an efficient system. Display monitors can show exactly what is running and what the temperatures are at the sensors. Advanced controllers can also modulate the flow rate accordingly for more effective operation. Many controller systems include fault indicators if a component or a sensor is not reading accurately. Breakthroughs in digital technology have enabled improvement of these components and provided increased features and higher reliability for solar thermal technology. Advanced solar thermal controllers allow systems to offer various features that were considered impossible until now. First and foremost, combining the advanced controller with a complete pumping station allows contractors to complete a system installation more quickly and efficiently; thereby, reducing installation callbacks and the need for ongoing maintenance. Pumping stations and other system components now come pre-assembled with monitoring hookups, allowing thermal components to have ‘plug-and-play’ flexibility. Secondly, advanced controller systems offer less opportunity for user error. For example, the Watts Radiant Panel that Apricus Solar recently began installing in their systems offers users a secure digital (SD) card. With this feature, the system performance data will be accessible and downloadable by computer. The SD card will save up to a year of system data and can be reused over again in the advanced solar controller. Watts Radiant and other manufacturers can now offer customers optimized energy collection by reducing pump speed in low light level or, once a system is filled and pumping needs are reduced, a slower pump speed can improve system performance. Some controllers even feature a setting for a vacationing family to prevent excessive energy collection and storage when the home is unoccupied. By providing these features, users are less likely to tamper with the system or attempt to fix problems themselves, reducing the opportunity for user error and unnecessary maintenance. Thirdly, advanced controllers can monitor and prioritize multiple loads. With these controllers, users can customize their system performance depending on their needs. For example, a user may decide to first optimize their floor heating unit and then use the remaining energy for their hot water needs. The ability to customize the system by prioritizing loads is a huge step in providing solar thermal systems that truly fit customers’ needs. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, advanced controllers can be coupled to a flow meter and collect accurate system performance data by metering the energy delivered to the home. This data is needed for solar thermal to qualify for the various renewable energy incentives that are currently available in some states to comply with state renewable energy standards. System performance data is vital for solar thermal systems to qualify to receive renewable energy credits (RECs), which can be sold or traded for participation in state programs that include solar thermal systems as qualifying technology. As these features gain visibility, more programs will develop that include solar thermal systems for the benefits they provide, such as reduced combustion of natural gas that produces carbon dioxide. Moving forward, advanced controller monitoring will help shape the North American solar thermal market. The performance data captured and reported will help positively influence future legislation and the public’s view of the solar thermal industry. The data will also reveal how efficient and practical solar thermal systems are—something the industry has been trying to demonstrate for years will now have the platform to prove. As the advanced controller and monitoring technology becomes standard in residential installations, hopefully it becomes more common in the commercial solar thermal sector as well. The technological benefits of packaged components in pumping stations with integrated advanced controllers far outweigh the inconvenience of controller installation and management on a commercial installation. Advanced controller monitoring will be instrumental in driving this industry into the future. Michael Humphreys is the founder and CEO of Apricus Solar. Apricus Solar | www.apricus.com

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Heat pump water heaters The new concept Accelera 300 reduces hot water costs up to 80% and works like an air conditioner but, instead of dumping the heat outdoors, it puts it into the 80-gallon tank of water. The beauty of heat pump water heating technology is that the electrical energy needed to create hot water is greatly reduced compared to a conventional electric tank type water heater. The Accelera 300 can extract up to 80% of its energy requirements from the energy in the air around it. Accelera’s compressor and fan consume only 1kWh of electricity to generate the heat equivalent of 3 to 5kWh. It is also eligible for federal government Renewable Energy Certificates and state based rebates. There is an industry leading five-year warranty on all Stiebel Eltron Accelera 300 heat pump water heaters.

Eco-friendly solar energy solutions US Prefab offers a variety of solutions to make any building or structure with eco-friendly solar energy. By utilizing the latest solar panel technology, US Prefab can provide free energy for lighting, parking lots, video security, or simply provide a mounting location for any solar energy specifications. For example, the Phoenix-based, design-build national steel fabricator recently completed installation of its newly designed Solar Carport at Cox Communications in Phoenix, Arizona. The 150-kilowatt system will have the added benefit of providing a covered parking for its employees. Now is the time to join in the efforts in creating a more ecological-friendly environment for all by taking advantage of the tremendous tax credits and savings. By using renewable energy, the ultimate goal is monthly savings on energy bills while reducing the share of the world’s energy consumption.

Stiebel Eltron USA | www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com

Controllers Have you discovered them yet?

US Prefab Inc. | www.usprefab.com

Tile Mount Hardware meets IBC Code Quick Mount PV releases new mount utilizing proprietary technology to ensure secure waterproofing and structural attachment to the roof. The QMTMH Tile Mount Hardware meets and exceeds the IBC code requirements for securing anything through a curved or flat tile roof. The QMTMH Tile Mount Hardware incorporates a base layer waterproofed into the tar paper substrate ensuring waterproofing where it is needed, at the substrate. Another addition to the Quick Mount PV product line that does not void the roofs warranty is labor saving, quick and easy to install, it is also IBC code compliant. See the full Quick Mount product line at the company’s website.

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Quick Mount PV www.quickmountpv.com North American Clean Energy

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solar energy

Power Conversion

Film technology replacing electrolytic technology in solar applications By Gilles Terzulli

ince 1980, significant improvements have been made on DC filter capacitors using a combination of metallized plastic films and different segmentations of the metallization on those film dielectrics. Volume and weight have been reduced by a factor of three or four over the last few years. Film manufacturers have also developed thinner films and have improved segmentation techniques used on the metallization, which greatly improves the performance of such capacitors. Using non-gas impregnated designs, the voltage ranges between 600VDC and 1200 VDC, and can be more economically covered by film capacitors rather than electrolytic. Depending on the application, over 1200 VDC, vegetable oil-filled versions are recommended. Consequently, the trend of industrial and traction market for power conversion is to replace electrolytic capacitors with film technology. This trend is generated by many advantages that film technology offers.

Technique of metallization As the first step, polymer film (polypropylene) is treated (corona or other) so that molecular metal can be attached. Metallized layers are formed by metal evaporation under vacuum (1200°C for aluminum) that condenses on the treated surface of film (the film is cooled to a temperature of -25 *C to -35*C). This metallized film results in the principle of self-healing, which is the major reason for the increase in gradient of voltage. Even if polymer quality improves significantly, main developments are done on metallization. Today, with a total dry technology, gradient of voltage can reach more than 500V/μm for discharge application, and 250V/μm for DC filtering application. As these capacitors are designed to withstand CEI 1071 standard, they can withstand several voltage surges of up to twice-rated voltage without significantly decreasing lifetime. Therefore, the user only needs to take into account the nominal voltage that is required. Electrolytic capacitors technology

These include: • high rms, current capabilities up to 1ARMS per μF; • over-voltage, withstanding up to two times the rated voltage; • handle voltage reversal; • high peak current capabilities; • no acid inside; • longer lifetime; and • no storage problems. However, this replacement cannot be done “microfarad for microfarad,” but for the total function. Indeed, despite the large improvement of film technology, replacement solution won’t be possible for each application. Here are some concrete figures where film gives major benefits over electrolytic technology. Metallized technology

Principle Thin film technology is developed by coating a dielectric film with metallic layers that are thin enough to allow them to volatilize and, consequently, isolate the defect. This phenomenon is called self-healing.

Electrolytic capacitors use dielectric properties of aluminum corrosion, which is alumina. The dielectric constant of aluminum is between 8 and 8.5, and the working gradient of voltage is about 0.07V/Å. Consequently, for 900VDC aluminum thickness of 12000A or 1.2μm would be required; however, it is not possible to reach such thickness because to have a good specific energy, aluminum foil has to be pitted. And, clearly, there is a ratio between aluminum engraving and aluminum thickness. Thickness of aluminum reduce capacitance coefficient of aluminum engraving and, for example, for a 500V capacitance gain is divided by two compared to a low voltage capacitor. On the other hand, with high voltage (500V) electrolyte conductivity reach 5 kΩcm compared to 150 Ωcm for low voltage, which limits rms current value at about 20mA per μF. For these reasons, maximum nominal voltage for this technology is typically 500 to 600Volts. Therefore, the user must connect several capacitors in series for higher voltage applications. As the insulating resistance of these capacitors can vary from capacitor to capacitor, the user must connect a resistance to each one to balance the voltage. In addition, if a reverse voltage higher than 1.5 times the rated voltage is applied, a chemical reaction will occur. If this reversal of voltage lasts long enough, the capacitor will either explode or the electrolyte will leave by an eventual pressure release. To avoid this risk, a user has to connect a diode in parallel with each capacitor. The last point, which for certain applications is one of the most important factors, is the surge voltage withstanding capability. The maximum permissible surge voltage for electrolytics is 1.15 or 1.2 (for the better) VnDC. This obliges the user to take into account not the nominal voltage, but the surge voltage. Solar energy

Due to the depletion of fossil energy and increases in consumption of power, renewable energy is a viable and a necessary power solution for the future. Among these renewable energies, two are experiencing considerable growth. Wind energy is growing in the range of 25% per year, and solar energy is growing at an approximate rate of 30% per year. The wind power industry has already utilized power capacitors, such as AVX’s DC filter, which uses controlled self-healing metallized film technology to improve performance, reliability, operating lifetime, and rms current capabilities. Taking the wind industry’s acceptance of the technology into account, it is logical to implement the thin film technology in solar applications as well.

A solar panel catches solar rays and generates DC voltage. To optimize the power, 26

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there will be an optimum voltage and current as shown on the following graph:

The power inverter transfers the generated DC power to the AC power grid.

In this configuration, the solar panel delivers low DC voltage. A chopper is needed to increase the DC voltage level before transforming it into AC voltage. The schematic uses two DC filtering capacitors, the first being a 10-volt and the second being a 100-volt capacitor. The first capacitor is used to store energy (C x V2 / 2), which will be transferred into the inductance (LI2/2) by commuting the MOS FET transistor or IGBT, and then when the transistor opens, peak voltage will be generated (E = Ldi/dt) and will charge the second capacitor through the diode. Choice of capacitance value and inductance is a function of needed voltage at the input of DC/AC inverter. The capacitors will also have to handle high peak current level with high recurrence and reliability. Function of the configuration of solar panel, DC voltage can be higher and, in that case, only one DC filtering capacitor will be needed between solar panels and DC/AC inverter. Also, output can be 1 phase + neutral or 3 phases. Three phases inverter will be used for the highest output power level, generally over 50 to 100 KVA.

theoretical end-of-life because the capacitor can still be used beyond this point. If the application can allow a 5% capacitance decrease, lifetime will be widely increased. Hot spot temperature will be determined with the following expression:

On these curves, design is done for a lifetime of 100,000 hours under the rated voltage and 70°C hot spot. End-of-life criteria is a decrease of capacitance value of 2%. However, this is a

with θmax hot spot : the maximum hot spot temperature tgδ0: dielectric losses Rth: Thermal resistance Rs: Serial resistance • θhot spot will 85°C or 105°C function of the application and the technology

In recent years, great improvements have been made on DC filter capacitors using a combination of metallized plastic films and different segmentations of the metallization on those film dielectrics. Gilles Terzulli is the global marketing manager for Power Capacitors. Manufacturers such as AVX have expanded their product portfolio to include a wide range of sizes, capacitance values, voltages, peak current capabilities, etc. AVX Corporation | www.avx.com

Solar mounting systems

Whatever is the schematic, the common points of inverters for solar power is reliability and long lifetime expectancy. For professional applications, requested lifetime expectancy can go up to 30 years. The capacitors value range is a function of the circuit topology and will have a range from 1uF to 2 mF at a voltage range of 100Vdc to 1100vdc. Lifetime calculation

The film technology allows a long lifetime expectancy, depending on voltage load conditions (working voltage) and hot spot temperature. For DC filtering, lifetime meets the following curves: North American Clean Energy

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solar energy

Beaming Down Harnessing solar power from space By William Maness

olar power is one of the most ubiquitous and commonly understood forms of renewable energy generation. However, the limitations of this technology are obvious, and persistent solar power is unreliable as the sun does not shine at night. Our planet not only has this intractable habit of rotating and hiding the sun, but the atmosphere also screens out 30% to 60% of the energy provided from the sun. Few of the modern strides in solar power technology have addressed these fundamental weaknesses. Though back in 1968, someone had a rather revolutionary idea. Why not put the solar collectors where the sun shines, full power, 24/7? Why not put solar cells in high orbit?

An idea before its time

To understand just how revolutionary this idea was, think back to the way things were in 1968. Cell phones didn’t exist. Man had not yet landed on the moon, and science fiction writers thought computers needed to be as large as a room to do anything useful. The idea of transmitting solar power from space back to earth was simply revolutionary. Dr Peter Glaser invented the powersat in 1968. He envisioned a large solar power generating system in space that sent its electricity to earth via radio waves. Today, such transmission devices are commonplace—communication satellites, GPS units, and DirectTV. Unfortunately, Dr Glaser’s idea far exceeded the technology of the time. Launches cost billions of dollars, PV cells were large, heavy crystalline devices, and the idea of robotics doing useful work in space was even more science fiction than powersats themselves. The powersat concept was carefully evaluated, and its economics analyzed in the early 1970s by NASA and the Department of Energy. Technology at the time made the economics untenable in the extreme, resulting in the abandonment of the idea— except for a few ardent supporters. Changes in technology

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It goes without saying that much has changed since 1968. Most of us carry computers in our pockets that have more power than all the computers that put men on the moon combined. The concept of doing things wirelessly is second nature. So, the idea of powersat is much more realistic, both from a technological perspective and from a cultural perspective. One of the limiting factors in the economic viability of powersats is the price to launch a pound of material into orbit. One can attack this problem in two ways: make the powersat lighter, or make the price per pound lower; both of which have occurred. Thin film PVs, especially CIGS technology such as those manufactured by Skypoint Solar, deliver over 1,000 watts per kilogram. When powersats were initially evaluated, the specific power was closer to 50 watts per kilogram, which means modern technology permits a powersat that is 20 times lighter than what Dr Glaser had to work with. At the same time, private companies have stepped up, developing rockets and other launch technology that operate at a tiny fraction of the cost of the old Apollo program. The Saturn V delivered payloads to orbit at about $10,000 per pound. The current Space Shuttle is roughly the same cost. However, Russian Zenit launchers fly loads at $1,400 per pound. SpaceX Corporation is preparing their Falcon 9 rocket, which carries loads to orbit for $500 per pound. With the improvements in energy collection technology, and the reduction in the price of launches combined, powersats today are 400 times less expensive to build than when they were first conceived. NASA has played a major role in developing key technologies for powersats. Ultralight inflatable spacecraft were tested in 1996. Using the inflatable

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Thin ﬁlm PV modules

technology dramatically reduced the mass, making a powersat launch even more viable. When Dr Glaser invented powersats, spacecraft could not automatically dock with each other, requiring the addition of humans in space to build the powersat. This is a huge cost driver. In contrast, autonomously docking spacecraft regularly service the International Space Station these days and there is no need for astronauts turning wrenches in orbit, which again cuts the cost of the powersat. One of the last pieces of the powersat puzzle has been wireless power transmission. NASA performed a successful large-scale test in 1975, sending 30kW a distance of 1.6 kilometers with 84% efficiency. Technology has since gotten so small and efficient that desktop demonstrators are common. A large, utility level demonstration still remains to be accomplished, which is due to regulatory issues more than to technical ones. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the US has authority over all radio transmissions, and has yet to allocate frequencies for power beaming at any level. Internationally, the International Telegraph Union (ITU) has the same authority, and has had the same lack of progress. Current activity

With the change in administration, the government seems open to new ideas in energy generation. In fact, the ObamaBiden transition project specifically requested input on powersats. A position paper was prepared and published regarding the project (www.change.gov); however, the administration has yet to issue any definitive statement regarding powersats as a new energy source. The current focus on human activity as a driver of increased CO2 levels and their effect on global warming also provide impetus behind all sorts of carbon neutral generation, powersats included. Much of what we now take for granted began life as speculative science fiction ideas. Everyone who remembers the old Star Trek communicator can now look at their cell phone as a realization of a vision that was 20 years before its time. The convergence of technology and demand for energy, combined with the political will to get us off of fossil fuel, makes Dr Glaser’s prescient vision practical today. PowerSat Corporation www.powersat.com

Ascent Solar Technologies thin film photovoltaic modules are being used in the development of a hybrid unmanned aerial vehicle, named the Silent Sentinel, developed by Bye Aerospace Inc. The Silent Sentinel is intended to be used for military missions such as border patrol, search and rescue, visual and thermal reconnaissance, and forward air control. It also could be used for civilian purposes such as traffic control, pipeline and power line inspection, aerial law enforcement, forest fire detection, and aerial photography. Ascent’s PV modules and other technologies will help the Silent Sentinel operate quietly, with low emissions and enhanced endurance. A Williams International FJ33 turbofan will be used to provide primary propulsion. Ascent Solar Technologies | www.ascentsolar.com

Solar energy solutions Aluminum extrusion support structures, frames, and mounting components for the renewable energy sector Aluminum extrusions offer a high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent formability, good corrosion resistance, and design flexibility. And Hydro extrusions are made from our own primary-grade billet which contains more than 70% recycled content. Hydro is the leading supplier of extruded aluminum support structures for utility-scale CSP plants and manufactures a variety of components for PV mounting solutions. Because project success requires more than just high-quality components and a reliable supply, our dedicated solar unit can provide: • Technical, design, and concept prototyping support • Extrusion, fabrication, and finishing • Raw material management and component procurement • Warehousing, kitting, and JIT delivery • Assistance with on-site installation and on-going support Whether you need complex framing systems for utilityscale CSP plants or frames and mounting components for PV units, Hydro can deliver. Partner with Hydro, a global leader in renewable energy structural components, and take your next solar project to a new level. Hydro Solar Solutions 249 S. 51st. Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85043 Phone: (800) 459-3030 • Fax: (602) 269-0220 E-mail: solarsolutions@hydro.com www.hydro.com/northamerica/solar

Bottom photo courtesy of Envision Solar

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solar energy Dual spectral-band thermal imaging cameras LumaSense Technologies’ Mikron M7604 thermal imaging cameras are actually two cameras in one. In addition to low-temperature radiometric imaging in the 8- to 14-micron wavelength range, each camera has its own specialized bandpass filter that enables accurate imaging through flames or of glass surfaces. Both the M7604F (for throughflame imaging) and M7604G (for glass surface imaging) have this capability. The Mikron M7604 is also a versatile, fully radiometric camera with high-temperature functionality, making it the perfect tool for preventive maintenance inspections, radiometric inspections of internal furnaces and boilers (M7604F), or temperature measurements of glass surfaces (M7604G) for improving process control and product quality. LumaSense Technologies | www.lumasenseinc.com

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Solar mixing system Taco, Inc. has expanded its all-in-one XPump Block for solar thermal applications. The patent-pending Taco Solar X-Pump Block (SXPB) is a complete solar mixing system, combining a variable speed solar mixing control, heat source circulator, and heat exchanger into a single unit. Its stainless steel, brazed plate counterflow-style heat exchanger provides complete system isolation between the heat creation source side of the system (solar collector) and the heat sink side (storage tank). The versatile, bronze cased SXPB can be set up to maintain a set-point differential between the solar collector and a primary and optional auxiliary storage tank; it can support a booster pump as part of a drainback system and features an intelligent heat dump option and freeze protection for open systems. Its variable speed circulator control package controls the speed of the water flowing through one side of the heat exchanger to satisfy the heat transfer requirements between both sides of the heat exchanger, while maintaining proper delta T over an extended period of time. Taco, Inc. | www.taco-hvac.com

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The IBC SOLAR SolControl line can carry out a target/actual analysis of up-to-date weather data. Optionally, sensors can be attached to measure the current weather data and irradiation values. With this data, SolControl simulates how much electricity the system should theoretically produce and recognizes each variation in the actual system performance from the target value. If the output should lapse, the monitoring system sends a text message to trade partners, so they can automatically search for the error. With SolControl, maintenance teams worldwide can access the system data from anywhere over any standard web browser, and can then identify possible sources of error such as a cable failure, dirty module, etc. Downtime is minimized and constant highyield from the system can be guaranteed. SolControl is compatible with all current inverters and has a variety of implementation options. The SolControl product line offers three designs for different system sizes. IBC SOLAR | www.ibc-solar.com

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All-thermoplastic heat exchangers Asahi/America has expanded their line of engineered high-purity and industrial fluid flow products to include Polytetra Series shell and tube heat exchangers. Polytetra Series are all-thermoplastic, corrosion-resistant heat exchangers that are designed and built per customer specification, and are fully customizable. Polytetra Series heat exchangers feature a design that diverts flow to the side of the shell, avoiding high-fluid flow forces that may damage the thin wall internal tubes of the shell and tube-style heat exchanger. This design provides longer life and more even heat transfer by spreading the temperature control media beyond the point of its initial concentrated contact area. Available in PFA, E-CTFE, PVDF and PP, the all-thermoplastic Polytetra tube and shell heat exchanger is ideal for clean chemistry applications such as PV and semiconductor processes.

Large-scale dual axis tracker OPEL International Inc.’s new TF-500 solar tracker is the largest dual axis tracker system in the OPEL product line. Along with the company’s full solar tracking product line, TF-500 offers significant advantages in efficiency and production. By using tracking systems, solar panels can generate up to 40% more electricity in the same location because the tracker allows the solar panel to follow the sun across the sky, maintaining the ideal 90-degree angle between the sun’s rays and the panel’s face. OPEL’s TF-500 is designed for large-scale applications such as utility grade solar farm installations. OPEL International Inc. | www.opelinc.com

Asahi/America, Inc. | www.asahi-america.com

Optical-sensing systems and components Ocean Optics offers a complete line of optical-sensing systems and components that address the needs of the growing market for PV solar cells—from characterization of the thin films comprising such cells to measurement of the spectral output of solar simulators. Ocean Optics is the creator of the world’s first miniature fiber optic spectrometer. Its extensive line of low-cost, small-footprint modular spectrometers and accessories can be configured for millions of different UV-Vis-NIR applications. In particular, users can mix and match spectrometers and accessories to monitor PV thin films used in the manufacturing and assembly of solar panels, and in measuring the spectral output of both sun and radiant sources such as solar simulators. For solar cell production, Ocean Optics spectrometers can be configured for thin film thickness measurement and endpoint detection; important quality control parameters that, if managed well, can help manufacturers reduce waste, eliminate off-specification product, and increase yield. Ocean Optics | www.oceanoptics.com

Solar boxes for module manufacturers HUBER+SUHNER offers a wide range of tailor-made connectivity systems for solar module manufacturers. These consist of pre-fabricated junction boxes with cables and connectors, which are fixed to the rear side of the modules and connect them to the inverter. Solar boxes HA3 and RH3 have been developed especially for highperformance modules. Thanks to thermal insulation between the junction boxes and the modules, constant high power is guaranteed. The junction boxes are characterized by a high degree of functional safety over their entire lifetime, as well as by extremely low power dissipation. They are designed for both manual and automated production and optimized in accordance with customers’ requirements. The RH3 box is designed in a space-saving way; the contacts can be soldered or welded, guaranteeing high connectivity quality. In addition, the HA3 box is equipped with brackets to accommodate the connectors. This simplifies transportation and logistics considerably. The HA3 connection system has already been certified by CSA and TüV, and the RH3 box is now certified in accordance to UL 1703 as well. HUBER+SUHNER | www.hubersuhner.com

Elevated ground mounted solar arrays A new renewable energy company, with headquarters in Enterprise and manufacturing facilities in La Grande, is manufacturing solar arrays designed so the arrays are elevated off the ground for better solar access and so that the ground space below can still be utilized. Sun Storage sells the pre-engineered structures in complete, easy-to-assemble kits. The structures feature an architecturally appealing design with finished aluminum posts that are powder coated for a sleek, modern look. The units are sized to serve a secondary purpose, in addition to providing solar power, and can be used as carports to provide backyard shade, store lawn and garden equipment, bikes, or other sporting gear. Large commercial structures can be custom designed for parking covers and agricultural or industrial uses. The units are ready to plug into an existing power grid. Sun Storage | www.sunstorage.org North American Clean Energy

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solar energy BIPV rooﬁng solution The Eagle Solar Roof with SolarBlend from Suntech is an innovative building integrated PV (BIPV) roofing solution. SolarBlend solar roofing tiles are available in three colors (gray, brown, and terracotta), and install along with Eagle’s concrete roof tile to create a roof that protects while creating energy for a home. With a 25-year power output warranty, Class A fire-rated installation, up to 125 mph wind rating (with wind clip), 200 pounds per square foot snow load, and resistance to one-inch hail stones, these solar roofing tiles are durable as well as functional.

Solar trackers for medium-sized systems

Eagle Rooﬁng Products | www.eagleroofing.com

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SunArx Trackers, a division of Colorado Solar Inc., recently announced the T-21 single axis tracking mount and the C-6 control board. The T-21 is available in one standard configuration, eliminating custom fabrication and long lead times, yet working with any conventionally framed PV modules. Optimum configurations are possible with most large modules on the market. The T-21 fits on a standard 6" pipe base and holds 1600 to 2200 Watts, depending on module. Seasonal adjustment can be made without wrenches. The C-6 is a digital timer-based control board, which can control up to six T-21 mounts, minimizing cost and installation time. No sensors are required and set up consists of simply setting the time. The C-6 is provided with weatherproof enclosure and power supply. Many C-6s can be used in one installation, so there is no limit to the size of project that can be accomplished. SunArx Trackers | www.sunarx.com

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Greener solar energy BioSolar developed a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources reducing the cost of PV solar cells. The line of proprietary BioBacksheet protective coverings are designed to replace expensive and hazardous petroleum-based film with a bio-based one derived from cotton and castor beans, creating a more environmentally friendly and cost-effective solar panel component. BioSolar is the first company to introduce this new dimension of cost reduction in solar cell components, and the BioBacksheet-C will be BioSolar’s first product commercially available during the third quarter of 2009. BioBacksheet-C is a two-component system. The substrate is a cellulosic material coated with a propriety material to reduce the water vapor transmission rate and to increase abrasion resistance. Undergoing rigorous testing and adjustments over the past months to ensure its functional durability and cosmetic consistency, BioBioBacksheet-C will go through one additional full cycle of vigorous tests before commercial production begins. BioSolar | www.biosolar.com

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Intersolar North America July 14th to 16th, 2009 Moscone Center—San Francisco, California

www.intersolar.us As the only solar exhibition in North America dedicated to recruiting companies across the solar supply chain from around the world, Intersolar North America helps the industry improve global supply, distribution, training, regulation, and business issues to accelerate market transformation and advance solar as a significant part of the global energy supply. Intersolar North America 2009 has tripled its floor space and features an expected 500 exhibitors and 15,000 trade visitors in San Francisco’s Moscone Center West. The conference, held at the InterContinental Hotel next door, also increases its size and program to over 25 tracks, circa 150 speakers, and 1,600 expected attendees.

Efﬁcient PV modules Trina Solar Ltd.’s in-house production of crystalline ingots, wafers, cells, and modules ensures customers are getting reliable and quality products. Trina Solar PV modules, with power output up to 240Wp, provide a highly efficient and environmental friendly electric power for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility scale applications. Founded in 1997, Trina Solar is a PV company based in China. Fully vertically integrated, from ingots to modules in both mono and multicrystalline technologies, the company produced more than 200 MW of modules in 2008. Listed on the NYSE, the company operates worldwide to deliver the best value to its customers.

Show in Print Features just some of the companies and technologies attendees will see at this year’s show.

NEED TRAINING?

Trina Solar Ltd. | www.trinasolar.com Booth 8523

VISIT US AT INTERSOLAR: BOOTH 9111

DC Power Systems trains more installers than any other solar distributor nationwide. Complete line of vacuum valves VAT’s new catalog “Vacuum Valves 2012” is a full color, hardbound book that details a complete line of vacuum valves, pressure control systems, and accessories for applications ranging from rough vacuum to extreme UHV. VAT’s “Vacuum Valves 2012” catalog is conveniently organized by valve type and provides customers with an excellent reference source for technical information and drawings for 1,000-plus standard valves. The catalog is complemented by the company’s website, where up-todate information about VAT and VAT products can be found, in addition to placing orders and downloading drawings and operating manuals.

DC Power Systems is a full service distributor of renewable energy solutions. Working with our national network of qualified dealers and installers, we design and supply solar electric systems for business, residential and government applications. We offer training programs for renewable energy dealers and contractors with support from our manufacturing partners. The training sessions include seminars at supplier facilities, at our headquarters in Northern California, and at various locations across the country.

WWW.DCPOWER-SYSTEMS.COM/TRAINING I 800-967-6917

VAT | www.vatvalve.com | Booth 8233

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show in print Solar tray collector

In-line Diffusion System

KIOTO Clear Energy’s AI tray collector FP 7.25.0 is both silicone-free and dry-sealed. The positive-fit compression bond of the glass cover strips with the trough, and the circumferential EPDM rubber element guarantees 100% tightness and a long service life. Product benefits include: a compact, intelligent product design with deep-drawn, aluminum tray, combined with a sealing free of silicone; maximum heat transfer between the full-surface absorber sheet and the copper grid, as a result of optimized ultrasonic welding technology; tempered, low-iron solar glass; and, no heat loss due to 50mm back and additional 15mm side insulation. The AI tray collector is suitable for in-roof and on-roof installation and has an installation-friendly mounting system with roof brackets or bench screws for all standard roof types.

BTU International’s MERIDIAN In-line Diffusion System features the MERIDIAN phosphorus coater, which includes key advances such as backside and topside coating and integrated wafer drying. The system can be configured to achieve up to 1500, 156mm wafers per hour. The in-line process offers reduced wafer handling and greater throughput than traditional batch processing. Reduced handling translates into lower breakage rates, improved yield, and lower cost of ownership. BTU offers solar processing equipment for silicon and thin film photovoltaics. In thin film PVs, BTU’s equipment is used for both the CIGS and the CdTe processes. Silicon PV applications are served by BTU’s metallization furnaces and in-line diffusion systems. BTU International was recently awarded the ‘Industry Choice’ International Solar Technology Award.

KIOTO Clear Energy SA de CV | www.kioto.com | Booth 9916

BTU International | www.btu.com | Booth 8157

Micro-abrasive blasting applications

Solar water heaters

Comco specializes in micro-abrasive blasting technology and is the creator of the award-winning MicroBlaster. Micro-abrasive blasting is a technology that uses micro-sized particles of high-grade abrasives propelled out of a small nozzle tip at high velocity to clean, cut, deburr, and texture a variety of surfaces. This technology offers the accuracy and control needed to effectively process small parts, providing solutions for the semiconductor and solar industries. Fast and consistent results can be obtained with manual or semi-automated micro-abrasive blasting solutions. Comco’s Applications Lab welcomes sample parts for testing to determine the most efficient method. All Comco micro-abrasive blasters are equipped with their patented modulator system that delivers a steadier, more consistent powder flow than any other blaster. The regulated blast ensures exacting results and unequalled precision.

Premium Solar LLC has signed a long-term agreement with Ezinc for the distribution of Ezinc Solar Water Heating equipment and solutions, mostly in the southern states of the US. Ezinc has been working for more than 25 years to offer the Thermosipohon systems, used in 58 countries and now in the US. The system is FSEC and SRCC certified. Premium Solar import the Thermosiphon Closed-loop Systems, which prevents freezing and scale built-up. A heated anti-freeze solution from the collector flows into the tank’s heat exchanger, and then returns to the collector. Ezinc systems do not require an external expansion tank. An optional electrical back-up supplies energy continuity even during periods of cloudy weather. Systems are 46 gallons and 80 gallons. Premium Solar is actively seeking for territorial distributors in the US, Aruba, the Caribbean, Granada, Puerto Pico, and Hawaii.

Comco Inc. | www.comcoinc.com | Booth 8463

Premium Solar LLC | www.presolarnet.com | Booth 9722 (with Ezinc)

High reﬂectance mirror ﬁlm

High-performance renewable energy technologies

ReflecTech, Inc. makes the only high reflectance (94%) mirror film proven for outdoor use in solar concentrators. Commercially proven, lightweight, and UV resistant, the unbreakable ReflecTech Mirror Film makes fragile glass mirrors obsolete. ReflecTech Mirror Film comes with a peeloff liner to protect the mirror surface during processing, handling, transportation, and installation. The film is self-adhesive for easy application to many substrates and is available in three widths: 48", 59", and 60". ReflecTech Mirror Film was developed through cooperative research with the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Samlex Solar, a division of Samlex America Inc., is a diversified high-technology company manufacturing and distributing renewable energy products including inverters, battery chargers, charge controllers, dc-dc converters, and solar panels. Known for having a significant and in-depth line of high-performance technologies, Samlex is one of North America’s fastest growing suppliers of alternative energy products. With locations in Canada, the US, and Europe, Samlex Solar is able to reduce lead times and provide better shipping options to domestic and global clients.

ReﬂecTech, Inc. | www.reflectechsolar.com | Booth 9812

Samlex Solar, a division of Samlex America Inc. | www.samlexsolar.com | Booth 9214

S17

Intersolar San Francisco (USA) 14. - 16. July 2009 Visit us at booth 9459

BETAflam® Solar Clean cables for clean energy

BETAflam® 125 Solar is a label of our Wind & Solar Power Business Unit. These cables are halogen free, flame retardant and electron-beam cross-linked. With TÜV PFG 1169/08.2007 approval and UL listed as PV wire and USE-2, the wires are suitable for worldwide applications.

The Quality Connection LEONI Studer AG · Herrenmattstrasse 20 · CH - 4658 Däniken, Switzerland · Phone +41 (0)62 288 82 82 · Fax +41 (0)62 288 83 83 · www.leoni-wind-solar-power.com

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Printer for selective emitter, MWT, and ribbon material ASYS’s new XSR1 Solar Printer is a rotary table printer that has specifically been developed for demanding applications in the solar industry. Typical applications are selective emitter, metal wrap through technology, ribbon material and ultra-thin wafers, as well as the whole range of standard metallization applications. The XSR1 also features a paper interleaf between the print nest and the substrate, which makes cleaning easy and avoids any print nest contamination. Throughput is currently rated at 1,600 cells per hour with a repeatability of +/- 10 micron. ASYS Group | www.asys-group.com Booth 8333

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Flexible PV cables for harsh environments

Face-fastened metal roof mounting brackets VersaBracket-47 by S-5! is a stronger, more versatile, and lower-cost bracket option that allows for easy application to a face-fastened metal roof profile. The patent-protected, encapsulated butyl sealant design virtually eliminates the possibility of leaks and corrosion. Extensive load testing research during development and testing confirmed VersaBracket-47 load strength to 1283 pounds ultimate—an increase of 863 pounds over previous solutions when tested on standard 16 gauge purlins. The impressive holding strength makes it a much more cost-effective solution because users do not need to install as many to withstand design loads. The VersaBracket-47 can also be ordered with custom attachment holes for specific applications. It easily supports heavy duty applications like snow retention and solar panel installations.

AmerCable is a North American manufacturer of flexible photovoltaic cables for use in harsh, isolated operating environments frequently associated with solar installations. AmerCable’s Type USE-2 (UL Approved / TUV Pending) single conductor cable is designed to meet the evolving needs of the solar industry. Applications include “pigtail” connections on the backside of PV panels; “homerun” connections between PV panels, collector boxes, and inverters; as well as where allowed by the NEC. The company’s Type PV UL4703 single conductor cable meets the newest National Electrical Code (NEC) Article 690 standards. AmerCable offers excellent customer service, short lead times, and on-time delivery. AmerCable | www.amercable.com | Booth 9463

S-5! | www.S-5.com | Booth 9655

Silicon thin ﬁlm PV modules ENN Solar Energy has announced the launch of silicon thin film photovoltaic modules with tandem junction technology. With 8% stabilized conversion efficiency, the modules are ideal for utility scale ground mounted solar parks, integrated roof or façade solutions, and large rooftop installations. The modules have received IEC and TÜV certification. A subsidiary of ENN Group, China’s largest private clean energy provider, ENN Solar produces its PV modules with sizes up to 5.7m2 and 460 Watt power output, providing significant cost benefits. Two layers of amorphous and microcrystalline silicon are applied to the glass substrate. One layer absorbs visible light, the other layer absorbs IR light. The PV cells are able to efficiently convert solar energy into electricity even in less-than-perfect weather conditions, such as low or diffused light and hot climates. The energy payback time of the new modules is one year—significantly lower than that of crystalline silicon modules. ENN is producing the modules on the SunFab production line supplied by Applied Materials to reach 60 MW capacity by the end of the year. ENN Solar Energy | www.ennsolar.com Booth 8745

Reliable solar hot water performance, sunup to sundown. Day-in & day-out dependability — Heliodyne systems installed in the late 1970's are still running smoothly, providing greater energy output (dollar for dollar) than any other renewable energy form. Our featured GOBI® solar collectors are made in the USA, and come factory-tested to 300 psi, with standard American fittings for hassle-free job-site installation. And with our proven designs and dedicated service & support, we’re a dependable leader you can trust. Learn much more about our innovative “plug & play” systems by calling today. We’re the smart design choice for a green future.

Visit us at www.heliodyne.com, or call 1.888.878.8750 for information about us, and our products.

Heliodyne, Inc. • 4910 Seaport Avenue • Richmond, CA 94804 T: 510.237.9614 • T: 1.888.878.8750 • F: 510.237.7018 Information & Support: info@heliodyne.com Sales Inquiries: sales@heliodyne.com www.heliodyne.com

EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN

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show in print PV panels and packaged PV systems CENTROSOLAR D-Series and E-Series PV panels, available in North America as of July 2009, will span a wide range of performance, ranging from 165 Wp to 280 Wp. CENTROSOLAR C-Series panels, which are made in Germany, will also be available in late 2009, equipped with patented nanocoated glass for higher efficiency. The company further offers packaged PV systems including panels, inverters, and racking, engineered and ready for shipment to residential installers and commercial integrators. CENTROSOLAR America has expanded its sales and distribution operation with a full-scale warehouse and engineering center in Scottsdale, Arizona. CENTROSOLAR is a publicly traded solar company in Europe with over 800 employees. Their product range includes PV modules, as well as components like solar glass, mounting systems, and solar cells. CENTROSOLAR | www.centrosolaramerica.com | Booth 9211

Poly-crystalline solar module Cuantum Solar has announced the state of Florida as the nest of their next photovoltaic manufacturing plant. Cuantum Solar, manufacturers of PV panels with ample experience to provide customers with top-quality, high-efficiency solar products, from solar modules to trackers. They have successfully combined science, research, technology, and design for the elaboration of their final product. Cuantum Solar, operating in Spain since 2005, has achieved a recognized position in the PV industry, well-known for its high efficiency and sturdy 275 W modules. Their Sunport 275 P, polycrystalline solar module is currently going through the process of UL 1703 certification and is expected to be launched on October 2009 for the US market. The Sunport 275 P is a multi-use module designed with rugged construction to withstand high wind forces typical of the southeastern states. Cuantum Solar | www.cuantumsolar.com | Booth 8729

Spectral reﬂectometer for thin ﬁlm solar PV metrology Spectral reflectometer MProbe system, introduced by Semiconsoft, Inc., offers quick, non-destructive measurement of the thicknesses and compositions/optical properties of thin film PV stacks. Measurements can be done in-line or in R&D. Typical materials include: CIGS, CdS, TCO (ZAO, ITO), aSi. System software includes an extensive materials library (500+ materials), supports creation of parameterized materials, and can be used in desktop or server mode. MProbe system features a broad spectral range: 200 to 2300 nm, high precision, and affordable pricing. Semiconsoft, Inc. provides custom system configuration and integration with other metrology or production systems. Semiconsoft, Inc. | www.semiconsoft.com | Booth 8460

Fully integrated solar carport iParkSolar, Inc. in conjunction with Baja Construction, introduces the iParkSystem—a new concept in PV systems for the commercial market. The iParkSystem is a fully integrated solar carport that untaps the power of a company’s parking lot to produce clean energy to power America’s businesses and the emerging electric vehicle market. iParkSolar recently introduced the iParkSystem to the commercial marketplace. It utilizes Baja’s Solar Support System to carry PV modules, which enable the conversion of the sun’s power to clean energy that can be used to power the host’s business while providing the necessary infrastructure to power the emerging electric vehicle (EV) and plug-in hybrid/electric vehicle (PHEV) market segment. The iParkSystem differentiates itself from rooftop solar installations in that it has the secondary benefit of providing shaded parking, which may be a recognizable revenue source. It also showcases a company’s solar initiative with a true “first to market” advantage of participating in an infrastructure to support fossil-free fuel for the emerging EV and PHEV market. iParkSolar | Baja Construction www.iparksolar.com | www.bajacarports.com Booth 9750

Commercial inverter PV Powered continues its reputation for reliability with the new 260kW commercial inverter. With industry best up-time, ease of installation, and lifetime maintainability, the 260kW features busbar power connections, redundant cooling system, card cage circuit board design, and the widest temperature rating of any inverter in its class. This highly integrated system saves installers time and money by including load-rated AC and DC service disconnects, neutral-free installation, oversized busbar landings, and generous cable bending area for top, bottom, and side cable entry options. The PVP260kW has a standard 295VDC minimum MPPT and an optional full-power 265VDC minimum MPPT—the lowest MPPT voltage of any commercial inverter in the industry, which enables exceptional stringing capability with all PV module technologies including new thin film modules. PV Powered backs all its commercial inverters with a 10-year warranty and an unprecedented optional 20-year warranty. PV Powered | www.pvpowered.com Booth 9047 36

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Going solar Thousands of homes and businesses are Going Solar with cash incentives from the California Solar Initiative, and today California boasts over 500 MW of distributed solar generation—and growing! Thanks to clean energy from the sun, California is creating power, skilled jobs, and a legacy of sustainable infrastructure. Cash incentives can offset up to 20% of the cost of an eligible solar system. Visit Go Solar, California! where experts are on hand to demonstrate how to make solar a smart, affordable choice for lowering utility bills and providing clean renewable energy. Go Solar, California! | www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov | Booth 3280

Silicon carbide coating facility Carbone of America - Ultra Carbon Division (“UCD”) has announced the commissioning of its state-of-the art facility for advanced silicon carbide and pyrolytic carbon coatings. This new facility covers over 35,000 square feet of manufacturing space and combines precision-controlled coating equipment to produce proprietary silicon carbide “SiC” coatings. “SolarMaxx 7000” is one of the company’s newest grades of SiC coatings for photovoltaic wafer processing. This coating is specially engineered for plasma enhanced/assisted chemical vapor depositions or “PECVD/PACVD” type reactions. UCD is capable of providing these types of coatings with controlled deposition uniformity on complex shapes with micron layer precision. These innovations have given UCD the competitive advantage to compete in the global arena of semiconductor and photovoltaic wafer manufacturing.

Europe‘s PV Choice... Now on America‘s roof tops

Carbone of America-Ultra Carbon Division www.carbone-ht.com | Booth 7417

CENTROSOLAR is one of the leading publicly-traded solar companies in Europe. CENTROSOLAR has production facilities in Germany and Netherlands for its PV modules and components like solar glass and mounting systems. With over 60% of sales revenues from outside Germany, CENTROSOLAR is continuously globalizing its business with presence in 11 countries already.

Cable sets and junction boxes Lumberg Connect announces the UL approval of the company’s LC3 over molded Cable Sets and Junction Boxes. The LC3 cable harnesses have already been proven in multiple installations in Europe, including a 40 MW installation in Germany, which was completed in late 2008. The UL recognition together with TÜV recognition will now allow the integration of these products in solar panels for installations throughout the world. Lumberg Connect GmbH, headquartered in Schalksmuehle, Germany, has been supplying quality products since 1933 and has operations in multiple international locations. They have supplied products to the Solar Market since 2007. Lumberg | www.lumberg.com Booth 9558

CENTROSOLAR America Inc. Inc now has a strong offer in the US market: P

CENTROSOLAR brand for PV modules and other module brands

balance-of-system components like brackets and inverters

full-scale distribution facility in Phoenix, Arizona

access to a robust dealer network for the residential channel

support pp for commercial projects p j through g partnerships p p with integrators g and financial providers

Meet us at Intersolar North America, July 14 -16, 2009

CENTROSOLAR America Ame Inc. Inc 8350 E. Evans Road, Suite E-1 E Scottsdale, AZ 85260 0 info@centrosolaramerica.com info@centrosolaram erica.co 877-348-2555

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show in print Spectrometer system The tec5 MultiSpec is a versatile UV-VIS-NIR spectrometer system with high reproducibility and fast data acquisition. Up to 32 channels are supported. All kinds of fiber-optic accessories, such as immersion probes, can easily be attached. Software tools from development kits to complete laboratory applications are available. Various applications can be covered by the tec5 MultiSpec systems: wet chemical analysis, detection of solar irradiance and flash simulators, diffuse and direct reflection of panes including color analysis, thickness of thin layers and coatings, and transmission. tec5USA, Inc. | www.tec5usa.com | Booth 8144

Powered by the Sun. Supported by RFC. • Custom roll formed and welded shapes • Galvanized, pre-painted & powder coated steel • Simple to complex shapes to fit your exact specifications • Design consultation to develop new solutions or improve existing ones

Rollforming technology Rollforming is a continuous bending operation in which flat-rolled steel or aluminum is passed through a series of power-driven rollers each performing only an incremental portion of the bending until the desired cross-sectional profile is obtained. Because rollforming utilizes coiled metal, it can be accomplished at high speeds with virtually unlimited product lengths. This cold-forming process produces stronger more structurally rigid products than extrusions of similar profiles. Advancements in technology have allowed rollforming to evolve to a new level of efficiency. Servo-operated equipment and computer controls allow Custom Rollforming Corp. to accurately punch holes and slots in-line during the forming process, and cut-to-length “on the fly,” eliminating laborious secondary operations saving time and money. By its nature, the rollforming process produces a high-quality, uniform, and consistent product with close tolerances and a superior surface finish. Custom Rollforming Corp. www.customrollformingcorp.com Booth 9663

Solar energy partner

Strong. Durable. Cost-effective. These are the characteristics you need in solar panel mounting systems — and RFC can deliver like no one else in the industry. As part of the world’s largest custom roll forming group, with 11 affiliate companies in 10 countries, we leverage the very latest technologies and innovations from around the world to transform your unique vision into reality. RFC has all the capabilities to deliver above and beyond your expectations. tel: 502-633-4435 fax: 502-633-5824 email: Sales@rfcorp.com

Roll Forming Corporation www.voestalpine.com/rfc

Unistrut Energy Solutions is poised to become an essential partner to solar integrators, solar panel manufacturers, and mounting systems providers. The brand is part of the Tyco International family, blending best-in-class galvanized steel products from Allied Tube & Conduit and Unistrut. In addition to metal products, the aggregate capabilities include a full range fabrication facility, a technical services group capable of delivering engineering expertise and conceptual design, along with an installation services division with over 60 years experience. The brand has three primary goals: achieve the lowest costper-watt installed solution, simplify installation to reduce labor costs, and provide highest quality components fit for the project. Unistrut Energy Solutions www.unistrutenergy.com Booth 9758

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PV system monitoring SolarBOS is pleased to announce its PV System Monitoring solution for commercial and residential solar installations. SolarBOS provides both the hardware and software, as well as data management. Users can track systems performance, using web and kiosk views, and be alerted to potential system problems and outages. The developer can benchmark the performance of their systems, and compare the output of systems. SolarBOS’ graphing center allows customizable visualization of any data points captured on site.

Rooftop PV systems

SolarBOS | www.solarbos.com | Booth 9450

Carlisle Energy Services, a new division of Carlisle Construction Materials, provides rooftop photovoltaic systems for the commercial roofing market. Carlisle Energy Services recently introduced two solar PV systems to the commercial roofing industry: Spectro360 and SpectroFlex. Consisting of cylindrical solar tubes and Carlisle’s ENERGY STARqualified roofing membranes, the Spectro360 PV system brings a third dimension to the rooftop PV world where up to 20% of the energy production is attributed to light that is reflected off the roofing membrane onto the underside of the cylindrical tubes. SpectroFlex is a unique PV system that combines amorphous silicon, thin film PV laminates with time-tested single-ply roofing membranes. Featuring an extremely low profile that provides superior wind resistance and durability, these lightweight and flexible PV laminates are ideal for use in high-wind and hail zones. SpectroFlex PV laminates can be used on flat, steep, or curved roof surfaces, as well as other unique applications where traditional rooftop PV systems are not suitable. Carlisle Energy Services offers a variety of comprehensive systems for superior rooftop energy production. Carlisle Energy Services www.carlisleenergy.com Booth 9323

Radiant heaters for large PV cells Tyco Thermal Controls presents the Isopad Radiant Heater for large PV cells. With a recent factory expansion, Isopad (a specialist provider of customized heating solutions) and Tyco Thermal Controls brand, now have the capacity to produce the largest heating platens for PV cells. This enables manufacturers to lower the cost per watt of energy generated. This innovative solution is achieved by embedding mineral insulated heating cable into panels onto which the substrate is positioned. The cable delivers reliable and uniform heat under vacuum for deposition and lamination processes. Isopad’s heating solution has been widely welcomed, and 43 ft2 (4 m2) platens have already entered service with major manufacturers of PECVD and lamination equipment. Tyco Thermal Controls www.tycothermal.com Booth 8251 North American Clean Energy

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show in print Single-axis solar module The DEGER TOPtraker 40NT is a single-axis, low-cost model developed for the US market. The system is designed for a module area up to 40 square meters and generates 4,000 to 6,400 Wp. It has improved engineering, markedly larger dimensions, and better efficiency than the previous models from DEGERenergie in the low-cost segment. The system achieves an energy yield that is up to 30% greater than static installations of solar modules. It is designed for mounting in open spaces in medium to large solar parks, and is suitable as a support and tracking system for all standard photovoltaic modules. Different versions are available that can be used from the equator to the 60th parallel—most regions of the earth are covered. The DEGER TOPtraker 40NT was certified in March 2009 according to the CANADA Standard CSA 22.2 No. 61010-1 and the USA Standard UL 61010-1 and is, therefore, authorized for the US market. DEGERenergie has also applied for a patent for a new development—an alignment tool that allows the fine adjustment of the DEGERconecter control module after installing solar modules with DEGER tracking systems.

Closed-loop heat transfer solar appliance The Heliodyne Commercial Station (HCOM) is a packaged closed-loop heat transfer appliance for accommodating large solar hot water projects of up to 100 flat plate collectors with a single module, while still larger projects can combine modules in parallel for limitless sizing potential. The HCOM was engineered by Heliodyne to offer installers a factory assembled, plug-and-play appliance that can work universally with any commercial project, reducing all the design complications associated with larger installations. The HCOM operates on the same principles as Heliodyne’s line of Residential closed-loop heat transfer appliances, the Helio-Pak. Some notable features of the HCOM include easy “out of the box” installation, touch screen interface, advanced controller for remote wi-fi based monitoring/data storage, and integrated variable speed pumps for system energy optimization. The Commercial Station will be available from Heliodyne late July 2009. Heliodyne | www.heliodyne.com | Booth 9529

DEGERenergie GmbH | www.degerenergie.de | Booth 9759

www.ReflecTechSolar.com Visit us at Intersolar NA July 14-16, 2009 Booth # 9758 Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA

A N E S S E N T I A L PA R T N E R Unistrut® Energy Solutions, focuses on the balance of the system; we treat the mounting structure as one of the key components of a solar installation. Our full-range of capabilities includes: • Strong product portfolio • Experienced engineering resource • Proven project management and installation • In-house parts fabrication Visit us at Intersolar NA booth # 9758 to find out how we can optimize your design and create a durable structure that reduces material and labor costs.

The Only High Reflectance Mirror Film Proven for Use in Solar Concentrators

Developed in Partnership with the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory 16100 S. Lathrop Ave. | Harvey, IL 60426 | 800-882-5543 info@unistrutenergy.com | www.unistrutenergy.com

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Mounting system for pitched roofs

Grounding solutions A new grounding connector from Tyco Electronics shortens the installation time of a ground wire to a solar panel frame. The connector handles 6 and 8 AWG (13.3 and 8.4 mm2) solid, uninsulated copper wire. In connecting to the frame, the connector body and the one-piece lock washer nut penetrates the surface of the aluminum frame to help create a reliable ground path. The connectors meet the requirements of UL 1703 for safety in flat-plate photovoltaic modules and panels, UL 467 for grounding and bonding equipment, and UL 486A/B for wire connectors. In the six-second short-term current test, the connector handles 1530 amps with 6 AWG ground wire. In the foursecond short-term current test, the connector handles 1180 amps with 8 AWG ground wire. The connection is mechanically robust. In UL 486A/B pullout testing, the connector provides 100 pounds (45.3 kg) with 6 AWG wire, and 90 pounds (40.8 kg) with 8 AWG wire.

Schletter, Inc. has developed an uncomplicated, easily installed mounting system for pitched roofs that reduces mounting times by as much as 70%—the Rapid2+. The system’s attachment to the roof is height adjustable and requires only one tool for the complete installation. The Rapid2+ pre-assembled clamp clicks into the mounting rail without installing the traditional nut to secure the clamp to the rails. The Rapid2+ clamp may be used for all thicknesses of framed modules and can be combined with all of Schletter’s standard mounting rail profiles for use in any mounting solution. With industry leading design innovations and standard preassembly of mounting system components, Schletter’s commitment and primary focus is to reduce installation costs. Schletter, Inc. | www.schletter-inc.us | Booth 9747

Tyco Electronics www.tycoelectronics.com Booth 9551

Cross-linked solar cables LEONI Studer AG is part of the LEONI Group, which operates globally. At the company’s Swiss facility, they are using highly specialized compounds developed and manufactured on site. The radiation processing utilizes probably the most progressive cross-linking technology for plastic insulation. Their double insulated, electron-beam cross-linked solar cables are meeting the highest requirements for solar products in the most important photovoltaic markets of Europe and the USA, and can be used unrestrictedly as a module or installation cable. LEONI’s products have both TÜV (2Pfg1169 08/2007) approval for the European market and the UL listings (PV WIRE and USE2) according to the latest NEC specifications (National Electric Code 2008 / UL Outline 4703). LEONI Studer AG www.leoni-wind-solar-power.com Booth 9459

Bright Thinking in Solar

North American Clean Energy

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show in print Solar collector with patented heat pipe system Zhenjiang Tianlang Luminous Energy & Photoelectricity Co., Ltd.’s new solar collector is available for the North American market. This collector uses the highest quality borosilicate evacuated glass tube design containing a patented heat pipe system. Water does not flow through the vacuum tube, so there is no chance of freezing. The collector has been designed to withstand the harsh climate found in the northern latitudes of the US and in Canada, which includes low temperatures, ice, snow, and hail, as well as the extreme high temperatures found in the desert southwest. It is designed for maximum heat transfer efficiency and extended life, and will be submitted to SRCC for certification. Units are available for immediate shipment and may be ordered through Hyperion Solar Energy Co.

Utility grade renewable power solutions Satcon Technology Corporation is a manufacturer of advanced, utility grade renewable power solutions, enabling the industry’s most advanced, reliable, and proven solar and fuel cell power conditioning systems. With 11 solar inverter power ratings, ranging from 30 kW to 1 MW (UL and CE certified), Satcon PV inverters feature an outdoor-rated enclosure, the industry’s widest operating range, and highest efficiencies for all panel technologies, as well as advanced monitoring and control capabilities—and Edge, Satcon’s nextgeneration MPPT solution. Satcon Technology Corporation | www.satcon.com | Booth 9247

Zhenjiang Tianlang Luminous Energy & Photoelectricity Co., Ltd. Hyperion Solar Energy Co. | www.hypersolar.us Booth 9611B

Solar batteries TelSuppliers provides a full line of solar batteries for various applications, and can assist with the selection and deployment of appropriate equipment. TelSuppliers is positioned and committed to partnership with customers from planning through deployment and support. For superior quality and price, CITIBAT Batteries are the recommended choice. TelSuppliers | www.telsuppliers.com | Booth 9153

Renewable energy distributor DC Power Systems, the nation’s largest distributor of renewable energy equipment, trains more solar installers than any other distributor nationwide. With both introductory and advanced classes, and hands-on training opportunities, DC Power Systems conducts classes in cities throughout North America, with upcoming classes in San Diego, Salt Lake City, Toronto, Boston, Santa Rosa, and Seattle. In addition to solar installation classes, DC Power Systems recently added classes covering the installation of wind turbines, energy auditing, and the marketing and selling of solar. DC Power Systems | www.dcpower-systems.com | Booth 9111

S O L A R T H E R M A L C OLLE C TO RS

UNLIMITED

Connectors for pluggable solar solutions

POWER NOW!

Latest European State Of The Art Technology – Now Also Available In Northern America!

Los Altos Carretera a El Castillo 2200, Building 1 Col. Las Pintas CP-45680 El Salto Jalisco, Mexico

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sales@kioto.com.mx

www.kioto.com

Wieland’s new family of PST 40i1 connectors provides pluggable connections on the solar inverter’s DC side over extended cable runs. Featuring a 40A DC capability and superior contact conductivity, these connectors satisfy the trend toward increased input on solar string inverters. The IP 68 ingress protection rating ensures operation in harsh conditions. Pre-assembled either at the factory or quickly on site, these connectors feature easy handling, mate compatibility with industry standard types, resistance to UV, and high conductivity. The pre-assembled, cut-to-length, over-molded cable assemblies are tested and delivered ready to install. These cable assemblies replace conventional on-site requirements including cutting cables to length, stripping cable sheaths and wire insulation, and component connection. Elimination of these time-consuming operations reduces errors and speeds installation. Wieland | www.wielandinc.com Booth 9547

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Protecting solar panels from theft The patented Key-Rex and Penta Nut high-security locking system offered by Bryce Fastener Inc., of Gilbert, Arizona, effectively protects solar panels from theft and tampering. Every customer has the option of receiving a privately owned geometric shape on the screw head (button/flat) and key. Used in place of standard installation fasteners, screws are made to ASTM F879 and 316 Stainless Steel. With a wide range of diameters and lengths available, Bryce Fastener’s provide effective and economical security for any solar investment. Bryce Fastener Inc. | www.brycefastener.com | Booth 9652

Roll forming operations Roll Forming Corporation (RFC), with headquarters in Shelbyville, Kentucky, is one of the largest and diversified roll forming operations in North America. Serving the market leaders in a wide variety of industries that include solar technology, RFC is part of the largest custom roll forming group in the world—the Profilform Division of voestalpine AG. RFC has 11 affiliate companies in 10 countries around the globe, forming an alliance that allows them to leverage the world’s latest technologies, innovations, and benchmarking tools. Roll Forming Corporation www.rfcorp.com Booth 9651

Customized, large-scale sealing solutions Greene Tweed & Co. has worked closely with the rapidly expanding solar industry, leveraging their Voraz elastomers and proprietary extensis technology to offer highly effective, customized, large-scale sealing solutions. These products have provided solar customers with significant benefits including good plasma resistance, enhanced chamber efficiencies, and reduced stiction. They have also established a global alliance with Petrus Industries, a company specializing in quartz manufacturing, to offer near-net, complex quartz solutions for the most specific solar needs. Greene Tweed is now leveraging this industry experience and their latest technological innovations to expand their portfolio of solar capabilities. By combining high-performance materials, such as elastomeric seals, and quartz wafer boats and tubes, with new bonding and coating techniques, the company is creating integrated solutions that improve component reliability for customers. These integrated materials also offer optimized chamber operations and extended product life. Greene Tweed & Co. www.gtweed.com Booth 8061 North American Clean Energy

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show in print Solar-resource assessment and PV performance monitoring systems

Funds for ﬁber lasers IPG Photonics Corporation announced the availability of government programs that provide financial incentives for customers to purchase fiber lasers. Fiber lasers, which are vastly more energy efficient than conventional YAG and CO2 gas lasers, are well suited for the new financial assistance programs which promote the deployment of energy efficient technologies. One such program is the Clean Energy and Industrial Efficiency Program of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). The DOER is now accepting applications for proven commercially available technologies with a minimum efficiency improvement of 25% into the industrial sector. Fiber lasers, a proven commercially available technology, convert electrical energy to optical energy two to three times more efficiently than diode-pumped YAG lasers, three times more efficiently than CO2 lasers, and 15 to 30 times more efficiently than lamp-pumped YAG lasers. Because fiber lasers are much more energy efficient and place lower levels of thermal stress on their internal components, they have substantially less electrical requirements than compared to conventional lasers.

Campbell Scientific is now offering pre-wired packages for solar-resource assessment and photovoltaic performance monitoring. These systems can accurately and reliably measure a variety of on-site meteorological parameters, power generated and consumed, and the temperature of PV panels. Couple this measurement capacity with their ability to read industry leading inverters and power meters to provide a single data-access point. Use Campbell Scientific’s LoggerNet software with these pre-wired assessment systems to facilitate automated data collection, or integrate them into existing SCADA or PLC system via ModBus or DNP3.0. Campbell Scientific designs and manufactures measurement and control instruments, specializing in programmable, field-based dataloggers for environmental and industrial applications. Backed by 35 years of experience and more than 150,000 units sold worldwide, Campbell dataloggers are well-known for quality measurements, versatility, and reliable performance—even in harsh, remote environments.

IPG Photonics Corporation | www.ipgphotonics.com | Booth 8250

Yield analysis and process management software

Campbell Scientiﬁc | www.campbellsci.com/renewables Booth 7627 (with Draker Laboratories)

Exclusively supplied by PROINSA, the differential advantages of the designed and manufactured Fixed Structures are their fast assembly and reduced installation time. Maximum durability of the hot-dip galvanized steel structure and only minimum volume is needed to transport, as it is supplied in bar sections. They adapt to any type of terrain. Maximum resistance to inclement weather designed for winds exceeding 150 km/h, compared to traditional single-axis Azimuth trackers, and they take up less ground: 1 MW in a maximum of 2.95 hectares. It allows manual adjustment from 25º to 35º of the tilt on the polar axis. The distribution of both the Fixed Structure and the Seasonal Azimuth singleaxis will be exclusively conducted by PROINSO, the engineering and distribution company in the OPDE Group, who were already distributing the MECASOLAR double-axis.

Spire Corporation, a global solar company providing turnkey solar factories and capital equipment to manufacture photovoltaic modules worldwide, and Rudolph Technologies, Inc., a company specializing in process characterization solutions for semiconductor and PV manufacturing, announced they have reached an agreement to include Rudolph’s Discover Solar yield analysis and process management software as part of Spire’s turnkey manufacturing product lines. Rudolph’s Discover Solar Software provides all the process information to Spire’s solar cell production lines. It will allow Spire customers to bring new lines up to profitable yields and volumes even faster. Customers will be able to achieve higher average cell efficiencies and reduce manufacturing costs. Discover Solar software will give Spire customers a greater competitive edge since it is the first yield management tool specifically designed to help PV manufacturers maximize the efficiency of cell devices, as well as optimize production processes.

PROINSO | www.proinso.com | Booth 9753

Spire Solar, Inc. | www.spirecorp.com | Booth 8223

Fixed structures and single-axis solar trackers

High efﬁciency & long durability

Intersolar NA | San Francisco, CA July 14-16 | Moscone Center Visit CITEL Booth# 9351

800.248.3548 | www.citel.us

Reliability In Surge Protection

Surge Protection Since 1937 A comprehensive approach to the application of lightning and surge protection will help to ensure the maximum life expectancy and efficiency for your solar PV power system. The following illustration details the application points for the surge protectors and the primary protection goal of each device.

1 AC Distribution Panel DS150E

2 Inverter AC Output 3 Data/Signal Lines DS40S/G

4 Inverter DC Input

M200 DS60PV DS

• Ezinc Thermosiphon Solar Water Heating systems are available in 46 gallons and 80 gallons • Closed loop, passive system,pump not required

Seeking distributors and dealers for the Southern US areas.

DS50PV V

Master Distribution: Premium Solar 4808 Woodland Circle, Tallahassee FL 32303 (850) 425 2823 Phone | (850) 425 5776 Fax

www.presolarnet.com Central Florida Distributor: Solaris Energy 3195 S.E. Lionel Terrace, Stuart, FL 34997 (772) 219-3245 Phone | (772) 219-3246 Fax

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5 PV Array Combiner

DS50PV

DLA CITEL INC. - 11381 Interchange Circle South Miramar, FL 33025 USA Toll Free 1 800.248.3548 | Ph: 954.430.6310 | Fax: 954.430.7785

www.citel.us | info@citel.us

Non-EVA thermoplastic encapsulant For thin film solar module manufacturers, Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. (STR) has introduced a non-EVA thermoplastic encapsulant to be used behind superstrate-deposited PV devices, called Photocap 25539. The superior moisture barrier properties of Photocap 25539 coupled with the ‘melt, press, and go’ nature of the thermoplastic gives thin film customers something they’ve never seen before: laminations times under 10 minutes without the fuss of edge tape or autoclaves. Photocap 25539 significantly expands the capability of solar products and represents a considerable differentiator in the industry. Photocap 25539 far exceeds expectations in numerous areas of testing including: adhesion to glass, mechanical properties, electrical properties, MVTR, wet IR, and accelerated aging. Specialized Technology Resources, Inc. www.strsolar.com | Booth 8657

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Insulation system for solar hot water market

Racking and mounting solution Next Generation Energy’s Zilla is a patent pending, multi-component system incorporating a superior flashing assembly, adjustable standoffs, and other mounting hardware, as well as rails interfacing with an integrated raceway concealment system, all designed to outlast the solar system and roof it’s built on. Utilizing a one-of-a-kind threaded double-stud bolt with a high temperature treated Silicon washer encapsulated in a compression zone, Zilla’s flashing assembly exposes no parts for degradation and allows no water infiltration—no sealant or caulking needed. Paired with any of the versatile Zilla mounting options, installation is as simple as fabricating an array on the ground, flying it up, and snapping it into place. Using less total material than any other system, Zilla exhibits a finer, stronger product at the highest standard of craftsmanship.

K-Flex USA has products ideally suited for residential and commercial solar hot water applications. KFlex Solar Systems are designed to provide both high-temperature performance and UV resistance. The K-Flex Solar Twin System—ST provides a complete loop system for residential solar hot water applications, and includes flexible stainless steel tubing for the supply and return lines, high temperature insulation rated to +300°F, a UV/abuse-resistant jacket and thermostat wire package in 50' and 75' length coils. In addition, supply and return lines are joined together with a hot melt adhesive, thereby providing a quick and easy way to connect the solar panel with the storage tank. Quick connect compression fittings make installation a snap and no brazing of copper elbows is required. Standard ID’s are 1/2", 3/4", and 1" ID by 1/2", 3/4" and 1" wall thicknesses. Other products include K-Flex Solar—R, which is designed to be used with copper tubing and comes in tubes 6' in length or coils 50' in length. Standard ID’s and wall thicknesses are available. K-Flex Clad AL and K-Flex Clad WT are also available in larger ID’s up to 8" wall thickness, and are designed for commercial systems where mechanical abuse and UV resistance may be more severe. K-Flex USA | www.kflexusa.com | Booth 9814

K-FLEX SOLAR™ Your Simpler Insulation Solution for Solar Hot Water

Next Generation Energy, LLC www.ngeus.com Booth 9117

Solar panel/tank water heating system Stiebel Eltron manufactures components and thermal solar systems for domestic hot water, consisting of a well-insulated storage tank with heat exchanger(s) and flat plate collector panel(s). They constitute an economical and reliable solar domestic hot water (DHW) system for commercial and residential applications, including space heating and swimming pools. The solar closed-loop system includes flat plate collector panel(s) and mounting hardware, a storage tank with heat exchanger(s), a pump station with expansion tank, and various temperature/ pressure gauges, pressure relief and check valves, and a controller unit with corresponding sensors. There is an industry leading five-year warranty on all Stiebel Eltron solar equipment. Stiebel Eltron www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com Booth 9523

Residential:

Commercial:

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INNOVATION IN INSULATION

KFAD-0032

North American Clean Energy

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show in print New inverter for residential and light commercial applications KACO Solar has announced the official release of a new breed of inverterâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the highly anticipated 02xi series inverter line. Perfectly suited for residential and light commercial applications, in power sizes of 1500 watts and 2500 watts, the KACO 02xi series features enhanced and technologically advanced features that will make installation of the next KACO inverter that much more exciting. Enhancements include the introduction of a patented digital signal processing technology to increase overall output, CEC efficiency of 95.5% on both sizes, and integrated and fully NEC compliant AC/DC disconnects. The inverter can be fully detached from the DC disconnect after it is installed if problems arise, which makes replacement much easier than competitors products that must be completely removed when failures occur. Grid voltages of 240 and 208 Vac can now be connected to the KACO inverters. Positive or negative grounding of the inverter makes the units compatible with all solar panels currently available on the market. The inverters are lightweight and convection cooled to ensure maximum efficiency and reliability. They are more neutral in color and will please more end-users than ever before. The aluminum enclosure is NEMA 3R rated and increases the convection cooling effect that makes the KACO inverters work well even in hotter climates. KACO Solar | www.kacosolar.com | Booth 9447

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Inverters for commercial and residential systems Fronius USA, LLCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next generation line of inverters for commercial and residential systems, the IG Plus, builds on the solid design of the Fronius IG inverter with multiple improvements including: an expanded line with models from 3 to 12kW in a single inverter; lighter weight, even for the commercial size inverters; smart, integrated MIX technology to maximize energy harvest even on cloudy days; significantly improved efficiency; integrated DC disconnect; and a built-in six circuit string combiner. The IG Plus line of inverters are also field programmable to 208, 240, and 277 volts with no loss in output power; field programmable to positive or negative ground; offer a removable power stage for field service; and come with a standard 10-year warranty, upgradable to 15 years. Fronius USA, LCC | www.fronius-usa.com | Booth 9255

Utility/commercial ground mount solution Unirac Inc., a North America manufacturer of solar photovoltaic mounting solutions, announced the launch of the first modular framing system utilizing modern techniques for large-scale utility and commercial projects. Designed to deliver the most cost-effective system with the most responsive and scalable supply chain, Uniracâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new ground mount has a total installed cost as low as $0.40 per watt with an installation rate of more than 10 modules per man-hour. The extreme strength to weight ratio of components and delivery capabilities of 5 MW per week make Uniracâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new ground mount a clear choice for large scale PV projects. Uniracâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ground mount provides the flexibility to select the most cost-effective foundation option and eliminates costly onsite fabrication, field drilling, cutting, or welding. The new utility and commercial ground mount is supported by Uniracâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Custom Solutions Division, a team devoted to supplying a complete suite of services, including design, engineering, and installation support. Unirac Inc. | www.unirac.com | Booth 9647

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Washed panel inspection and integrated warp metrology Dark Field Technologies has drawn on its two decades in the glass industry to develop a new metrology technique for washed panel applications. NxtGen-Wash is a part of the new NxtGen family of inspection and metrology systems. NxtGen-Wash embodies a host of unique benefits and performs all these functions 100% on-line and in real-time. Special dark field optics detect defects much smaller than the optical pixel while high throughput rates and large depth of field are also achieved. Plus, there is further detection of float glass defects, edge chips/cracks and broken corners/flairs, and TCO coating defects and washer residue. Both types of defects are normally invisible to the eye, but cause downstream coating defects and reduced panel efficiency. Further features include: integrated panel thickness and warp measurement; an ability to measure panel warp/thickness or concentrator profile Âą15 microns; automatic panel rejection if the panel falls outside of prescribed length, width, squareness, defect levels, or warp specifications; and low capital cost. Dark Field Technologies | www.darkfield.com | Booth 8258

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geothermal energy

Warming Up to Geothermal Understanding ground loop heating and cooling systems By Bridgette Oliver

iant wind turbines look vivid on the horizon and solar panels make striking statements on a rooftop in relation to conserving energy while decreasing environmental impacts. Geothermal, however, has none of these visual indicators, yet it yields a more dramatic savings to any bottom line. The best part: there is no requirement of wind or sun to operate geothermal; only the earth beneath your feet. The earth absorbs almost 50% of all solar energy and remains at a nearly constant temperature of 50Â°F to 70Â°F, depending on the geographic location. Working with an underground loop system, a geothermal unit utilizes the constant temperature of the earth to exchange energy between a home and the earth as needed for heating, cooling, and hot water. In winter, water circulating inside a sealed loop absorbs heat from the earth and carries it to the unit. Here, it is compressed to a higher temperature and sent as warm air to an indoor system for distribution throughout a home. In the summer, the system reverses and expels heat from the home to the cooler earth via the same loop system. This heat exchange process is not only natural, but is an earth-friendly and highly efficient way to create a comfortable climate. With a geothermal heating and cooling system, the front lawn becomes a permanent power plant for any home or business. It is tried and true, can cut utility bills more than half, and does away with noisy air conditioning condensers. Users enjoy the benefits of comfortable and reliable energy, as well as the most cost-efficient heating, cooling, and water heating systems available on the market. Depending on property size, underground loops can be installed in a variety of ways including horizontal, vertical, or within a lake as a closed loop or, if an aquifer is present, as an open loop, virtually suiting any property configuration. Horizontal loops are installed in areas where the soil conditions allow for Continued on page 48â&#x20AC;Ś North American Clean Energy

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geothermal energy …continued from page 47. economical excavation. Taking up more land area than any other loop type, they are used where space permits. Trenches are normally five feet deep and several hundred feet of trench is required. Vertical loops are used extensively where land area is limited. A pair of pipes with a special U-Bend assembly at the bottom is inserted into a borehole that averages between 150 to 250 feet in depth per ton of equipment. Lake loops are usually very economical to install. If a pond or lake that’s at least eight feet deep is available, lake loops can utilize the water (rather than soil) for heat transfer. Reduced installation costs are characteristic of this type of loop system. Open loop installations actually pump water from an underground aquifer through the geothermal unit, and then discharge that water to a drainage ditch or pond. Discharging water to a pond or lake is considered ideal. Although going geothermal may sound great, cost is often the first question asked and a factor for those interested. Fortunately, geothermal systems are now more affordable than ever thanks to recent changes to the tax code. The change contains long-term tax incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy technology, such as geothermal heat pumps in homes and businesses. The bill also extends tax incentives for homes and commercial buildings that support the installation of highly efficient heating, cooling, and water heating systems, such as geothermal heat pumps, until the year 2016. On all residential ground loop or ground water geothermal heat pump installations, a one-time tax credit of 30% of the total investment up to a maximum of $2,000 for systems placed in service during 2008 is available. For property placed in service after January 1st, 2009, a tax credit of 30% with no limit can be claimed. The tax credit can be used to offset both regular income taxes and alternative minimum taxes (AMT), and can be carried forward into

Home and hot water heating from the earth GeoSmart Energy’s Premium E hydronic forced air systems have become an industry standard for high-efficiency home and water heating. The Premium E meets a variety of needs including radiant floor heating, domestic hot water, pool and/or spa heating, and will even melt ice and snow, offering years of worry free comfort from the moment the system is installed. Most models are also able to provide chilled water for cooling. The Premium E features state-of-the-art components that make it the preferred choice for high-performance home and hot water heating. It heats water at a fraction of the cost of ordinary boilers and water heaters. For every unit of electricity used by the Premium E to operate the heat pump, it generates an incomparable four units of “free” energy from the earth—that equates into an efficiency rating of 400%. Designed to meet a wide range of home applications, it can easily be installed in both newly constructed and existing homes, regardless of the climate. GeoSmart Energy | www.geosmartenergy.com

Early completion date for geothermal power plant Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. (NGP) announced that the Blue Mountain ‘Faulkner 1’ 49.5 MW geothermal project under an Engineering Procurement Construction contract with Ormat Nevada Inc., is ahead of schedule. Ormat expects to be ready to start power plant commissioning during August 2009. NGP will have the necessary elements (transmission line and well field) in place to start production testing in August, and plans to be fully operational by early October 2009. NGP’s Blue Mountain ‘Faulkner 1’ geothermal power plant will be producing electricity onto the grid and generating revenue up to three months ahead of schedule.

future years. With these changes, a homeowner can now more easily afford a heating and cooling system that will ultimately pay for itself. Bridgette Oliver is the marketing communication manager for ClimateMaster, Inc. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, ClimateMaster, Inc. is a manufacturer of water-source and geothermal heat pumps. ClimateMaster, Inc. is a company of LSB Industries, Inc., whose common stock is traded over the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol LXU. ClimateMaster, Inc. www.climatemaster.com

DOE-funded research at Stanford sees results DOE-sponsored research at Stanford University is advancing the application of nanotechnology in determining fluid flow through enhanced geothermal system reservoirs at depth. The Stanford team successfully forced silicon-based nanospheres under pressure through rock fractures in the laboratory. This technology has the potential for mapping fracture systems in detail and aid in determining reservoir characteristics. The result comes from research funded by DOE in 2008 to accelerate technology development for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). This research will help developers learn more about the fracture systems in geothermal reservoirs so they may better predict the results of reservoir stimulation. Positive results from DOE-funded research will lead to further development of EGS, a clean energy technology capable of producing baseload electricity across the United States. The ultimate goal of the Stanford project is to utilize the nanoparticles as sensors to characterize subsurface fractures. The initial experimentation with nanoparticle injection served as a basic milestone of this vision—to verify the possibility of recovering the nanoparticles following their injection, and to demonstrate they were not trapped in the pore spaces by hydraulic, chemical, or electrostatic effects. To investigate these issues, a nanofluid was created by suspending SiO2 nanoparticles in a liquid solution, and then injecting into a Berea sandstone core. The injected nanoparticles were transported through the pore space of the rock and were detected and recovered in the effluent. Geothermal Technologies Program www1.eere.energy.gov/geothermal

Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. | www.nevadageothermal.com

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Geothermal Growth Potential and Financing By Dr Martin Piszczalski

he geothermal energy industry has enormous growth potential. However, finance remains the biggest impediment to developing the hundreds of still untapped geothermal fields worldwide. Financing geothermal programs is more complex than wind and solar energy projects. Overcoming that complexity, however, pays off in the long run. Geothermal plants alone produce baseload power at low operating costs. A geothermal project requires different types of financing depending on the stage of development, and financing is intimately connected with the risk and upside at each stage. Absolutely essential for investors and developers alike is understanding the technical and business risks at each stage, as well as securing the appropriate funding. Geothermal projects serially tap different types of financing at different stages, therefore, acknowledging the risks and having different financial yields that commensurate with those risk levels is critical. Rarely does one source or company finance an entire project from exploration through operations. Also, financing heavily swings around government legislation. Tuning financing to government incentives is absolutely essential. Unfortunately, those incentives are often “moving targets” due to changing laws and regulations. The most significant risk in the geothermal business is confirming that a specific site is, indeed, a commercial-grade, geothermal resource. Only after spending millions of dollars drilling deep into the earth can that be verified conclusively. After confirmation, risk levels drop appreciably. The later-stage work—construction of the plant, drilling additional wells, and so forth—is more straightforward. Those later activities proceed similarly to a conventional infrastructure project. Overall, geothermal financing can be split into two parts: before-confirmation and after-confirmation financing. Most difficult is securing financing for the pre-confirmation work. Investors must rely on arcane data and interpretation to ascertain whether the resource is truly viable. As found in the book “Investor’s Guide to Geothermal Energy” (Forseo; 2008), understanding early stage options are essential, and range from: • angel investing; • venture capital; • sophisticated geothermal insurance; and • banks with substantial, in-house, geothermal expertise. This book also addresses how to fund the “crossing of the chasm” of confirmation, which can be via bridge or mezzanine loans. Shorter-term investors here need an attractive exit. Exceptionally rare are financial

organizations that understand the risks and requisites to do the first production drilling. Islandsbanki (formerly Glitnir) is an example—this Icelandic bank has geothermal experts on its staff. The general progression of financing begins with equity investments and

moves to senior secured debt after confirmation drilling. Many of the world’s best, untapped geothermal resources actually lie outside the United States. Several countries with substantial geothermal resources include

the Philippines, Kenya, and Chile. However, financing outside of the industrialized countries can be extra challenging. Foreign governments differ dramatically in the roles they play, both in geothermal as well as in Continued on page 50…

Green Clean Steam The Beauty of Geothermal

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geothermal energy “Up to Speed” on geothermal activities

…continued from page 49. the power sector in general. As a result, there are only a few, large, global geothermal firms that are truly multi-national. Examples include Ormat, Enel, and Islandsbanki. Additional significant players in financing for developing countries are multi-lateral organizations such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. All investors and developers should, at least, monitor international developments. Innovations developed there could be applied elsewhere. An example would be drilling insurance tailored to projected versus actual power production. New thinking is mandatory to replace yesterday’s mechanisms. For instance, geothermal financing in the United States had been predicated on tax partners having massive tax credits to offset. Most of those financing companies, such as Lehman Brothers, are now gone. Nevertheless, funding for geothermal developments is growing. Financial players savvy in geothermal development at a detailed level will mitigate the risks and prosper. Dr Martin Piszczalski is an industry analyst with Sextant Research. He works with renewable power developers, investors, governments, and multi-lateral agencies to develop renewable power markets, especially for geothermal energy. Forseo | www.forseo.eu

Going “Green” for geothermal energy

Raser Technologies, Inc. announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has notified the company that its loan guarantee application has been approved to proceed to the next stage of due diligence. The guaranteed loan is expected to be used for the construction of approximately 42 MW of gross binary cycle geothermal power plant capacity near the company’s existing Thermo No. 1 project in Beaver County, Utah. Raser anticipates that, pending completion of additional due diligence by the DOE, drilling and construction will begin later this year. The company has also announced the release of the latest version of its “Up to Speed” series of videos, updating stockholders, the media, and the public on its progress and strategy. The video provides an update on its current and proposed geothermal power developments including the expectation of reaching full capacity at its Thermo No. 1 plant, also known as the Hatch plant; Raser’s adjusted goal to have over 300 MW of electricity available for sale to utilities by 2013; the various financing options and potential government incentives for renewable energy that Raser has pursued and intends to pursue; and other projects, such as the launch of a full-sized Hummer H3E plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). The video news report can be viewed in its entirety on Raser’s website.

ElectraTherm, Inc.’s Texas partner, Gulf Coast Green Energy, will employ ElectraTherm Green Machines to make clean electricity at two projects funded by the Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America. The first of those projects will make power from heat captured in geothermal brine, a common byproduct of drilling for oil. ElectraTherm Green Machines can convert low temperature (200 degree F) geothermal heat into electricity for on-site consumption, or to sell power to the grid. The ElectraTherm Green Machine can produce power from a wide array of heat sources including industrial waste heat, stationary engines, biomass, and solar thermal installations. Recently, interest in geothermal applications has taken center stage. “Generating electricity from geothermal sources is ideal because it harnesses local energy sources and provides a secure domestic energy supply with stable output,” said Bill Olson, ElectraTherm’s senior vice president of business development. “Given the modularity and scalability of ElectraTherm’s technology, the company plans to introduce geothermal systems from the current 50 kW size up to 500 kW. ElectraTherm’s smaller units can economically address smaller geothermal resources—including the tens of thousands of oil and gas wells in the US and Canada alone. ElectraTherm’s larger units can be installed in parallel to rapidly construct multi-megawatt plants for larger geothermal resources.” According to a study by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, if 40% of the geothermal heat was tapped under the United States, it would meet demand 56,000 times over. MIT said an investment of $800 million to $1 billion could produce more than 100 gigawatts of electricity by 2050, equaling the combined output of all 104 nuclear power plants in the US.

Raser Technologies, Inc. | www.rasertech.com

ElectraTherm Green Machine | www.electratherm.com

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2009 & 2010 REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE A highlight of various regions or institutions looking to expand and develop clean energy, promote companies and organizations in the industry, and bring economic growth to their city, state/province, and/or country.

Pocatello, Chubbuck, Bannock County, & the State of Idaho Pocatello, located in Eastern Idaho, is quickly becoming the place for companies in the alternative energy industry. Leading the charge in the region is the Bannock Development Corporation, which is focused on recruiting three industries to the region: alternative energy, environmentally friendly companies, and medical isotopes. Recently recruited companies to the region include: Hoku Materials (a division of Hoku Scientiﬁc), a manufacturer of polysilicon for use in the solar panels; Petersen, Inc., who among other steel projects, has a contract with Siemens to produce the towers for wind turbines; and, Nordic Windpower, who specializes in manufacturing community sized wind turbines. Current happenings in the region include Tetridyn Solutions, Inc. signing an agreement with ON Semiconductor to manufacture chips to track beef cows as they mature for JBS Friboi – Swift Co. Bannock Development Corporation can help with site selection to the point of relocation. All of this is accomplished thanks to strong partnerships with the cities of Pocatello and Chubbuck, Bannock County, the State of Idaho, and community support. www.bannockdevelopment.org

Idaho’s energy projects Nuclear, biomass, solar, wind, and geothermal are hot now, but Idaho has been building on these industries for decades. Federal stimulus and investment money is bringing new projects online quickly, an added advantage in a state that has a lower cost of doing business and lack of red tape. Idaho’s energy manufacturing products include Nordic Windpower; its plant makes utility scale wind turbines for community wind projects and developers throughout North America. Hoku Scientific, a solar energy company based in Hawaii, is building a $400 million solar polysilicon manufacturing plant, and companies such as US Geothermal are a perfect fit in a state that has one of the most geothermally active areas in the country. A focus on energy projects is also coming out of facilities such as the Idaho National Laboratory, where researchers are developing flexible sheets of “nanoantennas” that harvest energy from solar energy or other heat sources. A spinoff company of a University of Idaho lab, GoNano, developed a product that stores energy in nanosprings and unleashes the energy in everyday items like car batteries. http://commerce.idaho.gov

Ontario: The ‘Next Urban Center’ The City of Ontario is Southern California’s ‘Next Urban Center.’ Located just 35 miles from Los Angeles, Ontario is the business and employment hub of one of the fastest growing regions in the US. Companies beneﬁt from the area’s transportation system that includes the LA/Ontario International Airport, three major freeways, and two railroads that provide access to the region, nation, and the globe.

Ontario has a proactive approach to business and workforce development. As part of an innovation corridor consisting of more than 14 colleges and universities, such as Cal Poly Pomona, University of California, Riverside, the Claremont Colleges and the University of La Verne School of Law, Ontario provides corporations with access to approximately 20,000 college graduates per year. Ontario has also established educational partnerships and developed workforce training programs that respond to current business needs, while advancing the technical skills of its workforce in high growth industries. Programs such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and Project Lead the Way promote engineering careers among high school students and allow for a seamless transition to a fouryear engineering college degree. As a result, Ontario is on track to becoming Southern California’s engineering capital. www.ontariocalifornia.us

Penn State Ofﬁce connects industry to research With more than 2,500 science and technology based researchers at Penn State, The Industrial Research Ofﬁce (IRO) can help companies identify faculty members with the expertise to meet their research needs. At Penn State, the opportunity to do relevant and applied research is central to the educational experience and is vital to the country’s economic health. For a company, sponsoring research at Penn State provides access to state-of-the-art facilities, cutting-edge technologies, and some of the greatest minds in the world. Many have realized the strengths of the University, driving research expenditures to a record-high $717

million in FY2008, including $105 in private and industry sponsored research. The IRO can facilitate partnerships between industry and researchers in the Biomass Energy Center at Penn State. The Center coordinates research and outreach across the University, building teams to address the complete value chain of biomass energy systems. Company interactions with the IRO and the Biomass Energy Center have resulted in projects to

solve challenges and discover opportunities for sustainable bioenergy systems, from crop production to biomass conversion to utilization in power generation and transportation. www.iro.psu.edu

What do these companies know about Sweetwater / Nolan County, Texas that YOU don’t? Upwind Solutions Wind Energy Services Wind Energy Turbine Services Northwind Solutions White Construction Crane Services Inc. Altezza Hytorc Fastenal Lonestar Transportation

Advanced Turbine Services GE Wind E.ON Siemens Turn Energy Maintenance LLC Babcock and Brown Invenergy EMA – Electromechanics LLC Wavewind Evans Enterprises, Inc. RWS Crane & Rigging, Inc.

Could it be the fact that Nolan County is home to over 1200 wind turbines and 1900 MW of wind production? To learn more, call us toll free at 877.301.SEED or visit us online at www.sweetwatertexas.net 810 E. Broadway - P.O. Box 785, Sweetwater, TX 79556 // 877.301.SEED // 325.235.0555 // FAX 325.235.1026

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE University of North Dakota’s EERC The Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) is recognized as a leading developer of cleaner, more efficient energy technologies, as well as environmental technologies to protect and clean the air, water, and soil. The EERC, a high-tech, nonprofit division of the University of North Dakota, operates like a business and pursues an entrepreneurial, market-driven approach to research and development to successfully demonstrate and commercialize innovative technologies. The EERC currently employs 330 people. The Center was founded in 1951 as the Robertson Lignite Research Laboratory, a federal facility under the US Bureau of Mines. It became an energy technology center under the US Department of Energy in 1977, and was defederalized in 1983. Today, the EERC leverages government research dollars by developing partnerships with industry, government, and the research community. Since 1987, it has had over 1000 clients in 50 states and 51 countries. The EERC’s portfolio includes activities such as zero-emissions coal conversion; CO2 capture and sequestration; energy and water sustainability; hydrogen and fuel cells; emission control technologies, emphasizing SOx, NOx, air toxics, fine particulate, CO2, and mercury; renewable energy; wind; water management; flood prevention; global climate change; waste utilization; energy efficiency; and contaminant clean-up. www.undeerc.org

Desert city going green The Las Vegas Valley has the highest rating in the nation for solar energy collection. It also provides a prime locale for producing alternative wind energy and other environmentally friendly energy sources and industries. Companies interested in the ﬁnancial perks of “going green” in this desert city may want to contact the city of Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency. Agency staff has been working with interested businesses to refer them to an assortment of tax credits and rebates for sustainable products and green building initiatives available through the city, NV Energy, and the state and federal governments. Nevada’s ﬁnancial incentives for sustainable industries include tax abatements for green building, renewable energy producers and renewable energy sales and usage, as well as property tax exemptions for renewable energy systems. A state of Nevada green-oriented jobs program, which will provide up to $1,000 per trainee for Nevada residents who obtain approved training in sustainability related jobs, is also open to interested and applicable businesses. www.dsireusa.org/incentives/index. cfm?CurrentPageID=1&State=NV&RE%20 +1&EE=1 www.expand2nevada.com/incentive_program.html

LA: Marketplace for clean tech companies Los Angeles County is famously known throughout the world as the Entertainment Capital of America, but now the region is quickly emerging as the epicenter of clean technology. With North America’s largest port complex investing more than $1 billion to cut all port-related particulate matter pollution by at least 47% within the next ﬁve years, the nation’s number one arrival and destination airport engaging in a multi-billion dollar modernization effort, the country’s largest municipally owned utility ramping up to get 33% of its energy from renewable sources by 2050, and the nation’s largest community college district spending billions of dollars to take itself “offthe-grid,” LA County has some of the world’s 52

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largest markets for green technologies, products, and services right in its own backyard. From its ready supply of ﬁnancial capital to its highly skilled workforce to its unrivaled concentration of leading engineering ﬁrms, universities, and research institutions, Los Angeles has all the building blocks needed to develop, grow, and advance clean technology business. Come see why the Los Angeles marketplace offers unparalleled opportunities for growth in this important sector by visiting the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation website. www.laedc.org

Nebraska’s renewable advantage Many companies in the US and around the world have discovered that Nebraska’s central location, quality workforce, insulation from natural disasters, and positive economic environment provides an attractive, cost-effective location for the renewable energy sector. Nebraska excels in many national ranking factors, providing an excellent opportunity for renewable energy solutions: Ranking 2nd for Clean Energy Economy Jobs (“The Pew Charitable Trusts: The Clean Energy Economy,” June 2009); 2nd for Most Improved Total Biomass Electricity Generated; Biomass Electricity Generation Per Capita and Per GSP (“NREL, State of the States 2008: Renewable Energy Development and the Role of Policy”); 6th for Wind Energy Potential (“AWEA Wind Energy Potential,” March 2007); plus, 223 Average Number of Days of Sunshine Per Year in Nebraska (“National Climatic Data Center,” 2007). Add to this Nebraska’s integrated system of interstates, mainline railroads and airports, large industrial tracts and buildings ready for immediate occupancy, and it’s easily understandable why companies of all sizes call Nebraska home. Nebraska’s highly ranked, business-friendly environment also provides experts available to assist in ﬁnding the Nebraska location that best meets any company’s needs. www.nebraskaadvantage.biz

San Diego and the California Solar Initiative All over San Diego, electricity bills are going up as the use of air conditioning, fans, and other appliances increases due to summer heat. Installing solar power can reduce or virtually eliminate these summer energy costs; and thanks to recently upgraded federal tax deductions and state rebates, most home and business owners can recover almost 50% of their initial investment when going solar. Using sunlight as a source of electricity requires a solar electric or photovoltaic (PV) system. At the heart of the system are small solar cells assembled in roof-mounted panels that convert light into electricity. The power they produce goes to an inverter that converts it to electricity, just like the electricity SDG&E produces. It’s not necessary to have storage batteries if connected to the utility. During the day, it is possible to use your own solar electricity. Any extra electricity ﬂows back to SDG&E where they provide a credit and, at night, these credits can be used to buy electricity. Through the California Solar Initiative (CSI), the state is providing $2.1 billion in incentives over the next 10 years for the installation of residential and commercial solar systems. The goals are to lower energy costs, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and create a sustainable energy future. An important aspect to consider about installing PV is that CSI’s incentives will decrease over time, so the best time to install PV is now. CCSE offers free workshops on solar power basics for San Diego home and business owners at their location in Kearny Mesa. www.solar.energycenter.org

technical support, personalized studies and projects, energy ﬁeld assessment, standardization and certiﬁcation, technology transfer, business incubation, personalized training, temporary assignment of researchers, equipment, and research infrastructure rental. www.coruscentre.qc.ca

Sarnia-Lambton: A sustainable energy centre Sarnia-Lambton, Ontario is increasingly being recognized worldwide as a major sustainable energy centre—due in no small part to the area’s strategic planning. Long known as a signiﬁcant North American petrochemical and reﬁning centre, a number of years ago community leaders began building on the extensive infrastructure already in place (including a comprehensive energy system) to position the area as the logical choice for sustainable energy production and R&D. The choice of Sarnia-Lambton as the location for one of North America’s largest solar power generation facilities (currently under construction by First Solar) highlights SarniaLambton’s ample sunshine and potential for manufacturing solar panel and thermal components. Lambton College’s three-year Alternative Energy Engineering Technology program is providing graduates trained in theory and application skills for current and emerging energy technologies. The University of Western Ontario’s Research Park, Sarnia-Lambton Campus, is working with business to assess energy needs, access resources and bring products to market. The Research Park is also the location of Canada’s Bio-industrial Innovation Centre. www.sarnialambton.on.ca

Quebec: The CORUS Centre for R&D

Spain’s solutions

The CORUS Centre is a research, development, and technology transfer centre that studies the impact of nordic conditions on wind energy production. Its research facilities are located in Murdochville, Quebec, in a unique natural laboratory at an elevation of 660 meters where wind speeds average 9m/s. Preparation and execution of applied research projects in the wind energy ﬁeld, product development, technology evaluation,

From advanced photovoltaics and high yield solar parks to state-of-the-art wind turbines and biofuels, Spanish companies are generating better solutions to make renewable energy available to everyone. Spanish companies lead the industry in Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and hybrid solar/natural gas systems. More than $1 billion has been invested by Spanish companies in the construction of solar energy power stations. In 2008, Acciona constructed

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE Pampa Economic Development Corporation Pampa Texas is at the intersection of highways 60 and 70 in the Eastern Texas Panhandle. They are a community of approximately 18,000 people with a diverse economy based on oil and gas, agriculture, manufacturing, retail, and with what is believed to be a great future in wind energy. Pampa is located in the heart of the wind energy corridor, with class 4 winds as their big advantage. In addition, they are very fortunate to be on BNSF’s main line between Chicago and Los Angeles, with over 120 trains traveling through Pampa on a daily basis. Their community is excited about and looking forward to the possible growth opportunities occurring due to wind energy development. Pampa’s existing workforce is versatile and will now have the opportunity to be trained in wind turbine technology through a local community college, Clarendon College Pampa Center. Classes begin in the fall of 2009. One more exciting development in wind energy for Pampa includes transmission service provider, Cross Texas Transmission, LLC, which has opened an ofﬁce after having been chosen to build the new transmission lines in the region. www.pampaedc.com

Innovative Financing to Help New Jersey Businesses Go Green! the world’s third largest CSP in Nevada, covering 400 acres of desert. The energy that is produced, a capacity of 64 megawatts (MW), is enough to reliably and affordably power more than 14,000 homes. Spain-based wind power companies’ proactive investments and developments have helped make Spain the world’s third largest wind power producer, with 16,740 MW of installed capacity at the end of 2008. A company contributing to this growth, Iberdrola Renewables, invested $1.4 billion in wind power developments in the US, leading the way for a total global accumulation capacity of 2,318 MW, making them the second largest wind operator in the US. Spain also expects notable growth in 2009. Spain has established and exceeded ambitious goals related to investment in renewable energy. Companies in Spain are currently developing, ﬁnancing and operating renewable energy projects in the Americas, Asia, and through Europe. www.spaintechnology.com/energy

North Dakota: Attracting investments Ranked ﬁrst in the nation in wind generation capacity, North Dakota leaders have recently expanded investment incentives to stimulate development of the state’s wind energy resources. The state is marketing its wind resources and incentives globally and has secured sizeable investments from some of the world’s largest wind energy producers such as NextEra Energy (FLP), Acciona, and Iberdrola. NextEra recently announced plans to expand its investments in the state to exceed $1 billion. North Dakota is currently ranked 11th in existing wind generation capacity at 714.43 megawatts (MW) according to American Wind Energy Association. However, the state ranks number one in the nation for potential capacity at 138,400 MW, and has established a goal of achieving 5,000 MW of installed wind energy capacity by 2020. Currently, there are projects totaling nearly 6,000 MW of wind power in the regulatory stage. These projects represent more than $11 billion in investment. The state’s regulatory entity, the Public Service

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (EDA) introduces Clean Energy Solutions, a suite of new financing products that will include interest-free loans and grants to complement the state’s existing clean energy programs. Our new financing products will allow New Jersey to take a leadership role in promoting a “green” economy, ensuring that businesses and institutional entities have the resources they need to grow and prosper.

Categories include: • Energy-efficient end-use projects • Combined heat and power (CHP or cogen) production facilities • State-of-the-art efficient electric generation facilities • Class I renewable energy and energy efficiency manufacturing

Our Edison Clean Energy Manufacturing Fund (CEMF) will continue to support the development and commercialization of Class I renewable energy and energy-efficiency technologies in New Jersey. Solicitation period opens on June 1, 2009 and eligibility forms will be accepted until July 15, 2009. To learn more about how the EDA can provide your business with the innovative financing vehicles available through Clean Energy Solutions contact us today.

866-534-7789 www.njeda.com For more information about doing business in New Jersey visit www.NewJerseyBusiness.gov NACLE/070109

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REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

The State of Indiana

Texas ever-expanding renewable energy

Indiana’s progressive pro-business environment, innovative workforce, and unmatched technological and manufacturing expertise make the state a center for research, development, and production in the clean energy industry. Indiana’s alternative energy efforts include windpower, coal gasiﬁcation, biofuels, biomass, and geothermal. Indiana is also a center of research, development, and supply-chain manufacturing in the development of alternative-fuel technologies and vehicles, including hybrid and electric vehicles. Indiana is home to the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi River and was ranked the fastest-growing state for wind energy development in 2008. State biofuel capacity totals more than 850 million gallons, plus the world’s ﬁrst full-scale, clean-coal power plant and the nation’s largest geothermal heating and cooling system are being built in Indiana. The state is also a leader in the research and development of next-generation batteries and electric drive vehicles. Indiana is home to a number of established and emerging battery technology companies including the only US manufacturer of hybrid power converters, controllers, and battery packs, and the only domestic lithium-ion battery maker. Collaborations between business and Indiana research universities have created active partnerships focused on next-generation energy technology in solar, wind, and alternative fuel vehicles. www.energy.in.gov

Sweetwater, Texas recently announced the new manufacturing location of EMA—Electromechanics of Argentina (builder of circuit breakers for power distribution) in Sweetwater. This is a continuation of the expanding renewable energy industry in the West Central Texas area. In the last several years, they have also welcomed companies like Upwind Solutions, Wind Energy Services, Wind Energy Turbine Services, Northwind Solutions, White Construction, Crane Services Inc., Altezza, Hytorc, Fastenal, Advanced Turbine Services, GE Wind, E-ON, Siemens, Turn Energy Maintenance LLC, Babcock & Brown, Invenergy, Wave Wind, EMA Electromechanics LLC, and more. In addition, companies like DH Blattner, Mortenson Construction, and Lone Star Transportation have been working in the area for years. Nolan County has over 1240 towers (1903 MW) and there has been approximately 3223 MW of wind production in a ﬁve county region. The West Central Texas region is home to companies like Wind Clean in Coleman, Barr Fabrication in Brownwood, EMS, Tower Tech, and Florida Power and Light in Abilene, Concrete Mobility in Colorado City, Martifer Energy Systems in San Angelo, and Mitsubishi in Snyder to name a few. This West Central Texas region has become a hub for the wind industry in Texas, the Southwest United States, and North America. www.sweetwatertexas.net

Commission, recently reported that more than $507 million in transmission upgrades have been proposed to accommodate growth of the state’s wind power generation. Plus, last month, North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven signed into law legislation that extends until 2015 an 85% reduction in property taxes for wind turbines over 200 kilowatts, eliminates the sales and use taxes on wind equipment purchases, and extends until 2015 an existing income tax credit for the installation of geothermal, solar, wind, or biomass energy devices in the state. www.ndcommerce.com

The New Mexico Partnership New Mexico is the perfect place for solar, and the New Mexico Partnership is here to guide those interested through the process of considering the state as a business location. They are a professional, collaborative organization committed to providing a high level of value to companies considering relocating or expanding to New Mexico. They’ve done everything to make it easy, from cutting through the red tape to assembling incentive packages that are guaranteed to make businesses stop and take notice. As a one-stop shop resource, the New Mexico Partnership can provide detailed information on the solar industry presence in the state, and discuss the details of incentive packages that pertain to a speciﬁc industry. They’ll also help interested parties ﬁnd a community that feels like home by arranging tours of available real estate, and will provide labor and education statistics that will help in locating the perfect people to hire to ensure the business thrives. www.nmpartnership.com

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London, Canada: A growing clean energy sector

Riverside surpasses local solar power milestone

Building Mississippi’s renewable energy capacity

Located in the heart of Southwestern Ontario, mid-way between three US borders (Niagara Falls, Detroit, and Port Huron), London’s growing clean energy industry is being noticed. London is home to the ﬁrst biogas urban production facility in Ontario, and two others are in development. Industry is working closely with the University of Western Ontario (Western), who are working on solar cell materials, hydrogen storage, polymers for batteries and biofuel production. Fanshawe College’s School of Applied Science and Technology has developed a solar power electric golf cart prototype, and have several other solar and alternate energy projects currently under development. Both Western and Fanshawe are training the skills needed to move the sector forward into the future. Western also just announced the building of the world’s ﬁrst six-sided wind tunnel, complementing its existing wind tunnel. Able to simulate the swirling wind of a tornado or downdraft, one project at the Wind Engineering, Energy, and Environment Dome will be to build a scale-model wind farm inside the dome to determine the best design for maximum electrical power from their turbines. London, Canada has the green space, the people, the research, and the cost advantage to support the growth of the clean energy sector. www.ledc.com

Eight years after its ﬁrst solar energy project came online, the City of Riverside has surpassed the milestone of producing more than one megawatt (MW) of local solar energy. One megawatt is enough energy to power 750 homes in Southern California. The new 54.88 kilowatt (kW) solar energy system is afﬁxed to the top of the Casa Blanca Library parking structure. Riverside Public Utilities has funded many solar energy projects including roof-mounted solar systems on low-income housing units, a local senior center, a homeless services center, city pool facilities, city hall, and at local train stations. RPU offers both commercial and residential rebates, which help offset the costs of installing a residential solar energy system. The program offers incentives of $3 per watt installed, up to $25,000 or 50% of the project costs (whichever is less). With the addition of a commercial solar rebate program in 2008, the utility saw nearly a 42% increase in the number of projects applying for funding. Riverside Public Utilities will receive 50% of its total power from renewable resources by 2013. www.riversidepublicutility.com www.greenriverside.com

Across Mississippi, over 40 biomass-related energy projects are demonstrating the state’s growing capacity in renewable energy resources. New corporate locations are also helping to make Mississippi a key energy state. In June, Piney Woods Pellets opened a $10 million plant in Wiggins. The plant, which employs 32 individuals, is capable of producing over 50,000 tons of wood pellets per year. Piney Woods uses renewable raw materials to produce wood pellets. The pellets are carbonneutral: every atom of carbon produced by the burning pellets is removed as trees are planted to replace those that were harvested. The pellets will be used in wood pellet stoves, as well as in large industrial plants around the south. Last fall, Indeck Energy Services broke ground for the Indeck Magnolia Biofuel Center in Magnolia. This facility will produce wood pellets for residential and industrial use and is expected to be in full commercial operation by September 2009. In addition to local and regional customers, Indeck expects to make signiﬁcant bulk and bagged sales to European markets. Both companies bring technologies to the state, which offer new uses for Mississippi’s abundant renewable timber resources. www.mississippi.org

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investing in clean energy

Mitigating Change-in-law Risk Associated with RECs

e ve ,

d n o h-

By Craig M Kline

(left) & John J Leonti (right)

RPS programs and renewable energy credits

Hedging techniques

Increasingly, states are imposing renewable energy quotas known as renewable portfolio standard programs (“RPS programs”). RPS programs require electric utilities to produce a certain percent of power through the use of renewable energy generation. At present, twenty-nine states, plus the District of Columbia, have RPS programs. At the federal level, a national RPS program has garnered widespread support, including support from the Obama administration and members of Congress, such as Chairman Henry A Waxman of the Energy and Commerce Committee. The RPS programs have led to the development of markets for renewable energy credits or certificates (“RECs”). RECs reflect the non-power attributes associated with renewable energy generation and, in many states, RECs and their associated attributes and benefits may be sold separately from the underlying physical electricity associated with a renewable-based generation source. Market participants generally buy and sell RECs on a standardized basis, where one REC represents the non-power attributes and benefits associated with one megawatt-hour (MWh) of electricity generated from a renewable resource. Currently, there are two distinct markets for RECs: a voluntary market driven by end-user demand and a compliance market driven by RPS programs and other regulatory mandates. Voluntary REC purchases are often made by energy intensive

If neither the buyer nor the seller has an appetite for the change-in-law risk, the parties could seek to transfer the risk to a third-party. One way the parties could accomplish this would be through a financial swap with a financial counterparty (ex. a dealer or other financial institution). Whether the seller or buyer would be the counterparty to the swap and the payment of costs associated with the swap would be subject to the parties’ needs and to negotiation. For ease of reference, the buyer or seller will be referred to as the “REC counterparty.” The REC counterparty would enter into a swap agreement with a financial counterparty for protection against an event outside the control of the parties to the underlying REC purchase agreement, causing the subject REC to be no longer eligible under the applicable RPS Program, including the elimination of the relevant RPS Program (a “non-eligibility event”). The swap could mitigate risks by transferring the risk of delivery or receipt of non-eligible RECs from one party to another without transferring the underlying RECs. Under the swap, the REC counterparty would pay a periodic or an upfront fee to the financial counterparty. In return, the financial counterparty would agree to pay the REC counterparty a set amount in the event of a non-eligibility event, with the parties free to customize how the set amount is calculated.

The ability of parties to mitigate or allocate some of risks of purchasing RECs, whether through a swap or insurance, may further enhance RPS programs by bringing more buyers of RECs to the market. industries or those seeking to offset greenhouse emissions in environmentally sensitive areas. Participants in the compliance markets generally purchase RECs to satisfy state-level RPS program requirements, which vary among states. Change-in-law risk

In the compliance market, buyers and sellers of RECs are concerned with regulatory changes that impact an RPS program. For example, if a governmental authority was to repeal or modify its current RPS program and institute a new or modified RPS program, such regulatory change may adversely affect the value of RECs. Alternatively, the buyers and sellers in a REC market could also benefit from a change-in-law. For instance, in some states, speculation of a more robust marketbased system for RECs has increased the value of such RECs. This change-in-law risk arises since REC purchase agreements are typically longterm contracts for the future delivery of RECs. Over time, like other commodities to be delivered in the future, RECs are subject to future events that impact their value at the time of delivery. This uncertainty leaves buyers and sellers uncomfortable and eager to put change-in-law risk on the other party. Contractual allocation of change-in-law risk

The parties can contractually agree to allocate the change-in-law risk. For instance, a seller could undertake that the REC under the contract at the time of entering into the purchase agreement for the REC is, and at the time of the delivery will be, in compliance with the applicable RPS program. If the REC were not in compliance with RPS program at the time of delivery, the buyer would not have to take delivery of that REC. And, if no RPS program were then in place, the ability to deliver a REC would be compromised. However, sellers may be unwilling to take compliance risk or change-in-law risk generally, leaving the buyer exposed to the risk associated with the REC after the execution of the REC purchase agreement.

For example, depending on the party seeking to hedge its risk, the set amount could be equal to: 1) the price equal to the amount required to purchase a REC that is compliant with the applicable RPS program, if any; 2) the difference between the market value of a compliant REC and the market value of a non-eligible REC (although the REC may no longer be compliant with the applicable RPS program, presumably it could be sold into the voluntary market, thereby retaining some value); 3) an amount equal to the cost of having the non eligible REC re-certified, if possible; 4) the contract price under the relevant REC purchase agreement at the time of the non- eligibility event; or, 5) some other pre-agreed amount. Alternatively, instead of a set amount, the REC counterparty and the financial counterparty could agree that the financial counterparty has the right to deliver an eligible REC for the applicable RPS program. If the non-eligibility event never occurs, the REC will likely be sold and purchased pursuant to the underlying purchase agreement, and the financial counterparty will have profited by collecting the periodic or upfront fee. Another interesting approach is the use of insurance (as parties have done in the European carbon markets). Parties could purchase insurance products to insure risks (including change-in-law risk) under a REC purchase agreement. In exchange for premium payments, the insurance company would indemnify for losses resulting from the non-eligibility event. An added benefit of an insurance product, compared to a swap contract, is that domestic insurance companies are subject to more rigorous capital requirements than most financial counterparties in the swap context. The ability of parties to mitigate or allocate some of risks of purchasing RECs, whether through a swap or insurance, may further enhance RPS programs by bringing more buyers of RECs to the market. And, in turn, potentially allow sellers to raise more capital for further development of renewable generation resources. Whether seeking to enter into a swap or purchase insurance, REC counterparties should consult their legal, tax, and accounting advisors to understand all the risks and costs associated. Troutman Sanders LLP | www.troutmansanders.com

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investing in clean energy

The Financing of Clean Energy A

merica’s appetite for energy shows no signs of ebbing. In fact, despite expected technological advances in energy efficiency, total energy consumption in the United States is projected to increase by 11% by 2030, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). With a finite supply of traditional fossil fuels, such as oil and coal, development of clean energy resources is more critical than ever. Dick Rai, manager, National City Energy Capital, says the country has the technological expertise and political support to develop advanced solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy resources on a national scale. He thinks, however, the finance industry needs to step up now to make this a reality, with little time to waste. Rai recently provided further insights into why renewable energy must be one of the nation’s top concerns and how to finance these projects effectively: Why is clean energy so important to the country’s energy independence? With an increasing population and global industrialization, the worldwide demand for energy is skyrocketing and fossil fuels will someday run out. Advanced clean energy resources will not only reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, but help the United States strengthen its technological leadership in energy development. Isn’t the development of clean energy well underway? Yes, according to the EIA’s most recent data from 2007, US renewable energy resources accounted for 7% of our energy supply. This is a good start, but it’s time for us to fully embrace the technology. President Obama is making it a priority. Much of the developed world already has done so, led by China and its massive hydroelectric operations. Overall, about 20% of the world’s energy comes from renewable resources. What clean energy sources show the greatest promise for achieving energy independence? The largest niche in renewable energy today is wind power. Utility scale wind farms, costing $500 million to $600 million each, have become increasingly common. A growing number of much smaller, community oriented wind farms, however, are being developed. Last year alone, more than $20 billion was allocated to wind projects. The EIA recently reported that wind generated electricity from the years 2005 to 2007 was unmatched versus other renewable energy sources. Solar power is heating up, too, as it becomes increasingly affordable. Solar has the advantage of needing only sunlight to produce electricity. In addition, it’s a distributed energy source. You can put a solar energy system on a roof and it will essentially power that structure. Many large utility scale solar projects have been announced and are slated to start within the next couple of years. What about biomass and geothermal energy resources? A growing number of industrial plants producing heat and steam rely on biomass resources such as corn, wood chips, soybeans, and other similar sources. Biomass is also used in the production of transportation fuels such as ethanol, which remains very popular. Recent adjustments to farm subsidies, however, are prompting some ethanol operations to close. Other raw materials like algae and garbage refuse are becoming popular. In addition, an increasing number of geothermal energy projects are underway, although this is probably the smallest overall niche in clean energy at the moment. What role, if any, does the US government have in the development of clean energy? In many locales, the political support needed to promote clean energy is moving into place, along with government incentives to encourage development. There are a variety of tax credit, subsides, rebates, and accelerated depreciation tools available. Will the President’s economic stimulus bill have any impact on the development of clean energy resources? Absolutely. The economic stimulus bill includes a number of provisions aimed at clean energy developers. During the next two years, they have the option of turning renewable energy tax credits directly into cash via government grants—up to 30% of a project’s cost. This is a game changer for this industry. There’s also a new tax credit for manufacturers of renewable energy equipment. What is the greatest challenge facing developers of clean energy? Did you know that while many renewable energy projects have the approvals to 56

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commence, less than 20% are actually completed? The technical expertise, political clout, tax subsidies, and other incentives are in place but, unfortunately, financing can still be difficult. What makes the financing of these projects such a challenge? To make renewable energy cost effective from a financing perspective, many large funders focus their attention on projects valued at $50 million or more. This minimum financing threshold hampers many smaller but legitimate solar, biomass, and wind power projects from ever getting off the ground. The financing structures are relatively complex, relying on multiple sources of repayment—all of which must adhere to the agreement in order for the project to be successful from a financing standpoint. There is no standard documentation, so legal fees impact project economics, as well. Is there a solution? Fortunately, there are some lenders that will invest the time, effort, and knowledge to carefully evaluate and often fund such smaller renewable energy projects. More lenders are needed, however, to finance the many promising opportunities each year. Creative financing can spell the difference between a great renewable energy idea coming to fruition or being pushed aside. How are clean energy deals typically structured? In essence, each deal is a mini power generating plant with revenues and expenses netting to an available cash flow stream. All financing is generally based on that net stream regardless of the underlying name or structure. There are also tax-affected differences in the underlying structures. There are many ways to structure energy deals including the use of standard and operating leases, as well as partnership “flip” structures. Power purchase agreements are also becoming increasingly popular. They were initially introduced for municipalities looking for financing of their renewable energy projects. But, since these entities do not pay taxes, PPAs are established with banks and other funders who, upon government approval, can take advantage of tax credits for financing renewable energy projects. Some lenders still fail to fully optimize the value of these transactions. New and aggressive financial structures specifically tailored for clean energy opportunities are being explored, but there are some concerns about their efficacy and whether they would pass IRS scrutiny. The solution, then, is to improve the consistency in the evaluation and structuring of these deals. So, how should a lender evaluate a clean energy transaction? In today’s economic climate, a lender should scrutinize energy projects carefully, just like any other opportunity. They can start by asking the following key questions: 1. Who are the parties involved in the transaction? Can they fulfill their obligations through the term of the project? 2. Is there construction financing and who is handling it? Lenders cannot absorb construction risk. 3. Who is going to manage the operation and maintenance of the energy facility over the long term? The project must generate its forecasted production at the expected cost. 4. Who is the actual credit being extended to and can they pay for the power over time? 5. Is the structure of the deal and documentation acceptable? The project structure and related documentation must be in-sync. This is not as easy as it sounds, since all of the nuances of a fairly complicated transaction must be covered. What happens if the country fails to finance renewable energy? Given the projected energy demands over the next 20 years, do we really have a choice? It’s imperative the country succeeds. The US and global engineering and scientific communities are working to bring sustainable energy to life. The public and private sectors are realizing energy independence is critical to maintaining our standard of living. From a finance perspective, we all must recognize the opportunity before us and help shape the future of this country and the world. National City | www.nationalcity.com

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Part II: Joint Ventures between Regulated Utilities and Developers An alternative method for developing renewable energy generation By Lance T Brasher-Partner & Drew Baldinger

Acquisition timing

Regulated utilities may acquire their interest in a project either during development or construction, or at or near commercial operation (ex. a build-transfer arrangement). The regulated utility’s and the developer’s share of development and construction risk are affected by the timing of the acquisition and, as such, the price and/or fee that the regulated utility pays for its ownership interest will also be affected. Furthermore, as discussed in the first part of this article, the timing of the acquisition may alleviate certain issues in connection with performance security requirements. However, timing of the acquisition may also create tax issues. These tax issues include potential state law transfer taxes and the requirement that the regulated utility acquires its interest in the project prior to the project’s placed in service date to be eligible for investment tax credits. Timing of the acquisition may also create regulatory issues, such as potentially requiring filing under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976 or approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Public utility commission approval

Regulated utilities will require the local public utility commission’s approval of the joint venture. Among other things, regulated utilities will likely need to demonstrate why ownership of renewable energy generation is more beneficial to the ratepayers than only purchasing renewable energy. The joint venture agreements should not only contain an obligation of the regulated utility to make such filing timely, and for the developer to provide requested assistance, but should also provide appropriate offramps in case the commission’s approval is not obtained. Regulated utilities may also want public utility commission pre-approval in connection with subsequent transfers of project interests to or from the regulated utility pursuant to the provisions of the joint venture documentation. Project costs and funding commitment

The parties will need to determine how to allocate project costs and how the parties will fund these costs. Typically, each party will be responsible for a percentage of project costs equal to its percentage interest in the project. The parties may choose to fund these costs in advance on a monthly or quarterly basis into a jointly owned account. The parties require that project costs be incurred and paid in accordance with a budget. Because payments under the construction and equipment supply agreements will be significant, the parties may further require these payments be made directly by each party to the relevant contractor, thereby allowing each party an opportunity to verify the completion of project work prior to releasing substantial funds. This is particularly important for the regulated utility where the construction contractor or equipment supplier is an affiliate of the developer. If the parties are reluctant to commit to fully funding construction while the project is during the development stage and has not yet obtained key rights of way, permits, or project contracts, the parties may wish to enter into a joint development arrangement where the regulated utility acquires its interest during project development (or rights to do so) and the parties only commit to jointly fund project development. If development of the project is successful, the parties may enter into new joint venture agreements, setting forth their respective obligations with respect to the construction and operation of the project. Using a joint development agreement allows the parties to jointly develop a project while deferring substantial capital commitments and negotiation of issues associated with construction and operation of the project until the development of the project is more advanced. Alternatively, the parties may agree upfront to fund construction of the project upon the occurrence of certain events including attaining project permits, execution of material project agreements, obtaining adequate financing, the expected availability of the tax credits, and the provision of proper credit support.

Part I of this article, published last issue (May/June ‘09), described the advantages to both developers and regulated utilities from jointly developing renewable energy generation. It began discussing certain issues that parties should consider when negotiating such joint ventures, including issues in connection with the direct ownership of project assets by the parties and performance security requirements. Part II continues the discussion on the issues to consider when negotiating joint ventures… relationship between the project owners on the one hand, and an affiliate of one of the project owners on the other—including the right to negotiate these affiliate contracts and unilaterally administer and enforce the rights of the project owners thereunder. Offramps

Any well-structured joint venture should contain adequate offramps so the parties may exit the project under appropriate circumstances. Because the regulated utility and the developer may have different incentives when developing renewable energy generation, these offramps become particularly important. As discussed above, an offramp should exist if the public utility commission does not approve the joint venture. Additionally, the parties should consider offramps in connection management deadlocks, casualty losses, condemnation actions, disputes under affiliate contracts, failure to obtain financing, events of default, material adverse effects, and even for convenience. After construction has commenced, however, offramps should be limited, because the parties will have made significant financial commitments at that point and each party and the project lenders will be relying on the financial commitment of the other. Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP | www.skadden.com

Milbank 30 years of experience in renewable energy Over 180 successful deals completed More than 9,000 MW of renewable power developed We get this business.

Project management

Under these joint ventures, a regulated utility will rely on the developer’s expertise in developing renewable energy generation and the developer will make day-to-day decisions regarding development and construction given their expertise. However, each party will want to retain the right to approve key decisions such as approving project budgets, major contractors, the disposition of significant project assets, and the commencement and settlement of litigation concerning the project. This joint decision-making is usually facilitated through the creation of a management committee. Several renewable energy developers have affiliates that supply equipment, construction services, or operating services. To ensure it satisfies both energy demand obligations and portfolio energy requirements, the regulated utility or an affiliate may wish to operate and maintain the project. In either case, the parties will need to address issues created by a contractual

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP New York Los Angeles Washington DC London Munich Frankfurt Beijing Hong Kong Singapore Tokyo www.milbank.com

For more details, contact: Ed Feo 213-892-4417 efeo@milbank.com

Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

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biopower

Dry Fermentation in Municipal Solid Waste Management By Leah Simmet & Sarah Williams

Typical wet fermentation system Far left: Typical dry fermentation system

everal environmental issues have arisen as important considerations for managers of solid waste services in recent years. These issues include: the generation of renewable and reliable energy, management of waste produced by citizens, and overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The engineered application of anaerobic digestion (AD) offers a feasible and proven solution for these concerns. Anaerobic digestion is a biochemical process in which organic material is broken down by microorganisms in environments lacking oxygen. Biogas, composed primarily of methane and carbon dioxide, is released as a by-product. The methane content of biogas can be utilized to generate electric and thermal power. AD systems can be utilized to take in organic wastes materials and process them to generate energy. Over 5,000 AD systems currently exist in the EU for waste management, and that trend is starting to show up in American municipalities. The organic fraction from municipal solid waste (MSW), typically a mixture of food and yard waste, is an optimal input for AD: it contains a lot of energy content, and it is a waste that must be managed. By processing these waste types with AD, communities can generate clean energy from a renewable resource while simultaneously managing their waste output levels. The remaining material can also be further composted to be used within the municipality. Input

Electric Power from CHP

Process Heat from CHP

Methane Displacement

60,000 metric tons Organic Fraction MSW

Approx. 1.9 MWâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; enough to power approx. 1,300 homes for 1 year

50,000 MMBTUâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; enough to provide space heating to approx. 1,300 homes for 1 year

3,000 metric tons CH4 by removing uncontrolled decomposition in landďŹ lls

Since AD is a proven method for the management of the organic fraction of MSW, the next important question for a solid waste manager is: which AD system makes the most sense for MSW? In general, two broad types of AD systems are available for industrial-scale application: wet fermentation and dry fermentation. A key differentiation between these systems is the composition of the organic wastes they can handle. It is important to choose the appropriate AD system for the composition of the input material. When the suitable choice is made, pre-processing, operation/maintenance, and postprocessing needs are kept to a minimum, allowing the energy, water and resource balances of the plant to remain as favorable as possible. Wet fermentation

In the US, traditional wet fermentation plants are often seen as farm-based and waste water sludge treatment AD systems. Typically, these systems require that the overall composition of the material going into the system has a solids content of less than 15% (i.e., the input will be in liquid form). Digestion of the organic material occurs in one or a series of tanks. A liquid input is necessary for wet fermentation systems for several reasons, including: 1) the material must be pumpable from one part of the plant to the next; 2) the material must be agitated inside the tanks to allow co-mingling of the organic material and the microorganisms that perform AD. Wet systems are advantageous when the input material is naturally a liquid. Dairy farms are finding wet anaerobic digestion systems as an efficient and beneficial ma58

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Organic Fraction of MSW Processing by Wet Fermentation

PRE-PROCESSING

FERMENTATION

POST-PROCESSING

COMPOSTING

Grinding Dilution Contaminant removal

Mechanical movement within fermentation chamber

De-watering with waste water treatment Fine Solids Seperation

Addition of dry material Aerobic composting

Figure 1: Typical wet fermentation system

FERMENTATION Organic Fraction of MSW Processing by Dry Fermentation

No movement inside fermentation chamber

COMPOSTING Aerobic composting

Figure 2: Typical dry fermentation system

nure management and energy production method. This is because farms produce mass quantities of liquid manure every day, a suitable organic waste material for wet fermentation systems. However, using a wet fermentation system to process the organic fraction of MSW poses several challenges. Several pre-processing steps are required before the material can be loaded in the system. The material is ground and combined with quantities of water to achieve the necessary low solids slurry. A generalized rule of thumb is that for every gallon of 75% solids material (like yard waste), nine gallons of water must be added to turn it into slurry. Sand, grit, and other non-organic contaminants must be filtered, as they would otherwise cause failure of agitation mechanics and severe sediment build up as the particles settle on the bottom of the tank(s). After digestion, post-processing steps are also required to make wet fermentation viable for MSW management. The remaining material, or digestate, goes through dewatering to separate the liquid effluent from the solids. These residual materials could be applied to farmlands without composting them; however, because the AD system would be processing waste in a municipality waste district, farms might not be directly accessible. For composting, the solids go through fine solids separation and additional non-digested dry material is added to make the composition viable for compost. All of these processing steps, both before and after AD, require energy input and maintenance/operational costs. Water requirements needed for preparing the input also present challenges in obtaining water and treating waste water effluent in the sensitive area of a municipality. These reasons make utilizing a wet fermentation system for processing MSW unsuitable in a municipality setting. Dry fermentation

Dry fermentation AD systems are quickly arising as a method to efficiently utilize and manage non-liquid organic wastes. Dry systems can use input organic material that has a much higher total solids content of up to 50% (i.e., if the material is stackable). The organic fraction of MSW makes an ideal input for a dry fermentation system. Unlike wet systems, dry fermentation plants are designed around the principle that microorganisms are more easily moved than a large amount of material. To facilitate digestion, a solution containing the necessary microorganisms is percolated through the mass of waste by the forces of gravity. This allows the organic input to

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remain stationary for the digestion retention time while the needed biochemical interactions still occur. Because the mass stays stationary, the overall structure of a dry fermentation plant is very different than a wet plant. Bioferm dry fermentation plants, for example, are modular and consist of garage-like fermentation chambers into which organic material is filled by front loaders. There are no moving parts inside the fermentation chamber. A solution is sprayed over the organic material and collected as it seeps through to be recycled within the system. After digestion, remaining material is removed from the fermentation chamber and can be used as-is for a soil amendment or further aerobically composted. Dry fermentation offers many advantages for the processing of the organic fraction of MSW. Because material does not require movement or pumping in a dry AD plant, less pre-processing of the input materials is necessary. Input material does not need to be ground, diluted with water, nor even have the contaminants removed. Expensive water input needs and waste water treatment requirements do not have to be dealt with in the sensitive municipality atmosphere. Because there are no moving parts inside the fermentation chamber of a dry system, non-organic pollutants, like plastic bags, do not pose a hazard. Contrastingly, a plastic bag in a wet fermentation system can catch on the agitation mechanism and cause failure. The absence of mechanical parts in the fermentation chamber, and fewer mechanical parts in the dry system overall, reduces overall maintenance time and costs. These characteristics also lead to lower parasitic energy values of the system when compared to wet fermentation plants. A dry system also requires less processing of the digestate after digestion, generating an output that can directly be taken to a composting operation. All of these aspects present great savings of energy, resources and money and create an optimal situation for processing the organic fraction of municipal solid waste. When considering the use of an AD system for the processing of the organic fraction of MSW, selection of the appropriate type is a major concern. Using a dry fermentation system minimizes processing costs, both prior to and after digestion, and the use of water and other resources within the system itself. This allows for the most efficient and productive recovery of resources within the organic material. Bioferm Energy Systems www.bioferm-es.com

Multi-stage treatment system Schroeder Biofuels recently released ColdClear, the first multi-stage treatment system for solving the cold soak dilemma in biodiesel and biodiesel blends. ColdClear is designed to ensure that biodiesel products conform to the new ASTM D6751 Standard for cold flow properties. This technology is a multistage filtration/adsorption system that ensures any potential factors that would initiate crystallization or plugging are dramatically reduced. ColdClear is effective for B100 and a range of diesel blends, meaning that producers, distributors, or even fleet consumers of biodiesel blends can use it. The technology is designed to be a single pass three-stage bank of cartridge based filters/adsorbers that sequentially remove those compounds likely to cause filter plugging while touting a negligible process yield loss (unlike competing processes). The cartridges are disposable and easy to remove from the housings. The systems are skid-mounted and engineered to meet a flow rate of 5 GPM, with cartridges that can be changed in minutes, resulting in very little downtime between production runs. Schroeder BioFuels | www.schroederbiofuels.com

Algae into fuel OriginOil has developed a breakthrough technology to transform algae into fuel. Instead of drilling for old oil, OriginOil is producing clean, new oil, anytime and anywhere, to eventually replace worldwide dependence on petroleum. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Helix BioReactor, with different-colored light beams emulating the sun, â&#x20AC;&#x153;foolsâ&#x20AC;? algae into thinking it is within its natural environment and helps make the production of algae both viable and scalable. CO2, water, and minerals are then added, and through OriginOilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s proprietary â&#x20AC;&#x153;crackingâ&#x20AC;? system, the algae mixture separates itself after only a few moments at low energy, resulting in usable oil. This new development has already attracted the attention of the US Department of Energy, which recently signed a partnership agreement with the company to continue developing plug-in applications to promote the use of algae without the need for an infrastructure, thereby creating an export model that can be adopted around the world. OriginOil | www.originoil.com

WASTE

CO2-to-fuel technology Carbon Sciences, Inc. (CABN), the developer of a breakthrough technology to recycle carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into gasoline and other fuels, recently announced a significant breakthrough that will shorten the path to commercializing its CO2-to-fuel technology. Previously, the company had planned on developing a mini-pilot plant as the next scale up of its technology, where additional performance data would be obtained to design a fullscale commercial plant. However, recent breakthroughs in the nano-engineering of the biocatalyst, encouraging prototype performance results and molecular-based computer modeling of the biocatalytic process, have provided the development team with a direct path to full-scale pilot design. Carbon Sciencesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; highly scalable biocatalytic process is poised to meet the fuel needs of the world and also provide an alternative to carbon capture and sequestration. Their solution to energy and climate challenges will support a sustainable world of fuel consumption and climate stability. Carbon Sciences, Inc. www.carbonsciences.com

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biopower

Case Study: CSI Biomass Co-generation Project Reducing dependence on natural gas

Economizer with duct emerging from electrostatic precipitator

Top: Natural gas burners on boiler; Middle: Overfire air fan and duct; Bottom: Fuel conveyors from storage building to boiler.

By Alton Fallin

The concept

In late 2008, Corrugated Services Incorporated (CSI) was able to eliminate much of its dependence on natural gas. This was accomplished with the installation of a biomassfueled boiler at their linerboard mill, which took advantage of a readily available source of discarded wooden shipping pallets. The boiler was sized to provide steam to a backpressure turbine generator, which was able to generate approximately 3 MW of electricity and supply the 170 psig steam required by the paper machine. The wooden pallets were to be purchased already hogged and delivered by truck, but no facilities for delivering to the boiler yet existed. Furthermore, the boiler and associated equipment had to be purchased along with the turbine generator and other auxiliary equipment. Permitting was a sizable portion of the front-end work necessary to get this project off the ground. CSI is in a non-attainment zone. A permit was obtained that established limits for NOx, SOx, CO, and ammonia. The equipment required to meet these limits included: multi-clone mechanical dust collector, ESP (electrostatic precipitator), SCR (selective catalytic reduction), and an ammonia storage and injection system. Obtaining used equipment

To minimize the cost of the project, CSI decided to obtain used equipment whenever possible. A fit was found in North Carolina where a large process company had a power island that had been shut down for several years. The boiler was originally manufactured by Zurn, and was designed for coal firing. Inspected, it was deemed in relatively good condition. The traveling grate was operational and would work for firing the pallet-derived wood chips. Zurn engineers recommended replacing the fuel distributors and adding eight feet to the sidewalls to increase resident time, as well as modifications to the over-fire air. A Mitsubishi back pressure steam turbine and generator were included in the power island. Both the turbine and generator were in excellent condition and required relatively minimal refurbishment.

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Boiler modiďŹ cations

The single most costly modification was the eight-foot extension to the furnace height. To accomplish this, new sections of tube walls for all four sides were required. Two gas burners were added to be used in start-up and as back-up for periods of low wood fuel supply. All of the generating bank tubes had to be replaced to separate the drums for shipment. The economizer needed to be relocated due to temperature requirements of the catalyst in the SCR, and was moved to a vertical run of duct just ahead of the ID fan. The SCR was located just after the ESP and before the economizer. The equipment line-up for the flue gas became: boiler exit, mechanical dust collector, ESP, ammonia injection, SCR, economizer, ID fan, and stack. New equipment

New fans were required to replace existing fans, which were deteriorated or mismatched in size. New natural gas burners were purchased that were low NOx type, complete with fuel train. A conventional submerged conveyor system was chosen to remove the ash falling off the traveling grate at the front of the boiler. Mechanical drag conveyors brought the remaining boiler ash to the front of the boiler, where it was combined with the ash from the grates and discharged into a dumpster for disposal. Fly ash collected from hoppers underneath the mechanical dust collector and underneath the ESP was transported by vacuum pneumatic conveyors to an ash storage silo. The fly ash fed out of the silo into an ash mixer before being dumped into a dumpster. Start-up process

CSI wanted to begin the start-up process in stages. The wood delivery system was started first to establish the fuel source availability before firing the boiler. This system was comprised of a truck dumper, belt conveyors, two magnets, a screen, a hog, and a distributing conveyor that dumped inside the storage building. Reclaim consisted of a rake type reclaimer and a collection conveyor with sweep gates to level the flow. A

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VOLUME 2

supply conveyor fed an over-feed distribution hopper with a return conveyor to the storage building where it dumped back onto the piles. The wood handling system was operated long enough to make sure everything was functional, but not long enough to optimize the control methodology. The difficulty in continuing to run without feeding the boiler was that the wood chips tended to break down into fines. The boiler was fired first on natural gas to prove the operation before switching to wood firing. Unexpected problems

Controllability issues arose with the FD fan supplying both the under-grate air and the gas burner air. The problem was solved by installing a new, separate fan for the gas burner air. Wood dust in the fuel supply was greater than expected. This excess dust created housekeeping issues, potential combustion problems inside the storage building, and plugging in the catalyst matrix of the SCR unit. The problem was alleviated as the demand for fuel increased, thereby increasing the turnover of the supplied material.

All-welded process system for biodiesel industry

DESIGNED FOR OUR READERS AND OUR ADVERTISERS

Geothermal mal Show in print print

Life Without the Production Tax Credit And its affect on wind power

A new approach to CO2

Pressure instruments used in the biodiesel processing industry must be rigorous and sturdy enough to withstand harsh conditions. Pulsation, vibration, and/or environmental conditions can compromise system integrity. These conditions may break the threaded gauge-to-seal connection found in a traditional diaphragm seal system. A broken connection can result in inaccurate readings or total failure. Also, mishandling and incorrect installation of the traditional diaphragm seal system can compromise gauge alignment, resulting in a leaking system. The WIKA model M93X.D1 All-Welded System (AWS) is a process gauge and a diaphragm seal integrated into a complete assembly. All connections and access ports are welded to ensure a complete leak-free design, resulting in increased operating life. This proven and rugged system can handle the harshest conditions where many other instruments fail. The AWS is widely accepted as a problem solver in oil and gas refineries. WIKA has also taken the AWS one-step further and developed the AWS with 1.0 NPT-male process connection and flushing port. A flushing port added to the lower housing of the diaphragm seal allows cleaning fluid to flush residue out of the pipe to prevent damage or clogging to the instrument. The AWS also has a liquid-filled case to protect the instrument from mechanical vibration and pressure pulsation. WIKA Instrument Corporation | www.wika.com

ISSUE 4

Solar

Show in print

Go to www.nacleanenergy.com to see all our print content subscription and advertising information, and much more.

OUR

BIOMASS

CHIPPERS

TAKE YOU FROM

FOREST TO FUEL.

Current operations

Currently, CSI is enjoying reliable operation of the wood fired cogeneration plant. Steam demand from the linerboard mill is running about 90,000 lbs/hr. The boiler is producing about 110,000 lbs/hr with a portion of the steam going to the deaerator and other utility requirements. The steam turbine is operating between the 900 psig produced by the boiler and the 170 psig needed by the Linerboard Mill. Electricity produced averages about 2.6 MW. CSI has controlled their risk from the fluctuating natural gas prices while furthering their corporate goal of being a very green neighbor. Alton Fallin, chief engineer of the Power Island, is currently a senior mechanical engineer, employed by Hunt, Guillot and Associates in Ruston, LA. Corrugated Services Inc. is a producer of 100% recycled linerboard and corrugating medium, as well as packaging papers and coated products at its facilities in Forney, Texas. The company was founded in 1974 and produces more than 300,000 tons of containerboard per year. Corrugated Services Inc. www.csipaper.com

Nine new analytical platforms for biodiesel and bioethanol laboratories PerkinElmer, Inc. announced a major expansion of its EcoAnalytix biofuels analytical solutions portfolio. The company has expanded its biodiesel and bioethanol portfolio to include nine analyzers and systems, crossing six technologies: ICP-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC), infrared (IR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and liquid scintillation counters (LSC). Biodiesel, a clean-burning fuel made from natural renewable sources, such as sunflower, soybean, rapeseed, jatropha, or used vegetable oil, must meet either ASTM or EN standards before entering the marketplace. PerkinElmer’s biodiesel and bioethanol portfolio has been expanded to include the FAME (Fatty Acid Methyl Esters) system based on the Clarus GC for determining fuel composition, oxidation stability system based on the DSC 8500 for determining the oxidation status of biofuel, and the 14C LSC system for determining the fuel blend. This range represents a full suite of methods and technologies for biodiesel development and testing needs. A full suite of systems for testing bioethanol, a sugar-based fuel made from such crops as sugar-cane, corn or wheat, is also available. This line consists of an EcoAnalytix Trace Metals Analyzer based on the Optima 7000 ICP-OES for testing Group I and Group II metals and phosphorus, Alcohol system for determining the right blend of ethanol in gasoline by GC, and Bioethanol Fermentation HPLC system for monitoring fermentation broth. The 14C Determination by LSC system available for biodiesel can also be used in qualifying bioethanol.

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hydro and marine energy

Tide of Sea Energy

Surface tension: set out at sea this Orecon buoy contains three wave chambers in which power is generated. It is a partner with Wave Hub, a pioneering wave-energy project on course to be built in 2010 off the coast of England that can generate enough electricity for 1,000 homes. Picture Credit: Deborah Clark Associates

The Wave Hub power project By Ray Cooling, London Press Service

move to make southern England: “the cradle of offshore renewables development, not just in the UK, but the world” (thanks to domestic electricity generated from the sea), came a step nearer after a pioneering wave-energy project to be built off the English coast signed up another development partner. Now, the Orecon company will occupy the fourth berth at the Wave Hub site that aims to be operational in 2010. Orecon believes that the UK is at the forefront of development of wave-power technology. The construction of the Wave Hub power project is expected to start in May 2010, and be completed by August of that year, with the first wave energy devices ready to be deployed in 2011. An independent economic impact assessment has calculated that Wave Hub could create 1,800 jobs and inject 560 million pounds into the UK economy over 25 years. Almost 1,000 of these jobs and 332m pounds could be generated in south-west England. In 2008, Orecon raised 24 million US dollars of private investment for the development of its wave-to-energy buoy that can generate enough power for 1,000 homes. Based in Cornwall, south-west England, the company was founded in 2002 as a spin-out business from the University of Plymouth. The Wave Hub development is described as a gigantic electrical “socket” on the seabed, 18 kilometres (about 11 miles) offshore, and connected to the National Grid—into which wave-energy device developers can plug their systems and carry out pre-commercial testing on a scale not seen before. It is already being hailed as one of the UK’s flagship renewable energy projects, and is one of only six case studies to feature in the government’s low-carbon industrial strategy launched in London recently by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband, and Business Secretary Peter Mandelson. Leading the Wave Hub project is Nick Harrington, head of marine energy at the South West Regional Development Agency, who said: “This is just the latest exciting development for Wave Hub, which is on course to be built next summer. Wave 62

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Hub is just part of a much bigger ambition to make south-west England the cradle of offshore renewables development, not just in the UK, but the world.” David Crisp, chief executive of Orecon, said: “The UK still leads the way in the development of wave-energy technology and we have the best wave resources in Europe. Wave Hub will give us the development platform we need to prove our technology to the world, and we are delighted to have been selected as one of the regional development agency’s partners.” Groups of wave-energy devices will be connected to Wave Hub and float on or just below the surface of the sea to assess how well they work and how much power they generate before going into full commercial production. Each Orecon buoy contains three wave chambers. A wave chamber is similar to a bottle with its bottom cut off. The chamber stands in the water and, as a wave goes by, the water level rises then falls in the chamber. As the water rises, air is pushed out of the neck of the bottle and, as the water level falls, air is sucked in. In the neck is a wind turbine and electricity is generated as the air rushes in and out. Wave Hub will be connected to the National Grid by a 25 kilometer (15.5-mile) cable linked to a new electricity substation on the mainland at Hayle, Cornwall. Four wave-device developers are working with the South West RDA on the project and each will be granted a lease of a sea area of two square kilometers. As well as Orecon, the other developers are Ocean Power Technologies Ltd., Fred Olsen Ltd., and WestWave, a consortium of E.On and Ocean Prospect Ltd., using the technology of Pelamis Wave Power Ltd. The South West RDA leads the development of a sustainable economy, investing to unlock the region’s business potential. It is helping companies respond to the economic crisis and chart a course for recovery. Orecon | www.orecon.com

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Commercialscale tidal current energy system Marine Current Turbines has won the Renewable Energy Association’s Developer of the Year Award with its successful design, deployment, and operation of its 1.2 MW SeaGen tidal current energy system. In February, the company also won the 2009 Rosenblatt New Energy Rising Star award. SeaGen, the world's first and so far only commercial-scale tidal current energy system, was installed in Northern Ireland’s Strangford Lough last year, and is now generating power into the local grid. It has the power to generate clean electricity to meet the average needs of about 1000 homes.

Improvements to 54.4 MW Snoqualmie Falls The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved plans by Puget Sound Energy to make $250 million in improvements to the Snoqualmie Falls hydroelectric project, adding 10 MW to bring the historic project to the full 54.4 MW authorized by its 2004 relicensing. The 111-year-old project (No. 2493) features two power plants and Snoqualmie Falls, a 268-foot waterfall about 30 miles east of Seattle, Washington. Accordingly, a FERC license amendment approved in June will allow construction to ramp up in September on substantial upgrades to generating infrastructure and major enhancements to recreational facilities. Work includes replacement of a generator in Plant 2 and replacement of a generator and retrofitting of four 1898-vintage generators in Plant 1, increasing generating capacity by 10 MW without using additional water. Puget also plans to replace intake structures, upgrade penstocks, install turbine bypass valves, and install automatic shutoff gates above Plant 2 to halt flows in the event of earthquake or other emergency. The work is to be complete in 2014. Puget Sound Energy | www.pse.com

Marine Current Turbines | www.marineturbines.com

Wave energy converter awarded Aquamarine Power picked up the Innovator Award at this year’s British Renewable Energy Awards for its Oyster wave energy converter. The award recognizes outstanding excellence in innovative features of concept and design; achievement in meeting original objectives and continued proven success of the device; and the demonstration of exceptional effort of those involved in bringing Oyster through development, testing, and toward commercialization. Oyster is a hydro-electric wave energy converter designed to convert renewable energy harnessed from ocean waves into usable electricity. Created to be deployed in multi-MW arrays with a peak power of 300 to 600kW per Oyster, a commercial farm of just ten devices could provide clean renewable energy to a town of 3,000 homes. Oyster is unique in that it starts generating electricity in almost calm sea conditions and can continue generating even in the worst of storms, making large-scale commercial success more achievable. Aquamarine Power | www.aquamarinepower.com

The Furry Creek project As per this issue’s cover photo, The Furry Creek project is a run-of-river hydroelectric facility that diverts water from Furry Creek through a penstock into turbines located in a powerhouse downstream. The water turns the turbine generating 11 MW of power and is returned to the river directly below the powerhouse. The facility generates 45,000 MWh/year, which is sold to BC Hydro in Canada, under a 20-year power sale contract. This environmentally friendly facility received its Eco-Logo certification when it began operations in June of 2004. Over its five years of operations, the facility has achieved an availability to generate power exceeding 99%. It is 99% owned by ENMAX Corp, and 1% owned by the Squamish First Nation. ENMAX Corp | www.enmax.com North American Clean Energy

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energy efficiency Annual Energy Efﬁciency Indicator Survey reveals regulation and incentives will drive investment Energy efficiency has never been more important, according to new research commissioned by Johnson Controls. The Energy Efficiency Indicator (EEI) survey, a research report targeting professionals responsible for energy management, revealed barriers to investing in energy efficiency include: limited

funding, uncertainty about future energy prices, government incentives, and energy and climate legislation. “These findings highlight the fact that business leaders across the US.are increasingly aware of the need for energy efficiency and its potential to reduce operating costs while

cutting greenhouse gas emissions,” said C David Myers, president of Johnson Controls Building Efficiency division. “Economic and regulatory uncertainty, however, are inhibiting organizations from investing in proactive measures,” added Myers. Johnson Controls partnered with the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) to commission the survey of more than 1,400 North American executives who

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are responsible for managing, reviewing, or monitoring energy use within their organizations. The majority of respondents were chief executive officers, vice presidents, general managers, or facility directors. Energy efﬁciency has never been more important

According to the EEI results, 71% of business leaders are paying more attention to energy efficiency than they were one year ago. Fiftyeight percent responded that energy management was extremely or very important. Of the organizations making public carbon commitments, 45% identified energy efficiency in buildings as their top carbon reduction strategy. Sustainability continues as a focus for new construction projects as 38% are seeking green building certification, while 45% plan to incorporate green elements, but not certify their facilities. “This research recognizes the important role workplace professionals play in controlling operational costs related to energy consumption and making strategic capital investments in high-performing building technologies,” said Don Young, vice president of communications, IFMA. “Indications are that as the economy recovers we will see greater investments in energy reduction and sustainable initiatives.”

US Department of Energy Approves 16 State Energy Spending Plans The US Department of Energy has approved 16 State Energy Program spending plans, authorized as part of the federal economic stimulus package signed into law in February. With the approval of these plans, 16 of the nation’s State Energy Offices are receiving $508 million, representing 50% of full program funding. Remaining funding will come as states implement their programs and deliver results. The 16 state plans approved so far include: Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington. The DOE continues to review State Energy Program spending plans from 39 other states and US territories. Action on the plans is expected by the end of July. These energy plans fulfill state obligations under the federal State Energy Program, one of a number of stimulus-funded programs operated by the 56 State and Territory Energy Offices. Total stimulus funding for the State Energy Program is $3.1 billion. The State Energy Program is a key part of the Obama Administration’s national strategy to support green job growth, while making an historic investment in economically viable clean energy projects. “This funding will provide an important boost for state economies, help put Americans back to work, and move us toward energy

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Limited capital means declining investments

The study revealed a likely 10% decrease from last year in the use of facility capital budgets to fund energy efficiency projects. It also revealed a 6% decrease in the number of respondents planning to make investments using their operational budgets. When asked about the barriers to capture potential energy savings, limited capital availability for investments (42%) and unattractive payback (21%) were cited. Nearly 50% of executives who oversee energy efficiency investments expect a payback period that is less than three years.

“We see a wide distribution of views about what will happen to energy prices—ranging from a 100% increase to a 60% decrease,” according to Clay Nesler, vice president of Global Energy & Sustainability at Johnson Controls. “This uncertainty appears to be another reason business leaders are holding back on investments.” CEEA09 7.5" x 10" NA Clean Energy Mag

Perspectives on renewable energy

Survey participants also were asked about onsite renewable energy technologies. Leaders stated they were considering a range of technologies, including wind, solar thermal, solar electric, and geothermal sources of energy. Forty-six percent reported considering solar electric—an Ad.ai 6/11/09 increase 6:14:48of PM8% over the previous

year. Geothermal energy also received a substantial increase in interest level, up by 7%. Johnson Controls www.johnsoncontrols.com International Facility Management Association (IFMA) www.ifma.org

www.cleanenergyexpoasia.com

Market uncertainty related to carbon policy, incentives and energy prices

The EEI research indicates that business leaders believe incentives from utilities or government will drive investment. Eighty-five percent stated that legislation mandating energy efficiency and/or carbon reduction is likely within the next two years. This data supports a continual upward trend, increasing from 76% in 2008. Forty-four percent report that incentives are very/extremely important as they make decisions on energy efficiency, up from 38% in 2008. There doesn’t seem to be a consensus among respondents about whether energy prices will decrease or increase.

independence,” said DOE Secretary Steven Chu. “It reflects our commitment to support innovative state and local strategies to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy while insisting that taxpayer dollars be spent responsibly.” The National Association of State Energy Officials, based in Alexandria, Virginia, represents the State and Territory Energy Offices. NASEO members, typically designated by governors, are leading state efforts to direct, invest, and manage energy spending to maximize energy savings, private sector cost-share, and economic benefits, including jobs. The energy offices manage more than $3 billion of state funds annually in addition to the federal stimulus funding. Other federal energy spending under the stimulus plan includes $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, which is directed to about 1,700 cities, counties, local governments and states, and 510 tribes; $5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps low-income people reduce their energy bills by making homes more energy efficient; $4.4 billion for utilities and others involved in development of a national “smart grid” for electricity transmission, delivery, and use; and, $300 million for Energy Star appliance rebates to consumers. To learn more about funding plans and programs in each state, contact specific State Energy Offices. A complete list of State Energy Offices is accessible at http://naseo.org/ members/states. NASEO | www.NASEO.org

ENERGY FOR THE FUTURE

ne Onli tion tra regis open! now

18 – 20 November

2009

Clean Energy Expo Asia is a unique trading and knowledge-sharing platform for the clean energy industry in Asia Pacific. The Trade Fair and Conference bring together the leading players in the Technology, Services, Finance and Government sector to address key issues in the area of renewable energy, energy efficiency and sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region.

WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND - Source from a rich showcase of cutting-edge technologies, services and financing solutions - Learn from thought leaders at the power-packed conference – for the industry, by the industry - Network and do business with the who’s who in the clean energy industry Sign up for the conference before 31 August 2009 to enjoy early bird rates! Pre-register for your FREE visitor pass to the trade fair!

Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore In partnership with

Supported by

APAC & USA Sales Koelnmesse Pte Ltd Mr Jens Veltmann Tel: +65 6500 6727 Fax: +65 6296 2771 j.veltmann@koelnmesse.com.sg

Part of

Held in

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North American Clean Energy

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Key Issues to Consider When Undertaking Renewable Energy Projects on Tribal Lands By Jason Lavender

he following provides a brief summary of issues that business developers should consider before beginning a renewable energy project on American Indian Tribal lands. The first four items focus on recent government actions that have aided or hindered the development of renewable energy projects on Tribal land, and the last item highlights specific legal issues a party contracting with a Tribe should keep in mind. Although the development of natural resources has been the primary source of economic independence for most Tribes, the relatively recent ascension of Indian gaming has reduced the attention to the development of natural resources. Now, however, spurred by high energy costs, decreased barriers to entry, technological advancements, and the Obama administration’s focus on the “green” industry, there has been a renewed interest in the development of Tribal energy resources, particularly renewable energy. Consequently, due to the location and contiguous nature of Tribal lands, non-Tribal renewable energy developers and financiers are more frequently considering renewable energy development on Tribal lands.

Government stimuli increase economic activity

Renewable energy development has largely been driven by governmental action, in particular, the US Modified Accelerated Cost-Recovery System and Bonus Depreciation, the Production and Investment Tax Credits (PTCs and ITCs), and most recently, the Stimulus Act. Additionally, several states have promoted the development of renewable energy, including feed-in tariffs, which legislate the utilization of renewable energy by utilities. Regardless of whether the incentive stems from the federal or state government, renewable energy is highly dependent on tax benefits that can offset up to 50% of the total development cost. Tribes are generally not eligible to use most federal tax benefits because most Tribes are generally not subject to federal taxation. Nevertheless, the Government and many states have initiated programs, such as the Tribal Energy Program, to increase renewable energy production on Tribal lands. These programs allow Tribes to obtain financial and technical assistance in developing renewable energy resources. Tax credits can limit Tribal sovereignty

Without Federal tax benefits, it is more expensive for Tribes to build and own renewable energy projects than their non-Tribal counterparts. However, the Federal tax benefits can be utilized if the Tribe partners with a for-profit entity that is subject to tax liability can use or monetize the Federal tax benefits to offset taxable revenue. A potential disincentive is that the sizable costs of developing a renewable energy project require the for-profit partner to own enough of the equity in the project, while the Federal tax benefits are available, to fully capture and monetize these tax advantages. (Note: this is because the Federal tax benefits may be claimed only in an equivalent proportion to the equity ownership of the partners. In practice, the for-profit partner will require upwards to 99% of the equity in the project during the time that the Federal tax benefits are available so as to claim 99% of such benefits. To do otherwise would severely undermine the economics of the project.) Therefore, the Tribe may be required to take a minority position in the project. 66

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Tribes may recapture ownership of their renewable energy project

The ineligibility of Tribes for renewable energy Federal tax benefits often makes it difficult for Tribes to create partnerships with renewable energy developers. Tribes may take advantage of the traditional “partnership flip:” upon completion of a renewable energy project, the non-Tribal developers and financiers will be contractually entitled to substantially all (up to 99%) of the income and Federal tax benefits flowing from the project. Over time, the non-Tribal parties will either obtain a contractually pre-determined percentage of cash and benefits from the project or exhaust the contractually pre-determined length of time. The ownership (and resulting profits) will then “flip” to the Tribe, making it the primary (or sole) owner, with the non-Tribal parties oftentimes becoming minority partners. Because of sovereignty issues, Tribes are usually hesitant to relinquish that much equity interest to the non-Tribal partners, making the “flip” an unattractive option. Often Tribes resort to negotiating an economically unappealing ground lease and an option to purchase the project after the Federal tax benefits have expired. Government bonds

According to the Indian Tribal Government Tax Status Act, Tribes are entitled to issue tax-free government bonds that can finance the development of renewable energy project on Tribal lands (See 24 U.S.C. Section 7871). The bonds require the funds be used for “essential governmental functions,” such as the construction of roads, schools, and utility plants. Although the IRS previously determined that the bonds would not be tax exempt because the proceeds went to profitable goals, the IRS recently stated that if bonds are used for a project that exercises an “essential governmental function,” the tax payable on the bonds may be exempt (See IRS PLR 200911001). There are conditions the Tribe must meet before obtaining the bonds, including identifying the type of project and whether it is for-profit. The IRS ruling was also issued to a particular Tribe under circumstances that may not be applicable in every situation. The IRS emphasized that the energy project must be used primarily for the Tribe and profit made from the project must be used to subsidize other Tribal community services. Moreover, the project was not intended to compete with non-Tribal energy providers. (The letter does allow, however, for some energy generated by the project to be sold to customers outside of the Indian community, so long as “the electrical power generated will be used to service the local population with only minimal amounts of power sold to customers in the immediate vicinity of the Reservation that are not adequately served by other power providers.”) Contractual issues

Limited Waiver of Sovereign Immunity The Tribe is an independent nation with sovereign immunity, so it can neither be sued pursuant to conventional means nor be subject to the typical liabilities. This uncertainty of third-party legal remedies and damages could stop a project before it even starts. Continued on page 68…

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…continued from page 66. Consequently, non-Tribal developers should require Tribes to grant limited waivers of sovereign immunity as a condition to funding capital in a renewable energy project. The waivers should be concise and unambiguously distinguish between disputes subject to Tribal law and Federal law. Governing Law; Venue Rather than using Tribal law and venue, the non-Tribal developer will demand that

all disputes be subject to either Federal or State law. Binding arbitration may also be sought for the resolution of disputes.

mal legal opinions from counsel to the Tribes are an advisable solution to this issue.

Approvals and Authorizations It is essential for the non-Tribal parties to understand that, before starting a project, Tribes must comply with both external regulations, including those of the Secretary of DOI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Federal NEPA environmental review, and internal Tribal legal procedures. For-

Conclusion

Although there are certain tax benefits that are otherwise not available when undertaking renewable energy projects on Tribal lands, the numerous governmental programs available specifically for Tribal development of renewable energy should encourage non-Tribal parties to investi-

gate such projects. To ensure a successful venture, however, non-Tribal developers should first consult an experienced attorney or advisor. Authoring attorney Jason Lavender is a member of Foley & Lardner LLP’s Commercial Transactions & Business Counseling practice and is well versed in the development of renewable energy projects. Foley & Lardner LLP | www.foley.com

Renewable Energy Tax Credits This month, a new notice was released by the IRS that gives certain renewable energy facilities the opportunity to change the way they claim their tax credits. On June 5th, 2009, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2009-52 (the Notice), which describes the procedures a taxpayer must follow to make the election to claim the federal investment tax credit (the ITC) in lieu of claiming the federal production tax credit (the PTC). In general, the ITC may be claimed in the year the facility is placed in service. The election to claim the ITC in lieu of the PTC was provided as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, and applies to wind, biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas, waste-to-energy, and marine renewable facilities. To claim the ITC, a taxpayer must complete IRS Form 3468 and file the form with its income tax return for the year in which the facility becomes operational. The taxpayer is required to make a separate election for each facility. Additionally, the taxpayer will be required to attach a statement to IRS Form 3468 that includes the following information: 1. Name, address, taxpayer identification number, and telephone number of the taxpayer. 2. For each facility that qualifies for the ITC: i. A detailed technical description of the facility, including generating capacity. ii. A detailed technical description of the energy property placed in service during the taxable year as an integral part of the facility, including a statement that the property is an integral part of such facility. iii. The date that the energy property was placed in service. iv. An accounting of the taxpayers tax basis in the energy property. v. A depreciation schedule reflecting the taxpayers remaining tax basis in the energy property after the energy credit is claimed. 3. A statement that the taxpayer has not and will not claim the US Treasury Grant in lieu of the ITC for property for which the taxpayer is claiming the ITC. This statement to IRS Form 3468 must be signed under penalties of perjury. Additionally, the taxpayer must retain adequate books and records to support the election. Note: The Notice does not explain how to claim the US Treasury Grant in lieu of the ITC. Information regarding the grant is expected to be issued shortly.

For more information related to tax credits, visit Michael, Best and Friedrich LLP at www.michaelbest.com. 68

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WieSolPo

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eventscalendar

advertisers’websitedirectory Page

JULY 2009 8-9 BioPower Generation Chicago, IL– Hyatt Regency McCormick Place; www2.greenpowerconferences.co.uk 8-10

10-12 13-14

14-16

21-25

www.101pipe.com www.al-pro.de www.appliedmaterials.com/solar

ASYS

www.asys-group.com

Atlas Material Testing Solutions

www.solar.atlas-mts.com

4th Annual Investing in Solar San Diego, California – The Hilton Del Mar; www.frallc.com/conference.aspx?ccode=B726

AWEA

www.awea.org

Baja Construction Co. Inc.

www.bajacarports.com

Art of Being Green Lanark, Ontario – Middleville Fairgrounds, Lanark Highlands; http://artofbeinggreen.ca

Bandit Industries Inc.

www.banditchippers.com

Campbell Scientiﬁc

www.campbellsci.com/renewables

3rd Annual Western Transmission Conference San Francisco, CA – Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel www.euci.com/conferences/0709-western-trans

CanWEA

www.canwea.ca

Carstensen Contracting Inc.

www.carstensencontracting.com

CD-adapco

www.cd-adapco.com

InterSolar North America 2009 San Francisco, CA – Moscone Center; www.intersolar.us

CENTROSOLAR America Inc.

www.centrosolaramerica.com

Citel Inc.

www.citelprotection.com

SEPTEMBER 2009 14-16 PV Design for Engineers & Designers (3-day course) San Francisco, CA – Fort Mason Center; http://sunengineer.com/workshops.htm 20-23

Website

101 Pipe & Casing AL-PRO

AUGUST 2009 10-12 3rd Renewable Energy India 2009 Expo Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India; www.renewableenergyindiaexpo.com

CanWEA 2009: Inﬁnite Possibilities Toronto, Ontario— Metro Toronto Convention Centre www.canwea.ca 24th European PV Solar Energy Conference Hamburg, Germany – CCH: Congress Center and International Fair www.photovoltaic-conference.com

Company

Applied Materials

Clean Energy Expo China Beijing, China – China International Exhibition Center www.cleanenergyexpochina.com

9-10

IFC

Clean Energy Expo Asia

www.cleanenergyexpoasia.com

CRYOSTAR

www.cryostar.com

Day 4 Energy

www.day4energy.com

DC POWER

www.dcpower-systems.com

IBC 11

DEGERenergie Tracking Systems

www.degerenergie.com

Dickstein Shapiro LLP

www.dicksteinshapiro.com

Dr Valentin Energy Software

www.valentin.de

FAGEN INC

www.fageninc.com

Granutech-Saturn

www.granutech.com

Heliodyne

www.heliodyne.com

Hisco

www.hiscoinc.com

HPM America

www.hpmamerica.com

Hydro Solar Solutions

www.hydro.com/northamerica/solar

K-Flex USA

www.kflexusa.com

Kioto Clear Energy

www.kioto.com

LEONI

www.leoni-wind-solar-power.com

OCTOBER 2009 1-2 Biogas USA San Francisco, CA—Venue TBA; www.greenpowerconferences.com

Mattracks

www.mattracks.com

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP

www.milbank.com

New Jersey Economic Development Authority www.NewJerseyBusiness.gov

4-7

Geothermal Energy Expo 2009 Reno, NV—Peppermill Resort and Casino; www.geothermalenergy2009.com

Next Generation Energy

www.ngeus.com

NRG Systems

www.nrgsystems.com

7-9

POWER-GEN Asia Bangkok, Thailand— IMPACT Exhibition & Convention Centre; www.powergenasia.com

Patriot Solar Group

www.patriotsolargroup.com

Premium Solar

www.presolarnet.com

14-15

8th International Workshop on Large-scale Integration of Wind Power into Power Systems (as well as on Transmission Networks for Offshore Wind Farms) Bremen, Germany— Maritim Congress Centrum Bremen www.windintegrationworkshop.org

Quick Mount PV

www.quickmountpv.com

24-27 29-30

15-16 27-29 28-29

RENEXPO Augsburg, Germany—Trade Fair Center Augsburg; www.renexpo.de Renewable Energy Finance Forum – West (REFF-West) San Francisco, CA—Palace Hotel; www.reffwest.com

US-Mexico Border Energy Forum XVI Houston, Texas—Venue TBA; www.borderenergyforum.org Solar Power International Anaheim, CA— Anaheim Convention Center; www.solarpowerinternational.com Biomass & WtE (Waste to Energy) Shanghai, China—Soﬁtel Shanghai Jin Jiang Oriental Pudong - Golden Ballroom II & III, Lv 2 www.cmtevents.com

NOVEMBER 2009 Forum on Hydropower 2009 3-4

Ottawa, Canada—Fairmont Chateau Laurier; www.canhydropower.org 17-18

18-20

APPrO 2009: 21st Annual Canadian Power Conference and Networking Centre Toronto, Ontario—Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building http://conference.appro.org Clean Energy Expo Asia (CEEA) Singapore— Shangri-La Hotel; www.cleanenergyexpoasia.com

Send us your clean energy show and event listings. Email information to the Editor at mfroese@nacleanenergy.com

July / August 2009

NACE Jul Aug 2009 ADD.indd 70

OBC

ReﬂecTech

www.ReflecTechSolar.com

RESOL

www.resol.com

RETECH 2010

www.retech2010.com

38 7 27 3 15

Roll Forming Corporation

www.voestalpine.com/rfc

Satcon

www.satcon.com

Schletter Inc.

www.schletter-inc.us

Schüco

www.schuco-usa.com

Siemens AG

www.seimens.com/energy www.solardestination.com

Solar Destination

Solar Power International 2009

www.solarpowerinternational.com

Solectria Renewables

www.solren.com

Sopogy

www.sopogy.com

Space Potential

www.spacepotential.com

Stiebel Eltron

www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com

Sweetwater Chamber of Commerce

www.sweetwatertexas.net

Thermasource

www.thermasource.com

Think Solar

www.thinksolar-us.com

TRICO TCWIND, Inc

www.tricotcwind.com

Trina Solar

www.trinasolar.com

Troutman Sanders

www.troutmansanders.com

Unirac Inc.

www.unirac.com

Unistrut Energy Solutions

www.unistrutenergy.com

VBINE Energy

www.vbine.com

White Construction

www.whiteconstruction.com

Wieland Electric, Inc.

www.wielandinc.com

Your Solar Home

www.yoursolarhome.com

nacleanenergy.com

7/8/09 10:29 AM

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