New partnership on renewable energy modeling and forecasting

The Department of Energy and the Department of Commerce announced a new agreement to further collaboration between the agencies on renewable energy modeling and weather forecasting, which will help enable the nation’s renewable energy resources to be used more effectively by business and entrepreneurs.


The Memorandum of Understanding signed by Acting Under Secretary of Energy Cathy Zoi and Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Jane Lubchenco, Ph.D ., will encourage the two agencies to work together to develop and disseminate weather and climate information needed for renewable energy technologies that are dependent on short-term weather and longer-term climate trends. Better information on weather patterns and improved modeling of the variability of the wind, sun, water, ocean currents and other sources of renewable energy will ultimately increase the country’s ability to efficiently and reliably integrate renewable energy into the electrical grid.

“This collaboration will bring together scientists and experts across the federal government to support our efforts to integrate renewable energy into our power system,” said Zoi. “By providing us with a deeper understanding of how weather impacts the generation of renewable energy, this partnership will help to more effectively deploy these important resources across America.” “Our ability to increase America’s supply of renewable energy is based in part on our ability to predict and harness precipitation, wind and cloud patterns,” said Lubchenco. “Observations, forecasts and climate information tailored to the needs of the renewable energy industry will promote growth of this vital sector.”

The partnership will help renewable energy system designers, operators, and electric power system administrators in improving the cost effectiveness and reliability of weather-dependent renewable energy technologies. The collaboration includes a working group from DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that will identify areas for continued focus and research and help lay out next steps for improving the efficiency of renewable resources and better integrating renewable energy sources onto the electrical grid.

The group will produce an Action Plan in the coming months that will address:

• Improving renewable resource characterization models and methodologies for optimizing system reliability and performance
• Advancing meteorological and oceanic forecasting technologies, models and methodologies
• Defining national weather and oceanic monitoring systems needed to support renewable energy
• Predicting climate effects on renewable energy resources
• Coordinating both public and private sector contributions to addressing renewable resource needs.

Under the partnership, both agencies agree to provide the necessary resources to coordinate or carry out the designated tasks outlined in the Action Plan.

"make green a reality" visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

Chevrolet Volt Rollout Speeds Up: Available Nationwide By End of 2011

Chevrolet is stepping up the national rollout of the Volt to match customer interest.


“We’re accelerating our launch plan to have Volts in all participating Chevrolet dealerships in every single state in the union by the end of this year,” said Rick Scheidt, U.S. vice president, Chevrolet Marketing. “This is the right thing to do for our customers and our dealers who are seeing increased traffic onto their showroom floors.”

Chevrolet Volts have been delivered to customers in the Washington D.C. area, as well as California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Texas. Customer deliveries in Michigan begin this spring.

Customers nationwide will be able to order Volts with participating dealers beginning in the second quarter. Deliveries will begin in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii in the third quarter.

During the fourth quarter, Chevrolet expects to deliver Volts in all 50 states.

The decision to accelerate the national rollout was influenced by Chevrolet dealers like Criswell Chevrolet in Gaithersburg, Md., which has seen a surge of consumers interested in the Volt.

“The Volt is clearly bringing new customers to Chevrolet," said Harry E. Criswell III, president and owner of Criswell Chevrolet "We are seeing 10 to 15 customers a week who are seriously considering buying a Volt. Many of them own competitive brands and now have a Chevy on their shopping list because of the Volt."

Some of that consumer interest has been fueled by prestigious industry awards and recognitions for the Volt, including:

• 2011 North American Car of the Year
• Motor Trend 2011 Car of the Year
• Green Car Journal 2011 Green Car of the Year
• Car and Driver 10 Best for 2011
• Ward’s AutoWorld 10 Best Engines for 2011
• AUTOMOBILE Magazine 2011 Automobile of the Year
• 2010 Breakthrough Technology, by Popular Mechanics

“Such recognition provides customers with credible, expert endorsement of new models, which is important for vehicles like the Volt that feature significant new technologies,” said Scheidt. “Based on the awards the Volt has received, and the number of consumers expressing interest in the technology, we believe the Volt is the right car at the right time.”

The Volt is an electric vehicle that offers a total driving range of up to 379 miles, based on EPA estimates. For the first 35 miles, the Volt can drive gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free using a full charge of electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’s battery runs low, a gas-powered engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range another 344 miles on a full tank.


Ford is donating to Petersen Automotive Museum one of the two Focus Electric prototypes used on "The Jay Leno Show" during a celebrity driving segment called Green Car Challenge

Used throughout the 2010 season, the Electric Orange battery electric prototype was outfitted with Recaro racing seats, a full roll cage and a five-point racing harness for use on a racetrack designed specifically for the show

The all-new Focus Electric – Ford's first-ever all-electric passenger car – is a zero-emissions, gasoline-free vehicle that will be available in North America and Europe

You might remember seeing the bright orange Ford Focus Electric prototype running around a track and being driven by your favorite celebrities during the Green Car Challenge on "The Jay Leno Show" last year. Now, you will be able to see the same vehicle permanently plugged in at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Today, Ford officially handed the museum the keys to one of two Focus Electric prototypes used during the show's Green Car Challenge segment.

"This donation signifies Ford's transition from a prototype version of Focus Electric to the real production vehicle," said Matt VanDyke, Ford director of U.S. Marketing and Communications. "We still believe the Focus Electric prototype can continue to create awareness and excitement for electric vehicles like it did during the Green Car Challenge. The Petersen Automotive Museum is the perfect place for the car to do that."

Based on the European five-door production Focus ST, the racing prototype was specifically designed for "The Jay Leno Show" and used throughout the 2010 season. Tuned to perform on a racetrack, the Focus Electric was outfitted with Recaro racing seats, a full roll cage, five-point racing harness and an eye-catching Electric Orange paint scheme.

Actress Drew Barrymore was the first celebrity guest to accept the show's racing challenge. Other participants included Steve Carell, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sheryl Crow, Serena Williams, Rush Limbaugh and more. Dr. Phil McGraw ended up having the fastest lap of all the celebrities to drive the vehicle.

The Focus Electric will now be the featured vehicle in the museum's permanent Alternative Power exhibit. The display highlights vehicles that feature engineering solutions outside of the standard gasoline-fueled internal combustion engine. Some of the other alternative-fuel vehicles in the exhibit include an electric car built in 1897, a wood-burning truck and the 1974 Dutcher – a steam-powered car on loan to the Petersen from Jay Leno.

"We are excited to add the Ford Focus Electric to our collection," said Buddy Pepp, Petersen Automotive Museum executive director. "It is a historically significant car on many levels. Not only is this prototype Ford Motor Company's first all-electric passenger car, but it also has a local Hollywood connection. Vehicles like this reflect our mission to explore and present the history of the automobile and its impact on American life and culture using Los Angeles as the prime example."

"make green a reality" visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

17th Annual Environmental Legislative Summit in Annapolis

It was a full house last night at the 17th Annual Environmental Legislative Summit in Annapolis. Invited speakers included Howard County Executive Ken Ulman as the keynote speaker. Mr. Ulman is one of the youngest county executives in the state and was recently elected president of the Maryland Association of Counties. Mr. Ulman has been called "the new Green Lantern” by the Baltimore Sun and others because of his ambitious, determined and environmentally friendly agenda.

Although the session started late and their speaking times cut short, mostly due to the amount of time it took to get the large number of attendees seated, all the speakers were well prepared and able to get their agendas on the record. Next year they will need a bigger room, for sure.

Mr. Ulman spoke of numerous environmental victories in Howard County such as making Worthington Elementary the first solar powered school in the state and plans to install a recharging bus loop in Columbia. This first-in-the-nation system will feature a system installed under the pavement that will recharge a bus just by being driven over it (cool stuff) The County is installing a Bay Wise backyard at the Robinson Nature Center that will serve as a living example and teaching tool showing how beautiful a Bay friendly backyard can be. The county also is implementing a requirement that all new commercial buildings maintain some level of LEED certification and has begun a curbside food waste pick up service that will serve as a pilot program for a further reduction of landfill waste by using the food waste as compost.

MDE Acting Secretary Dr. Robert Summers spoke about Maryland’s Watershed Implementation Plan, named the best in the Chesapeake watershed, which is now moving to Phase II and requires funding. It is estimated that meeting the implementation of 70% of these practices by 2017 could cost as much as $10 billion statewide. The bulk of these costs fall into three primary areas: First, the continued upgrading of wastewater treatment plants, conversion of conventional septic, and enhancement of wastewater infrastructure (approximately $5 billion); second, the repair or restoration of storm water-related damage throughout the state (approximately $ 4 billion); and third, the upgrade of coal-fired power plants to reduce airborne nutrient pollution (between $1.8 and $3 billion). Mr. Summers stressed the need for conservation and added that large quantities of pollutants are from out of state sources.

Environmental Matters Committee Chair Maggie McIntosh (D-43) humorously called herself the “septic lady” after she was introduced as the “bay lady.” She pointed out that the challenges for this term are enormous and added that our mass transit is grossly underfunded. Her committee reports that $537 million will be needed through 2012 to continue to make upgrades to the sewer treatment plants.“ So the flush tax may need to be doubled,” said Delegate McIntosh. She went on to say that counties are not keeping up and storm water runoff is causing raw sewage to be delivered downstream to places like Herring Run; fracking continues to be a big source of concern as companies continue to move towards drilling in Alleghany and Garrett Counties (stay tuned); DNR is proposing license revocation for those caught poaching oysters; and last but not least, new septic systems installed in the state should be of the best technology available at the time of permitting.

Malcom Woolf, Director of the Maryland Energy Administration, commented on the tangible results that already have been reached by the state’s commitment to renewable energy, such as the installation of 2400 new systems, the 150,000 households that have taken measures to reduce their electric consumption in one way or another and $60 million in energy savings that already have been reached. The state’s Electric Vehicle Initiative is going well with the MEA plan to install car chargers in many locations, a solar hot water bill is in the works and a Net Metering law that is being revised to make it easier for you to get credit for the electricity that you produce but do not use. He mentioned that there is sufficient the wind offshore to produce enough electricity to offset 95% of the Eeastern Sshore’s consumption, which is, as he put it, “making it where it is needed.”

Allison Prost of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation put it best: “It should not be a choice between jobs or the environment. Cleaning up the environment creates jobs.” Newly elected Anne Arundel County Councilman Chris Traumbauer, who also is the West/Rhode Riverkeeper, and Andy Galli of Clean Water Action mentioned that we are all polluters and that we must reverse the damages to which we have all contributed. The Clean Water Bill, they said, will be the largest amount of money ever spent on the problem and that having a dedicated revenue stream will ensure that the work gets done.

With all the challenges facing the legislature in this session, we can all hope that we have the right people in place to make the right decisions and to allocate money where it is needed, as in these essential programs.

"make green a reality"  visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

Not much to blog about today, so enjoy this old video instead!

SunRun Report Exposes $1 Billion in Unnecessary Solar Costs

SunRun, the nation’s leading home solar company, today released an official report on how local governments can save $1 billion over the next five years and make solar affordable for 50 percent of American homes. The report, “The Impact of Local Permitting on the Cost of Solar Power,” reveals that inconsistent local solar permitting and inspection processes add an average of over $2,500 per home installation. A direct response to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) request for granular data on non-equipment solar costs, the report specifies how the DOE can take immediate action to solve local permitting problems and reduce unnecessary costs.


“Every city and town has its own set of regulations and requirements for solar installations. Our research identifies inconsistencies in local permitting as one of the most critical roadblocks to a sustainable, subsidy-free solar industry,” said SunRun CEO and Co-founder Edward Fenster. “To tackle this challenge head-on, the DOE can use existing guidelines it has already funded to standardize local permitting and deliver the equivalent of a new $1 billion solar subsidy over five years.”

In the report, solar installers nationwide say repeatedly that local permitting is the most stubborn cost they face, preventing them from making solar affordable for millions of Americans. By comparison, countries such as Germany have simpler processes that keep solar installation costs 40 percent lower than in the United States. Germany reports about one million new home solar power installations in the past two years alone, whereas the total number of homes ever to go solar in the United States has just broken 120,000. SunRun’s report recommends the DOE lead a new Residential Solar Permitting Initiative, starting with high-volume cities that impact more than 50 percent of the solar market. The recommendations include a contest with grant rewards for cities that make the most effective and comprehensive improvements.

“Local permitting red tape keeps solar off of millions of American homes and businesses and seriously jeopardizes our ability to be competitive with entrenched fossil fuels,” said Rhone Resch, president and CEO of SEIA. “Policymakers need to recognize that these additional costs put an undue burden on new, clean technologies like solar that are trying to create jobs in the U.S.”

"As a Solar America City, we recognized early on that a more efficient permitting process would improve the rate of solar deployment and contribute to market transformation of solar,” said Kristin Sullivan, program director of the Philadelphia Solar City Partnership Program. “We’ve instituted multiple improvements to help the solar industry without compromising safety or requiring additional city staff time, including reduced permitting fees and a streamlined process for projects under 10kW.”

Endorsements for SunRun’s report underscore the industry’s sense of urgency when it comes to standardizing the permitting process. A coalition of 22 leading installers from across the country endorses this paper, as well as industry organizations such as The Sierra Club, SolarTech, and Vote Solar. The report is currently under review with the DOE and available at www.sunrunhome.com/permitting.

"make green a reality" visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/ 

Solar Installation at Perdue to be One of East Coast’s Largest

Perdue, Washington Gas Energy Services and Standard Solar Partner to Develop Solar Power Project Spanning Two States

More than 11,000 solar panels will be installed at two Perdue facilities this summer, resulting in one of the largest commercially-owned solar power systems in the eastern United States.


Perdue has entered into a 15-year agreement with Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES) to purchase electricity generated by the solar panels at guaranteed prices.


Typical ground mount Solar panels


By September 2011, Standard Solar Inc. of Rockville, Md. will install the ground-mounted solar panels, covering the equivalent of approximately 10 football fields, on Perdue property. Almost half will be at the Perdue corporate offices in Salisbury and will be visible to passers-by on westbound U.S. Route 50. The others will be at the company’s feed mill in Bridgeville, Del.

The systems, which will be owned and operated by WGES, will generate an average of 3,700 megawatt hours of electricity each year, or the amount of power used by 340 typical U.S. homes. At peak production, the panels will produce as much as 90 percent of the electrical demand for each facility.

“Stewardship is one of our company’s core values, so this is a perfect fit for the way we do business,” said Steve Schwalb, Perdue’s Vice President of Environmental Sustainability. “Using solar power means we’ll have a clean energy source that doesn’t pollute or create greenhouse gases, while lowering Perdue’s energy costs over the life of the project.”

Schwalb estimated the clean electricity from the solar panels will reduce Perdue’s carbon footprint by 3,000 tons per year, the equivalent of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from 300,000 gallons of gasoline per year, or nearly 4.5 million gallons through the life of the contract.

The agreement is Perdue’s latest step in its commitment to being environmentally friendly. Last year, Perdue announced a renovation of its corporate office that is expected to earn a Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold rating for environmental leadership from the U.S. Green Building Council. Three years ago, Perdue signed a first-in-the-industry Clean Waters Environmental Initiative with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help poultry growers adopt best pollution prevention practices. Ten years ago, Perdue built the nation’s first commercial poultry litter processing plant, the only process that is verifiably removing excess nutrients from the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

“By hosting this project, Perdue is also helping both Maryland and Delaware achieve their statewide solar energy goals,” said Harry Warren, president of WGES of Herndon, Va. “The Maryland and Delaware Renewable Energy Portfolio Standards Acts call for a growing contribution from solar energy each year through at least 2022, and Perdue’s project will contribute significantly to Maryland’s and Delaware’s total solar power production goals for 2012 and beyond.”

“We applaud Perdue for taking such a significant step toward energy independence and are pleased to be part of one of the largest solar installations on the East Coast,” said Scott Wiater, President of Standard Solar.

Visit Standard Solar at the Solar and Wind Expo in May and June, for details visit http://www.thesolarandwindexpo.com/

Constellation Energy to Develop 1.25 MW in Solar Installations for Anne Arundel County and Coppin State University



Typical rooftop installation

 Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG) today announced the development of a 750-kilowatt on-site solar installation at Anne Arundel County’s Combined Support Services Complex in Millersville, Md., and the development of a 500 kilowatt on-site solar installation at Coppin State University in Baltimore. Both projects are funded, in part, by grants through the Maryland Energy Administration’s Project Sunburst initiative, which promotes the installation of large-scale solar photovoltaic energy systems on state buildings. Constellation Energy will finance as well as own and operate the on-site solar installations. In return, both organizations will purchase the electricity produced by the systems at a reduced cost from Constellation Energy over a 20-year period.


.“This is a great example of how collaborations between the state and local businesses can support clean, renewable energy generation and help keep electricity prices affordable,” said Ron Melchior, vice president of renewable energy for Constellation Energy's retail business. “By structuring solar projects as power purchase agreements, we can offer energy solutions that involve no upfront capital from customers and provide them with fixed power costs over the long term, which is critical as county governments and public universities work to control rising costs for taxpayers.”

The Combined Support Services Complex building houses Anne Arundel County’s facilities and maintenance, fire protection and school storage departments. The facility’s on-site solar power system will utilize approximately 3,060 roof-mounted crystalline photovoltaic solar panels and supply an estimated 900,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. The new solar installation is expected to offset 90 percent of the building’s annual electric consumption, saving the county an estimated $80,000 per year in utility costs.

“Fiscal discipline and environmental stewardship are not mutually exclusive goals," said Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold. "This project promotes clean energy and provides a savings to taxpayers."

Coppin State University’s on-site solar power system will supply electricity for its new Physical Education Complex, utilizing approximately 2,040 roof-mounted crystalline photovoltaic solar panels. The system is expected to supply more than 600,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.

Rendition of Coppin State University's
Physical Education Complex

Coppin State University, one of 11 campuses comprising the University System of Maryland, is committed to sustainable energy production and conservation. “All of our facility improvements and new construction have a focus on sustainability and energy conservation,” said Maqbool Patel, director of facilities management at the Coppin campus. “This is part of a larger effort to contain costs and maximize resourcefulness of campus resources during this period of fiscal austerity.”

In total, the Anne Arundel and Coppin State solar installations are expected to generate roughly 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Generating the same amount of electricity using non-renewable sources would result in the release of 1,077 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or the equivalent emissions from 206 passenger vehicles. Both on-site solar power systems are scheduled to begin producing electricity in spring 2011.

Constellation Energy currently owns and operates 60 megawatts of solar installations that have been completed or are under construction for customers in Maryland and throughout the U.S. Commercial customers, universities, school systems, hospitals and government agencies interested in on-site solar installations of 1 MW or larger can contact Constellation Energy at sustainable-solutions@constellation.com or 1-877-427-2005. To watch a brief video about Constellation Energy’s solar power systems, please visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyaXDmgM55M.