DOE Home Weatherization Looks More Like PACE – $120 Million To Speed Up Efforts

August 19, 2010

PACE is dead. But the Department of Energy is turning up the heat under its home weatherization – or more accurately retrofit – efforts.

The department said Thursday that 31,600 homes across the country were weatherized in June, a record. The target for the summer: 80,000. It also said that for the first time, weatherization will include renewable energy – such as solar – along with energy-efficient appliances, cool roofs and tankless water heaters.

To fuel the effort, Energy Secretary Steven Chu on Thursday awarded $120 million of Recovery Act funds to more than 100 organizations to expand programs and undertake pilot projects.

With PACE, or Property Assessed Clean Energy, on the sidelines, alternate efforts to improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings have been necessary. PACE came to a near halt this spring and summer when Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Fannie regulator, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, barred lenders from writing mortgages for PACE homes. (PACE programs, which were taking root in 23 states, typically lend government money to homeowners and place special assessments for repayment on property tax bills.) Fannie and company worried PACE liens would receive priority over mortgage leans in the even of defaults.

To mimic the work of many PACE programs, Chu said the government would now permit weatherization programs to install renewable energy – solar panels, solar heating systems and wind turbines – as well as cool roofs, insulation, high-efficiency appliances, tankless water heaters, combination boilers for heat and hot water, in-home energy monitors and ductless heat pumps. In other words, weatherization begins to look more like energy retrofit.

Retrofit projects in 27 states will get $90 million of the money. The work will be performed by 103 local companies. An additional $30 million will support 16 pilot projects targeting low-income households and testing new ways to finance retrofits and new technologies.

For instance, one program in Washington, D.C., received $2.6 million to improve energy efficiency at 2,500 eligible housing units. A $1.25 million loan loss reserve will be set up so nearly $8 million in private loans can be made to homeowners.

Another $850,000 will go to a program in Utah to create a revolving loan program offering low-interest financing to low-income households.

The Energy Department said its weatherization program created 13,000 jobs for carpenters, electricians and other workers during the second quarter.

1 Comment | news | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

Energy Department Boasts It Is Funding 300,000 Electric Vehicles Annually

April 23, 2010

The Department of Energy has its fingerprints on just about every sector of the green economy, from solar cells to smart meters.

On Friday, the department offered an assessment of how much influence it is having on the market for electric cars. The DOE announced that it closed a $528.7 million loan to Fisker Automotive, the developer of the plug-in hybrid sports car Karma and a more family oriented vehicle dubbed Project Nina.

The loan will let Fisker reopen a shuttered General Motors auto plant in Wilmington, DE, and employ 2,000 workers. An initial stage of work will take place in Irvine, CA, where Fisker engineers will broker supplier agreements and design manufacturing tools necessary for mass production.

The plant is expected to produce its first car in 2012. When it reaches full production in 2015, the factory is expected to produce 115,000 vehicles a year. Combine that with the projected sales volume of the all-electric Tesla Motors Model S and Nissan Leaf (the DOE has money in both) and the number of electrics the agency has a role in bringing to market exceeds 300,000.

“We’re on our way to helping America’s auto industry reclaim its top position in the global market,” said Vice President Joe Biden in a press release.

Fisker Automotive's plug-in hybrid sports car Karma. The company projects it will produce 115,000 vehicles (Karmas and a family car) in 2015.

1 Comment | news | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

Earth Day Celebration: Energy Department Finds Another $200 Million For Solar And Ocean Energy Technologies

April 22, 2010

The Energy Department announced Thursday it will award another $200 million to accelerate the development of solar and water technologies.

The department said the money will support not just research but the commercialization of technologies. It will be spent over five years.

The largest slice of the money will go to support next generation solar research, both at universities and by industry. Another $40 million will be aimed companies and technologies that supply the solar industry, and which develop new materials, components or techniques for reducing waste.

An additional $39 million will target water-energy technologies that derive power from waves, tides, ocean temperatures or river currents.

Leave a Comment » | news | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

GM And Energy Department Team Up On Jatropha Farming In India

March 31, 2010

General Motors has already invested in ethanol start-ups Coskata and Mascoma. Now it is throwing more effort behind biodiesel.

The formerly bankrupt automaker teamed up with the Department of Energy and will develop two new experimental jatropha farms in India. The five-year partnership will reply on funding from both organizations.

Goal is to find strains of jatropha that will grow on marginal lands in the U.S. and elsewhere

The aim is to identify new strains of the drought-resistant plant that can grow on marginal land in the U.S. and elsewhere to produce significant quantities of oil to convert to biodiesel. The oil comes from the seed of the weed-like plant, which is known for its ability to grow in sandy, gravelly soils. Strains of jatropha for the experiment have been developed through selective breeding and laboratory optimization.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu said he hopes the partnership will speed up efforts to turn jatropha into a commercially viable alternative to petroleum-based fuel. It will cultivate 408 acres of land in three locations, including in Kalol near GM’s India manufacturing plant.

GM has already begun testing jatropha-based biodiesel in its vehicles. The carmaker’s European division has a fleet of six cars running on jatropha blends. The company also used a 10 to 20 percent mixture to run vehicles in India several thousand miles.

GM’s biodiesel work began in India several years ago but on a much smaller scale than its development of ethanol.

4 Comments | news | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

Utilities Remain Paralyzed On Grid Storage Decisions

March 11, 2010

Grid storage is universally thought of as a good idea. But utilities don’t yet have a clue which technologies to choose and where to deploy them.

"We all agree it's a good idea," says Paul De Martini of Southern California Edison. But "we're at 50,000 feet."

The uncertainty could delay the spread of renewable energy, particular solar and wind energy, as executives evaluate options and wait for clear winners in the market. Both solar and wind create intermittent power streams making the ability to store energy for when the sun goes down or the wind stops blowing critical.

This dilemma is apparent to Paul De Martini, vice president of advanced technology at Southern California Edison, who spoke Wednesday afternoon at Stanford University.

“We’re at 50,000 feet” in terms of understanding the market, says De Martini. “We all agree it’s a good idea.” But the utility doesn’t know how much storage it needs and whether it should deploy it near homes, near transmission facilities or somewhere between.

De Martini says he has identified 40 different storage technologies that are under development. They range from lithium ion batteries, to uphill water pumps, flywheels and ice storage.

In discussions with the companies, it is difficult for Southern California Edison to describe exactly what its needs are, he said. And “there’s not a really good set of requirements out in the industry.”

Some say the short-term answer is all of the above. “We need to be thinking about storage in every form,” says Jim Detmers, vice president of operations, at California ISO, which runs the state’s electric transmission gird. “We don’t want to limit ourselves to just one type.”

And yet that will likely delay implementation and cost more, since more development money will need to be spent. In an address last week, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said his favorite is a technology that pumps water uphill, only to let it flow down again and spin turbines when the sun stops shining. Perhaps a high profile test project is in order.

3 Comments | news | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

Clean Tech Stimulus Money Creates 2,700 New Energy Projects So Far

March 11, 2010

The Energy Department has so far spent only a fraction of the $111 billion it earmarked for clean-tech development, but already 2,700 energy and conversation projects have resulted, a study find.

Only a small fraction of the Energy Department money has so far been spent.

The study is among the first independent assessment of the impact of the green-energy stimulus funds, which have drawn criticism for not providing a significant boost to the economy.

It shows the money is laying the groundwork for an expansion that will continue in 2010 and coming years. So far, the Department of Energy has spent only $2.4 billion of the funds. Another $50 billion have been allocated and is in the process of being distributed.

The study, by Onvia, finds that smart grid projects have been among the quickest to kick off, with efforts underway in Texas, North Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

The clean-tech spending is anticipated to create 100,000 new jobs, with most – 60,000 – taking root in the southeast. The highest paid positions will be in New England.

The projects include not just smart grid development but energy efficiency initiatives, renewable energy construction and transmission line upgrades, Onvia says.

2 Comments | news | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

Energy Department Steps Up Its Interest In Ocean Energy

March 10, 2010

The Department of Energy signaled its intent to increase funding for projects designed to generate energy from ocean tides and waves.

Energy officials in a press release said that they would begin accepting applications for funding by March 31. They did not set a target for issuing grants or tax credits.

The department is looking for early stage and commerical projects as the country plays catch up to Europe and Canada

Ocean energy is an area of power generation that has largely been overlooked. Instead the department has favored renewable generation from solar and wind as well as conversation projects built around smart grids and green-building innovations.

In 2008, before the Obama Administration took over, the DOE dolled out several million dollars to companies such as Lockheed Martin for ocean projects. Another 11 million or so followed in 2009 for research but some product testing.

The department is now focused on technology development and deployment, and not just from waves and tides but river currents and stable, cool ocean temperatures. These projects can range from early stage invention to “proof-of-concept and commercial-scale operation,” according to energy officials.

The country has a certain amount of catch-up to play. Europe – particularly the United Kingdom – and Canada already have projects underway. Without question, the DOE money will provide a boost.

Leave a Comment » | news | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

US Clean Tech Manufacturing Could Double In 3 Years

February 26, 2010

Federal stimulus money should help the United States double its manufacturing of renewable energy products in three years.

Similarly, the funds are on track to double the power generated by these technologies, such as wind, solar and biofuels, Sanjay Wagle, renewable energy grant advisor at the Department of Energy, said late Thursday.

Renewable energy generation also should double, says the Department of Energy's Sanjay Wagle.

The Energy Department has so far allocated 95 percent of the $31 billion of grants and $5 billion of tax credits included in the economic stimulus packaged passed by Congress last year. In addition, $18 billion of $75 billion in loan guarantees have been committed.

All the funds are to be doled out by the end of September.

Wagle said that because of the time it takes to negotiate the conditions of grants, only $2.4 billion of the money has been spent. In other words, more fiscal stimulus is on the way.

One industry expected to benefit is advanced battery manufacturing, where Asian producers until recently appeared ready to dominate the market, Wagle said. The government invested $1.5 billion in domestic companies that should have 15 percent to 20 percent of world’s manufacturing capacity, he said. “We have a new industry because of the recovery act,”

Critics complain that with only $2.4 billion spent, the program has done less than it should to encourage immediate job growth. Further, one study shows 80 percent of the jobs it created went to component suppliers and manufacturers overseas, says David Gold, lead cleantech partner at Access Venture Partners.

Wagle responds that the study is wrong. Fifty-three percent of parts for wind turbines come from the United States, he pointed out, and 63 percent of the value of wind farms comes from US companies.

1 Comment | news | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

Energy Department Signs Off On Tidal Turbines As Largest US Project Kicks Off In Maine

February 23, 2010

As Ocean Renewable Power gets ready to install the nation’s largest tidal turbine off the coast of Maine, the Energy Department Tuesday in effect gave the project a green light.

The department issued a report to Congress concluding that tidal and wave energy devices will have no significant impact on the marine environment.

Ocean Renewable Power will launch its tidal turbine next month.

The Eastport, Maine, project is one of a small handful of ocean-energy trials taking place in the U.S. More advanced trials have started outside the country, in the Bay of Fundy and off the coast of Scotland, for instance.

In Maine, Ocean Renewable Power hopes to install a 10,000-pound, 60 KW generator in the waters of Cobscook Bay next month. The turbine will follow. It is believed to be the largest tidal energy project planned for coastal U.S. waters.

The company anticipates a commercial scale unit with connections to the electrical grid by the end of the year and a farm with 200 MW of capacity by 2015. It has received $1.3 million of Department of Energy grants.

The Energy Department report to Congress points out that more than 100 devices have been developed or conceived for converting waves, tides and ocean temperatures into energy. So far, few have left the drawing board to become prototypes.

As a result, there is little hard data for understanding the impact on ocean and river life. Nonetheless, the 143-page study looks closely at the impact of underwater cables, offshore wind farms, hydropower stations and other marine construction to determine the environmental consequence will be minimal.

It warns, however, that more monitoring needs to take place as projects move forward.

Leave a Comment » | news | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

Wind Could Generate All The Nation’s Electricity

February 12, 2010

Almost two years ago, the Department of Energy laid out an ambitious goal for the nation: generate 20 percent of electric power from wind by 2030.

Turns out that is just a drop in the bucket. The United States has the potential to generate more than 30 times as much energy from the wind, according to a study released Thursday.

The study looks at the 48 continental states and find the country has enough wind blowing onto it shores and across its plains to generate 10.5 million MW of electricity. That is substantially more than the 1.5 MW of generation it is expected to need by 2030.

The study does not examine the costs of developing all the wind energy it identifies – and they would obviously be enormous. Harnessing the wind power means not just installing wind turbines but the transmission lines to get the power to consumers.

Nevertheless, the survey illustrates just how much potential there is for renewable power to become the primary source of energy for a nation battling the expected impact of global warming.

The study was conducted by the Energy Department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and finds the top states for wind energy are Texas, Montana, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota and North Dakota. Not far behind are Iowa, Minnesota, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

In its 2008 study, the Energy Department calculated $197 billion in investment would be needed to reach the 20 percent mark in 23 years. Almost $155 million of that would be recouped in decreased sending on fuel (wind is free).

A more aggressive effort would obvious increase the estimate many fold. It is your decision whether the spending it worth it.

Leave a Comment » | news | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Mark Boslet

« Previous Entries
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 32 other followers