“Element is very excited to have been selected by such a reputable Italian partner with which we hope to further explore business opportunities in Italy” said Alberto Aguilar, managing Director of Element Power Italy.

La Cattiva is located in Mesagne, Apulia region, and consists of two smaller units, mounted on trackers to follow sun and enhance production, for a total of 1.95MW. The use of tracker technology allows additional 35% energy capture.

Piano Corallo is located in Gela, Sicily, with exceptional irradiation conditions, has 4.5MW of photovoltaic panels ground mounted on fixed tilted supports.

Element Power Solar will continue to provide all the services for the management of the assets, which are expected to generate in excess of 11,000MWh/yr, with revenues of $6 million per year.

Under the framework, Zhongyuan Da Hua Group Company Ltd. and East China Engineering Science & Technology Company will share development costs for construction and operation of a demonstration plant with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, subject to the terms of a formal agreement currently being negotiated between the parties.

“Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is honored to partner with Zhongyuan Da Hua Group Company and East China Engineering Science & Technology Company,” said Neeta Patel, director, Energy Systems, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne. “Their expertise in the areas of coal and chemical plant design, construction, operations and production, coupled with our experience in coal gasification, makes this an ideal partnership to prove the commercial readiness of our advanced, high-efficiency technology in a demonstration plant.”

Zhongyuan Da Hua Group Company Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Henan Coal Chemical Industry Group Co. Ltd., a state-owned enterprise in China Henan Province. Henan Coal Chemical Industry Group Co. Ltd, the 2nd largest coal company in China and the largest industrial enterprise in Henan, specializes in coal-to-gas energy projects. East China Engineering Science & Technology Company, with more than 40 years of expertise in coal/chemical production facility engineering, procurement and construction, has completed more than 2,000 projects including dozens of turnkey initiatives throughout China and 10 other countries.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s gasification technology provides a higher-efficiency and lower-cost alternative to current gasification systems. The capital cost to build a commercial-scale advanced gasification plant using Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s technology is estimated to be 10 to 20 percent less than conventional gasification plants. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s advanced gasifier is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 10 percent and water usage by up to 30 percent compared to current gasification technologies.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has collaborated with ExxonMobil Research and Engineering Company (EMRE), and with Canada’s Alberta Innovates – Energy & Environmental Solutions (EES) and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunities (DCEO) to develop this technology. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has also granted a worldwide license to Zero Emission Energy Plants, Inc. (ZEEP) to use the technology in the development of commercial energy centers.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, a part of Pratt & Whitney, is a preferred provider of high-value propulsion, power, energy and innovative system solutions used in a wide variety of government and commercial applications, including engines for launch vehicles, missile defense systems and advanced hypersonic engines. Behind its successful designs, manufacturing processes, and hardware are Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne’s research and development engineers, who solve tough problems in extreme environments. For more information, go to www.PrattWhitneyRocketdyne.com . Follow us at www.twitter.com/pwrocketdyne and www.facebook.com/pwrocketdyne .

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and commercial building industries.

SOURCE Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on energy, at UPS Las Vegas South in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jan. 26, 2012.(Official White House Photo by Pete Souza).

A few days after the State of the Union Address, the President took to the road to highlight how natural gas can play a larger role in our transportation sector. The President visited Las Vegas, Nevada to tour a UPS depot that hosts natural gas-powered trucks. The depot is less than a mile from a new natural gas refueling station in Las Vegas, which was developed jointly by the Department of Energy, South Coast Air Quality Management District, UPS, and Clean Energy Fuels.  The new refueling station will make it possible for trucks to drive from Long Beach to Salt Lake City, powered entirely by American natural gas.

The President also traveled to Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Colorado to talk about his “all-of-the above” energy strategy. The President underscored his commitment to clean energy and discussed the Administration’s plans to:  expand the development of renewable energy on public lands; push for a Clean Energy Standard: and work with the Department of Defense to purchase enough clean energy to power 250,000 homes a year. The President also emphasized the importance of improving energy efficiency by helping manufacturers and businesses upgrade their facilities, which could save the U.S. manufacturing sector $100 billion over the next decade.

These actions represent just a snapshot of the Administration’s efforts to promote clean energy. Check out the December and January highlights below.

Events

President Obama Visits a UPS Depot and Buckley Air Force Base to Highlight Energy Strategy On Jan. 26th, President Obama spoke at a UPS Depot in Las Vegas, NV and at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, CO, expanding on the energy initiatives mentioned in his State of the Union address two days earlier. The President detailed the “all-out, all-in, all-of-the-above strategy” for developing new, cleaner sources of energy. Read the President’s full remarks in Las Vegas and Aurora.

Secretary Chu Tours Renewable Energy Research Facilities and Hosts SOTU Town Hall Secretary Steven Chu travelled to Albuquerque, NM on Jan. 26th to tour the renewable energy research facilities at Sandia National Laboratories, saying that the creation of a federal clean energy standard would encourage innovation in renewable energy technologies. He also held a town hall with students at the University of Mexico. Read more about his visit here!

Secretary Chu and Secretary Salazar Light the National Mall Secretary Chu and Secretary Salazar hosted a lighting ceremony on Jan. 30th to celebrate the installation of energy-efficient LED lampposts on the National Mall. The LED lights will reduce lighting energy use by up to 65%! Check out a slideshow of the ceremony.

Secretary Chu Attends Groundbreaking at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory [pdf] Secretary Chu broke ground on the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Computational Research and Theory facility on Feb. 1st. The facility will be at the forefront of high-performance supercomputing research and will be the most energy-efficient facility of its kind! Learn more about the facility here.

Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman Visits Wind Energy Research Station. Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman traveled to Minneapolis, MN on Jan. 27th to visit the Eolos Wind Energy Research Station at the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota was one of three universities to receive a U.S. Department of Energy wind energy grant in 2009, receiving $7.9 million to build the turbine. Read more about his visit here!

Under Secretary Arun Majumdar Visits Volvo Truck Headquarters Under Secretary Arun Majumdar visited Volvo Truck Headquarters on Jan. 27th, saying that “companies like the Volvo Group that are pursuing energy efficiency in their operations, putting Americans to work, and building more fuel-efficient vehicles underscore how investments in clean energy technology are helping to secure America’s future economic prosperity.” Read more about the visit here!

News

Salazar Continues to Advance Renewable Energy Development on Public Lands Capping three years of efforts to develop renewable energy resources on public lands both onshore and offshore, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced DOI’s approval of two utility-scale renewable energy projects—one wind and one solar—that, when built, will generate nearly 500 megawatts of power, or enough to power 150,000 homes, and create 700 jobs during peak construction.

Department of the Interior Announces Offshore Wind Project Progress The Department of Interior announced on Feb. 2nd that the department’s renewable energy initiative cleared an important environmental review, allowing progress for wind energy lease sales off Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, and Delaware. “Offshore wind holds incredible potential for our country, and we’re moving full-steam ahead to accelerate the siting, leasing and construction of new projects,” said Secretary Salazar.

Onshore Oil & Gas Lease Sales Garner $256 Million for American Taxpayers in 2011 Following a strong year in which leasing reform helped to lower protests and increase revenue from onshore oil and gas lease sales on public lands (resulting in a 20 percent increase in lease sale revenues over 2010), the Interior Department will hold 32 additional sales in calendar year 2012, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced.

Obama Administration Announces Proposed Central Gulf of Mexico Oil and Gas Lease Sale The Obama administration announced that the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold the consolidated Central Gulf of Mexico Lease Sale 216/222 in New Orleans on June 20, 2012. The sale will include all available unleased areas in the Central Planning Area offshore Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.

Department of Defense Concludes Study of Solar Energy Potential at Desert Bases The Department of Defense completed a yearlong study on the potential for solar energy generation at four military bases in the California desert. Released on January 13th, the study finds that the four bases could generate 7,000 megawatts of solar energy, about 25% of the renewable energy that California requires utilities to use by 2015.

Department of Defense Announces Winners of $18.0 Million Fund to Improve Battlefield Energy Security The Department of Defense (DoD) announced the release of $18.0 million to fund six military programs to reduce the energy demand of future expeditionary outposts.  The funds will support efforts to develop and rapidly transition energy technologies for the combat force, resulting in improved military capabilities, fewer energy-related casualties, and lower costs for the taxpayer. More information can be found at http://energy.defense.gov/.

EPA Finalizes 2012 Renewable Fuel Standards The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized the 2012 percentage standards for four fuel categories that are part of the agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard program (RFS2). EPA continues to support greater use of renewable fuels within the transportation sector every year through the RFS2 program, which encourages innovation, strengthens American energy security, and decreases greenhouse gas pollution.

Online Voting Begins for “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invited Americans to vote online for the most innovative and promising start-up companies in the “America’s Next Top Energy Innovator” challenge. Voting will end at 8:59 a.m. EST. on Monday, February 6, and the top start-up companies out of the 14 participating – based on the public vote and an expert review – will be invited to be featured at the premier annual gathering of clean energy investors and innovators around the country, the 2012 ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit, at the end of February.

Energy Department Announces Student Teams, New Location for Solar Decathlon 2013 At an event in Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced the 20 collegiate teams selected to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon 2013 and unveiled the competition’s location, the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California.

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“Dick has been a leading voice within the utility industry during his tenure at Xcel, determinedly pushing for the adoption of clean, cost-effective and reliable electricity. The depth and breadth of his leadership experience combined with his keen understanding of the world’s energy markets make him an ideal leader for our board,” said John Woolard, president and CEO of BrightSource Energy. “We’re very pleased to have Dick join us as Chairman of our Board of Directors as we continue to expand our company domestically and internationally.”

Kelly began his career with Public Service Company of Colorado, filling a variety of finance-related positions. In 1995, the company merged with Southwestern Public Service Company to form New Century Energies (NCE), where Kelly served as Chief Financial Officer. In 2000, New Century Energies (NCE) and Northern States Power Company merged to form Xcel Energy. Kelly served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Xcel Energy from 2005 until September 2011. During his tenure at Xcel Energy, Kelly held a number of senior positions, including President, Chief Executive Officer, Chairman of the Board and Chief Financial Officer.

“BrightSource’s world-class leadership team and solar thermal technology uniquely position the company to help utility and industrial customers worldwide meet the growing demand for cost-effective and reliable clean energy,” said BrightSource Energy Chairman Dick Kelly. “I’m extremely excited to be joining the company as it continues to set the bar for utility-scale solar generation in the U.S and globally.”

Kelly currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Regis University, Chairman of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Science Museum of Minnesota. He also serves as a board member of the Capital City Partnership, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) and Canadian Pacific Railway. In the past, Kelly has served as a member of the Minnesota Business Partnership, the National Petroleum Council, Colorado Concern and Colorado Forum and the National Advisory Council of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

Kelly holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Regis University. Additionally, he attended the University of Colorado’s Executive Education Conference and The University of Michigan’s Public Utility Executive Program.

Businesses from industry and production have until 4 May 2012 to apply for the international dena Energy Efficiency Award 2012. In order to participate in the competition, companies must have successfully implemented projects to increase energy efficiency in their own operations. The prize, a total of EUR 30,000, is awarded by the Deutsche Energie-Agentur GmbH (dena) – the German Energy Agency – as part of its “Initiative EnergieEffizienz” (“Energy Efficiency Campaign”) in cooperation with the Premium Partners DZ BANK, Imtech Deutschland and Siemens. The competition is held under the patronage of German Federal Minister of Economics, Dr. Philipp Rösler. All information on how to enter the competition can be found under http://www.industrie-energieeffizienz.de .

The competition is open to any business from industry and production that has sucessfully implemented in-house energy efficiency projects. Cooperative entries from end users and the plant manufacturers, planners or advisers involved in a project are also allowed. Entries from small and medium-sized businesses are particularly welcome. A jury of top-ranking experts from politics, business, science and the media will assess the projects submitted and decide upon the winners. The first prize in the dena Energy Efficiency Award 2012 is EUR 15,000, the second EUR 10,000 and the third EUR 5,000. The prize will be awarded at dena’s Energy Efficiency Congress in September 2012.

In 2011, three businesses were awarded the dena Energy Efficiency Award: The first prize was shared by SCA Hygiene Products SE for the savings it has made in various cross-sector technologies, and Heideblume Molkerei Elsdorf-Rotenburg AG for its successful implementation of energy contracting. The second prize went to Südbayerische Portland-Zementwerk for its efficient use of waste heat in its cement manufacturing operations. The international Energy Efficiency Award has been awarded since 2007.

dena is the centre of expertise for energy efficiency, renewable energy sources and intelligent energy systems. The “Initiative EnergieEffizienz” is a dena campaign funded by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology.

The following businesses are supporting the Energy Efficiency Award 2012 as Premium Partners:The DZ BANK AG is part of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken cooperative financial network, which brings together some 1,200 cooperative banks. Within the cooperative financial network, DZ BANK acts as the central institution and commercial bank for the cooperative banks with their 12,000 branches across Germany.

Imtech Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG is the leading supplier of energy and building technology and part of the pan-European Imtech N.V. group with some 27,000 staff.

Siemens AG is a world leader in electronics and electrical engineering. The group is active in the industry, energy and health sectors and has some 360,000 staff worldwide.

SOURCE German Energy Agency

DuPont and Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP), the world’s largest producer of solar panels, have signed a strategic agreement to help increase the supply of photovoltaic materials and technologies for the growing global market for solar energy. The agreement focuses on technology advancements, supply chain optimization cost reduction initiatives, and DuPont™ Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride film supply. The companies also are pursuing co-marketing opportunities. The companies’ goal is to achieve faster and broader adoption of solar energy to reduce the world’s dependence on fossil fuels. They intend to achieve the goal by further improving the technology for solar energy and helping reduce its costs and building greater awareness of its benefits to consumers.

“We’re partnering with leading photovoltaic component suppliers around the world as we continue to make solar affordable for everyone, everywhere. With innovative companies like DuPont, the United States is a major contributor to the global photovoltaic supply chain and a net exporter of solar products to China and global markets,” said Eric Luo, senior vice president of global supply chain, Suntech. “Creating higher efficiency solar cells and further extending the long life of solar modules is critical to achieving affordable solar power, and we’ve worked closely and very successfully with DuPont in this regard. We’re taking our collaboration to the next level with this agreement.”

In November 2011, Suntech recognized DuPont with its annual Supplier Excellence Award for providing superior supply and technical service, product innovation and collaboration. DuPont supplies DuPont™ Solamet® photovoltaic metallization pastes to help enhance the efficiency of solar cells made by Suntech, as well as DuPont™ Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride film used in protective backsheets for Suntech solar modules. These materials are part of DuPont’s broad and growing portfolio of products that improve the efficiency and lifetime of solar cells and modules, and help reduce overall system costs to make solar more competitive with traditional sources of energy.

“DuPont and Suntech have the highest standards for product quality, and sustainability is an important value for each of us. With these shared values, we look forward to bringing our offerings to more consumers as the global industry continues to grow,” said David B. Miller, president, DuPont Electronics & Technologies. “Global partnerships, such as our work with Suntech, have been central to the solar industry’s growth. Our work together in Masdar is a prime example of the benefits of our collaboration, and of solar energy.”

The DuPont collaboration with Suntech was featured as part of a short documentary titled, “City of Science, City of Hope,” that recently aired during the BBC News “Horizons” program series. The documentary highlights the role of DuPont materials that enable Suntech solar modules to help power the city of Masdar – one of the most sustainable communities on the planet, and a model of what green urban development can be.

Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. (NYSE: STP) produces industry-leading solar products for residential, commercial, industrial, and utility applications. With regional headquarters in China, Switzerland, and the United States, and gigawatt-scale manufacturing worldwide, Suntech has delivered more than 20 million photovoltaic panels to over 1,000 customers in more than 80 countries. Suntech’s pioneering R&D creates customer-centric innovations that are driving solar to grid parity against fossil fuels. Suntech’s mission is to provide everyone with reliable access to nature’s cleanest and most abundant energy source. For more information about Suntech’s people and products, please visit http://www.suntech-power.com.

DuPont™ Solamet® photovoltaic metallizations and Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride films are part of a broad and growing portfolio of products represented by DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions, which connects science and technology from across the company on a global scale to help support the dramatic growth in the photovoltaic industry. To learn more about DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions, visit http://photovoltaics.dupont.com.

DuPont (NYSE: DD) has been bringing world-class science and engineering to the global marketplace in the form of innovative products, materials, and services since 1802. The company believes that by collaborating with customers, governments, NGOs, and thought leaders we can help find solutions to such global challenges as providing enough healthy food for people everywhere, decreasing dependence on fossil fuels, and protecting life and the environment. For additional information about DuPont and its commitment to inclusive innovation, please visit http://www.dupont.com.

OAKLAND, California-BrightSource Energy, Inc., a leading solar thermal technology company, today announced that Sasol has selected BrightSource’s power tower solar thermal technology following a worldwide review of solar technologies. Under the agreement, BrightSource and its partner Alstom, global leader in power generation equipment, will conduct a comprehensive front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for the South Africa market.

The FEED study is a critical step in the design and deployment of a solar thermal power plant. Sasol will use the information from the study to determine how best to deploy BrightSource’s technology in the markets it serves.

“Sasol looks forward to the completion of the FEED study by one of the world’s leading concentrated solar power (CSP) technology providers. South Africa is blessed with an abundance of a natural energy source in the form of sunlight. This CSP project has the potential of significantly expanding Sasol’s new energy portfolio and will in turn contribute to the country’s transition to a low carbon economy”, said Henri Loubser, Managing Director of Sasol New Energy.

To meet its growing clean power demand, South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Program, run by the country’s Department of Energy, is targeting the addition of an initial 3,725 megawatts of renewable energy by 2016. With one of the fastest growing economies in the world, total energy supplies in South Africa are projected to more than double over the next 20 years to more than 85 gigawatts, including the planned development of 18 gigawatts of new renewable energy, according to the integrated resource plan recently adopted by the government.

“Sasol’s selection of BrightSource’s technology represents a significant milestone as we expand our high-efficiency solar thermal power systems globally,” said John Woolard, President and CEO of BrightSource Energy. “Today, South Africa meets more than 85 percent of its power needs with coal. With great solar resources and a need for firm and reliable power to meet its growing industrial power needs, South Africa represents an ideal market for BrightSource’s solar thermal technology. Sasol is a leader in energy innovation and a natural partner as we help South Africa meet its growing demand for clean, cost-effective and reliable power.”

BrightSource’s power tower solar thermal technology generates power the same way as traditional power plants — by creating high temperature steam to turn a turbine. However, instead of using fossil fuels or nuclear power to create the steam, BrightSource uses the sun’s energy. BrightSource’s system uses a state-of-the-art field of software-controlled mirrors, called heliostats, to reflect the sun’s energy to a boiler atop a tower to produce the high temperature and high pressure steam. The steam can then be integrated with conventional power plant components to produce predictable, reliable and cost-competitive clean energy. Alstom’s expertise in steam turbine technology and integrated plant solutions, together with BrightSource’s solar technology offer highly efficient solar thermal power plants.

Today, BrightSource’s technology is designed to produce the world’s highest temperature and pressure solar steam in the world. The company recently started operations at its Solar-to-Steam facility built for Chevron in Coalinga California. The company’s technology is being deployed at Ivanpah, the largest solar thermal plant under construction in the world and scheduled for start up in 2013.

BrightSource’s system is also designed to minimize impacts on the natural environment. In addition to being one of the most land-efficient renewable energy technologies, BrightSource’s low impact heliostat layout is flexible, allowing the solar field to be built around the natural contours of the land and avoid areas of sensitive vegetation. And in order to conserve scarce water resources, the technology employs an air-cooling system to convert the steam back into water in a closed-loop cycle. By using air-cooling, BrightSource’s technology uses more than 90 percent less water than older technology parabolic trough plants with wet cooling.

Solar thermal power plants have also shown to be great creators of economic benefits in the regions where they are built. A recent study of the Spanish concentrating solar power market by Deloitte found that compared to other power generation sources, solar thermal plants are a strong generator of local jobs, during construction, and operation and maintenance, due largely to the plant’s high percentage of domestically-sourced componentsi. Another study by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Lab found that a 100 megawatt solar thermal plant creates more than $600 million in impact to gross state output, ten times that of a combined cycle fossil plantii due to the local content and job creation of a solar thermal plant.

About BrightSource Energy, Inc.

BrightSource is a leader in the design, development and deployment of concentrating solar thermal technology that produces high-value electricity and steam for power, petroleum and industrial-process markets worldwide. To learn more about BrightSource Energy and concentrating solar power, please visit www.brightsourceenergy.com .

About Sasol

Sasol is an energy and chemicals business. Based in South Africa and operating worldwide, Sasol is listed on the NYSE and JSE stock exchanges. Sasol is a leading provider of liquid fuels in South Africa and a major international producer of chemicals. Using proprietary Fischer-Tropsch technologies Sasol produces synthetic fuels and chemicals from low-grade coal and natural gas. The company also manufactures more than 200 fuel and chemical products that are sold worldwide. In South Africa, Sasol also operates coal mines to provide feedstock for the synthetic fuels plants. Sasol operates the only inland crude oil refinery in South Africa. The group produces crude oil in offshore Gabon, supplies Mozambican natural gas to end-user customers and petrochemical plants in South Africa, and with partners involved in gas-to-liquids fuel joint ventures in Qatar and Nigeria.

SOURCE: BrightSource Energy, Inc.

Kyocera Corporation (President: Tetsuo Kuba) and Nichicon Corporation (Chairman: Ippei Takeda) announced that the two companies have completed an agreement for Kyocera to begin domestic sales this summer of a new energy management system (EMS) which combines Kyocera’s highly reliable solar power generating systems with Nichicon’s long-lasting, high-capacity lithium-ion battery storage units. Designed for the Japan market, the new system responds to the growing demand for residential energy storage equipment following the March 11 disasters. Kyocera will begin sales in Japan this summer.

Schematic of residential energy use flow using Kyocera’s solar power generating system & energy management system with Nichicon’s power storage unit

Optimizing Energy Use with Kyocera’s Energy Management System (EMS)

Through its long-term R&D strategy and proprietary technology in solar and energy-related fields, Kyocera has developed an EMS which makes effective use of energy.

Using and regulating a solar power generating system with battery storage requires a power inverter and sophisticated energy-management technology. The EMS developed by Kyocera is thus effective in optimizing residential energy use from those systems and utility power from the electricity grid.

By using Kyocera’s high quality solar power generating systems — which hold the No.2 domestic market share*1— and Nichicon’s energy storage system which utilizes a lithium-ion battery manufactured by Samsung SDI Co., Ltd., the new energy system is able to more effectively control energy consumption.

“This new system combines the two vital themes of power generation and power storage using Kyocera’s solar power generating system and Nichicon’s energy storage unit,” explained Kyocera President Tetsuo Kuba at a joint press conference with Nichicon held in Kyoto, January 16. “Kyocera will use its energy-management technology to launch this new comprehensive system for optimizing residential energy use, and thus make a real contribution to preventing climate change.”

Background

While striving to realize a low-carbon society through use of renewable energy, and in the wake of the March disasters, there has been a rapidly increasing need in Japan to address electricity supply instability. This requires implementing energy demand peak-time cuts and peak-time shifts through on-site energy creation and energy storage to stabilize energy demand, as well as the increasingly popular concept of local energy self sufficiency.

With the restart of the national subsidy program for residential solar power generating systems in January of 2009, and the feed-in tariff program which was also started in November of the same year, it is expected that up through the fiscal year ending March 31, 2012 more than one million homes in Japan will have installed solar power. Furthermore, it is expected that the number of installations will continue to increase annually by roughly 12% in the coming years*2.

Moreover, the Japanese government also agreed on a maximum three-year subsidy program, worth 21 billion yen, for use of stationary lithium-ion battery energy storage systems starting this fiscal year. As this year is the starting point for the subsidies, it is expected that market growth will begin in earnest from here on.

Features of the New System

Combining the world class technology of Kyocera, Nichicon and Samsung SDI into the new system, Kyocera’s EMS — which was developed through the company’s original R&D — will be able to more efficiently control energy consumption:

Kyocera’s solar power generating systems are top class in the solar industry.

Nichicon holds top domestic share for highly reliable electric vehicle battery systems.

Samsung SDI holds one of the largest global shares for lithium-ion batteries, which are being used in Nichicon’s storage unit.

1. Long-lasting, high-capacity lithium-ion battery

The system uses a lithium-ion battery, which can last roughly 5 times*3 longer than conventional lead-acid batteries. The battery has a high capacity of 7.1kWh, weighs roughly 200kg*4 and has a size of 120H × 90W × 35D (centimeters)*4.

2. Various EMS modes to fit energy use patterns and needs

The new system offers various operating modes to meet the energy use patterns and needs of various customers — whether their peak energy consumption occurs in the daytime or at night; and for families who want to prioritize reducing their energy bill or those who place a premium on guaranteed electricity supply.

3. System automatically switches to independent operation in the event of a natural disaster or electricity black-out

In the event of a prolonged black-out, the battery can be charged directly by the solar modules during the day, allowing users to draw from the battery at night or during inclement weather.

Kyocera solar modules, power inverter (bottom-left) and energy storage unit (right)

Sales

Sales Structure

Sales of the complete system and individual components will be available in various patterns.

1.Complete system including EMS controlled solar power generating system and energy storage unit.

2.Energy storage unit with EMS for homes already equipped with a solar power generating system.

3.Sales of additional energy storage capacity (total of 14.2kWh).

Sales Route

Sales will be conducted through Kyocera’s subsidiary in charge of domestic sales of solar power generating systems, Kyocera Solar Corporation. Kyocera will also expand the sales network to include franchise stores, home manufacturers, direct sales, and others.

Launch Date

Planned for summer 2012

Sales Target

10,000 units in the first year

While the process can liberate previously unusable sources of natural gas, political, environmental and scientific concerns have risen along with production, as evidence mounts that fracking is responsible for everything from polluting subterranean aquifers to causing regional earthquakes.

But no matter – during his 24 January State of the Union address, U.S. President Barack Obama wholeheartedly embraced hydraulic fracturing without even mentioning it, telling his audience, “We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly 100 years. And my administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy.”

Tree-hugging environmentalists and seismologists be damned – according to Obama, the full exploitation of these resources will “support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade,” no small consideration in an election year.

Across the Atlantic, European Union members, particularly in Eastern Europe, are considering the benefits of fracking, though coming to differing conclusions.

On 18 January 166 members of Bulgaria’s Narodno Sabranie (National Assembly) 240 parliamentarians voted to impose an indefinite ban on shale gas exploration and extraction in Bulgaria using hydraulic fracturing or other similar technology. Six National Assembly members voted in favor of the practice, along with three abstentions.

Poland has taken a different tack, noting that thanks to fracking of natural gas shale deposits, in 2009 the United States became the world’s largest gas producer, overtaking Russia and driving down prices.

The day after the contentious Bulgarian vote Polish Treasury Minister Mikolaj Budzanowski told reporters that Polish companies with permits to explore for shale gas in the country must intensify drilling to start production of the fuel by 2014 or 2015, with Polish companies each drilling 12 wells and performing 12 hydraulic fracking operations annually.

The reason for such enthusiasm?

Simple, said Budzanowski – Poland’s shale-derived gas could be as much as 50 percent cheaper than the Gazprom natural gas Poland now receives from the 2,607 mile-long Yamal-Europe natural gas pipeline, which currently costs Warsaw more than $500 per 1,000 cubic meters (tcm)for West Siberian output.

Seeking to cut the expensive Russian natural gas umbilical cord, Poland has high expectations for its projected indigenous production shale natural gas, as it currently depends on Russian Gazprom supplies for nearly two-thirds of its annual gas consumption of 14 bcm, estimating its domestic reserves of conventional natural gas at some 100 bcm, which would only meet domestic needs for slightly more than seven years.

In contrast, the U.S. Energy Information Administration has estimated Poland could have the biggest shale natural gas reserves in Europe, amounting to some 5.3 tcm.

No wonder Warsaw is interested.

And, letting no grass grow under their feet, the Polish government has already granted more than 100 exploration permits to companies, including U.S. energy giants Chevron and Exxon Mobil.

Injecting a bit of nationalist pride however, Budzanowski reiterated an earlier appeal for state-owned utilities to participate in developing shale natural gas extraction. Leaving reporters in no doubt as to the importance that the Polish government placed on the rapid ramping up of shale natural gas production Budzanowski added, “I will expect the Treasury-owned companies to present plans to drill as many wells as possible within the next two years and this is the most important task from the perspective of (the nation’s) shale gas policy.”

Poland’s love affair with fracking began last year. On 18 September 2011 Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told an audience in Lubocin, northern Poland, where shale natural gas exploration had begun, “Being a moderate optimist, the commercial exploitation of shale gas will begin in 2014″ before adding that Poland could achieve “gas security” by 2035. Referring to the larger geo-strategic implications of such policies Tusk added, “After years of dependence on our large neighbor (Russia), today we can say that my generation will see the day when we will be independent in the area of natural gas and we will be setting terms” before insisting that he had been “assured that well conducted exploration and production would not pose a danger to the environment.”

Accordingly, whatever the ultimate fate of fracking in the U.S. and cautious European states like Bulgaria as additional environmental and scientific studies about the practice are conducted, Poland seems for better or worse to have firmly embraced the practice for the foreseeable future.

One can only hope that it is a judgment call that they will not soon have cause to regret in what in what Foreign Affairs Minister Radosław Sikorski has called “the gold rush of the 21st century.”

Coincidently, on 11 January Waldemar Tyl of the Warsaw Appeals Prosecutor’s Office announced that seven people, including government officials, have been charged with corruption during the granting of licenses for shale gas exploration, adding that bribes of tens of thousands of dollars apparently changed hands over the second half of 2011 alone.

Surely a coincidence, like those earthquakes and aquifer pollutants.

Nothing to see here, move along.

Source: http://oilprice.com/Energy/Natural-Gas/Poland-Gives-Green-Light-to-Massive-Fracking-Efforts.html

By. John C.K. Daly of Oilprice.com

Instead of using traditional battery-based uninterruptible power systems (UPSs) for its new center, Austin Energy chose flywheels in order to increase power backup reliability. Seeking a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating for the new center, the flywheels offer a clean, environmentally friendly alternative to toxic lead-acid batteries. By removing UPS batteries from the power infrastructure, downtime, frequent battery maintenance, replacement and expensive cooling of the batteries have been eliminated for the next 20 years — the rated lifetime of the flywheels.

“Flywheel UPSs are rapidly becoming the defacto choice for power protection when reliability is the key concern,” said Dann McKeraghan, sales and marketing vice president for VYCON. “This, coupled with their environmental advantages, and you have a win-win value proposition. We’re pleased that our VDC-XE flywheel systems met Austin Energy’s power protection requirements and sustainability/green initiatives for the utility’s critical Control Center.”

VYCON’s VDC-XE (Xtended Energy) supplies up to 300kW of DC power within a single cabinet. For longer run times and higher power capacities, the UL listed VDC models can be easily paralleled without special communications links or control systems for supporting megawatt load applications. For extended power outages, the VDC will provide ride-through protection to seamlessly transfer to a standby engine generator and provide continuous uninterrupted power.

Tested and compatible with all major brands of three-phase UPS systems and available from VYCON’s global channel partners, the VDC units feature a 20-year life and minimal maintenance requirements. Featuring optimized power electronics for significantly improved power density, the energy storage systems replace traditional lead-acid backup batteries used with UPS systems — providing users with a smarter and greener approach to power protection.

Providing clean ride-through backup power that is fast, predictable and seamless, VYCON’s flywheels offer a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) than traditional battery-reliant UPS systems offering reliable and environmentally friendly on-demand power.

January 2012 marks the milestone of 500 VYCON flywheel systems shipped, representing a record 7.5 million discharge and recharge cycles over 3.5 million run hours. This is notable as VYCON’s flywheels are often deployed in difficult power environments that call on VYCON’s flywheels to discharge and quickly recharge every two minutes.

For more information on VYCON’s flywheel solutions, visit www.vyconenergy.com or call 714-386-3800.

To see VYCON’s flywheels in action visit VYCON’s YouTube Channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/VYCONEnergy . Follow VYCON on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vyconenergy .

About VYCON Founded in 2002, VYCON is an innovator in the design and manufacture of advanced flywheel energy storage systems. VYCON’s flywheels are used around the world to provide a highly reliable, cost-effective and “green” energy storage solution for a variety of mission-critical applications. Tested and compatible with three-phase UPS systems from all major UPS companies worldwide, VYCON’s patented technology enables its flywheel products to be the most reliable, longest lasting and virtually maintenance free systems on the market today. Recognized as one of America’s fastest growing companies on the Inc. 500 list for the past two years, VYCON is a leader in the Power Quality marketplace providing clean uninterrupted power for data centers, healthcare, mobile power, industrial, broadcast and gaming applications.

As a result of VYCON’s patented technologies and integration engineering expertise, VYCON’s flywheels can be packaged for energy re-cycling applications like port container cranes, traction power in rail as well as for wind power and smart grid energy storage. Key to VYCON’s flywheel superiority and dependability is its ability to discharge and recharge frequently and continuously. VYCON’s fleet of VDC, VDC-XE and REGEN systems have recorded seven and half million discharge and recharge cycles in very demanding applications.

For more information on VYCON’s innovative green power solutions, contact VYCON at 714-386-3800 or visit VYCON’s web site at: www.vyconenergy.com .

Cascade Energy, Inc., the industrial energy efficiency experts, today announced unprecedented energy savings in the Pacific Northwest industrial sector. As the program partner for Bonneville Power Administration’s (BPA’s) Energy Smart Industrial (ESI) program, Cascade Energy helped deliver more than 40 average megawatts (aMW) in verified energy savings in 2010-2011.

“The success of the ESI program is largely unheard of in the industrial sector, and we take great pride in being a driving force behind these remarkable results,” said Marcus Wilcox, President and Founder of Cascade Energy. “In 2011 alone, Cascade helped BPA achieve more than 28 aMW in energy reductions. This represents greater than triple the savings that BPA attained on an annual basis in the industrial sector prior to the ESI program launch in late 2009.”

Public utilities in the Pacific Northwest serve more than 2,400 MW of industrial load each year. The ESI program works with industrial facilities and their local utilities to deliver cost-effective energy savings in a variety of market segments, including pulp and paper, wood products, food processing, high technology, water/wastewater, mining and others. In addition to assisting in the redesign and implementation of the ESI program, Cascade Energy has worked closely with industrial companies, utilities and BPA program representatives–facilitating energy savings projects and providing technical consultation–to not only achieve, but surpass program goals.

“Cascade Energy has brought unparalleled experience and knowhow to the ESI program, from strategic planning to industrial process optimization to system fine-tuning,” said Jennifer Eskil, Industrial Sector Lead at BPA.

We had energy savings targets of 12 aMW in fiscal year 2010 and 15 aMW in fiscal year 2011. Attaining more than 40 aMW in energy savings during that span is an incredible achievement.

Wilcox credits BPA’s foresight, leadership and dedication to industrial energy efficiency as critical success factors of the ESI program, contributing to an unprecedented level of awareness and participation from northwest utilities and their industrial customers. BPA has also supported and promoted a diverse portfolio of program offerings that are tailored to a variety of customer types, sizes and situations.

“BPA has done a masterful job of assembling and leading a talented team of program representatives with deep industrial expertise and regional presence,” Wilcox noted. “Industrial customers and their utilities not only have access to a variety of program offerings, but also a single point of contact who can help them define, develop and manage energy savings projects.” In addition to Cascade Energy’s partnership with BPA, Cascade has key partnerships with Evergreen Consulting Group, LLC and Triple Point Energy Services, LLC who have resourced the lighting and strategic energy management components for the ESI Program.

The ESI program offers a number of service options to address a multitude of energy efficiency opportunities and meet the varying needs of utilities and their customers. Utilities can choose the program components in which they would like to participate: energy project manager co-funding, which increases end user management and engineering efforts devoted to electrical energy projects; track and tune projects, which target operations and maintenance (O&M) energy savings; and high-performance energy management, which offers coaching and training to end users for continuous energy improvement similar to ISO 50001.

Since its launch, 104 of 116 BPA-affiliated utilities with industrial load have opted into the ESI program, representing an 89 percent sign-up rate and nearly 99 percent of the Pacific Northwest’s total industrial load. 485 custom energy projects were initiated in the first two years of the program, dramatically reducing industrial energy consumption in the Pacific Northwest.

About Cascade Energy, Inc.

Cascade Energy, the industrial energy efficiency experts, works with corporations, utilities and industry associations to improve energy planning, engineering and management. With deep technical expertise, a full complement of services and more than twenty years of hands-on experience, Cascade has a proven track record of reducing industrial energy consumption and costs. For more information, visit www.cascadeenergy.com .

SOURCE: Cascade Energy, Inc.

“Shmuel Fledel will lead us forward as we optimize our processes and strategy, strengthen our business, and implement the utilization of ecofriendly solar thermal technology in existing and new applications. Here, research and development will play a key role,” said Ted Scheidegger, CEO of the Solar & Hydro Division of Siemens Energy.

Until 2005, Fledel was President & CEO of Cyclone Aviation Products Ltd., a company specialized in aircraft structures production and helicopter maintenance and services. Between 2005 and 2008, Fledel as company executive vice president was responsible for maintenance and engineering for the El Al Airlines. Since 2008, Fledel was President & CEO of TAT Technologies Group, a company whose production, maintenance and overhaul portfolio includes heat exchanger systems and components, electromotive systems, auxiliary power units, landing gear and air conditioning systems.

Solar thermal power plants are part of Siemens’ Environmental Portfolio. In fiscal 2011, revenue from the Portfolio totaled about EUR30 billion, making Siemens one of the world’s largest suppliers of ecofriendly technologies. In the same period, our products and solutions enabled customers to reduce their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by nearly 320 million tons, an amount equal to the total annual CO2 emissions of Berlin, Delhi, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, New York, Singapore and Tokyo.

“We are committed to growing the residential solar market and believe that making competitive financing products available to companies selling solar is crucial to industry growth this year and beyond,” said Robert Prigge, SVP of worldwide sales for Clean Power Finance. “Solar PPAs and leases have emerged as the driving force behind residential solar sales. Our expansion into new markets underscores demand by solar companies for our finance products, which they can brand and market to homeowners.”

Clean Power Finance entered the residential solar financing market in California in April 2011. Since then, the company has expanded rapidly, and now facilitates as much as $1 million in residential solar project financings per day.

We entered the market less than a year ago and have already caught up and overtaken other, more established players in the space,” said Nat Kreamer, CEO of Clean Power Finance. “We think we’ve hit on the best way to connect capital markets and solar markets and maximize returns for investors, installers and homeowners. Today’s expansion announcement supports that opinion, and we’re looking forward to further expansion in the near future.”

Clean Power Finance allows qualified installers access to a variety of competitive residential solar finance products through its CPF Tools software. Clean Power Finance’s leases and PPAs are non-exclusive, so installers can use them in conjunction with other finance products, and white label, which allows installers to build their businesses by branding and marketing the financing as their own.

About Clean Power Finance

Clean Power Finance is driving the mass-market adoption of residential solar by building an online marketplace to connect the solar industry and the capital markets. The company provides solar professionals, manufacturers and distributors with access to a variety of white label residential finance products and easy-to-use solar sales quoting and design tools. For investors and lenders, the company makes it easy to invest in residential solar projects that provide reliable rates of return. Founded in 2007, Clean Power Finance is funded by Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers (KPCB), Google Ventures and Claremont Creek Ventures. To learn more about how Clean Power Finance can accelerate the growth of your business, please visit www.cleanpowerfinance.com .

SOURCE: Clean Power Finance