Renewable Portfolio Standard
www.RenewablePortfolioStandard.com

Renewable Portfolio Standard Strategies Including Turnkey Renewable Energy 
EPC Services: Engineering, Procurement  & Construction

We Do Solar Right!^SM

Tel. (832)  758 - 0027                 Email: info@RenewablePortfolioStandard.com

We provide Renewable Portfolio Standard:

• Project Development

• Engineering

• Feasibility Studies 

• Legal 

• Procurement

• Construction

• Waste to Energy Solutions

• Finance/Funding/Investments

• Power Purchase Agreements

• Interconnection Agreements

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions trading credits

• Operations & Maintenance

Work performed on a "vendor-neutral" basis according to our engineering feasibility and economic analysis studies.  We seek to maximize the return on investment from both the economic and environmental aspects while simultaneously minimizing the operational expenses for our clients. 

We provide Renewable Portfolio Standard solutions for governmental agencies/states, municipalities, and utility clients.  Products and services include:

• Project Engineering Feasibility & Economic Analysis Studies  

• Engineering, Procurement and Construction

• Environmental Engineering & Permitting 

• Project Funding & Financing Options; including Equity Investment, Debt Financing, Lease and Municipal Lease

• Shared/Guaranteed Savings Program with No Capital Investment from Qualified Clients 

• Project Commissioning 

• 3rd Party Ownership and Project Development

• Long-term Service Agreements

• Operations & Maintenance 

• Green Tag (Renewable Energy Credit, Carbon Dioxide Credits, Emission Reduction Credits) Brokerage Services; Application and Permitting

For more information: call us at: 832-758-0027

What is the "Renewable Portfolio Standard?"

 
The Renewable Portfolio Standard (“RPS”) is a federal and state policy to promote the use of renewable energy resources to meet electricity demand for that specific state. An RPS requires that a certain amount of electricity come from renewable resources. The Renewable Portfolio Standard for any particular state is now law, and mandated by increasingly more states that requires a percentage of its electric power to be generated from renewable and/or biorenewable energy sources. Each particular state decides how these mandates are fulfilled using a combination of renewable and biorenewable energy resources.  These renewable and biorenewable energy resources include wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and other renewable and biorenewable resources depending on location. Some states are located in areas where there is access to the wealth of energy found in the ocean.  Some states that have enacted a Renewable Portfolio Standard identify particular renewable and biorenewable energy resources and some also specify the renewable technology mix, for example, 45% of the state's renewable portfolio standard will come from solar, 45% from biomass (e100 Ethanol, b100 Biodiesel and/or Biomethane), and 10% from wind power generation.  Other states have decided to let the market determine the mix of renewable and biorenewable resources that make up that state's RPS.

As of July 15, 2006 23 states have implemented Renewable Portfolio Standard.

23 states have adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard which requires utilities to supply a certain percentage of electricity from specified renewable energy technologies within these 23 states.

The 23 State renewable energy programs in effect in 2005 generally are concentrated in three broad geographic areas, with 11 jurisdictions along the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic seaboard (Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont), 6 in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas), 4 in the upper Midwest (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin), and Hawaii and Montana each standing alone. No Southern, Southeastern, or Northwestern State (except Montana) currently has a renewable energy program.

The RPS under consideration in New York, if approved, would lead to the development of over 3,400 megawatts (“MW”) of renewable energy by 2013, making New York a national leader on renewable energy.

On June 4, 2004, the New York State Department of Public Service issued an important decision that could make New York a national leader in developing renewable energy and provide an important tool to combat global warming, if it is swiftly adopted by the New York Public Service Commission. The decision recommends adoption of a renewable energy requirement (the “Renewable Portfolio Standard” or “RPS”) for New York State that will require that 25% of the electricity sold in New York come from renewable resources by the year 2013. The RPS will provide important environmental, public health and economic development benefits to all New Yorkers.

How Has the New York RPS Been Developed?

New York Governor George Pataki, in his January 2003 State-of-the-State address called for implementation of an RPS to ensure that by 2013, renewable resources would supply 25% of the electric power sold within New York .

In February 2003, the Public Service Commission began to design the RPS. Over the last year and a quarter, the RPS has been discussed in numerous meetings, technical workshops and rounds of comments involving over a hundred organizations and businesses. On June 4, 2004, a Department of Public Service agency judge issued a decision that will provide a roadmap for the RPS and its implementation. The Public Service Commission is expected to adopt the RPS decision this summer.

How Will New York Define Renewable Energy?

The decision recommends that the RPS should include wind, solar (photovoltaics), fuel cells, low-impact hydropower, biomass and biogas and tidal energy. Despite intense industry lobbying, the decision recommends that the RPS not include energy from garbage incineration (“Waste to Energy” or “WTE”). Environmentalists, joined by staff of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Public Service, have opposed including garbage incineration in the RPS because of its high air pollution emission rates for mercury and smog-producing nitrogen oxides, as well as its high cost.

How will the RPS Help the Environment and Public Health?

• Fossil-fuel and nuclear power produce myriad environmental impacts including massive air pollution and global warming emissions change, water pollution (from mining activities and cooling), and waste disposal concerns. Renewable resources, in contrast, produce either zero or low levels of air and water pollution. New York State estimates that the RPS will reduce gas and oil-powered electric generation in New York State by 9%.    

• The RPS will reduce emissions of air pollutants that impair air quality. Increased use of renewables will provide public health benefits through reduced levels of respiratory distress and disease and improve the quality of life of those impacted by air pollution – often our most vulnerable populations of children and the elderly.

• The RPS will significantly decrease New York emissions of smog-producing nitrogen oxides (“NOx”), acid-rain producing sulphur dioxide (“SOx”), and global warming-producing carbon dioxide (“CO2”, fine soot matter and mercury – all major air pollutants with adverse public health and environmental impacts.

• New York State estimates that the RPS will cause emissions of NOx, SOx, and CO2 in New York State to decrease by 5.22%, 6.04%, and 7.43% respectively by 2013, with even greater decreases in the downstate region. 
  

How will the RPS Affect Electricity Bills?

Looking at electricity prices alone, under the RPS, electric utilities will pay a small price premium for renewable energy. But new supplies of renewable energy (which have zero or low cost fuel prices) will also bring down New York State wholesale electricity prices.

New York State estimates that the cumulative net present value of the RPS from 2006-2013 will range in cost from $158 to $328 million (using current fuel costs). Residential customers will see their electric bills change by between -1.2% to +1.8%.This means that if your monthly electric bill is $50, your bill will either decrease or increase by about 75 cents to a dollar. But the RPS will have many economic benefits that are not directly factored into electricity prices. These are discussed below.

How the RPS Affect Natural Gas Prices?

The RPS will reduce volatile natural gas prices for New Yorkers. Renewable energy adds diversity to the State’s fuel mix reducing vulnerability to volatile fossil fuel prices. A December 2003 report by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (“ACEEE”) showed that a NY RPS will lower natural gas prices by reducing consumption of natural gas by power plants. ACEEE found that a 2.8% increase in renewable energy could save New York consumers $144 million in 2008, with national savings as high as $390 million.(http://www.aceee.org/pubs/e032full.pdf).

How Much New Renewable Energy will New York Gain from the RPS?

About 18% of New York State ’s electricity currently comes from hydropower. Planned expansions of existing hydropower sources may increase this to about 20%.With Demand growth, the RPS will require an additional increase in new renewable energy sources equivalent to about 7.5% of the electricity sold inNew York in order to meet Governor Pataki’s 25% requirement. New York State estimates that the RPS will lead to the development of about 3400 MW of new renewable energy.

Will the RPS Create Jobs and Economic Development?

Yes. The RPS will use in-State resources to produce electricity, decreasing dependence on imported and foreign fuel sources and lengthy and vulnerable fuel pipelines. Per megawatt of power produced, renewable energy generates more jobs and income than fossil-fuel plants. A study by the Renewable Energy Policy Project estimates that a New York RPS would result in the creation of thousands of new jobs in New York. Also, a strong renewable market will produce jobs and income as the renewable industry sees New York as a good place to invest. New York already has a number of renewable energy companies located within its borders, such as the Latham-based Plug Power, which manufacturers fuel cells, and a number of firms supporting the wind energy industry including AWS/Truewind, one of the nation's premier wind resource assessment and mapping firms. These companies are likely to expand, as will the industries that supply necessary parts and services.

In addition, use of in-state renewable resources will provide taxes to local communities and income to landowners (where, for example, wind turbines are placed on agricultural land), particularly in economically disadvantaged upstate rural economies.

The RPS Will Maintain Electricity Supply Stability/Reliability

Renewable power can be integrated into the State’s electric markets consistent with maintaining system reliability as has been done elsewhere in this country and in Europe. Texas uses wind energy for over 3% of its electricity generation and Spain and Germany use wind for approximately 15% of their electricity.

A recent NYSERDA/NYISO Report on the increased use of wind energy found that New York could integrate at least 3,300 MW of wind generation without impacting electric system reliability.

In addition, on-site distributed generation produced by renewable resources such as photovoltaics, fuel cells and small wind turbines can reduce the need for added investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure, avoid transmission losses, and provide power in remote locations.  

Solar Trigeneration^sm
www.SolarTrigeneration.com

We Do Solar Right^sm

We install our Solar Trigeneration^sm Energy Systems, for qualified commercial businesses, as well as  cities, schools and government facilities with our Zero Up-front Cost program.

For some customers - based on their present location, utility company and electric rate - we are able to reduce their electric rate by 10%. Even more for other customers.  Solar Trigeneration^sm Energy System!

We provide the answers to your questions about solar power and energy!

Does your; business, city, school, or electric utility want a more sustainable solar power and energy solution?

Are you interested in transforming your facility, campus or building(s) to "Net Zero Energy"™ buildings?

Does your city or school have a problem with rising electricity and energy expenses, but not have the financial resources to provide the necessary updates and upgrades to make your buildings more efficient?

Maybe you have already decided to go solar, but you have a lot of questions, and don't know where to start.  Call us, we have the answers to your solar questions.

What is the optimum solar solution?  There are hundreds of companies in the solar power and energy industry.....  Who do you call to help you with these questions to help you make the right decisions?

There's still more questions, that you may not have thought about..... which solar technology do you go with, and what is the return on investment? 

Are there any solar rebates, refunds, tax credits or other incentives available?

What about investors that might be interested in owning/operating and maintaining our solar energy system under a Power Purchase Agreement?

You have numerous questions and need the answers to help in the decision-making process regarding the solar power and energy system you want to install.  These decisions will have a long-lasting impact as the solar energy system that you install at your business or facility will probably be generating clean power for the next 40 to 50 years, if not longer!  So, the decisions that you need to make now regarding your solar energy system will be a decision that will be either a long-term asset or a liability, depending on the equipment you select and who you choose to install it. 

We can help cities, schools and commercial (and large residential) customers make the switch to solar!

And now, with our no up-front cost for our Solar Trigeneration^sm Energy System, we can also transform your building(s) to a "Net Zero Energy Building"™ and many times, actually REDUCE your present energy expenses by 10%, and possibly more!

Examples of buildings/facilities where our Solar Trigeneration^sm Energy Systems would benefit, include; universities, churches, data centers, shopping centers, schools, radio/television stations, food processing, warehouses, new real estate developments and subdivisions, and electric utilities - practically any commercial facility can be upgraded to one of our "pollution free power" systems featuring one of our solar energy systems,  including our Solar Trigeneration^sm system!

Call or email us, we can provide these answers. We are focused on providing the optimum solar energy systems for our clients. This begins with an initial review of your past 12 months energy/electrical bills. The next step would include a site visit which may include a Demand Side Management study and/or a Solar Feasibility Study which determines the optimum solar energy system for your facility or location.  Once the optimum solar solution(s) are determined, we then have a blueprint to proceed that could include our installing one of our Solar Cogeneration™ or Solar Trigeneration^sm energy systems.  Or for a city, real estate development or subdivision, or an electric utility, one of our utility scale power plants which might be a Concentrating Photovoltaic, Concentrating Solar Power or High Concentration Photovoltaic power plants.

What is "Net Zero Energy™?"

Net Zero Energy - when applied to a home or commercial building, simply means that the home or buildings generates as much power and energy as they consume, when measured on a monthly or annual basis, and with an onsite, renewable energy system, such as our Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System. 

What is a Net Zero Energy Building™?

A Net Zero Energy Building™ produces as much energy as it uses over the course of a year. Net Zero Energy Buildings™ are very energy efficient. The remaining low energy needs are typically met with on-site renewable energy. 

First of all, understand that there is no such thing as a "zero energy building!" EVERY building uses energy, or you may as well be in a cave!  

The important considerations are, 

1.  How efficient is the building?  

2.  How much energy does the building use, and how efficiently is it used?  

3.  How much "carbon free energy" or "pollution free power" is generated by the buildings' own onsite renewable energy system?

4.  What are the utility company's prices for the excess power generated and sent to the grid? 
(see: Net Energy Metering)

5.  How difficult is it to interconnect the renewable energy system of the building with the utility company's powerlines/electric grid?   

At the heart of a Net Zero Energy Building™ is the idea that any building can meet its energy requirements from low-cost, locally available, nonpolluting, renewable sources, like our Solar Trigeneration™ Energy Systems. Our Solar Trigeneration™ Energy Systems are the idea whose time has come, to make Net Zero Energy Buildings™ commonplace.

Solar Trigeneration™ Energy Systems Provide All of the Cooling, Heating & Power, for Any Size Building, with only the Energy of the Sun. Solar Trigeneration™ Energy Systems Provide Simultaneous  Cooling, Heating & Power whether it is 12 Noon, or 12 Midnight,  and can do so, WITHOUT Connection to the electric grid!

The Diagram Below Shows How Our Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System Works, 
for Heating and Cooling a Building (next to the Solar Thermal Collectors, are the PV Panels, that generate the Electricity).

Our Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System
provides "Cooling, Heating & Power" for your business,
or home with the free energy of the sun!

What is Net Energy Metering?

Net energy metering is used to measure a customer's total electric consumption against that customer's total on-site electric generation.  When a customer's onsite generation of power exceeds the amount that they use, the customer's solar energy system (or other renewable energy system) exports the extra electricity to the grid.  When the power requirements of the customer exceeds their onsite generation of power, the customer imports the electricity they need from electric grid. The customer pays the electric company for any extra power they use over the amount they generate - OR -  the customer receives a credit or refund from the electric company if they exported more power to the grid, than what they consumed.  

Renewable Energy Is Necessary for Net Zero Energy Buildings

Much focus is placed on energy efficiency as the most cost-effective way to reduce energy use in commercial buildings. However, consumption can be reduced only so much. There is a point at which the cost of adding efficiency measures is higher than that of using renewable energy such as thin film photovoltaics and other solar energy systems. 

Aggressive energy efficiency strategies can reduce a building's energy consumption by 50% to 70%. Renewable energy technologies must be used to reach the goal of a net-zero energy building (NZEB).

Supply-Side Technologies

Various supply-side renewable energy technologies are available for Net Zero Energy Buildings. Supply-side technologies, often called energy producers, collect natural energy and transform it into a useful form. Examples of these technologies include PV, solar hot water, wind, hydroelectric, and biofuels.

Ranking of Energy Options

All renewable sources are favorable over conventional energy sources such as coal and natural gas; however, the U.S. Department of Energy recommends the following ranking for these options (the lower numbers are preferable):

This hierarchy is weighted toward renewable technologies within the building footprint and site. Rooftop PV and solar water heating are the most applicable supply-side technologies for Net Zero Energy Buildings. Other supply-side technologies such as parking lot-based wind or solar energy systems may be available.

The goal in developing the ranking was to encourage technologies that:

• Minimize overall environmental impact by encouraging energy-efficient building designs and reducing transportation and conversion losses

• Will be available over the lifetime of the building

• Are widely available and have high replication potential for future Net Zero Energy Buildings.

Solar Trigeneration^sm
www.SolarTrigeneration.com

Now, Your Business Can Have Our Solar Trigeneration™ 
Energy System, installed for No Up-Front Costs!

Through an affiliated partner company, we are now installing our Solar Trigeneration™ Energy Systems, for qualified commercial businesses, nationwide, with Zero up-front costs.

Some customers may even see a decrease in their energy expenses by as much as 10% to 20% with our Zero up-front cost Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System!

To qualify for our no up-front cost Solar Trigeneration Energy Systems, businesses must:

• Have a good credit rating

• Agree to buy all of the energy generated from the Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System through a 20 year Power Purchase Agreement

• Other conditions may apply, depending on location, state or utility company you are presently buying power from.

We expect ALL of our customers will be very happy knowing that the clean, green, renewable power they are using is: 

• More reliable than the electricity from the power company.

• Saving the environment by reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions and helping reverse Climate Change and Global Warming.

• Generated from their own reliable Solar Power System on their roofs.

• Saving Money!  At today's published electric rates at Southern California Edison, TXU, Reliant and Centerpoint, most of our customers will also enjoy a SAVINGS on their present electric bills by as much as 10% from what they are now paying for their electricity from the electric utility.

• Under warranty.

• At the end of the Power Purchase Agreement, the Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System is then offered for sale to our customers, for $1.00.  And then their energy savings really start to add up as the power and electricity generated from their Solar Trigeneration™ Energy System is free!

To find out if your business qualifies for one of our Free Solar Power Systems, call (832) 758 - 0027 today!

Our "Solar Trigeneration^sm" Power and Energy Systems
Generate Carbon Free Energy and Pollution Free Power
Which is Sustainable, Clean, Renewable and Affordable

Solar Energy Systems provides cooler, cleaner, greener power and energy project development services.  Our Solar Energy Systems are an environmentally-friendly and economically-superior choice to expensive natural gas and electricity. Additionally, our renewable energy technologies generate "green tags" or a Renewable Energy Credit.  

We provide Solar Power and Energy systems that we refer to as "EcoGeneration" solutions that produce cooler, cleaner, greener power and energy for our customers and our environment. Unlike most companies, we are equipment supplier/vendor neutral. This means we help our clients select the best equipment for their specific application. This approach provides our customers with superior performance, decreased operating expenses and increased return on investment. 

Our company provides turn-key project solutions that include all or part of the following: 

• Engineering and Economic Feasibility Studies 

• Project Design, Engineering & Permitting

• Project Construction

• Project Funding & Financing Options

• Shared/Guaranteed Savings program with no capital requirements. 

• Project Commissioning 

• Operations & Maintenance 

• Green Tag/Renewable Energy Credit Application, and Marketing

For more information: call us at: 832-758-0027

Net Zero Energy Buildings^sm
www.NetZeroEnergyBuildings.com

The Audubon Nature Center Installs Solar Trigeneration  System
Making this one of the World's First "Net Zero Energy Buildings"
at Their New Facility in Los Angeles, California

NO CONNECTION TO THE ELECTRIC UTILITY!

The Solar Trigeneration  Provides All of their Facility's (5000 sq.ft.)
Cooling, Heating and Power Requirements - at 12 noon or 12 midnite,
WITHOUT ANY CONNECTION to the Electric Utility
with our Solar Trigeneration Energy System!  

The Sun Powers the Audubon Nature Center's Solar Trigeneration  
System at Debs Park in Los Angeles. The Audubon Nature Center's 
building is one of the world's first "Net Zero Energy Buildings." 
The Solar Trigeneration System Consists of a 10 Ton “Solar Absorption Cooling"  
System Matched with a Solar Electric Power System

By:  Monty Goodell, MBA
www.SolarTrigeneration.com
Los Angeles, California

There is now a better, more efficient, “pollution free power” solution for cooling, heating and powering homes and commercial buildings where solar energy is available. It's called Solar Trigeneration

Solar Trigeneration is defined as the simultaneous generation of cooling, heating and power with only the free solar energy from the sun providing the "fuel". Solar Trigeneration is now a reality at the Audubon Center at Debs Park several miles from downtown Los Angeles and is one of the world's first "Net Zero Energy Buildings."

The Audubon Nature Center is totally powered by the sun’s energy and the building operates entirely “grid-free” and without any electric connections to the electric grid, or natural gas connections – a truly sustainable power and energy solution. Best of all, the Audubon Center doesn’t rely on the over-burdened electric grid or even natural gas.  Therefore, the Audubon Nature Center NEVER receives an electric bill or natural gas bill.... ever!

The Audubon Nature Center's 5,000 square foot office and conference facility is powered by a Solar Trigeneration system that features a 25-kilowatt solar electric power system where the energy is stored in a bank of batteries. The Center is cooled by a 10-ton solar absorption cooling system powered by an array of very efficient solar heat pipe vacuum tube thermal collectors.  The collectors heat the water to temperatures of 200+ degree F stored in a 1,200 gallon insulated tank, another type of inexpensive battery. The Solar Trigeneration system at the Audubon not only provides the air-conditioning in the summer but also heats the building in the winter, and provides the hot water for the kitchen and bathrooms. 

Absorption chillers, and cooling with solar energy with an absorption chiller are not new technologies.  In fact, absorption chiller technology is over 70 years old.  The first refrigerators were powered by propane gas to run the absorption chillers that used ammonia as a refrigerant.  Electricity and the electric compression chiller gained popularity only because of the convenient “plug and play” appliance and relatively cheap electric rates.  Electricity is no longer economically, or environmentally “cheap.”

Cogeneration refers to the simultaneous production of heat and power. Cogeneration plants are much more efficient as compared with typical power plants.  Cogeneration is usually about 55% to 70% efficient in terms of overall system efficiency, or about 200% more efficient than typical power plants.  However, cogeneration power plants are fueled by natural gas, which is a limited resource, and whose price has exploded as a result of all the new cogeneration plants that have been built and fueled by natural gas. Even in early 2001, the price of natural gas was only $2.75 - $3.25 per mmbtu. However, with all of the new cogeneration power plants, limited supply of natural gas, and the huge demand placed on natural gas for fueling the new cogeneration plants, the price of natural gas is now around $7.50 - $8.50 per mmbtu.

Solar Trigeneration is an EcoGeneration solution.  EcoGeneration refers to a power and energy system that uses the “natural” energy or fuel that is available for a specific site or location. Such energy or fuel includes, solar, wind, BioMethane, geothermal, and ocean power, including ocean tidal and ocean thermal energy conversion. For example, in the desert areas of the Southwestern U.S. , there is an abundance of solar energy. Therefore, home-owners and business owners in this part of the country should seriously consider an EcoGeneration system (“ecogen system”) that optimizes the opportunities available through solar energy

Today, the cause of the summer peak electric demand, electric supply problems, and black-outs, are the result of the energy crisis in California , primarily attributed to the air conditioning load. Over 40 percent of the electricity generated every day goes is used for air conditioning.  At this time of year, the electric utilities are forced to turn on all of their power plants to generate the “peak” demands required by the customers, primarily for air-conditioning.  This means that all of the efficient power plants, the inefficient power plants, along with all of the “peaking” power plants have to run to generate the electricity needed. The high cost of meeting the peak demand is passed on to the consumers with rates of $.20+ per kWh during the summer months.   For fixed income seniors living in desert communities, they are already forced to conserve on energy, food, water, and other necessities of life. 

Greater Demands on California’s Limited Electric Supply, Lack of New Electric Power Supplies, and This Summer’s Heat Wave are Compounding the Problem Leading to the “Perfect Electric Storm”

Many people will remember the movie “The Perfect Storm” from several years ago, when several storms came together in the northeastern part of the U.S. to produce a deadly and catastrophic “perfect” storm. Today, a different type of “perfect storm” is brewing in California . The storm that’s looming on the horizon in California is a “perfect electric storm” wherein the supply of electricity from the electric utility company’s power plants are unable to keep-up with the demand – meaning a black-out, or loss of electricity, like the black-outs from previous years, and like the northeastern black-out from 2003.

The most likely time of year for a black-out in California , unfortunately, is the summer, when air-conditioners are running at the maximum, and placing the maximum load on California ’s electricity supply.  Should such a black-out occur in the desert areas of California, where daily high temperatures routinely reach 110 degrees and higher, and where a significant percentage of the population is comprised of retired and senior citizens, and should the black-out be prolonged, a number of deaths will be the likely outcome. People, and especially the elderly, simply cannot tolerate prolonged high temperatures

How Do We Prevent the “Perfect Electric Storm” from Occurring in California and Other Regions in the U.S.?

Another major concern is how do we prevent the “Perfect Electric Storm” from happening, like the Northeast Blackout several summers ago, especially for people living in the desert?  California ’s energy authorities are warning of a possible energy crisis during the hot summer months, due to the excessive and prolonged summer temperatures where demand increases by over 40 percent.  Compounding the problem is the rising demand for electricity due to population growth and the limited transmission capacity in some areas in the region.  According to the California Energy Commission, the State must build three natural gas-fired 500-megawatt peaking power plants, every year, just to keep up with the growing demands of electricity. Failure to keep up with demand means The problem is getting worse due to the population growth in the Inland Empire , Coachella Valley and Antelope Valley. The projected power gap for the coming summers of 2006, 2007, and 2008 is very bleak.

Governor Schwarzenegger’s “Million Solar Roofs” program and the passage of the 2005 Federal Energy Act will be the foundation to create a “Perfect Solar Storm” to trigger the Solar Economy throughout California. 

With the threat of California’s seniors and elderly dying from heat exhaustion due to power outages, black-outs, rolling black-outs and the rising costs of electricity and natural gas, combined with the continuing impact of global warming, the perfect solution is to create a Solar Revolution by cooling, heating and powering the desert with solar energy and technologies like Solar Cogeneration or Solar Trigeneration.

To find our more about the new Solar Trigeneration system at the Audubon Center in Los Angeles, or arrange for a tour of the Audubon Center, or discuss your Solar CHP, Solar Cogeneration or EcoGeneration requirements, call Monty Goodell at 832-758-0027

The Audubon Center's new Solar Trigeneration power and energy system
makes this building a "Net Zero Energy Building"

The Audubon's Roof showing the Solar Thermal Collectors, part of the 
Solar Trigeneration power and energy system

The heart of the Audubon's Solar Trigeneration power and energy system
provides "free heating, cooling and domestic hot water," a "net zero energy building."

The hot water from the Solar Thermal Collectors on the roof of the Audubon is pumped here for producing the building's heating, cooling and domestic hot water.
Hot water is stored in the tank on the left for overnight.

What is "Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide?"

Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide (CuInSe2) is a material that provides an extremely high absorption of light ( 99%) to be absorbed in the first micron of the material. Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide is projected to be the revolutionary material that some are saying, could put typical "central" power plants and some electric utilities, out of business, as it will be much cheaper for customers to generate their own onsite power with Thin Film Photovoltaics made from these materials.   

When additional small amounts of Gallium is added to Copper Indium diSelenide, this increases its' light-absorbing band gap, thereby making the solar panel more closely match the solar spectrum of the sun.  This, in turn, increases the voltage and the efficiency of the Thin Film Photovoltaics solar panel. 

Solar panels produced with Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide cells have reached efficiencies of more than 20% - which is much higher than the other Thin Film Photovoltaics. 

Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide solar panels create more electricity from the same amount of sunlight than other Thin Film Photovoltaics panels.  This translates into a higher conversion efficiency. 

The conversion efficiency of Copper Indium Gallium diSelenide PV technologies is very stable over time, meaning its power output remains stable over many years, while the power output of many other PV materials can rapidly decline with time. 

What are "Building Integrated Photovoltaics?"

Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV) are solar energy systems that are integrated into a part of the building, that serve as the building's exterior or the building's skin. 

Commercial buildings and facilities (including houses) that integrate their own solar power systems into the building's exteriors, are referred to as "power buildings."

The technology that makes this possible is "Thin Film Photovoltaics."

What are Thin Film Photovoltaics?

Without a doubt, the most exciting technology in the solar power industry is "Thin Film Photovoltaics."  Thin Film Photovoltaics technology represents the next big thing in renewable energy and solar power as it integrates nanotechnologies into the production of solar photovoltaics. 

According to the Department of Energy, the recent technological advances in thin film photovoltaics make this a very exciting time to be in the solar energy industry.  These advances have led to many new developments in the components and manufacturing of thin film photovoltaics. This has made thin film photovoltaics cheaper to manufacture as they are also now easier to install since they are extremely versatile, flexible, bendable, and much lighter.

Thin film photovoltaics  have led many to believe that as much as 50% of our nation's future power will be generated by "power buildings" that integrate "building integrated photovoltaics" or "BIPV" into the building's skin or exterior surfaces, that convert sunlight into "pollution free power" for use in the building.  This also designates these buildings (and homes) as "Net Zero Energy Buildings" and make the option for going grid-free, or not connecting to the grid, a real possibility.

According to the Department of Energy, the market potential for printed electronics will grow into a $47 billion market by 2018.  Thin film photovoltaics represents a significant portion of this market - and based on this heavily researched solar technology, thin film photovoltaics now represents a $20 billion/year industry in the U.S.

The solar PV panels produced under the thin film photovoltaics umbrella have the potential to produce power significantly cheaper power than today’s typical silicon-based PV panels.  The panels are usually made in the form of a monolithic piece of glass, upon which various thin films are deposited, although a number of firms are working on depositing the materials on a substrate, such as stainless steel or plastic.

Types of Thin Film Photovoltaics – there are primarily three types of thin film photovoltaics and include:

1. Amorphous Silicon

2. Cadmium Telluride

3. Copper Indium Gallium Diselenide

Amorphous Silicon had the largest share of the thin film photovoltaics market through 2006. It has been researched for the longest period of time, may be the best understood material of the three and has been commercial for the longest. Cadmium Telluride has the remaining share and is growing. 

Thin Film Photovoltaics Advantages over Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaics

• Lower cost of production of the 

• Lower production facility cost per watt - CapEx

• Uses as little as 1/500 of the amount used in standard silicon cells

• Lower energy payback – amount of time until the product produces more energy than was utilized in its manufacture.

• Produces more power/watt

• Superior performance in hot and cloudy climates

• Integrates seemlessly in homes and buildings – see Building Integrated Photovoltaics 

• Produces the lowest cost power

About Us

We provide renewable energy engineering services and turnkey installations of our solar energy systems for commercial, municipal, government, schools and utility clients with projects located in the U.S., Canada Central America and the Caribbean. In many cases, we may also be able to provide project finance or investment. 

• Automated Demand Response

• Biomethane 

• Carbon Dioxide Emissions Consulting

• Carbon Emissions Consulting & Solutions

• Carbon Free Energy

• Clean Energy Parks

• Clean Power Generation

• Concentrated Solar Power

• Concentrating Photovoltaic

• Concentrating Solar Power

• Decentralized Energy

• Demand Side Management

• Distributed Generation

• Evacuated Tube Collectors

• Geothermal Power Plants 

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions consulting

• Ground Source Heat Pumps

• High Concentration Photovoltaic

• Molten Carbonate Fuel Cells

• Onsite Power Generation

• Natural Wastewater Treatment Plants 

• Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cells

• Pollution Free Power

• Power Purchase Agreements

• PPA Funding

• Renewable Energy Capital

• Renewable Energy Centers

• Renewable Energy Credit consulting

• Renewable Energy Funds

• Renewable Energy Investments

• Renewable Energy Parks

• Renewable Energy Technologies

• Solar Cogeneration

• Solar Desalination

• Solar Electric Power Systems

• Solar Energy Systems

• Solar Heating And Cooling

• Solar Power And Energy

• Solar Power Purchase Agreements

• Solar Thermal Collectors

• Solar Trigeneration

• Thin Film Photovoltaics

• Trigeneration

• Waste To Energy 

• Waste to Fuel 

• Wind Farm Development

• Wind Power Generation

 

Solar Electric Power Systems (PV)

Solar electric power systems transform sunlight into electricity. Sunlight is an abundant resource. Every minute the sun bathes the Earth in as much energy as the world consumes in an entire year. Solar cells employ special materials called semiconductors that create electricity when exposed to light. Solar electric systems are quiet and easy to use, and they require no fuel other than sunlight. Because they contain no moving parts, they are durable, reliable, and easy to maintain. How It Works Solar cells, also known as photovoltaic (PV) cells, do the work of making electricity. Several types of solar electric technology are under development, but four—crystalline silicon (a form of refined beach sand), thin films, concentrators, and thermophotovoltaics—are illustrative of the range of technologies. Solar cells are connected to a variety of other components to make a solar electric power system. Crystalline Silicon Crystalline silicon solar cells are used in more than half of all solar electric devices. Like most semiconductor devices, they include a positive layer (on the bottom) and a negative layer (on the top) that create an electrical field inside the cell. When a photon of light strikes a semiconductor, it releases electrons (see animation). The free electrons flow through the solar cell's bottom layer to a connecting wire as direct current (DC) electricity. Some solar cells are made from polycrystalline silicon, which consists of several small silicon crystals. Polycrystalline silicon solar cells are cheaper to produce but somewhat less efficient than single-crystal silicon. A simple silicon solar cell can power a watch or calculator. However, it produces only a tiny amount of electricity. Connected together, solar cells form modules that can generate substantial amounts of power. Modules are the building blocks of solar electric systems, which can produce enough power for a house, a rural medical clinic, or an entire village. Large arrays of solar electric modules can power satellites or provide electricity for utilities. Solar Electric Power System Components In addition to modules, several components are needed to complete a solar electric power system. Many systems include batteries, battery chargers, a backup generator, and a controller so that people in solar-powered homes and buildings can turn on the lights at night or run televisions or appliances on cloudy days. Grid-connected systems don't require batteries or backup generators because they use the grid for backup power. Some remote system applications, such as those used to pump water, do not require a backup power source. Components of a typical standalone PV system using crystalline silicon technology. (Source: Solar Electric Power Association) Solar electric power systems can incorporate inverters or power control units to transform the DC electricity produced by the solar cells into alternating current (AC) to run AC appliances or sell to a utility grid. Complete systems usually include safety disconnects, fuses, and a grounding circuit as well. Thin Films Solar electric thin films are lighter, more resilient, and easier to manufacture than crystalline silicon modules. The best-developed thin-film technology uses amorphous silicon, in which the atoms are not arranged in any particular order as they would be in a crystal. An amorphous silicon film only one micron thick can absorb 90% of the usable solar energy falling on it. Other thin-film materials include cadmium telluride and copper indium diselenide. Substantial cost savings are possible with this technology because thin films require relatively little semiconductor materials. Thin films are produced as large, complete modules, not as individual cells that must be mounted in frames and wired together. They are manufactured by applying extremely thin layers of semiconductor material to a low-cost backing such as glass or plastic. Electrical contacts, antireflective coatings, and protective layers are also applied directly to the backing material. Thin films conform to the shape of the backing, a feature that allows them to be used in such innovative products as flexible solar electric roofing shingles. Concentrators Concentrators use optical lenses (similar to plastic magnifying glasses) or mirrors to concentrate the sunlight that falls on a solar cell. With a concentrator to magnify the light intensity, the solar cell produces more electricity. Today, most solar cells in concentrators are made from crystalline silicon. However, materials such as gallium arsenide and gallium indium phosphide are more efficient than silicon in solar electric concentrators and will likely see more use in the future. These materials are now used in communications satellites and other space applications. Concentrators produce more electricity using less of the expensive semiconductor material than other solar electric systems. A basic concentrator unit consists of a lens to focus the light, a solar cell assembly, a housing element, a secondary concentrator to reflect off-center light rays onto the cell, a mechanism to dissipate excess heat, and various contacts and adhesives. The basic unit can be combined into modules of varying sizes and shapes. Concentrators only work with direct sunlight and operate most effectively in sunny, dry climates. They must be used with tracking systems to keep them pointed toward the sun. Thermophotovoltaics Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) devices convert heat into electricity in much the same way that other PV devices convert light into electricity. The difference is that TPV technology uses semiconductors "tuned" to the longer-wavelength, invisible infrared radiation emitted by warm objects. This technology is cleaner, quieter, and simpler than conventional power generation using steam turbines and generators. TPV converters are relatively maintenance-free because they contain no moving parts. In addition to using solar energy, they can convert heat from any high-temperature heat source, including combustion of a fuel such as natural gas or propane, into electricity. TPV converters produce virtually no carbon monoxide and few emissions. They may be used in the future in gas furnaces that generate their own electricity for self-ignition (during power outages) and in portable generators and battery chargers. Advantages Solar electric systems offer many advantages. Standalone systems can eliminate the need to build expensive new power lines to remote locations. For rural and remote applications, solar electricity can cost less than any other means of producing electricity. Solar electric systems can also connect to existing power lines to boost electricity output during times of high demand such as on hot, sunny days when air conditioners are on. Solar electric systems are flexible. Solar electric modules can stand on the ground or be mounted on rooftops. They can also be built into glass skylights and walls. They can be made to look like roof shingles and can even come equipped with devices to turn their DC output into the same AC utilities deliver to wall sockets. These advances mean individual homeowners and businesses can relieve pressure on local utilities struggling to meet the increasing demand for electricity. More than 30 states offer grid-connected solar electric system owners the chance to save money on their energy bills by feeding any excess power their solar electric system produces into the utility grid—an arrangement called net metering. Solar power systems require minimal maintenance. They run quietly and efficiently without polluting. They are easy to combine with other types of electric generators such as wind, hydro, or natural gas turbines. They can charge batteries to make solar electricity continuously available. For utilities, large-scale solar electric power plants can help meet demand for new power generation, especially in distributed applications. A solar electric power plant is created from multiple arrays that are interconnected electronically. Solar electric plants are easier to site and are quicker to build than conventional power plants. They are also easy to expand incrementally—by adding more modules—as power demand increases. Solar electric power systems are good for the environment. When solar electric technologies displace fossil fuels for pumping water, lighting homes, or running appliances, they reduce the greenhouse gases and pollutants emitted into the atmosphere. The use of solar electric systems is particularly important in developing nations because it can help avert the expected increases in emissions of greenhouse gases caused by the growing demand for electricity in those countries. Solar electric technologies also benefit the U.S. economy by creating jobs in U.S. companies. Exporting solar electric technologies to developing nations expands U.S. markets while protecting the global environment. Disadvantages Although solar electric systems make financial sense in remote areas that lack access to power lines, they are usually more expensive than fossil fuels for grid-connected applications. This disadvantage is significant for utilities considering large-scale solar electric power plants. Although solar electricity costs considerably more than electricity generated by conventional plants, regulatory agencies often require utilities to supply electricity for the lowest cash cost. Utilities view solar electric power plants differently than they view conventional power plants. Solar electric modules produce electricity intermittently—only when the sun shines. Their output varies with the weather and disappears altogether at night. Integrating solar electricity into a utility system requires creative planning. Applications A combination of solar electric arrays and pool-heating solar collectors were used to provide power and heat to the Georgia Tech University Aquatic Center, site of the 1996 Olympic swimming competition. (Credit: Heliocol) Solar electricity has powered satellites since the dawn of the space program. It has run remote communications outposts high in the mountains and turned on the lights, kept medicines cold, and pumped water in rural areas for more than 30 years. Small solar cells are used to power wristwatches, calculators, and other electronic gadgets. More recently, solar electric systems have been used to provide supplemental power to homes and commercial buildings in cities. Solar electric technology has important roles to play in both the developing and developed worlds. From the farmer irrigating his crops in rural Mexico to an innovative lighting system for an Olympic sports arena, solar electric solutions abound. Electric utilities harness solar electricity for distributed applications—near substations or at the end of overloaded power lines, for example, to avoid or defer costly line upgrades. They use solar electricity during hot, sunny periods when the demand for air conditioning stretches conventional power generation to its limit. The Sacramento Municipal Utility District, for example, uses large solar electric arrays as part of its power generation mix. Utilities also rely on solar electricity to power remote, standalone monitoring systems. Consumers and builders are integrating solar electric modules into their homes and offices. Innovative solar electric technologies can replace conventional roofing and facade materials in new buildings. Solar electric roofing shingles, for example, are being used in some new residences. In grid-connected applications, solar electricity supplies some of a consumer's energy needs; the local utility provides the rest. Standalone solar electric systems power a variety of applications far from the reaches of the power grid. These applications include remote communications systems such as television and radio transmitters and receivers, telephone systems, and microwave repeaters. Standalone solar electric power is also used to prevent corrosion of metal pipes, tanks, bridges, and buildings. Many remote residences worldwide use solar electricity as their source of power. For instance, more than 100,000 vacation homes in Scandinavia rely solely on solar electric technology to run lights and appliances. Villages around the world are building solar electric systems to bring electricity to their homes and local industries, often for the first time. To make the maximum use of available resources, village power is typically produced by a hybrid power system that combines solar electricity with diesel backup generators and sometimes another renewable energy technology such wind power. Villages also use standalone solar electric systems for pumping water—an application shared by rural farmers and ranchers in the United States.

Our Solar Heating and Cooling System - Uses the "free" Power of the Sun to Heat and Cool your Commercial Business or Home for Free!

Cooling and heating your building (home, office, school, hospital, etc.) costs you up to 60%, or more, every month you receive your electric bill. You can eliminate the heating and cooling portion of your electric bill forever, and cool and heat your home with the sun's power with our Solar Heating and Cooling system!   

Our Solar Heating and Cooling system is the cleanest, greenest, and lowest cost method to cool and warm your home or commercial office or other buildings.  Our Solar Heating and Cooling system will eliminate your energy costs for heating and cooling your home, office, school, or any other commercial facility for *free: Requires the purchase of our Solar Heating and Cooling system. Minimum size is 10 tons. You must be located in a qualified geographic location, which means our system must be located to receive direct sunlight.  For qualified customers, we will install the system with little to no money down and you pay for the system with the savings our system provides! 

Solar Absorption Cooling. Solar heat can be used to displace electricity used for cooling. Absorption chillers use a heat source, such as natural gas or hot water from solar collectors, to evaporate the already-pressurized refrigerant from an absorbent/refrigerant mixture. Condensation of vapors provides the same cooling effect as that provided by mechanical cooling systems. Although absorption chillers require electricity for pumping the refrigerant, the amount is very small compared to that consumed by a compressor in a conventional electric air conditioner or refrigerator. Solar Absorption Cooling systems are typically sized to carry the full air conditioning load during sunny periods. 

Our company provides turn-key project solutions that include all or part of the following: 

• Engineering and Economic Feasibility Studies 

• Project Design, Engineering & Permitting

• Project Construction

• Project Funding & Financing Options

• Shared/Guaranteed Savings program with no capital requirements. 

• Project Commissioning 

• Operations & Maintenance 

For more information: call us at: 832-758-0027

Absorption chillers use heat instead of mechanical energy to provide cooling. A thermal compressor consists of an absorber, a generator, a pump, and a throttling device, and replaces the mechanical vapor compressor.

In the chiller, refrigerant vapor from the evaporator is absorbed by a solution mixture in the absorber. This solution is then pumped to the generator. There the refrigerant re-vaporizes using a waste steam heat source. The refrigerant-depleted solution then returns to the absorber via a throttling device. The two most common refrigerant/ absorbent mixtures used in absorption chillers are water/lithium bromide and ammonia/water.

Compared with mechanical chillers, absorption chillers have a low coefficient of performance (COP = chiller load/heat input). However, absorption chillers can substantially reduce operating costs because they are powered by low-grade waste heat. Vapor compression chillers, by contrast, must be motor- or engine-driven.

Low-pressure, steam-driven absorption chillers are available in capacities ranging from 100 to 1,500 tons. Absorption chillers come in two commercially available designs: single-effect and double-effect. Single-effect machines provide a thermal COP of 0.7 and require about 18 pounds of 15-pound-per-square-inch-gauge (psig) steam per ton-hour of cooling. Double-effect machines are about 40% more efficient, but require a higher grade of thermal input, using about 10 pounds of 100- to 150-psig steam per ton-hour.

A single-effect absorption machine means all condensing heat cools and condenses in the condenser. From there it is released to the cooling water. A double-effect machine adopts a higher heat efficiency of condensation and divides the generator into a high-temperature and a low-temperature generator.

Is It Right for You?

Absorption cooling may be worth considering if your site requires cooling, and if at least one of the following applies:

• You have a combined heat and power CHP) unit and cannot use all of the available heat, or if you are considering a new CHP plant

• Waste heat is available

• A low-cost source of fuels is available

• Your boiler efficiency is low due to a poor load factor

• Your site has an electrical load limit that will be expensive to upgrade

• Your site needs more cooling, but has an electrical load limitation that is expensive to overcome, and you have an adequate supply of heat.

In short, absorption cooling may fit when a source of free or low-cost heat is available, or if objections exist to using conventional refrigeration. Essentially, the low-cost heat source displaces higher-cost electricity in a conventional chiller.

In Practice

In a plant where low-pressure steam is currently being vented to the atmosphere, a mechanical chiller with a COP of 4.0 is used 4,000 hours a year to produce an average 300 tons of refrigeration. The plant's cost of electricity is $0.05 a kilowatt-hour. 

An absorption unit requiring 5,400 lbs/hr of 15-psig steam could replace the mechanical chiller, providing annual electrical cost savings of:

Annual Savings = 300 tons x (12,000 Btu/ton / 4.0) x 4,000 hrs/yr x $0.05/kWh x kWh/3,413 Btu = $52,740

Actions You Can Take

Determine the cost-effectiveness of displacing a portion of your cooling load with a waste steam absorption chiller by taking the following steps:

• Conduct a plant survey to identify sources and availability of waste steam

• Determine cooling load requirements and the cost of meeting those requirements with existing mechanical chillers or new installations

• Obtain installed cost quotes for a waste steam absorption chiller

• Conduct a life cycle cost analysis to determine if the waste steam absorption chiller meets your company's cost-effectiveness criteria.

Absorption Chiller Refrigeration Cycle

The basic cooling cycle is the same for the absorption and electric chillers. Both systems use a low-temperature liquid refrigerant that absorbs heat from the water to be cooled and converts to a vapor phase (in the evaporator section). The refrigerant vapors are then compressed to a higher pressure (by a compressor or a generator), converted back into a liquid by rejecting heat to the external surroundings (in the condenser section), and then expanded to a low- pressure mixture of liquid and vapor (in the expander section) that goes back to the evaporator section and the cycle is repeated.

The basic difference between the electric chillers and absorption chillers is that an electric chiller uses an electric motor for operating a compressor used for raising the pressure of refrigerant vapors and an absorption chiller uses heat for compressing refrigerant vapors to a high-pressure. The rejected heat from the power-generation equipment (e.g. turbines, microturbines, and engines) may be used with an absorption chiller to provide the cooling in a CHP system.

The basic absorption cycle employs two fluids, the absorbate or refrigerant, and the absorbent. The most commonly fluids are water as the refrigerant and lithium bromide as the absorbent. These fluids are separated and recombined in the absorption cycle. In the absorption cycle the low-pressure refrigerant vapor is absorbed into the absorbent releasing a large amount of heat. The liquid refrigerant/absorbent solution is pumped to a high-operating pressure generator using significantly less electricity than that for compressing the refrigerant for an electric chiller. Heat is added at the high-pressure generator from a gas burner, steam, hot water or hot gases. The added heat causes the refrigerant to desorb from the absorbent and vaporize. The vapors flow to a condenser, where heat is rejected and condense to a high-pressure liquid. The liquid is then throttled though an expansion valve to the lower pressure in the evaporator where it evaporates by absorbing heat and provides useful cooling. The remaining liquid absorbent, in the generator passes through a valve, where its pressure is reduced, and then is recombined with the low-pressure refrigerant vapors returning from the evaporator so the cycle can be repeated.

Absorption chillers are used to generate cold water (44°F) that is circulated to air handlers in the distribution system for air conditioning.

"Indirect-fired" absorption chillers use steam, hot water or hot gases steam from a boiler, turbine or engine generator, or fuel cell as their primary power input. Theses chillers can be well suited for integration into a CHP system for buildings by utilizing the rejected heat from the electric generation process, thereby providing high operating efficiencies through use of otherwise wasted energy.

"Direct-fired" systems contain natural gas burners; rejected heat from these chillers can be used to regenerate desiccant dehumidifiers or provide hot water.

Commercially absorption chillers can be single-effect or multiple-effect. The above schematic refers to a single-effect absorption chiller. Multiple-effect absorption chillers are more efficient and discussed below.

Multiple-Effect Absorption Chillers

In a single-effect absorption chiller, the heat released during the chemical process of absorbing refrigerant vapor into the liquid stream, rich in absorbent, is rejected to the environment. In a multiple-effect absorption chiller, some of this energy is used as the driving force to generate more refrigerant vapor. The more vapor generated per unit of heat or fuel input, the greater the cooling capacity and the higher the overall operating efficiency.

A double-effect chiller uses two generators paired with a single condenser, absorber, and evaporator. It requires a higher temperature heat input to operate and therefore they are limited in the type of electrical generation equipment they can be paired with when used in a CHP System.

Triple-effect chillers can achieve even higher efficiencies than the double-effect chillers. These chillers require still higher elevated operating temperatures that can limit choices in materials and refrigerant/absorbent pairs. Triple-effect chillers are under development by manufacturers working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy.

The Heat Pump Solution

The geothermal heat pump doesn't create electricity—but it greatly reduces consumption of it. If you would like to reduce the cost of heating and cooling your home, you might want to consider installing a geothermal heat pump, an economical and energy-efficient technology for space heating and cooling and water heating. Nationwide, more than 350,000 of these systems are in operation in homes, schools, and businesses. And the geothermal heat pump industry expects to be installing 40,000 systems per year by 2000.

In winter, heat pump systems draw thermal energy from the ambient temperature of the shallow ground, which ranges between 50° and 70°F (10° to 21°C ) depending on latitude. In summer, the process is reversed to a cooling mode, using the ground as a sink for the heat contained within the building. The system does not convert electricity to heat; rather, it uses electricity to move thermal energy between the building and the ground and condition it to a higher or lower temperature according to the heating or cooling requirements. Consumption of electricity is reduced 30% to 60% compared to traditional heating and cooling systems, allowing a payback of system installation in 2 to 10 years. And these low-maintenance systems have long lives of 30 years or more. Some systems are also capable of producing domestic hot water at no cost in summer and at small cost in winter.

An analysis by the EPA found these systems to be among the most efficient space-conditioning technologies available—with the lowest environmental cost of all that were analyzed. But this might be the most compelling statistic: Surveys show that the number of satisfied geothermal heat pump customers stands at 95% or higher.

About Solar Heating and Cooling

It is possible to use solar thermal energy or solar electricity to operate or power an HVAC or heating and cooling system.  The following is a brief description of "active" solar cooling and refrigeration technologies. Active solar energy systems use a mechanical or electrical device to transfer solar energy absorbed in a solar collector to another component in the "system." It is possible to also cool a building or structure by using the natural processes of solar heat transfer (conduction, convection, and radiation). This is often referred to as "passive solar cooling," and is primarily an architectural technique. This brief focuses on active solar cooling systems. The American Solar Energy Society (ASES, see Source List below) is one source of information on passive solar cooling techniques.

Absorption Cooling and Refrigeration

Absorption cooling is the first and oldest form of air conditioning and refrigeration. An absorption air conditioner or refrigerator does not use an electric compressor to mechanically pressurize the refrigerant. Instead, the absorption device uses a heat source, such as natural gas or a large solar collector, to evaporate the already-pressurized refrigerant from an absorbent/refrigerant mixture. This takes place in a device called the vapor generator. Although absorption coolers require electricity for pumping the refrigerant, the amount is small compared to that consumed by a compressor in a conventional electric air conditioner or refrigerator. When used with solar thermal energy systems, absorption coolers must be adapted to operate at the normal working temperatures for solar collectors: 180° to 250°F (82° to 121°C). It is also possible to produce ice with a solar powered absorption device, which can be used for cooling or refrigeration.

For more information, call us at: 832 - 758 - 0027

* Some of the above information from the Department of Energy website with permission.

^{What are "Renewable Energy Technologies?"}

^{Any technology that exclusively relies on an energy source that is naturally regenerated over a short time and derived directly from the sun, indirectly from the sun, or from moving water or other natural movements and mechanisms of the environment. A renewable energy technology does not rely on energy resources derived from fossil fuels, or waste products from inorganic sources. Renewable energy technologies include; Bioenergy (such as biomethane recovery from , landfills, animal operations and POTW's), Geothermal, Hydrogen, Hydropower, Ocean, Solar, and Wind power generation technologies. More information about these renewable energy technologies follows below beginning with the paragraph on "Bioenergy."}

We provide Renewable Energy Technologies engineering and project development services. We incorporate many energy-saving technologies, products and services into our renewable energy power and energy projects. Our company provides turn-key project solutions that include all or part of the following: 

• Engineering and Economic Feasibility Studies 

• Project Design, Engineering & Permitting

• Project Construction

• Project Funding & Financing Options

• Shared/Guaranteed Savings program with no capital requirements. 

• Project Commissioning 

• Operations & Maintenance 

For more information: call us at: 832-758-0027

^Bioenergy

^{Bioenergy technologies use renewable biomass resources to produce an array of energy related products including electricity, liquid, solid, and gaseous fuels, heat, chemicals, and other materials. Bioenergy ranks second (to hydropower) in renewable U.S. primary energy production and accounts for three percent of the primary energy production in the United States.}

<sup>Biomass (organic matter) can be used to provide heat, make fuels, and generate electricity. This is called bioenergy. Wood, the largest source of bioenergy, has been used to provide heat for thousands of years. But there are many other types of biomass—such as wood, plants, residue from agriculture or forestry, and the organic component of municipal and industrial wastes—that can now be used as an energy source. Today, many bioenergy resources are replenished through the cultivation of energy crops, such as fast-growing trees and grasses, called bioenergy feedstocks. 

Unlike other renewable energy sources, biomass can be converted directly into liquid fuels for our transportation needs. The two most common biofuels are ethanol and biodiesel. Ethanol, an alcohol, is made by fermenting any biomass high in carbohydrates, like corn, through a process similar to brewing beer. It is mostly used as a fuel additive to cut down a vehicle's carbon monoxide and other smog-causing emissions. Biodiesel, an ester, is made using vegetable oils, animal fats, algae, or even recycled cooking greases. It can be used as a diesel additive to reduce vehicle emissions or in its pure form to fuel a vehicle. 

Heat can be used to chemically convert biomass into a fuel oil, which can be burned like petroleum to generate electricity. Biomass can also be burned directly to produce steam for electricity production or manufacturing processes. In a power plant, a turbine usually captures the steam, and a generator then converts it into electricity. In the lumber and paper industries, wood scraps are sometimes directly fed into boilers to produce steam for their manufacturing processes or to heat their buildings. Some coal-fired power plants use biomass as a supplementary energy source in high-efficiency boilers to significantly reduce emissions. 

Even gas can be produced from biomass for generating electricity. Biomass Gasification systems use high temperatures to convert biomass into a natural gas, or BioMethane. The gas fuels a turbine, which is very much like a jet engine, only it turns an electric generator instead of propelling a jet. The decay of biomass in landfills also produces a BioMethane gas that can be burned in a boiler to produce steam for electricity generation or for industrial processes. 

New technology could lead to using biobased chemicals and materials to make products such as anti-freeze, plastics, and personal care items that are now made from petroleum. In some cases these products may be completely biodegradable. While technology to bring biobased chemicals and materials to market is still under development, the potential benefit of these products is great. 

Biomass Resources

The term "biomass" means any plant derived organic matter available on a renewable basis, including dedicated energy crops and trees, agricultural food and feed crops, agricultural crop wastes and residues, wood wastes and residues, aquatic plants, animal wastes, municipal wastes, and other waste materials. Handling technologies, collection logistics and infrastructure are important aspects of the biomass resource supply chain. 

Bio-power

Biopower technologies are proven electricity generation options in the United States, with 10 gigawatts of installed capacity. All of today's capacity is based on mature direct-combustion technology. Future efficiency improvements will include co-firing of biomass in existing coal fired boilers and the introduction of high-efficiency gasification combined-cycle systems, fuel cell systems, and modular systems. 

Bio-fuels

A variety of fuels can be made from biomass resources, including the liquid fuels ethanol, methanol, biodiesel, Fischer-Tropsch diesel, and gaseous fuels such as hydrogen and methane. Biofuels research and development is composed of three main areas: producing the fuels, finding applications and uses of the fuels, and creating a distribution infrastructure. 

Bio-based Chemicals and Materials

Bio-based chemicals and materials are commercial or industrial products, other than food and feed, derived from biomass feedstocks. Bio-based products include green chemicals, renewable plastics, natural fibers, and natural structural materials. Many of these products can replace products and materials traditionally derived from petrochemicals, but new and improved processing technologies will be required. 

Integrated Bio-energy Systems and Assessments

The economic, social, environmental, and ecological consequences in growing and using biomass are important to understand and consider when addressing technological, market, and policy issues associated with bioenergy systems.</sup> 

^Geothermal

^{Geothermal energy technologies use the heat of the earth for direct-use applications, geothermal heat pumps, and electrical power production. Research in all areas of geothermal development is helping to lower costs and expand its use. In the United States, most geothermal resources are concentrated in the West, but geothermal heat pumps can be used nearly anywhere.}

<sup>Geothermal energy is the heat from the Earth. It's clean and sustainable. Resources of geothermal energy range from the shallow ground to hot water and hot rock found a few miles beneath the Earth's surface, and down even deeper to the extremely high temperatures of molten rock called magma. 

Almost everywhere, the shallow ground or upper 10 feet of the Earth's surface maintains a nearly constant temperature between 50° and 60°F (10° and 16°C). Geothermal heat pumps can tap into this resource to heat and cool buildings. A geothermal heat pump system consists of a heat pump, an air delivery system (ductwork), and a heat exchanger—a system of pipes buried in the shallow ground near the building. In the winter, the heat pump removes heat from the heat exchanger and pumps it into the indoor air delivery system. In the summer, the process is reversed, and the heat pump moves heat from the indoor air into the heat exchanger. The heat removed from the indoor air during the summer can also be used to provide a free source of hot water. 

In the United States, most geothermal reservoirs of hot water are located in the western states, Alaska, and Hawaii. Wells can be drilled into underground reservoirs for the generation of electricity. Some geothermal power plants use the steam from a reservoir to power a turbine/generator, while others use the hot water to boil a working fluid that vaporizes and then turns a turbine. Hot water near the surface of Earth can be used directly for heat. Direct-use applications include heating buildings, growing plants in greenhouses, drying crops, heating water at fish farms, and several industrial processes such as pasteurizing milk. 

Hot dry rock resources occur at depths of 3 to 5 miles everywhere beneath the Earth's surface and at lesser depths in certain areas. Access to these resources involves injecting cold water down one well, circulating it through hot fractured rock, and drawing off the heated water from another well. Currently, there are no commercial applications of this technology. Existing technology also does not yet allow recovery of heat directly from magma, the very deep and most powerful resource of geothermal energy.</sup> 

<sup>Exploration

Geological, geochemical, and geophysical techniques are used to locate geothermal resources. 

Drilling

Drilling for geothermal resources has been adapted from the oil industry. Improved drill bits, slimhole drilling, advanced instruments, and other drilling technologies are under development. 

Direct Use

Geothermal hot water near the Earth's surface can be used directly for heating buildings and as a heat supply for a variety of commercial and industrial uses. Geothermal direct use is particularly favored for greenhouses and aquaculture. 

Geothermal Heat Pumps

Geothermal heat pumps, or ground-source heat pumps, use the relatively constant temperature of soil or surface water as a heat source and sink for a heat pump, which provides heating and cooling for buildings. 

Electricity Production

Underground reservoirs of hot water or steam, heated by an upwelling of magma, can be tapped for electrical power production. 

Advanced Technologies

Advanced technologies will help manage geothermal resources for maximum power production, improve plant operating efficiencies, and develop new resources such as hot dry rock, geopressured brines, and magma. 

Environmental

Geothermal technologies release little or no air emissions. Geothermal power production produces much lower air emissions than conventional energy technologies. 

Geothermal Resources

In the United States, geothermal resources are concentrated in the West, although low-temperature resources can also be found in the rest of the country. Geothermal heat pumps can be used nearly anywhere.</sup> 

^Hydrogen

Hydrogen is the third most abundant element on the earth's surface, where it is found primarily in water (H_²O) and organic compounds. It is generally produced from hydrocarbons or water; and when burned as a fuel, or converted to electricity, it joins with oxygen to again form water.

Hydrogen is the simplest element; an atom consists of only one proton and one electron. It is also the most plentiful element in the universe. Despite its simplicity and abundance, hydrogen doesn't occur naturally as a gas on the Earth—it is always combined with other elements. Water, for example, is a combination of hydrogen and oxygen (H²O). Hydrogen is also found in many organic compounds, notably the "hydrocarbons" that make up many of our fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, methanol, and propane. 

Hydrogen can be made by separating it from hydrocarbons by applying heat, a process known as "reforming" hydrogen. Currently, most hydrogen is made this way from natural gas. An electrical current can also be used to separate water into its components of oxygen and hydrogen. Some algae and bacteria, using sunlight as their energy source, even give off hydrogen under certain conditions. 

Hydrogen is high in energy, yet an engine that burns pure hydrogen produces almost no pollution. NASA has used liquid hydrogen since the 1970s to propel the space shuttle and other rockets into orbit. Hydrogen fuel cells power the shuttle's electrical systems, producing a clean byproduct—pure water, which the crew drinks. You can think of a fuel cell as a battery that is constantly replenished by adding fuel to it—it never loses its charge. 

Fuel cells are a promising technology for use as a source of heat and electricity for buildings, and as an electrical power source for electric vehicles. Although these applications would ideally run off pure hydrogen, in the near term they are likely to be fueled with natural gas, methanol, or even gasoline. Reforming these fuels to create hydrogen will allow the use of much of our current energy infrastructure—gas stations, natural gas pipelines, etc.—while fuel cells are phased in. 

In the future, hydrogen could also join electricity as an important energy carrier. An energy carrier stores, moves, and delivers energy in a usable form to consumers. Renewable energy sources, like the sun, can't produce energy all the time. The sun doesn't always shine. But hydrogen can store this energy until it is needed and can be transported to where it is needed. 

Some experts think that hydrogen will form the basic energy infrastructure that will power future societies, replacing today's natural gas, oil, coal, and electricity infrastructures. They see a new hydrogen economy to replace our current energy economies, although that vision probably won't happen until far in the future.

Production

Hydrogen is produced from sources such as natural gas, coal, gasoline, methanol, or biomass through the application of heat; from bacteria or algae through photosynthesis; or by using electricity or sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. 

Transport and Storage

The use of hydrogen as a fuel and energy carrier will require an infrastructure for safe and cost-effective hydrogen transport and storage. 

Fuel Cells

Hydrogen's potential use in fuel and energy applications includes powering vehicles, running turbines or fuel cells to produce electricity, and generating heat and electricity for buildings. The current focus is on hydrogen's use in fuel cells. 

Safety

Hydrogen has an excellent safety record, and is as safe for transport, storage and use as many other fuels. Nevertheless, safety remains a top priority in all aspects of hydrogen energy. The hydrogen community addresses safety through stringent design and testing of storage and transport concepts, and by developing codes and standards for all types of hydrogen-related equipment. 

The Hydrogen Economy

The vision of building an energy infrastructure that uses hydrogen as an energy carrier — a concept called the "hydrogen economy" — is considered the most likely path toward a full commercial application of hydrogen energy technologies. 

^Hydropower

Hydropower (also called hydroelectric power) facilities in the United States can generate enough power to supply 28 million households with electricity, the equivalent of nearly 500 million barrels of oil. The total U.S. hydropower capacity—including pumped storage facilities—is about 95,000 megawatts. Researchers are working on advanced turbine technologies that will not only help maximize the use of hydropower but also minimize adverse environmental effects.

Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydropower. Hydropower is currently the largest source of renewable power, generating nearly 10% of the electricity used in the United States. 

The most common type of hydropower plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a reservoir. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which, in turn, activates a generator to produce electricity. But hydropower doesn't necessarily require a large dam. Some hydropower plants just use a small canal to channel the river water through a turbine. 

Another type of hydropower plant—called a pumped storage plant—can even store power. The power is sent from a power grid into the electric generators. The generators then spin the turbines backward, which causes the turbines to pump water from a river or lower reservoir to an upper reservoir, where the power is stored. To use the power, the water is released from the upper reservoir back down into the river or lower reservoir. This spins the turbines forward, activating the generators to produce electricity. 

Types of Hydropower

Impoundment
An impoundment facility, typically a large hydropower system, uses a dam to store river water in a reservoir. The water may be released either to meet changing electricity needs or to maintain a constant reservoir level. 

Diversion
A diversion, sometimes called run-of-river, facility channels a portion of a river through a canal or penstock. It may not require the use of a dam. 

Pumped Storage
When the demand for electricity is low, a pumped storage facility stores energy by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir. During periods of high electrical demand, the water is released back to the lower reservoir to generate electricity. 

Sizes of Hydropower Plants
Facilities range in size from large power plants that supply many consumers with electricity to small and micro plants that individuals operate for their own energy needs or to sell power to utilities. 

Large Hydropower
Although definitions vary, DOE defines large hydropower as facilities that have a capacity of more than 30 megawatts. 

Small Hydropower
Although definitions vary, DOE defines small hydropower as facilities that have a capacity of 0.1 to 30 megawatts. 

Micro Hydropower
A micro hydropower plant has a capacity of up to 100 kilowatts (0.1 megawatts). 

Turbine Technologies
There are many types of turbines used for hydropower, and they are chosen based on their particular application and the height of standing water—referred to as "head"—available to drive them. The turning part of the turbine is called the runner. The most common turbines are as follows: 

Pelton Turbine
A Pelton turbine has one or more jets of water impinging on the buckets of a runner that looks like a water wheel. The Pelton turbines are used for high-head sites (50 feet to 6,000 feet) and can be as large as 200 megawatts. 

Francis Turbine
A Francis turbine has a runner with fixed vanes, usually nine or more. The water enters the turbine in a radial direction with respect to the shaft, and is discharged in an axial direction. Francis turbines will operate from 10 feet to 2,000 feet of head and can be as large as 800 megawatts. 

Propeller Turbine
A propeller has a runner with three to six fixed blades, like a boat propeller. The water passes through the runner and drives the blades. Propeller turbines can operate from 10 feet to 300 feet of head and can be as large as 100 megawatts. A Kaplan turbine is a type of propeller turbine in which the pitch of the blades can be changed to improve performance. Kaplan turbines can be as large as 400 megawatts. 

Environmental Issues and Mitigation
Current hydropower technology, while essentially emission-free, can have undesirable environmental effects, such as fish injury and mortality from passage through turbines, as well as detrimental effects on the quality of downstream water. A variety of mitigation techniques are in use now, and environmentally friendly turbines are under development. 

Legal and Institutional Issues
Legal and institutional issues include federal licensing as well as state and local permits, laws for historic and cultural preservation, and recreational requirements. 

^Ocean

Ocean energy draws on the energy of ocean waves, tides, or on the thermal energy (heat) stored in the ocean.

The ocean contains two types of energy: thermal energy from the sun's heat, and mechanical energy from the tides and waves. 

Oceans cover more than 70% of Earth's surface, making them the world's largest solar collectors. The sun warms the surface water a lot more than the deep ocean water, and this temperature difference stores thermal energy. Thermal energy is used for many applications, including electricity generation. There are three types of electricity conversion systems: closed-cycle, open-cycle, and hybrid. Closed-cycle systems use the ocean's warm surface water to vaporize a working fluid, which has a low-boiling point, such as ammonia. The vapor expands and turns a turbine. The turbine then activates a generator to produce electricity. Open-cycle systems actually boil the seawater by operating at low pressures. This produces steam that passes through a turbine/generator. And hybrid systems combine both closed-cycle and open-cycle systems. 

Ocean mechanical energy is quite different from ocean thermal energy. Even though the sun affects all ocean activity, tides are driven primarily by the gravitational pull of the moon, and waves are driven primarily by the winds. A barrage (dam) is typically used to convert tidal energy into electricity by forcing the water through turbines, activating a generator. For wave energy conversion, there are three basic systems: channel systems that funnel the waves into reservoirs, float systems that drive hydraulic pumps, and oscillating water column systems that use the waves to compress air within a container. The mechanical power created from these systems either directly activates a generator or transfers to a working fluid, water, or air, which then drives a turbine/generator. 

Wave Energy
The total power of waves breaking on the world's coastlines is estimated at 2 to 3 million megawatts. In favorable locations, wave energy density can average 65 megawatts per mile of coastline. 

Tidal Energy
Tidal energy traditionally involves erecting a dam across the opening to a tidal basin. The dam includes a sluice that is opened to allow the tide to flow into the basin; the sluice is then closed, and as the sea level drops, traditional hydropower technologies can be used to generate electricity from the elevated water in the basin. Some researchers are also trying to extract energy directly from tidal flow streams. 

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) Systems
A great amount of thermal energy (heat) is stored in the world's oceans. Each day, the oceans absorb enough heat from the sun to equal the thermal energy contained in 250 billion barrels of oil. OTEC systems convert this thermal energy into electricity — often while producing desalinated water. 

^Solar

Solar technologies use the sun's energy and light to provide heat, light, hot water, electricity, and even cooling, for homes, businesses, and industry. 

Sunlight—solar energy—can be used to generate electricity, provide hot water, and to heat, cool, and light buildings. 

Photovoltaic (solar cell) systems convert sunlight directly into electricity. A solar or PV cell consists of semiconducting material that absorbs the sunlight. The solar energy knocks electrons loose from their atoms, allowing the electrons to flow through the material to produce electricity. PV cells are typically combined into modules that hold about 40 cells. About 10 of these modules are mounted in PV arrays. PV arrays can be used to generate electricity for a single building or, in large numbers, for a power plant. A power plant can also use a concentrating solar power system, which uses the sun's heat to generate electricity. The sunlight is collected and focused with mirrors to create a high-intensity heat source. This heat source produces steam or mechanical power to run a generator that creates electricity. 

Solar water heating systems for buildings have two main parts: a solar collector and a storage tank. Typically, a flat-plate collector—a thin, flat, rectangular box with a transparent cover—is mounted on the roof, facing the sun. The sun heats an absorber plate in the collector, which, in turn, heats the fluid running through tubes within the collector. To move the heated fluid between the collector and the storage tank, a system either uses a pump or gravity, as water has a tendency to naturally circulate as it is heated. Systems that use fluids other than water in the collector's tubes usually heat the water by passing it through a coil of tubing in the tank. 

Many large commercial buildings can use solar collectors to provide more than just hot water. Solar process heating systems can be used to heat these buildings. A solar ventilation system can be used in cold climates to preheat air as it enters a building. And the heat from a solar collector can even be used to provide energy for cooling a building. 

A solar collector is not always needed when using sunlight to heat a building. Some buildings can be designed for passive solar heating. These buildings usually have large, south-facing windows. Materials that absorb and store the sun's heat can be built into the sunlit floors and walls. The floors and walls will then heat up during the day and slowly release heat at night—a process called direct gain. Many of the passive solar heating design features also provide daylighting. Daylighting is simply the use of natural sunlight to brighten up a building's interior.

Solar Technologies

Photovoltaics (PV)
Photovoltaic solar cells, which directly convert sunlight into electricity, are made of semiconducting materials. The simplest cells power watches and calculators and the like, while more complex systems can light houses and provide power to the electric grid. 

Passive Solar Heating, Cooling and Daylighting
Buildings designed for passive solar and daylighting incorporate design features such as large south-facing windows and building materials that absorb and slowly release the sun's heat. No mechanical means are employed in passive solar heating. Incorporating passive solar designs can reduce heating bills as much as 50 percent. Passive solar designs can also include natural ventilation for cooling. 

Concentrating Solar Power
Concentrating solar power technologies use reflective materials such as mirrors to concentrate the sun's energy. This concentrated heat energy is then converted into electricity. 

Solar Hot Water and Space Heating and Cooling
Solar hot water heaters use the sun to heat either water or a heat-transfer fluid in collectors. A typical system will reduce the need for conventional water heating by about two-thirds. High-temperature solar water heaters can provide energy-efficient hot water and hot water heat for large commercial and industrial facilities. 

Issues

Solar Resources
Solar resource information provides data on how much solar energy is available to a collector and how it might vary from month to month, year to year, and location to location. Collecting this information requires a national network of solar radiation monitoring sites. 

Solar Access
The availability or access to unobstructed sunlight for use both in passive solar designs and active systems is protected by zoning laws and ordinances in many communities. 

Green Power
Consumer demand for clean renewable energy and the deregulation of the utilities industry have spurred growth in green power—solar, wind, geothermal steam, biomass, and small-scale hydroelectric sources of power. Small commercial solar power plants have begun serving some energy markets. 

^Wind 

Wind energy uses the energy in the wind for practical purposes like generating electricity, charging batteries, pumping water, or grinding grain. Large, modern wind turbines operate together in wind farms to produce electricity for utilities. Small turbines are used by homeowners and remote villages to help meet energy needs.

Wind turbines capture the wind's energy with two or three propeller-like blades, which are mounted on a rotor, to generate electricity. The turbines sit high atop towers, taking advantage of the stronger and less turbulent wind at 100 feet (30 meters) or more aboveground. 

A blade acts much like an airplane wing. When the wind blows, a pocket of low-pressure air forms on the downwind side of the blade. The low-pressure air pocket then pulls the blade toward it, causing the rotor to turn. This is called lift. The force of the lift is actually much stronger than the wind's force against the front side of the blade, which is called drag. The combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin like a propeller, and the turning shaft spins a generator to make electricity. 

Wind turbines can be used as stand-alone applications, or they can be connected to a utility power grid or even combined with a photovoltaic (solar cell) system. Stand-alone turbines are typically used for water pumping or communications. However, homeowners and farmers in windy areas can also use turbines to generate electricity. For utility-scale sources of wind energy, a large number of turbines are usually built close together to form a wind farm. Several electricity providers today use wind farms to supply power to their customers.

Wind Energy Technologies
Modern wind turbines are divided into two major categories: horizontal axis turbines and vertical axis turbines. Old-fashioned windmills are still seen in many rural areas. 

Wind Turbine Use
Wind turbines are used around the world for many applications. Wind turbine use ranges from homeowners with single turbines to large wind farms with hundreds of turbines providing electricity to the power grid. 

Research
Research advances have helped drop the cost of energy from the wind dramatically during the last 20 years. Research is carried out by research labs, universities, and utility organizations. 

Wind Resource
The wind is the fuel source for wind energy. The United States has many areas with abundant winds, particularly in the Midwest and Great Plains. Understanding the wind resource is a crucial step in planning a wind energy project. Detailed knowledge of the wind at a site is needed to estimate the performance of a wind energy project. 

Environment
Wind energy is considered a green power technology because it has only minor impacts on the environment. Wind energy plants produce no air pollutants or greenhouse gases. However, any means of energy production impacts the environment in some way, and wind energy is no different. 

Economics
The cost of energy from the wind has dropped by 85% during the last 20 years. Incentives like the federal production tax credit and net metering provisions available in some areas improve the economics of wind energy.

^{Renewable Energy Credits}

<sup>What is a "Renewable Energy Credit?"

One Renewable Energy Credit or "REC" represents one megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable energy that is physically metered and verified from the generator, or the  renewable energy project.</sup> 

<sup>"REC's" are created when a Renewable Energy project is certified and begins producing renewable energy.  Renewable energy projects create green power which helps reduce pollution.  Renewable Energy Credits are the group of environmental benefits society benefits from in the production of green power.  The green-power (electricity) is sold into the local electric grid where the renewable energy project is located.  The REC's are sold separately as a commodity into the marketplace.

“In a REC deal, the power from the new renewable energy facility is not physically delivered to the customer, but the environmental benefits created by the facility are attributed to that customer, directly offsetting the environmental impact of the customer’s conventional energy use.” --Bonneville Environmental Foundation

REC Offset - An REC offset represents one megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable energy from an existing facility, which may be used in place of an REC to meet a renewable energy requirement imposed under this section. REC offsets may not be traded.

Renewable Energy Credit (REC or credit) - An REC represents one megawatt hour (MWh) of renewable energy that is physically metered and verified.

Renewable Energy Credit Account (REC account) - An account maintained by the renewable energy credits trading program administrator for the purpose of tracking the production, sale, transfer, purchase, and retirement of RECs by a program participant.

Renewable Energy Credit (trading program) - The process of awarding, trading, tracking, and submitting RECs as a means of meeting the renewable energy requirements.

Renewable Energy Resource - A resource that produces energy derived from renewable energy technologies.

Renewable Energy Technology - Any technology that exclusively relies on an energy source that is naturally regenerated over a short time and derived directly from the sun, indirectly from the sun, or from moving water or other natural movements and mechanisms of the environment. Renewable energy technologies include those that rely on energy derived directly from the sun, on wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, wave, or tidal energy, or on biomass or biomass-based waste products, including landfill gas. A renewable energy technology does not rely on energy resources derived from fossil fuels, or waste products from inorganic sources.</sup>

Some of the following information provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture with permission and our thanks.

What is BioMethane and BioMethanation?

BioMethane is a renewable energy/fuel, with properties similar to natural gas, produced from "biomass." Unlike natural gas, BioMethane is a renewable energy. 

The cost of producing BioMethane, after installation of the BioMass Gasification equipment used to produce BioMethane (the process of making BioMethane is called "BioMethanation") is called is essentially free.  

Again, unlike the price of natural gas, which has been around $6.00/mmbtu for the past year. 

More About Biomass Gasification and BioMethanation Technology 

The process of Biomass Gasification produces BioMethane. BioMethane is also produced in anaerobic digesters, in the process called anaerobic digestion.  BioMethane is a renewable energy resource, as opposed to natural gas (methane), which is a non-renewable energy resource. BioMethane has similar qualities of methane and both are used in interchangeably, and each may be a substitute for the other.  

The production and disposal of large quantities of organic and biodegradable waste without adequate or proper treatment results in widespread environmental pollution. Some waste streams can be treated by conventional methods like aeration. Compared to the aerobic method, the use of anaerobic digesters in processing these waste streams provides greater economic and environmental benefits and advantages.

As previously stated, Biomethanation is the process of conversion of organic matter in the waste (liquid or solid) to BioMethane (sometimes referred to as "BioGas) and manure by microbial action in the absence of air, known as "anaerobic digestion."

Conventional digesters such as sludge digesters and anaerobic CSTR (Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors) have been used for many decades in sewage treatment plants for stabilizing the activated sludge and sewage solids. 

Interest in BioMethanation as an economic, environmental and energy-saving waste treatment continues to gain greater interest world-wide and has led to the development of a range of anaerobic reactor designs. These high-rate, high-efficiency anaerobic digesters are also referred to as "retained biomass reactors" since they are based on the concept of retaining viable biomass by sludge immobilization.

Biomass Gasification and the Production of BioMethane

Biomass is a renewable energy resource which includes a wide variety if organic resources. A few of these include wood, agricultural residue/waste, and animal manure. 

Biomass Gasification is the process in which BioMethane is produced in the BioMass Gasification process. The BioMethane is then used like any other fuel, such as natural gas, which is not a renewable fuel.

Historically, biomass use has been characterized by low btu and low efficiencies. However, today biomass gasification is gaining world-wide recognition and favor due to the economic and environmental benefits. In terms of economic benefits, the cost of the BioMethane is essentially free, after the cost of the equipment is installed. BioMethane, probably the most important and efficient energy-conversion technology for a wide variety of biomass fuels. The large-scale deployment of efficient technology along with interventions to enhance the sustainable supply of biomass fuels can transform the energy supply situation in rural areas. 
It has the potential to become the growth engine for rural development in the country. 

Principles of Biomass Gasification

Biomass fuels such as firewood and agriculture-generated residues and wastes are generally organic.  They contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen along with some moisture. Under controlled conditions, characterized by low oxygen supply and high temperatures, most biomass materials can be converted into a gaseous fuel known as producer gas, which consists of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrogen. This thermo-chemical conversion of solid biomass into gaseous fuel is called biomass gasification. The producer gas so produced has low a calorific value (1000-1200 Kcal/Nm3), but can be burnt with a high efficiency and a good degree of control without emitting smoke. Each kilogram of air-dry biomass (10% moisture content) yields about 2.5 Nm3 of producer gas. In energy terms, the conversion efficiency of the gasification process is in the range of 60%-70%.

Multiple Advantages of Biomass Gasification in Methane Production

Conversion of solid biomass into combustible gas has all the advantages associated with using gaseous and liquid fuels such as clean combustion, compact burning equipment, high thermal efficiency and a good degree of control. In locations, where biomass is already available at reasonable low prices (e.g. rice mills) or in industries using fuel wood, gasifier systems offer definite economic advantages. Biomass gasification technology is also environment-friendly, because of the firewood savings and reduction in CO2 emissions.
 
Biomass gasification technology has the potential to replace diesel and other petroleum products in several applications, foreign exchange.

Applications for Biomass Gasification

Thermal applications: cooking, water boiling, steam generation, drying etc.
Motive power applications: Using producer gas as a fuel in IC engines for applications such as water pumping Electricity generation: Using producer gas in dual-fuel mode in diesel engines/as the only fuel in spark ignition engines/in gas turbines.

Publicly Owned Treatment Works ("POTW's") or Wastewater Treatment Systems

More and more, cities, counties and municipalities are faced with greater environmental compliance issues relating to their municipally-owned landfills, Publicly Owned Treatment Works ("POTW's") or Wastewater Treatment Systems.  

A city's landfill and/or POTW provides an excellent opportunity for cities to reduce their emissions as well as provide an additional revenue stream.  These facilities may have valuable gases that our company recovers and pipes to one of our clean, environmentally-friendly cogeneration or trigeneration energy systems.  

Our company provides economic and ecological solutions for cities and municipalities  with environmental liabilities (air emissions) associated with POTW operation and provide a new cash flow simultaneously.  We offer turn-key solutions for cities that includes the preliminary feasibility analysis, engineering and design, project management, permitting and commissioning.  We provide very attractive financing packages for cities that does not add to a city's liability, yet provides a valuable new revenue stream.  And, we are also able to offer a turn-key solution for qualified municipalities that includes our company owning, operating and maintaining the onsite power and energy plant.

At the heart of the system is a (Bio) Methane Gas Recovery system similar those used in Flare Gas Recovery or Vapor Recovery Units.  Methane Gas Recovery, Flare Gas Recovery, Vapor Recovery, Waste to Energy and Vapor Recovery Units all recover valuable "waste" or vented fuels that can be used to provide fuel for an onsite power generation plant.  Our waste-to-energy and waste to fuel systems significantly or entirely, reduces your facility's emissions (such as NOx , SOx, H2S, CO , CO2 and other Hazardous Air Pollutants/Greenhouse Gases) and convert these valuable emissions from an environmental problem into a new cash revenue stream and profit center.

Methane Gas Recovery and vapor recovery units can be located in hundreds of applications and locations.  At a landfill, Wastewaster Treatment System (or Publicly Owned Treatment Works - "POTW") gases from the facility can be captured from the anaerobic digesters, and manifolded/piped to one of our onsite power generation plants, and make, essentially, "free" electricity for your facility's use.  These associated "biogases" that are  generated from municipally owned landfills or wastewater treatment plants have low btu content or heating values, ranging around 550-650 btu's.  This makes them unsuitable for use in natural gas applications. When burned as fuel to generate electricity, however, these gases become a valuable source of "renewable" power and energy for the facility's use or resale to the electric grid. 

Additionally, if heat (steam and/or hot water) is required, we will incorporate our cogeneration or trigeneration system into the project and provide some, or all, of your hot water/steam requirements. Similarly, at crude oil refineries, gas processing plants, exploration and production sites, and gasoline storage/tank farm site, we convert your facility's "waste fuel" and environmental liabilities into profitable, environmentally-friendly solutions.

Our Methane Gas Recovery systems are designed and engineered for these specific applications.  It is important to note that there are many internal combustion engines or combustion turbines that are NOT suited for these applications.  Our systems are engineered precisely for your facility's application, and our engineers know the engines and turbines that will work as well as those that don't.  More importantly, we are vendor and supplier neutral!  Our only concerns are for the optimum system solution for your company, and we look past brand names and sales propaganda to determine the optimum system, which may incorporate either one or more; gas engine genset(s) or gas turbine genset(s), in cogeneration or trigeneration mode - in trigeneration mode, we incorporate absorption chillers to make chilled water for process or air-conditioning, fuel gas conditioning equipment and gas compressor(s). 

Our turn-key systems includes design, engineering, permitting, project management, commissioning, as well as financing for our qualified customers. Additionally, we may be interested in owning and operating the flare gas recovery or vapor recovery units. For these applications, there is no investment required from the customer.

For more information, please provide us with the following information about the flare gas or vapor:   

• Type of gas being flared or vented (methane, bio-gas, digester, landfill, etc.).
  

• Chromatograph Fuel/Gas analysis which provides us with the btu's (heating value) and the composition of the gas and its' impurities such as methane (and the percentage of methane), soloxanes, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, hydrogen sulfide, and any other hydrocarbons. 
  

• Total amount of gas available, from all sources, at the facility.  

^{In some co/trigeneration designs, the exhaust gases can be used to activate a thermal wheel or a desiccant dehumidifier.  Thermal wheels use the exhaust gas to heat a wheel with a medium that absorbs the heat and then transfers the heat when the wheel is rotated into the incoming airflow.}

^{A professional engineer should be involved in designing and sizing of the waste heat recovery section. For a proper and economical operation, the design of the heat recovery section involves consideration of many related factors, such as the thermal capacity of the exhaust gases, the exhaust flow rate, the sizing and type of heat exchanger, and the desired parameters over a various range of operating conditions of the co/trigeneration system — all of which need to be considered for proper and economical operation.}

^{* Thanks to the Department of Energy for some of the information provided on this page.} 

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Are you doing your part to stop Global Warming and Climate Change? 

Learn more about the leading causes of Global Warming and Climate Change, which are Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Emissions at the following websites:

Carbon Dioxide Emissions
www.CarbonDioxideEmissions.com

Carbon Emissions
www.CarbonEmissions.com

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
www.GreenhouseGasEmissions.com

 

 

 

We support the Renewable Energy Institute by donating a portion of our profits to the Renewable Energy Institute in their efforts to reduce fossil fuel use through renewable energy and their goals to end fossil fuel pollution by reducing/eliminating Carbon Emissions, Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

The Renewable Energy Institute is "Changing The Way The World Makes and Uses Energy by Providing Research & Development, Funding and Resources That Creates Sustainable Energy via 'Carbon Free Energy' and 'Pollution Free Power' Through Expanding the use of Renewable Energy Technologies"

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