Eco-Power - March 2, 2010

Renewables & Alternatives

Big names go for fuel cells – the first customers for Bloom, a fuel cell maker that kept its product under wraps until now, include Coke, eBay, Google, and Wal-Mart.

Energy storage –

• Batteries for solar – International Battery and NHU Energy are partnering “to assess the effectiveness of storing solar energy” using new battery technology. More.
• Ice – Ice Energy offers off-peak energy storage for buildings, in ice, and the Southern California Public Power Authority is a buyer, EnvironmentalLeader.com reported.
• Integrating storage + wind – a 2,180-word Power Engineeringarticle delves into how energy storage can make wind power work.
• Fuel cell at health food store – a new Whole Foods market in San Jose will be California’s first supermarket to generate the bulk of its power with a fuel cell. Release.

Geothermal –

• Capacity in U.S. up 6% in ’09 – according to the Geothermal Energy Association.
• Earthquakes??? – no, according to an association expert who wrote (at length) for RenewableEnergyWorld.com.
• Geothermal systems gaining ground – in the Midwest, as reported by The Kansas City Star.

Greenpeace criticizes Facebook – the activist organization is trying to get the social website to change how it powers a new data center in Prineville, OR, according to an EnvironmentalLeader.com report.

Wave power in OR – construction has begun on what could be the first commercial wave-energy farm in the U.S., in Oregon, USA Today said.

 
Energy Issues

Feed-in tariffs – FITs are widely thought to be an answer to making alternative energy more affordable (works in Germany). A round-up article from EnvironmentalLeader.com claims that “states can legally implement” these things.

Green power costs – “the climate may be right for renewable energy, but building owners pay a premium for it,” a 2/10 article in Buildings started.

$1 per watt for renewable energy? – a company called Alphabet Energy “says it can make devices that will produce power at close to $1 a watt,” GreenTechMedia.com said. That’s the installed price, NOT the cost-per-kWh.

Solar for existing buildings – an engineer-written Buildingsarticle looks at solar options.

Should FERC change its rules? – that’s what the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has asked in a public notice (seeking public comment). The question is, should it change the rules to accommodate use of “more variable energy resources” . . . or not?