Steven Chu

According to the Press Release, “At an event in Columbus, Ohio this afternoon, Secretary Chu announced that the Department of Energy is awarding $620 million for projects around the country to demonstrate advanced Smart Grid technologies and integrated systems that will help build a smarter, more efficient, more resilient electrical grid.  These 32 demonstration projects, which include large-scale energy storage, smart meters, distribution and transmission system monitoring devices, and a range of other smart technologies, will act as models for deploying integrated Smart Grid systems on a broader scale. This funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be leveraged with $1 billion in funds from the private sector to support more than $1.6 billion in total Smart Grid projects nationally.

“These demonstration projects will further our knowledge and understanding of what works best and delivers the best results for the Smart Grid, setting the course for a modern grid that is critical to achieving our energy goals,” said Secretary Chu.  “This funding will be used to show how Smart Grid technologies can be applied to whole systems to promote energy savings for consumers, increase energy efficiency, and foster the growth of renewable energy sources like wind and solar power.”

These efforts will provide invaluable data on the benefits and cost-effectiveness of the Smart Grid, including energy and cost savings. An analysis by the Electric Power Research Institute estimates that implementing Smart Grid technologies could reduce electricity use by more than 4 percent by 2030.  That would mean a savings of $20.4 billion for businesses and consumers around the country, and $700 million for Ohio alone — or $61 in utility savings for every man, woman and child in Ohio.

The demonstration projects announced today will also help verify the technological and business viability of new smart technologies and show how fully integrated Smart Grid systems can be readily adapted and copied around the country.  Applicants say this investment will create thousands of new job opportunities that will include manufacturing workers, engineers, electricians, equipment installers, IT system designers, cyber security specialists, and business and power system analysts.

The funding awards are divided into two topic areas.  In the first group, 16 awards totaling $435 million will support fully integrated, regional Smart Grid demonstrations in 21 states, representing over 50 utilities and electricity organizations with a combined customer base of almost 100 million consumers.  The projects include streamlined communication technologies that will allow different parts of the grid to “talk” to each other in real time; sensing and control devices that help grid operators monitor and control the flow of electricity to avoid disruptions and outages; smart meters and in-home systems that empower consumers to reduce their energy use and save money; energy storage options; and on-site and renewable energy sources that can be integrated onto the electrical grid.

In the second group, an additional 16 awards for a total of $185 million will help fund utility-scale energy storage projects that will enhance the reliability and efficiency of the grid, while reducing the need for new electricity plants. Improved energy storage technologies will allow for expanded integration of renewable energy resources like wind and photovoltaic systems and will improve frequency regulation and peak energy management.  The selected projects include advanced battery systems (including flow batteries), flywheels, and compressed air energy systems.”

Source: Press Release – DOE

When it comes to research, the universities of the San Francisco Bay Area are some of the finest institutions devoted to that task. Due to this incredible amount of advancement in a geographically small area, many businesses have developed in fields of scientific advancement, thus giving graduates a place to apply their skills. The U.S. Department of Energy recently approved a $151 million dollar stimulus package for transformational energy research projects, and the San Francisco Bay Area received a sizeable portion.

Companies and universities in the San Francisco Bay Area will receive 10% of the total stimulus amount, with Stanford University taking a third of that with 5 million. The funds will go to help the university conduct research in the field of building efficiency, using different methods to track how humans use electricity and how that amount can be lowered.

The rest of the stimulus money in the bay area goes to four other projects that deal with: energy storage, desalinization, wind power and carbon capture.

At the Argonne National Laboratory in Hayward, Envia systems is conducting researching on Lithium-ion batteries that can store up to 3x more energy than their current counterparts.

NanOasis Technologies Inc., in Richmond, California is focusing on developing new ways to reduce the cost of desalinization, which historically quite expensive. Using new green methods they hope to lower the costs, creating more water that can be used for human and crop use.

In San Rafael, PAX Streamline is working on a new kind of wind turbine technology. Using federal stimulus money, they are developing an improved airfoil that can maximize power despite weather conditions. This new airfoil will also cost a fraction of what one traditionally costs today.

Porifera Inc., working with UC Berkeley at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are working on ways to create cheaper carbon by using carbon nanotubes with polymer membranes. This would capture more carbon.

We can see that the stimulus money is trickling down to green startups and that green businesses are getting a chance to sprout.

With consumers largely avoiding electric cars due to their shortcomings (range, charging infrastructure) the United States Postal Service is already undertaking the electrification of their current Long Life Vehicle (LLV) model to contribute to the green movement.

AM General and Smith Electric Vehicles (SEV) will be teaming up to complete this project in converting all 178,000 LLVs currently in use. AM General will be responsible for designing and constructing the chassis, or the “engine” of a traditional car, while SEV will build the electric powertrain.

In August, SEV US Corp, a subset of Tansfield Group PLC, won a $10 million grant from the US Department of Energy (DOE) in order to build a small fleet of electric trucks for demonstration. In order to fulfill its responsibilities to both the DOE and USPS SEV US Corp has mutually agreed with Ford to terminate their current contract.

In a statement to the public Darren Kell, CEO of Tansfield, stated, The goal is to deliver an electric vehicle that is perfect for the United States Postal Service; a vehicle that is energy efficient, cost-effective, reduces US reliance on oil and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.”

So whether or not an electric vehicle is a part of your future financial plans, plan on having them pay you a visit in the future. Currently there are is no target date for the full electrification of the LLV fleet, but rest assured that your mail will be delivered to you greener than ever.

According to the Press Release, “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has hired two companies to build a 500 megawatt power plant at Fort Irwin in California’s Mojave Desert, which would be by far the military’s largest solar facility.”  This project, set to be complete by 2022, would cost roughly $2 billion and dwarf the current largest solar plant facility, the 14 MW solar plant at Nellis Air Force Base.

Clark Energy Group and Acciona Solar Power are the two corporations responsible for ensuring this project comes to fruition. Clark Energy Group, headquartered in Arlington, VA, has had sustained success in both the public and private sector in maintaining energy upgrades, improving energy efficiency, and protecting the environment. The Department of Energy (DOE) awarded Clark a $5 billion contract allowing them to partner with federal agencies on energy-related projects.

Acciona Solar Power, primarily a Spanish Corporation, has recently reinvented themselves to become a global leader in the development and sustainability of renewable energies. Their dedication to the environment is unmatched by their commitment to invest more than 200 million EU by 2010. In 2006, Acciona was awarded with the ‘Academia Dilecta’ in recognition of its excellence in scientific and technological research and development.

This solar facility will be a substantial step in meeting a federal mandate that requires the US to obtain a twenty-five percent of its energy from renewable sources. It would also match China’s 500 MW solar project that is currently underway.

Press Release

Green architecture has become a growing industry, changing the urban landscape in many different ways. Everything from roof-top gardens to buildings that utilize environmentally friendly building materials in construction and solar panels for electricity needs have become nearly common-place. The more adventurous of architects have taken pages out of the books of Wright and Gehry in their ambitious visions of futuristic green architecture.  Green business, green architecture, and green living are shaping the ways people live.

There have been competitions devoted to creating comfortable, energy-efficient homes, one of which is called the Solar Decathlon. Teams from around the globe compete to create an ideal, livable home that is energy efficient and focuses on solar energy. The thought is that if architecture can create living spaces that are environmentally friendly on a small scale, it would open the doors for much larger developments of eco-friendly housing. This years’ winner of the Solar Decathlon was Team Germany, with their cube-shaped home design.

From the outside the home looks like any other, save for one feature, that it is covered in energy gathering solar materials. No expense was spared on the design, incorporating all possible solar elements in the attempt to spare it from receiving energy from the power grid. All four sides of the home, the roof and the appliances within were all designed or bought with energy efficiency in mind. It was this idea that led Team Germany to victory, their design producing twice as much electricity as it needed to operate, despite it being a nearly entirely black house. While this may work in cold environments, should such a design be placed in desert/arid conditions the effects of intense heat caused by the black exterior would make the home a bit uncomfortable.

In addition to creating an energy efficient home, all the homes in the competition are sell-able and live-able. For those who enjoy the green lifestyle, such an accommodation should prove to be a solid fit, and will certainly attract a lot of attention from the neighbors.  Green business would clearly benefit from these solar decathlons.