The 10 Biggest Cleantech Victories of 2008 (Videos)
There were significant cleantech milestones in 2008 … Here are some of the highlights:
1) The Renewable Energy Investment Tax Credit Passed…Finally: Clean power startups were fretting throughout the first half of the year, but a financial crisis was what it would take for Congress to finally extend the investment and production tax credits that play such a vital role in the cleantech industry. In 2009, the wind industry will be looking to get its tax credits extended even further.
2) Obama Won, Promises Cleantech Support: A victory in 2008 for President-elect Barack Obama promises a future in which the U.S. turns it attention to fighting climate change once and for all - an abrupt shift from the current administration. Obama has pledged $150 billion investment in clean power over the next decade and a green-tinged stimulus that will provide jobs from the get-go; he’s already appointed an array of scientists and eco-advocates for his cabinet posts.
3) Record Level of Cleantech Investing: It might not last in 2009, but 2008 saw a record level of venture investment in the cleantech industry. According to the Cleantech Group, venture firms invested $2.6 billion into 158 companies globally in the third quarter of 2008, a 37 percent increase from the year before and a 17 percent increase over the previous quarter. In fact, the first three quarters of 2008 brought in more cleantech investment than all of 2007.
4) Massive U.S. Solar Plants Moved Forward: With the renewable portfolio standards in states like California calling for a certain percentage of electricity to come from clean power, utilities became a lot more aggressive on doing deals with solar companies to get solar facilities built in 2008. Northern California utility PG&E (PCG) signed 800 MW worth of solar purchase agreements with SunPower (SPWRA) and OptiSolar for photovoltaic solar power plants, as well as 900 MW of solar thermal projects with BrightSource.
5) First Solar’s Panels Reached Grid Parity?: Another contributing factor to the rush of solar deals is the drop in the price of solar technology. According to one analyst - Pacific Crest’s Mark Bachman - thin-film solar darling First Solar (FSLR) has already reached grid parity, or the point where photovoltaic electricity is as cheap as conventional electric power. If true, that’s a major victory for the U.S. solar photovoltaic industry.
6) Mainstream Tech Went Green: Infotech companies started to see the merit of energy efficiency, and even clean power, in 2008. Google (GOOG) was the second most active cleantech investor in the third quarter of this year. Intel has been investing in solar, battery and energy storage companies, and has been advised to move into lithium-ion battery production. Companies like IBM (IBM), HP (HPQ) and Sun (JAVA) made significant efforts to cut down on energy consumption in their data centers and design lower power computing hardware. To learn more about the merger of greentech and infotech, check out the upcoming GreenNet09 conference in March in San Francisco.
7) Better Place Struck Deals: While we’re not sure how electric vehicle startup Better Place will fair over the long run - the proposed networks still need to secure funding - the company struck a string of deals in 2008, offering hope to the future of electric transportation. Deals included partnerships with Israel, Denmark, the California Bay Area, Hawaii and Australia.
8) U.S. Wind Market Blew Strong: So T. Boone has delayed his wind farm plans, but the U.S. still saw a significant amount of wind turbine construction in 2008. According to the American Wind Energy Association, the U.S. has installed over 20,000 MW of wind capacity, and is now the world leader in wind electricity generation, with enough to power 5.3 million American homes.
9) The Year of Plans: It was hip to conjure up a plan to use technology to fight global warming. In 2008 we heard detailed plans from wind power builder T. Boone Pickens, former Vice-President and cleantech investor Al Gore, former Intel Chairman Andy Grove, and Google CEO Eric Schmidt. Plans deliver hope and more chance of action.
10) Electric Vehicles On the Horizon: The high price of gas this summer (which has since dropped) spurred large auto makers to declare electric vehicle plans, while startups also moved aggressively into the market. Since then there’s been some serious hangups - the auto industry’s near-death experience, Think stumbling, Tesla slowing down - but 2008 planted the seeds of an electric vehicle trend that will emerge more significantly in 2009 and 2010.
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Katie Fehrenbacher
CNN Money
Advanced PV: Design Criteria and NEC Compliance Course (ONLINE)
December 31, 2008 by editor
Filed under Solar Workshops, Training
Advanced PV: Design Criteria and NEC Compliance (Online)
Dates: January 19 - March 1, 2009; March 23 - May 3, 2009; April 27 - June 7, 2009; June 8 - July 19, 2009; July 20 - August 30, 2009; August 24 - October 4, 2009; and September 21 - November 1, 2009
This course provides 60 cumulative hours of training, that may be used towards NABCEP certification purposes
Learn more about designing and installing an NEC code compliant solar electric (photovoltaic) power system without leaving your home. A six-week, Internet-based, online course of instruction with text, online reference materials and Internet resource links. The course is self-paced and there is no set time to be online. Individuals have six weeks to complete all course requirements and can work on the course material whenever they have time. Assignments can be submitted day or night and during the weekends, etc…
This course is designed to follow the PV Design & Installation workshop or the PV Design Online course with the next level of design criteria and maintenance issues. Participants must have completed SEI’s Online PV Design course or the hands-on PV Design & Installation workshop or have permission of the instructor. Read more
Women’s Only Hands-On Photovoltaic Design & Installation Workshop
December 31, 2008 by editor
Filed under Solar Workshops, Training
Women’s Only Photovoltaic Design & Installation
June 1 - 12, 2009 ~ Paonia, Colorado (2 weeks)
Why Women Only?
This workshop is intended to provide women with a supportive learning atmosphere. Many women have little hands-on electrical experience and may be wary of attending a coed course with men who have grown up using power tools. Even women with hands-on experience already working in technical fields find it helpful and rewarding to network with other women who are interested in and/or working in renewable energy.
A PV Design and Installation workshop geared specifically towards women and taught by women. Learn how to use photovoltaic technology to produce electricity from the sun through practical design and installation of PV systems. This two week workshop teaches the technical skills necessary to design and safely install all 3 types solar-electric systems: batteryless grid-tie, grid-tie with battery back-up, and stand-alone systems. This course includes all the same material as the other two week PV Design and Installation workshops (5 days in the classroom and 5 days of hands-on installation in the PV Lab yard). Other presentations include PV in developing countries and discussions on issues such as being a woman in a traditionally male field. Participants have included licensed electricians, engineers, teachers, students and homemakers.
The photovoltaic market world-wide has experienced an enormous 35% growth rate over the last five years. This course was developed for those seeking employment in the booming solar industry or for homeowners looking to install their own systems or hire a contractor. This workshop starts out with the very basics of electricity, and incrementally accelerates students to safely design a code compliant solar-electric system. PV Design and Installation provides a strong foundation in grid-tied, grid-tied with battery backup, and stand-alone systems.
This workshop is certified by the Institute of Sustainable Power (ISP) and fulfills the educational requirements for Category ‘B’ of NABCEP’s Solar PV Installer Certification. This course also qualifies you to take the NABCEP PV Entry Level “Certificate of Knowledge” Exam. The test, which consists of 60 multiple choice questions, takes approximately 2 hours to complete. Test will be administered from 6-8pm on the last day of each PV Design and Installation workshop. The cost of the test is $100. Students must register in advance with the SEI main office (call 970.963.8855). For more information on the NABCEP Entry Level Certification, please see their website at www.nabcep.org.
If you are serious about getting into the solar industry, you should also plan to take Advanced PV: Design Criteria and NEC Compliance. This workshop is intended to follow our first tier of workshops with the next level of design criteria, wire sizing calculations, maintenance issues, troubleshooting skill, and more information on batteries, charge controllers and hybrid system. (Note: You must complete PV Design and Installation BEFORE taking Advanced PV.) Read more
Want Green Jobs For The Nation? Look to California
Instead of waffling on green energy, the US must offer consistent support
The last time the federal government tried to play a large role in stimulating the development of renewable-energy projects, it failed miserably. Instead, states such as California were the ones that ended up jump-starting today’s wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass industries. As President-elect Barack Obama and Congress craft a federal stimulus program package designed to add 2.5 million jobs, many of them green, across the country, they should remember some important lessons from the past.
Federal investments in wind power after the energy crisis of 1973 failed to produce a single commercial wind turbine. It took the political leadership of people such as California Gov. Jerry Brown to put in place state incentives to grow the wind industry from the ground up, instead of from the top down.
Now that Mr. Obama has picked his new energy and environment cabinet appointments, there is hope among many that the US can move forward with a clean power agenda. Given the lack of leadership from the White House over the past eight years, it is refreshing for renewable- energy advocates to hear that Obama doesn’t buy the argument that what’s good for the environment is bad for the economy.
Hands-On Grid-Tied PV Design Workshop in California
December 31, 2008 by editor
Filed under Jobs, Solar Workshops
Grid-Tied PV Design
February 23 - 27, 2009 ~ Fontana, California
The U.S. grid-tied market is the fastest growing sector of the PV market, due in part to net metering laws and state and federal incentives. Many businesses focus solely on batteryless grid-tied installations. Companies are looking to hire people with the educational background for installation, sales, and design positions. This course uses curriculum from the PV Design and Installation workshop but offers a stronger focus on the batteryless grid-tied market and will not cover battery-based systems. If you know that you will be working in an urban area with a focus on batteryless grid-tied installations, the Grid-tied PV class is for you.
Then, if you are serious about getting into the solar industry, you should also plan to take Advanced PV: Design Criteria and NEC Compliance (face-to-face or online). The Advanced PVworkshop is intended to follow our first tier of workshops with the next level of design criteria, wire sizing calculations, maintenance issues, troubleshooting skill, and more information on batteries, charge controllers and hybrid system. (Please note that students from the Grid-Tied PV workshop will need to complete supplementary reading on stand-alone systems before continuing on to PV Lab Week or Advanced PV: Design Criteria and NEC Compliance.)
Hands-On Solar Hot Water Workshop in California
December 31, 2008 by editor
Filed under Solar Workshops, Training
Solar Hot Water Workshop
February 18 - 20, 2009 ~ Fontana, California
Participants in this workshop will learn the theory, design considerations and installation techniques necessary to install and maintain a solar domestic hot water system. Passive solar water heaters, drainback systems, antifreeze systems and photovoltaic powered systems are all discussed in-depth, as well as an introduction to pool heating and space heating systems. Solar collectors, mounting systems, pumps, blowers, controls, storage tanks, heat exchangers, maintenance and more are subjects covered with each type of system as appropriate.
Also included are safety considerations, code compliance, system sizing and solar collector per formance in a variety of climates and applications.
High-Level U.S. Presence Confirmed for World Future Energy Summit 2009
December 30, 2008 by editor
Filed under Eco News, Technology
Video from the 2008 World Future Energy Summit
In three weeks, leading US renewable energy companies will be in Abu Dhabi at the world’s principal renewable technology trade fair, the World Future Energy Summit 2009 (WFES09). The US pavilion, consisting of 19 companies, has been co-ordinated by the US Commercial Service because the UAE represents “one of the world’s most lucrative and expanding renewable energy markets”.
The US high-level presence at the summit will be everywhere with technology giants, GE Energy and Applied Materials also in the exhibition and senior management representatives expected from Exxon Mobil, Conoco Phillips and Occidental Power. CH2M Hill, one of the largest engineering firms in the world, will be exhibiting, present on the MASDAR stand and presenting commercial case studies on water desalination and clean transport on Jan 20th.
The range of technologies available from the US exhibitors include turn-key solar factory providers, solar PV and thermal equipment manufacturers and suppliers, engineers and construction experts in electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire protected Green Buildings.
In addition, electric cars and low carbon transportation, power grid systems and renewable energy university courses available in the US will be on exhibit from Jan 19-21st, 2009.
Read more
The Goldilocks Problem of Renewable Energy
by Tam Hunt, Community Environmental Council
What is the best size for a renewable energy project? The answer is, of course: it depends. It depends on location, renewable energy resources (sun, wind, etc.), and costs. The bottom line is, however, that we truly do need all the renewable resources we can get. We have major crises either upon us or heading our direction that require a rapid buildout of renewable resources. At the same time, we need to vigorously pursue all available energy efficiency improvements.
Regarding the goldilocks problem of renewable energy, it’s important to be aware of the costs and feasibility of the various market segments. I divide the renewable energy market into three segments: small-scale (one megawatt (MW) and less); medium-scale (one to twenty MW); and large-scale (above 20 MW).
The advantage of small-scale renewables like rooftop solar photovoltaics is that they can be built relatively quickly due to fewer permitting hurdles. They also take advantage of rooftops or parking lots, so don’t require disturbing large amounts of land. Even though there are still permitting problems in many jurisdictions, conditions have improved remarkably in recent years. At the same time, the general public has become more tolerant of seeing solar panels on rooftops. And installers have become more adept at installing small installations tastefully.
Northern California Geothermal Plant Taps Solar Power
December 30, 2008 by editor
Filed under Large Solar Installations, Technology
Map of The Geysers in Northern California ~ Click image to enlarge
The Northern California Power Agency has completed a solar energy system to generate electricity for a pump station supplying water to one of its geothermal plants at The Geysers.
The $8.2 million solar array taps the sun for power PG&E previously provided to the pump station. The 2.2 million kilowatt hours of electricity generated annually is equivalent to the power needed for 300 homes.
The pump station supplies recycled wastewater from Lake County to a geothermal plant near the City of Clearlake. The NCPA injects the wastewater into the ground to help replenish geothermal steam fields while also providing a disposal solution for Clearlake.
A second, similar solar project under construction near Middletown will power a second NCPA geothermal plant at The Geysers. For more than 25 years NCPA has operated four geothermal power plants at The Geysers.
Based in Roseville, the power agency serves 17 cities and special districts in central and northern California including Ukiah and Healdsburg.
Michael Coit
Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Solar Energy Remains a Hot Idea in Los Angeles, Despite Flap
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger speaks at a news conference for the installation the last of 1,727 solar panels on the rooftop of the Staples Center sports complex on October 28, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. The off-grid 345 kilowatt photovoltaic solar system, which covers 24,196 square feet, will provide power to Staples Center and the new Nokia Theatre L.A. Live sports and entertainment venues.
The flap over the city’s March 3 solar energy ballot measure, Measure B, while unfortunate and avoidable, should not obscure the merits of the proposal. After all, solar energy should not be a partisan issue since harnessing the sun’s power is in everyone’s best interest.
What is needed is more of a realistic view of this energy source that has bedeviled mankind for centuries. First, it isn’t “free.” Second, it will always cost a little more, but it carries broader economic and environmental advantages.
With that understanding, voters can better deal with the political follies surrounding Measure B. As usual, the political insider games at City Hall once they became public have tainted a worthwhile initiative involving the city utility, the Department of Water and Power, which through a combination of local leadership and statewide pressure from Gov. Schwarzenegger’s administration has caught the renewable energy bug.
