Earth and Industry » Infrastructure

Google-Backed Supergrid Buoyed by OK of Offshore Wind Energy Areas

Timothy Hurst — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:37:19 +0000

A 350-mile undersea electricity transmission project designed to be the "backbone" of offshore wind energy on the Atlantic Coast of the United States received an indirect boost on Thursday as the Obama administration began the leasing process for prime offshore wind energy areas off the New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia coasts.

The Atlantic Wind Connection (AWC), led by independent transmission company Trans-Elect and backed by investments from Google, Good Energies, Elia and Marubeni Corporation, would stretch nearly 350 miles from New Jersey to Virginia and be able to connect 7,000 megawatts of offshore wind turbines, enough to serve approximately 1.9 million households.

The supergrid project would be able to serve all of the areas opened up for leasing on Thursday.

Consisting of two parallel high-voltage DC (HVDC) transmission lines, the project would facilitate the development of offshore wind energy throughout the length of its Atlantic Coast route by eliminating the need for grid tie-in points for each project.

“Compared to each wind farm building its own transmission lines, our project is the most affordable, efficient, and environmentally-sensitive solution for connecting offshore wind,” Markian Melnyk, president of Atlantic Grid Development, AWC’s development company, said in December.

Placing wind farms well offshore, where they would be virtually out of sight from land, would also limit the "NIMBY" problems that plagued the decade-long permitting process for the Cape Wind project off the coast of Massachusetts.

The HVDC backbone could also connect to additional installations even further out at sea where the wind resource is stronger, more consistent — all while reducing line voltage loss that plagues AC transmission.

Timing critical

First proposed in 2010, the multi-billion dollar AWC project is currently in the early stages of review by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The Interior Department announced it had concluded internal review of the project's request for right-of-way on December 20, 2011, opening up a 60-day comment period at the time.

“I think the granting of a right of way for public lands is a huge positive," Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said at the outset of the comment period.

But timing will be critical for both AWC project developers and wind farm developers alike as each will be dependent on the approval of the other to move forward: without offshore wind farms, the transmission project will not go forward, and without the transmission project, wind farms will face substantially higher construction costs — perhaps, prohibitively higher.

If right-of-way for the proposed route is granted to the AWC in the next few weeks or months as expected, the project would still have to undergo environmental assessment, which could take an additional 18 to 24 months.

Project developers are optimistic, however, saying that laying of the transmission cable could begin as early as 2014.

Can Solar Energy Lower the Cost of Carbon Capture?

Timothy Hurst — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:20:51 +0000

Researchers at the Masdar Institute in Abu Dhabi chart a promising course toward cheaper carbon capture

Looming above a test plot full of mirrors like some kind of Transformer-inspired arachnid, the tower at the center of Masdar City's concentrating solar power plant is almost menacing at first glimpse.

Although still only one year into the R&D phase, the 100 kW Beam-Down Solar Thermal Concentrator at Masdar City, the emerging renewable energy research hub located 15 miles from downtown Abu Dhabi, has the potential to generate 75-85 megawatt-hours of renewable energy annually.

But as Masdar City Director Alan Frost tells a small group of journalists as we approach the plant on a recent January afternoon, "the Beam Down project is a different kind of concentrating solar plant."

Whereas most concentrating solar power (CSP) plants employing tower technology gather sunlight aimed at them from the mirror arrays below, the CSP tower at Masdar City goes one step further and directs the solar rays back downward and onto a receiver at the base of the tower, thereby eliminating the need for energy to pump the fluid up the tower.

Masdar City's Frost says the pilot project is "quite experimental," but he is also quick to point out that it is "the kind of thing we should certainly do."

The Beam Down at Masdar City is only a pilot project, but Dr. Matteo Chiesa, the head of the Laboratory of Energy and Nano Sciences (LENS) at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, says that substantially greater efficiencies could be found if the project was scaled up.

"The possibility of employing a multi-towers concept we have proposed (due to the fact of a simpler tower structure) can provide a way to optimize the overall energy outcome of the solar field," Chiesa said in an email.

By directing certain heliostats to different towers during the day, says Chiesa, "We have shown that one can reduce the energy losses due to cosine effect."

Solar-assisted carbon capture

But an even more important discovery made by Dr. Chiesa and his team of graduate students, though "not directly and exclusively related to the beam down," is the viability of a hybrid carbon capture process that uses solar thermal energy to assist the capture of carbon dioxide from power plant flue gases.

"Solvent-based Post-combustion Carbon Capture (PCC) is one of the promising technologies for reducing CO2 emissions from existing fossil-fuel power plants due to ease of retrofitting," writes one of Dr. Chiesa's students, Masdar Institute's Marwan Mokhtar, the lead author in a forthcoming paper published in the journal Applied Energy (available online Sept., 2011).

While experts agree that the most promising PCC processes in development around the world use absorption (pdf), these technologies are still incredibly expensive because of the energy intensive CO2 separation process.

According to the research team at Masdar, however, solvent regeneration requires thermal energy of lower quality, which can be provided cost-effectively by a solar thermal plant, leaving the higher quality for use in electricity generation at the plant.
To test their hypothesis, Mokhtar, et al modeled the performance of the process on a 300MWe pulverized coal power plant in New South Wales, Australia, using actual weather and wholesale electricity price data from the area. The New South Wales location was chosen because sunny regions with long summers, substantial air-conditioning demand and a reliance on coal-fired power plants would be the most promising candidates for the implementation of this solar-assisted carbon capture technology. Given those conditions, the results of the test were favorable.

"It is shown that the proposed technology can be economically viable for solar collector costs of US$100/m2 at current retail electricity prices and optimal Solar load-Fraction of 22%," the authors write (Solar load-Fraction is the portion of solvent regeneration energy provided by solar energy).

Furthermore, the authors write, reducing the need for heat energy during the daytime coincides with peaks in wholesale electricity prices "thus increasing the revenue stream for a solar-assisted PCC plant."

And though a solar-assisted PCC plant has yet to be built, the economics are likely to become even more favorable as electricity prices continue to climb and solar collector prices decrease.

(Check out this short video of how the Beam Down's heliostats can move to track the movements of the sun and optimize efficiency.)

Disclosure: Tim Hurst's travel to Abu Dhabi was covered by Masdar.
All photos: CC licensed by Tim Hurst

A Transmission Tower Not Hindered by NIMBY Issues

Timothy Hurst — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:51:18 +0000

And now for something a bit lighter. At this week's Interior Design Show, Palette Industries is showing a design they are calling, "an homage to the transmission tower," the Nanton Coat Rack. "From city to city these queues of tapered giants tower above us with outstretched arms, carrying the lifeblood of our modern cityscapes."

"Regarded as an eyesore by some," Palette Industries says, "transmission towers have now become a staple of cascading highway horizons. These steel modern day obelisks scattered amongst our natural landscape have become symbols of transmission and connection."

According to Palette: "The steel lattice design is the contrast of strength and visual airiness. With each strut carefully laced to collectively bear the force of its own weight it becomes a marvel of robustness without the oppression of mass."

The Nanton Rack is currently available for pre-order via the Palette Industries online shop. Starting at $782, the transmission tower-inspired coat rack is not cheap, but isn't that always the case for transmission infrastructure?

(Hat tip: MoCo Loco on Facebook)

Wind Energy Returns to Its Watery Roots

Timothy Hurst — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 12:29:37 +0000

For nearly as long as people have harnessed wind to perform work, it has been used to move water from one place to another. Whether used for agricultural irrigation, wetlands drainage or pumping water from wells, wind machines have long been a relatively cheap and easy way to pump water, particularly in off-grid applications where electric alternatives are impractical or impossible. And while a handful of companies still make windpumps, little has changed in the underlying technology for nearly a century — until now. A Massachusetts company announced last week it had sold its first wind-powered water pump system in Colorado.

Worcester, Massachusetts-based Mass Megawatts has developed a wind-powered water pumping unit that it says provides a lower-cost solution when compared to traditional water pumping systems, including those powered by diesel generators.

Mass Megawatts' wind-powered water pump uses the company's patented MMW wind augmenter technology to increase the wind velocity directed at the wind turbine. By funneling the wind into narrow channels where it speeds up, the augmenter is responsible for increasing power to its turbines by an average of 70 percent.

According to the company, over three times as much power is generated by its augmenter technology compared to the production wind turbines of an equal power rating in an "un-augmented" air stream. And the technology, according to company documents, does not require the same high-demand components used in other wind turbine technologies, thereby keeping costs down.

The technology is also not limited to use as a windpump. The company is developing wind machines that generate electricity which can be stored in on-site battery banks.

The company says its technology is scalable from smaller 10 kW 'home and farm' systems to multi-megawatt utility installations and provides solutions to the two major wind project stumbling blocks: tower height and lower wind resource. But while the system may have a lower profile than many turbine technologies, the bulky framework required by the wind augmenter may still make it unpopular with some.

Mass Megawatts (OTCBB: MMMW), which began building its turbine arrays and MMW wind augmenters at a Colorado plant in late 2011, is a publicly-traded company with less than twelve million shares issued and outstanding.

Energy Efficient Data Centers: Why They’re Important [INFOGRAPHIC]

Becky Striepe — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:20:48 +0000

If you're not a techie person, something like a data center probably feels like it doesn't affect you, but you probably interact with data centers all the time without even realizing it. Any time load a website on your computer, you're relying on a data center. Basically, a data center is a huge building full of computers.

Large companies like Apple, IBM, and Amazon have huge data centers that they use to do everything from keeping inventory to processing orders, and all of those computers in all of those buildings add up to a huge environmental impact. We need to hold companies accountable when they're not doing everything possible to make their data centers energy efficient.

This infographic from Peer 1 Hosting takes a look at efficient data centers, what makes them that way, and how companies can improve.

Image Credits:
Data Center. Creative Commons photo by The Planet
Infographic via Peer 1 Hosting

Colorado OKs Toughest Fracking Fluid Rules in U.S.

Timothy Hurst — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 08:50:42 +0000

After hearing more than 11 hours of testimony in a meeting last week, Colorado regulators Tuesday approved tough new rules governing chemicals used in the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing. Also known as "fracking," hydraulic fracturing is a process whereby a slurry of water, sand and chemicals are pumped into a well at very high pressure to force natural gas out of shale rock formations. The new rules require companies to publicly disclose the chemicals—and their concentrations—found in the fracking fluid.

Meeting all day on Tuesday with environmental groups, industry representatives and other stakeholders, the nine-member Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission unanimously approved the new rules which will take effect in April 2012.

Building upon a set of rules passed by Colorado regulators in 2008 mandating disclosure of fracking chemicals to state regulators and health professionals upon request, the amended rules adopted Tuesday require operators to publish the hazardous and non-hazardous chemicals used to hydraulically fracture a well, as well as the concentrations of each chemical, to a disclosure website within 60 days of hydraulically fracturing a well.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper commended the various parties for coming together on the disclosure rule. “These new rules give Colorado the fairest and most transparent set of fracking regulations in the country and will likely serve as a model for other states,” Hickenlooper said.

The Democrat and former geologist, Hickenlooper, has been very public about his support of hydraulic fracturing, as long as it is done in a safe and responsible manner.

"We believe oil and gas development can thrive while also meeting our high standards for protection of public health, water and the environment,” Hickenlooper said.

The oil and gas industry also supported the new framework agreed upon Tuesday.

"Colorado now has the strongest hydraulic fracturing rule in the country," said Tisha Schuller, president and CEO of the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.

"But more importantly," Schuller added, "we have gained a model process to bring together industry, environmental advocates, and regulators to ensure energy development continues in keeping with protecting the environmental resources of our state.”

The regulations are similar to those passed in Wyoming and Texas but go a step further, requiring companies to disclose the concentrations of chemicals in addition to the chemicals themselves. Eleven states have adopted or are in the process of drafting rules governing the disclosure of fracking fluids. But each state is a bit different.

Under the new Colorado rules, drillers can claim a trade secret, but they must file a form ensuring trade secret claims meet the appropriate definition, and sign an affidavit that chemicals cited qualify for trade secret protection. Even then, drillers have to publicly disclose the ingredient's chemical family. And at any time, regulators and medical professionals can obtain trade secret information upon request.

The new rule gets past what has been the biggest sticking point for fracking operators, the issue of proprietary secrecy, by striking a balance that recognizes and protects industry trade secrets so operators can maintain their competitive edge.

The actual chemical make-up of fracking fluid changes from one location to the next, based on the given area's geological characteristics. Those geologically-determined differences in the fracking fluid compounds are what drillers say they are trying to keep secret, not the harmful chemicals that have sometimes been associated with fracking operations.

Photo credits: Some rights reserved by Tim Hurst

Keeping up with Technology: Ensuring Safeguards for Electronic Recycling

Wes Muir — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:26:25 +0000

Last year, I wrote here about the ever-increasing amount of electronic waste, or e-waste, produced in our country, and the recycling programs that have been created through public-private partnerships to safely process that waste. As the holiday season approaches – and more cell phones, tablets, computers and televisions are upgraded and replaced – it’s a good moment to evaluate our progress in e-waste recycling, and to highlight research during the past year that has emphasized the continued need for responsible e-waste recyclers.

According to the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), Americans now own approximately 24 electronic products per household, each with an ever-shortening lifespan. These older electronics enter the waste stream, as their owners favor more cutting-edge gadgets – and this process is happening faster each year. More than 3.5 million tons of used electronics were collected and processed in the U.S. in 2010, representing a nearly 200 percent increase from 2009, according to the 2011 Electronics Recycling Industry Survey.

E-waste is the fastest growing commodity in the North American waste stream. Volume is growing at more than three times the rate of other commodities, though there are few facilities to properly process them. Older electronics may contain potentially harmful materials such as lead, mercury and cadmium, but also contain valuable materials that may be reclaimed for use in new devices.

The potentially grave health impacts linked with improper e-cycling highlights the importance of third-party certified e-waste recyclers. Earlier this year, a study revealed that workers in uncertified Chinese e-cycling facilities and residents living downwind of those facilities displayed symptoms of respiratory illness resulting from improper e-cycling procedures.

Studies like this highlight the importance of safe e-cycling and help draw much needed attention from the highest levels of federal government. Following legislation passed by many states, last November the Obama administration directed several government agencies to establish the Interagency Task Force on Electronics Stewardship. In July, the task force released a report stating that one of its four overarching goals is to “increase the safe and effective management of used electronics in the U.S.,” and outlined collaborative next steps for the EPA, Department of Labor and electronics and recycling industries to achieve that goal.

One of those action items focused on third-party certification of e-waste recyclers, such as the e-Stewards® Certification program, created by the Basel Action Network (BAN). E-Stewards formally recognizes electronics recyclers that adhere to BAN’s stringent environmentally and socially responsible practices when recovering e-waste containing hazardous components. This program is the only e-recycler certification endorsed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, Greenpeace USA, the Electronics TakeBack Coalition and 68 other environmental organizations.

WM Recycle America’s efforts to prioritize the safety of workers and the environment have recently been recognized by BAN. This month, WM Recycle America announced that all seven of its North American e-cycling facilities have earned BAN’s e-Stewards Standard for Responsible Recycling and Reuse of Electronic Equipment®.

This certification comes in addition to WM Recycle America’s standing certification by the Responsible Recycling (R2) program and the RIOS® certification standard. The R2 program is a set of standards created to “protect public health and the environment, improve worker safety practices, and reduce potential exposures.” Its partner program, the RIOS® certification standard, oversees integrated quality, environmental, health and safety management in the recycling industry. Together, R2/RIOS provides an exacting standard for responsible electronics reuse and recycling, as well as recognition for compliant companies as Certified Electronics Recyclers®.

As more states pass laws requiring proper electronics recycling, we anticipate this sector of the waste industry will continue to grow. As it grows, we’ll address each new challenge with safety in mind. Already WM has joined forces with LG Electronics USA and other manufacturers to develop recycling programs that are easy and affordable for customers.

As the world becomes more tech-savvy, it is important to keep in mind the health and environmental implications of our progress. Through the R2/RIOS and e-Stewards programs, companies can follow a set of stringent guidelines to ensure that environmental, health and safety management systems are in place to track materials, and minimize emissions and worker exposure during electronics recycling operations. By developing secure recycling practices now, we can make sure the world’s technorati continue to enjoy all the latest gadgets with the assurance that their old products can be recycled or reused without hurting the planet.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by U.S. Army Environmental Command