6.29.2010

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Up-Dated Advertising Information and Invitation 8/8/2010

For St Louis Renewable Energy

New System, Algae Cleans Water & Fertilizes

New System, Algae Cleans Water & FertilizesNew System, Algae Cleans Water & Fertilizes

act as slow-release fertilizer
seedlings could thrive on an organic fertilizer
management of the cycle of nitrogen and phosphorus
capture costs of around $5 to $6 per pound of nitrogen and $25 per pound of phosphorus
The system is practicable now
Testing: could clean up runoff that has already made it into the water system

In New System, Algae Cleans Water, Then Transforms into Organic Fertilizer

The algae systems can capture most of the phosphorus and nitrogen in runoff
By Jeremy Hsu Posted 05.07.2010 at 3:57 pm 7 Comments

Nature's Green Cleaner Air-dried algae (shown above) from an algal turf scrubber captured most of the nitrogen and phosphorus in the manure. USDA/Edwin Remsburg

Algal blooms that feed on nutrient-rich manure and fertilizer runoff can deplete oxygen in the water when they die, creating inhospitable dead zones -- but the same green scum might also serve as a preventive solution upstream. A microbiologist with the U.S. Agricultural Research Service used algae to recover almost 100 percent of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients from manure, and suggested that the dried-out algae can then act as slow-release fertilizer for farms.

The solution offers better management of the cycle of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrients which plants depend on. Experiments have shown that algae can capture 60 to 90 percent of nitrogen and 70 to 100 percent of phosphorus from a mixture of manure and fresh water, as proved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on four dairy farms.

The system is practicable now. Farmers would have to set up algal turf scrubber (ATS) raceways covered with nylon netting to serve as a platform for algae to grow upon. The capture costs of around $5 to $6 per pound of nitrogen and $25 per pound of phosphorus is about the same as other manure-management practices.

But Walter Mulbry, the USDA microbiologist, also showed that corn and cucumber seedlings could thrive on an organic fertilizer made from the dried-out algae. That might allow farmers to recoup even more of the costs from the ATS system, or perhaps turn a profit if the price is right.

Mulbry has already begun another study to see whether fertilizer made from chicken and poultry litter can also benefit from the algae cleanup system. And he has also begun studying whether the ATS systems can remove nitrogen and phosphorus from estuaries that flow into the Chesapeake Bay, so that they could clean up runoff that has already made it into the water system.

	Modified Algae Produce Clean, Easy Hydrogen
	U.S. Government Invests $78 Million in Algae Biofuels Researchers 'Irreversible' damage to natural environment-Algae News
	Algae Used To Produce Green Plastics, Sans Petroleum

Algae's versatility has already won over scientists who see it as the biofuel of the future, and the tiny plant organisms have also been proving their worth in scrubbing carbon dioxide and nitrous gas from industrial smokestacks. A company called Algenol has even looked to using algae-derived plastic as a replacement for petroleum-derived plastic.

Even the U.S. Department of Energy and various branches of the U.S. military have begun seriously exploring algae-derived solutions. If that doesn't entirely ensure a clean future, it at least suggests a future with a scummy color palette ranging from pale to bright green.

[USDA]

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Great News in Wind Turbine Development.

I happily bring the following article to my readers.

Scotts Contracting offers Wind Power Systems and the Required Installation and Electric Hook-Up.

contact scottscontracting@gmail.com to schedule your free Green Site Evaluation.

Massive Wind Turbine Survives Pummeling By Equally Massive Testing Machine

By Rebecca Boyle Posted 05.27.2010 at 9:30 am 4 Comments

Massive Turbine Test Samsung's 90-ton, 2.5-megawatt wind turbine drive train meets the National Wind Technology Center's 2.5-megawatt dynamometer. Rob Wallen, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Wind turbines of the future will be hulking behemoths, each capable of producing multiple megawatts of power. But before they're installed in wind farms, manufacturers need to be sure they are built to last. To this end, a monstrous 2.5-MW turbine--one of the world's largest--just survived an equally big test.

The 2.5-megawatt dynamometer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory blasted the turbine's drive train, built by Samsung, with 12.6 million inch-pounds of torque, the energy lab says.

In other words, the turbine drive train went through years of wear and tear in about two months. It was the largest full-scale dynamometer test of a wind turbine ever done in the United States, NREL says.

The dynamometer — a cool name for a machine that measures force and torque — has a 3,550-horsepower electric motor coupled to a three-stage epicyclic gearbox, according to NREL. It can produce speeds up to 30 revolutions per minute, meaning it can simulate anything from a slight breeze to a full-force gale.

	General Electric Gives Gearless Wind Turbines a Big Boost
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Government Fees Could Be Hindering the Rollout of American Solar Power

A bureaucracy built for oil and gas leasing punishes the most efficient technology
By Clay Dillow Posted 06.17.2010 at 2:17 pm 43 Comments

Solar One's Mojave Desert Solar Plant U.S. Department of Energy

Given the way the government is beating up on a certain foreign oil company this morning, it's easy to think perhaps this is the impetus America needs to align government, industry, and popular sentiment toward developing home-grown renewable energy sources. But a look at the charges the Bureau of Land Management levies against solar power projects on public lands tells a different tale. In fact, it seems the more efficient your power plant, the more the BLM wants you to pony up.

The government justifiably charges private businesses rent if they want to operate solar or wind arrays on public lands. But on top of that there is a compicated fee structure -- the "megawatt capacity fee" -- that drives the total rent as high as twice the market value for comparable private land. The BLM -- again, justifiably -- says its just trying to get taxpayers something back for private enterprise that benefits from the land they own. But the way the fees are structured is somewhat suspect.

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The BLM is essentially charging more efficient technologies more in megawatt capacity fees. According to NYT's Green Blog, a photovoltaic plant that deploys big PV panels has to pay $5,256 per megawatt. But more efficient solar thermal plants that use solar energy to turn a steam-driven turbine are hit with a $6,570 fee. If either technology is coupled with an energy storage system that delivers power even when the sun doesn't shine -- a key component to making solar power more than just a secondary energy resource -- the fee takes a flying leap to $7,884 per megawatt.

If you're generating 550 megawatts, like First Solar's Riverside County, Calif., PV array is expected to, that's a lot of money, and the consumer has to pay that. We're more scientists than economists over here, but that fee structure seems like it creates a vast disincentive for companies to deploy more efficient, better solar technologies. It's a consequence of trying to adapt archaic oil and gas leasing models to new energy paradigms, and frankly it seems at odds with our stated goal -- and I'm talking directly to President Obama and DOE chief Stephen Chu here -- of developing renewable energy resources right here at home.

Public lands belong to taxpayers and indeed private enterprise should pay fair market value to lease them, but saddling these projects with outrageous costs pushes up the price of solar energy, keeping carbon fuels in their current position as market darling. Weaning ourselves from foreign oil -- and eventually all oil -- seems a far better public reward than a monetary benefit paid to the public coffers.

[NYT Green Blog]

Scotts Contracting offers Free Green Site Evaluations for the Solar Powered Energy in your Home and Business- click here to email Scotts Contracting

June 29-New Solar Cell Technologies-

thin-film, flexible copper-indium-deselenide solar cells
cheap to produce
tuff and sturdy enough to withstand the stresses of the battlefield.
That means flexibility, durability, and efficiency never before seen from commercial solar technology.

To Power Future Battles, DARPA Wants Combat-Tough Solar Cells

By Clay Dillow Posted 06.23.2010 at 10:00 am 2 Comments

Making Better Solar- Researchers work on a sheet of flexible solar cells at the University of Delaware's Institute of Energy Conversion. University of Deleware Institute of Energy Conversion

In recent years, the U.S. military has been making small strides toward a greener energy standard – the Navy wants to create a green strike group by 2012, while the Air Force has been testing biofuels in its aircraft. But for troops on the ground relying increasingly on electronic devices, solar is the way forward. With that in mind, DARPA has assembled an industry-academic team of photovoltaic leaders to create the next generation of battle-ready solar cells that achieve 20 percent conversion while standing up to harsh combat conditions.

The $3.8 million dollar, 54-month Low-Cost Lightweight Portable Photovoltaics program (PoP) includes several private PV companies and will be led on the academic side by the University of Delaware's Institute of Energy Conversion (IEC) with the goal of demonstrating solar cells that are not only cheap to produce, but sturdy enough to withstand the stresses of the battlefield. That means flexibility, durability, and efficiency never before seen from commercial solar technology.

To do so, the research team will push thin-film, flexible copper-indium-deselenide solar cells to their limits, tapping the technology portfolios of at least four different industry partners to meet DARPA's goals, which – per usual – are lofty even given the four-and-a-half year time frame. By comparison, commercial solar panels range from 5-20% efficiency, but flexible thin-films generally average somewhere between 7-11% efficiency, and they're nowhere close to combat-ready.

To make the leap, the team will obviously have to focus on the dual goals of upping efficiency while turning the delicate into the durable. That's going to take some serious innovating in materials and PV tech, but the good news – as is often the case with DARPA projects – is that advances in the technology should eventually trickle on down to civilian tech, giving all of us tough, portable solar powered devices to abuse.

[University of Delaware]

Scotts Contracting is available to supply your Free Green Site Evaluation for the Application of Solar Energy Producing Systems for your Home or Businesses, Click here to email Scotty@StlouisRenewableEnergy.com

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Carbon Definition, Investing, Carbon Foot Print, and the Top 9 Carbon-Neutral Communities

What is Carbon? Wikipedia Defines it as: Carbon is the chemical element with symbol C and atomic number 6. As a member of group 14 on the periodic table, it is nonmetallic and tetravalent—making four electrons available to form covalent chemical bonds. There are three naturally occurring isotopes, with ¹²C and ¹³C being stable, while ¹⁴C is radioactive, decaying with a half-life of about 5730 years.[9] Carbon is one of the few elements known since antiquity.[10][11] The name "carbon" comes from Latin language carbo, coal.
Additional Carbon Info, Carbon Footprints and Carbon Investing- What You Should Know Click Here!
The following Article gives the stats of the World's Carbon-Neutral Communities.

Nine of the World's Most Promising Carbon-Neutral Communities


In the global race to reduce carbon emissions, these eco-minded communities, from Kansas to the Maldives, lead the pack. Here's how they're making their carbon footprints disappear
By Patrick Di Justo Posted 06.17.2010 at 10:18 am 37 Comments


Building a Carbon Neutral Paradise eBoy

"Carbon neutral" sounds pretty straightforward—simply remove as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as you put in. The trouble is, civilization began emitting CO2 when humans burned the first lump of coal about 4,000 years ago.

Ever since, we've been digging up carbon in the form of fossil fuels and sending it skyward. Today the fraction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is about 385 parts per million, roughly 30 ppm above the level deemed environmentally sustainable by many scientists and climate experts. If we continue emitting at our current rate, that number will climb to 450 ppm by 2050, putting the planet at serious risk of runaway climate change, with heat-trapping gases causing unprecedented warming. After that, things get pretty scary: Coastlines flood, species disappear, droughts get longer, crops become harder to grow, and people in general become hungrier, thirstier and angrier.

But it's not too late to reverse course. Fortunately, thousands of communities, cities and even whole countries are pursuing real carbon neutrality, enacting legitimate plans to mitigate their greenhouse emissions and, eventually, bring atmospheric CO2 concentrations back to safe levels. Here, we've spotlighted some of the most inspiring. Denmark's Samsø Island, for example, is no mere engineering fantasy. It's already balanced its carbon footprint by adopting wind and solar power and is now working toward offsetting more carbon than it emits. Masdar City in arid Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, is proving that even oil-rich regions with outsize carbon footprints can wean themselves off the black gold. More important, each of these projects is employing energy and conservation strategies well within the reach of any developed nation that really wants to implement them.

These impressive efforts, though, reveal just how far we have to go. The average Maldivian uses so little fossil fuel that the global benefits of a carbon-free Maldives can be undone by just five days of average population growth in the U.S.

Ultimately, carbon neutrality demands a global effort. That means communities from New York to New Delhi must transform—in effect, becoming perfectly balanced biomes: lots of activity, lots of creation and destruction, but without all the CO2 emissions that typically go with it. In other words, carbon neutrality requires a complete rethinking of how we have lived since the Bronze Age. Impossible? There are at least nine ecotopias that are proving otherwise.

Best U.S. Project

Greensburg, Kansas
Size: 1.5 square miles
Population: 900
Annual carbon emissions per person: 22 tons
Annual amount to be offset: 19,800 tons
Equivalent to: 825,000 trees planted
Carbon-neutral by: 2017

On May 4, 2007, a tornado ripped through central Kansas. When it was over, nearly 95 percent of the small town of Greensburg was destroyed. Turning tragedy into opportunity, the community decided to rebuild itself as a model green town, powered by a mix of geothermal, solar and wind. A few of the city buildings even power themselves with their own wind and solar generators, and a 10-turbine wind farm outside of town went online in March.

Holiest

Vatican City
Size: 109 acres
Population: 826
Annual carbon emissions per person: 9 tons
Annual amount to be offset: 7,434 tons
Estimated cost: undisclosed
Carbon-neutral by: undisclosed

In recent years, the Catholic Church has been more active on environmental issues, urging people to be better stewards of the Earth while holding itself up as a model. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI, dubbed "the green pope" for his environmental initiatives, announced his intention to make the Vatican Europe's first carbon-neutral state, starting with solar panels on the Vatican's auditorium that produce 300,000 kilowatt-hours a year, coupled with extensive efforts to conserve energy.

Fastest Transformation

SamsØ Island, Denmark
Size: 44 square miles
Population: 4,000
Annual carbon emissions per person: 12 tons
Annual amount to be offset: 48,000 tons
Number of wind turbines: 21
Estimated cost: $39 million
Carbon-neutral by: 2007

Remarkably, the Danish island community of Samsø has become carbon-neutral without any tax breaks, grants or other benefits. Its motivation? Civic pride. Thanks to conservation, wind power and peer pressure, the island has transformed from a consumer of coal and oil into an exporter of alternative energy. It now generates 10 percent more energy than it uses.

Most Urgent

Maldives Size: 115 square miles Population: 396,334 Annual carbon emissions per person: 2 tons Annual amount to be offset: 792,668 tons Estimated cost: $1.1 billion Carbon-neutral by: 2020

If ever a country had a stake in carbon neutrality, it's the Maldives—a sea-level rise of just a few inches could put most of this island nation underwater. By investing tourism dollars in energy infrastructure and offsets, Maldivians hope to set an example of carbon sustainability that the world can follow. If that fails, they're considering squirreling away enough money to buy a patch of high ground in India or Australia.

Most Ambitious

Costa Rica Size: 19,730 square miles Population: 4.25 million Annual carbon emissions per person: 2 tons Annual amount to be offset: 8.5 million tons Equivalent to: 354 million trees planted Estimated cost: $10 billion Carbon-neutral by: 2021

In 2007 the Costa Rican government declared that the country would be carbon-neutral by 2021, in time for its 200th birthday. Three years later, it's virtually there. It already produces 90 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, mostly hydropower, wind and geothermal. Next up, it will add solar to the mix, introduce electric trains and buses, move to clean biodiesel and bio-ethanol fuel for cars, and help reforest its jungles.

Smallest

BedZED, London Size: 4.45 acres Population: 220 Annual carbon emissions per person: 11 tons Annual amount to be offset: 2,420 tons Estimated cost: $22 million Carbon-neutral by: 2002

Every square inch of London's Beddington Zero Energy Development is designed for sustainable living. Each of its 100 homes and 15 apartments was built from local materials (to limit haulage) and features triple-glazed windows, solar panels, a biofuel boiler, sustainable insulation and low-energy appliances, with eye-level electric and water meters in all the kitchens to remind residents why they're living there in the first place

Most Resourceful

Dockside Green, B.C., Canada Size: 15 acres Population: 2,500 Annual carbon emissions per person: 21 tons Annual amount to be offset: 52,500 tons Equivalent to: 9,100 cars removed Estimated cost: $600 million Carbon-neutral by: 2011

All of the buildings populating this small development on Vancouver Island are certified green by the internationally recognized U.S. Green Building Council. Eco-features include a "bio boiler" that runs on gas generated from wood refuse, efficient lighting and electrical appliances, and a graywater recycling system that uses treated sewage water to flush toilets.

Most Down-to-Earth

Moreland, Australia Size: 19.7 square miles Population: 149,122 Annual carbon emissions per person: 23 tons Annual amount to be offset: 3.4 million tons Equivalent to: 595,000 cars removed Carbon-neutral by: 2030

Australia's per-capita carbon footprint rivals that of the U.S. So how does this bedroom community of Melbourne intend to shrink it to zero? Through education and energy audits, and by providing seed money to establish local renewable-energy systems such as solar and wind. No whiz-bang tech; just a slow and steady race toward smart conservation and renewable energy.

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Click Here to Contact Scotty, Scotts Contracting, St Louis Renewable Energy to Schedule a Free Green Site Evaluation with ways to reduce your Carbon Imprint!

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Green Buildings and Our Future Part 4

Buildings that generate 10x more power than they need. Wind Turbines, Solar and the Natural Flow of Air will make this buildings Foot Print Ecologically Sound.

The Future of Green Architecture: A Live-In Power Plant


This concept skyscraper could generate enough energy to power 4,000 homes
By Suzanne LeBarre Posted 06.03.2010

Dubai's 10MW Tower Courtesy Robert Ferry/Studied Impact Design
At first glance, the plans for the 10MW Tower have all the trappings of pre-crash Dubai: the improbable height, the flashy facade, the swagger of a newbie in a crowded skyline. On closer inspection, however, it's an eco-machine. The A-shaped, 1,969-foot concept skyscraper is designed to turn out as much as 10 times the energy it needs, enough to power up to 4,000 nearby homes.


Reflective: The facade directs light to a power-producing salt-cooker. Courtesy Robert Ferry/Studied Impact Design

Three separate systems make it work. First, a five-megawatt wind turbine in the hollow of the "A" generates energy in the powerful and unpredictable desert gusts. Second, mirrors dot the slanted, south-facing facade, beaming light to a molten-salt-filled collector that hangs off the building like an ultra-tall street lamp. Cooked to 932ºF, the liquefied salt transfers heat to a convection loop that runs a three-megawatt steam turbine. Finally, a two-megawatt solar updraft tower produces additional energy in clear weather. Sunlight warms air in a two-foot-wide gap that runs the length of the southern face. The airflow from rising heat powers an internal wind turbine.

If it were built (at an estimated cost of $400 million), 10MW could pay off its energy debt in 20 years. Extra juice feeds the municipal grid, and other sources in the area would adjust for the tower's output. The building could house offices or residences or both, says designer Robert Ferry, 35, who helms the Dubai architecture firm Studied Impact with his wife, Elizabeth Monoian. The pair became interested in energy-generating skyscrapers on moving to the United Arab Emirates, where there are superstructures in spades but few that are any greener than their brochures. With the 10MW Tower, they hope to someday create a power plant you can live in. It may sound fantastic, but, Ferry says, "it's only a matter of time before something like this is built."


Revolutionary: A five-megawatt turbine contributes to the building's annual output of 20,000 megawatt-hours. Courtesy Robert Ferry/Studied Impact Design

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6.29.2010

Advertising Invitation

New System, Algae Cleans Water & Fertilizes

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In New System, Algae Cleans Water, Then Transforms into Organic Fertilizer

Related Articles

Great News in Wind Turbine Development.

Massive Wind Turbine Survives Pummeling By Equally Massive Testing Machine

Related Articles

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Solar Energy-Our Government, Govt Fees Hinder Solar Development

Solar Energy-Our Government, Govt Fees Hinder Solar Development

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Government Fees Could Be Hindering the Rollout of American Solar Power

Related Articles

June 29-New Solar Cell Technologies-

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To Power Future Battles, DARPA Wants Combat-Tough Solar Cells

Carbon Definition, Investing, Carbon Foot Print, and the Top 9 Carbon-Neutral Communities

Nine of the World's Most Promising Carbon-Neutral Communities

Best U.S. Project

Holiest

Fastest Transformation

Most Urgent

Most Ambitious

Smallest

Most Resourceful

Most Down-to-Earth

Green Buildings and Our Future Part 4

The Future of Green Architecture: A Live-In Power Plant

St Louis Renewable Feed

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