CCRES
CCRES is a member-based non-profit organization with membership open to research institutions, public and private sector organizations, students, and individuals
Monthly Archives: May 2012
The Green Loop
Know Your Seaweeds
Young Algae Researcher
BFS Algae, in Spain
Algae Research at MSUNews and Events by CCRES May 24, 2012
 Croatian Center of Renewable Energy SourcesNews and Events May 24, 2012 |
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Consumers to Save with New Energy Efficient Washers and Dishwashers
The Department of Energy on May 16 announced energy efficiency standards for residential clothes washers and dishwashers that are expected to save consumers $20 billion in energy and water costs. The clothes washers standard will save households approximately $350 apiece over the lifetime of the appliances. And home dishwashers will use approximately 15% less energy and more than 20% less water, directly providing consumers with savings on monthly bills.
Today, clothes washers and dishwashers account for approximately 3% of residential energy use and more than 20% of indoor water use in U.S. homes. The new standards for clothes washers will reduce the energy consumption of front-loading clothes washers by 15% and reduce water consumption by 35%, while the standards will reduce energy consumption by top-loading washers by 33% and reduce water consumption by 19%. The new standards—developed in partnership with companies such as Whirlpool, General Electric, and LG Electronics, industry advocates, national environmental organizations, consumer groups, and other stakeholders—build on previous minimum energy efficiency requirements for clothes washers and dishwashers. They go into effect starting in 2015 and 2013, respectively. The announcement is the most recent in a series of efficiency standards made by the Obama Administration that have covered nearly 40 different products, and will together save consumers nearly $350 billion on their energy bills through 2030. See the DOE press release and the Building Technologies Program website.
Energy Department Announces Funding to Test a Wave Energy DeviceThe Energy Department on May 18 announced that $500,000 is available this year to test the technical readiness of technologies that can harness energy from waves to supply renewable power to highly-populated coastal regions. The funding will support one project to deploy and test a wave energy conversion device for one year at the Department of Navy’s Wave Energy Test Site off of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. This funding will demonstrate and accelerate wave power technologies that could further develop the country’s significant ocean energy resources.
These efforts complement an ongoing collaboration with the Navy, underscoring how increased cooperation between the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the Energy Department can further the nation’s objectives toward renewable energy development. Through the funding opportunity, the Energy Department will provide technical support to test and evaluate the best wave energy options to provide power to DOD facilities. The Energy Department estimates that there are over 1,170 terawatt hours per year of electric generation available from wave energy off U.S. coasts, although not all of this resource potential can realistically be developed. The Navy has supported wave energy conversion research with the expectation that this technology can be used to assist DOD in reaching its agency goal of producing or procuring 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
The Energy Department expects to select a proposed wave energy device that is substantially complete and ready for testing and data collection without significant modification. The testing will include a comprehensive performance assessment—as well as a review of all pre- and post-deployment activities, operations and maintenance activities, and related analysis—to advance understanding of these innovative technologies and identify areas of performance improvement that will benefit this emerging industry as a whole. See the Progress Alert and the funding opportunity announcement.
Winners of Design Competition to Advance Energy Efficient Lighting NamedThe winners of the indoor lighting category of the fourth-annual Next Generation Luminaires Design Competition were announced recently at the LIGHTFAIR International conference in Las Vegas. The competition, sponsored by the Energy Department, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the International Association of Lighting Designers, was launched in 2008 to promote excellence in the design of energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) commercial lighting fixtures, or “luminaires.” Solid-state lighting, which includes both LED and organic light emitting diode technologies, has the potential to save $30 billion a year in energy costs by 2030.
A panel of eight judges, including experts from the architectural lighting design community, evaluated the next generation luminaires entries based on lighting quality, appearance, serviceability, efficacy, value, dimming, and lifetime. The Best in Class winners came from three different manufacturers and covered three different lighting types. Intense Lighting was awarded Best in Class for its MBW2 LED Track accent lighting fixture; Albeo Technologies Inc. won Best in Class for its H-Series LED high-bay fixture; and Lithonia Lighting earned Best in Class for its ST Series LED utility/general purpose fixture. Design competitions are a key part of DOE’s national strategy to accelerate technology advancements from laboratory to marketplace and boost the adoption of energy efficient lighting products. See the DOE Progress Alert, the Building Technologies Program Solid-State Lighting Web page, and the Next Generation Luminaires website.
Interior Advances Offshore Atlantic Transmission LineThe U.S. Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced on May 14 a finding of “no competitive interest” for the proposed Mid-Atlantic offshore wind energy transmission line. The decision clears the way for the project to move forward with the environmental review necessary to grant the company, Atlantic Grid Holdings, LLC, a right-of-way for the proposal to build a “backbone” transmission line that would enable up to 7,000 megawatts of wind turbine capacity to be delivered to the grid.
The proposed project is a high-voltage, direct-current subsea transmission system that would collect power generated by wind turbine facilities off the Atlantic coasts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. The first such offshore infrastructure proposed in the United States, the system’s parallel, redundant circuits would total about 790 miles in length. The proposed transmission line would be constructed in phases to connect offshore wind power to the grid based on the company’s estimates of when offshore wind generation facilities will be in place. A right-of-way grant occupies a corridor 200 feet wide, centered on the cable with additional widths at the hubs. The right-of-way grant corridor is anticipated to extend about 790 miles. Full construction of all phases of the multi-stage project would take about 10 years.
Before proceeding with the review of this project, BOEM had to determine whether there were other developers interested in constructing transmission facilities in the same area. Last December, BOEM put out a request for competitive interest in order to gather that information. BOEM also solicited public comment on site conditions and multiple uses within the right-of-way grant area that would be relevant to the proposed project or its impacts. See the Interior press release.
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CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov |
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Apps for Energy Public Voting StartsBack in April, we launched Apps for Energy—challenging developers to build mobile and web applications that bring Green Button electricity data to life. You answered our call—sending in innovative, creative and fun apps that help consumers make informed decisions about their energy usage data in ways that save energy and money.
Now that Apps for Energy submissions are in, we want your input. Starting May 17, you can vote for your favorite Apps for Energy submissions as part of our public voting contest. To participate, visit our challenge page at appsforenergy.challenge.gov. There, you can browse our submission gallery and view photos, videos and detailed descriptions for more than 50 web and mobile applications. Your vote will help determine the Grand Prize and Second Place winners for the Apps for Energy Popular Choice Awards. You can vote only once—but for as many submissions as you’d like until the close of public voting on May 31. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog.
Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES) |
Algae Conferences and Exhibitions in 2012
May 22-23 4th edition of Algae World Europe
Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munchen – Cherubin I/II, Munich, Germany
June 4-5 European Workshop on Biotechnology of Microalgae
Nuthetal, (Berlin) Germany
June 4-7 International Fuel Ethanol Workshop & Expo
June 10-13 Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts Conference
Westin San Diego, CA
June 14-16 Young Algaeneers Symposium
Wageningen, the Netherlands
June 18-22 European Biomass Conference and Exhibition
Milano Convention Centre, Milan, Italy
June 19-21 Energy Ocean International
Doubletree’s CoCo Key Hotel, Boston, MA
July 9-12 Pacific Conference on Algal Biotechnology
Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide, Australia
September 24-27 6th Annual Algae Biomass Summit
Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel in Denver, Colorado
October 5-7 Algae Europe
Milan Exhibition Center, Milan, Italy
November 27-29 National Advanced Biofuels Conference & Expo
Hilton Americas, Houston, TX
Send your event information to CCRES
Biodiesel Experts in EU
Growing global demand for energy to power economic development and growth demands the development of cost-effective technologies for a more sustainable energy economy for Europe (and world-wide) to ensure that European industry can compete successfully on the global stage.
Energy is a vital part of our daily lives in Europe and has been for centuries. But the days of secure, cheap energy are over. We are already facing the consequences of climate change, increasing import dependence and higher energy prices.
Consequently, the EU has been developing its climate and energy policy as an integrated approach that pursues the three key objectives of:
- security of supply: to better coordinate the EU’s supply of and demand for energy within an international context;
- competitiveness: to ensure the competitiveness of European economies and the availability of affordable energy;
- sustainability: to combat climate change by promoting renewable energy sources and energy efficiency.
Click to enlarge 
EU primary energy requirements by fuel Source: European Energy and Transport, Trends to 2030
EU primary energy requirements by fuel Source: European Energy and Transport, Trends to 2030 Click to enlarge 
Import dependency of the EU (in %) Source: European Energy and Transport, Trends to 2030
Import dependency of the EU (in %) Source: European Energy and Transport, Trends to 2030 These objectives have been translated into binding targets. By 2020, the EU has committed itself to:
- reducing its greenhouse-gas emissions by 20% (or even 30% in case an international agreement is reached that commits other countries in a similar way);
- increasing the share of renewable energies to 20% of total EU energy consumption;
- increasing the share of renewable energies in transport to 10%;
- improving energy efficiency by 20%.
Achieving these goals will require major breakthroughs in the research and development of new technologies. The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan) – the technology pillar of the European energy and climate policy – outlines long-term energy research priorities for the horizon of 2020 to 2050. It lays the foundations for a European policy for energy technology and establishes a framework that brings together the diverse activities in the field of energy research. For more information please visit the SET-Plan section of this website.
Biodiesel Experts in EU
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NOVAOL AUSTRIA GmbH | Industriegelande West 3 A-2460 Bruck/Leitha |
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OLEON | Assenedestraat 2 9940 Ertvelde |
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Bioro | Moervaartkaai 1 B-9042 Gent |
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NEOCHIM | Parc Industriel, zone A 7181 Feluy |
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Proviron Fine Chemicals nv | G.Gilliotstraat 60 – zone 2 B-2620 Hemiksem |
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FEDIOL | 168, avenue de Tervuren (bte 12) – 1st floor B – 1150 – Bruxelles |
| Rapid Oil Industry Co. Ltd. | 81A, Nikola Gabrovski st. 5000 Veliko Tarnovo |
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Agropodnik | Dobronin 315 588 13 Polna |
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PREOL a.s. | Lovosice, Terezinska 47 PSC 41017 |
| Ambrosia Oils (1976) LTD | Larnaka Industrial Estate, P.O.Box 40433, 6304 Larnaka |
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Daka Biodiesel | Bragesvej 18 DK 4100 Ringsted |
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Neste Renewable Fuels Oy | P.O. Box 726 00095 NESTE OIL |
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DIESTER INDUSTRIE | 12 Avenue Georges V 75008 Paris |
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INEOS Enterprises France SAS | Z.I. Baleycourt – BP 10095 F – 55103 VERDUN Cedex |
| SCA Pétrole et Dérivés | 7, Allée des Mousquetaires Parc de Tréville 91078 Bondoufle Cedex |
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France Ester | Route d’Alençon 61400 Saint Langis les Mortagne |
| Nord Ester | Rue Van Cauwenberghe Zone Industrielle de Petite-Synthe 59640 Dunkerque |
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Veolia / SARP Industries | SARP Industries 427, route du Hazay F-78520 Limay |
| Centre Ouest Céreales | B.P. 10036 86131 Jaunay-clan Cedex |
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ADM HAMBURG AG
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Nippoldstrasse. 117 D-21107 Hamburg |
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ADM HAMBURG AG – Werk Leer
GmbH & Co. KG |
Saegemuehlenstrasse. 45 D-26789 Leer (Ostfriesland) |
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ADM Soya Mainz GmbH | Dammweg 2 55130 Mainz |
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CARGILL GmbH
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Ruedeckenstrasse 51 / Am Hafen D-38239 Salzgitter-Beddingen |
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VERBIO Diesel Bitterfeld GmbH & Co. KG
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Areal B Chemiepark Bitterfeld-Wolfen, OT Greppin, Stickstoffstrasse D-6749 Bitterfeld-Wolfen |
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NATURAL ENERGY WEST GmbH
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Industrie Strasse 34 41460 Neuss |
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PETROTEC GmbH
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Fürst-von-Salm-Straße 18 46313 Borken-Burlo |
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BIOPETROL Industries AG | Baarerstrasse 53/55, CH-6304 Zug |
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EcoMotion GmbH | Brunnenstr. 138 D-44536 Lünen |
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Mannheim Bio Fuel GmbH | Inselstrasse 10 D-68169 Mannheim |
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Vesta Biofuels Brunsbüttel GmbH
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Fahrstrasse 51 D-25541 Brunsbuttel |
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Rheinische Bio Ester GmbH & Co. KG | Duisburger Strasse 15/19 41460 Neuss |
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VERBAND DEUTSCHER BIODIESELHERSTELLER e.V.
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Am Weidendamm 1a D-10117 Berlin |
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ELIN BIOFUELS S.A.
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33 Pigon Str., 145 64 Kifissia Athens |
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AGROINVEST S.A. | 9th km Thessaloniki-Thermi Thermi II Building 57001 Thessaloniki |
| GF Energy | 56 Kifisias Av. & Delfon st., 6th floor, 151 25 Marousi, Athens |
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Öko-line Hungary Kft. | Városligeti fasor 47-49 H-1071 Budapest |
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Green Biofuels Ireland Ltd | Wexford Farmers Co-op Blackstoops, Enniscorthy Co. Wexford |
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ECO FOX S.r.L. | Via Senigallia 29 I=61100 Pesaro |
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NOVAOL ITALY | Via G: Spqdolini 5 20141 Milano |
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ITAL BI OIL S.r.l. | Ital Bi Oil S.r.l. Via Baione 222 – 224 70043 – Monopoli (BA) |
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OIL. B srl | OIL.B srl Via Sabotino, 2 24121 Bergamo |
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OXEM | Strada Provinciale Km 2,6 – 27030 Mezzana Bigli (Pv) |
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Mythen | Via Lanzone ,31 20123 MILANO |
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PFP S.p.A | Via Scaglia Est 134 41126 Modena |
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Assocostieri Unione Produttori Biodiesel |
Via di Vigna Murata 40 00143 Roma |
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BioVenta | 66 Dzintaru Ventspils, LV-3600 |
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Biovalue Holding BV | Westlob 6 NL-9979XG Eemshaven |
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Croatian Center of RES | Medarska 24 10000 Zagreb |
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IBEROL NUTASA | Av. Frei Miguel Contreiras, 54A – 3º 1700-213 Lisboa |
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Torrejana | Casal da Amendoeira Apartado 2 2354-908 Riachos |
| Sovena Oil Seeds Portugal | R. General Ferreira Martins 6, 8º Miraflores 1495-137 Algés |
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| APPB |
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Prio | Strada Stelea Spatarul nr 12, Sector 3, Bucuresti |
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Expur | 45 Tudor Vladimirescu Bvd. District 5 050881 Bucharest |
| Procera Biofuels | Muncii street, No.11 Fundulea city Calarasi County, 915200 |
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BIONET EUROPA | Poligon Agro-Reus Adria Gual 4 43206 Reus |
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ACCIONA Biocombustibles, S.A | Av. Ciudad de la Innovación, 5 31621 Sarriguren (Navarra) |
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Biocombustiblies | Ctra. de Valencia Km. 202 Pol. Sepes – Parcelas 145-146 16004 Cuenca |
| Green Fuel | Avda. San Francisco Javier, 24, Ed. Sevilla I 41018 Sevilla |
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Stocks Del Valles SA | Pol. Ind. El Pedregar C/. Progres, 19-21 E-08160 Montmelo Barcelona |
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Bio-Oils Energy, S.L. | C/ Almagro 2, 4º Dcha. 28010 Madrid |
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BioArag | Ctra A- 1240, Km 0,900 – 22540 Altorricon (Huesca) |
| BioNorte S.A. | Poligono de la Florida 71 33958 San Martin Del Rey Aurelio Asturias |
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APPA | Muntaner 269 08021 Barcelona |
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Ecobränsle i Karlshamn AB | Västra Kajen 8B SE-374 31 Karlshamn |
| Norups Biorefinery | AB Box 109 289 21 Knislinge |
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Perstorp | Prastgatan 12 SE-252 24 Helsingborg |
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Argent Energy | 5th Floor, 9 Hatton Street London NW8 8PL |
| Harvest Energy | 2 Cavendish Square London, W1G 0PU |
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Agri Energy | Northampton Road, Blisworth Northampton, NN7 3DR |
Expert Groups
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Prof Thierry CHOPIN | University of New Brunswick | Canada | |
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Dr Alan CRITCHLEY | Acadian Seaplants Ltd | Canada | |
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Dr Amir NEORI Dr. Ami BEN AMOTZ |
Israel Oceanographic & Limnological Research Ltd |
Israel | |
| Mr John TRAVERS (Chief executive Ireland) |
Alternative energy Resources Limited LTD (biofuels production and supply company) |
Ireland | ||
| Prof Klaus LUNING | Sylt Algae Farm | Germany | ||
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Prof Masahiro NOTOYA | Tokyo University Marine Science and Technology International Seaweed Association |
Japan | |
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Dr Paolo GUALTIERI | CNR- Istituto di Biofisica di Pisa | Italy | |
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Ms Simonetta ZARRILLI | United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) |
Switzerland | |
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Ms Sofia SEQUEIRA | Galp | Portugal | |
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Mr Jeff TSCHIRLEY | UN Food and Agricoltural Organisation (FAO) |
Italy | |
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Mr Michael. B. LAKEMAN Mr Andrew BRAFF |
Algal Biomass Organisation | USA | |
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Mr Frédéric MONOT | Institute Français du Petrol, Biotechnology and Biomass Chemistry |
France | |
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Mr. Guido DEJONGH | CEN – European Committee for Standardisation (New Standardization Opportunities) |
Belgium | |
Experts
| Prof. Spiros AGATHOS | Louvain University |
Belgium
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| Ms. Maria BARBOSA | WURFood & BioBased |
The Netherlands
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| Dr. Kateřina BIŠOVÁ | Czech Institute of Microbiology |
Czech Republic
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| Mr. Jonas DAHL | Danish Technological Institute |
Denmark
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| Dr. Maeve EDWARDS | Irish Seaweed Centre |
Ireland
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| Mr. Cameron EDWARDS | VESTA Biofuels Brunsbüttel |
Germany
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| Prof. Jose FERNANDEZ SEVILLA | University of Almeria |
Spain
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| Dr. Imogen FOUBERT | K.U.Leuven University |
Belgium
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| Dr. Gloria GAUPMANN | EBIO |
Belgium
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| Dr. Sridharan GOVINDACHARY | Queen’s University |
Ireland
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| Prof. Patricia J. HARVEY | University of Greenwich |
UK
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| Mr. Sven JACOBS | Howest |
Belgium
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| Mr. Frédéric LAEUFFER | TOTAL |
France
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| Mr. Remy MARCHAL | Institut Français du Pétrole |
France
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| Mr. Riccardo MARCHETTI | Oxem S.p.a |
Italy
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| Dr. Laura MARTINELLI | Studio Martinelli |
Italy
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| Ms. Roberta MODOLO | Studio Martinelli |
Italy
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| Mr. Benoit QUEGUINEUR | Irish Seaweed Centre |
Ireland
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| Ms. Jessica RATCLIFF | Irish Seaweed Centre |
Ireland
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| Mr. Jean-François ROUS | Diester Industrie |
France
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| Ms. Briana SAPP | PANGEA |
Belgium
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| Mr. Philippe SCHILD | European Commission (DR Research) |
Belgium
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| Mr. Johannes SKARKA | Karlsruher Institute of Technology |
Germany
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| Ms. Andrea SONNLEITNER | Bioenergy 2020 |
Austria
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| Mr. Julien TAIEB | FEFAC |
Belgium
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| Prof. Laurenz THOMSEN | Jacobs University Bremen |
Germany
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| Dr. Wolfgang TRUNK | European Commission (DG Health) |
Belgium
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| Mr. Dries VANDAMME | K.U.Leuven University |
Belgium
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| Mr. Peter VAN DEN DORPEL | AlgaeLink N.V. |
The Netherlands
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| Mr. Jan VANHOUTTE | BEKO |
Belgium
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| Dr. Koen VANHOUTTE | Navicula |
Belgium
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| Mr. Ignacio VASQUEZ- L | European Commission (DG Climate) |
Belgium
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| Dr. Milada VITOVÁ | Czech Institute of Microbiology |
Czech Republic
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| Ms. Annalisa VOLSE | PANGEA |
Belgium
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| Dr. Wim VYVERMAN | Ghent University |
Belgium
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| Ms. Annika WEISS | KIT |
Germany
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| Mr. Zeljko Serdar | Croatian Center of RES |
Croatia
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| Prof. Gabriel ACIEN FERNANDEZ | Almeria University |
Spain
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| Dr. Dina BACOVSKY | Bioenergy 2020+ GmbH |
Austria
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| Dr. Natascia BIONDI | University of Florence |
Italy
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| Prof. Sammy BOUSSIBA | Ben‐Gurion University |
Israel
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| Mr. Marco BROCKEN | Evodos | The Netherlands | ||
| Ms. Griet CASTELEYN | Ghent University | Belgium | ||
| Mr. Nuno COELHO | AlgaFuel | Portugal | ||
| Dr. Guillermo GARCIA-B.REINA | University of Las Palmas Gan Canaria | Spain | ||
| Mr. Guido DE JONGH | CEN | Belgium | ||
| Mr. Alessandro FLAMMINI | FAO Aquatic Biofuels | Italy | ||
| Mr. Clayton JEFFRYES | Louvain University | Belgium | ||
| Dr. Bert LEMMENS | VITO | Belgium | ||
| Dr. Stefan LEU | Ben‐Gurion University | Israel | ||
| Mr. Philippe MORAND | CNRS | France | ||
| Mr. Josche MUTH | EREC | Belgium | ||
| Ms. Liliana RODOLFI | Fotosintetica & Microbiologica S.r.l | Italy | ||
| Dr. Robin SHIELDS | Swansea University | UK | ||
| Dr. Raphael SLADE | Imperial College London | UK | ||
| Mr. Mario R. TREDICI | University of Florence | Italy | ||
| Ms. Sofie VAN DEN HENDE | Ghent University | Belgium | ||
| Mr. Ron VAN ERCK | European Commission(DG Energy) | Belgium | ||
| Prof. Rene WIJFFELS | Wageningen Universiteit | The Netherlands | ||
| Mr. Philippe WILLEMS | Orineo BVBA | Belgium | ||
| Dr. Attila WOOTSCH | MFKK Hungary | Hungary | ||
Nor Cal Biodiesel
CCRES promotes Nor Cal Biodiesel
Nor Cal Biodiesel currently offer two models to choose from: the BioPro190 and the larger BioPro380.
BioPro190
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BioPro190 General Information and Specifications
Items You Will Need To Get Started:
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BioPro380
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BioPro380 General Information and Specifications
Items You Will Need To Get Started:
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Since it’s introduction, the BioPro line of products have steadily found their way into the hands of many an independent souls.
Click on the links below to read about
CONTACT Nor Cal Biodiesel
Please feel free to contact Nor Cal Biodiesel for additional information regarding our products or services.
Nor Cal Biodiesel also welcome any comments or suggestions regarding products, web site and overall experience regarding your initial interaction with Nor Cal Biodiesel.
General Inquiries and Sales Information info@norcalbio.com
Projects, Business Development or Specific Requests danny@norcalbio.com
Projects, Business Development or Specific Requests danny@norcalbio.com
Nor Cal Biodiese web site : http://norcalbio.com/index.html
For any additional information, please contact
Danny Lesa, telephone 707-766-9782
CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(CCRES)
The Pentagon, the largest U.S. consumer of fuel goes green
Last month U.S. Army Energy Initiatives Task Force (AEITF) issued a draft request for proposals (Draft RFP) renewable energy contracts.
What’s on offer? Over the next decade, an impressive $7 billion. During the AEITF’s pre-solicitation phase, the Draft RFP is designed to gather information from potential bidders to assist the AEITF to develop a formal Request for Proposal (RFP) that it intends to issue later this year.
The United States Armed Forces, which currently fuels 77 percent of its machinery with petroleum-based fuel, has announced an aggressive goal, to be petroleum free by 2040. The Air Force intends to use biofuels for 50 percent of its domestic aviation needs by 2016.
A 2011 Pew Charitable Trusts report, “From Barracks to the Battlefield: Clean Energy Innovation and America’s Armed Forces” reported that Department of Defense clean energy investments increased 300 percent between 2006 and 2009 – from $400 million to $1.2 billion – and are projected at $10 billion annually by 2030, adding that that by 2015, the Pentagon will be spending $2.25 billion each year to harness clean energy technologies for air, land and sea vehicles.
Driving the Pentagon’s green drive is Executive Order 13423, which mandates that the Department of Defense achieve a 30 percent reduction in non-tactical fleet fossil fuel use by 2020.
A second key piece of legislation driving the Pentagon’s mandate is the Renewable Fuel Standard, which Congress enacted in 2005 as part of the Energy Policy Act, amending it in the 2007 Energy Independence and Security Act. The amended standard mandated that by 2022 the consumption volume of the renewable fuels should consist of: 15 billion gallons of conventional biofuels, mainly corn-grain ethanol; 1 billion gallons of biomass-based diesel fuel; 4 billion gallons of advanced renewable biofuels, other than ethanol derived from cornstarch, that achieve a life-cycle greenhouse gas threshold of at least 50 percent; and 16 billion gallons of cellulosic biofuels produced from wood, grasses, or non-edible plant parts, such as corn stalks and wheat straw.
The draft AEITF RFP marks the beginning of the AEITF’s plan to develop a large, coordinated procurement process for renewables. The AEITF’s new program was developed in response to a National Defense Authorization Act that requires Department of Defense facilities to derive at least 25 percent of the electricity they consume from renewable energy by 2025, and a Department of Defense “Net Zero Energy” initiative, which challenges DOD installations to produce more energy than they consume, with emphasis on the use of renewable energy and alternative fuels.
So, what is holding back the production of commercially viable amounts of biofuels? Key barriers to achieving the renewable fuel mandate are the high cost of producing biofuels compared with petroleum-based fuels uncertainties in future biofuel markets, a lack of subsidies and crop insurance, along with a shortage of significant investment.
These factors have combined to produce a “perfect storm” up to now for biofuel producers, resulting in “designer fuels” of high cost for Pentagon testing.
To give but one example.
In October 2010 the Navy purchased 20,055 gallons of algae biofuel at an eye-watering cost of $424/gallon. Nevertheless, the contract was one of the biggest U.S. purchases of a non-corn ethanol biofuel up to that time. A year later, the Navy reportedly spent $12 million for 450,000 gallons of biofuel. The bad news was that the biofuel’s cost worked out to around $26.67 per gallon, roughly six times the current cost of traditional gas.
The good news? In a single year, the cost per gallon of biofuel plummeted by a factor of 15.9.
Furthermore, $7 billion in funding is likely to prove a significant game changer in the field.
So, where does this leave the investor? No single biofuel source, from jatropha, algae or camelina has yet to emerge as the clear winner, though the last seems most likely to emerge as the frontrunner. Accordingly, investors must do their homework and seek out potential winners.
For those wishing to broaden their portfolios, two websites will prove of immense value.
The first is http://www.usa.gov, the federal government’s website for the U.S. government, where one can come to grips with federal legislation and Pentagon initiatives.
The second is Jim Lane’s http://www.biofuelsdigest.com/, the self-proclaimed “world’s most widely read biofuels daily.” While the site has an element of tub-thumping boosterism, it nevertheless remains an immensely valuable source of information about the biofuel market and the major players.
It is important to remember how different the biofuels picture is now from even a year ago. The Pentagon, the largest U.S. consumer of fuel, is now under pressure to meet the various federal mandates, and careers and promotions hang in the balance.
CCRES special thanks to
John C.K. Daly ,
U.S.-Central Asia Biofuels Ltd
Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)
CCRES – ALGAE BIOFUELS AND AQUAPONICS
CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(CCRES)
Algae, the Source of Biofuels, and Aquaponics
Algae can be used as important types of biomass materials from which the biofuels can be obtained. Algae absorb the energy from the sun in the presence of carbon dioxide and store it. A number of processes can be carried out on algae to convert it into biofuels like alcohol, biodiesel and even biogas. The biodiesel obtained from algae can be mixed with petroleum diesel and it can be used for running of trucks, cars and many types of engines that use diesel. Biodiesel can also be used as the fuel in the jets, airplanes, refineries and pipelines. The biomass obtained from algae can be used as the renewable sources of energy since it is available in abundant quantities and will be available for unlimited period of time.
One of the important advantages of algae is that it can grow in any type of water like salt, fresh, and even contaminated water. It can be grown in vast sea and river water, small rain water ponds and even commercial or domestic manmade made ponds. Algae has the potential to yield 30 times more energy than the crops grown on land, which are currently being used to produce the biofuels. This could encourage the use of algae for producing biofuels instead of the land that can be used for producing food crops. The harvesting cycle of algae is 1 to 10 days, which permits several harvests in short period of time and using the resources more effectively.
Algae and Aquaponics
As described earlier, algae can be grown in any type of water and in type of water storage system. Besides the naturally occurring seas, rivers, and ponds, it can also grow in manmade ponds. The manmade ponds can be at homes for domestic purpose or in large lands made for commercial production of algae. For the better growth of algae some nutrients may be added to water. Besides using these ponds for algae growth they can also be used for the growth of fishes and other aquatic animals.
Aquaponics is the system where one can grow the fishes and plants like algae in one integrated system. The waste given by the fishes act as important nutrients for the plants, while the cover of plants provides the natural filter for the fishes in the living areas. Aquaponics is the combination of words aquaculture and hydroponics. Aquaculture is the cultivation of fish or other water based animals, while hydroponics is the growth of plants in water. In aquaponics one can grow the water animals as well the plants at the same time. Thus the manmade small or big pond can be effectively used for growing fishes as well plants like algae.
The plants usually prefer warm-water so the water in aquaponics is also warm. The fishes grown in aquaponics are of warm-water type and not of cold-water type. The fishes grown in aquaponics can be consumed by the owner, they can be given to the friend, can be sold in the market to earn money or they can be kept as the pets. The harvesting period of fishes ranges from 7 to 9 months. When aquaponics is combined with a controlled environment greenhouse, high quality crops can be grown throughout the year and in any part of the world.
Aquaponics comprises of the water tank where the fishes are raised and fed. There is a chamber, where the uneaten foods and other particles and solids are collected. The bio-filter converts ammonia into nitrates, which act as the nutrients for the plants. There is also a portion for the growth of the plants. The lowest part of tank is a sump from where fresh water is supplied to the tank and old water is removed.
The concept of aquaponics can be extended for the growth of algae. Instead of the plants, one can grow algae, which has the harvest cycle of one to ten days. At the same time the fishes can also be grown. In the period of about nine months, while the fishes will harvest once, algae will be harvested several times. The large quantities of algae collected this way can be used as the biomass for producing the biofuels like biodiesel.
The advantages of using aquaponics for the growth of algae is that in a single place harvesting of both, the algae as well as fishes can be done. This would increase the profitability for the owner if they already have aquaculture or hydroponics. While earlier they would get only a single product from the infrastructure, they could now get two products. Since harvesting time of algae is short, it would keep the owner busy and this could become a continuous source of income for them.
The major limitations of aquaponics are the high initial costs required for housing, tank, plumbing, pumps and bedding. One should also do thorough research for the chances of success of such project. The system also has number of points of failure and requires intensive maintenance.
CCRES
special thanks to
Escapeartist, Inc
CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(CCRES)
News and Events by CCRES May 09, 2012
 Croatian Center of Renewable Energy SourcesNews and Events May 09, 2012 |
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Energy Department Offers $5 Million to Spur EV and Alt Fuels AdoptionThe Energy Department on May 8 announced that up to $5 million in funding is available this year to help expand the use of alternative fuel vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs), in cities and towns across the country. The funding will help cut through red tape for homeowners and businesses, provide training for mechanics and first responders, and support community planning to expand fueling infrastructure. The Energy Department anticipates awarding 10 to 20 projects this year to be completed within two years. The support of alternative fuel vehicles is part of a strategy to increase energy security in the United States, reduce emissions, and help drivers save money.
This initiative will help communities streamline and quicken permitting processes, and coordinate alternative fuel vehicle and EV infrastructure deployment across state, regional, and local governments. Selected projects will also help communities build workforces with the skills to facilitate these vehicles and infrastructure by training first responders and mechanics. In addition, they will provide resources, such as educational materials and tools, to help consumers understand the economic and environmental benefits of alternative fuel vehicles, and to choose the right vehicle for their needs.
The Energy Department seeks proposals that address barriers to the adoption of these vehicles, provide safety training, coordinate initiatives, and drive market development and transformation to make alternative fuel vehicles and fueling infrastructure widely available. Proposed projects should cover each of these areas. This funding opportunity does not provide for the purchase or installation of vehicles or infrastructure. DOE strongly encourages organizations to form teams that include one or more active, designated Clean Cities coalition as well as other partners with relevant experience and expertise. Applications are due by June 18, 2012. See the Energy Department Progress Alert and the funding opportunity announcement.
  Energy Department Announces $2.5 Million for Fuel Cell Baggage VehiclesThe Energy Department announced on April 25 up to $2.5 million in funding is available this year to demonstrate and deploy fuel cell electric vehicles for transporting passenger baggage at major U.S. airports. Up to three projects selected for funding will demonstrate first-generation, fuel cell-powered baggage-towing tractors under real-world operating conditions, and will collect and analyze data to test their performance and cost-effectiveness. The funding will help industry bring advanced fuel cell technologies into emerging markets. It will also provide airlines and airports with new choices for ground support operations that cut energy costs, air pollution, and petroleum use.
The Energy Department seeks applicants to demonstrate and test the performance and economic viability of advanced fuel cell systems for up to three years. The 50% cost-shared projects will supply both information on fuel cell system operation and data on the economics of these vehicles to the Hydrogen Secure Data Center at the DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory for analysis and comparison. Data will be collected from actual airport operations so that engineers and economic analysts can assess the technology’s performance, durability, and cost-effectiveness under the real-world conditions of commercial airports. Conclusions will be drawn from the data to evaluate the commercial viability of this fuel cell application, and the data will be shared with fuel cell manufacturers, helping to improve their designs and optimize overall performance and costs. See the DOE Progress Alert and the funding opportunity announcement.
University Regional Clean Energy Business Winners NamedThe Energy Department on May 4 announced the regional winners of its National Clean Energy Business Plan Competition. The event inspires university teams across the country to create new businesses and commercialize promising energy technologies developed at U.S. universities and DOE’s national laboratories. The regional finalists—Northwestern University, University of Utah, University of Central Florida, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, and Columbia University—will go on to compete in the first national competition in Washington, D.C., June 12 to 13.
The competition aims to promote entrepreneurship in clean energy technologies that will boost U.S. competitiveness, bring cutting-edge clean energy solutions to the market, and strengthen the nation’s economic prosperity. Each team of students identified a promising clean energy technology from a university or national lab and created a business plan around the technology that detailed how they could help bring it to market. For example, MIT teamed with SolidEnergy to leverage its battery technology innovation, which improves the safety and energy density of rechargeable lithium batteries and is intended to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicles. The contest includes financing, product design, scaling up production and marketing. Each of the six regional competitions across the country was run by a nonprofit or university that worked with teams over the last three years. Each of the winning regional teams has already received $100,000 in prizes to continue plans to commercialize the products. See the DOE press release.
Interior Department Flips Switch on First Public Lands Solar Project
U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Ken Salazar on May 7 flipped the switch to start the first large-scale solar energy facility on U.S. public lands delivering power to consumers. Silver State North is a 50-megawatt plant located 40 miles south of Las Vegas, Nevada, that will use photovoltaic (PV) technology to generate enough power for about 9,000 Nevada homes. The plant was built on 618 acres of public land managed by Interior’s Bureau of Land Management, after the solar facility underwent full environmental analysis and public review. It was developed by First Solar and is owned by Enbridge.
Prior to 2009, there were no solar energy projects permitted on public lands. Since then, the Interior Department has authorized 29 large-scale renewable energy projects on or involving public lands, including 16 solar facilities, 5 wind farms, and 8 geothermal plants. See the Interior Department press release.
Wind Turbine Installations in Q1 Jump 50% from Q1 in 2011: ReportThe U.S. wind power industry posted one of its busiest quarters ever in the first quarter of 2012, according to the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA). The United States saw 1,695 megawatts (MW) of wind capacity installed in that period, with 788 new turbines producing power in 17 states. No other first quarter has been as strong for the American wind power industry, AWEA reported. The wind energy industry installed 52% more MW in the first quarter than it did in the same quarter last year.
During the first quarter, California (370 MW), Oregon (308 MW) and Texas (254 MW) led all states for adding the most wind power. Rounding out the top five were Washington (127 MW) and Pennsylvania (121 MW). One notable trend, previously highlighted in AWEA’s 2011 annual market report, is that with ever-improving technology, wind power is accessing wind resources in geographic areas considered to have inadequate wind resource just a few years ago. Topping that category of states formerly considered to have inadequate wind resources is New Hampshire with 388% growth. See the AWEA press release.
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CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov |
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Maine Project Takes Historic Step Forward in U.S. Tidal Energy DeploymentA pilot project that will generate electricity from Maine’s ocean tides could be a game-changer for America’s tidal energy industry at-large.
At the direction of the Maine Public Utilities Commission, three of the state’s electricity distributors will purchase electricity generated by Ocean Renewable Power Company (ORPC)—the company leading the Maine pilot project. Once finalized, the contracts will be in place for 20 years, making them the first long-term tidal energy power purchase agreements in the United States. The implications of these agreements are far-reaching, helping to advance the commercialization of tidal energy technologies. The project, which has brought more than $14 million into Maine’s economy and has created or helped retain more than 100 jobs, is supported by $10 million in funding from the Energy Department.
For the pilot phase of the project, ORPC will deploy cross flow turbine devices in Cobscook Bay, at the mouth of the Bay of Fundy. These devices are designed to generate electricity over a range of water currents, capturing energy on both ebb and flood tides without the need for repositioning. To read the complete story, see the DOE Energy Blog.
Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES) |
CCRES – ALGAE AND BIOFUEL
CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(CCRES)
ALGAE AND BIOFUEL
Algae: An Important Source for Making Biofuels
Biofuels are the alternative fuels like ethanol, butanol, biodiesel, methane and others obtained from the biomass. Biomasses are the wasted materials obtained from the plants, animals and human beings. With the increasing prices of the crude oil and importance of achieving self-reliance in energy and growing concern for the environment alternative fuels are receiving more government and public attention.
The government of US has set the targets for using of 36 billion gallons of biofuels by the year 2022 as a result most of the gasoline sold here is mixed with ethanol. Similarly, biodiesel mixed with petroleum diesel is found to create lesser pollution without affecting the performance of the engines. Methane gas is also increasingly used for the production of electricity and also driving the vehicles. Ethanol, biodiesel, and methane are all biofuels obtained from biomass like wasted crops, crops containing sugar, vegetable oil etc.
Due to increasing demands of the biofuels, many farmers are now tempted to raise the crops that would yield biofuels instead of the food crops. This leads to misuse of limited resources available in the form energy, fertilizers and pesticides. In some parts of the world large areas of forests have been cut down to grow sugarcane for ethanol and soybeans and palm-oil tress for making biodiesel. US government is making efforts to make sure the farming for biomass materials does not competes with the farming of food crops and that the farming of biomass would require lesser fertilizers and pesticides.
Algae used as Biomass
One of the most important promising sources of biofuels is algae. Algae are single celled (most of them) microorganisms that grow in salt water, fresh water and even in contaminated water. Algae can grow in sea, rivers, ponds, and also on land not suitable for production. Like other plants, algae also absorb energy from the sun in the presence of atmospheric carbon dioxide by the process called photosynthesis. Just like other wasted plants and crops, algae also carry energy and it can be used as an important biomass material. There are more than 65,000 known species of algae having different colors like green, red, brown and blue-green that offer wide range of options for obtaining the biofuels from them.
Algae keep growing extensively in the nature and it generates lots of waste that could even create problems of disposal. Since algae carries energy, it can be used as an important source of alternative or renewable energy since algae is available in abundant quantities that can last forever. Algae can be used as the biomass materials to obtain various biofuels. Various colonies of algae can be considered to be small biological factories containing lots of energy.
Biofuels from Obtained from Algae
Like the wastes from the plants, the algae can also be used as the biomass to produce various types of biofuels. One of the most popular types of biofuels, biodiesel, is obtained from the vegetable oil. The same biodiesel can also be obtained from algae oil. The biodiesel from algae can be mixed with the petroleum diesel and used for the running of the vehicles. It can also be used as the fuel for jets, airplanes, refineries, and pipelines. The biodiesel obtained from algae can be readily used with automobile and jet engines without the need to make any modifications in the engine. It meets all the specifications of the petroleum diesel fuel.
The algae biomass can also be used for making ethanol and butanol biofuels, which are type of alcohols. Butanol is considered to have more efficiency than ethanol and it is obtained from dried algae that act as a biomass. The carbohydrates extracted from algae are converted into natural sugars, which are then converted into butyric, lactic and acetic acids by the process of fermentation. Further fermentation of butyric acid is carried out to produce butanol.
The biomass obtained from algae can also be used to produce biogas that contains methane and carbon dioxide. Methane is an important component of natural gas, so this biogas can be used just like the natural gas for producing heating effect and also to produce electricity.
Advantages of using Algae as Biomass
One of the important advantages of algae it that it can be grown in almost any type of water: salt, fresh, and even contaminated water. It can be grown in vast sea and river water, small rain water ponds and even commercial or domestic manmade ponds. It can also be grown on non-arable unproductive lands increasing the utility of waste lands.
Another important advantage of growing algae for producing biofuels is that it does not displace the farmland used for growing the food crops. The farmers using various resources for producing biodiesel instead of the food crops has been one of the major concerns for the government, algae helps solving this tricky problem.
Algae have the potential to yield 30 times more energy than the crops grown on land, which are currently being used to produce the biofuels. This would further encourage the use of algae for producing biofuels and land for producing food crops.
Another important advantage of algae is that it uses carbon dioxide for its growth. Thus the pollution causing carbon dioxide produced from the other sources can be utilized to grow algae, which helps keeping the environment cleaner.
CCRES
special thanks to
Escapeartist, Inc
CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
(CCRES)
CCRES ALGAE
Welcome to CCRES ALGAE PROJECT
“CCRES is a member-based non-profit organization with membership open to research institutions, public and private sector organizations, students, and individuals.”
says Zeljko Serdar, President & CEO of CCRES
Who are we?
CCRES is a biotech NGO founded in 1988 and incorporated in the Republic of Croatia. Our Main research center is located in Zagreb, Croatia. CCRES Algae is producing various types of enhanced algae, harboring high value products for the global aquaculture markets.
What do we do?
CCRES Algae’s Project have been designed to alleviate some of the bottlenecks of the aquaculture industry. Our current products include a range of algal products for the different growth stages of many aquaculture species. Our pipeline products include a range of algal based, orally-delivered high value traits for ornamental and edible markets of fish and crustaceans. CCRES Algae’s Project have been scientifically designed as an oral application, replacing the need for costly techniques, specifically injections.
While biodiesel is the fuel end product that is pursued most, algae can be processed to yield other energy products such as ethanol, diesel, gasoline, aviation fuel, hydrogen and other hydrocarbons. We have started exploring production of these products as well.
The various uses of algae will be examined such as its role in the nutraceutical, food, cosmetic and animal feed industries and as a replacement for petroleum as a transportation fuel.
Our Technology
CCRES Algae‘s technology has been efficient and safe.
Our Potential
CCRES Algae’s potential is not restricted to the vast aquaculture market. Developing products for the entire animal husbandry industry (poultry, cattle, swine, etc.,) is just around the corner.
The Algae Production CCRES Courses will begin with an overview of photosynthesis and the carbon cycle, the taxonomy of algae and the basics of cell biology. Safety in the lab and the process of experimental methodology are also included in the curriculum. CCRES students will learn about algae growth factors such as temperature, light, CO2 and nutrients. The different kinds of photobioreactor designs will be explored, including closed vs. open systems. CCRES students will learn about the importance of cultivation protocols, and when to feed, harvest and how to process the algae. Analytics will be covered as well which includes the use of the microscope and learning about the basic algae handling and testing procedures such as dilution, cell counting and dry weight measurment.
CCRES Algae
project of
Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)
