The Canadian Press - ONLINE EDITION
Irving Oil halts involvement in tidal power research in Bay of Fundy
By: Kevin Bissett, The Canadian Press
24/06/2010 3:24 PM | Comments: 0
FREDERICTON - Irving Oil has decided to stop its involvement in tidal power research in the Bay of Fundy over concerns about the viability of the technology.
Irving Oil officials weren't willing to be interviewed on Thursday but in an email company spokeswoman Lesley MacLeod said: "I can confirm that due to policy concerns and uncertainty around the true viability of tidal technologies, we have decided to conclude our work on our tidal project."
New Brunswick Energy Minister Jack Keir said he was informed by the company last week but Irving officials didn't give specifics about why they weren't going forward.
"I suspect part of the problem is there isn't a technology yet — certainly commercialized technology for tidal power — that's going to allow for commercialization of generation of electricity," Keir said.
Two years ago, Irving signed a lease with the province for sites along the bay where research could be conducted in partnership with the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, N.B.
Keir said until there is technology that will allow for commercialized production of power from the tides, it will be difficult to get large companies involved.
Meanwhile, Nova Scotia's energy minister said the Irving decision would have no impact on the province's commitment to develop test projects in the bay's Minas Passage.
Bill Estabrooks said the province remained committed to harnessing tidal power as an alternate source of energy.
"We have an obligation, a duty and a responsibility to respond because Nova Scotians have said tidal power is something they are interested in pursuing and we are going to continue to do that," said Estabrooks.
The government has contributed money toward a test project run by Nova Scotia Power and Irish-based OpenHydro. The project hit a major snag earlier this month after currents broke off two blades from a massive 400-tonne turbine.
Estabrooks said all involved are determined to learn what it takes to develop the massive currents.
"We certainly are not interested in walking away," he said. "We are interested in making this work and that's our plan."
Keir said the best part about the research done by Irving and Huntsman Marine was that it only involved private-sector money.The province will likely issue another call for proposals, he said, to see if anyone else is interested in doing such research in New Brunswick.
"I believe that when the time comes, and there's a technology that's going to be commercialized that will make it viable to generate electricity using the tides, New Brunswick is going to be there," Keir said.
In the meantime, he said, the government remains committed to the development of renewable energy and will focus on expanding the 300 megawatts of wind power now generated in the province.
— With files from Keith Doucette in Halifax
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Digby Port Day
ADEDA friends and stakeholders are reminded that the first of what is planned to be an annual look at the growing potential of the Port of Digby is scheduled for June 28 at the Digby Heritage Centre, from 10 AM to 2 PM. There’ll be a number of industry and resource speakers and a special key note address by Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova. Plus there’ll be a special guest appearance by Bay of Fundy Tourism’s popular new “Whale Car”.
For more information contact Terry Thibodeau at tthibodeau@annapolisdigby.com.
A copy of the event poster, including more details, can be downloaded here.
Peter
Peter MacLellan
Annapolis Digby EDA
86 Atlantic Avenue
PO Box 271
Cornwallis, Nova Scotia
Canada B0S 1H0
Tel: (902) 638-3490
Fax: (902) 638-8106
For more information contact Terry Thibodeau at tthibodeau@annapolisdigby.com.
A copy of the event poster, including more details, can be downloaded here.
Peter
Peter MacLellan
Annapolis Digby EDA
86 Atlantic Avenue
PO Box 271
Cornwallis, Nova Scotia
Canada B0S 1H0
Tel: (902) 638-3490
Fax: (902) 638-8106
Labels:
Digby News
ADEDA News
Hello Kathleen,
We’ve written a lot lately about the natural wonders of the Bay of Fundy which defines the coastline of Annapolis Digby, and with whale watchers, rock hounds, beachcombers and sea kayakers among the many visitors who are visiting our shores at this time, the Bay’s commercial potential is also getting plenty of recognition.
A columnist in one local newspaper quoted a local entrepreneur as describing the area as a budding “Fundy Riviera”, and while that may raise some sceptical eyebrows there’s no doubt there’s a lot to of potential for new and non traditional business interests here.
Renewed Enthusiasm on the Wharf
Digby is undeniably Nova Scotia’s preeminent marine portal to the Bay of Fundy. As global awareness of the Bay and its potential increases, the Port of Digby is presented with myriad opportunities to take advantage. That’s why it was wonderful to see the improvements in both infrastructure and operating policies that the Digby Harbour Port Association has made over a short time to the town’s main wharf. And it’s something that will be studied as well as celebrated next week on June 28 during the inaugural Digby Port Day seminar.
Two If By Sea
One of the most recent manifestations of the emerging potential of our port facilities and adjacent regional attractions was the visit last year of the cruise ship Balmoral, the first of what is hoped to be regular cruise stopovers here. The one day call in and local tours delivered 1200 visitors and an estimated $100,000 injection into the local economy. But we should remember that there’s a regular daily opportunity to cruise the Bay on the ferry “Princess of Acadia” travelling between Digby and Saint John. That fact was highlighted in a promotion by Destination South West Nova Scotia and Bay Ferries when they hosted two groups of travel agents and media personnel last week to showcase the local cruise opportunities.
Dusting Off the Welcome Mat
Sensing the optimism as well as the opportunity that could rest just over the horizon, local business groups met in Digby and Annapolis Royal last week to review and discuss a recent consultant’s report that suggested ways we could make our facilities more welcoming and visitors more inclined to stay and shop.
Peeking Outside the Box
Seeklng to support those new opportunities that we in Annapolis Digby sense are coming our way, Team Southwest, a task force of federal, provincial and local government officials, along with regional business leaders, was hosted at our ADEDA facilities recently. The Team has been formed to deal with existing challenges as well as identify new economic development opportunities and build a supporting work plan.
Environmental Innovation
And if we needed to be shown that there were already new ideas aplenty in our area, there was no better illustration than the news last week that Sissaboo Farm Supplies was honoured at the 12th Annual Mobius Environmental Awards as a winner in the best Small Business of the Year category by the province’s Resource Recovery Fund Board. RRFB Nova Scotia singled out the Weymouth firm for the introduction of its innovative “Easy Sorter” system. Ideas for environmental innovation will be entertained further this week as ADEDA, in partnership with the Government of Nova Scotia, hosts a community Renewable Energy Planning seminar this week, on June 25, at 10AM in Cornwallis Park.
Busy Week Ahead
If you’re proud of our rich heritage, and who isn’t around here, then be there as our history comes to life at Port-Royal National Historic Site on Thursday, June 24, with a re-enactment of the baptism of Grand Chief Henri Membertou. More than a dozen local actors will step back to 1610 and portray the characters of Membertou, his family and the early French settlers the Mi'kmaq befriended and protected. The re-enactment will begin around noon following a celebratory mass presided over by Archbishop Martin Currie, with Apostolic Nuncio, Pedro Quintana, Bishop Brian Dunn of the diocese of Antigonish, and other Catholic bishops. Mi'kmaw artisans will demonstrate traditional crafts from four Wigwams and a light lunch, featuring Mi'kmaw recipes, will be served. For more information on the Grand Chief Membertou 400 celebrations visit www.Membertou400.com. For information about Port-Royal National Historic Site of Canada, visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/portroyal.
Taking place later on the 24th will be our Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency (ADEDA) Annual General Meeting at the Digby Pines from 5 – 7 PM.
Since I’m a bit of a brass band buff, (and since the daily dose of World Cup games should be over by that time), I may try and take in the Chester Brass Band concert at St. Luke’s Anglican Church at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 26 as part of Annapolis Royal’s 300th Anniversary Music Series. The concert program promises classical works, marches, spirituals, popular melodies, and original works arranged specifically for brass bands; tickets are $10 and are available in advance from Town Hall or Westside Studio and at the church door at the time of the concert.
Ending this week on a laudatory note, and as someone who strongly believes we have some of the finest health care professionals in Canada in our community, well deserved congratulations are due to Middleton’s Doctor Jane Brooks who was recently installed as President of Doctors Nova Scotia.
And to all my health care providers I assure you I was moderate in all things on Father’s Day…seriously…I promise…no, really…
Till next week;
Peter
Peter MacLellan
Annapolis Digby EDA
86 Atlantic Avenue
PO Box 271
Cornwallis, Nova Scotia
Canada B0S 1H0
Tel: (902) 638-3490
Fax: (902) 638-8106
We’ve written a lot lately about the natural wonders of the Bay of Fundy which defines the coastline of Annapolis Digby, and with whale watchers, rock hounds, beachcombers and sea kayakers among the many visitors who are visiting our shores at this time, the Bay’s commercial potential is also getting plenty of recognition.
A columnist in one local newspaper quoted a local entrepreneur as describing the area as a budding “Fundy Riviera”, and while that may raise some sceptical eyebrows there’s no doubt there’s a lot to of potential for new and non traditional business interests here.
Renewed Enthusiasm on the Wharf
Digby is undeniably Nova Scotia’s preeminent marine portal to the Bay of Fundy. As global awareness of the Bay and its potential increases, the Port of Digby is presented with myriad opportunities to take advantage. That’s why it was wonderful to see the improvements in both infrastructure and operating policies that the Digby Harbour Port Association has made over a short time to the town’s main wharf. And it’s something that will be studied as well as celebrated next week on June 28 during the inaugural Digby Port Day seminar.
Two If By Sea
One of the most recent manifestations of the emerging potential of our port facilities and adjacent regional attractions was the visit last year of the cruise ship Balmoral, the first of what is hoped to be regular cruise stopovers here. The one day call in and local tours delivered 1200 visitors and an estimated $100,000 injection into the local economy. But we should remember that there’s a regular daily opportunity to cruise the Bay on the ferry “Princess of Acadia” travelling between Digby and Saint John. That fact was highlighted in a promotion by Destination South West Nova Scotia and Bay Ferries when they hosted two groups of travel agents and media personnel last week to showcase the local cruise opportunities.
Dusting Off the Welcome Mat
Sensing the optimism as well as the opportunity that could rest just over the horizon, local business groups met in Digby and Annapolis Royal last week to review and discuss a recent consultant’s report that suggested ways we could make our facilities more welcoming and visitors more inclined to stay and shop.
Peeking Outside the Box
Seeklng to support those new opportunities that we in Annapolis Digby sense are coming our way, Team Southwest, a task force of federal, provincial and local government officials, along with regional business leaders, was hosted at our ADEDA facilities recently. The Team has been formed to deal with existing challenges as well as identify new economic development opportunities and build a supporting work plan.
Environmental Innovation
And if we needed to be shown that there were already new ideas aplenty in our area, there was no better illustration than the news last week that Sissaboo Farm Supplies was honoured at the 12th Annual Mobius Environmental Awards as a winner in the best Small Business of the Year category by the province’s Resource Recovery Fund Board. RRFB Nova Scotia singled out the Weymouth firm for the introduction of its innovative “Easy Sorter” system. Ideas for environmental innovation will be entertained further this week as ADEDA, in partnership with the Government of Nova Scotia, hosts a community Renewable Energy Planning seminar this week, on June 25, at 10AM in Cornwallis Park.
Busy Week Ahead
If you’re proud of our rich heritage, and who isn’t around here, then be there as our history comes to life at Port-Royal National Historic Site on Thursday, June 24, with a re-enactment of the baptism of Grand Chief Henri Membertou. More than a dozen local actors will step back to 1610 and portray the characters of Membertou, his family and the early French settlers the Mi'kmaq befriended and protected. The re-enactment will begin around noon following a celebratory mass presided over by Archbishop Martin Currie, with Apostolic Nuncio, Pedro Quintana, Bishop Brian Dunn of the diocese of Antigonish, and other Catholic bishops. Mi'kmaw artisans will demonstrate traditional crafts from four Wigwams and a light lunch, featuring Mi'kmaw recipes, will be served. For more information on the Grand Chief Membertou 400 celebrations visit www.Membertou400.com. For information about Port-Royal National Historic Site of Canada, visit www.parkscanada.gc.ca/portroyal.
Taking place later on the 24th will be our Annapolis Digby Economic Development Agency (ADEDA) Annual General Meeting at the Digby Pines from 5 – 7 PM.
Since I’m a bit of a brass band buff, (and since the daily dose of World Cup games should be over by that time), I may try and take in the Chester Brass Band concert at St. Luke’s Anglican Church at 7 p.m. on Saturday, June 26 as part of Annapolis Royal’s 300th Anniversary Music Series. The concert program promises classical works, marches, spirituals, popular melodies, and original works arranged specifically for brass bands; tickets are $10 and are available in advance from Town Hall or Westside Studio and at the church door at the time of the concert.
Ending this week on a laudatory note, and as someone who strongly believes we have some of the finest health care professionals in Canada in our community, well deserved congratulations are due to Middleton’s Doctor Jane Brooks who was recently installed as President of Doctors Nova Scotia.
And to all my health care providers I assure you I was moderate in all things on Father’s Day…seriously…I promise…no, really…
Till next week;
Peter
Peter MacLellan
Annapolis Digby EDA
86 Atlantic Avenue
PO Box 271
Cornwallis, Nova Scotia
Canada B0S 1H0
Tel: (902) 638-3490
Fax: (902) 638-8106
Labels:
ADEDA news
Digby Neck Events
Saturday June 26 8 am till 10. Fire crew making breakfast! mmm good! $6. adults $3. children. Proceeds to obtaining jaws of life
Saturday July 17 Fire crew fun day! Breakfast 8 - 10 am, silent auction, bingo, bbq, food auction, games, competitions, dance.
Saturday July 17 Fire crew fun day! Breakfast 8 - 10 am, silent auction, bingo, bbq, food auction, games, competitions, dance.
Labels:
Digby Neck Events
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Bio Architecture?
Secretive Bio Architecture Lifts Veil On Bio Enzyme Progress
Converting algae to biofuel remains an intractable problem even when a company has the resources of a Sapphire Energy and Algenol.
Imagine the challenge facing Bio Architecture Lab. The secretive company confronts the same battle with high costs as it tunes its bioengineered microbe to convert seaweed to ethanol on a commercial scale. But money is nowhere near as plentiful.
Start-up Bio Architecture Lab says it is mid way to 90 percent fuel conversion target.
In a rare discussion of its business, the Berkeley company says it is about half way to its 90 percent fuel conversion target. Confidence is high, says Vineet Rajgarhia, senior vice president of research, who joined the firm in May when it appointed former Shell executive Daniel Trunfio as CEO.
Reaching the target “is doable,” Rajgarhia said at the Cleantech Institute conference at the University of California, Berkeley. “It just needs a little more time.”
That “little more time” is about a year.
The company, spun out of the University of Washington, intends to commercialize its seaweed enzyme for both fuels and chemicals. Up to now, it has been reluctant to offer details about its technology or business plan. But perhaps new management is more willing to communicate.
For example, Rajgarhia says the company’s business plan does not include raising the several hundred million dollars necessary to build its own biorefinery and compete against better-funded competitors. “We’ll be partnering up,” he says.
He also says the company has the breathing room it needs to complete its bioengineering. Rajgarhia estimates the company will require another year to prepare its technology for large-scale deployment. It is no easy task, but since the firm’s goal is to open its Chilean pilot project in 2012, it has the time.
The organization is one of an ambitious few trying to cultivate seaweed, or macro-algae, in shallow coastal waters and turn it into low-cost fuels. In contrast to micro-algae, which floats on the surface, most seaweed, or kelp, attaches itself to the ocean floor and presents a complex harvesting challenge. The effort is likely worth the trouble. Macro-algae can be grown for an estimated $40 a ton, or 4 cents a pound of sugar, far less than corn or sugar cane. It also uses no agricultural land, fresh water or fertilizer and helps filter ocean waters
Because of the potential economics, its cultivation has drawn the interest of a disparate group of organizations, including Blue Sun Energy of Colorado, Seambiotic of Israel, the Scottish Association for Marine Science and South Korea’s Korea Institute of Industrial Technology.
Bio Architecture Lab drew notice earlier this year when it received a $9 million research grant from the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E. With the award to develop biobutanol, it received matching funds from partner DuPont and last year raised an $8 million series A round with investors X/Seed Capital of Menlo Park, the venture arm of Norways’ Statoil oil company and Austral Capital of Chile. It also received $7 million in economic development money from Chile.
Rajgarhia said a second key challenge Bio Architecture Lab faces is logistical: getting the macro-algae ashore at a cost low enough to produce affordable fuel. The seaweed is fast growing – about 2 feet a day – so volumes add up. And current harvesting techniques are geared toward high-priced food production, so costs are not in line with low-price fuel.
All these tasks, of course, takes money. For companies such as micro-algae developer Sapphire Energy, which has raised more than $100 million, including money from Bill Gates, and Algenol, which promises to fund an $850 million commercial project in Mexico, writing the big check may be possible.
Bio Architecture Lab doesn’t appear to have the same huge outlay in the cards. For the immediate future, at least, “we have a bit of a runway” with the money raised, says Rajgarhia. Long term, it will be interesting to see which business model prospers.
Converting algae to biofuel remains an intractable problem even when a company has the resources of a Sapphire Energy and Algenol.
Imagine the challenge facing Bio Architecture Lab. The secretive company confronts the same battle with high costs as it tunes its bioengineered microbe to convert seaweed to ethanol on a commercial scale. But money is nowhere near as plentiful.
Start-up Bio Architecture Lab says it is mid way to 90 percent fuel conversion target.
In a rare discussion of its business, the Berkeley company says it is about half way to its 90 percent fuel conversion target. Confidence is high, says Vineet Rajgarhia, senior vice president of research, who joined the firm in May when it appointed former Shell executive Daniel Trunfio as CEO.
Reaching the target “is doable,” Rajgarhia said at the Cleantech Institute conference at the University of California, Berkeley. “It just needs a little more time.”
That “little more time” is about a year.
The company, spun out of the University of Washington, intends to commercialize its seaweed enzyme for both fuels and chemicals. Up to now, it has been reluctant to offer details about its technology or business plan. But perhaps new management is more willing to communicate.
For example, Rajgarhia says the company’s business plan does not include raising the several hundred million dollars necessary to build its own biorefinery and compete against better-funded competitors. “We’ll be partnering up,” he says.
He also says the company has the breathing room it needs to complete its bioengineering. Rajgarhia estimates the company will require another year to prepare its technology for large-scale deployment. It is no easy task, but since the firm’s goal is to open its Chilean pilot project in 2012, it has the time.
The organization is one of an ambitious few trying to cultivate seaweed, or macro-algae, in shallow coastal waters and turn it into low-cost fuels. In contrast to micro-algae, which floats on the surface, most seaweed, or kelp, attaches itself to the ocean floor and presents a complex harvesting challenge. The effort is likely worth the trouble. Macro-algae can be grown for an estimated $40 a ton, or 4 cents a pound of sugar, far less than corn or sugar cane. It also uses no agricultural land, fresh water or fertilizer and helps filter ocean waters
Because of the potential economics, its cultivation has drawn the interest of a disparate group of organizations, including Blue Sun Energy of Colorado, Seambiotic of Israel, the Scottish Association for Marine Science and South Korea’s Korea Institute of Industrial Technology.
Bio Architecture Lab drew notice earlier this year when it received a $9 million research grant from the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E. With the award to develop biobutanol, it received matching funds from partner DuPont and last year raised an $8 million series A round with investors X/Seed Capital of Menlo Park, the venture arm of Norways’ Statoil oil company and Austral Capital of Chile. It also received $7 million in economic development money from Chile.
Rajgarhia said a second key challenge Bio Architecture Lab faces is logistical: getting the macro-algae ashore at a cost low enough to produce affordable fuel. The seaweed is fast growing – about 2 feet a day – so volumes add up. And current harvesting techniques are geared toward high-priced food production, so costs are not in line with low-price fuel.
All these tasks, of course, takes money. For companies such as micro-algae developer Sapphire Energy, which has raised more than $100 million, including money from Bill Gates, and Algenol, which promises to fund an $850 million commercial project in Mexico, writing the big check may be possible.
Bio Architecture Lab doesn’t appear to have the same huge outlay in the cards. For the immediate future, at least, “we have a bit of a runway” with the money raised, says Rajgarhia. Long term, it will be interesting to see which business model prospers.
Labels:
renewable energy algae Chile
Bay of Fundy Tidal Power
Big Blow For Tidal Power
The prospect of nearly unlimited, renewable energy from the tides suffered a blow this month when OpenHydro announced it would pull its experimental underwater turbine from the Bay of Fundy.
The test in this most extreme tidal environment was seen as a critical opportunity for the industry to prove that harnessing the tides had finally become feasible.
OpenHydro says it will pull its experimental tidal turbine out of the Bay of Fundy this fall after two rotors broke.
OpenHydro lowered its 400-tonne, six-story turbine onto the seabed last November, choosing the swift flowing Minas Passage near Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.
Last week, the Irish company said it would yank the turbine out by October after an underwater video discovered two broken blades. The blades are made of a combination of plastic and glass.
The setback underscores how difficult it is to operate in the corrosive, storm-plagued marine environment. The $10 million, 1 MW project had hoped to show a first-of-its-kind tidal plant could be built to supply as much as 25 percent of Nova Scotia electricity.
The Bay of Fundy was selected because it arguably has the highest tides in the world, competing for the honor with the Ungava Bay in Quebec and the Severn estuary in the United Kingdom. Tides can rise 55 feet or more, generating a potential of 1,013 MW of power, 152 MW of which can be harnessed with little environmental impact.
The test was being closely watched and will be viewed by the industry as a big setback. The theory is that the predictability of the tides will ultimately make the energy they generate less expensive than solar and wind – though today it is roughly three times more costly. According to an Electric Power Research Institute study, that price in the Bay of Fundy could be as low as 5.5 cents a kWh, roughly comparable with the wholesale price of electricity.
According to a press release, OpenHydro, which has raised $74 million in funding since 2005, plans to repair the turbine and reinstall it next year. The difficulties “will further our understanding of how the turbine has operated in this unique and challenging environment, bringing us closer to commercially developed tidal arrays in the Bay of Fundy,” said CFO Peter Corcoran.
The company had lowered a video camera to view the turbine in May after an acoustic modem intended to monitor underwater motion malfunctioned.
The setback isn’t the first for tidal power. Verdant Power, for instance, struggled to keep its turbines running in the powerful currents of New York City’s East River, and was forced to pull prototypes only weeks after they were installed when blades broke.
The company is presently operating new smaller devices with fewer moving parts. The new design anchors three turbines on a triangular frame rather than place them directly on the riverbed.
The prospect of nearly unlimited, renewable energy from the tides suffered a blow this month when OpenHydro announced it would pull its experimental underwater turbine from the Bay of Fundy.
The test in this most extreme tidal environment was seen as a critical opportunity for the industry to prove that harnessing the tides had finally become feasible.
OpenHydro says it will pull its experimental tidal turbine out of the Bay of Fundy this fall after two rotors broke.
OpenHydro lowered its 400-tonne, six-story turbine onto the seabed last November, choosing the swift flowing Minas Passage near Parrsboro, Nova Scotia.
Last week, the Irish company said it would yank the turbine out by October after an underwater video discovered two broken blades. The blades are made of a combination of plastic and glass.
The setback underscores how difficult it is to operate in the corrosive, storm-plagued marine environment. The $10 million, 1 MW project had hoped to show a first-of-its-kind tidal plant could be built to supply as much as 25 percent of Nova Scotia electricity.
The Bay of Fundy was selected because it arguably has the highest tides in the world, competing for the honor with the Ungava Bay in Quebec and the Severn estuary in the United Kingdom. Tides can rise 55 feet or more, generating a potential of 1,013 MW of power, 152 MW of which can be harnessed with little environmental impact.
The test was being closely watched and will be viewed by the industry as a big setback. The theory is that the predictability of the tides will ultimately make the energy they generate less expensive than solar and wind – though today it is roughly three times more costly. According to an Electric Power Research Institute study, that price in the Bay of Fundy could be as low as 5.5 cents a kWh, roughly comparable with the wholesale price of electricity.
According to a press release, OpenHydro, which has raised $74 million in funding since 2005, plans to repair the turbine and reinstall it next year. The difficulties “will further our understanding of how the turbine has operated in this unique and challenging environment, bringing us closer to commercially developed tidal arrays in the Bay of Fundy,” said CFO Peter Corcoran.
The company had lowered a video camera to view the turbine in May after an acoustic modem intended to monitor underwater motion malfunctioned.
The setback isn’t the first for tidal power. Verdant Power, for instance, struggled to keep its turbines running in the powerful currents of New York City’s East River, and was forced to pull prototypes only weeks after they were installed when blades broke.
The company is presently operating new smaller devices with fewer moving parts. The new design anchors three turbines on a triangular frame rather than place them directly on the riverbed.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Green News from Down Under
** Solar Credits Special **
Here's a great Suntech system special for people eligible for the Solar Credits program - which is just about everyone! No no-name equipment in this package, it's all top-notch components from trusted brands.
* 8 x 180 watt Suntech solar panels
* Fronius IG15 grid connect inverter
* Australian made SunLock mounting
* Installation by our expert BCSE accredited team
Fully installed for just $3490!
Learn more here or call our Solar Credits hotline on 1300 721 472 for further details!
Solar rebates
With all the recent changes, who knows what tomorrow brings? Get 'em while they last!
Renewable energy news
Some NSW Schools Ineligible For Feed In Tariffs
Energy Matters is calling on the NSW Government to extend feed in tariff eligibility to include all solar power systems installed on New South Wales schools, regardless of size.
Suntech To Ramp Up Solar Panel Production
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. has announced the company would ramp up solar panel production capacity at its Shanghai facility by 1,000 megawatts over the next three years to help meet unprecedented demand for its solar modules.
Solarfun unveils SolarIris BIPV panel
Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd., one of the world's largest manufacturers of solar panels for the commercial and home solar power market, has unveiled its new line of "SolarIris" building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules at the International Solar Europe Conference in Germany.
Good Vibrations From Wind Power
The Vibro-Wind Research Group at Cornell University in the USA is developing what it says will be an efficient, economical method of converting vibrations from wind energy to electricity.
BP Disaster: Will Big Oil Revisit Solar Power?
As the BP oil leak disaster enters into its seventh week and the company sees its stocks plummet, perhaps some Big Oil executives may reconsider their attitude towards renewable energy.
Sub-Standard Solar Power Installations
Energy Matters has weighed in on a news item published last week about sub-standard solar power installations occurring in Australia.
Extreme Solar Power Farms - The Moon?
We've covered space based solar power generation in the past, but here's a concept that takes it a step further (away) - using the moon as a massive solar farm.
EV Turns Up The Heat On Hazelwood
Environment Victoria is seeking to mobilise all 5 million residents of the state to take a stand against Hazelwood Power Station - to see it shut down and replaced with clean and renewable energy source power generation by 2012.
Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility
The Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility (VSASF) has been officially launched in Melbourne. The project will provide a platform for commercialisation of NANOPLAS, a revolutionary nanoplasmonic solar cell technology being developed at Swinburne.
Here's a great Suntech system special for people eligible for the Solar Credits program - which is just about everyone! No no-name equipment in this package, it's all top-notch components from trusted brands.
* 8 x 180 watt Suntech solar panels
* Fronius IG15 grid connect inverter
* Australian made SunLock mounting
* Installation by our expert BCSE accredited team
Fully installed for just $3490!
Learn more here or call our Solar Credits hotline on 1300 721 472 for further details!
Solar rebates
With all the recent changes, who knows what tomorrow brings? Get 'em while they last!
Renewable energy news
Some NSW Schools Ineligible For Feed In Tariffs
Energy Matters is calling on the NSW Government to extend feed in tariff eligibility to include all solar power systems installed on New South Wales schools, regardless of size.
Suntech To Ramp Up Solar Panel Production
Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd. has announced the company would ramp up solar panel production capacity at its Shanghai facility by 1,000 megawatts over the next three years to help meet unprecedented demand for its solar modules.
Solarfun unveils SolarIris BIPV panel
Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd., one of the world's largest manufacturers of solar panels for the commercial and home solar power market, has unveiled its new line of "SolarIris" building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) modules at the International Solar Europe Conference in Germany.
Good Vibrations From Wind Power
The Vibro-Wind Research Group at Cornell University in the USA is developing what it says will be an efficient, economical method of converting vibrations from wind energy to electricity.
BP Disaster: Will Big Oil Revisit Solar Power?
As the BP oil leak disaster enters into its seventh week and the company sees its stocks plummet, perhaps some Big Oil executives may reconsider their attitude towards renewable energy.
Sub-Standard Solar Power Installations
Energy Matters has weighed in on a news item published last week about sub-standard solar power installations occurring in Australia.
Extreme Solar Power Farms - The Moon?
We've covered space based solar power generation in the past, but here's a concept that takes it a step further (away) - using the moon as a massive solar farm.
EV Turns Up The Heat On Hazelwood
Environment Victoria is seeking to mobilise all 5 million residents of the state to take a stand against Hazelwood Power Station - to see it shut down and replaced with clean and renewable energy source power generation by 2012.
Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility
The Victoria-Suntech Advanced Solar Facility (VSASF) has been officially launched in Melbourne. The project will provide a platform for commercialisation of NANOPLAS, a revolutionary nanoplasmonic solar cell technology being developed at Swinburne.
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