Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 11 May 2013

Arctic faces further threat from ocean acidification

7 May 2013 - The Arctic ecosystem, already under pressure from record ice melts, faces another potential threat in the form of rapid acidification of the ocean, according to an international study published on Monday.

Acidification, blamed on the transformation of rising levels of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from the air into carbonic acid in the sea, makes it harder for shellfish and crabs to grow their shells, and might also impair fish reproduction, it said.

Cold water absorbs carbon dioxide more readily than warm water, making the Arctic especially vulnerable. Acidification is an additional stress on an ecosystem already under pressure from rapid sea ice loss, study warns. read more>>>

New marine terminal to support US offshore wind industry

08 May 2013 - The New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal will become the first port in the US to support the country’s growing offshore wind industry

A new port in Massachusetts is being constructed specially to assist in the deployment of US offshore wind infrastructure alongside more conventional bulk traffic such as high-volume bulk and container shipping and large speciality marine cargo. The new terminal will be the first of its kind in North America and will be engineered to sustain mobile crane and storage loads that rival the highest capacity ports in the world. read more>>>

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WindMade consults on new product standard

08 May 2013 - The first global consumer label for companies using wind energy has launched a proposed WindMade Standard for products and services

The new standard sets out the technical requirements for the label to be used on individual products. The draft proposal will now be subject to one month public consultation.

The new label has been eagerly awaited by market participants and the new standard will require participating companies to source at least 75 percent of the electricity used for manufacturing a product or producing a service from wind power and other renewable energy technologies. read more>>>

Cambridge Regional College partnership will boost 'green' construction training

8/05/2013 - They will work with professionals across the sector to deliver training in biomass boilers, solar thermal, solar PV, heat pumps and rainwater harvesting through the Ridgeons Green Light Centre and the colleges’ sustainable construction centres.

The opportunities offered by the government’s Green Deal initiative – designed to help businesses and home owners use more green technologies in their properties - will be fully supported by the partnership’s training programme.

Both colleges have a long tradition of delivering outstanding construction training and each has invested significantly in new facilities within the renewables sector. read more>>>

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Sandy Eco-Restoration Gets $1 Billion+ in Federal Grants

May 8, 2013 - The Department of the Interior is releasing $475.25 million in emergency Hurricane Sandy disaster relief appropriations to 234 projects that will repair and rebuild parks, refuges and other Interior assets damaged by the storm.

Sandy struck the U.S. Atlantic coast on October 29, 2012, and affected 24 states, including the entire eastern seaboard from Florida to Maine and west across the Appalachian Mountains to Michigan and Wisconsin, with severe damage in New Jersey and New York. In New York City the storm surge flooded streets, tunnels and subway lines and cut power in and around the city. More than 375,000 residents were forced to evacuate. read more>>>

Megacities to Create Common Climate Risk Assessment Standard

May 7, 2013 - A network of large cities committed to addressing climate change is developing a new framework that will help all cities better prepare for natural disasters and severe weather incidents.

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group Monday announced the new framework as a new Clinton Global Initiative Commitment to Action. read more>>>

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City of Sacramento and SolarCity Announce Completion of Solar Projects at Two City Water Treatment Plants

May 8, 2013 - SolarCity® Corporation (SCTY), a leading provider of clean energy, and the City of Sacramento today announced the completion of two solar installations to power the city’s E.A. Fairbairn Water Treatment Plant on the American River and the Sacramento River Water Treatment Plant on the Sacramento River. SolarCity financed, installed and will maintain the solar systems at no cost to the City, with the City paying less for the renewable power generated by the solar systems than the current utility rates. With these new solar systems, the City of Sacramento will deliver the critical commodity of clean drinking water to thousands of residents using clean, solar energy. read more>>>

SolarCity, Forest City Team to Install Solar on up to 6,500 Homes in Project at Navy, Marine Corps Bases in Hawai’i

May 8, 2013—Construction has started on the first phase of a massive solar project by Forest City Military Communities and SolarCity® (Nasdaq: SCTY) to provide solar electricity to 6,500 military family residences at Ohana Military Communities (OMC), which serves Navy Region Hawaii and Marine Corps Base Hawaii. The latest SolarStrong™ project is scoped for a planned 24 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity, which would make it the largest SolarCity has undertaken to date. SolarCity and Forest City have finished installing the first 700 kilowatts of solar capacity at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and will soon initiate the first installations on Navy Region Hawaii. Representatives from Forest City and SolarCity will join in a traditional Hawaiian blessing today to celebrate the initiation of the project. SolarStrong, SolarCity’s five-year plan to build more than $1 billion in solar energy projects for U.S. military housing communities, is expected to create up to 300 MW of solar generation capacity that could provide energy to as many as 120,000 military housing units. read more>>>