Alternative Clean Energy Roundup: 23 June 2014

Illinois Green Economy Network’s Electric Vehicle Road Trip Stopping to Charge at Prairie State College on June 25

12 Jun 2014 - The Illinois Green Economy Network’s (IGEN) Electric Vehicle Road Trip travelers will make a stop at the Prairie State College (PSC) charging stations at 9:45 a.m., Wednesday, June 25, as part of a 450-mile relay to increase awareness of electric vehicle (EV) technology. The two PSC charging stations are located at the rear of the Tech Wing located on the college’s main campus at 202 S. Halsted St. in Chicago Heights.

Several community and business leaders will make remarks during the stop, which, according to IGEN, is part of a statewide effort to demonstrate the progress of the Illinois Community Colleges strengthening EV infrastructure, to promote further deployment of EV infrastructure, and to raise awareness about EV technology and the environmental issues that necessitate a move to a more sustainable transportation infrastructure. read more>>>

Escaping wind turbines using the Evacuator

13.06.2014 - The Dutch company Evacuator WorldWide BV has invented a device that will also be of interest to the wind energy industry. Four people at a time can abseil distances of up to 300 m via a fireproof steel winch. The Evacuator will be officially presented to the public at the Fire Safety Conference in London at the end of June.

The newly-developed Evacuator offers wind energy service personnel a last resort if it is not possible to descend through the tower or if a quick escape is necessary. read more>>>

DIY Solar Projects: How to Put the Sun to Work in Your Home

SRI begins research on EPRI solar PV project

June 12, 2014 - The Southern Research Institute has completed a facility to study solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. Called the Southeastern Solar Research Center (SSRC), it will house numerous research efforts beginning with an Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) project focused on solar PV system orientation, tracking and aging.

A number of utilities, including Southern Company and its subsidiary Alabama Power, are interested in evaluating the performance and operating characteristics of different configurations for solar PV systems. read more>>>

2013 slump won't stop global wind from proliferating

June 12, 2014 - In 2013, the global wind power industry experienced a slump in installations. But despite that, the global cumulative wind power capacity will more than double from 319.6 GW at the end of 2013 to 678.5 GW by 2020, according research and consulting firm GlobalData.

According to the firm, China -- the largest single wind power market responsible for 45 percent of total global annual capacity additions in 2013 -- is expected to have a cumulative wind capacity of 239.7 GW by 2020. China overtook the United States as the leading market for installations in 2010, when it added 18.9 GW of wind capacity, GlobalData notes. read more>>>

Honeywell joins forces with Fort Bragg on networked microgrid

June 11, 2014 - Many military bases and a growing number of businesses rely on microgrids and generators for power resiliency. A new $3.4 million project at Fort Bragg in North Carolina will be one of the first to tie multiple backup power sources together into a network using advanced controls and sophisticated management software.

While it's not unusual for microgrids to include multiple generation assets, what will make this installation unique is its capability to orchestrate this power deliberately.

The technology will enable Fort Bragg – one of the world's largest military installations and home to more than 40,000 soldiers and their families – to direct the backup electricity produced on site by several different systems to the buildings that need it, rather than requiring the power be used only in specific places. read more>>>

Key Energy 2014 - Energy Efficiency for Companies - Key Energy White Evolution Debuts

Jun. 10, 2014 - The new section of the international expo for sustainable energy and mobility will be held at Rimini Fiera from November 5th to 8th 2014 with Key Wind, Ecomondo, Cooperambiente, H2R and Sustainable City

Rimini, 6th May 2014 – Make way for energy efficiency. Technology and systems that enable bills to be cut and waste to be reduced represent a rapidly growing market. Rimini Fiera therefore decided to promote and ensure a high profile to this chain and the companies involved, organizing, for the first time in Italy, an expo section entirely dedicated to energy efficiency for industries and service companies: KEY ENERGY WHITE EVOLUTION. read more>>>

Solar Electricity Handbook - 2014 Edition: A Simple Practical Guide to Solar Energy - Designing and Installing Photovoltaic Solar Electric Systems

Cover plate for solar pipes and cables

12.06.2014 - At this year's Intersolar Europe, the British company DEKS Industries presented new cover plates that allow PV system cables and solar thermal pipes to pass through an opening in a roof, while ensuring that the opening is permanently watertight.

The cables and pipes run through a dome made of EPDM rubber or grey silicone. DEKS has over 50 years of experience with this technique, but it has mainly been used to seal openings for chimney pipes in the past. read more>>>

Africa's largest solar PV microgird project announced

11.06.2014 - MAECI Solar (Radnor, Pennsylvania, U.S.), GE Power & Water (Trevose, Pennsylvania, U.S.) and Princeton Power Systems (Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.) plan to install a microgrid powered by 5 MW of solar photovoltaics (PV) in Equatorial Guinea, in collaboration with the nation's government.

The system will supply the electricity needs of the 5,000 residents of Annobón Province, an island off the coast of Central West Africa. GE describes the Annobon Electrification Project as the largest self-sufficient solar project in the African continent. read more>>>

Wind Power For Dummies

Western Cape could be SA’s green economic hub

11 June 2014 - THE Western Cape could become the green economic hub of South Africa, after attracting about R20bn in actual and planned investment in the renewable energy sector in the past five years.

It has attracted more than R30bn in overall foreign direct investment in the past three years.

The province’s Green Economy Strategic Framework, launched last year, seeks to position it as the lowest carbon region in South Africa, to drive job creation in the sector, and to build a green economy. It is envisaged that this will offset the costs and consequences of climate change. read more>>>

China Focus: Beijing, neighbors to upgrade green efforts

June 11 2014 -- Beijing is working with its surrounding areas to forge stronger cooperation to clean up the air in the region, which is notorious for choking smog.

China's capital city and neighboring Tianjin and Hebei, along with Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and Shandong, plan to establish an expert committee to analyze root causes of air pollution and launch research in air-cleaning technologies. The announcement was made by Li Lixin, an official with the Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau, on the sidelines of an international exhibition promoting the green economy. read more>>>