Renewable Energy Today articles from June 2003

Renewable Energy Today archives from June 2003

AFRL Awards $11.5-Million Contract to Uni-Solar.
June 2, 2003... United Solar Systems Corporation (Uni-Solar) recently announced that the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded the company an $11.5-million, 18-month contract to develop new solar cell technology "to be used in space and airship...

BP Solar Installs Solar Panels at CA Fairgrounds.
June 2, 2003... BP Solar recently announced it has completed the installation of a one-megawatt solar project at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in Del Mar, CA, placing more than 9,000 solar panels on the roofs of 11 horse stables located within the fairgrounds. ...

Shell Solar, PowerLight Install One-MW Solar Array in NY.
June 2, 2003... Shell Solar, a part of the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies' Shell Renewables business, recently joined with Berkeley, CA-based solar electric system designer, manufacturer and installer PowerLight Corporation to dedicate a new one-megawatt...

Southern Company Using Switchgrass, Coal Mix at GA Plant.
June 3, 2003... Atlanta, GA-based Southern Company recently announced it has begun using a mix of pelletized switchgrass and coal at its Plant Mitchell electricity generation station outside of Albany, GA, which is owned and operated by Southern Company...

SunWize Receives UL Approval for SW Solar Modules.
June 3, 2003... Kingston, NY-based solar technology company SunWize Technologies recently announced it has received Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) listing for the company's SW line of single crystalline solar modules, which range from 85 to 120 watts and...

IA Utilities to Construct New CAES Power Plant.
June 3, 2003... The Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) recently announced that its members are working together on a project, known as the Iowa Stored Energy Plant, that involves the development of a new generation facility based on compressed air...

PPL Signs Wind Power Purchase Agreement With CEI.
June 4, 2003... PPL Corporation subsidiary PPL EnergyPlus recently announced it has signed an agreement with Community Energy, Inc. (CEI) to purchase energy from the 20-megawatt Bear Creek Wind Power Project in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area of Pennsylvania...

Spire Solar Chicago Offers New PV Incentive Program.
June 4, 2003... Spire Corporation recently announced that Spire Solar Chicago, in partnership with Commonwealth Edison (ComEd), has launched a new solar power rebate program "to promote the installation of locally manufactured solar electric systems within the...

PADEP Marks Opening of Wind Energy Engineering Facility.
June 4, 2003... The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) recently announced that AdvanTek International LLC has relocated its wind energy engineering facility from Delaware to Pennsylvania. PADEP said the facility will feature an...

Researchers Measure Wind Speeds at U.S. Turbines.
June 5, 2003... Stanford University recently reported that a team of university researchers has conducted a study of wind speeds at new U.S. turbines measuring nearly 100 feet taller than older 164-foot units, gathering data from 1,327 surface wind stations...

Vestas Receives U.S. Wind Turbine Supply Order.
June 5, 2003... Vestas Wind Systems A/S recently announced it has received a new order, via its U.S. subsidiary Vestas-American Wind Technology, Inc., to supply its V-80 1.8-megawatt turbines for a new U.S. project. According to Vestas, the order, which...

Meridian Energy to Invest in Australian Wind Projects.
June 5, 2003... Officials with New Zealand-based utility Meridian Energy recently announced plans to invest up to $600 million Australian (about $400 million U.S.) in wind energy projects in Australia after receiving approval from the Australian government for...

First Solar Expands Manufacturing Plant in OH.
June 6, 2003... Leading solar module developer and manufacturer First Solar recently announced it has broken ground on a $20-million expansion of the company's manufacturing facility in Perrysburg, OH. According to First Solar, the expansion will increase...

UQM Electronics Receives Order From Southwest Windpower.
June 6, 2003... UQM Technologies, Inc. recently announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary UQM Electronics, Inc. has received an order from Southwest Windpower, Inc. for "the production of electronic controls to manage the operation of its wind turbines." ...

MTC Releases Stakeholder Report on Cape Wind Project.
June 6, 2003... The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), a "quasi-public economic development agency," recently released the results of the "Cape and Islands Offshore Wind Stakeholder Process Final Report," a "six-month examination of issues...

CEA Announces Plans for Wind Farm Outside Anchorage.
June 9, 2003... Anchorage, AK-based Chugach Electric Association (CEA) recently announced it is conducting an evaluation to "measure the economics" of a 4.5-megawatt wind farm located at Bird Point on the edge of Chugach State Park (CSP) south of Anchorage....

Gamesa to Purchase Renewables Unit of Endesa.
June 9, 2003... Minano, Spain-based wind power company Gamesa recently announced it has signed an agreement to purchase Madrid, Spain-based Made, a unit of leading electricity company Endesa that is currently focused on "designing and manufacturing...

Platts Report Predicts Increase in U.S. Wind Capacity.
June 9, 2003... Platts Research and Consulting recently announced plans to release a new research report next month which predicts that U.S. wind capacity, "driven primarily by the federal production tax credit (PTC) and state-level renewable portfolio...

MA Launches $30-Million Green Power Partnership.
June 10, 2003... Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), a "quasi-public economic development agency [that] administers the state's Renewable Energy Trust," recently announced the unveiling of the new $30-million Massachusetts Green Power Partnership, a...

Chevron ES Installs PV Facility to Power CA Oil Field.
June 10, 2003... ChevronTexaco recently announced that its energy services subsidiary Chevron Energy Solutions (Chevron ES) has completed installation of a new 500-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) facility in California's San Joaquin Valley "to help power oil...

FAS Releases New Report on Biomass, Waste-to-Energy.
June 10, 2003... Frost and Sullivan (FAS) recently released a new report on the biopower industry titled "North American Biomass and Waste-to-Energy Markets," which found that the commercialization of many "promising biopower technologies," including pyrolysis,...

BP Solar PV Module Receives UL, IEC Certification.
June 11, 2003... Northbrook, IL-based Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL) recently announced that BP Solar's SX150L-K/FSA-1 photovoltaic (PV) module has been awarded the International Electrotechnical Commission's (IEC) 61215-1993 "Design Qualification and...

Group Criticizes Plans for Wind Farm Off Cape Trafalgar.
June 11, 2003... The Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS), a United Kingdom (U.K.)-based nongovernmental organization dedicated to preserving the country's "archaeological heritage in the marine environment," recently expressed concern that a proposed...

IFC, CEPALCO to Finance Philippine Solar Project.
June 11, 2003... The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, recently announced it has joined with Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company, Inc. (CEPALCO) to finance a $5.4-million, 950-kilowatt solar...

Nanosys to Commercialize New Solar Cell Technology.
June 12, 2003... Palo Alto, CA-based advanced technology company Nanosys, Inc. recently announced it has signed exclusive licensing agreements for "worldwide rights to a broad set of intellectual properties covering materials and technologies of nanocomposite...

Officials Urge Cape Wind to Examine Alternate Sites.
June 12, 2003... Officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers New England District (NED) recently announced it will require Cape Wind Associates to consider alternate sites for its proposed 130-turbine wind farm on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound. ...

Report Considers Cost Savings of Gobi Desert Solar Installation.
June 12, 2003... Japanese officials recently reported that a new report compiled by a research group affiliated with Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) suggests that the installation of solar panels in the Chinese area...

RI Considers Transferring Renewables Fund to Treasury.
June 13, 2003... The Rhode Island House of Representatives' finance committee recently recommended that the $2.6 million collected by Narragansett Electric (NE) for renewable energy programs be transferred to the state's general treasury. State officials said...

OG&E to Purchase Output From New FPL Wind Farm.
June 13, 2003... Oklahoma Gas and Electric (OG&E) Electric Services recently announced it has reached an agreement with FPL Energy to buy the electrical output from a wind farm planned for construction later this year in northwestern Oklahoma. OG&E said it...

CEI Announces Acquisition of Solstice Energy.
June 13, 2003... Wayne, PA-based wind energy developer and marketer Community Energy, Inc. (CEI) recently announced it has acquired Madison, CT-based renewable energy marketer Solstice Energy, LLC in a move to expand its "prior work in New England...in meeting...

CEC Reaches Agreement with Enron-Owned Wind Farms.
June 16, 2003... California governor Gray Davis recently announced that a federal bankruptcy court in New York has approved a settlement deal between the California Energy Commission (CEC) and 10 wind energy plants owned by affiliates of Enron under which the...

DTI Announces Funding for New Solar Power Projects.
June 16, 2003... The United Kingdom (U.K.) Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently announced the approval of 21 new solar power projects for funding under DTI's 20-million-pound (about $33.4-million) Photovoltaic Major Demonstration Program. According...

Scottish Power Nearing Approval on Wind Farms.
June 16, 2003... Officials with United Kingdom (U.K.)-based Scottish Power recently announced that the utility is in the "final stages of the planning process" for two onshore wind farm projects near the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, despite objections from...

Kyocera Supplies Solar System to West Marine Products.
June 17, 2003... Kyocera Solar, Inc. recently announced it has provided a new 57.6-kilowatt photovoltaic solar array to West Marine Products, Inc.'s 5,000-square-foot retail location in Santa Cruz, CA. According to Kyocera, the array, which was designed and...

Dairyland Power to Produce Landfill Gas-to-Energy.
June 17, 2003... The Dairyland Power Cooperative in La Crosse, WI recently announced it has contracted with ONYX Waste Services, Inc. to purchase methane gas collected at the Seven Mile Creek Landfill in Eau Claire, WI "to generate renewable energy for the...

SWH Conference to Focus on Hydrogen, Renewables.
June 17, 2003... Officials from CMP Cientifica, SEK University, the Autonomous University of Madrid and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology will host a five-day conference on "the science, the economics and the politics powering the shift from fossil...

BlueWater Wind Submits Bid to Build Offshore Wind Farm.
June 18, 2003... New York, NY-based wind farm developer Bluewater Wind, LLC recently announced it has submitted a bid to the Long Island Power Authority to build, operate and maintain a 140-megawatt, 39-turbine wind farm six-and-one-half miles off the southern...

EnviroMission Signs MOU to Provide Electricity to AGLE.
June 18, 2003... Australia's EnviroMission, Ltd. recently announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Australian Gas Light Electricity (AGLE) under which it could provide 100 percent of the electricity generated by its proposed "Solar...

BCC Reports on Biogas, Geothermal World Markets.
June 18, 2003... Business Communications Company, Inc. (BCC) recently announced it will soon release a new report, titled "RE-124B Renewable Power Bulk Sources: World Markets for Biogas and Geothermal Power Plants," which indicates that geothermal and biogas...

Syria Unveils $1.5-Billion Plan to Boost Use of Renewables.
June 19, 2003... Government officials in Syria recently unveiled a new plan developed by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs and the Syrian Ministry of Electricity (SMOE) calling for a $1.48-billion investment in renewable energy...

PLN Bids on Unocal's Sarulla Geothermal Project.
June 19, 2003... State-owned Indonesian power company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) recently announced it has extended an offer to U.S. energy company Unocal to purchase the Sarulla geothermal power project located in North Sumatra, Indonesia for $60...

GE Wind, Airtricity to Develop Wind Farm in Irish Sea.
June 19, 2003... GE Wind Energy, a unit of GE Power Systems, recently announced plans to join with Irish renewable energy company Airtricity to develop a new 25-megawatt wind farm in the Irish Sea "to provide power for the Irish electricity grid." ...

LADWP Boosts Budget of PV Buy-Down Incentive Program.
June 20, 2003... The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) recently announced that its board of commissioners has approved a proposal to increase the budget of LADWP's 10-year, $150-million solar photovoltaic (PV) buy-down incentive program "in this...

Beacon Power Launches New Renewable Energy Inverters.
June 20, 2003... Wilmington, MA-based sustainable energy storage and power conversion solution designer and developer Beacon Power Corporation recently announced the introduction of new Smart Power M5 renewable energy inverters, which the company said are...

Spire Renews PV Licensing Agreement With Marubeni.
June 20, 2003... Bedford, MA-based Spire Corporation recently announced it has renewed its "technology licensing agreement" with Japanese trading firm Marubeni Corporation, under which Marubeni is allowed to manufacture and distribute photovoltaic (PV)...

Engineer Proposes Hybrid Wind, Hydro Project in California.
June 23, 2003... Roy Cornwell, an 80-year-old engineer who owns 4,700 acres in California's Altamont Pass, recently met with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory energy and environment scientist Ray Smith to discuss potential plans for a 1,800-megawatt (MW)...

AWEA Suggests Wind Energy Can Relieve NG Shortage.
June 23, 2003... The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) recently reported that "in many areas of the country where wind farms are generating electricity, they are directly helping to conserve vital natural gas [(NG)] supplies," which AWEA said energy...

New Study Examines 'Changing Face of Renewable Energy'.
June 23, 2003... Navigant Consulting, Inc. recently announced the release of a new study, titled "The Changing Face of Renewable Energy," which indicates that "dramatic improvements in performance, as well as government incentives, have resulted in reduced...

First Solar Announces New Management Team.
June 24, 2003... Phoenix, AZ-based solar module developer and manufacturer First Solar recently announced the appointment of former Chase Industries chief financial officer Michael Segraves as the company's new director of finance and administration. In his new...

Union Fenosa Sells Renewable Energy Unit to Enel.
June 24, 2003... Spanish utility Union Fenosa recently announced it has signed a 336.5-million euro (about $389-million) deal with Italy's Enel, under which Enel will purchase 80 percent of Union Fenosa's renewable energy unit and half of a combined-cycle power...

Entec to Conduct EIA of NOWL Offshore Wind Farm.
June 24, 2003... United Kingdom (U.K.)-based environmental and engineering consulting firm Entec recently announced it has been awarded a contract to perform the environmental impact assessment (EIA) of Northern Offshore Wind, Ltd.'s (NOWL) proposed...

DOE, DOI, USDA Announce New Biomass Initiative.
June 25, 2003... The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently joined with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Interior (DOI) to announce an initiative to "encourage the use of woody biomass byproducts as sources of renewable energy." USDA...

Pacific Hydro to Co-develop Wave Energy Generator.
June 25, 2003... Australian renewable energy generator Pacific Hydro, Ltd. recently announced it has formed a joint venture (JV) for "the research and development of a dual-purpose wave energy generator that is about to enter [the] prototype testing stage." ...

Ontario, Manitoba Sign MOU to Study Hydro Project.
June 25, 2003... The office of Ontario premier Ernie Eves recently announced that Eves has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Manitoba premier Gary Doer to support a feasibility study examining the 1,250-megawatt Conawapa hydroelectric plant...

First Solar Establishes New German Subsidiary.
June 26, 2003... Phoenix, AZ-based solar module manufacturer First Solar recently announced the formation of a new wholly owned subsidiary company based in Erfut, Germany, along with the appointment of Dr. Rainer Gegenwart as managing director of the new...

Vestas Officials Announce Plans for Facility in Spain.
June 26, 2003... Officials with Denmark-based wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems A/S recently acknowledged that the company considered purchasing the renewable energy unit of Spanish utility Endesa, which was acquired by Spain-based aeronautics and...

San Diego Officials Commission Ridgehaven 'Green' Building.
June 26, 2003... The City of San Diego, CA's Environmental Services Department (ESD) recently announced that San Diego mayor Dick Murphy helped officially commission the city's Ridgehaven "Green" Building last week, a municipal structure that operates using...

Nextek Appoints William McDonough to Advisory Board.
June 27, 2003... Hauppauge, NY-based solar-assisted lighting systems manufacturer Nextek Power Systems, Inc. recently announced it has appointed architect and designer William McDonough, who has been named "A Hero of the Planet" by Time magazine, as chairman of...

NYPA Selects Proposals for Wind Power Purchases.
June 27, 2003... The New York Power Authority (NYPA) recently announced it has selected proposals from two wind power developers "for purchase of up to 50 megawatts (MW) of electricity from projects to be built in Western New York and the Finger Lakes region,...

NZ Utility Files Application for Wind Farm Project.
June 27, 2003... New Zealand-based utility Meridian Energy recently announced it has filed a "resource consent application" with the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council government for its proposed 55-turbine Te Apiti wind farm in Manawatu, New Zealand. The...

Mass Megawatts to Begin Testing on Low-Cost Wind Units.
June 30, 2003... Worcester, MA-based Mass Megawatts Wind Power, Inc. (MMWP) recently announced plans to begin extensive testing of its MAT windpower units. According to MMWP, testing of the turbines, which the company expects will produce energy at 40...

Dow Corning to Expand Presence in Solar Sector.
June 30, 2003... Dow Corning Corporation recently announced it is seeking to expand its presence in the photovoltaics (PV) sector with a new line of silicon-based products. Company officials said Dow hopes to use its position as a provider of raw materials...

HersheyPark Installs New Wind Turbine, Solar System.
June 30, 2003... Community Energy, Inc. (CEI) recently announced it has joined with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Sustainable Energy Fund of Central Eastern Pennsylvania (SEFCEP) to sponsor a "new entertainment and...