GLREA Member Highlight
Patrick McCabe, co-founder and CEO of GreenLancer Energy Inc. recently announced the launch of their new web site and the transition from StellarPV to GreenLancer Energy.Restructuring the organization has allowed this Detroit based start-up to offer technical support services to a wider range of renewable energy companies and consumers. GreenLancer Energy identifies clients who develop renewable energy projects and offers them affordable technical support services as well as training resources using web based ‘crowdsourcing’ techniques. The company’s menu of products is targeted toward clients who need engineering services and financial modeling support in proposing, developing, and designing renewable energy systems. Their ‘talent pool’ or crowdsourcing capabilities include the most recent advances in PV, solar thermal, geothermal, wind energy, advanced lighting, and energy efficiency. http://greenlancer.com/
Michigan News
Experimental Advanced Renewable Program (EARP) Phase 4 applications can be submitted to Consumers Energy starting today Dec. 1. The program allows electric customers to sell the output of customer-owned PV to Consumers Energy for a fixed price over a contract length of 15 years. Applications for this next phase of the EARP must be submitted by January 12 and are available online at www.consumersenergy.com/EARP. A public meeting will be held on Dec. 8 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Richard M. DeVos Center – building 5D, room 136E – on the Grand Rapids campus of Grand Valley State University, 401 W. Fulton . Attendees are asked to RSVP by Dec. 5 by contacting solar@cmsenergy.com.
Great Lakes Solar Technology Park had a ceremonial groundbreaking on Nov. 11 at the 240 acre site in Thomas Township near Saginaw. Hemlock Semiconductor, the world’s biggest manufacturer of polycrystalline silicon, is only a mile away and may attract more companies in the solar supply chain. Solar panel manufacturer Suniva may build a $250 million plant and hire 500 workers. Incentives include a 15-year renaissance renewable energy zone that will exempt most property taxes. http://www.mlive.com/news/saginaw/index.ssf/2011/11/great_lakes_solar_technology_p_1.html
City of Coldwater in coordination with Coldwater Board of Public Utilities is issuing a Request for Proposals to identify, design and install energy saving improvements for the City’s Public Safety Building including mechanical, lighting, building envelope, and building control upgrades. At a minimum, the project will consist of the replacement of the chiller system, associated controls and other energy conservation measures. Sealed proposals must be submitted by 2:00 pm on December 30, 2011. All questions should go to Bob Granger at 517-279-6910. The mandatory pre-bid meeting and walkthrough will be held on December 12, 2011. The complete RFP can be found online at www.coldwater.org.
Energy Conversion Devices has suspended production at its Uni-Solar thin film solar plants based on a supply glut. The production suspension places on temporary furlough about 400 employees at its plants in Michigan, Ontario and Mexico. The company plans to resume production once the existing inventory has been sold and market conditions improve. One of ECD’s steps will be to open up sales in parts of the world other than Europe and the U.S. Also, equipment upgrades are underway at its Greenville plant. ECD expects to improve its products’ conversion efficiency by up to 50% and reduce production costs.
http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/11/10/ecd-lays-off-500-furloughs-400-amid-world-solar-power-glut/
Michigan Biomass Energy Program solicits proposals from universities, public sector, and non-profit institutions for projects that will expand markets for energy and fuel derived from Michigan biomass resources, and/or increase biofuels/bioenergy production and production efficiency. Proposals are due Dec. 14. Michigan Biomass Energy Workshop Assistance Grants are also available and will be awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. The maximum award for each workshop or event is $2,500. http://www.michigan.gov/biomass
Tracking Solar Tree, a new electric vehicle charging canopy, has been installed at GM’s Vehicle Operations Facility in Warren. The Tracking Solar Tree, built by Envision Solar, features a multi-axis tracking design which enables the entire canopy to track the sun, increasing production by about 25%. This structure will produce up to 30,000 kWh’s a year and provide enough solar energy to charge six electric vehicles per day. GM plans to boost its solar production companywide from the current 30 MW to 60 MW by 2015. http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/11/16/solar-power-blooms-in-warren/
2010 Net Metering & Solar Pilot Program Report has been issued by the MPSC. The report shows that the number of net metering customers increased from 254 in 2009 to 628 in 2010. Solar proved the most popular with 300 additional customers in 2010 and wind followed with 74 additional customers. This year’s report was expanded to include information on the solar pilot programs offered by Consumers Energy and Detroit Edison.
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mpsc/MPSC_Net_Metering_Report_2011_367642_7.pdf
L3 Combat Propulsion Systems and Rockford Berge have joined forces to plan a Muskegon manufacturing center designed to support the state’s growing commercial wind industry. The Michigan Wind Energy Consortium would build parts for wind turbines, ship those parts around the globe and service the land-based wind industry. http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2011/11/l3_and_rockford_berge_target_m.html
We Energies, planning for proposed federal pollution regulations, has indicated the Presque Isle Power Plant, the only large coal generating facility in the U.P., could be retired in 2017. The Presque Isle plant was built from 1955 to 1979, originally with nine operating units, five of which remain, producing a combined 431 MW. The total load in the U.P. is 500 to 600 MW and We Energies services 440 MW of that load. http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/568442.html
Accident Fund Holdings has been awarded LEED Gold Certification for its new national headquarters in Lansing. The refurbished Ottawa Street Power Station is at a long abandoned brownfield site. http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2011/11/08/lansing-insurance-office-power-plant-rehab-wins-leed-gold/
Detroit Edison is seeking to purchase 2009 and 2010 vintage renewable energy credits. The purchase will be made from a reverse auction. A participants’ conference for interested parties will be held on December 5 at 11:00 AM and the auction is scheduled for December 7 at 9:00 AM. Details for event 29299 at http://www.PowerAdvocate.com.
Beyond Michigan
Great Lakes Wind Collaborative (GLWC) research shows relatively few bird and bat deaths from wind turbines. The GLWC report reviewed data from a number of wind turbine sites in the Great Lakes region and found mortality rates for songbirds ranging from 2.5 deaths per year per turbine at an Ontario site to 11.8 at a Wisconsin site. Additional research on raptors and waterfowl found them to be less prone to turbine collisions than songbirds, while bat mortality was very similar to songbirds, ranging from two to 11 bat deaths a year per turbine. The full report is available at http://www.glc.org/energy/wind/sosworkshop/pdf/Scientific-Assessment-Report-final.pdf.
Small Wind Certification Council has issued its first full certification and consumer label to the Bergey Windpower Excel 10. The consumer label shows Rated Annual Energy, Rated Sound Level and Rated Power. SWCC has also published an official certificate and a Summary Report for the turbine model, which contains the tabulated power curve and acoustic data. http://www.smallwindcertification.org/certified-turbines/bergey-excel
Australian Senate by a slim margin of 74 to 72 has approved a package of laws that establishes a national carbon tax, authorizes an emissions trading system, and provides incentives to help Australian businesses and citizens cope with expected rises in energy prices. One of the new laws establishes a carbon tax of $23 Australian (about $23.3 U.S.) per ton of emissions on 500 heavy-emitting companies, beginning in July 2013.
Wood Heating by US households rose 34% nationwide from 1.8 million in 2000 to 2.4 million in 2010 – faster than any other heating fuel, according to Census data.
Bonneville Power Administration has started a novel pilot project to help them manage their grid if an oversupply of wind and hydropower occurs. In June 2010, a violent storm caused a simultaneous surge in wind power and hydropower, creating an oversupply that threatened to overwhelm the grid. They have recruited some 200 homes to draw in excess electricity when that happens, storing it in a water heater or a space heater. A 100-gallon water heater can store about 26 kWh’s and the ceramic bricks in the space heater can store 40 kWh’s. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/business/energy-environment/as-wind-energy-use-grows-utilities-seek-to-stabilize-power-grid.html?_r=1
Events
GLREA’s 2011 Annual Meeting will take place on Saturday, December 3rd, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm at the Arbor Brewing Company, 114 E. Washington St., Ann Arbor. You can join GLREA at the meeting. www.glrea.org
Consumers Energy’s Experimental Advanced Renewable Program (EARP) Information Meeting will be held on Dec. 8, 5:30 pm at GVSU Grand Rapids Campus, Richard DeVos Center. Space is limited, so attendees are asked to RSVP to solar@cmsenergy.com by Dec. 5.https://www.consumersenergy.com/content.aspx?id=5038
Oakland University SBA-SECS is offering an Energy Management Certificate Program. It is a six week program designed for busy professionals that will start January 21, 2012 and be held on Fridays & Saturdays, 9 am- 5 pm. Registration is underway. Visit: www.oakland.edu\energymgmt or contact Maureen Callaghan at 248-412-3235 or mpcallag@oakland.edu
AWEA Midwest Wind Energy Summit will be held in Chicago on March 6 – 7, 2012. Providing a comprehensive view of the wind energy markets in the Midwest, the conference will be AWEA’s first regional event focusing on critical wind power issues. http://www.awea.org/events/AWEA-Midwest-Wind-Energy-Markets-Seminar-2012.cfm
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Source/Prepared by: John Sarver for Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association (GLREA)
