skip to main |
skip to sidebar
"This is Part 4 of my series on "Our Next Frontier: the Ocean."
I've had a variety of experiences with the ocean around me. As a child I fished for sayori in Kewalo Basin, caught a giant Samoan Crab from the Ala Moana Boulevard bridge over the Ala Wai Canal (no, that's not me, but my crab was almost as big), and body surfed at Point Panic. Only when I went away from Honolulu did I begin to realize that the ocean was the solution for the Hawaiian economy, and much later, that, too, for the World.
At the University of Hawaii I tried everything I could to stimulate interest in ocean development. However, as essentially the campus ecologist in the 70's, someone who interacted with Tony Hodges and Sophie Ann Aoki of Life of the Land, and taught a course I created called "Technology and Society," which regularly drew 100 students each semester from across the campus, I always balanced concern for the environment in my endeavors.
Three years in the U.S. Senate beginning in 1979 working for Senator Spark Matsunaga further allowed me to focus on marine affairs, as I was the staff lead for the Hard Minerals Act (seabed minerals) and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). I also helped Tom Gray (left, House staffer--who was less hirsute and 30 years younger then) get the Wind Energy Act through Congress. Offshore windpower could be a particularly attractive future for Hawaii, as our best regimes are located between our islands, and these winds are not turbulent. But, in addition to electricity, freshwater and hydrogen, it is the cornucopia of potential bioproducts from upwelled OTEC plantships that show especial promise.
Upon my return to the Manoa Campus, I mostly wore two hats, director of the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute and vice president of development for the Pacific International Center for High Technology Research. The OTEC team I hired for PICHTR [Luis Vega (left), Steve Masutani (above), and Gerard Nihous (right)] succeeded in building a 103 kW (net) open cycle system at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority. Andy Trenka led the team, but, sorry, Andy, I could not find a photo of you. At the University of Hawaii, HNEI became the national lead for marine minerals technology (Department of Interior, led by Harry Olson, Mike Cruickshank and Charles Morgan), marine bioproducts engineering (National Science Foundation, Oskar Zaborsky, Charles Kinoshita, Michael Cooney and Jian Yu) and hydrogen (Department of Energy, Rick Rocheleau, et al).
The next step, then was to integrate these elements into a cohesive package, and that was the Blue Revolution. There were two important political steps. With the staff of Senator Dan Inouye, we built the foundation for funding, while State Senator Richard Matsuura and I in 1991 were the first to present a paper on the subject. Senator Matsuura unfortunately passed on prematurely, and today gained a distinguished Western legislator award posthumously. Who knows where the Blue Revolution would be today if he were still active, for he had worked for Norman Bourlag on the Green Revolution and had a PhD in ag technology.
To quote from the original Blue Revolution Hawaii blogsite:
Planning for the Blue Revolution
To recap, then, in 1979, the legislation I helped draft on ocean thermal energy conversion convinced me that this was a very special technology. Not necessarily for electricity, as the small temperature differential between the surface and deep waters meant that the realistic efficiency could only be around 3%, one-tenth that of conventional power plants. However, between the 20 degree North and South Latitude bands around the equator is this enormous hot/cold water resource. The Sun heats the surface and the thermohaline circulation brings cold fluids from the Arctic and Antarctic. Just pull up this fluid from 1000 meter depths and you can pass it through what would amount to a perpetual motion machine, the effluent which can also provide free fertilizer to stimulate new growth. Marine biomass plantations and next generation fisheries should thrive. Green chemicals / materials and biofuels can be manufactured from the biomass and hydrogen can also be produced. The plant ships could well become industrial parks, then, floating cities. Perhaps you might also cool the surface to prevent the formation of hurricanes. Plus, who knows, if you can be clever about the chemical balance, possibly also suck up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to reduce climate warming. This is the BLUE REVOLUTION.
All the above, and much more, set the stage. Six other events were particularly significant. First, in 1988......
Second, the Berlin Wall.....
Third, the paper trail of the Blue Revolution originally began in April of 1991 with a presentation Hawaii State Senator Richard Matsuura and I made to the First International Workshop on Very Large Floating Structures......
Fourth, Phyliss Min, Mark Foreman and Margaret Cummisky, staff members of U.S. Senator Daniel Inouye.....
Fifth, and frivolously, two longtime-colleagues and co-authors of many things ocean, Joseph Vadus, Chief Ocean Technologist of NOAA, Takeo Kondo, now chairman of the Ocean Engineering and Architecture Department at Nihon University (Japan), and I were taken out to a fugu restaurant in Kita-Kyushu by an industrial representative....
More seriously, sixth, in 1992, I was the principal investigator for a study commissioned by the National Science Foundation and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), called "U.S. Ocean Resources 2000," to serve as a blueprint for ocean commercialization. Paul Yuen and John Carey of NOAA were the co-chairmen. At a complementary gathering that year, Joseph Vadus and I linked a workshop to the Kailua-Kona Pacific Congress on Marine Science and Technology, where the participants projected that a 100,000 square foot ocean resource incubator platform could be built and operated in the year 2000 for 500 million. It was argued that in view of the 2.4 billion cost of each B-2 bomber, this was an opportunity that could not be wasted. However, regarding item 2 above, no peace dividend appeared after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the opportunity, indeed, passed by. It was then that I realized the Blue Revolution was not going to be spearheaded by the United States, for, first, we just did not have the will to take charge, and second, American ocean industry was transfixed on defense products. I thus undertook a personal mission to seek assistance from other countries.
That was two decades ago. The above is, of course, from Chapter 4 of "SIMPLE SOLUTIONS FOR PLANET EARTH". An engineering journal article linking the above can be found in the "JOURNAL OF ENERGY ENGINEERING".
"To be continued".
-
The Dow Jones Industrials, down by 145 at one point, recovered to only lose 11 at 12,132. You would have thought that "the deal" would cause skyrockets, but France and Germany dropped by more than 2%, while the Orient rose a bit. Gold fell 7/toz to 1620 and so did oil, the NYMEX at 95/barrel and the Brent Spot at 117/barrel.
-
In the east Pacific, Hurricane Eugene should drop back to being a tropical storm soon, but curiously enough, is projected to regain hurricane status in a couple of days, and who knows what, but all signs point to turning a bit more northwards and weakening from cooler waters.
However, Typhoon Muifa, now dropping to a Category 3 at 125 MPH, is expected to strengthen again to a 4, but weaken to a 3 when landfall is expected around Naha at 3PM on Thursday. Projections show Muifa down to a Category 2 off Shanghai, when expected is a more northern pathway towards South Korea, probably sparing Zhoushan, too, and China.
-
Renewable energy sources such as biomass, hydropower and wind power at once assure vis-?-vis 11% of US electricity demand.Hydropower accounts for the utmost electricity expectations from renewables in US with 6,8% of US meticulous electricity use.US is the world's main addict and producer of electricity, followed by Breakables and Japan. In the January 2010, US had meticulous electricity generation of 3992 billion KWh spell Breakables had 3715 billion KWh.In the eminent shared of 2010 the electricity expectations from wind power increased by 21.4%, and electricity from solar power by 16.4% in US.Coal at once generates vis-?-vis 49% of US meticulous electricity. This is like coal motionless shards the cheapest fuel because it comes to full of zip costs. In the influence 40 sparkle the use of coal to generate electricity in the U.S. has reasonably tripled like of the momentary burgeoning electricity demand.Nuclear power plants at once generate vis-?-vis 20% of US electricity. The midpoint US nuclear power plant generates vis-?-vis 12.4 billion kWh.It is fixed that solar power, with the well up corruption, could hearsay by beyond than 4% of US electricity by 2020.According to the chronicle from 2008 the midpoint almanac electricity wastage for a U.S. industrial assist abuser was 11,040 kWh, an midpoint of 920 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per month. Tennessee had the make a recording almanac wastage at 15,624 kWh and Maine the rear at 6,252 kWh.Leader than 17% of generated electricity in US is used for cooling and aeration.Generally 13,5% of meticulous U.S. electricity wastage goes to lightning.Texas is the nation's main electricity addict followed by California, Florida, Ohio and New York. In 2008 Texas passed on 347,050 million kilowatt-hours of electricity.Nation's rear electricity addict is the state of Vermont, followed by Alaska and Rhode Isle.Computers hearsay for vis-?-vis 3% of US meticulous electricity wastage.Hawaii is the US state with the rear arduous midpoint industrial electricity wastage per let your hair down with 2,382 kilowatt-hours in 2008.The U.S. Move Orders Supply predicts that US electricity demand force amplify by 41% by 2030.
Marine Current Turbines' commercial-scale demonstration project with SeaGen in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland. The shrimp MCT has just been swallowed by the Siemens' whale.
The UK could become a leading exporter of wave and tidal power equipment and expertise if the Government adopts a more visionary approach to developing marine renewables, according to a new report by the Energy and Climate Change Select Committee.
The MPs suggest giving targets to set the pace of development and show commitment, and suggest a cost target for marine energy of 14p/kWh by 2020.
Tim Yeo MP, Chair of the Committee, said that "We are extremely well placed to lead the world in wave and tidal technologies, which could potentially bring significant benefits in manufacturing and jobs, as well an abundant supply of reliable low-carbon electricity".
He called for "a more visionary approach from the Department of Energy and Climate Change" which "could help to boost confidence and drive the pace of development".
The UK is currently the world leader in the development of wave and tidal energy technologies. Of the eight full-scale prototype devices installed worldwide, seven are in the UK.
The country is lucky to have an abundant natural resource, along with Canada, France and East Asia, with the added advantage of a long history of academic research, world-class testing facilities and a strong skills base in other maritime industries.
The worldwide potential for power generated by tidal power plants is estimated at 800TWh a year, or about 3-4% of global power consumption.
DON'T REPEAT MISTAKES
The MPs urge the Government not to repeat the mistakes that allowed the UK to lose its lead in the development of wind power. In the 1970s, it was a leader in the research and testing of wind turbines, but failed to establish a domestic manufacturing industry and missed out on many economic benefits.
By contrast, Denmark supported its wind power industry through the early adoption of Feed-in Tariffs and is now hosts the world's largest supplier of wind turbines.
Those MPs with long memories may also have in mind a 1970s pioneering British wave power invention, Salter's Duck, whose development was allegedly sabotaged by Government officials prejudiced against renewable energy, by falsifying research results concerning its efficiency, leading to the cancellation of a lb1m research project. This set marine power development back at least ten years.
"An overly cautious approach to developing the sector may allow other less risk-averse countries to steal the UK's lead," MPs warn.
The report recommends ways to maintain crucial investor confidence by maintaining policy certainty and sharing risk.
MPs also note the need to address other barriers to commercialisation such as grid connection, the consenting process, the need for better data on marine wildlife and public attitudes.
At the moment the industry is required to underwrite the cost of new grid connections. The committee report says that this places "an excessive burden on individual developers", as the cost is disproportionately borne, and suggest that either the Marine Energy Programme Board set up consortia that would shoulder this responsibility, or that the Government should underwrite some of the cost.
They also call for a simplification of a "complicated funding landscape" for marine renewables which leads to "overlaps and inefficiencies in the way the programmes are funded".
"The lb20 million provided by DECC to underpin a world-leading industry is not large", they say, and so must be spent wisely.
They stop short of calling for more funding.
They also note a shortage of skilled scientists and engineers and want the Government to encourage more students into these disciplines now to take advantage of future opportunities.
On the investment issue, Martin McAdam of Aquamarin Power observed that "private sector investors can see the support available via Renewable Obligation Certificates until 2017, when they will be phased ou, but beyond that, the view is unclear.
"The critical enabler for our industry will be the long-term signal of a suitable marine energy feed in tariff (FIT).
"The shift from ROCs to FITs has already unsettled potential investors, and what we need now is a stable tariff that will stay in place, and not be tinkered with for a number of years."
READY FOR LAUNCH
A spokesman from DECC responded by saying that the Government is "fully committed to spurring on the growth of this industry", as the launch last month by Change Minister Greg Barker of the South West Marine Energy Park shows. He said there are plans to create similar parks in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
It's a time of exciting activity in the sector, but it is experiencing difficulty in finding investment partners in this country to help it take off.
Last week, Scottish tidal developer Marine Current Turbines (MCT) handed over boardroom control to German company Siemens, which bought a controlling stake in the company.
This world leader is already providing power to approximately 1500 households in a commercial-scale demonstration project with SeaGen in Strangford Lough in Northern Ireland, and has further projects at the planning stage, including the 8MW Kyle Rhea project in Scotland and the 10MW Anglesey Skerries project in Wales.
MCT needs investment and expertise to take it to the next stage of growth, and it evidently could not find a suitable British buyer.
Also north of the border, Alex Salmond is pinning hopes for Scotland's independence on success in the marine, and offshore wind, industry, which he believes will eventually let Scotland become an exporter of renewable energy and expertise, and he is securing partnerships in China and Abu Dhabi to help achieve this.
Wind developer Ecotricity has recently begun investing in a new kind of wave energy device called Searaser, which it believes will reach commercial stage before 2020, but both the developer and the investor in this case are British.
Wind farm projects have been ruled out as studies indicate they are not possible or feasible in Malta, the permanent secretary in the Energy Ministry, Ronald Mizzi, said today.Addressing a news conference this morning, Mr Mizzi said the government was now basing its renewable energy policy to solar farms.According to new government plans, he said, Malta needed 2.7 square kilometres to produce five per cent of its renewable energy targets by 2020.Asked whether this was achievable in such a short time and within the space available, Mr Mizzi said that the government was positive that although it was an ambitious target, it would be met.Mr Mizzi was speaking during the launch, by the planning authority, of a draft policy on solar farms for public consultation.SourcePost from CleanTechLaw.org: www.cleantechlaw.org
The rush to clean green energy solutions is at its highest. Solar farms are one of such projects which offer efficient production of electricity and a healthy return on investment for both the landowner and investor. We at National Tax Credits Consultants (NTC), creatively custom tailor the Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) program to benefit our clients for maximum return.
If you are one of the following:
* A landowner looking to develop a solar farm on your parcel
* Green energy investor
* Real estate investor
* Pay more than 300,000 in taxes a year
* A group of taxpayers looking for a combined investment
* City or State development official
* And or other with similar interest
We encourage you to take the time and contact us today.
At National Tax Credits Consultants We are ready to engage and help you fulfill this goal of owning a Solar Energy Farm.
The Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is one of the most important federal policy mechanisms to support the deployment of solar energy in the United States. The Solar Investment Tax Credit continues to drive growth in the industry and job creation across the country. Producing green clean and safe energy is vital to our nation and planet healthy future. Moving in that direction must be a primary goal for each and every one who has the means. Contact us today and learn more about our program, NTC is here to help you.
HOW TO START A SOLAR FARM - SOLAR INVESTMENT TAX CREDIT
The post How to Start a Solar Farm? appeared first on National Tax Credits Consultants LLC.
As the UK announces new proposals for maintaining offshore windfarms in rough seas that could save up to lb3bn, Japan is planning a floating windfarm off the coast of Fukushima to help replace its lost nuclear power generation.
The Carbon Trust has published a shortlist of 13 designs picked from 450 submissions of ideas that would help transfer engineers and equipment from boats to turbines in ocean swells of up to three metres.
Among them are a boat that uses a giant robotic arm to make the transfers to the turbine base, one with suspension inspired by Paris Dakar-winning rally cars that keeps it stable, and another which, like a seahorse, has a deep keel to provide balance.
Meanwhile, according to a government official, Japan is going one step further by looking at wind farm designs which, instead of being fixed to the seabed, are anchored to it and float on the surface.
Its energy agency is looking at siting some of these off the Pacific coast of Fukushima prefecture, where the nuclear reactors that went into meltdown six months ago are located.
The country is expecting to move towards a non-nuclear, renewables-powered future by not replacing nuclear power stations as they become redundant.
The Japanese energy agency has assigned up to 20 billion yen (lb166 million) to the project, using cash intended to finance the rebuilding of the disaster-hit area, the official said.
The windfarm would consist of six floating 2MW wind turbines, and would be operational by 2015.
Britain's future 'round three' offshore windfarms will utilise much larger turbines - 10MW or more - and may be located up to 300km away from land and in deeper seas than at present - up to 80m - consisting of up to 2,500 turbines.
Maintaining them in harsh weather conditions will be a tough job, but it has economic consequences - increasing access time by just 4% could save up to lb3bn.
Through its Offshore Wind Accelerator programme, the Carbon Trust is therefore coordinating eight UK wind farm developers - E.ON, DONG Energy, Mainstream Renewable Power, RWE Innogy, ScottishPower Renewables, SSE Renewables, Statkraft and Statoil - to sponsor a competition to find solutions.
The winning technologies are expected to increase the access time from the current average of 210 days a year to 300, and to help reduce the levelised cost of offshore wind by saving an extra 1.3Mt CO2 per year.
Climate Change Minister Greg Barker called the projects "some of the best ideas to overcome the challenges of working in deeper water."
The new generation of turbines will also be specifically designed for use in these windier situations by having much larger and better adapted blades.
Each successful applicant to the competition will get up to lb100,000 to support the design and development of their concept, as well as technical support from the eight developers in the Offshore Wind Accelerator.
The Trust says that the shortlisted designers include a university student as well as established offshore wind maintenance vessel operators, and come from the UK, Norway, Germany, Netherlands, Canada and Australia.
The systems, together with the shortlisted winners, include:
o Transfer systems - to transfer personnel and equipment from vessel to turbine, potentially with motion-compensation:
o Autobrow, South Boats
o MOTS, Momac GmBH
o Wind Bridge, Knud Hansen
o TAS2, BMT Nigel Gee / Houlder
o Vessels - for transporting personnel and equipment from permanent bases or mother ships to turbines, incorporating a transfer system:
o Pivoting Deck Vessel, North Sea Logistics
o Nauti-Craft, Nauti-Craft
o Fjellstrand Vessel, Fjellstrand
o SES Vessel, Umoe Mandal
o SolidSea, University of Strathclyde
o TranSPAR, Extreme Ocean Innovation
o Launch and recovery systems - fitted to the permanent bases or mother ships for launching and recovering daughter craft from the sea:
o Launch & Recovery, Offshore Kinetics
o Z Port, Z Technologies
o Launch And Recovery System, Divex.
The Carbon Trust says that the global offshore wind sector is set to grow by up to 10% per year with the UK expected to capture around a 10% share of this market, estimated to be worth up to lb170bn/year by 2050, making these solutions potential future export money-spinners.
Back in Japan, the six reactors at the damaged Daiichi (number two) plant where reactors went into meltdown following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. will be taken out of operation.
In addition, it has been announced that the four damaged reactors at the Fukushima Daini plant that have been brought to a stable state of "cold shutdown", are also unlikely to ever start up again.
Credit: renewable-technologies.blogspot.com
THE US117 MILLION TALAS DE MACIEL I ONSHORE WIND FARM in Uruguay, being developed by Astidey S.A and owned by Spain's Abengoa, has successfully reached FINANCIAL CLOSE. MOTT MACDONALD WAS LENDERS' TECHNICAL ADVISOR to the Export-Import Bank of the United States and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Uruguay S.A. for the project and is now PROVIDING CONSTRUCTION MONITORING SERVICES IN AN ONGOING ROLE. Located 150km north west of Montevideo, the 50MW wind farm will be comprised of 25 Gamesa G97 wind turbines. The scheme will form part of an initiative by the Uruguayan government to reduce the country's dependence on imported oil to produce electricity. The project has a 20-YEAR POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENT (PPA) with the national electricity company "ADMINISTRACI'oN NACIONAL DE USINAS Y TRASMISIONES EL'eCTRICAS" (UTE) for 100 % of the generated power. Ivan Chindurza, Mott MacDonald's project manager, said: "Uruguay has a population of 3.4 million and no oil, gas or coal reserves. Wind power is helping to solve a major energy problem for the country and so far power purchase agreements for over 1000 MW of wind energy projects have been approved by the government." The Talas de Maciel I wind farm is scheduled for commercial operation in late 2015. In late June we reported that Talas de Maciel II wind farm had reached financial closure. The 50MW wind farm includes 25 turbines made in Gamesa's Tianjin factory in China.
Source: battleforgreenearth.blogspot.com
