MORE NEWS, 10-20: NEW ENERGY IS CHEAPEST ENERGY; GERMANY WINS SOLAR DECATHLON; SOLAR POWER PLANTS FOR FLA; BIOFUELS NEED CLOSER LOOK

NEW ENERGY IS CHEAPEST ENERGY
Report Examines Hidden Health And Environmental Costs Of Energy Production And Consumption In U.S.
Sara Freuh and Alison Burnette, October 19, 2009 (Office of News and Public Information/National Academy of Science)

"A new report from the National Research Council examines and, when possible, estimates "hidden" costs of energy production and use -- such as the damage air pollution imposes on human health -- that are not reflected in market prices of coal, oil, other energy sources, or the electricity and gasoline produced from them…an estimated $120 billion in the U.S. in 2005, a number that reflects primarily health damages from air pollution associated with electricity generation and motor vehicle transportation…[and not including] damages from climate change, harm to ecosystems, effects of some air pollutants such as mercury, and risks to national security…

"Requested by Congress, [Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use] assesses what economists call external effects caused by various energy sources over their entire life cycle -- for example, not only the pollution generated when gasoline is used to run a car but also the pollution created by extracting and refining oil and transporting fuel to gas stations. Because these effects are not reflected in energy prices, government, businesses and consumers may not realize the full impact of their choices. When such market failures occur, a case can be made for government interventions…"

From the European Tribune (click to enlarge)

"The committee that wrote the report…estimated both what the damages were in 2005 (the latest year for which data were available) and what they are likely to be in 2030…[and] separately derived a range of values for damages from climate change…[A]ll model results available to the committee indicate that climate-related damages caused by each ton of CO2 emissions will be [50-to-80%] worse in 2030 than now…

"DAMAGES FROM ELECTRICITY GENERATION…Coal nonclimate damages average about 3.2 cents for every kilowatt-hour (kwh) of energy produced. A relatively small number of plants -- 10 percent of the total number -- accounted for 43 percent of the damages. By 2030, nonclimate damages are estimated to fall to 1.7 cents per kwh…Climate-related monetary damages range from 0.1 cents to 10 cents per kilowatt-hour…Burning natural gas generated far less damage than coal…an average of 0.16 cents per kwh…By 2030, nonclimate damages are estimated to fall to 0.11 cents per kwh. Estimated climate damages from natural gas were half that of coal, ranging from 0.05 cents to 5 cents per kilowatt-hour."

From the European Tribune (click to enlarge)

"The life-cycle damages of wind power, which produces just over 1 percent of U.S. electricity but has large growth potential, are small compared with those from coal and natural gas. So are the damages associated with normal operation of the nation's 104 nuclear reactors, which provide almost 20 percent of the country’s electricity. But the life cycle of nuclear power does pose some risks…The potential risks from a proposed long-term facility for storing high-level radioactive waste need further evaluation before they can be quantified. Life-cycle CO2 emissions from nuclear, wind, biomass, and solar power appear to be negligible when compared with fossil fuels.

"DAMAGES FROM HEATING…Most of this heat energy comes from natural gas or, to a lesser extent, the use of electricity…The median damages in residential and commercial buildings were about 11 cents per thousand cubic feet…Damages from heat in 2030 are likely to be about the same…DAMAGES FROM MOTOR VEHICLES AND FUELS…Damages per vehicle mile traveled were remarkably similar among various combinations of fuels and technologies -- the range was 1.2 cents to about 1.7 cents per mile traveled…Nonclimate-related damages for corn grain ethanol were similar to or slightly worse than gasoline…ethanol made from herbaceous plants or corn stover -- which are not yet commercially available -- had lower damages…Electric vehicles and grid-dependent (plug-in) hybrid vehicles showed somewhat higher nonclimate damages…[because] producing the electricity to power them currently relies heavily on fossil fuels…Achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 will likely also require breakthrough technologies…Both for 2005 and 2030, vehicles using gasoline made from oil extracted from tar sands and those using diesel derived from the Fischer-Tropsch process -- which converts coal, methane, or biomass to liquid fuel -- had the highest life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions…"


GERMANY WINS SOLAR DECATHLON
Germany Takes Top Honors in Solar Decathlon
Elizabeth Razzi, October 16, 2009 (Washington Post)

"Team Germany--led by students from Technische Universitat Darmstadt--won top overall honors in the 2009 Solar Decathlon, the Department of Energy announced…

"Second place, overall, went to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and third place went to Team California, which was a partnership of Santa Clara University and California College of the Arts…"

From Americagov via YouTube

"This is the second straight time that a German team won the overall prize. According to DOE, the team's "Cube House" design--which was covered on all sides by shiny, black solar panels--produced a surplus of electricity even during three days of rain. The ability to feed the most solar-generated electricity back into Pepco's electric grid was the most heavily weighted challenge of the 10 categories that made up the this year's decathlon.

"Team Germany earned 908.29 points out of a possible 1,000 in the overall competition. U. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign earned 897.30, and Team California earned 863.08 points…"

From Americagov via YouTube

[Winners in other categories:]"…APPLIANCES: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign…ARCHITECTURE: Team California…COMFORT ZONE: (indoor temp and humidity) Team Germany…COMMUNICATIONS: (Web site, tours, etc.) Team California…ENGINEERING: (energy systems design, efficiency, innovation and reliability) University of Minnesota…"

[Winners in other categories:]"…HOME ENTERTAINMENT:(powering TV & computer, cooking, hosting guests) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
HOT WATER: (15 gallons delivered in 10 minutes or less) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign…LIGHTING DESIGN: University of Minnesota…MARKET VIABILITY: (Cost-effective construction and technology; market appeal) University of Louisiana at Lafayette…NET METERING: Team Germany."


SOLAR POWER PLANTS FOR FLA
FPL's big solar power project taking shape near Indiantown
Cara Fitzpatrick, October 18, 2009 (Palm Beach Post)

"…With the first mirrors set to arrive…[ Florida Power & Light Co.’s concentrating solar power plant in western Martin County, begun a year ago] is starting to take shape…

"In the most basic terms, the [concentrating solar power] process works like this: The sun's light strikes a mirror and is beamed into a pipe, which "catches" the energy and moves it, via molten liquid, into a power plant [which] boils water into steam. The steam is used for power…[It] is far more complex on the ground."

Natural gas-Concentrating solar hybrid power plant (click to enlarge)

"In Martin County, where the largest and most expensive of…FPL Group's three [$700 million] solar projects is being built, 192,000 [tempered glass] mirrors [that focus sunlight without causing glare] will be attached to 6,800 aluminum frames on 7,100 steel pylons [to withstand 150 mph winds] on 500 acres alongside the Martin Power Plant…About 1 million gallons of recyclable fluid, heated to 700 degrees Fahrenheit, will move the sun's energy to the plant…The $476 million project is expected to open at the end of 2010…

"About 1,000 workers will be used in its construction, while only about a dozen will be required for its operation…Of about 700 workers at the plant now, 60 percent are from Florida…[The other 2 projects will use photovoltaic technology, which converts sunlight directly into electricity. One will come online this week and the other next spring]…"

Photovoltaic (PV) solar power (click to enlarge)

"Once it goes online, the Martin Next Generation Solar Energy Center will work much like a hybrid car, switching between two sources of power, using sunlight when available and the existing gas-fired plant when clouds or darkness make such use ineffective.

"…The plant will generate an estimated 155,000 megawatt hours of electricity each year and power about 11,000 homes…[It’s smaller than] conventional power plants, but decreases fossil fuel usage with no waste or additional cooling water…It also will be the largest solar-power plant outside of California…[S]olar energy is unlikely to replace more traditional [energies soon, but]…FPL believes these projects have the potential not only to change the way Florida produces energy, but to give the state the lead in "green" technology…"


BIOFUELS NEED CLOSER LOOK
UN Study Calls for More Debate on Biofuels
Alisha Ryu, 16 October 2009 (Voice Of America)

"A new report by the United Nations Environment Program says developing biofuels as a green energy option is beneficial only when countries adopt a sophisticated approach.

["...Assessing Biofuels] has warnings for African countries, which are already struggling to cope with the loss of productive farmlands through drought and land degradation…[C]onducted by UNEP's International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, [the study] concludes that while biofuel production and use may appear to be a solution for cutting greenhouse gas emissions caused by burning of fossil fuels, some biofuels are much more climate-friendly than others."

click to enlarge

"The report says biofuels can lead to reduced emissions or worsen the problem…[U]sing ethanol fuel made from sugar cane, as practiced in some countries like Brazil, can lead to emissions reductions of up to 100 percent when substituted for fossil fuel. But making and using bio-diesel from palm oil on deforested land can lead to a significant increase in emissions when compared to using gasoline…Given that most biofuels today are made from food crops such as maize, wheat, sugar cane, vegetable and palm oils…it is also important that the growth of the biofuel industry does not encourage unsustainable habits, such as using productive farmlands to grow energy crops."

click to enlarge

"UNEP's spokesman Nick Nuttall says far more research and debate is needed to determine which energy crops can grow where and how best to use limited land resources to combat climate change…[O]ther considerations include the impact of energy crops on such things as local water quality, quantity and biodiversity…David Newman, who runs the Nairobi-based biofuels consultancy Endelevu Energy, [says] research and debate are especially critical for Africa, where sustainable land management and agricultural production efforts are often at odds with the need for development.

"One of the most controversial local issues is the production of bio-diesel, which Newman says could be a disaster for some African countries trying to enter the market…Tanzania [just] announced that it was halting further land allocations for biofuel development until a framework to regulate the industry is in place…[following] reports that arable land that could be used to grow food is being increasingly used for biofuel production."