QUICK NEWS, September 4: STORING HEAT FOR POWER; WORLD’S BIGGEST OFFSHORE WIND; NEWEST NEW ENERGY R&D FUNDING

STORING HEAT FOR POWER Thermal Energy Storage; Thermal Storage for HVAC in Commercial Buildings, District Cooling and Heating, Utility and Grid Support Applications, and High-Temperature Storage at CSP Facilities

3Q 2012 (Pike Research/Navigant

“Thermal energy storage (TES) is an often unrecognized but important component of the developing market for energy storage systems…[TES is presently most] often used to provide cooling capacity for commercial buildings…

“…TES systems are also increasingly seen as an effective means of shifting electricity use from daytime peak periods into less expensive periods of the day or at night, saving money and increasing overall system efficiency…Newer forms of TES, including molten salt storage, may be used with concentrated solar power generation facilities to store energy collected in daylight hours for later use.”

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“Pike Research’s analysis finds that the annual U.S. market for incremental TES capacity totals $268 million, with 246 megawatts (MW) of new capacity installed in 2011 in five market segments: packaged air conditioning, chiller TES systems, district energy, residential heat TES, and commercial heat TES…

“The report forecasts that the TES market will expand at a compound annual growth rate of 13.5% through 2020, resulting in an $850 million annual domestic market and cumulative TES capacity of 4,500 MW. Globally, TES is expected to grow substantially through 2020, with worldwide revenues of $3.6 billion and added capacity of 3,824 MW in that year…”

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WORLD’S BIGGEST OFFSHORE WIND Offshore windfarm plan for over 300 turbines in Moray Firth unveiled

Alistair Munro, 31 August 2012 (The Scotsman)

“…[A plan for] the world’s largest offshore wind farm off the Scottish coast, with 339 turbines…which has attracted vocal opposition from campaigners including American tycoon Donald Trump…[would cost] £4.5 billion project…[and] could create hundreds of jobs and provide electricity for a million homes. It would also be a major boost to the Scottish Government’s target of generating 100 per cent of the country’s electricity demand from renewables by the end of the decade…

“…[A joint venture between Spanish/Portuguese firm EDP Renewables (EDPR) and Spanish oil and gas company Repsol Nuevas Energias, operating as] Moray Offshore Renewables Ltd …said the proposals represented the culmination of three years of development work, data gathering, extensive environmental studies and broad consultation…Work, if approved, would start in 2015, with completion by 2020…The wind farm would cover about 114sq miles and could produce up to 1,500MW…The power would be collected by up to eight offshore electrical platforms, before being sent ashore by a cable under the seabed…[and to an onshore substation via] an underground cable…”

“But concerns have been raised about the environmental impact of such a large project, particularly the effect on local marine life and tourism…Stuart Young, a consultant for Communities Against Turbines Scotland and chairman of Caithness Windfarm Information Forum, said…[the turbines] will be a blot on the landscape which will be left for future generations…A spokesman for Mr Trump, who is opposed to a similar offshore wind farm overlooking his Aberdeenshire golf course, said…[the project, like all wind turbine proposals, is totally dependent on subsidies that will cost the taxpayer dearly…”

[Scottish Government spokesman:] “Scotland has astounding green energy potential and vast natural resources, and we have a responsibility to make sure our nation seizes this opportunity to create tens of thousands of new jobs…secure billions of pounds of investment in our economy…[and meet the Scottish Government ambitious but achievable] target of generating the equivalent of 100 per cent of our electricity demand from renewable sources by 2020.”

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NEWEST NEW ENERGY R&D FUNDING Latest SunShot Awards: DOE Doles Out Millions More For Solar Research

30 August 2012 (Solar Industry)

“As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) SunShot Initiative, which aims to drive solar energy to be cost-competitive with other energy sources by 2020, Energy Secretary Steven Chu has announced several new investments focusing on PV and concentrating solar power (CSP) research.

“The CSP investments total $10 million over five years for two university-led projects [involving UCLA, Yale and UC Berkeley]…[designed to] increase efficiencies of CSP systems and lower their costs…[by developing liquid metal] heat-transfer fluids that can operate at temperatures up to 2,350 degrees F, while simultaneously maintaining high levels of performance…”

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“…[Five other] new research projects…will enable research teams from industry, universities and national laboratories to work together at the DOE's Scientific User Facilities, a national network of facilities that provide open access to instruments and tools…[With $900,000,] PLANT PV, based in Berkeley, Calif., will partner with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's Molecular Foundry to develop three-dimensional mapping tools for higher-performing thin-film solar material…[and] the University of Colorado will use tools at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to research high-temperature, inexpensive materials for CSP technologies.

“The three other projects, totaling a $2.6 million investment, have been selected to establish full research programs…Researchers from Sandia National Laboratories will partner with the Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies in New Mexico to improve the efficiency of thin-film photovoltaic materials…Arizona State University will use X-ray technologies at Argonne National Laboratory to address solar cell material performance…[and] Stanford University will partner with SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory to research inexpensive ways to print solar cells.”

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