MORE NEWS, 11-12: ENERGY GIANT BUYS OFFSHORE WIND; SOLAR PV PROJECT EXPANDS BY 2.4MW; BUILDING GREEN BUILDING JOBS; HOW TO BE MORE EFFICIENT

ENERGY GIANT BUYS OFFSHORE WIND
NRG Energy sees offshore wind revenue by 2014
Steve Gelsi, November 10, 2009 (MarketWatch)

"NRG Energy paid about $10 million [to Australia's Babcock & Brown] for Bluewater Wind, an energy company that holds the only power purchase agreement for an offshore wind farm in the U.S….[T]he project carries apparent front-runner status for the U.S.'s first offshore wind farm -- a pet topic of the Obama Administration as well as a lucrative target for the financial community to tap into federal tax credits and loan guarantees…

"…Bluewater's 450 megawatt offshore wind project planned off the coast of Delaware could start producing billable electricity by late 2013 or early 2014…NRG officials said they hope to become first movers in the U.S. field of offshore wind energy, drawing from a wealth of expertise in Europe, home of more than 30 offshore wind projects…"

The resource is tremendous and it is right where the demand is. (click to enlarge)

"NRG was drawn to the offshore wind project as it moves to reduce its carbon footprint…[T]he proximity of offshore wind resources to big population centers in the Northeast makes [offshore wind there an especially attractive investment though]… any payoff is still years away…NRG will take on Bluewater's employees, buys development pipeline, and 25-year power purchase agreement with a unit of Pepco Holdings Inc. for the offshore Delaware project…

"Bluewater Wind Founder Peter Mandelstam said investment banker Credit Suisse drew interest in the firm from 87 interested parties, including groups in the Middle East, groups in Central Asia, groups in the Far East, in Europe and the U.S…[T]he company has won an approval to build two towers in the Atlantic Ocean - one in Delaware and one in New Jersey - to assess wind strength. Construction on the two towers is expected next year."

Experience buidling offshore wind in Europe will inform U.S. Atlantic coast projects. (click to enlarge)

"…[T]he Power Purchase Agreement for the offshore wind project will allow the company to raise financing to build the wind towers, while the final permitting process continues… NRG plans to apply for federal support in the form of Department of Energy loan guarantees -- money included in the Obama administration's economic stimulus plan…[and push] for the continuation of production tax credits…

"The production tax credit will be [vital to making early offshore projects economic]… [though there should be]… healthy interest from banks to finance the offshore projects after extensive experience in Europe…[A] recent $500 million issued by the U.S. Department of Treasury for wind energy projects [will be important]…[but it will also be important for Congress to act because the] current round of production tax credits for wind expires in 2012…"


SOLAR PV PROJECT EXPANDS BY 2.4MW
Aerojet, Solar Power, Inc. and SMUD Dedicate 3.6 Megawatt Solar System - Announce 2.4 Megawatt Expansion at Aerojet Site; At six megawatts, the Aerojet project will be one of the largest in the U.S.
November 10, 2009 (PRNewswire via CNNMoney)

"Aerojet…and Solar Power, Inc.…have entered into agreement to add an additional 2.4 megawatts to the single-axis tracker photovoltaic solar system currently installed at Aerojet’s Sacramento, Calif. site. Construction of the 3.6 megawatt solar system at Aerojet’s facility was initiated in June 2009 and was already the largest single-site industrial project in California and one of the largest in the country. The site is located within the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD).

"The announcement of an additional 2.4 megawatts was made…at the same location where California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order on Sept. 15, 2009 calling for 33 percent of energy consumed in California to come from renewable resources by the year 2020…"

The single axis tracking system allows PV to get more out of the sun's light. (click to enlarge)

"The solar array at Aerojet is a ground-mounted system utilizing a single-axis tracking system that follows the sun’s course throughout the day to maximize electricity production. The additional array will utilize 11,712 SPI 205 watt modules mounted atop eight tracking arrays. When completed, the entire six megawatt system will cover more than 40 acres of the Aerojet site and utilize 22 tracking arrays and 29,344 SPI 205 watt photovoltaic modules. Based on its performance characteristics, the SPI 205 watt module is currently the number-one-ranked PV solar module in its class with the California Energy Commission…

"Installation of the 2.4 megawatt system addition is expected to be completed in April 2010. SMUD is scheduled to interconnect the system to the power grid at that time…"

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"During its first year of use, the Aerojet system will offset 6,003 tons of carbon dioxide, 23.8 tons of sulfur dioxide and approximately 9.3 tons of nitrogen oxide that would have otherwise been produced using fossil fuel power production. The first-year net clean energy benefits equate to offsetting 11,825,814 automobile miles driven or the clean air benefits realized from planting 1,396,423 trees. With a system life expectancy of 25 years, the cumulative life-cycle environmental offsets for a system of this scope are significant…

"Founded in 2005, Solar Power, Inc. is a vertically integrated solar energy solution provider offering the North American commercial and public sector building markets a complete solution through a single brand…Aerojet is a world-recognized aerospace and defense leader principally serving the missile and space propulsion, defense and armaments markets…[T]he nation’s sixth largest publicly owned utility, SMUD…is a recognized industry leader and award winner for its innovative energy efficiency programs, renewable power technologies, and for its sustainable solutions for a healthier environment…"


BUILDING GREEN BUILDING JOBS
USGBC releases green jobs study results; The USGBC released the results of a green jobs study today at Greenbuild 2009
Melissa Hincha-Ownby, November 11, 2009 (Mother Nature Network)

"Green building leads to green jobs…[The U.S. Green Building Council Green Jobs Study], prepared by Booz Allen Hamilton, determined that spending in the green construction industry helps to support over two million jobs and is responsible for more than $100 billion in GDP and wages.

"…[I]t is expected that the industry will help to support approximately eight million jobs by 2013. The report further breaks this down into jobs that are directly related to LEED spending. Since 2000, 15,000 jobs have been created thanks to LEED-related spending and nearly 230,000 more jobs should be created by 2013 as more green building projects look to the LEED rating systems for guidance."

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"…The report examined the impact that the green building industry has had on the following employment sectors…Nonresidential construction…Residential construction…Electric power generation, transmission, and distribution…Water, sewage, and other waste treatment systems…Waste management and remediation services…

"Many of the jobs that fall within these employment sectors directly impacted by the green building movement are attainable without an advanced degree. In nonresidential construction carpenters, construction laborers, truck drivers, and heavy-equipment operators are seeing employment opportunities on green construction projects…[These are] good green jobs - jobs that will provide under and unemployed Americans a pathway out of poverty…[T]he average annual salary for these positions listed above is just over $40,000…[P]ositions like construction managers, civil engineers, and cost estimators, which all require an advanced degree…[F]actoring in these positions, the industry-wide average annual salary jumps to $52,200."

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"Between 2000 and 2008, green construction spending was responsible for 2.3 million jobs in nonresidential construction. This number is expected to jump to nearly 7.5 million jobs by 2013.

"Although the green building movement is firmly rooted in the commercial industry, it is still gaining momentum in the residential sector. The USGBC Green Jobs Study predicts that there will be just over 460,000 jobs attributed to green building spending in the residential sector by 2013. This is up from the 143,000 jobs gained between 2000 and 2008…[J]ob growth in these sectors will be important in helping the nation recover from the recession."


HOW TO BE MORE EFFICIENT
Energy Efficiency: An Economic Development Strategy for South Carolina
November 11, 2009 (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy)

"…[South Carolina’s Energy Future: Minding Its Efficient Resources by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)] shows that a combination of energy and water efficiency policies could cut electricity and water bills for South Carolinians by $5.1 billion and could create almost 22,000 new “green” jobs by 2025…

"…The report examines the potential electricity and water efficiency savings that could be realized in South Carolina through the implementation of a suite of eleven electric and five water efficiency policies, and quantifies the growth in gross state product and employment that would result from these investments…"

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"For the first time in any of its state-based, efficiency reports, ACEEE did an analysis of the potential for water efficiency as well as added three new energy efficiency measures of interest to the state: improved efficiency in manufactured housing, implementation of a behavioral awareness program, and a rural/agricultural initiative. This last initiative is of particular importance to a state such as South Carolina with a large rural population…

"ACEEE developed a suite of eleven electric and five water efficiency policy suggestions based on successful models implemented in other states and in-depth consultation with stakeholders in South Carolina…"

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"Contributing to [an 18% by 2025 Energy Efficiency Resource Standard (EERS)]…[1] Advanced Building Initiative…[2] Behavioral Initiative…[3] Combined Heat and Power…[4] Lead by Example…[5] Low-Income Weatherization…[6] Manufactured Homes Initiative…[7] Manufacturer Initiative…[8] Rural and Agricultural Initiative…Enabling Policies…[1] Building Energy Codes…[2] Workforce Development Initiative…[3] Expanded Demand Response Programs…

"To assist South Carolina’s public water supply and wastewater treatment systems to meet the growing demand for water and wastewater service cost-effectively, the report suggests five water efficiency policies…[1] Plumbing Efficiency Standards…[2] Replacement of Inefficient Plumbing in Pre-1995 Homes…[3] Utility System Water Loss (Leakage) Reduction…[4] Water Efficient Landscape Irrigation…[5] Conservation Pricing of Water and Sewer Service…"