News: NIREC in the News | Nevada News | Industry News
NIREC IN THE NEWS
The challenges of commercializing clean energy technologies in Nevada are discussed by local economic development agency representatives, university technology transfer specialists and NIREC's President and CEO, Jim Croce.
A new call for proposals offering up to $150,000 in per-project funding and business advisory services for early-stage clean energy innovations has been announced by the Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization (NIREC).
"By providing the vital and unique combination of early stage capital and advisory services to early-stage innovators, NIREC continues its mission to accelerate clean energy technologies from the laboratory to the marketplace” said Jim Croce, NIREC President and CEO. "With each call for proposals, we see a growing number of innovative and commercializable clean energy technologies under development throughout the U.S. We are proud of our efforts to increase the innovative and entrepreneurial capacity of Nevada and the surrounding region while fulfilling broader economic security imperatives critical to our nation’s future."
Clean energy manufacturing tax credits triggering private-sector investment and jobs are part of President Obama's plan for economic recovery, he said at a visit to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus last Friday.
Listen in as Dan Erwine of PBS station KUNR discusses clean energy with Jim Croce, president and CEO of NIREC and Walt Borland, president and CEO of Windspire Energy of Reno, Nevada. Hear more about NIREC's program of funding and business services and Windspire's growth.
278 permanent green jobs will be coming to the Las Vegas valley at a new solar manufacturing plant, and construction will begin this year.
Jim Croce, president and CEO of Nevada Institute for Renewable Energy Commercialization, spoke at a fireside chat with Ben Solomon at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences at Sierra Nevada College Thursday, April 29.
On the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the Department will invest more than $200 million over five years to expand and accelerate the development, commercialization, and use of solar and water power technologies throughout the United States. This funding underscores the Administration's commitment to foster a robust clean-energy sector in the United States - that will create American manufacturing jobs and a workforce with the required technical training to speed the implementation of cutting-edge technologies.
The old university adage "publish or perish," describes the priority placed by university researchers on publishing their research in order to gain tenure. I suggest that the new cry echoing through the hallowed halls of our nation’s R & D labs ought to be "patent or perish."
Associate Professor Mark Mascal, a NIREC funding recipient for his work in biofuels, has been featured in an February 22, 2010, article in Chemical & Engineering News. The article, titled “Sweet and Oily Biodiesel Cocktail,” discusses how Mascal’s group is collaborating with a Nevada-based company to test biodiesel blends containing levulinate esters, which have lower molecular weights than typical fatty acid biodiesel esters and should reduce cold-weather performance problems associated with biodiesel. (The article is available by subscription only.)
NIREC RFP 1 awardee Dr. Mark Mascal explains the need to produce a Biofuel from a feedstock that is unrelated to the human food chain. He also explains a potential methodology he found that will increase the overall yield of fuel produced by oil crops.
NEVADA NEWS
A discussion of Nevada's geothermal power genertion, the companies producing geothermal power and why the industry is strong in the state.
Development of a transportable, renewable energy power generating system producing enough power to supply a small village is the focus of a $1 million donation by the Sierra Nevada Corporation to the University of Nevada, Reno, a NIREC partner.
On the southern horizon is a new breed of solar plant, one that could be a game changer for the industry.
Just across the California border, Nipton has unveiled a sun-powered generator that is expected to provide about 85 percent of the town’s electricity over the course of a year.
The solar plant uses a new technology, concentrating solar photovoltaic, known as CPV, which could be a boon in places like Nevada where the sun is strong, but water for power plants is scarce.
Nevada should be the nation’s leader in renewable energy, given the abundance of resources — solar, geothermal and wind. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has made a strong push to pave the way for the renewable energy industry to come to Nevada.
Most recently, Reid announced last week with Rep. Dean Heller, R-Nev., new legislation that would set aside federal land in Lincoln County to be leased for solar energy development. Reid has also worked to bring tax breaks and other support for renewable energy companies, which have helped bring companies to the state and create jobs for Nevadans. For example, a solar company announced this year that it would build a manufacturing plant in Clark County and create nearly 300 jobs, and Reid was credited for his work to bring a Chinese wind turbine manufacturer to Southern Nevada. There are also plans to build a solar plant near Primm.
Although land leasing for geothermal development is somewhat lower from 2009, the downward price trend is a sign that the market is stabilizing.
The BLM continues to lease parcels in Nevada, but at a slower pace. Tthese leases generate over $1 million in revenue that will offer economic benefits to many rural areas of Nevada. Overall the revenue from geothermal development will assist Nevada in the economic recovery process. With the prospect of geothermal exploration in the state, new jobs on test drill rigs and building facilities will arise, which will inject another boost of revenue to the local economy.
California currently generates a significantly higher amount of geothermal energy than Nevada. Within the next decade, however, Nevada could surpass California's geothermal output. During the past several years, as the recession has impacted Nevada, several geothermal projects were stalled. As the state recovers, projects are now entering the final phases of exploration. Nevada will begin to see a surge in the geothermal arena this summer.
A California company is planning to build a $20 million manufacturing plant for solar power cells in the Las Vegas area. The operation will employ about 278 workers, according to officials at Amonix Inc., which is based in Seal Beach, Calif. Amonix CEO Brian Robertson said workers will make concentrated photovoltaic solar equipment, the same type of solar cells used to power satellites. The panels convert sunlight into electricity.
The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the University of Nevada, Reno a $1.2 million grant to develop and operate the National Geothermal Institute, a consortium of top geothermal schools, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cornell University, Stanford University, the Oregon Institute of Technology, the University of Utah and possibly others as the program expands.
The national institute for geothermal science and technology will attract students, professors and industry professionals from around the country to learn everything from the basics to the latest in geothermal energy production with a series of short courses and other curriculum. The institute is envisioned to augment UNR’s Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy by providing relevant research and trained graduates for the geothermal industry.
When it comes to renewable energy, Nevada boasts a sunny disposition on this industry. Rich in energy resources, such as geothermal, solar, wind and biomass, renewable energy is a natural fit for the state. Our state has a unique opportunity to reduce energy costs and grow its economy while achieving energy independence.
Nevada is a leader in geothermal and solar power potential and much of the state is suitable for wind power development. The Colorado River, which forms Nevada’s southern border, is a powerful hydroelectric power resource. Our state is leading in per capita solar energy production. The federal government has shown commitment to the development of renewable energy and created solar investment tax credits that will continue to stimulate investment and job creation in the solar industry.
Vulcan Power, headquartered at Bend, Ore., said last week it inked a contract to sell power from the plant to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District. The power-purchase agreement that the utility district signed with Patua Project LLC, a subsidiary of Vulcan, allows the geothermal company to begin talking with the financial institutions that will provide the money to build the facility. The company hasn’t disclosed cost estimates.
An international manufacturer of wind turbines has launched plans to build a manufacturing plant in Southern Nevada, establishing its first manufacturing effort in the United States. A-Power Energy Generation Systems based in Shenyang, China announced plans for a 320,000 square foot manufacturing facility that will use close to 50,000 tons of U.S. Steel and provide 1000 jobs.
INDUSTRY NEWS
Four to six “energy innovation centers” should be created in Nevada and other states. They would act as miniature Silicon Valleys for clean energy. Read the report, released today, from Bookings Mountain West.
The ARRA investment includes $73 million for clean energy ideas for SBIR/STTR Phase II work to support the development of prototype or pilot operations for innovative technologies that have successfully passed the proof of concept stage.
Dr. Kristina Johnson, Under Secretary of Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy, explains what clean technology entrepreneurs need to be successful. Excerpts from a panel discussion at the Cleantech Open Conference, July 22, 2010, San Jose, California. www.CleanTechOpen.com
The need for expanded energy R&D investments to help combat the nation's reliance on fossil fuels and to promote the country's future competitiveness in the global economy was the focus of testimony by Brookings Institute Senior Fellow Michael Greenstone before the Joint Economic Committee on July 27.
The Department of Defense aims to speed innovative energy and conservation technologies from laboratories to military end users, and it uses military installations as a test bed to demonstrate and create a market for innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. This memorandum of understanding is designed to build on existing collaboration efforts.
"Small businesses are engines of job creation and innovation, and we need their ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit to drive a clean energy economy," said Secretary Chu. "By helping America's small businesses bring these innovative technologies to market, we will spur economic growth and help reduce the country's energy use."
See the story for a list of technology areas of interest.
China's wind turbine manufacturers are growing fast, challenging the dominance of players such as Vestas and GE. According to Danish consultants BTM, three Chinese suppliers now rank among the world's top ten turbine makers.
U.S. Trade Minister Gary Locke told reporters in Jakarta day that the US government is currently venturing different types of alternative energy projects powered by renewable sources like the solar and wind.
In the second day of his visit in Indonesia, Locke said his counrtry is also seeking similar cooperation with China, Hong Kong and other states.
The U.S. produced two-thirds of all small wind turbines sold globally last year, while 95 percent of small wind turbines installed in the U.S. were provided by U.S.-based companies. The annual small wind report released by the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) last week, shows that small-wind turbine installations have grow rapidly over the past three years.
The report summarizes industry growth and reviews growth potential, industry demand drivers, national and global markets, costs, carbon dioxide displacement, and manufacturers, while also providing industry projections. Download the report from links within the article.
CNET blog writer Martin LaMonica summarizes the report, reviews wind turbine styles and shares stories of five small wind turbines in action.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is trying to cast a wider net to catch more green-technology inventions. The Green Technology Pilot program was created in December to encourage more inventors to apply for patents relating to green technology. If accepted, those patent petitions will get priority screening under the one-year trial program.
"We see billions of dollars flowing into clean-tech, but very few organizations working as effectively as NIREC to make sure that breakthrough products can 'cross the chasm' to commercialization."
- Jim Davis, President, Chevron Energy Solutions
Website design by Artworks Design, Inc.