The ENERGY MARKETPLACE is a Members-only Publication
JULY 2010 AFREC MONTHLY NEWS
Member News: UPS Digs Deep into Footprint, Sets High Goals for Fuel Efficiency
http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2010/07/27/ups-digs-deep-into-footprint-sets-high-goals-fuel-efficiency
ATLANTA, GA — United Parcel Service decreased energy and water use as well as its greenhouse gas emissions last year in the U.S.,prompting the company to set a new goal of 20 percent improvement in automotive fuel efficiency by 2020. Theenvironmental efforts are detailed in UPS's latest sustainability report.
The higher standard for fuel efficiency is set against a baseline year of 2000and if achieved would double the company's performance in the area thus far.From 2000 through 2009, automotive fuel efficiency increased 10 percent, UPSreported, noting that its drivers covered 77.3 million miles more in 2009 thanthey did in 2000 but consumed 3.2 million gallons less fuel.
The new target for automotive fuel efficiency dovetails an air fleet efficiency goal announced last year: After several years of steadily increasing efficiency in air operations, UPS said it would reduce the carbon emissions by its airfleet by 20 percent by 2020, compared to 2005. The company's move to raise the bar for efficiency in its ground and airoperations were among the highlights of a sustainability report that notedimprovement in the majority of the company's environmental key performance indicators.
UPS started compiling sustainability reports in 2003 and this year's report,which covers operations in 2009, is the first to publish information on the company's global greenhouse gas emissions (including CO2, CH4, N2O and HFC) forScope 1 and Scope 2 emissions. (see chart, right). Previously, the companyreported only on CO2 emissions.
The information also reflects more extensive data collection by UPS, whichprocess mapped all transport-related activities that generate carbon across thecompany globally in reporting CO2 Scope 3 emissions this year. As noted in thechart below left, direct emissions fell almost 9 percent from 2008 to 2009while indirect emissions almost tripled. "As you see, we continue to evolve and we're working very hard atmapping out our impact," said Steven Leffin, UPS's corporatesustainability manager.
Leffin pointed to those efforts, UPS's heightened transparency in reportingand its new goals for fuel and air fleet efficiency as some of the keyaccomplishments by the company in the past year.
Although revenue slipped from $51.5 billion in 2008 to $45.3 billion in 2009 asthe recession continued, UPS remained the world's largest package deliverycompany and handled 3.8 billion packages in 2009. The U.S. domestic packageoperation, the company's largest business segment, accounted for 62 percent ofthe revenue and showed improvement in energy efficiency as well as emissionswhen compared to parcels handled. When measured against revenue, however,energy consumption and emissions rose in 2009. Energy consumption was 3.5 percent lower per 1,000 packages and rose 3.6percent per dollar of revenue. CO2e emissions declined 3.1 percent per 1,000packages and increased 3.8 percent per dollar of revenue, the company reported.
The sustainability report examined the company's work to reduce energyconsumption, emissions, water use and fuel consumption on the ground and in theair. UPS, which prides itself on deeply detailed measuring and monitoring toboost environmental performance, presented data in terms of absolute change andas an efficiency rate based on what it takes to deliver a package or producerevenue.
Specifically, UPS decreased:
Energy Use
Absolute direct and indirect energy consumption for U.S. package operations and for U.S. supply chainand freight fell. U.S. package operations consumed 96.80 million gigajoules in2009, about 7 percent less than the 104.1 million gigajoules in 2008. U.S.supply chain and freight consumed 16.55 million gigajoules of energy in 2009,19.4 percent less than the 20.53 million gigajoules in consumed in 2008 (seechart at right).
Energy efficiency, expressed as energy consumption per 1,000 parcels inU.S. package operations, came to 29.33 million gigajoules in2009, compared with 30.40 million gigajoules per 1,000 packages in 2008.Meanwhile, energy consumption per $1,000 of revenue was 3.44 gigajoules for2009 an increase from the 3.32 gigajoules for $1,000 of revenue in 2008.
Emissions for U.S. Package Operations
Absolute direct and indirect CO2e emissions for U.S.package operations also dropped. CO2e emissions came to 7.27 million metrictonnes in 2009, compared with 7.75 million metric tonnes in 2008.
Absolute direct and indirect energy consumption for U.S. package operations and for U.S. supply chainand freight fell. U.S. package operations consumed 96.80 million gigajoules in2009, about 7 percent less than the 104.1 million gigajoules in 2008. U.S.supply chain and freight consumed 16.55 million gigajoules of energy in 2009,19.4 percent less than the 20.53 million gigajoules in consumed in 2008.
Energy efficiency, expressed as energy consumption per 1,000 parcels inU.S. package operations, came to 29.33 million gigajoules in2009, compared with 30.40 million gigajoules per 1,000 packages in 2008.Meanwhile, energy consumption per $1,000 of revenue was 3.44 gigajoules for2009 an increase from the 3.32 gigajoules for $1,000 of revenue in 2008.
Emissions for U.S. Package Operations
Absolute direct and indirect CO2e emissions for U.S.package operations also dropped. CO2e emissions came to 7.27 million metrictonnes in 2009, compared with 7.75 million metric tonnes in 2008.
Fuel Consumption and Air Fleet Emissions
Gallons of fuel consumed on the ground to deliver a single package decreased. In 2009, it took an average of 0.121 gallons of fuel to deliver a singlepackage in the U.S. using UPS' ground network, which includes its fleet of morethan 95,000 vehicles as well as rail services. That's a nearly 5 percentimprovement over the figure for 2008. The company's green fleet grew to 1,883alternative fuel vehicles in 2009 with the addition of 245 compressed natural gas vehicles.
Carbon emissions of global airline operations based on theamount on CO2 emitted when transporting a ton of capacity one nautical mile,termed an available ton mile or ATM, also dropped. The measure of carbonefficiency was 1.40 pounds of CO2 per available ton mile in 2009, compared to1.42 pounds of CO2/ATM in 2008. The goal to increase carbon efficiency by 20 percent between 2005 and 2020, builds on previous gains in the area. Ifachieved, UPS will increase carbon efficiency by 42 percent compared to 1990.
Gallons of jet fuel consumed per 100 available ton miles. UPS used 6.63 gallons of jet fuel per 100ATM in 2009, a drop from the 6.73gals/100ATM logged in 2008. The company originally set a target of 6.9gals/100ATM for 2011 target, but surpassed the goal in 2008. It has a newtarget of 6.57 gals/100ATM for 2012.
The firm's goals for reducing carbon emissions in its airline operations, whichwould be the ninth largest in the U.S. if it were an airline company, are amongthe most aggressive in UPS's ambitious environmental program. UPS's efforts include joining 10 othermembers of the Air Transportation Association of America to support developmentof aviation biofuel development by signing a memorandum of understanding withtwo potential aviation biofuel developers in 2009.
Airline operations account for 53 percent of the company's global carbonfootprint, so focusing on that area is an imperative, Leffin said. Overall, thecompany's improvements in environmental performancedemonstrate the value of UPS's integrated transportation network of packagecars, vans, trucks, rail and shipping services, and aircraft, he said. The company not only optimizes the way each functions (down to specific drivers and their routes), the firm also employssophisticated systems to optimize carbon and energy efficiency across a singledelivery and delivery operations as a whole.
The process, which UPS calls "decarbonization synergy," ensures that packages get to their destinations with the least environmental impact without compromising delivery schedules and customer service, Leffin said. The company also is providing services forcustomers to help lighten the environmental tread of their packages. UPSintroduced a carbon offset program last October and expanded it to 36 countries this summer. Italso rolled out its Eco Responsible Packaging Program thisspring. The sustainability report isavailable at www.responsibility.ups.com/Sustainability.This year's report was assured by Deloitte & Touche LLP and checked bythe Global Reporting Initiative -- two other firsts for the company.
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Member News: Brad Penn® LubricantsAnnounce the Addition of Biogas Engine Oils
http://amref.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=119
American Refining Group, Inc. (ARG)manufacturer of quality Brad Penn® Lubricants announced the addition of Biogas Engine Oils to its quality line of Brad Penn®Lubricants. Brad Penn® Biogas Engine Oils are premium quality stationary gas engine oils with enhanced alkalinity reserve designed for use in applications where fuel gas is generated from anaerobic digestion ofmanure, compost and/or landfill residue.
Brad Penn® Biogas Engine Oil SAE 40 (#7286) is a high ash content (sulfated ash = 1.82% mass), high TBN (15) oildesigned for use in stationary gas engines where influent biogas contains highlevels of contaminants and corrosive agents such as hydrogen sulfide, organichalides and other harmful agents.
Brad Penn® Medium Ash Biogas Engine Oil SAE40 (#7290) provides a mid-range TBN( 8.9), medium ash content (sulfated ash =0.99% mass) product for use in stationary gas engines where the influent biogascontains moderate levels of contaminants and corrosive agents or inapplications where engine design and operation does not permit the use of highash content.
“The Brad Penn® Biogas Engine Oil(s) wereformulated and tailored specifically to service stationary internal combustionengines, modified to run where influent gas (methane) is generated fromanaerobic digestion of animal manure, compost and/or landfill residue. The gasproduced via this process contains high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S)and other contaminants inherently corrosive to engine components. Essentially, an engine oil was needed with specific chemistry/characteristics,like “reserve alkalinity”, to neutralize the acid produced and to protectengines from damage”, stated Ken Tyger, Technical Service Representative forARG.
“Our involvement materialized out of necessity, when we became aware of the growing populace of farmers incorporating an aerobic digestion technology without detailed background and/orexplanation on the actual corrosive nature and volatility of the digester gas,which typically contains 60% CH4 (Methane), 40% CO2 (Carbon Dioxide), traceamounts of H2O (Water), H2S (Hydrogen Sulfide) and NH4 (Ammonia). Additionally,little guidance was provided on the selection of an appropriate engine oillubricant. With actual data on anaerobic digestion readily available forseveral decades, many farmers were well versed on the actual “ins and outs” ofthe technology as well as with the variety of Stationary Gas engines utilized,including Caterpillar®, Jenbacher®,Waukesha®,GM®,Ford® and the Spanish made Guascor®. However, the aforementioned oilselection was another matter, and farmers utilizing methane powered engineswere essentially left to rely on word of mouth when selecting “proper” engineoil. Engines powered by biogas require an oil to have high alkalinity toneutralize the acid generated by H2S during the combustion process. The‘caveat’ is, and always will be, the need to closely and carefully monitor theoil, while in use, in order to establish satisfactory drain intervals whileinsuring that the engine is being properly protected. This evaluationincludes carefully selected oil sampling intervals; prompt testing of the usedoil at each interval to insure that the oil is not beyond its useful life,establishing trend for “critical” performance parameters such as TBN,Viscosity, Acid Number, Oxidation/Nitration and individual(s) to properlyinterpret and explain oil analyses. In a nutshell, selling this product meansproviding a significant level of service and expertise to make certain that theproduct performs the way it should. Biogas Engine Oil IS NOT a product that amanufacturer/distributor can simply supply to the end user/customer and walkaway”, stated Mr. Tyger.
Ben Postles from Penn England Farmswhich is a 1,800 cow dairy farm in Williamsburg, PA was among one of the firstfarms to use the Brad Penn® Bio Gas Engine Oils in the farms digesterengine. Mr. Postles states “We have doubled our oil change interval withno evidence of engine wear on an engine that has over 33,000 hours of operationand on top of that it costs 40% less than the oil we were previouslyusing. The oil has performed better than I ever expected.”
“Our continuing research shows installation/implementation of these anaerobic digesters is expanding rapidlythroughout the United States. According to the AgSTAR® Program, as of April2010, there are an estimated 151 anaerobic digester systems operating atcommercial livestock farms throughout the United States (31 states in total).ARG has identified the development of lubricant for methane powered engines asbeing a unique opportunity for all involved, particularly since it is still, inmany facets, within the early stages”, stated Jennifer Taylor, MarketingSpecialist for ARG.
The Brad Penn® Biogas Engine Oils areavailable in bulk, tote and 55 gallon drum containers. The Bradford, PA refinery, blending andpackaging operations are ISO 9001:2008 certified and was the first refinery inthe U.S.A. to become ISO 9002 certified. The refinery stretches over 2 ½miles and contains a fully automated state-of-the-art packagingfacility. The refinery is the oldest, continuously operated lube oilrefinery in the world and the only refinery processing 100% Pennsylvania GradeCrude Oil. It is truly the last MADE IN THE U.S.A. major lubricant refineryprocessing 100% Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil.
In 1997, American Refining Group, Inc. purchased theKendall® / Amalie® refinery located in Bradford, PA, from WitcoCorporation. As a result of the sale of the Kendall® andAmalie® brands to a third party, a new name was given to theproducts produced at the site-Brad Penn® Premium PennsylvaniaGrade Lubricants.
American Refining Group, Inc. is aprivately held, ISO 9001:2008 certified refinery. American RefiningGroup, Inc. is a manufacturer and blender of quality Brad Penn® brandedlubricants, packager of private label lubricants and a premierrefiner of petroleum specialty products.
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Member News: DEP's Dan GriffithsRetiring, Andrew Place Named Acting Deputy
http://paenvironmentdaily.blogspot.com/2010/07/deps-dan-griffiths-retiring-andrew.html
Daniel Griffiths, Deputy Secretary forEnergy and Technology Deployment, announced his retirement this week from the Department of Environmental Protection. Griffithsserved in the position since June of 2008. Prior to his appointment as deputyhe served as Director of the Bureau of Energy, Innovations and TechnologyDeployment. Before arriving at DEP,Griffiths worked for nearly seven years as a senior analyst with the state'sOffice of Consumer Advocate. There, he represented consumer interests in casesbefore the electricity grid operator PJM and the Federal Energy RegulatoryCommission. He also helped develop policies on renewable energy, distributed energy, and demand-side management, and analyzed energy supplies, prices and markets. From 1979 to 1997, Griffiths worked with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission in roles of increasingresponsibility, starting as a research analyst and later as the manager ofplanning and research in the Bureau of Consumer Services. During his last sevenyears with the PUC, he served as the energy assistant to then-Commissioner David W. Rolka.
Griffiths worked as a senior level executive in the private sector afterleaving the PUC. He served as vice president for corporate development at NewEnergy Ventures, the director of operations at the Energy CooperativeAssociation of Pennsylvania, and as a senior consultant for Customized EnergySolutions.
Andrew Place
AndrewG. Place was named Acting Deputy Secretary for Energy and Technology Deploymentat the Department of Environmental Protection. He is responsible for developingstate energy policies; for supporting economic development initiatives related to energy; for providing technical advice related to electricity, fuels andclimate change; and for supporting energy aspects of Pennsylvania’s emergencymanagement operations.
Prior to this, he served as Special Assistant for Energy and Climate Change toDepartment of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger.
Before entering public service in 2009, Mr. Place was a Research Fellow inCarnegie Mellon University’s Department of Engineering and Public Policy with aresearch interest in Carbon Capture and Sequestration Innovation. He earned hisB.A in economics from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Science in PublicPolicy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
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Chevrolet Takes Volt Orders; Pricing Announced
SAN JOSE, CA – Participating Chevrolet dealers in launch markets are taking customer orders for the 2011 Chevrolet Volt, the industry’s first electric vehicle with extended-range capability.
Chevrolet is so confident in the overall value of the Volt that the brand will offer a lease program on the Volt with amonthly payment as low as $350 for 36 months at Manufacturer’s Suggested RetailPrice with $2,500 due at lease signing, including security deposit based oncurrent conditions, which could vary at time of delivery. The benefit of the$7,500 tax credit is included in the reduced lease payment, with the tax creditgoing to the lessor. The Volt’s MSRP will start at $41,000 ($33,500 netof the full federal tax credit, which ranges from $0-$7,500) including adestination freight charge of $720. Customer deliveries of the Chevrolet Voltare scheduled to begin in launch markets late this year with initial productionlimited.
“The Chevrolet Volt will be the best vehicle in itsclass…because it’s in a class by itself,” said Joel Ewanick,vice president of U.S. marketing for General Motors, who made the announcementat the Plug-In 2010 conference. “No other automaker offers an electrically driven vehicle that can be your everyday driver, to take you wherever,whenever. The Volt will be packed with premium content and innovation, standard.”
The Volt will be initially available to Chevroletcustomers in California, New York, Michigan, Connecticut, Texas, New Jersey andthe Washington D.C. area. To be among the first to purchase a Volt, customerscan visit their nearest participating Chevrolet Volt dealer. A Volt dealerlocator is available at http://www.getmyvolt.com. The dealer willbegin the order process, which will be followed up by contact from a dedicatedVolt advisor who will be available to answer any questions and keep the customerapprised of the progress of their order. For customers needing general Voltinformation, Chevrolet will have a team of Volt advisors available to answerquestions starting today at 1-888-VOLT-4-YOU (1-888-865-8496).
The Chevrolet Volt is the only electric vehicle thatcan operate under a range of weather climates and driving conditions withlittle concern of being stranded by a depleted battery. Volt has a totaldriving range of about 340 miles and is powered by electricity at all times. For up to the first 40 miles, the Volt drives gas- and tailpipe-emissions-freeusing electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt’sbattery runs low, a gas powered range-extending engine/generator seamlesslyoperates to extend the driving range another 300 miles on a full tank.
Depending on their tax situation, Volt owners canqualify for up to $7,500 in U.S. Federal income tax credit, as well as otherpotential state and local tax credits, depending on location. Owners in certainstates may qualify for the added convenience of High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV)lane access.
While the Chevrolet Volt will come standard with a 120-volt charge cord that willprovide owners with the ability to charge their Volt directly from a standardhome electrical outlet, a total of 4,400 Volt buyers in launch markets could beeligible for a free 240-volt charging station, including home installation. The installations are part of a program developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to install approximately 15,000 240-volt home charging stations across the U.S.
Technologies Keep Volt Customers Connected
When it comes to advanced technology, Volt customersare on the leading edge. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt has standard technology features that link and entertain in innovative ways, starting with standardseven-inch touch screen navigation and an energy-efficient Bose premium audiosystem.
The Volt is the first GM vehicle to offer five years ofOnStar Directions and Connections service, which includes Automatic CrashResponse, stolen vehicle assistance and connected navigation, allstandard. Volt will expand on OnStar’s foundation of leading-edge safetyand security technology through the introduction of an OnStar-enabledmobile app thatconnects the vehicle to the owner’s smartphone.
“We wanted to make the Volt ownership experience unlikeanything we’ve done at Chevrolet, because the Volt is unlike any vehicle we’veoffered,” said Tony DiSalle, director of Chevrolet Volt product marketing. “Wewant customers to fully enjoy the Volt lifestyle by providing unprecedentedconnectivity to their vehicle through the Volt mobile app.”
Unprecedented Warranties Bring Value and Peace of Mind
Volt owners will be provided outstanding battery andvehicle limited warranties. The Volt’s 16-kWh lithium-ion battery is covered byan industry-leading transferable warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles. Inaddition, Chevrolet will provide:
· 3-year/ 36,000-mile bumper-to-bumper coverage
· 5-year/ 100,000-mile roadside assistance and courtesy transportation
· 5-year/100,000-milelimited gas engine coverage
· 6-year/100,000-milecorrosion protection coverage
The Volt also has an array of standard safety features,including eight air bags -- dual-stage frontal, side-impact, knee, androof-rail side-impact—and StabiliTrak electronic stability control withTraction Control. The Volt is constructed of 80 percent high-strengthsteel for additional safety and protection.
Chevrolet will also provide customer assistance via aVolt advisor available 24/7 by phone or Internet. Dealers will also provideon-site dedicated Volt service and sales experts who will be able to addressinquiries.
About Chevrolet: Chevrolet is a global automotive brand, with annualsales of about 3.5 million vehicles in more than 130 countries. Chevroletprovides consumers with fuel-efficient, safe and reliable vehicles that deliverhigh quality, expressive design, spirited performance and value. In the U.S.,the Chevrolet portfolio includes: iconic performance cars, such as Corvette andCamaro; dependable, long lasting pickups and SUVs, such as Silverado andSuburban; and award-winning passenger cars and crossovers, such as Malibu,Equinox and Traverse. Chevrolet also offers gas-friendly solutions includingthe Cruze Eco and Volt, both arriving in late 2010. Cruze Eco will offer up toan estimated 40 mpg highway while the Chevrolet Volt will offer up to 40 milesof electric, gas-free driving and an additional 300 miles of extended rangethrough a gas powered generator (figures based on GM testing; official EPAestimates not yet available). Most new Chevrolet models offer OnStarsafety, security, and convenience technologies including OnStar Hands-FreeCalling, Automatic Crash Response, and Stolen Vehicle Slowdown. Moreinformation regarding Chevrolet models, fuel solutions, and OnStar availabilitycan be found at www.chevrolet.com or join the conversation at www.chevroletvoltage.com.
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Constellation NewEnergy launches website
http://www.pottsmerc.com/articles/2010/07/05/business/srv0000008754871.txt
BALTIMORE — Constellation NewEnergy, a subsidiary of Constellation Energy (NYSE: CEG), announced it has developed a website to make it easier for businesses and public-sector energy customers to find the latestinformation on their electric choice options.
"Our new website, www.newenergy.com/pa, makes it easy forPennsylvania's commercial energy users to navigate the competitive energymarket," said David I. Fein, vice president of Constellation Energy anddirector of retail energy policy. "We developed this site to help businesses currently shopping for electricity, and for businesses that areentering the competitive marketplace when rate caps expire throughout the restof the state at the end of the year. Businesses can see how the competitivemarketplace works, find the latest seminars and Webinars to learn more, and geta no-obligation quote to compare prices."
The website features the NewEnergy Blog, which offers discussions on shapingthe future of energy, a breakdown of each service provider's default rates, achecklist to compare energy companies, and upcoming Webinars and seminars.
"Our goal was to offer customers a complete resource at theirfingertips," Fein said. "Customers can find out everything they needto know about electric choice at their own pace when it is convenient forthem."
Constellation NewEnergy began offering services last year in the PPL region and has signed a number of agreements with commercial, industrial, non-profit andgovernment entities, including Yuengling Brewery, Pennsylvania FoundryAssociation, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and thePennsylvania League of Cities and Municipalities. It has begun signingcontracts with customers in the PECO, Penelec, Met-Ed and Allegheny Powerservice territories, where rate caps will expire on Dec. 31.
Constellation NewEnergy (www.newenergy.com) is a leading competitive supplierof electricity, natural gas and energy-related services to commercial,industrial and institutional customers throughout the United States.
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ARMTech Showcase of Industry &Technology
| The ARMTech Showcase of Industry & Technology is right in our backyard and a great way for business owners to talk face to face with purchasing managers from key prime companies like Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman. These prime companies are required by the Federal government to conduct a percentage of their business with small business. Industry leaders in the fields of electro-optics, advanced manufacturing, medical research, aerospace and defense convene each year at ARMTech. The ARMTech Showcase of Industry & Technology provides the venue for local and regional companies to develop new relationships and renew old acquaintances. Now in its twelfth year, the ARMTech Showcase of Industry & Technology has been coordinated to develop local supplier relationships. The Showcase provides local companies and business leaders the opportunity to network and establish working relationships with other companies and organizations from within the region and across the United States. Additionally, ARMTech Connect is an online database that provides companies the ability to search for a particular product, service, piece of equipment or the capabilities of member companies. ARMTech Connect provides a way for companies to learn more about the capabilities of exhibiting companies and to help in identifying and matching suppliers or partners. For more information, attached is a schedule of events and registration form or visit the website: www.armstrongidc.org and click on the ARMTech tab. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
Keystruct Construction, Inc. is honoredwith top awards
York, PA (July 2010) – Keystruct Construction,Inc. is extremely proud to announce its latest honor. The company has recentlyreceived four Awards of Excellence and five Merit Awards from the Keystone Chapter, Associated Builders and Contractors forthe 21st Annual Excellence in Construction Awards Program. Approximately 300 contractors, project owners,design professionals and guests were in attendance to help celebrate the 2010 ABC Excellence in Construction Program.
Keystruct took top honor in the General Contractor Industrial over $ 2 Million with its Essroc Administration Building project in Martinsburg, WV. The company also received an excellence award for General Contractor Pre-Engineered Buildings for the Traffic Control Services building located in Middletown, PA. Keystruct’s work at 3001 W. Market Streetin York, PA earned an Excellence In Construction Award for Special Projects andthe final Excellence in Construction Award was for the Dentsply International Lancaster Logistics Center in Lancaster, PA. Upon receiving these honors, the four projects are now eligible to be entered into the ABC National Excellence in Construction Awards.
The Merit Awards Keystruct received included the 2800 Concord Road project completed for Service Tire, York, PA; construction of a new fellowship hall for Bermudian Church of the Brethren,East Berlin, PA; renovation work completed at Linden Hall School for Girls,Lititz, PA; medical renovations completed for Memorial Hospital Fast ER, York,PA; and construction of the Essroc Clinker Storage Hall Foundation in Martinsburg, WV.
ABC Keystone’s Excellence in Construction Awards program has become the premier competition within the construction industry, recognizing outstanding construction projects, and safety programs, across the region. This program helps to increase awareness within the community of the quality workmanship produced by free enterprise contractors.
The Keystone Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors holds the awards program to showcase the hard work,dedication and quality workmanship of contractors and suppliers throughoutsouth central Pennsylvania. ABC is a national trade association representing more than 23,000 merit shop contractors, specialty contractors, suppliers and services providers in 80 chapters across the United States.
Keystruct Construction, Inc. is an ABC Accredited Quality Contractor based in York, Pa. Founded in 1995, Keystruct, www.keystruct.com, provides turnkey construction services to companies in the Mid-Atlantic region. Keystruct’s services include site development, concrete construction, steelfabrication and erection, new building design and construction, building renovations and energy services. Keystruct specializes in industrial,commercial and medical projects.
Centre County Resident Wins $35,000 NewEnergy Idea Contest!
State College, PA – The Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program (PennTAP) and BenFranklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA todayannounced the winner of their “New Energy Idea Contest.” The grand prizeof $35,000 was awarded to Mr. Mark Leiby at a check presentation event held at BenFranklin’s office located at 115 Technology Center in Innovation Park. Mr. Leiby, Lead Technologist of Aerokinetic Systems LLC, has developed aprocess for the vaporization of heavy hydrocarbons that can increase combustion efficiency by 20-25% while also reducing greenhouse emissions. The invention can be used to efficiently vaporize a number ofhydrocarbon materials including JP8, diesel, and bio-diesel, among others.
The prize money for the contest was provided by Ben Franklin as well as PennTAP utilizing a donation made by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Ben Franklin was proud to partner withthe PennTAP program, since the technical assistance they provide their clientsin energy-related initiatives makes a significant contribution in the state.
About Ben Franklin Technology Partners
Ben Franklin Technology Partners CNP, aninitiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and EconomicDevelopment, and funded by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority,provides operational assistance, entrepreneurial support, and investmentcapital to emerging tech-based companies and small, existing manufacturers forthe purpose of creating and retaining jobs in Pennsylvania. Contact themain office of Ben Franklin in University Park at (814) 863-4559 or see ourwebsite at www.cnp.benfranklin.org
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Renewables Dominate New Power in Europe, US
http://www.euractiv.com/en/energy/renewables-dominate-new-power-in-europe-us-news-496394
More than half of all new electricity capacity added inthe United States and Europe last year was from renewable power such as windand solar, a body backed by the International Energy Agency and the UNreported.
Background
European leaders signed up in March 2007 to a binding EU-wide target to source 20% of their energy needs from renewables, includingbiomass, hydro, wind and solar power, by 2020. To meet this objective, EU leaders agreed a new directive on promoting renewable energies, which set individual targets for each member state. Last year was also arecord year for the amount of new green power added to the grid, partly aresult of shifting deployment and manufacturing from flagging developedcountries to emerging economies including Brazil, India and China. "In2009, China produced 40% of the world's solar PV supply, 30% of the world'swind turbines, up from 10% in 2007," REN21, or the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century, said in a report on Thursday (15 July).
REN21, launched in 2005, is supported by theInternational Energy Agency (IEA) - which advises 28 industrialised countries -and by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Of an extra 80 gigawatts (GW) of newrenewable power capacity added worldwide, China added 37 GW, more than anyother country, said the study, titled 'Renewables 2010: Global Status Report'.
Boom largely due to European support
Despite the impact of the financial crisis and loweroil prices, renewable capacity grew at rates close to those in previous years,including solar photovoltaic (PV) power at 53% and wind power at 32%, thereport said. Grid-connected solar PVpower had grown by an average of 60% every year for the past decade, increasing100-fold since 2000. Germany was the topmarket for solar PV, with 3.8 GW added, or more than half the global market.Spain, the world leader in 2008, saw installations plunge to a low level in2009 after a policy cap was exceeded.
For wind power, China was the top market, with13.8 GW added, representing more than a third of the world market. TheUnited States was second, with 10 GW added. In Sweden, biomass accounted for a larger share of energy supply thanoil for the first time. That boom has been largely on the back of support in European countries, where a recent pullback following recession has raised investor jitters. But the wind andsolar sectors were still poised for a record year in 2010, operators andinvestors say. While China is making great strides in renewable energy deployment, its carbon emissions also accelerated in 2009 – placing it further ahead as the world's top emitter ofthe main greenhouse gas blamed for climate change.
Italy cuts renewable incentives
Meanwhile, Italy's energy regulator chairman,Alessandro Ortis, said renewable energy incentives would cost the country's finances more than three billion euros in 2010. He said the incentives should be reviewed to avoid about a 20% rise in power bills by 2020. "For energy from incentives, we'repaying about three times the price of conventional energy," Ortis said in his annual speech on Thursday (15 July). "We need a review of the durationand the level of incentives, with particular attention to solar energy,"he added. Italy's government has decided to cut incentives to the sector in 2011-2013.
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PA Home Energy Program is Transitioned to the Private Sector for Statewide Expansion
GREENSBURG, PA – July 7, 2010 – The West Penn Power Sustainable Energy Fund (WPPSEF) and AFC First Corporation (AFC) have entered into an agreement that will enable AFC First Financial to continue to offer the PA Home Energy program throughout Pennsylvania with ongoing suppor tby Performance Systems Development (PSD). Under the agreement, AFC is charged with the day-to-day operations of PA Home Energy and the further statewide expansion of the program. PSD will continue to provide technical assistance, contractor mentoring, and quality assurance. AFC will administer the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program for the WPPSEF who retained the formal program sponsorship with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. WPPSEF received EPA’s ENERGY STAR Special Recognition Award forExcellence in Energy Efficiency in 2009 and 2010. This nationally competitive award recognizes the WPPSEF for its commitment to energy efficiency and environmental protectionas an ENERGY STAR Partner.
Michele Ponchione, WPPSEF Board President, indicted that “AFC First has a demonstrated track record ofoperating successful, statewide residential energy efficiency programs inPennsylvania and this agreement will strengthen both the PA Home Energy and Keystone HELP programs”. Since itsinception in 2006, Keystone HELP has worked with the PA Treasury Department, PA Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Housing and Finance Authority, and the WPPSEF to place over 6,000 loans having a loan value of$31,000,000. Peter Krajsa, CEO of AFC First Financial, remarked, “that the agreement will allow AFC to fully integrate the PA Home Energy program into our financial offerings and the atthis agreement will broaden the support for the PA Home Energy program andprovide a sustainable model for continued program operation and expansion.
Since its inception in August 2007, the PA Home Energy program provided a framework by which the emerging Pennsylvania residential energy efficiency industry became established. “Prior to August 2007, there were only ahandful of RESNET and BPI Building Analyst I certified individuals in thestate. PA Home Energy has completelytransformed the residential energy efficiency marketplace,” remarked KathyGreely, with PSD. PSD and the WPPSEF have worked closely to establish a well-trained thriving workforce of RESNET& BPI Building Analyst I certified individuals in Pennsylvania. The program has trained over 150 individuals and credentialed more than 80 companies throughout Pennsylvania providing whole-house diagnostic energy audits and new home ratings to ENERGY STAR standards. Michael Sanjek, AFC Vice President of Home Performance and Marketing, will serve as the Director of PA Home Energy. Sanjek is an experienced energy industry marketing and management professional who will work with PSD’score Pennsylvania team of Greely, Alex Mordas, and Jim Phelps for programimplementation and lead the expansion efforts of PA Home Energy.
Source: Joel Morrison, WPPSEF
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Portable Infrared Analyzers AssistPennsylvania with its State Mandated Biodiesel Program
In October 2005, Governor Edward G. Rendell announcedthat Pennsylvania would replace millions of gallons of conventional diesel withfuel made within the state and reduce its dependence on imported fossil fuels. This would help boost the state’s economy by creating new jobsassociated with the alternative fuel -- from farmers and producers todistributors and retailers. In July 2008, a House bill signed into law a staterenewable fuel standard mandating the percentage of biofuels available toconsumers to increase along with in-state production. As of September 2008, the first production level of 40 MMgy of biodiesel was attained and effective May 1, 2010, all diesel fuel sold at retail stations throughout Pennsylvania must contain 2% biodiesel.
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) is responsible for assuring compliance with the law. The PDA believes that astrong quality and oversight program is essential to the success,sustainability and commercialization of their renewable fuel standard. Testing the fuel at the 1200 retail motor fuel locations throughout the Statefor 2% biodiesel is one of their responsibilities.
The PDA chose the InfraCal Biodiesel Blend Analyzer manufactured by Wilks Enterprise, Inc. to use for compliance monitoring becausethe analyzer could be used in the field and had the required accuracy of 0.2 percent. They recently purchased eight InfraCal Analyzers -- one for eachof their seven regions (to be shared by 33 field staff) and one for theirheadquarters. While testing has not yet come into full swing, MikeRader, the lead person on all renewable and alternative energy efforts for thePDA, estimates that they will run approximately 2000 samples annually for theon-road program. If pending legislation that includes a biodiesel mandatefor both bio-heat and off-road fuel goes through, another billion gallons ofbiodiesel blended fuel will be added to the 1.6 billion gallons now incirculation for on-road diesel use. This would easily add another 2000biodiesel blend tests per year for the PDA.
The InfraCal Biodiesel Blend Analyzer is a portablemid-infrared analyzer. The approved methods for biodiesel measurement are ASTMD 7371 in the US and EN 14078 in Europe -- both specify mid-infrared for the measurement of the biodiesel or FAME (fatty acid methyl ester) blendratio. Infrared analysis works well for FAME because the biodiesel esterhas characteristic infrared absorption due to the carbonyl band at 5.7micrometers or 1745cm-1. As the concentration of biodieselgoes up, the infrared absorbance at that wavelength increases. Theinfrared absorbance can be directly calibrated to readout in percentbiodiesel.
Since the InfraCal Biodiesel Blend Analyzer is small (6inches square), lightweight ( less than 5 lbs), rugged (no moving parts) andcan be operated from a battery pack or a cigarette lighter adapter cable, itfits the requirements needed for traveling to retail stations to make on-site measurements. The operation simply involves putting a sample on theexposed sample plate, pressing the “run” button and in less than a minute, thedisplay reads the percent biodiesel in the fuel sample.
When the PDA finds a fuel that is out of compliance, asample is sent to the headquarters for further testing. If that sample is verified as out-of-compliance, the department checks the required bill oflading tracking system that follows the fuel as it travels from the biodieselproducer to the blender, to the distributor, and finally to there tail location. With this paper trail, the PDA can identify the entity responsible for the out of compliance fuel and a correction can be enacted.
Source: Wilks Enterprise, Inc.
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$122 Million Grant to Convert Sunlight to Fuel
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/07/22/BUP51EIF3H.DTL
New light at the end of the carbon tunnel?
Scientists from UC Berkeley, Stanford University and the California Institute of Technology have been given $122 million to come up with ways toproduce fuels directly from sunlight.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced the grant Thursday to a team led by Caltechin Pasadena, also includiing Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, UC Berkeley and Stanford. The team's mission: Developpractical methods of manufacturing "carbon neutral" fuels similar tothe way plants create energy via photosynthesis.
"Finding a cost-effective way to produce fuels asplants do - combining sunlight, water and carbon dioxide - would be a gamechanger, reducing our dependence on oil and enhancing energy security,"said Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman in announcing the grant.
"We're not talking about solar panels," said Peidong Yang, a professor of chemistry at UC Berkeley who heads theBay Area branch of the project. "We are going to develop technology toconvert solar energy directly into chemical fuels like methanol, ethanol orjust gasoline, through CO2 reduction."
The five-year project is to be conducted under the auspices of the officially named Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, or, by its more user-friendly name, the "Fuels from Sunlight Energy InnovationHub." It's the second "energy innovation hub" set up by the Obama administration to "pursue transformative breakthroughs in technology that can help us meet our energy and climate challenges."
In May, the DOE announced a nuclear energy hub led by Oak Ridge NationalLaboratory in Tennessee. Third onthe DOE's docket: a hub looking to make advances in energy-efficient buildings.
Nature's model solution: Scientists have a pretty good handle on howphotosynthesis works in the natural world, but only in principle on how itmight be adapted artificially and commercially.
The Sunlight hub's mandate, according to a DOE factsheet, is "to demonstrate a scalable and cost-effective solar fuelsgenerator that, without the use of rare materials or wires, robustly producesfuel from the sun 10 times more efficiently than current crops" (links.sfgate.com/ZKAF).
In other words, to beat nature at its own game - withall the challenges that entails.
"This is something you can't do today," said Anders Nilsson, a Stanford University scientist who will be workingon the project alongside colleagues at the Stanford-run SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory in Menlo Park."The idea is to conduct research to see if this can be developed. If thiscould work, it would have a huge impact that will change our society."
"In order to replace fossil fuels, we need to geta lot more proficient at harvesting sunlight and converting it into forms ofenergy that can be used for transportation and other human needs," said Paul Alivisatos, director of the Berkeley lab where the Bay Areabranch of the project will be headquartered.
"Nature provides a model solution to this problemthrough photosynthesis. We want to emulate this process but do it withartificial materials that could be much more efficient and use much lessland."
Pie in the sky? To one Berkeley alternative- energy analyst, who didnot wish to be quoted by name, "it sounds like another 'breakthroughtechnology' Hail Mary pass."
On the other hand, UC Berkeley energy professor Daniel Kammen, who is not associated with the project, says,"there could be applications for this in a very few years."
"I really would not put a timeline on the commercialization of such a technology, as it does not exist today," saidYang. "What we hope is that through such concentrated large scale research,we're able to expedite its development and implementation."
The project, which also involves UC campuses in Santa Barbara, Irvine and San Diego, is scheduled to get off the ground this year,according to the DOE.
"Which means right now," Yang said.
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Wind Farm 'Mega-project' Underway in Mojave Desert
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-windfarm-20100727,0,7972223.story
TheAlta Wind Energy Center — with plans for thousands of acres of turbines togenerate electricity for 600,000 Southern California homes — officially breaksground Tuesday.
It's being called the largest wind power project in thecountry, with plans for thousands of acres of towering turbines in the MojaveDesert foothills generating electricity for 600,000 homes in SouthernCalifornia. And now it's finally kickinginto gear.
The multibillion-dollar Alta Wind Energy Center has had a tortured history,stretching across nearly a decade of ownership changes, opposition from localresidents and transmission infrastructure delays. But on Tuesday, the project is officiallybreaking ground in the Tehachapi Pass, a burgeoning hot spot for wind energyabout 75 miles north of Los Angeles. When completed, Alta could produce threetimes as much energy as the country's largest existing wind farm, analystssaid. It's slated to be done in the next decade.
The project will probably be a wind power bellwether, affecting the way renewable energy deals are financed, the development of new electricity storagesystems and how governments regulate the industry, said Billy Gamboa, arenewable energy analyst with the California Center for Sustainable Energy. "It's a super-mega-project— it'll definitely set a precedent for the rest of the state and have a prettylarge impact on the wind industry in general," he said.
The project's developer, New York-based Terra-Gen Power, plans to coax three gigawatts of power from the wind farm over the next eight years. It has ledsome industry experts to predict that California might have a shot atreclaiming the wind energy crown from competitors such as Texas and Iowa. "Alta's an absolutely enormous projectin probably the most promising wind resource area that remains in thestate," said Ryan Wiser, a renewable energy analyst at Lawrence BerkeleyNational Laboratory. "It's the single biggest investment in Californiawind project assets in decades and is likely the largest the state is evergoing to see."
Southern California Edison agreed in 2006 to buy 1,550 megawatts of electricity from Alta over 25 years, one of the heftiest power purchase agreements eversigned. That would be enough energy to serve 275,000 homes and is twice thecapacity of the country's largest existing wind farm, a 735-megawatt project inTexas.
Terra-Gen is building Alta as a collection of wind farms; it has finished funding and started building the first group of five. The cluster's 290 turbines will be scattered across 9,000 acres, most of which are leased fromprivate landowners. As early as next year, executives said, the turbines couldstart producing enough power to boost California's wind energy output more than25% while creating thousands of local jobs. By 2015, another batch of farms, with roughly 300 turbines — some withblades spanning nearly the length of a football field — is expected to beproducing an additional 830 megawatts. Beyond that, details are scarce.
"The first Alta phases are very real, but future phases might be a littleless tangible," said Matt Kaplan, a senior analyst with IHS Emerging Energy Research. "We've seen California utilities sign a lot of powerpurchase agreements for not necessarily the most realistic projects."
For years, Alta seemed to some like just another ambitious pipe dream tied upin red tape and stymied by a lack of transmission lines to carry the energy tocustomers. The project was originallyconceived as the Alta-Oak Creek Mojave initiative in the early 2000s byAustralian infrastructure fund Allco Finance Group. But when the firm wentbankrupt in 2008, Terra-Gen bought control of Alta for $325 million. The permitting process took about threeyears, said Steve Doyon, vice president and head of development for Terra-Gen.
Along the way, Terra-Gen had to abandon several proposed sites because oflandowners' concerns about noise and frosty turbine blades slinging chunks ofice. Some worried that the skyscraping structures could malfunction andcollapse or impede firefighting efforts. Last year, a petition opposing part of the project collected more than1,000 signatures. The Federal Aviation Administration also jumped in, sayingthat some of the proposed turbines would interfere with flights at the nearbyMountain Valley Airport.
"We're not against green energy in any way, but there just comes a timewhen you say that this is my community and I don't want turbines encroaching infull view," said Merle Carnes, president of the Old West Ranch Property Owners Assn. "There's room somewhere else."
The Alta project had other big hurdles. California has been falling behind inthe wind power race, increasing its capacity just 7% in 2008 while Texas andIowa each doubled theirs. Pockets wherehigh wind is common — such as the Altamont Pass in Northern California and theSan Gorgonio Pass near Palm Springs — ran out of space early on, crammed with small turbines using inefficient old technology, analyst Wiser said. That hasled to just "dribs and drabs" of installation over the last two decades. The Tehachapi area is one of the few windy regions left with room to grow, he said.
Edison has been making headway on its Tehachapi Renewable Transmission Project,connecting alternative-energy projects such as Alta to electricity-hungry citycenters. The utility is trying to meet a statewide goal for investor-ownedutilities to use renewable energy for 33% of all power supplied to customers by2020.
Previously tight-fisted investors also are more confident about financingrenewable energy projects. Terra-Gen recently secured $1.2 billion in fundingfor the Alta project. Vestas-AmericanWind Technology said last week that it would deliver 190 turbines to Alta, thelargest order ever for the turbine-making company. It was unable to land anycontracts last year because of the credit crunch.
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