Ballard's Fuel Cell system wins innovation award and fuels several large zero-emission electricity production plants

Ballard has been researching fuel cells for over 10 years and for a long time was focusing on fuel cell powered cars and busses.  It's nice to see them developing utility scale fuel cell systems because honestly that's the best place for fuel cells to be used, in stationary electricity production systems rather than mobile ones like on a car.

What they're describing is way cool - using hydrogen in a fuel cell to produce power, and then make secondary use of the heat produced in the fuel cell to generate steam or heat in buildings or industrial processes.

The only real concern is the source of the hydrogen to run the fuel cell.  Often hydrogen is extracted from natural gas using a steam reforming system.  Hydrogen extracted from a fossil fuel is hardly a good idea, right?  But that's what is often done.  In the three projects listed below the hydrogen source is identified in two:- "byproduct hydrogen" at a "bleach plant", and "steam reformation of biogas coming from a landfill" (e.g. methane).  Both of those are way cool hydrogen sources though in actuality I wonder about whether it's better to just burn the methane rather than go through the steam reformation to get hydrogen to run a fuel cell.

In any case the third project, at a First Energy power plant near Cleveland, it isn't so clear what the hydrogen source is.  Given that it's at a power plant there would be plenty of natural gas on hand to reform and extract the hydrogen.  Sigh.

 

 

Ballard CLEARgen(TM) Fuel Cell System Wins Innovation Award; Seen As Leader in DG Market

VANCOUVER, Oct. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD) (NASDAQ: BLDP) announced that it is the recipient of Frost & Sullivan's "2011 New Product Innovation Award" in the North American Stationary Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) Fuel Cell category for the Company's unique CLEARgen(TM) multi-megawatt distributed power generation system.

"This award recognizes Ballard's technological leadership and strong market position in the commercialization of PEM fuel cells for distributed energy generation," said Tomasz Kaminski, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst. "Ballard's solution surpasses the competition in terms of fuel cell durability, product cost and load-following capability, all keys to commercially viable grid-scale solutions."

The New Product Innovation Award is presented to the company that has excelled relative to the following criteria: innovative elements of the product; leveraging leading edge technologies in the product; value added features/benefits of the product; increased customer ROI; and customer acquisition/penetration potential.

John Sheridan, Ballard President and CEO said, "With the CLEARgen(TM) system, our customers can produce clean, reliable power and reduce their demand for grid electricity. This can create significant cost savings, while simultaneously reducing customers' environmental footprint."

Powered by Ballard's proprietary FCgen(TM)-1300 proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells, the CLEARgen(TM) system is a complete solution designed to generate clean energy from hydrogen. Modular 500 kilowatt (kW) PowerBanks are combined to produce multiple megawatts (MW's) of zero-emission electricity, with heat created by the system also providing the opportunity for hot water and space heating. The system can operate continuously to meet baseload power needs, or intermittently to provide peak power during times of high demand.

Ballard's early work with CLEARgen(TM) has led to a number of notable contracts, including:

• A 1MW CLEARgen(TM) system, the largest PEM fuel cell system in North America, has been installed at FirstEnergy Corp.'s Eastlake plant, near Cleveland, Ohio for use in a utility load management demonstration project.  FirstEnergy Corp. activates the hydrogen-fuelled generator during periods of peak demand, taking strain off the power grid and ensuring uninterrupted power to customers. Results during the first year of operation have been positive.
• Next year, K2 Pure Solutions will deploy a CLEARgen(TM) system at its bleach plant in Pittsburg, California. The system will convert by-product hydrogen into clean load-following electricity that will partially offset power demand at the state-of-the-art facility.
• Also in 2012, Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. will site a 1MW CLEARgen(TM) system at its sales and marketing headquarters in Torrance, California. The system will provide peak electrical power and heat to a number of locations on Toyota's multi-building campus, utilizing hydrogen produced by steam-reformation of renewable bio-gas generated at a landfill.

Commercialization of the CLEARgen(TM) system is being supported by extending operating life and lowering product cost through a project funded by Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), an arm's-length, not-for-profit corporation created by the Government of Canada.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research in order to identify best practices in the industry.

About Ballard Power Systems

Ballard Power Systems (TSX: BLD) (NASDAQ: BLDP) provides clean energy fuel cell products enabling optimized power systems for a range of applications. Products are based on proprietary esencia(TM) technology, ensuring incomparable performance, durability and versatility. To learn more about Ballard, please visit www.ballard.com.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best-in-class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best-practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages 50 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 40 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.

SOURCE  Frost & Sullivan
CONTACT: Public Relations: Guy McAree, +1-604-412-7919, media@ballard.com; Investor Relations: Lori Rozali, +1-604-412-3195, investors@ballard.com
Web Site: http://www.frost.com

"Net Zero" manufacturing plant built in Casa Grande AZ by Frito-Lay

Frito-Lay has been making some nice moves towards environmental responsibility such as buying electric delivery trucks.  We should remember however that their main product lines aren't exactly environmentally friendly, especially not their typical packaging choices.  In this case they've built a new factory, in Casa Grande Arizona, they claim is "near net zero" .. meaning, nearly produces net zero waste given the inputs to the factory.  This is a sort of milestone some companies are trying to reach, to reduce the negative environmental impact of their businesses.

The summary is - massive reduction of greenhouse gasses, massive reduction in water use, massive reduction in natural gas use.  Nice.

So let's look at and ponder what they've done:-

Water recycling: using membranes and reverse osmosis whatever gizmos they're able to recycle their "process water" to where it meets EPA guidelines for primary and secondary drinking water.  Check.  Cool.  I hope.

Electricity production:  The press release below says "10 million kilowatt-hours" which has to be referring to expected total electricity production per year, and doesn't refer to the rated capacity of the installation.  They've covered "36 acres of the facilities agricultural property" with solar panels (what? converting farm land to other uses? uh?), solar panels over the parking lot, and sterling engine electricity production gizmos.  Sounds way cool.

Natural gas reduction: This is about replacing natural gas as the fuel to run the plants steam boilers, and instead burn "wood and agricultural waste" as biomass in a boiler.  They need to produce steam for whatever purpose, question is how.  It's nice to not burn natural gas for this purpose.  But is it good to divert biomass from other uses to do this?  I keep hoping that agriculture would return to proper organic principles and use the biomass for compost rather than see it as "agricultural waste" that's only fit for burning.  As compost it would help the ground to be rich and lively.  But treating it as agricultural waste it's part of the process that's stripping the ground of nutrients.

Zero landfill: It's cool that they're recycling so much that only 1% of their stuff gets sent to the landfill.  Extensive recycling is good.  But they say they're using "food waste" as "cattle feed" .. uh .. and those cattle they're feeding food waste become our hamburgers don't they?  Uh?  This is good?

LEED certified factory:  Cool.  I hope.

 

 

Frito-Lay Unveils "Near Net Zero" Manufacturing Facility

Casa Grande facility leveraging renewable energy and recycled water to reach company milestone

PLANO, Texas, Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division today celebrated the success of its most ambitious environmental sustainability project to-date by announcing that its Casa Grande, Arizona, facility has reached "near net zero."  The "near net zero" vision was to transform an existing facility so that it would be as far "off the grid" as possible and run primarily on renewable energy sources and recycled water, while producing nearly zero landfill waste.

"As a company that relies on key natural resources like water and fuel, Frito-Lay has developed strategies to ensure our business remains sustainable, even if there are constraints on those resources," explains Al Carey, past CEO and president, Frito-Lay North America. "Frito-Lay and its parent, PepsiCo, are committed to finding innovative solutions that are right for the business and right for the environment. The 'near net zero' project is an industry-leading example of how the two successfully intersect."

Buildings in the United States are responsible for 39% of CO2 emissions, 40% of energy consumption and 13% of water consumption, making environmental sustainability initiatives for new and existing buildings a significant opportunity. In fact, greater building efficiency can help meet 85% of future U.S. demand for energy.

Frito-Lay invested in and implemented a combination of technologies to enable the Casa Grande plant to significantly reduce the use of key natural resources and reduce the site's overall environmental footprint. Using innovative technologies, the Casa Grande facility is generating 2/3 of all energy used from renewable sources and is working toward significant reductions:

• 50% reduction of greenhouse gases
• 75% of water is recycled
• 80% reduction of natural gas usage

"Frito-Lay set out to create an environmental learning lab in our Casa Grande plant that would try to make the plant 'near net zero,'" said Al Halvorsen, senior director of environmental sustainability, Frito-Lay North America.  "Our approach to significantly reduce the use of natural resources and the environmental impact of a manufacturing site has been cutting edge and today marks a major milestone for Frito-Lay and PepsiCo."

• Water Reduction: The Casa Grande facility installed a water recovery and reuse system that combines Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR) and Low-Pressure Reverse Osmosis (LPRO) technologies to recycle from 50% to 75% of water.  The recycled process water meets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) primary and secondary drinking water standards.
• Electricity Reduction:  Five separate and distinct solar photovoltaic (PV) systems, installed throughout the property, produce nearly 10 million kilowatt-hours (KWHs) of electrical power. Two solar fields of single axis tracking PV systems with more than 18,000 solar panels were installed on 36 acres of the facility's agriculture property. The three additional PV fields installed by the plant include a dual axis tracking system, a single axis covered parking lot and 10 sterling engine dual axis tracking systems.
• Natural Gas Reduction: The newly installed 60,000 pounds per hour (lb/hr) biomass boiler, which uses wood and agricultural waste as its combustion energy source, will produce all the steam needed for the manufacturing plant and will reduce natural gas usage by over 80%.
• Zero Landfill: As of 2010, the Casa Grande facility sends less than 1% of its overall waste to landfill through extensive recycling and using food waste for cattle feed.
• LEED: During the course of implementation, the Casa Grande facility became the first existing food manufacturing site to achieve LEED® Existing Building (EB) Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2009.

Moving forward, Frito-Lay will leverage key learnings from the Casa Grande plant and apply them to other facilities where appropriate.  Every Frito-Lay plant is identifying projects and approaches to get closer to "near net zero" and to significantly reduce its environmental footprint.

For more than a decade, Frito-Lay North America has been committed to reducing the use of key major resources and the company's overall environmental footprint.  The company has nearly reached or exceeded its aggressive conservation goals, based on 1999 levels, to reduce water use by 50%; natural gas by 30%; and electricity by 25%.  In addition, the company created an environmental strategy for its fleet to reduce fuel use by 50% by 2020.

Frito-Lay Casa Grande has been part of the Pinal County community for more than 25 years. The nearly 188,000-square foot building sits on 202 acres of land. Frito-Lay Casa Grande's more than 350 associates make some of America's favorite snack chips, including Lay's and Ruffles potato chips, Fritos corn chips, Tostitos and Doritos tortilla chips, and Cheetos cheese-flavored snacks.

About Frito-Lay

Frito-Lay North America is the $13 billion convenient foods business unit of PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), which is headquartered in Purchase, NY. Learn more about Frito-Lay at the corporate Web site, http://www.fritolay.com/, the Snack Chat blog, http://www.snacks.com/ and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fritolay.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo offers the world's largest portfolio of billion-dollar food and beverage brands, including 19 different product lines that generate more than $1 billion in annual retail sales each. Our main businesses -- Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay, and Pepsi Cola -- also make hundreds of other enjoyable foods and beverages that are respected household names throughout the world. With net revenues of approximately $60 billion, PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment, including by conserving energy and water usage, and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support, and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE  Frito-Lay North America
CONTACT: Aurora Gonzalez, Frito-Lay North America, +1-972-334-3821
Web Site: http://www.pepsico.com

GloPak Corp. opening a Solar-Powered Plastics Manufacturing factory on October 7th, 2011

As I mentioned in an earlier post today, there's a question whether it's good/preferable to convert farming land into industrial use.  Here we have an example of newly built a factory with a significantly sized (500 kilowatt) solar panel array on the roof.  There was also news today of an automotive repair shop near San Diego who also installed a solar panel array on their roof.  Both of these are examples of already-industrialized land being given another use to house a solar photovoltaic electricity plant.

That is, industrial land serving two purposes:

• the primary purpose for the facility (factory, warehouse, auto repair shop, etc)
• it's rooftop space being used to generate electricity using solar panels on the roof

This is

• cleanly generated electricity
• generated close to its point of use
• whose peak of production (the daytime) corresponds to the overall peak demand period (daytime)
• that's installed on land that's already industrialized (doesn't remove wilderness or farm land from those purposes)
• earns a second income for the business which owns the roof

A couple years ago I posted a "wouldn't it be neat if.." piece about the potential of those self-storage businesses to house photovoltaic solar electricity production.  They, like factories and other business buildings, are well situated to be house solar panels because of the large amount of roof space.

How can we encourage more of this?

 

 

GloPak Corp. Announces Grand Opening of Solar-Powered Plastics Manufacturing Facility on October 7th, 2011

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, N.J., Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- GloPak Corp., a full-service plastics manufacturer of industrial and recyclable custom garbage bags, film and liners for restaurants, hotels, hospitals and consumers markets, today announced that it will celebrate the grand opening of its new 80,000 square foot facility and corporate headquarters on Friday, October 7, 2011 at 132 Case Drive, South Plainfield, N.J.

The commemoration of this new plant is significant as it is one of a handful of plastics manufacturing plants in New Jersey using green energy to power its production process. Elected officials, local businesses and civic leaders will join GloPak Corp. management for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony, lunch and tour of the facility.

"As part of our commitment to the environment, focusing on green and sustainable solutions, the new South Plainfield facility will reduce its carbon footprint with the unveiling of our 500+ KW roof system and a three-acre solar energy field adjacent to the plant," stated GloPak's CEO, Harold Martin Sr. "GloPak's CO2 emission will be reduced by 690 Metric Tons of Carbon Dioxide every year. These efforts have improved core manufacturing processes without compromising product quality."

The new plant runs 24 hours, 7 days a week. The energy-efficiency effort of implementing solar technology is expected to save more than $90,000 in energy costs each year. The plant maintains a staff of over 20 full-time employees, and with the overall savings on energy, GloPak Corp. plans to hire additional workforce from the South Plainfield area within the next 18 months.

Additional media that would like to attend the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony are encouraged to make arrangement with GloPak Public Relations through glopakevents@gmail.com.

About GloPak Corp.

GloPak Corp. (http://www.glopakcorp.com) was founded in 1966 by Harold Martin Sr., and remains family owned and operated. GloPak produces polyethylene products, extrudes Grade A approved poly resins and is committed to providing the same high-quality products to end-users while promoting a healthy environment.

Media Contact:

Candace Sandy646.298.5506 or glopakevents@gmail.com

SOURCE  Glopak Corporation
Web Site: http://www.glopakcorp.com

ecoNoon has LED solution to compact fluorescent light bulb controversy

Compact fluorescent light bulb's have mercury in them.  This has some people alarmed because mercury contamination is a global problem.  However CFL's save enough electricity to cause enough less coal to be burnt to reduce mercury emissions from coal fired electricity more than the mercury in the bulb.  This is true but a difficult enough equation to get your head around that perhaps it's better, in some peoples minds, to not have mercury in the bulbs in the first place.

As a 20+ year user of CFL's I'm irritated that some are fighting against adopting CFL's because of this.  But as someone excited over LED light bulbs I'm glad to see advances being made there.

 

Light Bulb Controversy: LEDs from ecoNoon Light the Way

New Startup Invented World's First LED Light Modules Without PCB

PENANG, Malaysia, Oct. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- A new lighting technology and products from ecoNoon could provide the best LED lighting solutions to meet the world's growing need to save energy on lighting in commercial, industrial, residential and public spaces.

"Consumers who are looking to brighten up the dark days of searching for new products need to look no further than LED lighting solutions provided by ecoNoon. Energy used for lighting is an astronomical cost for businesses and consumers worldwide. If they can cut their energy bills by as much as 90 percent by using LED bulbs, they will do so in great numbers," said Ir Ooi Seoh Lin, Chief Marketing Officer of ecoNoon (http://www.ecoNoon.co).

Nearly 20 percent of the world's energy resources go toward lighting products.

"The United States is already on a path to move away from incandescent light bulbs and move toward fluorescent bulbs. But smart consumers will want to embrace the next technology leap forward, which is LED lighting solutions which offer better lighting with lower costs and power demands," he said. "LEDs have proven to be a successful technology for computer displays, television monitors, billboards and other devices. This trend toward adoption of LEDs will only continue to get stronger. The demand for LED lighting solutions worldwide is strong."

Fluorescent and HID lights contain toxic elements, including mercury and sodium. Hence, governments are beginning to require that consumers and companies adopt alternative lighting sources. The first step has been to move from incandescent to fluorescent, but the real savings come with LEDs.

"Furthermore, LEDs are non-toxic and require low energy, both advantages over the other lighting technologies. Color rendering of LEDs is also excellent," he said.

"ecoNoon's products stand out as saving more energy than most other LED bulbs, provide better environmental stewardship and last longer than other lighting products," he said. Part of the company's business model is to retrofit existing luminaries or lighting fixtures with LED light bulbs or light modules.

The company's energy saving product pipeline is in full swing:

• Globe Bulbs (GL series) are available now.
• HID (High Intensity Discharge Lamp)/Sodium Replacement Bulbs (SB series) is undergoing certification and will be available in October.
• Mini Spot Light Bulbs/Spot Light Bulbs (ML/SL series) will be ready in November.

Each bulb is guaranteed for at least 30K to 50K hours or five years, depending on wattages.

"What sets us apart from all other competitors is the fact that our patent-pending LED light modules have no Printed Circuit Board (PCB) in any of its finished products to power bulbs of all shapes and wattages up to 1,000 watts and higher. In fact, the lighting module's robust thermal solution can keep the temperature of the system well below 100 degrees C in any wattage. Most luminaries have a thermal management issue that does not show up until after a couple of months or years of operation, when the LED chips inside fail due to high operating temperatures. Hence, it's more costly to have ineffective light bulbs," he said.

In addition to providing commercial lighting and household lighting, the company can create LED lighting solutions for different industries and applications.

"We are strong in researching various applications and using our LED lamps to solve energy consumption problems for many different industries. We can customize bulbs to suit various applications and we can create a variety of colors. If there are any new applications, we can work together with the companies to come out with the best solutions. We prefer to work on unique applications that are truly innovative," he said.

"Our flagship product will be HID/Sodium Replacement Bulb which will retrofit all the street lighting without any fixtures required. The bulbs are lighter than existing bulbs and provide more power. They can also be used in factories and buildings and many places," he said.

"All human beings have a responsibility to reduce CO2 to stop global warming of our Mother Earth for the sake of future generations," he said.

About ecoNoon.co

ecoNoon was founded in June 2011 and is based in Penang, Malaysia.

ecoNoon is a true worldwide company. Research and development is conducted in Japan and the United States. Marketing is based in Malaysia. Components are made by several Japanese companies. Assembly is done in Penang.

The company has several patents pending.

To inquire about investment opportunities, go to http://www.econoon.co.

Contact:Ir Ooi Seoh LinChief Marketing Officermarketing@econoon.coMobile: +60 12 482 9263Office: +60 4 264 5928

SOURCE  ecoNoon
Web Site: http://www.ecoNoon.co

SunPower ready to build 25 megawatt solar farm in Modesto (McHenry Solar Farm)

Building a solar electric power production plant is more than ordering panels from a panel manufacturer.  There is a whole lotta equipment required such as the frames to hold the solar panels, wiring, power distribution panels, monitoring equipment, monitoring software, training and support, installation, etc.  SunPower has developed a pre-packaged product, the "SunPower Oasis power plant", to provide all the components required to build solar electric power plants from 1.5MW to over 500MW in capacity.

A new project by SunPower in Modesto gives us a look at how this works.

The Oasis product is sold in "1.5 MW power blocks".  The customer then buys enough of these blocks to fill the area they have available, connect them up to the electric grid, and profit.  It sounds a bit like pouring Lego bricks out on the floor and building something out of them, but I'm sure it takes a bit more time.

Each power block includes these components

• "Tracker" and "Solar panel":- This is solar panels held in a frame, held above the ground on posts, and able to tilt to follow the Sun as it rises in the morning passes overhead and sets in the evening.  Hence the panels must be installed on a north-south arrangement to follow the Sun as it passes from east to west.
• "Smart Inverter":- Provides "grid interoperability" to massage electricity from the panels, sending it into the grid at the voltage required by the grid.
• "DC Electrical distribution equipment":- The wires and junction boxes to bring power from the panels, to the inverter, and to the grid.
• "Tracker Monitoring and Control System" and SCADA:- Hardware and software to monitor the system.

The McHenry Solar Farm is owned by the Modesto Irrigation District.  It's a 154 acre site in an agricultural area in the Central Valley south of Sacramento.  The MID will also build an electrical switching station adjacent to the solar farm.

Hence, this appears to be an example of converting farm land to industrial use.  One wonders whether that's a good idea, or whether we should be focusing on building solar electric production facilities on land that's already industrialized.

 

http://us.sunpowercorp.com/power-plant/products-services/oasis-power-plant/

http://www.mid.org/solarfarm/default.htm

 

SunPower's 25-Megawatt McHenry Solar Farm Poised for Construction Start

Project to Create up to 144 Jobs and Inject $18.7 Million into Local Economy During Construction

SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 5, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWRA, SPWRB) today announced it expects to start construction on the 25-megawatt McHenry Solar Farm in Modesto, Calif. before the end of the year. The solar photovoltaic (PV) power project received unanimous approval by the Stanislaus County planning commission on September 15, 2011. During construction, it is expected to create up to 144 construction jobs and inject approximately $18.7 million into the local economy. Construction of the facility is contingent on the receipt of all remaining building permits, and is expected to be completed and operational by the second half of 2012.

Electricity produced by the solar PV project will serve the utility grid operated by Modesto Irrigation District (MID), helping the agency achieve California's 33 percent renewable portfolio standard.

"Solar power adds to the diversity of MID's power mix and is an excellent fit for our customers' energy needs," said MID Assistant General Manager of Electric Resources Roger VanHoy. "We have been impressed by SunPower's professionalism and knowledge to date, and are confident SunPower has the experience and technology to cost-effectively deliver a system that will reliably generate solar power for MID's customers for the next 25 years."

The plant will use the SunPower Oasis(TM) Power Plant product, a fully integrated, modular solar power block that is engineered to rapidly and cost-effectively deploy utility-scale solar projects while minimizing land use impacts. Each power block integrates the SunPower® T0 Tracker with SunPower's high-efficiency, E19 solar panel, pre-manufactured system cabling, the Oasis smart inverter, and the Oasis operating system. SunPower Oasis also features the SunPower advanced Tracker Monitoring and Control System (TMAC(TM)) for wireless control of the power plant. The power block kits are shipped pre-assembled to the job site for rapid field installation, and offer the highest capacity factor and the most reliable long-term performance.

"SunPower technology is fast to install, offers guaranteed performance, and is a competitively-priced choice for power," said Howard Wenger, president of SunPower's utility and power plant business group. "We commend MID for seizing the opportunity to help meet the state's growing energy demand and renewable energy goals."

About SunPower

SunPower Corp. (NASDAQ: SPWRA, SPWRB) designs, manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency, highest reliability solar panels and systems available today. Residential, business, government and utility customers rely on the company's quarter century of experience and guaranteed performance to provide maximum return on investment throughout the life of the solar system. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., SunPower has offices in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. For more information, visit www.sunpowercorp.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that do not represent historical facts and may be based on underlying assumptions. The company uses words and phrases such as "poised," "expects," "will," "contingent on," and "expected" to identify forward-looking statements in this press release, including forward-looking statements regarding (a) expected beginning of construction of the solar farm; (b) expected benefits of the solar farm; and (c) the expected completion date in 2012. Such forward-looking statements are based on information available to the company as of the date of this release and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some beyond the company's control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements, including risks and uncertainties such as: (i) construction difficulties or potential delays, including obtaining land use rights, permits, license, other governmental approvals, and transmission access and upgrades, and any litigation relating thereto; (ii) increasing competition in the industry and lower average selling prices, and impact on gross margin; (iii) timeline for revenue recognition and the impact on the company's operating results; (iv) the risk of continuation of supply of products and components from suppliers; (v) unanticipated problems with deploying the system on the site; and (vi) other risks described in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 2, 2011 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 3, 2011, and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any subsequent date, and the company is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any responsibility to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SunPower is a registered trademark of SunPower Corp.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE  SunPower Corp.
CONTACT: Ingrid Ekstrom, SunPower Corp., +1-510-260-8368, iekstrom@sunpowercorp.com
Web Site: http://www.sunpowercorp.com

Perhaps the rise of clean technology must require new companies to be started, rather than revolutionizing the incumbent companies.

Greenstart is focused on addressing the dependence on fossil fuels by facilitating the startup of companies to provide alternatives.

Applications for the January 26 – April 11 2012 program will be accepted until Saturday, November 12, 2011. Note: Applications are reviewed as they are received, so you have a better chance of being accepted if you apply early.


Cleantech Accelerator Greenstart Seeks Startups for Second Program

Startups to Receive $25,000 - $100,000, Mentoring and Access to Investors; Applications Close 11/18

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenstart, the first startup accelerator exclusively designed for cleantech companies, seeks applications for the company's second three-month accelerator session, which begins on January 23.  Submissions will be accepted until November 18 at www.greenstart.com/apply.

Greenstart discovers dynamic new business concepts from cleantech entrepreneurs and provides them with the essentials to grow successful next generation clean energy companies. Greenstart is particularly targeting "fast cleantech" startups - those that expand the use of clean energy or reduce the use of dirty energy while being capital efficient and quick to market.

Companies will be expected to develop a prototype of their product or service within 45 days, share a prototype with customers for validation and feedback within the program's timeframe, and have a strong likelihood of producing revenues within six months.

Entrepreneurs accepted into the program will receive $25,000 - $100,000 in seed funding, comprehensive mentoring from successful entrepreneurs, cleantech leaders and executives, and introductions to leading cleantech angel and venture capital investors.  During the program, participants will be expected to spend the majority of their time in San Francisco, where they will have access to the company's open and collaborative workspace, networking events, and additional company resources. The program will conclude with an investor presentation day on April 11, 2012.

"We are thrilled with the quality of companies that have joined our first program," said Greenstart Managing Partner Mitch Lowe, "We cannot wait to see what kind of bright ideas and entrepreneurial spirits come through the second round of applications."

Greenstart is currently working with its first four debut companies: SmarterShade, Sylvatex, Tenrehte Technologies, and Wa.tt.  For its next iteration, Greenstart intends to expand its program to 6-8 companies.

About Greenstart:

Greenstart is a cleantech accelerator program providing a fast runway to success for entrepreneurs addressing the energy challenge.  Greenstart provides seed funding, mentoring, and connections with fellow entrepreneurs and investors in order to give startups an advantage in launching the cleantech ideas of tomorrow.  The company is based in San Francisco. Additional information can be found atwww.greenstart.com.

SOURCE  Greenstart

CONTACT: Jane Park, 1-415-309-4305, jane@bluepractice.com
Web Site: http://www.greenstart.com

US Dept of Energy supporting rooftop solar power at U.S. Military Housing

The U.S. Military has a lot of housing on bases around the country, and in other countries, right?  So why not use that purchasing power to increase sales of solar panels?

 

 

Energy Department Loan Guarantee Would Support Large-Scale Rooftop Solar Power for U.S. Military Housing

September 7, 2011 - 2:10pm

Washington D.C. – U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the offer of a conditional commitment for a partial guarantee of a $344 million loan that will support the SolarStrong Project, which is expected to be a record expansion of residential rooftop solar power in the United States.  Under the SolarStrong Project, SolarCity Corporation will install, own and operate up to 160,000 rooftop solar installations on as many as 124 U.S. military bases in up to 33 states.  SolarCity expects the project to fund approximately 750 construction jobs over five years and 28 full time operating jobs.  Many of the jobs are expected to be filled by U.S. veterans and military family members, who will be recruited, trained and employed to install, operate and maintain the photovoltaic (PV) systems.

“This is the largest domestic residential rooftop solar project in history,” said Secretary Chu.  “This groundbreaking project is expected to create hundreds of jobs for Americans and provide clean, renewable power to our military families. It can also be a model for other large-scale rooftop solar projects that help America regain its lead in the solar industry.”

The project, which could create up to 371 megawatts of new solar capacity, includes the installation of residential rooftop PV systems on existing privatized military family residences and other privatized buildings, such as community centers, administrative offices, maintenance buildings and storage warehouses.  The project will provide low-cost, renewable electricity to privatized military housing and is expected to avoid over 250,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.  The SolarStrong Project will have the added benefit of helping the Department of Defense (DOD), the single-largest energy consumer in the U.S., secure its energy needs from domestic renewable sources that are independent from the utility grid, at no additional cost to taxpayers.  DOD has a stated goal that 25 percent of all energy consumed by 2025 shall be supplied from renewable sources.

The project will be rolled out over five years, starting with a four megawatt installation at Hickam Air Force base in Hawaii, with construction currently underway.  SolarStrong is expected to sell electricity produced from the projects through long-term electricity sales agreements or lease solar systems through long-term lease contracts.

USRG Renewable Finance, an affiliate of US Renewables Group, is acting as lead lender in partnership with Bank of America Merrill Lynch.  USRG Renewable Finance submitted the application under the Financial Institution Partnership Program (FIPP).  In a FIPP financing, the Department of Energy guarantees up to 80 percent of a loan provided to a renewable energy project by qualified financial institutions.

The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office administers three separate programs:  the Title XVII Section 1703 and Section 1705 loan guarantee programs, and the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan program.   The loan guarantee programs support the deployment of commercial technologies along with innovative technologies that avoid, reduce, or sequester greenhouse gas emissions, while ATVM supports the development of advanced vehicle technologies.  To date, the Department has issued loans, loan guarantees or offered conditional commitments for loan guarantees totaling nearly $40 billion to support more than 40 clean energy projects across the United States, including several of the world’s largest solar generation facilities, three geothermal projects, the world’s largest wind farm, and the nation’s first new nuclear power plant in three decades.  For more information, please visit http://www.lpo.energy.gov.