The estimated market for energy efficiency equipment finance in the UK is enormous, with research estimating that the market over the next three years in England alone, is around £8.8bn ($13.6bn). This analysis, based on official business emissions data from the Department of Energy and Climate Change, reveals the scale of the opportunity for energy cost savings.

Yet however strong the desire to upgrade to new energy efficiency technology, organisations remain cautious about investing during an uncertain economic environment, especially in light of the tight lending market.

The Energy Efficiency Financing (EEF) scheme, launched by the UK’s Carbon Trust and Siemens, provides a solution to this dilemma for UK commerce, industry and the public sector.

The EEF scheme has made £550 million ($850m) available to organisations to finance investments in green equipment over the next three years.

Monthly payments are matched to real monthly energy cost savings, which means firms effectively avoid paying extra for energy efficiency investment and can often be cash positive from the start of the payment term.

The scheme provides an alternative source of credit that is additional to, and independent from, lines of credit from a bank which are often subject to market and economic volatility.

Through the EEF scheme businesses and organisations in the UK have an easy and affordable means of acquiring a wide spectrum of energy efficiency equipment for values as little as £1,000 through to many hundreds of thousands of pounds, over a period which suits their cash flow.

Energy Efficiency Financing is available to all kinds of businesses and organisations, from sole traders and partnerships through to large corporates, local authorities and other public sector organisations.

Enigin Distributors across the UK welcome this scheme as it could help their clients to finance the installation of energy efficiency equipment from Enigin, leading to savings in energy and costs, along with providing control of their energy use.

Beyond helping builders achieve efficiency exceeding the current energy code, the AEDGs also provide climate-specific recommendations to incorporate today’s off-the-shelf energy efficient building products. These recommendations help designers and builders choose advanced building assemblies, highly efficient heating and cooling systems, and incorporate other energy-saving measures such as daylighting and associated control systems. Additionally, efficiency measures found in the guides can be used in the development of future commercial building energy codes.

The 50% Advanced Energy Design Guide series is being developed through a partnership with the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Institute of Architects (AIA), U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA). The Retail Buildings guide is the third installment in the 50% series, and follows the guides for small and medium office buildings and K-12 schools released in 2011. The final 50% savings guide for major commercial building types—large hospitals—is also in progress.

DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) invests in clean energy technologies that strengthen the economy, protect the environment, and reduce dependence on foreign oil. Learn more about EERE’s support of building technologies. Additional information on DOE’s efforts to support the development and adoption of building energy codes can be found on the Energy Codes website.

The EG500 solar LED outdoor streetlight, the largest in the EG-series product line, is designed as a powerful and cost-effective off-grid lighting solution. Capable of providing over 11,000 lumens for multi-lane highway light levels, the EG500 is a reliable and robust alternative to traditional AC lighting. The EG500 features a top-of-pole integrated design which allows for an easy and rapid installation and superior theft and vandalism protection. The EG500 leverages award-winning design elements of the Carmanah EverGEN™ 1700 and 1500-series product lines and is engineered to withstand extreme weather conditions and wind load ratings of up to 209 kph (130 mph) with 3 second gusts.

“The EG500 expands our ability to provide a high power solution for virtually any off-grid application while further extending our reach into cost-sensitive, developing markets worldwide,” said Bruce Cousins, Carmanah CEO.

We now offer a complete line of EG products that have been performance-built to illuminate pathways, parks, freeways and everything in between.

The EG500 solar LED outdoor lighting system is available immediately in standard IES distribution types II, III, IV, V and flood and feature a 3-year limited warranty.

For more information, visit www.carmanah.com or call 1-877-722-8877.

About Carmanah Technologies Corporation

As one of the most trusted names in solar technology, Carmanah has earned a reputation for delivering strong and effective products for industrial applications worldwide. Industry proven to perform reliably in some of the world’s harshest environments, Carmanah solar LED lights and solar power systems provide a durable, dependable and cost effective energy alternative. Carmanah is a publicly traded company, with common shares listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol “CMH”. For more information, visit carmanah.com.

At the heart of current solar panel functionality, the panel absorbs photons from the sun. Photons are then converted into electrons. An issue with regular photovoltaic panels is that much of the energy delivered by sunlight results in the conversion of “hot” electrons, which are too high-energy to be converted to electricity in silicon and are instead lost as heat. University of Texas Chemistry professor Xiaoyang Zhu and his team discovered that an organic plastic semiconductor could double the number of electrons harvested out of one photon of sunlight.

“At current, approximately 31% insolation-to-electricity efficiency of a silicon solar cell is considered to be the maximum in the solar industry,” stated ONYX President Malcolm Burleson. “Being able to cheaply double the efficiency and even being able to reach 66% efficiency could potentially erase the barriers of competing with cheap fossil fuels very quickly.”

Professor Zhu’s process involves absorbing the photon of sunlight in Pentacene (a form of plastic) to produce a dark quantum “shadow state” from which two electrons can be retrieved, instead of just one.

ONYX management is closely following this new development and the timing of when this new technology could be available in the marketplace. The Company’s unique business model of concentrating on competing in energy markets that could yield higher margins and avoiding reliance on subsidies and government loans appears to have given the Company an edge in the current shakeout.

“It is apparent that the solar companies with weaker business models will struggle, possibly lessening the field of competition for ONYX in the future,” said Burleson. “Having access to economical 66% efficiency panels after the industry shakeout could potentially be extremely lucrative for a Company positioned like ONYX.”

ONYX is currently developing the construction of multiple solar power projects in Honduras – one as large as 22 megawatts, as well as developing solar projects in Panama and solar product distribution arrangements in Peru and Columbia.

Onyx Service & Solutions, Inc. acquires, develops and markets the most promising and potentially profitable energy projects and technologies possible. Management has focused on benefiting citizens of Central and South America with energy alternatives to costly power options by achieving multiple business accomplishments there. The Onyx mission is to manifest cutting edge energy technology, products, manufacturing advances and construction projects to successfully compete in a global energy marketplace, which includes GE GE +2.32% , JinkoSolar JKS +8.39% , Empresa Nacional de Electricida EOC +0.16% and CPFL Energia S.A. CPL +1.25%

For more information on the Company see: www.OnyxService.com

CPV technology is widely acknowledged to have the potential to be less costly than current flat panel and thin film photovoltaic (PV) products by exploiting the very high efficiency of advanced CPV cells, and thereby produce electricity at a lower cost per kWh. CPV cells have reached over 40% efficiency in production, and under current development efforts are expected to achieve in excess of 50%. Additionally, in sunny climates the two-axis tracking of CPV systems also increases annual energy production up to 30% or more, compared to standard non-tracking PV systems.

The Company’s new patent pending design utilizes currently available multi-junction solar cells combined with innovative approaches to concentrator optics, thermal management, power electronics, and ease of manufacturing.

The Company’s product demonstrates a unique flux management capability that enables non-uniform light intensity to be used, enabling its integration with a variety of optical systems including conventional Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) solar dishes and heliostat systems, instead of being limited to special purpose built optics and lenses. This can create broad market potential. The CPV system translates CSP concentrated light to efficiently deliver 1200 “suns” to the CPV cells.

Additionally, the new CPV system uses internal liquid-to-air cooling, which also can deliver free heat for on-site customer use enabling Combined Heat and Power (CHP) applications.

The primary factors that should lead to lower cost per kWh power include high efficiency, a design focus on low cost components and manufacturing processes, the ability to configure the product to leverage a variety of CSP optics, and the CHP potential.

“This new product introduction utilizes the Company’s core competencies in our solar dish concentrator designs and structures, thermodynamics, optics, and electronics. Leveraging our competencies into a diverse product portfolio is key to our business strategy,” said Brad Forst, CEO.

The Company’s product development and testing is conducted at its headquarters and operations facility at Southwest Solar Research Park in Phoenix, Arizona. www.swsolartech.com

SOURCE: Southwest Solar Technologies

The TitanPower Plus SU 3.0 Flat Plate Collector combines the high efficiency construction of the smaller versions combined with the industry standard size of 4 x 8 ft. in addition to its high efficiency, the 3.0 collector is offered with a standard 12 year warranty and extended 20 year performance warranty.

Replace your existing projects with a higher performing and longer lasting flat plate collector that has guaranteed performance! The standard 4 x 8 ft collector size allows for easy integration into existing pre-engineered solar thermal projects. Save time and money on large scale commercial solar thermal projects.

The 3.0 series is designed for commercial applications and large scale process heating systems. Each collector utilizes the industry’s leading TiNOX copper absorber plate with 95% absorption efficiency. Its low profile stainless steel frame yields a 96% gross aperture to surface area ration, amongst the highest power density in the industry.

For additional information on the TitanPower Plus SU3.0 Flat Plate collector, please visit http://www.sunmaxxsolar.com/titan-power-plus-su2-flat-plate-solar-collector.php

SunMaxx Solar is an industry leader in the manufacture and distribution of turnkey solar thermal solutions for domestic hot water and space heating applications. For more information visit us online at www.sunmaxxsolar.com. You can also contact a solar thermal specialist at 1.877.876.6299.

* Due to the relocation of SunMaxx Solars manufacturing facility to a larger facility the availability of the 4X8 collectors has been delayed. Updates will be provided

*  Product will be made available for sale starting August 11th 2011.

Source: SunMaxx Solar

Wind turbines are one of the most promising sources of large-scale renewable power.  Wind power doesn’t produce any pollutants, and unlike water or fuel resources, wind is literally an endless source of energy.  However, wind farms do require a substantial amount of space, which is why a much more efficient design like the “Wind Lens” could make wind energy cheaper and more practical.

Developed by researchers at Kyushu University’s Research Institute for Applied Mechanics (RIAM), the wind lens design utilizes a curved housing that encircles the blades of a wind turbine.  The ring is comprised of an inlet shroud, diffuser, and brim that work together to create a low-pressure pocket behind the turbine when wind passes around the ring.  The resulting suction can triple the effective wind speed that drives the turbine blades.

The Aerodynamics Behind The Wind Lens (image: Kyushu University RIAM)

Increasing the energy generated from a single turbine has the potential to make wind power even cheaper than nuclear energy, and wind turbines carry none of the risks associated with nuclear power plants.  Their primary drawbacks are interference with wildlife (such as migrating flocks of birds) and noise; fortunately, the Wind Lens design makes turbines quieter as well as more efficient.

But could wind turbines really make a substantial contribution to US energy demand?  Absolutely.  A recent MNN article by Karl Burkart breaks down the numbers in more detail, but the bottom line is this:  if improved turbines like the Wind Lens were installed in just 20% of America’s “high wind potential” areas, they could provide all the power consumed in the US.

Rendering Of An Offshore Application For Wind Lens Turbines (image: Kyushu University RIAM)

Prototypes are already being tested at Kyushu University.  And the developers are already thinking ahead to the possibilities for large-scale implementation, including floating offshore wind farms far out to sea that could take advantage of uninterrupted air currents without competing for space on land.

(via CleanTechnica & MNN)

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by Abrahm Lustgarten
ProPublica

A deal to sell a controversial central Wyoming natural gas field has fallen apart amidst allegations that drilling there has caused water pollution.

Texas-based Legacy Resources backed out of a $45 million deal to buy the field near Pavillion, Wyom., from EnCana last week, soon after the Environmental Protection Agency said it had detected cancer-causing benzene at 50 times the level safe for humans and other carcinogenic pollutants during its latest round of sampling.

The cancelled sale could signal difficulty for companies trying to turn over aging gas fields if there are environmental or health concerns related to their operations.

“Although Encana retained responsibility for any outcome resulting from the ongoing groundwater investigation undertaken by EPA, due to the continued attention surrounding the investigation, and uncertainty regarding further development, Legacy is not prepared to go forward with the transaction,” said EnCana spokesman Doug Hock, in an email to ProPublica.

Legacy Resources did not respond to a call requesting comment.

Legacy Resources announced it had agreed to buy EnCana’s Pavillion-area wells, which produce an estimated 13 million cubic feet of gas a day, on Nov. 1. At the time, the company also said it planned to drill new wells in Pavillion to tap the 45 billion cubic feet of gas it believes lies underground.

But the prospects for future development have dimmed.

Residents had long complained of widespread water contamination and alleged that fracking was to blame. EnCana had trucked in replacement drinking water to some residents. The company faced increasing controversy when the EPA announced in late 2009 that it had found hydrocarbon contaminants in residents’ drinking water wells. The agency advised residents not to drink their water and to ventilate their homes when they showered or washed dishes. ProPublica began reporting on concerns about water contamination in Pavillion in 2008.

On Nov. 9 the EPA announced more test results from samples taken in Pavillion, this time from two water monitoring wells drilled to 1,000 feet – far below most drinking water wells in the area. It found benzene, along with acetone, toluene, naphthalene and traces of diesel fuel. It also detected a solvent called 2-Butoxyethanol (2-BE) that is commonly used by the drilling industry to fracture wells. It also can be used for cleanup at well sites.

EnCana has maintained that the pollutants found in Pavillion-area wells occur naturally, and that drilling is not to blame. “Nothing EPA presented suggests anything has changed since August of last year – the science remains inconclusive in terms of data, impact, and source,” Hock wrote to ProPublica.

Hock said that the EPA’s monitoring wells were drilled into a zone known to contain methane gas, and suggested the pollutants would have been expected to be there. He said that the 2-BE was only detected in one sample and could have leached from the plastics used to drill many drinking water and monitoring wells. In previous statements to ProPublica, he has said that the 2-BE might have come from household cleaning agents, which can contain the chemical. Hock did not reply to questions about whether EnCana had used 2-BE in fracking or any other processes in Pavillion.

The EPA’s latest findings are consistent with previous samples taken from water wells at 42 homes in the area since 2008.

The agency has so far been careful not to draw conclusions about the cause of the pollution. EPA officials had said they planned to release a detailed report analyzing possible causes of the pollution by the end of November, but now say it will be at least a few more weeks.