July 24, 2008
U.S. and New Zealand Take Steps to Launch International Partnership to Further the Development of Clean Energy on Island Nations
U.S. to Work with New Zealand to Encourage Utilization of Natural Renewable Energy Resources
This is a press release from The Department of Energy's website. During a meeting in the Bahamas, Alexander “Andy” Karsner, the DOE's Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, met with New Zealand’s Ambassador to the U.S. Roy Ferguson, where they signed terms of reference for the International Partnership for Energy Development in Island Nations (EDIN), an initiative to further the development of energy efficient and renewable energy technologies on island nations and territories.
For more of the details on the initiative you can go here.
The part that caught my attention was that Governor Linda Lingle from Hawaii was also in attendance during the EDIN launch where she praised the partnership. Highlighting the ongoing efforts of the Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative, which was launched in January with the DOE to supply 70 percent of the Hawaii’s energy needs through the use of clean energy by 2030, reducing Hawaii’s dependence on crude oil and greenhouse gas emissions.
Hawaii and Maui in particular are moving towards energy independence, Although with all the technology taking place in Hawaii not all of it seems to make complete sense, but there is potential.
Hawaiian Electric Company has an agreement with Sopogy for Concentrating Solar Power. See the press release below:
July 9, 2008
SOPOGY PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 7/7/08
Contact: Zeina Jafar – Corporate Communications
zjafar@sopogy.com
808-237-2324
Subject: SOPOGY BREAKS GROUND ON WORLDS FIRST MICROCSP SOLAR FARM AT THE NATURAL ENERGY LABORATORY OF HAWAII.
Honolulu, HI – Keahole Solar Power, a Concentrated Solar Power solar farm, breaks ground Wednesday July 9, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. with an event hosted by Sopogy, Inc. on the Big Island at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii. The solar farm will be built in phases over several acres and is the first of its kind in the world to make large-scale use of Hawaii based Sopogy’s proprietary solar concentrating systems known as MicroCSP technologies.
MicroCSP systems use reflectors and optics that harness the energy from the sun to create heat that passes through a turbine to produce electricity. The Sopogy MicroCSP solar collector system is a robust and elegant concentrating panel that was modeled after the very successful installation of concentrating panels in the Mojave Desert in the mid 1980’s. These traditional panels at the Solar Energy Generating Station have been producing 354 megawatts energy for over 2 decades, enough power for the Big Island and Maui. “MicroCSP technologies combine the efficiencies of traditional Concentrated Solar Power collectors but incorporate new key elements that are required for operation in Hawaii. These elements include a stronger more durable frame that is able to withstand against storms and operating temperatures that enable Hawaii’s contractors to install and service the system,” said Darren T. Kimura the President and CEO of Sopogy.
“Our leading edge MicroCSP solar research began in Kona in 2002 with one concentrating system and it is appropriate that Kona is the home for the world’s first deployment of a MicroCSP solar field,” Kimura said. “Our technologies create energy from the sun, a sustainable and renewable energy resource and will help Hawaii break its bonds to imported fossil fuel.”
“This is the first renewable energy project at the Natural Energy Laboratory in over 30 years” stated representatives from NELHA.
Selected dignitaries including former Governor George Ariyoshi, Sopogy, Inc. Chairman of the Board of Directors and Founder, Darren T. Kimura, Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu and others will be on hand to participate in the highly anticipated ground breaking ceremony. Once the first Phase is completed, Keahole Solar Power will produce electricity for over 100 Hawaii homes. In its entirety, the project can scale up to a 1 megawatt solar farm capable of powering 500 Hawaii homes and off setting over 2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of removing 367 cars from Hawaii roads.
The blessing will be done by Sopogy’s Hawaiian Kahu and event will be powered by renewable solar energy and the greenhouse gas emissions from the travel, preparation, set-up and all festivities will be offset with green certificates.
About SopogySopogy specializes in MicroCSP solar technologies that bring the economics of large solar energy systems to the industrial, commercial and utility sectors in a smaller, robust and more cost effective package. Please visit www.sopogy.com for more information.
In addition to CSP, Maui Electric Co. Ltd has entered into an agreement with A&B Land and HR for building an Algae plant to provide power for their Maalaea power plant.
Maui to Get Algae Facility for Biodiesel
Written by Courtney Carlisle
Published on July 15th, 2008
Recognizing the potential for algae as an energy crop, a Hawaiian conglomerate has come together to pursue the joint development of a commercial-scale microalgae facility on Maui to produce lipid oil for conversion to biodiesel and other products, such as animal feed.
While a number of factors still need to be put in place before the first phase of the program can begin, the anticipated start date could be as early as 2011.
“This innovative partnership can help move Hawaii one step closer to securing energy independence and achieving our goal of having 70 percent of Hawaii’s energy come from clean sources by 2030,” said Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle.
Hoping for very high levels of oil production per acre from algae, Maui, which currently fuels about 85 percent of its combustion generation with petroleum diesel, could meet the biodiesel feedstock need with the Ma’alaea algae facility when combined with other locally grown vegetable-oil crops, such as jatropha or palm.This innovative step is being spearheaded by HR BioPetroleum, Alexander & Baldwin, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALEX), Hawaiian Electric Company and Maui Electric Company, subsidiaries of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HE).
“As we move toward siting an algae facility next to Maui Electric’s power plant, we will meet more of our energy needs at home and also reduce our carbon footprint,” said Dr. Karl Stahlkopf, Hawaiian Electric senior vice president for energy solutions and chief technology officer. “This project entails some uncertainly. Stepping forward to be a first implementer of a new idea always does.”
“However, it unites the best of the new Hawaii high-tech industry with two long-established Hawaii infrastructure companies in a unique partnership. We have good reason to be confident it will be a step toward energy self sufficiency, not only for Hawaii but for the nation and the world,” Stahlkopf said.
Tags: (NYSE:HE), Alexander & Baldwin, algae, alternative fuels, biodiesel, energy efficiency, Hawaiian Electric Company, HR BioPetroleum, jatropha, Maui, Maui Electric Company, microalgae, NASDAQ: ALEX
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