Alternative Profits Blog

Power Plant CCS - Site and Blog for CO2 Capture and Sequestration

2010-01-31T06:04:00.001-08:00

Here's an interesting site (and blog) dedicated to CO2 sequestration at power plants. Aptly called Power Plant CCS, it provides the latest updates on CCS at power plants worldwide. More interestingly, it has a special emphasis on researching the newest and novel methods for CCS at these plants.

For instance, there are three novel approaches about which detailed inputs are provided: CO2 sequestration using mineral carbonation, algae-based CO2 capture,
Carbon Mitigation through use of Biomass instead of Coal .

Given that carbon capture and storage is likely to be one of the most important concepts that the world will be keen on researching, and also given that power plants have an urgent need to become less CO2 polluting, this is indeed an important site.

Good stuff.

Anaerobic Digestion Operating Costs - AD O&M Expenses

2009-10-22T02:03:00.002-07:00

Operations and maintenance costs for generating electricity from anaerobic digesters costs about 2.5 cents per KWh

Anaerobic Digestion Capital Costs - AD Capex, Capital Expenses

2009-10-22T02:03:00.001-07:00

The capex for electricity generation using anaerobic digesters is about $2.5 million per MW. The main cost component is for the digester.

Small Hydro Energy Operating Costs – Small Hydro O&M Expenses

2009-10-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

Based on our estimates based upon data from existing small hydro plants, the operational and maintenance costs electricity generation from small hydro are approximately 3-4 cents per KWh.

Small Hydro Capital Costs - Small Hydro Capex, Capital Expenses

2009-10-22T01:48:00.000-07:00

Setting up a small hydro electricity generation plant will cost approximately $1.3-1.5 million per MW in capital expenses.

Approximate Cost and Cost break-up

The capital cost is broadly divided under four heads
* Land
* Machinery
* Construction
* Labor

Capital cost break-up

Element of Investment Contribution to Cost %
Hydrotechnical constructions 60
Turbines 25
Buildings 5
Electrical equipments 10
Cost of Exploitation 0.5

Geothermal Energy Operating Costs – Geothermal O&M Expenses

2009-10-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

Geothermal energy based power production does require some amount of maintenance operations, but the operations and maintenance costs of geothermal are lower than wind and solar thermal.

The operations and maintenance costs for generating electricity from geothermal sources is about 2 cents per KWh

Geothermal Energy Capital Costs - Geothermal Capex, Capital Expenses

2009-10-18T03:53:00.001-07:00

Geothermal power plants involve significant infrastructural expense; while the running costs for geothermal power generation are reasonable, this renewable source has quite a high capital cost structure.

As of mid 2009, geothermal energy has capital costs of about $2.6 million per MW

Solar Thermal Operating Costs - Solar Thermal O&M Expenses

2009-10-18T03:52:00.000-07:00

There are significant operating costs involved with solar thermal technology.

Unlike solar PV which is a passive electricity generation technology, solar thermal technology requires heating of water, and running of turbines to generate the electricity, leading to higher operational costs.

An approximate operational cost estimate for solar thermal is about 3 cents per KWh of electricity generated.

Solar Thermal Capital Costs - Solar Thermal Capex, Capital Expenses

2009-10-18T03:51:00.000-07:00

While the capex for solar thermal is less than that for PV, compared to many other renewable energy source such as wind, solar thermal has higher capital costs.

As of 2009, solar thermal (CSP) power generation plants have a capex of about $3.5-4 million per MW of capacity.

Siemens Acquires Solel, Expands Solar Thermal Portfolio

2009-10-17T10:17:00.000-07:00

Siemens has acquired Israel-based Solel Solar Systems for US$418 million, to strengthen its position in the concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) market. It now owns 100% of Solel.

Solel is one of the world’s two leading suppliers of solar receivers and has been present on the Spanish market since 2006, and is also active in the US market. It produces solar troughs and is involved in the manufacture and installation of solar fields for large scale solar energy production. The company was set up in 1992 by former employees of Luz International, which produced the first solar trough technology in 1984.

Siemens is currently projecting annual double-digit growth rates for concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) plants by 2020.

More from here

POET's 'Inviz' zein to Replace Coatings and Packaging Products

2009-10-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

According to the company, POET is close to gleaning the maximum value from each part of the corn kernel with a new ethanol co-product, "Inviz," which has the potential to replace petroleum-based ingredients in household products ranging from pill coatings to plastic packaging.

Inviz is POET’s brand of zein, a biodegradable, low-nutrient protein found in corn. It can be used as a gum base or in films, packaging, adhesives, coatings and glazes. It differs from other zein products because POET’s production process fractionates the corn kernel and ferments ethanol without using heat. For that reason, Inviz is a more pure corn protein than other zein products, which are usually exposed to SO2 in the wet-milling process.

This is interesting, because production of valuable co-products along with ethanol will make the whole ethanol production for fuel more sustainable, and in this case, it also makes us less reliant on petroleum for more products that fuel!

groEnergy Watch Monitoring - Monitor Solar PV from Web

2009-10-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

To help homeowners and dealers answer their questions about solar photovoltaic system performance, groSolar this week announced the launch of its new, proprietary monitoring system for solar-electric systems, groEnergy Watch.

groEnergy Watch version 1.0 is compatible with any residential system that uses Motech inverters. It provides an easy way to watch your solar productivity from any web connection.

Shale Natural Gas in US - Picture Not So Rosy

2009-10-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you who had been impressed with the amount of recoverable natural gas in the US, this report might prove to be a dampener. OK, it does not conclusively say anything in specific, but points out that the overall estimates of natural gas from shale deposits could be significantly lower than what have been suggested earlier.

Turkish Zorlu Group Has Found Geothermal Field of 60 MW

2009-10-17T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Turkish Zorlu Group, owning a power plant in the southwestern city of Denizli, and sitting on the top of Turkey’s largest known geothermal field, has made public that they discovered a new 60MW geothermal field.

The group already owns a 17.4 MW plant on a field where it has operating rights since September last year, so this new geothermal field can bring them a total of 77.4MW of power.

More info on this from here

That's really good news for Turkey. Geothermal is one of the competitive sources for electricity generation today, and except for a few countries such as the US and Philippines, this source has hardly made its mark. So let's wish all the best to Turkey.

Natural Handwashes - Could It be a Large Market in Future?

2009-10-17T09:19:00.000-07:00

While I was updating our twitter posts with some factoids today, I came across the fact that most antibacterial handwashes contain a hazardous chemical called Triclosan, which might in fact be more dangerous than the germs themseves!

Dug up a bit more on this - see more here , here, here

Now, Triclosan is one harmful chemical that has been identified; perhaps there are more.

As we become more aware of the harmful effects of synthetic ingredients in many of our household items, it is quite possible that products that use natural ingredients instead of these synthetic ones could start creating a large market for themselves. Who knows, there might be a billion $ market for "natural" handwashes!

Solar PV Operating Costs - Solar PV O&M Expenses

2009-10-14T05:52:00.000-07:00

While the capital expenses (capex) for solar photovoltaic are very (in fact the highest among all mainstream renewable energy sources), the operating expenses for solar PV are very low.

Solar PV is a passive technology, and hence its operating and running costs are much lower than for most other renewable energy sources. The approximate running costs for solar PV is about 1.3 cents per KWh of electricity generated.

Solar PV Capital Costs - Solar PV Capex, Capital Expenses

2009-10-14T05:26:00.000-07:00

Solar PV has been hampered by high capital costs; in fact, solar photovoltaic has the highest cost for electricity generation, among renewables. The operating costs for solar PV are very little, as it is a fairly passive technology with no moving parts; the high cost of energy generation from solar PV is primarily owing to the very high capex.

Fortunately, the capital costs of solar photovoltaic power plants have been coming down significantly last few years.

As of mid 2009, capital costs for large-scale solar PV will cost about $ 5 million per MW.

The cost for solar panels is about 60% of the cost; the rest of the capex is for balance of systems, such as the inverter, battery and the control systems.

Texas Solar Homes Can Cut Costs - Report

2009-10-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

With nearly 2.2 million new homes likely to be built in Texas in the next twenty years, a new report finds that building these homes with energy-efficient technology and solar energy systems would reduce homeowners’ energy bills by $5.4 billion—a net savings of $480 per household per year.

Environment Texas Research and Policy Center’s report, Building for a Clean Energy Future, also demonstrated that homes with energy efficient and solar technologies would cut pollution and save water.

The report finds that by 2030, Texas would:

* Reduce homeowners’ energy bills by more $5.4 billion. With incentive programs available now, a net-zero energy home could cost about $40 per month less to own than a standard home.
* Save more than 25 billion kilowatt hours per year--eliminating the need to build seven large (500 MW) coal-fired power plants.
* Prevent 18 million metric tons of global warming pollution, the equivalent of making one of every six cars and trucks in Texas pollution-free.
* Cut smog pollution by 7.5 million pounds.
* Save 10 billion gallons of water.

Article source

California Solar Users to Benefit from New Incentives

2009-10-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two solar energy bills that will make it possible for consumers and businesses to actually make money if they generate surplus electricity.

The bills, long sought by California's renewable energy industry, could radically change the relationship between businesses and homeowners and their local utility company, making them paid producers and suppliers of electricity.

The Bill requires utility companies to pay customers for any surplus electricity they produce from either solar or wind power. Under current net metering rules, utilities get to keep the additional electricity homeowners and businesses generate for the grid for free.

More from here

Comparison of US Green Energy ETFs

2009-10-13T08:51:00.000-07:00

Green energy Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are one simple way to invest in the sector at reasonable expense. Here is what you need to know to choose - this article compares many US-based green energy ETFs.

LEDs - Advantages and Distances of Light Emitting Diodes

2009-10-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice and detailed article on LEDs - the pros and cons of LED, and where they score over incandescent and halogen bulbs.

A balanced article with a lot of useful inputs.

US to Have Solar and Wind Power from Polluted Sites?

2009-10-13T08:44:00.000-07:00

The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have identified nearly 4,100 contaminated sites deemed economically suitable for wind and solar power development, as well as biomass. Included are 5 million acres suitable for photovoltaic or concentrated solar power development, and 500,000 acres for wind power. These sites, if fully developed, have the potential to produce 950,000 megawatts — more than the country’s total power needs in 2007, according to EPA data.

Source

In Germany, It's A Tussle Between Renewable Energy and Fossil Fuels

2009-10-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a fascinating article on how the growth of renewable energy lies not in its own merits, but on what legacy the large companies that are investing in RE come with. The core of the argument in this article is that, in Germany, the large companies that are supposed to be investing in renewable energy aren't in any hurry to do so because these are the same companies that already have fossil-fuel based power generation business. By going fast on renewables - which pay less than the fossil fuel business - they will be shooting themselves in the foot!

On the other hand, these same companies are aggressively pursuing renewable energy strategies in markets such as the UK where they have no fossil business!

Interesting

Wind Energy Operating Costs - Wind Power O&M Expenses

2009-10-12T01:58:00.000-07:00

While wind energy power plants cost lower than solar-based (both PV and thermal) power plants, wind farms have higher operating costs than those for solar PV, primarily because while solar PV is a fairly passive technology, wind farms have moving parts that will require some amount of maintenance.

The approximate costs for operation, maintenance, insurance and miscellaneous will be about 2.5 cents per KWh of power generated.

When you add the operating expenses to the amortized cost of the capital expenses, you get the levelized cost, which is the total cost of power generation from wind. This cost is about 7 cents per KWh.

Wind Energy Capital Costs - Wind Capex, Capital Expenses

2009-10-12T01:56:00.000-07:00

How much does putting up a wind energy power plant cost in terms of capital expenses?

As of 2009, putting up a wind-energy based power generation costs about $ 1.4 million per MW in capital expenses. This is for onshore wind farms, the capital expenses for offshore wind farms are likely to be considerably higher.

Relatively, wind energy costs much less in capital costs than many other forms of renewable energy, such as solar (PV and thermal), and geothermal.