Company showcase

10 renewable energy focus November/December 2007

VA Tech Hydro supplies 6 hydropower stations in British ColumbiaVA Tech Hydro has won a C$50 million order for the supply of electromechanical equipment to 6 hydropower stations in the Harrison Lake region of British Columbia. The company will supply 8 identical six-jet Pelton turbines with a maximum unit output of 13 MW, including inlet valves, generators, and digital speed governors, for the Kwalsa group. The development will have a total installed capacity of 150 MW. The 6 power stations will supply energy to BC Hydro under two power supply agreements that encompass the Kwalsa Group with its Fire Creek, Douglas Creek, Tipella Creek and Stokke Creek power plants, and the Upper Stave Group with its Lamont Creek and Stave River plants.

Name change for Ocean Power DeliveryEdinburgh-based wave energy company Ocean Power Delivery has changed its name to Pelamis Wave Power. The company was originally established in 1998 to develop and commercialise the Pelamis Wave Energy Converter concept but the recent progress of the business as the Pelamis wave devices move into production has been cited as reason for the change. Ceo Phil Metcalf said, “our utility and energy company partners, as well as our customers, clearly recognise that Pelamis is the technology of choice to harness the wave energy resource, and recent moves by a number of countries to establish feeder markets for wave energy with premium tariff s are now unlocking this potential.”

AWS Ocean Energy receives boost from Carbon TrustScotland’s AWS Ocean Energy is to receive further support from the Carbon Trust in the development of the company’s Archimedes Wave Swing, the world’s fi rst submerged wave energy system. The support is part of the Marine Energy Accelerator Programme, which aims to accelerate the development of promising low-carbon technologies. The AWS wave energy converter is a high power generator intended for bulk power production to a Utility grid. As a wave crest approaches, the water pressure on the top of the cylinder increases and the upper part or ‘fl oater’ compresses the gas within the cylinder to balance the pressures. The reverse happens as the wave trough passes and the cylinder expands. The movement between the fl oater and the lower part is then converted to electricity by a hydraulic system and motor-generator set.

Renewable energy for the 59th Emmy awards2007’s Emmy awards went green in a big way. The Green with Emmy campaign used renewable energy for the Shrine Auditorium, home to the Emmy broadcast. The highlight was a solar PV panel canopy over the Emmy red carpet, featuring laminates installed on 2, 700 ft2 of slate blue standing seam metal roofi ng manufactured by Englert, and provided by United Solar Ovonic. Additional highlights included a red carpet made from recycled PET plastic bottles; and generators using B-20 biodiesel fuel; and LED and/or fl ourescent lighting in the press tent. After the event the PV panel system will go to a middle school in Chatsworth, California, where the system will generate renewable electricity for the next 25 years.

EnergyAnswers’ Operating Business acquired by CovantaCovanta has acquired EnergyAnswers’ two energy-from-waste facilities, as well as several ancillary businesses. The assets in northeast America include a 400 tonnes per day facility in Springfi eld, Massachusetts, and a 240 tonnes per day plant in Pittsfi eld, Massachusetts. Both facilities are contracted to handle approximately 75% of waste revenues. In addition, Covanta is acquiring an ash disposal landfi ll operation in Springfi eld, MA, and two transfer stations – one in Canaan, NY, permitted to transfer 600 tonnes per day of waste, and the other at the Springfi eld facility, permitted to transfer 500 tonnes per day. The purchase also includes a waste transportation and small collections business operated in conjunction with the acquired facilities. Covanta has agreed to acquire EnergyAnswers’ businesses for cash and assumption of debt totalling some US$61 million.

EPURON develops more PV plants in southern GermanyEPURON GmbH has opened two thin film solar parks in Kissing (2.4 MW) and Munster (3.6 MW), Germany. Around 89, 000 modules were used in an area of more than 170, 000 m2 – or roughly the size of 22 football fields. Construction of the solar PV parks took a team of 50 builders three months. The result will power nearly half the population of Kissing and Munster – over 1, 700 four family households – with solar PV electric power. Approximately six million kWh of power will be produced annually. This is a yearly saving of approximately 4, 500 tonnes of CO2. Both PV plants were designed in cooperation with a local project development company, IBE GmbH, with construction carried out by Sun Technics.

Rushlight Awards recognise environmental achievementsEventure Media and Clarity Authoring have launched the Rushlight Awards (www.rushlightawards.co.uk), to be held in London on 10 December 2007. The awards will celebrate UK and Irish technology, innovation and commerce in helping address the key issues of climate change and waste management identifi ed by The Stern Review. The awards feature 22 separate categories covering renewable energy, clean fuels, power generation, waste and pollution management: “The awards have been set up to promote and support organisations and their achievements to date, and to inform consumers, investors and industry of the progress that has been made, the choices that now exist and the future investment opportunities that lie ahead,” says Clive Hall of Eventure Media.

Synova-Manz unveils PV automated manufacturing systemManz Automation, a systems and components supplier, and SynovaSA, the water jet-guided laser technology specialist, have unveiled the ILE2400, an inline laser edge isolation system for PV manufacturing of mono and multi-crystalline solar cells. Integrated with Synova’s proprietary water jet-guided laser technology Laser MicroJet – the ILE2400 is designed primarily for solar cell edge isolation, with secondary applications including cutting and drilling. Current technology such as plasma etching and diamond saw blades, yields limitations such as heat and silicon surface damage, all of which risk reducing surface integrity. Synova-Manz claims these factors are negligible with the ILE2400 – given its automated cooling and self-cleaning capabilities.

Hungary joins REEEPHungary has become the 35th country to become a formal partner of the Renewable Energy and Energy Effi ciency Partnership (REEEP), an international public-private venture that promotes policies and regulations in support of renewable energy and energy effi ciency. In Eastern Europe REEEP is working with Municipalities to remove barriers to energy effi ciency in buildings:“The Hungarian Government has drafted a Renewable Energy Strategy and an Energy Effi ciency Strategy and Action Plan. Both of these areas are covered by the activity of the REEEP,” says Dr. Garamhegyi, Deputy State Secretary of the Hungarian Ministry of Economy and Transport.Hungary is the second East European government to join the partnership and is particularly interested in cooperating with neighbouring countries in the development of renewable energy. Hungary has already met its green electricity target of 3.6 % and is pushing ahead with plans for renewable energy to make up 14%-16% of its total supply by 2020.

Toni Braxton lighting up the Emmys.

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