“There is an industry need to explore new concepts in data center design,” says Tom Christian, Senior Research Scientist in HP’s Sustainable IT Ecosystem Lab, and project lead. And while the idea of cow-powered data centers may sound esoteric, says Christian, “there’s a lot of value to be found in challenging conventional wisdom to solve issues faced today and ten years from now.”

As data centers require ever more power to operate, they’re increasingly being located near existing power generation or cooling resources. One largely untapped source of energy, however, is the methane generated by manure on farms around the world.

If released into the atmosphere, methane is 21 times more damaging to the environment than carbon dioxide. But it can be captured and used to power electrical generators.

The HP ASME paper shows how a farm of 10,000 dairy cows could generate 1MW of electricity, enough to power a typical modern data center and still support other needs on the farm.

methane,renewable,datacenter,alternative energy,hp.Hewlet packard,research

Heat generated by a data center could also be used to more efficiently process the animal waste and thus increase methane production.

This symbiotic relationship helps address the dual challenge of reducing farm pollution and making data centers more environmentally sustainable, says Chandrakant Patel, HP Fellow and director of HP’s Sustainable IT Ecosystem Lab.

Patel sees the ASME paper as an example of the kind of thinking that will be required if IT systems are to become sustainable in their own right.

Data centers of the future could just as easily be based on a pig farm or next to a waterfall, notes Patel. But what matters, he says, “is that we have to fundamentally re-evaluate all aspects from computing to power supply.”

Only if that happens can the broader vision behind HP’s Sustainable IT Ecosystem Lab of building an entire ecosystem that is sustainable over the long term become reality, Patel suggests. “We believe that innovation in technology is our greatest asset in solving energy and environmental issues,” he says.

From HP’s perspective, turning data centers from being energy hogs into energy neutral facilities is an essential first step. “Our goal here,” says Patel, “is to see if we can take the data center completely off the grid.”

source: HP

General Compression, Inc.  says that  it has closed over $17 million in commitments to its Series A round of funding. Led by US Renewables Group  of Santa Monica, CA, and joined by Duke Energy of Charlotte, NC, the financing will support development of a first commercial scale unit and a series of storage projects thereafter.

With this funding, GC intends to build and install its first full-scale General Compression Advanced Energy Storage (GCAES™) unit in 2010. The GCAES™ units have a nominal size of 2 MW and feature a roundtrip electrical efficiency in excess of 70%. Unlike conventional turbomachinery-based compressed air energy storage, GCAES™ consumes no fuel and emits no carbon. GCAES™ technology can increase utility reliance on renewables, eliminate wind power curtailment, enhance transmission utilization, and make dispatchable renewable power available to customers.

GC and its partners plan to develop both integrated wind/storage projects and standalone power storage projects, including a first commercial project in 2011. GCAES™ projects can be sited near existing wind farms, or other generating sources, to more effectively utilize existing transmission lines. Storage facilities can be built in arrays of modular GCAES™ units, from 2 MW to 1,000s of MWs, optimized by the profile of regional power demand.

“We are delighted to welcome our new investors USRG and Duke Energy, and we couldn’t ask for better strategic and financial partners to help bring our efficient energy storage projects to market. Coupling intermittent wind generation with GC’s long-duration storage capability will facilitate massive growth in the next phase of wind energy development. The product of our integrated wind and storage projects is Dispatchable Wind™… wind energy on demand,” said Eric Ingersoll, CEO of General Compression.

“We are very pleased to invest in a company that will help to fundamentally change the way wind power generation is perceived today. GC’s management team, along with key strategic partners, has a clear vision and a well-structured plan to deploy Dispatchable Wind™ projects on an accelerated schedule,” said Scott Gardner, Managing Director of USRG.

“We believe this technology can have a significant impact on the rapidly growing wind industry, which will allow Duke Energy and others to develop cost-competitive and low-carbon solutions to meet the power needs of the world’s electric systems,” said Wouter Van Kempen, president of Duke Energy Generation Services, the Duke Energy business unit that oversees wind operations.

Founded in 2006, GC has made patent-pending advancements in the fields of isothermal compression and expansion to provide utility-scale storage for clean energy sources such as wind and solar. Company founders Eric Ingersoll, David Marcus, and Michael Marcus launched GC with a vision of creating Dispatchable Wind™ to integrate low-cost bulk storage with wind farms to eliminate the issues of intermittent power generation. The company’s technology and projects are designed to set clean, domestic wind power on a path to become the dominant electric power generation source in the United States.

Source: General Compression

“The award proves that innovations for climate protection and sustainability are the right approach,” said Barbara Kux, member of Siemens’ Managing Board and the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “Technological leadership is helping us continue our success in these difficult economic times. Our Environmental Portfolio grew 11 percent in 2009 and is, thus, a key stabilizing factor in our business. At some €23 billion, the Portfolio accounts for nearly a third of our total revenue, making Siemens the world’s largest supplier of green products and solutions.”

“Our new gas turbine shows that climate protection and fossil power generation are not mutually exclusive,” said Michael Süß, CEO of the Fossil Power Generation Division of Siemens’ Energy Sector. “This innovation will make it possible to continue supplying electrical energy at an affordable price in the future.” The gas turbine is the centerpiece of a combined-cycle power plant (CCCP) operated by E.ON in Irsching, near Ingolstadt, Germany. The turbine of superlatives is more than 13 meters long, five meters high and, at 444 tons, weighs more than the world’s largest passenger airplane. On its own, the gas turbine generates 370 megawatts of electricity. Once it is connected with a steam turbine, output will rise to roughly 570 megawatts, an amount sufficient to meet the electricity needs of some 3.4 million people – roughly the entire population of Berlin. The plant will achieve a world record efficiency level of more than 60 percent, which will benefit both the environment and the climate: annual CO2 emissions from each new plant of this type will be about 700,000 tons below the average emission level for power generation worldwide – a reduction equal to the total emissions of 350,000 cars driven 15,000 kilometers a year.

The speedMatic dishwasher proves that consumers, too, can contribute to climate protection. “In the last 20 years, we’ve cut our dishwashers’ energy consumption in half. The new zeolite technology provides an enormous increase in efficiency, using a further 20 percent less electricity than the most economical dishwashers on the market today,” said Kurt-Ludwig Gutberlet, head of BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte. “In 2008, we were designated the most sustainable company in Germany. This is just the next step.” The dishwasher’s unique technology utilizes zeolites – aluminum silicate minerals with a very large surface area and hollow pores – which can absorb water and become hot in the process. As a result, the drying cycle is considerably faster and more efficient. Even the puddles of residual water that accumulate in the indentations of cups and plastic containers that are otherwise always covered with water are dried up in seconds by the warm air released from the zeolite pellets. In the next washing cycle, the minerals are regenerated when moisture is removed from them as the dishwasher heats up. Plans now call for using the technology not only in top-of-the-range dishwashers but also in medium-priced models.

Semprius is developing concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) modules for large-scale solar power generation. Semprius’ proprietary micro-transfer printing technology enables CPV modules constructed from a large array of very small gallium arsenide-based, multi-junction solar cells. Module cost is minimized by using high concentration ratio. Inexpensive optics concentrate 1,000 suns onto the high-efficiency solar cells, which only cover 0.1% of the module area.

Semprius Solar Module Arrays offer the benefits of low installed cost and high capacity factor which combined enable very low energy costs in sunny, dry climates. Their high efficiency, scalable design makes them applicable to a wide range of projects from distributed commercial and industrial to large scale utility installations. The company was selected this month by the U.S. Department of Energy to receive support through a $3 million subcontract from DOE’s PV Technology Incubator, which aims to accelerate commercialization of its solar photovoltaic systems.

Siemens is a global leader in automation systems, power conversion and control systems. As part of its environmental portfolio, which generated revenue of $31 billion (EUR 23 billion) in fiscal 2009, Siemens provides technology to the photovoltaic industry. In an effort to make PV module arrays more efficient, Siemens will integrate its components with Semprius PV module arrays, and together the companies will implement the test systems to validate performance of the combined technologies.

“Our PV module arrays will make the generation of solar power economically viable in clear, sunny climates found in many parts of the world,” said Joe Carr, Semprius President and CEO. “We are excited about teaming with Siemens to demonstrate the value of this technology.”

“Competitive project deployment cost for CPV will be the key for the success of this technology. Combining Siemens’ advanced automation and control equipment with

Semprius Module Arrays has the potential to deliver electricity at grid level prices to both industrial and utility scale customers,” said Peter Krause, Business Segment Manager, Siemens Industry, Inc.

About Semprius

Semprius, Inc., is commercializing Solar Module Arrays based on patented micro-transfer printing, a highly efficient process for depositing high performance semiconductors onto any substrate, including glass, plastic and other materials. In addition to Solar Arrays, Semprius is licensing the technology for use in other applications such as LCD and OLED displays, MEMS and advanced disk drives. For more information, please visit www.semprius.com.

Under the terms of this five-month, phase one program, Protonex will develop the next-generation of its existing M250-CX platform by increasing its power output, integrating additional battery management and charging capabilities, reducing overall size and weight, and further ruggedizing the system for field use. At the conclusion of the phase one program, Protonex is expected to deliver multiple portable battery charger/APU systems to the U.S. Army for further testing and field use.

Development of a next-generation system based on the existing 250-watt platform will provide the military with lightweight, extremely quiet and fuel efficient power systems that can be used as portable field battery chargers or auxiliary power units (APUs). Use of the M250-CX could enable new mission scenarios and allow a switch to rechargeable batteries in the field, thereby reducing overall weight and saving significantly on the hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually on non-rechargeable batteries in the field by the US Department of Defense.

GE has already invested more than $150 million in developing battery technologies, and the tax credit will supplement GE’s investments in the new product line that will serve the rail, marine, mining, telecommunications and utility sectors.

“GE is entering the energy storage market at a critical time in the United States as power system stability and security and an increase in the renewable energy portfolio are becoming integral to 21st century economic development,” said Lorenzo Simonelli, President and CEO of GE Transportation. “GE would like to thank Congress and the White House for the tax credit on the new facility, thereby ensuring U.S. technology leadership and safeguarding U.S. jobs.”

The facility will create 350 new manufacturing jobs in Schenectady, and the State of New York has partnered with GE in the construction of the facility by pledging more than $15 million in incentives. New York government officials welcomed the announcement.

Congressman Paul Tonko said, “This is another piece of great news for the advanced battery plant planned for Schenectady. This tax credit will help re-purpose an existing facility on GE’s Schenectady campus, create hundreds of good paying new jobs, and solidify our region’s reputation as a leader in technology and renewable energy. I am proud to have partnered with GE and other officials at all levels of government to help move this project forward.”

Congressman Scott Murphy said, “When President Obama visited Upstate New York in September, we talked about how hi-tech investments can help local businesses lead our nation into the 21st century economy. The advanced battery plant is a perfect example of the type of project that will create hundreds of jobs and help make Upstate New York the center of the new, 21st-century innovation economy.”

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said, “This is another step forward in the revitalization of Schenectady. These federal dollars will help create new jobs, develop new technology to power industries, and help rebuild our economy.”

Scheduled to be fully operational by mid-2011, the facility will have the advantage of being in close proximity to GE Global Research in Niskayuna, where advances to the battery chemistry were developed. The batteries, which are a critical piece of energy storage systems, will rely heavily on new materials, new manufacturing technologies and intelligent controls.

At full capacity the plant could produce approximately 10 million cells capable of generating 900 megawatt-hours of energy per year – the equivalent of the battery power required for 45,000 plug-in hybrid electric vehicles with an 80-mile range or enough energy to support 1,000 GE Evolution® Series hybrid locomotives.

About GE Transportation

Established more than 100 years ago, GE Transportation, a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE), is a global technology leader and supplier to the railroad, marine, drilling, and mining and wind industries. GE Transportation provides freight and passenger locomotives, signaling and communications systems, information technology solutions, marine engines, motorized drive systems for mining trucks and drills, high-quality replacement parts and value added services. GE Transportation is headquartered in Erie, Penn., and employs approximately 10,000 employees worldwide. For more information visit www.getransportation.com.

First Solar

Located in Riverside County about 200 miles east of Los Angeles, the Blythe plant is the largest thin film PV project in the United States and is five times the size of the next largest PV project in California. NRG estimates that at peak capacity, the project can supply the power needs of almost 17,000 homes while helping California meet its renewable energy goals. Approximately 175 people built Blythe during its three-month construction and installation period.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said;

“It is no surprise that America’s largest thin film solar project was built right here in California, where my Administration has successfully created a climate where green businesses can thrive. It is forward-thinking businesses such as First Solar that will help California reach its nation-leading greenhouse gas reduction and Renewable Portfolio Standard goals, as well as create the new green jobs that will help spur our economic recovery.”

“Solar is the great untapped resource in California, and we are pleased to be part of this significant milestone for solar development in our state,” said Marc Ulrich, SCE vice president, Renewables and Alternative Power. “Bringing this power to the grid helps SCE maintain its position as the nation’s leading utility for renewable energy.”

“California, as it has in many arenas, is leading the way in encouraging large-scale clean energy sources,” said David Crane, NRG Energy President and CEO. “NRG, through our association with pioneers like First Solar and forward-thinking companies like SCE, seeks to help clean our air while stocking our country’s clean energy economic growth through commercial implementation of solar technology.”

First Solar expanded its offerings in California in 2008. The Blythe plant is a model for First Solar’s future large-scale solar developments. “The development, project finance and construction of this solar plant demonstrate First Solar’s capabilities in utility scale projects,” said Bruce Sohn, president of First Solar. “With a three-month build-out, we are pleased to be bringing it online ahead of schedule.”

Using First Solar’s industry-leading thin film PV panels that convert sunlight directly into electricity with no water consumption during operation, the Blythe plant will generate over 45,000 megawatt-hours of clean, affordable, sustainable electricity per year. This solar generation will avoid approximately 12,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually – the equivalent of taking over 2,200 cars off the road. First Solar will provide operations and maintenance services at Blythe under a long-term contract with NRG.