The  £1.8M project, which is led by Tension Technology International Ltd, is being managed out of the Orion Energy Centre in Inverness. The respected group of experts also includes: Bluewater Services, University of Exeter, Bridon International, Vryhof Engineering, TenCate Geosynthetics, Pelamis Wave Power and DNV GL.

The consortium will seek to develop a low cost anchor bag and mooring line system which will be tested at the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) in Orkney. The new system will have applications on a wide range of floating marine energy device types and will produce significant step changes in the cost and reliability of mooring systems.

Orion’s facilities and expertise will be used to carry out scale model wave tank tests of complete mooring systems. The motion and load response of the mooring system will be tracked in the wave tank using the latest equipment. The Orion Energy Centre will deploy a new 6D camera tracking system to measure the performance of the mooring system and buoy dynamics.

“As project leaders, we are very excited to be working in close cooperation with Orion Energy Centre and other partners,» said Stephen Banfield, managing director, Tension Technology International Ltd. «Our consortium is able to tap into the expertise and marine renewable energy heritage associated with this state-of-the-art testing facility.”

The project is funded by the Scottish Government under the Marine Renewables Commercialisation Fund.

The granting of planning permission  for Middle Muir Wind Farm, North of Crawfordjohn is a landmark decision, as 7 of the 15 turbines within the wind farm reach to a height of 152m — the highest turbines approved on the UK mainland. This ensures that the turbines are able to maximise the electricity generated from the available wind resource, which is good for both the environment and the economy.

The wind farm, which already received the backing of South Lanarkshire Council following an extensive and thorough period of community consultation and technical assessment, will produce enough clean, green energy to power around 28,253 homes.

“The Scottish Government and South Lanarkshire Council have been extremely diligent during the entire process, and we would like to thank them for the professional way in which the process has been run leading up to this important decision,” said Colin Anderson, development director of Banks Renewables.

The project will help bring more jobs, investment and carbon free power to South Lanarkshire, Anderson noted. (Project managers have made a clear commitment to maximise the use of local contractors and businesses during construction and future operation of the wind farm.) In addition, the Middlemuir Community Fund — to be managed by South Lanarkshire Council — will support the many groups and clubs active in the area and will fund many worthwhile projects that are hugely important to local people over the life of the wind farm.

“The £6.37 million fund has already made a commitment of over £600,000 into a new employment and training program, to be delivered in partnership with South Lanarkshire Council,” Anderson said. “This will seek to increase the opportunities and prospects of local people and businesses – helping around 180 people over the five year term of the programme.”

Fergus Ewing, Scotland’s Energy Minister, said the new wind farm will support the country’s efforts in tackling climate change. “Once it is up and running, the Middle Muir wind farm will help reduce carbon emissions from our electricity generation,” he explained. “Wind farms, like Middle Muir, play an important part in helping Scotland reach its target of the equivalent of 100 per cent of electricity demand generated from renewables.”

According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, Scotland’s renewable electricity generation in the first half of 2014 was 30 per cent higher compared to the same period in 2013. This overall increase is primarily due to a 50 per cent increase in hydro generation and a 20 per cent increase in wind output.

Tidal Energy’s deal with EDF Energy marks a significant milestone in the commercial development of tidal power in the UK, in that DeltaStream will be amongst the world’s first grid-connected demonstration devices to generate green, sustainable and predictable tidal power.¹ The device, which was unveiled in August at Pembroke Port by The First Minister of Wales, the Rt. Hon. Carwyn Jones AM, will be installed in Ramsey Sound, Pembrokeshire. It is expected to begin generating electricity for Welsh homes shortly afterwards.

The Power Purchase Agreement guarantees that EDF Energy, the UK’s largest producer of low-carbon electricity, will purchase electricity and renewable certificates from the device for the first year of the project at a pre-agreed price, ensuring that it will be able to generate revenue for its owners, TEL, from both the electricity market and the Government’s Renewables Obligation scheme.² 

“DeltaStream is not just about proving a new, innovative technology – it is about proving that tidal power can make a real and lasting contribution towards the UK’s renewable energy targets and energy security,» said Martin Murphy, managing director of Tidal Energy Ltd (TEL). «Taking the first steps to commercialisation, by securing a buyer for the electricity generated, is essential to that. We are proud that this cutting-edge project is, once-again breaking new ground, and ensuring Wales is playing a central role in the race to develop the UK’s significant tidal resources.”

Dan Brimelow, export sales and procurement mManager at EDF Energy, concurred, adding: “The UK needs electricity generation from a range of low carbon sources. Technologies like tidal power help improve the diversity of electricity supplies and reduce our reliance on imported energy which is good for the country’s future energy security.» 

2. The UK Government has earmarked tidal power as a priority technology, allocating a subsidy of 5 ‘ROCs’ for each unit of electricity generated, in order to fast-track its commercial development.

• 
  SMA
• Elsevier Ltd is not responsible for the content of external
  websites.

• UK Prime Minister responds to industry group’s call for critical Government support for solar
  David Cameron assures Solar Trade Association that Government and industry will continue to work together on laying the foundations for the successful future of solar in the UK.
• EU rubber stamps UK’s CfD support mechanism, approves 5 CfDs for offshore wind projects
  The European Commission has ruled that the UK EMR’s contracts-for-difference (CfD) support scheme for renewables meets EU state aid rules and can proceed as planned.
• SMA Solar Technology AG earns fourth Intersolar Award
  SMA fuel save controller wins in the «photovoltaics» category at Intersolar Europe 2014 in Munich.
• SMA Solar Technology, Danfoss A/S form strategic partnership
  €302,38 million deal will create one of the world’s largest converter alliances.

Loading related stories…

‘;
Event.onDOMReady(function () {
cp.ajax.post({
url: ‘/content/article/article-related-stories.aspx?articleId=40152’,
success: function (xhr) {
if (xhr.response) {
target.innerHTML = xhr.response;
} else {
if (xhr.responseText) {
target.innerHTML = xhr.responseText;
}
}
}
});
});
}
*/

IOW biogas project

The Schmack Biogas plant in the Isle of Wight is configured for an output of 5 MW of gas power, with a 250 kW combined heat and power (CHP) unit for its own supply.

The investor, builder and operator is Wight Farm Energy LLP, an association comprising seven landowners and IW Grain, a producer and trade group for cereals. Schmack Biogas UK is responsible for construction of the facility, which began in July.

Biogas fed into gas network

In contrast to conventional biogas facilities, the biogas will be processed into biomethane which has the same quality as natural gas. This will enable it to be fed into the island’s existing gas network.

After its planned completion in spring 2015, 4.25 million standard cubic metres of bio natural gas will be produced from renewable raw materials.

Schmack Biogas targets UK market

Schmack Biogas is a leading German supplier of biogas plants, and part of the Viessmann Group since 2010. It only entered the British market through its new subsidiary, Schmack Biogas UK Ltd, in July.

The company provides complete services in project development and plant construction, as well as servicing and operational management, under the brands Schmack, BIOFerm and Carbotech. The company also provides a comprehensive microbiological service.

EcoIsland to Island Hydrogen

The Isle of Wight (IOW) is already developing a smart grid infrastructure with global technology partners including ITM Power, IBM, Vodafone, SSE, and Toshiba.

The EcoIsland initiative – now called Island Hydrogen, after the EcoIsland Partnership went into liquidation last year – will utilise renewable generation including wind, solar, tidal and geothermal to match supply and demand using battery energy storage, hydrogen energy storage, and demand side management.

• 
  Azari Group
• 
  Innowind
• 
  Vanguard
• Elsevier Ltd is not responsible for the content of external
  websites.

• Risk Mitigation in Wind Power, Part II: An Insurer’s View
  In part I of this interview with Travelers, Scott Foyer and Peter Wilcox discussed risk management from the «construction» side of the equation. Part II delves into «operational» matters.
  
• Risk Mitigation in Wind Power Projects, Part I: An Insurer’s View
  At the recent WINDPOWER 2014 Conference Exhibition, Renewable Energy Focus magazine sat down with Travelers’ Scott Foyer, national practice leader, and Peter Wilcox, technical director, to discuss the issue of risk management and mitigation. Following are excerpts of that interview:
• Mitigating risk on renewable projects: Part I
  HSB Engineering’s Stephen Morris examines the many risk factors which have to be considered when financing and executing renewable energy projects.
• Husum Wind 2012: Lifting, handling and positioning of wind turbine nacelles solution
  Danish based Fyns Kran Udstyr has developed a hydraulic yoke it says makes lifting, maneuvering and mounting wind turbine nacelles quicker and safer.

Loading related stories…

‘;
Event.onDOMReady(function () {
cp.ajax.post({
url: ‘/content/article/article-related-stories.aspx?articleId=40155’,
success: function (xhr) {
if (xhr.response) {
target.innerHTML = xhr.response;
} else {
if (xhr.responseText) {
target.innerHTML = xhr.responseText;
}
}
}
});
});
}
*/

The US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently named leaders in the renewable energy field as center directors.The appointments are as follows: 

Paul Basore, director of NREL’s Materials Applications and Performance Center
Basore has contributed to the establishment of photovoltaic research development facilities on three continents, including work at Sandia National Laboratories on multicrystalline silicon; a pilot line for Pacific Solar in Sydney, Australia; the CSG Solar factory in Germany; a photovoltaic solar laboratory for the Renewable Energy Corporation of Norway and a PV research and development lab in Silicon Valley for Hanwha.Basore earned his Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has contributed to world-record solar cell efficiencies and is the developer of widely used software tools for solar cell simulation and solar cost estimations.

Haegel previously served as director of the Center for Materials Science at the Navy Postgraduate School, where she also was distinguished professor of physics. She earned her Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Haegel said NREL’s Materials Science Center has an outstanding, nationally recognized staff working to advance materials science discovery and problem-solving for current and next-generation photovoltaics and other renewable and energy-efficient technologies.

Jao van de Lagemaat, director of Chemistry and Nanoscience

You have installed a project using SMA inverters and now you want free long-term monitoring and reporting. SMA has you covered.

The Sunny Portal is a powerful tool with built-in analytics and this webinar will teach you how to maximize its potential to give you peace of mind. This session includes live demonstrations of page design, visualization options, report creation and system analysis. 

Thursday, July 31, 2014

9:00am PST

Duration: Approximately 1 hour 30 minutes

Cost: FREE

The University of California, Davis and SunPower Corporation plan to build a 16MW, ground-mounted solar power plant that is expected to generate 14 per cent of UC Davis’ electricity needs. The university anticipates that — when the plant is completed in 2015 — more than one-third of total electricity demand on campus will be served from carbon-neutral energy sources.

Upon completion, the project will be the largest solar power installation in the University of California system, and the largest solar power plant to offset the electricity demand of a US university or college campus, according to SunPower and UC Davis.

«UC Davis is already a national and international leader in sustainability, but this new project truly puts us in a league of our own,» said UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi. «We are pleased to join with SunPower in making this solar plant a reality and hope that the success of this public/private partnership spurs similar initiatives at universities across the country.»

The plant, to be built on a 70-acre site south of Interstate 80, will be owned and operated by SunPower, which will also design and construct the project. The plant will improve the University’s ability to accurately budget for electricity costs, and UC Davis anticipates that it will provide an effective long-term hedge against future utility rate increases.

«SunPower’s first project on the UC Davis campus included the design and construction of 4MW of high- efficiency SunPower technology to power the UC Davis West Village neighborhood, the nation’s largest net-zero community,» said Howard Wenger, SunPower president. «The university’s vision to integrate cost-effective, sustainable energy solutions is unparalleled, and is further advanced by this milestone commitment to build the nation’s largest solar plant to offset electricity demand of a university campus.»

SunPower will install its SunPower® Oasis® Power Plant technology at the site, which uses single-axis tracking technology to position high-efficiency solar panels to track the sun throughout the day, increasing energy capture by up to 25 per cent over fixed-tilt solar technology. The technology includes robotic panel cleaning capability that reduces water usage by approximately 90 per cent over traditional cleaning methods.

On 30 September the Cape Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC), the Town of Dennis, Clean Focus and American Capital Energy dedicated the largest solar development in New England, Cape Vineyard Solar One — a 22MW portfolio of solar arrays located on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard.  

Cape and Vineyard Solar One includes CVEC Round 1 PV, plus an additional array in the Town of Dennis.  Combined, the energy generated from this solar development will supply 45% of Cape Cod Martha’s Vineyard municipal electrical load.

“This milestone solar development is helping to continue to place Massachusetts at the forefront of solar adoption and enabling us to reach our aggressive goal of 1,600 MW of solar installations by 2020,” said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick, who was on hand for the official dedication. “Extending our solar reach will build on our success by creating jobs and economic opportunity in an industry that will last for generations to come.”
 
Curt Spalding, regional administrator of the US Environmental Protection Agency’s New England office, was also in attendance. He said EPA has worked to encourage the installation of renewable energy sources, such as solar farms, on contaminated sites and landfills. These locations, he noted, can be ideal sites for clean energy uses that reduce greenhouse gases and provide clean, renewable energy for the local community. «Installing these solar arrays will also help the Commonwealth meet its Clean Power targets in the future,» Spalding said. » I am proud that New England is a leader in solar deployment.»
 
Stanley Chin, president and CEO of Clean Focus, also expressed pride in his company’s role in the project, adding that Clean Focus is now the largest owner/operator of solar on landfills in the US. (Clean Focus provided construction and permanent financing, and owns and operates Cape Vineyard Solar One.)
“It was terrific partnering with this exceptional team of professionals to bring clean, reliable and renewable solar electricity to Massachusetts — contributing to the health and vibrancy of this region,» Chin stated.

John Checklick, president of CVEC, was similarly thrilled with the installation of these new solar power projects, made possible, he noted, through the hard work, collaboration, and dedication of CVEC and its member municipalities. «Our outstanding partners, Clean Focus and American Capital Energy, have demonstrated significant expertise and skill in deploying these valuable solar assets.» 

According to the developers, these projects will greatly reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions — the equivalent of removing more than 2,700 passenger vehicles from the road. Of the nine solar arrays, seven are sited on capped landfills in the towns of Barnstable, Brewster, Chatham, Dennis, Eastham, Harwich and Tisbury. Two solar arrays are sited on other land in the town of Edgartown.