Renewable Energy

Poet LLC, the nation's top ethanol producer, says it is has reduced its cellulosic ethanol production cost during the past year from $4.13 per gallon to $2.35 per gallon. The Sioux Falls-based company plans to produce 25 million gallons of ethanol each year from plant waste typically left behind in farmers' fields at its corn ethanol plant in Emmetsburg, Iowa. A pilot-scale plant in Scotland, S.D., has produced about 20,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol since it began operations a year ago Wednesday. Privately held Poet says it has reached the cost savings by reducing energy usage, enzyme costs, raw material requirements and capital expenses. Read Full Story

The rising cost of commercially sold energy during these hard economic times is driving more individuals than ever before to learn how to make a solar panel . Thousands of homes worldwide are going solar everyday and do it yourself (DIY) solar panels are definitely becoming the norm for many households to satisfy their energy requirements. Having said that, a lot of people have absolutely no idea how to go about producing solar power and keep on wondering how to make a solar panel on their own. Today, in this article we are going to discuss the various aspects involved in making a solar ... Read Full Story

Munich - The technology group The Linde Group and the US company Algenol Biofuels LLC have agreed to collaborate in a joint development project in order to identify the optimum management of carbon dioxide (CO2) and oxygen (O2) for Algenol's unique algae and photobioreactor technology. This cooperation will see the companies join forces to develop cost-efficient technologies that capture, store, transport and supply CO2 for Algenol's proprietary process for the production of third-generation (3G) biofuels out of CO2, salt water and algae, as well as remove oxygen from the photobioreactor. "Producing fuels or chemicals from algae is a promising way of reducing greenhouse gas ... Read Full Story

Gov. Phil Bredesen said Tuesday that a private investment deal is back on track following discussions between the company and the head of a legislative panel that questioned a state-backed biofuels initiative in East Tennessee. The Legislature's Fiscal Review Committee last week delayed approval for an $11 million contract to operate the University of Tennessee plant to turn switchgrass into ethanol. The Democratic governor responded that the move was "outrageous," and could have scuttled a previously unannounced investment related to the project. But subsequent conversations between the head of the legislative panel, Republican Sen. Bill Ketron of Murfreesboro, and the company have soothed fears ... Read Full Story

We already know that the use of electricity, gas and coal are all resources that we may eventually run out of. These are the non-renewable resources that we rely heavily on today. We use these non-renewable resources to do many things, including supplying us with power, heating our homes, businesses and schools and more. When we use all the non-renewable resources up and there are no more to gather, then what? How will we go without the convenience that we are so accustomed to? It’s nice to flip a switch to get power and it is even better when the latest technology allows us ... Read Full Story

Image by SolYoung via Flickr Biodiesel is “bio”, because it is made from organic matter. Usually, oil-rich plants such as rapa and corn are grown and harvested. Their oil is combined with alcohol to make biodiesel. Because its production process is relatively fast, biodiesel is considered a renewable fuel. Renewable fuels are good. As environmental awareness grows, the demand for renewable fuels, including biodiesel, increases. The Europeans, especially, have a voracious appetite for biodiesel. This is good, right? Biodiesel will help save the environment. However, consider the ramifications of such skyrocketing demand. Since the Europeans took a liking to biodiesel, beautiful, vast forests in ... Read Full Story

Gov. Phil Bredesen says a legislative staff member who attacked a state-backed initiative to turn switchgrass into ethanol is playing politics and endangering chances to land a large investment for East Tennessee. The report on the University of Tennessee's Biofuels Initiative presented to the Fiscal Review Committee on Wednesday was highly critical of changes in the project since it was first announced. As originally envisioned, the facility was to produce 5 million gallons of ethanol per year that could be sold to pay the operating costs of the research refinery. Under the current plan, the facility will produce only about 250,000 gallons, enough to ... Read Full Story