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Fetzer Gets Wine Industry's Largest Solar System

3 Phases Energy, LLC, and MMA Renewable Ventures, LLC, a subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity, LLC (MuniMae: NYSE: MMA), announced a collaborative effort to develop the largest solar energy vineyard project in the United States at Fetzer Vineyards. MMA Renewable Ventures, a specialist in innovative renewable energy project finance, and 3 Phases Energy, a renewable energy developer and marketer, will deliver the solar energy system. The 901-kilowatt photovoltaic (PV) project will be positioned on the roofs of the bottling facility and Red Wine Barrel Room at Fetzer’s Hopland, California winery. Generating 1.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually, the installation will supply 80 percent of the bottling plant’s electricity needs. “As one of the first and only wineries to purchase 100 percent clean power, Fetzer has a long-standing tradition of pioneering environmentally sound business practices,” said Steve Dorfman, Chief Winery Officer for Brown-Forman. “Building one of the largest solar energy arrays in the country as a green power solution is perfectly in line with Fetzer’s business objectives and commitment to sustainability.” The Fetzer solar energy system is the first project to be financed through MMA Renewable Ventures’ solar fund, a vehicle for institutional investment in renewable energy projects nationwide. […]

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Ballard Delivers Prototypes of 3rd Generation Residential Fuel Cell

Ballard Power Systems Inc. (TSX:BLD.TO; NasdaqNM:BLDP) has delivered the first prototypes of its next generation fuel cell, the Mark 1030 V3, for the residential cogeneration market to EBARA BALLARD Corporation (Ballard’s Japan-based joint venture with the EBARA Corporation). The prototypes are for integration and testing in 1 kW residential cogeneration systems. Featuring increased reliability and lifetime, with significantly less weight and volume, the Mark 1030 V3 fuel cell has been designed in alignment with the 2008 Japanese government targets of 40,000 hours operation, equivalent to a system lifetime of 10 years in the home. Key features of the Mark 1030 V3 fuel cell include: 1) Full compatibility with both natural gas and kerosene fuel cell cogeneration systems. 2) 40% lighter in weight than the previous generation. 3) 26% smaller than the previous generation. ABOUT FUEL CELL COGENERATION IN JAPAN As a new form of distributed power generation in Japan, 1 kW fuel cell cogeneration systems are installed directly in consumers’ homes and are designed to generate the first kilowatt of electricity and all required hot water, thus reducing dependence on grid based electricity. Readily available home fuels in Japan such as natural gas, kerosene or LPG (propane) are reformed by […]

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