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Germany Inaugurates 5 MW Wind Turbine Prototype

Hamburg, Germany [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] The world’s largest wind turbine, a 120-meter (394-feet) behemoth capable of generating 5 MW at full output, has just been officially inaugurated and connected to the German electrical grid. The “5M” turbine, designed and built by Germany’s REpower, was officially inaugurated at a dedication event in Germany this week with over 600 guests from business and politics. In a symbolic gesture, the turbine was activated by the German Federal Minister for the Environment, Jurgen Trittin. Germany has one of the strongest wind power markets in world. In bare figures, wind power already meets more than 30 percent of the electricity demand in the German states Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Trittin, Volker Hauff, who is the president of the German Council for Sustainable Development, Chairman of REpower Fritz Vahrenholt and Chief Technology Officer for REpower Matthias Schubert, climbed up the prototype hours before the official activation. “We’re proud of the way our engineers and installers have successfully realized these new dimensions,” Vahrenholt said. “With our 5M technology, we will be able to produce power at competitive prices, particularly at offshore wind farms.” The machine has the capability of generating approximately17 GWh of power a year, which could supply […]

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Johnson & Johnson to Install Solar System

By: Kara Fitzpatrick Array would be most productive on East Coast, representatives say. MONTGOMERY ? Johnson & Johnson representatives outlined Tuesday plans to erect what was described as the East Coast’s most productive solar energy system at its Consumer Products facility off of Grandview Avenue. The presentation was made before a receptive Environmental Commission. The proposed solar array, which likely will span 70,000 to 100,000 square feet behind the campus’ main building, will cost $3.3 million to construct. But the company will receive a $1.9 million rebate for the project through the New Jersey Clean Energy Program ? a state initiative to encourage renewable energy systems. The solar setup, a PowerTracker ground-mounted system manufactured by California-based PowerLight, would produce enough energy during its peak times to power 600 homes, said David Eisenbud, PowerLight project development manager for the Northeast region. “It will be the most productive installation on the East Coast to date,” said Mr. Eisenbud. The PowerTracker system, which will provide 2.9 percent of the annual energy used at company’s buildings, is designed to have rotating panels to follow the sun, said Mr. Eisenbud. Stephen Baldwin, Johnson & Johnson director of facilities and services, said the initiative is being […]

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Ex-Im Bank Supports U.S. Solar Exports

The Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) is helping U.S. manufacturers and exporters of solar energy technology and products obtain the working capital to increase export sales to Germany, one of the world’s leading markets for renewable energy goods and services. PowerLight Corporation of Berkeley, Calif., a small business manufacturer and supplier of large-scale solar electric systems, recently used a $5 million working capital line of credit guaranteed by Ex-Im Bank to export its innovative solar tracking technology to Bavaria Solarpark, the world’s largest solar photovoltaic project located on 30 acres of farmland in Bavaria, Germany. The lender, Union Bank of California (http://www.uboc.com), headquartered in San Francisco, Calif., is an Ex-Im Bank delegated authority lender that can commit Ex-Im Bank’s working capital guarantee when the loan is processed. Ex-Im Bank’s working capital guarantee enables commercial lenders to provide working capital loans for U.S. exporters to fulfill export sales orders and to use export-related inventory and accounts receivable as collateral to increase cash flow. The program is especially beneficial for small and medium-sized U.S. exporters. “Ex-Im Bank’s working capital guarantee was instrumental in helping PowerLight get the project properly financed for a successful operation. We were able to obtain […]

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Expansion Capital Partners Closes CleanTech VC Fund

Expansion Capital Partners, a venture capital firm specializing in expansion-stage, Clean Technology investments, closed its second fund, Clean Technology Fund II, LP. The new Fund, which has over $20M of committed capital, plans to scale to $50M+ during the coming year. Expansion Capital is diversifying across the core Clean Technology industry sectors: Energy, Advanced Materials, Manufacturing, Transportation, and Water & Wastewater. The firm defines Clean Technology as those technologies that: – Use energy, water and other raw materials more efficiently, – Deliver equal or superior performance, – Improve customer profitability, and – Create less waste or toxicity The Fund focuses on businesses addressing billion dollar sub-sectors of the economy, with $2-20M of existing customer revenues. The geographical focus of the Fund is North America. Commenting on the initial closing, Mark Donohue, the firm’s founder, stated: “The strong fundamentals and rapid growth rate of many Clean Technology sectors, combined with the relative underinvestment by the venture community, make the timing excellent for above average risk-adjusted returns. In this respect, our team was pleased that all Fund I investors, which are an exceptional group of wealthy families and foundations, significantly increased their initial capital commitments in Fund II.” Website: http://www.ExpansionCapital.com     

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Carmanah Secures $615K Contract

Carmanah Technologies Inc. (TSX Venture: CMH) is has received an order for its solar-powered LED (light-emitting diode) aviation lights valued at $615,000. This repeat order from the U.S. Marine Corps is for more than 1,000 units of the Company’s Model A601 and A702 airfield lights. These units will be used for taxiway edge, helipad edge, runway edge and obstruction lighting at the at the Marine Corps second largest air base in the Middle East. This base operates two large runways — one 12,000 and one 13,000 feet long — and both are using Carmanah’s technology for guiding fixed wing and rotary aircraft. Since its official launch into aviation lighting in April 2003, Carmanah has quickly become a primary supplier of solar-powered LED lighting to military, commercial and private airfields worldwide. Customers include Chicago O’Hare, Memphis, Vancouver, Auckland and Milan international airports. The aviation industry is embracing Carmanah’s high-performance, maintenance- free solar technology because it is faster to install and less expensive than conventional hardwired lighting. “Carmanah aviation lights are in use in over 80 countries. Our lights are quick to deploy and require no external power infrastructure. They are saving our customers literally millions of dollars in installation, operating and […]

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