Metal-free flow battery could prove to be an economical solution to intermittent generation in renewable energy plants

A team of Harvard scientists and engineers has demonstrated a new type of battery that could fundamentally transform the way electricity is stored on the grid, making power from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar far more economical and reliable.

The novel battery technology was reported in a paper published in Nature on January 9. Under the OPEN 2012 program, the Harvard team received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy (ARPA-E) to develop the innovative grid-scale battery, and plans to work with ARPA-E to catalyze further technological and market breakthroughs over the next several years. 

The paper reports a metal-free flow battery that relies on the electrochemistry of naturally abundant, inexpensive, small organic (carbon-based) molecules called quinones, which are similar to molecules that store energy in plants and animals.

The mismatch between the availability of intermittent wind or sunshine and the variability of demand is the biggest obstacle to getting a large fraction of our electricity from renewable sources. A cost-effective means of storing large amounts of electrical energy could solve this problem.

The battery was designed, built, and tested in the laboratory of Michael J. Aziz, Gene and Tracy Sykes Professor of Materials and Energy Technologies at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). Roy G. Gordon, Thomas Dudley Cabot Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Materials Science, led the work on the synthesis and chemical screening of molecules. Alán Aspuru-Guzik, Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, used his pioneering high-throughput molecular screening methods to calculate the properties of more than 10,000 quinone molecules in search of the best candidates for the battery.

Flow batteries store energy in chemical fluids contained in external tanks—as with fuel cells—instead of within the battery container itself. The two main components—the electrochemical conversion hardware through which the fluids are flowed (which sets the peak power capacity), and the chemical storage tanks (which set the energy capacity)—may be independently sized. Thus the amount of energy that can be stored is limited only by the size of the tanks. The design permits larger amounts of energy to be stored at lower cost than with traditional batteries.

By contrast, in solid-electrode batteries, such as those commonly found in cars and mobile devices, the power conversion hardware and energy capacity are packaged together in one unit and cannot be decoupled. Consequently they can maintain peak discharge power for less than an hour before being drained, and are therefore ill-suited to store intermittent renewables.

“Our studies indicate that one to two days’ worth of storage is required for making solar and wind dispatchable through the electrical grid,” said Aziz.

To store 50 hours of energy from a 1 MW wind turbine (50 MWh), for example, a possible solution would be to buy traditional batteries with 50 MWh of energy storage, but they’d come with 50 MW of power capacity. Paying for 50 MW of power capacity when only 1 MW is necessary makes little economic sense.

For this reason, a growing number of engineers have focused their attention on flow battery technology. But until now, flow batteries have relied on chemicals that are expensive or difficult to maintain, driving up the energy storage costs.

The active components of electrolytes in most flow batteries have been metals. Vanadium is used in the most commercially advanced flow battery technology now in development, but its cost sets a rather high floor on the cost per kWh at any scale. Other flow batteries contain precious metal electrocatalysts such as the platinum used in fuel cells.

The new flow battery developed by the Harvard team already performs as well as vanadium flow batteries, with chemicals that are significantly less expensive, and with no precious metal electrocatalyst.

“The whole world of electricity storage has been using metal ions in various charge states but there is a limited number that you can put into solution and use to store energy, and none of them can economically store massive amounts of renewable energy,” Gordon said. “With organic molecules, we introduce a vast new set of possibilities. Some of them will be terrible and some will be really good. With these quinones we have the first ones that look really good.”

Aspuru-Guzik noted that the project is very well aligned with the White House Materials Genome Initiative. “This project illustrates what the synergy of high-throughput quantum chemistry and experimental insight can do,” he said. “In a very quick time period, our team honed in to the right molecule. Computational screening, together with experimentation, can lead to discovery of new materials in many application domains.”

Quinones are abundant in crude oil as well as in green plants. The molecule that the Harvard team used in its first quinone-based flow battery is almost identical to one found in rhubarb. The quinones are dissolved in water, which prevents them from catching fire.

To back up a commercial wind turbine, a large storage tank would be needed, possibly located in a below-grade basement, said co-lead author Michael Marshak, a postdoctoral fellow at SEAS and in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. Or if you had a whole field of turbines or large solar farm, you could imagine a few very large storage tanks.

The same technology could also have applications at the consumer level, Marshak said. “Imagine a device the size of a home heating oil tank sitting in your basement. It would store a day’s worth of sunshine from the solar panels on the roof of your house, potentially providing enough to power your household from late afternoon, through the night, into the next morning, without burning any fossil fuels.”

“The Harvard team’s results published in Nature demonstrate an early, yet important technical achievement that could be critical in furthering the development of grid-scale batteries,” said ARPA-E program director John Lemmon. “The project team’s result is an excellent example of how a small amount of catalytic funding from ARPA-E can help build the foundation to hopefully turn scientific discoveries into low-cost, early-stage energy technologies.”

Team leader Aziz said the next steps in the project will be to further test and optimize the system that has been demonstrated on the bench top and bring it toward a commercial scale. “So far, we’ve seen no sign of degradation after more than 100 cycles, but commercial applications require thousands of cycles,” he said. He also expects to achieve significant improvements in the underlying chemistry of the battery system. “I think the chemistry we have right now might be the best that’s out there for stationary storage and quite possibly cheap enough to make it in the marketplace,” he said. “But we have ideas that could lead to huge improvements.”

By the end of the three-year development period, Connecticut-based Sustainable Innovations, LLC, a collaborator on the project, expects to deploy demonstration versions of the organic flow battery contained in a unit the size of a horse trailer. The portable, scaled-up storage system could be hooked up to solar panels on the roof of a commercial building, and electricity from the solar panels could either directly supply the needs of the building or go into storage and come out of storage when there’s a need. Sustainable Innovations anticipates playing a key role in the product’s commercialization by leveraging its ultra-low cost electrochemical cell design and system architecture already under development for energy storage applications.

“You could theoretically put this on any node on the grid,” Aziz said. “If the market price fluctuates enough, you could put a storage device there and buy electricity to store it when the price is low and then sell it back when the price is high. In addition, you might be able to avoid the permitting and gas supply problems of having to build a gas-fired power plant just to meet the occasional needs of a growing peak demand.”

This technology could also provide very useful backup for off-grid rooftop solar panels—an important advantage considering some 20 percent of the world’s population does not have access to a power distribution network.

William Hogan, Raymond Plank Professor of Global Energy Policy at Harvard Kennedy School, and one of the world’s foremost experts on electricity markets, is helping the team explore the economic drivers for the technology.

Trent M. Molter, President and CEO of Sustainable Innovations, LLC, provides expertise on implementing the Harvard team’s technology into commercial electrochemical systems.
“The intermittent renewables storage problem is the biggest barrier to getting most of our power from the sun and the wind,” Aziz said. “A safe and economical flow battery could play a huge role in our transition off fossil fuels to renewable electricity. I’m excited that we have a good shot at it.”

In addition to Aziz, Marshak, Aspuru-Guzik, and Gordon, the co-lead author of the Nature paper was Brian Huskinson, a graduate student with Aziz; coauthors included research associate Changwon Suh and postdoctoral researcher Süleyman Er in Aspuru-Guzik’s group; Michael Gerhardt, a graduate student with Aziz; Cooper Galvin, a Pomona College undergraduate; and Xudong Chen, a postdoctoral fellow in Gordon’s group.

This work was supported in part by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Project Agency–Energy (ARPA-E), the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the National Science Foundation (NSF) Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (OCI-1053575), an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, and the Fellowships for Young Energy Scientists program of the Foundation for Fundamental Research on Matter, which is part of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).  

—Source: Harvard School of
 Engineering and Applied Sciences

Gamesa recently inaugurated a services center in Chennai, India that will accommodate the performance of all wind farm operations and maintenance-related services for its customers in India and Sri Lanka.

The facility will also serve as a logistics center, enabling part storage and repair work as well as the provision of training to Gamesa employees and customer staff. It is also equipped with a remote control center from which turbine operations can be monitored in real time, facilitating rapid response times with a view to maximizing availability.

The addition of the services center allows Gamesa to efficiently respond to the growing turbine availability demands of its customer base—increasingly consisting of independent power producers—in the region. Gamesa has already installed more than 830 turbines in India and Sri Lanka.

Vestas has secured a two-year service agreement from ScottishPower Renewables for five Vestas installed wind power plants in Scotland with a total capacity of 120 MW, which includes 162 units of V47-660 kW and V52-850 kW wind turbines.

The service contract extension includes Vestas’ Active Output Management (AOM) 3000 service option. The service contract extension is a two-year agreement, with an option for one additional year.

“We look forward to continuing our relationship with Vestas, who we have worked closely with for a number of years,” said Lee Callaghan, head of site operations at ScottishPower Renewables. “This contract extension is testament to the quality of service and performance we have received from Vestas, and we are pleased to have reached this agreement which will provide a foundation for us to continue working closely with Vestas to drive further operational performance improvements going forward.”

Vestas applies its proactive maintenance approach to more than 25,000 wind turbines worldwide.

AeroTorque Corp., a U.S. manufacturing and engineering firm for torsional control products and torque monitoring for wind turbines, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Frontier Pro Services.

The sales partnership serves to further introduce AeroTorque’s innovative WindTC, asymmetric torsional control, and their WindTM, torque monitoring services, to a broader audience in the U.S. wind market.

 “It was a natural fit, to bring the market’s top experts in drive train inspection and analysis, and our unique offering together. Their experience with gearbox fleets and contacts in the industry are a win-win for us and for our customers.” said Doug Herr, General Manager of AeroTorque Corporation.

“The Frontier Pro group continues to focus on delivering long-term reliability centered solutions,” said Paul Baker, VP business development of Frontier Pro Services. “This is the first solution I’ve seen come to market, that eliminates a cause of failures, rather than mitigating them.”

Together, the two companies expect to see good synergies between Frontier Pro’s service offerings and AeroTorque’s products. AeroTorque’s WindTC is designed to retrofit on turbines from 600 KW to 1.5 MW and reduces the effects of torsional reversals to 40% of nominal torque. It further reduces both the magnitude of the impact loads in the gearboxes and the strain rate and speed of the impact. They have field experience on turbines up to 2 MW and can monitor the torque on any size turbine above 600 KW.

Microsoft Signs 20-Year Purchase Agreement For Power Generated From 110 MW Keechi Wind Project

Enbridge Inc. has announced that it has entered into an agreement with RES Americas for construction of the 110 MW Keechi Wind Project, located in Jack County, Texas, at a cost of approximately $200 million.

Construction for Keechi Wind commenced in December 2013 and the project is expected to reach commissioning in the first quarter of 2015. Upon attaining commercial operation, MetLife, Inc. will provide tax equity financing for the project. %%0214_NB_Vestas%%

The project will deliver electricity into the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, Inc. (ERCOT) market, under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Microsoft Corporation.

“As the nation’s leader in wind energy—both in installed capacity and number of turbines—Texas represents a natural extension for Enbridge’s growing U.S. renewable energy portfolio,” said Don Thompson, vice president of Green Power & Transmission for Enbridge. “We’re also pleased to continue building our relationship with RES Americas which has developed three other wind facilities for Enbridge.”

“RES Americas looks forward to continuing our partnership with Enbridge Inc. Texas has shown its commitment to remain a leader in the renewable energy industry, and Keechi Wind, the 19th project we’ve constructed in the state, will help reduce carbon emissions, create jobs, and deliver economic benefits to the local community,” said Brian Evans, executive vice president, RES Americas.

The Keechi Wind project comprises 55 Vestas V100-2.0 MW turbines and will be constructed by RES Americas under a fixed-price, engineering, procurement and construction agreement. A 12-mile generation tie-line will connect the project to Brazos Electric’s Joplin substation.

Vestas will provide turbine operations and maintenance services for the first five years of the project after commercial operation date.

Keechi Wind brings the total generating capacity of the green power projects in which Enbridge has interests to more than 1,800 MW—enough to meet the energy needs of more than 590,000 homes. The project also contributes to Enbridge’s “Neutral Footprint” commitment to generate a kilowatt of renewable energy for every additional kilowatt of conventional electricity that the company’s liquids pipelines operations consume.

Attendees, exhibitors expected to flock to Las Vegas Convention Center for triennial events highlighting product innovations and expert industry educational programs
Individuals and organizations from all around the globe will descend on Las Vegas next month to connect with leading U.S. and global manufacturers and service provider, take advantage of expert learning opportunities, and network with industry peers from around the world

The co-located CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE expositions will be held March 4-8, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The expositions are the global gathering place every three years for the construction, building materials, and fluid power/motion control industries.

More than 95 allied associations and groups are official show-supporting organizations; hundreds of industry meetings and conventions will be held at the shows; and key countries for industry business are hosting international exhibit pavilions.

The official 2014 show-supporting organizations come from the U.S., Canada, and 16 other countries worldwide. These organizations promote the value of the shows, draw qualified buyer groups to the events, and help develop direction and content of the shows’ education programs.

Besides the U.S. and Canada, these groups represent Africa, Australia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Germany, India, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom, and Venezuela.

Exhibitor Reservations Break Records
CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2014 covers a record-breaking 2.3 million net square feet of indoor and outdoor exhibits; IFPE 2014 has also achieved record status with 165,000 net square feet of exhibit space.

Show management stresses that quality, not size, is the goal. A strategic alignment with needs of the industry has led to programs and events geared toward helping attendees and exhibitors achieve the most value out of their time at the shows.

“Attendees will find the newest products and technologies and technical experts ready to discuss product features and applications. In the space of a few days, in one place, visitors can examine and compare the best of what our industries have to offer,” stated Megan Tanel, CONEXPO-CON/AGG show director and AEM vice president exhibitions and events.

“Attendees will also find the focused industry education, with the latest techniques and information, they need to run their businesses most efficiently. The opportunity to share experiences and ideas with industry peers adds another dimension to the show experience,” stated Melissa Magestro, IFPE show director and AEM senior director exhibitions.

Exhibit Pavilions
On the show floor, a new Demolition & Recycling exhibit pavilion will showcase exhibits and products specific to C&D recyclers and demolition contractors.

AGC, the Associated General Contractors of America, brings back its Technology & Construction Solutions pavilion for contractor software providers, finance and leasing companies, insurance providers, and related suppliers of contractor business solutions.

IFPE 2014 features exhibit pavilions from PTDA, the Power Transmission Distributors Association, and for sensors manufacturers and product suppliers.

International exhibit pavilions at both shows reinforce the global scope of the events and offer attendees access to a wider range of companies and product options. To date, the shows have eight official country pavilions: IFPE with China, Italy, and Taiwan; CONEXPO-CON/AGG with China, Germany, Ireland, Korea and United Kingdom.

Education Programs Expand Knowledge
Comprehensive education programs at CONEXPO-CON/AGG and IFPE 2014 will help attendees conveniently sharpen their professional skills and improve their businesses’ efficiency and productivity, all vital to stay competitive in the marketplace.

The shows’ education program offers 120 sessions across 10 tracks to target the full range of attendee interests, including equipment management and maintenance, safety and regulations, recycling and preservation, earthmoving & site development, business management best practices, and workforce development, plus aggregates, asphalt, concrete, and cranes & rigging.

A new education ticket plan allows more flexibility for attendees to choose sessions onsite.
Allied industry groups will also offer training and certification programs in conjunction with the shows.

IFPE 2014 education provides both application-based and research-driven sessions, targeted to several levels of expertise and interest, with the latest information crucial for engineers and others involved in the design and manufacturing processes. Check the education section of the show website for more details.

The IFPE Technical Conference features the latest research developments in the fluid power industry. The emphasis is new technologies and methods related to improved analysis, design, manufacture, and performance of fluid power components and systems for mobile and industrial markets.

IFPE “College-Level Courses” are half-day sessions focused on hands-on technical knowledge on fluid power and hydraulics, with four to be offered: overview of fluid power systems, sizing a hydrostatic transmission using calculations, condition monitoring of hydraulic fluids, and design of hybrid systems.

Mobile App & Planner Make it Easier to Navigate Shows
The show planner—and mobile app—help attendees more easily get around the shows. Attendees can search show maps and exhibitor lists by hall/lot location, booth number, company name, and type of product. They can assemble their personalized daily schedule of booth visits and education, and edit it pre-show and onsite. The mobile app will be continually updated with exhibitor and event information and an up-to-the-minute Twitter feed.

Getting Around at the Shows: It’s Easier in 2014!
It will be easier than ever to get around at the shows, so attendees spend less time searching and more time connecting with the companies and products they want to see.

A new show footprint consolidates outdoor exhibit space into three large areas (a new Platinum lot joins Gold and Silver) to create better attendee flow between outdoor and indoor (including IFPE) exhibits. Wayfinding upgrades include an enhanced internal shuttle system, better-defined product concentration areas, and knowledgeable onsite guides to answer questions and help attendees navigate the show floor.

“The goal, as with all our planning, is to create the most ROI for attendees and exhibitors, and these moves will definitely make a positive difference for 2014,” Tanel noted.

Visit the show websites for the complete information: www.conexpoconagg.com and www.ifpe.com.    

Capital Safety, home of the DBI-SALA® and PROTECTA® brands of fall protection equipment, recently has introduced the Nano-Lok™edge—the first personal self-retracting lifeline (SRL) engineered for both foot level tie-off and sharp edge applications. While traditional general purpose products anchored at foot level and used in sharp edge environments may increase the risk of injury and create a false sense of security at height, the Nano-Lok edge is designed specifically for use in sharp edge applications and retracts its unused lifeline so workers can anchor at their feet and move freely and with confidence at height . The Nano-Lok edge includes an 8 foot (2.4 meter) working length, ergonomic design, and is available in single or twin 100 percent tie-off units.

The Nano-Lok edge is the only personal SRL on the market to pass the most stringent leading edge standard set by ANSI Z359.14. Its tough lifeline material, patent pending energy absorber, and durable harness connector work together to absorb and limit the arresting forces in the event of a fall, and to mitigate the effect of a sharp edge on the lifeline even under harsh conditions.

“When workers anchor at their feet with traditional equipment that’s not specifically designed for foot level tie-off, they’re putting themselves at risk,” said Jeff Martin, hard goods senior product manager at Capital Safety. “The Nano-Lok edge is specifically designed for leading edge work and foot level tie-off situations, so workers at height can do their job safely and with confidence.”

The Nano-Lok edge personal SRL includes an integrated backpack style energy absorber, tough and flexible galvanized cable lifeline, various hook options, and an easy-to-install connector, The SRL can be safely used in fall clearance environments as low as 16 feet (4.9 meters).

	(651) 388-8282		(651) 388-5065		www.capitalsafety.com
	www.nanolokedge.com		capitalsafety		@Capital_Safety
	capital-safety		DBISALA

Bangalore facility to house manufacturing, sales, and service operations of transmission and distribution-related smart grid devices

Avantha Group Company CG launched its state-of-the-art smart grid facility at the Global Village in Bangalore, India on January 11 for full-fledged manufacturing of smart grid devices. Besides manufacturing smart grid devices, the facility will support economic development, foster job creation, and boost an understanding of smart grid solutions in the energy field.

The smart grid devices manufactured in this facility will offer numerical solutions to Indian utilities and the transmission and distribution (T&D) segment, and provide improvement in the electric grid to make it more efficient and reliable. CG has invested $1.3 million in this facility—which can employ more than 100 people. The smart grid facility will manufacture substation automation products, distribution automation devices, protection and control systems, advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), and telecommunication solutions. It will also offer global engineering services such as systems integration, installation, and commissioning. The facility is fully equipped with modern equipment to ensure an annual production capacity of 10,000 units of power line carrier communication terminals (PLCC) and intelligent electronic devices (IED).

CG has a comprehensive portfolio that provides specific solutions and products for each application, including systems that can evolve as the network evolves. CG’s solutions give timely and necessary information needed to implement automatic functions and allow maximum use of the grid at minimum cost. The real value-add of the smart grid concept over the conventional automation system is that smart grids are able to convert the data provided by installed devices into actions and decisions that are taken in real time to operate the network. 

With more than 2 million CG smart meter complete solutions installed worldwide, CG is a well-established manufacturer in this field.  CG’s smart grid devices are running successfully in the world’s first major smart grid deployment at the Iberdrola STAR Project, Bilbao, Spain, where over 227,000 smart meters monitor the electricity services provided to the area’s 410,000 inhabitants. In the past year, CG has participated in no less than ten Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) Pilot Projects in Europe, Asia, and America. 

CG is already participating with many of these smart grid devices and services in India’s first smart grid pilot project—the Pudhucherry smart city project—which requires approximately 87,000 smart meters and a street light automation solution that will prove substantial savings to the electricity department of the government of Pudhucherry (PED). CG’s utility distribution franchise that operates in Jalgaon efficiently manages the multiple data obtained from the intelligent devices installed at all voltage levels, enhancing the quality of service provided to the utility’s end users and drastically reduces technical and non-technical losses.

CG’s cost-effective smart grid solutions will help utilities identify and eliminate power thefts and system losses caused by aging or faulty equipment. For the utility’s customers, CG’s smart grid solutions will offer more control over their power consumption and energy costs and spread awareness of consumption patterns.

As a part of its transmission network expansion plan, Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) has proposed an investment outlay of $2.76 billion for implementation of various projects during the current financial year. CG aims to participate in PGCIL’s smart grid related energy improvement projects.

Commenting on the inauguration,  Avantha Group Company CG’s CEO & managing director Laurent Demortier said, “The opening of CG’s smart grid manufacturing facility in Bangalore is a result of intense planning with the Indian stakeholders—customers, regulators, and employees. I thank all of them for what they have ac hieved so far. Expansion in smart grid markets is a key strategy of CG.  After America and Europe the Bangalore facility will spearhead smart grid operations in Asia.”

Blade manufacturer opens its second plant in China, re-opens Mexico plant in order to serve global wind market

TPI Composites, a leading global wind blade manufacturer, has announced that it has signed a multi-year supply agreement with Acciona Windpower SA to provide wind blades from TPI’s new factory in Dafeng, China.  Acciona intends to export these blades for projects around the world including North America. TPI will also manufacture high-precision molds and assembly systems to produce Acciona’s blades at TPI’s recently announced advanced composite tooling facility in Taicang.

“TPI is excited to continue to support new customers on a global basis, and this agreement with Acciona validates the strength and value of TPI’s dedicated supplier model,” said Steve Lockard, president & CEO of TPI Composites. “The Acciona Group is one of the largest developers and owners of wind power projects in the world, and we are looking forward to supporting its expanding wind turbine business globally.  Acciona’s strength and success is demonstrated in its recent 300MW order in the U.S.”

Jose Luis Blanco, CEO of Acciona Windpower SA, added, “We are very pleased to be partnering with TPI for the supply of AW116/125 wind blades for worldwide use.  Acciona’s track record of reliability and TPI’s experience as an independent wind blade manufacturing partner will serve our needs well for years to come.”

TPI has been operating in China (Taicang, Jiangsu) since 2008 and is expanding its facilities with the addition of its Dafeng, Jiangsu facility. The location allows TPI to serve multiple customers and cost-effectively deliver products to the Chinese and export markets.  TPI has manufactured tens of thousands of high-quality wind blades over a decade in Asia, Europe, and North America. 

In December, TPI announced its decision to reopen its plant in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico to provide cost-effective, world-class blades to the North American wind market.   The Juarez factory was formerly operated as a joint venture between TPI and Mitsubishi Power Systems under the name of VienTek, but is beginning operations now to serve multiple customers as a 100 percent TPI-owned facility.

 “TPI is very pleased to be reopening our Mexico operation to continue to drive down the cost of wind energy and to gain market share in the U.S. and Mexico,” Lockard said in December regarding the re-opening.  “It will allow us to grow our business with current customers and to support new customers in the region.”

Wayne Monie, TPI’s chief operating officer, added, “We launched VienTek in 2002 and operated successfully for more than 10 years, providing many thousands of highly reliable blades to the U.S. market.  The skills and the blade manufacturing knowledge of the roughly 600 former employees that we are rehiring will be fully utilized during the restart.”

TPI currently operates regional wind blade factories in the U.S., China, and Turkey.  Lockard commented, “Our Newton, Iowa operation will continue to effectively serve primarily the mid-western U.S. market while the Mexico plant’s location is ideally situated to deliver blades by truck and rail to the western U.S. and Mexico markets.”

With an increasing importance of inverters as energy and data hubs, TÜV Rheinland has formed a unique worldwide network of testing laboratories for various power-level inverters, Inverter Services Network (ISN), by uniting its nine facilities located in Australia, Germany, Greater China (Shanghai and Taiwan), Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, and the United States. Integrating these geographically diverse labs in one cohesive service structure will result in a fast, cost-effective and streamlined service.

The company’s ISN network will share subject knowledge, local grid code requirements, testing resources and lab accreditations. More than 25 experts with extensive knowledge in inverter technology will deliver comprehensive support for their colleagues in 65 countries providing services on site and at manufacturer facilities. Operation efficiencies, enhanced communication, and reduced need for international travel are all expected to reduce costs for customers. 

TÜV Rheinland has been performing inverter testing around the world for a number of years. The facility in Pleasanton, Calif., opened in 2013 and tests small- to mid-sized inverters and converters according to all relevant US and international safety, grid, and performance standards, and sets up and witnesses large, utility-scale inverters on location at customer facilities. TÜV Rheinland provides necessary listing reports and issues the appropriate U.S. (NRTL) and international certifications for inverters to be used in any location.

New Avionics Corporation has introduced a new compact ice sensor for use on wind power turbine nacelles and meteorological towers.

New Ice*Meister™Model 9734-SYSTEM is demonstrably the smallest, lightest, most-sensitive ice detector anywhere. Its low cost, simple operation, simple installation, minimal host requirements, and simple maintenance adds value to every size wind power turbine, onshore, offshore, remote, parking lots, etc.

The entire 9734 assembly with its mounting plate weighs only one pound. This makes it easy to carry and install. The sensor is a self-contained compact unit that works on 8-36 VDC, consumes only 2 watts, and conveniently embeds all its electronics inside its own housing.

In operation, the 9734 is a digital/optical, go/no-go ice sensor. It monitors the optical characteristics of whatever substance is in contact with the probe. Anytime it “sees” that liquid rain has turned to solid ice, the unit alerts its host system by closing its output relay contacts and energizing its indicator LED.

When the ice has disappeared, the device’s output relay contacts open, and its indicator LED is de-energized.

The ice sensor’s blue indicator LED is locally visible inside its clear plastic probe, which makes it easy to test and observe the sensor at arm’s length. Sensitivity is simple to adjust in the field. The only maintenance recommended is to clean the optical probe occasionally with isopropyl alcohol and a soft cotton swab.

The sensor is entirely optical. Other than the electrical contacts of its single-pole, single-throw output relay, the 9734 has no moving parts whatever. The housing measures a mere 2½ inches x 1¼ inch x 1 inch, and the probe extends an inch out from the housing. The 9734 is encased in a solid, waterproof housing, and  is robust against harmful elements—including UV.

The 9734 provides its own mounting plate that bolts to the top of any nacelle, and comes standard with 6 feet of lightweight blue cable. Custom-length cables are available as a factory option. Other options include a protective polycarbonate cage and a de-ice heater.

For more information, call (954) 568-1991 or visit www.newavionics.com.

Spectronics Corporation has unveiled the OLK-441 Leak Detection Kit, which finds leaks quickly and efficiently in petroleum- or synthetic-based fluid systems. The kit can be used with hydraulic systems, compressors, engines, gearboxes and fuel systems.

Central to the kit is the OPTI-LUX™ 400 — an advanced, LED leak detection flashlight that emits less visible light so industrial fluid leaks are easy to spot. The unit features a high-output violet light LED that causes fluorescent dyes to glow far more brilliantly and with greater contrast than with standard blue light inspection lamps, revealing the exact source of every leak. Its power is comparable to high-intensity 150-watt lamps and it has an inspection range of up to 25 feet (7.6 m) or more.

The kit also includes an 8 ounce bottle of patented OIL-GLO™ 44 concentrated fluorescent dye, an 8 ounce spray bottle of GLO-AWAY™ dye cleaner, an AC/DC charger, dye treatment tags, and fluorescence-enhancing glasses. The components are conveniently packed in a rugged carrying case.

For more information about the Spectroline® OLK-441 Leak Detection Kit, call 1-800-274-8888. Outside the United States and Canada, call 516-333-4840. Website at www.spectroline.com.

Cape Wind today again defeated the efforts of its opponents to block the country’s first offshore wind farm. In a significant decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the FAA’s approval of the Cape Wind project, rejecting every argument that had been advanced by the project’s opponents.

“The Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the Town of Barnstable and their financial backer-coal billionaire Bill Koch– have failed yet again in their continuing campaign to use the courts to delay the financing of Cape Wind,” Cape Wind Communications Director Mark Rodgers said. “The court’s definitive decision is an important legal victory that brings America that much closer to launching its offshore wind industry, a keystone in America’s renewable energy future,” Rodgers continued.

This decision takes on even greater importance because this was the same court that had previously provided project opponents their sole and temporary relief, opponents have lost all 12 legal decisions in other courts.

On October 28, 2011 this Court had remanded the FAA’s third Determination of No Hazard back to the FAA to better explain the rationale for its decision. On February 9, 2012, the FAA issued a Public Notice of its reinstated project review, indicating its conclusion that “None of the turbines would have an adverse effect on the use of air navigation facilities or navigable airspace.” On August 15, 2012 the FAA issued its 4th DNH which project opponents challenged, the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound pronounced confidence their challenge would be successful – this is the case decided today in favor of the FAA and Cape Wind.

OEM will supply 1,050 MW to MidAmerican Energy for Iowa projects

Siemens has received an order from MidAmerican Energy for the supply of 448 wind turbines. With a total capacity of 1,050 MW, this represents not only the largest order for onshore wind turbines for Siemens, but also the largest single order for onshore wind power awarded globally to date. The wind turbines, each with a nominal rating of 2.3 MW and a rotor diameter of 108 meters, are to be installed in five different projects in Iowa. Siemens will also be responsible for service and maintenance of the wind turbines.

Iowa is one of the leading U.S. states in wind energy generation. In 2012, around 24 percent of total power generation in the state was provided by wind power. Siemens has already installed 1.2 GW of wind power capacity for MidAmerican Energy to date. Including this new order, these wind projects will provide around 660,000 American households with eco-friendly power when they are completed in 2015.

The nacelles and hubs for the wind turbines of this major order will be assembled at the Siemens plant in Hutchinson, Kansas, and the rotor blades will be produced by Siemens in Fort Madison, Iowa.

“Siemens not only leads the way for offshore wind power worldwide, we are also a very successful player in the onshore wind industry,” said Markus Tacke, CEO of the Wind Power Division of Siemens Energy.  “In Europe and Africa alone, we successfully installed more than 1 gigawatt in the last fiscal year. This new order from MidAmerican Energy once again highlights that we are one of the leading suppliers in the U.S. wind power market.”

Turbine OEMs keep patents, agree to cross-licensing of intellectual property

General Electric Co. and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. have mutually agreed to end longstanding legal battles surrounding wind turbine intellectual property, according to a statement from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The two wind turbine manufacturers “have reached amicable settlement of all legal actions taken by both parties in the United States relating to alleged infringements of their patents on wind turbines,” the statement read. “As a result, all litigation under way relating to wind turbines has been dropped.”

The settlement involves a cross-licensing agreement in which each company grants use of its intellectual property to the other, while maintaining ownership of their respective patents. Both parties agreed not to disclose further details of the settlement, according to the statement.

The patent dispute dates back more than five years to February 2008, when GE petitioned the United States International Trade Commission (ITC) to investigate its claims that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was importing wind turbines and components into the U.S. that infringed on three patents held by GE.

The patents in contention involved sustained operation of wind turbines without regard to changing wind speed and low voltage conditions, as well as severing a turbine’s connection to the electrical grid in the event of power fluctuations.

The ITC ruled in favor of Mitsubishi in early 2010. However, GE’s appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit led to a split decision handed down in February 2012. The appellate court upheld the ITC’s decision on one case, while overturning a second case—sending it back to the ITC for further review. The court ruled the third case as moot due to the fact that the patent had since expired.

Litigation continued, with GE filing a claim surrounding the alleged infringement in federal district court in Texas in 2009. The case was stayed. In 2012, GE secured a $170 million jury award against Mitsubishi in another lawsuit concerning a different set of wind turbine patents. Prior to that verdict, Mitsubishi brought an antitrust suit against GE in May 2010, claiming that GE had obtained patents fraudulently. The antitrust case was placed on hold pending the outcome of the patent litigation and prior to the December settlement.

The merger of DNV and GL in September led to the creation of DNV GL, a world leading ship and offshore classification society, a leading independent service provider in the oil and gas sector, a powerhouse in energy and renewables, and one of the world’s top three certification bodies.

“Businesses are facing increasing technological, regulatory, social and operational challenges, in a world that is becoming ever more complex,” DNV GL Group president and CEO Henrik O. Madsen said. “While at the same time, stakeholders are demanding greater accountability and transparency. To be confident they are making the right choices, both businesses and governments need an independent partner they can trust to empower their decisions,” says Group CEO Madsen.

DNV GL is making a significant and continuous investment in strategic research and development. Innovative projects are taking technology and standards to new, advanced levels in collaboration with our customers.

“It was from this broader view that our new brand strategy of our expansive, expert services and customer enablement was created. The new visual identity with the three extended lines was created to symbolize our working context of sea, land and sky,” DNV GL Group Chief Communications Officer Stefan Nerpin said.

Created from two highly respected companies whose parallel histories span almost 150 years, Nerpin is confident that the new DNV GL will “offer the businesses we serve much-needed benefits in terms of technical insight, risk management and knowledge transfer,” he says, adding, “With our combined capabilities, more than 16,000 professionals are bridging technological and operational expertise to the greater goal of creating a safer and more sustainable society. DNV GL is able to offer this broader view across more than 100 countries, sharing our expertise and bringing best practices to our customers around the world.”

The post-merger integration is progressing well and Group CEO Henrik O. Madsen says the new global entity is in “a good position to take on the first full year of operations as one company with a new brand; DNV GL. We want to build upon the knowledge and expertise throughout the group by creating new networks and learning from each other. Our goal is to make sure that we are always finding innovative solutions that create value and growth for our customers, ensuring that the world we leave behind is a better one than the one we find today,” he concludes.

For more information, visit them online at www.dnvgl.com.

EDF Renewable Energy and UBS International Infrastructure Fund announced in December that they have signed a definitive agreement under which UBS International Infrastructure Fund will acquire a 50 percent equity interest from EDF Renewable Energy in the 161 MW Spinning Spur II wind farm project, subject to completion of construction and customary conditions precedent.

Spinning Spur II, located in Oldham County Texas, commenced construction in June 2013, with an expected COD (Commercial Operation Date) on or about July 1, 2014. The project will be one of the first to take advantage of the new CREZ (transmission lines connecting the wind generating capacity of the Texas Panhandle to high electricity demand areas in the state.

DONG Energy has acquired a 100 percent ownership interest in the UK offshore wind development project Race Bank, from Centrica. The project has a total consented capacity of up to 580 MW and is located in the Greater Wash area approximately 27 km off the east coast of England.

The purchase price (enterprise value) for the project is GBP 50 million (approximately DKK 450 million). The Race Bank project has received all major consents from UK authorities for the construction and operation of the wind farm.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will take new steps to save consumers money on their energy bills in partnership with rural electric cooperatives. It plans to provide rural electric cooperatives up to $250 million to lend to business and residential customers for energy efficiency improvements and renewable energy systems.

The program will help build a cleaner and more sustainable domestic energy sector for future generations by reducing barriers to investment in energy efficiency and potentially cutting energy bills for families and businesses in the process. Although energy efficiency measures can reduce home energy use considerably, many consumers and businesses do not invest in them because they lack the capital or financing to do so.

Funding will be provided to rural electric cooperatives and utilities which will then re-lend the money to help homeowners or businesses make energy efficiency improvements. In addition to energy audits, the loans may be used for upgrades to heating, lighting, and insulation, as well as conversions to more efficient or renewable energy sources.

First Wind has reached an agreement with Burlington Electric Department (BED) to sell the utility power generated from the planned Hancock Wind project near Ellsworth, Maine. First Wind will sell 25 percent of the power and renewable energy certificates (RECs) generated at the 51 megawatt (MW) wind farm for the next 10 years under a fixed-price agreement to the Vermont utility.