Industry
News
a combined heat and power facility. Opcon
Powerbox will be installed on a 5 MW
steam boiler at the Aneby plant, operated
by POB Energi. Delivery will take place
during 2010.
Report: District Heating a
Top Trend
The recently published report Clean
Energy Trends 2010 has identified “
biomass utilities and district heating” as one
of five key global clean energy trends for
the coming years. In this trend category,
the report called out District Energy St. Paul
as one of five companies and projects to
watch. The four other clean energy trends
cited include carbon as a feedstock; how
the steeply dropping price of photovoltaics
is redefining the solar industry; clean-tech
megaprojects, such as China’s Dongtan
eco-city; and high-speed rail.
Issued by research and publishing
firm Clean Edge Inc., Clean Energy Trends
2010 says that “signs of hope have begun
to emerge” for the global clean-tech sector, despite the economic challenges of
2009. Clean energy has become a driving
force for global economic recovery: The
biofuel, wind power and solar energy
industries, which totaled $139.1 billion in
2009, are projected to grow to $325.9
billion by 2019. The report notes that
energy tech grew as a percent of total
venture capital investments in 2009 (to
12. 5 percent in the U.S. alone); and clean
energy investments remain at near-historic
levels despite the overall economic climate.
For more information on this report, go to
www.cleanedge.com.
DOE Grants $1 Million for
Ocean Energy Research
The U.S. Department of Energy recently selected Lockheed Martin to receive two
grants totaling $1 million to advance the
development of ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) as well as deep seawater
cooling. The grants support the company’s
effort to produce an economically viable,
utility-scale renewable energy source leveraging the temperature difference of the
ocean’s warm surface water and colder
water below.
Under the first grant, Lockheed
Martin will develop software and tools for
determining which regions of the world hold
the most potential for OTEC and seawater-based air conditioning. The resulting
resource mapping will provide critical
information to policy makers, the energy
industry and the public about regional OTEC
and deep seawater cooling feasibility.
With the second grant, Lockheed
Martin will develop estimates of performance and lifecycle costs associated with
utility-scale OTEC systems to demonstrate
the economic viability of such projects. The
resulting data will provide justification for
pursuing commercialization of OTEC and
generate investment interest in this renewable energy source.
Lockheed Martin’s experience with
OTEC technology dates back to the 1970s
when the company built ‘Mini-OTEC.’ This
early prototype remains the world’s only
floating OTEC system to generate power
in excess of what is required for self-sustainment. Since that time, the company
has continued to mature and validate the
critical technologies necessary for an OTEC
system that could generate a utility-scale
power supply.
SU Plant Remains Under
University Control
As reported March 23 in The Daily
Orange, a New York state appeals court
has denied a request by Project Orange
Associates to seize Syracuse University’s
(SU) steam plants and pipes, saying the
proposed eminent domain action would
benefit only Project Orange and not the
public. Project Orange had asked the state
to condemn SU’s steam plant and the
pipelines connecting it to campus.
TKDA Marks 100th
Anniversary
St. Paul-based TKDA, an IDEA member, is celebrating 100 years in business
in 2010. The engineering, architecture
and planning firm is commemorating its
centennial with many events throughout
the year – including a historic trolley tour
highlighting some of TKDA’s projects, a
fun run on Harriet Island and a celebration
to recognize current and past clients and
employees. TKDA has also established an
endowment for an annual scholarship for
students at the University of Minnesota
who are pursuing an engineering, architecture or related degree.
TKDA was founded in 1910 by
Maximilian Toltz as Toltz Engineering Co.
The firm’s name changed throughout the
years with the addition of partners and
became Toltz, King, Duvall, Anderson
and Associates Inc. (TKDA) in 1956. Since
© 2010 International District Energy Association. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
