News

UT researcher hopes his biosolar project leads to cheap, sustainable energy

2012-02-03T13:45:04Z

A University of Tennessee, Knoxville professor and a team of researchers have developed a solar cell system that taps into the photosynthetic processes of plants to produce efficient and inexpensive energy.

Barry Bruce, part of UT's Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, worked with researchers from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Switzerland, to develop a process that improves the efficiency of generating electric power using molecular structures extracted from algae.

The biosolar breakthrough has the potential to make "green" electricity cheaper and easier, Bruce says.

To produce the energy, the scientists harnessed the power of a key component of photosynthesis known as photosystem-I (PSI). This complex was then bioengineered to specifically interact with a semi-conductor so that, when illuminated, the process of photosynthesis produced electricity.

The research team says the system self-assembles and is simple enough to be replicated in most labs.

A new biosolar system system taps into photosynthetic

processes from blue-green algae to produce electricity.

Image credit University of Tennessee, Knoxville

]]> "Because the system is so cheap and simple, my hope is that this system will develop with additional improvements to lead to a green, sustainable energy source," said Bruce.

The cell consists of small tubes made of zinc oxide bioengineered to attract PSI particles and quickly become coated with them. Done correctly, the two materials combine on the metal oxide interface, which when illuminated by sunlight, excites PSI to produce an electron which "jumps" into the zinc oxide semiconductor, producing an electric current.

"This is a real scientific breakthrough that could become a significant part of our renewable energy strategy in the future," said Lee Riedinger, UT interim vice chancellor for research.

Complete findings are in the current issue of Nature: Scientific Reports.

Bruce's work is funded by the Emerging Frontiers Program at the National Science Foundation.

Tennessee expands rebate program for electric cars

2012-02-02T14:29:52Z

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- The state of Tennessee is adding a second car model to its electric vehicle rebate program, which so far has drawn fewer participants than expected.

WSMV-TV reported Wednesday that the state will soon begin offering $2,500 rebates to owners of the Chevrolet Volt, an electric hybrid car.

The rebate program in Tennessee is now only open to people who buy the all-electric Nissan LEAF.

Car owners who chose to participate in the program must agree to allow data about how they use and charge their vehicles to be collected for a government-funded study. The information is being gathered by the California-based ECOtality. The company received a $99 million stimulus grant from the U.S. Department of Energy.

The state added $2.5 million in matching grant money for the rebates.

Solar opportunities are focus of next Technical Society meeting

2012-01-31T13:52:47Z

The Technical Society of Knoxville will focus on solar at its next meeting, 11:30 a.m. Monday, February 6 at the Crowne Plaza in downtown Knoxville.

Steve Levy will present "Solar Photovoltaic Opportunities and Case Studies for the TVA Region." Levy is technical director of the Tennessee Solar Energy Association and has 35 years of experience in electric power generation.

Professional Development credit is available for this event. For information call 865-690-0705.

Knoxville's curbside recycling program fills up

2012-01-24T13:31:18Z

The city of Knoxville reports it reached the goal, and current limit, of 20,000 signups for its new curbside recycling program in December.

The program has been active for less than a year.

"We are very pleased with the response of our citizens to this program," says David Brace, the city's director of public service. "With 20,000 sign-ups, that means that one-third of the City's households are participating."

Since the first of October, initial participating households hvae recycled more than 1,200 tons of waste, said John Homa, city solid waste manager.

Several thousand more carts will be delivered in February to those who signed up after the initial August 14 deadline.

]]> With the 20,000 goal reached, enrollment in the program is closed for now, but program officials hope to expand it in the future.

Interested residents should sign up on the city's waiting list. In addition to gauging interest in the program, residents on the wait list will be added if current customers drop out of the program or if additional funds are approved by city officials.

For those not in the curbside program, the city operates 10 recycling centers where residents may drop off items.

City recycling drop off supercenters:

NORTH

Kroger at I-640 Plaza - 4440 Western Ave. at Clinton

Goodwill at Metler - 820 Metler Dr

SOUTH

Goodwill at W. Moody Ave. - 225 W. Moody Ave

EAST

Goodwill at Chilhowee Park - 210 Alice St.

WEST

Kroger at Bearden Knox Plaza - 4918 Kingston Pike

Goodwill at Cedar Bluff - 341 Parkvillage Road

DOWNTOWN

Downtown Recycling Center - 400 State St.

Solid Waste Management Facility Transfer Station - 1033 Elm St.

For more information on the dropoff centers visit the City of Knoxville's Recycling page.

TVA increases power supply from wind farms

2012-01-23T13:45:48Z

The Tennessee Valley Authority has added new renewable wind power sources to its powergrid in January.

"Delivery of power from these contracts and others expected to be activated in the near future will enable TVA to continue advancing towards its vision to become one of the nation's leaders in clean energy by 2020," said John Trawick, TVA senior vice president for Commercial Operations and Pricing, in a press release.

The four wind farms will add 535 megawatts, bringing TVA's total wind energy to 950 megawatts, or more than 3 million megawatt hours annually, the organization said.

The new sources:

--201 megawatts comes from ENEL Green Power's Caney River wind farm in Elk County, Kan.

--150 megawatts from NextEra Energy Resources' White Oak Energy Center in McLean County, Ill.

---101 megawatts from EDP Renewables North America's Lost Lakes wind farm in Dickinson County, Iowa.

In addition, EDP Renewables' Pioneer Prairie site in Howard and Mitchell counties, Iowa -- which began producing wind energy for TVA in 2010 -- has increased output an additional 83 megawatts.

]]>

That's about 17 percent of the organization's total renewable and clean energy capacity, including hydroelectric, wind, Generation Partners and Renewable Standard Offer initiatives and other solar, methane and biomass generation.

TVA now has contracts with five wind farms in the Midwest with 542 wind turbines.

Additional contracts which should be activated this year are projected to increase TVA's wind-based energy purchases to 1,565 megawatts.

Wacker Chemie making progress on Tennessee plant

2012-01-20T16:19:44Z

Wacker Polysilicon has progressed to vertical construction at its site in Charleston, Tenn. The three largest buildings of the plant

are now moving upward with the installation of precast walls.

The precast buildings are fully enclosed production facilities. More than 5,000 precast components will be used to build these facilities, with 1,800 already installed. More than 30 buildings are planned for the site.

Ground preparation for the site began Dec. 2010. So far, more than 4 million cubic yards of dirt have been moved.

On an average full day, there are approximately 700 construction workers on the Charleston site.

The $1.5 billion plant is scheduled for completion in late 2013 with production beginning in 2014. It will produce around 15,000 metric tons of polysilicon for solar cells and employ some 650 full time workers.

Wacker Polysilicon is division of Wacker Chemie AG

Construction at the Wacker Chemie polysilicon plant near Cleveland Tennessee. Submitted.

TVA, Clayton Homes launch energy efficiency program for manufactured housing

2012-01-20T15:38:25Z

Clayton Homes has announced that all manufactured homes it builds locally will qualify for the Energy Star label thanks to an energy efficiency cash incentive of $1,450 per home from TVA.

TVA pays the incentive directly to producers of new manufactured homes to offset most added costs of building Energy Star homes.

Energy Star homes can lower electric bills by $70 a month on average, TVA said.

Since 2002, only about 150 Energy Star manufactured homes have been located in Tennessee. Under the new program, Clayton Homes projects an additional 2,200 Energy Star homes in the TVA region this year.

The Systems Building Research Alliance, the research arm for the factory-built housing industry and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's national quality assurance oversight agent for the manufactured and modular home Energy Star programs, helped TVA and Clayton identify ways to grow the program and will help manage it.

Only electrically-heated homes with a heat pump are eligible for TVA incentives. The manufacturer must also meet stringent thermal envelope requirements and install other energy efficiency features. Features can include efficient heating and cooling systems, lighting and appliances, and high-performance windows, insulation systems and construction systems to reduce leaks and drafts.

Four Knoxville hotels add electric vehicle charging stations

2012-01-10T14:21:15Z

Image via Wikipedia

Out of town visitors and local travelers in the Knoxville area now have more fueling options for their Electric Vehicles. Four Knoxville area hotels operated by Kana Hotel Group have installed eight charging stations positioned in preferred parking spaces.

With installations completed, you can now charge your vehicle at:

Hampton Inn Lenoir City -585 Ft. Loudon Medical Center Dr., Lenoir City 37772

Holiday Inn Express Knoxville - East - 730 Rufus Graham Road, Knoxville 37924

Hampton Inn Knoxville - East 7445 Sawyer Road, Knoxville 37924

Holiday Inn Express & Suites - 111 Hillvale Road, Clinton 37716

"We worked with ECOtality to install Level 2 charging stations at four of our Knoxville area hotels. Providing travelers green fueling options as they visit Knoxville is the next step in our sustainability efforts. Aside from Knoxville, we have also installed them at our two Nashville area locations," said Kevin Mahoney, president of Kana Hotel Group, in a press release.

]]> At these location the charging stations will be offered as an amenity at no cost to overnight guests. Non-Guest EV owners who are passing through and need to re-charge will be able to pay with a credit card.

The hotels also feature other green amenities. Kana worked with EcoGreenHotel to implement water and energy conservation measures to dramatically reduce operational costs through the use of energy management systems.

"The day is coming when many travelers will choose their overnight hotel based on whether or not it has a charging station in the parking lot. In addition to the EV Project there are also companies such as U-Go Stations that make it possible for a green hotel to add a EV Station as an amenity and add a revenue stream with little or no cost out of pocket," said Scott Parisi, president of EcoGreenHotel, in a press release.

Tennessee is one of seven regions in the U.S. participating in the EV project, which is managed by electric vehicle charge company ECOtality. The $230 million project, partially funded with $114.8 million in Department of Energy grants, intends to bring 14,000 charging stations to 18 cities by next summer.

Kingston breaks ground on new greenways network

2011-12-19T15:51:44Z

A network of public walking trails is being built into an upscale residential community on the shores of Watts Bar Lake after city officials amended a hefty federal grant awarded more than a decade ago, writes Bob Fowler of the Knoxville News Sentinel.

City Manager James Pinkerton said the amended grant totals $3,015,928. That funding covers costs for three greenways, and the city is seeking a grant for a fourth paved path, Kingston Mayor Troy Beets said.

The Ladd Landing Greenways system, more than 2.3 miles of 10-foot-wide asphalt walking trails, was officially launched this past week with a groundbreaking.

The three trails will connect to points of interest, from the 10-acre, city-owned Ladd Park to a planned new development in Ladd Landing, the high-end gated community developed by Matt Caldwell.

Gatlinburg installs EV chargers

2011-12-14T13:27:28Z

The city of Gatlinburg has installed Level II Blink Chargers for electric vehicles at two downtown parking garages. Image by MR38 via Flickr Image by MR38 via Flickr

The city of Gatlinburg has installed Level II Blink Chargers for electric vehicles at two downtown parking garages.

Gatlinburg is among the first municipalities to install the 240-volt Blink Wall Mount Chargers as a part of The EV Project. The stations are able to fully recharge an electric car battery in four to eight hours.

The charging stations, each with two wall-mounted units, are located at the City's Aquarium and Fred McMahan/Parkway parking garages.

ECOtality targeted Gatlinburg as a preferred site for charging stations because the Smoky Mountains are popular with travelers. The new stations give electric car drivers the option of charging their vehicles on the eastern fringe of the "The Tennessee Triangle," a 425-mile stretch of interstate highway connecting Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.

]]> The EV Project, managed by ECOtality and funded by the Department of Energy through stimulus grants, will eventually provide the network to support the deployment of 8,300 electric vehicles. The goal is to build a nationwide infrastructure of public charging stations for electric vehicles.

Separately, the Gatlinburg Chamber of Commerce reports that the Johnson Family of Restaurants -- with locations in Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville -- is among the first businesses in Sevier County to receive electric vehicle charging stations through the EV Project.

Restaurants include The Alamo Steakhouse, Bennett's Pit Bar-B-Que, Mama's Farmhouse and Big Daddy's Pizzeria. The stations will enable customers with electric vehicles to top off the charge on their vehicles for free while dining at one of the locations.

Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant earns LEED Platinum

2011-12-13T13:41:40Z

Judith Webb, chief marketing officer of US Green Building Council, presents platinum certificates to Volkswagen executives.

Volkswagen's Chattanooga manufacturing plant has received a platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building certification program.

The facility is the first automotive manufacturing plant in the world to receive Platinum certification, the program's highest level.

"Volkswagen Chattanooga's LEED Platinum certification is the fulfillment of a promise that Volkswagen has made around the world and in this community that we will work in harmony with the environment," said Frank Fischer, CEO and chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga.

]]> The Volkswagen Academy, where the company trains new employees, was also certified as a Platinum LEED facility.

Our commitment to building a LEED certified factory began in the planning and design stages," Fischer said, "I believe that this not only helped insure that we would achieve Platinum status, but was actually a very cost effective way to implement environmentally responsible building methods," he said.

The company says its clean paint shop alone will save 50 million gallons of water in ten years.

Other features of the plant include:

--Insulation provided by six inches of mineral rock wool, resulting in 720,000 Kilowatts per year savings.

--Green power from the local hydroelectric dam

--Use of LED lighting on the exterior results in 68% less energy used, up to 262,500 kWh per year and a reduction in light pollution.

--Rainwater collected and reused to flush toilets and cool the welding machines

--White roof membrane is highly reflective, minimizing heat island effect by up to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

--Natural flowing creeks to capture heavy rains and restore a natural habitat

--Low-flow water fixtures and no-touch sensors throughout the plant reduce water usage by 30%.

University of Tennessee team wins $622K solar grant

2011-12-13T13:20:33Z

A University of Tennessee-led partnership is one of 22 teams nationwide awarded Rooftop Solar Challenge Grants by the U.S. Department of Energy.

The UT group, which includes TVA, the city of Knoxville, KUB and three other cities and their associated electricity providers, received $622,960 to work with local officials to streamline the permitting, planning, zoning and connection processes for solar installations in Tennessee.

The group also plans to develop a smartphone application that will simplify the application process for individuals and companies interested in installing solar technology.

In addition to the city of Knoxville and the Knoxville Utilities Board, the UT-led group includes Nashville, Franklin and Memphis as well as the Nashville Electric Service, Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Coop and Memphis Light, Gas and Water.

The UT initiative is one of three organizations in the Southeastern United States to receive the awards.

The Solar Challenge Grants are part of the DOE's SunShot Initiative, "a collaborative national effort to make solar cost-competitive with other forms of energy by the end of the decade," according to a DOE grant.

TVA adds two solar generating sites

2011-12-07T13:17:39Z

A garden in Huntsville, Ala. and a Dyer, Tenn. high school are the newest members of TVA's Green Power Switch program

Huntsville and TVA officials held a dedication event Monday for a 23-kilowatt site at Huntsville Botanical Garden with 96 solar panels capable of generating 30,000 kilowatt-hours a year.

A dedication is planned Thursday in Dyer for a 19.7-kilowatt site at Gibson High School capable of providing about 24,000 kilowatt-hours annually.

Wind-power startup installs first turbine in Nashville

2011-12-02T13:31:41Z

Vertical access wind turbine. Image via Wikipedia

New Wind LLC, a Nashville-based startup company, has installed its first solar-wind powered turbine in the city, reports Duane Marsteller of the Tennessean. The unit will power a parking lot's streetlight.

The company, formed in February of 2010, specializes in small wind-power installations for businesses and residential customers.

Unlike traditional windmills, New Wind offers turbines that spin horizontally, allowing them to be placed closer to the ground. The company says that the turbines are quieter and don't pose a danger to birds or bats.

The company's units also incorporate solar power for operation on non-windy days. New Wind offers seven sizes of VAWT turbines, ranging from small 350 watt units up to 9 kilowatts that can be mounted on a roof or on the ground.

Plans are in the works for more installations says company president and CEO Stuart Wilson.

New Wind also has an office in San Diego, Calif.

Funds still available for Knoxville's Green Building Incentive Program

2011-12-01T17:49:08Z

The city of Knoxville still has money available to help qualified homeowners and businesses make energy saving improvements to their homes and buildings.

The city's Green Building Incentive Program, launched in September and administered by the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee, helps pay for everything from simple improvements like weather stripping to more significant changes like installing solar technology with rebates on a portion of the total costs of improvement.

$200,000 remains available of the program's original $270,000 funds. The money is part of an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant the city received as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"There is still plenty of funding available and we want to see more people involved and benefiting," said Jake Tisinger, the city's sustainability coordinator. "I think this is a great opportunity to make some money-saving improvements, but the program is temporary and if people are interested they need to apply now."

The city plans to distribute all the money by June 2012.

]]> Additional items eligible for rebates ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars include refrigerators, water heaters, toilets and solar arrays. Funding is being split between conventional improvements and solar additions.

Tisinger said participants can receive rebates after having an energy audit and completing the necessary upgrades to their properties.

Examples of rebates:

Energy Assessment Incentive:$150

ENERGY STAR Refridgerator: up to $500

ENERGY STAR Water heater: up to $750

WaterSense Toilet: up to $200

*The rebate is for 1/2 the product cost plus installation up to the maximum rebate amount

Solar rebates:

Commercial: $1000 per kW installed capacity up to 5 kW

Residential: $2000 per kW installed capacity up to 5 kW

Non-Profit: $2000 per kW installed capacity up to 5 kW

Solar Water Heating rebates:

$1000 for 1-3 Collector Panel System

$1500 for 4-6 Collector Panel System

$2000 for 6+ Collector Panel System

For more information or to apply for a rebate visit the Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee's Energy Assessment Incentive & Appliance Program website.