BizPlanet

Brown appointment hailed by efficiency advocates

December 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance wasted no time applauding President Obama’s pick of Marilyn Brown, former Oak Ridge National Laboratory researcher now at Georgia Tech, for a TVA board post.

Brown served as found board chair for the organization and has worked closely with the SEEA on energy-related research in the Southeast. She will leave the board to take on her new post with TVA, according to the release. Here’s the full statement, which includes a link to today’s White House announcement… Keep reading →

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Uncategorized

Clayton green home gets attention

December 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment

USA Today spotlights Clayton’s new green ehouse, a more traditional, cheaper version of the iHouse that has gotten kudos and a new segment of customers for the pre-fab housing company. The new ehouse offers a budget alternative to the modern iHouse—models start at $45,000.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Uncategorized

Green videos feature local efforts

December 7, 2009 · Leave a Comment

A former University of Tennessee professor has put together a batch of local videos showcasing environmental efforts here, from a journalism conference at UT to a story on the solar panels at Mellow Mushroom on the strip.

Viewers are also asked to take a short survey about the pieces. The project was put together by Charlie Gee, a journalist and former UT faculty member who is now teaching at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Uncategorized

Thumbs up for Energy Star program

December 3, 2009 · 2 Comments

The state has gotten the okay from the Department of Energy for its energy appliance rebate program, expected to launch next April.

Tennessee is getting $5.9 million for rebates on Energy Star appliances including heat pumps and air conditioners—which qualify for $250 in rebates—and room airconditioners, which get a $40 rebate.

Energy savings from the program is expected to be 16 million kilowatt hours per year, which translates into $1.4 million in cost savings and a reducation of 32 million pounds of carbon dioxide, according to a release from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development. Here’s the full release… Keep reading →

→ 2 CommentsCategories: Uncategorized

Solar city show-n-tell

December 2, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The East Tennessee Community Design Center is hosting folks from KNoxville’s Solar City program at noon Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the Knoxville Downtown Design Studio, 500 Gay St.

The presentation is one in a regular series offered the second Tuesday each month by ETCDC. Here’s more info on their blog.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Uncategorized

Progress, sort of, for solar farm

November 24, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The Commercial Appeal reports how the University of Tennessee is trying to get things lined up for the solar farm to be built with federal funds in the western part of the state. UT got approval to buy 200 acres in Haywood County from the State Building Commission for the project but held a vote on a lease agreement to what the article described as a “a privately operated subsidiary of the University of Tennessee that will build, manage and operate the solar farm.” That’s Genera Energy Corp., which is also managing construction of a biofuels demonstration plant in Vonore. Apparently, a lease agreement has not yet been drafted, and the commission declined to decide on a document not yet in existence.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Uncategorized

Dupont plans East Tennessee switchgrass plant

November 23, 2009 · Leave a Comment

The Kingsport Times News offers more details presented at the hearing last week in Nashville regarding the biofuels plant being built by the University of Tennessee and Dupont Danisco. According to the article, Eastman Chemical is also considering getting into the biofuels action.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Uncategorized

Algae gets attention as hydrogen source

November 17, 2009 · Leave a Comment

An announcement last week that researchers from the University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using algae to make hydrogen is getting national attention. Here’s a piece from Popular Science’s website.

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Uncategorized

Switchgrass plant benefits begin to snowball

November 17, 2009 · 1 Comment

Concern in the Tennessee legislature over start-up plans at the University of Tennessee biofuels pilot plant in Vonore comes at a time when the project is really beginning to hit its stride, according to Kelly Tiller, CEO of Genera Energy, a corporation formed by UT Research Corp. to manage the project in partnership with Dupont Danisco.

A House of Representatives committee put a hold on the transfer of $11 million from the university to Genera for projects associated with plant, which is set to begin operations next month with an eye toward turning switchgrass into ethanol. The committe objected to plans to start testing the plant using corn cobs as a feedstock, based on technology already developed by Dupont Danisco, as well as production estimates for the project.

Tiller said if the committee fails to make a contract amendment allowing Genera to use the funds, they could still be spent by the university for the same purpose, it would just slow the process.

“What (amending the contract) really allows is … to do this rapidly and move from the state subsidized program to one that is self sustaining,” she said. Blocking the amendment would  delay commercialization efforts, she said, but “it doesn’t bring this program to a screeching halt … i’m sure we can find ways to accomplish it within the UT system.”

About $7 million of the money is designated for setting up contracts with the third and final round of farmers to grow switchgrass for the new plant. The funds are also to be used for handling and storing the grass. The rest of the funds are for demonstrating other potential uses for switchgrass such as co-firing it with coal in fossil-based power plants.

The university is also readying for an announcement of a commercial investment associated with the test plant. Dupont has already announced plans to site a full-production switchgrass plant in Tennessee at some point in the future. Tiller declined to say whether the upcoming announcement, expected sometime next month, was related to those plans.

Tiller said objections in the assembly have come just as the project is beginning to gain momentum, attracting additional federal dollars and private investment. The University, in partnership with Dupont Danisco, Genera and Ceres Inc.—a biotech energy crop company—recently got $2.35 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture o compare three varieties of switchgrass “using various management practices, harvesting equipment and harvesting timelines in Eastern Tennessee,” according to a release.

“It’s the kind of thing that you have to do all of the groundwork and build up a program and then once it’s up and running and its fully functioning, it’s kind of a snowball all of the benefits that start to come from that initial investment,” Tiller said.

→ 1 CommentCategories: Uncategorized

New Chattanooga downtown theater glows green

November 13, 2009 · Leave a Comment

 

Web image

Rendering of new Carmike theater now open in downtown Chattanooga

Here’s an AP story about Chattanooga’s newest downtown theater, which, according to developers, will be the first LEED certified cinema in the country. …

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — With plush lounge chairs, gourmet appetizers, a VIP auditorium and the latest digital and 3-D equipment, Chattanooga’s newest movie theater complex doesn’t need toilets that flush rain water to sell tickets.

Carmike Cinemas Inc. and the RiverCity Co. went beyond creature comforts and high-tech gadgetry to build and open a theater that they claim is an environmental first. The Columbus, Ga.-based theater company’s Majestic 12 opened last weekend, just a short walk from Chattanooga’s redeveloped riverfront and the Bijou 7 it is replacing.

U.S. Green Building Council spokeswoman Ashley Katz said Carmike has applied for LEED certification for the 70,000-square-foot building.
Keep reading →

→ Leave a CommentCategories: Uncategorized