2. Vorticies as Turbines: Revolutionary, More Efficient than other Water Technologies, Unobtrusive to Other Uses (unlike dams and turbines on the surface of water), and in short a completely different infrastructure for getting energy out of water flow
3. It gets the energy without damaging other water uses by making use of a property of water always accessible at low speeds or high speeds: vortices, the eddies in the current.
It's good biomimicry because it was inspired about what we know about how a fish can swim.
It's a revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could provide enough power for the entire world, scientists claim. This technology, invented by the US office of Naval Research and the University of Michigan, has a prototype in the Detroit River right now.
Previous technologies depended on fast water and water speed as the infrastructure to get power out of it. This technology can get power out of moving water at 1 knot (about 1 km/hr), very slow.
It's biomimicry and ecological modernization.
Estimates it would be easy to provide for energy for 15 billion people this way.
Of course we are required to get over current raw material regimes inhabiting (and inhibiting) this position of energy choice to allow us to institutionalize a choice of materials suited to particular areas, climates, etc. like this one.
I argue that non-thermodynamic (non-heat based, non-explosion based) energy is more important and efficient in many other applications than current thermodynamic energy (explosion/heat-based energy). Here's another great green example.
It's ironic that vorticies in the water in major turbine energy facilities were seen as a 'problem' and they attempted to build designs that minimized eddies in the current. Here, instead of fighting to sculpt the natural world, they just sought to build technology that fits it more appropriately.
-------------------------
Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists
A revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could provide enough power for the entire world, scientists claim.
By Jasper Copping Last Updated: 2:39PM GMT 29 Nov 2008
Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists
Existing technologies require an average current of five or six knots to operate efficiently, while most of the earth's currents are slower than three knots
The technology can generate electricity in water flowing at a rate of less than one knot - about one mile an hour - meaning it could operate on most waterways and sea beds around the globe.
[Earlier] [e]xisting technologies which use water power, relying on the action of waves, tides or faster currents created by dams, are far more limited in where they can be used, and also cause greater obstructions when they are built in rivers or the sea.
Turbines and water mills need an average current of five or six knots to operate efficiently, while most of the earth's currents are slower than three knots.
The new device, which has been inspired by the way fish swim, consists of a system of cylinders positioned horizontal to the water flow and attached to springs.
As water flows past, the cylinder creates vortices, which push and pull the cylinder up and down. The mechanical energy in the vibrations is then converted into electricity.
Cylinders arranged over a cubic metre of the sea or river bed in a flow of three knots can produce 51 watts.
This is more efficient than similar-sized turbines or wave generators, and the amount of power produced can increase sharply if the flow is faster or if more cylinders are added.
A "field" of cylinders built on the sea bed over a 1km by 1.5km area, and the height of a two-storey house, with a flow of just three knots, could generate enough power for around 100,000 homes.
Just a few of the cylinders, stacked in a short ladder, could power an anchored ship or a lighthouse.
Systems could be sited on river beds or suspended in the ocean. The scientists behind the technology, which has been developed in research funded by the US government, say that generating power in this way would potentially cost only around 3.5p per kilowatt hour, compared to about 4.5p for wind energy and between 10p and 31p for solar power.
They say the technology would require up to 50 times less ocean acreage than wave power generation.
The system, conceived by scientists at the University of Michigan, is called Vivace, or "vortex-induced vibrations for aquatic clean energy".
Michael Bernitsas, a professor of naval architecture at the university, said it was based on the changes in water speed that are caused when a current flows past an obstruction.
Eddies or vortices, formed in the water flow, can move objects up and down or left and right.
"This is a totally new method of extracting energy from water flow," said Mr Bernitsas. "Fish curve their bodies to glide between the vortices shed by the bodies of the fish in front of them. Their muscle power alone could not propel them through the water at the speed they go, so they ride in each other's wake."
Such vibrations, which were first observed 500 years ago by Leonardo DaVinci in the form of "Aeolian Tones", can cause damage to structures built in water, like docks and oil rigs. But Mr Bernitsas added: "We enhance the vibrations and harness this powerful and destructive force in nature.
"If we could harness 0.1 per cent of the energy in the ocean, we could support the energy needs of 15 billion people. In the English Channel, for example, there is a very strong current, so you produce a lot of power."
Because the parts only oscillate slowly, the technology is likely to be less harmful to aquatic wildlife than dams or water turbines. And as the installations can be positioned far below the surface of the sea, there would be less interference with shipping, recreational boat users, fishing and tourism.
The engineers are now deploying a prototype device in the Detroit River, which has a flow of less than two knots.
Their work, funded by the US Department of Energy and the US Office of Naval Research, is published in the current issue of the quarterly Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering.
1. Haerang Park 2. Newest Source of Biofuel: Fungus 3. A fungus from the Patagonian Rain Forest in South America is found to be useful in fueling vehicles. The fugus, which is called Gliocladium roseum, is able to produce a combination of hydrogen and carbon molecules and the product has the similar property as diesel. Scientists are working to develop the biofuel, hydrocarbon, and its usefulness as a substitue of fossil fuel. In comparison to current biofuels, hydrocarbon is not driven from food crops but from the fungus and it can shorten the refining process. Although it is a remarkable discovery that opens up a wider road to more evironment-friendly society by reducing the use of fuels, there remains a question whether it can be actually materialized to fill our car tanks. With the remaining power of oil regime, we have seen that electric power was forcibly driven out of the market taking away a variety of consumer choice to use greener energy. 4. Newest Source of Biofuel: Fungus RELATED ARTICLES swift wind turbine - quiet rooftop windpower Recycled Rain Barrels What's Convincing Companies to Go Green? Consumer Demand. Air breeze - the latest in off-grid wind power /sci-tech/article/38798 It was recently discovered that a fungus found in the Patagonian Rain Forest in South America could potentially be used to fuel vehicles in the future. Yes, you heard right - Patagonian fungus, the next biofuel.
Researchers claim that the fungus, Gliocladium roseum, has the ability to produce a plethora of unique combinations of hydrogen and carbon molecules unlike any organism in the world, and the product is remarkably similar to the diesel we use to fuel our cars. And, according to a recently published issue of Microbiology, scientists are currently working to develop its fuel producing potential. So, someday, we might be filling up our cars tanks with hydrocarbons derived from fungus instead of fossil fuel!
ADVERTISEMENT
The fungus is reported to hold several properties that far exceed current biofuel sources. Current biofuel sources have to refined before being converted into biofuel, a painstaking and not always environmentally friendly process. The fungus has a clear advantage over these biofuels because it produces “myco-diesel”� directly from cellulose. The shortened production process means a reduction in costs and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Because current biofuels are derived mostly from food crops that are required to be grown and harvested on farmland, they have a substantial impact on food supply and prices. The fungus, however, can be grown in factories, eliminating any such impacts. Oddly enough, this remarkable discovery was the result of serendipity. Dr. Gary Strobel, a professor at Montana State University, first collected the fungus years before. It was after sophisticated examination that he unexpectedly discovered its unique “myco-diesel”� properties. Funny how some of our greatest discoveries are unintentional. Perhaps one day, the fungus will sit right up there next to the telephone or penicillin as one of the most useful discoveries made by accident. 5. http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/38798
2. Genetically Modified Crops Reach 9 Percent of Global Primary Crop Production
3. According to Worldwatch Institute, genetically modified crops reached 9 percent of global primary crop production in 2007. The United States is the global leader in production, accounting for half of all GM crop area.
4. ----------------------------------
5. From: , Worldwatch Institute, More from this Affiliate Published December 5, 2008 12:04 PM Genetically Modified Crops Reach 9 Percent of Global Primary Crop Production
Washington, D.C. - Genetically modified crops reached 9 percent of global primary crop production in 2007, bringing the total GM land area up to 114.3 million hectares, according to Worldwatch Institute estimates published in the latestVital Signs Update. The United States continues to be the global leader in production, accounting for half of all GM crop area.
GM production has been on the rise since the crops were first introduced more than a decade ago, and it now includes 23 countries. But controversy over the benefits of genetic modification continues, including questions about the technology's ability to deliver on promises of enhanced yields and nutrition.
"GM crops are definitely not a silver bullet," said Alice McKeown, a researcher for the Worldwatch Institute. "They sound good on paper, but we have yet to see glowing results."
Even as GM crop area expands, tensions are building. The European Union is expected to offer new guidance on the crops by the end of the year. Meanwhile, a new scientific study funded by the Austrian government suggests that a popular variety of GM corn reduces fertility in mice, raising questions about the technology's safety.
"There are still many unanswered questions about GM crops," said McKeown. "But the good news is that we have solutions to food security and other problems available today that we know work and are safe for humans and the environment, including organic farming."
3. This article gives a very good example of a company that has environmental ties sice its founding. The founding grandfather of the company experienced the sad tragedy that happen if one "does not take care of his ressoureces". When setting up a new farm he seriously cared for soil preservation. The later Generation invested in wind energy produced external and the current generation builds its own solar producing facilities. It is staggering that this company that produces organic rice in America and is environmental aware has grown from 150 acres to 15.000 acres since its founding. Further the article implies that there actually is a big amount of financial state aid in the long term covering half of the 3.5 million investment. This might be due to the the state being California.
----------------------------
4. Growing number of Calif. ag businesses go solar By STEVE LAWRENCE, Associated Press Writer
Friday, December 5, 2008
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Print E-mail del.icio.us Digg Technorati Reddit Facebook Slashdot Fark Newsvine Google Bookmarks Share Comments (1) Georgia (default) Verdana Times New Roman ArialFont | Size:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More Business Wall Street opens sharply higher 12.08.08 Latvian inflation falls to 11.8 pct 12.08.08 Reports: Former Yukos lawyer granted bail 12.08.08 Illinois Tool Works cuts 4Q, year profit guidance 12.08.08
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Now the sun is helping the family churn out myriad rice products, from chips to cakes to pasta.
Lundberg Family Farms, which bills itself as the nation's largest producer of organic rice and rice products, is among a small but growing number of California growers and processors who are turning to solar power to help them run their operations.
"It made sense from an environmental point of view and a business point of view," said Jessica Lundberg, whose family has been growing rice in the Richvale area since 1937.
There's no count of how many growers have invested in solar, but Bernadette Del Chiaro, a clean energy advocate with the group Environment California, said she has seen a growing number of agricultural companies install solar panels over the last five years.
That's particularly true among wineries and packing plants that have high refrigeration and air conditioning costs.
"We're seeing a lot of wineries go solar, and it's not just to green their image," she said. "It's because they can actually save money."
Barry Cinnamon, chief executive officer of Akeena Solar, a Los Gatos company that installs residential and commercial solar energy systems, estimates that 50 to 100 wineries are using solar energy. His company has installed about a dozen of those systems.
More than 960 California companies have applied for rebates through the state Public Utilities Commission since Jan. 1, 2007, for installing solar panels, but there's no breakdown available on how many of those applicants are in agriculture.
Besides the rebates, companies that install solar panels can qualify for a federal tax credit on the purchase and installation costs. They also can get credits from utilities for any unused solar-generated electricity they send to the power grid.
Also, installation of solar energy systems does not trigger a property tax reassessment.
Ron Martella said his family's walnut processing company, Grower Direct Nut Co., took a long look at the potential economic benefits before deciding to install solar panels this year.
"We're in one of the cheapest electrical districts in the state," said Martella, a director of the company, which is located in Hughson, about 80 miles south of Sacramento. "We came to the conclusion that with the tax credits and rebates, the money we'd save on electricity would be a positive thing for our company in the long run."
He expects the $3.5 million project to be paid off in about eight years.
Lundberg farms installed its first solar system, five long sets of panels spread over about an acre, in 2006. It added another set of panels on a warehouse roof in 2007.
Together, those two systems provide 10 percent to 15 percent of the company's electricity, said Lundberg, who chairs the board of directors and manages the farm's seed nursery.
The company has plans to build a new office and warehouse and is considering incorporating new solar systems into those projects.
Lundberg Farms won a Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this year for its use of renewable energy.
Besides the power it obtains from its solar panels, the company buys renewable energy credits that help develop wind power. That enables Lundberg Farms to say it gets 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.
The EPA said Lundberg's energy program was the "the largest U.S. renewable energy commitment by an agribusiness." The company also won the award in 2004.
Lundberg traces her family's interest in renewable energy to her grandparents' experiences farming in the Midwest during the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s.
"They had seen what happens ... if you don't take care of your resources," she said. "When they came to California and had a chance to start again, they took it really seriously."
Her grandfather, who started farming on about 150 acres about 70 miles north of Sacramento, took steps to protect the quality of his soil and refused to burn off rice stubble after each harvest, a practice that can turn the Sacramento Valley skies into a smoky haze.
The decisions to buy wind-energy credits and develop solar power were a continuation of that conservation philosophy, Lundberg said.
Her father and his three brothers started the rice mill in the 1960s and began growing rice without chemicals. Now a third generation of cousins and cousins' spouses has moved into positions at the company, which grows 17 varieties of rice on about 15,000 acres.
It turns 45 million to 60 million pounds of rice a year into more than 150 products, including varieties of rice chips, rice syrup, rice pasta, rice cakes and one- and two-pound packages of rice. It also sells rice in bulk quantities.
Company officials figure their solar panels will be providing them with electricity for the next 30 to 40 years.
Rebates and tax credits covered about half the cost of the $3.5 million projects. They expect to make up for the rest of the cost in eight to 10 years.
"We're still carrying the cost of installation, paying them off," Lundberg said. "But we think it was a good business decision. It's just so satisfying to be able to contribute like that, to have something tangible we are able to do."
Biogas plant is considered the best tool for Green House Gases (GHG’s) emission reduction in the atmosphere, the selection of model and capacity of it is decided based on the climatic conditions, soil strata, qualitative and quantitative aspects of raw material available. Biogas Plant in Kerala
A very down to earth* kind of guy. I'm an environmental sociologist interested in establishing material and organizational sustainability worldwide. I'm always looking for interesting materials/technologies, inspiring ideas, or institutional examples of sustainability to inspire others to recognize their choices now. To be fatalistic about an unsustainable world is a sign of a captive mind, given all our options.
*(If "earth" is defined in a planetary sense, concerning comparative historical knowledge and interest in the past 10,000 years or so anywhere...) See both blogs.
5 comments:
1. Mark Whitaker
2. Vorticies as Turbines: Revolutionary, More Efficient than other Water Technologies, Unobtrusive to Other Uses (unlike dams and turbines on the surface of water), and in short a completely different infrastructure for getting energy out of water flow
3. It gets the energy without damaging other water uses by making use of a property of water always accessible at low speeds or high speeds: vortices, the eddies in the current.
It's good biomimicry because it was inspired about what we know about how a fish can swim.
It's a revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could provide enough power for the entire world, scientists claim. This technology, invented by the US office of Naval Research and the University of Michigan, has a prototype in the Detroit River right now.
Previous technologies depended on fast water and water speed as the infrastructure to get power out of it. This technology can get power out of moving water at 1 knot (about 1 km/hr), very slow.
It's biomimicry and ecological modernization.
Estimates it would be easy to provide for energy for 15 billion people this way.
Of course we are required to get over current raw material regimes inhabiting (and inhibiting) this position of energy choice to allow us to institutionalize a choice of materials suited to particular areas, climates, etc. like this one.
I argue that non-thermodynamic (non-heat based, non-explosion based) energy is more important and efficient in many other applications than current thermodynamic energy (explosion/heat-based energy). Here's another great green example.
It's ironic that vorticies in the water in major turbine energy facilities were seen as a 'problem' and they attempted to build designs that minimized eddies in the current. Here, instead of fighting to sculpt the natural world, they just sought to build technology that fits it more appropriately.
-------------------------
Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists
A revolutionary device that can harness energy from slow-moving rivers and ocean currents could provide enough power for the entire world, scientists claim.
By Jasper Copping
Last Updated: 2:39PM GMT 29 Nov 2008
Ocean currents can power the world, say scientists
Existing technologies require an average current of five or six knots to operate efficiently, while most of the earth's currents are slower than three knots
The technology can generate electricity in water flowing at a rate of less than one knot - about one mile an hour - meaning it could operate on most waterways and sea beds around the globe.
[Earlier] [e]xisting technologies which use water power, relying on the action of waves, tides or faster currents created by dams, are far more limited in where they can be used, and also cause greater obstructions when they are built in rivers or the sea.
Turbines and water mills need an average current of five or six knots to operate efficiently, while most of the earth's currents are slower than three knots.
The new device, which has been inspired by the way fish swim, consists of a system of cylinders positioned horizontal to the water flow and attached to springs.
As water flows past, the cylinder creates vortices, which push and pull the cylinder up and down. The mechanical energy in the vibrations is then converted into electricity.
Cylinders arranged over a cubic metre of the sea or river bed in a flow of three knots can produce 51 watts.
This is more efficient than similar-sized turbines or wave generators, and the amount of power produced can increase sharply if the flow is faster or if more cylinders are added.
A "field" of cylinders built on the sea bed over a 1km by 1.5km area, and the height of a two-storey house, with a flow of just three knots, could generate enough power for around 100,000 homes.
Just a few of the cylinders, stacked in a short ladder, could power an anchored ship or a lighthouse.
Systems could be sited on river beds or suspended in the ocean. The scientists behind the technology, which has been developed in research funded by the US government, say that generating power in this way would potentially cost only around 3.5p per kilowatt hour, compared to about 4.5p for wind energy and between 10p and 31p for solar power.
They say the technology would require up to 50 times less ocean acreage than wave power generation.
The system, conceived by scientists at the University of Michigan, is called Vivace, or "vortex-induced vibrations for aquatic clean energy".
Michael Bernitsas, a professor of naval architecture at the university, said it was based on the changes in water speed that are caused when a current flows past an obstruction.
Eddies or vortices, formed in the water flow, can move objects up and down or left and right.
"This is a totally new method of extracting energy from water flow," said Mr Bernitsas. "Fish curve their bodies to glide between the vortices shed by the bodies of the fish in front of them. Their muscle power alone could not propel them through the water at the speed they go, so they ride in each other's wake."
Such vibrations, which were first observed 500 years ago by Leonardo DaVinci in the form of "Aeolian Tones", can cause damage to structures built in water, like docks and oil rigs. But Mr Bernitsas added: "We enhance the vibrations and harness this powerful and destructive force in nature.
"If we could harness 0.1 per cent of the energy in the ocean, we could support the energy needs of 15 billion people. In the English Channel, for example, there is a very strong current, so you produce a lot of power."
Because the parts only oscillate slowly, the technology is likely to be less harmful to aquatic wildlife than dams or water turbines. And as the installations can be positioned far below the surface of the sea, there would be less interference with shipping, recreational boat users, fishing and tourism.
The engineers are now deploying a prototype device in the Detroit River, which has a flow of less than two knots.
Their work, funded by the US Department of Energy and the US Office of Naval Research, is published in the current issue of the quarterly Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering.
---
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/renewableenergy/3535012/Ocean-currents-can-power-the-world-say-scientists.html
1. Haerang Park
2. Newest Source of Biofuel: Fungus
3. A fungus from the Patagonian Rain Forest in South America is found to be useful in fueling vehicles. The fugus, which is called Gliocladium roseum, is able to produce a combination of hydrogen and carbon molecules and the product has the similar property as diesel. Scientists are working to develop the biofuel, hydrocarbon, and its usefulness as a substitue of fossil fuel. In comparison to current biofuels, hydrocarbon is not driven from food crops but from the fungus and it can shorten the refining process. Although it is a remarkable discovery that opens up a wider road to more evironment-friendly society by reducing the use of fuels, there remains a question whether it can be actually materialized to fill our car tanks. With the remaining power of oil regime, we have seen that electric power was forcibly driven out of the market taking away a variety of consumer choice to use greener energy.
4.
Newest Source of Biofuel: Fungus
RELATED ARTICLES
swift wind turbine - quiet rooftop windpower
Recycled Rain Barrels
What's Convincing Companies to Go Green? Consumer Demand.
Air breeze - the latest in off-grid wind power
/sci-tech/article/38798
It was recently discovered that a fungus found in the Patagonian Rain Forest in South America could potentially be used to fuel vehicles in the future. Yes, you heard right - Patagonian fungus, the next biofuel.
Researchers claim that the fungus, Gliocladium roseum, has the ability to produce a plethora of unique combinations of hydrogen and carbon molecules unlike any organism in the world, and the product is remarkably similar to the diesel we use to fuel our cars. And, according to a recently published issue of Microbiology, scientists are currently working to develop its fuel producing potential. So, someday, we might be filling up our cars tanks with hydrocarbons derived from fungus instead of fossil fuel!
ADVERTISEMENT
The fungus is reported to hold several properties that far exceed current biofuel sources. Current biofuel sources have to refined before being converted into biofuel, a painstaking and not always environmentally friendly process. The fungus has a clear advantage over these biofuels because it produces “myco-diesel”� directly from cellulose. The shortened production process means a reduction in costs and carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Because current biofuels are derived mostly from food crops that are required to be grown and harvested on farmland, they have a substantial impact on food supply and prices. The fungus, however, can be grown in factories, eliminating any such impacts. Oddly enough, this remarkable discovery was the result of serendipity. Dr. Gary Strobel, a professor at Montana State University, first collected the fungus years before. It was after sophisticated examination that he unexpectedly discovered its unique “myco-diesel”� properties. Funny how some of our greatest discoveries are unintentional. Perhaps one day, the fungus will sit right up there next to the telephone or penicillin as one of the most useful discoveries made by accident.
5. http://www.enn.com/sci-tech/article/38798
1. Sally Paik
2. Genetically Modified Crops Reach 9 Percent of Global Primary Crop Production
3. According to Worldwatch Institute, genetically modified crops reached 9 percent of global primary crop production in 2007. The United States is the global leader in production, accounting for half of all GM crop area.
4. ----------------------------------
5. From: , Worldwatch Institute, More from this Affiliate
Published December 5, 2008 12:04 PM
Genetically Modified Crops Reach 9 Percent of Global Primary Crop Production
Washington, D.C. - Genetically modified crops reached 9 percent of global primary crop production in 2007, bringing the total GM land area up to 114.3 million hectares, according to Worldwatch Institute estimates published in the latestVital Signs Update. The United States continues to be the global leader in production, accounting for half of all GM crop area.
GM production has been on the rise since the crops were first introduced more than a decade ago, and it now includes 23 countries. But controversy over the benefits of genetic modification continues, including questions about the technology's ability to deliver on promises of enhanced yields and nutrition.
"GM crops are definitely not a silver bullet," said Alice McKeown, a researcher for the Worldwatch Institute. "They sound good on paper, but we have yet to see glowing results."
Even as GM crop area expands, tensions are building. The European Union is expected to offer new guidance on the crops by the end of the year. Meanwhile, a new scientific study funded by the Austrian government suggests that a popular variety of GM corn reduces fertility in mice, raising questions about the technology's safety.
"There are still many unanswered questions about GM crops," said McKeown. "But the good news is that we have solutions to food security and other problems available today that we know work and are safe for humans and the environment, including organic farming."
6. ---
7. http://www.enn.com/agriculture/article/38802
1. Bjoern Schmidt
2. Organic rice farming company goes solar
3. This article gives a very good example of a company that has environmental ties sice its founding. The founding grandfather of the company experienced the sad tragedy that happen if one "does not take care of his ressoureces".
When setting up a new farm he seriously cared for soil preservation. The later Generation invested in wind energy produced external and the current generation builds its own solar producing facilities.
It is staggering that this company that produces organic rice in America and is environmental aware has grown from 150 acres to 15.000 acres since its founding.
Further the article implies that there actually is a big amount of financial state aid in the long term covering half of the 3.5 million investment. This might be due to the the state being California.
----------------------------
4. Growing number of Calif. ag businesses go solar
By STEVE LAWRENCE, Associated Press Writer
Friday, December 5, 2008
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(12-05) 16:45 PST Richvale, Calif. (AP) --
For more than 70 years, California's abundance of sunshine has enabled the Lundberg family to grow rice in the Central Valley north of Sacramento.
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now the sun is helping the family churn out myriad rice products, from chips to cakes to pasta.
Lundberg Family Farms, which bills itself as the nation's largest producer of organic rice and rice products, is among a small but growing number of California growers and processors who are turning to solar power to help them run their operations.
"It made sense from an environmental point of view and a business point of view," said Jessica Lundberg, whose family has been growing rice in the Richvale area since 1937.
There's no count of how many growers have invested in solar, but Bernadette Del Chiaro, a clean energy advocate with the group Environment California, said she has seen a growing number of agricultural companies install solar panels over the last five years.
That's particularly true among wineries and packing plants that have high refrigeration and air conditioning costs.
"We're seeing a lot of wineries go solar, and it's not just to green their image," she said. "It's because they can actually save money."
Barry Cinnamon, chief executive officer of Akeena Solar, a Los Gatos company that installs residential and commercial solar energy systems, estimates that 50 to 100 wineries are using solar energy. His company has installed about a dozen of those systems.
More than 960 California companies have applied for rebates through the state Public Utilities Commission since Jan. 1, 2007, for installing solar panels, but there's no breakdown available on how many of those applicants are in agriculture.
Besides the rebates, companies that install solar panels can qualify for a federal tax credit on the purchase and installation costs. They also can get credits from utilities for any unused solar-generated electricity they send to the power grid.
Also, installation of solar energy systems does not trigger a property tax reassessment.
Ron Martella said his family's walnut processing company, Grower Direct Nut Co., took a long look at the potential economic benefits before deciding to install solar panels this year.
"We're in one of the cheapest electrical districts in the state," said Martella, a director of the company, which is located in Hughson, about 80 miles south of Sacramento. "We came to the conclusion that with the tax credits and rebates, the money we'd save on electricity would be a positive thing for our company in the long run."
He expects the $3.5 million project to be paid off in about eight years.
Lundberg farms installed its first solar system, five long sets of panels spread over about an acre, in 2006. It added another set of panels on a warehouse roof in 2007.
Together, those two systems provide 10 percent to 15 percent of the company's electricity, said Lundberg, who chairs the board of directors and manages the farm's seed nursery.
The company has plans to build a new office and warehouse and is considering incorporating new solar systems into those projects.
Lundberg Farms won a Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency this year for its use of renewable energy.
Besides the power it obtains from its solar panels, the company buys renewable energy credits that help develop wind power. That enables Lundberg Farms to say it gets 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources.
The EPA said Lundberg's energy program was the "the largest U.S. renewable energy commitment by an agribusiness." The company also won the award in 2004.
Lundberg traces her family's interest in renewable energy to her grandparents' experiences farming in the Midwest during the Dust Bowl years of the 1930s.
"They had seen what happens ... if you don't take care of your resources," she said. "When they came to California and had a chance to start again, they took it really seriously."
Her grandfather, who started farming on about 150 acres about 70 miles north of Sacramento, took steps to protect the quality of his soil and refused to burn off rice stubble after each harvest, a practice that can turn the Sacramento Valley skies into a smoky haze.
The decisions to buy wind-energy credits and develop solar power were a continuation of that conservation philosophy, Lundberg said.
Her father and his three brothers started the rice mill in the 1960s and began growing rice without chemicals. Now a third generation of cousins and cousins' spouses has moved into positions at the company, which grows 17 varieties of rice on about 15,000 acres.
It turns 45 million to 60 million pounds of rice a year into more than 150 products, including varieties of rice chips, rice syrup, rice pasta, rice cakes and one- and two-pound packages of rice. It also sells rice in bulk quantities.
Company officials figure their solar panels will be providing them with electricity for the next 30 to 40 years.
Rebates and tax credits covered about half the cost of the $3.5 million projects. They expect to make up for the rest of the cost in eight to 10 years.
"We're still carrying the cost of installation, paying them off," Lundberg said. "But we think it was a good business decision. It's just so satisfying to be able to contribute like that, to have something tangible we are able to do."
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5. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/12/05/financial/f164526S76.DTL
Biogas plant is considered the best tool for Green House Gases (GHG’s) emission reduction in the atmosphere, the selection of model and capacity of it is decided based on the climatic conditions, soil strata, qualitative and quantitative aspects of raw material available.
Biogas Plant in Kerala
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