ISEA Blog

Illinois is on its way to surpassing 1,000 megawatts of installed wind energy with its giant Cayuga Ridge wind farm south of Chicago. 
Iberdrola Renewables will source wind energy from its 300-MW Streator Cayuga Ridge South project currently being constructed near the villages of Odell and Emington, Illinois, south of Chicago. Once completed around March, the project will supplement Illinois’s current wind generating capacity of about 1,000 MW. The Iberdrola project is expected to generate 331 direct construction jobs in the area. more

Nationwide, more than 100 majors, minors or certificates were created this year in energy and sustainability-focused programs at colleges big and small, says the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. That's up from just three programs added in 2005.[MORE]

NOTE: Oakton Community College, Wright College and the College of DuPage all have Alternative Energy programs in different levels of development. JB

Continuing an annual tradition, Cleantech Group Executive Chairman Nicholas Parker offers ten trends to watch for in 2010.[MORE]

The year 2009 saw several breakthroughs in solar-energy technology, among them:

• England’s QuantaSol Ltd. announced in June that it had developed what is likely the most efficient single-junction solar cell ever manufactured. [MORE]

In the spring of 2002, Gamesa, a global wind energy giant, approached landowners in rural Lee County about building the first commercial-scale wind farm in Illinois.

After a series of tests, the Mendota Hills Wind Farm went online in November 2003. The project, which Gamesa later sold, has 63 windmills that produce 50.4 megawatts of electricity a year - enough to power between 11,000 and 15,000 homes.[MORE]

Beginning next year, the city will install thousands of smart meters, wireless devices that allow utilities and customers to monitor electricity use, with the goal of reducing outages, lowering energy bills and shrinking carbon footprints.

But as smart meters have been unveiled across the country this year, some have questioned their intelligence. [MORE]

The Trend: Internet-connected energy monitors. They grab details on electric use from your wiring and send them to a Web site where you can analyze the data—and figure out how to save both watts and cash.  https://www.popsci.com/gadgets/article/2009-12/track-household-electricity-use-web-connected-monitors

On October 3, 2008, the U.S. House passed legislation (H.R. 1424) that will extend an investment tax credit of 30% for all solar installations, whether commercial or residential, effective January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2016. The President has signed this bill into Law. Residential photovoltaic systems can now take advantage of an unlimited 30% tax credit, subject to income and deductability limitations. The cap remains in effect for residential solar thermal installations. In addition, there is also a Residential Tax Credit for small wind systems, $500 per 1/2 kilowatt, up to $4,000. The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity has released the Fiscal Year 2009 rebate guidelines. As of now, however, the funds for this program have been redirected for other uses by the State Legislature. If you have any questions about the program, please feel free to contact us.

Solar Energy Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, as reported by the Solar Energy Industries Association (www.seia.org) Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds: Authorizes $2.4 billion in bonds to finance State, municipal and tribal government programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Electric Transmission Infrastructure: Allows Western Area Power and Bonneville Power Administrations to borrow funds (up to $3.25 billion each) to construct or finance transmission lines. House version directs the DOE to include analysis of renewable energy sources, including solar, in its 2009 National Electric Transmission Congestion Study. Solar for Schools: Appropriates $20 billion (Senate and House differ somewhat in directed funding levels) in grants for public schools and institutions of higher education to renovate facilities, including installation of solar energy systems. (H.R. 1, Senate version has $20.5 billion.) Green Collar Jobs: Appropriates $500 million ($250 million in Senate version) to fund job training programs in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Also appropriates $300 million ($160 million in Senate version) for rehabilitation and construction projects on Job Corps Centers, including energy efficiency and renewable energy. Smart Grid: Provides 50 percent reimbursement to electric utilities that carry out smart‐grid demonstration projects. Solar for the Military: Appropriates $350 million for DOD research, development, testing and evaluation of projects to improve energy generation and transmission. Senate version appropriates $200 million, an additional $494 million for Navy and Marine Corps facilities, and further specifies that funds are for use by operational forces and military installations, including solar demonstrations. Remedy for AMT and R&D Credits in Lieu of Bonus Depreciation: Senate version allows a taxpayer in a loss position to use the bonus depreciation. Solar Water Treatment Plants: Appropriates $2.4 billion in grants that could be used to put solar on wastewater treatment plants. Senate version allocates less than $2 billion.