“Mad is rebellious. We question the established, look for new solutions and make gold from gray stone.”

Image Courtesy of Recurrent Energy

There are two forms of photovoltaics that are reported on regularly in EcoNet News: rooftop solar owned by consumers like you and me that reduce their power bills, and utility-scale solar systems that provide wholesale power to utilities. California continues to dominate consumer-owned, “net energy metered” solar… but the Golden State’s preeminence is falling in the utility-scale solar world.

For years, California has led the nation in terms of utility-scale solar. And at the end of 2022, California had a 1,000 MW lead. But in May the baton will be passed to Texas. The Lone Star has recently twice doubled its utility-scale solar capacity… in 2020 and again in 2021. Canary Media quips that this is, “making California look uncommitted to this whole renewables thing…. The cowboys are just about to take the lead from the hippies.”

At the end of 2022, Texas had 14,806 MW of utility-scale solar versus California’s 15,967 MW. Texas has 7.7 GW lined up for installation in 2023, versus California’s 4.2 GW. Incidentally, the whole country is forecasted to add 29.1 GW in 2023, compared to 13.4 GW in 2021.

The Viking Energy Farm being built by Arevon Solar will serve San Diego Community Power, San Diego’s community choice aggregator. The facility is being built in Holtville, in California’s Imperial Valley near the Mexican border. The farm will consist of 137 MW of First Solar, thin-film modules, and 150 MW/600 MWh of Tesla Megapacks. In addition to being a carbon-free, renewable installation, another benefit is that the batteries can be deployed in less than a second. They are highly responsive to utility demand compared to traditional peaker plants that might take tens of minutes if not hours to fire up and provide critical capacity.

Image Courtesy of Smartland Landscape Architecture

Amazon is putting $1.6 million into the first commercial-scale seaweed operation that will be placed between offshore wind turbines. The idea is to slow the effects of climate change by sequestering carbon, specifically to explore the potential of seaweed farms interspersed between wind turbines to remove carbon from the atmosphere. Seaweed can suck up CO2 at an amazing pace. Amazon’s investment is part of its $100 million global Right Now Climate Fund.

The project, named North Sea Farm 1, is expected to begin production this year and will be located off the coast of the Netherlands. It will test different means to grow seaweed to sequester carbon in an area used for no other purposes. The non-profit organization, North Sea Farmers, will build a 25-acre seaweed farm that is expected to produce ~13,000 pounds of seaweed in its first year. The seaweed can then be harvested for use, or sink to the seafloor, or be stored underground… just where the carbon came from! Seaweed can also be used for food, packaging, and clothing.

A recent New York Times article features another sequestration strategy, this time using “GMO trees” to accelerate their growth and their potential for carbon capture. Living Carbon, a San Francisco based company, has modified the genetic make-up of poplars in the Southern Georgia pine belt to grow 50% faster. The trees are genetically engineered to grow at “turbo-charged” rates… “slurping up CO2!” They could also potentially cut timber rotations from 50 – 60 years to 25 – 30 years.

The introduction of the Flav Savr tomato in 1994, and its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, launched the practice and industry of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) products. Through GMO, the DNA of a plant is manipulated. Living Carbon is using the “gene gun method” which blasts foreign genes into the trees’ chromosomes. Similar research has focused on developing blight-resistant chestnuts.

Living Carbon’s trees start their journey in Hayward, California. Later this spring, the company will plant its trees on abandoned coal mines in Pennsylvania. Note that the modified trees are all female so they won’t produce pollen; limiting their potential risks to the greater ecosystem.

Image Courtesy of FutureBuilt

When we think of buildings and making them more sustainable, the focus is on their construction and operation. But what about the back end? What about major remodels? What about demolition? Buildings consume about one third of all energy used. Construction and deconstruction debris also accounts for about a third of all solid waste.

Now a project in Olso, Norway is demonstrating how to cut embedded carbon in building materials, by upcycling materials – refashioning materials for new applications… in this case an office building. Materials from “donor buildings” are repurposed both for retrofits and new construction.

Named after its location, the project is called Kristian Augusts Gate 13 (KA13). For KA13, sourced materials such as structural steel, wood, bricks, tiles, cladding panels, windows, concrete floor plates were recovered from 25 demolition sites. Fully 80% of the building materials used were repurposed. Without question, this demo is a harbinger of things to come. But to make the case, its designers and owners had to pay a premium, changing the materials to make them work in a new application.

Mad Arkitekter, an Oslo-based design firm, is passionate about upcycling and using demolition waste in its signature works. It remodeled its own offices in 2021 and then was approached by a real estate developer that sought to remodel a 1958 office building and its 9,200 ft2 expansion. All told, the eight-story project involved 43,000 ft2 of space.

Upcycling is very different from recycling. The latter involves breaking down and transforming raw materials to their original state. Upcycling, or reclaiming, materials involves minimal processing or alterations. But with upcycling, as Mad Arkitekter has shown, there is certainly additional labor and customization involved.

So we have a new way of looking at buildings, and “recycling” buildings. Our design community is beginning to think about how buildings are assembled, so that they are ready for disassembly. Using these materials requires flexibility. Sometimes the design had to be adapted to accommodate the reused materials. Then there are building codes and regulations. And it’s hard to coordinate construction with demolition schedules. Mad Arkitekter also had to work with labs to test repurposed steel and concrete for structural soundness. But Mad is onto something! Stay tuned.

Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), the outdoor equipment supplier, has recently announced that it will ban the use of PFAS chemicals in its own privately labeled products and all clothing and cookware products produced by others and sold at its stores by the fall of 2024. That includes pots, pans, apparel, shoes, packs, bags, and gear. PFAS in heavy-duty apparel, such as raincoats, will be phased out by 2026.

What’s PFAS? What are these so-called ”forever chemicals?” PFAS – technically “per and polyfluoraklyl” substances – are a class of over 9,000 man-made chemicals known for their non-stick and water-repellent properties. They are found in the air, water, fish, and soil. They do not break down naturally. And they have been found in the bloodstream of 97% of Americans.

While the full impacts of PFAS compounds is not clear, they are potentially responsible for developmental issues with children, their presence may result in less chance of women getting pregnant, they may increase a woman’s blood pressure during pregnancy, cause lower infant birth weights, interfere with the body’s natural hormones, increase cholesterol, and potentially cause cancer.

REI has a strong reputation as a highly responsible environmentally sound company. While firms such as 3M banned the use of PFAS chemicals, critics claim that REI has been slow to do so. REI has already phased out “long-chain” PFAS chemicals (PFOA and PFOS), but “short-chain” PFAS are reportedly harder to replace. Nevertheless, New York State recently enacted a law to ban PFAS in most apparel by the end of the year. California has a similar law that will go into effect in 2025. Consumer awareness and these state actions may well result in national standards limiting or eliminating these pesky substances.

Use the links below to check out our recent podcasts. And you can always go to Spotify and type in “Ted Flanigan” to find our library of podcasts.

Recently Released:

• This issue of EcoNet News, Volume 25, Issue #2

EcoNet News, Volume 25, Issue #1, features an essay on solar power and its vast, largely untapped potential; sustainable aviation fuels; the use of hydrogen for conventional jet engines and in fuel cell configurations; UGES – Underground Gravitational Energy Storage; EV updates on Sony, Tesla in Germany, and Hertz; the Floating Offshore Wind Shot; as well an article on regulating America’s last common form of pollution, cigarette butts and their cellulose acetate filters.

• Flanigan’s Eco-Logic Podcast: Nicolò Brambilla

In this episode of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Nicolò Brambilla, Chief Technology Officer at Nanoramic Laboratories, and an expert in energy storage and nanotechnologies.

He and Ted discuss his early life in Italy, attending a Polytechnic University, and his studies in engineering and physics. He shares his experience in moving to the United States, and delves into his current works in nanotechnology.

Nicolò has been a pioneer in the synthesis and processing of carbon nano structures for energy storage. He has successfully led multiple industrial programs to design and manufacture high performance and scalable energy storage, including lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors. He now leads new product development, including binder-free composite electrodes, and the chip ultracapacitor.

The resulting products provide greater power, energy density, and performance in extreme environments compared to traditional battery designs, benefiting the electric vehicle industry.

• Flanigan’s Eco-Logic: Matt Petersen

In this episode of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Matt Petersen, President and CEO of Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI).

Matt is chair of the Climate Mayors board, and a board member of Global Green USA, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, Center for Environmental Health, and the Sir Edmund Hillary Institute for International Leadership.

He and Ted discuss his upbringing in Modesto, California, his studies at Chico State, and his early experiences in running campaigns and working with Mikhail Gorbachev at Green Cross International.

He then went on to co-found Global Green USA and led the organization for 19 years as President and CEO. The organization was a pioneer in greening affordable housing, schools, and cities as well as helping grow the solar sector. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Matt put forth a vision and mobilized resources to green the rebuilding of New Orleans, including schools, the Lower 9th Ward, and more.

Prior to joining LACI, Matt was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti as the first ever Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Los Angeles. Serving as CSO for four years, Petersen was the chief architect of the groundbreaking Sustainable City Plan, led efforts to make LA a global leader in EVs, and helped create the Climate Mayors.

At LACI, leading cleantech startups are creating an inclusive green economy by unlocking innovation, transforming markets, and enhancing community. Matt highlights LACI’s three priorities: accelerating transportation electrification, clean energy, and sustainable cities.

• Flanigan’s Eco-Logic: Drew Shula

In this episode of Flanigan’s Eco-Logic, Ted speaks with Drew Shula, Founder and CEO of Verdical Group.

Drew is a social entrepreneur, environmentalist, and force in the industry. He founded the world’s largest annual net zero event, the Net Zero Conference and Trailblazer awards. He is also one of just six individuals who have been honored as both a LEED Fellow and Living Future Hero.

He and Ted discuss his upbringing in Maine, his studies and holding a 5-year professional degree in Architecture from the University of Notre Dame, and about the evolution of Verdical Group, from starting in his backyard to becoming a nationally leading sustainability consulting firm that specializes in green building certifications, engineering services, strategy, and events. Drew also highlights the building industry’s impact on the climate crisis and net zero building design.