14. August 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

GALTEN

Phone: +972(0)54-646-3233
Kadima 60920
P.O.B 1746
Israel.
info@galtengroup.com

About
Galten realized that controlling “row material” is of major importance as it will be the bottle neck in the coming years. Therefore, we adopted the “seed to Biodiesel” strategy. Galten has the technology to grow hi quality feedstock and produce hi quality product – Biodiesel, meeting all required standards. Galten is committed to become a leading company in the biodiesel arena, by implementing and executing its ambitious plans in the coming years. Galtens’ personel has a long track record and experience in managing and controlling large scale projects.

Since the beginning of 2006 Galtens’ co founders have established the basis and the infrastructure of the company.
After intensive and deep research, Ghana was chosen as the first country for the first biodiesel project. A local company was established headed by Mr. Raymond Okudzeto.

Galten is composed of:
A group of scientist, that are continuously researching and developing the local Jatropha species to continuously improve yield and biodiesel output.
A project management group that execute the control and management of the large scale cultivation.
Galten intends to refine the extracted vegetable oil in the market country.

Technology

Galten’s technology is based on the Jatropha which has been investigated by their group for more then 15 years.  As a result of this long and intensive scientific work Galten is able to cultivate Jatropha – a non edible crop – in large scale on marginal lands (not using agriculture lands) with high yield and high quality vegetable oil that is refined to biodiesel. Galten will continue to improve the Jatropha species with an on going R&D and control the improved species genetically.
Our group of scientists is the most knowledgeable and experienced in Jatropha. The scientific group, from a European university is composed from university professors’ experts in Jatropha, soil experts, breeding experts and has enormous experience in all the scientific aspects of the crop such as the physiology, biochemistry and genetics of the plant.  The scientific group is part of Galten and they are the moderators and executors of the scientific part of the project.

Posted in Israel, Biofuel Techs | No Comments »

18. June 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

Solel Solar Systems Ltd.
Solel Solar Systems Ltd.
Corporate Office Marketing

P.O.B. 811
Beit Shemesh
Israel
Tel: 972-2-995 0111 Fax 972-2-999 5521
marketing@solel.com

Solel, Inc.
Office of the U.S. Subsidiary

701 North Green Valley Parkway
Suite 200
Henderson, NV 89074

Tel: 866-677-0444
Fax 702-446-8200
About

The Solel team has the organization, the resources and the project management capabilities needed to design, manufacture and install solar fields for large scale power generation. Longstanding, field-proven experience with parabolic trough solar thermal plants has brought the cost of kWhe produced to competitive market levels.

Led by a team of solar professionals, Solel’s engineering staff combines proven experience with field-tested know-how and draws on more than twenty years of solar thermal research and commercial implementations. Solel employs more than 280 people in their Beit Shemesh, Israel headquarters and has a West Coast U.S. subsidiary.

The company has invested substantial financial resources over the last 14 years to improve the yearly electrical output of the solar fields and in reducing their installation, operations and maintenance costs, resulting in significant improvements to the overall cost-effectiveness of the parabolic trough solar technology.

Solel Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Solel Solar Systems, is a leading developer of solar power plants. Solel Inc. teams with major players in the fields of engineering design, environmental services, transmission and financing to develop utility scale power plants, both in clusters and in stand-alone configurations.

Solel Inc. is developing the 553 MW Mojave Solar Park 1 (MSP-1), the world’s largest solar thermal power plant, in California’s Mojave Desert. In July 2007, Solel Inc. concluded a 25 year Power Purchase Agreement with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) to provide it with electricity from MSP-1. Solel will build MSP-1 using Solel 6, Solel’s industry leading solar thermal collector. MSP-1 will encompass nine square miles and will provide PG&E with 1,388 gigawatts of energy annually at a price competitive with plants powered by fossil fuels.

Solel Inc.’s major focus is the southwest region of the U.S., the world’s largest identified market, with its abundant energy source and excellent proximity to population centers. A report commissioned by the WGA (Western Governor’s Association) predicted that peak power demand by 2015 in the six southwestern states (California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah) will grow by 34 GW, of which 20% (7 GW) is targeted to be provided through renewable power sources.

Products

Solel’s technology converts sunshine into useful thermal energy, and subsequently into electricity, by way of parabolic mirrors that concentrate the solar energy onto solar thermal receivers containing a heat transfer fluid. The heat transfer fluid is circulated and heated through the receivers, and the heat is released to a series of heat exchangers to generate super-heated steam. The steam powers a turbine/generator to produce electricity delivered to a utility’s electric grid.

A central computerized tracking facility enables optimal absorption of the sun’s energy by automatically adjusting the alignment of the parabolic mirrors. From the moment the sun rises until it dips over the horizon, all of its rays are captured and converted into usable energy.

With a back-up of alternative fuels, a solar plant can operate beyond daylight hours.

Diagram of System

Posted in Nevada, Israel, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »

10. May 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

REAL Housing Ltd.

In the United States:

2525 Arapahoe Ave Suite E-4
Boulder CO 80302
Contact: Hy Brown
+1 303 594 0775
E-mail: hy@realhousing.net

In Israel:

20/6 Aharon Boxer St.
Nes Ziyyona 74057
Contact: Shaul Amir
+972 52 802 2646
E-mail: shaul@realhousing.net
About the Company

REAL Housing Ltd. is an Israeli company committed to the development of affordable housing using renewable energy to power a sustainable future. Formed in 2007, REAL Housing combines advanced energy technology with innovative construction techniques to bring a fresh solution to the global community.

Their solutions are based on decades of experience in both the construction industry and the building energy research community. Two of the founders are affiliated with the University of Colorado. Many of the innovations grew from their experiences with the Solar Decathlon, an international competition to design and build small solar-powered homes. REAL Housing delivers these innovations to the global housing marketplace.

REAL Housing seeks to redefine affordability. Traditionally, affordable housing has been defined by low first cost to the homeowner. With growing environmental awareness and uncertainty in our energy future, low first cost is not enough. What good is an inexpensive house if the owner can’t afford its future? Their vision marries affordable construction and operating costs, using factory-built and energy-efficient designs, together with the environmental stewardship and energy security of solar energy systems. They build dreams that will be as affordable in the future as they are today.

The development of housing that is affordable and environmentally conscious is at the center of the company concept. However, the vision of REAL Housing does not end at the design and construction of leading-edge housing units. Starting with a base in Israel, REAL Housing is meeting the needs of a country that requires innovative housing solutions in a challenging physical environment. From this base, REAL Housing is putting in place partnerships that will expand its operations to meet the needs of communities around the world.

Designs

Their house design are based on modular and prefabricated construction. The spine, formed by conventional shipping containers, provides structure and life support. In each design, the spine comprises the kitchen, laundry, bathrooms, and equipment spaces. Behind the scene, it also includes the building electrical service and all plumbing and HVAC systems. You will notice that there is no plumbing, piping, or ductwork outside the spine. While their smallest homes use a single shipping container for the spine, the larger home designs combine two containers to allow larger kitchens and more bathrooms.

Living and bedroom spaces are attached to the spine. The layouts provide natural separate between the public spaces and the more private bedroom areas. The smallest home designs have two bedrooms and two bathrooms, with larger spaces and more rooms in the larger home designs.

Posted in Building Techs, Israel, Colorado, USA | No Comments »

17. April 2008 by Mykel Pereira.

LUZ II

LUZ II Ltd.

11 Kiryat Mada St., Amot bldg #6,
P.O. Box 45220, Har Hotzvim,
Jerusalem, 91450 Israel.

Phone: +972-(0)77-202-5000
Fax: +972-(0)2-571-1059

Mail: info@luz2.com

BrightSource Energy Inc.

1999 Harrison Street,
Suite 500
Oakland, CA 94612, USA.

Phone: 510-550-8161 x108
Fax: 510-550-8165

Mail: info@brightsourceenergy.com

About

LUZ II develops utility-scale solar power plants using a unique, proprietary technology which converts sunlight to electricity. LUZ II’s technology provides relatively low-cost power during peak demand periods. By using standard, inexpensive materials and economies of scale in manufacturing, LUZ II’s plants achieve the lowest cost solar electricity in the world.

LUZ II Ltd.,of Jerusalem, Israel, is a wholly owned subsidiary of BrightSource Energy Inc. (BSE), of Oakland, California. BSE is owned by Mr. Arnold Goldman, VantagePoint Venture Partners, a leading venture capital firm, and private investors (some of whom were investors in the original Luz). LUZ II Ltd. performs R&D, production and project engineering.

BSE has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Pacific Gas & Electric Company to negotiate an agreement for 500 MW of projects on an accelerated basis. The Company is also engaged in project negotiations with potential strategic partners in Spain for an estimated 50 to 150 MW.

BSE/LUZ II’s technology provides relatively low-cost power during peak demand periods. Utilities and large commercial and industrial customers place a premium on the power that is produced during peak demand times. By using standard, inexpensive materials and economies of scale in manufacturing, BSE/LUZ II’s plants achieve the lowest cost solar electricity in the world.

The combination of environmental concerns and rising prices for commodity fuels has caused a number of states in the U.S. to adopt Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS). These standards require utilities to purchase as much as 33% of their power from renewable energy sources, such as wind, hydro and solar, by specified dates. For example, California utilities are currently under a mandate to purchase 20% of their power from renewable sources by 2011 (compared to 12% at present), and 33% by 2020. Historically, utilities have depended on wind power to meet their RPS requirements. However, wind is not a predictable source of power and typically delivers its power at night, when electricity demand is lowest. Solar energy has a much higher degree of predictability, with only a 10% yearly production variance. Solar power peaks exactly when electricity demand is greatest, during the afternoon hours and during summer months when air conditioning loads are increased.

BSE/LUZ II’s DPT system can also utilize natural gas to generate electricity during periods of reduced solar availability, such as early evening hours when demand is still high. Using this system, BSE/LUZ II can offer utilities firm capacity commitments for peak and shoulder periods. This dispatch capacity and flexibility provides significant value to utility companies.

Technology

Posted in Israel, California, Solar Techs, USA | No Comments »