7/16/2011
by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer
Accio Energy of Ann Arbor has developed a way to use wind energy to produce electricity that does not use turbine blades, magnets, or coils of wire. Electricity is created by using wind molecules to push positively charged ions against the force of an electrostatic field. In a process analogous to what happens in a thunderstorm, the wind drives droplets of water past a conductive metal to create an electric field to be harvested as electric current. Accio calls its “aerovoltaic” wind technology. The phenomenon was studied 30-40 years ago but did not lead anywhere. A prototype will be field tested in 2012. The goal is to achieve a better power density than that produced by solar panels.
6/14/2011
by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder has presented Energetx Composites LLC of Holland the fi rst ever “Reinventing Michigan” award. The award was in recognition of the company’s innovative application of composite materials technology to the clean energy industry, including wind turbine blades and transportation vehicle bodies. The award was given at a gathering of 40 CEOs from Michigan’s alternative energy industry. The hour-long meeting highlighted the role the alternative energy industry has already played in stimulating innovation and revitalizing Michigan’s manufacturing sector. The group urged the governor to clarify his energy policy, and elevate it on his list of priorities. The award featured a stylized light bulb as a symbol of innovation and a revolutionary product invented by a Michiganian, Thomas Edison.
4/22/2011
by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer
A midsize vertical axis wind generator company has moved from Brighton to the GVSU Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center incubator space in Muskegon. McKenzie Bay International Ltd. has its first 200 kW WindStor wind turbine up and running in Ishpeming. The product will be manufactured by Clean Green Energy LLC of Brighton. McKenzie Bay received a grant of $620,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy in September to accelerate commercialization of the WindStor.
1/6/2011
by Bruce Goodman, Energy Lawyer
The Michigan Strategic Fund has made a $6 Million grant to Dow Chemical, Astraeus Wind Energy, and MAG Automation Systems to establish a Center of Energy Excellence to work on automating the manufacture of wind turbine blades. The initial effort will focus on turbine blade spar caps. The funding provides a match for federal funding received by these companies in December 2009. The goal is to increase production rates of higher-quality components with attractive economics. Oak Ridge National Laboratory, DOE’s largest science and energy lab, will assist Dow in evaluating advanced materials.
12/16/2010
by Bruce Goodman
The State of Michigan has now designated twenty six acres in Holland Township as a new fifteen year Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone. Energetx Composites will built its new composites manufacturing plant at the site to produce utility-scale wind turbine blades. The company is also considering expanding into the electric vehicle sector. A Renaissance Zone allows a company within the zone to operate free of virtually all state and local taxes over the life of the designation. Michigan’s Renaissance Zone Act provides for up to 15 tax-free zones statewide to grow renewable energy companies.
11/23/2010
by Bruce Goodman
The Department of Energy’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act partial funding has produced the first-ever utility scale wind turbine manufactured and assembled in Michigan. The newly designed Northern Power System 2.2 MW wind turbine, with its permanent magnet direct drive generator, had parts manufactured and assembled by Merrill Technologies of Saginaw. The Northwind 2.2 prototype unit will now be sent to the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado for validation and testing, with a prototype also to be tested at the Stoney Corners Wind Farm near McBain under a special power purchase agreement with Detroit Edison. The Merrill Technologies supply chain involves more than 70 companies, including Energetx Composites of Holland which is building blades for the project and Betz Industries of Grand Rapids which is casting the hubs.
10/19/2010
by Bruce Goodman
Holland Township has approved a 26 acre site in Ottawa County as a Renewable Energy Renaissance Zone for Energetx Composites to build a new plant for manufacturing wind turbine blades, other wind energy components, aerospace parts, and alternative energy transportation bodies. Once approved by the state this designation will lower or eliminate property taxes on the plant for a set period. Meanwhile, the company has contracted with Grand Rapids Community College to train new employees at the job site in its composite materials course.
7/8/2010
by Bruce Goodman
The State of Michigan has formed a partnership with the government of Navarra, Spain to work collaboratively on renewable energy projects. The MOU signed in May provides for joint activities, including policy sharing, technology transfer, value-chain mapping, and trade missions. It targets wind technology, biomass, solar energy, smart-grid technology, and bio-climactic research sectors. Navarra currently produces approximately 65 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources. The Renewable Energy National Centre of Spain (CENER), which over the past eight years has become a leader in renewable-energy technology, is located in Navarra and is expected to work with Michigan companies in development efforts, such as testing Energetx Composite wind turbine blades in its laboratory.
6/18/2010
by Bruce Goodman
Energetx Composites LLC has been awarded a $3.5 million grant to establish a new Center of Energy Excellence (COEE) in Holland. It will collaborate with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Dow Chemical to develop advanced materials, including carbon fiber, to make wind turbine blades. The COEE will also include workforce training provided by U of M and Kettering University. A second new COEE was established with $6 million in funding. It involves Astraeus Wind Energy, Inc., a joint venture between Sterling Heights-based MAG Industrial Automation Systems Inc. and Eaton Rapids-based Dowding Machining Inc. This venture’s first project will be to build an automated machining center for wind turbine hubs.
5/21/2010
by Bruce Goodman
Following up on an earlier licensing agreement, Energetx Composites of Holland and Aeroblade of Spain have agreed to a manufacturing arrangement to produce wind turbine blades for wind industry OEMs. The Michigan company has committed to manufacturing 37 to 65 meter wind turbine blades for Aeroblade customers in the U.S. and Canadian markets. This partnership combines Aeroblade’s design skills, backed by a long history in the aerospace field, with Energetx’s core competency in composites.
