The conference provides an opportunity to meet and work with other algaepreneurs who have the commitment to accelerate the growth of our economy, to keep the $700 billion/year we spend on foreign oil here in the US., and to create energy independence and millions of jobs by fast-tracking commercial-scale algae production.

The attendees will also have the opportunity to network and form strategic alliances with algae producers, equipment manufacturers and algae researchers who all share a common interest in helping the US get off of foreign oil  – “we need commercial-scale algae production NOW.”

Preceding the conference, NAA will be hosting the second sitting of the Algae Production Certification Program on January 12th.

Although biodiesel can be made in nearly anyone’s backyard, if you aren’t into that sort of thing, buy it from someone who can do that for you. BioFuels Oasis makes biodiesel from recycled vegetable oil in the community keeping up the ‘green’ in their home area. Toasting their new product line by drinking biodiesel (which is safe, but not that tasty), the women-owned station supports their local area in producing and distributing biodiesel.

Although we’ve seen closure of many of the large million gallon biodiesel plants this past year, small locally owned, operated, and distributed biodiesel plants and stations can make a huge difference in their community.

If you’re in the area, get their address from their website at http://www.biofueloasis.com/ .

Cheers to BioFuels Oasis!

Other speakers will be talking about solar renewable energy, water harvesting techniques, and the efficient use of small wind turbines.

If you would like to attend, registration begins at 8:00 am at the Murchison and Whitehead show barn complex.  Let us know you are there.

Call the Menard County Extension Service office at 325-396-4787 for directions or give us a call at 1-888-440-1112. We’ll look forward to seeing you.

As in most renewable energy forums we’ve attended in the last several years, the focus is mostly wind and solar energy, but there were several speakers talking about biofuels (including biodiesel). The vendors present showed many ways that home owners can take advantage of energy saving devices for even the most urban and suburban homes.

There were a number of speakers talking about waste management and ways to reduce impacts on landfills by composting and recycling on a large scale.  It is encouraging to hear business’ talk about having zero waste.  This presenter runs a restaurant in the Austin Texas area and they either compost or recycle all of the restaurant waste, eliminating the need for any trash collection.

West Texas BioEnergy isn’t about recycling and organic growing but these are topics that fit perfectly with our business vision of creating energy at the local level to support and strengthen our country and personal spheres of life.

Algae is used in oil production for biodiesel. The Algae Production Certification Program will be an intensive – 2 day course covering topics such as: algae strains, growing, harvesting techniques and extraction methodologies. Participants are expected from around the world.

Algaepreneurs will learn:

• Algae Cultivation
• Growing
• Harvesting
• Extraction
• Economics

Once the certification course is completed the National Algae Association will host an industry conference on April 29-30, 2010 at the same location as the certification course at the Doubletree Hotel Houston Intercontinental Airport.

Follow this link for registration for the event or further information about the events
http://www.nationalalgaeassociation.com/certify.html.

Topics will include:

• Biodiesel history
• Biodiesel workshop handbook
• Introduction to making biodiesel
• Advanced biodiesel processing
• Catalysts
• Alcohols
• Accelerating the process
• Varying the process
• Handling Mono-Glycerides and Diglycerides
• Vehicles and equipment for use with biodiesel

Sign up at the Howard College website by clicking here.  We hope to see you there.

Feedstock is the key to any biodiesel production dream. It can be made from nearly any natural substance that produces an oil or grease. Waste cooking oil is the most common input, but any nut or seed, animal fat rendering (12-15% yellow grease), algae, or other oily substance can also be used. We’ve seen reports of out of spec (stale, contaminated, etc.) coffee beans and even used coffee grounds being used which provides for a very aromatic engine exhaust. Industry accepted air pollution reduction from ASTM quality biodiesel is 70% – 80%.

If you are interested in exploring making biodiesel in your area, contact us. There are units that make just 20 gallons per batch (MyFuelPod), to commercial units that range from 400 – 5,000 gallons of biodiesel daily.

Electricity must be used at the time that it is created. We don’t often think about this, since electricity is always available when we flip on the switch. But for those people and processes involved in electricity generation, this is a common fact. Much of the power we generate is squandered because it can’t be stored. Sure, there are batteries that can store some of the power that is generated, but for the most part, it is wasted — waiting for us to flip those switches. Battery technology still isn’t able to store the amount of electricity we need consistently.

To integrate wind energy with an existing power grid, here in Texas that could be nuclear power or coal-fired plants, with the wind turbines seen dotting the west Texas landscape to produce a consistent level of power means turning down the existing plants when the wind blows and turning them back up when the wind dies down (it really doesn’t blow all the time in Texas!) Most of these existing plants weren’t designed to be quickly turned up or down, so keeping the level of power constant means very accurately predicting the wind in a given area. Sudden gusts of wind can cause problems as well as technicians scramble to stabilize the wind generators which may need to be stopped if the wind speed is too fast. As the wind generators are stopped, the power grid monitors must bring other power sources online to keep the level of power more or less constant.

As we move forward as a nation in using our natural resources in new ways, our ability to forecast and anticipate what Mother Nature has for us will determine our success in keeping our switches ‘On’.

References: “Unbridled Energy: Predicting Volatile Wind, Sun” by Jeffrey Ball, Wall Street Journal, Friday, October 2, 2009

But some entrepreneurs are looking into the possibility of converting the idle ethanol plants to produce biobutanol instead. Biobutanol is made from a variety of inedible crops as well as the more popular edible feedstocks, corn and wheat.  Biobutanol has few of the drawbacks of ethanol and can be mixed in with gasoline in higher concentrations and moved in the existing gas pipelines — unlike ethanol which is limited in the percentage mixed with petroleum gas and cannot be moved in the pipieline.

In addition to its application in the gasoline market, biobutanol can be used in the plastics industry in flat-screen television sets and water bottles.

Biobutanol as an industry, is still in its infancy, but is showing promise as an alternative to ethanol in our gas tanks.

Reference: “Makers of Ethanol Ponder Alternative”, by Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, Wednesday, September 30, 2009