Australian Tartaric Products (ATP) is the nation’s largest manufacturer of natural tartaric acid, which plays a key role in the chemical stability, taste and pH of wine. With no access to natural gas, the company relies on trucked-in LPG to ensure its boiler runs 24/7. [ + ]

Medium speed permanent magnet generators (MS PMGs) deliver more than 98% efficiency - the highest of any commercial wind generator design. Efficiency is also high at partial loads in low wind conditions, enabling the optimum annual production of kWh. This article spotlights the design and testing effort behind ABB’s multi-MW medium-speed and medium-voltage generator-converter package. [ + ]

Richgro is an Australian-owned family business that has been helping people tend their gardens since 1916. In mid-2009, Richgro drew up plans to install a major organic fertiliser plant on its site in Jandakot, Western Australia. However, the creation of this new plant would increase Richgro’s annual electricity bill to almost $500,000. [ + ]

The small town of Taralga, in Southeast Australia, will soon benefit from a customised water treatment system, thanks to a collaboration between Xylem and General Electric. Xylem is building the compact treatment plant in a 40-foot shipping container and will use GE membranes to supply the town’s 300 residents with high-quality drinking water. [ + ]

As discussed in the IDTechEx Research report ‘Organic Photovoltaics (OPV) 2013-2023: Technologies, Markets, Players’, organic photovoltaics, although potentially a disruptive technology, do not currently offer very high efficiency levels or lifetime and these characteristics limit their market uptake. On the other hand, OPVs can offer versatility in form factor, improved indoor performance and low capital expenditure for large-scale manufacture. In this article, Dr Harry Zervos, Senior Technology Analyst, IDTechEx, summarises some of the details of the report. [ + ]

What do Valvoline, Eilbeck Cranes, Southern Steel and 3M have in common? They have all recently upgraded their power-hungry 400 W high-bay lights to energy-efficient EELCO fittings. Apart from an immediate improvement in illumination levels, all four companies can also take advantage of significant government rebates now available for approved energy-efficient upgrades. [ + ]

In what is claimed will be an Australian first, Yarra Valley Water is developing an innovative waste-to-energy facility in the northern suburbs of Melbourne. [ + ]

Kyocera Solar has supplied Kyocera solar modules to ProVision Solar that will power a total of eight auto businesses on the Big Island of Hawaii, making it one of the greenest enterprises on the island. [ + ]

Simons Green Energy has completed the installation of a 70 kWe cogeneration system at the soon-to-be-opened Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel. As part of the new International Airport precinct, the hotel has adopted a range of environmental initiatives in line with the Sydney Airport Environmental Management Strategy. [ + ]

Water is a fuel, vital for business and every bit as critical to moving our economy forward as energy. James Currie, Client Services Director, Australia, Black & Veatch discusses the role industry in Australia can play in securing our future water supplies. [ + ]

GHD’s Global Technical Leader - Water, Rip Copithorn*, discusses a range of technologies that will influence the future of wastewater treatment and change the way we think about water security. [ + ]

‘Australian Municipal Waste Management - Voice of the Customer Study’ is Frost & Sullivan’s recently completed study that analysed feedback from 42 councils across all states and territories in Australia. [ + ]

The eighth Eco Expo Asia will take place from 28 to 31 October at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong. [ + ]

The Gillard government is moving to improve measurement and reporting of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere from coal seam gas (CSG) exploration and production. A discussion paper released today sets out proposals to introduce new CSG-specific measurement and estimation methods into Australia’s greenhouse gas reporting framework. [ + ]

Within the Academy of Finland’s Research Programme on Climate Change (FICCA), a model has been developed that facilitates the computational estimation of the energy consumption and emissions for all residential buildings in any given area. [ + ]