American Renewable Energy

David Dwyer, President Provided most of Information (except for otherwise noted-information retrieved from company web-site or by David Dwyer)805 Greenwood St.Evanston, IL 60201 Phone: 847. 424-0288www.americanrenewable.com

** This Presentation was Prepared by Yesenia Villasenor-Rodriguez for Spring Energy Law Class 2004 - Professor Bosselman. yvillasenorrodriguez@kentlaw.edu

Making Alternative Energy & Reliability a Possibility for Your Home, Business, or School

OverviewI. Introduction to American Renewable

II. What Does American Renewable Do

III. American Renewable Energy Solutions

IV. Potential Legal Issues

V. Conclusion

I. Introduction

Background on American Renewable

•Founders

•Mission

•Team

Background

founded in 2001 by David Dwyer Located in Evanston

Renewable Energy Contractors

Mission

“Energy Independence & Environmental Responsibility”

The Energy Team David Dwyer Designer-Builder

Toni Bark Owner-Consultant

Bill Becker Engineer-Inventor of Aero Turbine

Windy City Power Company

Nate Kipnis Environmental Architects Karla Sierralta Finalists in Twin Tower Memorial & Brian Strong Ford Calumet Environmental Center

Tim Lesch Project Engineer

IBC Engineering Premier Environmental Engineering Firm in Midwest

Goal

Trying to Bring Distributed Power – Geothermal, Solar (hot water), Photo-Voltaic (PV), Wind Power and Conservation

Worse Case Scenario Looks Really Good

Numerical Data has been done & potential by using a combination of the systems will lead to

Better Costs Lower Emissions Lower Operating Costs Investment Potential (adding Value to your Home)

II. What Does American Renewable Energy Do ?

Phase I: Scope/Survey

Phase II: Design Specific System

Phase III: Construction

Phase I: Survey

Orientation of Home: (i.e. Location w/respect to bigger buildings and Potential Geothermal Sources)

Visual Survey: (i.e. find simple ways to conserve) Structure, insulation, roofing, doors, blow-door test

Time: ranges few hours- day

Cost: $2000- $5000 (usual range $2000-$3000)

Phase I: Survey (continued) Financial Assessment: (I.e. Life-cycle costs & savings)

American Renewable Performs 50 Surveys/year

ClientsPritzker FamilyPrairie Crossing Charter SchoolFord Calumet Environmental Center

Phase II: Designing a Specific System for that Structure

Do a more specific Scope based on Survey Results-

Formulate Reasonable Costs for Investment (given value of house, local property values etc.)

Final Presentation given to Customer by Team Members Time: 1 month- 1 year (varies project size)

How Many Completed - 10 Projects

Phase III: Construction Materials, Labor and Commissioning

Time Frame: varies—occurs in phases•Wells for geothermal• structure•PV•Wind generators

Cost: varies

III. American Renewable’s Energy Solutions

Renewable energy is any source that can be used without depleting its reserves.

Examples are wind, solar, and geothermal

Renewables are an important supply of energy, providing security, reducing need for fuel imports and helping to preserve the earth’s valuable resources

Renewable Energy Sources Wind Aero turbines

Geothermal GeoExchange

Photovoltaic (“PV”) BP Panels

Wind AEROTECTURE: A New Paradigm for Wind power in cities.

DESIGNER/PRICIPAL: BILL BECKER AEROTECTURE 510 SERIES Wind System

Cost Per Aero turbine: $6000/unit

Avg. Amount of Unit in Design: varies- owner has 4

Manufactured here in Chicago 21st & Racine by Windy City Power

Aerotecture 510 Series Wind System

Aerotecture 510 Specifications

Rated Power 1500 Watts Rated Wind Speed 30 m.p.h. Startup Wind Speed 2 m.p.h. Maximum Wind Speed 120 m.p.h Rotor Diameter 5 feet Number of Blades 2 Height 20 feet Weight 250 lbs. Generator Type Permanent Magnet Power Output Range 24-48 VDC

Aerotecture Turbines v. Propeller Systems

Aeroturbines Propellers•work well in urban settings with variable direction & gusting winds

•can have low visible profiles on rooftops &/or within other structures

• require no special code or zoning exemptions or high insurance premiums in suburbs/cities

•operate well in suburbs/cities where low noise, low visibility, & low/no vibration are mandatory

• work well in rural settings with steady uni-directional winds

•must have high profile towers above trees, buildings, & other obstructions

•- require special zoning & code exemptions & high insurance rates in suburbs/cities

•operate best in rural settings where noise, visibility, & vibration are less problematic

Aerotecture Aeroturbines v. Propeller cont.Aeroturbine Propeller• require minimum structural tower investments with no tower or ice ‘fall down’ concerns

•are low speed, caged, & are, therefore, easily seen by wildlife, creating no/minimal disturbances

•are simple, with low vibration, requiring infrequent inspection/repair with low maintenance costs

•are low-cost, simple, & self-regulating, using their inherent geometry to prevent ‘runaway’ without special controls

• require major investments for large structural towers & open space for tower & ice to fall down

•at high speed can become ‘invisible’ & kill birds while also creating noise/vibration disturbances

•are complex, with high vibration, requiring frequent inspection/repair with high maintenance costs

•require costly, complex, control & safe breaking devices to avoid ‘runaway’

Aerotecture Aeroturbines (cont.)Aeroturbine Propeller•can be mounted to roofs without special provisions & support PVs & other renewables without vibration/noise concerns

•self-regulate & start generating power in low wind speeds (6 mph & above) & continue generating in winds exceeding 70 mph

•are designed to fit within a great variety of ‘architectural surrounds’ & within cages/towers

• cannot be mounted to roofs without special tower/noise/vibration provisions

•start generating power in higher wind speeds (9 mph & above) & must furl blades or slow their spin speed in very high winds (45 mph & above)

•cannot be easily fitted within structural safety cages, towers, or architectural surrounds

Geothermal

heat (thermal) derived from the earth (geo).

Thermal Energy contained in rock and fluid (that fills the fractures and pores within the rock) in the earth’s crust.

Current Production ranks 3rd among renewables

Utilized through process called Geoexchange

Geoexchange

Works by moving heat, rather than by converting chemical Energy to heat like a furnace

Every GeoExchange Systems Includes:

• A geothermal Pump• A loop field of Polyethylene• An internal distribution System

Geothermal Heat Pump

Moves heat between the building and theFluid in the Earth Connection low maintenance- requires replacement of air filters Efficient: requires a little electricity clean

Savings over a period of 1 year

Earth Connection Transfers heat between its fluids and the earth Earth connections are called loops

4 Different types• Open • Vertical • Horizontal• Pond

The type of Terrain where location is on determines which loop.

Open Loop

• Requires abundant supply of well water

• Discharges water to drainage ditch or pond

• Processes heat energy from water

• Discharging water “return well” not as effective as sending to pond or lake

Vertical Loops

• Used land area is limited or soil conditions prohibit digging the more economical horizontal loops.

• A pair of pipes w/ special U-bend assembly at bottom inserted into a borehole (150-250 ft. deep/ton of equipment)

• Holes filled w/ special grout solution for good contact w/earth.

Horizontal Loops

• Used: Soil conditions allow for economical excavation

• Requires more land • Trenches 5ft. Deep w/

multiple pipes placed in trenches at various depths

• Trenches require several hundred feet

• Where space permits, more desirable

Pond Loop

• Very economical to install• Requires pond or lake (8 ft.

depth)• Utilize water rather than

soil to transfer heat to and from pond

• Coiled pipe in water covers ½ Acre

• Avg. Home requires 900 feet pipe

• Reduced installation costs & high performance

How Geothermal Works

Earth• 47% Sun’s Energy absorbed

Earth Loops

Heating-fluid circulates - loop- heat energy transfer to fluid than to

Geothermal UnitCooling (Process Reverses)

-heat removed from home-Transfers to Earth Loop- As warm fluid travels through loop- cooled- earth serves “heat sinks” -Result: cool, dry air

Photovoltaic - PV Sun strikes a PV cell module

converting such into electricity Integrates with existing electricity Supply British Petroleum (“BP”) PV

Panels Distributor Windy City Power Cost: $9 per watt with out grants or rebates

Legal Issues

Owners of American renewable had battle with neighbors who didn’t like aesthetics of Wind turbines on their roof Result: American Renewable prevailed but now, neighbors are trying to require variances for a new house they are building.

Conclusion

American Renewable’s Integrative Approach is making renewable

energy a possibility by

team ethics

technologies