Denver Law and Natural Resources and Environmental Law Society to Host Colorado Renewable Energy Society Feb. 16; DU to Have 1st College Chapter

The Natural Resources and Environmental Law Society (NRELS) at Denver Law is excited to announce its alliance with the first college chapter of the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES). The primary goal of the college chapter, known as DUCRES (pronounced “do-cress”), is to connect students and student organizations across the University of Denver’s campus with the growing renewable energy industry in Colorado.

Current CRES members can elect to be included in DUCRES provided they are part of the University of Denver community. This includes University of Denver staff, faculty, administrators, students, and recent alumni. Non-CRES members will have the opportunity to join at the February 16 event.

The event on February 16 will feature the Executive Director of CRES, Tony Frank, who will focus on efforts being made by CRES at the Colorado State Assembly and trends that are occurring in renewable energy incentives across the country. The public is encouraged to attend this event and anybody remotely interested in renewable energy should attend.

The free event, which will take place in room 165 of the Denver Law Ricketson Law Building, is from 6 to 8 p.m. February 16, 2012. Questions about DUCRES can be directed to Scott Thompson, sthompson12@law.du.edu.

Click here for a map to the DU campus and the Ricketson Law Building.

New Law in China Bolsters Renewable Energy Industry

In late December China's legislative body, the National People's Congress, passed an amendment to the country's renewable energy law under which electricity grid companies, which are owned by the state, will be required to buy all renewable energy output generated in China.

State-owned grid companies that refuse to abide by the new law will be "fined up to an amount double that of the economic loss of the renewable energy company," the Xinhua News Agency reported ("China Amends Law to Boost Renewable Energy Law," Dec. 26, 2009). While in 2008 China generated the fourth largest amount of wind power in the world, about one-third of it never reached the grid, Xinhua reported.

"Renewable energy power in the country's resource rich, underdeveloped northwestern region must be sent to the resource-scarce, prosperous coastal area," Wang Zhongying, Energy Research Institute head of renewable energy development, told Xinhua.

Bearing this in mind, one of the major challenges facing China is the absence of a "smart grid" that could obviate some of the transmission issues associated with bringing more renewables to load centers. This observation has been made by many including, most recently, an article in The Wall Street Journal ("Chinese Law Aims to Increase the Use of Renewable Energy," Dec. 28, 2009), in which reporter Shai Oster writes, "China's electricity-grid operators need to develop a smarter network to handle how to dispatch electricity generated by wind or solar energy, which fluctuates widely depending on weather patterns, and to relate it to demand for power, which swings in different cycles."

The transmission issues sounds rather familiar, don't they. There is a great deal to be done -- whether in the China, the EU, or the U.S. -- to address the transmission issues.

House of DU Law Professor KK DuVivier Featured October 3 on Colorado Renewable Energy Society Solar Home Tour

The Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) Solar Home Tour on Oct. 3 will feature the house of DU Law Prof. KK DuVivier and her husband Lance Wright. The house (the building details can be seen by clicking here) was designed to meet the very strict standards of the Passive House Institute U.S. (PHIUS). If it passes the final energy inspections, it will be among the first officially certified “passive houses” in the United States.

According to Prof. DuVivier,

"The PHIUS was established in January of 2008 in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois to promote the European building technique called 'Passiv Haus.' Passive House standards go way beyond the well known passive solar gain techniques of the United States. Their combination of super-insulation (R-40 walls and R-70 ceilings), energy efficient heat recovery ventilation, minimization of thermal bridging, passive solar heat gain, and the careful utilization of highly efficient windows and doors produces a house that is more than the sum of its parts. The typical European Passive House is heated through a combination of: passive solar gain, waste heat from appliances and people, and supplemental heat from devices that use about as much energy as a hand-held hair dryer."

Building a green house was a natural fit for the couple. Lance majored in forestry and began his career as a ranger with the U.S. Forest Service. Later he was involved in politics and served as a member of the Parker, Colorado, City Council. In 2002, he ran for a seat in the U.S. Congress. While he was not successful, his campaign raised the issue of the link between U.S. national security and its energy policies, an idea that has now been adopted nearly everywhere in American politics.

Prof. DuVivier also has had a long-time interest in energy-related issues. She began her career as a geologist for a French uranium exploration company before she attended law school. Today she teaches Energy Law (and Mining Law as well) and writes about renewable energy and energy efficiency.

CRES has sponsored the Denver Tour since 1996. According to CRES, the tour showcases "the latest and greatest in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and sustainable green building practices." Among the sponsors is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, which is located in Golden, Colorado, about 25 minutes from the DU campus.

Those interested in seeing Prof. DuVivier's house (and the other houses) can click here to register. I have visited her house several times and it is indeed impressive. Individuals interested in seeing what future homes will look like -- including an electricity meter that often runs backwards meaning that the house is generating electricity that is being returned to the grid! -- should not miss this opportunity. Seldom do we get to see today what tomorrow will look like.