LLM Alum Leslie Weise's Clean Energy Business, Cool Energy, Signs Deal With Xcel Energy to Test Heat and Power System Powered Entirely by Solar Energy

Colorado clean energy developer Cool Energy (CE) will work with Xcel Energy on CE's first pilot field installation of the SolarFlow System in a commercial building located in Boulder, Colorado.

Leise Weise, a 2006 LLM graduate of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law & Policy Graduate Program at the Sturm College of Law, is vice president of CE.

According to CE, the SolarFlow System is a combined heat and power (CHP) generation system sized for residential and small commercial buildings that uses solar energy as its only input "fuel." The system has several novel features, including energy storage and a control system that maximizes customer value by optimally apportioning the system's energy output between heat and electricity depending on the season and weather conditions.

Sam Weaver, CEO and president of CE said, "We are pleased to have Xcel Energy's interest in and support for the SolarFlow System pilot. "The system will not only provide substantial financial relief for homeowners, but also offset the need for utilities to add more generation facilities that are particularly costly during peak consumption periods."

Dennis Stephens, Xcel's director of smart grid investments, said, "Xcel Energy is pleased to be involved in the benefits evaluation of Cool Energy's innovative solar thermal system. The energy industry is particularly interested in the potential to provide dispatchable power on demand at times when energy consumption is high. Cool Energy is developing innovative solutions for the energy challenges our nation is facing, including new technologies for providing power with minimal environmental impact."

Colorado City Becomes First Fully Functioning "Smart Grid" City in the World

The city of Boulder, located about 30 miles from Denver, has become the world's first "smart grid" city.

Xcel Energy, the electricity provider for the city of Boulder, recently completed construction of the infrastructure and launched the remaining software to enable all SmartGridCity operational functions.

Among other things, Boulder's smart grid allows re-routing power around congested lines, identifying power outages, and switching power through entirely-automated substations. The smart grid infrastructure included more than 200 miles of fiber optic cable, 16,000 smart meters, and 4,600 small business and residential transformers.

In the last quarter of this year, retail customers will be able to mange home energy use through a web portal.

The smart grid concept is considered an integral part of America's new energy economy. Consequently, the fact that the first smart grid city is located in Colorado is yet another clear indication of this region's energy leadership role.

A series of web-based videos about the project can be viewed by clicking here.

Abengoa Solar and Xcel Energy Announce Plans to Build First Solar Thermal Facility Integrated With A Coal-Fired Plant

Xcel Energy and Abengoa Solar have broken ground in Colorado on a demonstration parabolic trough concentrating power (CSP) plant at Xcel's Cameo coal-fired power plant near Grand Junction. The project will be the first to integrate a conventional electrical power plant with an industrial solar installation.

The plant, which is expected to be in operation by the end of the year, is the first of its kind based on the Innovative Clean Technology program approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission for implementation by Xcel.

The project's objective is "to prove that the heat produced by a solar facility can increase the efficiency of a conventional power plant while also lowering carbon dioxide emissions," according to the two firms.

David Wilks, president of energy supply for Xcel, the largest power generator in Colorado and a national leader in integrating renewable energy into its generating portfolio, said, "If this demonstration project works, we may be able to implement this type of technological advance in other coal-fired power plants to help further reduce carbon dioxide emissions in Colorado and possibly other areas of our service territory."

Ken May, director of Abengoa Solar IST, said, "Proper use of the solar thermal energy produced at these facilities can improve plant efficiency while lowering carbon dioxide emissions. The successful integration of solar and coal technologies will encourage more widespread use throughout the utility sector."

Abengoa is a Spanish-owned company with its American headquarters in Lakewood, which is located near Denver.

This is yet another example of why Colorado is quickly becoming known as the center of "the new energy economy." We will be watching the progress of this demonstration project with considerable interest.