Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti P.C. is pleased to announce results for the first quarter of 2010 for the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index (CEPGI) by the firm’s Cleantech Group. The CEPGI tracks the granting of patents in the Clean Energy sector and monitors important technological breakthroughs in this field. Victor Cardona, Co-chair of the firm’s Cleantech Group stated, “we are pleased to announce that the Clean Energy Patent Growth Index reached its highest quarterly value in the first quarter of 2010.” Honda took the quarterly Clean Energy patent Crown from GM. Granted patents for fuel cells, solar and hybrid/electric vehicles reached quarterly records while wind patents fell. Fuel cell patents dominated the other sectors.

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A catalyst for biodiesel production has been nominated for an award that represents the most technologically significant products introduced into the marketplace over the past year.

FavStocks.com reports that Idaho National Laboratory’s supercritical/solid catalyst that turns waste fats, oils and greases into biodiesel production is up for one of R&D Magazine’s 100 Awards:

The Supercritical/Solid Catalyst (SSC) can handle waste greases with up to 100% free fatty acid (FFA) content, more than 30% water content, and high in impurities such as sulfur, phosphorous, calcium and others.

SSC mixes fat or oil feedstock with supercritical fluid solvents and alcohols at specific temperatures and pressures to completely dissolve the materials during a single supercritical phase. This approach overcomes a key barrier—the polar liquid phase in conventional biodiesel production—which requires multiple steps.

The technology is already being tested in the field. BioFuelBox, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. has a pilot plant in American Falls, Idaho that is turning the worst waste into the cleanest of B100 biodiesel.

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UC Davis test plot yields for advanced biofuel crops prove fruitful. Findings from a three year switchgrass trial have shown increasing yields, from twelve to eighteen tons per acre depending on the site. Several switchgrass varieties were tested at facilities in El Centro & at UC Davis. Switchgrass has the potential to be a whole-plant cellulosic [...]

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