A place in the sun for alternative energy

Feb 27 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Brian Nearing Times Union, Albany, N.Y.

When people in the United States and around the world need to know how the wind may blow and the sun may shine -- and how to best harness that to power wind turbines or solar cells -- many turn to the expertise inside a two-story office building off New Karner Road.

From humble beginnings three decades ago, AWS Truepower has grown into a globally recognized planning company for alternative energy, with projects in more than 60 countries and 30 states, said company president and founder Bruce Bailey.

The 58-year-old Bailey started the company in 1985, when he was working as a researcher at the atmospheric science center at the State University of New York at Albany and was involved with siting solar panels for research. He decided there was a future in it.

"We were probably three to four people to start," said the Latham resident. And the future started out a bit slow. By 2000, the company had just 10 workers.

But alternative energy took off at the start the last decade, as governments boosted incentives and set requirements on how much alternative power had to make up electric grids. Now, the AWS staff has grown to about 110 meteorologists, engineers and environmental specialists, and occupies the entire 22,000 square-foot office building.

A minority partner in Truepower is Meso Inc., an atmospheric-modeling company based at Rensselaer Technology Park in North Greenbush.

During its time, Truepower has consulted on alternative energy projects around the world totaling more than 40,000 megawatts -- that's the equivalent of more than 50 traditional fossil fuel-fired power plants.

The company started by offering forecasts for wind and sun at potential sites for alternative power. Knowing how much wind or sun can be relied on over a stretch of years enables investors to decide whether projects are worthwhile and will repay initial expenses. And being able to predict wind or sun over the more immediate future, such as the next 48 hours, allows power grid managers to know when alternative plants will be producing, and when to turn instead to fossil fuel back-ups.

Truepower can offer short-term wind forecasts over sites as small as a few acres. Forecasts are built on both long- and short-term weather data, real-time sensors in the field, and even upper-atmosphere weather balloons.

The company has worked for the U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, World Bank, International Finance Corp., and the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority.

In 2007, DOE gave Truepower its Wind Energy Program Outstanding Technology Acceptance Award for its role in advancing wind power through its wind mapping technology. Last fall, the company mapped the potential for wind power along the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario for NYSERDA, where the state is looking for offers from private developers willing to build off-shore turbines.

Now, as more alternative plants go up around the world, AWS has added plant management services, such as monitoring software that allows plant operators to know when turbines or panels are functioning at maximum potential, and when equipment is showing preliminary signs of stress.

"As more plants go up, it is an opportunity for us to help the operator get the most out of the equipment," Bailey said. Researchers at Syracuse University helped Truepower develop its monitoring software.

"With it, operators can better notice things like vibrations and fluid temperatures, and get advance warning on potential problems," he said.

But the U.S. market for alternative energy has turned stagnant over the last two years, something Bailey blames on the recession and an inconsistent energy tax policy, which has left investors uncertain that government assistance will continue as projects strive to cover investment costs. Wind projects in the U.S. have slowed by 75 percent, Bailey said.

Accordingly, he expects Truepower's growth to come from foreign projects. The company opened an office in Barcelona, Spain, in 2007, with 20 staffers, to cover Europe and South America. A second foreign office was opened in 2009 in Bangalore, India. Bailey said a third office may be coming for Brazil.

"I remain optimistic that the U.S. will reach a long-term alternative energy policy, but now, we cannot rely on the U.S. for our growth," he said. "We need to diversify."

He said the U.S. accounts for about 85 percent of his company's revenue, and that share has been slipping. He expects it to decline to 75 percent by 2012.

And Bailey said he expects China, which is investigating heavily in manufacturing wind turbines and solar cells, to have a big impact on the alternative energy market. "They are just starting to come into the U.S. with their turbines," he said. "I expect that will start driving down the prices over time."

Reach Brian Nearing at 454-5094 or bnearing@timesunion.com.