Renewable Energy Report: August 2016 Report

The Renewable Fuels Monthly Report is now being produced as a partnership between the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center operated by the Value Added Agriculture Program at Iowa State Extension and Outreach (ISUEO), the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative (IGQI), an ISUEO program directed specifically at grain processing and handling, and is authored by Decision Innovation Solutions, LLC, an economic research and analysis firm located in Urbandale, Iowa.

The American ethanol industry is poised to produce 14.96 billion gallons in 2016 and 15.07 billion gallons in 2017 (see the July AgMRC Renewable Energy Report).The structure of the ethanol industry has changed dramatically over the last 10 years with advancement of technologies, resulting in a significant increase in efficiency. The principal co-products of dry-mill ethanol plants are distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) and distillers corn oil (DCO). The market for these co-products plays a significant role in the economic viability of the ethanol industry.

Solar energy is a clean, renewable energy derived from radiant light and heat from the sun that can be harnessed by using different methods or technologies. It can be used for several purposes, such as generating electricity; heating or cooling spaces in buildings; and heating water for home, commercial, or industrial uses.

Two of the main solar energy technologies are photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar power (CSP). PV converts sunlight directly into electricity by using panels. Once the sunlight hits the solar panels, photons from the sunlight are absorbed by the cells in the panels, generating an electric field through the layers, causing electricity to flow.

June biodiesel imports are the highest they’ve been since 2013, and this year is on track to be a record year.

The spreadsheets listed below provide data and trends for various components of the renewable energy industry. These files are updated with new information each month.