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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- October 30, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
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Featuring:
*News and Events
DOE and EPA Release Fuel Economy Guide for Model Year 2003
Automotive Electronics Companies Advance Hybrid Technologies
Automotive Companies Pave Way for LEDs and "Smart" Windows
Five Agencies Save $100 Million and Earn Presidential Awards
New Superconductor Wire Beats High Current-Carrying Goal
Three California Wind Facilities Caught Up in Enron Scandal
*Site News
Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC)
*Energy Facts and Tips
Report: U.S. Energy Use Dropped 2.4 Percent in 2001
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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Editor's Note: In last week's edition, we incorrectly identified
PowerLight Corporation as a winner of an R&D 100 award, when in fact
it was AstroPower, Inc. that has developed a high-throughput
production process for solar cells. Ten-letter words obviously
confuse our editor -- a difficulty for which he has repeatedly
apologized. See the AstroPower press release about the award at:
<http://www.astropower.com/apex_reward.html>.
DOE and EPA Release Fuel Economy Guide for Model Year 2003
DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released
yesterday the estimated fuel efficiencies for all U.S. passenger
vehicles for Model Year 2003. The "Fuel Economy Guide 2003" ranks
the vehicles by fuel efficiency within each class, and the online
version allows users to make side-by-side comparisons of vehicles.
For 2003, hybrid electric vehicles continue to lead the list of
fuel-efficient vehicles, with the manual and automatic versions of
the Honda Insight, Honda Civic Hybrid, and Toyota Prius topping the
list. Interestingly enough, diesel-fueled Volkswagens follow close
behind the hybrids, and among conventional gasoline-fueled vehicles,
only the Toyota Echo lands on the top-ten list. But if you own a
Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, or Maserati, you just might find your
vehicle at the bottom of the list. See the DOE and EPA press
releases at: <http://www.epa.gov/epahome/headline2_102902.htm> and
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/octpr/pr02230.htm>.
The Fuel Economy Guide Web site also provides information about
alternative-fueled vehicles and all-electric vehicles, including the
latest news on federal tax incentives for these vehicles. See the
Web site at: <http://www.fueleconomy.gov/>.
While helping people find the most fuel-efficient vehicles on the
market today, DOE is also looking ahead to the future. On November
12th and 13th, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham will host the
"Global Forum on Personal Transportation" in Dearborn, Michigan.
Secretary Abraham has invited about 100 senior government, industry,
and academic officials, including representatives of the automotive,
hydrogen, energy, and fuel cell industries. The international forum
will address the future of energy-efficient personal transportation
and include representatives from Japan, Germany, France, Belgium,
India, China, Mexico, Canada, Austria, and the Netherlands.
The forum will open with a plenary session followed by discussion
groups focusing on such topics as fuel cell vehicles, future fuel
options, improvements in internal combustion engines, and the cost
of energy efficiency throughout the world. Secretary Abraham will
deliver the luncheon keynote address on November 12th. See the DOE
press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/octpr/pr02225.htm>.
Automotive Electronics Companies Advance Hybrid Technologies
While U.S. car companies continue to lag behind their Japanese
competitors regarding hybrid-electric vehicles, several U.S.
companies that specialize in automotive electronics appear to be
making significant advances. That progress was evident at last
week's "Convergence 2002," an automotive electronics conference held
in Detroit, Michigan. Dana Corporation and Delphi Corporation both
introduced systems that integrate a starter and alternator, allowing
vehicles to automatically halt the engine when at a stop, and Paice
Corporation introduced high-voltage power semiconductors that it
claims will make more efficient, high-voltage hybrid vehicle systems
a practical reality. Among other energy-saving technologies
introduced at the conference were electronic steering systems and
"intelligent" cooling and lubrication systems. See the Convergence
2002 press releases at: <http://www.prnewswire.com/micro/CONVERGE>
But don't start thinking that the U.S. car companies aren't
contributing as well: In early October, Ford Motor Company and
General Motors Corporation announced that they will work together to
develop a front-wheel-drive, six-speed automatic transmission. The
new transmission is expected to yield a 4 to 8 percent improvement
in fuel economy over today's traditional 4-speed automatic
transmissions. The companies expect the transmission to be available
in large-engine vehicles between 2005 and 2010. See the GM press
release at: <http://www.gm.com/cgi-bin/pr_display.pl?3236>.
Automotive Companies Pave Way for LEDs and "Smart" Windows
Automotive accessories suppliers are often the first to adopt new
technologies -- solar-powered fans for sunroofs, for instance, are
now available for some Audi and Mercedes-Benz models. And Gentex
Corporation provided another example when it began shipping
automatically dimming rearview mirrors, including white-light LED
map lights, in late August. The LED lights use only 0.6 watts each,
compared to standard 4.25-watt lamps that typically require venting
and bulky optics. The mirrors dim themselves using electrochromic
glass, which becomes dark when a current is applied to it. But that
technology is old hat to Gentex -- they've been selling self-dimming
mirrors since 1987. See the Gentex press releases at:
<http://www.prnewswire.com/micro/gntx>.
The real question for these technologies, at least for energy wonks,
is when will they be available in products that affect the average
American's energy use? The answer is, very soon: Recent news
suggests that both white-light LEDs and "smart" electrochromic
windows are moving ahead in a wider range of commercial products.
Universal Display Corporation, for instance, announced in August
that it had received two DOE contracts for $100,000 each in order to
develop its high-efficiency, organic LED technologies for use as
general sources of white light. And in the past month, three
companies emerged as likely commercial sources of "smart" windows.
SPD Systems, American Glass Products Group, and Cricursa Cristales
Curvados S.A. all bought non-exclusive licenses for smart window
technology from Research Frontiers Incorporated. The technology
allows users to manually or automatically adjust the amount of light
coming through the window. The companies are using the windows for
skylights, home windows, appliances, and, of course, in automobiles.
See the press releases from Universal Display and Research Frontiers
at: <http://www.universaldisplay.com/newsroom.php?pr=2002-08-12> and
<http://www.refr-spd.com/>.
Five Agencies Save $100 Million and Earn Presidential Awards
The 2002 Presidential Awards for Leadership in Federal Energy
Management were presented on October 24th to five U.S. federal
agencies that demonstrated leadership in energy conservation and
saved more than $100 million. The five agencies -- the Department of
Commerce, the General Services Administration, and the Department of
Defense's Pentagon Renovation Office, Navy Shipboard Energy
Conservation Team, and Fort Detrick U.S. Army Base -- collectively
prevented the emission of roughly 240,000 metric tons of carbon
dioxide.
Among the achievements of the five agencies are a 2 percent annual
drop in energy use at the Department of Commerce and savings at the
other agencies of more than one million barrels of fuel, 17 million
gallons of water, and enough energy to heat, cool, and power
10 million square feet of office space.
As the largest U.S. energy consumer, and with more than 500,000
buildings, the federal government is directed under Executive Order
13123 to promote energy conservation through building design, energy
efficiency and emerging technologies. The five leading agencies were
honored at a special White House ceremony. See the DOE press release
at: <http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/octpr/pr02228.htm>.
DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has the lead
responsibility for advancing energy efficiency, renewable energy,
and water conservation in the federal government. In conjunction
with the Presidential energy awards, FEMP presented its own annual
"Federal Energy and Water Management Awards" last week. See the
award winners on the FEMP Web site at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/femp/prodtech/awards/winners02.html>.
New Superconductor Wire Beats High Current-Carrying Goal
American Superconductor Corporation announced yesterday that its
latest flat wire product made from high-temperature superconductor
(HTS) materials significantly exceeds DOE's goals for carrying
current. The company's 10-meter lengths of tape-like HTS wire can
carry at least 100 Amperes of current per centimeter of width, which
is more than double DOE's goal. DOE was aiming for December 2003
when it set the goal, so the company's achievement is also early.
Tests at DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory verified the
performance of the company's second-generation, coated-conductor
wire.
American Superconductor expects to continue its rapid pace of
development, thanks to a recent $2 million cost-shared grant from
the U.S. Department of Commerce. The grant will go towards a scale-
up of its manufacturing process, with the aim of commercially
producing limited volumes of the wire by 2005. The company claims
the new wire should perform the same as its current HTS wire
product, but at as little as one-fifth the cost. See the American
Superconductor press releases, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.amsuper.com/press/2002/Second_Gen_Results_Final.pdf> and
<http://www.amsuper.com/press/2002/ATP_Award_Final.pdf>.
Three California Wind Facilities Caught Up in Enron Scandal
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) announced last week
that it is investigating three California wind facilities affiliated
with Enron Corporation. At issue is whether the small power
producing companies in charge of those wind plants -- Zond
Windsystems Holding Company, Victory Garden Phase IV Partnership,
and Sky River Partnership -- misrepresented the extent of Enron
ownership in their companies.
According to FERC, the three companies applied in May 1997 to be
certified as "qualifying facilities," a status that earns regulatory
and financial benefits for power plants. To earn such status, the
wind plants had to be owned primarily by a person or company not
involved in the sale of electricity (other than the electricity from
the wind plants themselves), so Enron could not be the primary
owner. To meet that standard, Enron transferred some of all of its
interest in the three companies to two partnerships, called "RADR
ZWS MM, LLC" and "RADR ZWS, LLC." However, as noted by FERC, a
recent criminal complaint against two former top Enron executives
alleges that the two RADR partnerships were created solely to
disguise Enron's interest in the wind facilities.
FERC will hold a public hearing on the allegations in the near
future, after which it will "establish the appropriate remedies." In
the past, FERC has revoked companies' qualifying facility status and
ordered partial refunds of their power proceeds. FERC says that it
can also permanently revoke qualifying facility status for the wind
facilities, if warranted. See the FERC order, in PDF format only,
at: <http://www.ferc.gov/electric/elo3-17-enron-qr-10-24-02.pdf>.
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SITE NEWS
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Cold Climate Housing Research Center (CCHRC)
<http://www.cchrc.org/>
The CCHRC facilitates the development, use, and testing of energy-
efficient, durable, healthy, and cost-effective building
technologies for Alaska and the world's cold climate regions.
According to the CCHRC, Alaska makes an excellent testing ground for
cold climate technologies, especially since its cold season lasts
six months or longer. Its Web site features information on past and
current research projects. The CCHRC was developed by the Alaska
State Home Builders Association.
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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Report: U.S. Energy Use Dropped 2.4 Percent in 2001
DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) released its Annual
Energy Review for 2001 yesterday. The annual review, which includes
tables and graphs of U.S. energy use dating back to 1949, finds that
U.S. energy use in 2001 dropped by 2.4 percent relative to 2000. A
2.0 percent drop in fossil-fuel use accounts for most of the
decrease, although renewable energy use (a relatively small
contributor to U.S. energy use) fell a full 12 percent. A 21 percent
drop in electricity production from conventional hydropower -- most
likely due to this summer's drought -- appears to be the main cause
of the fall-off in renewable energy use. Although the report
currently includes only charts and graphs, and no verbal analysis,
one would expect that a slow U.S. economy and a warmer-than-average
winter contributed to the overall decrease in U.S. energy use. See
the Annual Energy Review on the EIA Web site at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/aer/contents.html>.
The U.S. energy industry has changed in recent years, and the EIA
had to change along with it. EIA announced yesterday that this
year's report no longer attempts to separate electric power plants
into utility- and non-utility-owned plants. Instead, due to a growth
in combined heat and power (CHP) plants, the report separates power
plants into the categories of "electricity only" and CHP. Each CHP
plant is listed under the business sector that it serves -- whether
it be industrial, commercial, or electric power -- and the energy
used to produce electricity is counted separately from the energy
used to produce heat. See the EIA press release at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/press/press200.html>
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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