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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- July 10, 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
Solar Power to be Standard in Two California Communities
New Solar Power Systems Come to California, Massachusetts
Utah and California Organizations Buy Green Power
Projects Map Western Renewables and Pennsylvania Wind Energy
DOE Awards $15 Million to Michigan for Home Weatherization
U.S. Companies Mark Advances in Hybrid Vehicle Technologies
Study: Ethanol Production Plants Boost Local Economies
*Site News
American Council for Renewable Energy
*Energy Facts and Tips
Study Confirms That Urban Heat Islands Cause Downwind Rain
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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Solar Power to be Standard in Two California Communities
AstroPower, Inc. and Clarum Homes announced on June 24th a new
agreement that will make solar electric systems a standard feature
on homes in two northern California communities. AstroPower will
provide 277 solar electric systems over the next three years for
homes in the new Clarum communities of Vista Montana in Watsonville
and Shorebreeze IV in East Palo Alto. The systems will be a standard
feature on every home and will range from 1.2 to 3.2 kilowatts in
generating capacity. Clarum will also include energy efficiency
features in the new homes that, combined with the solar electric
system, should reduce energy use in the homes by 60 percent relative
to comparable homes in the area. See the AstroPower press release
at: <http://www.astropower.com/press_releases.htm>.
Homes in southeastern Pennsylvania may feature a growing number of
solar electric installations through an incentive program launched
last month by the Energy Cooperative. The Philadelphia-based company
is offering to pay consumers 20 cents per kilowatt-hour for power
produced by solar electric systems installed on their homes. The
Cooperative's goal is to purchase 100,000 kilowatt-hours of solar
power by the end of this year. To take advantage of the program,
customers must be members of the Energy Cooperative and must
purchase the Co-op's "EcoChoice 100" brand of 100 percent renewable
energy. The system must meet specific criteria and must include a
separate meter to measure its output. The Energy Cooperative has
already signed its first purchase agreement with customer Andy Rudin
of Melrose Park, who installed a 2.7-kilowatt system. See the Energy
Cooperative press release at:
<http://www.theenergyco-op.com/Solar%20Press%20Release.htm>.
Are you considering installing a solar power system on your home?
A recent DOE-funded report examines the economics of such
installations on a state-by-state basis, taking into account each
state's typical electricity costs, incentive programs, and solar
resources. In the top-rated state, New York, the solar power system
can cost as much as $13,556 per kilowatt of capacity and still pay
for itself over its expected lifetime. In the lowest-ranked state,
Kentucky, the system cost needs to drop to $1,200 per kilowatt if
you ever want it to pay for itself. See the report, "Customer-Sited
Photovoltaics: State Market Analysis" on the Interstate Renewable
Energy Council Web site at:
<http://www.irecusa.org/articles/static/1/1022567652_1018302086.html>.
New Solar Power Systems Come to California, Massachusetts
There has been a number of large solar power installations in
California recently, including a 33-kilowatt installation on
Lunardi's Market in Burlingame, dedicated in late May, and a
10-kilowatt installation in late June on the common house of the
Muir Commons co-housing community in Davis. The Muir Commons
installation was performed as part of a hands-on photovoltaic solar
panel design and installation workshop, for which participants were
charged $650 apiece. See the PowerLight Corporation and Muir Commons
press releases at:
<http://www.powerlight.com/pr/may-23-2002-lunardis.html> and
<http://www.muircommons.org/pv/>.
A large solar power installation is also planned for Massachusetts.
Northern Power Systems has been commissioned to design and install a
26.4-kilowatt solar electric system for the Woods Hole Research
Center's new Ordway Campus in Falmouth. The Massachusetts Technology
Collaborative is funding the project through a $226,308 grant. See
the press releases from Northern Power (in PDF format only) and from
the Woods Hole Research Center at:
<http://www.northernpower.com/media/pdf/woods-hole.pdf> and
<http://www.whrc.org/news/setMRETgrant.htm>.
Utah and California Organizations Buy Green Power
Recent green power purchases by two non-profit organizations and
one commercial company -- one in Utah, and two in California --
demonstrate how such purchases can support an organization's
mission.
In Utah, the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) signed up for
1100 kilowatt-hours of wind power per month from Utah Power's "Blue
Sky" wind power program. The wind power will cost SUWA an extra
$32.45 per month. SUWA aims to protect Utah wilderness, and
campaigns against oil and natural gas exploration in the area, so
the wind power purchase is in line with the organization's goals.
See the PacifiCorp press release at:
<http://www.pacificorp.com/pressrelease/pressrelease19059.html>.
In California, the Energy Foundation has offset 100 percent of its
greenhouse gas emissions through the purchase of green tags from the
Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF). The green tag purchase
supports wind and solar power from new facilities in the Pacific
Northwest, and matches the foundation's goal of promoting energy
efficiency and renewable energy in the United States and China.
According to the Energy Foundation, its domestic operations create
the equivalent of 504 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Air
travel is responsible for 80 percent of the Energy Foundation's
emissions, natural gas consumption 15 percent, employee commuting
4 percent and electricity consumption 1 percent. The cost of the
green tags is approximately $23 per ton of carbon dioxide, or nearly
$11,600 per year. See the Energy Foundation press release at:
<http://www.energyfoundation.org/resources.cfm#331>.
The Schott Applied Power Corporation (SAPC) followed the Energy
Foundation's lead last week when it, too, bought BEF green tags for
its Rockland, California, headquarters. SAPC, a leading distributor
of solar power systems, purchased green tags to cover the facility's
electrical use for the next three years, estimated at 80,000
kilowatt-hours per year. The company specifically requested that
5 percent of its Green Tags come from new solar electric facilities
in order to support the market for solar power. See the SAPC press
release at:
<http://www.us.schott.com/apc/english/news/press.html?NID=76>.
Projects Map Western Renewables and Pennsylvania Wind Energy
Two new projects are helping to advance renewable energy development
by providing detailed maps of renewable energy resources.
The first project is complete: a detailed wind energy map of
Pennsylvania. The interactive Web-based map allows you to view wind
power at either 30 or 50 meters, or wind power at 50 meters. The Web
site was created by Conservation Consultants, Inc. with support from
DOE and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. See
the "PA WINDMAP" Web site at: <http://www.pawindmap.org>.
The second project has further to go but is wider in scope: the
"Renewable Energy Atlas of the West" will cover wind, solar, biomass
and geothermal resources in the 11-state western region. Existing
facilities and policy overlays will also be included to show areas
where incentives and other standards have been effective in driving
renewable development, and highlighting areas with strong resources
but limited development. The atlas will also identify areas of
transmission congestion and develop updated power potential
estimates for the various resources.
A user-friendly website interface, to be released to the public in
late summer 2002, will allow "zoom-in" capabilities and provide
interactive access to all of the renewable energy resource data and
supporting information compiled together into a single graphical
database. If you can't wait, or if you have a need for a hardcopy
version, you can place an advance order for the printed version on
the Web site, but the due date is this Friday, July 12th. The Web
site developers, the Land & Water Fund of the Rockies and Northwest
Sustainable Energy for Economic Development, are also seeking funds
to help distribute copies of the atlas to key decision-makers in the
11 states. See the Renewable Energy Atlas of the West Web site at:
<http://www.energyatlas.org/>.
DOE Awards $15 Million to Michigan for Home Weatherization
DOE awarded $15,381,490 in weatherization assistance funds to
Michigan last week. The funds will be used to improve the energy
efficiency of the homes of low-income families in the states. The
grant will be administered by Michigan's Family Independence Agency
in Lansing, enabling that agency to provide energy-saving home
improvements to more than 5,200 low-income families this year.
Weatherization reduces average annual energy costs by $218 per
household. For every dollar spent, DOE's Weatherization Assistance
Program returns $1.80 in energy savings over the life of the
weatherized home, based on recent energy prices. See the DOE press
release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/julpr/pr02135.htm>.
U.S. Companies Mark Advances in Hybrid Vehicle Technologies
Although U.S. automotive companies have yet to produce a commercial
hybrid electric vehicle, a number of U.S. companies have recently
announced advances in hybrid vehicle technologies for both
commercial and military applications.
The Paice Corporation, as one example, has developed a "Hyperdrive"
hybrid vehicle system that it claims could boost the fuel economy of
U.S. vehicles by more than 50 percent. According to Paice, the
system combines high-voltage and high-power semiconductors, high-
horsepower electric motors, and an internal combustion engine sized
for maximum efficiency. The Hyperdrive vehicle will be driven by the
engine alone, by the electric motor alone, or by both together. The
system was recently described in testimony before the Energy
Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representative's Science
Committee. See the Paice press release at:
<http://www.paice.com/news/fc2002-3.htm>.
AFS Trinity Power Corporation is also advancing hybrid vehicle
technologies through its work on flywheels. AFS Trinity announced in
mid-June that it has earned a patent on its flywheel storage
technology, which uses two flywheels rotating in opposite directions
to counterbalance one another. A heavy outer flywheel rotates
slowly, while a light inner flywheel rotates quickly. That
combination avoids weight penalties associated with standard
flywheels. The company won a $1 million grant from the U.S.
Department of Transportation in May. See the AFS Trinity press
releases at: <http://www.afstrinity.com/press.html>.
Yet another hybrid vehicle technology company is UQM Technologies,
Inc., which in late June saw its hybrid propulsion technology
applied to the Army's High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles --
more commonly known as Humvees. Two hybrid electric Humvees were
delivered to the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds for
performance testing and evaluation. The company is also part of a
team that earned a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
contract on Monday to continue the development of an Unmanned Ground
Combat Vehicle powered by specially developed high-torque wheel-
mounted UQM propulsion motors. See the UQM press releases at:
<http://www.uqm.com/news/03-09.html> and
<http://www.uqm.com/news/03-10.html>.
The Army has a significant interest in hybrid vehicle technologies;
its National Automotive Center (NAC) has several ongoing projects
involving hybrid technologies. See the NAC Web site at:
<http://www.tacom.army.mil/tardec/nac/projects/hybveh.htm>.
Last but not least, Satcon Technology Corporation is advancing
hybrid vehicle systems for both DOE and the U.S. Army. In mid-June,
DOE selected the company to optimize a hybrid electric drive train
that incorporates the company's new motor and electronic control
technologies. In May, the Army awarded $1.5 million to Satcon for
two efforts: one that demonstrates the cost and reliability benefits
of silicon-carbide-based inverters for hybrid electric vehicles, and
a second effort to develop a continuously variable transmission
using the company's magnetorheological (MR) fluid technology. See
the SatCon press releases at:
<http://www.satcon.com/news/pr/052102.html> and
<http://www.satcon.com/news/pr/061802.html>.
In case you don't have a technical dictionary handy, MR fluids
harden in the presence of a magnetic field and then become liquid
again when the magnetic field is removed. A transmission based on
these fluids would presumably use a magnetic field to engage a fluid
drive system. The Lord Corporation, the world's largest supplier of
MR fluids, has already commercially applied the phenomenon to shock
absorbers, bridge supports, and even space-based braking systems.
See the Lord Corporation Web site at: <http://www.rheonetic.com/>.
Study: Ethanol Production Plants Boost Local Economies
A report issued on June 21st by the Renewable Fuels Association
(RFA) demonstrates that ethanol production plants yield significant
benefits for local economies. Assuming a typical ethanol plant
production capacity of 40 million gallons per year, the study found
that the plant injects $142 million into the local economy during
construction, followed by direct spending of $56 million per year,
which ultimately generates $110.2 million each year for the local
economy. The plant creates 41 full-time jobs at the plant and a
total of 694 jobs throughout the entire economy, increasing
household income for the community by $19.6 million annually and
boosting state and local sales tax receipts by an average of
$1.2 million per year.The presence of the plant also tends to
increase local corn prices by 5 to 10 cents per bushel, helping
local farmers. See the RFA press release, with a link to the full
report, at: <http://www.ethanolrfa.org/pr020621.html>.
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SITE NEWS
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American Council for Renewable Energy
<http://www.americanrenewables.org/>
ACRE is a nonprofit, membership organization that strives to bring
renewable energy into the mainstream of America's lifestyle and
economy. It conducts roundtable discussions, inviting the best
analysts to present their current work on the benefits of
renewables, including future market potential and national
strategies and policies that encourage the greater use of
renewables. ACRE membership is open to all organizations involved in
or interested in renewable energy in America. ACRE's membership
drive and organizing conference begins today in Washington, D.C.
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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Study Confirms That Urban Heat Islands Cause Downwind Rain
Residents of flooded rural areas near San Antonio, Texas, have one
more reason to complain about their city-dwelling neighbors: a new
study shows that the heat generated by cities helps produce
rainstorms downwind from cities. The study, led by the U.S. National
Aeronautics and Space Administration's Goddard Space Flight Center,
used a rain-measuring satellite to verify similar results obtained
in previous ground-based studies. The satellite data demonstrated
that major cities -- including Nashville, Atlanta, Dallas, and, yes,
San Antonio -- increased downwind rainfall by about 28 percent
within 18 to 36 miles from the cities. In some cities, the downwind
area rainfall increased as much as 51 percent. On average, maximum
rainfall rates in downwind regions exceeded the maximum values in
upwind regions by up to 116 percent.
Cities basically act as giant solar collectors: during summer
months, the dark roofs, concrete, asphalt, and other surfaces in the
cities absorb a large amount of heat. The resulting "heat island"
effect can boost urban temperatures by 5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit.
During the warmer months, the added heat creates wind circulations
and rising air that can produce clouds or enhance existing ones.
Under the right conditions, these clouds can evolve into rain-
producers or storms. See the Goddard Flight Center press release at:
<http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov/topstory/20020613urbanrain.html>.
Urban heat islands have long been of concern, since they drive up
the use of air conditioners, increase ozone levels, and exacerbate
health problems. In fact, the city of Toronto hosted the North
American Urban Heat Island Summit in early May. The presentations
from that summit are now posted on the City of Toronto Web site at:
<http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/taf/agenda.htm>.
For more information about the urban heat island effect, see the
Heat Island Group, part of DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory, at: <http://eetd.lbl.gov/heatisland/>.
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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