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EERE NETWORK NEWS -- October 1, 2003
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
<http://www.eere.energy.gov/>
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Featuring:
*News and Events
Lansing, Michigan, Joins DOE's Clean Cities Program
R&D 100 Awards Include 12 Renewable, Efficiency Technologies
New Automotive Technologies Shine in Clean Vehicle Rally
All-Solar Community in Arizona to Feature 487 Off-Grid Homes
West Coast Governors Aim to Address Global Warming
Study Finds Big Potential for Saving Energy in Supermarkets
*Energy Connections
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Launched in Chicago
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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Lansing, Michigan, Joins DOE's Clean Cities Program
DOE designated the Greater Lansing Clean Cities Coalition as the
newest member of its Clean Cities Program on September 26th. Earning
such a designation from the program, which promotes the use of
alternative fuels, is not a simple task: The Lansing, Michigan, group
has been working for seven years to advance the use of alternative
fuels in the area. After the City of Lansing partnered with St. Johns
and other area communities and groups to form the coalition, DOE
helped the coalition to build a market foundation for alternative fuel
vehicles, form its own group of stakeholders, hold meetings, identify
a coordinator, define goals, and develop an action plan to achieve
those goals. The Clean Cities designation recognizes the Greater
Lansing Area Clean Cities Coalition as working to strengthen the
nation's energy security, improve air quality and stimulate the local
economy by creating new alternative fuel markets. See the
September 26th press release on the DOE Web site at:
<http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES>.
Clean Cities is a locally based, voluntary government and industry
partnership, coordinated by DOE, which is designed to promote the use
of alternative fuels. The program just launched the Web site for its
next national conference, to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in
early May 2004. See the Clean Cities Program Web site and the Web site
for the 10th National Clean Cities Conference and Expo at:
<http://www.ccities.doe.gov/> and
<http://www.ccities.doe.gov/conference/lauderdale/>.
R&D 100 Awards Include 12 Renewable, Efficiency Technologies
If there's any question about the importance of energy research and
development (R&D) in our society, this year's R&D 100 Awards from
R&D Magazine should put those doubts to rest. DOE-funded research won
35 of the 100 awards, and DOE national laboratories contributed to
many of the innovations. See the September 25th press release on the
DOE Web site at:
<http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES>.
Among all the awards, 12 relate to energy efficiency and renewable
energy. In the renewable energy realm, First Solar, LLC and the
National Renewable Energy Laboratory have created a technique to
deposit thin films of photovoltaic material at a rate of about one
module per minute. First Solar is using the technology to produce
cadmium telluride solar modules, but the process could be extended to
other photovoltaic materials. Another award winner is a system that
separates polluting solids, liquids, and noxious gases from steam that
is vented from a geothermal power facility. Sandia National
Laboratories not only contributed to that development, but also
developed an acoustic telemetry device that could help provide
information on a geothermal well as it is being drilled. The device
transmits data from the drill bit by sending sound waves up along the
well-drilling tubing.
In the energy efficiency arena, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
won an award for EnergyPlus, a computer program for modeling building
energy performance. An additional award went to Los Alamos National
Laboratory for developing an energy-efficient supercomputer that uses
a cluster of 240 processors, yet requires no cooling. The cluster
achieves up to 10 times more computing power per kilowatt of
electricity than other supercomputing platforms. Los Alamos also
developed a flexible tape made of high-temperature superconductor
material. The conductive tape is able to carry 200 times the
electrical current that copper wire can carry. Advanced materials also
earned an award for Argonne National Laboratory, which helped develop
a low-friction carbon-based coating that bonds extremely well even
under severe conditions. The coating could help engines and other
machinery run more efficiently and last longer. And Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory helped develop a laser system that forms precise
shapes in thick metal parts. Used in aircraft, the process could lead
to lighter components and increased fuel efficiency.
But not all energy-efficiency innovations came from DOE projects. For
instance, a team from Hitachi, Ltd. developed an electronic drive
system for air conditioning motors that helps them to operate at peak
efficiencies. IdleAire Technologies Corp. developed a system that
provides power to trucks at truck stops, eliminating the fuel waste
and pollution caused by idling trucks. The company is currently
operating six installations and plans to open four in California and
three in Texas in the near future. Praxair, Inc. developed a
supplemental refrigeration unit for use at plants that liquefy
atmospheric gases, such as nitrogen and oxygen. The supplemental
system uses only about half as much electricity as a stand-alone
liquefier. And Aspen Aerogels, Inc. created a blanket-type insulation
using aerogels -- extremely light, sponge-like structures of solid
material -- that insulates four times better than fiberglass.
See the R&D 100 awards on the R&D Magazine Web site at:
<http://www.rdmag.com/scripts/PRheadlines.asp?RELTYPE=FE>.
Press releases relating to many of awards mentioned above can be found
at the following links:
<http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2003/2703_nrel_wins.html>,
<http://www.sandia.gov/news-center/news-releases/index.html>,
<http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/EETD-EnergyPlus.html>,
<http://www.lanl.gov/worldview/news/releases/archive/03-088.shtml>,
<http://www.anl.gov/OPA/news03/news030808.htm>, and
<http://www.idleaire.com/newsroom/releases/07-07-2003>.
New Automotive Technologies Shine in Clean Vehicle Rally
The Challenge Bibendum, a Michelin-sponsored show and rally for clean
vehicles, was held in California last week, and the sponsors noted
significant advancements in clean car technologies. While the first
Bibendum, in 2002, mainly featured alternative fuel vehicles and
electric vehicles, this year's event was dominated by hydrogen-powered
cars, hybrid-electric vehicles, and advanced diesel engines. Although
there is no true winner, 32 vehicles earned Gold Awards for zero or
near-zero emissions. In addition, two design awards -- the Style
Advancement Award and the Technical Integration Award -- were
presented in two categories: production vehicles and prototype
vehicles. The 2004 Toyota Prius won both awards in the production
category, and the 2002 Mercedes Benz F-Cell A-Class -- a fuel-cell
vehicle -- won both awards in the prototype category. See the
September 25th press release on the Challenge Bibendum Web site at:
<http://www.challengebibendum.com/>.
Among the innovative entries at the Bibendum was an electric car
powered by lithium-ion batteries, provided by AC Propulsion. Called
the tzero, the prototype has a 300-mile range, accelerates from zero
to 60 miles per hour in only 3.6 seconds, and has a top speed of
100 miles per hour. AC Propulsion also brought a hybrid electric
vehicle that achieves a range of 30 to 40 miles using just its lead-
acid batteries, but can also travel longer distances by burning
gasoline to recharge its batteries. When stopped, the car can be
connected to a natural gas supply line to fuel the car's generator,
which can supply power to a house or to the electrical grid. See the
AC Propulsion press release, in PDF format only, at:
<http://www.acpropulsion.com/ACP%20Bib%20release.pdf>.
Other entries include a fuel-cell-powered station wagon from Anuvu,
Inc.; a natural-gas-fueled truck, provided by Pacific Gas and Electric
Company (PG&E); and a biodiesel-fueled Volkswagen Jetta TDI Turbo from
Green Star Products, Inc. And although no winner is declared, the
biodiesel Jetta won Gold Awards in six categories, more than any other
production vehicle. See the press releases from Anuvu, PG&E, and Green
Star Products, Inc. at: <http://www.anuvu.com/bibendum.html>,
<http://www.pge.com/006_news/006a_news_rel/030922a.shtml>, and
<http://www.baat.com/newsroom/03-09-29.htm>.
All-Solar Community in Arizona to Feature 487 Off-Grid Homes
A new housing development near Kingman, Arizona, lacks one feature
most developments take for granted: power lines. Every "ranchette" in
the 487-home community will be equipped with a 1.65-kilowatt solar
power system; when all the homes are built, the community will have a
combined solar power capacity of just over 800 kilowatts. The homes
use propane to fuel their furnace, refrigerator, and range and oven,
and also include electric water heaters that can be upgraded to
propane. The GreenWood Ranch Estates held its grand opening in late
August. See the Solar Energy Industries Association press release and
the GreenWood Web Site at:
<http://www.seia.org/Newsmedia/release082903azhomeproject.htm> and
<http://www.66greenwood.com/gw_main.asp?hm=3&um=6&ext=.htm>.
A model solar home also opened for viewing in Wrentham, Massachusetts,
last week. The new home development is energy efficient -- the homes
all earned the Energy Star label -- and up to 25 of the homes will
feature solar power systems. The model home includes a 1.3-kilowatt
system manufactured by Evergreen Solar, and a 2.6-kilowatt system is
also available. With a combination of state tax incentives and funding
from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, homeowners should pay
only one-quarter to one-half the cost of the solar power system. See
the press release from Evergreen Solar at:
<http://ir.ccbn.com/ir.zhtml?t=ESLR&s=410&item_id=452775>.
Buyers of the Wrentham homes also have another way to save on the cost
of their solar power systems: they can sell their renewable energy
credits to Mainstay Energy. The company is offering one-time payments
of $100 per kilowatt for solar power systems and $50 per kilowatt for
wind energy systems to homeowners and businesses throughout New
England. The system must have been powered up in 1998 or later. See
the Mainstay Energy Web site at:
<http://www.mainstayenergy.com/modules.php?name=News&sid=13>.
Not all communities in the United States are so keen on solar energy,
as Akeena Solar, Inc., a solar power company, recently found out.
After the company installed a 2.97-kilowatt solar power system on the
roof of its office building in Los Gatos, California, it was denied a
final approval of its building permit because the solar modules were
visible from the street. All rooftop equipment in the city must be
screened from view. Not lacking in irony, the company suggested using
solar panels to screen the system, but the city failed to find the
humor in that proposal. See the Akeena Web site at:
<http://www.akeena.net/about/Losgatossolar.html>.
Akeena's appeal before the Los Gatos Town Council is documented on
pages 5 to 7 of the council minutes from August 4th, available in
PDF format only at:
<http://www.town.los-gatos.ca.us/government/tcminutes/030804.pdf>.
West Coast Governors Aim to Address Global Warming
The governors of California, Oregon, and Washington teamed up last
week to announce that they will work together to address global
warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in their states.
Specifically, the states will try to use their combined purchasing
power to obtain fuel-efficient vehicles and tires with low rolling
resistance. The states also hope to develop a chain of emissions-free
truck stops along the Interstate 5 corridor (see the IdleAire
technology description in the R&D 100 Awards story above) and will
attempt to use a similar approach for ships in port. The three states
also plan to encourage development of renewable energy resources and
to develop uniform energy efficiency standards. The governors' staffs
will work together to develop joint policy recommendations, to be
presented to the governors no later than September 2004. See the
September 22nd press releases on the Web sites of Oregon Governor Ted
Kulongoski and Washington Governor Gary Locke at:
<http://governor.oregon.gov/press_092203b.htm> and
<http://www.governor.wa.gov/press/press.asp>.
Study Finds Big Potential for Saving Energy in Supermarkets
A collaboration of five countries in the International Energy Agency
(IEA) has yielded a study that finds significant potential for energy
savings in supermarket refrigeration systems. The study, released in
September by DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), was intended
to examine ways to reduce the global warming impact of supermarket
refrigeration systems, based on the concern that refrigerant leakage
would be a major contributor to global warming. And indeed, advanced
systems would cut the global warming impact of supermarket
refrigeration by about 60 percent, mostly due to reduced emissions of
refrigerants. But the study also found that supermarkets could achieve
additional global warming benefits by recovering the waste heat from
their refrigeration systems. According to the study, most stores could
provide about 40 percent of their space heating and water heating
needs using this waste heat. The study was performed as part of a
series of efforts under the IEA Heat Pump Program; the supermarket
refrigeration efforts are called "Annex 26." See the report by
selecting "Reports" on the ORNL Annex 26 Web page:
<http://www.ornl.gov/engineering_science_technology/Annex26/>.
According to the Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE), a nonprofit
corporation, large energy savings can also be achieved in reach-in
refrigerators and freezers -- chiefly used in restaurants -- and
commercial icemakers, which are used in hospitals, hotels, and
restaurants. Up to 50 percent of the energy used by reach-in
refrigerators and freezers could be saved, says CEE, as well as
15 and 20 percent of the energy used by commercial icemakers. See the
CEE press release at: <http://www.cee1.org/resrc/press/8-19-03.php3>.
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ENERGY CONNECTIONS
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Launched in Chicago
The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) began trading carbon dioxide
emission allowances on Tuesday, officially marking the start of market
operations. With the sale of allowances for 125,000 metric tons of
carbon dioxide emissions, the CCX claims it is now operating the first
multi-sector, multi-national market to reduce and trade greenhouse gas
emissions. Attending the opening, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham
hailed the new market as "precisely the kind of private-sector
initiative that the Bush Administration has been calling for in
response to the climate change challenge." See the September 30th
press release on the newly revised CCX Web site at:
<http://www.chicagoclimateexchange.com/>
Secretary Abraham also discussed greenhouse gas emissions while
addressing a group of European global climate policy experts on
September 17th. Secretary Abraham said no technologies currently exist
to significantly cut emissions of gases linked to global warming.
Unless such technologies are developed, he said, greenhouse gas
reduction targets in global-climate treaties such as the Kyoto
Protocol will not be achievable without severe economic hardship.
"The United States is neither ashamed of its position on Kyoto nor
indifferent to the challenges of climate change," Secretary Abraham
said. "The United States is investing billions of dollars to address
these challenges." See the September 17th press release from DOE at:
<http://www.energy.gov/engine/content.do?BT_CODE=PR_PRESSRELEASES>.
Meanwhile, the Kyoto Protocol will not go into force unless it is
ratified by Russia. Speaking on Monday before the World Climate Change
Conference, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that there have
been calls for Russia to ratify the protocol as soon as possible, to
which he responded, "the Russian Federation is closely studying and
examining this question, which is part of a complex of difficult and
unclear problems. A decision will be made when this work is finished."
See President Putin's speech on the Russian Ministry of Foreign
Affairs Web site at: <http://www.ln.mid.ru/bl.nsf/eng>.
The World Climate Change Conference began on Monday in Moscow and
continues through October 3rd. See the conference Web site at:
<http://www.wccc2003.org/index_e.htm>.
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