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EREN NETWORK NEWS -- June 12, 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
Four Major U.S. Companies Advance Green Power Markets
Fuel-Cell-Powered Car Completes Cross-Country Trip
FutureTruck Competition Underway in Arizona
New Technologies, Software to Help Advanced Vehicles
BP Brings Renewable Education, Solar Power, and
Low-Sulfur Gasoline to Colorado
DOE Awards $2 Million to 22 States for Energy Codes
Report: Conservation Kept California's Lights On
*Energy Facts and Tips
U.S. Census Shows Work Commute Times Getting Longer
*About this Newsletter
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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Four Major U.S. Companies Advance Green Power Markets
The World Resources Institute (WRI) announced yesterday
that four leading U.S. companies have either purchased
green power or have developed new green power projects.
The four companies -- General Motors Corporation (GM),
IBM, Johnson & Johnson, and Kinko's -- are all members of
WRI's Green Power Market Development Group. The
Group's goal is to create 1,000 megawatts of new cost-
competitive green power for corporate markets by 2010; thus
far, the group is responsible for 15 megawatts of green
power generation -- enough to supply 11,000 homes.
In terms of green power purchases, GM has committed to
purchase 8 million kilowatt-hours or more of electricity from a
landfill gas facility in Michigan, IBM is buying 5.4 million
kilowatt-hours per year from wind power facilities in
Minnesota and Texas, and Kinko's has purchased an
additional 4.2 million kilowatt-hours of green power per year
for 42 of its stores. In addition, GM is using landfill gas in one
of its powerhouse boilers, and Johnson & Johnson has
installed a total of 350 kilowatts of solar power on three of its
buildings. See the WRI press release at:
<http://www.wri.org/press/gp_purchase.html>.
Kinko's purchases made it the largest green power buyer in
Oregon, where it purchased 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of
green power per year for 10 of its Oregon branches. Kinko's
also became the largest purchaser of wind power from Utah
Power's "Blue Sky" wind power program. Kinko's bought
enough wind power to serve 10 percent of the electrical
needs of its 11 stores along the Wasatch Front. See the
press releases from Pacific Power and Utah Power at:
<http://www.pacificpower.net/Article/Article18866.html>.
and <http://www.utahpower.net/Article/Article18867.html>.
Fuel-Cell-Powered Car Completes Cross-Country Trip
DaimlerChrysler completed a cross-country drive in its
fuel-cell-powered NECAR 5 last week, achieving a milestone
in performance for fuel cell vehicles. The NECAR 5 left
San Francisco on May 20th and arrived in Washington, D.C.,
on June 4th. Methanol was delivered at 300-mile intervals
along the 3,000-mile route to refuel the vehicle. Although the
16-day trip was hardly a record breaker for speed, it does
represent a performance achievement for fuel cell vehicles.
But with the accompaniment of two sport utility vehicles and
a van, plus the pre-delivery of the methanol fuel, the trip also
demonstrates how far we need to go before fuel cell vehicles
become a practical reality. See the June 5th press release
on the DaimlerChrysler Web site at:
<http://www.daimlerchrysler.com/index_e.htm?/news/top/top_e.htm>.
There's at least one place in the country where methanol fuel
is available from a pump: at the fuel cell vehicle demonstration
center in West Sacramento, California, which is operated by
the California Fuel Cell Partnership (CaFCP). The methanol
fueling station, installed in April, features new fueling technology,
including an anti-siphoning device and a locking mechanism
between the vehicle and the fuel nozzle. The CaFCP intends
to operate 20 fuel cell vehicles (including the NECAR 5) in
2002, accumulating 60,000 road miles, and plans to install
three hydrogen fueling stations at locations throughout
California. See the April 25th and May 31st press releases
from the CaFCP at: <http://www.cafcp.org/releases.html>.
The Ford Motor Company's entry to the CaFCP, the Ford
Focus FCV (for "Fuel Cell Vehicle") is being tested both in
California and at Ford's Arizona Proving Grounds this
summer. Stuart Energy Systems Corporation is providing its
portable hydrogen fueling equipment for the Arizona tests.
See the April 30th press release on the Stuart Energy Web
site at: <http://www.stuartenergy.com/news/press.asp>.
The entry from the General Motors Corporation (GM), the
HydroGen 1 fuel cell vehicle, was shipped to the CaFCP in
April. See the GM press release at:
<http://www.gm.com/cgi-bin/pr_display.pl?2966>.
FutureTruck Competition Underway in Arizona
Teams of students from 15 top North American universities
are demonstrating the advantages of the latest vehicle
technologies at the FutureTruck 2002 competition, now
underway. FutureTruck challenges the students to reengineer
a Ford Explorer into a low-emissions vehicle with at least
25 percent higher fuel economy -- without sacrificing the
performance, utility, safety, and affordability consumers
want. The student teams are using a variety of technologies,
including hybrid vehicle technologies and fuel cells.
The teams will endure a number of challenges over the next
10 days, including performance tests, emissions tests, and
an independent judging of the vehicles' look and feel. After
starting at Ford's Arizona Proving Grounds, the competition
swings through the California Air Resources Board facilities
in El Monte, California, and the California Motor Speedway
in Fontana, California, before concluding with an awards
ceremony in Los Angeles on June 21st. See the FutureTruck
Web site at: <https://www.futuretruck.org/competition.html>.
New Technologies, Software to Help Advanced Vehicles
A number of companies have recently introduced technologies
and software that could assist the development of electric
and hybrid electric vehicles. In May, Maxwell Technologies, Inc.
introduced new high-capacity ultracapacitors, which store
electrical energy at fast rates of charging and discharging.
The 2,700-farad Maxwell ultracapacitor could augment or
replace battery energy storage in a hybrid electric vehicle.
In late April, UQM Technologies announced the commercial
availability of its Integrated Electric Drive System. The
70-kilowatt electric drive could be the sole drive system for
mid-size electric vehicles or could drive the axle in a larger
vehicle. The company is also considering a larger 125-kilowatt
version. See the Maxwell and UQM press releases at:
<http://www.maxwell.com/news/archives/2002/may06-02.html>
and <http://www.uqm.com/news/03-04.html>.
While these new technologies offer the potential to build
better hybrid electric vehicles, the real trick is to integrate
them into a vehicle that operates smoothly and efficiently. To
help vehicle designers achieve that goal, Delphi Corporation
recently completed a project with DOE's National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) to enhance DOE's hybrid vehicle
modeling software, called ADVISOR. The latest version
allows vehicle manufacturers to model the propulsion and
electrical systems of a vehicle simultaneously. See the
Delphi press release at:
<http://www.delphi.com/news/pressReleases/pr13646-06052002>.
NREL enhanced the software in many ways, including the
addition of new heavy-vehicle options and the modeling of
the Maxwell ultracapacitors. See the "What's New in
Advisor" Web page at:
<http://www.ctts.nrel.gov/analysis/advisor_doc/whats_new.html>.
The ADVISOR program is available for free download on
NREL's ADVISOR Web page at:
<http://www.ctts.nrel.gov/analysis/advisor.html>.
BP Brings Renewable Education, Solar Power, and
Low-Sulfur Gasoline to Colorado
BP announced on Monday that it plans to invest $125,000 in
a partnership with DOE's National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL) to develop education and public
awareness programs in Colorado that focus on renewable
energy and energy efficiency. The company has already
constructed 16 of its "BP Connect" gas stations in the state.
The new gas stations incorporate thin-film solar power
modules in their canopies, allowing the stations to draw on
solar energy for a portion of their power needs.
BP also announced that it is starting to deliver low-sulfur
gasoline to cities along Colorado's Front Range as part of
the company's global Clean Cities Initiative. The company's
lower-sulfur Amoco Ultimate blend contains 85 percent less
sulfur than previous Ultimate blends. BP has introduced
cleaner fuels in more than 110 cities worldwide, including
lower-sulfur premium gasoline in more than 40 U.S. cities.
Within the next three years, 50 percent of BP's global fuel
sales will be cleaner fuels, including new zero-sulfur fuels.
See the BP press release at:
<http://www.bp.com/centres/press/p_r_detail.asp?id=902>.
Since zero-sulfur fuels are the likely near-term fuels for fuel
cell vehicles, eventually to be replaced by hydrogen, it's
somewhat ironic that hydrogen is necessary for the
production of low-sulfur fuels. Praxair, Inc. announced in
May that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with
BP to provide a long-term hydrogen supply to BP's Texas
City Refinery. BP will use the hydrogen as a feedstock in the
production of very low-sulfur gasoline, diesel fuel and jet
fuel. Anticipating the growing requirements of BP and other
hydrogen customers, Praxair plans to add about 300 million
cubic feet per day of hydrogen capacity to its 300-mile Gulf
Coast pipeline system. See the May 10th press release on
the Praxair Web site at:
<http://www.praxair.com/Praxair.nsf/HTMLNewsByYear>.
Researchers at Pennsylvania State University think they
have a better approach to making low-sulfur fuels: adsorbing
the sulfur onto the surface of a metal. Unlike the current
hydrogen process, the Penn State approach does not
require high temperatures or pressures. See the Penn State
press release at:
<http://www.psu.edu/ur/2002/sulfurremoval.html>.
DOE Awards $2 Million to 22 States for Energy Codes
DOE announced yesterday the award of $1.989 million to
22 states to help them update and implement their building
energy codes. To date, DOE's investments in building
energy codes have improved the energy efficiency of nearly
three billion square feet of new commercial floor space and
nearly four million households, saving consumers an
estimated $4.2 billion. For every dollar spent, DOE's Building
Energy Codes Program yields more than $105 in annual
energy savings. This year's awards will be made to state
energy offices and state code authorities by the end of
September. See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/junpr/pr02099.htm>.
The funds are being provided through DOE's State Energy
Program, which is also co-sponsoring a national energy
conference in July. For the first time, the program is joining
forces with DOE's Rebuild America program to present a
national conference. Held from July 29th through August 1st
in New Orleans, the 2002 State Energy Program/Rebuild
America National Conference will offer state and local
energy officials, community leaders, and their business
partners the opportunity to receive training in an array of
energy efficiency and renewable energy topics. See the
conference Web site at:
<http://www.2002conference.com/welcome.htm>.
Report: Conservation Kept California's Lights On
A new report from DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National
Laboratory (LBNL) says that energy efficiency and
conservation allowed California to avoid blackouts last
summer. The LBNL researchers found that weather and the
economy were not factors in the observed load reductions,
which helped to avoid at least 50 hours of tight power supply
situations -- possibly as much as 160 hours. In April 2001,
the North American Electric Reliability Council predicted that
the state would have about 250 hours of rolling blackouts
during the summer, but the blackouts were avoided.
According to the report, California consumers responded to
the electricity crisis by installing energy efficient equipment,
installing onsite generation, and modifying their electricity
consumption habits or patterns. See the June 6th press
release on the LBNL Web site at:
<http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/News-Releases.html>.
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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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U.S. Census Shows Work Commute Times Getting Longer
New data from the 2000 U.S. Census show that workers in
the United States are enduring longer commutes, and fewer
of them are able to use transit, walking, or other means to
avoid the drive. The average trip to work in 2000 took
25.5 minutes, up more than three minutes since 1990, and a
higher portion of commuters are driving alone to work.
Although the new data appears to conflict with a recent
report that showed a growth in the use of mass transit, the
disparity is due to the fact that the majority of trips in the
United States are not related to the work commute. Also, the
growth in mass transit has occurred over the past six years.
Before 1996, mass transit was steadily declining in the
United States. The census numbers, of course, compare
2000 to 1990. Over that time period, mass transit grew about
6.4 percent. See the press release from the Surface
Transportation Policy Project at:
<http://www.transact.org/Pressroom/census2000.htm>.
The census news was followed Monday by a well-timed
report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
that shows better urban design can reduce auto use and
relieve the traffic congestion and pollution that come with it.
The peer-reviewed report examined 3,000 neighborhoods in
the San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago metropolitan
areas, and found a direct link between the amount people
drive and city attributes like neighborhood density, transit
access, and pedestrian- and bicycle-friendliness. According
to the authors, those attributes measure an area's "location
efficiency" -- the more efficient the location, the less people
drive. See the NRDC press release at:
<http://www.nrdc.org/media/default.asp#0610smartgrowth>.
Realizing that urban transportation is a worldwide problem,
the Shell Foundation and the World Resources Institute
(WRI) announced in late May the formation of "EMBARQ,"
the WRI Center for Transport and the Environment. Based in
Washington, D.C., and launched with a $3.75 million five-year
grant from the Shell Foundation, the new center will seek
ways to ease traffic congestion and improve air quality in
cities in developing countries, where air pollution has a
devastating impact on public health. See the EMBARQ Web
site at: <http://www.embarq.org/index.htm>.
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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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