================================================= 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/> =================================================
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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- NEWS AND EVENTS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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>. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- SITE NEWS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/>. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/news/subscribe/>. This Web page also allows you to update your email address or unsubscribe to this newsletter. The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN) home page is located at <http://www.eren.doe.gov/>. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at [EMAIL PROTECTED] ------------------------ Yahoo! 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