EREN Network News

August 25, 1999

News and Events

• U.S. Postal Service to Buy Electric, Flexible-Fuel Vehicles
• New Organizations to Advance Renewable Energy in Alaska
• San Francisco Bay Area Looks to Water Transit
• Energy-Efficient Home Spotlighted in Parade of Homes

Site News

• Small Scale Hydro Resources and Technologies
• Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Energy Facts and Tips

• 50 Years of Industrial Energy Use
• Look for the Energy Star on Compact Fluorescent Lights

About this Newsletter

News and Events

U.S. Postal Service to Buy Electric, Flexible-Fuel Vehicles
The U.S. Postal Service announced earlier this month that it plans to purchase 500 electric vehicles and 11,725 flexible- fuel vehicles. The electric vehicle purchase, which is contingent on finding supplementary funding, would be the largest single purchase of electric vehicles to date. Of the 500 vehicles, 440 would go to California and 60 would be used in downtown Washington, D.C. The Postal Service's Board of Governors also approved an option to acquire an additional 5,500 electric vehicles in the future.

The 11,725 new flexible-fuel vehicles, which can operate on any combination of ethanol and gasoline, will be in addition to 10,000 flexible-fuel vehicles that will be added to the Postal Service's fleet over the next year. They will be roughly 75 percent cleaner than the vehicles they are replacing. For more information, see the U.S. Postal Service press release.

New Organizations to Advance Renewable Energy in Alaska
A new public-private partnership has been established to advance wind power in Alaska. Called "Windsmiths and Bladerunners," the partnership will train dedicated wind energy specialists in operations and maintenance techniques needed to support the growth of the Alaskan wind industry.

The partnership was highlighted by Dan Reicher, DOE's Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, at a dedication ceremony for the new Center for Renewable Energy at the University of Alaska in Fairbanks. The center will conduct research on renewable and off-grid electrical generation technologies, with a focus on advancing technologies for power generation under extreme climatic conditions. It was established a year ago with an initial grant from DOE. For more information, see the DOE press release.

San Francisco Bay Area Looks to Water Transit
With mass-transit options such as the Bay Area Rapid Transit and extensive bus service, many people would think that the cities surrounding California's San Francisco Bay have done all they can to encourage people to leave their cars behind. But the new Bay Area Water Transit Initiative will take to the water to help solve continuing traffic congestion and air quality problems in the Bay Area. The initiative, spearheaded by the Bay Area Council and the Bay Area Economic Forum, will examine clean, high-speed water transit for the San Francisco Bay.

Partners in the initiative include the Pacific Gas & Electric Company; CALSTART, a non-profit organization for clean transportation; GANA Inc., which is involved in the use of natural gas as a marine fuel; and the Gas Research Institute. For more information, see the press release on the CALSTART Web site.

Energy-Efficient Home Spotlighted in Parade of Homes
Each year, builders showcase their new homes in cities throughout the United States through "Parade of Homes" events. This year, an energy-efficient model home is part of the Parade of Homes in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area. The Aimee Sporer Signature Home features advanced window glazings, computer-driven lighting, high-performance heating, ventilating, and air conditioning, and other energy saving features. The typical U.S. home of the same size uses more than three times as much energy.

The home was designed by the Consortium for Advanced Residential Buildings -- one of DOE's Building America teams -- with technical support from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). For more information, see the NREL press release.

For more information about DOE's Building America program, see the Web site.

In related news, the American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is gearing up for its annual National Tour of Solar Homes, to be held October 16th. During the tour, solar homeowners throughout the country open their doors to visitors to demonstrate the energy efficiency and renewable energy features of their homes. ASES plans to hold tours in more than 100 communities in 42 states. For more information, see the ASES Web site.

Site News

Small Scale Hydro Resources and Technologies
Sponsored by the International Energy Agency's Small-Scale Hydropower task force, this site is the front end for a database of information on programs and organizations active in the small-hydro field. Searchable by country, contact, and program, the site includes information from 22 countries. Most country entries are prefaced with a general overview of their hydropower usage. The site also features a searchable annotated bibliography of hydro- related documents.

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) has its own special page on the EREN Web site, and it has been redesigned to provide easier access to EERE information. The redesign includes expanded information about the office, including nine major EERE initiatives, the latest DOE news, and issues relating to EERE technologies. Of particular interest to business leaders is the new "Solicitations" section, which provides a one-stop gateway to solicitations offered by EERE and its offices and programs.

For this and other recent additions see the EREN Web site.

Energy Facts and Tips

50 Years of Industrial Energy Use
Compared to transportation, homes, and commercial businesses, industry has been the largest user of energy in the United States for the past 50 years. However, industry's share of the U.S. energy pie has decreased over the years. In 1949, 46 percent of U.S. energy use went to industry; in 1998, industry was responsible for only 38 percent of the total U.S. energy use. For these and other energy facts spanning the past 50 years, see the 1998 Annual Energy Review, produced by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA), on the EIA Web site.

Look for the Energy Star on Compact Fluorescent Lights
Energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs will now carry the Energy Star label. The bulbs have a minimum lifetime of 6,000 hours, do not need to warm up, and come in a wide range of styles, shapes, and wattages. They are best used in locations where the light is left on for long periods of time, such as an entryway, living room, or kitchen. For each incandescent bulb replaced by an Energy Star light bulb, you'll save $25 to $45 over the life of the bulb. For more information, see the DOE press release.

The Energy Star program is run jointly by DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. For more information about Energy Star compact fluorescent light bulbs, including a list of suppliers see the Web site.

About this Newsletter

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