EREN Network News

July 14, 1999

News and Events

• Solar Electric System Powers California Winery
• Honda to Sell Hybrid Car in United States by December
• California Energy Commission Provides Funding for
• Alternative Fuels, Energy Efficiency in Buildings
• Colorado Wind Power Web Site Provides One-Stop Shopping
• U.S. Navy Investigating Superconducting Propulsion Motors

Site News

• Energy Efficiency Victoria
• Speeches and Congressional Testimony About DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs

Energy Facts and Tips

• World Energy Demand Dropped in 1998
• Consider a Heat Pump for Heating and Cooling Your Home

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Solar Electric System Powers California Winery
A new photovoltaic solar electric system is now providing enough power to a California winery to bottle 1.2 million bottles of wine each year. The 40-kilowatt system -- installed at Fetzer Vineyards in Hopland, California -- was a joint project of Fetzer Vineyards and Real Goods Trading Corporation, with partial funding from DOE through the Utility PhotoVoltaic Group's TEAM-UP program. The system is connected to the electric grid, and any excess power generated can be sold back to the electric company. For more information, see the Real Goods press release.

For more information about the Utility PhotoVoltaic Group and the TEAM-UP program, see the Web site.

Largest Wind Project In Texas Dedicated
The largest wind power plant in Texas was dedicated on July 1st. The 75-megawatt Southwest Mesa Wind Project will generate enough electricity annually to power 30,000 homes. The project is owned by FPL Energy, Inc. and the power is being sold to three electric utilities, all subsidiaries of the Central and South West Corporation. For more information, see the FPL Energy news release.

Honda to Sell Hybrid Car in United States by December
Last week, Honda confirmed its plans to offer a gasoline- electric hybrid car in the United States by December. The Honda Insight will combine a 1.0-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor that can boost the car's performance to the equivalent of a 1.5-liter engine. The use of "regenerative" braking to recharge the battery and the extensive use of aluminum and plastic in the body will help the Insight to achieve a combined city/highway gas mileage of 70 miles per gallon. For more information, see the Honda Web site.

Toyota is expected to follow Honda's example next year, offering its Prius gasoline-electric hybrid on the U.S. market. The company is currently offering one-month test drives of the vehicle in California's Orange and Marin Counties, plus Seattle, Washington, and Chicago, Illinois. The company is choosing five drivers per city for the demos. For more information, see the Toyota Prius Web site.

California Energy Commission Provides Funding for Alternative Fuels, Energy Efficiency in Buildings
The California Energy Commission (CEC) recently announced two new requests for proposals relating to alternative fuels and energy efficiency in buildings. The CEC has $740,000 available to fund up to three small-scale methane liquefaction and fueling facilities in California. The facilities would provide an in-state source of liquefied natural gas (LNG) for heavy vehicles; currently, California's LNG comes from Wyoming or Kansas. The solicitation is the first of six solicitations for alternative fuels planned for this year; the remaining solicitations will total nearly $2.5 million.

The CEC also has funding available for research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects related to building energy efficiency. The solicitation requests proposals for a collection of "linked" building energy RD&D projects that collectively address specific RD&D goals. Up to $6 million per year is available for the next three years.

For more information, see the CEC Requests for Proposals Web page.

Colorado Wind Power Web Site Provides One-Stop Shopping
A number of utilities in Colorado are offering consumers the option of buying their electricity from wind at a premium price. However, since many of the utilities are small, rural electric companies, it may be hard for them to get the word out. To address that issue, the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies (LWF) has created a "Colorado Wind Power" Web site to inform Colorado consumers about their options to buy wind power. The Web site allows consumers to sign up for wind power from any of 18 electric utility companies located throughout the state.

The Web site is part of LWF's Grassroots Campaign for Wind Power, a project that received the National Award for Sustainability, presented by the President's Council on Sustainable Development and by Renew America. See the Web site.

U.S. Navy Investigating Superconducting Propulsion Motors
The U.S. Navy's Office of Naval Research has signed a contract with American Superconductor Corporation to design a high-temperature superconducting (HTS) motor for naval ship propulsion. The company announced in late June that it will design a 25,000-horsepower HTS motor for future Navy ships. The HTS motor is expected to be approximately one-fifth the size and weight of a conventional motor with the same rating.

American Superconductor is currently collaborating with Reliance Electric to develop and test 1,000- and 5,000- horsepower motors under a DOE contract. For more information, see the American Superconductor press release.

Site News

Energy Efficiency Victoria
Energy Efficiency Victoria, an Australian Victorian Government Authority, provides "information and advice to consumers, business and government on practical energy efficient and renewable energy applications." The site describes the Authority's technical support services, which include energy management program planning and policy development assistance, energy management training programs, and advice and assistance about energy auditing and energy-efficient new construction. The Authority also sells educational resources and computer software, including a House Energy Rating Software Package, through the site. Also included are an online newsletter, consumer information, and information for schools that want to implement energy and water management programs.

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

Speeches and Congressional Testimony About DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Programs
What is the U.S. federal government doing to develop and implement energy efficiency and renewable energy? What federal initiatives are underway? How does DOE's budget for these programs shape up? You can find the latest word—literally—about all these issues in the new "Speeches" and "Congressional Testimony" sections of DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) page on the EREN Web site. These new sections include the most recent transcripts of speeches and testimony from the Assistant Secretary, Dan W. Reicher. See the EERE page.

Energy Facts and Tips

World Energy Demand Dropped in 1998
The worldwide use of energy dropped by 0.1 percent in 1998, according to the newly released "BP Amoco Statistical Review of World Energy 1999." The report found that the use of natural gas, nuclear power, and hydroelectricity all grew by 1 to 2 percent, but coal consumption dropped 2.4 percent. Oil consumption rose only 0.1 percent despite the lowest crude oil prices since 1976. The recession in Asia and a warm winter were found to be the prime causes of the decrease in energy use. The report is compiled annually by the company, using government and public sources of data. See the report.

Consider a Heat Pump for Heating and Cooling Your Home
If you're considering upgrading your home's heating and cooling system, consider installing a heat pump. During the summer, an air-source heat pump acts like a refrigerator, cooling your home while pumping the heat to the outside air. The operation is reversed in the winter. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that air-source heat pumps can save the average consumer 15 to 20 percent on heating and cooling bills.

Geothermal heat pumps save more energy by drawing heat from the relatively warm ground during the winter. During the summer, they draw heat from your home and transfer it to the relatively cool ground. Because the ground temperature is relatively constant compared to outside air temperatures, geothermal heat pumps are usually much more efficient than comparable air-source heat pumps. The EPA estimates that they can save the average consumer 30 to 40 percent on heating and cooling bills.

Look for the DOE/EPA Energy Star label when buying a heat pump. For more information, see the Energy Star Web site.

About this Newsletter

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