EREN Network News

July 21, 1999

News and Events

• Wind and Solar Power are Coming to Pennsylvania
• California Irrigation District Offers Small-Hydro Power
• Potato Vines Incorporate Ethanol-Producing Enzymes
• Processor Converts Multiple Fuels to Hydrogen
• Shell Hydrogen, ECD to Investigate Hydrogen Infrastructure
• Fuel-Cell System Provides "Computer Grade" Power

Site News

• Energy Savers Partnership Program

Energy Facts and Tips

• How Much Energy Do Airplanes Use?
• Calculate the Financial Benefits of Solar Water Heating

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Wind and Solar Power are Coming to Pennsylvania
Greenmountain.com has announced plans to build the first wind power plant in Pennsylvania. Construction of a 10-megawatt wind facility in southwestern Pennsylvania is scheduled to begin in September. The wind power plant will generate enough electricity annually to power 2,500 homes in Pennsylvania.

The wind facility will serve customers that have chosen to buy green power -- electricity generated from renewable energy sources -- from the company. It is the direct result of the ability to market green power in Pennsylvania, due to the restructured electric industry in that state. For more information, see the Greenmountain.com press release.

Greenmountain.com has also entered into an agreement with Applied Power Corporation to design and install solar photovoltaic electric on rooftops in the Philadelphia area. Thanks to a DOE grant, the first 30 systems sold will be discounted up to $5,800. These systems will cost from $9,000 to $21,000 and will provide 20 to 40 percent of the home's electricity needs. For more information, see the "Green Power in Pennsylvania" section of EREN's Green Power Network.

California Irrigation District Offers Small-Hydro Power
California's Irrigation Districts, which provide irrigation water to farms, are a logical source of hydroelectric power -- four of the districts have been selling hydropower for years. Now the Turlock Irrigation District (TID), which serves portions of Stanislaus and Merced counties in southern California, is offering its customers the option of buying electricity generated entirely by small (5-megawatt or less) hydropower plants along its irrigation canals. Starting August 1st, customers can opt to pay a premium for the 100-percent renewable power. For more information, see the TID press release.

Potato Vines Incorporate Ethanol-Producing Enzymes
A genetically engineered potato plant, developed by DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), may hold the key to inexpensive ethanol fuels. While producing a normal potato, the plant also produces the cellulase enzyme in the potato stalks. Cellulase is a critical component of a process that breaks down wood and grasses into simple chemical components that can be converted into ethanol. Although cellulase is normally produced in a fermentation process at costs of $50 to $250 per gram, PNNL estimates that the enzyme could be extracted from the potato stalks at just pennies per gram. This would greatly reduce the cost of producing ethanol from wood and grasses. The potato stalks would also yield extra income for potato farmers. For more information, see the PNNL press release.

Processor Converts Multiple Fuels to Hydrogen
Northwest Power Systems (NPS) announced last week that it had developed a processor that converts diesel fuel, biodiesel, and kerosene into high-purity hydrogen. The processor, developed under contract to DOE's Sandia National Laboratories, creates the possibility of replacing diesel generators with hydrogen-powered fuel cells without changing fuels. In recent tests, the processor produced 99.8-percent pure hydrogen using any of the fuels. NPS had previously developed a processor to convert methanol to hydrogen. For more information, see the Press Releases section of the NPS Web site.

Shell Hydrogen, ECD to Investigate Hydrogen Infrastructure
Shell Hydrogen and Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (ECD) have signed an agreement to investigate hydrogen distribution, fueling, and on-board storage for cars powered by fuel cells. The agreement is centered on ECD's proprietary solid-hydride storage technology. Shell Hydrogen, a company in the Royal Dutch/Shell Group, was set up earlier this year to pursue and develop business opportunities related to hydrogen and fuel cells.

Fuel-Cell System Provides "Computer Grade" Power
Sure Power Corporation announced last week that it is marketing an on-site power generation system that achieves high-quality power at high availability using fuel cells. The company claims that its system, powered by natural gas, achieves an availability of "six 9s" -- 99.9999 percent. The first system was installed at First National Bank of Omaha in May, where it serves as the primary power source for its computer-intensive Technology Center. For more information, see the Sure Power press release.

Site News

Energy Savers Partnership Program
Sponsored by DOE and Owens Corning, this site makes it possible for organizations such as utilities, construction companies, home services companies, and community action agencies to order bulk quantities of the popular "Energy Savers" booklet online. The site explains how the booklet, "a guide to easy, practical solutions for saving energy throughout the home," can help these organizations in their public relations efforts. Partners are charged only for the printing costs and have an option to imprint their company name on the back of the booklet. Bill stuffers offering customers a free booklet can also be ordered.

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

Energy Facts and Tips

How Much Energy Do Airplanes Use?
The next time you tally up your frequent flyer miles, you might also want to take stock of the amount of energy you used. A new Web-based calculator allows you to do just that. After you select two points on a map, the calculator tells you how much fuel would be used per person to fly between the two locations. For instance, a flight from San Francisco, California, to Washington, D.C., uses 305 kilograms (672 pounds) of jet fuel per person, producing 0.26 tons of carbon dioxide. You can adjust the calculation for different airplanes and occupancy percentages. See the calculator.

Calculate the Financial Benefits of Solar Water Heating
Summertime is an excellent time to install a solar water- heating system in your home, because the weather is unlikely to interfere with the installation of the solar collector on your roof. If you're considering installing a system, the EREN Solar Buildings Web site offers a spreadsheet-based calculator that allows you to examine the potential return on your investment. The "Solar Benefits Model" allows you to examine how financing alternatives, energy use, and system specifications affect the economics of the solar water- heating system. You can download the Solar Benefits Model for free.

About this Newsletter

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