EREN Network News

September 1, 1999

News and Events

• Solar Power Tower Technology Declared a Success
• Middletown, New York, to Turn Trash Into Ethanol
• Ohio Company Plans Small-Hydropower Facilities

Site News

• European Energy Crops InterNetwork
• DOE Wind Energy Program Web Site Redesigned

Energy Facts and Tips

• 50 Years of U.S. Energy Consumption
• Landscaping for Energy Efficiency

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Solar Power Tower Technology Declared a Success
DOE has declared success for Solar Two—the most recent pilot project for solar power towers—calling the technology commercially viable for power plant capacities as large as 200 megawatts. Solar power towers use a large field of mirrors to concentrate sunlight on a central tower, where the heat is collected and used to generate electricity. Solar Two advanced the technology by using molten salt to collect and store the heat. The stored heat allowed the 10-megawatt power plant to generate electricity when it was needed, even at night. To prove this point, the plant once generated power continuously for more than six days. Solar Two was shut down earlier this year after completing its scheduled test run. For more information, see the press release on the DOE Golden Field Office Web site on EREN.

For more information about solar power towers, see DOE's Concentrating Solar Power Program Web site on EREN.

Middletown, New York, to Turn Trash Into Ethanol
The City of Middletown and its neighboring municipalities in southeastern New York are planning a new solution to their refuse problem: converting it into ethanol fuel. Construction will start this fall on a facility that will process up to 230,000 tons of garbage and 49,000 tons of sewage sludge each year. Glass, plastic, and metals will be removed from the garbage and recycled, and only about 10 percent of the garbage is expected to end up in a landfill. When the facility is operating in 2001, it will employ as many as 200 people. For more information, see the City of Middletown's Web site.

Ohio Company Plans Small-Hydropower Facilities
Universal Electric Power Corp. (UEP) of Akron, Ohio, has developed a system it claims can be used to easily add small hydroelectric generators to existing dams. The potential for this technology is huge, as there are about 80,000 existing dams in the United States, and only 2400 are used to generate electricity. The UEP system uses pipes and a generator external to the dam for ease of installation, and the company claims the systems can generate as much as 25 megawatts of electricity. UEP has installed a test system on the Cuyahoga River in Ohio, although the system does not generate power. UEP has obtained 71 preliminary permits to examine sites in 16 states for the potential installation of up to 371 megawatts of generating capacity. However, preliminary permits are mainly placeholders while the applicant pursues an operating license, which UEP has not done as yet. For more information, see the UEP Web site.

Site News

European Energy Crops InterNetwork
The EECI-Network Web site features information from 14 European Union countries about the research, development and implementation activities of energy crops. Users can view activities by country or search all countries for information about production, harvesting, processing, utilization, or the process as a whole. The site also includes contact information and a brief description of institutes, organizations, companies and individuals active in energy crops.

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

DOE Wind Energy Program Web Site Redesigned
The DOE Wind Energy Program Web site has an entirely new look and feel, thanks to an extensive redesign. The new Web site features attractive graphics and expanded content, including new information for homeowners, teachers, and students. It also provides comprehensive information about the Wind Turbine Verification Program and current DOE projects to develop advanced wind energy technologies. Of particular interest is the special feature, "How Do Wind Turbines Work?," which includes cutaway diagrams and animated graphics to help you understand the inner workings of a wind turbine.

Energy Facts and Tips

50 Years of U.S. Energy Consumption
U.S. energy use has changed dramatically over the past 50 years, and the story it tells is a mixed bag. While the U.S. population increased 82 percent from 1949 through 1998, energy use grew more than twice as fast, increasing by 194 percent. At the same time, the amount of energy required to produce a dollar's worth of goods and services fell by 42 percent. 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.

Landscaping for Energy Efficiency
It's not too late to do some landscaping this year, and if you're inspired to get out a shovel, consider how you can save energy while increasing the beauty of your yard. Trees and bushes can provide natural cooling while shading your house from the hot sun, especially on the east and west sides of your house. They can also shade the outdoor portion of your air conditioner -- improving its efficiency -- but don't plant them close enough to block the air flow. Trees and bushes can also serve as wind breaks in windy areas. For the truly inspired homeowner, earth berms and other landscaping tricks can block the wind while serving other needs, like deflecting road noise. For more information, the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse has a fact sheet, "Landscaping for Energy Efficiency," posted on EREN.

About this Newsletter

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