EREN Network News

March 1, 2000

News and Events

• Designers to Compete on New "Sun Wall" for DOE
• Report Shows Rapid Growth in California Green Power
• Reports: Texas, Florida Can Create Jobs, Cut Air Emissions
• Homeowner Installs Record-Setting Solar Energy System
• Princeton Researchers Develop Energy-Efficient LEDs

• Office of Hydropower Licensing

• A Closer Look at High Oil Prices

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Designers to Compete on New "Sun Wall" for DOE
A 30,000-square-foot south-facing wall on the DOE headquarters building in Washington, D.C., may soon sport the largest solar energy system on any government building in the United States. Starting today, designers can compete for a $20,000 cash prize for the winning "Sun Wall" design. The competition — sponsored by DOE and the American Institute of Architects — closes on August 1st, with winners to be announced in October 2000. The project is meant to demonstrate that solar energy systems can be attractive as well as practical. DOE estimates that the Sun Wall can generate as much as 200 kilowatts of electricity, enough to power more than 60 homes. See the new Sun Wall Web site.

DOE's Sun Wall will be in keeping with President Clinton's Executive Order 13123, which sets energy efficiency goals for federal agencies and encourages the use of renewable energy and water management technologies. DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) has recently released guidance documents to help federal agencies implement the Executive Order. See the FEMP Web site on EREN.

Report Shows Rapid Growth in California Green Power
A recent report on California's market for green power — electricity from renewable energy — found that the market enjoyed rapid growth in 1999, but that the growth is largely dependent on state-funded incentives. Written from the business perspective by Warren W. Byrne of Foresight Energy Company, the report notes how, in states that allow green power markets, the rules that govern how those markets operate often end up hampering the development of the market. The report is posted on the Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Technologies Web site.

In related news, the National Association of Attorney Generals has adopted a resolution that finalizes its Environmental Marketing Guidelines for Electricity. The guidelines are intended to discourage deceptive environmental claims by companies selling electricity. The guidelines include many examples of what the state Attorney Generals consider deceptive versus non-deceptive advertising. In particular, they specify that deriving electricity from renewable energy is not in itself sufficient for the claim of "green" or "clean" — companies have to show that the environmental impacts are low. Attorney Generals throughout the United States are likely to use the guidelines in deciding whether to prosecute electricity marketers. The guidelines and relevant supporting material are posted on EREN's Green Power Network.

Reports: Texas, Florida Can Create Jobs, Cut Air Emissions
Two separate reports prepared recently by the Tellus Institute, a non-profit research and consulting organization, find that both Florida and Texas can reduce air emissions while saving money and creating new jobs. According to the reports, Texas and Florida can create a total of 123,800 jobs by pursuing a number of approaches, the majority of which involve energy efficiency and renewable energy. The same steps would save taxpayers in the two states $87 billion by 2010, while cutting the projected carbon emissions in both states by roughly 35 percent — about 15 percent below 1990 emission levels for both states.

Carbon emissions are the primary contributors to the greenhouse effect, which causes global warming. Florida and Texas are particularly vulnerable to any sea level increases due to global warming. The reports were commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and are posted on the WWF Web site.

In related news, a recently updated public opinion poll by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) has found that more than 80 percent of the U.S. public thinks global warming is a real problem that requires action. The poll found that most Americans are not persuaded by the argument that taking action to reduce global warming will incur unacceptable economic costs. A strong majority also favored the Senate ratification of the Kyoto treaty on global warming. Unlike some pollsters, PIPA posts the actual questions, so readers can see that the questions are not slanted nor leading in any way. See the report on the PIPA Web site.

Homeowner Installs Record-Setting Solar Energy System
A family in Morrison, Colorado, has installed a record-setting solar electric system at their home. The 12-kilowatt system will provide most of the electricity for Jack Rickard's 6,000- square-foot home and family of eight. The system is the largest residential installation in the United States to be registered with DOE's Million Solar Roofs program. Rickard will also be able to sell excess electricity back to his electric utility, Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCo) — an approach known as "net metering." PSCo is partnering with Altair Energy to install home photovoltaic systems through a program called Solarsource. For more information, see the Altair Energy press release.

For more information about DOE's Million Solar Roofs program, see the Web site on EREN.

Princeton Researchers Develop Energy-Efficient LEDs
Researchers at Princeton University have developed a light- emitting diode (LED) that will be four times more efficient than conventional LEDs, which use fluorescent materials. Working with organic LEDs, or OLEDs, the researchers found that adding small quantities of phosphorescent molecules to fluorescent materials resulted in products that emitted light in a highly efficient manner. The discovery could lead to more energy-efficient flat-panel displays, and should also allow developers of displays to choose from a much wider range of materials than previously available. See the Princeton press release.

OLEDs may one day be used in applications where regular LEDs are now being used. One such application that has gained attention lately is LED traffic lights, which use 80 to 90 percent less energy than standard traffic lights. The Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) is promoting this technology through its LED Traffic Signal Initiative, launched in December 1999. See the CEE Web site.

Site News

Office of Hydropower Licensing
This Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) office is responsible for determining if proposed hydropower projects are best adapted for public use, ensuring that environmental concerns are addressed, and making sure that projects comply with applicable laws and regulations. The site includes information on the Commission's dam safety program, licensing of hydroelectric projects, and on FERC’s new Emergency Action Plan Design course.

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

Energy Facts and Tips

A Closer Look at High Oil Prices
Crude oil prices have surged above $30 per barrel, due largely to reduced output from countries in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and other oil exporting countries, according to DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA). The high crude prices are partly to blame for a recent spike in the price of home heating oil in the Northeast, which depends heavily on heating oil as a source of home heating. Also to blame were low inventory stocks, exceptionally cold weather, and supply problems due to frozen rivers and high winds hindering the arrival of new supplies. In the three weeks between January 17 and February 7, New England home heating oil prices rose 78 cents per gallon, from $1.18 to $1.96. The crude oil market has also pushed up gasoline prices, which are expected to go higher in spring. For the full story, see the reports and testimony on the Petroleum page of EIA Web site.

To help low-income homeowners cope with the high heating oil prices, President Clinton has asked Congress to provide an additional $600 million in funds for the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program, $1 million in loans to small businesses, and $19 million in funds for the DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program. In a speech on Monday, the President noted, "I hope that we will begin a discussion about how to make our economy even more energy efficient, so we're not so dependent on the ups and downs of supplies or so affected by future oil prices." See the White House press release.

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