EREN Network News

March 8, 2000

News and Events

• IBM, Johnson & Johnson to Cut Energy Use, Emissions
• FuelCell Energy to Develop Fuel Cell/Turbine Power Plant
• Solar Electric Systems to be Installed at Montana Schools
• Partnership Evaluates Fuel Cells for Homes
• DOE Starts Research Project for Cleaner, Efficient Trucks
• DOE Grants $132.7 Million for Low-Income Weatherization

• Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, D.C.

• Fuel Oil Use in U.S. Homes
• Bob Villa's "Home Again" Features Energy Efficiency

About this Newsletter

News and Events

IBM, Johnson & Johnson to Cut Energy Use, Emissions
Both IBM Corp. and Johnson & Johnson have agreed to cut their energy use and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years as part of a new voluntary partnership called Climate Savers. The partnership, sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Center for Energy and Climate Solutions, will work with companies around the globe to achieve energy efficiency goals and increase the use of clean energy technology. In joining Climate Savers, companies make specific commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions and participate in an independent verification process.

For its part, Johnson & Johnson will reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2010. IBM faces a tougher challenge, since it has already used energy efficiency to cut emissions by 20 percent since 1990. It is now committing to cut energy use by 4 percent per year through 2004. See the news release on the WWF Web site.

FuelCell Energy to Develop Fuel Cell/Turbine Power Plant
FuelCell Energy, Inc. is in final negotiations with DOE for the development of a hybrid power plant that combines a fuel cell system with a turbine. The company will pay roughly 20 percent of the costs for the $3.125 million development program. The program will include development of a high- utilization fuel cell, development of key system components, a sub-scale test of a hybrid system using the 250-kilowatt fuel cell power plant at the company's Danbury facility, and the conceptual design of a 40-megawatt power plant. See the press release on the FuelCell Energy Web site.

Solar Electric Systems to be Installed at Montana Schools
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), a Montana-based non-profit organization, recently announced a new project that will install six solar photovoltaic electric systems on middle and high schools in Montana. The 3- to 4-kilowatt systems will be installed by 2001 and will be interconnected to the utility electric grid. See the press release on the NCAT Web site.

Interconnecting such electric systems to the utility electric grid offers many advantages, including the possibility of selling excess power back to the utility — a concept known as net metering. The interconnection process varies widely from state to state and from utility to utility, although the recent creation of an standard for interconnection by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) should help make the process more uniform. If you're interested in connecting a home power system to your utility's electric grid, a vast amount of information is posted on the recently redesigned Interconnection page on the Interstate Renewable Energy Council Web site.

Partnership Evaluates Fuel Cells for Homes
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center, the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), and Energy Partners, L.C. have formed a partnership to evaluate the use of fuel cells for use in residential construction. The ultimate goal is to install Energy Partners’ fuel cells in a PATH field evaluation project. See the press release on the NAHB Research Center Web site.

PATH links key agencies in the federal government with leaders from the home building, product manufacturing, insurance, financial, and regulatory communities in a unique partnership focused on technological innovation in the U.S. housing industry. PATH seeks to accelerate the creation and widespread use of advanced technologies to radically improve the quality, durability, environmental performance, energy efficiency, and affordability of U.S. housing. See the PATH Web site.

DOE Starts Research Project for Cleaner, Efficient Trucks
DOE announced last week the initiation of a five-year research project to develop cleaner and more fuel-efficient trucks, ranging from pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles to eighteen-wheel tractor trailers. With initial DOE funding of $5 million, the project is expected to total $30 to $50 million in DOE and industry funding. The project will develop hybrid natural gas and electric motor drives for trucks and buses, as well as advanced components to reduce the fuel consumption and emissions from truck diesel engines. Seven industry teams — comprising 16 industries, one engineering firm, and one university — will work on the research project. See the DOE press release.

DOE Grants $132.7 Million for Low-Income Weatherization
DOE announced last week the award of $132.7 million in state grants to help reduce energy costs for low-income households. More than 67,000 low-income families will cut their energy bills by an average of 25 percent through energy-efficiency improvements installed with the grants. The grants will go to state and local weatherization programs in all fifty states, including tribal lands. Since 1976, DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program has cut the utility bills of 4.7 million households nationwide. See the DOE press release.

Site News

Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, D.C.
This local chapter of the Electric Auto Association is dedicated to promoting the use of electric vehicles (EV's) as an environmental and energy alternative in Washington, D.C. In addition to chapter news, the site contains an illustrated step-by-step guide to converting a Ford Escort into an electric vehicle. The site also features a calculator that lets you input parameters and pick parts for a hypothetical EV in order to calculate the EV's performance.

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

Energy Facts and Tips

Fuel Oil Use in U.S. Homes
Last week's newsletter mentioned the use of fuel oil for heating U.S. homes, especially in the Northeast. A new report by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA) provides more information about fuel oil use. Roughly ten percent of all U.S. homes use fuel oil for heating, providing hot water, or other uses. But three out of four homes using fuel oil are located in the Northeast. Yet in the past 20 years, the use of fuel oil has been dropping as the use of electricity for home heating has been increasing. View the full report.

Bob Villa's "Home Again" Features Energy Efficiency
Last year, home expert Bob Villa and a team of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity joined together to build a house in Yonkers, New York, in less than a week. The "blitz build" was featured on Bob Villa's "Home Again" television show, which focused on many of the energy-efficient technologies at use in the new home.

If you missed the first run of this "Home Again" series in fall, look for its rerun starting this week. In the coming weeks, we'll clue you in on segments that feature energy-efficient technologies. This week, the show features pre-cast foundation panels that are pre-insulated with one inch of rigid insulation.

For more details and lists of local TV schedules, see Bob Villa's Web site.

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