EREN Network News

October 18, 2000

News and Events

• Seven Major Firms Commit to Greenhouse Gas Reductions
• Dodge to Offer Hybrid Version of Durango SUV by 2003
• Chicago Architects Win DOE Sun Wall Competition
• DynaMotive Begins Construction of BioOil Plant in Vancouver
• Second Wind Plant Powered Up in New York, Third Under Way
• "Power Scorecard" Helps Consumers Choose Clean Energy DOE, EPA Encourage Consumers to Change Out Torchieres

• European Wind Energy Information Network

• Study Links Illness with Particulates, Carbon Compounds

News and Events

Seven Major Firms Commit to Greenhouse Gas Reductions
Seven major international corporations joined Environmental Defense yesterday in announcing a commitment to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The partners in the agreement include the world's second and third largest petroleum and petrochemical companies, the Royal Dutch/Shell Group and BP; DuPont, the largest U.S. chemical company; Suncor Energy Inc., Canada's second largest oil sands producer; Ontario Power Generation, a Canadian electric utility; and Alcan of Canada and Pechiney of France, the world's second and third largest aluminum companies.

Through a new group called the Partnership for Climate Action, the seven companies will collectively lower their greenhouse gas emissions to 15 percent below 1990 levels by 2010, a reduction equivalent to at least 80 million metric tons of carbon dioxide. The companies will use a combination of emissions trading mechanisms and direct emissions reductions. Much of the direct reductions are likely to be achieved through energy efficiency and renewable energy. See the Environmental Defense Web site.

Dodge to Offer Hybrid Version of Durango SUV by 2003
DaimlerChrysler Corporation announced last week that it intends to produce a hybrid gasoline-electric version of its Dodge Durango sport utility vehicle (SUV). The hybrid version would use a 3.9-liter V-6 engine to power the rear wheels and an electric motor to drive the front wheels. The motor will recharge the batteries during braking. The hybrid version will accelerate faster than the 5.9-liter V-8 Durango while achieving a 20 percent increase in fuel economy.

According to a DaimlerChrysler spokesperson, the company plans to introduce the hybrid version by 2003, pending approval of federal tax incentives for hybrid vehicles. The company does not expect the vehicle to be cost-competitive unless federal tax incentives are available.

See the October 11th DaimlerChrysler press release.

In related news, Honda Motor Company announced Monday that it will offer a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) on its hybrid electric Insight by mid-2001. CVTs are automatic transmissions that never shift from gear to gear, but instead smoothly adjust gear ratios to meet driving needs. The CVT Honda Insight is expected to achieve an average fuel economy of 50 miles per gallon, about 22 percent less than the standard-transmission model. See the Honda press release.

Chicago Architects Win DOE Sun Wall Competition
Four Chicago-area architects were awarded a $20,000 first prize last week for their design of a proposed Sun Wall solar installation at the DOE headquarters building in Washington, D.C. The winning design — submitted by Solomon Cordwell Buenz & Associates of Chicago with Ove Arup & Partners of New York — features a curved wall made of solar thermal collectors and solar photovoltaic electric panels. The solar thermal collectors will provide both heated air and hot water to the building. The placement of the panels and collectors on the wall is designed to maximize electricity production in the summer and maximize the production of heated air from fall through spring. The Sun Wall system will produce up to 100 kilowatts of electricity, peaking in June, and as much as 200 kilowatts of heat energy, peaking in September. Natural air circulation behind the wall will save additional energy by preheating the air used to heat the building.

DOE expects to fund the installation of the winning design through a combination of public and private funds. See the DOE press release.

See illustrations and a description of the winning design, as well as the second place and student winners.

DynaMotive Begins Construction of BioOil Plant in Vancouver
DynaMotive Technology Corporation announced last week that it has started construction of a pilot plant that will produce 10 metric tons per day (tpd) of BioOil, a clean-burning liquid fuel. BioOil is produced by heating forest and agricultural wastes in the absence of oxygen, a process known as pyrolysis. The company originally produced BioOil from sawdust and wood shavings, but recently demonstrated the ability to produce BioOil from sugarcane wastes or bark.

The pilot plant will be located at the facilities of B.C. Research Inc. in Vancouver, British Columbia, and should be complete by the end of the year. DynaMotive plans to follow up the pilot plant with a 25-tpd commercial demonstration plant in 2001. See the DynaMotive press releases.

Second Wind Plant Powered Up in New York, Third Under Way
A new 6.6-megawatt wind power facility has begun operating in New York State, announced the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) on Monday. The wind facility, located near Wethersfield in Wyoming County, was developed by Western New York Wind Corporation, and is the second wind plant in the state. AWEA also announced that construction will begin soon on a 12-megawatt wind plant in Madison County, where an 11.5-megawatt wind plant was dedicated last month. The new facility will be located near the town of Fenner. See the AWEA press release.

"Power Scorecard" Helps Consumers Choose Clean Energy
A new Web site called the "Power Scorecard" has been created to help consumers assess the environmental impact of their electricity choices. The site, sponsored by several energy and environmental organizations, rates green power products based on their use of new renewable power facilities and their overall environmental impact. It also compares the products to the "system mix," which is the default power source for the state. You can also choose to compare up to three of the products — doing so generates a more detailed table that shows the basis for the ratings. The site is intended for people living in states that have restructured their electric industries to allow competition, and currently only provides information on power choices in California and Pennsylvania. See the Power Scorecard.

Green power — electricity from renewable energy — can also be certified through the Green-e Renewable Electricity Program. Although such certification provides less information than the Power Scorecard, it's a simple way to recognize green power products. Green power products are currently certified in California, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Connecticut. See the Green-e Web site.

DOE, EPA Encourage Consumers to Change Out Torchieres
Last week marked the "Great Energy Star Lighting Change- out," a campaign sponsored by DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that encourages consumers to replace halogen torchieres. Energy Star torchieres can save nearly $40 per year in energy costs while operating at cooler temperatures. Because of safety concerns with the halogen torchieres, the Change-out was scheduled to coincide with National Fire Safety Week. See the Change-out on the EPA Energy Star Web site.

For a detailed look at various types of torchieres, including their cost, dimming options, efficiency, light output, and light distribution, see the recent report, "Alternatives to Halogen Torchieres," on the National Lighting Product Information Program Web site.

Site News

European Wind Energy Information Network
This site presents an overview of wind energy in the European Union (EU), including important milestones in wind energy development, statistics on wind energy in the EU, and national support programs for financing, partnership and policy. A discussion of the climatic conditions in European countries and the impact of climate on wind energy production is included, as well as an evaluation of the operation of wind turbine generators. Finally, the site provides a general overview of renewable energy resources in Europe, including a white paper on how renewable energy can attain, by 2010, a minimum penetration of 12 percent of all energy use in the EU.

For this and other recent additions to the EREN Web site, see http://www.eren.doe.gov/new/whats-new.html.

Energy Facts and Tips

Study Links Illness with Particulates, Carbon Compounds
Cardiovascular disease is linked to carbon compounds and large particulates in the air, according to a new study by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). The preliminary findings from a two-year study on air quality and human health were released early this month. Carbon monoxide, elemental carbon, organic carbon, and coarse particulates were the pollutants most associated with cardiovascular disease and abnormal heart rhythms. EPRI's scientific team still hopes to discern the exact relationship of specific carbon compounds to adverse health effects. EPRI scientists expect to complete the study and publish final results by the summer of 2001. See the "News Releases" section of the EPRI Web site.

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