EREN Network News

August 22, 2001

News and Events

• EPA Buys 100 Percent Green Power in Cincinnati, Ohio
• NREL Awards $40 Million for Thin-Film Solar Cells
• Solar Carport Under Construction in Riverside, California
• Biodiesel Fuels Backup Power System at UC Riverside
• FuelCell Energy Starts Up Fuel Cell/Microturbine System
• Landfill Gas Powers 50 Microturbines in Los Angeles
• DOE Passes Energy-Efficient Light Project to Private Sector

Site News

• Roadmaps to Energy Efficiency

• Income Up For Major Energy Companies in Second Quarter

News and Events

EPA Buys 100 Percent Green Power in Cincinnati, Ohio
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last week that it will buy electricity produced entirely from renewable energy for three of its research facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio. The EPA has committed to buy more than 5 million kilowatt-hours per year of so-called green power for the three facilities over the next three years. Community Energy, Inc. will provide nearly 800,000 kilowatt- hours of electricity each year from the Mill Run wind facility now being built in Pennsylvania, and Commonwealth Edison of Illinois will provide the remainder from its landfill gas facilities. When the power purchase is underway in early 2002, EPA will be buying nine percent of its total electricity use from renewable energy sources. See the EPA press release.

The customers of Minnesota Power in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin can now follow the EPA's lead. Minnesota Power, a subsidiary of Allete, is now offering wind power to its residential and small commercial customers through a program called WindSense. The company is selling the wind power at a premium cost of $2.50 per 100 kilowatt-hours. See the Allete press release.

Eleven leaders in the development of the U.S. green power market received the first annual Green Power Leadership Awards in late July. The awards were presented to companies, universities, organizations and individuals during the Sixth National Green Power Marketing Conference in Portland, Oregon. See the list of awards on the conference Web site on EREN.

NREL Awards $40 Million for Thin-Film Solar Cells
DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced last week its award of $40 million to 19 universities and 14 companies for the development of thin-film photovoltaic solar cells. Compared to conventional crystalline-silicon solar cells, thin-film cells use relatively little of the expensive semiconductor materials, so they hold the potential to be produced at a low cost. See the NREL press release.

Solar Carport Under Construction in Riverside, California
A new 113-kilowatt photovoltaic system is now under construction in Riverside, California. Schott Applied Power Corporation is building a solar carport for the city that will generate power while providing shade for cars. See the Schott Applied Power press release.

A much larger solar power system may eventually be built in Massachusetts. Spire Corporation is helping the City of Brockton to assess the feasibility of building a solar power facility on an abandoned industrial site. The proposed site will cover 27 acres and generate 5 to 10 megawatts of power — enough to power 3,000 homes. See the Spire press release.

Old industrial sites, usually contaminated with hazardous chemicals, are often referred to as brownfields. The Brockton project is one example of the concept of using solar energy to convert brownfields into what are being called "brightfields." See the Brightfields Web site on EREN.

Biodiesel Fuels Backup Power System at UC Riverside
Riverside, California, is also the location of a unique backup power system using three 2-megawatt generators that are powered entirely by biodiesel fuel. Southern States Power Company, Inc. installed the system at the University of California, Riverside and is supplying the biodiesel fuel. The company also announced last month that the City of Claremont, California, is using a 20 percent blend of its biodiesel to fuel the city's sanitation vehicles.

FuelCell Energy Starts Up Fuel Cell/Microturbine System
FuelCell Energy, Inc. announced last week that it has started operating one of its 250-kilowatt fuel cells in tandem with a 30-kilowatt microturbine from Capstone Turbine Corporation. The microturbine is driven by hot exhaust gas from the fuel cell — usually the microturbines are driven by combustion of natural gas. DOE is funding the test of the combined system.

FuelCell Energy also announced last week that it has received a $1.25 million contract to install a 250-kilowatt fuel cell power plant at the University of Connecticut. The Connecticut Clean Energy Fund is funding the installation, which will be completed in 2002.

Landfill Gas Powers 50 Microturbines in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Department of Power and Water (LADWP) announced last week the startup of a new facility that produces 1.5 megawatts of electricity from landfill gas. The facility uses methane emissions from the Lopez Canyon Landfill to power 50 Capstone microturbines, generating enough power for 1,500 homes. It adds to a six-megawatt landfill gas power plant that was already operating at the site. See the LADWP press release.

DOE Passes Energy-Efficient Light Project to Private Sector
A DOE program to encourage the encourage the production and use of shorter, brighter, and more affordable compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) is now being turned over to the private sector. DOE announced on Monday that the so-called "sub-CFL" program, established by DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, will now be handed off to the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a nonprofit organization. CFLs use about a quarter of the energy used by standard incandescent bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, and generate much less heat.

The program encouraged the development of 17 new CFLs and is currently saving U.S. consumers more than $22 million in electricity costs each year. See the DOE press release.

The new Web site for the program, called BetterBulbsDirect.com, features CFLs from two manufacturers. Online ordering is available at discount prices, but the minimum order is 10 bulbs.

Site News

Roadmaps to Energy Efficiency
This site, sponsored by Global Green USA and Environment Now, provides a step-by-step guide to retrofitting commercial properties to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating costs. The site features three approaches, called RoadMaps: do it yourself, hire an energy consultant firm, or work with an energy service company. Each RoadMap is presented as a flowchart that outlines the specific steps of the process and provides direct links to useful information and resources. The site also includes case studies that demonstrate the benefits that have been achieved in buildings throughout the country.

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

Energy Facts and Tips

Income Up For Major Energy Companies in Second Quarter
The second quarter of 2001 yielded a surge in net income for 26 major energy companies, according to a new report by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA). Net income for these companies increased by 10 percent compared to the same time period in 2000. The largest increases occurred in the petroleum industry, at 35 percent, and the natural gas and power industries, at 30 percent. Domestic petroleum companies saw a 38 percent increase in income. Domestic petroleum refining and marketing experienced a 78 percent increase in income. See the EIA "Financial News for Major Energy Companies" report,

If you're interested in petroleum company incomes, you may also be interested in the EIA's list of world energy "areas to watch," which includes oil-producing countries that are experiencing political or economic troubles. The countries encircle the globe, from Angola to the Caspian Sea, from Indonesia to Venezuela. See the EIA's list.

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