EREN - EREN Network News May 30, 2001

EREN Network News

May 30, 2001

News and Events

Home Fuel Cells to be Sold in California, Tested in Chicago
Biodiesel Fueling Stations Debut in Nevada, California
General Motors to Squeeze Efficiency out of V-8 Engines
Innovative Solar Electric Systems Use Holographs and Dyes
Mustard Plants Produce Low-Cost Enzymes for Making Ethanol

Site News

The 20 Percent Solution

Energy Facts and Tips

NERC Predicts U.S. Electricity Woes this Summer

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Home Fuel Cells to be Sold in California, Tested in Chicago
H Power Corp. announced on May 10th that it plans to sell residential fuel cell systems in California in the near future. The company claims that it will start manufacturing and shipping the fuel cell systems on a limited basis "within the next several months." H Power will work with Energy Co-Opportunity, Inc. to market the fuel cells to homeowners, and Altair Energy LLC will sell, install, and service the systems. See the H Power press release.

Fuel cells will also be delivered soon to several Chicago- area families as part of a pilot project run by the Community Energy Cooperative and EPRIsolutions, a subsidiary of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). EPRI announced in mid-May that the pilot project will begin in the fourth quarter of this year. See the EPRI press release.

Fuel cells can use natural gas or other fuels to produce electrical power for homes or commercial buildings. Excess heat from the fuel cell can also be used to heat water or provide space heating. To learn more, see the Fuel Cells page on EREN.

Biodiesel Fueling Stations Debut in Nevada, California
Two public fueling stations — one in Nevada, one in California — began selling biodiesel fuel last week, marking the first time that the U.S. public can purchase the fuel at the pump. Biodiesel is a clean-burning diesel fuel produced from such sources as soybeans or recycled cooking oil.

World Energy Alternatives began selling biodiesel at a gas station in San Francisco that is run by Olympian, Inc. See the World Energy press release.

Biodiesel Industries, Inc. also began selling biodiesel at a gas station in Sparks, Nevada, that is run by Western Energetics Cardlock. Biodiesel Industries, in conjunction with Haycock Petroleum, operates a biodiesel plant in Las Vegas that produces the fuel from waste cooking oils from the city's casino resorts and restaurants. The company was recently awarded a contract from the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the City of Las Vegas, and the Clark County Health Department that will total more than a million gallons of biodiesel annually. See the Biodiesel Industries Web site.

The biodiesel industry is growing, as witnessed by the announcement last week of a new biodiesel production facility in California. Southern States Power Company, Inc. announced that its Coachella Valley Biodiesel Production Facility is near completion and will start producing fuel in early June. The plant will initially produce 10 million gallons of fuel per year, but has room for added capacity in the future. See the Southern States Power press release.

General Motors to Squeeze Efficiency out of V-8 Engines
General Motors Corporation (GM) is doing its best to hold onto the powerful V-8 engine while pursing improved fuel efficiency. The company announced last week that it has developed a new technology that will use only four of the eight cylinders for most driving conditions, firing up the other four cylinders for accelerating or pulling heavy loads. Called "Displacement on Demand," the system can improve fuel efficiency by up to 25 percent, according to GM. The company plans to sell more than 150,000 trucks and sport utility vehicles (SUVs) with the new engines in 2004, increasing to 1.5 million vehicles in 2007. See the GM press release.

GM also released new details about its hybrid electric Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, both of which will be introduced as an option in 2004. The vehicles will feature GM's 5.3-liter V-8 engine and will use a 42-volt lead-acid battery pack. GM claims the hybrid version will improve fuel efficiency by 10 to 15 percent. See the GM press release.

While GM works to increase the fuel efficiency of its trucks and SUVs, its 80-mile-per-gallon Precept, a concept car developed through a government-industry partnership, recently received first place honors at the Auto Interiors 2001 Design & Technology Awards. The Precept interior uses lightweight foam and mesh fabric materials to minimize the vehicle's weight. See the GM press release.

Innovative Solar Electric Systems Use Holographs and Dyes
Innovation in the field of solar photovoltaic electric systems continues to create new possibilities for producing electricity from sunlight. In mid-May, TerraSun LLC announced that it has developed a unique method of using holographic films to concentrate sunlight onto a solar cell. Concentrating solar cells typically use Fresnel lenses or mirrors to concentrate sunlight. TerraSun claims that the use of holographic optics allows more selective use of the sunlight, allowing light not needed for power production to pass through the transparent modules. This capability allows the modules to be integrated into buildings as skylights. See the TerraSun Web site.

Another example of photovoltaic innovation is the opening of the world's first factory for dye-sensitized solar cells. These cells use a dye-impregnated layer of titanium dioxide to generate a voltage, rather than using more expensive semiconducting materials. In early May, Sustainable Technologies International (STI) began manufacturing the cells at its facility in Australia. See the STI announcement.

To learn more about photovoltaic technologies, see the Photovoltaics page on EREN.

Mustard Plants Produce Low-Cost Enzymes for Making Ethanol
Researchers at the University of Colorado (CU) at Boulder announced last week the development of a potentially low- cost method of producing the cellulase enzyme. Cellulase is a crucial component in the conversion of woody biomass materials, like grasses and trees, into ethanol. The CU- Boulder researchers transplanted a bacterial gene that codes for the production of cellulase into a tiny weed species in the mustard family known as Arabidopsis thallana. Raised under controlled conditions, the plants manufactured significant quantities of cellulase, which could then be harvested from the plants. The researchers believe that other plants, such as tobacco or corn, could also be used to produce the enzyme. See the CU-Boulder press release.

Site News

The 20 Percent Solution
This site, developed by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, can help Californians reduce energy use by 20 percent or more. The site identifies energy efficiency measures for Californians according to the region they live in, the size of their house or apartment, and whether or not they have air conditioning. The suggestions are in three parts: no-cost measures, low-cost measures and more expensive measures.

In addition, visitors can find out about California's 20/20 Rebate Program. The program offers a 20 percent rebate on electricity bills from June through September 2001 for customers of Pacific Gas and Electric, San Diego Gas and Electric, and Southern California Edison who use at least 20 percent less electricity than they consumed in each of the four comparable months during 2000.

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

Energy Facts and Tips

NERC Predicts U.S. Electricity Woes this Summer
Electricity supplies are expected to be tight not only in California this summer, but also in the Pacific Northwest, New England, and New York City, according to the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC). NERC, a not- for-profit corporation with members from throughout the electric power industry, released its summer assessment in mid-May.

NERC anticipates power shortages in California to be more severe than California officials anticipate, with about 260 hours of rotating blackouts over the summer. The council does not predict outages in the Pacific Northwest this summer, but with a drought continuing, the council warns that power shortages could occur by winter unless the area sees a significant increase in precipitation. New York City will also dodge power shortages if new generating facilities are brought on line in time, and New England is expected to avoid any power outages. The NERC assessment is available as a Power Point presentation on the NERC Web site.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) has been doing its part to alleviate the electricity crisis: it recently increased rebates for renewable energy systems from $3 to $4.50 a watt, or up to 50 percent off an eligible renewable system's purchase price, whichever is lower. See the CEC press release.

In the Pacific Northwest, DOE's Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which controls most of the area's hydropower production, has noted important progress in reducing its loads, with both PacifiCorp and Clark Public Utilities committing to load reductions last week. See the BPA press releases.

The Northwest Power Planning Council (NWPPC) says the area's electricity crisis is easing but is not over. The council notes that energy savings have come at the cost of jobs and the environment, and it predicts a 17 percent chance of a power shortage next winter. See the NWPPC press release.

Tight supplies in the West have led other states to announce conservation plans as well. In Nevada, a conservation plan has been developed for state government that includes both short-term and long-term energy-saving measures. See the announcement from Governor Kenny Guinn.