- DOE: $2.4B for Plug-in Vehicles
- DOE: $535M Loan Guarantee to Solyndra
- Solar: Grew at a Record Pace in 2008
- Georgia Power to Switch Coal Plant to Biomass
- Regulators Propose Priorities for Smart Grid Standards
- Insurance Regulators Require Climate Change Risk Disclosure
DOE Offers $2.4B to Support Plug-In Vehicles
President Obama announced last week that DOE is offering up to $2.4 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to support next-generation plug-in vehicles and their advanced battery components.
Of the $2.4 billion, $1.5 billion in grants will go to U.S. manufacturers to produce high-efficiency batteries and their components; $500 million in grants will go to U.S. manufacturers to produce other components needed for electric vehicles, such as electric motors; and $400 million will go towards projects that demonstrate and evaluate plug-in hybrids and other electric infrastructure concepts.
When these vehicles are offered for sale, U.S. residents who purchase them will be able to claim a tax credit of up to $7,500. Building a U.S. plug-in vehicle industry will create tens of thousands of jobs.
DOE will provide assistance to construct or upgrade battery manufacturing, component, and recycling plants for lithium-ion and other advanced batteries, as well as for factories producing power electronics for electric drive vehicles. This will help lower the cost of battery packs, batteries, and electric propulsion systems. DOE will also support demonstration, evaluation, and education projects to help develop the market for advanced electric drive vehicles. The $2.4 billion in funding is divided between two Funding Opportunity Announcements. Applications for Transportation Electrification are due by May 13, and applications for the Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative are due by May 19.
Plug-ins will travel up to 40 miles without recharging, allowing most U.S. commuters to drive to work and back without using any fuel. Beyond that 40-mile range, the vehicles will run much like today's hybrids, achieving high fuel economies. Overall, plug-in hybrids are expected to achieve fuel economies as high as 100 miles per gallon. But for such vehicles to be practical will depend on the development of advanced, lightweight batteries that can meet tough requirements for durability and performance. See the DOE press release and the Vehicle Technologies Program.
DOE Offers $535M Loan Guarantee to Solyndra
DOE offered a $535 million loan guarantee to Solyndra, Inc. last week to support construction of a commercial-scale manufacturing plant for its proprietary solar photovoltaic panels, which consist of arrays of glass tubes. It will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which provides billions of dollars in loan guarantee authority to build a new green energy economy. As the first to be offered through the DOE Loan Guarantee Program, the loan guarantee was offered as a "conditional commitment," which requires Solyndra to meet an equity commitment, as well as other conditions, before the loan guarantee is closed. The situation is similar to that of a homebuyer earning approval on a loan, but still having to meet certain conditions before closing.
Solyndra's proprietary solar panel design transforms glass tubes into easy-to-install, inexpensive, high-performance solar panels, which can be installed on low-slope commercial, industrial, and institutional rooftops. Solyndra deposits thin films of copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS), a photovoltaic material, on the inner surface of glass tubes, which are then hermetically sealed on both ends with a metal caps. The glass tubes are then assembled into large, flat solar panels.
The cylindrical design enables the CIGS material to capture direct, diffuse, and reflected sunlight, allowing the panels to be mounted flat and close together. This makes greater use of the rooftop area than a traditional flat solar panel, which is typically mounted in racks that tilt the panels toward the sun. The design also allows air to flow through the panels, keeping the operating temperature down and reducing wind loads, which in turn makes installation easier.
