In a project headed by Oak Ridge, both the Jaguar and Intrepid supercomputers will be used to demonstrate a working prototype of a rechargeable lithium-air battery that could store 10 times the energy of a lithium-ion battery of the same weight. A simulation headed by DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Lab is aimed at better understanding how hydrogen and hydrogen compounds could be used as a practical fuel for producing power and heat. See the DOE press release and the full list of INCITE award selections .
EPA Finalizes 2011 Renewable Fuel Standards
The U.S. EPA finalized the 2011 percentage standards for the four categories of fuel under the agency's renewable fuel standard program, known as RFS2. The four fuel categories are cellulosic biofuel, biomass-based diesel, advanced biofuel, and renewable fuel.
Based on an analysis of expected market availability, EPA set a 2011 cellulosic volume that is lower than the statutory target. Overall, EPA says it remains optimistic that commercial availability of cellulosic biofuel will continue to grow.
The Energy Independence and Security Act amended the Clean Air Act to greatly increase the volume of renewable fuels required each year, reaching a level of 36 billion gallons in 2022. To achieve these volumes, EPA calculates percentage-based standards for the following year. Based on the standards, each producer and importer of gasoline and diesel determines the minimum volume of renewable fuel that it must ensure is used in its transportation fuel.
The final 2011 overall volume and standards are: cellulosic biofuel, 6.6 million gallons (0.003%); biomass-based diesel, 800 million gallons (0.69%); advanced biofuel, 1.35 billion gallons (0.78%); and renewable fuel, 13.95 billion gallons (8.01%). See the EPA press release and RFS Web page.
DOE Offers $21 Million in Commercial Building Energy Assistance
DOE announced that 24 projects are receiving a total of $21 million in technical assistance to reduce the energy used in their commercial buildings.
The initiative, supported with Recovery Act funds, will connect commercial building owners and operators with multidisciplinary teams including researchers at DOE's national labs and private sector building experts. The teams will design, construct, measure, and test low-energy building plans, and will accelerate deployment of cost-effective energy-saving measures in U.S. commercial buildings.
Through DOE's Commercial Building Partnerships, teams comprised of private sector technical experts and personnel from national labs will guide projects to achieve 30% measured energy savings in existing buildings and 50% energy savings in new construction projects. About half of the two dozen projects focus on energy efficiency upgrades for existing buildings.
The three-year projects will provide comprehensive business and technical case studies for broad publication, including actual energy performance data from the completed projects, to spur wider adoption of energy-efficient building practices. Projects are funded with a public/private cost-sharing agreement - building owners and operators contribute at least 20%.
Three DOE national laboratories-Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, NREL, and Pacific Northwest National Lab-will manage the effort and provide technical assistance for the projects. Each project will receive technical assistance valued at between $200,000 and $1.2 million, depending on the scope and nature of the plan.
