*News and Events
DOE, USDA Award $23 Million for Biomass Research Projects
DOE Funds Nine Energy-Related Inventions and Innovations
Study: Renewables, Efficiency Could Cut Natural Gas Prices
Renewable Hawaii to Fund Projects on Maui, Molokai, Lanai
New York Dedicates New Energy-Efficient Residential Building
ACRE Becomes ACORE as Renewable Energy Conferences Approach
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NEWS AND EVENTS
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DOE, USDA Award $23 Million for Biomass Research Projects
DOE and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced last week their selection of 19 biomass research, development, and demonstration projects that will receive a total of $23 million in joint funding. Biomass is organic matter from plants or animals that is available on a renewable or recurring basis. Several of the new projects are aimed at developing the next-generation of “biorefineries,” industrial complexes that convert a range of biomass materials into biobased products and biofuels. Two of the projects focus on efficient biomass-fired energy systems, including a combined heat and power system and a district energy system that will heat a number of buildings with one biomass energy system. The remaining projects run the gamut of biomass technologies, including pretreatment processes for biomass, catalysts for biomass conversion processes, new bioproducts from biomass,
anaerobic digestion (converting biomass into methane), hydrogen production from biomass, and even a microbial fuel cell that runs on biomass-generated hydrogen. See the August 5th press release on the DOE Web site at:
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The USDA contributed nearly $16 million toward the total through funds allocated by the 2002 Farm Bill, with DOE contributing the balance. The two agencies work together through the Biomass Research and Development Initiative, a multi-agency effort to coordinate and accelerate all federal research and development of biobased products and biomass energy. [sorry this link is no longer available]
DOE Funds Nine Energy-Related Inventions and Innovations
Nine new projects to develop energy-saving inventions and ideas will receive a total of more than $1.5 million in funds from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program. The program announced the selections last week following a competitive solicitation that had yielded 252 proposals. Of the nine winning proposals, four are concepts that are in early development, including carbon dioxide sensors that use nanotechnology, a device for improving the aerodynamics of tractor trailers, and a more efficient technique for remelting aluminum scrap. Five proposals are for inventions moving toward prototype development or commercialization, including high-temperature fuel cell components, a variable-length wind turbine blade, a utility-interactive inverter for distributed power sources,
and a high-efficiency system for regenerating liquid desiccants, which are used to remove moisture from air in some energy-efficient air conditioning systems. See the announcement from DOE’s Inventions and Innovations Program at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
See also the Inventions and Innovations Program Web site at:
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Study: Renewables, Efficiency Could Cut Natural Gas Prices
A new study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and Energy and Environmental Analysis, Inc. finds that aggressive programs to encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy could reduce the demand for natural gas enough to cause a 10 to 20 percent drop in wholesale natural gas prices. The study,
commissioned by the Energy Foundation, developed estimates of the near-term and mid-term potential to implement energy efficiency, conservation, and renewable energy in each of the 48 contiguous states. Those estimates yielded a potential to reduce U.S. natural gas consumption by 1.1 percent within a year using energy efficiency, and to reduce U.S. natural gas consumption by 5.5 percent by 2008, using a combination of energy efficiency and renewable energy. By easing supply constraints, such apparently minor reductions in demand could
yield significant price reductions, according to the report. The ACEEE report concludes that savings to consumers and businesses over the next five years could exceed $75 billion. See the study and press release on the ACEEE Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
A recent related report from DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) argues that utilities should compare the cost of renewable energy to natural gas prices that can be locked in for long periods of time, rather than comparing renewable energy sources to projected market prices for natural gas. The report finds that using
projected natural gas prices creates a bias in favor of generators fueled with natural gas. Another recent report finds that consumers show a slight preference to having utility support for renewable energy projects included in the rate base and paid for by everyone, rather than using voluntary premiums for green power. An opinion survey conducted as part of the study found that 55 percent of the poll respondents believed that renewable energy production should be increased, even if it costs more than other electricity production options. See the two August 2003 reports on the LBNL Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Renewable Hawaii to Fund Projects on Maui, Molokai, Lanai
Renewable Hawaii announced last week that it is seeking proposals for renewable energy projects on the islands of Maui, Molokai, and Lanai. Proposals are due by December 4th, and Renewable Hawaii expects to select the winning projects by April 2004.
Renew
able Hawaii, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Company, has initial approval to invest up to $10 million in renewable energy projects. It previously requested proposals for projects on the island of Oahu and received eight proposals that include biomass, ocean, solar, and wind energy projects. The company plans to issue a request
able Hawaii, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Company, has initial approval to invest up to $10 million in renewable energy projects. It previously requested proposals for projects on the island of Oahu and received eight proposals that include biomass, ocean, solar, and wind energy projects. The company plans to issue a request
for proposals for projects on the Big Island of Hawaii later this year. See the Renewable Hawaii Web site at:
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Solar and wind energy projects throughout Hawaii are encouraged through state tax credits, which were recently extended through the end of 2007. The extension, which took effect on July 1st, adds new caps to the tax credits. Previous tax credits for energy-efficient heat pumps and ice storage systems were not extended. See the State of
Hawaii Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
New York Dedicates New Energy-Efficient Residential Building
Last week, New York Governor George E. Pataki dedicated a new residential high-rise building considered to be a pioneer in sustainable design. The Solaire, located at 20 River Terrace in Battery Park City, is the first new residential construction completed in downtown Manhattan since the events of 9/11, and is the first to earn the state’s green building tax credit. Compared to a building constructed to meet the minimum requirements of the building code, the 27-story building uses 35 percent less energy and has a 67 percent lower electrical demand during peak hours. Solar cells are incorporated into the building’s exterior walls and can generate as much as 5 percent of the building’s electrical load. A rooftop garden, fed with storm water, helps insulate and cool the building, and the air conditioning system is fueled with natural gas and free of ozone-depleting refrigerants. A building energy management system monitors and controls building air quality and energy performance. The apartments feature energy-efficient low-E windows, and the larger apartments include an energy- and water-efficient washer and dryer.
See the governor’s press release and The Solaire Web site at:
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According to the Albanese Organization, the developer of the project, the first residents moved into The Solaire on July 4th, and 60 percent of the apartments were rented by early July. See the Albanese Organization press release at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
The U.S. Green Building Council also honored the building during the international Green Building Challenge competition in 2002. For more information on the competition and to download a PDF of a brochure
with schematic drawings of the building, click on Battery Park City on DOE’s High Performance Buildings Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
ACRE Becomes ACORE as Renewable Energy Conferences Approach
The American Council on Renewable Energy announced in mid-August that it will now abbreviate its name as “ACORE” rather than “ACRE,” thereby settling a dispute with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, which uses the ACRE acronym for its Action Committee for Rural Electrification. With that out of the way, ACORE can now concentrate on its co-sponsorship of the POWER-GEN Renewable Energy conference, to be held in March 2004. That new conference gained momentum in mid-July, when the Sustainable Energy Expo & Conference,
originally planned for October, was cancelled. Instead, conference organizers threw their full support over to the POWER-GEN event. See the press releases from ACORE and the Sustainable Energy Expo, as well as the POWER-GEN Renewable Energy Web site, at:
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Other upcoming conferences and events include the eighth annual National Solar Tour, sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society (ASES). Across the United States, homes, businesses, and public buildings that use solar energy will be open to visitors on October 4th. Last year, more than 26,000 people toured 1,222 solar buildings
in 44 states. Tours are organized locally; to find a tour in your area, see the National Solar Tour page on the ASES Web site at: [sorry this link is no longer available]
Shortly after the National Solar Tour comes UPEx 2003, to be held in Scottsdale, Arizona, from October 7th to the 10th. The annual solar power conference is presented by the Solar Electric Power Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association. Immediately after, on October 11th and 12th, the first “Hydrogen Education Tour” will take
place in Denver, Colorado. Sponsored in part by DOE’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the event will feature exhibits and speeches from leaders in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. See the UPEx and Hydrogen Education Tour Web sites at:
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| Kevin Eber is the Editor of EREE Network News, a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). |
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