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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:August 9, 2007

DOE to Award up to $21.5 Million for Vehicle Efficiency Research Toyota to Road-Test Plug-In Hybrids in Japan and the United States Hybrid Sales on Record Course Despite Waning Interest New Fuel-Efficient Jet Prototype Features Blended-Wing Design DOE Announces New Criteria for Energy Star Refrigerators IBM Says Mainframes Yield Big Energy Savings in Data Centers DOE to Award up to $21.5 Million for Vehicle Efficiency ResearchDOE announced on Tuesday that it will award up to $21.5 million to 11 cost-shared research and development projects with a goal of improving the fuel efficiency of light-duty vehicle engines. Light-duty vehicles include cars, vans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. When combined with the industry cost-share, the investment will total nearly $43 million, with funding expected to begin this fiscal year and continue through fiscal year 2010. The 11 projects will focus on optimizing fuel economy in ethanol-powered engines; developing advanced lubrication systems; and exploring high-efficiency, clean-combustion diesel engines.Seven of the projects will aim to improve the fuel economy in light-duty vehicles that operate on E-85 (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) and in flex-fuel vehicles, which burn either E85 or gasoline. Five companies in Michigan and one each in Virginia […]

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LEED for Green Neighborhoods

The pilot phase has begun on a new LEED: LEED for Neighborhood Development – the first national standard for neighborhood design. A collaboration between the US Green Building Council, the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Natural Resources Defense Council, the new rating system integrates the principles of smart growth, urbanism and green building. LEED certification will provide independent, third-party verification that a development’s location and design meet accepted high standards for environmentally responsible, sustainable, development. The program emphasizes the design and construction elements that knit buildings together in to a neighborhood, and provides guidelines for better location, design and construction of new residential, commercial and mixed use development. Specifically, the pilot program for neighborhood development evaluates projects in four areas: – smart location and linkage– neighborhood pattern and design– green construction and technology– innovation and design process238 projects across the U.S. are participating in the pilot phase, which concludes in early 2008. Comments will be incorporated and the final version of LEED for Neighborhood Development will be released later that year. Learn more: [sorry this link is no longer available]

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Here Comes the Electric Truck

Are electric trucks feasible? UK-based Smith Electric Vehicles is proving they are. The company manufactures all-electric, highway-ready trucks and vans. This year, it introduced the Newton truck and Edison van in Europe. Both are totally battery-powered, and are capable of 50 mph and up to 150 miles on one battery charge. The company just celebrated its first order from Royal Mail in the UK – a test order for its 33,000 fleet of commercial delivery vehicles. The adoption of the Low Emission Zone in London and expected road pricing in 10 other urban conurbations across the UK will significantly increase the addressable market for electric vehicles. Now Smith is coming to the U.S. – it’s building a $30 million production plant capable of producing 1000 vehicles a year. It will produce US-specific versions of the urban delivery vehicles, Edison and Newton. Smith is planning another plant for 2009 that can produce up to 5000 vehicles a year for North America. The company says it’s already receiving about 25 enquiries a week from major fleet operators in the US. In the UK, Smith sources vehicle shells and chassisy from major automotive manufacturers and then assembles them for their own vehicles. The […]

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