January 2010 Archives
January 08, 2010 |
The Persistent and Elusive Dream of a Diesel Hybrid
By HybridCars.com In 2008, the VW Golf Diesel-Hybrid concept promised 70 mpg. It was the closest thing to a real prospect for a relatively affordable diesel-gas-electric car, but even its prospects are limited.
The idea of combining a diesel engine with a gas-electric hybrid powertrain has been on the drawing boards for many years. The Clinton Administration’s fuel efficiency research programs program of the 1990s produced a trio of 80-mpg diesel-hybrids. None went into production. Peugeot has been showing a diesel-hybrid concept for years. GM unveiled a 60-mpg diesel-hybrid Opel Astra concept about five years ago. Volkswagen, BMW and Mercedes were all talking about diesel hybrids in early 2008. And buzz about a 70-mpg VW Diesel-Hybrid Golf spread across the blogosphere, also in 2008, with rumors that Volkswagen would deliver one “as early as 2009.”
Here we are in 2010, and it’s diesel-hybrid-deja vu all over again. It’s not a surprising development, considering that the combined fuel efficiency of a diesel engine and a hybrid system could send mpg into a new strata. The problem all along has been cost. Most analysts believe that diesel hybrids will double the incremental cost of an advanced fuel-efficient car—but not the benefit. Hybrids and diesels—used alone rather than in tandem—have remained niche technologies largely because of price tags beyond the reach of a real mainstream market. Combining the systems would send costs even higher. Recycled Dreams
Nonetheless, the vision persists. Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche has confirmed suggestions from last summer that Mercedes will launch the 2012 Mercedes-Benz E300 Hybrid using a 2.2-liter four-cylinder diesel engine with twin turbochargers, in late 2011 (probably only for the European market). The lithium ion battery and electric motor in the E300 would be similar to those used in the $89,000 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid, which went on sale late last year. Add a diesel engine to that vehicle and expect a price tag close to $100,000.
According to Autocar, a UK-based auto website, engineers at GM Europe are also “studying the feasibility of integrating the company’s existing hybrid components—motor-generators, batteries and control electronics—with diesel engines.” The report suggest that a diesel-hybrid version of Opel Astra could make sense—a claim that is eerily similar to one appearing five years ago when Wired News claimed that diesel hybrids were "on the fast track."
The GM engineers are even reported to be considering a diesel version of the plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt. The prospect of a diesel plug-in hybrid—even better if running on biodiesel—could mean operating a car almost entirely on electricity, and using biofuel to extend its range. That would be the holy grail of long range and zero petroleum. Unfortunately, the cost of a large lithium ion battery pack, electric motors and a diesel engine is likely to keep this idea in research labs for many years. Green car fans shouldn’t get their hopes up again.
Reprinted with permission from HybridCars.com
Animal Health Organization to Study Meat Impact on Climate
PARIS (Reuters) - The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) is to study the impact of meat output on climate change in the light of debate about meat's contribution to greenhouse emissions, the Paris-based body said on Thursday. The initiative, which will be the OIE's first on an environmental issue, follows requests from its member countries to look at a question that has prompted calls to eat less meat.
Meat production is estimated to account for 18 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, and some scientists have cited lower meat consumption as a way of tackling climate change.
A campaign led by former Beatle Paul McCartney to get people not to eat meat one day a week has also drawn attention to the issue.
But OIE Director-General Bernard Vallat warned against oversimplifying the issue, stressing factors such as the carbon-stocking role of pasture land would have to be evaluated.
"It's a question that needs to be studied with a lot of distance," he told a news conference. "We want to make a modest and independent contribution."
People also needed to be aware that livestock production generated milk and eggs as well as meat and so could not be sacrificed at a time of fast-growing protein demand among the world's population, he said.
"There is not yet a scientific model that can prove that our planet could do without milk, eggs or meat."
The study would thus likely recommend further research to find ways of limiting the direct effects of meat production on the environment, such as methane emissions, Vallat added.
Another focus for the OIE this year would be reducing cases of rabies, which kills 50,000 people worldwide annually, mainly following dog bites.
The body was notably calling for developing countries to devote more money to vaccinating dogs rather than just treating infected people which was much more expensive, Vallat said.
(Reporting by Gus Trompiz; Editing by Keiron Henderson)
Reprinted with permission from Reuters
New Intelligent Wind Turbines “See” the Wind
By Zachary Shahan The wind turbine technology, called wind LIDAR and designed by Risø DTU researchers, has a laser-based anemometer built into the spinner. With this upgrade, a wind turbine can identify when gusts of wind are coming and can also predict the direction of the wind.
As a result, energy production can be maximized and wind turbines can live longer. Reminds me of that old saying, “work smart, not hard.” Of course, has to make you think of Avatar as well (if you’ve seen it).
Lars Fuglsang, Global Research Director of LM Glasfiber, says, “The LIDAR system can be used to increase blade reliability by making the blades cope better with the irregularities of the wind. Subsequently it is possible to produce larger blades. This increases energy production, and power from wind energy becomes more competitive.”
With wind energy being perhaps the fastest-growing type of energy in the US, this is a hopeful new development.
via physorg & treehugger
Six States Chosen To Develop Building Retrofit Policies
The National Governors Association (NGA) announced Monday that six states have been chosen to develop comprehensive action plans to improve the energy efficiency of existing buildings. Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Utah and Wisconsin will participate in the Policy Academy on State Building Efficiency Retrofit Programs, led by the NGA Center for Best Practices
Buildings consume more energy than any other sector of the U.S. economy and account for the majority of the nation's electricity consumption. Current efforts at cost-effective energy upgrades touch a very small portion of buildings every year. The Policy Academy will help participating states develop and refine a number of policy options including: innovative funding and financing mechanisms; building energy use benchmarking tools; targeted education and outreach measures; and workforce training programs. These measures will be used to help states design larger-scale building retrofit programs that lead to lower energy use, the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the creation of new jobs.
"Most energy efficiency efforts have focused on new construction or the low-income sector only, often ignoring the substantial energy savings available by retrofitting existing buildings," said John Thomasian, director of the NGA Center. "This Policy Academy will help states realize energy savings across the board, through comprehensive building retrofits programs."
Building retrofit programs may include measures like air sealing; insulation; upgrading or replacing heating or hot water systems; lighting upgrades; window replacement; appliance replacement with ENERGY STAR products; solar thermal hot water; and energy management system installation.
A Policy Academy is an interactive team-based process for helping a select number of states develop and implement an action plan to address a complex public policy issue. Participating states receive guidance and technical assistance from NGA Center staff and faculty experts and consultants from the private sector, research organizations, academia and the federal government.
The Policy Academy is being funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, which has responsibility for $11 billion in funding under the Recovery Act to retrofit and weatherize buildings, along with additional funding to deploy other efficiency and renewable technologies.
Website: www.nga.org/center/eenr
Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness.com
GM Unveils Chevy Volt Smartphone Application
In one more sign that plug-in cars and information networks are merging, General Motors yesterday unveiled a downloadable application that will let Chevy Volt drivers use a Blackberry, iPhone or Motorola Droid to remotely control and monitor vehicle charging and other functions. GM demonstrated the mobile application at the glitzy International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The driver will be able to use the phone for various functions, including:
Scheduling or initiating charging, and displaying charge status and level Getting status reports, such as how much electric driving range is available Warming up or cooling the vehicle before getting in Sending text messages to remind drivers to plug in their vehicles Showing miles per gallon, EV miles and miles driven for last trip and lifetime Volt drivers can also view and manage vehicle systems and commands from the vehicle, the Internet or through a monthly OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics e-mail.
Traditional OnStar features such as door lock, unlock and remote horn and lights—typically accessible only through a call to an OnStar center—will be available via the application. The Volt smartphone app communicates with the OnStar servers, which are the intermediary between the app and the vehicle.
Similar smart phone applications, and remote charging controls, are expected from Nissan for its all-electric Nissan Leaf, and from Toyota for the plug-in version of the Toyota Prius. In August 2009, Ford introducted of an “intelligent” system for drivers to manage charging of its planned electric and plug-in hybrid cars. That system is being installed in 20 Ford Escape Plug-in Hybrid demo vehicles.
The Chevy Volt demo app for Apple iPhone is available on the iTunes store. Demo versions of the Motorola and Droid application are available at OnStarMobileDemo.com.
The Volt is a plug-in hybrid, designed to drive up to 40 miles on electricity without using gasoline. When the Volt’s lithium ion battery is depleted, an on-board engine keeps the batteries at an adequate charge level, allowing an additional 260 miles or so. Initial sales of the Chevy Volt, scheduled for production in late 2010, will be limited to California.
Reprinted with permission from HybridCars.com
Europe Shows the Way to Energy-Efficient Design
By Susan Kraemer After the EU signed Kyoto, requiring it to reduce carbon emissions 8% below 1990 levels by 2012, many products and design changed there, diverging from US standards. Cars, for example, became smaller, lighter; and more fuel efficient. Even US automakers not known for efficiency make 62 MPG cars for Europe. Germany and Spain introduced Feed-in Tariffs that paid homeowners to make solar power on their roofs.
But most interestingly, for Americans now considering energy efficient retrofits with a new “Cash for Caulkers” program being considered, a whole new industry was created by the need to supply new energy efficient building innovations. Energy efficient glass.
An assortment of European window manufacturers now make far more energy efficient glass for residential use than here. This makes it possible for even an entirely glass house to meet Germany’s exacting PassivHaus standards (far more energy focused than our LEED ratings).
The PassivHaus energy efficiency standard developed in Germany requires buildings to be net zero energy. In most cases this requires thick insulation, (also driving innovation in insulation) but even fully glass houses in Europe can be energy efficient.
In this house all the remaining electricity needed is supplied by a ground heat pump and the solar roof that was incorporated into the original building design. This makes more than enough electricity to meet the energy needs of the building for electricity, heating, cooling, and for heating water.
Currently, only one company makes such energy efficient windows for houses in the US. Serious Materials has that market entirely to itself, and it is growing by leaps and bounds. But as we start to get serious about reducing our own greenhouse gas emissions with the passage of legislation like Europe did to reduce theirs, we may see may see more window manufacturers here competing to offer us such products too.
Europeans now have half the carbon footprint of Americans, so we can learn how it’s done from them. It won’t kill us to get our energy from renewables and efficiency. It might even be quite pleasant.
Image: Werner Sobek Source: HomeDesignFind
Reprinted with permission from Cleantechnica
Nordic Windpower Raises US $38M in Equity
Nordic Windpower has raised US $38 million in a financing round led by Khosla Ventures. Joining Khosla Ventures in the Series C equity financing are New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Novus Energy Partners and existing investor Impax Asset Management. Other participants include I2BF Management and Pulsar Energy Capital. The company has previously closed three funding rounds since 2007 from investors including Goldman Sachs International, Impax Asset Management and NBT AS.
Through the sale of new shares, $30.1 million has been raised with the balance arising from the conversion of notes issued in 2009. Nordic Windpower will use the funds, of which $12.1 million has already been received, to scale up its business activities involving the sale, manufacturing and service of its innovative 1-megawatt N1000 wind turbines.
"This investment represents a significant achievement for Nordic Windpower," said Patricia Bellinger, chairman of Nordic Windpower. "We are committed to greatly expanding access to our high quality, innovative two-bladed wind turbines to communities across America and beyond. The support of this world class group of investors led by Khosla Ventures will enable us to build and grow Nordic Windpower substantially, while contributing to global efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and President Obama's goal of energy independence."
Last month, the company announced the shipment to Uruguay's largest wind power developer of the first three of 19 turbines sold since May 2009.
Earlier this year, Nordic received a conditional commitment for a US $16 million loan guarantee offer from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), supported through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The company plans to use the funds released by the U.S. Federal Financing Bank to support the expansion of its assembly plant in Pocatello, Idaho.
Reprinted with permission from RenewableEnergyWorld
Tiny North Carolina Utility Tries “Best Practices” Solar Farming
By Susan Kraemer
Here’s a charming and sustainable way to keep the grass trimmed beneath solar arrays. Sheep nibble the grass down to a manageable level.
This relatively small North Carolina installation supplying electricity to Progress Energy is kept trim without fossil-fuels in what sustainable landscaping circles consider “best practices” for sustainability - by sheep.
It is owned by Carolina Solar Energy LLC with financing by BB&T Equipment Finance Corporation, and its electricity is sold to a local utility; Progress Energy which is mandated to buy an increasing portion of energy production from renewable energy, with a small beginning of 3% by 2012, and to reach 12% by 2021. Next Progress plans to build a 2.3 MW solar array, its sixth of small, but ever increasing in size solar projects. It will be financed, built and operated by San Francisco-based MP2 Capital.
These arrays are very far from the utility-scale solar farms such as are being proposed in the California desert. Typical utility-scale projects would be well over 100 MW, most are 250 MW, and the Military is planning a 1 GW solar farm. This is just 650 kilowatts; about what a large factory or industrial complex might put on its roof.
Why this Person County utility is taking such baby steps, I’m not sure. Perhaps it is just green-washing. But, whatever its motivation, going so slow has a side benefit. It’s made it possible for a utility and local county officials to test run the grass, and the sheep.
The beauty of this tiny installation is this unique concept - allowing grass and sheep to coexist pleasantly with the solar farm. If this works on the next solar farm the utility envisions, from there, it might lead to a wider adoption, and remedy much of the anguish of environmentalists that has led to the solar gridlock in the California desert.
It’s a great concept.
Image:Flikr user Ben
Reprinted with permission from January 04, 2010 |
Today's agreement regarding the photovoltaic panel factory follows the joint venture agreement made Enel Green Power and Sharp in November 2008. STMicroelectronics (www.st.com) has joined this strategic partnership. Enel Green Power is the Enel Group (ENEL.MI) company dedicated to developing and managing energy generation from renewable sources in Italy and abroad. This agreement marks the first time that three global technology and industrial powerhouses have joined together in an equal partnership to contribute their unique value-add to the solar industry. It brings together Enel Green Power, with its international market development and project management know-how; Sharp, and its exclusive triple-junction thin-film technology, which will be operational in the mother plant in Sakai, Japan as of spring 2010; and STMicroelectronics, with its manufacturing capacity, skills and resources in microelectronics. The factory, located in Catania in the existing M6 facility to be contributed by STMicroelectronics, is expected to have an initial production capacity of 160 megawatts (MW) per year. The plant’s capacity is targeted to be gradually increased to 480 MW per year. Photovoltaic panel manufacturing at the Catania plant is expected to start at the beginning of 2011. The project of 160 MW will require a total investment of EUR 320 million and will be funded by a combination of equity, state grants and project financing with no recourse to the Joint Venture’s shareholders beyond their quota in the Joint Venture. Each partner will subscribe one third of the equity--an expected contribution up to EUR 70 million each, either in cash or in-kind--and will hold one third of the shares in the new joint venture company. The factory output will be used to serve solar markets in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region with a particular focus on the Mediterranean area. In this region, Enel Green Power and Sharp already plan to jointly develop solar farms. Enel.si, the Enel Green Power company specializing in the installation of photovoltaic systems in the retail market, will also participate in the marketing effort, offering panels directly and through its franchisee network of over 500 qualified installers in Italy. Enel Green Power and Sharp have signed an additional agreement aimed at the creation of an equal joint venture to develop solar farms. The goal is to install cumulative capacity at a level of 500 MW by the end of 2016, making use of the photovoltaic panels manufactured at the Catania factory. The Catania facility will take advantage of an existing semiconductor plant and related facilities as well as a workforce skilled in silicon-based manufacturing. In addition, Catania hosts Conphoebus, an Enel research center dedicated to renewable sources, solar in particular, and energy savings. Enel Green Power currently operates some 4,700 MW in plants relying on hydro, wind, geothermal, solar and biomass sources in 14 countries in Europe and the Americas. Website: www.enelgreenpower.com Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness.com
With the December 2010 deadline for obtaining incentive funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act only a year off, BLM Director Bob Abbey guaranteed full environmental analysis and public review for the projects to meet the timeline. Abbey said that this first wave of projects (14 solar, 7 wind, 3 geothermal, and 7 transmission) range in scale from as small as 24 megawatts (MW) up to 986 MW, large enough to supply power to 900,000 homes. Technologies vary, as does acreage involved, but he said "they represent the first generation of large-scale renewable energy projects to be carefully sited on public lands over the next several years." Fast-track projects are those where the companies involved have demonstrated to the BLM that they have made sufficient progress to formally start the environmental review and public participation process. The list includes numerous high-profile projects, including: BrightSource Energy's Ivanpah, Solar Millennium's Chevron 1 and 2, Duke Energy's Searchlight, Ormat's McGuinness Hills, and Iberdrola's Tule Wind Project. “The fast-track process is about focusing our staff and resources on the most promising renewable energy projects,” said Abbey, “not about cutting corners, especially when it comes to environmental analyses or opportunities for public participation.” All renewable energy projects proposed for BLM-managed lands will receive the full environmental review required by the National Environmental Protection Act and will include the same opportunities for public involvement required for all other land-use decisions, BLM said. Reprinted with permission from SustainableBusiness.com
Aside from lithium-ion batteries, cell phones and electric cars don’t have all that much in common. Or do they? A new luxury electric minivan from Luxgen, a Taiwanese company, was unveiled at the Dubai International Auto Show (irony?). It utilizes the same technology found in HTC smart phones to combine luxury, electric power, and advanced technology all in the same package. So will it actually work, or is just more pie-in-the-sky vaporware? Luxgen’s name is the uninspired coupling of “Luxury” and “Genius”, and they claim their EV+ is the “world’s first electric 7-passenger MPV”. Alright, so it does make sense to tailor an electric car towards an upper echelon consumer base because of the traditionally high costs. Luxgen is claiming that the AC Propulsion motor delivers 265 N-m of torque (about 195 ft-lbs of torque) and can reach 0-62 mph in just 8.6 seconds… faster than a Prius. Luxgen is also claiming a 90 mph top speed, which isn’t much slower than the Tesla. Errr, ok, I suppose it could be possible for an electric luxury minivan laden down with batteries and tech features like Night Vision, GPS, and television screens to be faster than the Prius. But not with only 195 ft-lbs of torque. With a planned cost of $140,000, Luxgen says the EV+ should get 350 km per charge… but only if the minivan is driven at 40 kilometer per hour… or just under 25 mph. Heh, ya, right. I drive that fast down my driveway. The EV+ was displayed along with three other Luxgen vehicles, none of them electric. The Taiwanese company plans to have the EV+ out on market sometime this year, but don’t be surprised if it gets delayed, or quietly canned altogether. If it does make it past the concept phase, it will start selling in the Middle East, and may eventually find its way to America. Perhaps it is a nice idea, but when you make outrageous claims you’re bound to disappoint more than you impress. Source: The Auto Channel | Picture: Luxgen Reprinted with permission from Gas 2.0
A Minnesota trial run for “Cash for Caulkers” has turned out to be wildly successful. It represents another of the the green-jobs-and-carbon-footprint-reduction projects funded by the Obama Administration Recovery Act funds that has really caught on big time. The first was Property Assessed Clean Energy Financing to make solar essentially free (Joe Biden to Solar Power the USA With PACE Berkeley First Municipal Financing) with this result from just one county: Rooftop Solar = 4% of Sonoma County’s Power. But another is a Minnesota energy efficiency retrofit plan that appears to be the successful forerunner for Home Star, in the same way that Berkeley First was the model for the PACE program. Using $2.5 million in Federal funds, the Builders Association of Minnesota launched their Project ReEnergize rebate program just three months ago, and is now retrofitting more than 1,200 homes. The program funds up to $4,000 of the costs for window replacements, or air sealing, exterior wall insulation, and water heater replacements if accompanied by attic insulation. Like the Federal Home Star (”Cash for Caulkers”) program, there are strings attached: For contractors: A mandatory training program to ensure standards. For houses: No McMansions need apply. Houses must be smaller than 3,000 square feet and should be over nine years old (because recent Minnesota building code upgrades keep newer ones relatively efficient). By December 21 about $648,000 had been paid out for completed projects. But now the applications actually exceed the $2.5 million in funding. This success is very different from the tax credits for efficiency upgrades that have seen disappointing results. Whether this state’s program gets another infusion of funds to keep going, or whether it gets folded into the nationwide plan remains to be seen. The national program has the option of covering a wider range of more advanced technology options, like tankless hot water heaters, white roofing and solar thermal hot water heating. Reprinted with permission from Cleantechnica
The leak, from a pipeline owned by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) in northwestern Shaanxi province, was discovered on Wednesday, the official Xinhua news agency said.
The company immediately closed the pipeline when the accident happened, the report added, but not before some of the diesel ended up in the Weihe River, a tributary of the Yellow River, a major water source for millions of people.
"The company has built 23 blocking belts on the rivers and the local government built three more dams to prevent leaked oil from flowing into the Yellow River," Xinhua said.
"A 700-people crew has been working on the clean-up. So far, much of the leaked oil and polluted silt has already been taken away," it added, citing the company as its source.
But diesel has been detected in the water 33 km from the leak, Xinhua said, and residents have been warned against using any of the river water.
"Preliminary investigation showed that the pipeline damage was caused by construction work of a third party," it further quoted the company as saying, without elaborating.
China periodically faces spills into rivers that result in water supplies being cut off, most seriously in 2005 when an explosion at an industrial plant sent toxic chemicals streaming into the Songhua river in northeastern city of Harbin, forcing the shutdown of water supplies to nearly 4 million people.
Run-off from heavy fertilizer use, industrial waste and untreated sewage also caused a foul-smelling algae bloom on a lake in the southern province of Jiangsu in 2007 that left tap water undrinkable in a city of more than 2 million.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Louise Ireland)
Reprinted with permission from Reuters
Enel, Sharp, STMicroelectronics To Build Major PV Factory in Italy
Enel Green Power, Sharp Corporation (6753.T) and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM) signed an agreement for the manufacture of triple-junction thin-film photovoltaic panels in Italy. At the same time, Enel Green Power and Sharp signed a further agreement to jointly develop solar farms. 31 Renewable Energy Projects Designated for Fast-Track
The US Department of Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM) identified 31 renewable energy projects that have met the required milestones to remain on the fast-track list for expedited processing. Luxgen Electric Minivan Promises To “Think Ahead”
By Christopher DeMorro Minnesota Model for Home Energy Program Runs Out of Funds
By Susan Kraemer China Battles to Stop Diesel Polluting Yellow River
BEIJING (Reuters) - More than 700 people are battling to prevent up a leak of around 150,000 liters of diesel oil spilled into a Chinese river from reaching the Yellow River 70 kilometers away, state media said on Sunday.