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News Release Archives - 1997

NREL News Briefs

March 1997

NREL Helps Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver Build "Earth-Smart" House

The NREL Exemplary Buildings team is working with Habitat for Humanity of Metro Denver on designing a low energy passive solar "Earth-Smart" house in downtown Denver. The house will integrate low energy building strategies and techniques into low-income housing. Its energy efficient features include low-emissivity south facing windows, engineered overhangs which shade the house during the summer but allow heat to enter in winter, white roof shingles to decrease heat absorption, finger jointed studs, a high efficiency furnace system, compact fluorescent lights, a recycled plastic deck, a setback thermostat and a solar hot water system.

The dedication ceremony will be held on Earth Day, April 22 at 11:30 a.m. and an open house will take place April 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to showcase the house's energy efficient and environmental features. Individuals interested in energy smart home design are encouraged to attend the open house. The house is located at 2555 Franklin St. across from Manual High School in northeast Denver. Other organizations involved in the project include CH2M HILL, The Home Depot, Public Service Co. of Colo., Energy Rated Homes of Colo., Dynamic Energy, Eco-Products of Boulder and the Rocky Mountain Institute of Snowmass, Colo.

Senator Wayne Allard to Visit NREL

Senator Wayne Allard is expected to visit NREL on April 3 to get acquainted with the laboratory's staff and research programs. Allard will tour several labs devoted to biofuels and photovoltaics (solar electricity) research and also will meet with staff to answer questions.

NREL to Host Conference on Future Generation Photovoltaic (PV) Technologies

NREL's first Conference on Future Generation PV Technologies will be held March 24 - 26, 1997, in Denver, Colo., at the Executive Tower Inn. The conference will include in-depth technical discussions and assessment of recent achievements in PV technologies not yet in production that have the potential to achieve high efficiency (amount of sunlight converted into electricity) and low cost. A solar energy powered flywheel, an advanced technology for storing energy being looked at as a possible replacement for lead acid batteries, will be on display March 24 and 25.

NREL Receives Technology Transfer Awards

NREL received two 1997 technology transfer awards from the Colorado Chapter of the Technology Transfer Society. The first award in the category of Federal Laboratory to Business went to NREL's Dave Benson, Tom Potter, Steve Burch, Matt Keyser, Ed Tracy, Terry Penney, Richard Voss, Andreas Vlahinos and Bob Rehn for the transfer of a variable conductance vacuum insulated catalytic converter to eliminate cold start emissions. Benteler Industries of Grand Rapids, Mich., is commercializing the new catalytic converter which reduces total automotive pollution by more than 80 percent. The second award in the category of Technology Transfer Facilitator went to Dana Moran for promoting the transfer of NREL technologies to private business and for championing the concept of technology transfer and the infrastructure for supporting it. The awards were presented at the Fifth Annual Technology Transfer Awards Dinner on Feb. 25 at the Denver Museum of Natural History.