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Green Power and Market Research
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Green Power News
National Educational
Campaign Launched
The National Environmental
Trust, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Physicians for Social Responsibility
have launched a national educational campaign to raise awareness of the
problem of global warming and to give people a way to register their concerns
with elected officials. The campaign features a new website at http://www.HOTEARTH.net/air
. In addition to basic information, http://www.HOTEARTH.net/air
allows visitors to send free e-mails and faxes automatically to elected
officials.
Source: AWEA Weekly 11/5/99.
Long Island Power Authority
Plans Lottery of PV Systems
The Long Island Power Authority
(LIPA) has a new test program through which they will install free solar
panels on 30 homes chosen in a lottery. The program comes at a time
when Long Island is facing a shortage of energy caused by rapid building
over the last decade. To address the shortage LIPA is exploring energy
alternatives, including solar. Each of the 30 units provided by LIPA
will produce about 600 watts of electricity, and could save homeowners
as much as $100 annually. Any LIPA customer with at least 50 square feet
of unobstructed roof space and $100,000 in homeowners' insurance is eligible
for the program. LIPA hopes to install the 30 units by the end of
the year. Anyone who wants to enter LIPA's lottery can call 1-877-LIPA-SUN,
or visit LIPA's website at www.lipower.org
by Nov. 8th. Source: MSRI Electronic Newsletter 11/5/99.
NREL Website Provides
Electric Markets Analysis and Applications
The National Renewable Energy
Laboratory's Electric Markets Analysis and Applications website provides
a wide range of green power information, including information about renewable
energy technology characterization, market penetration of renewable electric
technologies, green power networks, a state renewable energy newsletter,
and comprehensive information about grid-connected renewable electric generation
plants in the United States. Check it out at
http://www.nrel.gov/analysis/emaa/index.html
Source: MSRI Electronic
Newsletter 11/5/99.
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For more information on
Green Power go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/
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Renewable Energy Technologies
A New Landmark: Santa
Ana, CA's Solar Cube
It's twelve stories high
and can be seen for miles. Santa Ana's new PV system, which is sited
beside Interstate Highway 5, has become a landmark. The 15-watt PV
system is part of the Discovery Science Center. It was funded by
the UPVG's Team-Up program and designed by Solar Design Associates of Massachusetts.
To learn more about the Solar Cube, contact Steven J. Strong, President,
Solar Design Associates, (978) 456.6855, or visit the Discovery Science
Center website www.go2dsc.org/ . Source:
UPVG Member News 11/5/99.
SMUD Begins 435 kW
PV California Exposition Project Construction
The Sacramento Municipal
Utility District, (SMUD), has begun construction on the California Exposition
Project, a 435kW covered parking system. The project is undertaken
in partnership with the Utility Power Group and Siemens under the Round
Three TEAM-UP Venture. The project should be completed by the end
of the year. SMUD will also begin construction on its fifth ground-mounted
installation at Rancho Seco (500kW) at the end of the year. This
project is also a partnership with UPG and Siemens. Source:
UPVG Member News 11/5/99.
Residential Fuel Cell
Testing Begins
Mini-power plants designed
for home use will be tested at 16 utility sites by EPRIGEN, Inc., a subsidiary
of EPRI. The alpha-test Residential Power Generation (RPG) units, manufactured
by American Fuel Cell Corp., will be owned and operated by utility and
other participants in a collaborative research project. "This field test
initiative is an important first step in evaluating the potential for individual
households and communities to produce clean, emission-free energy right
in their own neighborhoods," says Dan Rastler, manager of EPRIGEN's Distributed
Resources program. Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that cleanly
convert natural gas and other hydrocarbon fuels directly into electricity.
The RPG is designed to allow a home to operate either on or independent
from a utility power grid. It uses natural gas or propane fuel as its power
source. The RPG, which is pollution free, has an expected electrical efficiency
approaching 40%. Team members will assess the installation, operation and
maintenance considerations associated with residential sized fuel cell
units, and will recommend modifications and enhancements for future units.
Users of the units will provide feedback on technical performance, durability,
and reliability of power quality. EPRIGEN will evaluate all test results,
and prepare an assessment of the commercial readiness, safety and practicality
of RPG technology for household applications, which they will share with
participants. The RPG units are designed for operation at a continuous
output of 3 kW and a self-contained battery pack allows output up to 10
kW during transient loads, such as the start-up of a home appliance. For
technical information, contact: John B. O'Sullivan Phone: 650/855-2292
or johsulli@epri.com. Source: EPRI
News 11/5/99.
Model Home Features
PV Back-Up Power System
Boulder, CO-based McStain
Enterprises recently announced it has decided to feature a photovoltaic
(PV) solar electricity system with back-up power capabilities on its model
home in Longmont. McStain said it now offers the Solarsource systems as
a standard option on all its new homes. Solarsource was formed through
an unregulated partnership between Golden, CO-based Altair Energy and the
Public Service Company of Colorado (PSCCO) which was launched a year ago.
The new PV back-up systems will provide power to critical appliances in
the event of utility power outages, and will also allow McStain's customers
to utilize solar energy for some or even all of their energy needs. "McStain
Enterprises is a green builder with its customers in mind," said Altair
Energy president Kirk Stokes. "They are offering a product that makes sense
and is a feasible option for homebuyers." McStain said its 2,100 square-foot
model home includes a 1.2-kilowatt PV system which can meet approximately
one-third of a family's power needs. During a power outage, the PV system
will automatically power one outlet in each room, the refrigerator, kitchen
lights and furnace blower. Contact: Kristin Shewfelt, McStain, phone 303-494-5900
extension 104; Jennifer Harrison Lane, Altair Energy, phone 303-277-0025
extension 103. Source: EPRI Green Power News 11/5/99.
Sandia Announces Updates
to Their PV Website
Sandia National Laboratories
has added several new features to their popular Photovoltaics website www.sandia.gov/pv
to make it even more user friendly and pertinent to the U.S. PV industry
and Sandia's other customers. The latest modifications to the website
will allow visitors a standard visit to the homepage, the ability to bypass
directly to the publications page, or a graphical detour that provides
a glimpse of their major capabilities and programs. A "Recent Webpage
Updates" button will highlight items that have been added to the webpage
over the previous six- or seven-week period. Among the many other
additions is the solar training programs page www.sandia.gov/pv/training.htm,
which was developed to help the Million Solar Roofs Initiative. Source:
MSRI Electronic Newsletter 11/5/99.
Biogas Fuels CO
Backup Power System
Testing has been completed
on a renewable energy-powered backup system that will serve the major wastewater
treatment facility in the metropolitan Denver area. Officials say the backup
system gives them confidence that the system will have sufficient power
for critical functions in the event of a Y2K-related disturbance. "Just
two of our four biogas-fueled engines provided sufficient emergency power
to run critical functions," said Metro Wastewater Reclamation District
(MWRD) director of operations and maintenance Mary Ann Tavery. "There was
also power to spare, and we are confident our cogeneration system will
get us over the Y2K power hump if that should become necessary."
The emergency five-megawatt backup power system is powered by four 2,000-horsepower,
biogas-fueled internal combustion engines. Biogas is produced by 10 anaerobic
digesters that are used to treat solids removed from wastewater.
MWRD serves all of Denver, as well as the cities of Arvada, Aurora, Lakewood
and Thornton, part of Westminster, and 40 smaller locations in Arapahoe,
Adams and Jefferson counties. During July, computers simulated a Y2K changeover
situation without incident. Contact: Steve Frank, Metro Wastewater Reclamation
District, phone 303-286-3465. Source: EIN-RET via MWRD RELEASE: 11/1/99.
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For more information on
Renewable Resources go to: http://www.eren.doe.gov/power/
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Legislative News
The Energy Security
Tax Act of 1999 (S. 1833) Introduced in Senate 10/29/99
A broad-ranging energy policy
bill that includes a five-year extension of the wind energy Production
Tax Credit (PTC) was introduced in the Senate October 29 by Sen. Tom Daschle
(D-S.D.). The Energy Security Tax Act of 1999 (S. 1833) provides
for an extension of the PTC through January 1, 2004. Additionally,
wind energy facilities built since the June 30, 1999, expiration of the
original PTC would qualify for the tax credit under Daschle's plan.
Meanwhile, the American Wind Energy Association continues working to secure
PTC extension within this year's final budget negotiations, expected to
wrap up by November 10. AWEA legislative director Jaime Steve said,
"We are very pleased to have the PTC extension included in this energy
package which recognizes the contribution wind can make to powering the
nation." The introduction of S. 1833 follows the recent unanimous
approval of an 18-month extension of the PTC by the full Senate.
The bill (S.1792), by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bill Roth (R-Del.),
would initially extend the PTC to December 31, 2000, also providing retroactive
treatment to June 30. Although newly introduced, S. 1833 serves more
as a foundation for comprehensive energy package to be addressed by lawmakers
next year. Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Robert
Byrd (D-W.Va.), Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), and Bob Kerrey (D-Neb.) are co-sponsors
of the bill, which is written in a fashion to garner bipartisan support.
In addition to wind, renewable energy technologies such as "closed loop"
biomass and poultry waste receive tax credits, as well as biomass co-fired
in coal plants. A second bill containing a five-year PTC extension
was recently approved by the House Subcommittee on Energy and Power.
Drafted by Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) to restructure the electric utility
industry, the legislation contains few provisions to foster the growth
of renewables beyond the wind tax credit. Like the Senate's Energy
Security Tax Act, it is unlikely that utility deregulation will progress
this year. Rather, the legislation again serves as a starting point
for future consideration of the matter. For additional PTC information,
contact AWEA's legislative staff
by phone at (202) 383-2500.
Source:
AWEA Weekly 11/5/99.
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For more information on
legislative activities go to: http://www.kannerandassoc.com/fedenergybills.html
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Funding News
DOE Indicates Program
Opportunities Forthcoming
The U.S. Department of Energy's
(DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy announced October
29 it will issue a broad based solicitation for "renewable energy and energy
efficiency basic research, directed and applied research, demonstrations,
and related activities" for fiscal year 2000. The statement serves to alert
potential solicitors of upcoming program opportunities and announce the
posting of submission guidelines on the Web. According to DOE, technology
specific requests for proposals will be issued as supplemental announcements
released separately or in the Federal Register periodically. All
future announcements will be classified under solicitation DE-PS36-00GO10482.
For more information, contact DOE's Ruth Adams at (303) 275-4722.
Application guidelines can be found online at http://www.eren.doe.gov/golden/solicitations.html
.
Source: AWEA Weekly
11/5/99.
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This news item comes to you as a service of Western's Renewable Resources Program.
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