Green Energy News | September 20, 1998

September 20, 1998 – Vol.3 No.25

ENERGIES... week of September 20,1998

MORE FAST CHARGING. First General Motors, now AeroVironment, have announced tests of fast electric vehicle chargers - new technologies to reduce charging time from hours to minutes. Will people begin to buy EV’s in numbers when recharge times become nearly as fast as a gasoline fill-up? Quick “re-energizing” has certainly been a major hurdle.

AeroVironment recently ran a Chevrolet S-10 Electric pick-up for 24 hours on the streets of Los Angeles, racking up 777 miles for the day . All recharging was done with AeroVironment’s PosiCharge conductive fast charging system with the S-10 slightly modified to accept the quick recharge. Recharges ranged between 6 and 15 minutes for an almost full charge. The number of recharge stops weren’t disclosed.

AeroVironment hopes that utility companies will build “electric vehicle corridors” where EV vehicles can travel long distances with brief stops at places like rest stops, restaurants and shopping centers for a “fill-up”.

Visit AeroVironment at http://www.aerovironment.com .

SAVE MONEY-SAVE ENERGY. Business and consumers alike can spend less on electricity if they can control when,where and how much is being used.

JCPenney (a U.S. department store chain) has hired EnerShop to provide energy information and management services for five stores in the Dallas-Fort Worth,Texas area. For JCPenney, EnerShop will integrate existing energy management systems at each site; offer real time use information; optimize use at each store through simulation models; combine information from all stores and compare it with other similar properties; and deliver customized reports on power quality and use over the Internet.

Detroit Edison and Domosys are working together to promote the DomoMeter - a plug-in module for appliances or air conditioners with the ability to respond to time-of-day energy pricing signals and offer an expansion to home automation systems. According to the companies, consumers can save money and energy by the DomoMeter to reduce energy consumption at peak demand - peak rate periods.

Visit Domosys at http://www.domosys.com .

DON’T FORGET CLEAN DIESEL. Diesel engines are the most efficient internal combustion engines widely available - yet have a history of being dirty. The U.S. Argonne National Laboratory has introduced breakthrough technology that should clean them up.

The new technique controls fuel and oxygen levels to result in reduced particulate levels and decreased nitrogen oxide emissions. NOx is a major contributor to smog. The technology also increases engine power.

Argonne worked with the Electromotive Division of General Motors (locomotives) and the Association of American Railroads. The technology will work with autos and trucks as well.

Visit Argonne Labs at http://www.anl.gov.