Green Energy News | May 2, 1999

May 2, 1999 – Vol.4 No.5

ENERGIES... week of May 2, 1999

A PLAN FOR CHANGE. If market forces cannot achieve a switch to renewable energy or at least sell far greater fossil fuel efficiency, and if nations become convinced that global climate change is a serious and major threat to political and economic stability that needs immediate action, then a rapid change to reduce greenhouse gases beyond what was agreed to Kyoto, could be relatively brief, and enforced.

An unprepared rapid change could get ugly - nationally destabilizing. If prepared for thoughtfully, in advance, and securely financed, the change could actually be beneficial to the industrial and the developing world as well.

The World Energy Modernization Plan spells out a step-by-step plan to make the rapid change. Highlights of the plan include: the creation of a World Energy Modernization Fund using revenues from a new tax on international currency transactions to finance the development and transfer of green energy technologies to developing nations; the end of fossil fuel subsidies; new subsidies to develop and deploy green energy technologies; payment for job retraining; elimination of regulatory barriers which support wasteful, inefficient and high-carbon technologies, and others.

The plan also makes an important point. The major international effort could create a sense of purpose among individuals. With consistent discouraging news coming from war, natural disaster, and violence in schools, a sense of purpose could give a much needed boost to the human spirit.

PEAKING POWER. Fuel cells can generate a continuous supply of energy at a steady state. But electric demand or load is variable. In a fuel cell driven vehicle additional power is needed to accelerate or climb a hill. In a home a with fuel cell generator more electricity would be demanded if numerous appliances - a refrigerator, hot water heater and kitchen range for instance - all came on at once. An energy storage device is needed alongside a fuel cell power plant to meet these peak loading demands.

Beacon Power Corporation, a subsidiary of SatCon Technology has completed the first phase of field tests of its flywheel uninterruptible power supply (UPS) designed as back-up power for the telephone and cable TV industries. In the first tests the flywheels have operated for over 1800 continuous hours without failure and in extreme temperature conditions. Unlike battery storage systems, flywheel systems can handle charging and discharging cycles without degradation. Expected life span is 10 years or more. SatCon would like to prove its flywheel product with the telecommunications industry, then move into energy storage for fuel cell power generation.

SatCon’s Magmotor subsidiary has also recently received orders for electric motors and controllers to be used in fuel cell vehicles being developed by Opel of Germany. See the flywheel UPS in action at http://www.windbreak.com/ , visit SatCon at http://www.satcon.com/ .