Green Energy News | January 2, 2000

January 2, 2000 – Vol.4 No.40

ENERGIES... week of January 2, 2000

A MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE. While it took thousands of centuries for crude oil to be created, by most accounts it will take less than two centuries to consume it all - at least in terms of an inexpensive source of energy. Once consumed, the oil can never be replaced. A precious resource gone up in smoke. Rather than burning it for fuel wouldn’t it make sense to use remaining reserves for products with long-term benefits to society, or for strong, light structural materials?

After 12 years of development, Conoco, an international energy company, will soon introduce a new petroleum-based carbon fiber made from low value refinery products. The new fiber will be aimed at markets in transportation, construction and others where light-weight, high-strength, long-life carbon fiber composites can be utilized.

Major auto manufacturers have agreed that lower vehicle weight is needed to greatly improve fuel efficiency. Wouldn’t it be ironic that carbon fiber sold by an oil company becomes the greatest contributor to better fuel efficiency? Visit Conoco at http://www.conoco.com/ .

EXPOSURE. Every time a person gets a chance to meet a new technology face to face, the better the chance he or she will adopt that technology - and buy it.

Travelers using the Los Angeles World Airport will have a chance to ride in a DaimlerChyrsler EPIC electric minivan. The first 10 of up to 50 have been delivered to the airport’s Xpress Shuttle program. Program planners believe more than 500,000 commuters each year could ride the fleet of EPICs when fully deployed. Visit DaimlerChrysler Media at http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/ .

STATE PURCHASES GREEN. Pennsylvania became the first state in the U.S. to specify and purchase clean and renewable energy for governmental use. Under a contract with the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS), GreenMountain.com will supply 37,500 megawatt hours of electricity to more than a half-dozen government accounts. The purchase contract is about 5% of DGS’s power purchases for 2000.

A portion of the green power will come from the 10.4 megawatt Green Mountain Wind Farm now under construction in western Pennsylvania. Visit GreenMountain at http://www.greenmountain.com/ .

NOT SO FAST. According to a new study by marketing consulting company Frost & Sullivan, market growth for stationary fuel cells might not meet previous high expectations. F&S predicts the compounded annual growth rate to be 49.6 percent by 2005. Aside from technical challenges still to met, customer awareness is a problem as is confidence building for performance and reliability. Competing technologies, such as that from microturbines, may also hamper stationary fuel cell growth.

Opportunities are expected in niche markets such as uninterrupted power supply for high-tech firms, banking and health care providers. The first residential consumers might be owners of upscale homes, of remote properties, or of homes frequented with power outages.

The report “North American Stationary Fuel Cell Markets” is available from Frost and Sullivan for $3450. Visit F&S at http://www.frost.com/ .

LATE BREAKING ... Ballard has just unveiled its next generation fuel cell module, the Mark 900. Strictly for automotive use, it’s smaller, cheaper, more powerful and easier to manufacture than previous models. Visit Ballard at http://www.ballard.com/ .