Green Energy News | April 2, 2000

April 2, 2000 – Vol.5 No.1

ENERGIES... week of April 2, 2000

FORD’S AMAZING NEWS. If you have any urge to buy a sport utility vehicle, try to quell it for a few years. Ford has announced it will offer a hybrid electric version of its new Escape SUV in 2003.

To be offered in the U.S. and Europe, the Escape hybrid should get at least 40 miles per gallon in city driving and meet stringent California Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV) and European Stage IV emission standards. The hybrid sport-ute will have a four cylinder gasoline engine which will turn itself off when coasting or when the vehicle is stopped. The Escape will restart almost instantly. Regenerative braking will add to overall fuel economy with an expected range of 500 miles per tankful. In Europe the Escape will be sold as the Maverick. Revisit Ford at http://www.ford.com/ for further Escape hybrid news.

A FIRST FOR DAIMLERCHRYSLER. If you’re in the transit business you’ll be able to buy a fuel cell powered bus from DaimlerChrysler in 2002. The EvoBus subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler will build 20-30 hydrogen fueled Citaro low-floor city buses propelled by a 250 kilowatt drive train. Pressurized hydrogen tanks will ride on the roof. The vehicle’s expected range is 186 miles (300 kilometers) with a top speed of 50 mph.

Included in the $1.2 million-each price tag is technical consulting and maintenance for two years along with expertise in building hydrogen refueling stations. The Citaro bus will be the first commercially available fuel cell vehicle on the planet. Visit DaimlerChrysler media at http:www.media.daimlerchrysler.com/ .

TWEAKING FUEL CELLS. Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation (SWPC) and Norske Shell will build a demonstration solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) generator that will recapture its own carbon dioxide emissions. The 250 kilowatt fuel cell will be powered by natural gas. Siemens and Shell believe carbon dioxide could be sequestered in underground reservoirs, or perhaps secondary markets developed for high purity CO2. Applications for the carbon-capturing unit could include powering greenhouses while using carbon dioxide emissions to enhance plant growth.

In another demonstration project, Siemens will provide Ontario Power Generation (OPG) with a 250 kilowatt solid oxide fuel cell that will provide combined heat and power to an OPG affiliate’s facility. Electrical efficiency for the unit is better than 45%. Greater overall energy efficiency will be obtained with waste heat used to heat the building.

The OPG fuel cell will operate on natural gas at ambient air pressure. SWPC is also developing a pressurized SOFC/gas turbine hybrid generator for electrical efficiencies of 60-70%.

MORE SOLAR PRODUCTION CAPACITY. In an $84 million joint venture, Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) and subsidiary United Solar Systems will build a new solar photovoltaic manufacturing facility with N.V. Bekaert S.A., a Belgian maker of steel wire and wire products.

With a yearly production capacity of 25 megawatts, the plant will utilize United Solar’s proprietary triple-junction continuous roll-to-roll production technology. The technology is aimed at making solar photovoltaic power cost competitive with fossil fuels. The venture also includes a buy out of Canon’s interest in United Solar. Visit ECD at http://ovonic.com/