Green Energy News | April 30, 2000

April 30, 2000 – Vol.5 No.5

ENERGIES... week of April 30, 2000

SOLAR BREAKTHROUGH. Toshiba of Japan has announced the successful development of a solid electrolyte for use in organic-dye-sensitized solar cells. Organic cells could be the replacement for silicon solar cells.

The high cost of manufacturing silicon semiconductors, which in turn adds to the cost of silicon-based solar cells, has been a major stumbling block in the widespread use of photovoltaic solar energy. Silicon, too, is not transparent and is subject to impurities - both of which hamper performance. According to Toshiba, organic cells can be manufactured at 60 percent less cost than silicon cells and can be transparent.

Toshiba succeeded in making a clear electrolyte that will remain solid at high temperatures. The electrolyte can be formed on a plastic substrate or thin organic film making the cells 20-50 percent lighter than silicon cells formed on glass.

The company’s experimental cells use the solid electrolyte sandwiched between a titanium dioxide (TiO2) layer and a transparent counter electrode. This first attempt achieved a solar energy conversion rate of 7.3 percent. This conversion rate would likely increase with further development. Toshiba envisions clear solar panels that can be mounted indoors on windows and walls or used in traditional outdoor applications. Toshiba plans to begin licensing the technology this summer. Expect more information from Toshiba at http://www.toshiba.co.jp/ in the near future.

CORPORATE DEALING. Texaco has purchased a 20% equity stake in Energy Conversion Devices (ECD) for $67.3 million. Texaco’s initial interest in ECD is the company’s proprietary Ovonic solid hydrogen storage technology and the Ovonic regenerative fuel cell.

With solid hydrogen storage, hydrogen is stored in metal hydrides. The technology is a spinoff of ECD’s successful Ovonic nickel metal hydride batteries.

Regenerative fuel cells offer the possibility of fuel cell engines or generators that recycle waste water back into hydrogen and oxygen through electrolysis with power from a electric grid connection - similar to recharging a battery. Presumably, regenerative fuel cells for vehicles could make fuel when parked or be refilled with hydrogen on the road on long trips.

In another deal, BP Amoco has purchased an 18.5 percent share in renewable energy provider GreenMountain.com. In a multifaceted agreement, BP Amoco will be able to market GreenMountain Energy (sm) products and both will promote GreenMountain.com’s solar energy offerings which utilize BP Solarex’s products. Further, GreenMountain.com will be able to market its products to BP Amoco service stations and GreenMountain will be able to buy natural gas from BP Amoco at attractive rates. In a separate agreement GreenMountain.com will be marketing its products over the Internet throughout the Lycos network. Visit BP Solarex at http://www.bpsolarex.com and ECD at http://www.ovonic.com/ , GreenMountain.com at http://www.greenmountain.com/ and Texaco at http://www.texaco.com/ .

EFFICIENCY POSSIBLE EVERYWHERE. The British Ministry of Defence has launched a 98 meter steel hulled trimaran research vessel that could take the place of the Royal Navy’s frigates in a decade or so. Aside from a more stable platform for helicopter operations, the three hull design offers 20% less hull resistance than mono-hulled conventional ships of the same class. Less hull resistance means better fuel efficiency or higher top speeds with the same power.