Green Energy News | May 21, 2000

May 21, 2000 – Vol.5 No.8

ENERGIES... week of May 21, 2000

SOONER THAN LATER. According to the Kyodo news service, experimental hydrogen refueling stations will be built in Japan, 18 months ahead of schedule. The stations should open for operation by the fall of 2001.

The plan to accelerate the development of hydrogen powered vehicles was announced by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization. Japanese companies have been long recognized for their uncanny ability to rapidly commercialize new technologies as a way of securing a foothold in market share, such as being the first to market hybrid-electric vehicles.

CHINA’S RENEWABLE NUMBERS. Statistics from a seminar - the International Symposium on Renewable Energy Development - held in China by the World Energy Council and others, show that China has a recoverable 254 million kilowatts of wind energy with 200,000 small wind generators already installed and more than 20 large wind farms established. There are 50,000 small hydropower stations. Tidal energy potential of more than 20 million kilowatts is available with a dozen power stations already built. A geothermal capacity of 3.5 million kilowatts could be put to use, and 300 million tons of feedstock for bioenergy are available each year. Further, 7.6 million families have marsh methane ponds which turn agricultural waste into fuel.

China has become the world’s largest renewable energy consuming country - up to one fourth of its total energy demand. What’s more in the latest 5 year plan the country plans to increase its renewable energy content by 10 percent per year. However, no mention has been made in any wire report of the energy contribution of the controversial Three Gorges Dam when completed.

China, the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases after the U.S., has cut its energy demand growth to half the rate of growth of the economy, according to a case study from the Pew Center on Global Climate Change. Visit the Pew Center at http://www.pewclimate.org/

GREEN VEHICLE BITS. ISE Research Corporation has delivered a microturbine-driven hybrid electric bus to the City of Los Angeles to service the Hollywood area. The 30-foot ThunderVolt (tm) bus has two 30-kilowatt Capstone MicroTurbines on board to power electric drive motors and charge a battery pack. The bus will be put into revenue service.

Hyundai has chosen International Fuel Cells (IFC) to supply two 75-kilowatt fuel cells to power prototype Santa Fe sport utility vehicles. According to IFC, their fuel cells have greater power density than others and are significantly more efficient since they operate at near ambient air pressure. The fuel cell Santa Fe is expected to outperform the gasoline version.

Highlights from the 12th annual Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) American Tour de Sol 250 mile New York-to-Washington electric, hybrid and fuel cell vehicle race include: first place for a nickel metal hydride powered GM EV-1 traveling 225 miles on one charge; a Solectria Force electric sedan, second in the Production Category for traveling 130 miles on single charge; a prototype electric school bus was driven over 100 miles on one charge of its lead-acid battery pack. A small fleet of Honda Insight hybrids also joined the chase with one getting 90 miles per gallon. View other results from the Tour de Sol at http://www.nesea.org/ . Visit Capstone at http://www.capstoneturbine.com/ Solectria at http://www.solectria.com/ .