Green Energy News | June 25, 2000

June 25, 2000 – Vol.5 No.13

ENERGIES... week of June 25, 2000

A MORE EFFICIENT ICE. While all eyes are on cutting edge technologies - battery electric, fuel cell, or hybrid - to drive vehicles of the future, other technologies to help achieve much better fuel economy from internal combustion engines (ICE) are almost certain to become commonplace.

Somewhat pricey gasoline has encouraged Delphi Automotive Systems to offer a list of technologies available now, and some under development, to make the ICE more efficient.

- E-STEER (now available) all electric power steering to replace hydraulic units. Without an energy-robbing power steering pump fuel economy could increase up to 5 percent on some cars.

- Stop-Start Generator (under development) Like the Honda Insight, whose motor stops and restarts instantly so as not to waste fuel idling, Delphi’s belt driven unit could be adapted to many vehicles.

- Gasoline Direct-Injection Systems (now available) offer better fuel economy through a wide range of fuel/air ratios and can be optimized to meet driving conditions, emission requirements, or type of gasoline.

- Diesel Common Rail Direct-Injection Systems (now available) are likely to see wide-spread use in the U.S. with the upcoming clamp-down on diesel emissions from trucks. Presumably these systems work with biodiesel fuel. Car buyers in the U.S., who typically shy away from the word diesel, might think differently if fuel prices stay fairly high.

- Fuel Cell Auxiliary Power System (under development with BMW and Renault) is a solid oxide fuel cell that would provide enough power to energize all electrical components, provide power for mechanical systems now belt driven (such as air conditioning and water pumps) and power new electric equipment such as electric power steering and electric brakes. Free of all the power draining equipment, the ICE would have one purpose - propel the car with greater efficiency.

Delphi has even more technology in store. Other companies too are working on devices to extract more efficiency from the venerable ICE. Visit Delphi at http://www.delphiauto.com/ .

GREEN ENERGY MARKET. A new report from Frost and Sullivan offers some advice and predictions for the future of green power generation. The report - North American Renewable Energy Markets - analyzes major sectors of the renewable energy market, including wind, solar, bioenergy and geothermal power.

Conclusions were that the busy year of 1999, when the total North American market reached $843 million, will not be repeated until 2004. The banner year was the result of concern that U.S federal production tax credit for wind projects would expire that year. The credit was later extended.

For advice, Frost and Sullivan recommended that the renewable energy industry must focus equally on research and development as well as marketing. R&D must be continued to bring the cost of renewable power down to near fossil fuel levels, and those technologies should be quickly moved to the marketplace. So too must companies increase their marketing efforts for both brand recognition and public education about the benefits of renewable power and the adverse consequences of fossil fuel power.

While the report is intended for industry, and is available from Frost for a fee, more information is available at Frost and Sullivan at http://www.frost.com/ .