Green Energy News | September 30, 2001

September 30, 2001 – Vol.6 No.27

ENERGIES... week of September 30, 2001

RENEWABLE POWER FOR AFGHANISTAN. As air strikes begin it seems likely that eventually the U.S. and others, through military might, will find their intended target hiding in Afghanistan. The ruling Taliban will collapse, humanitarian aid, already underway, will flow into the shattered nation. But what then? Many experts and scholars seem to agree - the U.S. cannot walk away this time. Instead, what is needed is assistance by the U.S., and the world community, to help establish a new Afghan-determined government coinciding with assistance in the physical reconstruction of the country.

But where should rebuilding begin? Shelter and fresh water supplies are certainly at the top of the list, as is the careful removal of land mines. Power too, must be brought back online where it is most certainly missing. Power generation, in particular, is where this rebuilding plan could step away from conventional thinking. The nation does have some hydroelectric and fossil fuel power plants, which likely will need repair. New electric energy for Afghanistan, however, could come from the blowing wind and sunlight - both of which the nation seems to have plenty of.

Renewable energy in Afghanistan is nothing new. Some historians credit people living in the area now known as eastern Iran and Afghanistan in the 10th century A.D. as among the first to harness wind energy for industrial purposes - to grind grain.

Power from wind farms, distributed wind generators and distributed solar photovoltaic systems could be used initially to pump fresh water, purify waste water, irrigate crops and refrigerate food supplies. Electricity from these renewable energy sources could be used to operate the tools needed to rebuild homes and businesses. Over time, wind and solar energy could supply electricity, heat and hot water to homes, businesses and industry in remote villages and cities alike.

A gift of wind and solar energy to Afghanistan would be enduring. Wind and solar installations owned, operated, managed and maintained by trained Afghans and the people themselves would become a new industry for the nation. The wind and the sun could help provide energy for the overall economic growth of the nation, just as the flow of all kinds of energy has helped every successful nation on the planet.

For the rest of world, the U.S. in particular, the reintroduction of wind power and the addition of solar energy to Afghanistan would have long term benefits. With help to build its own plentiful, renewable energy supply the nation could work rapidly towards self-sufficiency. The sooner this encompassing energy project - this gift - is started, the sooner Afghanistan will heal. One would think that the sooner it heals, the sooner it will cease to be a breeding ground for unrest.

The Bush Administration, too, which could lead the project, might look better in the eyes of many critics. This administration backed away from the Kyoto Protocol in part because the treaty excused developing nations from reducing greenhouse gases. No nation needs developing more than Afghanistan.

The U.S., and others, could help reconstruct the nation, create a new industry for the Afghans, and attract some measure of new respect from many around the world. The long-remembered gift would be a tool in itself to aid in reconstruction. From the wind and the sun Afghanistan could begin to rebuild.

PREPARING FOR CHANGE. In an interview with Reuters, chairman Phil Watts of Royal Dutch/Shell cautioned other oil companies to prepare themselves for an end to the hydrocarbon age. The chairman noted, as Shell has launched its latest Long Term Energy Scenario, that companies should expect consumers to move, possibly, towards hydrogen-powered vehicles, and renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar power. Companies should make plans to gain expertise in these areas if they expect to remain the dominant energy suppliers in the decades ahead. Visit Shell at http://www.shell.com/ .

ONE STOP SHOPPING. Ballard Power Systems has announced that it has acquired XCELLSIS Fuel Cell Engines and Ecostar Electric Drive Systems from DaimlerChrysler and Ford. The outcome of the transaction is that Ballard will extend its product line beyond proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells to a full line of fuel cell engines, complete drive systems for electric vehicles and electronics used in distributed stationary power equipment that incorporates internal combustion engines, microturbines or, of course, fuel cells.

Ballard also claims the acquisition will have no effect on its plans for the future, only add to its workload. The company will expand to meet that demand. Ballard still plans to follow up the launch of its portable fuel cell products now underway. The company will also launch fuel cell bus engines next year and stationary and automotive fuel cell products from 2003 to 2005. New, more immediate commitments, however, will be to supply battery electric drive trains for airport service vehicles and the Ford Th!nk City passenger car slated for commercial release in the U.S. next year. Visit Ballard at http://www.ballard.com/ .

THE OTHER FUEL CELL. eVionyx, which set a Guinness World Record last year for the longest distance - 214 miles - traveled by a modified production vehicle powered by a fuel cell in a single fueling, has taken a less dramatic route to demonstrate its metal-air fuel cell technology. The company has demonstrated a golf cart and an electric lawn mower powered by the company’s Revolutionary Power Cell (RPC). Both were fueled with zinc.

The golf cart ran for 31.8 miles in a hilly state park outside New York City and the lawn mower was used to demonstrate refueling methods with zinc fuel cartridges. RPC technology can be recharged, refueled or both. Refueling (replacing cartridges) a small vehicle can be done by hand. A large vehicle could be refueled quickly using robotics. The company also feels that many drivers would take advantage of the technology’s recharging capabilities and recharge a vehicle at home. Visit eVionyx (formerly EVonyx) at http://www.evionyx.net/ .

SOLAR PROJECTS. No one knows exactly how many kilowatt hours of new solar electricity were planned or installed this week, but we do know that three firms have announced a combined 892 kilowatts in the U.S. alone.

As part of its Springerville Generating Station (SGS) Tucson Electric Power (TEP) has completed the installation of 695 kilowatts of solar panels. Now more than halfway through the installation of a planned 1.35 megawatts for the 22 acre site, TEP also passed the 1 megawatt capacity milestone of company solar capacity. TEP has an additional 315 kilowatts installed in Tucson. The remaining capacity at SGS should be installed by the end of November. Power from SGS is sold at a premium through TEP’s Greenwatts (tm) program. Proceeds from the program are used to build more solar capacity. Visit Greenwatts at http://www.greenwatts.com/ .

PowerLight has signed a contract with the Yosemite National Park to install 47 kilowatts of solar PV roofing panels at the park’s El Portal Administrative Site. The 350 photovoltaic panels will provide about ten percent of the building’s power needs during peak hours. The installation is part of the Green Energy Parks Program, a partnership between the U.S. Departments of Energy and Interior to build and promote efficient and/or renewable energy through the nation’s national parks. Visit PowerLight at http://www.powerlight.com/ .

Spire Solar Chicago has installed 50 kilowatt solar PV systems on the roofs of three Chicago museums: The Art Institute of Chicago, The Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum, and the Chicago Historical Society. The combined peak capacity of 150 kilowatts is connected to the Commonwealth Edison grid and displaces an equal amount of power from conventional sources.

The company has more than 300 kilowatts installed at 12 sites in the Chicago area, including these museums. Two more museum installations are expected to be completed in the next few months. Spire Solar at http://www.spirecorp.com/ .