Green Energy News | December 30, 2001

December 30, 2001 – Vol.6 No.40

ENERGIES... week of December 30, 2001

ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLES IN COURT. Three environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Government. Eighteen federal agencies are not putting enough alternative fuel vehicles on the road.

The Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Bluewater Network claim that departments such as Energy, Justice, Transportation, Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, and others are not complying with the Energy Policy Act of 1992, known as EPAct. EPAct says that by 1999 75 percent of vehicles purchased by the federal government in larger cities must be alternative fuel vehicles - which include flexible fuel vehicles. Agencies were required to phase in increasing percentages of alternative fuel vehicle purchases beginning in 1996.

Claimants point out that only 17 percent of vehicles purchased in 2000 by the Department of Commerce, for instance, were alternative fuel vehicles. The EPA reached 35 percent in 1998 a year when 50 percent of new vehicle purchases were required to be alternative fuel.

Imagine trying to explain this case to a judge who may know nothing about EPAct or vehicle technology.

For example, EPAct only requires the purchase of alternative fuel or flexible fuel vehicles, not that the vehicles actually operate on an alternative fuel. (A flexible fuel, ethanol/gasoline vehicle may meet EPAct purchase requirements but never see a drop of E-85 ethanol fuel in its tank.)

Further, under other sections of the law, diesel powered vehicles can receive EPAct credits when operating on biodiesel. (A conventional vehicle would be operating on an alternative fuel. See story below).

EPAct was signed by the first President Bush after the Persian Gulf War as a small measure to help wean the U.S. off imported fossil fuels. The environmental groups also want agencies to comply with the reporting requirements of EPAct and for the Department of Energy to move forward with provisions in the law which could extend its goals to local government and private fleets.

BIODIESEL REPORTING IN. According to the National Biodiesel Board the biodiesel industry shipped an estimated 20 million gallons of pure biodiesel (B-100, not B-20) in 2001, up from 5 million in 2000 and 500,000 in 1999. In the U.S. alone there are now about 100 major fleets operating on B-20 (20 percent biodiesel, 80 percent fossil diesel). Of those 75 are Federal Government (see above) including the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Postal Service, NASA, the National Park Service and others.

Depending on the size of the order and shipping destination pure biodiesel can sell for $1 to $2 per gallon. There are only 9 biodiesel pumps to be used by consumers in the U.S., but more are on the way for 2002. For consumers nowhere near one of these pumps, one company, World Energy Alternatives, can ship a 55 gallon drum of B-100 to your door, albeit at a higher price than at a pump. B-100 can be used in place of fossil diesel fuel in any diesel vehicle and not void the manufacturer’s warranty, according to the National Biodiesel Board.

World Energy also offers Credit Swap credit trading services for fleets operating under EPAct (see above story, again). Visit World Energy at http://www.worldenergy.net/ , National Biodiesel Board at http://www.biodiesel.org/ .

SIMPLE SAVINGS. You have to love simple technologies. No computer chips and software are needed to operate GFX. Just a pipe wrapped tightly around a waste water drain is used to recover lost heat from dishwashers, showers, sinks and washing machines.

GFX - aka, the Endless Shower - can work in buildings where a large amount of hot water is used on a regular basis, such as restaurants, hotels, apartment and condominium complexes and hospitals, or in homes. Recovered heat can be used to preheat cold water filling a hot water heater or to add thermal energy to water immediately before it is used, reducing the energy consumption of the hot water heater - and thus the notion of the Endless Shower.

The company has recently shipped 36 heat recovery systems to be used in the new Hilton Garden Inn in Edison, New Jersey. The company is also reporting a pending sale of another 200 units to an apartment complex at an undisclosed location.

FUEL CELL RANGE EXTENDER. Yet another, but unusual, use for hydrogen fuel cells is now being developed - to extend the range of battery electric vehicles.

H Power has signed an agreement with PSA Peugeot Citroen, the world’s sixth largest car maker, to develop 7 kilowatt fuel cells to be tested in battery electric, light-duty vans built by them. For its efforts H Power will receive $ 1 million in the first year and at least $2 million over the life of the three year contract.

WORLD WIND WATCH. Brazil could have another 3.7 gigawatts of new wind energy installed by 2005 . ANEEL (Agencia Nacional de Energia Eletrica) has authorized the construction of 43 new wind farms, of those 23 specific projects are already approved. Eight of the projects will be in Ceara, eight in Rio Grande do Norte, five in Perambuco and two in Bahia - a combined capacity 1.9 gigawatts.