Points of Interest | Green Energy News

November 2, 2003 – Vol.8 No.32

POINTS OF INTEREST.

A weekly collection of websites worth visiting.

Pictures of Earth from space reveal a nighttime planet lit up like a Christmas tree. A lot of light bulbs. A lot of energy needed to power them.

All those lights, the market for them, is now valued at $20 billion and expect to grow to $29 billion by 2007. What is the fastest growing sector in the lighting biz? The opto semiconductor market, better known as LEDs (light emitting diodes) and organic LEDs, or OLEDs.

Eyes are focused on white light LED’s that could replace the venerable incandescent bulb. But white light LED technology is not quite ready yet. Unless grouped in arrays they still aren’t bright enough to read by. But wait ten years, say scientists at Siemens. With better manufacturing processes and new shapes for LEDs that allow more light to escape, the technology might be able to produce 100 lumens per watt by then. Those bright LEDs would make the 12 lumens per watt produced by average incandescent bulbs look pretty dim.

Already white light LED’s, and other colors, which save 80 -90 percent in energy,are used in flashlights, camera flashes, train headlights, and strings of Christmas lights. LEDs, too, will probably outlast the fixtures they’re mounted in. For Siemens http://www.siemens.com/ (click Press,Technical Highlights , Shrinking Lights-Growing Impact) and Forever Bright (tm) Christmas lights http://www.foreverbright.com/ .

Sure, propane’s a fossil fuel. But it’s much cleaner burning than gasoline or diesel. That’s why forklifts fueled with propane can be used inside warehouses and warehouse stores. It has fewer (12 percent less) greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline and has a higher octane rating (104) than premium petrol (91-92) which adds up to the possibility of better engine performance and efficiency.

Propane, too, is heavily relied upon for heat, hot water and cooking anywhere where natural gas lines don’t extend. And when the world’s oil fields are drained - no more feedstock for propane - there’s always dimethyl ether that can take its place.

The Propane Education and Research Council (PERC), with funding help from the Department of Energy and others, have unveiled a dedicated-for-propane low-floor bus chassis that could be used as a platform to build buses for mass transit, parks and airport shuttle services.

The rear-drive bus built by Heart International also kneels (14 inches) in 6 seconds and can rise again in 8. The low-floor chassis (no steps inside this bus) and the kneeling action allow the bus to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The bus, to be offered in two different body styles, can carry 65 gallons of propane in three tanks. While at the PERC site be sure to try out the Energy Saving Calculator at http://www.propanecouncil.org/ .