Energy Conservation News articles from August 2000

Energy Conservation News archives from August 2000

OUTLOOK: Electricity Shortages Raising a Hackle.
August 1, 2000... Severe electricity shortages, lately focused in parts of California, Chicago, Long Island and Louisiana, have once again raised to the forefront the debate over appliance energy efficiency standards. In a new study, the Appliance Standards...

Governments Issue Conservation Orders.
August 1, 2000... In July, Governor Gray Davis issued three executive orders designed to reduce energy consumption by state government and speed up the time it takes new power-generating facilities to win approval from state agencies. Governor Davis directed...

GOVERNMENT: Energy Wasting Blasted by ARI.
August 1, 2000... In early August, the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI, 4301 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 425, Arlington, VA 22203; Tel: 703/524-8800, Fax: 703/528-3816; Email: ari@ari.org; Website: www.ari.org) asked the Texas Natural Resource...

ENERGY MANAGEMENT/FINANCING Heat Recovery to Save $1 Million.
August 1, 2000... Thermal Energy Intl., Inc. (34 Bentley Ave., Nepean, ON K2E 6T8, Canada; Tel: 613/723-6776, Fax: 613/723-7609; Email: mccarthy@thermalenergy.com, Website: www.thermalenergy.com) has been awarded a second contract to supply engineering...

RESIDENTIAL: Long Wait for Lower Bills.
August 1, 2000... Energy deregulation, lately focused in the electric sector, is supposed to mean energy savings. But, if recent complaints by consumer organizations are any indication, real savings are hard to come by. In particular, the nonprofit United...

COMMERCIAL: Go Ahead for Digester Project.
August 1, 2000... FuelCell Energy, Inc. (FCE, 3 Great Pasture Rd., Danbury, CT 06813; Tel: 203/825-6000, Fax: 203/825-6100; Website: www.fuelcellenergy.com) has been selected by King County, Washington, as the top-ranked offer in a competitive solicitation...

Papermaking Process Uses Less Fiber, Energy.
August 1, 2000... A new technology being commercialized by an Atlanta company yields stronger paper while using less fiber and energy, translating into lower costs for paper manufacturers and good news for the environment. The technology applies to the heart of...

Microturbine R&D Still Very Alive.
August 1, 2000... Microturbines for on-site power requirements at commercial establishments have a good future in ECN's view. It is noteworthy, then, that this month Honeywell Power Systems, Inc. (8725 Pan American Fwy. NE, Albuquerque, NM 87113; Tel:...

INDUSTRIAL: Zeolites Reduce Energy Inputs.
August 1, 2000... Zeolites, which are found throughout nature, have a rigid crystalline structure with a network of interconnected tunnels and cages, similar to honeycomb. But while a sponge needs to be squeezed in order to release water, zeolites only give up...

TRANSPORTATION: Savings Claimed for Pulse Detonation.
August 1, 2000... At least one study has suggested that a pulse detonation engine could yield a 30% to 50% improvement in fuel consumption over a conventional jet engine. Moreover, its efficiency remains high above Mach 3, where conventional jet engines play...

More Work on Gasoline Processors.
August 1, 2000... General Motors Corp. (300 Renaissance Ctr., Detroit, MI 48265; Tel: 313/556-5000, Fax: 313/556-5108; Website: www.gm.com) and Exxon Mobil Corp. (5959 Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, TX 75039-2298; Tel: 972/444-1000, Fax: 972/444-1350; Website:...

UTILITIES/POWER GENERATION Growth in Wind Power Seen.
August 1, 2000... The U.S. wind energy industry is expected to expand rapidly through the end of 2001, due to the extension of a federal tax incentive that supports development of new wind power plants. At the same time, the U.S. economy's record boom is...

DOE Selects Capstone Turbine.
August 1, 2000... Capstone Turbine Corp. (6430 Independence Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367; Tel: 818/716-2929, Fax: 818/716-9910; Website: www.capstoneturbine.com) was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to receive $10 million to develop an advanced...

Korea Unveils Efficient PV.
August 1, 2000... A breakthrough has been reported in Korea at CR Telecom in the manufacture of solar cells for mobile applications. The cells are reportedly the first that can generate sustainable energy higher than 6 V. Such a technology would reduce, if not...

Alliance Sets Research Program.
August 1, 2000... Two Department of Energy labs - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the National Energy Technology Laboratory - have just started up a new industry/government/university consortium called the Solid-State Energy Conversion Alliance...

Understanding Photovoltaics.
August 1, 2000... An important step toward a better understanding of the process by which inorganic molecules convert solar energy into chemical energy has been taken by researchers with the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) and the Lawrence Berkeley...

APPLIANCES: Efficiency Legislation Introduced in Congress.
August 1, 2000... Environmental and energy groups praised Senators Grassley, Rockefeller, and Jeffords, and Representatives Nussle and Tanner for their leadership in energy-efficient, environmentally friendly technology in introducing the Resource Efficient...

HVAC: Manufacturer to Be Reseller.
August 1, 2000... Silicon Energy (1250 Marina Village Pkwy., Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501; Tel: 510/749-9400, Tel: 877/749-9400, Fax: 510/749-6990; Website: www.siliconenergy.com) has finalized a technology alliance and reseller agreement with HVAC manufacturer...

Hot Shipments for HVAC Equip.
August 1, 2000... Shipments this year of central air conditioners and heat pumps are on pace to eclipse the 6,647,071 units shipped in 1999, according to the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI, 4301 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 425, Arlington, VA 22203;...

MOTORS: First Operation of 1,000-HP Motor.
August 1, 2000... In late July as ECN went to press, American Superconductor Corp. (2 Technology Dr., Westborough, MA 01581-1727; Tel: 508/836-4200, Fax: 508/836-4248; Website: www.amsuper.com) and Rockwell Automation, an operating unit of Rockwell...

Controller Maker Acquires Distributor.
August 1, 2000... Power Efficiency Corp., the developer of a proprietary energy- saving electric motor controller has acquired substantially all of the assets and the assumption of certain of the liabilities of Performance Control, LLC (Percon, 4220 Varsity Dr....

INDUSTRY NEWS: Catalytica Receives Research Award.
August 1, 2000... Catalytica Combustion Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Catalytica, Inc. (430 Ferguson Dr., Mountain View, CA 94043; Tel: 650/960- 3000, Fax: 650/968-7129; Website: www.catalytica-inc.com), has been awarded $1.6 million under a program sponsored...

Heat Recovery Generator Ordered.
August 1, 2000... Calpine Corp. (50 W. San Fernando St., San Jose, CA 95113; Tel: 408/995-5115, Fax: 408/995-0505; Website: www.calpine.com), a large, independent power company, is purchasing 85 heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG) from Nooter/Eriksen (St....

Active Power Completes IPO.
August 1, 2000... Active Power, Inc. (11525 Stonehollow Dr., Ste. 110, Austin, TX 78758; Tel: 512/836-6464, Fax: 512/836-4511; Website: www.activepower.com) has completed its initial public offering of 8 million shares of common stock at $17 a share. All of the...

DTE to Develop Mini-Turbine.
August 1, 2000... According to DTE Energy Technologies, an unregulated subsidiary of DTE Energy Co. (2000 2nd Ave., Detroit, MI 48226-1279; Tel: 313/235-4000, Fax: 248/223-2150; Website: www.dteenergy.com), they have signed agreements with Pratt & Whitney...

RESOURCES: ARI Releases Two Key Standards.
August 1, 2000... Those who need the most up-to-date information about air conditioning and refrigeration equipment performance requirements should know that the Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI, Arlington, VA) has revised two equipment...

Updated Lists of Efficient Equipment.
August 1, 2000... Updated information on the top-rated energy-efficient room air conditioners, central air conditioners, and heat pumps, as well as other appliances, has been posted online by ACEEE (Website: www.aceee.org/consumerguide). In addition to listing...

CALENDAR.
August 1, 2000... September 21-23, 2000, 20/20 Vision: State-of-the-Art HVAC, Dublin, Ireland. Contact: W. S. Comstock, ASHRAE; Fax: 404/321- 5478; Email: dublin2000@ashrae.org. October 25-27, 2000, 23rd Annual World Energy Engineering Congress, Atlanta,...