Energy Conservation News articles from October 1998

Energy Conservation News archives from October 1998

OUTLOOK: Utility Deregulation a Bust for Efficiency.
October 1, 1998... A new study (dubbed Unplugged, on the Internet at http://www.ewg.org/pub/home/reports/unplugged/unplugpr.html) done by the Environmental Working Group and World Wildlife Fund found that by cutting energy efficiency programs almost in half,...

Veritable Cacophony on Climate Change Issue.
October 1, 1998... This month, ECN staff were barraged with numerous releases on the still unfolding global climate change "issue." Our take on all of it is that regardless of how confusing all these dueling pronouncements may be to the public, the odds are that...

GOVERNMENT: DOD to Award Grants for Fuel Cell Demos.
October 1, 1998... Dept. of Defense (DOD), through the DOE's Federal Energy Technology Center (DOE, Federal Energy Technology Center, PO Box 880, Morgantown, WV 26507-0880), will provide grants to support the cost of stationary fuel cell demonstration projects of...

INTERNATIONAL: MITI Unveils Energy- Saving Targets for Industries.
October 1, 1998... Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has announced energy-saving targets that industries are expected to achieve under the revised energy-saving law to take effect in April, 1999. Automakers are expected to improve the...

RESIDENTIAL: Homebuilders Adopt Alternative Walls.
October 1, 1998... Characterized as strong, durable, and energy-efficient, a new wall system for housing called insulating concrete forms (ICFs) is emerging as an alternative to lumber wall frames. ICFs are hollow blocks, planks, or panels that can act as forms...

Better HVAC May Be on the Way.
October 1, 1998... The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) has up to $500,000 available under Program Opportunity Notice (PON) 422-98 to co-fund projects that develop and/or demonstrate advanced heating and cooling technologies for...

Energy-Saving Monitor Offered.
October 1, 1998... Detroit Edison (2000 2nd Ave., Detroit, MI 48226-1279; Tel: 313/235- 4000) and Domosys (Domosys Corp., 1995 rue Jean-Talon Sud, Suite 202, Sainte-Foy (QC) G1N 4H9 Canada; Tel: 418/681-8022) have partnered to provide customers a new...

COMMERCIAL: Markets for Distributed Power.
October 1, 1998... According to a landmark new national survey conducted by RKS Research & Consulting (39 Fields Rd., North Salem, NY 10560-1001; Tel: 914/277-6900), a nationwide polling and market research firm, deregulating energy markets and technical advances...

INDUSTRIAL: DOE Spearheads Efficient O2.
October 1, 1998... In early October, the DOE announced a $24.8 million research project to explore an entirely different--and possibly revolutionary--way to produce high-quality oxygen, one of the most commonly used commodities in modern industry. DOE and Air...

Making More Efficient Diesels.
October 1, 1998... Argonne National Laboratory reports a new technique that allows diesel engines to operate both more cleanly and more efficiently. The new technique controls fuel and oxygen levels in diesel engines and results in reduced particulate levels and...

DOE Pushes Funding of Auto Technologies.
October 1, 1998... The DOE has awarded cooperative agreements to 26 small businesses and universities totaling more than $3.7 million, to help develop automotive components and subsystems that will contribute to cleaner, more efficient cars and light trucks. Each...

UTILITIES/POWER GENERATION Fuel from French Fries?
October 1, 1998... An Iowa State mechanical engineering professor, Jon Van Gerpen, is looking at the possibility of processing food service waste oils into biodiesel fuel. Van Gerpen says that ISU's Friley Hall dormitory alone generates 10,000 lb. of waste oil...

Power Electronics to Save NYPA Money.
October 1, 1998... The New York Power Authority, which owns and operates more than one- third of the high-voltage electric transmission lines in New York state, has approved a $35 million investment that will significantly improve the efficiency of the state's...

Utility Says Fuel Cell Gen Available Mid-1999.
October 1, 1998... Washington Water Power affiliate, Avista Laboratories, Inc. (1411 East Mission Ave., PO Box 3727, Spokane, WA 99220-3727), which makes PEM- based fuel cells for distributed power markets, has revealed its first manufacturing prototype--the...

Siemens Achieves Thin-film PV Record.
October 1, 1998... Following the recent commercial release of its new thin-film technology, Siemens Solar Industries (Camarillo, CA) has achieved another world record for solar-module conversion efficiency. Siemens Solar has set a new record for all thin-film...

Multibillion Savings with New Switch.
October 1, 1998... Power Integrations, Inc. (477 North Mathilda Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086; Tel: 408/523-9200), a manufacturer of high-voltage power conversion circuitry, has announced the TinySwitch family of integrated circuits (ICs) for power supplies in a...

HVAC: Wireless HVAC Controls Introduced.
October 1, 1998... Pentech Energy Solutions, Inc. (6885 Flanders Dr., Suite B, San Diego, CA 92121; Tel: 619/450-8200), a manufacturer of energy-efficiency products, has introduced the Pentech Energy recovery controller (PERC) communicator, the first wireless...

LIGHTING: Simple Maintenance Reduces Costs 10%.
October 1, 1998... A three-year landmark building lighting study nearing completion by the international Association of Lighting Management Co.s (NALMCO) is expected to provide a roadmap for achieving potential savings of up to 10% of the lighting costs of many...

Sulfur Lighting Could Save Millions.
October 1, 1998... A new lighting technology called the sulfur lamp, which has no filaments or electrodes that typically cause other light sources to burn out, can save tens of millions of dollars in lighting costs at federal government facilities. A large pilot...

More LED Traffic Light Tests Planned.
October 1, 1998... FirstEnergy Corp. (76 S. Main St., Akron, OH 44308; Tel: 330/384-5100) and Stanley Electric U.S. (London, OH) have joined together to develop a highly efficient, long-lasting alternative to conventional traffic signal lighting that can reduce...

Manufacturable Solid-State Lighting.
October 1, 1998... The advanced technology program (ATP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology has awarded nearly $3 million to Widegap Technology, LLC (5655 Lindero Canyon Rd., Suite 404, Westlake Village, CA 91362) to develop new materials and...

INDUSTRY NEWS: Energy Research Receives Grant.
October 1, 1998... Energy Research Corp. (ERC, 3 Great Pasture Rd., Danbury, CT 06813; Tel: 203/792-1460) received a $750,000 Phase II grant from the DOE under its small business innovation research program for the purpose of developing an advanced process to...

Alliance Targets Distributed Power.
October 1, 1998... In the Monterey, California area, five energy industry companies have formed the "The Monterey Bay Alliance" to jointly offer lower cost power supply solutions. The alliance is already pursuing several projects and has identified a number of...

CALENDAR.
October 1, 1998... November 7-8, 1998, Energy Efficient Construction Techniques Workshop, Waupaca, WI. Contact: MREA, PO Box 249, Amherst, WI 54406; Tel: 715/824-5166, Fax: 715/824-5399. December 7-11, 1998, Cogeneration Technology, Houston TX. Contact:...

TRANSPORTATION: Gearless Transmission Saves 15% in Fuel.
October 1, 1998... Ford Motor Co. (The American Rd., Dearborn, MI 48121-1899; Tel: 313/322-3000) and ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Friedrichshafen, Germany) have announced their intention to form a joint venture to produce automatic transmissions at Ford's Batavia, Ohio...

ELECTRONICS/APPLIANCES Tunnel Diodes Reduce Chip Power Losses.
October 1, 1998... In the Oct. 12, 1998 issue of Applied Physics Letters, University of Delaware (UD) researchers--with scientists at the Naval Research Laboratory and Raytheon Systems Co.--describe promising, new tunnel diodes that may help chip makers boost...

RESOURCES: Helping Utilities Assess Distributed Generation.
October 1, 1998... Gas Research Institute (GRI) and Architectural Energy Corp. (AEC, Boulder, CO) have developed a new software tool to help energy marketers in the natural gas and electric industries to determine the economic viability of on-site and distributed...