Please respond to eren_network_news=================================================
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- August 22, 2001
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
=================================================

Featuring:
*News and Events
          EPA Buys 100 Percent Green Power in Cincinnati, Ohio
          NREL Awards $40 Million for Thin-Film Solar Cells
          Solar Carport Under Construction in Riverside, California
          Biodiesel Fuels Backup Power System at UC Riverside
          FuelCell Energy Starts Up Fuel Cell/Microturbine System
          Landfill Gas Powers 50 Microturbines in Los Angeles
          DOE Passes Energy-Efficient Light Project to Private Sector

*Site News
          Roadmaps to Energy Efficiency

*Energy Facts and Tips
          Income Up For Major Energy Companies in Second Quarter

*About this Newsletter


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NEWS AND EVENTS
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EPA Buys 100 Percent Green Power in Cincinnati, Ohio

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
announced last week that it will buy electricity produced
entirely from renewable energy for three of its research
facilities in Cincinnati, Ohio. The EPA has committed to buy
more than 5 million kilowatt-hours per year of so-called
green power for the three facilities over the next three years.
Community Energy, Inc. will provide nearly 800,000 kilowatt-
hours of electricity each year from the Mill Run wind facility
now being built in Pennsylvania, and Commonwealth Edison
of Illinois will provide the remainder from its landfill gas
facilities. When the power purchase is underway in early
2002, EPA will be buying nine percent of its total electricity
use from renewable energy sources. See the press release
on the EPA home page at: <http://www.epa.gov/>.

The customers of Minnesota Power in northeastern
Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin can now follow the
EPA's lead. Minnesota Power, a subsidiary of Allete, is now
offering wind power to its residential and small commercial
customers through a program called WindSense. The
company is selling the wind power at a premium cost of
$2.50 per 100 kilowatt-hours. See the Allete press release
at: <http://www.allete.com/placed/08-21-2001wind.html>.

Eleven leaders in the development of the U.S. green
power market received the first annual Green Power
Leadership Awards in late July. The awards were presented
to companies, universities, organizations and individuals
during the Sixth National Green Power Marketing Conference
in Portland, Oregon. See the list of awards on the conference
Web site on EREN at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/conference/gpawards01.html>.


NREL Awards $40 Million for Thin-Film Solar Cells

DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) announced last
week its award of $40 million to 19 universities and 14 companies
for the development of thin-film photovoltaic solar cells. Compared
to conventional crystalline-silicon solar cells, thin-film cells use
relatively little of the expensive semiconductor materials, so
they hold the potential to be produced at a low cost. See the
NREL press release at:
<http://www.nrel.gov/hot-stuff/press/3201_cheaper.html>.


Solar Carport Under Construction in Riverside, California

A new 113-kilowatt photovoltaic system is now under
construction in Riverside, California. Schott Applied Power
Corporation is building a solar carport for the city that will
generate power while providing shade for cars. See the
Schott Applied Power press release at:
<http://www.us.schott.com/apc/english/news/press.html?NID=23>.

A much larger solar power system may eventually be built in
Massachusetts. Spire Corporation is helping the City of
Brockton to assess the feasibility of building a solar power
facility on an abandoned industrial site. The proposed site
will cover 27 acres and generate 5 to 10 megawatts of power
-- enough to power 3,000 homes. See the Spire press
release at: <http://www.spirecorp.com/Spire/news/PV367.html>.

Old industrial sites, usually contaminated with hazardous
chemicals, are often referred to as brownfields. The
Brockton project is one example of the concept of using
solar energy to convert brownfields into what are being
called "brightfields." See the Brightfields Web site on EREN
at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/brightfields/>.


Biodiesel Fuels Backup Power System at UC Riverside

Riverside, California, is also the location of a unique backup
power system using three 2-megawatt generators that are
powered entirely by biodiesel fuel. Southern States Power
Company, Inc. installed the system at the University of
California, Riverside and is supplying the biodiesel fuel. The
company also announced last month that the City of
Claremont, California, is using a 20 percent blend of its
biodiesel to fuel the city's sanitation vehicles. See the press
releases on the Southern States Power Web site at:
<http://www.sspowerco.com/press.html>.


FuelCell Energy Starts Up Fuel Cell/Microturbine System

FuelCell Energy, Inc. announced last week that it has started
operating one of its 250-kilowatt fuel cells in tandem with a
30-kilowatt microturbine from Capstone Turbine Corporation.
The microturbine is driven by hot exhaust gas from the fuel
cell -- usually the microturbines are driven by combustion of
natural gas. DOE is funding the test of the combined system.

FuelCell Energy also announced last week that it has
received a $1.25 million contract to install a 250-kilowatt fuel
cell power plant at the University of Connecticut. The
Connecticut Clean Energy Fund is funding the installation,
which will be completed in 2002.

See the August 14th and 16th press releases on the
FuelCell Energy Web site at:
<http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/site/investor/press/releases.html>.


Landfill Gas Powers 50 Microturbines in Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Department of Power and Water (LADWP)
announced last week the startup of a new facility that
produces 1.5 megawatts of electricity from landfill gas. The
facility uses methane emissions from the Lopez Canyon
Landfill to power 50 Capstone microturbines, generating
enough power for 1,500 homes. It adds to a six-megawatt
landfill gas power plant that was already operating at the
site. See the LADWP press release at:
<http://www.ladwp.com/whatnew/dwpnews/081601.htm>.


DOE Passes Energy-Efficient Light Project to Private Sector

A DOE program to encourage the encourage the production
and use of shorter, brighter, and more affordable compact
fluorescent lamps (CFLs) is now being turned over to the
private sector. DOE announced on Monday that the so-called
"sub-CFL" program, established by DOE's Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, will now be handed off to the Northwest
Energy Efficiency Alliance, a nonprofit organization. CFLs
use about a quarter of the energy used by standard
incandescent bulbs, last up to 10 times longer, and
generate much less heat.

The program encouraged the development of 17 new CFLs
and is currently saving U.S. consumers more than $22 million
in electricity costs each year. See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases01/augpr/pr01147.htm>.

The new Web site for the program, called BetterBulbsDirect.com,
features CFLs from two manufacturers. Online ordering is available
at discount prices, but the minimum order is 10 bulbs. See
the Web site at: <http://www.betterbulbsdirect.com/>.


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SITE NEWS
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Roadmaps to Energy Efficiency
<http://energyroadmaps.org/>

This site, sponsored by Global Green USA and Environment
Now, provides a step-by-step guide to retrofitting commercial
properties to improve energy efficiency and reduce operating
costs. The site features three approaches, called RoadMaps:
do it yourself, hire an energy consultant firm, or work with an
energy service company. Each RoadMap is presented as a
flowchart that outlines the specific steps of the process and
provides direct links to useful information and resources. The
site also includes case studies that demonstrate the benefits
that have been achieved in buildings throughout the country.

For this and other recent additions to the EREN Web site,
see <http://www.eren.doe.gov/new/whats-new.html>.


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ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
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Income Up For Major Energy Companies in Second Quarter

The second quarter of 2001 yielded a surge in net income
for 26 major energy companies, according to a new report by
DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA). Net income
for these companies increased by 10 percent compared to
the same time period in 2000. The largest increases occurred
in the petroleum industry, at 35 percent, and the natural gas
and power industries, at 30 percent. Domestic petroleum
companies saw a 38 percent increase in income. Domestic
petroleum refining and marketing experienced a 78 percent
increase in income. See the EIA report, "Financial News for
Major Energy Companies," at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/perfpro/news_m/index.html>.

If you're interested in petroleum company incomes, you may
also be interested in the EIA's list of world energy "areas to
watch," which includes oil-producing countries that are
experiencing political or economic troubles. The countries
encircle the globe, from Angola to the Caspian Sea, from
Indonesia to Venezuela. See the EIA's list at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/cabs/hot.html>.


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ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
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The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
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If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@nrel.gov.