Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:August 9, 2007

DOE to Award up to $21.5 Million for Vehicle Efficiency Research

DOE announced on Tuesday that it will award up to $21.5 million to 11 cost-shared research and development projects with a goal of improving the fuel efficiency of light-duty vehicle engines. Light-duty vehicles include cars, vans, pickup trucks, and sport utility vehicles. When combined with the industry cost-share, the investment will total nearly $43 million, with funding expected to begin this fiscal year and continue through fiscal year 2010. The 11 projects will focus on optimizing fuel economy in ethanol-powered engines; developing advanced lubrication systems; and exploring high-efficiency, clean-combustion diesel engines.

Seven of the projects will aim to improve the fuel economy in light-duty vehicles that operate on E-85 (a blend of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) and in flex-fuel vehicles, which burn either E85 or gasoline. Five companies in Michigan and one each in Virginia and Massachusetts will receive a total of $15.3 million in DOE funding for the projects. One company in Illinois will receive $491,000 from DOE to develop an environmentally friendly lubricant that will improve an engine’s fuel efficiency. Two companies in Michigan and one in Indiana will receive up to $5.7 million to develop advanced diesel engines for light-duty vehicles. See the DOE press release.

Toyota to Road-Test Plug-In Hybrids in Japan and the United States

Toyota Motor Corporation announced in late July that it has developed a prototype plug-in hybrid vehicle, called the Plug-in HV, which is based on its Prius hybrid vehicle. The new prototype features a larger battery pack than is used in the standard Prius, but unlike many plug-in prototypes, it employs today’s nickel-metal-hydride batteries rather than the next-generation lithium-ion batteries. As a result, the Plug-in HV can travel only 8 miles in its all-electric mode, while most plug-in prototypes target typical commuting distances of 20 to 40 miles. The Plug-in HV has been certified for use on public roads in Japan, and eight of the vehicles will be tested there. Toyota will also provide the plug-in prototypes to the University of California campuses in Berkeley and Irvine as part of an ongoing sustainable mobility development program. See the press releases from Toyota on its activities in Japan and the United States.

A new study from the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Natural Resources Defense Council confirms that plug-in hybrids could significantly reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and petroleum consumption, while also improving nationwide air quality. The study also concludes that there is a sufficient supply of electricity to support plug-in hybrids, even if they gain substantial market share. See the EPRI press release and report.

Hybrid Sales on Record Course Despite Waning Interest

The eventual rise of extremely fuel-efficient plug-in hybrids may stem a declining interest in conventional hybrid vehicles. According to J.D. Power and Associates, only half of new vehicle shoppers in the United States are now considering buying a hybrid, compared to 57% last year. The market research company attributes the drop to more realistic expectations about the fuel economy improvement from hybrid powertrains. However, J.D. Power also notes that hybrids are on course to achieve record sales in 2006. With 187,000 hybrids sold in the first half of the year, the company is projecting sales of 345,000 hybrids, a 35% increase over sales in 2005. The Toyota Prius continues to lead the pack with 50.6% of all hybrid sales. See the J.D. Power press releases on new buyer expectations and sales trends.

Recent news from Toyota reflects both aspects of the J.D. Power reports. Toyota’s global hybrid sales exceeded 1 million as of the end of May, with more than half of those sales in the United States. The company expects to sell a quarter-million hybrids in the United States this year. At the same time, Toyota is offering its 2008 hybrids at lower starting costs: the Camry Hybrid’s base price is dropping by $1,000, or 3.8%, while the Prius base price starts at $20,950 (Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price) for a new model with fewer standard features. The Prius standard model for the 2007 model year started at $22,175, about 5.8% higher than the 2008 standard model. See the Toyota press releases on its hybrid sales, Camry Hybrid price, and Prius prices.

New Fuel-Efficient Jet Prototype Features Blended-Wing Design

A scale-version prototype of a new fuel-efficient jet design successfully completed its first test flight in late July. Designed through a collaboration of the Boeing Company, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the X-48B features a blended-wing body design, a nearly triangular shape in which a rear wing blends smoothly into wide, flat fuselage. According to NASA, this design provides additional lift with less drag than a traditional cylindrical fuselage, resulting in less fuel consumption at cruising speeds. The design could also allow for more carrying capacity and might also reduce noise.

The aircraft that is currently undergoing flight tests is an 8.5% scale model with a 21-foot wingspan, weighing in at only 500 pounds. The remote-controlled research aircraft reached an altitude of 7,500 feet during its maiden test flight, but has the capability of reaching 10,000 feet. It is currently in a “low speed” configuration that flies at 120 knots, but it may later be reconfigured to test its performance at transonic speeds, that is, just below the speed of sound, which is 661.5 knots. Even though modern airliners fly at about Mach 0.85, or 85% of the speed of sound, the airflow over their wings is typically transonic or supersonic. See the press release from NASA’s Dryden Research Center and the discussion of transonic aircraft from NASA’s Glenn Research Center.

DOE Announces New Criteria for Energy Star Refrigerators

DOE announced last week that it has increased the efficiency criteria for refrigerators with the Energy Star label. To qualify for the label, full-size refrigerators must be at least 20% more efficient than current federal energy efficiency standards, an increase from the current 15% minimum. The new criteria will go into effect on April 28th, 2008, and are expected to save U.S. families up to $23.5 million annually on their electric bills. The savings on electricity should offset any additional cost for Energy Star refrigerators within 3 to 5 years of the time of purchase. Freezers and compact refrigerators are not included in the new criteria. See the DOE press release, the current criteria for Energy Star refrigerators, and the new criteria.

Energy Star is a joint program of DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which announced last week that the program is launching new Energy Star labels for commercial dishwashers and ice machines. Energy Star-qualified commercial dishwashers will be, on average, 27% more energy efficient than standard models, while the ice machines will be 14% more energy efficient. Restaurant and commercial kitchen owners and operators will be able to purchase Energy Star-qualified commercial dishwashers starting on October 11th, while ice makers will be available at the beginning of 2008. Over the next five years, these new Energy Star products are expected to save restaurants $100 million in reduced energy and water costs. See the EPA press release, the new Energy Star criteria for dishwashers and ice machines, and the Energy Star Commercial Food Service Web page.

DOE is also considering setting new minimum efficiency standards for commercial refrigeration equipment. New standards will only be put in place if DOE determines that they would be technologically feasible and economically justified, and would result in significant energy savings. DOE is specifically considering new standards for commercial versions of ice-cream freezers; self-contained refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers without doors; and remote-condensing refrigerators, freezers, and refrigerator-freezers. DOE will hold a public meeting on August 23rd and will accept public comments through October 9th. See the DOE’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the July 26th edition of the Federal Register.

IBM Says Mainframes Yield Big Energy Savings in Data Centers

IBM proved last week that the mainframe computer is not dead, as it announced plans to consolidate 3,900 servers onto 30 mainframes, a move that is expected to cut energy use by 80%. Servers are the workhorses of the Internet, “serving up” files and applications for Internet users. IBM will move from servers to mainframes at its data centers in Colorado, Connecticut, and New York, and at its overseas data centers in Australia, Japan, and the United Kingdom. The mainframe migration is part of IBM’s “Project Big Green,” an effort to cut energy use in data centers, and IBM calls the migration “one of the most significant transformations of its worldwide data centers in a generation.” See the IBM press release.

IBM has also previewed a new “blade” computing system for mid-size businesses. Blade computers integrate Web servers, storage, networking, and applications into one system and were originally designed for large businesses. IBM’s new product, the BladeCenter S, sits on a desktop, plugs into a standard power outlet, and can result in an 80% reduction in the number of servers used by an average mid-size company. Most mid-size companies use 25 to 45 servers. See the IBM press release.

Servers could cut their energy use by 25% using existing technologies and strategies, and even more with advanced technologies, according to a new report from the U.S. Environmental P
rotection Agency (EPA). The report notes that data centers consumed 1.5% of the electricity produced in the United States in 2006, with federal servers and data centers accounting for about one-tenth of that electrical use. The energy consumption of servers and data centers has doubled in the past five years and is expected to double again in the next five years, according to the EPA. The report concludes that by taking steps to save energy, U.S. data centers could save $4 billion in annual electricity costs. The EPA is considering setting Energy Star standards for servers and will host a Web-based discussion on the report on Thursday (it didn’t say how much energy that discussion will use). See the EPA press release and for the full report, see the Enterprise Server and Data Center Energy Efficiency Initiatives page on the Energy Star Web site.

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