DOE to Invest $366 Million in Energy Innovation Hubs
DOE outlined plans in December to invest up to $366 million to establish and operate three Energy Innovation Hubs, each of which will focus on accelerating research and development in a key energy area. The three hubs will focus on producing fuels directly from sunlight; improving energy-efficient building systems design; and developing advanced nuclear reactors.
Each hub, to be funded at $122 million over five years, will bring together a multidisciplinary team of researchers to speed research and shorten the path from scientific discovery to technological development and commercial deployment of highly promising energy-related technologies. The hubs are expected to begin work in 2010 and become fully operational by 2011.
Of the two hubs that relate to renewable energy and energy efficiency, the Fuels from Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub will likely draw on the mechanisms of photosynthesis, mimicking the ability of plants to convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugar.
The Energy Efficient Building Systems Design Energy Innovation Hub will focus on advances in core technologies, such as advanced refrigeration cycles, combined with building system design and modeling to develop a fully instrumented building infrastructure.
Universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private firms are encouraged to form partnerships that will compete for an award to establish and operate a hub. A Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) has been issued for the Fuels from Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub, with a due date of March 29, and the FOAs for the other two hubs should be issued in January. Awards, based on evaluation by scientific peer review, will be announced next summer. See the DOE press release, the Hubs Web site, and the FOA for the Fuels from Sunlight Energy Innovation Hub.
Bill Funds Transit Projects, Home Retrofits, and Global Clean Energy
President Obama signed the fiscal year (FY) 2010 appropriations bill for a number of federal agencies, including the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Department of Labor, on December 16, 2009.
The DOT funding includes $2.5 billion for high-speed rail projects and intercity passenger rail projects. It also includes $8.3 billion in FY 2010 spending for transit formula grants, which support investments in transit systems throughout the country. In addition, the bill includes $75 million in grants for public transit agencies to make capital investments that reduce the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of their transit systems, such as buying more fuel-efficient buses or powering their transit systems with renewable energy.
As part of HUD’s funding, the bill includes $50 million for an Energy Innovation Fund, which will enable the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and the new Office of Sustainability to speed innovations in residential energy efficiency. The fund is also designed to help create a market for home energy efficiency retrofits. Half the funding is designated for an Energy Efficient Mortgage Innovation pilot program directed at the single-family housing market; the other half will support a pilot program for the multi-family housing market. The Labor Department will receive $40 million to prepare workers for careers in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Last but not least, the bill provides funding for international efforts, including $300 million for a U.S. contribution to the World Bank’s Clean Technology Fund, which is primarily focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency. The bill also provides $1.26 billion for a variety of international programs related to climate change and the environment, of which $108.5 million will go toward clean energy programs. At least $10 million will support microfinance renewable energy programs, which help finance systems for the poor.
See the White House press release on the signing; pages 23-24, 29, 30, 56, 194, and 364-366 of the legislation, H.R. 3288 (PDF 1.0 MB); and page 31 of the international section of the conference report (PDF 4.6 MB).
Boeing Launches Maiden Flight of the Fuel-Efficient 787 Dreamliner
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner took to the sky for the first time in mid-December, successfully completing the maiden flight of the new fuel-efficient airplane. The new airliner uses 20% less fuel per passenger than other similarly sized airplanes, thanks to an innovative combination of fuel-efficient engines, aerodynamic design, and lightweight composite materials.
By weight, half of the airplane is composed of composite materials, including the fuselage and wings. The aircraft will also provide passengers with innovations that include a new interior environment with cleaner air, larger windows, more stowage space, improved lighting, and other conveniences.
The flight marks a turning point for Boeing, as the Dreamliner’s maiden voyage was delayed by more than two years due to issues with parts supplies, software, and system integration. But Boeing is now moving ahead and has already completed the first flight of its second 787 Dreamliner.
The company will employ six aircraft in its flight-test program, leading to the first commercial delivery in the fourth quarter of 2010. Boeing has 840 orders for the 787 Dreamliner, and in October 2009, the company announced plans to build a second assembly line for the aircraft in North Charleston, South Carolina.
See the Boeing press releases on the first flight, the second flight, and the new assembly line; the list of all press releases for the 787 Dreamliner; and the Boeing Web sites for the 787 Dreamliner and its first flight.
NASA Employs Satellite Data to Calculate California’s Carbon Budget
Calculating the greenhouse gas emissions from a city, state, or country is tricky business, as the calculations must include comprehensive tabulations of energy use, land-use changes, industrial emissions, and other factors. However, a recent NASA project may result in simpler ways to measure greenhouse emissions.
NASA used its Terra satellite to measure the "greenness" of California’s vegetation, then turned to an ecosystem simulation model to estimate monthly variations in the accumulated biomass of wood and other plant materials.
Unfortunately, NASA had to draw on inventory data from the California Energy Commission to model the greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion and from agricultural lands throughout the state.
The study found that in 2004, the state’s natural ecosystems absorbed as much carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as was emitted by burning fossil fuels, with significant amounts of carbon dioxide being trapped in forests and soils during periods of above-normal rainfall.
The bad news for California is that such periods of above-normal rainfall have become rare, as the state has been suffering under drought conditions since the fall of 2006. See the NASA press release and the current status of the drought from the California Department of Water Resources.
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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