1. Home
  2. Articles posted by: Rona Fried (Page 1979)

FuelCell Energy Selected for 'On-the-Fly' Dual Fuel Operation with Propane Gas

FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NasdaqNM:FCEL), a leading manufacturer of ultra-clean electric power plants for commercial and industrial customers, announced its selection by Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC), of Johnstown, Pa., to modify its fuel cell power plant to run on HD-5-grade propane and switch rapidly between fuels. The system and engineering enhancements will enable the stationary power plant to generate base load electricity even in situations when fuel supplies are threatened due to natural disaster or security issues. The R&D project is being sponsored by the federal government to augment the ability of Direct FuelCell (DFC) power plants with a “dual fuel” capacity. CTC is the primary contractor to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, involving its Engineer Research and Development Center’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (ERDC–CERL). The fuel-switching process, which is being developed for FuelCell Energy’s DFC300A power plant, is designed to take place in extremely rapid fashion. Once engineered and evaluated, it is anticipated that the fuel switch will take less than a minute. “The military is always looking for multiple options, whether on the battlefield or in connection with critical stationary facilities here at home,” said Franklin H. Holcomb, CERL’s fuel cell team project leader. “The ability to switch […]

Read More

ECD Ovonics Subsidiary Awarded Michigan Public Service Commission Grant

Energy Conversion Devices, Inc., (ECD Ovonics) (Nasdaq: ENER), announced that Ovonic Fuel Cell Company LLC, its wholly owned subsidiary, has been awarded a $400,000 grant by Michigan Public Service Commission. The grant will support a nine-month program to develop a prototype fuel cell system for uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and emergency power applications. In a fundamentally new approach, the Ovonic Metal Hydride Fuel Cell technology can store electrical energy in the fuel cell stack. This intrinsic energy storage provides for several key performance features ideal for UPS/emergency power applications, including instant-start capability on the order of microseconds and excellent low- temperature performance. The technology provides a low-cost approach based on Ovonic metal hydride materials and does not use expensive noble metals traditionally used as fuel cell catalysts. Website: [sorry this link is no longer available]     

Read More

Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:August 24, 2005

News and Events U.S. Green Building Council Launches LEED for Homes New Tool Helps Fleet Managers Evaluate Hybrid Vehicles Carbon Nanotubes Show Promise for Solar Cells, Other Devices Spain to Build an 11-Megawatt Solar Power Tower Anti-Neutrinos Shed Light on the Source of Geothermal EnergySite NewsLabs 21: Labs for the 21st Century Energy ConnectionsReports: High Gas Prices Changing U.S. Consumer Behavior News & EventsU.S. Green Building Council Launches LEED for HomesThe U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which has set the standard for commercial green buildings through its LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system, is currently launching a one-year pilot project to demonstrate a new LEED rating system for homes. The LEED for Homes Rating System is a voluntary program that will recognize and reward the top 25 percent of green homebuilders. New homes built to the LEED standards will be designed and constructed to use less energy, less water, and fewer materials. The LEED homes will also provide improved indoor air quality through improved controls of pollutant sources and better ventilation and filtration systems. Builders in 11 states plus the Northeast region are participating in the pilot. See the USGBC press release and the LEED Rating System […]

Read More

New Fuel-Economy Standards To Require (Very) Modest Improvements

by Laura Mckler, August 23, 2005 Federal officials plan to propose new fuel-economy standards today for SUVs, minivans and pickup trucks that are expected to force auto makers to modestly improve gas mileage on some of America’s most popular vehicles. The change in fuel-economy rules has been widely anticipated, but details have been scarce. Industry and environmental officials yesterday said they expect the new proposal to moderately boost the standard that auto makers will have to meet in coming years. Environmental lobbyists said they believe the target would be raised by about 1.5 miles per gallon over three years, beginning with the 2008 model year. The average target is currently set to rise to 22.2 mpg for the 2007 model year. Environmentalists already are criticizing the proposal. Eric Haxthausen, an economist with Environmental Defense, said it is “woefully inadequate.” More fundamentally, the administration is proposing a major change in the method of calculating compliance. The current system averages the fuel economy of a manufacturer’s entire light-truck fleet, with the most efficient, smallest sport-utility vehicles and minivans countering big SUVs and pickups that get lower mileage. The new rules are expected to divide trucks into a half-dozen categories based on size, […]

Read More