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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup:April 7, 2004

*News and Events DOE Awards $128.2 Million to Weatherize Homes in 30 Statesand the Navajo Nation DOE Will Enforce 13 SEER Air Conditioner Standard Florida Schools Launch On-Line Energy Monitoring GE Energy Completes Its Acquisition of AstroPower Illinois Gains Its First Commercial Wind Power Plant New Jersey Doubles Its Requirements for Renewable Energy DOE Awards $128.2 Million to Weatherize Homes in 30 States and the Navajo NationSecretary of Energy Spencer Abraham announced last week the award of $128.2 million to 30 states, plus the Navajo Nation, to improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families. Such families spend an average of 14 percent of their income on energy, compared with 3.5 percent for the average U.S. family. Weatherization reduces an average home’s energy costs by $218 a year. For a full list of states and the amount awarded to each, see the DOE press release.DOE’s Weatherization Assistance Program performs energy audits to identify the most cost-effective measures for each home, which typically include adding insulation, reducing air infiltration, servicing the heating and cooling systems, and providing health and safety diagnostic services. For every dollar spent, weatherization returns $1.40 in energy savings over the life of the measures. The […]

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Chip Makers Get the Lead Out of Products

Intel Corp (Nasdaq:INTC) will launch almost lead-free chips later this year in response to demands for more environmentally friendly electronic goods, the world's largest chip maker said. Intel plans to launch new microprocessors and chipsets with just five percent of the lead used in its current products by the third quarter of 2004. With regulations on hazardous substances used in consumer products getting more stringent, electronics manufacturers are under pressure to use materials and components that contribute to a cleaner environment. National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) announced it will offer lead-free packages for its complete line of integrated circuit (IC) products by the end of 2004. The company also will significantly reduce bromine and antimony-based flame-retardants in an industry-leading effort to make more environmentally neutral electronic components. Today, approximately 90 percent of National's portfolio of 15,000 analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits is available in lead-free package types. Lead was formerly used in the plating finish of copper leadframe-based packages. It was also used in the solder balls of array packages such as Micro SMD, PBGA and FBGA packages. National will replace the lead in leadframe packages with a matte tin finish, and in the solder balls with a tin-silver-copper alloy. Once […]

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Turning Car Plastics into Methanol

What do you do with ten million cars scrapped in the European Union every year? A group of companies have developed the technology to convert the scrap into methanol that in turn can be used as a fuel for clean-burning fuel cells. Metal in the car is mainly compressed and recycled. Far more difficult to recycle are bumpers, dashboards and door upholstery that make up about 20 per cent of a car's weight. Technology developed jointly by SVZ Scharze Pumpe in east Germany, Tecpol and the Brussels Association of Plastic Manufacturers in Europe produces methanol from the shredded residue of these plastic parts, solving one of the most difficult recycling problems. "This technology is at the moment the most modern and eco-friendly on the market because ASR (automotive shredder residue) is recycled 100 per cent," says Bernd Meyer, professor for energy technology in Freiberg, Saxony. European legislation demands that car manufacturers recycle by the year 2006 at least 80 per cent and by the year 2015 at least 85 per cent of a scrapped car. Volkswagen and a Swiss research team are working on a similar shredder recycling scheme but the technology is expected to be ready at the earliest […]

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Samsung Unveils 10 Hour Fuel Cell Laptop

Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT; CEO: Yoon-woo Lee) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. announced continuous usage of notebook PCs for more than 10 hours without recharging using their fuel cell technology. Using nano materials technology, SAIT has reduced the amount of catalyst by 50% by developing Mesoporous carbon material, which supports highly efficient nano catalyst particles with 3 nanometers in dimension. SAIT has developed its unique nano composite concept to prevent methanol crossover by more than 90%. This composite uses a proton conducting membrane that possesses a proton conductivity rate of 0.1S/cm and is 30- to 100-micron in thickness. Energy efficiency is optimized by a unique stack design that has a parallel fuel supply flow, which, combined with a high-efficient controller and Samsung Electronics' package technology, was successfully applied to Samsung's notebook PCs. Dr. Hyuk Chang, who is responsible for fuel cell research at SAIT is planning to give an invited talk at the International Conference of Small Fuel Cell (SFC 2004, Arlington, USA) in May this year. SAIT has filed a total of 40 international patent applications for the secured technologies. Dr. Chang stated, "We are planning to do some additional research with Samsung SDI to meet the […]

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Law Would Protect EU Workers From Electromagnetic Fields

A new law to protect workers against the dangers of exposure to electromagnetic fields is working its way through the European parliamentary system. This environmental danger has been controversial, and many groups and individuals warning against it have been dismissed and subjected to ridicule in the past. The workers most affected are people working long hours near TV and radio broadcasting equipment, radar equipment and mobile phone masts, and even cash desk operators exposed for lengthy periods to the anti-theft devices used in shops, the law states. Exposure to electromagnetic fields can cause shocks, burns and absorption of thermal energy, the Parliament acknowledged, saying that people working in heavy industries such as steel and other metal industries are also at risk. Late last month, the European Parliament approved a report that is acceptable to the Council of Ministers with only five amendments. By approving the report, the Parliament signaled that the law can be adopted swiftly once the Council signs off on it. The law sets maximum values for exposure to electromagnetic fields to protect the health of workers against all known short-term harmful effects. It also establishes reference values above which employers must take preventive measures, and includes provisions […]

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Investor Consortium Forms New Fuel Cell Venture

Celanese AG (NYSE:CZ; FWB:CZZ) announced it has formed the venture PEMEAS Fuel Cell Technologies with a consortium of investors led by Conduit Ventures designed to advance the commercialization of Celanese's fuel cell technology. The venture is effective April 1, 2004. The venture, under which Celanese holds a minority stake, has raised total financing of approximately EUR 18 million. Conduit Ventures Limited, a London-based venture capital company focused on fuel cells and related hydrogen technologies, backed by Danfoss A/S, Johnson Matthey plc, Mitsubishi Corp. and Shell Hydrogen, leads the consortium, consisting of Sustainable Asset Management of Zurich, CDP Capital of Quebec, Canada and InfraServ GmbH & Co. Hochst KG of Frankfurt, affiliate of Celanese AG that manages the industrial park Frankfurt-Hochst. "By teaming up with a network of partners in the fuel cell industry, Celanese has significantly strengthened efforts to successfully commercialize our fuel cell technology while minimizing our developmental expenditures," explains Andreas Pohlmann, Celanese AG chief administrative officer and member of the board of management. John Butt, Managing Partner of Conduit Ventures said "Celanese fuel cell activities represent many years of R&D efforts of the former Hoechst Group and is an enabling technology platform with the potential to address a […]

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