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From May 22-28, you can be among the 40,000 people cheering on more than three dozen electric cars as they travel 225 miles from Waterbury, Connecticut to Lake George, New York. Vehicles get points for fuel efficiency and low emissions, as well as for acceleration, handling, reliability, and driving range. There are many stops along the way, including a drag race and an autocross event. Spectators will be able to preview many of the electric, hybrid-electric and fuel cell cars from major automakers which will soon be available for purchase. There will also be entrants for more than a dozen student teams from major universities as well as engineers working on a variety of clean technologies. http://www.nesea.org
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How much money would you save by installing insulation in your attic? Where can you find the best products and a good contractor to do the job? Homeowners now have access to a wonderful web tool on the Home Energy Saver Internet site which quickly identifies what to do save the most energy and money. Developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the “HES” tool allows homeowners to answer questions previously only available through advanced building simulation software. Until now, DOE-2, considered the most accurate and powerful among professional engineers and architects for building energy simulation, required extensive training and fast computers. Just put in your zipcode and up pops the “Energy Adviser” which shows you the energy use, bills, and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions for your areas’ typical house, and a comparable energy-efficient house. You are prompted to answer a set of basic questions about your house: its floor area, number of occupants, type of heating and air conditioning equipment, and fuel prices, to get a custom-tailored energy bill breakdown. Then, Energy Adviser provides a custom set of energy-saving improvements for your house covering all major energy-using systems: space heating and cooling, water […]
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How much money would you save by installing insulation in your attic? Where can you find the best products and a good contractor to do the job? Homeowners now have access to a wonderful web tool on the Home Energy Saver Internet site which quickly identifies what to do save the most energy and money. Developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the “HES” tool allows homeowners to answer questions previously only available through advanced building simulation software. Until now, DOE-2, considered the most accurate and powerful among professional engineers and architects for building energy simulation, required extensive training and fast computers. Just put in your zipcode and up pops the “Energy Adviser” which shows you the energy use, bills, and energy-related carbon dioxide emissions for your areas’ typical house, and a comparable energy-efficient house. You are prompted to answer a set of basic questions about your house: its floor area, number of occupants, type of heating and air conditioning equipment, and fuel prices, to get a custom-tailored energy bill breakdown. Then, Energy Adviser provides a custom set of energy-saving improvements for your house covering all major energy-using systems: space heating and cooling, water […]
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The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is working with Alternative Fuels Technologies Corporation of Jamaica, Queens to develop a hybrid-electric power train that addresses the issue of high vehicle cost by leaving out the vehicle. This means existing urban delivery vehicles can be retrofitted with the power train. NYSERDA president F. William Valentino says, “By focusing on retrofit technology, Alternative Fuels Technologies has the potential to rapidly expand the market by eliminating the cost associated with developing an entire vehicle. Focusing on urban delivery vehicles places the technology where it provides the most benefit to air quality.” Hybrid-electric vehicles can potentially improve vehicle efficiency by 30 percent and reduce tailpipe emissions by more than 50 percent while providing performance comparable to conventional vehicles.
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Applications are being accepted for nearly $4 million in rebates and grants for projects that increase the use of innovative energy technologies in Illinois. Administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, applicants must be a customer of an investor-owned gas or electric utility; a municipal gas or electric utility; or an electric cooperative that is assessed by the Renewable Energy Resources Trust fund. Funding may be awarded to solar and wind energy projects, dedicated crops grown for energy production, organic waste biomass, and hydropower that does not involve new construction or significant expansion of hydropower dams. Rebates up to $5,000 are available for solar thermal energy and photovoltaic systems. Cost-sharing grants are available to eligible applicants for larger projects in accordance with program guidelines. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. Illinois Department of Commerce and Community Affairs’s Bureau of Energy and Recycling: 217-785-2800
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IBM is manufacturing the first desktop PCs in which all the major plastic parts contain 100 percent recycled material. One of the eight parts it is building with recycled materials is 20 percent less expensive to manufacture than when it was made with virgin plastic. IBM Worldwide Materials Recovery Centers process large amounts of plastic waste which will now have a home in their computers.
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Is there someone you know who would benefit from a basic understanding of renewable energy and energy efficiency? Students, policy makers etc. may benefit from this simple on-line course. It’s an introduction how to save energy, the different forms of renewable energy, public policy issues, and the consequences of renewable energy options. There are 17 lessons, each about one page long, with opportunities for discussion with faculty and fellow students. There are experiments and a final exam. Some of the sections are: Renewable Energy in the U.S.; Market-Based Approaches to Increasing Use of Renewables; and Green Power Guidelines, Definitions, and Certification Programs. [sorry this link is no longer available]
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Riverside Eco-Park, in the pre-development phase, will be 10,000 square feet of business incubator/office space and 50,000 square feet of bioshelter (greenhouse) space. It will feature facilities for value- added food products, greenhouse space for organic agriculture, living machines for processing organic waste into viable products (fertilizer and fish food), and a fish farming facility. This innovative project will be built on Burlingtons Intervale, 700 acres of agricultural land with over 130 community garden plots, market gardens, community supported agriculture gardens, and a biomass research project. Next door is the McNeil Generating Plant, the countrys largest municipally owned wood-fired electric power plant. Its waste heat by-product (steam) will heat the Eco-Park facility, thus closing the energy loop. With a $1,020,000 grant from the Economic Development Administration in hand, the City of Burlington is issuing a Requests for Proposals for architecture, engineering, and other specialized tasks. Many businesses have expressed interest in leasing space in the Eco-Park. A local non-profit has funded a business feasibility study to formulate a tenant mix and appropriate design parameters. Contact Nick Warner, Community & Economic Development Office: nwarner@together.net Source: EIDP Update: [sorry this link is no longer available]
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The Canadian government is holding Parliamentary Hearings on the World Trade Organization and the potential new Free Trade Agreement of the Americas. Public hearings will be held across Canada, giving you an opportunity to shape measures to simultaneously improve the environment and trade in environmental goods and services. People who believe environmental protection and trade can co-exist need to be heard to balance those who advocate that protecting the environment impedes free trade. The Council of Canadians has prepared “The Trade (WTO/FTAA) Action Package” which has background information on trade and investment including the WTO and the FTAA. To make a presentation or request a hearing in your home city, contact Richard Dupuis, Clerk of the Standing Committee: 613-996-1540. For more information on these hearings, Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade (click on news releases, select 1999 and the relevant information is dated Feb. 8, 1999). FROM The Gallon Environment Letter
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The New Jersey utility restructuring law includes a Renewable Portfolio Standard of 3% by 2001, rising to 6.5% by 2012. A “benefits charge” on each kilowatt-hour of electricity sold begins in 2000 and continues for eight years, yielding $1 billion to support renewable energy and energy efficiency programs. 25 percent of this total is earmarked for renewable energy technologies. The law also includes a net metering provision and follows Colorado and California in its requirement that producers disclose a breakdown of its generating sources and environmentally-hazardous emissions associated with its fuel mix. Source: Sustainable Energy Coalition Weekly Update: kbossong@cais.com
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