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#1389 From: "Tom Gray" <tomgray@...>
Date: Wed May 1, 2002 3:52 pm
Subject: EREN Network News -- 05/1/02
tomgraywind
Send Email Send Email
 
=================================================
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- May 1, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
=================================================

Featuring:
*News and Events
           New State Initiatives and Laws to Boost Renewable Energy
           Utah Enacts Net Metering Legislation, Kentucky Starts Pilot
           Environmental Summit Yields Renewable Power Recommendations
           DOE Funds Research to Increase Geothermal Production
           DOE, BPA to Test Environmentally Friendly Turbines
           Zero-Energy House Featured in Atlanta and on National Mall
           Houston Group to Plan Ways to Fight Heat Island Effect

*Energy Facts and Tips
           Is Nuclear Power Coming Back in the United States?

*About this Newsletter


----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS AND EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
New State Initiatives and Laws to Boost Renewable Energy

A proposed initiative in Michigan and new laws and
regulations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire are likely
to increase the production and use of renewable energy in
each of the states.

In Michigan, Governor John Engler announced in mid-April
his "NextEnergy" economic development plan, which
focuses on hydrogen-powered fuel cells but also encourages
the establishment of other renewable energy industries in
the state. The energy blueprint proposes a 700-acre, tax-free
"NextEnergyZone" near Ann Arbor, including a state-of-the-
art clearinghouse and information resource called the
NextEnergy Center. With its proposals for a national
certification and standards program, tax incentives and
exemptions, microgrid demonstrations, and an international
conference, the NextEnergy program could catalyze the
development of renewable and fuel cell industries in the
state. See the NextEnergy Web site, with links to the
governor's announcement, at:
<http://www.nextenergy.org/default.htm>.

In Massachusetts, new regulations are in place for a
statewide standard for production of electricity from
renewable energy sources. The Massachusetts Renewable
Portfolio Standard (RPS) specifies that retail suppliers of
electricity must draw on new renewable energy projects to
provide one percent of their power in 2003, increasing to
four percent by 2009. However, electricity suppliers can
avoid the requirement by purchasing credits from the
Massachusetts Technology Park Corporation, which
administers the state's Renewable Energy Trust. For 2003,
the credits will cost $50 per megawatt-hour, or 5 cents per
kilowatt-hour, which is likely to be higher than the
incremental cost of new renewable power sources. The
regulation is expected to take effect this month. See the RPS
regulations on the Massachusetts Division of Energy
Resources Web site at: <http://www.state.ma.us/doer/rps/index.htm>.

New Hampshire is approaching power production from the
opposite direction, through regulation of power-plant
emissions. The state's new multiple pollutant reduction
program is the first in the country to include carbon dioxide
emissions. The program caps emissions at their current
levels and establishes a system of emissions credits that can
be traded among power generators. It also requires the
state's Department of Environmental Services to establish an
integrated strategy to reduce emissions, including the use of
energy efficiency and renewable energy. The legislation
anticipates lowering the carbon emissions cap in 2010. See
the New Hampshire bill at:
<http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2002/hb0284.html>.


Utah Enacts Net Metering Legislation, Kentucky Starts Pilot

Utah and Kentucky have joined the ranks of states in which
the state's utilities offer net metering to their customers. Net
metering allows customers to install their own power
generation systems and feed excess power back into the
grid. Customers are billed only for their net electricity use
over a month or a year -- ideally, their meter turns backwards
when they are feeding power into the grid. Net metering is
usually limited to clean power sources of a certain size.
The Utah legislation, which takes effect next week, applies to
renewable energy and fuel cell installations of not more than
25 kilowatts. See the Utah bill at:
<http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2002/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0007.htm>.

In Kentucky, net metering will be tested through pilot
programs run by the Louisville Gas and Electric Company
and the Kentucky Utilities Company. The three-year pilots
will allow 25 customers of each utility to try net metering,
with residential customers limited to 10-kilowatt systems and
non-residential customers limited to 25-kilowatt systems.
The pilot applies to wind, hydropower, and solar installations.
The utilities will install sophisticated meters to examine
whether the systems feed power to the grid during peak or
off-peak periods, with the intent of determining the costs and
benefits of the program. See March 14th order, number
2001-00303, on the PSC Web site at:
<http://www.psc.state.ky.us/agencies/psc/orders/032002/ord_idx.htm>.

Net metering is now available to some extent in 36 states.
Most of the states require net metering by legislation. For a
summary of these programs, see the EREN Green Power
Web site at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/greenpower/netmetering/nmtable.shtml>.


Environmental Summit Yields Renewable Power Recommendations

The Second Environmental Summit on the West, held last week in
Salt Lake City, Utah, resulted in a detailed list of recommendations
for increasing power production from renewable energy resources in
the West. The recommendations focus on the use of renewable
energy credits as well as ways to increase renewable power
production on federal lands. Cosponsored by the Western
Governors' Association (WGA) and the White House Council on
Environmental Quality, the summit was based on "Enlibra" principles,
which aim to develop a consensus approach to environmental
issues. See the WGA press release at:
<http://www.westgov.org/wga/press/pr_4-25-02_roundup.htm>.


DOE Funds Research to Increase Geothermal Production

DOE announced Monday its award of $4.5 million over the
next five years to two firms that will investigate ways to
increase the production of energy from geothermal
reservoirs. These reservoirs consist of water or steam that
permeates the pores and fissures of rock deep underground.
That rock, in turn, is heated by magma that has swelled up
far below Earth's surface. The extent of the pores or fissures
in the rock will limit how much energy can extracted through
a geothermal well.

To increase the amount of energy that can be extracted, the
DOE-funded project will pump water at high pressure into an
existing reservoir, fracturing the subsurface rocks and
creating new channels for the flow of the hot water. The
process, known as "hydrofracing," will be applied to the
Coso geothermal field, located about 25 miles north of
Ridgecrest, California, on the China Lake Naval Air
Weapons Station. The University of Utah's Energy and
Geoscience Institute and Caithness Energy, LLC will perform
the test at a total cost of about $12 million. See the DOE
press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/aprpr/pr02072.htm>.


DOE, BPA to Test Environmentally Friendly Turbines

DOE's Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) announced in
mid-April that it is working with the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers to install and test a prototype turbine on the
McNary Dam on the Columbia River. BPA anticipates that a
new turbine could increase the safe passage of fish through
the turbine while also boosting power production.

The Army Corps of Engineers is currently soliciting
proposals for the project, and intends to have contractors
build scale models for testing. By next year, that testing
should be complete, leading to production of a full-scale
prototype. By 2015, all of the turbines may be replaced at
McNary, potentially increasing power production by
90 megawatts on average. See the BPA press release at:
<http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/kc/media/NewsRelease.cfm?ReleaseNo=287>.

DOE's Idaho Operations Office is also planning to test
environmentally friendly turbines. DOE aims to install an
advanced turbine at a site in the United States or Canada.
The office is seeking applications from hydropower
developers that are currently planning or conducting the
rehabilitation of an existing hydropower plant. Responses
are due June 4th. See the DOE Hydropower Program Web
site at: <http://hydropower.id.doe.gov/turbine/turbine.htm>.

While DOE works to reduce the environmental impact of
existing hydropower installations, the Low-Impact
Hydropower Institute (LIHI) is working to recognize
hydropower facilities that are already minimizing their
impact. The institute just certified its first project, the Putnam
hydropower facility in northeastern Connecticut. The
575-megawatt run-of-river plant had to meet eight rigorous
criteria to achieve certification. See the LIHI press release at:
<http://www.lowimpacthydro.org/Recent.html>.


Zero-Energy House Featured in Atlanta and on National Mall

Visitors to the Atlanta Home Show last month were wowed
by an unusual entry: a zero-energy house. The house
combines solar energy, a geothermal heat pump, and
energy efficiency to eliminate its need for outside energy
sources. See the Atlanta Home Show press release at:
<http://www.atlantahomeshow.com/spring2002/Press_Release_2.aspx>.

Sponsored by the Captain Planet Foundation, the 1,500-
square-foot house -- they actually refer to it as a "cottage" --
is due to be displayed on the National Mall in Washington,
D.C., this Friday and Saturday as part of the National Park
Service Sustainability Fair. See the Captain Planet Web site
at: <http://www.captainplanetfdn.org/features/ze_cottage.html>.

Why call this a "cottage"? Because the Captain Planet
Foundation is now in the process of building a 2,200-square-
foot house. The two-story zero-energy house is being built
as part of DOE's Building America program. See the Captain
Planet Web site at:
<http://www.captainplanetfdn.org/features/ze.html>.

More zero-energy houses will be displayed on the National
Mall this fall, when 14 college teams erect their entries in the
Solar Decathlon. The ten-part contest culminates with the
construction and operation of the 14 solar homes in late
September and early October. The Solar Decathlon Web site
now includes links to the team Web sites, which are part of
the competition. See the Solar Decathlon Web site on EREN
at: <http://www.eren.doe.gov/solar_decathlon/home.html>.


Houston Group to Plan Ways to Fight Heat Island Effect

The power of solar energy is all too apparent in today's
cities, where dark roofs, asphalt, concrete, and other
materials inadvertently work together to make the cities
function as giant solar collectors. The resulting "heat island"
effect can boost urban temperatures by 5 to 9 degrees
Fahrenheit, driving up the use of air conditioners, increasing
ozone levels, and exacerbating health problems.

In Houston -- a city that has more than its share of both heat
and ozone -- a non-profit group is now developing a plan to
reduce the city's heat island effect. The Houston Advanced
Research Center (HARC) has received a grant to develop a
"Cooler Houston Implementation Plan," which is likely to
include tree planting projects as well as incentives for roofers
and pavers to use heat-reflecting materials. See the HARC
press release at: <http://www.harc.edu/pressroom/02_0412.html>.

The urban heat island effect is a matter of international
interest, as demonstrated by the North American Urban Heat
Island Summit, which starts this evening in Toronto. The
summit of leading researchers, municipal leaders, doctors,
and policy experts from across Canada and the United
States will tackle heat island trends and challenges, best
practices, and the latest science on heat island adaptation
and mitigation measures. See the summit announcement on
the City of Toronto Web site at:
<http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/taf/uhis_summit.htm>.

For more information about the urban heat island effect, see
the Heat Island Group, part of DOE's Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, at: <http://eetd.lbl.gov/heatisland/>.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Is Nuclear Power Coming Back in the United States?

It's been over 20 years since a new nuclear plant has been
proposed in the United States, but recent news suggests this
languishing power source may be having a revival. Thanks
to a new, streamlined licensing process offered by the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and a DOE offer to
share the cost of preparing a permit, three nuclear operating
companies have announced their intentions to apply for a
so-called "early site permit" at existing nuclear stations.
Entergy Nuclear, one of the three, emphasized that it does
not currently plan to build a new nuclear plant, but will
examine the economics three to five years from now. The
company applied for a permit at its Grand Gulf Nuclear
Station, located in Port Gibson, Mississippi. According to
Entergy, the new permits, if granted, would be good for
20 years and could then be renewed for another 20 years.
See the April 16th press release on the Entergy Web site at:
<http://www.entergy.com/news_database/>.

For more information about the DOE offer to fund new site
permits, see the press release on the DOE Office of Nuclear
Energy, Science & Technology at:
<http://www.nuclear.gov/home/03-4-02.html>.

Meanwhile, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) is
considering restarting its Browns Ferry Unit 1 nuclear power
plant. A new report estimates that it will take five years and
$1.7 billion to restart the reactor, which has not operated
since 1985. The project is currently undergoing an
environmental review. See the TVA press release at:
<http://www.tva.gov/news/releases/0302bfreport.htm>.

Although nuclear generating capacity has remained
essentially steady for the past 12 years, nuclear operators
have successfully kept the units operating more often in
recent years. According to DOE's Energy Information
Administration (EIA), the amount of electricity generated by
U.S. nuclear plants achieved a record last year, at
768.8 billion kilowatt-hours. See the EIA press release at:
<http://www.eia.doe.gov/neic/press/press191.html>.

See also the EIA chart of nuclear generating capacity at:
<http://eia.doe.gov/cneaf/nuclear/page/nuc_reactors/reactsum.html>.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/newsletter/subscribe/>.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
home page is located at <http://www.eren.doe.gov/>.

If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....

#1390 From: "Butch" <hydrep@...>
Date: Thu May 2, 2002 4:06 pm
Subject: WHERE CAN I BUY A FUEL CELL ?
hydrep@...
Send Email Send Email
 
IS THERE ANYONE SELLING FUEL CELLS ?
THANK YOU , BUTCH 

#1391 From: "Tom Gray" <tomgray@...>
Date: Thu May 2, 2002 5:58 pm
Subject: News from AWEA: Wind Advocacy Group Launches Small Wind Campaign
tomgraywind
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American Wind Energy Association
www.awea.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 2, 2002

Contact: Kathy Belyeu (202) 383-2520, (202) 903-5989
Heather Rhoads-Weaver (206) 328-2441
Tom Gray (802) 649-2112

WIND ADVOCACY GROUP LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO
EDUCATE CALIFORNIA CONSUMERS
New California Laws Make Owning a
Home Wind Energy System Cheaper and Easier

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), together with the California
Energy Commission (CEC), launched a campaign this week to educate consumers
about the benefits of owning a small wind system and the state incentives
that exist to encourage California consumers to generate their own
electricity.  Several California state programs have recently come into
effect that make installing a home wind system cheaper and easier than ever
before.  To educate customers on the new opportunities to invest in
self-generation, AWEA sent out a mailing this week to 65,000 rural
California households that could benefit from owning a home wind system.
The Association has also added resources to its Web site at
http://www.awea.org/faq/ca_shock.html .

Even in moderately windy areas, small wind systems are the most economical
way for consumers to generate their own electricity.  Home wind systems are
typically connected to the utility wires, so that when the wind is blowing,
it reduces the amount of electricity purchased from the utility company, and
during low-wind periods, the utility provides power as usual.  These systems
therefore do not need batteries.  During high wind periods the home's
electric meter will actually turn backwards.

With the help of California incentives, a typical payback period will be six
or seven years; after that, the wind power system generates virtually free
electricity for the rest of its 30-year useful life.  Since the savings are
tax-free, this is equivalent to earning a return of 25% or more on a taxable
investment.  "There just aren’t many investment opportunities that good
these days," notes Kathy Belyeu of AWEA.  In addition, wind power does not
create any by-products that pollute the air and water, nor does it
contribute to global climate change.
California leads the nation in programs to make buying and installing a home
wind turbine easier:

* California Energy Commission rebate

The California Energy Commission currently offers a rebate of 50% on the
purchase price of a home or small business wind energy system.  Three
manufacturers of home wind energy systems have been approved by the CEC to
receive the credit.  For more information, contact the CEC Energy Center at
(800) 555-7794, renewable@... , or
www.consumerenergycenter.org/renewable .  A brochure with detailed
information is available for download at
http://www.awea.org/smallwind/documents/WindGuide_final.pdf .

* State tax credit

New legislation offers consumers who install home or small business wind
energy systems a 15% tax credit on the net costs (after rebates) for systems
installed by December 31, 2002.  A credit of 7.5% of net costs is available
for systems installed after January 1, 2003 and before December 31, 2004.

A typical system that is large enough to meet the average electricity needs
of an energy efficient house costs approximately $16,000 to install after
the CEC rebate and state tax credit.  A 10-kW system, for example, can
reduce the owners' monthly electric bill by as much as $150 - $250.

* New zoning law

California has enacted legislation that will simplify and standardize small
wind systems zoning ordinances across the state.  Existing height
restrictions and other permit requirements have made installing small wind
systems difficult.  The new law requires California cities and counties to
enact ordinances that allow wind turbine tower heights of at least 65 feet
on any property sized one acre or more, allowing consumers to take advantage
of the better wind speeds at greater heights.  The bill also defines
appropriate setback, noise, and engineering analysis requirements.  If
cities and counties fail to act by July 1, the law states that small wind
turbines will receive a permit by default, provided that they meet the
state's minimum requirements.

* Net metering

California utilities are required to allow customers with small wind systems
to send any excess power generated back to the utility, receiving credit for
it at the same retail electric rate paid by the customer.  Since California
allows net metering on an annual basis, the excess power generated in
high-wind months can, in effect, be banked with the utility for use in
low-wind months.

More information is available from the following sites:

American Wind Energy Association
http://www.awea.org/smallwind

Mailing sent to 65,000 households available for download at :
"California Wind Power for Energy Independence" flyer (387 kb)
(http://www.awea.org/smallwind/documents/CWCFINAL.pdf)

Fact sheet on installing small wind energy systems in Solano, Kern, San
Bernardino, and Los Angeles counties (95 kb)
(http://www.awea.org/smallwind/documents/ca_factsheet2.pdf)

Fact sheet on installing small wind energy systems in Alameda, Sonoma, Santa
Cruz, and San Luis Obispo counties (82 kb)
(http://www.awea.org/smallwind/documents/ca_factsheet1.pdf)

Flyer on the California Energy Commission's 50% cash rebate for small-scale
renewable systems (38 kb)
(http://www.awea.org/smallwind/documents/RenewablesBuydownflyer.pdf)

Plus more than a dozen “success stories” of residential-scale wind turbine
installations
(see samples below) accessible from http://www.awea.org/smallwind  .

California Energy Commission
http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/renewable

Map of California wind resource potential
http://www.energy.ca.gov/maps/windmap.html

Manufacturers with CEC-approved home wind systems

Bergey Windpower, 405-364-4212, http://www.bergey.com
Southwest Windpower, 928-779-9463, http://www.windenergy.com
Wind Turbine Industries, 209-267-1303, http://windturbine.net

SAMPLE CUSTOMER INTERVIEWS

Tehachapi, CA (Kern County) David Colley has seen a 30-50% decrease in his
electricity bills since installing a 10 kW Bergey turbine in March 2001.
Colley lives in an all-electric house built by his parents in 1979. Despite
taking various measures to make his home more energy efficient, Colley’s
electricity consumption ranged from 1,200-2,562 kWh/month. With Southern
California Edison’s recent rate increases and 5-tiered rate structure,
Colley found himself paying anywhere from $150 per month in the summer to as
much as $465 per month during the coldest winter months.

Nestled among the hills on a 2.5-acre property, the Colley house is cooled
in summer by the winds that blow fairly constantly year-round. Why not,
thought David Colley, take advantage of those winds to generate electricity?
Permitting was not an obstacle. Colley’s neighbors were comfortable with the
installation, which consists of a 10 kW turbine on an 80-ft. guyed tower,
erected on a hill about 80 feet from the house. The installation itself
presented no problems. The first storm shut down the system because of
damage to the inverter box; the manufacturer (Trace) responded quickly,
repairing the inverter at no charge and building a protective box around it.

During its first year of operation, Colley’s small wind system cut his
winter electricity bills by about $150-$200/month. With the California
Energy Commission’s 50% rebate and the state tax credit, Colley estimates
that his wind turbine will pay for itself within seven years or less.


Scotts Valley, CA (Santa Cruz County) – Larry Gilliam and his wife “got
interested in the whole idea of wind power” while visiting Palm Springs. “We
took a tour of one of the small wind farms in San Gorgonio Pass,” explains
Gilliam. “The big thing on my mind was reliability.” After reading about the
California Energy Commission’s 50% rebates, Gilliam contacted a dealer. He
decided on a 10 kW turbine. Height restrictions were an early obstacle to
permitting, but a special wind energy zoning ordinance “leftover from the
last energy crisis” provided the solution. With the help of his County
Supervisor, Gilliam was able to obtain a building permit for his 80-foot
self-supporting lattice tower, the first of its kind in Santa Cruz County.

Gilliam hired a contractor to pour the foundation. Gilliam and his son put
the tower together on the ground. In September, 2001, they brought a wind
contractor to help erect the tower, using a crane. The electrical
connections were completed by the end of September, and PG&E signed off on
the interconnection and the net metering agreement shortly thereafter.

The Gilliams’ system began operating in October, 2001. While below-average
wind levels in their area have resulted in lower-than-expected generation
figures for the first six months, the Gilliams have managed to cut their
monthly electric bill from $120 to about $80, and are hopeful that they will
see still higher savings over the life of the system.
____________________________________________________________________________
_

AWEA, formed in 1974, is the national trade association of the U.S. wind
energy industry.  The association’s membership includes turbine
manufacturers, wind project developers, utilities, academicians, and
interested individuals.  More information on wind energy is available at the
AWEA web site:  www.awea.org

#1392 From: "Steve Spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Fri May 3, 2002 12:21 am
Subject: The Seven Sisters
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
We have formed a very exclusive club... Between us we control ninety
percent of crude exports to world markets, and we are now united. We are
making history.
-- Perez Alfonso, 1960


The Seven Sisters

The Great Oil Companies and the World They Made

Anthony Sampson

Hodder and Stoughton, 1975, ISBN 0 340 19427 8



  Contents

1. Who Controls?
2. The Rockefeller Inheritance
3. Oil and Empire
4. The Carve-up
5. Jackpot
6. Iran and Democracy
7. The Intruders
8. Opec
9. Sisters Under Stress
10. Libyan Ultimatum
11. The Crunch
12. Embargo
13. The Reckoning
14. The New Cartel
15. The Seduction


http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/7sisters/




--
Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...

#1393 From: "steve spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Fri May 3, 2002 12:39 am
Subject: Re: WHERE CAN I BUY A FUEL CELL ?
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
try the leads at http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/fuelcell.htm
Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Butch" <hydrep@...>
To: <renewable-energy@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, May 02, 2002 12:06 PM
Subject: [renewable-energy] WHERE CAN I BUY A FUEL CELL ?


IS THERE ANYONE SELLING FUEL CELLS ?
THANK YOU , BUTCH

#1394 From: Keon-Hoon KIM <kkh4417@...>
Date: Fri May 3, 2002 9:26 am
Subject: Request for grid connected small windturbine
kkh4417@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Hello !!

I have one request for the grid connection of small wind turbine system.

In Korea, the grid connection of small wind turbine system at home
is very seldom until now.  Thus the attitude of Korean grid company is
also
very sticky.  So we have to submit some technical materials on the grid
connection of small wind turbine system to them.
I would like to get some documents, regulations or recommendations,
drawings, one-line diagram, etc. on the grid connection of small
wind-system
at home from anyone in this mailing-lists.
Please understand my circumstances and help me.

Best regards;

Keon-Hoon KIM
71-2 Jang-Dong Yusong-Gu
Daejon S. KOREA

Tel : +82 42 860 3434
Fax : +82 42 860 3739
E-mail : kkh4417@...

#1395 From: "steve spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Sat May 4, 2002 12:31 pm
Subject: GRAPHICAL EXPLANATION OF BIODIESEL SYNTHESIS PROCESS
sspence65
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GRAPHICAL EXPLANATION OF BIODIESEL SYNTHESIS PROCESS
Christian Lenoir - Env. Engineer - U.C.A.
(following M. Pelly´s recipe, as explained at www.journeytoforever.org)

pictures at http://www.clenoir.com/bd.htm


       WVO (unfiltered). This was mainly used sunflower oil. The crumbs and
debris at the bottom are not evident from the photo, but there actually is a
sediment layer derived form things cooked in the oil.

       As I´ve said, these photos don´t show clearly the difference between
filtered and unfiltered oil, but I thought it was important to point out the
need to filter the WVO (Waste Vegetable Oil) beforehand so as to work with a
clean fluid.
       This is my kitchen stove, over which I heated the WVO to reduce
viscosity and ease the filtering process, which was first performed through
filter paper in a funnel, into a separate aluminum pot.
       Filtering through coffe filters was awfully slow, so I switched to
kitchen tissue paper (a bit tougher than tissue actually, sort of as a
kleenex (R) tissue paper). The greater surface area of a big plastic sieve
favoured the speed of the filtering process, and was effective in removing
most of the particles present in the WVO.
       I heated the oil to boil off excess water (though little bubbling was
observed, showing there was not much water present). Water in the oil comes
mainly from the food which was cooked in it. This step should be performed
always as a preventive measure, first heating for some minutes to 105 ºC
until bubbles stop appearing, and then to 130ºC (photo) for some minutes
more, just to be sure. "Dry" WVO can be stored to be used later (I did
this).
       This is my scale (to measure lye, also known as sodium
hydroxide -NaOH-). I needed to measure 0,5g for my 100 ml of WVO (according
to my titration results), and for this I used a combination of nuts and
washers, which added up to the neccesary 0,5g.
       My titration equipment, which included isopropylic alcohol (green
bottle), sodium hydroxide 0,025M solution, a syringe to add the sodium
hydroxide solution drops (and measure them precisely... I used a 3ml
syringe), and of course the WVO to titrate, amongst other things. Titration
results showed I needed nearly 5g NaOH per liter of WVO.
       Titration results. The test tubes show the colour of phenolphtalein in
the titration mixture once pH 8,3-9 is reached. One must take into
consideration the fact that the WVO may take some time to fully react, so a
solution which goes pink after a few drops, may clear out after 5 minutes or
so, indicating more lye is needed to reach the specified pH value of 8.
       A bit of a big photo, but I thought my first batch of BD deserved it.
Out of 100ml of WVO and 20ml of MeOH (methanol), I got approximately 97ml BD
and 11ml glycerin. (remember that the addition of reactants and products
differs because they are different substances, and the molecules of
different substances have different intermolecular spaces, producing
different volumes for same weights... i.e., some substances have their
molecules more "packed" than others. As you can see, my fresh biodiesel had
a light yellow colour, and the glycerin was "dark tea" coloured (actually a
bit darker and more brownish).
       The first washing stage for my 100ml batch was performed in a clear
glass bottle, with the aid of an air stone and a fish-tank aereator. You can
see a slight emulsification problem here, as the first wash formed a
considerable ammount of soap which made the water and biodiesel (FAME, for
fatty acid methyl esters) mix together in a hardboiled egg yolk coloured
emulsion. At the bottom you can still see a small layer of whiteish water.
The white suspension is because of the soaps, formed when free sodium in the
solution combines with fatty acids in the presence of water and
"saponifies", or "forms soap"
       The second stage washing made the water not so white. It was still
milky, but translucid. The same bubble wash method was used.
       The neutral pH of the FAME (Biodiesel) is clearly seen here on
unversal indicator strips. The coloured bands on the strip match the colours
of a specific pH on the reference scale on the side of the strips´ box. Here
the strip coincides with pH 7 (neutral).
       The third wash shows almost tranparent water... good enough. You can
also notice how emulsification problems virtually dissappear. The border
between the biodiesel and the water is clearly defined, and after an hour or
so settling the water can already be drained, or as in theis case, the
biodiesel may be syphooned with a hose from the top.
       The three test tubes show the resulting water from the three washing
stages. The first test tube shows clear evidence of soap formation (it even
had soap bubbles on the surface).
       Same as above.
       Yet again, my third stage in the washing process, after a day of two
settling it. After this I syphooned the biodiesel with a fish bowl aereator
air hose.
       Close up, my biodiesel after the third wash and some days of settling.
       The result was a crystal clear pale yellow liquid, as seen in the
picture. There seems to be less BD in the bottle, but actually I changed
bottles. MY FIRST BIODIESEL BATCH! (Though only 100 ml)... I wanted MORE!
       My electric mixer. I had a 9V motor (you´ll never believe where I got
it from: an old "epilady" machine). It even had a switch and the little mini
socket for the transformer´s plug. I epoxied it onto an "L" section aluminum
rod, and I made a wooden clamp for my retort stand.
       This is my mixer, as explained above, with the addition of my
"reaction vessel", a 2lt stainless steel ice bucket. Actually, quite a good
option, as it was much cheaper than stainless steel cooking pots, and had no
soldering (it was one whole piece). Nothing as nice as shining, glittering
good stainless steel metal.
       From the side, you can see proportions better. The mixer´s rod was
made from a steel coat hanger and was close to 15 or 20 cm long. I suppose
eventually it will suffer some corrosion, but still, it´s detatchable from
the motor. It had a little triangular hook at the end. One thing I found was
that due to the reduced viscosity of the biodiesel in comparison to the
initial WVO, the small vortex formed at the beginning finally got too deep
and produced bubbles, so I had to shift the mixer from the geometrical
center of the bucket towards one of the sides (this had very good results,
providing a very thorough mixing without vortexing).
       My second batch was a bit more greedy: 5 liters of WVO. This reaction
was performed at my old secondary school lab, who was very supportive and
even lended me some glassware, as this 6 lt. Pyrex (R), which I used to
store the biodiesel and to wash it. The photo session for this batch started
here, with the biodiesel already obtained, and the glycerin already settled
at the bottom. As you can see, the bottle has a hose at the bottom, and this
was very useful to remove liquids from the bottom, though in this case I let
the glycerin solidify (this was not totally achieved, but almost all of it
whent solid, save the interface betweent the bd and the glycerin)... so what
I really did was syphoon the biodiesel with a hose from the bottle´s top.
The glycerin is like dark Kero (R), or very dark brown tea in colour. The
non-decanted biodiesel was honey coloured (more or less).
       Same photo, different angle. I think the actual colour was a bit
clearer, but not much more: the brownish colour is due to suspended glycerin
which still hadn´t settled.
       This seems more of an artistic photo. It was intended to show the
layer between glycerin and biodiesel (looks like the moon´s surface, due to
"unexploded" bubbles on it. I had a little light, focus and contrast
problem, but I liked the colours. I won´t try to explain the angle but it´s
close to the base of the 6lt Pyrex.
       Once I allowed the glycerin to fully settle and separate from the
biodiesel, this was the result. You can see the colour has cleared out and
is now closer to pale yellow. The light brown coloured layer IN the glycerin
layer (at the bottom) is solidified glycerin.
       My lab equipment. From left to right, top to bottom: (above) HDPE 5lt
container, my mixer, glassware, 6lt Pyrex, (below) Methanol, NaOH,
Isopropylic Alcohol, Stainless Steel Ice Bucket, Stone Aereator and hose,
and the Aereator itself.
       Syphooning the Biodiesel from the Pyrex into the HDPE container. The
biodiesel still required washing and filtering, but I used the container to
separate the BD. Then I removed the glycerin from the bottle quite easily by
heating the bottle and liquifying the glycerin, which allowed me to remove
it through the hose at the bottom.
       After separating the glycerin and moving it into another glass jar, I
poured the biodiesel into the (previously washed) 6lt Pyrex (again!). This
bottle came in very handy for the washing stages. Unfortunately here they
cost about U$S 90.
       The first wash presented soap formation to some degree. During the
first minutes, the water and biodiesel remain quite distinguishable. The air
bubble floated upwards covered by a film of water which washed the
biodiesel. After a while, specially during the first washes, soap bubbles
form on the surface and the border between water and biodiesel turns rather
blurry due to emulsification.
       After some time, the water shows a milky appearance, and as evidenced
by the photo, foamy soap bubbles appear on top of the biodiesel. On the
right is the washed glycerin. Glycerin must be heated to near 60º C to boil
off it´s methanol content (as this substance is toxic, and if glycerin is to
be used as a soap or degreaser, you don´t want methanol in it). Then it must
be neutralized, as the remaining lye will leave a pH level close to 11 (and
this will "eat away your skin"). I added vinegar (because of it´s content of
acetic acid) but found out it was not strong enough. So as not to dilute the
glycerin too much, I took it´s pH to 4 with muriatic acid, thus separating a
layer of fatty acids which floated on top, and then went back to pH 7 with
more solid lye. The glycerin and water mix quite well, and elaborate
distillation processes are needed to separate them.
       As I said, after some hours of washing, the water of the first stage
wash became incredibly milky, due to soap formation. Floating on top is the
biodiesel, opaque in colour due to the presence of impurities such as soap
and emulsified water droplets.

       A few washes after (during the third bubble wash), there was not much
soap formation, but instead the bubbles were clear and filled most of the
bottle (though they exploded quickly when I stopped the aereator).

       After three bubble washings and the usual couple of days for settling,
the biodiesel still wasn´t as translucid as my 100ml batch, so I tried to
heat it (which turned it transparent), but after recooling, it whent murky
again, so I filterd itthrough ordinary paper coffee filters, and voila!,
crystal clear biodiesel. On the left the test tubes show water from the
three washing stages, and behind is the bottle with neutralized glycerin
(close to 400ml).
       This is the colour of my biodisel. The result was about 4 liters of
fine transparent, pale yellow biodiesel, which is for the moment sitting
there in my bedroom on a shelf ni a HDPE containder (the same one I used
before), waiting to be tested in a diesel engine.
       ...and, this is me and my BIODIESEL!


http://www.clenoir.com/bd.htm


--
Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...

#1396 From: "jon_bondy" <jbondy@...>
Date: Tue May 7, 2002 11:13 am
Subject: ground heat exchanger question
jon_bondy
Send Email Send Email
 
I'm looking for information on how to build an "air conditioner"
using pipes in the ground as a source of water cooling.  Do you know
of any useful resources on this topic?  I am not looking for web
sites that seek paying customers: I want tools to help the do-it-
yourselfer design and implement their own small-scale system.

Thanks!

Jon

#1397 From: "Tom Gray" <tomgray@...>
Date: Wed May 8, 2002 1:57 pm
Subject: EREN Network News -- 05/08/02
tomgraywind
Send Email Send Email
 
=================================================
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- May 8, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
=================================================

Featuring:
*News and Events
           G-8 Energy Ministers Emphasize Energy Efficiency, Renewables
           Vehicle Technologies Highlighted During G-8 Energy Forum
           Colleges, Universities Buy Wind Power, Cut Greenhouse Gases
           BP to Switch to Ethanol in California by Year-End
           New Fuel Cell Projects Installed Throughout the Country
           Miniature Fuel Cells Show Hope for Portable Electronics
           DOE Awards $9.9 Million for Home Weatherization

*Energy Facts and Tips
           Responding to Drought: Saving Water Also Saves Energy

*About this Newsletter


----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS AND EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
G-8 Energy Ministers Emphasize Energy Efficiency, Renewables

A meeting last week of the energy ministers from the Group of
Eight (G-8) countries resulted in a published statement that
shows considerable support for the roles of energy efficiency and
renewable energy in meeting the world's energy needs. The
ministers from the leading industrialized countries noted that
energy security, economic growth, environmental protection, and
sustainable development are supported by improved energy
efficiency and diversified energy sources. They also reaffirmed
the importance of renewable energy for diversifying energy
supplies.

The ministers committed to explore areas where existing
cooperation among their countries in energy science and
technology could be strengthened, particularly in the areas of
emerging renewable energy, energy efficiency and cleaner
energy technologies. They also vowed to continue to encourage
the development and introduction of these technologies, and
noted that significant investments will be needed. They noted
that private investments could be facilitated by sound policies,
and affirmed the importance of working with developing countries
to help them develop such policies.

Brian Wilson, the U.K. Minister for Energy, gave a keynote
speech that emphasized the role of renewable energy in
eliminating poverty, noting that 1.7 billion people still have no
access to electricity. "Renewable technologies offer huge
opportunities to reduce that figure," said Wilson. "We need to
adopt the scale of vision which the G8 Renewable Energy
Task Force recommended. They concluded that a billion
people could be supplied with renewable energy over the
next decade." See the May 2nd press release from the U.K.
Department of Trade and Industry at:
<http://www.nds.coi.gov.uk/coi/coipress.nsf/gti>.

The G-8 countries include the United Kingdom, Canada, France,
Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States, which was
represented by Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. The
meeting, held in Detroit, Michigan, was co-chaired by Secretary
Abraham and Canadian Minister of Natural Resources Herb
Dhaliwal. See the statement from the co-chairs on the DOE Web
site at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/maypr/G8Statement.htm>.


Vehicle Technologies Highlighted During G-8 Energy Forum

Prior to the Detroit meeting of the G-8 Energy Ministers on
May 3rd, a two-day G-8 Energy Forum brought together
business leaders, public interest groups, energy experts and
other interested members of the public to discuss energy
policies. The forum, sponsored by the State of Michigan and
the United States Energy Association (USEA), touched on a
range of energy issues, but focused largely on
transportation technologies. See the USEA Web site at:
<http://www.usea.org/g8ministerialforum.htm>.

The full proceedings are posted on the USEA Web site at:
<http://www.usea.org/energyforumproceedings.htm>.

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced during the
forum that DOE will host an international conference on
future transportation technologies this fall. The International
Conference on the Future of Energy Transportation
Technologies will also be held in Detroit and will focus on
hydrogen fuel cell technologies for cars and trucks -- a
research area currently being pursued by DOE's
FreedomCAR program. The conference is also expected to
include sessions on energy-efficient vehicle technologies,
lower-emission drives for two- and three-wheeled vehicles,
alternative fuels, public transportation, and urban planning
and traffic management. See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/maypr/pr02074.htm>.

General Motors Corporation showcased its AUTOnomy fuel-
cell concept vehicle at the forum, as well as its Parallel
Hybrid Truck. Delphi Corporation featured a range of
efficient vehicle technologies. See the press releases at:
<http://www.delphi.com/news/pressReleases/pr11805-05012002>
and <http://gm.com/company/gmability/>.

If you live on the East Coast and would like to see some of
the newer automotive technologies first-hand, check out next
week's Tour de Sol. Organized by the Northeast Sustainable
Energy Association (NESEA), and sponsored in part by
DOE, the road tour of state-of-the-art cars, buses, bikes, and
neighborhood vehicles starts with a festival in Baltimore,
Maryland, on May 12th, but truly hits the road on May 14th in
Washington, D.C. It then works its way gradually to its finish
in New York City on May 18th. See the NESEA Web site at:
<http://www.nesea.org/transportation/tour/>.


Colleges, Universities Buy Wind Power, Cut Greenhouse Gases

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
(DEP) announced in late April that eight more colleges and
universities in the state will buy a portion of their electricity
from wind power projects. Allegheny College, Bucknell
University, Dickinson College, Franklin & Marshall College,
Gannon University, Gettysburg College, Juniata College and
Swarthmore College join 17 other Pennsylvania institutions
of higher learning that are buying wind power. The first
institution to make that commitment, Carnegie Mellon
University, also announced it will expand its commitment to
wind power. And Penn State University, which is already
buying the output of more than three wind turbines,
announced it will purchase the output of an additional wind
turbine this year. See the DEP press release at:
<http://www.dep.state.pa.us/newsreleases/default.asp?ID=1659>.

A number of colleges and universities have committed to
reducing their emissions of greenhouse gases, mainly
through the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Cornell University, for instance, instituted an energy-saving
program as an attempt to meet the emission goals of the
Kyoto Protocol. The university has retrofitted the lighting
system for its hockey rink and is considering solar power
installations. But just encouraging students to turn off lights
and equipment over the December holidays saved more
than 360,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity. See the Cornell
press release at:
<http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/March02/conservation.ws.html>.

Tufts University is also attempting to meet the Kyoto
Protocol goals through its Tufts Climate Initiative (TCI). The
initiative is investigating green power options and
encouraging the use of energy efficiency and renewable
energy technologies. Tufts has installed solar panels on one
building and installed energy efficiency improvements, a
geothermal heat pump, and a solar hot water system in
another building. TCI also added a hybrid-electric Toyota
Prius to the university's fleet of vehicles. See the TCI Web
site at: <http://www.tufts.edu/tie/tci/TCIMenu.html>.

Of course, colleges and universities pursue these
technologies for a number of reasons, including economics.
Southern California's Antelope Valley College, for instance,
found that a low-interest loan from the California Energy
Commission would allow it to pay off $1.7 million in energy
efficiency improvements in just seven years, saving
$362,000 a year. Among the projects is a solar water heating
system for the school's indoor pool. See the college's press
release at: <http://www.avc.edu/News/news.htm#rays>.


BP to Switch to Ethanol in California by Year-End

BP announced last week that it has signed contracts with
several ethanol suppliers in order to voluntarily phase out its
use of the gasoline additive MTBE in California by year-end.
BP supplies 20 percent of the gasoline market in California
through its 1200 ARCO stations. See the BP press release
at: <http://www.bp.com/centres/press/p_r_detail.asp?id=894>.

The BP news follows the March announcement from
California Governor Gray Davis that the mandated phase-out
of MTBE in the state would be extended to the end of 2003.
See the March 20th edition of EREN Network News at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/newsletter/archives/2002/mar20_02.html>.


New Fuel Cell Projects Installed Throughout the Country

Fuel cell companies are charging ahead with new fuel cell
installations at homes, businesses, and municipal facilities
throughout the United States. New fuel cell systems are
installed or planned in Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri,
New Jersey, New York and Virginia.

In New Jersey, FuelCell Energy, Inc. will provide two
250-kilowatt fuel cell power plants for installation at two
hotels owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
The fuel cell systems will provide one-quarter of the power
and hot water heating needs for the Sheraton Parsippany
Hotel and Sheraton Edison Raritan Center. Construction
should start this summer, and the units should be operating
by year-end. FuelCell Energy was also recently awarded a
patent for its high-efficiency system that combines a fuel cell
with a gas turbine. See the April 3rd and 17th press releases
on the FuelCell Energy Web site at:
<http://www.fuelcellenergy.com/>.

In New York, the first of two 5-kilowatt fuel cell installations in
residential homes was completed in Lewiston in mid-April;
the second installation will be at a home in Colden. The
systems will be operated for one year and then returned to
the manufacturer, Plug Power Inc., for testing. Meanwhile,
the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) announced plans to
install 17 Plug Power fuel cell systems at commercial and
municipal customer locations across Long Island this
summer. LIPA also plans to install three 5-kilowatt backup
power systems by year-end and to expand the fuel cell
operations at its West Babylon substation, where 75 fuel cell
systems were installed last year. See the Plug Power press
releases at:
<http://www.plugpower.com/news/NM_Detail.cfm?ID=2337> and
<http://www.plugpower.com/news/NM_Detail.cfm?ID=2339>.

Plug Power also provided two 5-kilowatt fuel cell systems
that DTE Energy Technologies installed at a Detroit Edison
power station in Commerce Township, Michigan. The fuel
cells will be tested while providing power to the electrical grid
over the next year. See the DTE Energy Technologies press
release at: http://www.dtetech.com/pressroom/4_1_043002.asp>.

In Colorado, Illinois, Missouri and Virginia, four rural electric
cooperatives are now each operating one 4.5-kilowatt fuel cell
system from H Power Corporation as a beta test of the
company's newest product. The company will install more
systems this month at other cooperatives that are members
of Energy Co-Opportunity, Inc., an energy services
cooperative that provides distributed energy solutions to
U.S. electric cooperatives. See the H Power press release at:
<http://www.hpower.com/cgi-bin/pr.cgi?idPressRelease=64>.


Miniature Fuel Cells Show Hope for Portable Electronics

Fuel cells offer an advantage over many other power
sources by producing a lot of power in a small volume.
Several companies are now trying to squeeze fuel cells into
smaller and smaller spaces, allowing them to potentially
provide a long-lived power source for cell phones, laptop
computers, and other portable electronic devices.

One such company is Manhattan Scientifics, Inc., which is
developing a miniature fuel cell powered by sodium
borohydride. In mid-April, the company claimed to have
boosted the power of its miniature fuel cell to at least six
times better than lithium ion batteries. See the Manhattan
Scientifics press release at:
<http://www.mhtx.com/media_center/pressrelease44.htm>.

An example of the competition is Mechanical Technology
Inc., which unveiled its methanol-fueled miniature fuel cell in
mid-March. In late April, the company received an award of
$500,000 from the New York State Energy Research and
Development Authority to further develop the technology.
See the Mechanical Technology press releases at:
<http://www.mechtech.com/news/article.cfm?A_ID=3326> and
<http://www.mechtech.com/news/article.cfm?A_ID=3519>.

Researchers at the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) have developed their own solution to
the problem: a flat fuel cell, also powered by methanol. The
fuel cell group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
has proven that the cell will work -- now they just need to
make it smaller. See the JPL press release at:
<http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/releases/2002/release_2002_94.html>.


DOE Awards $9.9 Million for Home Weatherization

DOE awarded $9.9 million in weatherization assistance
funds to Minnesota yesterday. The funds will be used to
improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income
families in the state. For every dollar spent, DOE's
Weatherization Assistance Program returns $1.80 in energy
savings over the life of the weatherized home, based on
recent energy prices. See the DOE press release at:
<http://www.energy.gov/HQPress/releases02/maypr/pr02077.htm>.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Responding to Drought: Saving Water Also Saves Energy

With drought conditions now extending over much of the
West and up and down the East Coast, its worth noting that
saving water also saves energy. People who pump water
from their own well know that all too well, but people that
draw on municipal water systems may forget that their water
is pumped -- sometimes over long distances -- and usually
requires energy-intensive water treatment. According to the
Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), providing and treating water
consumes about 3 percent of U.S. electricity supplies. With
that in mind, the ASE is providing some tips on how to save
energy by conserving water. See the ASE press release at:
<http://www.ase.org/media/newsrel/waterwater.htm>.

The ASE also notes that most water utilities are missing
opportunities to save energy. See the ASE report at:
<http://www.ase.org/programs/international/watergy.htm>.

Water is also tied to energy in a different way: in the
production of electricity using hydroelectric power. But in
California, at least, there's good news: the California Energy
Commission expects the state's hydroelectric plants to
produce a near-normal output this summer. Although the
southern part of the state is very dry, the northern part,
where the hydropower facilities are located, has received
normal precipitation this year. See the May 1st press release
on the CEC Web site at:
<http://www.energy.ca.gov/releases/index.html>.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) predicts gradual improvement in drought conditions
in the East and much of the West, with severe drought likely
to persist in the desert Southwest and in Montana. See
NOAA's Drought Information Center, particularly the
"Drought Monitor" and "Drought Outlook," at:
<http://www.drought.noaa.gov/>.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/newsletter/subscribe/>.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
home page is located at <http://www.eren.doe.gov/>.

If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....

#1398 From: mustafa caliskan <mcaliskan@...>
Date: Thu May 9, 2002 1:14 pm
Subject: wind industry standards
mcaliskan@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear all

I wonder the most known wind industry standards.
I also want to know the differences between mechanical and electronic wind
direction sensors? What are the advantages or disadvantages of both
electronic and mechanic wind direction sensors?

Best Regards
Mustafa caliskan

#1399 From: PolycalMG@...
Date: Thu May 9, 2002 8:59 pm
Subject: Specialized composites for wind energy applications
PolycalMG@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Is anyone out there aware of the potential of polymer concrete composites for
wind energy applications ?

Has anyone developed or tested polymer concrete for this field ?

I am considering  giving a seminar on this topic here in Southern California.
The seminar will deal with the basics of the generic material and will also
discuss specialized formulations and applications in the electric power
industry, relevant test data, and its relevance to wind energy applications.
Possible new designs  with polymer concrete which may be of interest to the
wind energy application will be presented for discussion. Among the
advantages of using this material system would be good mechanical properties,
inherent corrosion resistance, fast and relatively simple processing in the
facory or in the field, good damping of  vibrations, direct burial of towers
in the ground, and highly competitive cost because of these characteristics.
If any of you would be interested in attending the seminar please let me know
and I will put you on the mailing list for announcements.

Muthian Gunasekaran
Sekar Enterprises
Woodland Hills, California

#1400 From: "Steve Spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Fri May 10, 2002 12:49 am
Subject: Biodiesel Tax Measure Could Have A Long Life, as Ethanol Grants Show
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
**This is a mailing from the Renewable Energy Online Newsletter**

Biodiesel Tax Measure Could Have
A Long Life, as Ethanol Grants Show

By SHAILAGH MURRAY
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL


WASHINGTON -- What if you could turn a plentiful plant into a fuel that
powers trucks, buses and tractors, doesn't pollute the air and creates an
exhaust that smells like french fries?

Well, it already exists: It is called biodiesel. Produced mainly from
soybeans, some people call it a miracle fuel. Europeans have been using it
for years, but its cost -- as much as three times more than regular diesel
fuel -- makes it too pricey for most U.S. drivers.

The federal government may be about to change that. With the support of
farm-state senators, biodiesel backers have secured a special tax break in a
pending Senate energy bill that in effect would eliminate the price gap.

The tax break is just temporary, the industry insists; three years is
enough. "This will help get us to the point where we can stand on our own,"
says Joe Jobe, executive director of the National Biodiesel Board, the
industry-trade association.

Right, says a sarcastic Bill Frenzel, formerly a senior Republican on both
the House budget and tax committees. "I'll bet they'll be heartbroken if it
ever gets extended."

Mr. Frenzel has seen it many times before: Costly, long-lived federal
subsidies often start small and temporary. "It sounds better and looks
cheaper," says Mr. Frenzel, now at the Brookings Institution, a Washington
think tank. "That's just the way the game is played."

Take ethanol, the corn-based fuel that soaks up subsidies -- and can make or
break presidential bids in the early caucuses of corn-growing Iowa. Like
biodiesel, this fuel additive also started as a sure thing in need of only a
temporary boost from Washington.

That was 25 years ago.

In a Senate floor debate on Oct. 27, 1977, former Republican Sen. Charles
Percy of Illinois, another corn state, predicted that when the tax break
expired in 1984, ethanol would be "cost-competitive with gasoline, and
preferential treatment will no longer be necessary." Extended several times,
the ethanol tax break now is set to expire at the end of 2007 -- though few
expect it will. Since 1979, according to the General Accounting Office, the
investigative arm of Congress, various ethanol incentives have cost
taxpayers as much as $15 billion. Today, ethanol is the third-largest use of
U.S. corn, topping cereals and sweeteners.

One sure sign that something big is afoot with biodiesel is
Archer-Daniels-Midland Co.'s enthusiasm for it. ADM, which dominates the
U.S. ethanol market and processes more corn and soybeans than any other
company in the world, said recently that it is considering building a
biodiesel plant in Minnesota. That state, one of the country's top soybean
producers, this year became the first to pass a law mandating that biodiesel
be added to most diesel fuels.

Biodiesel stands to be "one of the most important things ... to positively
affect our margins in our industry," Paul Mulhollem, head of ADM's grain,
oilseed-processing and cocoa business, told investment analysts in November.

Securing an exemption from the federal excise tax on motor fuels is a
crucial beginning. The most common form of biodiesel sold today blends 20%
biodiesel with 80% conventional diesel. It costs between five cents and 20
cents more a gallon than straight diesel. The pending legislation would
reduce by one cent the 24.4 cents-a-gallon federal excise tax for each 1% of
biodiesel in a blend, up to a maximum of 20 cents. That would eliminate the
price gap for the 20% biodiesel mix.

The biodiesel tax break in the Senate's energy bill would expire on Dec. 31,
2005. By then, production will have increased enough to reduce costs, the
fuel's supporters say.

Both biodiesel and ethanol would benefit from other provisions in the energy
bill. A mandate that a certain share of motor fuel come from renewable
sources, such as corn and soybeans, could triple the ethanol market, and
benefit biodiesel as well. Meanwhile, the fledgling biodiesel industry has a
wish list for future bills, including both tax credits for small
producers -- who fear big companies will muscle them aside -- and incentives
for converting soybean-oil factories to biodiesel plants.

"If there's an obstacle, we've got to challenge that obstacle," says Sen.
Blanche Lincoln, a Democrat from soybean-producing Arkansas.

Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who designed the engine named for him,
envisioned that it would run on vegetable oils. Europeans have made
biodiesel for years from rapeseed, also known as canola, and its use has
spread there with the help of government incentives. The oil is combined
with alcohol; when the resulting glycerin separates, what remains resembles
diesel fuel -- except it is biodegradable and nontoxic.

Soybean growers have moved cautiously to avoid ethanol producers' initial
problems with quality, storage and regulations. They have spent $30 million
to clear environmental hurdles before bringing the fuel to market. In 1999,
biodiesel sales were only 500,000 gallons; the following year, they were
five million. Last year, between 10 million and 15 million gallons were
sold.

It was about a year ago that biodiesel fans saw their opening in Washington.
The new president wanted an energy bill. Gas prices were spiking. The budget
was in surplus. "If you're not big and you're not powerful, you wait for
opportunities to come along that seem to fit," says John Campbell, a
lobbyist who works for Ag Processing Inc., a Nebraska farmer-owned
cooperative that makes biodiesel.

In 2001, farmers planted a record 75.2 million acres of soybeans but are
burdened by about 250 million surplus bushels, government estimates show.
Though a strong export, U.S. soybeans face competition from South America.
Soybean-oil prices are soft. Biodiesel, growers hope, could spark a surge in
demand.

With that in mind, lobbyist Campbell called home-state Sen. Chuck Hagel, a
Republican who serves on the Energy Committee. With the big energy bill
under way, biodiesel and ethanol lobbyists wanted to shift jurisdiction over
the renewable-fuels issue to the energy panel from the environment
committee.

"This allowed Republicans to embrace a renewable-fuels standard on the basis
of national security," says Mr. Campbell, noting that the energy-bill debate
focused on reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Sen. Hagel calls the
renewable-fuels standard "an environmental issue, yes, but an energy issue
first and foremost." He and Sen. Charles Grassley, an Iowa soybean farmer
who is the top Republican on the Finance Committee, worked to convince
colleagues.

Mr. Grassley sent lobbyists to see Sen. Tim Hutchinson of Arkansas, a
Republican in a tough re-election race. His help for biodiesel would score
points with homestate soybean farmers, and it was Mr. Hutchinson who
introduced an excise-tax exemption proposal last June.

The industry has gotten 16 biodiesel-related bills introduced in Congress;
the farm bill now headed to President Bush for signing would provide $1
million a year in biodiesel "education funds."

The soybean and biodiesel industries don't have political-action committees
to make campaign contributions. "In Washington, you either have a PAC or you
have people," says Mr. Campbell. "When I go to town, I have my farmer hat
on."

But individual companies do contribute. ADM is a major contributor to both
parties. Mr. Campbell's Ag Processing has a small PAC, and has given $4,000
each to Sens. Hagel and Tim Johnson of South Dakota, a leading Democratic
sponsor of biodiesel.

It helps the cause of biodiesel, and ethanol, that supportive farm-state
lawmakers are prominent in the Senate -- not least is Majority Leader Tom
Daschle of South Dakota and the tax-writing Finance Committee's chairman,
Max Baucus of Montana. Those with presidential ambitions lend support,
including onetime ethanol skeptic Joseph Lieberman, the Connecticut
Democrat. "That's what happens when you start spending a lot of time in
Iowa," quips Mr. Grassley, in reference to his state's first-in-the-nation
presidential caucus.

The House passed its energy bill last year, before the industry began its
push. But biodiesel backers are confident a biodiesel provision will emerge
as part of the compromise energy bill that is being negotiated in a
House-Senate conference committee. GOP House Speaker Dennis Hastert is from
Illinois, the top ethanol producer and ADM's home.

While biodiesel backers try to copy ethanol's success, they also want to
avoid charges that a tax break would amount to corporate welfare, as ethanol
critics have called that product's breaks.

In the Senate energy debate, New York Democrat Chuck Schumer at one point
asked farm-state colleagues, "Are you on the side of working families, or on
the side of Archer-Daniels-Midland?"

The biodiesel board's Mr. Jobe insists "We made a very, very conscious
decision to be different" from ethanol.

For one thing, soybean farmers -- who stand to reap huge benefits from a
biodiesel boom -- support an energy-bill provision that would offset the
cost of the excise-tax exemption by lowering farm subsidies for soybeans, as
soybean prices rise. They also want to avoid the path they see corn farmers
following, which they say has made the corn industry overly focused on
maintaining ethanol supports. Nebraska farmer Bart Ruth, president of the
American Soybean Association, says corn growers "devote more time to it than
other things, things that down the road might have just as important an
impact on the commodity."

But for now, soybean and corn companies are united in lobbying for goodies
in the farm and energy bills. That suits the farmers: Many of them grow corn
one year, and soybeans the next.

Write to Shailagh Murray at shailagh.murray@...

Updated May 9, 2002



Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...

---
To change your subscription to the Renewable Energy Online Newsletter,
visit:

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----------------------
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#1401 From: "Tom Gray" <tomgray@...>
Date: Fri May 10, 2002 3:36 pm
Subject: Green-e Certifies Six "Green Tag" Providers (yes, Six!)
tomgraywind
Send Email Send Email
 
More info on Green Tags.  Please read and consider.  We have purchased
enough Green Tags for 2002 to reduce U.S. CO2 emissions enough to offset our
entire household's emissions (from electricity use, heating, and
transportation).  For the average U.S. household to cover 10% of its
electricity use with Green Tags would cost just $20-25 a year (even with no
energy efficiency measures).

This is the way to build a market for renewable energy that no regulatory or
legislative change can take away.  You can buy them anywhere, whether you
have a choice of electricity suppliers or not.  And as demand grows, the
cost of Green Tags is likely to fall.

Thanks for listening.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: keri bolding [mailto:kbolding@...]
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 10:56 AM
Subject: Green-e Certifies Six "Green Tag" Providers (yes, Six!)


Hello All!
A press release went out yesterday, announcing that Green-e has certified 5
Tradable Renewabke Certificate (TRC) products.  However, as of today, we are
happy to announce to you (exclusively) that we have now certified 6 TRC
products.  See below for the amended release.

*you are receiving this via an announcement list created to let friends of
CRS know of our new events and developments.  If you would like to be
removed, or think someone should be added, please respond.
Thank You!
__________________________
Këri Bolding
Communications Director
Center for Resource Solutions
Presidio Building 49
Moraga Ave.
PO Box 29512
San Francisco, CA  94129
Phone:  (415) 561-2100
Fax:  (415) 561-2105
___________________________

Information on CRS programs is available at www.resource-solutions.org.
Curious about Green-e and green power?  Check out www.green-e.org.


Green-e Certifies Six “Green Tag” Providers
Versatile New Way for All Consumers and Businesses to Support National
Transition to Renewable Energy

San Francisco, CA (May 9, 2002)-- From an Olympia, WA coffee roaster, to a
Rhode Island supermarket chain, to offices of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), (aka “Green
  Tags”) are providing green energy choice to millions of customers and much
of the business sector for the first time.  The Center for Resource
Solutions (CRS) announced today that six providers of Tradable Renewable
Certificates have earned Green-e certification.  Customers purchasing Green
Tags from these six providers have an independent assurance that their
purchase supports generation from high-quality newly developed renewable
energy plants.  Green-e will introduce TRCs and these certified marketers to
the country at a May 23rd press conference in Washington, DC.

Currently, green power is only available to roughly one third of U.S.
electricity consumers through competitive power markets and utility green
pricing programs.  Green Tags make it possible for all Americans to support
renewable energy, regardless of whether their state is deregulating its
energy markets.  Five different Green-e certified TRC providers are helping
to bring new renewable energy plants online in the Northeast, Mid Atlantic,
Great Plains, Texas, Pacific Northwest, and California.

  “We decided to purchase Green Tags to offset our greenhouse gas emissions
for three of our store locations in Rhode Island,” said Kathleen Loftus of
Shaw’s Supermarkets, “Since the product is Green-e certified, Shaw’s feels
confident our purchase makes a difference in the air we breathe.”

“Through the purchase of TRC products, consumers help reduce our nation’s
dependence on fossil fuels to produce electricity, and contribute to the
reduction of air emissions,” said Jan Hamrin, Executive Director of CRS.
“When TRC products are Green-e certified, consumers can be confident they
are receiving the environmental benefits of green power as well as helping
to expand the market for clean renewable energy.”

TRCs, also known as “Green Tags,” are created when renewable energy is
substituted for traditional power.  TRCs represent added benefits and costs
of renewable generation and are purchased in addition to the electricity
that most consumers now use.  Green Tags provide a way to buy and sell the
environmental attributes of renewable generation separately from the
electricity generated.  Green Tags help overcome the obstacle of delivering
the benefits of renewable energy to customers who are typically far from
generating plants.  The purchaser of a Green Tag is the sole "owner" of the
environmental attributes of a specific megawatt hour (MWh) of energy added
to the grid.  Independent verification ensures that no two Green Tags
represent the same MWh of energy.

“TRC markets mean renewable energy developers can find the best customers
for their products regardless of where the actual generating facility is
located,” said Karl R. Rábago, chair of the Green-e Green Power Board that
oversees the certification program, “and Green-e certification means
customers will have more choices of high-quality projects and products they
can choose to support. The combination of these benefits will greatly
increase liquidity in renewable energy markets and can be the catalyst for a
huge expansion in renewable energy development.”

Since 1997, Green-e has served as a nationally recognized tool to help
consumers identify environmentally superior renewable energy offerings.
Green-e is a voluntary certification program for renewable energy products
sold in competitive retail electricity markets, regulated markets, and
nationwide through Tradable Renewable Certificates.  To earn Green-e
certification, a TRC product must originate entirely from new renewable
facilities that generate energy from the sun, the wind, the heat of the
Earth, low-impact hydropower, biogas, or biofuels.  Certified providers
undergo an annual verification process audit to document that the company
purchased enough quantity and type of renewable certificates to meet
customer demand and marketing claims.  Each certified provider also agrees
to abide by the Green-e Code of Conduct, and to submit marketing materials
to CRS to meet Green-e disclosure and truth-in-advertising requirements.

Green-e certified TRC providers now include:
Sun Power Electric, www.sunpower.org - Available in New England
Community Energy, www.newwindenergy.com - Available nationwide
Sterling Planet, www.sterlingplanet.com - Available nationwide
Bonneville Environmental Foundation, www.greentagsusa.org - Available
nationwide
Aquila, www.aquila.com - Available nationwide
Renewable Choice Energy, www.renewablechoice.com - Available nationwide

For further information, please contact Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)
at (415) 561-2100, or visit the website(s) www.resource-solutions.org or
www.green-e.org.  CRS is a nonprofit organization that encourages
sustainable growth and promotes the use of clean energy.

###

#1402 From: "G.J. Schaeffer" <schaeffer@...>
Date: Fri May 10, 2002 7:35 pm
Subject: Green Tags also available in the rest of the World
dutsie2002
Send Email Send Email
 
This news on Green Tags is fantastic. I write this e-mail to let everybody know Green Tags are also available outside the US.
 
Since Februari this year the idea of green tags/Tradable Renewable Certificates has been implemented worldwide. The German Oeko-Institute (Institute for Applied Ecology) has certified the products of World Wide Green (www.worldwidegreen.com), which is available from their internetsite for everybody in the world. Our prices are in the same range as indicated below by Tom Gray, and indeed, rising demand will allow us at World Wide Green to lower prices over time. From now on, everybody in the world can make a difference.
 
Thanks,
 
 
Gerrit Jan Schaeffer
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Tom Gray
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 5:36 PM
Subject: [renewable-energy] Green-e Certifies Six "Green Tag" Providers (yes, Six!)

More info on Green Tags.  Please read and consider.  We have purchased
enough Green Tags for 2002 to reduce U.S. CO2 emissions enough to offset our
entire household's emissions (from electricity use, heating, and
transportation).  For the average U.S. household to cover 10% of its
electricity use with Green Tags would cost just $20-25 a year (even with no
energy efficiency measures).

This is the way to build a market for renewable energy that no regulatory or
legislative change can take away.  You can buy them anywhere, whether you
have a choice of electricity suppliers or not.  And as demand grows, the
cost of Green Tags is likely to fall.

Thanks for listening.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: keri bolding [mailto:kbolding@...]
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 10:56 AM
Subject: Green-e Certifies Six "Green Tag" Providers (yes, Six!)


Hello All!
A press release went out yesterday, announcing that Green-e has certified 5
Tradable Renewabke Certificate (TRC) products.  However, as of today, we are
happy to announce to you (exclusively) that we have now certified 6 TRC
products.  See below for the amended release.

*you are receiving this via an announcement list created to let friends of
CRS know of our new events and developments.  If you would like to be
removed, or think someone should be added, please respond.
Thank You!
__________________________
Këri Bolding
Communications Director
Center for Resource Solutions
Presidio Building 49
Moraga Ave.
PO Box 29512
San Francisco, CA  94129
Phone:  (415) 561-2100
Fax:  (415) 561-2105
___________________________

Information on CRS programs is available at www.resource-solutions.org.
Curious about Green-e and green power?  Check out www.green-e.org.


Green-e Certifies Six “Green Tag” Providers
Versatile New Way for All Consumers and Businesses to Support National
Transition to Renewable Energy

San Francisco, CA (May 9, 2002)-- From an Olympia, WA coffee roaster, to a
Rhode Island supermarket chain, to offices of the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Tradable Renewable Certificates (TRCs), (aka “Green
Tags”) are providing green energy choice to millions of customers and much
of the business sector for the first time.  The Center for Resource
Solutions (CRS) announced today that six providers of Tradable Renewable
Certificates have earned Green-e certification.  Customers purchasing Green
Tags from these six providers have an independent assurance that their
purchase supports generation from high-quality newly developed renewable
energy plants.  Green-e will introduce TRCs and these certified marketers to
the country at a May 23rd press conference in Washington, DC.

Currently, green power is only available to roughly one third of U.S.
electricity consumers through competitive power markets and utility green
pricing programs.  Green Tags make it possible for all Americans to support
renewable energy, regardless of whether their state is deregulating its
energy markets.  Five different Green-e certified TRC providers are helping
to bring new renewable energy plants online in the Northeast, Mid Atlantic,
Great Plains, Texas, Pacific Northwest, and California.

“We decided to purchase Green Tags to offset our greenhouse gas emissions
for three of our store locations in Rhode Island,” said Kathleen Loftus of
Shaw’s Supermarkets, “Since the product is Green-e certified, Shaw’s feels
confident our purchase makes a difference in the air we breathe.”

“Through the purchase of TRC products, consumers help reduce our nation’s
dependence on fossil fuels to produce electricity, and contribute to the
reduction of air emissions,” said Jan Hamrin, Executive Director of CRS.
“When TRC products are Green-e certified, consumers can be confident they
are receiving the environmental benefits of green power as well as helping
to expand the market for clean renewable energy.”

TRCs, also known as “Green Tags,” are created when renewable energy is
substituted for traditional power.  TRCs represent added benefits and costs
of renewable generation and are purchased in addition to the electricity
that most consumers now use.  Green Tags provide a way to buy and sell the
environmental attributes of renewable generation separately from the
electricity generated.  Green Tags help overcome the obstacle of delivering
the benefits of renewable energy to customers who are typically far from
generating plants.  The purchaser of a Green Tag is the sole "owner" of the
environmental attributes of a specific megawatt hour (MWh) of energy added
to the grid.  Independent verification ensures that no two Green Tags
represent the same MWh of energy.

“TRC markets mean renewable energy developers can find the best customers
for their products regardless of where the actual generating facility is
located,” said Karl R. Rábago, chair of the Green-e Green Power Board that
oversees the certification program, “and Green-e certification means
customers will have more choices of high-quality projects and products they
can choose to support. The combination of these benefits will greatly
increase liquidity in renewable energy markets and can be the catalyst for a
huge expansion in renewable energy development.”

Since 1997, Green-e has served as a nationally recognized tool to help
consumers identify environmentally superior renewable energy offerings.
Green-e is a voluntary certification program for renewable energy products
sold in competitive retail electricity markets, regulated markets, and
nationwide through Tradable Renewable Certificates.  To earn Green-e
certification, a TRC product must originate entirely from new renewable
facilities that generate energy from the sun, the wind, the heat of the
Earth, low-impact hydropower, biogas, or biofuels.  Certified providers
undergo an annual verification process audit to document that the company
purchased enough quantity and type of renewable certificates to meet
customer demand and marketing claims.  Each certified provider also agrees
to abide by the Green-e Code of Conduct, and to submit marketing materials
to CRS to meet Green-e disclosure and truth-in-advertising requirements.

Green-e certified TRC providers now include:
Sun Power Electric, www.sunpower.org - Available in New England
Community Energy, www.newwindenergy.com - Available nationwide
Sterling Planet, www.sterlingplanet.com - Available nationwide
Bonneville Environmental Foundation, www.greentagsusa.org - Available
nationwide
Aquila, www.aquila.com - Available nationwide
Renewable Choice Energy, www.renewablechoice.com - Available nationwide

For further information, please contact Center for Resource Solutions (CRS)
at (415) 561-2100, or visit the website(s) www.resource-solutions.org or
www.green-e.org.  CRS is a nonprofit organization that encourages
sustainable growth and promotes the use of clean energy.

###



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#1403 From: "steve spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Sat May 11, 2002 8:15 pm
Subject: hydrogen from garbage, algae, and other information
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
Fuel Cells - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/fuelcell.htm
Hydrogen - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/hydrogen.htm
Hydrogen from waste - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/wastehydrogen.htm
Hydrogen from algae - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/algaehydrogen.htm

University of Warwick researcher Dr Ashok Bhattacharya and his team are part
of a Europe wide consortium that have cracked the problem of how to extract
very pure levels of hydrogen from wet bio-matter, such as sewage or paper
mill waste. This very pure hydrogen can then be used in "fuel cells" to
power homes, factories and cars.

Cultures of tiny algae, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, can be conditioned via a
simple microbial switch to forego what they normally do best: produce plant
matter via photosynthesis  and give off oxygen in the process. Instead,
switched-on algae would produce hydrogen renewably, essentially from
sunlight and water,  stored in its cells as carbohydrates and other
biochemical materials.

January 7, 2002--On reclaimed land in Kobe, the Environment Ministry is
testing a state-of-the-art facility that generates electricity from kitchen
waste with almost no risk of dioxin discharge, noise pollution or worsening
global warming by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

What is Hydrogen? - Hydrogen, chemical element that exists as a gas at room
temperature. Hydrogen gas is odorless, tasteless, colorless, and highly
flammable. When hydrogen gas burns in air, it forms water. French chemist
Antoine Lavoisier named hydrogen from the Greek words for "water former."

How do Fuel Cells Work? - You may have heard a lot recently about fuel
cells. According to many news reports, we may soon be using the new
energy-saving technology to generate electrical power for our homes and
cars. The technology is extremely interesting to people in all walks of life
because it offers a means of making power efficiently with little or no
moving parts ( did you know a larger size fuel cell needs a cooling
system? ) . But how does it do this and what are the other requirements a
fuel cell needs for operation.


Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...

#1404 From: "steve spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Sat May 11, 2002 11:08 pm
Subject: carbon fueled fuel cells
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
Direct carbon conversion can use fuel derived from many different sources,
including coal, lignite, petroleum, natural gas, and even biomass (peat,
rice hulls, corn husks). Cooper notes that 90 percent of Earth's electric
energy comes from the burning of fossil fuels. Half of our fossil-fuel
resources is coal, and 80 percent of the coal belongs to the United States
and Canada, the former Soviet Union, and China. Coal-fired plants produce 55
percent of U.S. electricity-as well as large amounts of pollutants. As a
result, the vast energy reserves of coal remain underused. Direct carbon
conversion has the potential to be the long-sought "clean coal" technology.

http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/carbonhydrogen.htm

Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...

#1405 From: "Steve Spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Sun May 12, 2002 12:49 am
Subject: Making Ethanol Fuel
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
Is Alcohol Fuel New?
The first model cars were run on alcohol, as were many tractors and
industrial motors.  About that time gasoline became so plentiful and
inexpensive that it was not practical to continue the use of alcohol.
Germany fought the remainder of the war with alcohol when their petroleum
supply lines were cut off.  As long as there have been races, race cars,
stoves, and lanterns, there has been alcohol fuel.

Alcohol - the clean Fuel!
As earlier generations who used alcohol lamps will testify, alcohol burns
clean, does not pollute, and can be burned in a closed room without toxic or
odor effects - without the need for mechanical ventilation systems.  Because
it is such a clean burning fuel, you need not use smog-devices on your
engine as you are emitting only carbon dioxide (which is essential for our
plant life to produce clean fresh oxygen) and water.  So if you are using
only alcohol as a fuel, you can remove your smog devices and recover the
power and mileage you have lost by having these devices on you automobile.
Smog devices rob an average 7 % of your fuel.  Alcohol is also widely used
in marine stoves, etc. since an alcohol fire may be extinguished with water.

Alcohol burns more completely than gasoline.  You may recall the days when
spark plugs were wired to the tailpipes of cars to make flames shoot out the
tailpipes.  This occurred because the gasoline was not being completely
burned in the engine.  It passed right through the engine and out the
exhaust system.

Octane - Prices and Shortages
Do you really think gas prices are going to come down and stay down?  Can
you see any reason why they won't keep escalating?  What about shortages
caused by foreign oil supplies (by wars)?  Are you prepared to produce your
own fuel in the event of another shortage or gas rationing?

This seems to be the decade to "Save the Earth" and most organizations are
focusing on subjects pertaining to the things on the earth's surface.  This
is and excellent movement.  Now let us take a moment to examine what is
happening to our earth below it's surface.  Every day our earth is being
hollowed out by the removal of nearly 50 millions barrels of oil.  These oil
wells are leaving voids all over our planet, and the oil turned into fuel,
and the fuel going up into smoke.  What happens to the vacancy left by the
oil?  Some remain vacant holes and others are filled with seeping water.
Many experts agree that the earth's water table is lowered by about three
feet each year.  Many also agree that these huge voids or "pockets" are
causing settling and movement in the earth more commonly known as "tremors"
and "earthquakes".  From Alaska to Mexico there have been many huge quakes
and we feel that it is more than coincidental that this coastal area is
where so much oil is being pumped out daily.  Everyday there is a hole made
in the earth by this 50 million barrels of oil equivalent to a little more
than a section (640 square acres or 1 square mile) of land that is ten feet
deep.

Most people feel there is nothing they can do to stop the few huge oil
barons from destroying our planet.  But at the same time we all support them
by buying their products.  They know they can charge whatever price they
wish and we will pay it.  During the so called "oil shortage" of 1973,
people were actually killed in the gas lines.

There is an Alternative
Alcohol has been a proven product and motor fuel for nearly a century.  It
comes from products grown on top of the earth surface.  It is non-polluting.
It emits only CO2 (carbon dioxide) which is essential to plant life, and
water, which is essential to most all types of life.  Alcohol has a much
higher octane rating (108) than gasoline.

Gasoline emits mostly carbon monoxide which is most commonly known as a
fatal poison to most forms of life.  There are very few of us in a position
to produce gasoline, but very few of us who can't produce our own alcohol
fuel.  Even if we live in the city, we can still produce our own.  Or we can
do as we have been and hope we are safe.  But we will let our children and
grandchildren pay for what we have left them.

Alcohol and Gasoline (Gasohol)
There are few advantages in mixing alcohol and gasoline together.  If you
intend to do so, you will need at least 195 proof alcohol to avoid
separation of the alcohol and gasoline.  But 160 to 180 proof ETHANOL used
straight is A MUCH



BETTER FUEL.  We urge you to conduct your own simple comparison test by
placing a small amount of alcohol and a small amount of gasoline into clean
separate containers, and light each fuel afire.  You will notice a
difference in the clean blue flame of the alcohol and the dirty yellow flame
and the black smoke of the gasoline.  After the two fuels have completely
burned and the flame has gone out, take a white cloth or tissue paper and
wipe the containers.  There will be no black residue from the alcohol.
After conducting the experiment, can you image the reactions of the public,
if alcohol were in use worldwide and filthy gasoline was introduced as a
replacement?

What does "Proof" Mean?
One percent alcohol represents two proof of alcohol.  Example: 100 proof is
50% alcohol and 50% water.  Therefore. 160 proof is 80% alcohol and 20%
water.

Ethanol versus Methanol
The REVENOOR stills described and offered in the booklet are sold for the
production of ethanol (ethyl-alcohol).  Ethanol is made from grains,
potatoes, sugar beets, etc.  Methanol (methyl-alcohol) or wood alcohol has
only about ⅔'s the BTU's (British thermal units - a measure of energy)
as that of ethanol and therefore is a less efficient fuel, as it get less
mileage per gallon.  We do not recommend the production of methanol (wood
alcohol) in REVENOOR stills without using and extractor or extruder to
strain the fermented beer before distillation.  Also necessary to produce
alcohol from wood or cellulose is a cooker to precook the cellulose into
fermentable sugars.  Usually it is more expensive to produce methanol from
wood products than to produce ethanol from grains, etc. with our SOUR MASH
method.  Factors to be considered when producing wood alcohol are:  the
extra heat costs for the precooking, the added costs of the enzymes or acid,
and the higher investment of the necessary additional equipment.  Ethanol
made from SOUR MASH is much less complicated.  We are able to build any type
of equipment that you may wish to use in relation to production of alcohol.
We suggest that if you are considering using sawdust or wood products as
ingredients, you should do some small experiments first to see it will be
feasible for you.  An alternative would be to use the wood products for a
heat source to produce alcohol.

see much more info at
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/biofuel/makingethanol.htm

--
Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...

#1406 From: "steve spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Sat May 11, 2002 11:51 pm
Subject: 1 hp steam engine, biofueled
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
A 1hp steam engine, suitable for running from a veggie oil powered babington
has been developed by master machinist and inventor, John Archibald.

http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/biofuel/babington/

Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...

#1407 From: "steve spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Sun May 12, 2002 8:13 pm
Subject: Re: [3rdworldenergy] Re: Making Ethanol Fuel
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
Ya got it all wrong, Mike. I've never made any claims about earthquakes or
flame colors.

Looks like the laugh is on you.

Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Cook" <energy.solutions@...>


> Yeah, good ole Steve Spence has some good stuff occasionally, but he is a
> bit off the wall... I am still giggling over the blue flame is clean and
the
> yellow flame is dirty... not to mention that there is NO pollution when
your
> burn alcohol... And the bald face BS about earthquakes being caused by
> pumping out oil.... AHEHEHEHEH!
>
> I rest my case that the AE goof balls need to be a bit less goofy and a
bit
> more practical... else nobody will listen, unless they are tuning in to
> "comic relief"
>
> Laughing Max
>
> Subject: Re: Making Ethanol Fuel
>
>
> >
> > On Sat, 11 May 2002, Steve Spence wrote:
> >
> > > Alcohol - the clean Fuel!
> > > As earlier generations who used alcohol lamps will testify, alcohol
> burns
> > > clean, does not pollute, and can be burned in a closed room without
> toxic or
> > > odor effects - without the need for mechanical ventilation systems.
> Because
> > > it is such a clean burning fuel, you need not use smog-devices on your
> > > engine as you are emitting only carbon dioxide (which is essential for
> our
> > > plant life to produce clean fresh oxygen) and water.  So if you are
> using
> > > only alcohol as a fuel, you can remove your smog devices and recover
the
> >
> > I'm sorry, but that's just wrong. Running an engine on alcohol does not
> > emit "only carbon dioxide" as pollutants. When you burn ANYTHING, you
> > produce nitrogen oxides, simply because our atmosphere is composed of
such
> > a large percentage of nitrogen. Sure, if you burned alcohol in an
> > atmosphere of pure oxygen you wouldn't produce any NOx, but that's just
> > not realistic. Emissions from an alcohol burning engine are mildly
cleaner
> > than from a gasoline burning engine. Now, when you factor in that the
> > carbon dioxide produced from burning alcohol actually came from plants,
> > and would be consumed again to make more plants (to make more sugar,
> > etc.), then there is in effect no net production of CO2 from burning
> > alcohol, which is where the benefit is.
> > I don't object to saying alcohol is a cleaner fuel, but please,
> > get it right. The cleanliness comes from the net zero production of CO2.
> > There are still other pollutants emitted (including CO, NOx).
> >
> > > Alcohol burns more completely than gasoline.  You may recall the days
> when
> > > spark plugs were wired to the tailpipes of cars to make flames shoot
out
> the
> > > tailpipes.  This occurred because the gasoline was not being
completely
> > > burned in the engine.  It passed right through the engine and out the
> > > exhaust system.
> >
> > That was back when internal combustion engines were very inefficient. A
> > well tuned modern engine with electronic fuel injection burns the
gasoline
> > nearly completely. And alcohol would not burn any more completely than
> > gasoline, in a properly tuned engine. It all comes down to things like
> > having the proper Air to fuel ratio, having the valves open and close at
> > the right times, etc. Old engines had unburned gas coming out the
tailpipe
> > not because they were using gasoline, but because the design of the
> > engine was bad, allowing fuel to be injected into the cylinder, and some
> > of it go right out the exhaust valve before it closed. That would happen
> > with alcohol too.
> >
> > > This seems to be the decade to "Save the Earth" and most organizations
> are
> > > focusing on subjects pertaining to the things on the earth's surface.
> This
> > > is and excellent movement.  Now let us take a moment to examine what
is
> > > happening to our earth below it's surface.  Every day our earth is
being
> > > hollowed out by the removal of nearly 50 millions barrels of oil.
These
> oil
> > > wells are leaving voids all over our planet, and the oil turned into
> fuel,
> > > and the fuel going up into smoke.  What happens to the vacancy left by
> the
> > > oil?  Some remain vacant holes and others are filled with seeping
water.
> >
> > > Many experts agree that the earth's water table is lowered by about
> three
> > > feet each year.
> >
> > What?!?!?!! No way.
> > I agree that it's not a good idea to pump out fluids from the
> > earth's crust like we are, but please, get your facts right. Besides,
the
> > earth isn't being "hollowed out". When oil is pumped out of the ground,
it
> > doesn't leave huge caverns, because the oil is primarily within porous
> > rock. So the oil is simply being pulled out of the rock, leaving porous
> > rock with air in there instead of oil.
> >
> > > and "earthquakes".  From Alaska to Mexico there have been many huge
> quakes
> > > and we feel that it is more than coincidental that this coastal area
is
> > > where so much oil is being pumped out daily.
> >
> > Mmmm.... how much oil is pumped out of the coastline from Alaska to
> > Mexico? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's somewhere
> > pretty close to none.
> >
> > > There is an Alternative
> > > Alcohol has been a proven product and motor fuel for nearly a century.
> It
> > > comes from products grown on top of the earth surface.  It is
> non-polluting.
> > > It emits only CO2 (carbon dioxide) which is essential to plant life,
and
> > > water, which is essential to most all types of life.
> >
> > No. I agree that alcohol is a better fuel, but please, get your facts
> > straight. Otherwise you're just allowing anyone who's pro-oil to pick
> > plenty of holes in your argument. Burning alcohol does pollute, as
burning
> > anything creates nirtous oxides. You say it emits only CO2 which is
> > essential to plant life. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas, so emitting it
is
> > NOT a good thing. The reason why alcohol is better than gasoline is
> > because the alcohol is made by growing plants, and the CO2 it emits is
no
> > greater than the amount of CO2 the plants use in the process of growing,
> > before they are made into alcohol. So the nice thing about alcohol (or
> > biodiesel, or vegetable oil) is that the net production of CO2 is zero.
> >
> > > Gasoline emits mostly carbon monoxide which is most commonly known as
a
> > > fatal poison to most forms of life.
> >
> > Wrong! Burning gasoline emits mostly carbon dioxide. So if you go with
> > your argument of "carbon dioxide is essential to plant life", then based
> > on your argument gasoline is just as "clean". A *small* amount of carbon
> > monoxide is created from burning either gasoline or alcohol. Mostly
> > carbon dioxide is created, which is a greenhouse gas, and undesirable.
> >
> > > Alcohol and Gasoline (Gasohol)
> > > There are few advantages in mixing alcohol and gasoline together.  If
> you
> >
> > There are advantages to mixing alcohol and gasoline. Starting a car
> > on alcohol is rather difficult, particularly in cold climates. So,
having
> > a small amount of gasoline in there to help with starting is nice
> > (alternatively, a separate small tank of gasoline could be used for
> > starting).
> >
> > > intend to do so, you will need at least 195 proof alcohol to avoid
> > > separation of the alcohol and gasoline.  But 160 to 180 proof ETHANOL
> used
> > > straight is A MUCH
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > BETTER FUEL.  We urge you to conduct your own simple comparison test
by
> > > placing a small amount of alcohol and a small amount of gasoline into
> clean
> > > separate containers, and light each fuel afire.  You will notice a
> > > difference in the clean blue flame of the alcohol and the dirty yellow
> flame
> >
> > So you're saying that a yellow flame is dirty, and a blue flame is
clean?
> > Mmmm... no. I have a torch at work that I burn methane in, and I can
make
> > the flame either yellow or blue. So is it clean or dirty? The color is a
> > result of the heat of the flame, which is a result of the air to fuel
> > ratio. That's why if you want to run an internal combustion engine
> > designed for gasoline on alcohol, you need to tinker with the fuel
> > injection to get the air to fuel ratio right.
> >
> > Mike
> >
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> 3rdworldenergy-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
> Visit the web version at http://www.egroups.com/group/3rdworldenergy or
The Renwable Energy Site that spawned this, http://www.webconx.com
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

#1408 From: "Mike Cook" <michaelacook@...>
Date: Sun May 12, 2002 7:53 pm
Subject: Re: Making Ethanol Fuel
michaelacook@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Yeah, good ole Steve Spence has some good stuff occasionally, but he is a
bit off the wall... I am still giggling over the blue flame is clean and the
yellow flame is dirty... not to mention that there is NO pollution when your
burn alcohol... And the bald face BS about earthquakes being caused by
pumping out oil.... AHEHEHEHEH!

I rest my case that the AE goof balls need to be a bit less goofy and a bit
more practical... else nobody will listen, unless they are tuning in to
"comic relief"

Laughing Max

Subject: Re: Making Ethanol Fuel


>
> On Sat, 11 May 2002, Steve Spence wrote:
>
> > Alcohol - the clean Fuel!
> > As earlier generations who used alcohol lamps will testify, alcohol
burns
> > clean, does not pollute, and can be burned in a closed room without
toxic or
> > odor effects - without the need for mechanical ventilation systems.
Because
> > it is such a clean burning fuel, you need not use smog-devices on your
> > engine as you are emitting only carbon dioxide (which is essential for
our
> > plant life to produce clean fresh oxygen) and water.  So if you are
using
> > only alcohol as a fuel, you can remove your smog devices and recover the
>
> I'm sorry, but that's just wrong. Running an engine on alcohol does not
> emit "only carbon dioxide" as pollutants. When you burn ANYTHING, you
> produce nitrogen oxides, simply because our atmosphere is composed of such
> a large percentage of nitrogen. Sure, if you burned alcohol in an
> atmosphere of pure oxygen you wouldn't produce any NOx, but that's just
> not realistic. Emissions from an alcohol burning engine are mildly cleaner
> than from a gasoline burning engine. Now, when you factor in that the
> carbon dioxide produced from burning alcohol actually came from plants,
> and would be consumed again to make more plants (to make more sugar,
> etc.), then there is in effect no net production of CO2 from burning
> alcohol, which is where the benefit is.
> I don't object to saying alcohol is a cleaner fuel, but please,
> get it right. The cleanliness comes from the net zero production of CO2.
> There are still other pollutants emitted (including CO, NOx).
>
> > Alcohol burns more completely than gasoline.  You may recall the days
when
> > spark plugs were wired to the tailpipes of cars to make flames shoot out
the
> > tailpipes.  This occurred because the gasoline was not being completely
> > burned in the engine.  It passed right through the engine and out the
> > exhaust system.
>
> That was back when internal combustion engines were very inefficient. A
> well tuned modern engine with electronic fuel injection burns the gasoline
> nearly completely. And alcohol would not burn any more completely than
> gasoline, in a properly tuned engine. It all comes down to things like
> having the proper Air to fuel ratio, having the valves open and close at
> the right times, etc. Old engines had unburned gas coming out the tailpipe
> not because they were using gasoline, but because the design of the
> engine was bad, allowing fuel to be injected into the cylinder, and some
> of it go right out the exhaust valve before it closed. That would happen
> with alcohol too.
>
> > This seems to be the decade to "Save the Earth" and most organizations
are
> > focusing on subjects pertaining to the things on the earth's surface.
This
> > is and excellent movement.  Now let us take a moment to examine what is
> > happening to our earth below it's surface.  Every day our earth is being
> > hollowed out by the removal of nearly 50 millions barrels of oil.  These
oil
> > wells are leaving voids all over our planet, and the oil turned into
fuel,
> > and the fuel going up into smoke.  What happens to the vacancy left by
the
> > oil?  Some remain vacant holes and others are filled with seeping water.
>
> > Many experts agree that the earth's water table is lowered by about
three
> > feet each year.
>
> What?!?!?!! No way.
> I agree that it's not a good idea to pump out fluids from the
> earth's crust like we are, but please, get your facts right. Besides, the
> earth isn't being "hollowed out". When oil is pumped out of the ground, it
> doesn't leave huge caverns, because the oil is primarily within porous
> rock. So the oil is simply being pulled out of the rock, leaving porous
> rock with air in there instead of oil.
>
> > and "earthquakes".  From Alaska to Mexico there have been many huge
quakes
> > and we feel that it is more than coincidental that this coastal area is
> > where so much oil is being pumped out daily.
>
> Mmmm.... how much oil is pumped out of the coastline from Alaska to
> Mexico? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's somewhere
> pretty close to none.
>
> > There is an Alternative
> > Alcohol has been a proven product and motor fuel for nearly a century.
It
> > comes from products grown on top of the earth surface.  It is
non-polluting.
> > It emits only CO2 (carbon dioxide) which is essential to plant life, and
> > water, which is essential to most all types of life.
>
> No. I agree that alcohol is a better fuel, but please, get your facts
> straight. Otherwise you're just allowing anyone who's pro-oil to pick
> plenty of holes in your argument. Burning alcohol does pollute, as burning
> anything creates nirtous oxides. You say it emits only CO2 which is
> essential to plant life. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas, so emitting it is
> NOT a good thing. The reason why alcohol is better than gasoline is
> because the alcohol is made by growing plants, and the CO2 it emits is no
> greater than the amount of CO2 the plants use in the process of growing,
> before they are made into alcohol. So the nice thing about alcohol (or
> biodiesel, or vegetable oil) is that the net production of CO2 is zero.
>
> > Gasoline emits mostly carbon monoxide which is most commonly known as a
> > fatal poison to most forms of life.
>
> Wrong! Burning gasoline emits mostly carbon dioxide. So if you go with
> your argument of "carbon dioxide is essential to plant life", then based
> on your argument gasoline is just as "clean". A *small* amount of carbon
> monoxide is created from burning either gasoline or alcohol. Mostly
> carbon dioxide is created, which is a greenhouse gas, and undesirable.
>
> > Alcohol and Gasoline (Gasohol)
> > There are few advantages in mixing alcohol and gasoline together.  If
you
>
> There are advantages to mixing alcohol and gasoline. Starting a car
> on alcohol is rather difficult, particularly in cold climates. So, having
> a small amount of gasoline in there to help with starting is nice
> (alternatively, a separate small tank of gasoline could be used for
> starting).
>
> > intend to do so, you will need at least 195 proof alcohol to avoid
> > separation of the alcohol and gasoline.  But 160 to 180 proof ETHANOL
used
> > straight is A MUCH
> >
> >
> >
> > BETTER FUEL.  We urge you to conduct your own simple comparison test by
> > placing a small amount of alcohol and a small amount of gasoline into
clean
> > separate containers, and light each fuel afire.  You will notice a
> > difference in the clean blue flame of the alcohol and the dirty yellow
flame
>
> So you're saying that a yellow flame is dirty, and a blue flame is clean?
> Mmmm... no. I have a torch at work that I burn methane in, and I can make
> the flame either yellow or blue. So is it clean or dirty? The color is a
> result of the heat of the flame, which is a result of the air to fuel
> ratio. That's why if you want to run an internal combustion engine
> designed for gasoline on alcohol, you need to tinker with the fuel
> injection to get the air to fuel ratio right.
>
> Mike
>

#1409 From: "Chuck" <chuckkessler@...>
Date: Mon May 13, 2002 2:14 am
Subject: Re: Re: Making Ethanol Fuel
ckessler1014
Send Email Send Email
 
Whenever you adjust the burner on a gas furnace, you always look for the
blue flame versus the yellow flame. I just wish I could find a easy way to
make alcohol.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Cook" <michaelacook@...>
To: <ae@...>
Cc: <livingoffthegrid@egroups.com>; <renewable-energy@yahoogroups.com>;
"wastewatts" <wastewatts@egroups.com>; "vegoil-diesel"
<vegoil-diesel@egroups.com>; "sustainablenrg" <sustainablenrg@egroups.com>;
"homeenergysolutions" <homeenergysolutions@egroups.com>; "future9"
<future9@egroups.com>; "energyoptions" <energyoptions@egroups.com>;
"EcoPages_Newswire" <EcoPages_Newswire@egroups.com>; "BiomassGroup"
<BiomassGroup@egroups.com>; "bio-oil" <bio-oil@egroups.com>;
"alternatepower" <alternatepower@egroups.com>; "allenergy"
<allenergy@egroups.com>; "biofuels-biz" <biofuels-biz@egroups.com>; "BFIC"
<BFIC@egroups.com>; "3rdworldenergy" <3rdworldenergy@egroups.com>;
"Biofuel - Egroups" <biofuel@egroups.com>; "Biodiesel - Egroups"
<biodiesel@egroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2002 3:53 PM
Subject: [renewable-energy] Re: Making Ethanol Fuel


> Yeah, good ole Steve Spence has some good stuff occasionally, but he is a
> bit off the wall... I am still giggling over the blue flame is clean and
the
> yellow flame is dirty... not to mention that there is NO pollution when
your
> burn alcohol... And the bald face BS about earthquakes being caused by
> pumping out oil.... AHEHEHEHEH!
>
> I rest my case that the AE goof balls need to be a bit less goofy and a
bit
> more practical... else nobody will listen, unless they are tuning in to
> "comic relief"
>
> Laughing Max
>
> Subject: Re: Making Ethanol Fuel
>
>
> >
> > On Sat, 11 May 2002, Steve Spence wrote:
> >
> > > Alcohol - the clean Fuel!
> > > As earlier generations who used alcohol lamps will testify, alcohol
> burns
> > > clean, does not pollute, and can be burned in a closed room without
> toxic or
> > > odor effects - without the need for mechanical ventilation systems.
> Because
> > > it is such a clean burning fuel, you need not use smog-devices on your
> > > engine as you are emitting only carbon dioxide (which is essential for
> our
> > > plant life to produce clean fresh oxygen) and water.  So if you are
> using
> > > only alcohol as a fuel, you can remove your smog devices and recover
the
> >
> > I'm sorry, but that's just wrong. Running an engine on alcohol does not
> > emit "only carbon dioxide" as pollutants. When you burn ANYTHING, you
> > produce nitrogen oxides, simply because our atmosphere is composed of
such
> > a large percentage of nitrogen. Sure, if you burned alcohol in an
> > atmosphere of pure oxygen you wouldn't produce any NOx, but that's just
> > not realistic. Emissions from an alcohol burning engine are mildly
cleaner
> > than from a gasoline burning engine. Now, when you factor in that the
> > carbon dioxide produced from burning alcohol actually came from plants,
> > and would be consumed again to make more plants (to make more sugar,
> > etc.), then there is in effect no net production of CO2 from burning
> > alcohol, which is where the benefit is.
> > I don't object to saying alcohol is a cleaner fuel, but please,
> > get it right. The cleanliness comes from the net zero production of CO2.
> > There are still other pollutants emitted (including CO, NOx).
> >
> > > Alcohol burns more completely than gasoline.  You may recall the days
> when
> > > spark plugs were wired to the tailpipes of cars to make flames shoot
out
> the
> > > tailpipes.  This occurred because the gasoline was not being
completely
> > > burned in the engine.  It passed right through the engine and out the
> > > exhaust system.
> >
> > That was back when internal combustion engines were very inefficient. A
> > well tuned modern engine with electronic fuel injection burns the
gasoline
> > nearly completely. And alcohol would not burn any more completely than
> > gasoline, in a properly tuned engine. It all comes down to things like
> > having the proper Air to fuel ratio, having the valves open and close at
> > the right times, etc. Old engines had unburned gas coming out the
tailpipe
> > not because they were using gasoline, but because the design of the
> > engine was bad, allowing fuel to be injected into the cylinder, and some
> > of it go right out the exhaust valve before it closed. That would happen
> > with alcohol too.
> >
> > > This seems to be the decade to "Save the Earth" and most organizations
> are
> > > focusing on subjects pertaining to the things on the earth's surface.
> This
> > > is and excellent movement.  Now let us take a moment to examine what
is
> > > happening to our earth below it's surface.  Every day our earth is
being
> > > hollowed out by the removal of nearly 50 millions barrels of oil.
These
> oil
> > > wells are leaving voids all over our planet, and the oil turned into
> fuel,
> > > and the fuel going up into smoke.  What happens to the vacancy left by
> the
> > > oil?  Some remain vacant holes and others are filled with seeping
water.
> >
> > > Many experts agree that the earth's water table is lowered by about
> three
> > > feet each year.
> >
> > What?!?!?!! No way.
> > I agree that it's not a good idea to pump out fluids from the
> > earth's crust like we are, but please, get your facts right. Besides,
the
> > earth isn't being "hollowed out". When oil is pumped out of the ground,
it
> > doesn't leave huge caverns, because the oil is primarily within porous
> > rock. So the oil is simply being pulled out of the rock, leaving porous
> > rock with air in there instead of oil.
> >
> > > and "earthquakes".  From Alaska to Mexico there have been many huge
> quakes
> > > and we feel that it is more than coincidental that this coastal area
is
> > > where so much oil is being pumped out daily.
> >
> > Mmmm.... how much oil is pumped out of the coastline from Alaska to
> > Mexico? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's somewhere
> > pretty close to none.
> >
> > > There is an Alternative
> > > Alcohol has been a proven product and motor fuel for nearly a century.
> It
> > > comes from products grown on top of the earth surface.  It is
> non-polluting.
> > > It emits only CO2 (carbon dioxide) which is essential to plant life,
and
> > > water, which is essential to most all types of life.
> >
> > No. I agree that alcohol is a better fuel, but please, get your facts
> > straight. Otherwise you're just allowing anyone who's pro-oil to pick
> > plenty of holes in your argument. Burning alcohol does pollute, as
burning
> > anything creates nirtous oxides. You say it emits only CO2 which is
> > essential to plant life. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas, so emitting it
is
> > NOT a good thing. The reason why alcohol is better than gasoline is
> > because the alcohol is made by growing plants, and the CO2 it emits is
no
> > greater than the amount of CO2 the plants use in the process of growing,
> > before they are made into alcohol. So the nice thing about alcohol (or
> > biodiesel, or vegetable oil) is that the net production of CO2 is zero.
> >
> > > Gasoline emits mostly carbon monoxide which is most commonly known as
a
> > > fatal poison to most forms of life.
> >
> > Wrong! Burning gasoline emits mostly carbon dioxide. So if you go with
> > your argument of "carbon dioxide is essential to plant life", then based
> > on your argument gasoline is just as "clean". A *small* amount of carbon
> > monoxide is created from burning either gasoline or alcohol. Mostly
> > carbon dioxide is created, which is a greenhouse gas, and undesirable.
> >
> > > Alcohol and Gasoline (Gasohol)
> > > There are few advantages in mixing alcohol and gasoline together.  If
> you
> >
> > There are advantages to mixing alcohol and gasoline. Starting a car
> > on alcohol is rather difficult, particularly in cold climates. So,
having
> > a small amount of gasoline in there to help with starting is nice
> > (alternatively, a separate small tank of gasoline could be used for
> > starting).
> >
> > > intend to do so, you will need at least 195 proof alcohol to avoid
> > > separation of the alcohol and gasoline.  But 160 to 180 proof ETHANOL
> used
> > > straight is A MUCH
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > BETTER FUEL.  We urge you to conduct your own simple comparison test
by
> > > placing a small amount of alcohol and a small amount of gasoline into
> clean
> > > separate containers, and light each fuel afire.  You will notice a
> > > difference in the clean blue flame of the alcohol and the dirty yellow
> flame
> >
> > So you're saying that a yellow flame is dirty, and a blue flame is
clean?
> > Mmmm... no. I have a torch at work that I burn methane in, and I can
make
> > the flame either yellow or blue. So is it clean or dirty? The color is a
> > result of the heat of the flame, which is a result of the air to fuel
> > ratio. That's why if you want to run an internal combustion engine
> > designed for gasoline on alcohol, you need to tinker with the fuel
> > injection to get the air to fuel ratio right.
> >
> > Mike
> >
>
>
>
> ==========================================================
> THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE RENEWABLE ENERGY LIST.
> ----------------------------------------------------------
> . Please feel free to send your input to:
>   renewable-energy@yahoogroups.com
> . Join the list by sending a blank e-mail to:
>   renewable-energy-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
> . To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
>   renewable-energy-unsubscribe@egroups.com
> . To view previous messages from the list,
>   subscribe to a daily digest of the list,
>   or stop receiving the list by e-mail
>   (and read it on the Web), go to
>   http://www.yahoogroups.com/list/renewable-energy .
> . This e-mail discussion list is managed by
>   the American Wind Energy Association:
>   http://www.awea.org
> ----------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

#1410 From: "Jorund Buen, Point Carbon" <jb@...>
Date: Mon May 13, 2002 11:51 am
Subject: Call for papers, 4S session on sustainable energy
jb@...
Send Email Send Email
 
Hello,
I thought this (see below) might interest some of you.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Knut H. Sorensen" <knut.sorensen@...>
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2002 12:33 AM
Subject: Call for papers, 4S session on sustainable energy


> Dear friends,
>
> This is a late effort to organise a session on sustainable energy
> technologies at the upcoming annual meeting of the Society for social
> studies of science (4S). If you want to participate, I need an abstract of
> maximum 300 words on email Wednesday May 15, 1600 in order to be included.
> You will also need to preregister, see info below.
>
> I hope you will be interested in participating. And do not hesitate to
> disseminate this:

TRANSITIONS AND TRANSFORMATIONS FROM CARBON-BASED PRACTICES TO SUSTAINABLE
ENERGY HYBRIDS

Draft session proposal to 4S meeting November 6-9, 2002 in Milwaukee


The global warming issue has resulted in a renewed interest in the
development of new sustainable energy technologies. However, there is no
quick and easy transition from the predominantly carbon-based production of
energy of most modern societies. This raises many interesting and important
challenges. First, there is the potential of energy saving or energy
efficiency, which may reduce the demand for energy. Second, there is the
issue of the social shaping of new energy technologies in terms of the
impact of various social interests. Third, there is a question about the
shaping of technology policies that may or may not facilitate innovation and
implementation of sustainable energy technologies.

The aim of the session is to clarify the dynamics of efforts to promote
transitions and transformations towards sustainable energy use. Papers that
highlight the hybrid nature of energy technologies and energy innovations
are particularly welcome. The session aims to cover a wide variety of
different technologies.


>
> Best wishes,
>
> Knut
>
>
> The Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) will hold its 26th Annual
>                 Meeting at the Hilton Hotel Milwaukee City Center, from
> November 7 to 10,
>                 2002.  The program committee encourages the submission of
> paper proposals on all subjects
>                 connected to the social and cultural analysis of science,
>                 technology and medicine.  Authors should submit a one-page
> abstract (about
>                 300 words) and a $25 processing fee per submission by 15
> May 2002 to:
>
>                 Engineering Professional Development
>
>                 University of Arizona
>
>                 1224 N Vine Ave
>
>                 Tucson, AZ 85719
>
>                 TEL: 520-621-3054
>
>                 FAX: 520-621-1443
>
>                 email: epd@...
>
>                 You may use Visa, Master Card or American Express for your
> processing fee.
>
>                 Checks should be made payable to The University of Arizona
> Foundation .
>
>                 The $25 processing fee will be credited toward your
> conference registration fee.
>
>                 In the event your paper is not selected for presentation,
> the fee will be refunded.
>
>                 All abstracts should be submitted electronically as a Word
> attachment.
>
>                 Please, no compressed or encrypted submissions.
>
>                 Please include for all authors: full name,
>                 institutional affiliation, mailing address and e-mail
> address.  Authors are
>                 limited to two submissions, including collaboration on
> multi-authored
>                 papers.  The 4S meeting will be held on the same dates and
> within walking
>                 distance from meetings of the History of Science Society
> and the Philosophy
>                 of Science Association.

#1411 From: "sk_munir" <sk_munir@...>
Date: Tue May 14, 2002 10:09 am
Subject: How do I get a 5kW sinewave inverter
sk_munir
Send Email Send Email
 
Hi Everybody,

I'm going to set a photovoltaic installation of capacity 5kWp for
community based home lighting system. CFLs/FTLs would be the main
appliances. For this purpose, I badly need of a sinewave inverter of
capacity 5kW, 220V, 50Hz. Could some one please provide me from where
and at how much money (USD) I need to spend for that.

Thank you all.

Munir

#1412 From: Mazharul Islam <mazhar@...>
Date: Tue May 14, 2002 2:13 pm
Subject: Electronic Book on "Assessment of Renewable Energy Resources of Bangladesh"
anjan1970
Send Email Send Email
 
Electronic Book on "Assessment of Renewable Energy Resources of Bangladesh"

News Relaese from Shakti (http://shakti.hypermart.net)
[May 2, 2002]


Shakti, an energy related web site of Bangladesh, has published an electronic book (Ebook) on "Assessment of Renewable Energy Resources Of Bangladesh" which can be downloaded from the Internet at http://shakti.hypermart.net/publications/ebook1.pdf .

Renewable energies are highly site specific. For proper estimation of renewable energy sources, micro-climatic data is essential. But in Bangladesh, like most of the developing countries, incomplete national average data from the Meteorological Offices are available for wind and solar energy systems that are inadequate for RET projects formulation. This Ebook has highlighted different aspects of renewable energies Resource Assessments in Bangladesh perspective.

#1413 From: greenscitek@...
Date: Tue May 14, 2002 6:22 pm
Subject: Green Energy Options
greenscitek
Send Email Send Email
 
"Green Energy Options" is an internet group with over 350 members. Check
us out and/or join at this address:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/green-energy-options/?yguid=65710476 or
you can join by email: green-energy-options-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

#1414 From: Cosmic ONE <cosmicrose@...>
Date: Tue May 14, 2002 9:10 pm
Subject: Re: How do I get a 5kW sinewave inverter
icosmic1
Send Email Send Email
 
Hi Munir, I'm a little nervous. This is my first post debut here on this list. But... here goes anyway...5000 watts is a LOT of solar panels and a heck of a lot of compact florescents! But... you did say community project. The company I work for.. Blowin In the Wind sells both the inverter and the CFL's at a MOST reasonable price. (the website is going through a complete face lift at this time) http://blowin_in_thewind.tripod.com/ The ones we sell are small enough to be able to work in almost any fixture (which can not be said about most cfl's) However... they are 15 W 120V 60hz so they wouldn't do you any good but this is a shameless pitch to anyone else that might be interested as we sell them for $5.00 each. Just email me if you are interested.

The closest that I could come to the inverter you want would be the Trace SW4548E inverter - 4.5kW, 48 VDC input pure sine wave inverter. 230 vac 50 Hz output with 60 amp charger and 30 amp AC transfer relay. (European Applications)  Dimensions 20.5" x  27.0" x 15.5" Weight 143 LBS
$3,250.00 USD. Plus shipping

I personally power my off the grid home with the Trace SW4024 and it is one heck of an impressive piece of technology capable of doing practically everything but cleaning the house. (ha) Here is some info about the unit you might be interested in.

Trace Engineering SW Series Inverters

A Five Star Winner
The result of new ideas and technologies, the Trace SW series II delivers sinewave power without compromise. Now sinewave
wave output with high-efficiency, high surge ability and low idle current draw is available. More than just the finest inverter, with three microprocessors and bidirectional power topology, it has features in capabilities that previously were nonexistent
or available only as separate products.

New Series II Design
* Easier to use programming system with separate user and set up menus.
* New backlight LCD display on the control panel improves use in low light conditions.
* Improved AC wiring access and AC conduit provisions make installations easier.
* New soft start systems allows inverter to run even heavier loads and improves reliability.
* Enhanced generator start system works with a greater variety of generator types.

As An Inverter
* It provides multistep low distortion sinewave output with up to 96 percent peak conversion efficiency. Very low idle current
draw allows high efficiency even when powering small loads.
* Two inverters can be operated in series to provide 120/240 VAC 3 wire output with twice the power for 240 VAC loads.
Requires optional series interface cable.
* Adjustable search mode reduces idle power draw to 1 watt when not operating AC loads.
* Adjustable low battery cutout voltage with adjustable time delay prevents damaging batteries.
* Protection circuitry guards against over current, short circuit, over temperature, low battery and high battery conditions.Includes islanding protection for utility connected applications.

As A Battery Charger
* High-efficiency, low current distortion design enables higher charger output from small generators.
* Three stage, temperature compensated charging alogarithm insures maximum battery life. Remote battery temperature probe is standard. Includes manual equalization mode with adjustable settings.
* Adjustable grid and generator size allows matching of charger to the AC source.
* Automatic back off system prevents overloading of generators or nuisance tripping of input breakers.

When connected to grid or generator, SW inverter synchronizes its  waveform to that of the AC source, locks to it and operates in parallel. This ability, coupled with bidirectional power topology and microprocessor control, makes it possible for
the unit to offer multiple operating modes.

sk_munir wrote:

 Hi Everybody,

I'm going to set a photovoltaic installation of capacity 5kWp for
community based home lighting system. CFLs/FTLs would be the main
appliances. For this purpose, I badly need of a sinewave inverter of
capacity 5kW, 220V, 50Hz. Could some one please provide me from where
and at how much money (USD) I need to spend for that.

Thank you all.

Munir

--Come visit my virtual space case place
http://CosmicRose.tripod.com/CCC.html
or visit the down to earth me at Hugheston Landing
http://CosmicRose.tripod.com/HughestonLanding.html
 

#1415 From: "Tom Gray" <tomgray@...>
Date: Wed May 15, 2002 1:54 pm
Subject: EREN Network News -- 05/15/02
tomgraywind
Send Email Send Email
 
=================================================
EREN NETWORK NEWS -- May 15, 2002
A weekly newsletter from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/>
=================================================

Featuring:
*News and Events
           Farm Bill Boosts Bioenergy Production, Renewable Energy Use
           Cargill Dow, Ashland to Produce Biobased Solvent
           GE Buys Enron Wind; Vestas Receives Large U.S. Wind Order
           New Jersey State Government Buys Green Power
           Six Green Tag Providers Earn Green-e Certification
           Rosebud Sioux to Build First Tribal Utility-Scale Turbine
           EPA Recognizes Nearly 300 Commuter Choice Leaders

*Energy Facts and Tips
           EPA Examines Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector, Strength

*About this Newsletter


----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWS AND EVENTS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Farm Bill Boosts Bioenergy Production, Renewable Energy Use

President Bush signed the Farm Bill on Monday, ushering in
a variety of programs to encourage the production of energy
products on farms while providing incentives for farmers to
increase their energy efficiency and their use of renewable
energy resources. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman
noted that the bill -- officially called the Farm Security and
Rural Investment Act of 2002 -- provides " a renewed
commitment to renewable fuels programs." See the
U.S. Department of Agriculture press release at:
<http://www.usda.gov/news/releases/2002/05/0189.htm>.

Title IX of the bill specifically addresses energy, providing
$204 million in subsidies over the next four years for
producers of fuel-grade ethanol and biodiesel. It also
provides $5 million to educate consumers about biodiesel
and $6 million to establish a new program to encourage the
purchase of biobased products by federal agencies. The
new program will include an effort to establish voluntary
labeling of biobased products.

The bill encourages farmers to be energy efficient and to use
renewable energy systems, including wind energy systems
and anaerobic digesters, by providing $115 million over the
next five years for low-interest loans, loan guarantees, and
grants. It also extends the Biomass Research and Development
Initiative through 2006, providing $75 million to continue the
Initiative. See the Farm Bill summary on the U.S. Senate
Web site at:
<http://www.senate.gov/~agriculture/Briefs/2001FarmBill/conframe.htm>.

For more details, including the complete text of the bill, see
the link from the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition & Forestry Web site at:
<http://www.senate.gov/~agriculture/>.

The Biomass Research and Development Initiative is a
multi-agency effort to coordinate and accelerate all federal
biobased products and bioenergy research and
development. See the Initiative's Web site at:
<http://www.bioproducts-bioenergy.gov/>.


Cargill Dow, Ashland to Produce Biobased Solvent

The biobased chemical industry took a large step forward in
late April, when Cargill Dow LLC announced that it has
signed a five-year agreement with Ashland Specialty
Chemical Company to produce a biobased solvent.
Biobased chemicals are produced from organic matter
available on a renewable basis -- in this case, the solvent will
be produced from corn. Biobased chemical production can
potentially consume far less fossil fuels than conventional
chemical production processes.

Ashland will derive its ethyl lactate solvent from ethanol and
a Cargill Dow polymer intermediate called lactide. Cargill
Dow's lactide production, in turn, will draw on the company's
new plant that produces lactic acid from corn. The
electronics-grade solvent has many applications in the
semiconductor industry.

Since launching its new plant in April, Cargill Dow has also
moved ahead on its NatureWorks products, which are
produced from lactic acid. The company has demonstrated
the superior flame resistance of its NatureWorks fiber, while
a leading Italian supermarket is preparing to use NatureWorks
materials to produce containers and film wrapping for its
food products. By mid-summer, the supermarket plans to
distribute fresh food and pasta in the corn-based packaging.
See the Cargill Dow press releases at:
<http://www.cargilldow.com/news.asp>.


GE Buys Enron Wind; Vestas Receives Large U.S. Wind Order

It's finally official: the company formerly known as Enron
Wind Corporation is now called GE Wind Energy, a General
Electric (GE) company. GE Power Systems announced the
acquisition on May 10th. GE has not yet chosen the
headquarters location for the new company, which is
currently based in Tehachapi, California. See the GE Wind
Energy Web site at: <www.gewindenergy.com>.

The U.S. market for wind turbines appears strong: Vestas -
American Wind Technology, Inc. (the U.S. subsidiary of
Vestas Wind Systems A/S) received an order on May 5th for
62 of its 660-kilowatt wind turbines for a project near Palm
Springs, California. Cannon Power Corporation placed the
order -- worth more than $24 million -- for its Cabazon Wind
Project. See the Vestas press release at:
<http://www.vestas.com/nyheder/presse/2002/UK/fond20020506_UK.html>.

Other encouraging news for the wind industry includes a
report from E Source Green Energy Service, part of Platts
Research and Consulting, that concludes that wind power
can be easily integrated into newly developing wholesale
power markets. That's good, since the global wind power
market is expected to more than double over the next five
years, to more than 60,000 megawatts of capacity. And all of
this news is creating intense interest in this year's
WINDPOWER 2002 conference, which starts June 2nd in
Portland, Oregon. See the April 25th press release from
Platts at:
<http://plattsweb1.platts.com/pressreleases/index.shtml>.

See also the following press releases from the American
Wind Energy Association:
<http://www.awea.org/news/news020402gwc.html> and
<http://www.awea.org/news/news020509wp2.html>.


New Jersey State Government Buys Green Power

The State of New Jersey made a commitment to renewable
energy early this month when it signed an agreement to
purchase enough green power to meet 12 percent of the
state government's electricity needs. Over the next 15 months,
the state will buy 113 million kilowatt-hours of Green Mountain
Energy Company's "Enviro Blend," of which 50 percent is
produced at large hydroelectric facilities and 50 percent
comes from other renewable energy sources.

Green Mountain Energy Company has achieved a number of
milestones recently, including the installation of a 58-kilowatt
solar array in Dallas, Texas, and a 25-kilowatt solar array in
Kirtland, Ohio. The company will receive an additional boost
in September, when the Northeast Ohio Public Energy
Council (NOPEC) will begin offering the company's green
power product to the 60,000 small business customers
within its 100 member communities. See the Green
Mountain Energy Company press releases at:
<http://www.prnewswire.com/micro/greenm>.

Formed in November 2000, NOPEC is a public entity that
aggregates the buying power of its member communities to
purchase electricity and natural gas at low rates. See the
NOPEC Web site at: <http://www.nopecinfo.org/>.


Six Green Tag Providers Earn Green-e Certification

Is green power not available in your area? Feeling left out?
Well, cheer up: the Center for Resource Solutions has just
awarded its "Green-e" certification to six providers of "green
tags," also known as tradable renewable credits. Buying a
green tag allows you to increase the production of electricity
from renewable energy, thereby offsetting the emissions
caused by your own energy use. Of the six Green-e-certified
products, five are available nationwide and one is available
only in the Northeast. See the Green-e press release at:
<http://www.green-e.org/media_ed/trc.6.announce.html>.

For more information about Green-e certification of tradable
renewable credits, see the April 10th edition of EREN
Network News at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/newsletter/archives/2002/apr10_02.html>.


Rosebud Sioux to Build First Tribal Utility-Scale Turbine

The Rosebud Sioux Tribal Council announced last week that
it will build the first Native American-owned utility-scale
turbine on its tribal lands in South Dakota. The Rosebud
Sioux Tribe Wind Farm will initially consist of one 750-kilowatt
NEG Micon turbine, which will produce enough energy over
the course of one year to power 200 homes. The construction
is made possible through a new agreement with NativeEnergy,
which will sell -- you guessed it -- green tags for the project
through its WindBuilders program. See the NativeEnergy
press release at:
<http://www.nativeenergy.com/news050702.html>.

Meanwhile, a much larger wind project on the Blackfeet
Indian Reservation in Montana has fallen through. DOE's
Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) was considering
buying the entire output of a 66-megawatt wind plant that
was proposed by SeaWest WindPower, Inc. But BPA
recently halted work on its Environmental Impact Statement
for the project, citing high energy costs. BPA will continue its
avian studies at the site for potential use by the tribe or the
wind developer. See the BPA Environment, Fish, and
Wildlife Web site at:
<http://www.efw.bpa.gov/cgi-bin/PSA/NEPA/SUMMARIES/blackfeet>.

Although the halt of the Blackfeet project is disappointing,
tribal lands hold countless opportunities for renewable
energy development, and DOE is working to encourage such
development. DOE's Tribal Energy Program provides
financial and technical assistance to tribes for feasibility
studies and shares the cost of implementing sustainable
renewable energy installations on tribal lands. This program
promotes tribal energy self-sufficiency and fosters
employment and economic development on America's tribal
lands. See the program's new Web site on EREN at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/power/tech_access/tribalenergy/>.


EPA Recognizes Nearly 300 Commuter Choice Leaders

Companies that encourage alternatives to solo commuting in
a car -- alternatives like public transit, compressed work
schedules, and carpooling or vanpooling -- help their
workers save energy while reducing traffic and the air
pollution it generates. In recognition of these benefits, the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department
of Transportation sponsor the Commuter Choice Leadership
Initiative, a business-government partnership to encourage
smart alternatives to the everyday commute. Yesterday,
EPA Administrator Christie Whitman joined Mary Peters,
Federal Highway Administrator, in recognizing the nearly
300 companies participating in the partnership. See the EPA
press release at: <http://www.epa.gov/epahome/headline_051402.htm>.

Such alternatives appear to be working: according to the
American Public Transportation Association (APTA), the use
of public transportation in the United States grew twice as
fast as car use in 2001. Public transportation ridership
increased 2 percent to a record 9.5 billion rides in 2001.
APTA attributed much of the growth to cities that were
investing in transit system expansions, such as Los Angeles,
Denver, and Washington, D.C. See the APTA press release
at: <http://www.apta.com/news/releases/2001ridership.htm>.

Las Vegas, Nevada, may soon join those cities: the
gambling town is embarking on the largest monorail system
in the United States. With funding coming entirely from the
private sector, the Las Vegas Monorail will run along the
east side of the Las Vegas Strip, linking seven stations over
four miles. A fleet of nine 4-car trains is expected to begin
operating in early 2004. The system is expected to carry
19 million passengers in its first year of operation. See the
Las Vegas Monorail Company Web site at:
<http://www.lvnvmonorail.com/>.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
ENERGY FACTS AND TIPS
----------------------------------------------------------------------
EPA Examines Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector, Strength

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its
final inventory of greenhouse gas emissions and sinks for
1990 through 2000 last month. The final report verifies the
conclusions of the draft report, released in February, which
found a 2.5 percent increase in emissions in 2000. For more
details, see the February 27th edition of EREN Network
News at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/newsletter/archives/2002/feb27_02.html>.

While the final report is no surprise, of greater interest is two
re-analyses of the report by the EPA. The first, "Emissions
by Economic Sector," divides the emissions into more
intuitive groupings. This report shows electricity generation
as the major source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions,
contributing 34 percent of the total in 2000. Transportation
comes in second at 27 percent, and industry ranks third at
19 percent. Commercial buildings and agriculture contribute
just 5 percent and 8 percent, respectively. And contributions
from U.S. households -- not counting their electricity use, but
including the effects of the waste they generate -- add up to
about 8 percent of the total.

Rearranging the data to include electricity generation in each
of the sectors (based on their electricity consumption) shuffles
the order, placing industry just ahead of transportation,
followed by residences, commercial buildings, and
agriculture.

All of these analyses depend on counting the emissions of
various greenhouse gases, such as methane, and applying a
conversion factor that accounts for their strength as a
greenhouse gas relative to carbon dioxide. The results are
reported as simply "carbon dioxide equivalents." But here's a
problem: scientists are tweaking and adjusting those
conversion factors, which are known as Global Warming
Potential (GWP) values. The most recent assessment report
from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, for
instance, changed the GWP for methane from 21 to 23. In
other words, methane is now considered 23 times more
powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.

The EPA's "Greenhouse Gases and Global Warming
Potential Values" summarizes at these changes and asks an
important question: do the changes revise our view of
U.S. greenhouse gas emissions? The answer, thankfully, is
no.

See all of these reports on the EPA Global Warming Site at:
<http://www.epa.gov/globalwarming/publications/emissions/index.html>.


----------------------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You can subscribe to this newsletter using the online form at:
<http://www.eren.doe.gov/newsletter/subscribe/>.
This Web page also allows you to update your email address
or unsubscribe to this newsletter.

The Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN)
home page is located at <http://www.eren.doe.gov/>.

If you have questions or comments about this
newsletter, please contact the editor, Kevin Eber, at
kevin_eber@....

#1416 From: "steve spence" <sspence@...>
Date: Thu May 16, 2002 12:18 am
Subject: Re: [biofuel] Re: to Laughing Max
sspence65
Send Email Send Email
 
I have not found much material to refute or confirm the items that Mike
found offensive. But I will look at material I pass closely, and clearly
mark it as third party, and not editorial. Much of the article was on the
money.


Steve Spence
Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter:
http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm

Renewable Energy Pages - http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/
Human powered devices, equipment, and transport -
http://www.webconx.dns2go.com/2000/humanpower.htm
sspence@...
----- Original Message -----
From: "Energy Services" <energy.solutions@...>
To: <Arcologic@...>; <chuckkessler@...>; <ae@...>
Cc: <livingoffthegrid@egroups.com>; <renewable-energy@yahoogroups.com>;
<wastewatts@egroups.com>; <vegoil-diesel@egroups.com>;
<sustainablenrg@egroups.com>; <homeenergysolutions@egroups.com>;
<future9@egroups.com>; <energyoptions@egroups.com>;
<EcoPages_Newswire@egroups.com>; <BiomassGroup@egroups.com>;
<bio-oil@egroups.com>; <alternatepower@egroups.com>;
<allenergy@egroups.com>; <biofuels-biz@egroups.com>; <BFIC@egroups.com>;
<3rdworldenergy@egroups.com>; <biofuel@yahoogroups.com>;
<biodiesel@egroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 12:09 PM
Subject: [biofuel] Re: [renewable-energy] to Laughing Max


> Ernie,
>
> Thank you for your two cents worth of sage advice,
>
> as it turns out, Steve and I have had some conversation on the matter.
Please consider the following points:
>
> 1:  I apologized to Steve for any reference to him as being a "GOOF" and
certainly extend that apology to any of you that took offense. In actuality,
I never did specifically refer to Steve as a goofball.
>
> 2:  The goofball comment was directed at the author of the editorial
comments that Steve emailed to everyone, while I found it hard to believe
that Steve wrote such nonsense, there was no reference as to who did and no
comments made by Steve. It had the appearance that this was from Steve...
and was way below his intelligence level.
>
> 3:  In our correspondence, it comes out that he found the article from
someone he thought was intelligent and who he could trust and passed it on
to all of us without really reading the material... he even went so far as
to say he did not (say) some of the stuff that WAS said. I think he finally
read it through and had one of those defining moments...
>
> 4:  The fact that Steve DID NOT write the material and DOES NOT endorse it
makes a lot more sense and Steve agrees he should be a lot more careful in
forwarding material in the future. If I had not been "offensive" it may
never have dawned on Steve that he was making these kinds of errors. Worse,
some of you, knowing Steve is a very smart advocate of AE/RE/EE might
somehow believe the material or repeat the material... the snowball effect
of STUPID could be devastating!
>
> Having said all of that, I will re state my position... such drivel as
that material is GOOFBALL and the person that wrote it is a prize winning
GOOF!  and I don't give a ratz a$$ if that is making fun of people or not.
It is true and I could just as easily use much stronger language... we have
no place in AE/RE/EE for STUPID, we don't have the time and we can not
afford the cost of alienating the public, who generally already looks at us
as strange (to say the least) because of the press the lunatic fringe gets.
Making stupid comments about earthquakes being caused by pumping oil or that
burring alcohol produces no emissions...... does NOT help the cause!
>
> I know I come across to a lot of you as a loud mouth jerk... will perhaps
I am, but if you follow what I am loud mouthed about, you may see a certain
pattern... I deeply dislike radical extremists (on either side of the
political spectrum), hucksters and dimbulbs who think they know everything
and know NOTHING. It is false to say that we need to be extreme to
counteract the "Big Oil" side.... this only creates chaos and the general
public turns away.... especially when we seek to force our will through
legislation that mandates they do what WE feel is right.
>
> Mike (the loud mouthed jerk)
>
>   ----- Original Message -----
>   From: Arcologic@...
>   To: chuckkessler@... ; ae@... ;
michaelacook@...
>   Cc: livingoffthegrid@egroups.com ; renewable-energy@yahoogroups.com ;
wastewatts@egroups.com ; vegoil-diesel@egroups.com ;
sustainablenrg@egroups.com ; homeenergysolutions@egroups.com ;
future9@egroups.com ; energyoptions@egroups.com ;
EcoPages_Newswire@egroups.com ; BiomassGroup@egroups.com ;
bio-oil@egroups.com ; alternatepower@egroups.com ; allenergy@egroups.com ;
biofuels-biz@egroups.com ; BFIC@egroups.com ; 3rdworldenergy@egroups.com ;
biofuel@egroups.com ; biodiesel@egroups.com
>   Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2002 7:17 AM
>   Subject: Re: [renewable-energy] to Laughing Max
>
>
>   Max,
>
>   I think you should avoid making fun of people that clearly know a lot
more than you do.  It makes you look bad.  /Ernie Rogers
>
>
>
>     > Yeah, good ole Steve Spence has some good stuff occasionally, but he
is a
>     > bit off the wall... I am still giggling over the blue flame is clean
and
>     the
>     > yellow flame is dirty... not to mention that there is NO pollution
when
>     your
>     > burn alcohol... And the bald face BS about earthquakes being caused
by
>     > pumping out oil.... AHEHEHEHEH!
>     >
>     > I rest my case that the AE goof balls need to be a bit less goofy
and a
>     bit
>     > more practical... else nobody will listen, unless they are tuning in
to
>     > "comic relief"
>     >
>     > Laughing Max
>     >
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> Biofuel at Journey to Forever:
> http://journeytoforever.org/biofuel.html
>
> Biofuels list archives:
> http://archive.nnytech.net/
>
> Please do NOT send "unsubscribe" messages to the list address.
> To unsubscribe, send an email to:
> biofuel-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>

#1417 From: MH <hoagy@...>
Date: Thu May 16, 2002 2:34 am
Subject: Re: [biofuel] Re: to Laughing Max
hoagy@...
Send Email Send Email
 
I'll chip in 2 cents.
  Years ago I used to burn #1 kerosene with a blue flame
  with momentary yellow flames and noticeable odor.
  Substituted denatured grain ethyl alcohol having a
  slightly blue but generally invisible flame and
  I don't remember if there was a odor not to say
  there wasn't.

  Regarding oil pumping I'd imagine the petroleum
  geologists and engineers would replace the crude oil
  with water, from where, which might lower water tables
  unless they use salt water from the sea but then that
  might taint the aquifers in there own way.
  This can't be much different then what the coal
  companies do can it?  Wonder if theres a difference
  in weight displacement via volume or the removal
  of mineral resources effecting ground water volume
  via their extraction ?

  Clarification is welcomed,
  Thank you!

#1418 From: "Dr.J.Merten" <info@...>
Date: Thu May 16, 2002 7:56 am
Subject: RV: How do I get a 5kW sinewave inverter
tramatecnoam...
Send Email Send Email
 
Dear Munir,

TTA is specialist for village systems for rural electrification, and has
developed special solutions for the correct distribution of energy between
the users. Please find enclosed two pdfs about TTA's experiences with
villages.

The third pdf deals with the product you are looking for: It's a power
conditioning station, with modular inverter, charger regulator and energy
management system. You may schose the modules you like.

Please feel free to contact me in case of questions.


Regards,

Jens Merten


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Dr.J.Merten
Dept. R&D
Trama TecnoAmbiental (TTA)
c/ Ripolles, 46
E-08026 Barcelona
Spain
Tel.: (+34) 93 446 32 34
Fax.: (+34) 93 456 69 48
Please reply always to: info@...
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