News and Events by CCRES March 07, 2013

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources  News and Events March 07, 2013

President Obama Nominates New Energy Department and EPA Heads   President Obama on March 4 nominated Ernest Moniz to replace Steven Chu as Secretary of Energy, and Gina McCarthy to take over U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) leadership from Lisa Jackson. Of his new Energy Secretary nominee, Obama said "Ernie knows that we can produce more energy and grow our economy while still taking care of our air, our water and our climate." The president praised Moniz, who served as Undersecretary of Energy for President Bill Clinton and directs the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's (MIT) Energy Initiative, which brings together prominent thinkers and energy companies to develop the technologies that can increase energy independence and create new jobs. In announcing McCarthy's nomination, President Obama called her a top environmental official in Massachusetts and Connecticut, where she helped design programs to expand energy efficiency and promote renewable energy. She previously served as the assistant administrator of the EPA's Office of Air and Radiation. President Obama said both nominees are "going to be making sure that we're investing in American energy; that we're doing everything that we can to combat the threat of climate change; that we're going to be creating jobs and economic opportunity in the first place. They are going to be a great team. And these are some of my top priorities going forward." See the White House press release.   Agriculture Department Awards $8 Million for Smart Grid Technology   The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on February 18 announced that rural electric cooperatives and utilities in 12 states will receive loan guarantees to improve generation and transmission facilities, as well as to implement smart grid technologies. The announcement includes support for more than $8 million in smart grid technologies, which help utilities make efficiency improvements to the electric grid and help consumers lower their electric bills by reducing energy use in homes and businesses. States receiving this USDA smart grid funding are Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas. Smart grid technologies involve adding communication capabilities and control systems to the electrical grid; this is expected to change how people use electricity, resulting in improved home energy management for the homeowner, greater demand control for the utility, and a more reliable power grid overall. Smart grids are also expected to better accommodate the use of renewable energy, all forms of on-site power production, and electric vehicles. See the USDA press release.   GSA Seeks Public Input for Green Building Certification   The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) on February 5 announced that it is seeking additional input from the public regarding the federal government's use of third-party green building certification systems, which reflect building energy efficiency. GSA published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comments through April 6, 2013, on how the federal government can best use certification systems to measure the design and performance of the federal government's construction and major modernization projects. Federal construction and modernization projects must adhere to the government's own green building requirements, and third party certification systems should help in measuring effectiveness and performance. GSA is currently evaluating three certification systems for green building standards, including the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) 2009, the Green Building Initiative's Green Globes, and the International Living Future Institute’s Living Building Challenge. After the public comment period, GSA will use that feedback and make a recommendation to the Energy Department, which could include one system, multiple systems, or no system. See the GSA press release and the notice in the Federal Register.   Ultra-Efficient VW Hybrid to Debut at Geneva Auto Show   Volkswagen will debut the XL1 hybrid it calls the most fuel-efficient production car in the world at the International Motor Show in Geneva, Switzerland. Credit: Volkswagen Volkswagen (VW) will debut the XL1 hybrid when the 83rd International Motor Show opens on March 7 in Geneva, Switzerland. The automaker calls it "the most fuel-efficient production car in the world" and estimates the vehicle gets 261 miles per gallon (mpg). The plug-in hybrid two-seater can also cover a distance of up to about 31 miles in all-electric mode. The sports car is designed for a top speed of about 100 mph, and has a 20-kW motor and a 2-cylinder, Turbocharged Direct Injection diesel engine. Lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced polymer is used in its construction. The automaker is planning to begin production in 2013. Also listed as premiering at the show is the Audi A3 Sportback TCNG, which is designed to use synthetic methane, or, as the automaker calls it, renewable "e-gas." Other concept vehicles will be unveiled at the show as well, which runs through March 17. See the VW press release and the Geneva show website.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

St. Louis Launches Plan for More Sustainable Community   St. Louis, regarded as the Gateway to the West, is also becoming the gateway to sustainability for the state of Missouri. Central to increasing energy efficiency in St. Louis has been the Energy Department's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. St. Louis identified its City Hall, considered the crown jewel of the city's buildings portfolio, as a building that could benefit from retrofit. Before making upgrades, the city conducted an energy audit of the building and determined that it was only occupied 40% of the year. The city saw an opportunity to reduce energy use for the other 60% of the year when the systems require minimal operation. EECBG funds were leveraged to help meet these energy efficiency goals, including HVAC retrofits, internal lighting upgrades, direct digital control upgrades and whole building lighting upgrades, and resulted in energy savings up to 50%. Additionally, 52 outdated metal halide lamp fixtures were replaced with LED fixture tops in the City Hall parking structure. The new LED fixtures deliver more useful light where it is needed and use a total of 1.3 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy—compared to the 7.8 kWh required by the previous lighting—for an energy savings of nearly 83%. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES March 07, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources  News and Events March 07, 2012

News and Events Offshore Wind Gets $180 Million Boost from DOE DOE announced on March 1 the start of an initiative to capture wind energy off U.S. coasts. As part of a planned six-year, $180 million initiative, an initial $20 million will be available this year as the first step in supporting up to four innovative offshore wind energy installations. These offshore wind projects will accelerate the deployment of breakthrough wind power technologies that will help diversify the U.S. energy portfolio. Offshore wind resources in the United States are estimated at more than 4,000 gigawatts. The demonstration projects will help address key challenges associated with installing utility-scale offshore wind turbines, connecting offshore turbines to the power grid, and navigating new permitting and approval processes. In addition to the new funding, DOE is continuing to work with partners across the federal government to implement a comprehensive offshore wind energy strategy, conduct resource assessments, and streamline siting and permitting processes. Applicants to the competitive solicitation are expected to form consortia of energy project developers, equipment suppliers, research institutions, and marine-installation specialists. DOE funds may be used to cover up to 80% of a project's design costs and 50% of the hardware and installation costs. Applications are due on May 31, 2012. See the DOE press release and the funding opportunity details. DOE Offers $6 Million for Fuel Cell EV Data Collection DOE announced on March 1 that up to $6 million will be available this year to collect and analyze valuable performance and durability data for light-duty fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs). Projects selected will gather data from next-generation FCEVs as they are operated in real-world conditions. The goal is to identify ways to lower costs, improve fuel cell durability, and increase overall vehicle performance. DOE seeks applicants to design and implement projects to monitor the performance and durability of advanced FCEVs for up to five years. The projects—which share costs equally—will supply information on fuel cell system operation and other vehicle data to the Hydrogen Secure Data Center at DOE's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for analysis and comparison. Data will be collected from various makes and models of FCEVs so that engineers and scientists can measure the performance and technical progress of a range of fuel cell systems. The conclusions drawn from the data by NREL will help identify and focus future research and development efforts and gauge progress toward fuel cell performance and cost targets. See the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy progress alert, the Funding Opportunity Exchange website, and the Fuel Cell Technologies Program website. ARPA-E Issues Call for Transformational Energy Technologies DOE's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) issued a $150 million funding opportunity on March 2 that is open to all transformational energy technologies. This Open Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is a call to scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs to propose early-stage research projects that would not otherwise be able to attract private investment. Such projects could lead to breakthrough energy technologies. This is the second Open FOA released under ARPA-E. The open call includes electricity generation by renewable means; electricity transmission, storage, and distribution; energy efficiency for buildings, manufacturing and commerce, and personal use; and all aspects of transportation, including the production and distribution of renewable fuels, electrification, and energy efficiency in transportation. Individual awards under the Open FOA will range between $250,000 and $10 million. See the DOE press release and the FOA announcement on the Funding Opportunity Exchange website. California is Top Renewable State: Report A new ranking of states released on February 28 gives California the lead in terms of overall renewable energy suitability. Ernst & Young issued United States Renewable Attractiveness Indices, which focuses on diverse renewable energy markets, energy infrastructures, and their suitability for individual technologies. Following California in the "All Renewables Index" were New Mexico, Colorado, and Hawaii, with Massachusetts and Texas tied for fifth place, the report said. New Mexico and Colorado rated highly because of consistent growth and strong potential across all renewable energy technologies. Massachusetts and Texas tied because of strong solar and wind investment respectively. In separate renewable indices, Maine topped the biomass category and finished second in geothermal. Illinois ranked fourth in the long-term wind index. Future reports will be released semiannually, Ernst & Young said. See the Ernst & Young press release and the full report. Ford Focus Electric Vehicle Earns Top EPA Mileage Rating The Ford Focus Electric has earned a top miles per gallon equivalent rating from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the automaker said. Credit: Ford Ford Motor Company announced on March 2 that its new Focus Electric was U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certified as having a city rating of 110 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe) and a highway rating of 99 MPGe. The Detroit automaker said that its rating makes it the most fuel-efficient five-passenger car in the United States. The car can travel 76 miles on a single charge. The EPA had not officially posted the numbers at the time of the announcement. Also, Ford said that the Focus Electric has been certified at a combined rating—city and highway—of 105 MPGe. In the latest published EPA ratings, the 2012 Nissan Leaf has a combined rating of 99 MPGe. General Motors’ 2012 Chevrolet Volt, a plug in hybrid electric vehicle (EV), has a combined gas/electricity rating of 60 MPGe. Ford said that when it adds the new 2013 Ford Fusion to its line, it would be the world's most fuel-efficient gas- and hybrid-powered midsize sedan. See the Ford press release.

University Teams Tackle Efficiency's Barriers for Buildings On March 2, Energy Secretary Steven Chu joined a group of bright, ambitious university students for the finale of the Better Buildings Case Competition in Washington, D.C. The initiative, part of the president's Better Buildings Challenge, taps into the innovative, out-of-the-box thinking of university energy clubs—tasking them to devise comprehensive solutions to persistent barriers to energy-efficiency for buildings in the marketplace. As part of the competition, students analyzed four case studies—using real-world scenarios and data provided by partners in the DOE Better Buildings Challenge—to improve energy efficiency in commercial buildings. Secretary Chu announced the winners for each case study, based on two categories: most innovative solution and best proposal. Read the whole story in the DOE Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)