Monthly Archives: August 2004

Yesterday the National Biodiesel Board announced that a pump station in Utah is selling a 2% biodiesel blend (B-2) at the same price as regular diesel. Even though there are more than 300 pumps nationwide selling biodiesel, this is the first time in the United States that a biodiesel blend has been offered at regular diesel prices. The Bio-Diesel is being supplied by Green Star Products Inc (GSPI)

James over at the Alternative Energy blog has started a new series of reports based on the next generation of alternative energy solutions. His first edition discusses Anti-Matter.

ZAP (ZAPZ) announced today a breakthrough electric propulsion system that uses a new hydrogen fuel cell and lead-cobalt battery design developed by Apollo Energy Systems. Apollo has developed and patented an Alkaline Fuel Cell, an improved version of the early Alkaline Fuel Cells used by NASA in the Apollo Moon Mission. Apollo calls its Alkaline Fuel Cell the "Rolls Royce" of fuel cells, with a higher voltage, higher efficiency, and greater reliability than other types of fuel cells. Alkaline fuel cells have been the fuel cell of choice for space programs in the U.S., Europe and Russia. ...

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) and its partner in Japan, Marubeni Corp., will enter into an agreement with Kawasaki Heavy Industries to become a packager of Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plants in Japan. Discussions for conclusion of the agreement are in the final stage. As part of this agreement, Kawasaki will purchase a DFC300A power plant from Marubeni, to be installed at the Kawasaki Akashi Works near Osaka, Japan, where it will undergo long-term evaluation and testing. This news and anticipation of earnings later this afternoon has FCEL up over 7% today with above average volume.

Ballard Power (BLDP) announced a $3.6 million contract with a major global automaker covering expanded technology benchmarking and evaluation activities. As part of this agreement, the automaker will evaluate the performance and capabilities of Ballard's current and advanced fuel cell technologies. This contract builds on the experience gained by the automaker from its initial purchase of Ballard® fuel cell products in 2003. Ballard has existing deals with DaimlerChrysler, Ford, Honda, Mitsubishi and Nissan. There is no indicatication which vendor they won the contract with.

Plug Power Inc (PLUG) announced the availability of GenCore®5T24, a 24-volt, 5-kilowatt backup fuel cell system that will be marketed to wireless service providers. The GenCore 5T24 complements the Company's other available products within the GenCore platform; the 5B 48-volt for industrial applications and the 5T 48-volt for wireline/wireless applications, which began shipping late last year.

Active Power Inc (ACPW) announced that it successfully operated a prototype of its new battery-free energy storage system at 10 kilowatts (kW) for over 2 hours, a milestone that positions the new product well for the telecommunications segment. "The runtime of this prototype system is already 60 times that of our flywheel product and yet offers the same battery-free benefits," stated Joe Pinkerton, Chairman and CEO of Active Power, Inc. "A battery-free system that provides hours of backup time will allow Active Power to pursue the $4 billion telecommunications backup power market."

Acting Undersecretary of Energy David K. Garman will speak at the World Renewable Energy Congress and Expo in Denver, CO on Monday, August 30, 2004to outline a program that will invest over $77 million in Hydrogen research projects around the country. These projects support President Bush's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative, as outlined in the National Energy Policy. President Bush has called on DOE to pursue the promise of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to decrease America's dependence on foreign oil. These hydrogen research projects willrepresent another part of the President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative that adds to the recent...

Energy Conversion Devices Inc (ENER) announced that it has received an additional order of 750 kW of photovoltaic (PV) products from Alwitra GmbH & Co. (Alwitra) of Germany, which increases the total planned shipment to Alwitra to 1.5 MW in 2004. "Alwitra, with a large customer base, is a major player in the German roofing market offering PV systems. We are delighted that Alwitra has chosen us to address the rapidly growing PV market in Germany," said Salama Naguib, Vice President of Sales and Global Marketing of United Solar Ovonic.

Nearly 36,000 jobs could be created in Texas if an increase in the national renewable energy standard were adopted, according to a new study released by the Union of Concerned Scientists. A national standard would require that 20 percent of the country's electricity come from clean, renewable sources like wind, biomass and solar.

"Experts generally agree that our current reliance on fossil fuels is unsustainable. Already oil is near $50 per barrel, and the great millions of Chinese and Indians destined to take to the road in the next decades have not yet gotten behind the wheel." This week Newsweek has written several special reports about alternative energy in all its forms. All of these reports can be found at the following link.

Privately held Verdant Power is developing technology for a new type of hydropower that, unlike conventional hydropower, does not involve the use of dams. Instead, it seeks to capture ''kinetic energy" from the moving water found in tidal streams, rivers, and the ocean, and in human-made facilities such as aqueducts and irrigation canals. This project will be developed on a section of the Merrimack River in Massachusetts.

Evergreen Solar Inc (ESLR) announced that it has secured a $5 million credit facility from Silicon Valley Bank. The $5 million revolving credit line is available to the Company for a period of twelve months. The funds will be used to further support the Company's ongoing expansion plans and its strategy to be a leader in the global solar energy industry.

An Australian inventor claims to have made the world's first commercially-viable motor vehicle powered by compressed air. The vehicle is being tried out by contractors in Melbourne's parks and gardens over the next 12 months as an alternative to conventional diesel or petrol engines.

Energy Conversion Devices Inc (ENER) announced that the first of three new California schools using solar energy to power its classrooms is being dedicated today in the city of Brentwood, located in Contra Costa County. The 33 kW roof and energy system will put power back into the grid for the district's new Pioneer Elementary School.

Colorado House Speaker Lola Spradley, R-Beulah. and U.S. Rep. Mark Udall, D-Eldorado Springs, co-chairs of Amendment 37—the Renewable Energy Initiative—kicked-off their statewide campaign Thursday with stops throughout Colorado. Amendment 37 would require 10 percent of Colorado's electricity be generated from renewable energy by 2015. The program is scaled beginning with a 3 percent requirement by 2007, 6 percent by 2011, and 10 percent by 2015.