JouleBlog

Shopping for a refrigerator? The Energy Guide labels affixed to the floor models may not be a reliable guide to how much electricity a particular model uses, according to Consumer Reports.

In a report on ABC’s Eyewitness News tonight, a Consumer Reports spokeswoman questioned of the reliability of the ratings. “In our tests, refrigerators typically use about 20 percent more energy than it says on their yellow Energy Guide label,” said Celia Kuperszmid-Lehrman. “That’s because our tests are tougher, and we believe they better reflect how you’d actually use a refrigerator.”

For example, a GE model made by Samsung used almost 40% more electricity than the number on its Guide would suggest; an LG and Sears Kenmore made by LG used about 50% more, according to the broadcast. Consumer Reports says that the government’s test procedures need to be better defined, so that manufacturers can’t claim energy savings you are unlikely to see at home.

Consumer Reports said that the Energy Guide ratings often do not reflect real-world conditions in the home. The two refrigerators made by LG use significantly less energy only at the warmest settings required by the government tests. “But you’re not likely to use those settings, because your food’s going to spoil faster. So you’re not going to get the energy savings,” said Kuperszmid-Lehrman.

This isn’t the first time Consumer Reports has criticized the Department of Energy’s Energy Star program. In an October 2008 article it said the Consumers Union said the federal tests were out of date and its qualifying standards were too lax.

Tesla Motors, Inc. took another step closer to obtaining the manufacturing capacity to build electric vehicles, closing on a $465 loan from the Department of Energy last week. Plans are to use the Southern California plant, which will be located in Palo Alto, to build the model S electric sedan. The plant will also manufacture battery packs, electric motors and vehicle control equipment for Tesla’s vehicles and for sale to other auto manufacturers. Tesla plans to begin volume production of the model S in 2012, and says it will be capable of producing 20,000 vehicles per day by the end of 2013.

The model S is expected to get between 160 miles and 300 miles on a single charge. Of course, the vehicle’s success will hinge on the number of charging stations on the highways. The Web site evchargernews lists 15 Tesla charger stations in California.

Thursday’s loan arrangement is the second from the DOE to a vehicle manufacturer. In September 2009, the DOE signed its first loan agreement for $5.9 billion to the Ford Motor Co.  It has also signed conditional commitments with Nissan North America, Inc. and Fisker Automotive. Nissan plans to build electric cars and battery packs at the company’s Smyrna, Tenn. manufacturing complex, while Fisker has announced plans to build plug-in hybrid electric vehicles by reopening a shuttered GM plant in Wilmington, Del.

Wind power has grwoth potential with infrastructure investments. Source: NREL

The contribution of wind power to the overall energy mix potentially could grow 10-fold over the next 15 years…but significant infrastructure improvements would be required to make that happen. That’s one of the assumptions underlying a report released by the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Research Laboratory yesterday. The Eastern Wind Integration and Transmission Study (EWITS) is the result of two-and-a-half years of technical research.

EWITS is one of the largest wind integration studies to date. Its purpose is to analyze the economic, operational and technical implications of shifting 20% or more of the Eastern Interconnection’s electrical load to wind energy by the year 2024. The Eastern Interconnection is the nation’s eastern power grid, which accounts for 70% of the electricity consumed in the U.S. A summary of the report is here. A PDF of the full report can be downloaded here (it’s a big file).

The report’s authors acknowledge that the goal of integrating 20% wind seems optimistic. But they maintain that it is possible. Just a few years ago, 5% wind energy penetration was a lofty goal, they note. And some countries in Europe already have achieved wind penetration rates of 10% or higher in short periods of time. So change is possible, but not without planning for that change ahead of time. One reason: building transmission capacity takes much longer than installing wind plants. The report also conveys a  sense of urgency to studying transmission, which is already starting to limit wind growth in certain areas.

“Whether we’re talking about using land-based wind in the Midwest, offshore wind in the East or any combination of wind power resources, any plausible scenario requires transmission infrastructure upgrades and we need to start planning for that immediately,” says David Corbus, NREL project manager for the study.

The EWITS project consists of three major tasks: wind plant output data development, transmission requirements analysis, and wind integration analysis. The research team constructed four high-penetration scenarios to represent different wind generation development possibilities in the Eastern Interconnection. Three delivered wind energy equivalent to 20% of the projected annual electrical energy requirements in 2024; the fourth scenario increased the amount of wind energy to 30%. The scenarios comprise a mix of land-based and offshore wind generation.

Among the key findings are:

• The integration of 20% wind energy is technically feasible, but will require significant expansion of the transmission infrastructure and system operational changes in order for it to be realized;
• Without transmission enhancements, substantial curtailment of wind generation would be required for all 20% wind scenarios studied;
• The relative cost of aggressively expanding the existing transmission grid represents only a small portion of the total annualized costs in any of the scenarios studied;
• Drawing wind energy from a larger geographic area makes it both less expensive and a more reliable energy source;
• Wind energy development is a cost-effective way to reduce carbon emissions – as more wind energy comes online, less energy from fossil-fuel burning plants is required, reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
• Carbon emissions are reduced by similar amounts in all scenarios, indicating that transmission helps to optimize the electrical system and does not result in coal power being shipped from the Midwest to New England States;
• Reduced fossil fuel expenditures more than pay for the increased costs of additional transmission in all high wind scenarios.

“Incorporating high amounts of wind power in the Eastern grid goes a long way towards clean power for the whole country,” says Corbus.  “We can bring more wind power online, but if we don’t have the proper infrastructure to move that power around, it’s like buying a hybrid car and leaving it in the garage.”

Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced $187 million to improve the fuel efficiency of heavy-duty trucks and passenger vehicles. The funding includes about $100 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and with a private cost share of 50%, will support about $375 million in research, development projects. The companies have stated that their projects will create about 500 new jobs to develop the new technologies.

The award covers funding for nine projects. Three will focus on cost-effective measures to improve the efficiency of Class 8 long-haul freight trucks by 50%. The projects will include $115 million to develop and demonstrate fuel-efficicncy technologies by 2015, including improved aerodynamics, waste heat recovery, advanced combustion and powertrain hybridization. The remaining six projects, totaling about $71 million, will support increased fuel economy for passenger vehicles and powertrain systems. The goal is to develop engine technologies that will improve fuel economy by 25% to 40% by 2015.

Most of the funds are targeted to companies located in Michigan and Indiana. Here are the details.

• Cummins Inc., Columbus, Ind., $38.8 million. Develop and demonstrate a highly efficient and clean diesel engine, an advanced waste heat recovery system, an aerodynamic Peterbilt tractor and trailer combination, and a fuel cell auxiliary power unit to reduce engine idling.
• Daimler Trucks North America, LLC, Portland, Ore., $39.6 million. Develop and demonstrate technologies including engine downsizing, electrification of auxiliary systems such as oil and water pumps, waste heat recovery, improved aerodynamics and hybridization.
• Navistar, Inc., Fort Wayne, Ind., $37.3 million. Develop and demonstrate technologies to improve truck and trailer aerodynamics, combustion efficiency, waste heat recovery, hybridization, idle reduction, and reduced rolling resistance tires.
• Chrysler Group LLC, Auburn Hills, Mich., $14.5 million. Develop a flexible combustion system for their minivan platform based on a downsized, turbocharged engine that uses direct gasoline injection, recirculation of exhaust gases, and flexible intake air control to reduce emissions.
• Cummins Inc., $15 million. Develop a fuel-efficient, low emissions diesel engine that achieves a 40 percent fuel economy improvement over conventional gasoline technology and significantly exceeds 2010 EPA emissions requirements.
• Delphi Automotive Systems LLC, Troy, Mich., $7.5 million. Develop a novel low-temperature combustion system, coupled with technologies such as continuously variable valve control and engine downspeeding, to improve fuel economy by at least 25%.
• Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich., $15 million. Achieve a 25% fuel economy improvement with a gasoline engine in a 2010 mid- to large-size sedan using technologies including engine downsizing, turbo-charging, direct injection and a novel exhaust aftertreatment system.
• General Motors Co., Pontiac, Mich., $7.7. Develop an engine that uses lean combustion and active heat management, as well as a novel emissions control system, to improve the fuel economy of a 2010 Malibu demonstration vehicle by 25%.
• Robert Bosch, Farmington Hills, Mich., $12 million. Demonstrate a high-compression, turbo-charged engine based on homogenous charge compression ignition technology (a combustion technology that allows for lower emissions and higher efficiency)  to achieve up to 30 percent fuel economy improvement in a gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicle.

President Obama today announced the award of $2.3 billion in new clean manufacturing projects across the United States. The award comes on the heels of a dismal jobs report that 85,000 jobs vanished in December. Employment in manufacturing declined by 27,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Since the beginning of the recession manufacturing employment has fallen by 2.1 million.

Today’s announcement may only put a small dent in those massive losses, but at least it is a step to build domestic manufacturing capacity for renewable energy technology. The funds will come in the form of Recovery Act Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits, which will support 183 projects in 43 states. The investment tax credits are worth up to 30% of each planned project. It’s estimated that the tax credits will leverage private capital for a total investment of $7.7 billion in high-tech manufacturing in the U.S.

The projects include:

• Itron, Inc., which manufactures a smart meter for the residential market.
• W.L. Gore & Associates,, Inc., which produces a membrane for fuel cells for buildings and vehicles.
• PPG Industries, Inc., which produces a double anti-reflective coating for glass to make solar sells more efficient.
• TPI Composites, Inc., which is building a new manufacturing facility in Nebraska to produce composite wind turbine blades.

The projects selected for the tax credit will be in service by 2014; about a third of the projects will be completed this year. The 183 projects selected today will produce solar, wind and geothermal energy equipment; fuel cells, microturbines and batteries; electric cars; electric grids to support renewable energy; energy conservation technologies; and equipment that captures and sequesters carbon dioxide or reduces greenhouse gas emissions. A full list of the selected projects is here.

Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced the latest in a string of stimulus funding awards–this time directed at industrial facilities. The Department of Energy is awarding $155 million for 41 energy efficiency projects across the country. The industrial sector uses more than 30 percent of U.S. energy and is responsible for nearly 30 percent of U.S. carbon emissions.

Nine projects announced today will promote the use of combined heat and power, district energy systems, waste energy recovery systems, and energy efficiency initiatives in hospitals, utilities, and industrial sites.  Combined Heat and Power and District Energy Systems generate both the heat and power needed for industrial processes on-site, instead of using electricity from the grid, and can be nearly twice as efficient as conventional heat and power production, according to the announcement. The remaining 32 awards will provide local technical support for the industrial sector through university-based Industrial Assessment Centers, state agencies, regional partnerships, and a national technical assistance provider.

Is the Obama administration going far enough in calling the nation to action on energy? Bob Herbert asks that question in his column in today’s New York Times. Herbert lamented that President Obama’s speech on the smart grid last week, in which Obama touted $3.4 billion in energy funding, had fallen flat with the public. So had Vice President Biden’s announcement the same day that federal funds would help re-open an idled former GM plant in Wilmington, Del. to manufacture plug-in hybrid vehicles. As noted by Herbert, more important that the size of the grants was Obama’s call to action for anew direction on energy that will bring much-needed jobs and a more secure future.

I agree. There is a disconnect between President Obama’s eloquent message and its reception. On the other hand, it’s understandable that a public facing unemployment. Stimulus funds are a good thing, and there needs to be more of it. But there also needs to be a much bigger focus on job creation and training. It will take workers to make President Obama’s vision a reality.

What are your thoughts? Can the smart grid be a engine for job growth?

There’s an interesting story on Bloomberg.com about the clash between carmakers and the Department of Energy over hydrogen powered vehicles. General Motors, Toyota and other automakers want to sell zero-emission cars powered by hydrogen within six years, according to the story. Costs to produce hydrogen-powered vehicles have fallen drastically from a staggering $1 million per vehicles a few years ago. GM, Toyota, Honda and Daimler AG are working toward the goal of a $3,600 premium compared to a mid-sized gasoline model. GM alone has spent $1.5 billion on fuel cell research, according to Charles Freese, executive director of GM’s fuel cell research program.

The U.S. has provided more than $10 billion in low-cost loans and grants this year for production of electric cars, batteries and charging infrastructure. By contrast, hydrogen funding was initially gutted, according to the article. In May Energy Secretary Steven Chu recommended a 60% budget cut for hydrogen projects, saying  batteries and bio-fuels were a better near-term solution.

In September GM, Toyota, Honda, Daimler, Hyundai, Kia Motors, Renault and Nissan released a statement Sept. 9 saying they shared a goal to create a fuel-cell vehicle market within six years. Germany plans 1,000 hydrogen planning stations by 2015 and Japan plans a similar number. California, where more of the hydrogen fuel cell cars are tested in the U.S., currently lists 23 hydrogen fueling stations. “The advances that have been made by the automobile manufacturers are remarkable,” said  Scott Samuelson, director of the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. “Infrastructure is the Achilles’ heel.” He estimates that 32 hydrogen pumps would be sufficient to support an initial consumer market.

The Department of Energy yesterday announced a private sector partnership aimed at accelerating renewable energy projects. The agency will provide up to $750 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to cover the cost of loan guarantees which could support as much as $4 to 8 billion in lending to eligible projects. The DOE said it will invite private sector participation to accelerate the financing of these renewable energy projects.

To accelerate the loan application process the agency announced the creation of its new Financial Institution Partnership Program (FIPP), a streamlined set of standards designed to expedite DOE’s loan guarantee underwriting process and leverage private sector capital for funding of eligible projects. The first solicitation under the new program will seek loan guarantee applications for conventional renewable energy generation projects, such as wind, solar, biomass, geothermal and hydropower.

Under this first FIPP solicitation, proposed borrowers and project sponsors do not apply directly to DOE but instead work with financial institutions satisfying the qualifications of an eligible lender which may apply directly to DOE to access a loan guarantee. The FIPP solicitation is the eighth round of solicitations issued by the Department’s Loan Guarantee Program since its inception.

With the unemployment rate getting ready to blow past 10%, one would think that employers have a vast potential workforce to get alternative energy projects up and running. As noted by the blog Climate Progress today, federal stimulus money has helped to jumpstart investment in solar, transportation and green buildings. Both Tesla Motors and photovoltaic panel manufacturer Solyndra are recipients of government funding.

But there’s a disconnect between needed skills and available jobs that is leaving many good-paying jobs to go begging, according to an Associated Press story today. It’s a problem that persists in many segments of the economy; it’s not by any means limited to green energy jobs. But it’s a serious problem that can stop the rise of green energy projects–and its contribution to an economic recovery–dead in its tracks.

And there is no better example to send home the point than the federal government that has funded the very start-ups that are expected to play a role in an economic recovery. The AP story quotes Ed Baker, who is looking to fill good-paying jobs at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a Department of Energy research laboratory in Richland, Wash.

Sifting through applications for jobs at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Washington state, Baker said he sees “people that have worked in other areas, and now they’re trying to apply that skill set to the energy arena.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not the skill set we need.”

The jobs opened up after the lab received federal stimulus money to research energy-efficient buildings. Baker needs employees with backgrounds in city management and a grasp of the building codes needed to design energy-efficient buildings. Yet even a salary of $140,000 for senior researchers isn’t drawing enough qualified applicants.

Baker said he’s getting resumes from well-educated people, including some from information technology workers who want to enter the green-energy field. But he said it could take a year to get an unqualified employee up to speed on all the building codes they need to know.

“We’re running out of people to train” new employees, he said. “We simply cannot attract enough (qualified) people.”

New VC-funded energy projects won’t get far without the workforce to turn the start-ups into successful businesses over the long term.