Posts tagged electric vehicle
Life in the Fast Lane – Electric Vehicle Observations
Feb 1st
Recently I had the opportunity to use a Nissan Leaf™ for several full days, a much more interesting exercise than a simple test drive. As someone working in the sustainability area, as a co-chair of the California Clean Cars campaign and as a likely car buyer in 2012 (my current vehicle has over 230,000 miles on it) I am very interested in the electric vehicle (EV) market.
Nissan’s Leaf™ is among the handful of low emission cars that are presently authorized to carry a Clean Air Vehicle Sticker, entitling a single occupant to use the carpool lanes during rush hours – a very nice side benefit to EV ownership that helped speed my commute this week.
My general impression of EV driving is very favorable. This particular model is roomy, it has all the bells and whistles (bluetooth, navigation, backup camera, etc.) and most importantly, it really drives well. Acceleration, handling and power are all indistinguishable from a gas powered vehicle. The only issue I’ve had this week is the one that continues to slow down growth in the EV market, namely range anxiety and ease of recharging. I have been charging the vehicle at home and at work using conventional 120v outlets and while the process is simple and easy, it certainly takes a while, e.g. 11 hours to get a full charge last night. When I left my home the range indicator read “100 miles”, but 35 miles of highway driving depleted that amount to 42. In other words, at 60+ miles per hour, a 35 mile trip used up 58 miles of driving range. Keep in mind, I tried to use the EV just like I use my current one, driving as fast as usual as opposed to crawling along in the slow lane just to conserve the charge. With the indicator staring at you the entire time, you also start thinking about all of the devices that consume electricity in the car, such as the lights, the radio, and the seat warmers and so on. Since I want a fully functional vehicle, the notion of driving around in a dark, cold vehicle is not a selling point.
My conclusions: I love just about everything in the EV experience other than the limitations on range. If the car had a 200-mile range, I would be placing an order tomorrow. Until batteries are improved, however, fast charging 240v stations are essential and the buyers for whom EVs work perfectly may be limited. By the way
Written by Bruce Klafter. An environmental attorney by background, Bruce manages the core Environmental, Health and Safety programs for Applied Materials and drives the company’s sustainability programs, including carbon reduction and product efficiency goals.
Terex Utilities Wins ARB Approval for Hybrid System
Dec 9th
Terex Utilities wins ARB approval for hybrid system
Terex Utilities has received approval from the Air Resources Board for its Terex HyPower Hybrid System, a plug-in Power Take-Off system that uses stored energy from the system’s rechargeable batteries to power the non-propulsion functions of the vehicle. The approval enables the HyPower system, which can be used on any heavy-duty, diesel-powered vehicle, to meet the requirements set forth in title 13, California Code of Regulations section 2485. The HyPower system recharges from the electrical grid using a standard 110V—15 AMP outlet. The system is simple enough to be retrofitted onto existing vehicles, as well as durable enough to outlive its first vehicle and be used on another.
Exelon City Solar admin building gets LEED certification
Exelon Corp. unit Exelon Generation Co. LLC said that the administration building at 10-MW Exelon City Solar plant has been recognized with silver leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Exelon City Solar is located on a brownfield in the West Pullman neighborhood of Chicago. The administration building is used as office and conference space and contains displays that educate visitors about the power plant and Exelon 2020: Exelon’s industry-leading plan to reduce, offset or displace the company’s carbon footprint by more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020.
T3 Motion launches consumer electric vehicle
T3 Motion Inc. has launched its newest T3 electric vehicle, which will be unveiled at the Progressive International Motorcycle Show inLong Beach,Calif., from December 9, 2011, through December 11, 2011. With this product launch, T3 Motion is entering into the consumer market, leveraging years of expertise in the law enforcement, security and military industries. There are more than 3,000 T3 Motion vehicles in operation, spanning nearly 30 countries worldwide and logging over 20,000,000 miles.
Clean Diesel gets over $1.7M in orders for emission reduction products
Clean Diesel Technologies Inc., a cleantech emissions reduction company, said that its Heavy Duty Diesel Systems division has received new orders valued in excess of $1.7 million for its verified emission reduction products. The new orders were received under the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Mandatory Diesel Retrofit Program and Air Resources Board’s Lower Emission School Bus Program inNorthern California. The company expects to complete shipment of the orders in early 2012.
Vu1 to Supply 20,000 ESL Bulbs to Avspar
Nov 11th
IKEA opens 4 electric vehicle charging stations in Carson, Calif.
IKEA has officially plugged-in four Blink Pedestal electric vehicle charging stations at its store inCarson,California, as part of its partnership with ECOtality Inc. Installation also is planned at seven other IKEA stores in theWestern United States. To charge an EV at IKEA Carson, drivers pull into a designated parking spot, swipe their Blink InCard, plug the charger into the EV and then shop and eat at their leisure in the IKEA store while the vehicle is charging.
Vu1 to supply 20,000 ESL bulbs to Avspar
Vu1 Corp. has received an initial order for 20,000 of Electron Stimulated Luminescence R30 light bulbs from Avspar Corp. The company expects to fulfill the order during the 2012 first quarter.
The R30 bulb, which is based on Vu1′s unique ESL lighting technology platform, uses accelerated electrons to stimulate phosphor. ESL bulbs are fully dimmable, energy-efficient, non-toxic and provide a light quality virtually indistinguishable from traditional incandescent light bulbs for up to 11,000 hours.
GE, Illinois Institute of Technology team up on efficient wind energy production project
General Electric has joined hands with Illinois Institute of Technology to investigate ways to improve wind farm productivity and efficiency. The project is part of a larger U.S. Department of Energy investment of $9 million to an IIT-led consortium to enhance the leadership role of theU.S.in testing and producing the most advanced and efficient wind turbines in the world.
The two-year project will focus on helping wind farms to reduce maintenance costs and improve availability through predictions of impending problems. The project’s research will be conducted near Marseilles, Illinois, on a GE 1.5 MW series wind turbine operated and maintained by Invenergy. IIT students will be conducting research using GE’s Proficy SmartSignal software on the GE wind turbine to learn how to detect faults even earlier and more accurately than currently possible.
SunPower to install 13.78-MW solar system at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake
SunPower Corp. has begun designs for a 13.78-MW solar photovoltaic power system atNavalAirWeaponsStationChinaLakeinCalifornia. The company is expected to break ground on the solar system next month.
Under the agreement, SunPower will design, build, operate and maintain the solar power system, which will utilize the company’s high-efficiency solar panels that are supported by a 25-year warranty. TheNavalAirWeaponsStationChinaLakewill buy the electricity at a rate that is currently below the retail utility rate. The 20-year power purchase agreement will also allow the Navy to secure electricity at up to 30% below the rate available through the more traditional 10-year PPA.
FirstEnergy’s Ohio Units Achieve Compliance Benchmarks through RFP for Renewable Energy Credits
Nov 8th
FirstEnergy’s Ohio units achieve compliance benchmarks through RFP for renewable energy credits
FirstEnergy’s Ohio utilities – Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. and Toledo Edison – held a successful request for proposal to secure 10-year renewable energy credits and solar renewable energy credits to help meet the renewable energy benchmarks established under Ohio’s energy law.
With the successful subscription of the RFP, FirstEnergy’s Ohio utilities have achieved their full compliance requirements for 2011, including the 2010 shortfall. The RFP sought and procured the delivery of 5,000 SRECs and 20,000 RECs produced by generating facilities throughout Ohio for each calendar year beginning in 2011 and continuing through 2020.
Nissan North America, SunPower team up on electric vehicle project
Nissan North America Inc. and SunPower Corp. have teamed up to help Nissan LEAF electric vehicle owners learn how a residential solar power system from SunPower can reduce their carbon emissions and control the cost of charging their electric vehicles.
The partnership will offer new online content, including a video tutorial that describes how solar power systems convert sunlight into clean, renewable power for use in the home and for charging electric vehicles.
SDG&E launches annual LED Holiday Lighting Exchange program in San Diego
San Diego Gas & Electric is offering complimentary light-emitting diode bulbs to customers throughout San Diego County during the company’s annual LED Holiday Lighting Exchanges. The company wants to help San Diegans become more energy efficient this holiday season.
SDG&E customers will have the opportunity to exchange up to three strands of incandescent holiday lights for an equivalent number of energy-efficient, multi-colored LED holiday lights at any of the six lighting events. Compared to traditional incandescent holiday lights, LED lights can save customers up to 90% in holiday lighting costs.
Glebe Elementary School (Arlington, Va.) brings 1.1-kW solar system online
Glebe Elementary School in Arlington, Va. has activated a 1.1-kW solar awning system. The solar system, which is comprised of high-performance solar panels from SolarWorld, will enable the students to learn about renewable energy, while providing enough electricity to power a classroom.
The Solar2Schools program promotes solar energy education by providing sharply discounted, highly visible solar installations to schools across the country. The package includes a SolarWorld Suntrol monitoring system in the school’s lobby, providing a real-time data report of the system’s energy production.
Dominion Virginia Power Seeks Approval for Community Solar Power Program
Nov 2nd
Dominion Virginia Power seeks approval for community solar power program
Dominion Virginia Power intends to lease rooftops and grounds of commercial businesses and public facilities for electricity-generating solar panels. The panels would generate enough electricity to power about 6,000 homes during peak daylight hours.
The initiative would be part of a multi-year program designed to help expand the company’s understanding of community-based solar energy, study its impact and assess its benefits. The company’s plan is subject to approval by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
The company has yet to identify specific locations. It is expected that at least four of the solar sites would be located in community settings, such as local government buildings, schools, community associations, neighborhood associations or nonprofit organizations. The company plans to install solar panels on 30 to 50 sites in its service area.
Participants would receive payment for leasing space for the solar panels. A Web-enabled monitor located at the facility would display information about the installation’s output. Throughout the program, the company would report the study results of each project to the commission annually. The company would continue to own and operate the solar panels as generation facilities after a site has been operating for five years.
Southern receives first fuel load delivery at Texas biomass plant
Southern Co. has received its first fuel load delivery at the Nacogdoches generating facility on Nov. 1, 2011. The facility, located in eastern Texas, is owned by the company’s Southern Power subsidiary. The plant, which is the largest biomass facility in the United States, fulfills a 20-year contract to provide electric capacity to Austin Energy.
Prime Acres Management Inc. won the right to deliver the first fuel load after being the highest bidder in an online supplier charity auction. The winning bid of $10,500, will be matched by Southern and donated to the Nacogdoches Technical Training Center.
REC Solar teams up with GE for electric vehicle charger
REC Solar has teamed up with GE Energy Industrial Solutions to distribute the GE WattStation electric vehicle charger. The partnership signals the movement toward the inevitable collision of two rapidly growing sustainability movements – solar and electric vehicles – for a cleaner, more secure world.
GE’s WattStation is an easy-to-use Level 2 electric vehicle charger designed to help accelerate the adoption of plug-in electric vehicles by significantly decreasing time needed for charging – delivering a full charge in just four to eight hours compared with standard overnight charging that can take as much as 12 to 14 hours.
Clean Energy Trust begins accepting Clean Energy Challenge applications
The Clean Energy Trust is accepting applications for the 2012 Clean Energy Challenge, a clean energy business competition supported by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The application portal closes December 5, 2011.
Cash prizes totaling $250,000 will be awarded to the best early-stage companies and student-led Midwest businesses with the potential to bring new clean energy technology to the marketplace. The inaugural competition, held earlier this year, drew more than 70 applications from Illinois companies working in all aspects of clean energy.
The 2012 competition expanded to include businesses from Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin and now features a Student Challenge, which is being heavily promoted to universities throughout the region.
IBM Electric Vehicle Strategy Goes Mobile
Oct 31st
Clay Luthy, Global Distributed Energy Resource Leader for IBM’s Energy & Utilities Industry, discusses the new mobile features that IBM has created to allow electric vehicle owners to better interact with their car.
BYD Launches First Pure-Electric Vehicle for Consumers in China
Oct 27th
BYD launches first pure-electric vehicle for consumers in China
China-based BYD has introduced its popular five-passenger, long-range, all-electric cross-over vehicle, the BYD e6, for consumer purchases in China. Consumers in Shenzhen, China, will receive a substantial government subsidy — equivalent to about $18,000 USD — and the e6 unsubsidized price will start at $56,900. The final price to consumers will be $38,430.
BYD’s e6 is powered by BYD’s independently developed Iron-Phosphate batteries. It has a driving range of over 190 miles — the longest-driving-range, 5-passenger vehicle in its class and nearly double the range of its closest 4-seat competitor.
In addition, BYD is deploying some new breakthrough technologies and high-end equipment as standard in e6 model. The company’s e6 will implement the newly developed BYD-i system that allows many vehicle functions to be performed remotely by smartphone and using cloud-data for high-tech driving assistance.
Utility Wind Integration Group to add solar generation, changes name
The Utility Wind Integration Group announced that it will expand its focus to include solar generation and will change its name to the Utility Variable Generation Integration Group. The organization will explore solar integration topics as well as those relating to wind. The organization’s board of directors has voted to approve the name change.
BioSolar gets approval for commercial sale of BioBacksheet
BioSolar Inc. has received the long awaited provisional Relative Thermal Index recognition from Underwriters Laboratories for its BioBacksheet.
UL certification is required for all electronic products and components, such as solar panels, prior to their sale in the general marketplace. The official provisional RTI designation from UL allows solar panel manufacturers to proceed with confidence in integrating BioBacksheet into their panels for full UL certification, which the company expects to be merely a procedural matter.
BioBacksheet is the world’s first and only UL approved bio-based backsheet for use in solar panels, and it is a direct replacement for conventional backsheets currently used in over 70% of solar panels in the world.
GE to cut solar installation costs, make rooftop solar more affordable
GE Global Research, the technology development arm for the General Electric Co., is working on two projects aimed at simplifying and reducing the cost of solar PV installations. The projects are part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Sunshot Initiative.
The first of the two projects will be a $2.9 million program to improve some of the underlying technologies in residential solar systems that help reduce the cost of key components. The second program is a $3 million project focused on commercial rooftop applications. The goal here is to develop pre-wired and pre-configured components for easier installation of solar systems onto commercial rooftops.
First Wind completes 40-MW wind project in Vermont
First Wind has completed its 40-MW Sheffield Wind project in Vermont. The wind project, located in the Town of Sheffield in the Northeast Kingdom, is comprised of 16 Clipper Liberty 2.5 MW turbines and will generate enough power for about 45% of the homes in the Northeast Kingdom.
The renewable power generated by the project has been sold to three Vermont utilities including the Burlington Electric Department, the Vermont Electric Cooperative Inc. and the Washington Electric Cooperative Inc.
KDC Solar to Build 6.1-MW Solar Facility at Lawrenceville School in New Jersey
Oct 19th
KDC Solar to build 6.1-MW solar facility at Lawrenceville School in New Jersey
KDC Solar LLC is developing a 6.1-MW ground mounted solar facility at The Lawrenceville School on the school’s campus in Lawrence Township, New Jersey.
The solar facility, which will generate about 8,600,000 kilowatt hours of solar electricity per year, will be installed by J. Fletcher Creamer & Son Inc. The solar facility will supply 90% of the electric power needs for The Lawrenceville School facilities.
KDC Solar signed a procurement and construction contract with Creamer. The project is expected to use nearly 25,000 high efficiency 245 watt panels manufactured by SolarWorld Americas.
Duke Energy selects turbine suppliers for Texas wind projects
Duke Energy has signed agreements with Siemens and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to provide wind turbines for the two phases of Duke Energy’s Los Vientos Windpower project in Willacy County, Texas.
Siemens will provide 87 2.3-MW turbines for Duke Energy Renewables’ 200-MW Los Vientos I Windpower project. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will supply 84 2.4-MW turbines for the 202-MW Los Vientos II Windpower project. Both sites expect the first delivery of turbines by early June 2012.
Construction at both project sites will begin in December 2011, with commercial operation of the wind farms anticipated by late 2012.
First Wind selects Siemens to supply turbines for 69-MW Kawailoa wind project
First Wind subsidiary Kawailoa Wind LLC has finalized an agreement with Siemens to purchase 30 SWT-2.3-101 wind turbines for the company’s proposed 69-MW Kawailoa wind project. The proposed Kawailoa wind project will be located on the Kawailoa Plantation lands above Haleiwa on the North Shore of Oahu. The project is designed to provide a source of clean, renewable energy to about 14,500 Oahu homes. The project is scheduled to begin construction in late 2011.
Car Charging Group, Coulomb extend collaboration for national rollout of 1000 electric vehicle charging stations
Car Charging Group Inc. will extend its collaboration with Coulomb Technologies for the national rollout of 1000 electric vehicle charging stations powered by ChargePoint Network.
Car Charging Group has agreed to purchase and install charging stations across the United States including major metropolitan areas. The agreement further expands ChargePoint Network, currently the largest network of independently owned charging stations in the world. Also, Car Charging Group will use ChargePoint Network cloud-based EV charging solutions to manage its national network of customers.
AeroVironment Installs First Electric Vehicle Commercial Charging Station in Hawaii
Sep 18th
AeroVironment installs first electric vehicle commercial charging station in Hawaii
AeroVironment has installed electric vehicle charging stations at the Marriott Waikiki to serve hotel guests and respond to increased demand for sustainable practices in the tourism and hospitality industries. The new chargers are part of Hawaii’s growing charging infrastructure currently being deployed to support the electric vehicles of today and tomorrow.
In addition, AeroVironment intends to install additional charging stations at Outrigger’s OHANA Waikiki East, Embassy Suites Waikiki Beach Walk and Wailea Beach Marriott on Maui. The charging infrastructure initiative helps to comply with a new state law requiring that a portion of all publicly available parking lots of a certain size become EV-ready. The deadline for EV readiness is midnight, December 31, 2011.
In March 2011, AeroVironment was selected to help lead the way to a cleaner transportation future through an $820,000 contract from the Hawaii EV Ready Grants Program.
DeWind to supply turbines for 20-MW Texas wind farm
Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering Co. Ltd. subsidiary DeWind Co. will supply D8.2 wind turbines to the 20-MW Frisco wind farm in Hansford County, Texas. The wind turbines are being furnished from DeWind assembly contractor TECO-Westinghouse.
The 2-MW DeWind D8.2 wind turbine model, first installed in 2007, is based upon proven DeWind 2 MW wind turbine technology dating back to 2002, when the first wave of DeWind 2 MW wind turbines entered commercial operation. The grid-friendly design of the D8.2 uniquely provides grid-support capability to all grid situations.
OSU student selects First Solar modules for Solar Decathlon competition
First Solar Inc. said that a team of students from Ohio State University will use the company’s advanced thin-film solar modules to power their sustainable house in the 2011 U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Decathlon competition. The students will install 8-kW photovoltaic rooftop system, which utilizes modules manufactured in First Solar’s facility in Perrysburg, Ohio.
The biennial Solar Decathlon challenges students to use a holistic approach to design and construct net-zero energy-consuming homes. The competition features houses from 20 universities from around the world. The competition will take place next week in Wash., D.C.
Stion opens new factory in Mississippi
Stion, a manufacturer of high-efficiency thin-film solar modules, has opened its new factory in Hattiesburg, Miss. The project, which is the first thin-film solar factory in the Southeastern U.S., will deliver more than 1,000 jobs and $500 million of investment over the next six years. The first phase of the project includes a 100 MW line, which will entail more than $100 million of investment and 200 direct jobs in 2011 and 2012.
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