MORE NEWS, 5-28 (100 DAYS, 100 PROJECTS; FEDS SPEND TO MAKE GRID SMARTER; AIR CAR BY 2011)

100 DAYS, 100 PROJECTS
Obama airs '100 Days, 100 Projects' report
May 27, 2009 (UPI)

"More than $467 million in economic stimulus funds will go toward two U.S. geothermal and solar technology projects, a White House report indicated…

"…[At Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada] President Barack Obama marked the 100th day since passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act by recapping progress the U.S. economy has made since passage and outlining what needs to be done to assure a solid economic footing going forward…"

The President inspects the U.S.' biggest solar PV array. (click to enlarge)

"The 100 Days, 100 Projects report...compiled by the Recovery Act oversight committee headed by Vice President Joe Biden …[describes] investment to expand and accelerate development and use of geothermal and solar energy…[as part of] infrastructure and construction projects receiving ARRA funds.

"Nellis Air Force Base houses the largest solar photovoltaic array in the United States, and 25 percent of the energy used by the 12,000 people living and working on the base is generated by the 72,000 solar panel installation…"

The President at Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas looking a little like the last lonely but still cool member of the Rat Pack. (click to enlarge)

"The funding for the energy projects…will help solar and geothermal industries overcome technical barriers, demonstrate new technologies, and provide support for clean energy jobs for years to come, the White House and the Department of Energy said."

[President Barack Obama:] "We have a choice. We can remain the world's leading importer of oil, or we can become the world's leading exporter of clean energy…"


FEDS SPEND TO MAKE GRID SMARTER
Locke, Chu Announce Significant Steps in Smart Grid Development
May 18, 2009 (U.S. Department of Energy)

"U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu…announced significant progress that will help expedite development of a nationwide "smart" electric power grid…[that] would replace the current, outdated system and employ real-time, two-way communication technologies to allow users to connect directly with power suppliers. The development of the grid will create jobs… spur the development of innovative products that can be exported…save consumers money and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil by improving efficiency and spurring the use of renewable energy sources.

"Before it can be constructed, however, there needs to be agreement on standards for the devices that will connect the grid…Locke and Chu announced the first set of standards that are needed for the interoperability and security of the Smart Grid and $10 million in Recovery Act funds provided by the Energy Department to the National Institute of Standards and Technology to support the development of interoperability standards."

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"Secretary Chu also announced that based on feedback from the public and Smart Grid stakeholders, the Department of Energy is increasing the maximum award available under the Recovery Act for Smart Grid programs…[T]he Smart Grid Investment Grant Program will be increased from $20 million to $200 million and…Smart Grid Demonstration Projects from $40 million to $100 million…DOE will ensure that funding is provided to a diversity of applications, including small projects as well as end-to-end larger projects…

"The initial batch of 16 National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)-recognized interoperability standards… will help ensure that software and hardware components from different vendors will work together seamlessly, while securing the grid against disruptions."

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"Spanning areas ranging from smart customer meters to distributed power generation components to cybersecurity, the list of standards is based on the consensus expressed by participants in the first public Smart Grid Interoperability Standards Interim Roadmap workshop…$10 million [the Energy Department] received to support the development of interoperability standards under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has been provided to NIST to help accelerate their efforts to coordinate these critical standards…

"The Energy Department is the lead federal agency responsible for Smart Grid development. Creating national standards is a critical part of that process. Coordinating these standards and achieving industry buy-in is the responsibility of the Commerce Department…"


AIR CAR BY 2011
Company looks to bring air-powered cars to US
Dan Strumpf, May 25, 2009 (AP)

"Most car companies are racing to bring electric vehicles to the market. But…Zero Pollution Motors is trying to bring a car to U.S. roads by early 2011 that's powered by a combination of compressed air and a small conventional engine…[T]he ultimate goal is a price tag between $18,000 and $20,000, fuel economy equivalent to 100 miles per gallon and a tailpipe that emits nothing but air at low enough speeds.

"Elsewhere in the world, the technology is already gaining speed. The French startup Motor Development International, which licensed the technology to ZPM, unveiled a new air-powered car at the Geneva Auto Show in March. Airlines KLM and Air France are starting to test the bubble-shaped AirPod this month for use as transportation around airports."

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"Engineering experts, however, are skeptical of the technology, saying it is clouded by the caveat that compressing air is notoriously energy intensive…[T]he "air cars" plug into a wall outlet, allowing an on-board compressor to pressurize the car's air tank to 4,500 pounds per square inch. It takes about four hours to get the tank to full pressure, then the air is then released gradually to power the car's pistons.

"At speeds less than 35 mph, the car relies entirely on the air tank and emits only cold air. At faster speeds, a small conventionally fueled engine kicks in to run a heater that warms the air and speeds its release. The engine also refills the air tank, extending the range and speed…[The air car] is expected] to go about 20 miles on compressed air alone, and hundreds more after the engine kicks in, with a top speed of 96 mph…"

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"James Van de Ven, a mechanical engineering assistant professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute who has studied compressed-air technology, said air compressors allow you to recover only 25 to 30 percent of the energy used to compress the air. The rest is lost through heat, air leakage and other forms of waste…While that's still slightly better a gasoline engine, it pales compared with the efficiencies of other alternative-fuel powertrains, like those in hybrid-electric cars, which have an efficiency closer to 80 percent…

"With four hours of charging, the air car's 5.5-kilowatt compressor would eat up 22 kilowatt-hours of electricity. That means the same energy used to turn on 10 100-watt light bulbs for 22 hours would allow the car to travel 20 miles…General Motors Corp. has said its Chevrolet Volt will use about 8 kilowatt-hours of energy to fully charge, and it will be able to travel 40 miles on battery power alone…"