Monthly Archives: October 2004

FPL Group Inc (FPL) announced it will build, own and operate a new wind farm in Texas, the Callahan Divide Wind Energy Center, to be located in Taylor County, Texas. The 114-megawatt Callahan Divide Wind Energy Center will be comprised of 76 1.5-megawatt wind turbines spread over a 6,000 acre site approximately 12 miles southwest of Abilene. Construction is expected to begin in the next few weeks and be completed no later than the first quarter 2005.

Mechanical Technology Inc (MKTY) announced that it has been awarded the 2004 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Award for its Mobion(TM) micro fuel cell technology. The Award will be presented to MTI Micro at Frost & Sullivan's 2004 Best Practices Awards Banquet on October 20, 2004 in Rancho Mirage, California.

A survey of 18 fuel-cell developers around the world found none of them was profitable last year, although their combined revenues rose 20 per cent to $243 million US, accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) said.

British Telecom has announced a three-year plan to get all of its energy needs from renewable sources - the biggest such project in the world. The electricity used, worth hundreds of millions of pounds, could power a city the size of Nottingham. Renewable sources of energy include wind, wave and solar power, rather than using fossil fuels like oil or coal.

The state will add ten Ford Escape hybrids to its fleet as part of a plan to cut fuel costs and make the state's vehicles more environmentally sound, officials said at a press conference Tuesday. The hybrid S.U.V.'s run on gas-electric engines and get 33 miles per gallon, and burn 50 cleaner than internal combustion engines.

Privately held Konarka Technologies, Inc., announced the California Energy Commission is earmarking funds from its Energy Innovations Small Grant Program for Konarka. The grant will be used to accelerate Konarka's efforts to bring aesthetically integrated plastic photovoltaics to the roofing market. Over the next 12 months, Konarka will apply this grant to examining the potential for coating patterned power plastic roofing materials that mimic the appearance of traditional roofing products. Aesthetics and cost have been key hurdles in increasing market penetration for renewable photovoltaic power in the residential roofing market, but Konarka's materials will look like a conventional...

Solar photovoltaics are suitable for both large grid-connected generation and small-scale applications. The report examines the status of the technology, its development, the size of the global market and its future development. Applications of Solar Photovoltaics are also outlined. Market sizes and future projections are provided, together with a break down of grid- connected and non-grid use, distributed generation, details of markets and production. Production is analysed by country and technology (single and poly cell silicon crystal, thin film and concentrators, with sub-categories). Exports are provided.

Arotech Corporation (ARTX) announced today that its Battery and Power Systems Division has received a new research and development contract from the US Army Communications and Electronics Command (CECOM). The 3-phase program will focus on developing a new, fourth generation Electric Fuel Zinc Air cell for use in military batteries. The new portable Zinc Air battery pack will be 12 or 24 Volt and have a total capacity of approximately 400Wh. Battery Energy Density will be above 300Wh/kg. The second and third phases of the program are optional.

Nevada Geothermal Power Inc. (NGLPF) announced that Inovision Solutions Inc. (ISI), a TSX-V listed company, will fund up to C$5,000,000 in exploration and development expenditures for the Pumpernickel Geothermal Project under an option agreement to earn a 50% joint venture interest. In order to earn its interest, ISI must complete C$5,000,000 in project expenditures, make C$120,000 in cash payments and issue 600,000 shares to NGP over a five year period. In the first year, ISI must fund a C$400,000 work program, issue 100,000 shares and make a C$10,000 cash payment to maintain its option. NGP will be project...

Northern Power Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp (DESC) has been awarded a $1.9 million contract from Anchorage-based Alaska Village Electric Cooperative (AVEC) for seven of Northern's NorthWind® 100 wind turbines. The advanced-design 100 kW wind turbines will generate renewable electric power for 3 remote communities, in western Alaska, served by AVEC. As part of the contract award, Northern will provide on-site installation and commissioning services of the turbines in the harsh Alaskan environment. It is the first stage in a broader effort through which AVEC will be integrating wind into more of the 51...

Fuelcell Energy Inc (FCEL) announced that it received a gold Connecticut Quality Improvement Award (CQIA) Innovative Prize for increasing sales of its 'ultra-clean' Direct FuelCell® (DFC®) power plants. The innovative feature of the Company's DFC products is the ability to electrochemically produce electricity from readily available fuels such as natural gas, wastewater treatment gas and coal gases.

Alternative energy projects getting a boost from higher energy prices. With Oil trading in the $50 range, more alternative energy projects are being funded worldwide. Many of these projects were not feasible when oil was trading in the $30 range, but as it passed $40 a barrel, wind projects started to make sense and with oil now over fifty, solar projects are beginning to appear in greater numbers. Add tax incentives, rebates and grants, and it becomes more understandable as to why these alternative energy projects are on the rise.

Energy Conversion Devices Inc (ENER) founded by the now-82-year-old Mr. Ovshinsky in 1960, developed the battery technology that is being used in Toyota Motor Corp.'s Prius the popular "hybrid" car model that has given U.S. automobile titans Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp. a run for their money. And the Rochester Hills, Mich., company though it still is unprofitable, making iit a risky bet is drawing backing from serious investors who see a hot market for its products. This story hit the news wires and the Wall Street Journal late last night. ENER...

Volkswagen AG, Europe's biggest carmaker, said it agreed to develop fuel-cell vehicles in China, as part of global efforts to invest in low-polluting cars. Volkswagen signed an agreement with Tongji University and German engineering company IAV to produce a model fuel-cell vehicle, the German carmaker said in an e-mailed statement. Wolfsburg-based Volkswagen will provide the body and Tongji will contribute fuel cells and high-power batteries, it said.

Aarhus United USA Inc. has awarded Northern Power Systems, Inc. a subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp (DESC), a contract for a $1.7 million turnkey on-site power system that will use the oil distillate and waste byproduct of the company's vegetable oil processing operations as fuel. Northern's system will be designed to deliver 65% of the Port Newark, New Jersey facility's electrical needs and 12% of its thermal consumption. The NJ Clean Energy Program has deemed the fuel a renewable source that is CO2 emissions-free and has therefore committed funds to pay 30% of the project cost.

The U.S. Senate agreed Sunday to vote as early as Monday on a corporate tax bill that would include the "Green Building" program, something that Adams Harkness analyst John Quealy said will be a "positive catalyst for the fuel cell industry." The bill calls for the issuance of tax-exempt bonds to fund the construction of energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly buildings. "What we find especially noteworthy is language in the current Chairman's Mark of the Conference Committee report that requires using at least 25 megawatts of fuel cell energy generation, in aggregate, in order to qualify for such tax-exempt...