Community News

Latest U.S. Census Reveal More Workers Driving to Work Alone

More than three-quarters of U.S. workers drove to work alone in 2000, according to "Journey to Work: 2000," a brief released by the U.S. Census Bureau. The other workers carpooled (12 percent), used public transportation (4.7 percent), worked at home (3.3), walked to work (2.9 percent) and used other means such as a bicycle or motorcycle (1.2 percent).

Of all modes of travel to work, driving by car increased the most between the 1990 and 2000 U.S. censuses. In addition, the number of people walking and taking public transportation to work dropped. During the same time period, the average travel time to work increased by more than 3 minutes to 25.5 minutes, a 14 percent increase.

DOE Announces Partnerships to Expand U.S. Wind Development

The Department of Energy is establishing partnerships with 21 public and private entities to expand potential U.S. wind development through advances in cost-effective low-wind-speed technology. The value of the cost-shared projects is expected to total $60 million over the next four years.

To date, much of the commercial wind power development has occurred at high-wind sites. The new low-wind-speed projects will focus on technology improvements for making more widespread low-wind-speed sites cost competitive with high-wind sites. Efforts include new R&D projects targeting multi-megawatt scale components and turbine systems for land, as well as offshore applications.

The new partnerships are being launched under a three-phase technology development project aimed at the department’s goal of reducing wind-powered electricity generation costs at low-speed sites (annual average wind speeds of approximately 13 miles per hour, measured at a height of 10 meters) to 3 cents per kilowatt-hour. For more information, including links to detailed wind resource maps for most states, visit the DOE website—Wind Powering America—at www.eere.energy.gov/windpoweringamerica/wind_resources.html.

Annual Solarbuzz Report Reviews 2003 World PV Market

World solar photovoltaic market installations jumped to 574 megawatts in 2003, representing growth of 34 percent over 2002, according to "Marketbuzz," the annual PV market report recently issued by Solarbuzz Inc., a San Francisco-based solar energy consultancy. Among the top three country markets, Germany led with a 76 percent growth. In combination, the Japanese, German and U.S. markets accounted for 75 percent of the world market.

The major driver of world market growth was the strong grid-connect sector, up 57 percent to account for 77 percent of the market. In 2003, Japan's market installed 219 megawatts; Germany, 145 megawatts; and the U.S. market installed 66 megawatts, spurred on by grid-connect applications in California. World solar cell production rose 40 percent in 2003 to 742 megawatts. Japanese manufacturers increased their share to 49 percent of world production, while U.S. production fell to 12 percent.

Multicrystalline silicon cell technology continued to take market share, now almost two-thirds, from monocrystalline silicon. Sharp Corp. consolidated its position as the largest cell manufacturer, approaching 198 MW of production—a level three times higher than the second largest manufacturer, Kyocera Corp.

DOE and Ford Host FutureTruck 2004 Competition

Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham and Ford Motor Company hosted seven student-designed, energy efficient sport utility vehicles (SUVs) last month as part of FutureTruck 2004, an engineering competition. The student teams reengineered Ford Explorers to achieve lower-emissions and at least 25 percent higher fuel economy, without sacrificing the performance, utility and safety that consumers want.

The Department of Energy and Ford Motor Company jointly sponsor FutureTruck 2004, which challenges 15 teams of university engineering students to build cleaner, more efficient SUVs. All 15 teams developed hybrid electric vehicles; two teams adapted an internal combustion engine to run on hydrogen for their trucks.

The competition will conclude in June at Ford's Michigan Proving Ground. Approximately $40,000 and more than a dozen awards will be presented at the ceremony. The 15 SUVs will first undergo a comprehensive safety evaluation followed by dynamic testing and static design events. The teams and their vehicles will be judged in more than a dozen events that evaluate their acceleration, trailer towing, off-road handling, on-road fuel economy, consumer acceptability, engineering design and oral technical presentation. Over 100 universities expressed interest in the competition, and 15 were selected through a proposal process.

U.S. Navy to Test Turbine for Electricity from Gulf Stream

U.S. Navy engineers will soon help test a hydroelectric turbine designed by Florida Hydro Power and Light (FHPL) for extracting electricity from ocean currents. The Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Carderock Division (NSWCCD) and FHPL will deploy the turbine in the Gulf Stream, and then connect it to the Florida power grid.

Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement, the Navy and FHPL will test and refine the FHPL innovative open center turbine unit and mooring assembly. Prototypes suggest this system works. FHPL will construct the production units at the company’s facility in Palatka, Fla. Carderock Division brings to bear technical experts and unique facilities for efficient testing and refinement of the new design. NSWCCD will use expertise in propeller design and moored systems as well as its unique hydrodynamic test facilities. Work will be performed at division sites in Bethesda, Md., and Fort Lauderdale, Fla. This system is also expected to produce hydrogen at a cost below the Department of Energy goal of $2.00/kilogram.

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