Open Bulletin -- Archive

7. Publication - Trends in Photovoltaic Applications in Selected IEA Countries between 1992 and 2000 - annual update from the IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme.

NEWS IN BRIEF

1. IEA collaboration passes milestone in fuel cell research - a stack operated on methane reaches an output of 5.4 kW at only 800 degrees centigrade. The benefits of joining forces to reduce costs and speed progress have been illustrated once again, this time by a major advance in raising fuel cell power output at lower temperatures. Researchers working on the project at Germany's Forschungszentrum (Scientific Research Centre) at Jülich regard this achievement as the first in its class. For further technical information: http://www.iea.org/impagr/cip/doc_open_bull/no3_sofc_hjn.pdf. For background on the collaborative project: http://www.ieafuelcell.com/.

2. AEG, ABB, Canon and Ricoh win energy-efficiency awards from IEA Programme. A clothes dryer using 50% less energy than other models? An electric motor that cuts energy losses by up to 40%? Photocopiers that use some 70% less power than comparable copiers on the market? How? Market pull is the answer, and the IEA's Demand-Side Management Programme has developed a procurement-style programme which encourages manufacturers to make the extra energy-efficiency effort, and rewards them for doing so. To see how, consult the pages of the IEA Demand-Side Management Programme website at: http://62.121.14.21/Content.aspx?ID=12. See also the brochure Transforming International Markets at: http://www.eceee.org/

3. Experience curves as analysis tools for government policy-making - IEA co-ordinates informal collaboration to develop methodologies. The push and pull of a competitive market equips companies with expertise and know-how that ultimately reduce costs. Findings based on this principle fascinate academics and government policy-makers alike. Created in 1999, the International Collaboration on Experience Curves for Energy Technology Policy (EXCETP) is enabling specialists from academia, research institutions, government agencies and ministries to join forces in advancing analysis of experience curves for energy technologies as an aid to policy-making. Working Groups focus respectively on wind energy, photovoltaics, fuel cells and modelling. New members are welcome. Consult EXCETP's website: http://www.iiasa.ac.at/Research/ECS/EXCETP/index.html.

4. More international energy technology collaborative projects in the pipeline.

Energy Efficient Lighting. It is estimated that cost-effective energy saving policies could reduce domestic CO2 emissions worldwide by some 20% to 30%. Work is in hand on a new IEA cross-border collaborative project aimed at achieving market transformation in the lighting sector through development of measures and necessary tools. The mechanics would involve sharing and communicating key lighting data and trends, pilot programmes, and targeted lighting research.

Industrial separation technologies. Plans are meanwhile going ahead for a multi-country effort under IEA aegis to advance R&D and information dissemination in the field of industrial separation technologies. A number of highly energy-intensive processes are used in a broad range of industries to recover, isolate and purify products. Advancing the technology has thus for long been regarded as a priority in the energy-efficiency drive. For example, energy savings of up to 30% can be achieved by substituting membranes and crystallisation for current distillation and evaporation processes. An international collaboration in this field promises substantial benefits for participating countries. For more information: http://www.iea.org/impagr/cip/doc_open_bull/no3_sep_mw.pdf.

Energy efficiency in fisheries. The aim here is to establish a communication vehicle for distributing information stemming from projects on energy consumption/efficiency in fish harvesting units, systems and gear. Contact: jfoster@mi.mun.ca or jfoster@nfld.net.

Electricity network R&D. Tomorrow's electricity networks will be subject to constantly growing demands, due to high levels of electricity trading, along with integrated distributed and intermittent generation. This project aims to identify where international collaboration can advance development of technologies, systems and software of adequate calibre to support the electricity network of the future. Contact: madeline.woodruff@iea.org.

Some forty international projects of this sort already exist within the IEA's international energy technology collaboration framework. For more information on the framework: http://www.iea.org/Textbase/about/eto.asp.

5. "Best Practices and Lessons Learned in Technology Deployment Policies" - the fundamentals from IEA's Workshop, 29-30 November, 2001. Too many excellent technologies and products remain in the laboratory because their deployment in the market-place has failed. Seeking to identify the reasons and the right responses, the IEA brought specialists together in Paris last November. Drawing on twenty case studies and much hands-on experience, participants compared notes on factors for successful deployment of energy technologies. The background papers can be accessed at: http://www.iea.org/Textbase/work/workshopdetail.asp?WS_ID=125.

6. Upcoming Events

Concentrated Solar Power and Chemical Energy Technologies - 11th SolarPACES International Symposium - Zurich (Switzerland), 4-6 September 2002. This biennial event offers the largest and most comprehensive forum for the latest technological advances in the field of solar thermal electricity production and solar chemical conversion. For more details: http://www.solarpaces2002.ch.

Fifth International Conference on Emission Monitoring - Odense (Denmark), 11-13 September 2002. Organised with active involvement of the IEA collaborative Clean Coal Centre, a priority event for those interested in techniques for monitoring emissions at energy-producing plants and industrial facilities. For more information: http://www.cem2002.dk.

Sixth International Conference on Greenhouse Gas Control Technologies - Kyoto (Japan), 1-4 October 2002. Cutting-edge technologies for capture, storage and utilisation of carbon dioxide will be among the hot topics discussed at this conference, along with updates on other CO2 mitigation options such as enhanced energy efficiency and use of renewables. For further information: http://www.ieagreen.org.uk.

International Conference on Clean Coal Technologies for our Future - Sardinia (Italy), 21-23 October 2002. The focus: "Response to Electricity Market Liberalization, Growing Energy Demand and Environmental Protection". Topics: environmental and energy policies; improving conventional technologies; CO2 capture and sequestration; clean coal technology (CCT); environmental and competitive goals through CCT diffusion; public support for CCTs; technology transfer for CCTs. For more details: http://www.iea-coal.org.uk/.

Sustainable Bioenergy Production Systems International Workshop - Belo Horizonte (Brazil), 28 October - 1 November 2002. A spotlight on the economic, social and environmental sustainability of bioenergy production systems and fruitful strategies for ensuring the future. For more information: http://www.ieabioenergy.com/events/Brazil2002/. For more about the IEA's Bioenergy collaborative programme: http://www.ieabioenergy.com/.

7. Publication - Trends in Photovoltaic Applications in Selected IEA Countries between 1992 and 2000- annual update from the IEA Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme. To download: http://www.oja-services.nl/iea-pvps/products/homeisr.htm.