Hydrogen Needs Bigger Push, Public Awareness is Fading, NHA Conference Hears SAN ANTONIO, TX - With bio-fuels, ethanol and plug-ins hogging the alternative energy spotlight these days, it was reassuring to see high-level energy and auto industry executives come out strongly last month in support of hydrogen as key energy vector at the annual National Hydrogen Association (NHA) conference here.
R&D: Princeton Team Designs Gravity-Assisted, Fuel-Controlled PEM Fuel Cell PRINCETON, NJ - A team of Princeton University scientists has developed a much simplified, more efficient variant of PEM fuel cell technology in which the amount of hydrogen fed into it - and the gravity-controlled level of by-product water - controls the amount of power produced.
NHA Foundation Starts 2-Year Outreach Program, Considers Magazine Launch SAN ANTONIO - In the works for more than a year now, the National Hydrogen Association (NHA) is in the process of launching a two-year, $2 million public information and outreach campaign to increase broad understanding of hydrogen and its role in the energy mix and counter the often ill-informed voices that in recent years have dominated the alternative energy debate.
Book Review: Energy Autonomy: The Economic, Social and Technological Case for Renewable Energy Reviewed by Richard Engel Dr. Hermann Scheer, author, German legislator, and leading activist for renewable energy in Europe, uses his new book primarily to attack the petroleum and nuclear industries for obstructing renewable energy. This may have been a fair argument in the past, but the energy industry landscape is changing rapidly.
Briefly Noted: Intelligent Energy Intelligent Energy which will be supplying the PEM fuel cell systems for the two airplane projects starting in Europe, is putting its technology to work in the developing world. The company said in mid-March that one of its systems sited in the remote rural South African township of Mkuze, in KwaZulu Natal.
Briefly Noted: Quantum Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide, Inc., Irvine, CA, has shipped another eleven Toyota Prius i.c.-engined hybrid cars converted to hydrogen to Norway.
Briefly Noted: Singapore Singapore’s government is committing US $231 million (S$350 million) to clean energy r&d, test-bedding and pilot projects, including fuel cell development.
Briefly Noted: FuelCell Energy Danbury, CT-based FuelCell Energy, Inc. has been awarded 6 new energy projects totalling 68 MW of output power.
Briefly Noted: Abu Dhabi And finally, from our Seen-Elsewhere Dep’t: “Abu Dhabi Explores Energy Alternatives.”
Opportunities: NYSERDA New York’s State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is making available $4 million in two rounds for a program to support development, demonstration, and commercialization of innovative transportation products, systems and services.
Events A “Hydrogen Initiative Symposium” will be held April 12-13 at the Purdue University Energy Center, West Lafayette, IN.
