By Greentech Lead America: ZERE Energy and Biofuels have
received $1 million from the California Energy Commission to demonstrate a fuel
flexible combined heat and power (CHP) system. The funding is part of Energy
Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program.
“We are honored to have been given this award and
are excited by the opportunities provided by this Energy Commission grant to
further our product development and commercialization goals,”” said George
Touchton, ZERE founder and chief technology officer.
ZERE will develop a CHP system prototype which employs an
innovative “near zero emissions” oxidation process. The system will run on
natural gas and untreated biogases, energy sources which burn cleaner than
traditional fossil fuels.
PIER program supports public interest research and
development that helps improve the quality of life in California by bringing
environmentally safe, reliable, and affordable energy services and products to
the marketplace.
Lab scale testing of the system will be conducted at
Technikon’s Renewable Energy Testing Center near Sacramento, California,
bringing clean energy jobs to the region.
“This research will advance combined heating and
power technology and help the State of California maintain its leadership in
clean energy production and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions,” said Robert
Weisenmiller, California Energy Commission Chair.
California Energy Commission sets new efficiency standard for
battery chargers
Recently, The California Energy Commission announced a
first-in-the-nation energy efficiency standard for battery chargers commonly
used to power cell phones, laptop computers, power tools, and other devices.
Nearly two-thirds of the 8,000 GWh of electricity consumed in California by
battery charger systems (or battery chargers) is wasted by inefficiency. The
proposed energy efficiency standard will reduce wasted energy by battery
chargers.