FuelCellsWorks

As rising energy costs, increasing waste-disposal fees and challenging greenhouse gas reduction requirements make it difficult to do business, the City of Rialto has found a way to overcome these challenges.  The significant savings produced at its ‘green’ wastewater treatment plant has enabled the City to receive one of the largest incentives available through Southern California Gas Co.’s (The Gas Company) Self-Generation Incentive Program.  The City of Rialto was awarded a $4 million incentive for its partnership with Chevron Energy Solutions to develop an ultra-clean fuel cell system that uses biogas produced from local restaurants kitchen grease to power the city’s wastewater treatment plant.  As a result of this initiative, the City will reduce energy costs, create additional revenue and improve air quality.

“We applaud the City of Rialto for its resourceful approach to meet our state’s green energy goals and create a more sustainable future for its residents,” said Hal D. Snyder, vice president of customer solutions of The Gas Company.  “Rialto’s wastewater treatment plant is a marvelous example of how creativity and collaboration not only can resolve a problem, but also turn them into cash.”

The Self-Generation Incentive Program is a statewide rate-payer funded program available to residential customers and commercial, industrial and agricultural businesses in California to help offset the cost of qualifying clean generation technologies, such as fuel cells, that are installed to meet all or a portion of the electric needs of a facility. Since the start of the program, The Gas Company has provided nearly $80 million in incentives that have helped customers to install 85 megawatts of efficient and renewable self-generation sources — enough to power about 55,000 homes.

The City of Rialto’s environmentally friendly system will reduce greenhouse emissions by nearly 5,500 tons annually, while decreasing the City’s energy costs by about $800,000 a year.  The system includes a 900-kilowatt fuel cell power plant that will generate electricity without combustion using methane, a biogas produced naturally on site by the organic materials contained in wastewater. more

“The City Council and I are delighted to have found a solution that offers so many benefits all around,” said Mayor Grace Vargas. “We could not have accomplished our energy project without The Gas Company’s commitment to our community.  This project is a ‘win’ for multiple stakeholders – our city taxpayers, restaurants, grease haulers and the environment.”

The remaining costs of the project will be paid for through the energy cost savings from fat, oil and grease (FOG) station revenues, without any impact on local taxpayers.

The City of Rialto lies in the west portion of the San Bernardino Valley, due west of the County Seat. Rialto is sixty miles to the east of Los Angeles and 103 miles north of San Diego. Rialto is proud to be a city of commercial, residential, educational, cultural and industrial growth.

The University of Glamorgan is celebrating after being awarded £630,000 to develop its research into biological fuel cells.

The fund is part of a £3.3million, four year grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to the SUPERGEN programme, a flagship initiative to help the UK meet its emissions targets through a radical improvement in sustainable power generation and supply. Glamorgan is one of eight UK universities involved in the project along with the universities of Surrey, Oxford, Glasgow, Newcastle, UCL, East Anglia and West of England.

The work at Glamorgan`s Sustainable Environment Research Centre is looking at how microbial fuel cells can be made to simultaneously treat wastes such as sewage, and generate electricity. Dr Giuliano Premier, an Engineer in the Faculty of Advanced Technology, who leads the University of Glamorgan’s work on SUPERGEN said, “This is excellent news for all involved in the project. Over the past four years our research has led to a better understanding of how biological fuel cells could be scaled-up. This further funding will enable us to investigate the optimisation of microbial biological fuel cells, through an increased understanding of natural processes and how they may be encouraged and enhanced”.

The money will be used to fund a post-doctorate post, three PhD studentships, and new equipment. This interdisciplinary, cross-faculty research will be carried out at the University’s new state-of-the-art science laboratories in the Faculty of Health, Sport and Science which will be officially opened in February 2010.

The University of Glamorgan also undertakes research into various aspects of producing and using hydrogen as a fuel, including the critical issues of storage and use in fuel cells, and is home to a Renewable Hydrogen Research and Demonstration Centre at Baglan Bay.

Company Looks to AMEX Listing as it Begins to Take Fuel Cell Orders

BOTHELL, Wash. — Neah Power Systems, Inc. (’Neah’) (OTCBB:NPWZ) (www.neahpower.com), the Company developing fuel cells and fuel cell-based renewable energy solutions, announced today that it has reached agreements separately with Ebeling Heffernan (EF), a public markets Consultancy Company based in Bangkok, Thailand, and First Equity Trust to purchase from the company up to $10 million of Neah Power’s common stock between January 26, 2010 and January 25, 2011, with a firm commitment of a minimum of $500,000 at a $1.00 per share (restricted stock) by January 26, 2010. The company also reported that it has received a total of $200,000 from the investors, at a valuation of $1.00 per share in restricted stock.

Dr. Chris D’Couto, Neah CEO, said, “This investment from Ebeling Heffernan and First Equity underscores their confidence in the technology and the management of the company. Tremendous progress has been made by the company and we are now taking orders for our fuel cell and renewable energy solutions, which includes our Solcool line of products.”

Ebeling Heffernan last October sponsored Neah’s introduction to the Asian market with a presentation to energy producers and government agencies from Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, China and Japan. The Company’s unique technology and products are partially funded by the U.S. Navy, which with Intel Capital, Novellus Systems, Frazier Technology Ventures, Castile Ventures, have invested more than $40M into the company. Neah’s patent-protected anaerobic fuel cells are especially suited to transportation, being able to operate in airless conditions, such as in space and underwater, and is attractive to other transportation implementations (automobiles, trucks, two wheelers, forklifts, etc.) as hybrid implementations where the fuel cell is used to keep a battery constantly charged, and the battery then drives the motor.

About Neah Power

Neah Power Systems, Inc. (NPWZ) is developing long-lasting, efficient and safe power solutions for the military and for portable electronic devices. Neah uses a unique, patented, silicon-based design for its micro fuel cells that enable higher power densities, lower cost and compact form-factors. The company’s micro fuel cell system can run in aerobic and anaerobic modes.

About Ebeling Heffernan

Ebeling Heffernan (EF) is a public markets Consultancy Company formed by two experienced stock market analysts, each of whom founded and currently operate two venture capital companies in the USA and Hong Kong. EF showcases its client’s products and services throughout Asia and invests in innovative businesses, the latest technology, novel pharmaceuticals and new markets.

EF offers local companies access to the USA public market sector, providing corporate consultancy, representation, finance, and introductions to global public markets. EF operates several online publications, one of which, Live Trading News, focuses on the broader market and on highlighting investment opportunities in Asia, as many of Asia’s largest companies are not known to western investors.

EF proffers coverage and analysis that offers a new perspective on investing in Asia, covering Real Estate, Travel, Living and Political news, presenting a superior perspective on the various countries of Asia.

A New Prototype Fuel Cell/Hybrid Electric Bus Departs for “The Other Columbia”

Columbia, SC — The Hydrogen Hybrid Bus, a University of South Carolina (USC) mobile test laboratory for hybrid electric, hydrogen fuel cell powered mass transit, departed Columbia, SC today to operate in British Columbia during the 2010 Winter Games.

A purpose-built, 35-foot, 37 passenger bus, the Hydrogen Hybrid Bus, began its journey north, traveling to it’s builder, Proterra, located in Golden, Colorado where it will be serviced for cold weather operations.

“The biggest thing we have to do to the bus is install supplemental heat for the fuel cells and for passenger comfort,” said Dale Hill of Proterra, the bus manufacturer.  “The bus was originally planned to have heat later in its life cycle since South Carolina’s climate is relatively mild and the new body composition holds heat and cold quite well.  But, when considering operating in Victoria, BC, we needed to accelerate its installation for the opportunity to gather this kind of data at this time in the project,” Hill added.

The composite-bodied Hydrogen Hybrid Bus combines a unique bank of fast-charge, lithium titanate batteries, with two, 16-kw hydrogen fuel cells to produce clean propulsion, emitting only water vapor.  “The bus is clean and green.  By using hydrogen, one of the most plentiful elements on the Earth, and state-of-the-art batteries, we are able to produce renewable electric power in a lighter, more aerodynamic package better suited for today’s transportation demands in the US and elsewhere,” added Hill.

In South Carolina for testing, since August of 2009, the bus will return to Columbia to become part of the University of South Carolina transit fleet once the Canadian demonstration is concluded.

“Because the bus has done so well here, (in Columbia) we think it is ready for a higher visibility engagement with a different set of challenges,” said Jason Hanlin of the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), the project manager for the Hydrogen Hybrid Bus.  Operating during those winter conditions will yield valuable data from a strong contrasting environment for comparison against data gathered in South Carolina.  It will also provide an opportunity for others to evaluate this leading edge technology,” Hanlin said.

“SCRA is pleased to lead investment in this and other projects that develop and grow a sustainable alternative energy economy in the Midlands and throughout South Carolina,” said Bill Mahoney, SCRA CEO, one of the Hydrogen Hybrid Bus project partners.

The Hydrogen Hybrid Bus is part of the National Fuel Cell Bus Program. Media interested in information about the Hydrogen Hybrid Bus are asked to contact Jeff Ranta, Public Relations Manager for the Hydrogen Hybrid Bus (803) 600-3091, jeff@bigfishadpr.com.  For more information about the bus visit www.hydrogenhybridbus.com.