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Technology Stocks : Energy Conversion Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tom Hoff who wrote (7416)	11/22/2003 4:12:05 PM
From: Krowbar	Respond to of 8393

Tom, I have talked to a person who has dealt with Dhar, and he indicated that it is very good that we are rid of him, and that he was nothing but deadwood lately. Del

To: Tom Hoff who wrote (7416)	11/22/2003 6:27:27 PM
From: Krowbar	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 8393

I have been informed that Grand Valley State University has received the occupancy permit for it's new Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC). What is unique about this facility is that it combines a 33kW solar roof and a 250 kW fuel cell to provide it's electrical needs. There will be 80 kW of NiMH battery storage. Energy Conversion Devices supplied the Solar panels and TOBS should shortly deliver the battery Storage SYSTEM. I am told that the battery storage will be "plug and play", with a DC connection from the solar array, and the storage system will handle all of the rest. This is probably going to be the biggest UPS in the World. It will be looked at with great interest, and be a prototype for more to come, IMO. lanthorn.com The multi-state power outage that affected more than 50 million Americans on Aug. 14 gave citizens from Michigan to New York an idea of just how fragile and interconnected the U.S. power supply grid really is. However, the Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC) is trying out a new energy grid plan that would help prevent massive power outages in the future. Grand Valley State University’s MAREC in Muskegon is a research and development center that focuses on alternative and renewable energy technology. The center will also act as a major demonstration site for new energy ideas and technology. The Grand Rapids Business Journal called the project “Newsmaker of the Year” for 2002 due to its long-term benefit to the West Michigan area. Imad Mahawili, executive director of MAREC said that the solution to avoiding future blackouts is distributed to base power supply on distributed generation facilities. Mahawili, who is also an inventor who holds 16 patents, said that not only is the current power grid vulnerable to terrorist attacks, but many plants on the grid use old technology and run on fuels that are non-renewable. A distributed generation system is based on the idea that power is generated by fuel cells and other alternative energy sources for use in nearby cities and industrial areas. The current grid relies heavily on power generated by larger central power plants that is distributed through a massive layout of interconnected power lines. MAREC will be an example of a distributed system that uses local generation points and renewable resources to generate the electricity. The MAREC system and plant were designed and are being built by development and design firm Workstage, LLC. The center will run on a fuel-cell system that turns natural gas into electricity as well as photovoltaic cells to capture solar rays. The fuel cell is provided by FuelCell Energy, Inc. of Danbury, Conn. A large nickel-hydride battery is also used to store energy for use during peak hours of the day. Mahawili hopes that someday the center will be able to use biomass fuel that is converted from farm waste to methane for the fuel cell. The center is thought to be the first building to use the alternative energy sources to be completely self-sufficient. “I see the MAREC as a timely and critical vision for the development of economically viable technologies for alternative and renewable energy resources for our nation,” Mahawili said. MAREC is one of GVSU’s two SmartZones which were created by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. in 2001 to try to bring technology business to the state. GVSU was the only Michigan university to get two SmartZones. GVSU Vice President for Finance and Administration Tim Schad said that he is pleased with the partners working on the project. “The Muskegon SmartZone is a joint venture between Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the city of Muskegon and GVSU for the purpose of research and business incubation in alternative energy,” Schad said. Del