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NYSERDA Press Releases |
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BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) today announced it awarded Calspan, an operation of Veridian, a research contract worth $141,000 to develop and demonstrate a technology for on-board, real-time monitoring and reporting of safety systems for trucks. Commercial trucks will be equipped with a communications device capable of monitoring the performance of systems such as brakes and steering to determine when those systems need repair or replacement. The system will also communicate that information to inspectors and fleet managers. The technology will increase efficiency for commercial vehicle operators, improve vehicular safety, reduce the environmental impact of commercial traffic, and create new economic opportunities in New York State. Under the contract, Calspan will develop a low-cost, programmable Dynamic Vehicle Information Controller (DVIC). The DVIC will interface with existing Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) tags and readers commonly used for automated toll applications, such as EZ Pass. The system will enable commercial vehicle operators to pass critical information on vehicle performance directly into the hands of roadside safety inspectors without the need for pulling off to the side of the road for inspections. The device will provide inspectors at border crossings, weigh stations, and other inspection points with data regarding the condition of the vehicles’ brakes and steering systems. Once these systems deteriorate beyond a certain point, the device will signal inspectors that the systems are in need of repair. “This technology represents a new area in which New York State can have an impact not only in the State, but across the country,” said F. William Valentino, President of NYSERDA. “The project we’ve begun with Calspan is just one example of Governor Pataki’s commitment to work closely with industry to develop technologies that provide economic opportunities for New York State and improve the environment. By incorporating advanced communications technologies into our commercial trucks and vehicles, we substantially reduce the time trucks sit idling and polluting at inspection stations instead of delivering goods.” “We are very excited about this opportunity to work in partnership with NYSERDA,” said Ed Starosielec, Vice President of Transportation for Veridian’s Calspan Operations. “We have been involved in transportation safety for more than 45 years. This particular program is an extension of our work in developing Intelligent Transportation Systems that make a difference on our nation’s roads. And, in addition to improving vehicle safety, the program will contribute toward an environmentally cleaner America.” In addition to its environmental benefits, the DVIC will have an immediate impact on highway safety. It will allow safety enforcement officials to effectively target their resources towards trucks they know are operating with inadequate safety systems rather than trucks they think may be violating safety regulations or randomly inspecting trucks in the hopes of spotting offenders. Use of a DVIC-based system offers trucking companies and fleet managers of all types improvements in monitoring and responding to the maintenance requirements of their vehicles in a way that maximizes the use of their assets’ productively. In the NYSERDA-sponsored project, the DVIC system will be used to monitor the performance of brake systems on trucks crossing the Peace Bridge located between Buffalo, New York and Fort Erie, Ontario. In the future, the DVIC could be used to monitor a variety of other safety and environmental functions on-board trucks in real time. The DVIC also offers a powerful tool to fleet managers to monitor servicing and maintenance requirements. This effort builds upon a program already underway by Calspan and the Peace Bridge Authority to test an Intelligent Transportation Border Crossing System for freight traffic crossing between Canada and the United States. Veridian develops and applies intelligent information technologies to save lives and to solve critical problems in transportation, aerospace, defense, and life sciences. The company employs more than 2,400 computer scientists and software development engineers, systems analysts, scientists, engineers and other professionals, providing customer solutions at more than 30 locations in the U.S. and overseas. With corporate offices in Washington, D.C., Veridian’s annual revenue is more than $270 million. Calspan Operations is located in Buffalo, New York. NYSERDA, a public benefit corporation, supports research to develop technologies that help New York save energy and reduce emissions. NYSERDA also helps New York State businesses develop energy and environmental products, commercializing the type of high-value-added products that give New York State businesses a real chance to compete in the expanding global marketplace. -30- New York City Company Converting Taxi Fleets to Natural GasWith First EPA-Certified Conversion Kit: Anticipates Expansion on Long IslandRELEASE: Monday, June 15, 1998
Albany, NY -- San Marino Engineering of New York City, with support from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), is the first company to complete the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new emissions certification procedure for compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicle conversion kits. Certified conversion kits represent a key development in the State’s effort to reduce exhaust emissions from New York City taxis and increase the market penetration of alternative-fuel vehicles. EPA tested San Marino’s kit and approved its use on the 4.6-liter engine in Ford’s 1998 Crown Victoria sedan, the benchmark engine and chassis for buyers of new taxis. EPA strengthened the emissions tests that a conversion kit must pass as part of the procedure for obtaining a “Certificate of Conformity,” which verifies compliance with the Clean Air Act. Many vehicle owners delayed converting vehicles until certified conversion kits became available under these new procedures. San Marino is the only company to develop a kit that passes the new tests. Federal, State and local governments established laws to encourage the transportation sector to replace gasoline and diesel fuel with cleaner alternatives. CNG is considered one of the most important and practical options to help reduce air pollution and the transportation sector’s dependence on imported petroleum. “EPA certification for San Marino’s equipment is proof of how effectively government and the private sector can work together to develop technologies that benefit the public,” said NYSERDA President F. William Valentino. “Working with NYSERDA, San Marino has become the only company to demonstrate full compliance with EPA rules. Certification should provide San Marino with a tremendous advantage in this market; creating economic benefits for the company and environmental benefits by reducing pollution generated by the taxi industry.” The project with San Marino stemmed from NYSERDA’s efforts to assist the New York City taxi industry in switching from gasoline to CNG. In 1995, NYSERDA sponsored a pilot project that placed the first CNG taxis in service in New York and helped launch the New York City Clean-Fuel Taxi program. Under this $3.2 million federally funded effort, managed by NYSERDA, about 350 cabs use CNG and several hundred additional vehicles will enter the program. While Ford Motor Company is building “dedicated-CNG” Crown Victorias, which operate only on natural gas, third parties offer the option of installing a “bifuel” conversion kit in standard gasoline vehicles. These bifuel vehicles enable drivers to switch between CNG and gasoline. These kits will likely remain popular because they provide increased operational flexibility until more CNG fueling stations are built. About 17 public-access CNG stations are now open in New York City and taxi fleet operators are considering buying their own CNG refueling equipment. “Even in countries like Italy and the Netherlands, where natural gas vehicles are common and the fueling infrastructure is more developed than in the U.S., bifuel conversions remain popular because they offer the customer more flexibility,” said Sandro Paterno, Executive Vice President of San Marino Engineering. “Drivers are not forced to find the limited number of CNG stations to refuel. Also, the conversion kit can be removed to make it easier to resell the vehicle once it is retired from fleet service.” In September 1997, EPA announced new procedures for approving CNG equipment. It appeared there would be no certified conversion kits available to maintain momentum in the taxi conversion program. Building on earlier San Marino efforts sponsored by Long Island Lighting Company and Brooklyn Union, NYSERDA provided funding to develop and certify a kit specifically for the Crown Victoria. The system uses electronic controls, special catalysts and other components to reduce emissions and enhance overall vehicle performance. To satisfy EPA requirements, San Marino converted a Crown Victoria to bifuel operation, accumulated 3,000 miles of use to estimate the kit's long-term emissions performance, and delivered the car to EPA for testing. EPA certified San Marino’s kit as meeting Low-Emission Vehicle (LEV) performance levels on CNG and Transitional Low-Emission Vehicle (TLEV) levels on gasoline. The certification was effective March 5, 1998. Based on its unique technical success, San Marino is fielding inquiries from national and international customers and is bolstering its production capabilities by establishing a new manufacturing facility in Farmingdale (Nassau County). San Marino also is expanding its list of product offerings and is seeking partners to help certify kits for other engine families and other fuels such as propane (liquefied petroleum gas). NYSERDA recently signed a contract with San Marino to develop a more advanced system that is suitable for installation by vehicle manufacturers at the time a vehicle is built. NYSERDA, a public-benefit corporation, performs research to develop technologies that help New York State municipalities and businesses save energy and reduce environmental impacts. NYSERDA also helps New York State businesses develop and commercialize new high-value-added energy and environmental products, helping those businesses compete in the expanding global marketplace. -30- High Tech Kiln Doubles Syracuse Smelter’s Aluminum Recycling Efficiency and Yield; NYSERDA, U.S .DOE Funding Retains 230 Jobs at First North American SiteFor Release: Tuesday, June 9, 1998
East Syracuse--More than $800,000 in energy efficiency funding from New York State and the Federal government was put to work today for a Syracuse smelting firm. A newly designed rotary kiln will halve scrap cleaning costs and double the plant’s raw aluminum stock output. The project’s economics convinced the recycler to remain in New York State. Philip Services Corp. (formerly Roth Brothers Smelting Corp.,) in conjunction with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the U.S. Department of Energy's, Office of Industrial Technologies, and Energy Research Co., today demonstrated North America’s first high efficiency decoating system. This large rotary kiln strips away paint, plastics, oil and other contaminants from aluminum scrap before it enters the melter, where it becomes molten and is recast into finished, specification aluminum ingots. Foremost among the benefits of the new system is its use of the volatile contaminants’ inherent energy as heat in the decoating process. By capturing and utilizing these fumes, in an after-burner, less natural gas is required. Also, the process cuts hazardous environmental emissions and disposal costs, diminishes metal loss and dross (a co-product) formation, as well as improves raw material readiness, prior to entering the melter. It also permits a much wider range of recycled scrap to be treated--ranging from fragmented engine blocks to window frames and down to microns thin, foil-paper laminates. “Philip Services Corp./Roth Bros is a fine example of how NYSERDA funding can dramatically improve process efficiencies, and thereby ensure continued business growth in New York State,” said F. William Valentino, President of NYSERDA. “This project turned the tide against Philip’s move out of state and is a good example of Governor George Pataki’s pledge for government to work harder to benefit the State’s economy.” Also, he noted that the kiln was fabricated by a Syracuse firm, that has added 9 new jobs, and a Staten Island firm was the lead consultant for the project. “It has attracted global attention and we are pleased to be in partnership with U.S. DOE in bringing this technology to the Empire State for its North American debut,” Valentino said. NYSERDA awarded a $400,000 project contract to the Philip facility, which employs 230 people and has annual sales of more than $100 million. The U.S. DOE’s NICE3 Program-- managed by the Office of Industrial Technologies/Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy-- also granted $425,000 for the project. Two other New York firms played leading roles in the project: Energy Research Co. of Staten Island was the consulting engineer and O’Brien & Gere Manufacturing Co. of Fayetteville fabricated this equipment and has been named the North and South American manufacturer for future orders. The IDEX™ Decoating System is licensed worldwide by Stein Atkinson Stordy, Ltd. of Wolverhampton, England. “This project is one more example of what we can accomplish when private industry, Federal and state governments, and other organizations work cooperatively,” noted DOE’s Dan Reicher, Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Such cooperative partnerships are at the heart of DOE’s innovative Industries of the Future strategy, which is working to prepare U.S. industry to compete effectively in global markets 20 to 25 years from now. The widely acclaimed strategy seeks to focus diverse resources and talent on those technologies that industry deems most critical for improving industrial energy efficiency, boosting competitiveness, and reducing waste. The NICE³ Program, which constitutes one of the near-term components of DOE’s comprehensive technology development strategy, awarded the $425,000 grant to the decoating project at Philips/Roth Brothers based on an evaluation of the potential energy and cost savings. NICE³ is a competitive grant program solicited annually to all states. It requires state agencies to team with local companies on projects that demonstrate the merits of first-of-a-kind energy and waste reduction technologies. This particular project is one of 10 selected for funding in the fiscal year 1998 solicitation out of 35 proposals received from throughout the U.S. Since 1991, 87 projects have been funded through NICE³ and nine of them have graduated to commercialization. “Because this process provides such dramatic efficiency improvements in the aluminum recycling process, DOE was anxious to see it put to work. The middle step of recycling -- separating and cleaning the materials for reuse -- is the biggest cost factor in any recycled product. This system’s advantages present a dramatic reduction in process cost. When compared to the costs of smelting aluminum from raw ore, the efficiency of using recycled product--at about 1/20th the energy cost--holds staggering cost advantages” said Lisa Barnett, NICE³ Program Manager. Operation of the new $1.3 million investment is projected to cut decoating energy costs in half and double the plant’s decoated aluminum stock output. In raw numbers, the annual natural gas cost savings are expected to be about $200,000. Because the process limits oxygen in the kiln, dross and aluminum dust formation are diminished and remain as usable metal; the new process will increase yield by several million dollars, annually. Environmentally, the system reduces air pollution by controlling the heating process. The technology avoids dust formation and disposal, which is projected to save the facility $250,000 annually. “This is a win-win system for Philip Services, our 230 employees and the future of Syracuse,” said Neal Schwartz, general manager of the facility. Roth Bros., a family-owned business, begun in the 1920's, was recently bought by Philip Services Corp. of Hamilton, Ontario, which owns several other similar plants in North America, where this same technology is being considered for installation. “Our business is very competitive; this process helps us to jump ahead of competition, while at the same time providing a cleaner, safer working environment, as well as superior product at reduced costs,” explained Schwartz. This three-year project is one of more than 300 innovative projects currently under contract with NYSERDA. Each project undergoes a rigorous examination by internal and external experts and those judged as having superior technical and economic merit result in contracts that benefit New York citizens and businesses. DOE and NYSERDA recently signed a memorandum of understanding that will facilitate the creation of additional partnerships in the future. NYSERDA, a public-benefit corporation, performs research to develop technologies that help New York State municipalities and businesses save energy and reduce emissions. NYSERDA also helps New York businesses develop and commercialize new, high-value-added energy and environmental products, giving those businesses a real chance to compete in the expanding global marketplace. Funding for NYSERDA’s research program comes from the State’s investor-owned utilities, a voluntary contribution from the New York Power Authority and limited NYSERDA funds. -30-
Federal Grant Brings Business to BuffaloRELEASE: IMMEDIATE, April 20, 1998
Albany, NY -- Conserval Systems, Inc. and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) won a $1.2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) that will help Conserval establish a new manufacturing facility in Buffalo. Conserval Systems worked with NYSERDA to submit a proposal to the DOE to establish the manufacturing processes and equipment necessary to economically produce the Solarwall, a siding material for buildings that collects outdoor air and uses solar energy to preheat it prior to distributing it through the building’s ventilation system. The Solarwall has been used on industrial buildings and high-rise apartment complexes. It uses a perforated solar collector to draw in and heat outdoor air, reducing the amount of energy needed to warm outdoor air prior to distributing it. Conserval’s collector is more effective at heating air than conventional collectors and represents one of the most cost-effective, near-term solar technologies for many applications. “NYSERDA is pleased to play a role in helping Conserval establish a facility here in New York State,” said NYSERDA President F. William Valentino. “Not only will the company create jobs for the area, but it will do so with an environmentally sound product that benefits its users by reducing the energy demand for heating and ventilation systems. The DOE grant will be critical in helping Conserval set up a facility in Buffalo.” Since 1990, Conserval has installed more than 300,000 square feet of Solarwall panels around the world. However, the company does not have an established manufacturing process or the equipment that would allow it to produce the Solarwall on its own in one central facility. The existing manufacturing process requires Conserval to contract various production operations to different machine shops prior to final assembly. The new facility will be far more efficient and should help reduce the cost of the product. “We are looking forward to locating our new plant in Western New York and expect to be in production later this year,” said Conserval President John Hollick. “Solarwall has the potential to be installed on the south wall of most new buildings and save enormous amounts of energy, which will help regions meet commitments to reduce emissions.” In addition to the DOE’s $1.2 million, Conserval also is investing about $1.4 million to develop the manufacturing equipment and process. NYSERDA, aside from helping Conserval develop its proposal to DOE, also is providing about $47,500 to conduct an economic analysis to size the proposed manufacturing plant and help develop the needed equipment. Conserval expects initially to employ about 10 people at the new facility once it is established in the Buffalo area. NYSERDA, a public-benefit corporation, performs research to develop technologies that help New York State municipalities and businesses save energy and reduce emissions. NYSERDA also helps New York State businesses develop and commercialize new high-value- added energy and environmental products, giving those businesses a real chance to compete in the expanding global marketplace. Funding for NYSERDA's research program comes from the State's investor-owned utilities, a voluntary contribution from the New York Power Authority, and limited NYSERDA funds. -30- Federal Grant Boosts Rochester Company's TechnologyRELEASE: IMMEDIATE, April 14, 1998
Albany, NY -- Metal Arts Company, Inc. of Rochester (Monroe County), working in cooperation with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), was recently awarded a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The grant will further develop Metal Arts' MicrosmoothTM process for finishing aluminum products. Metal Arts and NYSERDA previously collaborated on a project to develop and demonstrate this electroless nickel-plating process on rigid memory disks for computers. The process also can be used to manufacture other chrome/nickel/copper-plated aluminum products. For this latest phase, NYSERDA provided engineering assistance and analysis for the DOE proposal and O'Brien & Gere Engineering, Inc. provided additional analysis under NYSERDA's Flexible Technical (FlexTech) Assistance program. The DOE grant will allow Metal Arts to test its process on aluminum wheels for automobiles, which may create new markets and mean 30 to 50 new jobs for Metal Arts in Rochester. Metal finishing is the keystone in aluminum product manufacturing. Although aluminum does not rust, aluminum products must be finished to maintain a smooth, attractive surface. While nickel- and chrome-plating processes are common to the aluminum industry, Metal Arts' MicrosmoothTM process consumes about 30 percent less electricity, nearly 60 percent less natural gas, and half the water that conventional processes consume. In addition, the new process generates about 70 percent less waste, which translates into reduced operating costs for users since waste generated in metal-plating processes is generally considered hazardous and disposal is closely regulated. "NYSERDA is pleased to be a part of this exciting development," said NYSERDA President F. William Valentino. "Energy represents the single largest expense in the aluminum industry and the industry has the second-highest pollution prevention costs of all industries. It's been identified by the Department of Energy as one of the industries most in need of energy-efficiency and waste-reduction strategies and the DOE grant we've won will be critical in accelerating the use of Metal Arts' technology in the aluminum industry." The previous project NYSERDA sponsored helped Metal Arts successfully demonstrate the MicrosmoothTM process on rigid memory disks at an IBM disk manufacturing facility. Metal Arts is working with IBM, Seagate, Alyn Corp., and others to commercialize its technology for disk manufacturing. Automobile wheels represent the next step for Metal Arts. With auto manufacturers attempting to produce environmentally friendly, fuel efficient vehicles, they are increasingly incorporating aluminum components into vehicles to reduce weight. Approximately 10-12 million chrome-plated aluminum wheels are produced for the automobile industry each year. Under this new project, Metal Arts and NYSERDA will work with the Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA), one of the largest aluminum wheel manufacturers, to demonstrate the MicrosmoothTM process.
In addition to waste reduction and energy savings, the MicrosmoothTM process also provides a higher-quality finish. All metal finishing processes rely on activators to prepare products for coating. These activators are a significant proportion of the process waste generated. The same MicrosmoothTM activators that reduce process waste also create a more uniformly plated surface, which results in less material used in the plating process and higher- quality finished products. Should Metal Arts successfully demonstrate its process in aluminum wheel plating, the company expects to add as many as 30-50 jobs in Rochester. In addition, ALCOA will likely create new markets with a lower-cost, higher-quality aluminum wheel, meaning increased aluminum ingot demand from its Massena (St. Lawrence County) plant. NYSERDA, a public-benefit corporation, performs research to develop technologies that help New York State municipalities and businesses save energy and reduce emissions. NYSERDA also helps New York State businesses develop and commercialize new high-value-added energy and environmental products, giving those businesses a real chance to compete in the expanding global marketplace. Funding for NYSERDA's research program comes from the State's investor-owned utilities, a voluntary contribution from the New York Power Authority, and limited NYSERDA funds. -30- NYSERDA Helps Central New York Company Turn Environmental Challenge into Economic OpportunityRELEASE: IMMEDIATE, February 25, 1998
East Syracuse, NY – American industry released a collective groan in 1990 when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Air Act Amendments expanded the list of hazardous emissions that must be monitored from each smokestack. The 1990 Amendments listed 189 chemicals to be monitored. The discrete chemical detectors used for monitoring at the time were tracking only four to five of these compounds at a given site. The cost of complying with the new EPA list using these discrete detectors would have exceeded $1,000,000 for many companies, creating a tremendous burden for environmental compliance. But there was one local company that saw this environmental challenge as an economic opportunity. Jencourt, Inc., of East Syracuse has been working closely with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to develop an emissions monitoring device that uses mass spectrometry and advanced software to characterize all 189 chemicals mandated by the Clean Air Act. Jencourt recently moved into a new manufacturing facility in East Syracuse to begin producing these units.
Jencourt expects to employ 27 full-time people at its East Syracuse facility by the end of 1998. Assuming the company and its product are successful, Jencourt could be employing as many as 500 people within the next seven to ten years. This would include high-paying jobs for scientists, engineers and researchers as well as support positions.
Since 1991, Jencourt has been part of the Business Incubation Program at Syracuse University's Computer Applications & Software Engineering (CASE) Center. As one of the State's Centers for Advanced Technology (CAT), the CASE Center has been supporting technology businesses with research, unique computer and laboratory facilities, and start-up business support. The CASE Center's unique incubation facilities played an important role in Jencourt's success, as it has for more than 40 other companies that participated in the incubation program. "Jencourt had a unique idea and the expertise to carry it to commercialization," said Prof. Robert Birge, Director of the CASE Center. "The type of incubation program that enhanced their commercialization process is only possible within a university environment, and is one of the technology transfer programs unique to the New York State CAT program." Jencourt's product uses state-of-the-art mass spectrometry to identify individual chemicals that are carried in emissions. By ionizing (electrically charging) the emissions, individual pollutants are sorted and separated according to their molecular weight. Software developed for the product can identify these individual pollutants to provide plant operators with a continuous read out of what their plant is emitting. In addition to emissions monitoring, Jencourt's product has a number of other potential uses. The device potentially could provide faster and more reliable employee drug testing. It will be used for quality control in the chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries; continuously measuring and controlling process parameters. And, it will be used for process monitoring in the petrochemical industry. Jencourt already has an arrangement with a large manufacturer to incorporate Jencourt's product into existing products used for industrial process plants and flow measurement as well as control equipment for the natural gas industry. However, emissions monitoring and control is NYSERDA's primary interest in the product. Jencourt's technology does not directly control or reduce smokestack emissions. Jencourt's product is installed on combustion sources and in process plants to continuously monitor the emissions levels of any or all of the Clean Air Act's 189 toxic emissions. Based on this real-time tracking of emissions, plant personnel can adjust equipment to reduce emission levels. Another option allows the Jencourt product to be coupled to automated controls that would adjust plant equipment automatically for minimal emissions based on data gathered. But, the real benefit of Jencourt's product is that, by itself, it can monitor all of the hazardous emissions that EPA listed in the 1990 clean air act. The performance of Jencourt's mass spectrometer technology far surpasses other available technologies. In the large research-grade products that use this technology, the performance is at least a thousand times higher than conventional alternative mass spectrometers in significant performance features. Once scaled down from the research machines for cost, complexity and size considerations, the technology still achieves 20,000 times the performance of competing mass spectrometers in the markets Jencourt is pursuing. In addition, the product was designed from scratch for the intended applications of chemical process control and environmental monitoring. Jencourt was founded in response to the combination of market need, computer technology, and a robust international economy. Its decision to locate in Syracuse was based on comparisons that CEO and founder, Duane Littlejohn and his family made about Syracuse and Upstate New York as a very desirable place to live and raise a family. They have lived in many States including California, Texas, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Missouri and consider Syracuse the best of all. NYSERDA, a public-benefit corporation, performs research to develop technologies that help New York State save energy and reduce emissions. NYSERDA also helps New York State Businesses develop and commercialize new high-value-added energy and environmental products, giving those businesses a chance to compete in the expanding global marketplace. Funding for NYSERDA's research program comes from the State's investor-owned utilities, a voluntary contribution from the New York Power Authority, and limited NYSERDA funds. -30- New Technologies Offer Promise of Increased Gas Production in New YorkRELEASE: IMMEDIATE, February 23, 1998
Albany, NY -- Despite available resources and technological advances in the gas industry, natural gas exploration in New York State is limited by a number of economic and business factors. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is trying to change this by introducing the State to new gas-exploration technologies that promise to increase production. NYSERDA recently began five new research projects that will use technologies previously unavailable in New York to identify new gas reservoirs or increase production from under performing reservoirs. Exploration activity in New York State has been slow due to the cost and risk associated with bringing new technologies into the State as well as the make up of the State's industry. New York's industry is comprised primarily of small independent exploration companies that lack the research staff and resources to exploit innovative technologies or identify new exploration targets. NYSERDA's role in these projects is to work with the industry to reduce the risk associated with using new technologies for gas exploration and well drilling.
Should these projects succeed, they will lead to further economic activity by attracting new exploration investment to the State while providing a clean-burning, indigenous energy resource. For example, an earlier NYSERDA-sponsored project demonstrated the practice and potential for infill drilling in New York State. Infill drilling is the process of siting and drilling new wells in existing fields to increase gas production. This project led Enron Capital and Trade, Inc. and Meridian Exploration Corp. to invest nearly $1 million to drill five new wells in Cayuga County. Should these initial five wells prove productive, the companies have plans to drill five more. The five projects NYSERDA is sponsoring include:
NYSERDA, a public-benefit corporation, performs research to develop technologies that help New York State save energy and reduce emissions. NYSERDA also helps New York State businesses develop and commercialize new high-value-added energy and environmental products, giving those businesses a real chance to compete in the expanding global marketplace. Funding for NYSERDA's research program comes from the State's investor-owned utilities, a voluntary contribution from the New York Power Authority, and limited NYSERDA funds. -30- Manuals Available from New York State to Help Homeowners Clean Up Indoor AirRELEASE: IMMEDIATE, February 2, 1998
Albany, NY -- Poor air quality is most often associated with large urban areas, where exhaust from traffic and industrial facilities creates smog and pollution that can affect the health of people in the area. At certain times of the year, this pollution even results in warnings to remain indoors in order to avoid the health dangers associated with outdoor pollution. But, what if the air indoors is more harmful than the air outside? Indoor air in residential buildings contains naturally-occurring and man-made impurities that can affect the health of the residents within. These impurities can come from combustion sources such as oil, gas, or wood; furnishings or new building materials such as carpets, furniture, or pressed wood products; and household items like detergents, pesticides and paints. In addition, excessively dry or humid conditions in a home can lead to indoor air quality problems. In the past, indoor air quality was less of a concern because air leaks in older homes and buildings allowed outdoor air to move into the home and dilute pollutants. As oil and gas prices increased, builders began constructing new homes more tightly and "weatherizing" older homes to conserve energy and reduce heating and cooling costs. Unfortunately, many of these new and renovated homes failed to incorporate adequate ventilation systems, which would prevent pollutants from building up in the home. These pollutants can cause health problems or aggravate existing health conditions, so it is important for homeowners to evaluate their indoor air quality and take the necessary steps to improve it. To help homeowners identify air quality problems and solutions, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is offering two manuals. The first, produced in conjunction with the New York State Department of Health, is called Indoor Air Quality and Your Home. It is intended as a guide for identifying sources of common indoor air pollutants such as radon, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde; and provides methods available for controlling them. The second manual, the Homeowner's Guide to Ventilation was produced in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The theme of the guide is "build tight, ventilate right," and it provides general facts about residential ventilation and how it affects the building as well as the health of its residents. The guide provides information about how ventilation influences indoor air quality and tips on how home owners can evaluate the performance of their ventilation systems. Finally, the guide provides a check list of the issues to examine when considering whether to upgrade or install a new ventilation system along with a check list of important factors to consider when hiring a contractor to work on the home's ventilation system. For more information, or to obtain copies of the guides, contact Cindy Harrat of NYSERDA at (518) 862-1090, ext. 3213. -30- |
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