Issue 10 June
2007
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A Publication of Sustainable
Solutions for all of BC’s Energy Needs
Bus Rapid Transit –
An alternative to the Gateway Program?
by Eric Doherty
Bus Rapid Transit = Quick Greenhouse Gas Reductions
The private automobile is one of the largest and fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution worldwide. Nevertheless, many cities are challenging the tradition of allowing the private automobile to dominate their roads by building a new form of rapid transit.
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems can make transit quicker and more convenient than the car for many trips. BRT differs from conventional bus service in that the buses run in dedicated lanes, have signal priority so they spend less time stopped at red lights, and board passengers through all doors after paying fares at station platforms. Space for the busway is often re-allocated from existing traffic or parking lanes.
"You can get the same number of people out of their cars for about one-quarter the cost [of traditional public transit] with a BRT" asserted William Vincent of the Breakthrough Technologies Institute. Vincent studied 37 US rapid transit plans and concluded that the yearly operating cost for a rail system is about $933 per weekday boarding, whereas the average operating cost for BRT is less than half that at $445.
According to Vincent’s study, the average capital cost associated with rail systems is $240 million per mile, compared with $66 million per mile for BRTs. Because the technology is relatively inexpensive to build, cities or transit authorities can develop extensive systems quickly without taking on crippling debt. Additionally, the service speed of a BRT is usually slightly faster than equivalent rail systems, and ridership is often higher than forecasted.
BRT Station in Curitiba, Brazil
Curitiba, Brazil pioneered BRT technology in the 1970s, but BRT is now common throughout Latin America and has become a favoured transportation technology worldwide. For example, in 2005, Los Angeles' Orange Line BRT opened. Ridership is already so high that the transit authority is considering converting to extra-long 80 foot buses. Victoria, BC will soon start construction of a BRT line that is scheduled to be in operation by June of 2009.
One downside of BRT systems is that they are generally powered by diesel or natural gas engines that are noisy, and emit street-level pollution and GHGs. In contrast, most light rail transit systems run on electricity from overhead wires. The use of electric trolley buses in BRTs can alleviate this issue. Quito, Ecuador was the pioneer in using electric trolley buses in a BRT system. In 1995, the first line opened in Quito and was soon carrying over 200,000 passengers per day. Electric trolley buses are one of the most efficient forms of public transit, and emit very little GHG pollution if powered by electricity from renewable sources such as wind. Trolleys are also the quietest form of public transit and emit almost no street-level pollution.
Mérida, Venezuela is now building a 20-kilometer long electric BRT, scheduled to open later this year. A network of conventional buses and minibuses operating with integrated fares is planned to reduce the need for automobile trips. The buses will be powered with electricity from overhead wires, but will have backup diesel motors in case of power outages or to detour around traffic accidents. Zurich, Switzerland, has been running trolley buses in dedicated lanes for decades, and has now switched to 80-foot trolley buses on the busiest routes.
80-foot electric trolley in a dedicated bus lane – Zurich, Switzerland
In contrast, the Government of BC is planning to spend $3 billion on the upcoming Gateway Transportation Program in Greater Vancouver, expanding highways and bridges to allow more cars. At the same time, the public transit system is being starved of the funding needed to relieve overcrowding and improve service. It is projected that with the Gateway Program, road emissions will increase by 31% by 2020. Rather than encouraging further use of private vehicles, this $3 billion could be used to build an expansive network of electric BRT lines using existing road space. Such a move would not only facilitate transport in a rapidly-growing Vancouver, but represent a major step in reducing the city’s GHG emissions.
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The end of incandescents
by Jack Moss
Don’t throw away that suit and tie. Put that bonnet back in the closet. You’ll soon be wearing them to the funeral of an old friend. In five short years, the incandescent bulb will no longer be with us. Canada has joined the growing list of countries following Cuba’s example by imposing energy efficiency standards that will effectively bury the king of the lighting world at the ripe old age of 130. It’s no wonder, as only five percent of the electricity he consumes generates light, while the rest is wasted as heat.
Heir apparent to the incandescent bulb is the compact fluorescent lamp (CFL), expected to reign supreme until the Light Emitting Diode (LED) comes of age in another six to ten years. While CFLs are remarkably more efficient, consuming less than one fourth the energy of an equivalent incandescent, they haven’t been without growing pains.
Since their introduction in 1980, CFLs have had problems with flickering, slow warm-up, and distracting colour. These complaints have largely been put to rest by the new generation of lamps, offering dimmers, flashing, 3-way, sensor lights and floods, all with the familiar spectrum of incandescents.
CFLs are made up of two main parts; the gas-filled tube (the bulb) and the magnetic or electronic ballast. An electric current from the ballast flows through the gas, causing it to emit ultraviolet light which excites a white phosphor coating on the inside of the bulb. The phosphor coating then emits visible light. Older CFLs have magnetic ballasts and are prone to flicker when they start; a problem corrected by the electronic ballasts of newer lamps.
CFLs are now available in virtually every traditional bulb format; circline, globe, flame, torpedo and flood as well as the archetypal A-19 incandescent shape, as familiar to most of us as the Coke bottle.
The industry is working nights and Sundays to resolve the few remaining complaints. CFLs are now available with cold-weather ballasts, rated to as low as -23 degrees Celsius. GE even makes a shatter-resistant, low-UV bulb, the Saf-T-Gard, which blocks most ultraviolet radiation for use in especially sensitive areas.
Though most CFLs have a slight delay to full illumination, many users prefer the less abrupt transition from dark to light. Nor do CFLs die instantly like the villains in our favourite Westerns. They often give a month’s warning, with more prolonged turn-on times, buzzing ballast, sometimes showing black spots inside the glass; all providing ample notice before leaving us in the dark.
While we’re all familiar with the Edison screw-base of the traditional A-19 bulb, we’ll now have to meet the new kid on the block. Technical Consumer Products has introduced the GU24 base, a pin-based socket that allows bulb changing with a quick click-and-twist. California has adopted it as a standard and Canada’s Standards Association is contemplating its adoption here. Meanwhile, available adaptors may be screwed into our Edison bases to allow the use of this newer generation of CFLs.
Though manufacturers commonly claim service lives of 10,000 hours for their CFLs, web forums are rife with complaints of early burn-outs. In response, a small group of curious consumers on Vancouver Island has been recording the performance of various CFLs for the past six years, generating their own consumer reports. Their conclusions award the crown to Technical Consumer Products (TCP), an Ohio-based company quietly producing more than half the industry’s CFLs. Though TCP’s lamps seem to be quicker starting, colour-corrected and longer-lived, they aren’t available at Home Depot or Rona. They are, however, a first choice for commercial and industrial application and are available from Albrite Lighting and from Eecol Lighting Centres.
Remaining concerns with CFLs focus on the small amount of mercury they contain. While it would be folly to ignore this toxic potential, it’s best to put the issue into perspective. The 5 milligrams in the average CFL is about half that found in many fluorescent tubes and one fifth as much as your watch battery. A home thermometer contains as much mercury as 300 CFLs, while non-programmable home thermostats contain as much as 600 CFLs.
While the less efficient incandescent bulbs contain no mercury, the additional fossil fuel needed to power them generates more than twice the environmental mercury than the equivalent CFLs contain.
CFLs release no mercury while operating, and at the end of their rated lives will release very little into the environment. It’s important to know that mercury is most toxic in vapour form but will only be released as a vapour if the bulb is broken while operating. In off-mode the mercury is absorbed on the lamp’s interior walls.
Should a CFL be broken, resist the urge to use a vacuum as the phosphor powder will pass through its filter and spread through the air. Instead, sweep up the glass and powder with a disposable broom and dustpan. If on a carpet, strips of duct tape will help get the smaller scraps. Wipe up with a damp towel, bag the clean-up material and drop off at a local recycling facility for universal waste. For the fastidious, mercury spill kits are now on the shelves of many retailers.
Recycling programs for CFLs are evolving as they become more popular, and a list of BC recyclers is posted on BC Hydro’s Power Smart site at http://www.bchydro.com/powersmart/elibrary/elibrary40640.html.
Because a fifth of our electricity production is consumed by lighting, any sixth-grader can calculate the magnitude of savings represented by CFLs; less generation, less pollution, less packaging, and less junk in our landfills.
Despite the great potential of CFLs, science never rests. One of its newest variations on the CFL is the CCFL, the Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light - a lamp without a filament. CCFLs are only 3mm in diameter and operate on a much lower current. Though their lumens-per-watt value is only half that of their CFL cousins, their average lifetime is in the 50,000 hour range.
Newer innovations go beyond the mere production of efficient lighting. A CFL with a nano-particle coating of titanium dioxide, a photocatalyst ionized by the UV light, converts oxygen to ozone and water to hydroxyl radicals to kill bacteria, mold spores and viruses and to neutralize odours.
Meanwhile, in the best Hollywood tradition, Son of Incandescent is being produced by General Electric who tells us that their next-generation incandescent lamps could breathe new life into the old technology.
A ‘spiral’ CFL
The convenience of an electric bicycle
by Martin Golder
When I first got my electric bike, the most common question I got was, "Why do you need an electric bike? How about the exercise?"
While scouting the web, I came up with an analysis of the energy consumed by an electric bike versus a pedal bike. The article was written a little tongue-in-cheek, but the analysis it presented was persuasive, According to the article, if you consume regular supermarket food that is grown with fertilizers and transported several thousand miles by truck, the calories you burn while riding a pedal bike actually have a higher CO2 footprint than the BC electricity that powers an electric bike! So there!
Cody, a young lad from Queale Electronics was visiting one day a while back, and offered for me to try out his electric bike. I jumped on and was downtown in a jiffy and back home again with no sweat. Cool. So onto the web I went to do some research. I was soon deep into electric vehicles of all types, from bikes to super cars. Despite Who Killed The Electric Car, my research indicated that the electric car is alive and well along with all kinds of other electric vehicles, including boats, bikes, and even planes. A few of the cars made an appearance at the end of the movie, including both the Tesla and the Fetish, both super-cars with rocketing acceleration, high speeds, long battery life, and prices to match.
For my first electric bike I bought a second-hand mountain-bike from a rental shop, and purchased a Wilderness Energy kit from Fairfield Bicycle in Victoria. These kits include a 400 watt motor and a 36 volt lead-acid battery, plus a pedal first controller made by Golden Motors. I soon had the kit mounted and zoomed away with a huge smile on my face. My first trip was to a Common Energy meeting at the University of Victoria. Those hills just faded away. Now, when I want the exercise, I pedal the bike to warm up or even to sweat. When I just want to get somewhere fast, I turn on the motor and the bike sails along at 30 kph on flat ground.
Whether you’re aiming to be a gentle commuter or a powerful off-roader, there are a number of legal restrictions on electric assisted bikes. In particular, the motor must be under 500 watts, and must not provide propulsion over 32kph. Over this speed the bike is considered a moped and needs insurance and licensing.
Another consideration in buying an electric bike is choosing the right battery. Nickel Metal hydride batteries are the best value, costing around $100, while Lithium ion or Lithium polymer are the top of the line, and cost about $500. The batteries on my bike take about 0.1KWH, or 0.5 cents to charge, and lasts for about 10km with no peddling and about 20 km with some peddling. Thus, while a car uses around 10 cents of gas per km, my electric bike costs on 0.05 cents!
I still get a big smile whenever I go for a ride and I notice now that Cody shows up as much on a super light performance hybrid as on his electric bike. So maybe the electric bike is just for old guys like me wanting to get back into the serious sweaty stuff!
For more information on electric bikes, visit ebikes.ca, run by Justin Lemire-Elmore. It’s a great website where Justin kindly shares his knowledge of electric bikes. The site also sells the long-range Cystalyte motors, and has a nifty simulator to help you design the right performance package for you.
Martin Golder and his electric bicycle
Movie Review: Who Killed the Electric Car
by Rita Chung
"In 1996, electric cars began to appear on roads all over California. They were quiet and fast, produced no exhaust, and ran without gasoline. Ten years later, these futuristic cars were almost entirely gone. What happened? Why should we be haunted by the ghost of the electric car?"…So starts one of the most persuasive and engaging documentaries in recent years: Who Killed the Electric Car?.
This documentary examines the various factors that might have contributed to General Motors’ sudden recall and subsequent disposal of every single one of their electric cars, and at the same time, documents the taxing struggle of those who fervently believed in this revolutionary vehicle to prevent its unjustified demise. The facts presented in this documentary are well-supported by authoritative figures such as experts of the automotive industry, experts in consumer advocacy, some heavyweight figures of the oil industry, and many of GM’s original electric car sales representatives. There are informative and detailed analyses of the various culprits leading to the demise of the electric car, including the California Air Resources Board (CARB), oil companies, and GM. The documentary also includes a brief comparison between the electric car and other alternative-fuel vehicles such as hydrogen vehicles and hybrid vehicles: coming to the frustrating conclusion that neither measures up to the extinct electric car.
The narrative of the movie is well-structured. The smooth interweaving of the history of the electric car and the experiences of its former owners with the examination of the possible culprits of its demise allows the narrative to come through as a level-headed analysis of what really happened. This delicate balance ensures that the film remains provocative and thoughtful without ever becoming too lopsided.
What truly makes Who Killed the Electric Car? one of the must-see documentaries of the year, however, is the inspirational battle that the people who believe in these cars have been willing to fight. Undeterred by the many obstacles that have stood between them and the electric car - from the refusal by GM to extend their electric car leases, to their protests to stop the last electric cars from being crushed, to arrests and financial struggles - the activists themselves remain ever upbeat during their struggle. They continue to fight in such a relentless fashion that it’s hard for any viewer not to become awestruck. Their fervour is contagious, and it leaves the audience pumped up and ready to leave the theatre and join this cause!
Millijoules
by Guy Dauncey, BCSEA President
Cambridge, Massachusetts, Goes Energy Efficient
In Cambridge, Massachusetts (pop’n 101,000), hundreds of energy consultants will knock on the doors of the city’s 23,000 buildings, offering a free energy audit and free or low-interest loans enabling owners to upgrade their buildings with more efficient lighting, heating, cooling and insulation, and renewable energy systems. The $100 million package is financed 80% by private sources and 20% by electrical utility incentive programs. The cost of an upgrade will generally be repaid from future energy savings. The city’s goal is to reduce peak electricity demand by 15%, electricity and water demand by 10%, to achieve a city-wide participation rate of 50%, and to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by 10% by 2011. The governor of Massachusetts has announced a $2 million revolving loan fund to finance start-up costs to replicate the approach in five other Massachusetts cities. People in Cambridge pay 9.5 cents US a kilowatt-hour, almost twice the price in BC, making an upgrade twice as cost-effective.
Ethanol from Blue-Green Algae
A professor at the University of Hawai’i, Patrick Fu, thinks he can make ethanol from cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, or pond scum. Cyanobacteria are among the oldest life forms on the planet, having been around for up to 3.5 billion years. Like plants, they contain chlorophyll, which lets them use solar energy for food. By inserting genetic material into a type of freshwater cyanobacteria, Fu has developed a strain that feeds on CO2 drawn from the atmosphere and produces ethanol as a waste product, taking only days to create the fuel, rather than the months that are needed by regular plants, that do the same. Fu reckons he is 2-3 years away from being able to build a full-scale plant, and is looking for investors. The process could also run on CO2 captured from coal-fired plants, but if this were the case, the final CO2 after the ethanol has been used would contribute to a net gain in atmospheric CO2.
Solar Power at Half the Cost
Soliant Energy, a start-up company based in Pasadena, CA, reckons it can produce solar power from concentrating photovoltaics at half the cost of conventional solar panels. Most concentrating photovoltaics (which use lenses and mirrors to shine many "suns" onto solar cells) need heavy tracking equipment to move with the angle of the sun. Soliant’s founder, Brad Hines, has developed a lightweight system that can be installed on a roof, and fit within a regular rectangular frame. Each module is made of rows of aluminum troughs, about the width and depth of a gutter, that can tilt in unison to follow the sun. Soliant has received up to $4 million under the US Department of Energy’s solar program, and is working with DoE and a local solar installer, to refine the process. (MIT Technology Review, MIT, May 11 2007)
China’s Solar City
Rizhao, a city of 3 million people in northern China, is using solar energy to provide water heating to an amazing 99% of all city households. Under the city government’s retrofit program, it is mandatory for all buildings to install solar water heaters. The city provided the local political will, and assisted with the installation of the panels, while the Shandong provincial government provided subsidies and funded R & D for the solar water heater industry, reducing the price to about $190, which is 4-5% of the annual income of an average urban household. The city also organized open seminars, and ran public advertising on the radio. Using a solar heater for 15 years will cost $2150 less than running a conventional electric heater, saving each household $133 a year. (Worldwatch Institute)
A roof-mounted solar water heater
Copenhagen’s Cyclists
The city of Copenhagen, in Denmark, (population 500,000) already has a very strong cycling tradition; and 36% of the citizens already bike to work. Not content, however, the city has plans to increase that to 40% by 2012, to increase the proportion of cyclists who feel safe cycling in town from 57% to 80%, and to extend the existing 350 km of cycle track by 65 km by 2016. Bicycles are allowed on all local and regional trains, and also on the subways (except during rush hour), and cyclists have a special pre-green light that turns green a few seconds before the green light for cars. There are also 120 bike racks around the city centre where special heavy-duty bikes can be rented for $3 for use throughout central Copenhagen. In spite of the dramatic growth in cycling, the number of accidents has substantially fallen, probably because many motorists are now also cyclists. The cost all this? $6.6 million a year, which comes to just $13 a year for each citizen. (www.nyclimatesummit.com)
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