GREEN ENERGY FOR ELECTRICITY INITIATIVE (GENEI)

ALTERNATIVE TO NUCLEAR AND FOSSIL ENERGY

BY FRANCIS C W FUNG, PH.D.

July 18, 2008

On July 17, 2008 Al Gore, former US Vice President, made an important US energy
independent announcement. The main theme was to announce the timely and important
initiative of converting all US electricity production to green energy in a decade, by 2018.
The initiative is wise and admirable, but is it realistic? Is it achievable and how?
Currently the US electricity generation is 70% by fossil fuel, 20% by nuclear power and
only 10% by solar, hydro, wind and other forms of renewable energy. Gore’s ambitious
goal is achievable if supported by concerted national efforts of Solar Stirling Engine
programs to gradually replace existing fossil fuel power plants, large or small.

America is a country of vast resources and can do spirit demonstrated by the mass
mobilization of WWII in airplane manufacturing capability. Half a century later the
world has not yet caught up. In the urgency of the present national energy and climate
crisis, the same ‘can do’ attitude can be applied to the Green Energy for Electricity
Initiative (GENEI) for success. The GENEI policy will put US so far ahead in Solar
Stirling system manufacturing that the world will not be able to catch up. The
momentum of GENEI advocacy will make us the largest energy technology and Stirling
Engine export nation in the history of world green energy technology and product export.
The potential world market of GENEI technology and products together with our
reduction in oil imports can be so great as to more than halve the current American trade
deficit. The US is in great need of a president who will adhere to the mission and vision
advanced by Al Gore.

Exactly twenty-four years ago I delivered a key note speech at the Second International
Conference of Stirling Engines in Shanghai, China. The title of my speech was “The
Promising Future of Stirling Engines in China”. This was referring to American Stirling
Engine technology being transferred to China. The idea was for China to deploy
nationwide, small size solar powered Stirling engines as an appropriate renewable energy
technology. The most endearing and commanding source of external heat to power
Stirling Engines without doubt is solar heat. Because of the simplicity of the Stirling
Engine’s operating principle and construction compared to the conventional internal
combustion engine, this is a winning combination from economical and renewable energy
considerations. The operating gas in a Stirling Engine is hermetically sealed and heat is
added to the outside of the engine cylinder. Thus mechanically, high efficiency Stirling
Engines are very simple and maintenance free. Most of all, because of its high heat and
power concentration capability, it is also particularly suitable for large electric utility
applications compared to solar voltaic panels. Solar voltaic panels as alternative utility
power plants have significantly lower thermal efficiency, higher cost and take up much
more space for the same electricity power delivered.

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As of this writing, the two largest Solar power Stirling Engine Utility Plants under
construction are the Solar One Project being built for Southern California Edison at the
California Mohave desert and the Solar Two Project being built for San Diego Gas and
Electric at Imperial County at Southern California. The total designed power for these
two projects add up to be 1750 MW, the size of two large nuclear power plants.

How does Solar Stirling Engine stack up against Nuclear Power plants? The solar
Stirling Engine technology used in these two projects are called the SES SunCatcher
system, they hold the record for the most efficient solar electricity generation technology
in the world. The SES SunCatcher is a highly concentrating solar thermal technology
that converts sunlight into electricity at a rate of 31.25 percent, significantly more
efficient than its closest competitor. The cost of electric power for these Sun Catchers is
1/5 to 1/10 the cost of comparable photo voltaic panels. Each Sun Catcher dish is 38 feet
tall, 40 feet wide and generates 25,000 watts of power, which means they occupy much
less space compared to any solar voltaic panels on per kilowatt basis. The large space
required for solar voltaic panels, high price and low efficiency, disqualified them as
candidates for large utilities in competing with Solar Stirling Engine systems.

The cost of nuclear power plants is manifolds higher than the equivalent Solar Stirling
Engine power plants because of the strict need and regulation requirements to prevent
nuclear radioactivity leaks. All nuclear power plants must be housed in huge fortified
containment housing, and all systems of hot and cooling water circulation must be
heavily protected and isolated. The construction cycle is also unduly long. Despite all the
built in safety factors for nuclear power plants, mechanical failures and human errors do
occur. Accidents like Three Mile Island in the US and Chernobyl in Russia are
unavoidable and the consequences are too dear to accept.

For the sheer amount of enormous energy needed for Green Energy for Electricity
Initiative (GENEI), from a safety point of view, Solar Stirling Engine System utility wins
hands down over other renewable energy choices. California has voted for Stirling
Engines from expert experience and is moving ahead. Since the accident at Three Mile
Island over thirty years ago, the US has consistently delayed building nuclear power
plants. That is very responsible and to be commended. I was one time the China country
representative of Combustion Engineering for the sales of moth-balled Tennessee Valley
Nuclear power plants. The nightmares of TMI and Chernobyl still haunt me. The cost of
disposal of spent fuel and its adverse effect of long lasting radioactivity on nature and
mankind is well known. No nuclear power plant is permanent. The eventual need to tear
down old dilapidated nuclear power plant for safety has also never been adequately
addressed.

After the unprecedented severe Sichaun earth quakes, the construction of huge hydro
power plants such as the three Gorges anywhere in the world will be most likely put off
for a long time if not forever. Medium and small size hydropower stations are better
alternatives.

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Aside from the fact that Solar Stirling Engine for electricity generation is non polluting
and renewable, the final merit is the economic pay back of its low life cycle cost due to
ease of manufacturing and maintenance of the engine. Solar Stirling Engine systems
have long life cycle and do not require the many additional ancillary accessories as diesel
and steam engines. In a Solar Stirling Engine System the working gas is permanently and
hermetically sealed. There is no replacement or treatment necessary of the working gas
in the life cycle of the engine as is required in steam and internal combustion engines.

In conclusion, as a national and local GENEI policy to reduce environmental pollution, to

steer away from long term radioactive degradation of the earth, and to reduce national
financial burden, all point to the choice of using Solar Stirling Engine Systems as the
most viable solution. Large Stirling Engine power plants can be incrementally added in
small modular units. They are much more thermally efficient than Solar voltaic panels.
The recommendation of using Stirling Engine alternative for GENEI policy is based on
my over two decades of experience as a practitioner of international Solar Stirling Engine
technology transfer. The US oil imports is 24% in the 1970’s and 42% in the 1990’s.
Today we import 70% of our oil and at a staggering cost of $700 Billion. This increasing
trend and heavy cost are absolutely unsustainable.

It is imperative for us to support Al Gore’s recommendations and advocate GENEI policy

as a national priority. To play a responsible role as the leader of the world, the US must
also set an example in her renewable energy policy. Other major fossil fuel consuming
nations such as China and India will inevitably follow. With ample evidence as discussed
here, not to include the Solar Engine Systems for consideration as a major part of US
GENEI imperative is unconscionable. Financially the US will be the biggest energy
technology transfer nation in world history and the beneficiary thereof.

In fact the US is already ahead of the world in Solar Stirling Engine technology. The
GENEI policy will put US so far ahead in Solar Stirling system manufacturing that the
world will be hard put to catch up. The potential export of Solar Stirling Engine systems
to meet the pent up demand for rest of the world will be a great stimulus to the US
sagging economy. Together with the reduction in oil imports, the US trade deficit can be
significantly reversed. The summation of total reduction of oil imports as the world
follows our GENEI imperative will no doubt instantly halt the oil price speculation. It
will not be surprising that a world concerted GENEI effort will instantly drive the oil
price down by more than half. Our next president must show the vision and leadership to
endorse Al Gore’s recommendations and implement the GENEI imperative as our energy
independence policy. Yours humbly is available for consultation by invitation from
relevant national energy implementation departments and local government heads.

In Service of Energy Independence

Francis C W Fung, PH.D.

Solar Stirling Engine Partnership (SSEP)
Word count 1500

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SOLAR ONE PROJECT, Capacity: 500 MW (for 300,000 homes) with expansion
option to 850 MW

• 20,000 - 34,000 solar dish Stirling systems

• 20-Year Power Purchase Agreement
• Sited in the Mojave Desert east of Barstow, CA