Inside Business

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Energy Supply Solutions

DuPont and several other companies are partnering with World Resources Institute (WRI) to build markets for renewable energy. Convened in 2000, WRI’s Green Power Market Development Group seeks to develop corporate markets for 1,000 MW of new, cost-competitive green power by 2010.
DuPont announced in June 2005 DuPont™ Generation IV membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) technology for fuel cells requires significantly less catalyst loading compared with the previous generation, while still delivering approximately 20 percent higher power density and well over two times improvement in durability and reliability, leading to more cost-effective fuel cell systems.
DuPont leads the Integrated Corn-Based BioRefinery (ICBR) project – a U.S. Department of Energy-funded research program. As part of the ICBR, DuPont, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and other companies will develop the world's first integrated pilot-scale "biorefinery" that will make use of the entire corn plant—including the stalks, husks, and leaves—to make electricity, biofuels, and an array of biomaterials. For example, in 2003 DuPont received the President’s Green Chemistry Award for the development of bio-PDO, a raw material for its Sorona fiber.
DuPont is a leading supplier of materials for photovoltaic cells, and provides numerous materials for windmills as well.

Energy Demand Solutions

DuPont used seven percent less total energy in 2004 than it did in 1990, despite an almost 30 percent increase in production. Compared to a linear increase in energy with production, this achievement has resulted in $2 billion in cumulative energy savings.
DuPont Tyvek housewrap improves the energy efficiency of buildings, with energy savings in the first year of use alone some 10-20 times the energy required to produce the product.
DuPont’ engineering polymers in applications like intake manifolds help to safely reduce the weight of motor vehicles and improve their fuel efficiency.

To view the energy solutions of all BELC members, visit What's Being Done in the Business Community section of this site.