Page 353 - Design for Environment A Guide to Sustainable Product Development

328 Cha pte r Ei g h tee n

FIGURE 18.5 The Enercon E-126 wind turbine.

• Plug-in hybrids. One of the major areas of innovation in trans-
portation technologies is the introduction of plug-in hybrid
electric vehicles (PHEVs), which utilize batteries that can be
recharged by connecting to an electric power source (see
Chapter 12). Unlike traditional hybrid vehicles, which use
both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine,
PHEVs will both draw power from and potentially provide
power to the electric grid. PHEVs can substantially reduce
fuel costs, air pollution, dependence on petroleum, and green-
house gas emissions, and can even provide emergency backup
power for home-owners.
The traditional gas and electric utility business model in a regu-
lated environment has been based on highly centralized assets, capital
investments in infrastructure maintenance, and a focus on meeting
demand through efficient and reliable business performance. With the
advent of deregulation and distributed energy sources, many have