July 29, 2008 - Emisstar Completes
2-Year Emission Control Technology Showcase
One of the largest and most technologically innovative diesel emission reduction projects in the U.S. has just been completed, Emisstar LLC announced today, at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP’s) Croton Water Treatment Plant in the Bronx, NY. Since 2005, construction equipment emissions of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) were reduced by 0.7 tons and by 1.2 tons respectively, representing cumulative total emission reductions of 96.5% at the project site.
“By all measures the Croton project exceeded everyone’s expectations,” remarked Emisstar Principal Glenn P. Goldstein. “From the sheer size of the undertaking, the number of new technologies deployed, the conclusive results achieved and validated for the construction workers on-site, city agencies and the community-at-large—this project pushed the envelope of what is achievable and has advanced our collective scientific understanding in the field of emissions control and measurement.”
“DEP’s partnership with Emisstar used state-of-the-art technology to substantially reduce emissions from equipment at the Croton site,” said DEP Commissioner Emily Lloyd. “It is an important part of DEP’s overall efforts to minimize the impacts that projects have on on-site workers and local communities.”
The Croton Water Treatment Project is recognized as the first official implementation of “Best Available Technology” under NYC Local Law 77 to reduce diesel emissions from construction equipment on public works contracts, ultimately improving air quality and addressing public health concerns. The law requires the use of emissions control technology on non-road diesel engines over fifty horsepower used at City construction sites. Emisstar led the consulting engineering and implementation effort, including use of its proprietary Emisstar Analytics software, on-board emissions testing, technical project management and outreach coordination between stakeholder groups.
To achieve the emissions reductions at the project site, Emisstar worked with 16 potential ECT manufacturers and completed analyses to verify the suitability of each technology for each piece of equipment. A total of 25 machines were retrofitted with technologies achieving the highest level of reductions under NYC local law, including the first-ever application of novel emission control technologies from Johnson Matthey, Rypos, Huss and Engine Control Systems for the non-road sector. Emisstar and project partner Environment Canada conducted in-use testing on the equipment to verify the actual emission reductions achieved on-site. In conjunction with this announcement, two technical publications from the project are now available for download.
A copy of the Cumulative Emissions Reduction Report is available
here.
A copy of the In-Use Testing Report is available
here.
The project’s success was driven by the collective focus on cleaner air and quality of life for the surrounding community by the project stakeholders, which included the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, Schiavone Construction Company, URS Malcolm Pirnie, Environmental Defense, technology providers, public officials and concerned citizen groups. The Croton Water Treatment Plant, when completed in 2011, will supply up to 33% of New York City’s fresh drinking water supply on a daily basis.
July 2, 2008 - Emisstar Announces Award of Grant for Pluggable Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractor Emisstar LLC announced today the award of a New Technology Research and Development grant from the State of Texas, totaling $722,000, for the development of a Pluggable Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractor (PHETT). Emisstar wrote the successful grant proposal for their client, Capacity of Texas. The competitive grant has been awarded to Capacity of Texas, in partnership with Alternative Motive Power Systems, LLC of Alexandria, Ohio, and Emisstar LLC.
The project, funded by the State of Texas through a grant from the Texas Environmental Research Consortium and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, involves development of a modular hybrid electric terminal tractor that will improve fuel economy 60 to 70 percent while reducing emissions over 90 percent. Terminal tractors operate at ports, rail yards and other areas where air quality is often a concern.
Capacity of Texas will develop the PHETT’s propulsion system with AMPS, whose proprietary control and power management systems make them an industry leader in green motive power. The PHETT will be capable of operating in either a generator set “charge-sustaining” hybrid mode or in a “zero-emissions” mode using grid power.
As part of the project, Emisstar will manage the on-board emission testing and performance validation to quantify the expected fuel economy improvements and criteria pollutant and greenhouse gas emission reductions.
“Emisstar is pleased to participate in this substantial grant with Capacity of Texas to develop a low-emissions, fuel-efficient terminal tractor for port, rail and drayage applications worldwide,” remarked Emisstar Program Director, Kathi Harris. “Creating and facilitating energy and carbon efficient technologies and processes for commercial and industrial applications is at the core of our Sustainable Transportation practice.”
Phillip Ford, President of Capacity of Texas, noted, “As a leader in the terminal tractor industry, we are pleased to receive the grant from the state of Texas to develop a Pluggable Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractor. The development of this product will reduce emissions at all Ports, Intermodal Yards and Warehousing/Distribution Centers not only in North America but also throughout the world. Capacity of Texas is dedicated to environmental stewardship by improving our product with the latest technology in electronic controls, ultra-clean combustion engines and overall green propulsion. Emisstar and AMPS are strategic partners in achieving those goals.”
View the press release
here.
May 20, 2008 - Emisstar Expands Operations Into California Building upon the expertise and success in other areas of the US, Emisstar LLC is pleased to announce the opening of its newest office in California. Strategically located in the Los Angeles Basin in Santa Fe Springs, the opening of this new office expands Emisstar’s consulting practice into a state that is at the forefront of air quality and energy issues.
“We are excited about the opportunities that the State of California offers to Emisstar,” said Emisstar Principal Michael Block. “The opening and staffing of an office in California underscores our commitment to fully serve this all-important marketplace, providing the type of mobile source emissions and energy services that have distinguished our company in other geographic areas of the US. We look forward to working with the California government and the private sector alike to improve California’s air quality and reduce energy consumption, while maintaining the vitality and strength of the State’s economy.”
Emisstar provides consulting services focusing upon the scientific, technology, policy, business and public health challenges surrounding mobile air emissions. With offices in Texas, New York and New England, and now the new office in California, Emisstar offers clients nationwide access to an extensive scope of services encompassing the energy and emissions arena. These services include, but are not limited to, assisting clients in understanding and reducing criteria pollutants and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; providing state-of-the-art technical services enabling fleets to most effectively meet the requirements of complex energy and emissions regulations; using portable emissions measurement systems (PEMS) and other techniques to determine the effectiveness of energy and emissions remediation strategies; assisting trucking and logistics providers in reducing their carbon footprint to reduce costs and improve their EPA SmartWay ranking; assisting and securing grant funding for a myriad of energy enhancement and emissions reduction programs; and developing strategic planning and market assessment programs enabling clients to best meet the challenges of an ever-evolving marketplace. View the press release
here.
March 1, 2008 - Release of Strategic Technology Assessment Diesel Database and Final Report The Texas Environmental Research Consortium/Houston Advanced Research Center (TERC/HARC) has just made public the final deliverables from the
Strategic Technology Assessment project: the Diesel Database itself and the Final Report. This project, completed by Emisstar LLC and partner Eastern Research Group, created an interactive tool designed to predict nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions for nonroad construction machines in the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria region of Texas by modeling emissions scenarios for specific equipment and emissions control technologies. More information is available
here.
November 1, 2007 – Emisstar Awarded Contract with Rockland County Emisstar LLC today announced the award of a contract with the County of Rockland, in New York State, to determine the “best available retrofit technologies” (BART) for 57 transit vehicles owned and operated by the County. Emisstar will evaluate the applicability of various emissions control technologies for use in their transit fleet to help maximize diesel emissions reductions and comply with mandatory retrofit phase in requirements, while ensuring safe vehicle performance and minimal fleet operation disruptions. Under the terms of the contract, Emisstar will perform a comprehensive fleet analysis with engine and vehicle datalogging, develop appropriate BART recommendations, and finally prepare a detailed emissions control technology bid solicitation for the County’s purchasing department. Technical assistance and compliance engineering services will also be provided under the contract. The project, which is funded with federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds, is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2008.
October 10, 2007 – Emisstar Completes Participation in Major New York State Initiative Evaluating Clean Diesel Technologies
Emisstar LLC announced today completion of its participation in a project to evaluate, install and test clean diesel technologies for the “Clean Diesel Technology: Non-Road Field Demonstration Program” at the New York City Department of Sanitation in Maspeth, Queens, NY.
The project is sponsored by The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) in collaboration with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and is supplemented by a grant from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) National Clean Diesel Campaign. Under a multi-year agreement with NYSERDA, Emisstar joined a team led by Southern Research Institute to inventory non-road equipment operating in the New York Metro Area (NYMA), deploy 27 clean diesel technologies and evaluate in-use emissions performance for 15 of them for particulate matter (PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx) using a standard in-use testing protocol.
"This focus on off-road vehicles, typically used in construction, is an important element in understanding how emission-control technologies can play a role in improving air quality in the New York City Metropolitan Area and statewide,” said Paul D. Tonko, president and CEO, NYSERDA. “We are pleased to cooperate with several government agencies in this project."
This final phase of the project involves comprehensive in-use emissions measurement testing using portable emissions measurement systems. Actual in-use emissions measurement should conclusively demonstrate the effectiveness of different technologies to reduce emissions from diesel equipment, improving the air quality in the NYMA.
Air emissions from diesel equipment have been linked to a wide array of health problems, as well as to ozone and smog formation. “Reducing the emissions of diesel pollution is a crucial component of EPA’s strategy for cleaner air and healthier Americans,” said Alan J. Steinberg, Regional Administrator, EPA. “Diesel emissions are a significant source of pollution and a risk to public health, but together with our partners, we are moving America toward a cleaner, healthier, more productive future.”
Emission control technology providers recruited to the project by Emisstar include Airflow Catalyst Systems, Airmeex, Caterpillar, Clean Air Systems, DCL, Donaldson, Engine Control Systems, Extengine, HUSS, Johnson Matthey and Nett Technologies.
“Emisstar is pleased to be involved in this important demonstration project to reduce both PM and NOx emissions in the NYMA,” said Emisstar Principal and Chief Technical Officer Michael Block. “The project advances our understanding of non-road emission control technology performance by showcasing both commercially available EPA and ARB-verified technologies, as well as advance-development, novel technologies that may see commercialization in the coming years. Additionally, the in-use emissions testing component quantifies actual control technology performance in real-world use, providing a valuable public policy tool for New York State in developing programs to improve public health and the environment.”
September 24, 2007 – Emisstar becomes EPA SmartWay Transport Partner
Emisstar LLC has been officially designated an Affiliate Member of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) SmartWay Transport Partnership. SmartWay Transport is a voluntary partnership between various freight industry sectors and the EPA that establishes incentives for fuel efficiency improvements and greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
The Affiliate level of the SmartWay Transport Partnership is for organizations that are committed to promoting greater energy efficiency and air quality within the freight transport sector. Affiliates assist clients in making better choices for their businesses and the environment. By facilitating participation in the SmartWay Transport Partnership, Emisstar helps clients get the information and tools they need to reduce fuel consumption, save money and make a positive impact on the environment.
By 2012, the EPA SmartWay Transport Partnership aims to reduce between 33 - 66 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and up to 200,000 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions per year. At the same time, the initiative will result in fuel savings of up to 150 million barrels of oil annually.
May 2007 - Emisstar Launches New Website
New York, NY & Austin, TX: Emisstar, a leading consulting firm in the field of mobile emissions technology, policy and project implementation, officially announced the launch of its new corporate and client website.
December 2006 - Diesel Technology Forum Report
Washington DC : The Diesel Technology Forum recently released a report, co-authored by Emisstar Principal Michael C. Block, on improving the emissions performance of existing diesel vehicles through increased use of retrofit technologies.
Click here to download the full report.
