Energy Newsbriefs
Articles for December 27, 2010
ENERGY NEWSBRIEFS is a weekly current awareness service provided by the WSU Extension Energy Program Library and written by Angela Santamaria, WSU Energy Library Manager, to assist users in tracking developments in the energy field. To view past issues or to subscribe to receive an email notification of the publication of a new issue, go to the Energy Newsbriefs home.
Please be aware that although every URL is checked for accuracy prior to the publication of Energy Newsbriefs, URLs are, for various reasons, subject to change. Further, servers sometimes fail to connect to working URLs.
AGRICULTURE and WIND
"Wind Turbines on Farmland May Benefit Crops" is a December 16, 2010, press release from the Ames National Laboratory. It describes the results of the first phase of research undertaken by Ames scientists on the interaction of wind turbines on crops on Midwestern farms. This appears to be a confirmation that turbines affect the microclimates where they are located.
BUILDINGS (COMMERCIAL)
"Driving Energy Efficiency," by Paul Golden, National Business Development Manager for Energy Solutions, Schneider Electric, appeared in the November 2010 issue of Sustainable Facility. Commercial property owners are sensitive to a new environment where prospective tenants are demanding greener buildings. This article is a discussion of how the submetering and monitoring of energy use in retrofits of commercial buildings can be employed cost-effectively.
"Shining the Light on Energy Savings in Commercial Buildings" is an article in the Fall 2010 issue of Building E2 News (Building Energy Efficiency News). It describes, and links to, the Commercial Lighting Solutions (CLS) Web tool, a software program developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. CLS was created to assist the owners and tenants of commercial buildings to dramatically increase their energy savings.
DATA CENTERS
"Data Center Energy Stars" is a two-part article by Naomi Millán, Associate Editor, Building Operating Management; it was published in the November 2010 issue of that trade journal:
Part 1 is New Energy Star Rating System an Accessible Benchmark for Industry. It describes how the rating system works and includes a sidebar, "Redundant Redundancy?"
Part 2 is First to Earn Data Center Energy Star Share Their Strategies. BNY Mellon and Citi show how they used the tool. "Should Climate Count?" is an included sidebar. In it the EPA reports, after reviewing pertinent data, that local climate does not affect load; however, as BNY Mellon emphasizes, different climates do dictate the energy-efficiency approaches available to a design engineer (an outside air economizer can be used in cold Minnesota is one example offered).
"Powering Uninterrupted Growth," was written by David Engle; it appeared in the December 2010 issue of Distributed Energy. UPS (uninterrupted power supply) systems can be employed in the ongoing effort to halt the uninterrupted growth in the power requirements of data centers. This article reviews the re-design of UPS systems to accomplish energy savings without compromising power capacity and energy storage.
The following two articles were published in the November 2010 issue of Sustainable Facility:
1. "Intelligent Controls," by Jack Pouchet, Director of Energy Initiatives, Emerson Network Power, describes new technologies that promote energy efficiency and maintain the availability of IT systems that users demand.
2. "From Cradle to Grave" was co-authored by Robert Ioanna, PE, LEED AP, Vice President and Site Leader for the New York Critical Facilities Group, and Christopher Johnston, PE, Senior Vice President and Chief Engineer for the National Critical Facilities Team; both of Syska. The carbon footprint of the data center is addressed with a discussion of the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems that can be used to reduce it.
HVAC/R (HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND REFRIGERATION)
"Heat from Below Helps Lower Heating His Home," by Tom Sowa, was carried in the December 20, 2010 issue of the Spokesman-Review. It discussed a homeowner's experience with underground geothermal heating and cooling.
The following two articles appeared in the December 2010 issue of International Energy Agency's Energy Conservation in Buildings and Community Systems (ECBS) News:
"Heat Pumping & Reversible Air Conditioning – Innovative Approach Established by ECBS Project" (on pages 8-9) was written by Phillippe Andre, University of Liége, Belgium. Two methods to provide cooling and partial heating are researched with the aim of improving the performance of office buildings: heat recovery (at the heat pump condenser) and heat pump reversibility. The author describes the one that works relatively well, reversibility, and offers solutions to some of the problems this technology would create if it were applied.
"Low Exergy Systems for High Performance Buildings & Communities – ECBS Project Delivers Guidebook & Assessment Tools" (on pages 12-13) was authored by Herena Torio and Dietrich Schmidt, both of Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics, Germany. It describes the ECBS project which has analyzed low exergy systems and developed benchmarks for three different "system solutions" in addition to creating the guidebook and assessment tools mentioned in the article title.
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
"From Good to Great with Lean Maintenance" is a valuable two-part article by Christer Idhammar, IDCON, Inc. and published in the October and November 2010 issues of Maintenance Technology:
Part I offers suggestions for improvement in several areas including reliability, storage, over-manufacturing, and more.
Part II begins with over-maintenance and describes how optimized preventative maintenance fits into a lean maintenance effort. Shutdowns and decisions about storing spare parts and materials are, also, addressed.
"How to Begin Maintenance Planning" is a two part article by Raymond L. Atkins, Contributing Editor, Maintenance Technology, and published in the August and November 2010 issues:
Part I includes all the justifications needed to prove how essential appropriate planning is to successful maintenance.
Part II is Writing the Job Plan. It discusses the elements needed to be addressed in the job plan that should be included in a maintenance plan, and exactly how to write one.
LIGHTING
"Shining the Light on Energy Savings in Commercial Buildings" is an article, by staff, in the November 2010 issue of Building E2 News (Building Energy Efficiency News). It highlights and links to the Commercial Lighting Solutions (CLS) Web tool developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to enable businesses to plan for and execute an energy reduction plan for the lighting in their buildings.
"Lighting Upgrades" is a three-part article by Loren Snyder, Contributing Editor, Building Operating Management; it was published in the November 2010 issue of that trade journal:
Part 1 is Increase Energy Efficiency with Lighting Retrofits. It explains how to navigate some of the complexities involved in the decisions of what kind of retrofit is needed in a plant and when.
Part 2 is Aim for Goals for Lighting Retrofits, Including Higher Productivity. Energy savings would be automatically achieved if the right choices are made for the retrofit. Other things are important, too, such as higher productivity because the retrofit improves the illumination as well as the bottom line.
Part 3 is Lighting Product Showcase, where several lighting products are featured.
POLICY
"Commerce Secretary Locke Launches First Federally Coordinated Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Export Initiative" is a December 7, 2010, press release from the U.S. Department of Commerce. It explains the new effort to expand U.S. exports of renewable energy products and names the eight government agencies cooperating in this activity. The Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency
Exporter Portal gives more detailed information.
"Low Energy and Carbon Neutral Buildings in Denmark – Towards Independence from Fossil Fuels" was written by Lennart Anderson, ECBCS Executive Committee Member for Denmark, and published on pages two through four of the December 2010 issue of ECBS News. It explains the goal of the government for Denmark to end reliance on oil, gas, and coal and describes efforts made and planned to meet that goal.
"The Rise of Retrofit," by Katharine Logan, was published in the November+December 2010 issue of GreenSource. It is a five-web-page examination of Chicago's strong policies emphasizing the retrofit of 40% of each of the following building types: housing, commercial, institutional, and industrial. The point is to reach the city's goal of an emissions level of 80% below its 1990 emissions by 2050. The Chicago Climate Action Plan is central to the policies and the goal.
RESIDENTIAL EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES
EnergySavers.gov: Stay Warm, Save Money is a website, revised (and re-named) seasonally, from the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office of the U.S. Department of Energy. The site is now offering many tips for energy savings for the fall and winter.
SOLAR
"More Than a Place to Park" is an article, by JoAnne Castagna, Ed.D., published in the November/December 2010 issue of Solar Today. It features a New Jersey National Guard, grid-connected, solar-paneled carport that should generate 250,000 kilowatt-hours a year saving tens of thousands of energy dollars.
The following three articles on various aspects of solar water heating appeared in two recent issues of Solar Today:
1. "Heat Your Water With the Sun," edited by Diana Young et al., appeared on pages 12 and 14 of the Fall/Winter 2010 issue of Solar Today. It is a primer on the subject and covers basic concepts of both active and passive solar water heating.
2. "Optimizing for High-Performance Solar Water-Heating Systems" is a two-part article, for the residential sector, by Gary Klein, Managing Partner, Affiliated International Management LLC:
Part 1 suggests how to improve efficiencies by considering two issues: the size of the water heater and whether or not to have a supplemental source of heated water. Part 1 was printed on page 60 of the September/October 2010 issue of Solar Today.
Part 2 includes discussion of the issues involved in selecting the supplemental water heater that is appropriate in size and type for the application. This is Part 2 of the two-part article and was carried on page 30 of the November/December 2010 issue of Solar Today.
3. "Solar Water Heating Cuts Costs for Apartment Buildings," by Linda Erkelens, appeared on pages 40 and 41 of the November/December 2010 issue of Solar Today. It discusses the replacement of a 1980s-era, rooftop-solar water-heating system on one 21-unit apartment building and the subsequent addition of solar thermal systems on three more existing buildings of a similar size.
THERMAL TECHNOLOGIES
"Ceramic Fiber Insulation for Heat-Treatment Furnaces" was written by Roberto Reyes, Technical Director, Nutec Bickley, Carretera Saltillo – Monterrey, Santa Catarina, NL, México, and published in the November 2010 issue of Industrial Heating. The author explains why ceramic fiber is superior to firebricks, the traditional insulation system for heat-treatment furnaces.
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