Energy Newsbriefs
Articles for January 23, 2012
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.
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BUILDINGS
"Streamline Design-Build with BIM" was authored by Jeff Yoders, Contributing Editor, Building Design & Construction; it was published in the November 2011 issue of that journal. This article explains how a design-build team designed and constructed a facility for football practice on a $9.75 million budget within a 40-week time constraint. The team employed building information modeling (BIM).
COMPOSTING
The following two articles discuss different aspects of composting including composting for different sized waste generators in San Diego, California; they were published in the November 2011 issue of BioCycle:
1. "Increasing Capacity to Compost Food Waste," by Ana Lúcia de Carvalho, describes the steps taken to expand San Diego's composting effort from a limited, pilot program in the 1990s to one that includes large scale participation and is still growing.
2. "Large-Scale Generators Succeed with Organics Diversion" was written by Rich Flammer, Hidden Resources, and BioCycle Contributing Editor, explains the success of the largest generators of food waste in San Diego that now contribute to the waste-to-compost effort. The careful training and waste screening that the city requires is discussed.
DISTRIBUTED ENERGY
"Commercial Scale DE," by Ed Ritchie, appeared in the November-December 2011 issue of Distributed Energy. The author focuses on the favorable economics of onsite generation and the fuel options available. He features several different approaches taken at commercial and research facilities. The hard copy version of the article includes the sidebar "Is Poor Power Factor Performance Costing You Money?"
HVAC/R (HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND REFRIGERATION)
The following two articles were published in HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning Engineering – Fastrack; the first appeared in the December 14, 2011 issue and the second in the December 28, 2011 issue:
1. "Green HVAC: Flattening the Learning Curve" is a two-page-article co-authored by Clyde Ford, Project Manager, and by Shane Stanfield, LEED BD+C, Project Engineer; both of Southland Industries. Page one is a discussion of the HVAC-technology options that drive new building design and existing building renovation. Page two of the article features two case studies.
2. "Optimizing the Energy Efficiency of Desiccant Dehumidifiers" was written by Bill Griffiths, Humidity Control Consulting. The author describes solid-desiccant dehumidifiers and explores how to get the highest efficiencies out of what is, nonetheless, an energy intensive technology.
SOLAR
"PV Validation and Bankability Workshop" is a 26-page, December 2011 report on a San Jose, California, event from DOE's Solar Energy Technologies Program; it was written by Jennifer Granata, Sandia National Laboratories, and Justin Howard, SRA International.
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 cooler months.
WASTE-TO-ENERGY
"Utility District Ramps Up Food Waste to Energy Program," by Paul Hagey, was published in the November 2011 issue of BioCycle. It features the effort of the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) in Oakland, California, which has been processing about 40 tons per day of food waste but is about to ramp up to 120 tons per day.
ZERO WASTE
"Frito-Lay Plant Reduces Waste to Near Zero," by Allan Gerlat, appeared in the October 2011 issue of Waste Age. A Frito-Lay Plant in Casa Grande, Arizona, runs mostly on renewable energy generated onsite with almost no landfilling of its waste.
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© 2011 Washington State University Extension Energy Program. This publication contains material written and produced for public distribution. Permission to copy or disseminate all or part of this material is granted, provided that the copies are not made or distributed for commercial advantage, and that each is referenced by title with credit to the Washington State University Extension Energy Program. Copying, reprinting or dissemination, electronic or otherwise, for any other use requires prior written permission from the Washington State University Extension Energy Program.