Energy Newsbriefs
Articles for January 9, 2011
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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APPLIANCES
"Is NanoTech an Environmental Concern?" was written by Seth Fisher, Chief Editor, Appliance Design; it was published in the November 2011 issue of that journal. This article takes a look at a concern about nanotechnology and the first sign of federal (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) interest and action.
BUILDING SCIENCE
"Adler School of Professional Psychology" is a two-page case study of the energy efficiencies incorporated into an expansion of existing space. The energy savings were achieved through lighting and daylighting strategies which are well described. The effort was a project of Smart Ideas, a program of the utility Commonwealth Edison (ComEd).
FUEL CELLS
"Researchers Discover a Way to Significantly Reduce the Production Costs of Fuel Cells," by staff, is a press release posted on the Aalto University website on December 20, 2011. Noble metals covering the fuel cell catalyst can now be applied much more thinly with the new atomic layer deposition (ALD) method developed by researchers at the Finnish university. The resulting reduction for the cost of the fuel cell is dramatic and the covering is more evenly distributed than had been possible, thus improving quality.
MILITARY
"Energy Advances at Eglin Air Force Base" (scroll to or select page four), by staff, was published in Volume 20, Issue 2, of Femp Focus. It describes the vision set for the base's Energy Initiative and the new Eglin Energy Management Center. The Center is responsible for several projects completed and others well underway.
RENEWABLES
A new website, Developer Network, from NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory), "...helps developers access and use energy data via Web services, including renewable energy and alternative fuel data." An article, NREL Makes Renewable Energy Data Available to Web Developers, posted on the Biofuels Journal website on October 25, 2011, provides a short but useful description of what the site has to offer.
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.
EnergySavers: Tips on Saving Money & Energy at Home is a 44-page guide, published December 2011, from the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) office at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This covers the topic of home energy savings for all seasons.
SOLAR
"Community Solar in Olympia, Washington, Moves Forward" is a December 15, 2011, article in the Olympian, by Lauren Craig. It describes the five community projects planned for the city and the financing mechanism which make them possible.
THERMAL TECHNOLOGIES
The following three articles appeared in the December 2011 issue of Industrial Heating:
1. "On the Hook with Heat Treatment," by staff, is an interesting short piece showing the practical side of heat treatment for those who enjoy fishing and/or rock climbing.
2. "New Lean-Nickel Alloy for Use in High-Temperature Heating Applications" was jointly written by Craig Dykhuizen, NOVA Industries, Inc. (Franklin, Wisconsin); Heike Hattendorg, Ph.D., ThyssenKrupp VDM; Altena, Germany; and Larry Paul, ThyssenKrupp VDM USA. The author discusses the proper role of high vs. low nickel content in heating elements (generally, coils) used in industrial and consumer product applications.
3. "Temperature Control and Uniformity in Industrial High-Temperature Atmosphere/Vacuum Furnaces" was authored by Claus Joens, Elnik Systems. It is a discussion of how to improve temperature control in furnaces. It explains why proper readings are different for conventional and retort furnaces, why hydrogen increases temperature variations in the furnace, how multiple sensor-zones can promote uniformity, and more.
TRANSPORTATION
Interest in, and research on, wireless cars continue; following are two articles on the topic:
"Recharge and Roll: Electric Car-Makers Plan to Cut the Cord - Developments Underway Could Let Drivers Charge Their Batteries with Magnetic Fields," by Rachel Kaufman, was posted on the Scientific American website on October 28, 2011. It explains the challenges and describes some progress toward meeting these challenges, and it mentions some specific auto companies and the models they are developing. Additionally, it links to a scholarly article on the technology that may make wireless autos workable: "Magnetic Resonant Coupling as a Potential Means for Wireless Power Transfer to Multiple Small Receivers" (pdf), by Benjamin L. Cannon et al. and published in the July 2009 issue of IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics.
WORKFORCE
"United We Stand" was authored by Alice Clamp; it appeared in the November-December 2011 issue of Public Power Magazine. It is a discussion of the customizing of "two-by-two" (a jobs training program for the auto industry) for the electric utility industry. Federal funding was secured for the training for a wide range of future utility technicians. The article includes two sidebars, "A Risky Business" and "Learning Online."
Water Works: Rebuilding Infrastructure, Creating Jobs, Greening the Environment is a 62-PDF-page report, published in 2011, from Green for All with support from the Rockefeller Foundation and others; it includes an Executive Summary on PDF-page 5. Based on cited research, it asserts that, over a five year period, $188.4 billion spent on water infrastructure nationally would result in 1.4 times that in economic activity and 1.9 million water-related jobs. The report emphasizes green solutions to water issues with mimicry (imitating nature) as a focus.
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