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Energy Newsbriefs

Articles for June 11, 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.

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.



BUILDING SCIENCE

"Essess: Google Street View for Building Energy Efficiency," by Derek Top, was published April 18, 2012, in a GreenBiz blog.  It describes the drive-by energy audits one company does with thermal cameras on the roofs of vehicles.  The company’s CEO believes that the increasing demand for energy audits by cities and municipal governments should make this approach popular.

COOL ROOFS

"Roofing" is a four-part article by Casey Laughman, Managing Editor, Building Operating Management; it was published in the April 2012 issue of that journal.  It makes the point that a new cool roof is reasonably competitive with traditional roofs. The rest of the article discusses available federal tax deductions in Part 1, and follows with information about various incentives on Parts 2, 3, and 4:

Part 1 is "Cool Roofs an Option or Almost Any Facility."
Part 2 is "Cool Roofs Can Provide Big Savings in Conjunction with Other Systems."
Part 3 is "Cool Roof Rebates, Incentives Can Vary by Region, Political Climate."
Part 4 is "Aging Infrastructure Can Drive Cool Roof Rebates."

GEOTHERMAL

"Geothermal: The New Big Man on Campus" was written by Michael Luster, PE, LEED AP MEP Associates, LLC; it was published in the April 2012 issue of HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning Engineering.  This is a discussion of the application of geothermal systems campus-wide rather than to individual campus buildings.  The article includes basic engineering information about how to proceed, beginning with an analysis of utility data, a determination of how the new system would fit with the campus master-plan (which would include expectations for future expansion), and knowledge of the campus monthly-load.  This will bring the engineer to an understanding of the campus' base simultaneous load, instantaneous load, unbalanced heating load, and unbalanced cooling load.  All of those help determine system sizing and more.

The following two articles were published in the Geo-Heat Center Quarterly Bulletin (Vol. 30, Issue 4; February 2012):
  1. "Building a Community-Based Network for Geothermal Energy" by Walter S. Snyder, Boise State University; Joseph N. Moore, University of Utah; David D. Blackwell, Southern Methodist University; Tonya Boyd, Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology; Roland N. Horne, Stanford University; and by Lisa Shevenell, University of Nevada. The article introduces and discusses, in depth, the concept of academic institutions developing and hosting networks of data sites and databases for the furtherance of geothermal systems. (This seven-page paper was selected in a student competition.)

  2. "Development of Geothermal Policy in the United States – What Works and What Doesn’t Work" was co-authored by John W. Lund, Emeritus, Geo-Heat Center, Oregon Institute of Technology; and by R. Gordon Bloomquist, Retired, Washington State University Energy Program.  This eight-page article begins with a brief history of policy related to geothermal and lists eight characteristics for developing a successful project.  These characteristics are, then, covered in depth.

POLICY – WORKFORCE, NET-ZERO ENERGY

"Preliminary Analysis of the Jobs and Economic Impacts of Renewable Energy Projects Supported by the §1603 Treasury Grant Program" is an April 2012, 33-page, technical report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; it was written by Daniel Steinberg and Gian Porro.  It is a discussion of the 2009 Treasury Grant Program, which was in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Act).  The Treasury Grant Program was aimed at smaller renewable energy developers who were not aided by earlier programs such as the investment and production tax credits (ITC and PTC) and the accelerated depreciation benefit for renewable energy property [the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) and the bonus depreciation].  In addition to supporting small renewable energy projects, a secondary, but positive, outcome of the Treasury Grant Program was the creation of jobs.

"Studies: Revealing Buildings’ Energy Use Creates Jobs," by Heidi Schwartz, appeared on April 17, 2012, on the TFM Facility Blog.  It highlights and summarizes the results of two studies which indicate that the policy known as "building energy rating and disclosure" does result in jobs creation.  The reports (full text) are:
  1. "Energy Disclosure and the New Frontier for American Jobs," a nine-page report by Andrew C. Burr, Institute for Market Transformation, March, 2012.

  2. "Analysis of Job Creation and Energy Cost Savings from Building Energy Rating and Disclosure Policy," a seventeen-page, March 2012, white paper by Andrew C. Burr, Cliff Majersik and Sarah Stellberg, all of the Institute for Market Transformation, and by Heidi Garrett-Peltier of the Political Economy Research Institute.
"Zero Waste Law Passes In Scotland" is a paragraph in the May 2012 issue of BioCycle briefly describing the major points of the new Scottish law pertaining to the recycling of used materials (cardboard, plastic, metal, and glass) and to the disposal of food waste.  Both commercial and residential sectors are affected. For details see the Web page "Zero Waste Regulations" which includes links to information in nine areas covered by the new law.

RESIDENTIAL EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES

EnergySavers.gov: Stay Cool, 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 warmer months.

WORKFORCE

"The Evolution of Wind Training," by Shawn Lamb, Program Director, Ecotech Institute, was published in the April 2012 issue of Wind Systems. The author describes how the training for wind technicians has evolved from learning on the job only, to classroom study only at community colleges, and, finally, to an approach which combines the two at his own company’s training facility.


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© 2012 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.