Energy Newsbriefs
Articles for November 21-28, 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.
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.
BUILDINGS
"The Research Support Facility Data Center: An Example of Best Practices Implementation" is an October 2011, four-page brochure, prepared by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) for the Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy (EERE) Office of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). It is a detailed, four-page case study of a new data center in NREL's new LEED-Platinum, zero-energy Research Support Facility (RSF). See NREL's Research Support Facility Web page for more information.
The following three case studies were included in the October 2011 issue of Buildings:
1. "A Clean Bill of Health" highlights the new, LEED-Gold, Rockingham Memorial Hospital in Virginia. It is powered by methane gas.
2. "In the Limelight" discusses the renovation of the Suffolk University Modern Theatre, originally built in Boston in 1913. With the assistance of laser scanning and BIM (building information modeling) the theater was rebuilt, after demolition, along the same size and design lines as the original. Added to the site was a 10-storey dorm.
3. "Living and Learning Sustainably," by Janelle Penny, Associate Editor, Buildings, features a new project at the University of Colorado Boulder. The goal for a new dorm, Williams Village North, is LEED-Platinum.
ENERGY MANAGEMENT
"Better Energy Management Starts with Awareness," was written by Mike Rice, Senior Vice President, Projects and Services, Schneider Electric; it was published in the October 2011 issue of Maintenance Technology. The author makes the case for the value of energy management in terms of the bottom line of a business.
"BAS/EMS" is a three-part article by Rita Tatum, Contributing Editor for Building Operating Management; it was published in the October 2011 issue of Building Operating Management:
Part 1 is Facility Managers Can Boost BAS/EMS Performance with New Tools, Capabilities. The author explains the general advantages of building automation and energy management systems (BAS/EMS) which include tenant comfort and the control of utility and labor costs. Newer systems, he notes, have improved diagnostic capabilities; they are able to locate potential problems before they have the opportunity to become calamities.
Part 2 is Real-time Information is Big Advantage of Modern BAS/EMS Systems. The value here is that computer dashboards offer information to all parts of a company ("enterprise-wide") in ways that can be adjusted for usability. Part 2 includes a sidebar, "Four Big Changes Are Reshaping BAS/EMS."
Part 3 is Advanced BAS/EMS Operations Still Need Staff Oversight. While BAS/EMS can help avoid some labor costs, other highly technical workers are needed to keep these systems running optimally.
FUEL CELLS
"Fuel Cells for Clean Generation and Short Payback," by Janelle Penny, Associate Editor, Buildings, was included in the October 2011 issue of that journal. The article focuses on some of the advantages of fuel cell technology in specific applications. Two rental apartment buildings are featured.
HYDROPOWER
"Canada's Hydropower Boom" was written by Russell W. Ray, Senior Editor, Hydro Review, and published in the October 2011 issue of that journal. Muskrat Falls on the Lower Churchill River in Labrador is to be the power source for two stations with a total of 3,074-MW for use in eastern Canada and for export to the eastern United States. That project is well-described and is followed by a review of other hydro projects proposed or underway. Canada's abundant hydro is seen as a clean replacement power for coal in the U.S.
HVAC/R (HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND REFRIGERATION)
The following two articles were published in the October 2011 issue of Buildings; they were both written by Janelle Penny, Associate Editor of that journal:
1. "HVAC System Too Big for Your Building? focuses on what to do short of system replacement. The author presents strategies to reduce the over part of oversized.
2. "Skylight Performance and Productivity" draws the connection between the two – skylight performance and worker productivity – and suggests ways to balance the maximizing of natural light with other, equally important, concerns.
LABORATORIES
"Laboratories for the 21st Century: Best Practices; Modeling Exhaust Dispersion for Specifying Acceptable Exhaust/Intake Design" is a 12-page brochure from the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). It provides information on designs that reduce the return of exhaust emissions into the facility, on incorporating variable air volume (VAV) technology, and more.
"Project: Oak Ridge National Laboratory," by staff, is a two-part article that appeared in the October 2011 issue of Building Operating Management:
Part 1 is BIM Helps Save Time, Make Better Choices for Science Building. A Building Information Model (BIM) revealed an incorrectly-sized design for the chilled water piping of a science building under construction on the Oak Ridge National Lab campus. The timing of the revelation was such that it allowed an inexpensive solution to save the day.
Part 2 is BIM Demands Early Building Owner Involvement. The author cites other beneficial uses of the BIM and, then, focuses on why it is important for building owners to make decisions about their buildings in the design stage, before any construction begins.
POWER GENERATION
"Clouds over Power: Survival of the Efficient" was authored by William C. “Bill” Livoti, Baldor Electric Co., ABB; it was published in the October 2011 issue of Maintenance Technology. The article is an in-depth assessment of the author's view of the future of electricity generation. He cites several major issues for the United States. They include aging power plants that even if running at their peak efficiencies, cannot compete with newer, efficient plants. Also, cited are environmental regulations, the lack of a federal energy plan, and more.
RESIDENTIAL EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES
"Holiday Lights: LED and Fiber Optics" is a newly updated four-page fact sheet from the Western Area Power Administration. It is a useful guide to safe, beautiful, and energy-efficient lighting for indoor and outdoor holiday lighting for the home.
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.
SOLAR RESEARCH
"Intel Solar-Powered Computer Processor Offers Glimpse of Future," by Jordan Robertson, was published in the Huffington Post on September 14, 2011. The breakthrough feature of this postage-stamp-sized solar cell is that the cell runs the processor using only a little more than "threshold" power, which is, as the author explains, the amount of power needed to power the cell's own transistors.
SUSTAINABILITY
"Report: How Smaller Companies Profit from Sustainability," a press release by staff, was published in the September 30, 2011, issue of Environmental Leader. It summarizes the report findings from nine case studies conducted in three countries by three accounting firms regarding the sustainability plans of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The 48-page report is "SMEs Set Their Sights on Sustainability: Case Studies of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) from the UK, US and Canada.
SWIMMING POOLS
"Simplified Method of Calculating Evaporation from Swimming Pools" was authored by Mirza M. Shah, Ph.D., PE, van Zelm Heywood & Shadford Inc; it was published in the October 2011 issue of HPAC Heating/Piping/AirConditioning Engineering. New formulae developed by the author for both occupied and unoccupied pools enable accurate determinations for the sizing of ventilation and dehumidification equipment.
UTILITIES – EFFICIENCY, CONSUMER BEHAVIOR
The following two articles appeared in the October 2011 issue of Public Power Magazine:
1. "Efficiency + Renewable Energy = Sustainability," by Alice Clamp, describes the effort of Lincoln Electric System to lower its load growth through efficiencies and renewables. The utility expects rates to remain low and carbon emissions to decrease.
2. "Everybody's Doing It! Energy Efficiency and Herd Mentality," by Laurel Lundstrom, discusses a utility's investigation into the view that consumers will use less energy if they are educated in how to do that and if they are made aware of how much they use in comparison to their neighbors. Early results appear to show that while energy use does not change much, consumers say that with the education and awareness they now intend to change their behavior and believe that their behavior has already been affected. The utility plans more study.
WASTEWATER- and SOLID WASTE-TO-ENERGY
Two articles on the topic by Lisa Gibson, Associate Editor of Biomass Power & Thermal, were published in the October 2011 issue of that journal:
1. "Separation Anxiety" features waste-sorting technologies in Northern Spain that result in the capture of more organic wastes for power generation and the ejection of more inert materials that cannot contribute to making power.
2. "Watts from Wastewater" discusses municipal wastewater treatment plants that use anaerobic digestion (AD) systems, which produces biogas. Many of these plants use these systems just to reduce the volume of the waste while others use it to generate power. This article focuses on power-producing AD plants in New Jersey and on the state's new Renewable Natural Gas Work Group which is conducting research that should, ultimately, increase the use of biogas for power.
Past issues of Energy Newsbriefs are available here.
Generally, subscription information for the journals cited above can be found at the home page of their web sites.
© 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.