Energy Newsbriefs

Articles for September 27, 2010

ENERGY NEWSBRIEFS is a weekly current awareness service provided by the Washington State University 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

"Side-by-Side Testing of Water Heating Systems: Results from the 2009-2010 Evaluation" is a 52-page, 2009, research report developed under contract to the U.S. Department of Energy. The research compared seven different residential systems for water heating under laboratory conditions during one year of testing. The research was done at the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) at the University of Central Florida, and the report was written by Carlos J. Colon, Senior Research Engineer, and Danny S. Parker, Principal Research Scientist, both at the FSEC.

The following two articles appeared in the September 2010 issue of Appliance Design:

1. "Coordinated Circuit Protection" was written by Faraz Hasan, Global Industrial and Appliance Marketing Manager, Circuit Protection Business Unit, Electronics. It shows how coordinated circuit protection is a more effective approach to over-current events than traditional fuses. This is especially true now that there is more and more circuit integration among home and professional appliances. As smart appliances are connected to smart meters, coordinated circuit protection will continue to provide more effective levels of electrical safety, but, additionally, will become a means of energy savings as well.

2. "Less Space, Better Insulation," by Larry Adams, Contributing Writer, Appliance Design, discusses the pros and cons of various appliance insulations, the research conducted by companies on their own insulation products, the new blowing agents that help create finer cells in foam, and how vacuum-installed panels are more effective and environmentally benign than urethane foam and glass wool.

HVAC/R (HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING, AND REFRIGERATION)

"VRF – An Underappreciated Technology in the U.S." is an article on pages 6-7 of the Summer 2010 issue of ShopTalk: it was written by Marcia Karr, ME, PE, and Energy Engineer, WSU Extension Energy Program. The author discusses VRF (variable refrigerant flow) – also known as VRV (variable refrigerant volume) – a heating and cooling system that should be one of several options for the HVAC/R engineer to consider for commercial buildings, whether new or existing. The technology is clearly described, along with notes on installation, maintenance, appropriate applications, and the advantages of a VRF system in the right application. The article concludes with links to further information.

The following three articles were published in the September 2010 issue of Engineered Systems (ES):

1. "Commercial Kitchen Ventilation Design Considerations" was written by Steven G. Liescheidt, P.E., CSI-CCS, CCPR, and Principal, PPECSS Consulting, LLC. The author makes the point that since engineers are primarily responsible for the total ventilation of a commercial kitchen, they should be including the hood in their kitchen design. All the kitchen's ventilation products ought to work together, according to a design plan, to achieve the goal of proper and energy-efficient ventilation, and none of them should be separately purchased without the certainty that they fit into that plan. The article includes discussions of approaches to supplying and exhausting air, the maintenance of ventilation equipment, and a checklist to consult to ensure that none of the basics are missed in the design of a commercial kitchen.

2. "Efficient Motors or Efficient System Designs?" by Ken Lovorn, President, Lovorn Engineering Associates, LLC, reviews the energy-efficiency successes of motors and drives. He urges engineers to focus on efficient pump and fan designs to gain energy savings over and above what efficient motors and drives can deliver. He cautions that pumps and fans with designs that are inefficient will negate much of the energy savings of efficient motors. A sidebar, "Pump or Fan Substitutions," is included.

3. "High-Profile Radiant Panels," by David Dubrow, Arup, is a case study of the new headquarters for the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) in upstate New York. Those that planned the headquarters had hoped it would be a model of efficiency. In fact, the facility is likely to receive LEED-Platinum certification. Radiant panels are an important part, both functionally and aesthetically, of the engineering design for the project.

INDUSTRIAL

"The New Era of Electric Motor Requirements," by Tom Zind, explains the standards in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) that go into effect on December 17, 2010, and offers a discussion of the perennial motors question: repair or replace? The article includes the sidebars, "Dissecting EISA’s Impact," "Motor Mandate Specifics," and "The Excess Inventory/Obsolete Equipment Equation."

The following two articles, the first on time delay relays (TDRs) and the second on tightening set-screw connectors, were published in the August 2010 issue of EC&M (Electrical Design, Construction & Maintenance):

1. "The Basics of Time Delay Relays," by David Bredhold, Application Engineer, Eaton Corp., describes on-delay, off-delay, and single-shot timers, and how to use each in different applications such as belt conveyors and bucket elevators, as well as in window manufacturing.

2. "Do You Have a Calibrated Arm?" by Christel Hunter, Senior Engineer, Alcan Cable, shows how important it is for electricians to use a torque wrench to tighten set-screw connectors where, the author emphasizes, 90% of electrical failures occur. Tightening "by feel" results in failure later, not at the time of installation or very soon afterwards when all appears to be working well. In tests conducted in 2009, experienced electricians and non-electricians using the "by feel" method produced similar results: the electricians were no better at making proper connections than the non-electricians.

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.

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.

© 2010 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.