Articles for February 9, 2009
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 Energy Newsbriefs archives at http://www.energy.wsu.edu/library/newsbriefs.cfm.
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
The January 2009 issue of Building
Operating Management includes
the three-part article, by Loren Snyder, Contributing Editor to that trade
journal:
Part
1. "Efficiency and Building Envelope"
addresses how to evaluate the performance of a building envelope. See it at http://www.facilitiesnet.com/windowsexteriorwalls/article/Efficiency-and-Building-Envelope--10435.
Part
2. " ASHRAE 90.1 Add Building
Envelope" suggests retrofitting older buildings to ASHRAE 90.1; this
standard is considered the absolute minimum for new construction. View it at http://www.facilitiesnet.com/windowsexteriorwalls/article/ASHRAE-901-Add-Building-Envelope--10436.
"Part 3: Efficiency Metrics for Windows, Walls
and Roofs" explains what the efficiency ratings for windows, walls, and
roofs are, as well as what the ratings mean. It is at http://www.facilitiesnet.com/windowsexteriorwalls/article/Efficiency-Metrics-for-Windows-Walls-and-Roofs--10437.
CLIMATE CHANGE
"The Other Global Warming" was written by
Bina Venkataraman, Science Writer, the Globe. Greenhouse gases cause
the global warming that has captured a great deal of attention. However, an
astrophysicist from Tufts University examines another cause that is at work, as
well. There is waste heat that is being newly-added to the earth's atmosphere in
large quantities, and it is in addition to the normally-occurring heat from
sunlight. Critical comments are included in the article. See this article,
posted on four web pages, in the Globe, January 25, 2009, beginning at http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/01/25/the_other_global_warming/.
In April 2007, the Experts'
Roundtable on Sustainable Climate Management Strategies, organized by the Getty
Conservation Institute, took place. It aimed to examine climate management and
sustainability as applied to the cultural heritage that is preserved by
museums, archives, and libraries. Information about the Experts' Roundtable
and links to individual papers included in the Proceedings are at http://www.getty.edu/conservation/science/climate/climate_experts_roundtable.html
- it is necessary to scroll down to see the list of papers. The proceedings
are available in the form of an edited transcript at http://www.getty.edu/conservation/science/climate/roundtable_transcript.pdf.
LIGHTING
"Energy Efficient
Lighting," by Mike Molinski, is a four-part article in the January 2009
issue of Building Operating
Management:
Part 1: "How Daylighting Works" clearly
explains some of the basics; it can be viewed at http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/How-Daylighting-Works--10445.
Part 2: "Daylighting Benefits" explains the
heating costs that, along with lighting costs, can be averted when a proper
daylighting system is in place; it can be seen at http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/Daylighting-Benefits--10446.
Part 3: "Daylighting: Overcoming Glare and Heat
Challenges" complements Part 1, above, in that it explains how to avoid
glare and heat, and also explains daylighting in more depth. It may be read at
http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/Daylighting-Overcoming-Glare-and-Heat-Challenges--10448.
Part 4: "How Daylighting Can Improve IEQ [Indoor
Environmental Quality]" cites evidence from two studies, one by the
Heschong Mahone Group and the other by the California Energy Commission. See
this final part of the article at http://www.facilitiesnet.com/lighting/article/How-Daylighting-Can-Improve-IEQ--10449.
MAINTENANCE FOR
RELIABILITY
"RCM
[Reliability-Centered Maintenance] For Small- To Medium-Sized and Lean
Organizations" was authored by Aitor Goti, Miguel Egaña & Alfredo
Iturritxa, Mondragon University and Marc Gardella, Ingeactiva S.L. The article
explains how the RCM process has been tailored to help smaller organizations
improve reliability without the expense that only larger organizations can
absorb. See this article in Maintenance Technology, December 2008, at http://www.mt-online.com/article/1208-RCM-For-Small-to-Medium-Sized-and-Lean-Organizations.
POLICY
The Feed-in Tariff is a mechanism meant to bolster
the use of renewable energy. Its prominence in Germany has served as a model
for other countries. It is already in place in California and under
consideration in several states in the U.S. Here is some useful information
about feed-in tariffs:
- Wikipedia has a clearly-written entry explaining
the basics of feed-in tariffs at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed-in_Tariff.
- The
Washington State Legislature is currently considering H.B. 1086 - Requiring
certain providers of electric service to purchase electricity from
eligible distributed generators. For information about this bill, go to http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1086&year=2009.
"California
City Pilots Solar Thermal Local Labor Program" is a brief article about a
program in the City of Richmond which sounds intriguing. It is an attempt to
pursue the harnessing of plentiful solar energy while keeping the money in the
community where the activity is to take place. See this article in Solar
Industry, January 26, 2009, at http://www.solarindustrymag.com/e107_plugins/content/content.php?content.2424.
"Comparison of American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act" is a web page from the Alliance to Save Energy
comparing, side by side, the U.S. House (H.R. 1) and Senate (S. 333) economic
stimulus bills. See this web page at http://ase.org/content/article/detail/5347?tr=y&auid=4463520.
Demand Response and Smart Metering Policy Actions since the Energy
Policy Act of 2005: A Summary for State Officials is an 84-page report, published Fall 2008, and
prepared by the U.S. Demand Response Coordinating Committee for the National
Council on Electricity Policy as part of the Council's Electric Transmission
Series for State Officials. See the complete report at http://www.demandresponsecommittee.org/Final_NCEP_Report_on_DR_and_SM_Policy_Actiona_08.12.pdf
; an overview of the report appears on page one (PDF-page six).
"NREL Formulas, NCAR Forecasts Will Help Xcel
Energy Harness Wind" is a February 4, 2009, press release from NREL, the
National Renewable Energy Lab. It explains how the unpredictability of wind
makes it difficult to use it in combination with coal and other energy
resources. It, also, shows how advanced forecasting can help. NREL will be
testing an advanced forecasting system. See this press release at http://www.nrel.gov/news/press/2009/662.html?print.
WORKFORCE
2008 Green Economy Jobs
in Washington State is a 55-page,
January 2009, document from the Washington State Employment Security Department,
Labor Market and Economic Analysis; it was written by Alan Hardcastle, Ph.D., Washington State University, Extension Energy Program. It is a report on a survey of
private-sector employers in the state. The document was mandated by the last
regular session (2008) of the 60th Washington State Legislature. See this
entire document, which includes an Executive Summary, at http://www.workforceexplorer.com/admin/uploadedPublications/9463_Green_Jobs_Report_2008_WEXVersion.pdf.
To go directly to the Executive Summary, select this URL: http://www.workforceexplorer.com/admin/uploadedPublications/9458_Green_Jobs_ExecSumWEX.pdf.
Past issues of Energy
Newsbriefs are available at http://www.energy.wsu.edu/library/newsbriefs.cfm.
Generally, subscription information
for the journals cited above can be found at the home page of their web
sites.
© 2009
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.
