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Weekly Energy Newsbriefs

Articles for May 4, 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.


BIOMASS

"Food, Paper Waste Target for NC Ethanol Production," by Susanne Retka Schill, is a brief article describing a project by which a combination of food waste and paper waste would power an ethanol plant and the biogas from unfermented solid waste would be used as process heat for the plant. See this article in Biomass, April 2009 at http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2568.


BUILDINGS

The March 2009 issue of Environmental Design + Construction (ED+C) includes the following two case studies:

  1. "Green Dirt: A Collaboration to Build a Home at an Organic Farm Prioritizes Sustainability and Family Connectivity" was written by Jason F. McLennan, LEED AP. This is the story of the design and construction of a net-zero energy home in Missouri. View this case study at http://www.edcmag.com/CDA/Articles/Featured_Special_Sections/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000532069.
  2. "Practice Makes Perfect: Making Strides in High-Performance Elementary Schools" was authored by Corky Bradley, Senior Associate, RB+B Architects. It shows the evolution of a prototype over several years until, in the fourth iteration an elementary school gains Gold LEED certification and a Green Globes rating. See this case study at http://www.edcmag.com/Articles/Cover_Story/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000530869.


HVAC (HEATING, VENTILATION, and AIR CONDITIONING)

The following three articles on cooling technologies were published in the April 2009 issue of Appliance Design:

  1. "Alternative Refrigerants Attract Attention," by Larry Adams, Managing Editor, Appliance Design , discusses the march away from and, most recently (especially in Europe), the march back to natural refrigerants including carbon dioxide and the hydrocarbons, isobutane and propane. This article appeared in Appliance Design, April 2009, at http://www.appliancedesign.com/Articles/Article_Rotation/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000558309.
  2. "Compact Compressor," by S. Ronald Wysk, Vice President Business Development, Aspen Compressor, discusses how DC (direct current) compressors are about to become a much larger presence in the HVAC market. The need for off-the-grid, portable power, now coupled with the ever increasing use of solar and fuel cells, are providing a huge role for DC compressors to fill. See this article at http://www.appliancedesign.com/Articles/Article_Rotation/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000558340.
  3. "Designed to Dry," by Larry Adams, Managing Editor, Appliance Design, explains that humid climates present a dual challenge to air cooling: warm air and humid air. The positive role a desiccant humidifier can play in an air conditioning system is fully described. View this article at http://www.appliancedesign.com/Articles/Feature_Article/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000558357.


MILITARY

"Military Embraces Green Energy," by Alexandra Davis, describes the energy-demanding environment in an army training facility in the Mojave Desert. Green energy, generated on-site, used would save energy and energy costs dramatically. Used in similar environments, in actual war conditions, could save soldiers' lives as well. See this two web-page article in Los Angeles Times, April 26 2009, at http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-me-army-green26-2009apr26,0,4417523.story?page=2&track=rss.


MOTORS

"Motors: Cutting Cooling Costs" was co-authored by Marta Di Domizio, Marketing Director, Wellington Drive Technologies, and David Mc Shane, President, Wellington Drive Technologies. Electronically commutated (ECM) motors are much more efficient that traditional motors. The authors explain ECM technology, how energy efficient they are, and what developments have substantially increased ECM applications opportunities. See this article in Appliance Design , April 2009, at http://www.appliancedesign.com/Articles/Feature_Article/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000558403.


POLICY

"FERC [Federal Energy Regulatory Commission], Interior Department Sign Agreement on Offshore Renewable Energy," by staff, explains how agreement between these two federal agencies covers both hydrokinetic and non-hydrokinetic projects. This article includes links to the related press release and the full text of the Memorandum of Understanding. It can be viewed in EERE Network News, April 15, 2009, at http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/news_detail.cfm/news_id=12452.


SOLAR

Solar America Cities is a web site of the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office at the U.S. Department of Energy. "The Solar America Cities Awards" is a two-page, February 2009, fact sheet from the National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) announcing the names of the 25 cities (counting Minneapolis—St. Paul as one city) which were awarded and won recognition for their winning proposals which included attention to solar infrastructure, eased regulations, and the adoption of solar in the residential and commercial sectors. See the fact sheet at http://www.solaramericacities.energy.gov/PDFs/The_Solar_America_Cities_Awards.pdf.

"Solar Incentives: Technological Advances Make Solar Energy More Alluring for Homebuilders and Electrical Contractors" was written by Bill Unseld, Senior Product Manager, Schneider Electric. North America, reports the author, is, despite the poor economy, increasing its solar installations for several reasons. Governmental rebates in the United States and feed-in tariffs in Canada, lower-cost solar systems, and, the focus of this article, technological advances in electrical distribution. See this article in Environmental Design + Construction (ED+C), March 2009, at http://www.edcmag.com/CDA/Articles/Featured_Special_Sections/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000532296.


WATER HEATING (RESIDENTIAL)

"Provide Hot Water for Less Money," by Pam Blair, is a clear review of the water heating options that home owners face. It describes the types of water heaters and how to select among them; it includes the sidebar, "Energy Efficient Water Heating." See this article in Ruralite, March 2009, at http://www.ruralite.org/news/story.php?ID=239.


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.