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Weekly Energy Newsbriefs

Articles for July 06, 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.


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APPLIANCES

"Beverage Biggies Going Green," by staff, describes the recently-announced efforts of Coca-Cola Co. and Pepsico to green the more public side of their operations beginning with their non-HFC, CO2 soda coolers and vending machines, hybrid delivery trucks, and recycling programs in Washington DC. See this article in Appliance Design, June 2009, at http://www.appliancedesign.com/Articles/Departments/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000594684 .


BIOMASS

Two articles in the June 2009 issue of Biomass Magazine follow:

 

  1. "Reinventing Smethport's Forest Legacy" by Susanne Retka Schill, assistant editor, Biomass Magazine, describes the complete change in a town's approach to forestry practices and its municipal utility's securing of energy. Much of the reinvention is based on the documented, long-term practices in Austria and, specifically in the Austrian town of Gussing. See this article at http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2712&q=&page=all .

  2. "Duckweed Quacks Volumes of Potential," by Bryan Sims, associate editor, Biomass Magazine, shows the importance of research on duckweed and other "sustainable, non-food, starch-based ethanol feedstocks." The point is to avoid the long-term use of corn, a food plant, to make a greener, cellulosic ethanol. See this article at http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2714&q=&page=all .


DATA CENTERS

"Small Steps, Big Energy Gains" by Marcus Hassen, P.E., LEED AP, Associate Partner, Syska Hennessy Group, points out that, recently, attention to energy efficiencies are included in master improvement plans developed for specific data centers. He, then, shows the efficiencies applied to a data center in the southeastern United States which had paybacks of three or fewer years. View this five Web-page case study, published in the May 2009 issue of Building Operating Management, and later posted on the All Business website at http://www.allbusiness.com/company-activities-management/management-best-practices/12346566-1.html .


GREEN PRODUCTS

The following two articles, both written by Charles Redell, Associate Editor, Sustainable Industries, were published in the journal of the same name in the June 2009 issue:

  1. "Building Labels Could Yield Higher Returns" is a brief article describing the California law and the proposed Waxman-Markey (federal) bill that includes the required labeling of buildings as to their energy use. See this article at http://www.sustainableindustries.com/greenbuilding/46406267.html .

  2. "UL Environment Validates First Product" reports that UL Environment, a subsidiary of UL (Underwriters Laboratories), has begun to evaluate products, according to the Federal Trade Commission Green Guide. The products UL is reviewing are for buildings and electronic products for personal use. See this article at http://www.sustainableindustries.com/breakingnews/46665887.html .


SOLAR

"Transforming Roofs from Wasted Space to Energy Source: PNNL, Vitex Developing Process To Help Protect Flexible Solar Power Shingles" is a June 3, 2009, press release from PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Lab). It describes research on flexible solar panels that would be easier to install and capture more solar energy than current solar panels. It is based on a thin-film technology. See this release on the PNNL website at http://www.pnl.gov/news/release.asp?id=376 .

"Washington Sunrise: Solar Gains in the Evergreen State" is a 28-page document reviewing the status of green jobs in Washington State, solar demand, silicon exports, and other solar-related areas of interest. See this entire document, dated "2008-2009 Season" at http://web.me.com/green_island_trust/Northwest_Solar_Center/WA_Sunrise_Membership_files/washingtonsunrise.pdf .


TRANSPORTATION

"Hybrid Taxis Give Fuel Economy a Lift" is a two-page, March 2009, fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program that describes the advantages of the new taxis. For one thing, their gas mileage ranges from 33 to 48 mpg, where traditional cabs average 16 mpg. For another, they release a greatly-reduced quantity of harmful emissions into the atmosphere. View this fact sheet at http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/pdfs/45148.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.