Articles for December 15 and December 22, 2008
Following is another edition
of Energy Newsbriefs, a double issue for the weeks of December
15 and December 22, 2008, based on material that arrived in the Library and
was reviewed primarily during the week previous to December 15. There will
be no separate Energy Newsbriefs published during the weeks of December
22 and 29. There will be another double issue published on January 5 to
cover the weeks of December 29 and January 5.
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
"Making
the Switch," by Susanne Retka Schill, Staff Writer, Ethanol Producer Magazine, discusses
how the Biomass Crop Assistance Program
(a requirement in the 2008 Farm Bill) may serve as the persuasion needed for
farmers to accept a switch from corn and soy to switchgrass and other non-food,
energy crops. See this article in Ethanol Producer Magazine, November
2008, at http://www.ethanolproducer.com/article.jsp?article_id=4868&q=&page=all.
The following two articles appeared in the December
2008 issue of Biomass Magazine:
1. "Reinventing the Mill," by Anna Austin,
Staff Writer, Biomass Magazine, reviews the economic problems that are
forcing some pulp and paper mills out of business and others to consider
adapting their hundred-year-old structures to biorefineries. For some, the
first step toward adaptation is to save energy on mill operations by switching
to biomass boilers gasification systems. See this article at http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2221&q=&page=all.
2. "Using Biomass to Weather Colorado Winters,"
by Jerry W. Kram, Staff Writer, Biomass Magazine, shows the
opportunities for biomass-based heating for a school and other buildings in a
small town. It includes discussion of the possibility for district heating for
the town, as well. Pellets, from locally-available biomass waste is used to
power pellet stoves. See this article at http://www.biomassmagazine.com/article.jsp?article_id=2223&q=&page=all.
BUILDING SCIENCE
"Benchmarking Home
Energy Savings from Energy Efficient Lighting" is a 4-page, January 2008,
Research Highlight report from the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology. The
research for the report takes into consideration the effect that two types of
lighting have on the heating and cooling systems of homes. See this report at http://www.cmhc.ca/odpub/pdf/65830.pdf.
"Designing AV-integrated Conference Rooms for Businesses
Going Green" is an article by Nina Parker, Marketing Director,
IVCi. The author points out the benefits of videoconferencing: saving the fuel
that it would take to transport attendees to in-person meetings and reducing
carbon footprints. Additionally, there is the saving of other costs related to
in-person meetings such as food and lodging and conference room rental. At the
same time, the technologies associated with videoconferencing continue to
diminish in cost. The article includes description of the technologies needed
to have a successful videoconferencing room to realize the benefits fully and
the caution that AV-integrated rooms have to be designed as such prior to
construction - retrofitting will not have the desired effect. See this article
in Archi-Tech October/November 2008, at http://www.architechmag.com/articles/detail.aspx?contentID=6649.
CODES
The Building Codes
Assistance Project (BCAP) has two interactive, State Codes Status maps, one for
commercial codes at http://www.bcap-energy.org/node/21 , the other for residential at http://www.bcap-energy.org/node/123. The web-pages of both maps include links in left
and right columns to other code-related information. BCAP, founded in 1994, is
a joint project of the Alliance to Save Energy, the American Council for an
Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), and the Natural Resources Defense Council
(NRDC).
DAYLIGHTING
"Daylighting:
Controls Hold Key to Energy," was written by Abby Vogen Horn, Senior
Project Manger with the Daylighting Collaborative at the Energy Center of
Wisconsin. The article, which includes links to the Daylighting Collaborative
and Advanced Daylighting Guidelines, discusses some effective
applications of specific types of controls. See this article in Archi-Tech
October/November 2008, at http://www.architechmag.com/articles/detail.aspx?contentID=6650.
FEDERAL BUILDINGS
"Energy
Targets for Federal Building Remain Challenging, ASHRAE [American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning] Says," by staff, shows some
of the difficulties federal buildings face in the effort to reach 30% more
energy efficiencies by 2015. See this article in Building Operating Management, November 2008, at http://www.facilitiesnet.com/news/article.asp?id=10155.
FUEL CELLS
"What's Location Got to Do with It?" by
Charles Reddell, discusses the thorny issue of how to value green building
practices when they are applied to oversized homes that may require at least
twice the building materials and systems of an average home and are located in
areas so far from urban cores that transportation fuel and emissions become
serious issues. See this interesting article in Sustainable Industries, November
2008, at http://www.sustainableindustries.com/greenbuilding/33208459.html?viewAll=y.
GEOTHERMAL
"Geothermal 101: How It Works," by Doug
Rye, Architect, is a readily-understandable basic, but useful, description of
this valuable energy resource. See the article in South Dakota Electric
Cooperative Connections, November 2008, at http://sdrea.coop/Publications/nov%2008/1108_6-7.pdf.
HVAC (HEATING,
VENTILATION, and AIR CONDITIONING)
"Efficiency
Urgency: The Demand Is Now for Eco-HVAC," by staff, discusses the pressing
need for the use of variable-capacity products such as variable speed motors,
and modulating burners as well as technologies including geothermal and
cogeneration. See this article in Appliance, November 2008, at http://www.appliancemagazine.com/editorial.php?article=2098&zone=1&first=1.
"Saint Xavier: A Model
Student for Getting the Most from CFD" describes the system of
displacement ventilation that was installed in a new residence hall at Saint Xavier
University. The system was designed via simulation, using computational
fluid dynamics (CFD). See this case study in Engineered Systems (ES),
November 2008, at http://www.esmagazine.com/CDA/Articles/Case_In_Point/BNP_GUID_9-5-2006_A_10000000000000458705.
HYDRO POWER
"Damless Hydro Power,"
by Marc Hequet, explains the advantages of this use of turbulent waters to gain
power - or to gain extra power from the head of an already-operating dam. See
this article in Public Power Magazine, November-December 2008, at http://www.appanet.org/newsletters/ppmagazinedetail.cfm?ItemNumber=23169&sn.ItemNumber=2108.
MOTORS
"Boosting Your Bottom
Line: If the Shoe Fits, Wear It," by staff, discusses the importance of
installing motors that are properly sized for the task at hand. The article
also links to several important sources of information on the various aspects
of getting the sizing right. View this article in Maintenance Technology, November 2008, at http://www.mt-online.com/article/1108-Boosting-Your-Bottom-Line.
POLICY
"A Report on BPA Energy Initiative"
is an eight-page, November 2008 publication from the BPA. It documents BPA's
history with its Enterprise Process Improvement Program from 2003 to the
present including the specific improvements planned and an update on how they
have been and will be implemented. See the complete report at http://www.bpa.gov/corporate/pubs/EPIP/BPA_Efficiency_Initiatives-EPIP_Nov-2008.pdf /
The U.S.
Department of Energy is providing the following Wind Powering America fact
sheets whose target audience includes state-level policy makers and other
stakeholders. The series title for the fact sheets is Economic Benefits,
Carbon Dioxide Emissions Reductions, and Water Conservation Benefits from 1,000
Megawatts of New Wind Power (October 2008). There is one fact sheet for each
of the following eleven states:
·
Arizona, at http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44144.pdf
·
Idaho http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44145.pdf
·
Montana http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44147.pdf
·
Nevada http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44271.pdf
·
New Mexico http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44273.pdf
·
Pennsylvania http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44274.pdf
·
South Dakota http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44275.pdf
·
Utah http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44268.pdf
·
West Virginia http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44276.pdf
·
Wisconsin http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/44277.pdf
SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS
The following three case
studies appeared in the November/December 2008 issue of GreenSource:
1. "Boston Children's Museum," by Ted Smalley Bowen, describes a museum remodel and
expansion. The effort was rewarded with LEED (Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
The building includes green roofs, recycled materials, and more. See this case
study at http://greensource.construction.com/projects/0811_BostonChildrensMuseum.asp.
2.
"Emerald City Hall: Orinda takes cues from mother nature to lessen its
footprint" by Jessica Boehland, is about the new LEED-Gold city hall for
Orinda, a small city near Berkeley, California. A number of green options were
designed into the facility with a particular emphasis on a non-compressor
evaporative cooling system. Problems encountered, including budgetary ones,
did limit some of the "green-ness" of the building, but did not
imperil its LEED Gold certification. View this case study at http://greensource.construction.com/projects/0811_OrindaCityHall.asp.
3.
"Midtown Magic: Haworth's flagship showroom shines green with touches
of red" by Penny Bonda, Founding
Chair of LEED for Commercial Interiors, Eco-Editor of Interior Design, features
an office furniture manufacturer's showroom in midtown Manhattan which was
awarded LEED Gold - Existing Building certification. The project designers
found rich opportunities as well as difficulties in this successful greening of
an older building. See this case study at http://greensource.construction.com/projects/0811_HaworthShowroom.asp.
TRANSPORTATION
"A
Comparison of Hydrogen and Propane Fuels" is a four-page, October 2008,
fact sheet from the U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen Program. The fact sheet
compares the two fuels in terms of their properties. A table shows their differences
and similarities in three categories: gas and combustion properties and acceptable
storage conditions. See this fact sheet at http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy09osti/43953.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.
© 2008
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.
