 Conservation Update — April 1999
U.S. Department of Energy A new Home Energy Saver Internet site brings advanced building simulation software to interactive Web pages to help consumers identify technologies that will save them the most energy and money. The Home Energy Saver site, developed by researchers at the Department's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is divided into two main sections--Energy Advisor" and "Making It Happen." Energy Advisor computes a home's total energy use based on information entered by the consumer. After keying in a zip code, a quick and easy quiz is generated that allows the computer to calculate energy bills for the consumer's home and point to savings the consumer can achieve with a few simple home improvements. Making It Happen provides time-saving links to hundreds of other Internet sites with practical, detailed information about energy-efficient homes, products, service providers, utility programs, and on-line reading materials.
U.S. Department of Energy/NREL
Thin films are a promising path to low-cost photovoltaics, because less of the expensive semiconductor material needed to convert light into electricity is used in manufacturing the thin-film solar cells. The huge jump in efficiency reported by the NREL researchers suggests that there is even more room for improvement. DOE created the National Center for Photovoltaics in 1996 to provide a focal point for technology development and information about photovoltaics in the United States. The center, a collaborative effort of NREL and Sandia National Laboratories, helps the nation's photovoltaics industry improve the cost-effectiveness, performance, and reliability of its products. For more information on photovoltaics, visit the National Center for Photovoltaics Web site.
California
The meeting is an outgrowth of the 1997 Presidential Summit held at Lake Tahoe that focused attention on Western environmental issues. It will bring together for the first time forestry, energy, and rural community interests from across the West to examine the benefits of developing bioenergy. It is being sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the California Energy Commission. Keynote speakers at the event will be Dan Reicher, Assistant Secretary, DOE Office for Efficiency and Renewable Energy; and Mary Nichols, Secretary, California Resources Agency.
Colorado "The solar rebate program has begun to snowball in the volume of interest and the rebate applications being processed," said Karen Renshaw, CAE, executive director of COSEIA. "Since the program began in August 1998, the volume of rebate queries has been tracked at more than 1,500 contacts, which says we are seeing a growing trend in solar energy."
An added incentive is that homes may be more marketable with solar applications. "Homes with passive solar design or solar hot water heating systems may help the potential home seller or home buyer qualify for a better low-interest loan due to the energy efficiency enhancement of a home," said Ed Lewis, OEC's deputy director of programs. "And the time extension for the rebates is especially fortuitous for those wishing to augment their power supply in preparation for possible Y2K-related power disruptions."
Iowa The Iowa Renewable Energy Resource Guide provides in-depth descriptions of Iowa's most significant homegrown energy resources along with their past growth, current status, and future opportunities in the state. From wind to biomass to hydropower, this publication overviews the importance of renewable energy to Iowa's environment and economy.
For a copy of the Renewable Energy Resource Guide, contact Julie Tack, Energy Information Specialist for the DNR, at the number listed below, or send e-mail to jtack@max.state.ia.us.
Kentucky
Louisiana
These tasks are achieved through surveys performed in the school coupled with utility tracking support. Fact sheets and newsletters directed at school administrators focus on energy management in various areas of the school and other energy-related topics. In-service training programs for school janitors and food services technicians are offered on a continuous basis in the form of workshops.
Nevada "The cost of heating and cooling a home represents the highest cost of home ownership in Nevada outside of the mortgage loan," explained Dave McNeil, Energy Program Specialist with the state's Energy Office. According to McNeil, the Home Connection provides easy access to complete and concise information on the benefits of energy-efficient homes, including:
"Building more energy-efficient homes benefits all Nevadans through reduced housing costs. Energy-efficient housing also offers better occupant comfort and resale value while minimizing impact on our environment," McNeil added. Last year, McNeil and other Energy Office staff assisted the Las Vegas division of Pulte Homes (the largest homebuilder in the country) in demonstrating that it is cost effective to build homes that require 50 percent less energy to heat and cool. Referred to as Pulte's "five-step energy system," the energy-efficient design was first incorporated in its Cypress Pointe project, launched in 1997, and included in three others in 1998. The design has since proved to be so popular with Pulte's staff and buyers alike, it is now incorporated into all new subdivisions. The reason why is that the energy savings translate into hundreds of dollars in annual utility bill savings. This is money homebuyers can put to better use to finance a larger home, add desired upgrade options, or provide the opportunity to simply afford a home mortgage.
The Nevada State Energy Office, an agency of the Department of Business and Industry, is located in Carson City.
Oregon Energy conservation also proved important to most respondents. More than 90 percent said it is important that electric companies continue to provide conservation programs. More than half of the respondents said they are willing to pay more for them than they do now. A majority of respondents also would be willing to pay more for energy generated from the source they prefer.
The survey, conducted by the Oregon Survey Research Laboratory at the University of Oregon, sought to document how Oregon's residents feel about issues surrounding electric company competition. The random-digit-dialed telephone survey of 402 Oregon adults has a margin of error of +/- 4.9 percentage points. The survey report is available on the Oregon Office of Energy Web site.
Utah Cool Communities seeks to curb the "urban heat island" phenomenon that occurs when urban areas accumulate greater amounts of heat than their rural surroundings. Two factors that play a role in the occurrence of urban heat islands are the decrease of trees and native vegetation and the presence of dark, heat-absorbing surfaces. Scientists believe that dark, unshaded surfaces on streets, parking lots, and rooftops retain excessive heat from sunlight during the day. This raises the ambient air temperature, contributing to development of ground-layer ozone.
Cool Communities is a U.S. Department of Energy Program. It is operated by the Utah Office of Energy Services in partnership with the Salt Lake City Mayor's Office and Tree Utah.
CONSERVATION UPDATE is a free monthly publication prepared by the Kentucky Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Cabinet, Division of Energy, with funding from the United States Department of Energy, to facilitate the transfer of current State Energy Program (SEP) and technical information among the states and territories. Please submit short articles that describe successful programs, solicit ideas, share reports, studies or evaluations, or announce new publications, personnel changes, office address changes, conferences, seminars and workshops. Submittals are due by the seventh of each month. Please send submittals, address corrections, or name changes to: CONSERVATION UPDATE, Division of Energy, 663 Teton Trail, Frankfort, Kentucky 40601, phone (502) 564-7192, facsimile (502) 564-7484, email: landry@nrepc.nr.state.ky.us. Past issues are available upon request. For more information, contact Karen W. Landry, Editor, or John M. Stapleton, Director.
Visit the Division's Web site at www.nr.state.ky.us/nrepc/dnr/energy/dnrdoe.html
Search Webmaster
U.S. Department of Energy
|