Conservation Update — September 1996
U.S. Department of Energy
Free Resources Available: The 1995 NREL Information Resources
Catalogue is intended to inform anyone interested in energy efficiency
and renewable energy technologies of NREL's outreach activities,
including publications and services. The services section of the
catalogue represents many ways in which NREL makes information
available to the public, including a visitors' center, electronic networks,
and information hotlines. Documents listed were published by NREL
in fiscal year 1995 and include general interest publications, technical
reports, conference papers, journal articles, and patents.
The EnergyPubs Disk is produced by NREL and the DOE Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Technical Information Program. It is a
compilation of general interest publications produced during fiscal year 1995
on renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies. Files are
in an ASCII format that is compatible with any word processing software.
Users are encouraged to pull information from these files for use in
their own publications. The catalogue and disk are free in limited quantities
and can be obtained through the document distribution service at
(303) 275-4363 (phone), (303) 275-4053 (fax),
or evanss@tcplink.nrel.gov (email). Contact: Anne Jones, (303) 275-3678.
Arizona
Forum on alternative building technologies
The Arizona Department of Commerce Energy Division will host
a half-day forum September 20, 1996 in Tucson, Arizona titled "Resource- Efficient Housing: Alternative Building Technologies for Our Communities." The forum, which will be held in conjunction with the Energy
Policy Advisory Committee, will include a panel discussion featuring
representatives from southern Arizona's sustainable building community,
the home building industry, local planning officials, and a leading
electric utility. The forum will focus on a variety of building
alternatives, how energy efficiency technologies are being integrated
into production homes, utilizing renewable energy, and how to
make resource-efficient construction practices more prevalent in
the community. The entire program, including a tour of the Environmental
Research Laboratory, is open to the public.
Contact: Donna Drager, (602) 280-1430
Energy education programs reach 6,000 students in '95'96 school
year
Approximately 6,000 students in grades K-12 took an active part
in various energy education programs offered by the Arizona Department
of Commerce Energy Office during the 1995 - '96 school year. More
than 5,000 students in grades 46 built and used their own solar
cookers as part of the Solar Science Program, now in its third
year. An additional 300 students in grades 46 participated in
a pilot energy conservation program called Energy Patrol. Participants
patrolled their schools daily on the lookout for wasteful energy
practices.
More than 300 junior high school students statewide participated
in the hands-on Junior Solar Sprint program. Theoretical and hands-on
engineering skills developed by the students over the course of
the program culminated in the construction of a solar-powered vehicle.
Students raced their vehicles in competitions held in Tucson,
Bagdad, Willcox, Flagstaff, and Phoenix, Arizona.
The Energy Office helped three Arizona high schools organize
teams to compete in the second Solar Bike Rayce USA. The event
tested the creative, innovative and engineering skills of students.
Each solar bike is a pedal-powered bicycle equipped with an electric
motor, battery and solar panels. The rider may use any combination
of muscle power, solar and stored energy. Though restrictions
apply to size of the solar array and batteries, the rest of the
bike is limited only by the imagination of its designers. The
Arizona teams raced May 26th in a national competition held in Missouri.
Colorado City High School took second place honors in the field
of 22 teams and received an invitation to compete in a solar bike
race in Japan later this summer.
Contact: Gloria Castro, (602) 280-1402
California
Training in geothermal heat pumps
Training for construction tradespeople in geothermal heat pump
technology, a new approach to heating, ventilating and air conditioning
buildings, has received a big boost, thanks to a $159,337 award
from the California Energy Commission. A highly effective heating
and cooling device with an expanding market base, the geothermal
heat pump, uses the earth rather than air as the heat source or
heat sink. Heat is transferred from the ground to a house during
winter, and from the house to the ground in the summer.
The funding has been awarded to two California entities: the Truckee Donner
Public Utility District (TDPUD) and the Davis-based Geothermal
Energy Association (GEA). TDPUD and GEA will deliver expert training
at a reasonable cost to California designers, architects, local
officials and construction and utility workers who design, install
and operate geothermal heat pumps. Commission funding will support
the purchase of two mobile field laboratories, instructional equipment,
material development, and program management essential to the
training. Both entities will provide matching funds of $402,000.
The Commission believes the training program will help establish
the infrastructure for the technology and provide a cadre of trained
instructors who are skilled in the workings of geothermal heat
pumps.
Contact: Claudia Chandler, (916) 654-4989
Hawaii
Credit course for teachers
Upward Bound, a program to prepare high school students for the
college experience, focused on energy studies in an interdisciplinary
course at the University of Hawaii at Hilo during June and July.
Classroom briefings by energy professionals on electricity generation,
geothermal energy, and other subjects were followed by intensive
research in areas such as technology, policy, history, and social
sciences as they relate to renewable energy development. Upward
Bound relied on the extensive information resources at the Hawaii
Energy Extension Service in Hilo for videotapes and printed reference
materials to support the students' research.
The Hawaii Energy Extension Service is a program of the State
of Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism.
Contact: Andrea Beck, (808) 933-4558
Iowa
Lighting and dehumidification project
The Glenwood State Hospital School in Glenwood, Iowa completed
a lighting and dehumidification project that will resolve some
ongoing infrastructure problems, save the state $23,391 annually,
and pay for itself in less than four years. The project involved
updating the lighting systems at the facility and installing a
dehumidification system in the hydrotherapy unit. The facility
suffered from inefficient lighting throughout the campus and high
humidity problems in the hydrotherapy unit, which caused structural
damage and made the building unusable under extreme conditions.
The new systems not only improve the lighting conditions and
solve the high humidity problem, but also improve safety in the
complex and yield substantial energy savings. The project was
done through a partnership with the State of Iowa Facilities Improvement
Corporation, a nonprofit corporation staffed by the Iowa Department
of Natural Resources, and MidAmerican Energy, the facility's electric
utility provider. The Corporation provided oversight of the project
and facilitated lease financing. The utility paid for the cost
of the study and provided the facility with a sizable rebate.
Contact: Tom Van Maanen, (515) 281-5438
Kentucky
Electric utility emergency preparedness workshop
The Kentucky Division of Energy, the Public Service Commission
and the Kentucky Division of Disaster and Emergency Services co-sponsored
a one day workshop on emergency preparedness for electric utilities
on August 27, 1996 in Frankfort, Kentucky. The workshop was geared
toward senior operations and management personnel in all electric
utilities in Kentucky--investor owned, cooperative and municipal.
Agenda topics included a review of past emergencies, particularly
those problems caused by severe winter storms, and case studies
of exemplary emergency planning procedures from both large and
small utilities. The workshop also focused on emergency preparedness
planning using the process outlined in Federal Energy Management
Agency Publication 141, Emergency Management Guide for Business
and Industry.
Contact: Greg Guess, (502) 564-7192
Massachusetts
Alternative energy conference scheduled
The Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources (DOER) and the
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) will
hold a roundtable workshop to discuss the technologies, public
policies, regulations and incentives of landfill gas-to-energy projects.
The workshop will be held on September 12 from 9:00 am to 5:00
pm at the McCormack State Office Building in Boston.
Environmental regulators, utility companies, independent power
producers, and industry representatives have been invited to participate
in a work session aimed at providing up-to-date information and
identifying methods to implement landfill gas-to-energy projects.
Contact: Irving Sacks, (617) 727-4732 or Sean Griffin,
(617) 292-5967
Electric vehicles charge into the future
The latest advances in electric vehicle technology will soon
be traveling on Massachusetts roadways as final arrangements are
made for Phase II of the Electric Vehicle Demonstration Program.
Requests for Proposals for 16 new electric vehicles were recently
released with the expectation that the new cars will be on the
road this fall. The largest project of its kind in the United
States, the EV Demonstration Program illustrates the congestion
mitigation and air quality benefits offered by electric vehicles
when incorporated into the transportation mix.
The cars used in the program to date have a minimum range requirement
of 30 miles and operate with either sealed lead acid or nickel
cadmium batteries. In Phase II of the program, the cars will
have longer range capacities. Six will be equipped with nickel
metal hydride batteries with a range of 100 miles on a single
charge. Five vehicles will use advanced lead acid batteries with
a minimum range of 90 miles. The remaining five cars will use
improved lead acid batteries with a minimum range of 60 miles.
Contact: David Rand, (617) 727-4732, ext. 138
Massachusetts electric industry restructuring
Exciting developments are occurring as the framework for Massachusetts'
transition to a restructured electric industry is beginning to
take shape. Establishment of a renewable energy fund, through
a general access charge, to promote the further development and
marketing of renewable energy technologies (solar, wind, hydropower) is one
of the draft rules issued by the Department of Public Utilities on May 1.
Other major issues addressed in the 100-page order are:
Design and implementation of a price cap mechanism for distribution
companies, which will enable a conversion from cost-of-service ratemaking
to an incentive form of performance-based regulation.
Continuation of low-income discounts through a special tariff
that would enable distribution companies to provide "universal
service" to qualifying low-income families.
Obligation of distribution companies to provide "basic service"
for customers who cannot or do not obtain generation services
from an outside supplier.
Registration requirements for entities seeking to sell electricity
to retail customers either through direct contact or aggregation.
Continued funding of energy efficiency services by distribution
companies until such services are offered in the competitive marketplace.
Identification, calculation and mechanisms for the recovery
of stranded costs by investor-owned electric utilities, including
mitigation of embedded costs and incentives for divestiture.
Contact: Fran Cummings or Vicki Pitluk, (617) 727-4732
Mississippi
Electric utility forum
The Energy Division of the Mississippi Department of Economic
and Community Development sponsored a forum titled "Changes
in the Electric Utility Industry: Implications for Mississippi."
The forum was coordinated by representatives from the Mississippi
Public Service Commission, the Mississippi public utilities staff,
public and investor-owned utilities serving Mississippi, utility
associations, and government and industry leaders. Approximately
225 people attended the forum, held June 13, 1996, in Jackson,
Mississippi.
Forum organizers sought input from electric utility consumers
on shaping the state's electric industry, how deregulation will
impact the state, and how competition among electricity providers
will benefit all consumers, both large and small. Forum sessions
ranged from current positions, future trends and legislative initiatives
of the electric utility industry to challenges facing municipal
and cooperative utilities. Attendees had opportunities to question
representatives from the Public Service Commission and from the
utilities and related utility associations in the state.
Contact: Ronald J. Forsythe, (601) 3596600
North Carolina
North Carolina opens first corporate building with cold air
distribution
Along with one of the country's leading utility companies, the
North Carolina Energy Division is a partner in the state's first
venture involving the use of cold air to cool the headquarters
building of the Oakwood Corporation in Greensboro. The building,
which is opening this year, eventually will house about 600 employees
of the manufactured housing manufacturer. The cold air distribution
system will create fall-like weather inside the building, with
the crisp air registering about 35 percent relative humidity.
The five-story corporate building is being cooled by ice stored
in a 51'Lx28'Wx28'H tank. The process inside the tank begins
with the introduction of water over icemaking plates that are
chilled to 15 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water over the plates
reaches 32 degrees and has begun forming into ice, the thin ice
sheets drop to the floor. The icemaking process is carried out
at night when electric rates are cheaper and consumer demand is
low. The ice, along with 138,000 gallons of frigid water, is
used during the day to produce supercooled air to chill the building.
The cooling system is a joint venture between the North Carolina
Energy Division, Duke Power and Lighting Company, Oakwood Corporation,
and North Carolina A&T State University to encourage large
consumers to save energy and reduce peak demand. State energy
officials are gathering data that will be used to held other companies
implement similar energy-saving projects that will cut energy consumption
and enhance employee comfort and productivity.
Contact: Curt Phillips, (919) 733-1895
Oregon
EFSC awards need exemption based on CO2 mitigation efforts
Oregon's Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) has set a new
standard in environmental awareness by awarding an exemption from
need for a new energy resource based on proposed offsets to greenhouse
gas emissions and other pollutants. The award went to the Klamath
Cogeneration Project for construction of a gas-fired electric cogenerating
plant in Klamath Falls. The exemption allows the plant owner
to apply for a site certificate from EFSC without having to demonstrate
a need for the plant under a utility's least cost plan or similar
energy plan.
The 1995 Oregon Legislature passed a law granting an electrical
generation project a one-time exemption from meeting state standards
for showing the need for the facility. The EFSC then developed
a competitive procedure to award the exemption to the proposed
facility with the least environmental impact. The decision to
make CO2 the focus of the mitigation efforts was based on growing
concern over climate change from emissions of greenhouse gases.
This is the first time that a state siting council has based
a key decision on such an exemption for a major energy resource
based on consideration of climate change mitigation.
Three projects applied for the exemption: the Klamath Cogeneration
Project, the Hermiston Power Partners, and the Umatilla Generating
Company. Each was required to present evidence before the EFSC
on three specific environmental issues: air emissions, water impacts,
and land use impacts.
Under its proposal, the Klamath Cogeneration Project would partially
offset the actual CO2 emissions from its plant with a combination
of mitigation efforts, including reforestation, funding new photovoltaic
systems, use of waste methane, and geothermal district heating.
The EFSC will now consider the remainder of Klamath's application
for a site certificate for the project.
Contact: Steve Sautter, (503) 378-8278
South Carolina
Green Village Expo '96 to be held
The South Carolina Energy Office and The Harmony Project of Charleston
are in the final weeks of preparation for the Green Village Expo
'96. The expo will be held September 1314 at the Gaillard Auditorium
in Charleston, South Carolina.
Sustainability is defined as development that meets the needs
of the present without compromising the ability of future generations
to meet their own needs. Green Village Expo '96 will address
the need for green building, ecodevelopment, and sustainable design,
and how we can put them into practice. Products and services
will be exhibited by invitation only.
The expo is offering workshops with topics that include sustainable
design for affordable housing, green building materials, sustainable
design, green specifications, green marketing, green scams, solar
design and energy efficiency for homeowners. A nominal fee is
charged for the workshops, and registration is required.
It is the goal of the South Carolina Energy Office and the Harmony
Project to provide an open forum for all who want to learn and
apply sustainable concepts. The expo is open to all interested
architects, developers, housing providers, builders, engineers,
interior/exterior designers, alternative energy specialists, renovators,
remodelers, and, of course, homeowners.
Contact: Reneé Daggerhart, (803) 737-8030
Wisconsin
Wisconsin companies becoming climate wise
Since late last year, nine Wisconsin companies have joined the
state's Climate Wise program, a new voluntary program to save
energy and reduce pollution. The program, sponsored nationally
by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection
Agency, is coordinated in Wisconsin by the Department of Administration's
Energy Bureau, the Energy Center of Wisconsin, and the Department
of Natural Resources Office of Pollution Prevention. Participating
companies have pledged to develop strategies to achieve cost-effective
energy and pollution reduction savings. Wisconsin's Climate Wise
Program coordinators hope to recruit 18 more companies by October,
which would give Wisconsin the largest concentration of Climate
Wise businesses in the nation.
Contact: Jolene Anderson, (608) 266-7375
