 Conservation Update — September 1998
U.S. Department of Energy/Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Pacific Northwest is six years into its contract to update and improve operations at San Diego-area plants for the Navy Public Works Center. The center operates utility plants--including chilled water, electricity, high temperature hot water and steam--at 12 naval complexes around San Diego. Pacific Northwest has automated systems at four plants. The center attributes nearly $800,000 in annual savings to improvements and changes made by Pacific Northwest engineers. The annual savings include about $250,000 at the Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, $370,000 at the Defense MegaCenter North Island, and $178,000 at the Submarine Base Point. The Naval Hospital San Diego has experienced substantial improvements in reliability and operations. The program is supported by DOE's Federal Energy Management Program. Workers who previously watched the systems for problems now rely on the computer system to page them when a problem occurs. For those late-night service problems, the foreman is paged. He or she can log onto a personal computer at home and access the plant's computer to identify the problem. The computer system is easy to use. The program displays a diagram of each plant's operating equipment, such as boilers and pumps, on the monitor. It also indicates parameters such as the pressure of the steam, the water level, and temperature. Where there's a problem, the item is displayed in red. The operator can identify the problem easily, then stop or start pumps, change temperature, or alter pressure as needed from any connected computer in the world. Pacific Northwest and the Public Works Center also have improved the reliability of an emergency electrical system at the Naval Hospital in San Diego. The hospital's system previously took as long as 57 seconds to regain power once an outage occurred--too long for safety needs. Pacific Northwest computer scientists replaced old controls on the diesel emergency backup generators and the gas turbine generators with computer-based control systems. Pacific Northwest also upgraded systems at the San Diego-based Defense MegaCenter, the core of satellite and telecommunication networks for military bases around the world. The old system proved unreliable and expensive. Pacific Northwest computer scientists recently automated the center's energy management and control systems along with other upgrades. Pacific Northwest also is pursuing contracts with Navy bases in Washington state and Japan. Pacific Northwest is one of DOE's nine multiprogram national laboratories and conducts research in the fields of environment, energy, health services, and national security. Battelle, based in Columbus, Ohio, has operated Pacific Northwest for DOE since 1965. Contact: Staci West, (509) 372-6313
Arizona In addition, the Commission approved a system benefit charge for a solar water heater rebate program. The program will have an initial allocation of $200,000 and reach $1 million by 2003. Each rebate shall not exceed $500 per system. For a free copy of the complete rules, visit the Corporation Commission's Web site. Contact: Gloria Castro, (602) 280-1402
Florida The police department's plan is to use the electric bicycle in areas where patrol cars cannot go such as parks, school grounds, and shopping plazas. It will also be used for parades and other special functions downtown and in areas where there is a heavy concentration of traffic. The Zephyrhills Police Department applied for and received a $2,500 Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition mini-grant to purchase the ZAP TrekTM Law Enforcement electric bicycle and associated equipment. Zephyrhills police officers have also completed the International Police Mountain Bike Association (IPMBA) training course, which covers the employment of bicycles in the police patrol environment. Contact: Alexander Mack, (850) 488-7400
Iowa Contact: Dave Evans, (515) 281-6150, or email Dave Evans
Maryland Visitors and residents ride a compressed natural gas (CNG) trolley within the City of Annapolis. Built by Chance Motor Coach, the handsome antique-looking trolley has used the CNG refueling station at Baltimore-Washington International Airport. To alleviate the problems of travel time and fuel usage, the Baltimore Gas and Electric Company generously provided a temporary refueling pump located at the Annapolis Department of Parking and Transportation (ADPT). Recently the MEA awarded the City a grant of $150,000 toward the installation of a permanent, fast-fill CNG pump. The event will begin with a procession of various alternative fueled vehicles. The AFVs will proceed down West and Main Streets to the City Docks. There Mayor Dean Johnson will host the celebratory activities with a formal welcome and introduction of guests. Frederick H. Hoover, Director of the MEA, will present to the Mayor the check for $150,000. CEOs of businesses, appointed and elected officials, and representatives from local, state, and federal governments also will take part in the program. Other activities will include an announcement of the contest winner to name the trolley. Various AFVs will be available for viewing and inspection along with several alternative fueled boats. Contact: Dale Baxter, 1-800-72-ENERGY, or e-mail Dale Baxter
New Hampshire The businesses, including a popular local restaurant and branch offices of two banks, were united in their praise of the 16 Moultonborough Academy students who participated in the first New Hampshire Small Business Energy Efficiency Initiative. The New Hampshire Governor's Office of Energy and Community Services; the Audubon Society of New Hampshire; the Academy's School-To-Work Office; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; the Northeast-Midwest Institute; and the New Hampshire Electric Cooperative coordinated the Initiative. Last year, many of the students completed Savings Through Energy Management (STEM) at Moultonborough Academy, a small public school with 350 students. In STEM, a program offered by Wilson Educational Services of Wallingford, Connecticut, the students learned to conduct energy audits through classroom work and by auditing their school. They then presented a detailed report of their findings at a local school board meeting. In the past 15 years, schools in nine states, including 35 in New Hampshire, have completed the STEM program. The Moultonborough project is the first time students have used their STEM training to assist local businesses. The students presented their findings to the businesses at an awards ceremony also attended by parents, school board members, and representatives of the sponsoring organizations. The Governor's Office of Energy and Community services honored the students with certificates signed by New Hampshire Governor Jeanne Shaheen. Projects like the New Hampshire Small Business Energy Efficiency Initiative are particularly helpful to businesses in New Hampshire. The state's businesses pay an average of 11.4 cents per kilowatt hour of electricity compared to a national average of 7.6 cents. In one example of how math and science skills were applied in the project, the students calculated how much money a year each business could save by replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. The Initiative's sponsoring organizations are making plans to expand this successful School-To-Work program to other schools and will encourage participating businesses to join the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Small Business Program. Contact: Robin Read, (603) 271-2611
Ohio "The efficient use of energy is something all Ohioans should strive for," Governor Voinovich said. "The evaluation results released today demonstrate that Ohio's Home Weatherization Assistance Program, which recently weatherized its 250,000th home, helps low- and moderate-income citizens live in homes that are more energy efficient, comfortable, safe, and affordable." The HWAP program is a federally funded, low-income residential energy efficiency program that reduces the energy use of qualified households throughout the state. The Program is coordinated by the Ohio Department of Development's (ODOD) Office of Energy Efficiency and administered on the local level by community action agencies, units of local government, and social service agencies. Since its inception in 1977, the HWAP has provided homes with weatherization services that include attic, wall, and basement insulation; blower door guided air leakage reduction; heating system repairs or replacements; and health and safety testing inspections. The evaluation was conducted by Proctor Engineering Group of San Rafael, California and Tellus Institute located in Boston, Massachusetts. The evaluation examined all aspects of the 1994-1995 program's delivery, cost-effectiveness, and impacts including the effects on energy use and the state's environment and economy. Other key evaluation results include: overall average bill reduction resulting from weatherization was $184 per household; HWAP's direct economic benefits exceed the cost of the program; the total annual carbon dioxide emissions reduction attributable to HWAP's weatherization activities equals the annual emissions from more than 4,600 average U.S. passenger automobiles; and overall, HWAP participants are very satisfied with program delivery and services. The ODOD's Office of Energy Efficiency has the primary responsibility for the development of policies that promote the efficient use of energy and renewable energy resources. It works to develop and strengthen public/private partnerships that use energy efficiency to enhance economic benefits and improve the environment in Ohio's commercial, industrial, residential, education, and transportation sectors. For a complete copy of the evaluation results, please contact the ODOD's Office of Energy Efficiency at (614) 466-6797. Contact: Amy Strauss or Gail Crawley, (614) 466-2609
Oregon The multimedia campaign includes a cover story and supplement in the Sunday "Homes" section of the Oregonian; a TV public service announcement cosponsored by Portland's NBC affiliate; a media packet to newspapers and radio and TV stations statewide; bookmarks distributed by Borders Books and Multnomah County (Portland area) libraries; a window display at Powell's bookstore in Portland; grocery bag ads for Safeway and Nature's; expanding the partners fourth-sixth grade "Energy Matters" curriculum statewide (last year, 1,800 students in Portland Public Schools participated); and articles in utility newsletters. Energy Awareness Month partners also are sponsoring a "Build Your Business With Energy Efficiency" supplement in the October (Construction) issue of the daily Journal of Commerce Magazine. Contact: Lisa Schwartz, (503) 378-8356
Utah "The tour provides a unique opportunity for people to learn about alternatives to traditionally built homes and businesses. Participants can see the buildings and their energy systems and ask questions of the people who live and work in them," says Susan Bilo, energy specialist with the Utah Office of Energy Services. Many of the tour homes use passive solar energy principles. This entails south-facing energy efficient windows that allow the winter sun to heat the home, thereby reducing winter heating bills. South-facing window overhangs are angled to keep the higher summer sun's rays from overheating the home. Alternative building material features include decks and carpet made from recycled plastic bottles, and walls made from straw bales, which have a higher insulation value than most traditional insulations. Contact: Linda Neilson, (801) 538-8690
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
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