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ASHRAE Government Affairs Update, 10/26/07 |
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DOE Launches New K-12 Energy Curriculum Web Site
The U.S Department of Energy (DOE) announced the launch of a new educational Web site that provides more than 350 lesson plans and activities on energy efficiency and renewable energy for grades K-12. DOE's new "Get Smart About Energy!" Web site includes hands-on activities that address energy fundamentals, energy efficiency, sources of energy, and the environmental impacts of energy use, and all the activities and lesson plans are aligned with the National Science Education Standards. Teacher guides are included with many of the lessons, and all the materials are free and reproducible. The Web site will help to equip today's students with the knowledge and resources to develop cutting-edge energy technologies in the future. See the "Get Smart About Energy!" Web site (http://www.eere.energy.gov/education/lessonplans/).
The new Web site is part of DOE's EnergySmart Schools Program, which also promotes energy efficient schools. K-12 schools spend more than $8 billion annually on energy, making energy the second highest operating expenditure for these schools after personnel costs. To help lower those costs, the EnergySmart Schools program promotes the building of new schools that exceed code by 50% or more, as well as retrofits to existing schools that improve energy efficiency by 30% or more. The program is endorsed by the National School Boards Association and offers tools and resources to assist school decision makers in planning and financing energy-efficient high-performance schools. The program also offers education and training for building industry professionals. See the newly updated EnergySmart Schools Web site (http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/energysmartschools/).
New California Energy Acts Include Incentives for Solar Water Heating
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger approved a number of energy bills, including the Solar Water Heating and Efficiency Act of 2007. The act requires the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to create financial incentives that will encourage the installation of solar hot water systems that displace the use of natural gas for water heating. As noted in the act, the California Solar Initiative currently provides incentives for solar hot water systems that replace electric water heaters, but no such analogue exists for systems the replace gas water heaters. The act requires the CPUC to establish a new fund for the incentives by adding a surcharge to the bills for most natural gas customers. See the bill on the California Legislative Information Web site: http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_1470&sess=CUR.
Governor Schwarzenegger signed the solar water heating bill along with a number of other energy-related bills, including a bill that requires the California Energy Commission (CEC) to adopt energy efficiency standards for general purpose lights, a move that will likely phase out the use of inefficient incandescent light bulbs in the state. The bill, AB 1109, also will limit the use of toxics such as mercury in general purpose lights. In addition, AB 662 allows the CEC to set water standards for appliances, AB 1103 requires utilities to maintain energy-use data for nonresidential buildings, and AB 1560 requires the CEC to incorporate standards for water efficiency and conservation into the state's existing building standards. See the governor's press release (http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/7689/).
In addition, the governor approved AB 532, which extends the deadline for state buildings to install solar energy systems, and AB 1613, which authorizes the CPUC to require utilities to buy excess power from combined heat and power systems. See AB 532 (http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_532&sess=CUR) and AB 1613 (http://leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_1613&sess=CUR).
Canada Energy Ministers Publish Energy Efficiency Report
The Council of Energy Ministers has produced its first publication, Moving Forward on Energy Efficiency in Canada – A Foundation for Action. It highlights the opportunities for energy efficiency to realize significant reductions in pollution while contributing to other important objectives. The report also outlines specific roles and opportunities in three sectors of the economy, including the built environment. Download the report at http://www.nrcan-rncan.gc.ca/com/resoress/publications/cemcme/index-eng.php?ft-cem-eng.gif.
This foundation document represents the collaborative efforts of provincial and territorial governments and the federal government, with important input from a wide cross-section of representatives from outside government, including non-governmental organizations and industry. Major energy-using sectors of the Canadian economy were examined, including industry, transportation and the built environment. While primarily a tool for governments to show leadership, it also describes many technologies and best practices available for all stakeholders, and highlights the important roles that other organizations play in promoting energy efficiency in all sectors of the Canadian economy.
DOE Announces $44 Million to Provide Net-Zero-Energy Homes
DOE announced that more than $44 million would be invested in four Building America teams over the next five years. The funds will be used to develop net-zero-energy homes that consume 70% less energy than conventional homes. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman announced the funding awards in an appropriate setting: at the closing awards ceremony of the Solar Decathlon, where university teams displayed their own net-zero-energy homes.
From fiscal year 2008 to 2012, DOE plans to award $40 million to the Building Science Corporation; IBACOS; the Consortium of Advanced Residential Buildings; and the Building Industry Research Alliance, as well as a consortium of academic and building industry leaders. DOE is also awarding $4.1 million to two regional building technology application centers that will accelerate the adoption of new and developing energy-efficient technologies. The two centers, located at the University of Central Florida and Washington State University, will serve 17 states, providing information and training on commercially available energy-efficient technologies.
This funding is part of Building America, a DOE-sponsored private and public partnership that conducts research to find energy efficiency solutions for new and existing housing. Building America combines the knowledge and resources of industry leaders with the DOE's technical capabilities. Together, they act as a catalyst for change in the home building industry, with the aim of developing affordable net-zero-energy homes by 2020. See the Building America Web site (http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/building_america/).
Report: Climate Change Could Boost U.S. Electricity Demand
A growing demand for electricity could be one of the primary effects of global climate change on energy use in the United States, according to a new report. The U.S. Climate Change Science Program released the report, "Effects of Climate Change on Energy Production and Use in the United States," which is the third in a series of 21 reports on climate change and its impacts. The report concludes that a higher average temperature in the United States would decrease the need for heating and increase the need for cooling. Because electricity powers nearly all of the country's cooling needs, this would result in an increased demand for electricity.
The report also examines energy production, noting that an increase in severe storms could impact energy production and supply, while warming trends could affect energy exploration, production, and transport in Alaska. In addition, sea-level rise could have long-term effects on power plants located along the coast. Changes in precipitation patterns could also have implications for cooling power plants. Any plant that produces steam to drive a turbine requires air or water for cooling, and the report finds that warming of the atmosphere and water in rivers could reduce the efficiencies of these power plants.
Regarding renewable power generation, the report notes that reduced snowfall in mountain areas in the West would mean reduced water supplies for hydroelectric power. However, the report could not reach a definitive conclusion about whether climate change will affect other renewable energy resources, such as solar energy, wind energy, and bioenergy. See the full report (http://www.climatescience.gov/Library/sap/sap4-5/final-report/).
U.S. Capitol Dome Looking for New Efficient Lighting
House Chief Administrative Officer Dan Beard has put out a solicitation request to vendors asking for design proposals that would modernize the Dome’s outdated lighting system. Officials are seeking designs that would enhance the exterior and architecture of the Capitol at night while also incorporating energy-saving lighting designs and sustainability. The design also must take into account the historical elements of the Capitol, according to the solicitation request.
Solicitation submissions are due to the CAO’s office by Nov. 19, and officials are not yet sure how much the project will cost. While they hope to begin actual work sometime early next year, that depends on what happens with the legislative branch appropriations bill.
Changing the way the Capitol complex is lit is a key component of the Green the Capitol Initiative report, which Beard presented to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier this year. About 43 percent of all carbon emissions generated from the complex come from electricity use, the report notes. To help the House become carbon-neutral, the report recommends officials install energy-efficient lighting throughout the complex and evaluate “exterior building lighting to reduce energy use.” The renovation of the Dome’s lighting system should meet or exceed industry energy goals and standards, the solicitation reads. Light pollution and sky glow reduction of the lighting of the exterior part of the Dome also must be evaluated.
At the same time, the lighting of the Dome must “create a distinct nighttime profile” of the Capitol that “celebrates its unique identity and elevates the ‘sense of place,’” the solicitation reads. Architectural features of the Capitol should be enhanced while minimizing wasted light, and strategies should be developed to “enliven the visual experience of all those who view the U.S. Capitol,” according to the solicitation.
Other lighting recommendations in the Green the Capitol report include retrofitting ceiling lamps, fixtures and controls to increase energy efficiency; installing and maintaining motion-activated lighting controls in offices, hearing rooms and other parts of the complex; replacing lamps with energy-efficient bulbs; and conducting a high-efficiency ceiling lighting pilot program.
For more information, see the solicitation at http://www.house.gov/cao-opp/currentsol.shtml.
