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Europe Falling Short of Renewable Energy Goals for 2010
Renewable energy seems to be growing at break-neck pace throughout the world, and particularly in Europe, but a new report shows the European Union (EU) falling far short of its goal to use renewable energy for 12% of its energy needs by the end of 2010. As of the end of 2006, the EU is at 6.92% renewable energy, having posted an impressive 0.46% gain relative to 2005, but similar gains in the coming years would only get the EU to about 9% renewable energy. The report estimates that at best, the EU could reach 10% renewable energy by 2010. Meanwhile, the EU has set an additional goal of achieving 20% renewable energy by 2020.
One reason for the shortfall is that the growth in renewable energy is struggling to compete with a growth in energy demand: while EU renewable energy use grew by the energy equivalent of 8.5 million metric tons of oil (Mtoe), EU energy consumption grew by 5.5 Mtoe. That represents a very respectable 7.5% growth in renewable energy in one year, countered by a 0.3% growth in total energy use.
The renewable energy growth is also very uneven across the EU, with Germany providing 43% of the growth in 2006. The EU is also struggling with below-normal hydropower production because of drought. See the report at http://www.energies-renouvelables.org/observ-er/stat_baro/barobilan/barobilan7.pdf.
California Holds Workshop on High-GWP GHGs
The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (AB 32) creates a comprehensive, multi-year program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in California, with the overall goal of restoring emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2020. In October 2007, ARB approved 44 early action measures to reduce GHG emissions from various sectors, including six early action measures from the stationary source high-GWP sector.
The California Air Resources Board (CARB) held a public workshop to discuss concepts for mitigating emissions of high-global warming potential greenhouse gases from stationary sources. The workshop included examination of:
- Sulfur Hexafluoride Reductions from the Non-Electric Sector
- Alternative Suppressants in Fire Protection Systems
- Specifications for Commercial Refrigeration
- High-GWP Refrigerant Tracking, Reporting, and Recovery Program
- Residential Refrigeration
- Foam Recovery/Destruction Program
For each of the above early action measures, staff provided an overview of the source category, discussed potential concepts for achieving emission reductions, as well as the anticipated timelines for bringing a full proposal to the Board for consideration.
Copies of the presentations and discussion papers are available from the CARB website: http://www.arb.ca.gov/cc/hgwpss/meetings/meetings.htm.
21 Century's Grand Engineering Challenges Unveiled
The U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) announced the grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century. A diverse committee of experts from around the world, convened at the request of the U.S. National Science Foundation, revealed 14 challenges that, if met, would improve how we live.
The panel, some of the most accomplished engineers and scientists of their generation, was established in 2006 and met several times to discuss and develop the list of challenges. Through an interactive Web site, the effort received worldwide input from prominent engineers and scientists, as well as from the general public, over a one-year period. The panel's conclusions were reviewed by more than 50 subject-matter experts.
The final choices fall into four themes that are essential for humanity to flourish--sustainability, health, reducing vulnerability, and joy of living. The committee did not attempt to include every important challenge, nor did it endorse particular approaches to meeting those selected. Rather than focusing on predictions or gee-whiz gadgets, the goal was to identify what needs to be done to help people and the planet thrive.
The committee decided not to rank the challenges. NAE is offering the public an opportunity to vote on which one they think is most important and to provide comments at the project Web site – (www.engineeringchallenges.org).
The challenges:
- Make solar energy affordable
- Provide energy from fusion
- Develop carbon sequestration methods
- Manage the nitrogen cycle
- Provide access to clean water
- Restore and improve urban infrastructure
- Advance health informatics
- Engineer better medicines
- Reverse-engineer the brain
- Prevent nuclear terror
- Secure cyberspace
- Enhance virtual reality
- Advance personalized learning
- Engineer the tools for scientific discovery
DOE Funding Opportunity on Windows
The National Energy Technology Laboratory, on behalf of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Building Technologies Program, intends to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) to select and fund approximately two teams to develop, manufacturer, and commercialize cost effective, highly insulating windows with an NFRC U-value rating of 0.20 BTU/hr-Ft2-°F or lower.This FOA is expected to be issued on or about April 21, 2008.
The projects are expected to be for a period of 12 to 24 months and will require a 50–50 industry cost shared effort with DOE. Awards are expected to be made in FY09 in the October to December 2008 timeframe, with approximately $2,000,000 of government funding over a two year period. Proposing entities should be led by a domestic window, glass, or production equipment manufacturer or component supplier. Partnerships with entities that can offer high volume distribution to facilitate market penetration will be encouraged. DOE’s long term window R&D goals are to develop the next generation of windows that offer dynamic solar control and U values of 0.10 BTU/hr-Ft2- °F. The purpose of this effort is for near term product and production engineering development of highly insulating windows that have U-values of 0.2 BTU/hr-Ft2-°F or less that can be cost effective in the 2010–2012 timeframe for a broad range of applications in colder climates.
For more details, see the Federal Register notice (73 FR 9107) at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr.
Congress Recognizes African-American HVAC Engineer
On February 14, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring the achievements of African-American Inventors. The resolution was introduced by Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (Tex.) and had 22 cosponsors. Of the four inventors mentioned specifically, one is a heating and cooling engineer and ASHRAE member from the 1920s through 1970s--David Nelson Crosthwait Jr. According to the resolution:
- David Nelson Crosthwait Jr. made significant and practical contributions to the engineering of heating and cooling systems;
- He held numerous patents relating to heat transfer, ventilation, and air conditioning, the areas in which he was considered an expert;
- He served as director of research laboratories for C. A. Dunham Company in Marshalltown, Iowa, where he served as technical advisor from 1930 to 1970;
- He designed the heating systems for Radio City Music Hall and Rockefeller Center in New York City and authored texts and guides on heating and cooling with water;
- During the 1920s and 1930s, he invented an improved boiler, a new thermostat control, and a new differential vacuum pump to improve the heating systems in larger buildings.
Details on the resolution are available at http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:h.res.00966:.
Energy Star Commercial Buildings and Plants on the Rise
The number of energy-efficient commercial buildings and manufacturing plants is growing, with a 25% increase last year in the number of such buildings earning the Energy Star. In 2007 alone, more than 1,400 commercial buildings and plants earned the Energy Star label, bringing the total to nearly 4,100, with Energy Star buildings located in every state, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Energy Star is a joint program of DOE and the EPA, and commercial buildings that have earned the Energy Star use nearly 40% less energy than average buildings, producing 35% lower carbon dioxide emissions. About 500 of the Energy Star buildings use 50% less energy than average buildings.
The Energy Star buildings include about 1,500 office buildings, 1,300 supermarkets, 820 K-12 schools, and 250 hotels. In addition, more than 185 banks, financial centers, hospitals, courthouses, warehouses, dormitories, and big-box retail buildings have also earned the Energy Star. More than 35 plants that are manufacturing automobiles, cement, and ethanol have also earned the Energy Star, including for the first time three petroleum refineries in Louisiana and one each in Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, and Texas. In total, these award-winning commercial buildings and manufacturing plants have saved nearly $1.5 billion annually in energy while avoiding 25 billion pounds in carbon dioxide emissions. See the Energy Star for Buildings and Manufacturing Plants Web page (http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=business.bus_bldgs), and the full list of Energy Star buildings (http://www.energystar.gov/ia/business/es_labeled_list.pdf).
