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Vice President Biden released a report showing that federal investments in energy innovation are actually achieving something. In the meantime, the DoE continued its piece-by-piece effort to fund various energy-efficiency, renewable projects and R&D. Also Efficient – from ASHRAE comes the news that the DoE is also looking to ways to help states get up-to-date on energy codes (which they aren’t, apparently).
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What if we could get more “oomph” from the energy we’re now consuming? That’s what people in Boston, Kansas, and San Francisco are working on. Yet a survey reveals that most Americans do not have a clue on what to do to save energy. Also Efficient – what’s wrong with some existing buildings? An article link provides four common findings in retrocommissioning. Plus: Tax issues.
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Net-zero energy was once a controversial topic, but now we’re simultaneously into the experimentation and implementation phases. There’s actually a “first” of sorts in here – a manufacturing plant in Vermont that claims to be NZE. See also: 4 case studies. Also Efficient – who’s the greenest in government? One discovery: You can get 75% of the way via specs for a new house, but the rest may come via behavior.
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Do you know what PUE is? If not, you’re falling behind on data center state-of-the-art, as The Green Grid recently rolled out a second version: PUE 2.0. Find a recap of the recent Energy Efficiency Forum, which had some interesting suggestions. Also Efficient – a healthcare association, working with Johnson Controls, paid for some research and… found the health sector the best in energy efficiency.
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A valuable and free source of information on energy efficiency is the U.S. Department of Energy. And, if anything, the organization has boosted the variety and quantity of news feeds, newsletters, blogs, and other delivery resources available. Also Efficient – Did you know that the DoE has its own Facebook page, and a separate one for Secretary Stephen Chu? And a page on YouTube?
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See a recap of the last two months’ worth of DoE newsletters. Also Efficient – Homes get smaller and more efficient; what’s happening in the small wind turbine market; and a recap of activity at Nissan’s battery plant.
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What’s the federal government doing on Energy Efficiency? Among other things, encouraging smart lighting, seeking to boost exports of renewable/efficiency technology, and funneling $76 million into 58 energy efficiency building technology projects. Also Efficient – a report claims that, if you put it all together and add it all up, there is $72 billion in federal energy efficiency money out there – no new legislation needed.
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While potential home buyers appear to get it when it comes to energy efficiency, lenders don’t, according to the nation’s home builders. How do you sell it? Builders should be specific and “avoid providing too much technical information,” which seems to go right over people’s heads. Also Efficient – what’s green in a house? A Grist.org article delves into this more deeply than most of us might have, looking at how things get tangled up.
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One of the prime candidates for energy efficiency work these days appear to be schools. Everyone seems to have decided that learning institutions need to be more sustainable. Take a look at the list of green colleges and how KSU is working with Johnson Controls. Also Efficient – how students and scientists at Providence College can watch in real-time as the BIPV installation at their school generates electricity.
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Need an efficient hotel? With 40 green-and-sustainable properties right now, Marriot plans to have some 300 by 2015; Hilton’s “LightStay” program saved $29 million for participating hotel owners last year; and Starwood spent a year finalizing a list of 18 green practices for meetings. Plus in Efficiency: Can smoking be green?
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The Department of Energy did not use the bulk of its stimulus money in fiscal 2009. Now, FY10 is coming to a close in September, and there’s a premium on getting the money out the door. See where $130M in energy efficiency funding is going. Less wasteful – best practices in energy efficiency; the Gulf Industrial EF Forum; an international energy management system standard; a look at MotorMaster+ software.
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The best practices in local energy efficiency policies and programs are included in a compendium from three sources. Separately, Johnson Controls has created an energy efficiency indicator from the results of a global survey of executives. Plus, MIT gets in the game. Also Efficient – in Sacramento, the mayor has created a program to lure green firms to the area, conduct green research, create green jobs, and change lifestyles.
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This week’s Energy Efficiency update contains links to more than 70 news items on the efficiency and renewable energy front – from Eco Home magazine to the DoE. Also Efficient – one headline is “LEED Label Challenged.” A DoE release covers $106 million distributed to 37 ARPA-E projects. Plus a forecast on renewables.
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You can make a lot of charges about government inaction – about everything from the deficit to inflation to deflation to oil leaks in the water. But you can’t say there’s been nothing done on energy efficiency. This week’s Energy Efficiency section profiles activity from the DoE and others. Also Efficient – a report on a Gulf Coast energy efficiency meeting, news on more funding for LED R&D. And, is there going to be a volume purchasing program from the government?
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There are all kind of ways to save energy – and places to do it. Hospitals can cut their energy use by 60%, according to one source; another provides five tips on how businesses can shave energy bills by 10% to 40%. And: Find out about the retrofit revolution. Also Efficient – two YouTube.com videos detail what companies have done to save on energy costs and a bank’s data-center savings.
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IBM surveyed 6,000+ people on office building EE; it came to the conclusion that we could do a lot better. The Rocky Mountain Institute looked at what the 50 states are doing on EE; it thinks that some of ‘em can do a lot better (saving oodles of bucks). Also Efficient – did you know that electric-program EE budgets increased by $1.2 billion (38%) in 2009? That 46 states had utility EE programs, up from 37?
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What might you have missed in the past weeks on the EE + renewables front? For that matter, what did GreenRoom miss? Play a fast game of catch-up with links to six DoE newsletters – accompanied by brief summaries of the contents of each. Also Energized – did you know that your tax dollars pay for an Energy Savers blog and an Energy Empowers microsite? Also: 300+ software programs.
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Find a roundup of local efficiency stories this week. The best story is on PACE. Do you know what that is? Are you aware that Minnesota and California have just been bitten by this bug? It might actually create opportunities for you! Not very Efficient – a feature article addresses why there is less interest and action on the efficiency front than in the Old Confederacy. You might argue with the conclusion.
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EE is a priority in new construction + retrofit for 85% of those responding to the 4th annual “indicator” survey from Johnson Controls & IFMA (and, this year, ASHE). But the importance decision-makers assign to efficiency has, apparently, declined. Also Efficient – links to 58 green news items have appeared recently in EcoHome’s weekly and monthly roundups, including stuff on smart meters & GE.
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Federal efforts are up first, which a wide range of issues and maneuvers. There’s the $190 million to be spent on The Smart Grid workforce training; research into green LEDs; and a DoE enforcement action on floor lamps not meeting energy standards. Also Efficient – six states constitute a local roundup, including California, where small towns get cash help. In Massachusetts, Smart Grid technology is being used in building efficiency.
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Progress in Congress includes the introduction of bills on BuildingStar and HomeStar. Home builders say they’ve certified 5,000 green professionals. Five savers from ASE + a no cost/low-cost energy-saving guide. Also Efficient – how do you sell energy savings? Perhaps positioning the retrofit as avoiding “energy waste” is a better sales pitch. Plus: Go green, attract tenants.
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Buildings that use (net) zero energy is this week’s topic, with one publication calling it a “seemingly farfetched concept” – contrasting sharply with the Texas home builder who says it just takes “common sense practices” to build a net-zero house. Also Efficient – a podcast on NZE is linked. And in Hawaii, they’re building 18 net-zero-energy homes, the first such community. So far, more than 300 families want in.
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This week’s edition is totally devoted to the ENERGY STAR program. First, learn that EPA + DoE have combined to upgrade the program’s testing and enforcement efforts. Then you learn why: A GAO report ripped the program apart. Also Efficient – USA Today said Energy Star “has lost some of its prestige.” And GreenBiz.com talked about the “brand” and its lower score with younger people.
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Awards, Competitions & Plans Empire State Bldg. RMI – the Rocky Mountain Institute took home the High Performance Building Award from the Sustainable Buildings Industry Council for its work in the Empire State Building retrofit.
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Questions to ponder in Energy Efficiency this week: Do you know what an electrochromic window is? Did you know audits find building energy consumption “fully 40%” higher than expected? Also Efficient – the 185+ energy-saving projects that 3M pursued in 2006; what Asian manufacturers say about energy efficiency; and governments pursue EE regs.
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President Obama talks HOME STAR. Six agencies, led by DoE, will participate in a building energy-efficiency research project, looking for new technologies – with big funding! And: Speculation that higher power costs will sustain EE enthusiasm. Also Efficient – a research firm sees residential EE staying hot for the coming years. Slate, the online magazine, seeks ideas for changing habits & saving energy.
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EE news is made in Colorado, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, the Pacific Northwest, and via Volkswagen’s new $1 billion plant in Chattanooga, Tenn. Plus, what Quaker Oats is doing to save energy and earn rebates by making savvy moves on motors. Also Efficient – there are changes in the new LEED, and one of them was reported as being the possibility that USGBC would “decertify” underperformers. Wrong?
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By Gary Rippen, from the Winter 2010 tED GreenRoom Supplement.
With the right technological solutions, being eco-conscious in today’s economy doesn’t have to break the bank.
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While the focus had been on new green buildings, now it’s shifting to EE retrofits. A look at the National Governors Association’s program, a book from ASHRAE, news from the Builder show, and an article from a Siemens exec on LEED’s existing-building surge. Also Efficient – can you “goose” data center efficiency? Hewlett-Packard squeezed 2,000 sq. ft. of capacity into a 20-foot container (seriously!) and produced big savings.
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There’s plenty out there for you if you’re interested in boosting EE for your contractors and end-user clients, and this week we round it up for you. Example: Links to the five more recent newsletters from DoE’s EERE group provides ideas – and opportunities. Also Efficient – January is the time of year when post-holiday “slows” affect many of us, so you’ll find catch-up-on-the-news links to “This Week In Green” linkfests.
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Do you know what NAPEE is? It’s been around since Fall 2005, and it might matter. Add to that something new, SEE, in which the feds will work with the states. Plus: EPA says its Energy Star Leaders quadrupled energy savings in ’09 (over ’08). Yes, 4x. Also Efficient – NECA likes something President Obama said in his State of the Union speech (“Building Star”); the National Research Council’s final word on EE.
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Ameren, Idaho Power, and National Grid are among the utilities trying really hard to encourage customer energy efficiency. Among other things you’ll learn, folks in Idaho are paying a 4.75% EE rider on their monthly electricity bills, a relatively high surcharge. Also Efficient – Albertson’s puts LEDs to work in freezers, McDonald’s works to cut energy use by 3% per location, and expanding the savings in Auburn, MA.
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Got an abandoned building? How about turning it into an algae production facility, which can then lead to useful energy? Does that sound crazy? How about Cisco Systems and Google getting armpit-deep into the energy business? And don’t forget NASA! Also Efficient – working with more money from private industry than the stimulus $ bucket (for a change?), the DoE funds 14 projects looking into EE for IT.
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Six case studies (of sorts) range from England to Delaware to Iowa to Santa Clara, Calif., with huge drops in energy consumption and speedy (and we mean fast!) paybacks. End-users include two supermarket chains, the state of DE, Owens Corning & Georgia Tech. Also Efficient – Eaton and EcoFactor are highlighted, as is a report on the relationship of EE and real estate values. Plus: Six states work together on existing building EE.
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Housing may look dead in the water, but it sure as shootin’ isn’t dead in the green/EE area. One pre-fab outfit is looking for partners (builders) to plant 12,000 EE houses in the next two years. And the NAHB, which can be pretty conservative, likes the Obama plan! Also Efficient – a research firm says the business of consulting to commercial buildings on EE amounts to $5.6B/year. Plus, a look at hotels and a 91-minute video.
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Abilene, Tex., Covington, Ky., Lowell, Mass., New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. are cities pursuing energy efficiency—each with its own approach. In Covington, for example, the city’s energy savings came in $20K higher than expected. Also Efficient – links to 45 news items from “This Week In Green” over a month’s time, plus December green legislative news.
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Our President sees EE as a job-creation tool. Honeywell, OSRAM Sylvania, and Schneider Electric are among 32 companies getting in good with the DoE on energy saving. Don’t overlook: 10 energy-saving tips for facility managers. Also Efficient – what’s going on in the hotel biz? Turns out, one heck of a lot – on the EE and sustainability fronts. What’s more, some bizniz travelers must go green!
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California is the absolute best at EE, according to the 2009 study of state efforts. In Illinois, a local utility is willing to pay customers to get rid of inefficient lighting. And New York state’s municipalities now have a way to fund renewable and EE retrofits. Also Efficient – what’s happening in the schools? The wildest thing heard lately is the use of light reflectors in classrooms in Colima, Mexico – a prize-winner!
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Did you know that those states that accepted federal stimulus money signed a deal that commits each of them to certain specific energy-efficiency moves? Only 50 states signed on! Learn about the three specific actions each state must take. Also Efficient: In Massachusetts find a utility experiment with Home Energy Reports; in Florida there’s a “kilowatt crackdown challenge;” and in South Carolina opportunities to save abound!
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Six items look at reports & studies on the EE front. The worst: People who tend to data centers are just plain ignorant and should be taken out, beaten severely, and then shot (well, almost). Best: A 50% increase in green building in cities of 50,000+ residents. More Efficient – there’s an awful lot involved in LEED, according to one report, but savvy building owners might focus solely on the EE aspects and ignore all else.
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Well, they asked, and it turns out the average U.S. homeowner would much rather have granite countertops than an efficient refrigerator (and so on). Plus, what Shugart Enterprises has accomplished. And a look at the greening of the remodeling market. Also Efficient – there seems to be a nationwide move, happening state by state (and even in localities), on the green hotels front. But are the guests walking the walk?
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Zero-energy buildings are the coming thing, according to news items from sources as disparate as Forbes magazine and the Department of Energy. Plus a video featuring an IBM. See also 15 recent news items on “green,” as gathered by EcoHome magazine. Also Efficient – there’s stuff going on in data centers, the federal building retrofit program, property management, and even the work of MBAs doing internships.
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Bank of America (yes, them) and Eli Lilly make energy-saving news this week (Lilly’s seven-year project got to the finish line two years early); BofA won some kind of award for a project not yet completed. Also, a claim of 95% lighting energy savings. Also Efficient – the DoE goes after industrial EE, with 42 projects getting $155 million of government, er, attention. And: 5 weeks of EERE newsletters (with links).
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Graphics from the AIA’s Home Trends Design Survey show energy efficiency and energy generation are rising up the ladder in the way architects look at designing homes these days. Plus, what’s the $4-billion Green Communities Initiative? Also Efficient – the DoE has updated its EnergyPlus modeling software, something that’s been downloaded 100,000 times since its introduction in 2001.
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By Dan Carazo, from the Fall 2009 tED GreenRoom supplement.
Systems that typically pay for themselves quickly, are ideally
suited for retrofit or new construction, and install with typical
wiring best practices—what more could you ask for?
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By Jerry Yudelson, from the Fall 2009 tED GreenRoom supplement.
Mastering the emerging terminology is just as important as mastering the emerging products and technologies.
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When one of the leading EE non-profits ranks the states, it might be worth your note. #1 was California; #51 was Washington, D.C. Plus: What’s going on in MN (remodeling), NC (allegations that a utility might make real money), and OR (stim $ funding EE). Also Efficient – are you aware of the GreenGov Challenge? Well, President Barack Obama is (he started it, maybe) – and you can watch a video explaining it.
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A video of a smart home energy audit, a couple of looks at industrial energy efficiency and energy management, and a commendation for, of all institutions, Congress(???). Plus a sidelong glance at what’s going on in the HVAC marketplace. Also Efficient – the DoE officially says it’s making three new moves that will enable it to be tougher on EE enforcement. And NYC comes closer to building energy audits.
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Lighting might be the way to save in commercial buildings, but it isn’t the path to nirvana in residences. An Emerson unit is part of a new way to cool data centers. And a study claims that the Southeast doesn’t need a new power plant to 2020 – if it embraces EE! Also Efficient – the USGBC is the center of green construction’s universe; four items look at what the org is doing (or not doing), including “performance” summits.
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What do you know about HERS (and we’re not talking one of those two rooms at the end of the hall here) . . . ? How about Net Zero homes; want to see what an expert thinks? And how about some advice for home builders on doing an EE number on their products? Also Efficient – green week in review; “The Week in Green;” and monthly legislative updates for August and September. That adds up to 71 items – and there’s still more.