V.I. Businesses Explore Ways to Optimize Energy Use

V.I. businesses could save as much as 20 percent on electric bills with top-of-the-line voltage optimization equipment, a move that could pay for itself in two to three years, given the territory’s high energy costs.

That was one of the more novel energy-saving notions V.I. businessmen and interested citizens heard Tuesday at a commercial and industrial energy conference put on by Quality Electric in partnership with the U.S. Energy Development in Island Nations-USVI.

Funding for Green Building Research is Improving, but Not Fast Enough

During his most recent State of the Union Address, President Barack Obama spoke of reinventing the country’s energy policy. “We're not just handing out money,” he said. “We're issuing a challenge. We're telling America's scientists and engineers that if they assemble teams of the best minds in their fields and focus on the hardest problems in clean energy, we'll fund the Apollo projects of our time.”

President Obama isn’t the first to compare the quest for a carbon-free economy to historic science and technology initiatives like the race to the moon. But in spite of this handy anecdote, many in the sustainable building research community believe the United States is simply not putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to energy research and buildings.

The Global Energy Conversation Transitions from West to East

The Economist's global energy conversation, June 28th 9:30am BST What is the future of energy? Join 15 top energy experts in a live online discussion hosted by Economist Conferences, Tuesday June 28th, 9:30am London time. Our experts based in London, Singapore and Shanghai will meet virtually via video conference and readers are invited to join in by asking questions and sharing views.

For more details or to register for free go to: http://bit.ly/mlyYNY
You can also follow the conversation on Twitter with #global_energy

Expert speaker panel includes:

LONDON
Robin Bew, Economist Intelligence Unit
Simon Henry, Royal Dutch Shell
Pierre Noël, University of Cambridge
John Sauven, Greenpeace
Simon Trace, Practical Action

SHANGHAI
Lin Boqiang, China Centre for Energy Economics Research at Xiamen University
Stephen Lincoln, University of Adelaide
Ji Zou, World Resources Institute, China
Victor Bekink, Talesun

SINGAPORE
Manu Bhaskaran, Centennial Group
Rob Murray-Leach, Energy Efficiency Council
Howard Shaw, Singapore Environment Council
Simon Tay, Singapore Institute of International Affairs, WongPartnership

You can also follow news from The Global Energy Conversation on twitter, at @EC_Enviro and follow with #global_energy

Climate of Denial

A thoughtful and intelligent argument once you get past the intro and get to the heart of Gore's argument that "the climate crisis, in reality, is a struggle for the soul of America."

For those of us actively engaged in the struggle, Gore concludes with some good suggestions for how we, as individuals, can make a difference:

1)Become a committed advocate for solving the crisis. You can start with something simple: Speak up whenever the subject of climate arises.

2) Deepen your commitment by making consumer choices that reduce energy use and reduce your impact on the environment. ... Reward those companies that are providing leadership.

3)Join an organization committed to action on this issue. The Alliance for Climate Protection (climateprotect.org), which I chair, has grassroots action plans for the summer and fall that spell out lots of ways to fight effectively for the policy changes we need. We can also enable you to host a slide show in your community on solutions to the climate crisis — presented by one of the 4,000 volunteers we have trained. Invite your friends and neighbors to come and then enlist them to join the cause.

4) Contact your local newspapers and television stations when they put out claptrap on climate — and let them know you're fed up with their stubborn and cowardly resistance to reporting the facts of this issue.

5) Finally, and above all, don't give up on the political system. Even though it is rigged by special interests, it is not so far gone that candidates and elected officials don't have to pay attention to persistent, engaged and committed individuals. President Franklin Roosevelt once told civil rights leaders who were pressing him for change that he agreed with them about the need for greater equality for black Americans. Then, as the story goes, he added with a wry smile, "Now go out and make me do it."

Department of Energy Highlights New Global Energy Efficiency Standard

The Department of Energy (DOE) today recognized the publication of ISO 50001, a new global energy efficiency and energy management standard which will help organizations worldwide save money in their buildings and industrial facilities. The new international standard will pave the way for long term energy savings and serve as a critical tool for the implementation of the Department’s energy efficiency programs. This voluntary standard, developed by a project committee of 45 partnering countries from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), provides organizations with a framework for continuous energy performance improvements. The framework will encourage adoption of best practices that reduce the energy use of existing equipment and facilities, require the use of energy performance data to target cost-effective upgrades, and emphasize the design and installation of highly efficient energy systems and equipment. By increasing their operational efficiency, organizations that adopt the ISO 50001 standard will save money by saving energy.

The ISO 50001 standard is available worldwide and can be applied across economic sectors. This tool will help leading organizations make high-quality, accessible, and affordable energy improvements that can transform the marketplace for energy efficiency upgrades in businesses and institutions across the globe.

A new HVAC report rates efficiencies of systems and components

Energy-efficient heating, air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) have many lower-cost options that are making this technology more attractive to companies, according to intelligence and strategy firm Lux Research.

Using Sankey Diagram to communicate how a building consumes energy.

Traditionally, engineers and architects use Pie charts and bar graphs – they are boring. For the casual onlookers, the Microsoft Excel rendition of the Energy Story was rather dry and many did say the Excel version lacked life!

Sankey Diagrams offer a more visual way of showing the information.

EnergyOffice's Energy Efficiency Workshop Video

The Virgin Islands Energy office posted a video summarizing its recent energy efficiency training sessions at the University of the Virgin Islands St. Thomas and St. Croix campuses the week of May 23rd.

St Croix Energy Conference

An Entire Power Grid on a 4mm Chip Could Be Solution to Aging Grid

As a national smart grid lumbers forward, researchers are still searching for more immediate solutions to upgrading our aging power grid. A research team from Switzerland's EPFL Electronics Lab has come up with a chip that can manage power grid network issues as much as 1000x faster than current software. The tiny chip costs just a few dollars to make, but can take in real time information and make subtle changes in energy consumption that can save money and spare electricity big time.

ACROSS THE NATION, STATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY POLICIES DELIVER, SAVE CONSUMERS BILLIONS

Washington, D.C. (June 15): States across the country have been reaching or exceeding their energy savings goals established through Energy Efficiency Resource Standards (EERS), thereby lowering utility bills for consumers and reducing the need to build costly new power plants. The forecast is also bright for the future as states expect to achieve even higher energy savings for utility customers in years to come. These are the findings of two reports released today by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).

From 2004 to 2010, 24 states followed the lead set by Texas and Vermont by establishing an EERS, a policy that sets long-term energy savings goals for electric and natural gas utilities. Since then, utilities, regulators, and consumers in all corners of the country have embraced this approach to deliver energy efficiency programs that save energy and money in homes and businesses.

The first report, Energy Efficiency Resource Standards: A Progress Report on State Energy Savings Targets, documents the performance of every state with an EERS in place for more than two years. Comparing actual performance with the EERS targets, 13 of the 19 states with EERS policies in place for over two years are achieving 100% or more of their goals, three states are reaching over 90% of their goals, and the three states falling below 80% of their goals are working hard to catch up. In each case, state EERS policies are driving energy efficiency investments and energy cost savings to unprecedented levels.

"These states are demonstrating that energy efficiency programs deliver real savings for utilities and ratepayers, and it is more affordable than any supply-side energy source," said Michael Sciortino, Policy Analyst and the report's lead author. By law and rule, the energy efficiency programs implemented in a state with an EERS must cost less than the electricity that would have been produced if not for the programs. Accordingly, utility efficiency programs are saving customers significantly more than they cost.

For example, in 2009 and 2010, Ohio utility customers saved $56 million in energy costs over and above the costs to deliver the programs. Over the lifetime of these programs, they are likely to save customers in excess of three-quarters of a billion dollars-and this is just the beginning. Program goals increase over time.

"As a comprehensive national energy policy remains beyond the reach of Congress, states are taking action to show how bold energy efficiency policies can benefit residential, commercial, and industrial consumers," said Steven Nadel, ACEEE Executive Director.

The future promises still more savings from state EERS, since most EERS targets increase over the next decade. The second report, Energy Efficiency Resource Standards: State Strategies to Reach Higher Energy Savings, documents how utilities are planning to ramp up their efforts to hit these higher energy savings levels.

The second report includes an analysis of six states with some of the largest and most successful energy efficiency programs in the United States-California, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New York, and Vermont. In these leading states, utilities are employing new strategies to expand existing programs and add new ones, enhance advertising and promotions, and conduct innovative pilot projects.

Six more states-Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania-are also examined in detail as they rapidly ramp up to develop the state-of-the-art energy efficiency programs required to meet the increasingly higher targets. Utilities in these states are running fewer, simpler programs that can get the most energy savings as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.

"Experts who specialize in these states say the potential for cost-effective energy efficiency is more than sufficient to meet the goals that have been established, and they put the likelihood of states continuing to meet their goals in the 90% range," summarized Martin Kushler, ACEEE Senior Research Fellow. "The greatest challenge for the future isn't technical-it's inspiring the political will necessary to pass these energy and money-saving standards in every state."

To read the first report, Energy Efficiency Resource Standards: A Progress Report on State Energy Savings Targets, click here.

To read the second report, Energy Efficiency Resource Standards: State Strategies to Reach Higher Energy Savings, click here.

To read the fact sheet, click here.

DOE and The Appraisal Foundation Announce New Partnership to Focus on Energy Performance and Building Appraisals

U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced a partnership with The Appraisal Foundation that will help expand access to energy efficiency and building performance information for commercial buildings and help American businesses to reduce energy waste. Under the new partnership, the Department of Energy and The Appraisal Foundation will work to ensure that appraisers nationwide have the information, practical guidelines, and professional resources they need to evaluate energy performance when conducting commercial building appraisals. This will help enable investors, building owners and operators, and others to accurately assess the value of energy efficiency as part of the building's overall appraisal.

Today's partnership will help to make sure that the market is equipped with the information it needs to make sure that the utility bill savings that come with building efficiency improvements are appropriately factored into the building's overall value. In conjunction with The Appraisal Foundation, DOE will develop information and educational tools relating to valuing green buildings based on the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice—the generally accepted standards for U.S. building appraisers. These tools and resources will help appraisers appropriately include energy performance and sustainability in valuations.

Under the partnership, the Department of Energy will also develop educational materials and create a database to provide appraisers with energy-savings data, federal green building programs and policies, and additional information on energy performance.

10 World’s Greenest Countries

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a method of measuring the performance of national governments related to environmental policies. Yale University and Columbia University release the EPI every year during the World Economic Forum, ranking 163 countries according to 25 indicators. The final mark shows how close the country is to accomplish the environmental goals. Here are the top ten countries on the list which have made most, officially the greenest in the world.

Successful energy efficiency workshops held by VIEO at UVI

As part of the Green Buildings Program, the Virgin Islands Energy Office hosted the first set of energy efficiency training sessions at the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) STT and STX campuses the week of May 23rd. The training was a collaborative effort between the VIEO Green Buildings Program and our EDIN partners through the Department of Energy (DOE) Technical Assistance Program. More than 40 residents with various professional backgrounds took the opportunity to participate in the two day sessions which were separated into segments that covered the latest information about Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting, air conditioning in hot and humid climates, and operations & maintenance (O & M) practices.

The LED lighting session was presented by Jeff McCullough, a senior research engineer from DOE’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory located in Richland, Washington. LED’s are becoming more popular as they can reduce energy consumption, lower utility bills and if properly selected they last a lot longer than traditional systems. Jeff’s enthusiasm permeated to the groups who were anxious to dispel all the misconceptions and doubts about this new lighting source. The most important takeaway from the presentation was the significance of evaluating each lighting case in detail before choosing a lighting system. The materials from this session are available for download clicking on this link.

Mr. McCullough was followed by Miguel Quiñones, program specialist for VIEO. Mr. Quiñones’ O & M presentation was segmented to include overviews of ASHRAE’s Standard 100-2006 and USGBC’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) for Existing Buildings Rating System. The first portion on Standard 100-2006 was intended to help residents reduce operational costs by implementing energy efficient maintenance programs. Later, the LEED presentation expanded the boundaries of the project and considered additional sustainability issues like product purchases, cleaning, transportation and several others.

The third session was comprised of a full day on air conditioning, presented by Lew Harriman a world-renowned expert working with Mason-Grant Consulting. Mr. Harriman possesses more than 35 years of experience researching and resolving problems related to humidity and moisture in buildings and industrial processes. He eloquently explained how the weather of the U.S. Virgin Islands calls for a different air conditioning approach, as the largest part of the load comes from dehumidifying rather than cooling spaces. The discussion included information on how overcooled surfaces and unsealed buildings combine to promote mold growth.

The Virgin Islands Energy Office will host similar trainings in the future in order to address energy related concerns consistent with the government’s goal to reduce energy consumption generated from fossil fuels 60% by 2025.

Free fuel from the Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas is launching a new recycling initiative they hope will help the environment and local business owners. The engineering department is looking to develop a partnership in which they will supply refined waste vegetable oil for use as fuel. By running your diesel car or truck on vegetable oil you can nearly eliminate your use of traditional gas or diesel. This could lead to major savings. In addition to providing the vegetable oil, the engineering department will also install fuel systems modified to burn both diesel fuel and straight vegetable oil on your vehicle(s). If you are interested and have a diesel vehicle on St. Thomas, The Ritz-Carlton is looking for takers. Would you like some free fuel?

Government Agencies Required to Go 95% Green on All Purchases

Two days ago, the Federal Acquisition Regulations Council released an interim rule on green procurement, requiring that the head of each agency ensure that 95 percent of new contract actions are for products and services that are energy efficient, water efficient, bio-based, environmentally preferable or non-ozone depleting, adhering to criteria set out by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department. The agencies also must aim to procure items that contain recycled content and are nontoxic.

The interim rule on green procurement it is a follow-up to President Obama’s 2009 executive order on green management that sets sustainability goals for Federal agencies and focuses on making improvements in their environmental, energy and economic performance.

Good Morning, Guam!

Last week, Adam Warren of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) traveled to Guam to attend a Guam Energy Task Force meeting hosted by the Department of the Interior. During his visit, he and Governor de Jongh appeared on Guam Radio, KGUM, where they had an opportunity to talk about the work EDIN is doing in the USVI. The live interview, which aired on the Ray Gibson Breakfast Show in Guam as well as on WSTA Radio 1340 AM in the USVI, focused on the commonalities between the two island territories, including their shared commitment to a sustainable energy future through reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels.


Listen to the interview.

TAP June Webinar Announcement

Cool off this summer with one of the June webinars from the Technical Assistance Program! June webinars will continue to explore best practices and technical information for state, city, county and tribal energy practitioners.

The June webinars will address a range of topics including:

• Reporting in EPA's Portfolio Manager



• Best practices for establishing a municipal fund for energy efficiency



• Policies and practices for using geothermal heat pumps



• An introduction to utility energy efficiency programs and developing new partnerships



• Interior lighting efficiency for municipalities

The complete webinar schedule for this month can be found below. Webinar details may change over the month so please check the Solution Center webcasts page for the most up to date information as well as files from all the past TAP webinars. A description of each webinar, as well as sign up information can also be found on the TAP blog.

Don't see a webinar for a topic you're interested in? Make a comment on our blog or send an email to solutioncenter@ee.doe.gov. Thanks!

Portfolio Manager Reporting and Energy Disclosure Practices
Date: June 16, 2011
Time: 1:00-2:00 EDT
Host: ICF International
Webinar Description: Public sector organizations are increasingly taking a lead by example approach to energy benchmarking including benchmarking their buildings' energy use and disclosing energy usage data to the public. Energy use disclosure creates accountability within the organization and also can be used to communicate results of excellence in energy management to the community. This webinar will review the energy disclosure and reporting practices of EECBG grantees to provide example and inspiration on benchmarking accomplishments to others. Grantees will then learn how to move from benchmarking and managing their energy use, to the next level: disclosing their energy use to promote accountability and demonstrate leadership in energy management to the community. Unlike previous Portfolio Manager webinars that have only touched on the tool's reporting features, this webinar will go over the reporting features in more detail, including how you can leverage stock reports, develop custom reports, and create reports for display to the public. This webinar will also show how New York City is using Portfolio Manager as a compliance tool for annual benchmarking disclosure.
URL: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/595475185

Best Practices for Establishing Municipal Funds for Energy Efficiency Projects
Date: June 21, 2011
Time: 2:00-3:30 EDT
Host: Center for Climate Strategies and ICF International
Webinar Description: Many grantees have expressed interest in how to set up a dedicated fund for energy efficiency projects because they lack funds to make improvements to their internal facilities. This webinar will discuss the necessary steps for setting up an internal fund to pay for municipal building energy efficiency upgrades. This webinar will present a model that takes an initial investment of funds for energy efficiency improvements that continues to have an impact over time because of the sustainable nature of the model. We will provide ideas for the potential sources of capital for the energy efficiency improvements (beyond ARRA funds) and different ways to set up the mechanism. The presenters will discuss how to identify what projects to fund, decide how the money should be handled, and set up a system to measure and verify the energy savings. In addition, two grantees, one with a pre-ARRA fund and one with an ARRA-funded fund, will share their experiences and lessons learned.
URL: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/149435984

Geothermal Heat Pumps: In Policy and Practice
Date: June 23, 2011
Time: 3:00-4:15 EDT
Host: National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Webinar Description: Many grantees have expressed interest in learning more about using geothermal resources because of confusion about the differences between geothermal electricity and geothermal heat pumps (aka ground source heat pumps). This webinar will address the intricacies of policy development surrounding both technologies. The specific problem we address are cases where policy makers have designed poor policies because they wanted to promote ground source heat pumps but incorporated a lot of geothermal electricity specifics, making the policy ineffective. This webinar will begin with a discussion on the specific technology and context associated with ground source heat pumps and the different technologies and policies that optimize utilization of both geothermal electricity and ground source heat pumps. Grantees will also hear directly how Eagan, MN used ground source heat pumps in multiple facilities to reduce their energy costs for public facilities.
URL: http://www.nrel.gov/applying_technologies/state_local_activities/webinars.html

Partnering with Utilities 101: Introduction to Utility Energy Efficiency Programs and Developing New Partnerships
Date: June 28, 2011
Time: 2:00-3:00 EDT
Team: Southwest Energy Efficiency Partnership and ICF International
Webinar Description: This webinar is the first part of a three-part series on partnering with utility programs. As grantees seek to deliver energy efficiency programs and services to their communities post-ARRA, partnerships with utilities could provide opportunities. However, understanding what factors drive utilities to support energy efficiency programs can be complicated. This webinar will provide a deeper knowledge of the challenges and constraints of utility programs. Grantees will also learn strategies that motivate utilities to readily partner with grantees in a sustainable and mutually beneficial relationship. The webinar will help grantees understand utility perspectives by looking at the design and management of utility energy efficiency programs including regulatory requirements, decoupling, stakeholder groups and advocacy support. The webinar will provide grantees with specific steps to initiate and develop points of contact with utilities, stakeholders, advocacy groups and regulatory groups as well as recommend the development of a grantee energy efficiency plan.
URL: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/470020689

Interior Lighting
Time: 2:00-3:00 EDT
Team: Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance
Webinar Description: As municipalities across the nation are considering lighting upgrades as a way of improving indoor lighting quality and reducing operational energy costs, they request information to support their decision-making process, create successful projects, and realize high energy savings. This webinar begins by informing participants on the fundamentals of energy-efficient indoor lighting for municipal applications. The presenters will provide an overview of next generation lighting technologies, guidelines for implementing daylight harvesting and adaptive lighting controls, and will identify online tools that can help municipalities identify energy savings opportunities. Participants will learn how to judge if the technology fits the space; how to complete integrated design including how to effectively use: lighting controls, day lighting techniques, and occupancy sensors.
URL: http://links.govdelivery.com/track?type=click&enid=bWFpbGluZ2lkPTEzNzIxNDQmbWVzc2FnZWlkPVBSRC1CVUwtMTM3MjE0NCZkYXRhYmFzZWlkPTEwMDEmc2VyaWFsPTEyNzY2MzQ5MzcmZW1haWxpZD1tZWVoYW5lQGh1Z2hlcy5uZXQmdXNlcmlkPW1lZWhhbmVAaHVnaGVzLm5ldCZmbD0mZXh0cmE9TXVsdGl2YXJpYXRlSWQ9JiYm&&&110&&&https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/404107209

Optimized Energy Solutions for Tropical Environments

Registration for Greenbuild is now open!

Registration is now open for Greenbuild 2011 – the world's largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. For the first time, Greenbuild will be hosted outside the U.S., at the Metro Toronto Convention Center, Oct. 4-7.

Greenbuild is the green building industry's can't miss event. It's where we go to learn about what's new in green building practices through the extensive educational sessions, see the latest technology and innovation in the exhibit hall, and perhaps more importantly, where we go to do business.