Energy User News articles from March 2000

Energy User News archives from March 2000

States Accelerate Move to Deregulation.
March 1, 2000... CHICAGO--The number of states with electric deregulation initiatives underway has more than doubled during the past two years, with most of the restructuring momentum coming from states with relatively high electricity rates, according to a new...

Utility Joins with HP, Oracle to Offer Telecomm Services.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The Sierra Pacific Power Company has joined with Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, and Web Telecommunity Systems to offer digital voice, television and web hosting services under the name Spectradyne Services, according to a report in Infoworld....

DOE Wind Report Criticized, Supported.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) and Energy Market & Policy Analysis (EMPA, Inc.) have come to opposite conclusions about the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Wind Energy Initiative announced in June 1999. In that report, the DOE...

Commercial Building Energy Consumption.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Commercial Building Energy Consumption Education 79 Food Sales 214 Food Services 246 Health 240 Lodging 127 Mercantile 76 Office...

GreenMountain.com.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... GreenMountain.com, which markets electricity featuring cleaner and renewable generation sources through its Green Mountain Energy brand, will supply 37,500 MWh to more than a half dozen Pennsylvania government accounts. The supply contract...

Lighting manufacturer.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Lighting manufacturer Osram Sylvania and Motorola, Inc. announced the signing of a definitive agreement for Osram Sylvania to acquire substantially all of the assets of Motorola Lighting, a North American producer of energy efficient electronic...

SatCon Technology.(to build fuel cell power converters for Northwest Power Systems)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... SatCon Technology, which specializes in power and energy management products, plans to build fuel cell power converters for Northwest Power Systems of Bend, Ore. The SatCon power converters will convert dc electrical output from Northwest...

Northern States Power.(proposed merger with New Century Energies)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Northern States Power's proposed merger with New Century Energies cleared a major hurdle, as federal regulators voted to approve the merger of the two utility companies. FERC gave its unanimous approval without requiring further hearings, which...

Conectiv plans to sell.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Conectiv plans to sell 1,875 MW of fossil fuel-fired power plants and related assets to NRG Energy, a subsidiary of Northern States Power, for about $800 million. Conectiv plans to use proceeds from the sale for debt repayment, repurchases of...

Sure Power Corp.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Sure Power Corp. has entered into a partnership agreement with Piller, Inc. for the use of Piller's rotary technology in the design and manufacture of the fuel cell-based Sure Power High Availability Power System. Piller produces a flywheel...

Restructuring Redefines Competition in Wholesale Energy Market.
March 1, 2000... SAN ANTONIO--The recent acceleration of mergers and acquisitions in the North American energy industry is having a significant impact on the wholesale energy marketing segment, according to research recently released by the marketing consulting...

Keyspan Energy Services Selects EDI Service.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Energy Services Group (ESG) announced that Keyspan Energy Services had selected ESG to provide EDI and data processing services in retail energy markets in the mid-Atlantic region. Under the terms of the agreement, ESG will process Keyspan's...

HVAC&R Seminar Scheduled for Three Cities.
March 1, 2000... HVAC&R 101: Fundamentals of Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning, and Refrigeration Systems will be presented by the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) at three locations in the next several months. The seminar is slated for Chicago on...

Enron and Chase Manhattan Bank Sign Long-Term Agreement.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... HOUSTON--Enron Energy Services, a subsidiary of Enron Corp., and The Chase Manhattan Corp. recently announced a ten-year, $750 million energy management agreement. Enron will provide energy management services for 860 of Chase's facilities...

Cinergy Business Solutions Acquires Rose Technology.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Cinergy Business Solutions, an affiliate of Cinergy Corp., announced today that it has acquired the leading Canadian performance contracting company, Rose Technology Group. The newly combined company will be called Vestar and will offer...

EIA says electricity demand to rise 2.5% in '00.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Rising crude prices will cause utilities to reduce their use of oil to meet rising U.S. demand for electricity, according to the Energy Information Administration. The projected demand is for electricity to rise 2.5% in 2000 and 1.5% the...

Utilities Recognized for Emergency Work.
March 1, 2000... RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif.--In recognition of exemplary efforts to respond to some of the worst local storms on record, six electric utilities--from Oklahoma and the East Coast--are winners of the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) national Emergency...

ARTI Database Updated.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... The Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology Institute (ARTI) refrigerant database, which includes 507 refrigerant profiles, has been updated. The database is described as a unique information system on alterative refrigerants, associated...

ASHRAE to Participate in International Climate Convention.
March 1, 2000... ATLANTA--The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has been granted preliminary approval to attend meetings of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Control. Representatives could attend...

EUN: More than a Magazine: A Part of the Industry.
March 1, 2000... I am learning that reader loyalty and trust are Energy User News's primary strengths as a publication. In conversation after conversation, I am told that Energy User News provides timely intelligence about the marketplace and authoritative...

Lighting: What Facility Managers Should Know.
March 1, 2000... A panel of experts looks into the future of the lighting industry In anticipation of the Energy Efficient Lighting Association's March 25-26 meeting in Philadelphia, a group of lighting professionals was polled on their views about the...

Power Quality: A Utility and Industry Perspective.
March 1, 2000... Agreeing on common terms is a first step in dealing with power disturbances The widespread use of electronics in everything from equipment in the home to the control of huge and costly industrial processes has raised the awareness of power...

Deregulation Affects the Balance of Cost and Reliability.
March 1, 2000... Energy managers are facing the unenviable challenge of trying to unravel the many claims and counterclaims surrounding the ongoing deregulation of electricity. While deregulation has been sold to commercial entities and private consumers alike...

RFP Announcements: EUN RFP Reports Encourage Contract Competition.
March 1, 2000... Editor's note: Energy User News will be making REP listings like those below available to its readers. By providing this service, Energy User News hopes to encourage greater response and more competitive bids to RFPs developed by energy users...

Descaling Technology Cuts Costs.
March 1, 2000... Heat exchanger maintenance reduced while efficiency was increased A major problem associated with heat exchangers has been around as long as the heat exchangers themselves. This problem is the deposition of scale on heat transfer surfaces....

Lighting Upgrade Proves Winning Combination.
March 1, 2000... New lighting technology saves cash while banishing shadows As the main stage for many of the athletic, academic, and social events of colleges and universities, the gymnasium requires a lighting system that is versatile and reduces energy...

Giants Stadium Reclaims Costs of Tenant, Vendor Energy Usage.
March 1, 2000... Power management system incorporates submetering and billing functions to quantify reimbursable costs EAST RUTHERFORD, N. J.--Lower operating costs, increased revenue, optimum equipment utilization, quick return on investment--these...

Auto Assembly Plant Meets Energy Goals with Automated Lighting.
March 1, 2000... Modular components and pre-engineering reduce installation time and errors TORONTO--An automated lighting solution is helping the Ford Oakville Assembly Plant here meet the challenging energy reduction goals of the Ford 2000 environmental...

Basics of Motors and Drives.
March 1, 2000... Selecting the right motor and drive combination can save energy and improve performance The venerable electric motor that was the muscle of the industrial revolution is becoming the smart muscle of the computer-controlled plant and...

The Building Energy Monitoring & Management System.
March 1, 2000... The Building Energy Monitoring & Management System (BEMMS) is targeted for proactive energy management and cost control at commercial and industrial facilities. The range of applications includes: demand control; paging on emergency or high...

Digital energy monitor.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Digital energy monitor measures energy consumption (kWh) and demand (kW). All seven digital power transducers can be connected to any new or existing field panel in the APOGEE system, such as the modular building controller, remote building...

Industrial ac motor starting switches.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Industrial ac motor starting switches are designed to provide positive on/off control for a variety of horsepower-rated motor loads and other general-purpose loads. The switches include 30 amp and 40 amp ac manual motor starting switches And a...

General-purpose "open frame" ac drives.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... General-purpose "open frame" ac drives are designed for high-volume, cost-sensitive applications such as unitary HVAC systems and commercial laundries. Its small footprint makes it ideal for tight-space requirements. The design encompasses a...

Backup electric system packages.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Backup electric system packages automatically use an inverter to provide instant backup electricity from a battery bank to a home or office subpanel during a power failure. When connected to a generator, solar panels, or other renewable energy...

Termomix valves.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Termomix valves are available in three- and four-way patterns, in sizes 1/2 to 1/2 inches for hydronic heating applications in residential and small commercial installations. Valve bodies are either high quality cast iron or die cast brass,...

Liquid-cooled, unit-mounted adaptive frequency drive.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Liquid-cooled, unit-mounted adaptive frequency drive (AFD) for centrifugal water chillers is able to control the speed of a chiller compressor by regulating the output voltage in proportion to the output frequency, providing a nominally...

Digital power meter.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Digital power meter allows facility engineers to monitor and collect energy usage information and help achieve proactive demand management. Designed for industrial process applications with high electrical demands, such as the food, beverage...

Transfer switch features "smart" LonWorks-based microprocessor.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Transfer switch features "smart" LonWorks-based microprocessor that simplifies integration into a building management system. This feature not only saves time and money during power system design and installation, it also enhances the...

Pulsar ESV+ rack-mount battery backup units.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Pulsar ESV+ rack-mount battery backup units offer power protection for medium-to-large sized businesses, offering safeguards for desktop PCs and a wide variety of commercial and industrial plant equipment. They provide up to 45 minutes of...

Interactive Sola 2000 UPS.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Interactive Sola 2000 UPS protects against over and under voltages through an automatic voltage regulation circuit without transfer to battery. The unit provides intelligent power management and two-level, continuous UPS load monitoring to...

A 24-volt lighting system.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... A 24-volt lighting system combines the advantages of low-voltage halogen lighting and responds to facility manager requirements for performance, reliability, and aesthetics. The lampholders are offered in either 35W MR11 or 50W MR16 lamp...

Electronic submeter monitors.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Electronic submeter monitors electricity usage of individual buildings, departments, assembly lines, or process areas. Auto-configuration reduces inventory loads and simplifies installation on 50 or 60 Hz lines from 96 to 528 v. The device...

Electric industrial motors catalog.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Electric industrial motors catalog has been expanded, and the layout has been improved to make motor selection easier by grouping identically configured motors of different efficiencies together. New product overview pages have been supplied...

Solid-state motor starter.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Solid-state motor starter protects machinery by controlling motor torque. The user-friendly keypad offers eight functions and three programmable buttons that allow for complete line monitoring, motor control, and machinery protection. The...

Water-tube boilers.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Water-tube boilers are available in forced-draft gas, dual-fuel, and oil-fired hot-water and steam models in sizes ranging from 21 to 60 BHP. They are designed for medium-range commercial and industrial applications including process hot water...

DEGREE DAYS For Selected Cities.(table)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... DEGREE DAYS For Selected Cities January Monthly Monthly Deviation Monthly Deviation City Total from Norm from Last Year Albany, N.Y. ...

Ranking of Gas Utility Prices by State Commercial.(table)(Brief Article)(Illustration)(Statistical Data Included)
March 1, 2000... Ranking of Gas Utility Prices by State Commercial Rank State Price/Mcf 1 Hawaii $14.90 2 Maryland $8.76 3 Rhode Island $8.58 4 Delaware $8.20...

Lumenyte linear emitting fiber.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2000... Said to be the largest fiber optic lighting system in the Midwest, over 5,000 feet of Lumenyte linear emitting fiber (LEF) illuminates the top floors of the Franklin County Courthouse in Columbus, Ohio. The fiber optic lighting outlines 58...