Energy Conservation News articles from February 2002

Energy Conservation News archives from February 2002

OUTLOOK: Bush Budgets for Energy Efficiency.
February 1, 2002... According to the Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance to Save Energy, 1200 18th St., NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036; Tel: 202/530- 2203, Fax: 202/331-9588; Email: rkweller@ase.org), President Bush's fiscal year 2003 budget request for energy...

Senate Bill Will Save Energy.
February 1, 2002... The new version of a national energy bill introduced on February 15th by Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle (D-SD) will save nearly three times more energy than the energy bill approved by the House of Representatives last summer. According to...

Greenhouse Emissions Slowed Over Decade.
February 1, 2002... A new NASA-funded study shows that the rate of growth of greenhouse gas emissions has slowed since its peak in 1980, due in part to international cooperation that led to reduced chlorofluorocarbon use, slower growth of methane, and a steady...

GOVERNMENT: Standard Market Rules Needed.
February 1, 2002... As state and federal regulators gathered for a FERC-DOE Demand Response conference in Washington on Feb. 14th, participating panelists pointed to the untapped energy savings potential of demand response and the need for federal action to enable...

ENERGY MANAGEMENT/FINANCING Nashville Selects Energy Source.
February 1, 2002... According to Constellation Energy Source (CESource, 250 W. Pratt St., Baltimore, MD 21201; Tel: 410/234-5000, Fax: 410/234-5220; Website: http://www.constellationgroup.com) president Greg Jarosinski, CESource has been awarded a contract to...

Real-Time Pricing for Handheld Devices.
February 1, 2002... New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is cofunding the efforts of eBidenergy (150 Lucius Gordon Dr., Suite 112, West Henrietta, NY 14586; Tel: 716/427-2610, Fax: 716/427-2625; Website: http://www.ebidenergy.com) and...

RESIDENTIAL: Energy Efficient Wall System.
February 1, 2002... Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are testing a new wall system utilizing an extremely lightweight concrete building material that could be used in wall systems of homes and businesses. Researchers at ORNL's Buildings Technology Center,...

ASHRAE Approves Residential Energy.
February 1, 2002... Research to provide updated energy calculation models for residential HVAC equipment has been approved by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE). ASHRAE has approved five research projects,...

Environmentally Safe Materials.
February 1, 2002... * Measurements and Model Development for R-400 Series Refrigerants, 1215-TRP, conducted by Thermophysics Research Center, for 18 mo., at a cost of $101,350.

Design Tools.
February 1, 2002... * Development of Procedures to Utilize Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) Weather Data in Building Energy Calculations, 1226-TRP, Cornell University, 12 mo., $89,581. * Design Guide for Tall Commercial Buildings, 1261-URP, Donald E....

IAQ, Comfort and Health.
February 1, 2002... * Investigation of Mechanism and Operating Environments that Impact the Filtration Efficiency of Charged Air Filtration Media, 1189-TRP, VTT Automation, 20 mo., $110,000. Contact: Jodi Dunlop, ASHRAE; Tel: 404/636-8400, ext.612; Email:...

COMMERCIAL: Power 'Catastrophe' Never Materialized.
February 1, 2002... Two years ago, utilities feared a surge of new data center development would overwhelm the U.S. electric power supply, but those fears were never realized. Now, however, utilities are preparing for the next wave of development of these...

Rebates for Daylighting.
February 1, 2002... Through May of this year, Solatube International, Inc. (2210 Oak Ridge Way, Vista, CA 92083; Tel: 760/597-4400, Fax: 760/599-5181; Website: http://www.solatube.com) is offering rebates on its 21- in. tubular skylight system for commercial...

Efficiency Provisions in Farm Bill Pass.
February 1, 2002... On February 13th, the U.S. Senate passed the Energy Title in the Farm Bill. The title provides energy efficiency and renewable audits, loans, and grants to farmers. According to Steven Nadel, ACEEE's Executive Director, ACEEE is pleased to see...

Efficiency Assessment Report Released.
February 1, 2002... A state-wide (California) energy efficiency market assessment & evaluation report entitled Statewide Nonresidential Hard-to-Reach Study has just been released. The research presented in this report seeks to determine whether nonresidential...

INDUSTRIAL: Steam Plant Cuts Costs.
February 1, 2002... Alto Dairy Cooperative (111 Center St., Westfield, WI 53964; Tel: 608/296-2131) has selected the Cogenex unit of Alliant Energy Integrated Services (200 1st St., SE, No. 200, Cedar Rapids, IA 52401-1409; Tel: 319/398-4406; Website:...

TRANSPORTATION: Meeting to Discuss Energy Efficiency.
February 1, 2002... Members of the vehicle systems analysis team at the Center For Transportation Technologies and Systems (CTTS) recently traveled to Michelin's America Research and Development Corp. in Greenville, MI, to discuss potential collaboration on tire...

Swedish Tax Breaks Take Effect.
February 1, 2002... According to the Bureau of National Affairs, Daily Tax Report (January 14, 2002, p. G-2), as of January 1, employees in Sweden who are provided alternative-fuel automobiles by their employers will be eligible for tax breaks. The measure,...

UTILITIES/POWER GENERATION Tree Genome Key to Oil Substitutes.
February 1, 2002... Cottonwoods, hybrid poplars and aspens could play a role in improving the environment, displacing imported oil and creating domestic jobs, but first scientists from the Department of Energy, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and around the world...

Funds Advance SilvaGas Process.
February 1, 2002... Future Energy Resources Corp. (FERCO, 3500 Pkwy. Lane, Suite 440, Norcross, GA 30092; Tel: 770/662-7800, Fax: 770/662-7807; Email: ferco@future-energy.com, Website: http://www.future-energy.com) has received another governmental endorsement,...

Patent Issued for Wireless Transfer.
February 1, 2002... Flour City International, Inc. (1044 Fordtown Rd., Kingsport, TN 37663-3210; Tel: 423/349-8692), a designer, fabricator, installer, and provider of non-load bearing custom exterior wall systems (curtainwall), has been granted a patent by the...

Cogen to Cut Bill by $5.8 Million.
February 1, 2002... The Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command (MAGTFTC) at Twentynine Palms, California, has signed a $16.1 million contract with Johnson Controls, Inc. (5757 N. Green Bay Ave., P.O. Box 591, Milwaukee, WI 53201; Tel: 414/524-1200, Fax:...

APPLIANCES: Intel Targets Power for Wireless Devices.
February 1, 2002... Intel Corp. (2200 Mission College Blvd., Santa Clara, CA 95052- 8119; Tel: 408/765-8080, Fax: 408/765-6284; Toll-Free: 800/628- 8686; Website: http://www.intel.com) has introduced new microprocessors specifically designed to bring longer...

HVAC: California Announces Tough AC Standards.
February 1, 2002... The California Energy Commission has adopted the nation's toughest energy efficiency standards for central air conditioners-a move that could further diminish electricity demand during hot summers. Following a 4-0 vote to approve the new...

ASHRAE Publishes On Evaporative Coolers.
February 1, 2002... Evaporative cooling is considered to be the oldest form of air conditioning, developed by the Egyptians more than 2000 years ago. But until now, no standard method has existed to test evaporative coolers. A standard from the American Society of...

LIGHTING: Reducing Costs at Small Facilities.
February 1, 2002... Electric City (1280 Landmeier Rd., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007; Tel: 847/437-1666, Fax: 847/437-4969; Website: http://www.electriccityeccc.com) is launching a new lighting energy savings system designed to address the needs of smaller facility...

INDUSTRY NEWS: Even Hospitals Can Be Energy-Efficient.
February 1, 2002... Saint Joseph's Medical Center, Yonkers, New York, is among the first of three hospitals in the nation to receive ENERGY STAR certification from the Environmental Protection Agency. The hospital was recognized for reducing its operational and...

Plug Power Delivers 132 Systems in 2001.
February 1, 2002... Plug Power, Inc. (968 Albany-Shaker Rd., Latham, NY 12110; Tel: 518/782-7700, Fax: 518/782-9060; Website: http://www.plugpower.com) has announced year-end 2001 results. During 2001, Plug Power delivered 132 systems including: 131 5-kW systems...

Fuel-Cell Developer Awarded Grant.
February 1, 2002... Global Thermoelectric (4908 52nd St., SE, Calgary, Alberta T2B 3R2, Canada; Tel: 403/204-6100, Fax: 403/204-6101; Website: http://www.globalte.com) has received a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Propane Education and Research Council to fund the...

RESOURCES: Green Book for Efficient Vehicles.
February 1, 2002... The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE, 1001 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 801, Washington, DC 20036-5525; Tel: 202/429-0063, Fax: 202/429-0193; Email: ace3pubs@ix.netcom.com, Website: http://www.aceee.org) has just released...

Lawrence Berkeley Updates Software.
February 1, 2002... VisualSPARK 1.0.1 has just been released. It is available free of charge from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Website: http://SimulationResearch.lbl.gov). SPARK is an equation-based simulation environment that allows users to build...

CALENDAR.
February 1, 2002... March 20-23, 2002. Building Energy 2002, Medford, MA. Contact: Northeast Sustainable Energy Association; Tel: 413/774-6051, Fax: 413/774-6053; Website: http://www.nesea.org May 15-17, 2002. External Combustion Engines: New Strategies for...