European Commission urges US to cooperate in CO2 cap-and-trade market
The European Commission today presented its proposals for a comprehensive new global agreement to tackle climate change to be concluded at the Copenhagen UN climate conference in December 2009. The proposal Towards a comprehensive climate change agreement in Copenhagen urges the U.S. to join the international community in a renewed cap-and-trade market linking members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, a group of 30 industrialized nations, by 2015.
Related Links
EU Business: EC Communication: Towards a comprehensive climate change agreement in Copenhagen – briefing
Bloomberg: EU Seeks CO2 Market With U.S., Climate Aid for Poor
NY Times: E.U. Appeals to U.S. to Join Common Carbon Trading Market
C-SPAN Energy: Al Gore testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Cmte. on 1/28
PA PUC asks electric distribution companies for consumption projections and peak demand data
Pennsylvania Act 129, passed in late 2008, requires the state’s electric distribution companies (EDCs) to reduce electricity consumption by 1% by May 31, 2011, and by 3% by May 31, 2013. The Act also requires a 4.5% reduction in peak demand by May 31, 2013.
On January 15, 2009 the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) ordered EDC’s with more than 100,000 customers to submit consumption forecasts (i.e. baselines) against which the mandated 1% and 3% reductions in consumption will be measured. Each EDC must also submit hourly peak megawatt load (MW) data to the PUC, against which the 4.5% reduction in peak demand will be measured.
US still qualifies as world’s biggest importer of natural gas
A new report published by EIA examines recent trends in the international trade of natural gas for the US. Net US imports of natural gas hit an all-time high of 3,785 billion cubic feet (Bcf) in 2007, while pipeline exports to Canada continued to expand as well, illustrating the highly integrated North American markets.
Figure 1. Flow of Natural Gas Imports and Exports, 2007 (Billion Cubic Feet)
US House panel approves decoupling policy, grid upgrades
Washington (Platts) — The US House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, in a 34-17 vote along party lines, approved energy provisions in the $825-billion economic recovery package that include $11 billion in smart grid investments and policies to encourage states to adopt utility rate structures that ensure their cost recovery.
Obama’s green team and their tasks
guardian.co.uk reviews Obama’s top energy and environmental appointments, including:
Carol Browner, assistant to the president for energy and climate change
Steve Chu, energy secretary
Lisa Jackson, head of the US Environmental Protection Agency
John Holdren, presidential science adviser.
The appointment of Holdren sends a strong message about climate change. In a July 2008 interview with Amy Goodman, Holdren explained why he objects to the term “global warming.”
Fuel consumption vs. miles per gallon
A jump from 14 to 16 mpg saves as much oil as a jump from 35 to 51 mpg, a NY Times editorial emphasized today. You may be tempted to do the math yourself just to prove it…
The reasoning is illustrated in the graph below of annual fuel consumption based on 12,000 vehicle miles. Fuel consumption is a non-linear function of miles per gallon, making it somewhat difficult to compare annual fuel costs of different vehicle types. Fuel consumption per mile or per 100 miles traveled, might be a better yardstick. But then again, this is not rocket science.
Related Links
hybridCARS.com: Chrysler Aspen Hybrid
NY Times: Energy Inefficient
Energy Analysis: The Concept of Fuel Economy: Does it Lead to Good Decisions?
Low E technology & double-glazed windows…
Low E (Emissivity) technology uses microscopically thin, virtually invisible, metal or metallic oxide layers deposited on a window or skylight glazing surface primarily to reduce the U-factor (explained below) by suppressing radiative heat flow. A typical low E coating is transparent to the solar spectrum (visible light and short-wave infrared radiation) and reflective of longwave infrared radiation.
The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) label, which appears on all window, door, and skylight products rated by Energy Star, summarizes a window’s performance in terms several factors listed below.
Reading the NFRC Certified Window Label
U-value (U-factor) is a measure of the rate of non-solar heat loss or gain through a material or assembly. It is expressed in units of Btu/hr-sq ft-ºF (W/sq m-ºC), where sq ft (sq m) represents per square foot (square meter) of window area and ºF (ºC) represents per degree temperature difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures. Values are normally given for NFRC/ASHRAE winter conditions of 0ºF (18º C) outdoor temperature, 70º F (21º C) indoor temperature, 15 mph wind and no solar load. The U-factor may be expressed for the glass alone or the entire window, which includes the effect of the frame and the spacer materials. The lower the U-factor, the greater a window’s resistance to heat flow and the better its insulating value.
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) measures the fraction of incident solar radiation admitted through a window (both directly transmitted and absorbed) and subsequently released inward.
Visible Transmittance (VT) measures how much visible light is transmitted on a scale from 0 and 1.
Air Leakage (AL) measures the rate at which air passes through cracks in the window, in terms of cubic feet of air per minute per square foot of window area (cfm/ft^2). Most industry standards and building codes require an AL of 0.3 cfm/ft^2.
In most cases the U-factor, which is found in the top left box on the NFRC label, is the most important number to consider when evaluating windows for thermal insulation and energy efficiency.
Double-Glazed Windows
The figure on the left illustrates the characteristics of a double-glazed window with high solar gain and low E glass. The term “double glazed” means two layers of glass separated by a spacer and sealed at the edges. You can find different types of low E windows with either high solar gain or low solar gain. High solar gain is best suited for buildings located in heating-dominated climates that experience cold winters. High solar gain admits heat from the sun, while a low U-factor due to the low emissivity prevents the escape of heat. This type of window is good for passive solar design relative to other types of windows with low E coating and low solar gain. A double-glazed window with low solar gain and low E glass is suitable for cooling-dominated climates and hot summers.
Related Links
Efficient Windows Collaborative: Window Selection Tool
Efficient Windows Collaborative: Window Operating Types
National Fenestration Rating Council: The NFRC Label
National Fenestration Rating Council: The Facts About Windows & Heat Loss
PG&E: Energy Efficient Window Glazing Systems for Commercial Facilities
NPR: Energy-Saving Windows A Legacy Of ’70s Oil Crisis
Alside: Glossary of Window Industry Terms
Kansas State Energy Extension Service: Building Envelope: WIndows and Doors
Large Scale Solar Resources and Stirling Engines in Southwestern U.S.
NREL develops and publishes maps of solar resource potential in the U.S. that estimate monthly average daily total solar insolation (kWh/m^2/day) falling on a device tracking the sun throughout the day. Basically this map is used to determine solar energy input available to a tracking solar dish concentrator with Stirling engine, a 2-axis tracking PV panel, or any other solar concentrator or panel that moves in sync with the sun to maximize solar insolation (i.e. solar radiation).
Stirling Energy Systems (SES) of Phoenix, AZ is currently developing two solar sites in California; SES has signed a pair of 20 year power purchasing agreements, one with Southern CA Edison (SCE), and one with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). The large scale solar technology deployments – “Solar One” and “Solar Two” – will have a combined generating capacity of 1,750 MW when fully complete. As a comparison the total generating capacity at Hoover Dam is 2,079 MW.
Under perfect sunny conditions, the solar concentrator dish with Stirling engine converts solar radiation into AC electricity more efficiently than the typical PV system. The solar-to-grid efficiency of a solar dish concentrator with Stirling engine is roughly 30% efficient under perfect sunny conditions. The solar-to-grid efficiency of the typical crystalline silicon PV system is about 10% efficient. However, during cloudy conditions a typical PV system can still convert indirect solar radiation from the sky into useful electricity, whereas the solar dish concentrator with Stirling engine shuts down completely when the sun is obscured by clouds.
Related Links
Western Area Power Administration: Solar generation system ready for production
Stirling Energy Systems: Solar Dish Stirling Engine Projects
Sandia National Lab: Sandia, Stirling Energy Systems set new world record for solar-to-grid conversion efficiency
PVWATTS version 1: Performance Calculator for Grid-Connected PV Systems
NREL: Direct Normal Solar Radiation Map (Two-Axis Tracking Concentrator)
SES: solar thermal technology with Stirling Engine
Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Project
On December 18, 2008, the California Public Utilities Commission approved San Diego Gas and Electric Company’s application to construct the Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Project. The $1.3 billion high voltage transmission line project is expected to run 150 miles between the CA Imperial Valley and San Diego with the capacity to transmit 1,000 megawatts of electric power by 2010.
The added transmission capacity is designed to ensure reliable electricity for residents of the San Diego area. The new transmission line is also supposed to support the development of renewable energy resources in the Imperial Valley of CA, which offers a high concentrated solar power resource potential just east of the San Diego area, in neighboring Imperial County. 
Stirling Energy Systems (SES) of Phoenix plans to construct thousands of mirrored solar power concentrators in the Imperial Valley to transmit power via the new Sunrise Powerlink. Phase 1 of the SES “Solar Two” solar power plant construction project, sited near El Centro, CA in the Imperial Valley (map below), will consist of 12,000 solar dish Stirling systems capable of generating 300 MW of electrical power. Phase 2 of the SES project will expand the number of solar dish Stirling systems to 36,000 units, capable of generating up to 900 MW of power, enough power to supply 500,000 homes. The power generated at this site will be sold in accordance with a 20-year power purchase agreement to San Diego Gas & Electric.
Cost estimates for the the first phase of solar dish Stirling systems construction (12,000 dishes, 300 MW capacity) range from $400 million to $1.8 billion. The prototype solar dish Stirling systems actually cost roughly $250,000 apiece, but bulk manufacturing and high volume construction is expected to significantly reduce that unit cost.
Opponents of the Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Project say that “clean power” is a cover for SDG&E, a unit of San Sempra Energy, to use the new high-voltage transmission line to sell low-cost, polluting electricity from Mexico, where Sempra has invested heavily in natural gas and power-plant assets.
Related Links
San Diego Union Tribune: Massive solar plan is linked to SDG&E
PBS Now Documentary: Power Struggle
CPUC: SDG&E’s Proposed Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Project
Stirling Energy Dish Plant Video
Alabama Power Co. offers $20 credit for residents to participate in demand response program
Alabama OKs utility option to cut air conditioner (AP) — Alabama Power Co. will give customers a way to save $20 annually by allowing the electric utility to cut off their home air conditioners for brief periods on the hottest weekdays of summer. The state’s largest electric utility will begin the program in the Birmingham area and plans to move it statewide by the end of 2010, company spokesman Pat Wylie said.
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EIA: Retail Prices
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