ASERTTI News
Building STAR Legislation Introduced in the
House
Building STAR legislation was introduced in the
U.S. House of Representatives on May 28, 2010.
Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) was joined by Reps.
Melissa Bean (D-IL), Russ Carnahan (D-MO), Chris Van
Hollen (D-MD), Jerry McNerney (D-CA), Steve Israel
(D-NY), Ted Deutch (D-FL) and Anthony Weiner (D-NY)
in introducing the legislation.
Please
click here for the text for the bill.
The House bill contains the same $6 billion
authorization figure as the Senate Building STAR
bill (S. 3079); this figure also is consistent with
the authorization level in the HOME STAR bill, as
introduced in the House and Senate.
In addition, language was added clarifying
the application of prevailing wage requirements to
projects receiving Building STAR funds.
For the full press release, please
click here. For a fact
sheet on Building STAR, please
click here.
Electricity Savings Opportunities for Home
Electronics and Other Plug-In Devices in Minnesota
Homes: A Technical and Behavioral Field Assessment
ASERTTI member, the Energy Center of Wisconsin,
with the funding support of the Minnesota Office of
Energy Security and Minnesota Power Company,
directed a timely consumer electronics field study
on behaviors and usage patterns of homes across the
State of Minnesota. Various
household electrical devices, their energy use and
related consumer behaviors were explored throughout
this year-long study with the ultimate goal of
identifying both behavioral and technical savings
opportunities. The study encompassed phone, mail and
in-home contact as information gathering methods and
has wielded some intriguing data.
Please
click here for more information, including a
link to the study.
Ethanol Production Methods More Efficient Now:
Study
A new study by ASERTTI member, the University of
Illinois at Chicago, of facilities that produce most
of the nation's ethanol found that the energy needed
to make a gallon of the corn-based fuel decreased on
average by about 30 percent within the past decade.
Please
click here for a link to the study.
Steffen Mueller, principal research economist
at UIC's Energy Resources Center, surveyed the
nation's 150 "dry mill" ethanol plants -- the type
that produce about 85 percent of the ethanol for
energy use – between November 2009 and January 2010.
The findings may prove useful to state and
federal energy policy makers studying the pros and
cons of fuels based on their "full life-cycle" --
the total energy needed to create a fuel compared to
its energy output, the greenhouse gases emitted
during production, the water used in production, and
other factors. For more
information, please see the
press release on the study and a
fact sheet.
NYSERDA-Funded Rentricity Launches Innovative
Energy Recovery Program for New York Water Utilities
Rentricity,a New York-based renewable energy
company, recently announced a new initiative to
provide municipalities with a free assessment of
their potential to generate clean, renewable
electricity through municipal water and wastewater
treatment systems. Rentricity’s
hydrokinetic energy recovery technology transforms
the untapped energy in various manmade processes,
such as water mains, into electricity that will
provide municipalities with an additional source of
revenue and a way to offset rising electricity
rates. The company, which is affiliated with the New
York City Accelerator for a Clean and Renewable
Economy (NYC ACRE) incubator at NYU-Poly, received
nearly $25,000 of funding from ASERTTI member, the
New York State Energy Research and Development
Authority (NYSERDA). Please
click here for more information.
N.C. Solar Center Receives Southeast Diesel
Collaborative Leadership Award
On May 26, 2010, U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) Acting Air, Pesticides, Toxics
Management Division Director Ken Lapierre, on behalf
of the Southeast Diesel Collaborative (SEDC),
presented ASERTTI member, the North Carolina Solar
Center, at North Carolina State University with the
Leadership Award at the Mobilizing North Carolina
Conference in Raleigh, NC. This is the second year
the SEDC Leadership Council has presented the
Leadership Award to recognize exemplary projects in
emissions reductions throughout southeast.
The Center was recognized for demonstrating
exemplary leadership through the implementation of a
subaward program to reduce transportation related
emissions. With $1.6 million, the Center was able to
fund 17 out of 30 diesel emission reduction
projects. The project results include: 11 refueling
stations (biodiesel, ethanol and natural gas); 5 HD
hybrid electric vehicles; 72 Diesel retrofits; and
24 Truck stop electrification.
Please
click here for the full story.
SAVE THE DATE: NH3 (Ammonia) FUEL: The Key to
Energy Independence
The 7th Annual NH3 Fuel Conference will be held
September 26-28, 2010 in Romulus, Michigan.
Participants can expect a technical agenda
covering all areas of NH3 as a solution to energy
independence. Topics will include production,
storage, delivery, end uses and safety.
The deadline to submit a title and half-page
abstract to present at the NH3 Fuel Conference is
June 30, 2010. The emphasis of the paper should be
on some aspect of ammonia as a fuel – NH3
production, storage, distribution, safety, and end
uses. Abstracts on the technical, regulatory,
economic and policy aspects of ammonia are also
acceptable. For more information about
the conference as well as information on how to
submit an abstract for consideration, please
click here.
DOE Announces up to $11 Million for Biofuels
Technology Development
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently
announced up to $11 million in funding over three
years for research and development in the area of
thermochemical conversion of biomass into advanced
biofuels that are compatible with existing fueling
infrastructure. The objective of this funding is to
improve the conversion of non-food biomass to liquid
transportation hydrocarbon fuels via pyrolysis, a
process that decomposes biomass using heat in the
absence of oxygen to produce a bio-oil that can be
upgraded to renewable diesel, gasoline, or jet fuel.
This funding opportunity is part of the Department’s
effort to accelerate development and deployment of
sustainable, renewable biofuels that significantly
reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and lower
greenhouse gas emissions. Please
click here for more information.
DOE Announces Funding Opportunity for
Sustainable Bioenergy Feedstock Production
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently
announced $5 million in funding for research focused
on sustainable production of large quantities of
non-food biomass for bioenergy. The intent of this
Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to
quantify and understand the environmental impacts of
different strategies for producing large quantities
of energy crops and other crop residues at the
watershed scale. This is part of DOE’s commitment to
expanding domestic bioenergy without negatively
impacting environmental quality, biodiversity, and
the availability of food, feed, fiber, and water.
Please
click here for more information.
DOE Announces Funding Opportunity for Enhancing
Short-Term Wind Forecasting
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently
announced funding for up to $6 million over two
years to improve short-term wind energy forecasting.
The funding will support projects that enhance the
ability of utilities and electricity grid operators
to forecast when and where generation from wind
power will take place, allowing for improved utility
operations.
One to two competitively-selected funding
recipient team(s) will work with DOE and the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) to deploy atmospheric measurement systems,
make their data available for use in advanced
weather prediction systems to improve short-term
turbine-level wind forecasts, and demonstrate the
value of these forecasting improvements for electric
utility operations. The recipient team(s) will
include wind plant operators, wind forecasting and
meteorological services companies, electric utility
system operators, and research organizations.
Please
click here for more information.
DOE Announces Team led by Oak Ridge National Lab
Selected to Receive up to $122 Million for Nuclear
Energy Innovation Hub
As part of a broad effort to spur innovation and
achieve clean energy breakthroughs, U.S. Deputy
Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman recently
announced the selection of a team led by Oak Ridge
National Laboratory (ORNL) for an award of up to
$122 million over five years to establish and
operate a new Nuclear Energy Modeling and Simulation
Energy Innovation Hub. The Hub, which includes
partners from universities, industry and other
national labs, will use advanced capabilities of the
world's most powerful computers to make significant
leaps forward in nuclear reactor design and
engineering. Please
click
here for the full story.
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