ASERTTI News
SAVE THE DATE: ASERTTI Fall
2010 Meeting, October 4-7, 2010
Please mark your calendars for the fall 2010
ASERTTI meeting, which will be held October 4-7 in
Long Island, New York. This
year's meeting will be hosted by Brookhaven National
Laboratory. More information
regarding the agenda and registration will be coming
soon. Please continue to check
the
ASERTTI website for the latest updates.
Interior and Agriculture
Departments Announce Joint New Climate Change
Research Projects on SE and NW Freshwater Systems
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior
Secretary Ken Salazar recently announced joint
scientific research projects that address the
effects of climate change on freshwater systems and
sensitive aquatic species in the northwestern and
southeastern United States.
Salazar noted that these projects are an early
indication of the kind of science and management
support that will be generated by the Interior
Department's regional climate science centers, which
will be established in the Northwest and Southeast
later this year. The multi-year
$500,000 joint USDA-DOI projects, which will be
carried out by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and
U.S. Forest Service (USFS) scientists, will make use
of existing data, field studies and modeling to
better understand the effects of climate change on
aquatic ecosystems. Information from the project
will help guide science-based land-use decisions by
federal agencies and others engaged in long-term
planning for climate adaptation.
Please
click here to read more.
Nanoparticles Increase
Intensity of Quantum Dots' Glow
By linking individual semiconductor quantum dots
with gold nanoparticles, scientists at ASERTTI
member, the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE)
Brookhaven National Laboratory, have demonstrated
the ability to enhance the intensity of light
emitted by individual quantum dots by up to 20
times. The precision method for making the
light-emitting particle clusters -- published online
July 26, 2010 in the journal ChemComm -- will
greatly advance scientists' ability to study and
modify the optical properties of quantum dots, and
could eventually lead to improved solar energy
conversion devices, light-controlled electronics,
and biosensors. Please
click here for the full story.
EPRI Report Measures
Consumers' Interest in and Infrastructure
Expectations for Electric Vehicles
Ninety five percent of people surveyed in
Southern California say they would prefer to charge
their electric vehicle at home, according to a
report from ASERTTI member, the Electric Power
Research Institute (EPRI). That and other findings
can be found in survey results that characterize
consumers' perceptions of electric vehicle ownership
as well as their expectations of electric utilities
and associated services. Please
click here for the full story and a link to the
report.
Massachusetts Recognized for
Advancing Building Energy Codes
The U.S. Department of Energy recently recognized
a team from Massachusetts for its innovative
leadership in working together to develop, write and
ultimately get adopted the first state-level stretch
building energy code in the country. The
Massachusetts Stretch Code Team, comprised of staff
from ASERTTI member, Northeast Energy Efficiency
Partnerships (NEEP), the Board of Building
Regulations and Standards, and the Executive Office
of Energy and Environmental Affairs, was recognized
for its collaborative efforts in getting the stretch
code adopted in Massachusetts. This historic
adoption means that buildings designed and built to
the new Massachusetts stretch code (known officially
as Appendix 120.AA) will use approximately 20
percent less energy than a comparable building
designed and built to the standard building code. To
read more about the development and adoption
processes of the new code, please
click here.
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