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Energy Newsbriefs

Articles for July 30, 2012

ENERGY NEWSBRIEFS is a weekly current awareness service provided by the WSU Extension Energy Program Library and written by Angela Santamaria, WSU Energy Library Manager, to assist users in tracking developments in the energy field. To view past issues or to subscribe to receive an email notification of the publication of a new issue, go to the Energy Newsbriefs home.

Please be aware that although every URL is checked for accuracy prior to the publication of Energy Newsbriefs, URLs are, for various reasons, subject to change. Further, servers sometimes fail to connect to working URLs.


BUILDINGS

"Library Science," by Adam Moore, was published in the June 2012 issue of Interiors. It describes the interior renovation of the Charles E. Young Research Library at UCLA that is expected to receive LEED-Gold certification. In addition to various design strategies aimed to make the library more accessible and inviting, the completed interiors follow the university's practice of sustainability with attention to efficient plumbing and lighting.

The following two articles appeared in the June 2012 issue of Building Operating Management:
  1. "Close-Up: Energy Upgrades," by Ben Ikenson, is a three-part article showing the high performance that existing buildings can achieve when upgraded with what is termed "deep, integrated energy solutions." The Beardmore Building and the Aventine Building are two of nine office buildings featured in a Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (NEEA) study; the article links to a NEEA Web page that includes links to that study and several related documents.

    Part 1 is Beardmore Building Shows How Deep Retrofits Can Bring Big Savings.
    Part 2 is Off-the-Shelf Energy Efficiency Strategies Can Pay Big Dividends.
    Part 3 is Deep Retrofits Mean Better Buildings, Higher Rents, Happier Tenants.

  2. "Exteriors" is a four-part article by David Reid, AIA, LEED AP, and John Wilkins, AIA; both are Design Principals at Gould Evans. The authors call attention to and explain the weak point in energy modeling that can be corrected through building commissioning. They emphasize that while energy modeling is a valuable tool, it should not be viewed as a replacement for commissioning. Performance testing, energy waste, and commissioning for the building façade are covered along with a sidebar focusing specifically on roof commissioning:
    Part 1 is Water and Air Infiltration Can Quickly Compromise Building Exterior.
    Part 2 is Building Envelope Commissioning Ensures Exteriors Perform as Planned.
    Part 3 is Performance Testing Helps Ensure Air-Tight, Water-Tight Construction.
    Part 4 is Finding Energy Waste Requires Knowledge of How Energy Transfers through Building Components.
"When Is Green Not Green Enough? Dispute Swirls around 2 Seattle Projects," by Eric Pryne, Business Reporter, Seattle Times, was published in the July 20, 2012, issue of that newspaper. The issues aired in the article revolve around Living Buildings, which are defined and discussed in Living Building Challenge 2.1, a 50-page, May 2012, document from the International Living Future Institute. Seattle's pilot Living Buildings Program has run into some controversy after approving the construction of the Bullitt Foundation Headquarters, which incontrovertibly meets Living Buildings standards, and before passing judgment on Stone 34, the proposed new headquarters for Skanska that falls short of those standards but would be very "green." The problem is that the Seattle City Council allows for some exemptions from the city's building code to accommodate new Living Buildings. Stone 34 designers are requesting a maximum height exemption; critics feel that only a true Living Building should expect such an exemption.

POWER GENERATION

The following three articles appeared in the June 2012 issue of Power (Business and Technology for the Global Generation Industry):

  1. "Boosting CSP Production with Thermal Energy Storage," by Paul Denholm, PhD, and Mark Mehos, both of NREL, shows the potential for combining concentrating solar power (CSP) with thermal energy storage. The authors cite the dropping costs of solar as a serious attraction to developers, but they also cite and explain two issues that are holding back the development. The remainder of this two-Web-page article provides in-depth discussion of thermal energy storage.

  2. "Improve Condenser Performance through Better Instrumentation," by Kevin Boudreaux, Nalco Co., is a three-Web-page article showing how crucial it is for power plant managers to have reliable condenser performance data to improve the performance of the entire plant. Three case studies are included to illustrate the point.

  3. "Startup Purge Credit Benefits Combined Cycle Operations" is a two-Web-page article jointly written by David S. Moelling, PE, and Peter S. Jackson, PE, both of Tetra Engineering Group Inc. The authors recommend what to do when the ordinarily-effective equipment purging for the prevention of fires and explosions in a combined-cycle power plant is not appropriate.

RESIDENTIAL EFFICIENCY STRATEGIES

EnergySavers.gov: Stay Cool, Save Money is a website, revised (and re-named) seasonally, from the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Office of the U.S. Department of Energy. The site is now offering many tips for energy savings for the warmer months.

WATER

The following two articles appeared in the June 2012 issue of Water Efficiency:
  1. "The Dry and Dusty Lone Star: The Challenge of Water Resource Management in Drought-Stricken Texas" is a four-Web-page article authored by Carol Brzozowski. Texas is suffering from a long-term drought which may not end for decades. The shortage of water and how it is being handled in Texas should be of great interest to others, given that clean water is expected to be, in time, in short supply elsewhere in the country.

  2. "What in the World Is the Water Efficiency Equation?" was written by Cindy Wallis-Lage, President of Black & Veatch’s global water business. The complexity and changing nature of the water-efficiency equation makes it somewhat illusive. This article discusses some of the variables that have to be considered in order for the equation to be balanced.


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© 2012 Washington State University Extension Energy Program. This publication contains material written and produced for public distribution. Permission to copy or disseminate all or part of this material is granted, provided that the copies are not made or distributed for commercial advantage, and that each is referenced by title with credit to the Washington State University Extension Energy Program. Copying, reprinting or dissemination, electronic or otherwise, for any other use requires prior written permission from the Washington State University Extension Energy Program.