Tag Archives: Energy Efficiency

WPL Publishing Schedules LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation Webinar Series

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(PRWEB) May 18, 2013 WPL Publishing soon will kick off a four-part webinar series to help people prepare for the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Associate (LEED GA) exam.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

The series, which will begin June 4 and end June 25, is intended to bridge the gaps between other exam preparation resources, such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) “Green Building & LEED Core Concepts Guide” and “LEED Green Associate Study Guide.” To register for the four-part series, entitled “LEED Green Associate Exam Preparation,” visit http://tinyurl.com/crfdy5m.

Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1254975#ixzz2TgoQsny8

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Work begins on largest North American fuel cell – Natural Gas to Electricity

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Dominion, one of the US’ largest energy companies, and FuelCell Energy Inc have begun construction of the largest fuel cell power project in North America.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

>Dominion Bridgeport Fuel Cell, which is being built next to the Interstate 95 motorway and the Northeast rail corridor, will produce 14.9 megawatts of clean energy, enough to power approximately 15,000 homes. It will use an electro-chemical process that converts natural gas into electricity.<

 

See on www.renewableenergyfocus.com

US team’s battery ‘breakthrough’

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Researchers believe they have found a way to radically shrink the size of batteries while offering the same amount of power and faster recharges than at present.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

>The scientists’ “breakthrough” involved finding a new way to integrate the anode and cathode at the microscale.

“The battery electrodes have small intertwined fingers that reach into each other,” project leader Prof William King told the BBC.

“That does a couple of things. It allows us to make the battery have a very high surface area even though the overall battery volume is extremely small.

A cross-section of the battery reveals the 3D-design of the research project’s anodes and cathodes

“And it gets the two halves of the battery very close together so the ions and electrons do not have far to flow.

“Because we’ve reduced the flowing distance of the ions and electrons we can get the energy out much faster.”<

See on www.bbc.co.uk

An Important, and Sometimes Overlooked, Energy Efficiency Tool

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An Important, and Sometimes Overlooked, Energy Efficiency Tool.

Fluorescent Dye Boosts Solar Cell Efficiency by a Whopping 38 Percent

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Squaraine dye helps to improve light absorption, recycle electron and enhance the light to energy conversion in solar cells, increasing efficiency by a whopping 38 percent.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

>The Yale researchers relied on Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET), a well-known biochemical mechanism, to achieve this radical new energy conversion rate.

“In this type of solar cell—FRET-based heterojunction polymer solar cells—extra energy is able to migrate from one molecule to another over long distances. The dye, which is highly absorbent in the near-infrared region, both broadens the spectral absorption of solar cells and enhances electricity transmission,” Physorg explains.<

See on inhabitat.com

Xcel Energy NCAR expand partnership on renewable energy forecasting – Pennenergy

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In the next two years, NCAR scientists and engineers will develop custom forecasting systems to enable Xcel Energy control centers in Minneapolis, Denver, Golden, Colo., and Amarillo, Tex., to anticipate sudden changes in wind, shut down turbines ahead of potentially damaging icing events and even predict the amount of energy generated by private solar panels.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

>To help utilities anticipate wind energy more reliably, NCAR began designing a wind energy prediction system for Xcel Energy in 2009 that saved the utility’s customers more than $6 million in 2010 alone. The specialized system relies on a suite of tools, including highly detailed observations of atmospheric conditions, an ensemble of powerful computer models, and artificial intelligence techniques to issue high-resolution forecasts for wind farm sites.

NCAR’s new agreement with Xcel Energy focuses on the following areas:

Forecasting major changes in wind energy over a few hours due to a passing front or another atmospheric event.Forecasting ice and extreme temperatures to predict the impacts of freezing rain on wind turbines, which cannot operate when coated in ice.Generating solar forecasts using a combination of computer models and specialized cloud observing tools to help Xcel Energy better anticipate when customers are getting power from their own panels.<

See on www.pennenergy.com

Untapped Market in Smaller Green Retrofits

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While many “green” building techniques have become the norm for new construction, panelists at a recent ULI forum say significant opportunities exist for upgrading or retrofitting buildings with green systems and technology.

See on urbanland.uli.org

#Wind Energy Innovation: GE Tests High #Efficiency Turbine in the #Netherlands | The #Energy Collective

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General Electric recently announced it had started testing the prototype of what it calls the world’s most efficient high-output wind turbine. The new 2.5-120 is being tested in Wieringermeer, Netherlands.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

Combining efficiency and power output at low-wind-speed sites, the 2.5-120 captures a 25 percent increase in efficiency and a 15 percent increase in power output compared to GE’s current model. GE says wind farm operators at low-winds-speed sites can benefit from its efficiency and output, thanks to its advanced controls and 120-meter rotor which enable increased energy capture and greater power output in low-wind areas. The taller tower, which has a maximum hub height of 139 meters, makes it ideal for heavily forested regions in places like Europe and Canada.

See on theenergycollective.com

ComEd’s “Smart Switches” Reducing Service Interruptions; “Self-healing” technology key to improving reliability – Electric Light & Power

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Distribution Automation (Smart Switches) routes power around potential problem areas, often with no noticeable interruption in service.  Installation of these devices resulted in 82,000 fewer customer power interruptions in 2012. During the severe storms that hit the Chicago area in mid-April, DA devices prevented 20,000 service interruptions.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

By remotely monitoring and controlling grid operations, Distribution Automation (DA) devices, or smart switches, are a central feature of smart grid technology and ComEd’s effort to reduce the frequency and duration of outages.

[…] if a tree were to fall on a utility pole resulting in an interruption, far fewer customers would be impacted because it enables us to better isolate the damaged section,” explained McMahan. “DA introduces a self-healing capability to the electric grid by allowing us to resolve issues before customers might even be aware of them, and that has a profoundly positive impact on people’s daily lives.”

When fully implemented, distribution automation and smart meters will communicate with ComEd’s operations center, alerting the utility of an outage and eliminating the need for customers to call to report they are out of power.  […]  To see how smart meters and DA devices work together, click this link http://youtu.be/L4xp7a1di7Y .

Under the smart grid law, ComEd committed to spend $2.6 billion over 10 years to strengthen and modernize the electric grid in northern Illinois. More than $1.3 billion is earmarked to deploy a Smart Grid system and install smart meters in four million homes and businesses to give customers greater control over their energy consumption and costs.  The current schedule calls for ComEd to begin installing smart meters in 2015. […]

See on www.elp.com

Europe’s Most Advanced Paper Recycling Plant Opened in UK – Waste Management World

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A recycled paper mill claimed to be the most advanced in Europe has been officially opened by Michael Fallon, the UK’s minister of state for business & energy, at Partington Wharfside, Trafford.

Duane Tilden‘s insight:

SIACA said that the mill will help to some 450,000 tonnes a year of used paper from export by recycling it within the UK – reducing carbon emissions by 84,011 tonnes per year – equivalent to taking 28,000 cars off the road each.

Economic boost

According to the company PM-11 has led to the creation of 94 direct jobs plus opportunities for contractors and other roles.

“This cutting edge facility shows how state of the art technology and innovation can help drive growth. It’s a real boost for the economy and will create new jobs for Partington and the local area,” commented Fallon.

See on www.waste-management-world.com