_______________________________________________________

Energy Efficiency Measure
www.EnergyEfficiencyMeasure.com

What are "Energy Efficiency Measure?"

According to the EIA, there is no clear-cut definition for "energy efficiency measure."  The EIA gathered energy experts and asked them to define the term "energy efficiency."  The participants responded by providing two different viewpoints for defining energy efficiency: (1) from a service perspective and (2) from a mechanistic, strict "intensity" perspective.

Some of the participants believed that energy efficiency "indicators" could measure some kind of economic result or well-being, and therefore suggested that a wide range of indicators would offer insight into the "ordinary business of life" and the relationships, causes, and opportunities in observed trends.  Another group of participants suggested the concept of energy efficiency being a strict technological, i.e. equipment-based concept.  However, this concept cannot be measured by broad "intensities" because intensities tend to carry structural and behavioral components. Alternatively, other group participants believe that differentiating between energy intensity and energy efficiency was not possible.  Finally, another group of participants uses complex methodologies to separate out the activity and structural effects with the remaining unexplained portion considered to be an approximate to the energy efficiency effects.

Most of what was defined as energy efficiency is actually, "energy intensity."  Energy intensity is defined as the ratio of energy consumption to some measure of demand for energy services or a "demand indicator."  However, at best, energy intensity measures are a rough surrogate for energy efficiency. This is because energy intensity may mask structural and behavioral changes that do not represent "true" energy efficiency improvements such a shift away from energy-intensive industries.  

To provide guidance, we have relied on several studies that indicate a commercial business or office building has the largest "energy intensities" in the following areas: 

• Building lights/lighting

• Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning or HVAC

• Computers/data center(s) and other office equipment

which consume the most energy.  Therefore, the greatest opportunities for providing energy and economic savings from energy efficiency measures would come from implementing upgrades, retrofits or updates around the above energy intensities, providing the highest return in investment.

• Building Automation System and other building controls

• Building commissioning or re-commissioning

• Building Envelope Improvements 

• CHP System opportunities

• Demand Side Management opportunities

• Energy Efficient Lighting Upgrades

• HVAC Mechanical System Maintenance and Upgrades

_____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

Our "Integrated" CHP Systems (Cogeneration and Trigeneration) Plants 
Have Very  High Efficiencies, Low Fuel Costs & Low Emissions

The Effective Heat Rate is Approximately 
4100 btu/kW & System Efficiency is 92% Plant.

The CHP System below is Rated at 900 kW and Features:
(2) Natural Gas Engines @ 450 kW each on one Skid with Optional 
Selective Catalytic Reduction system that removes Nitrogen Oxides to "non-detect."

Our CHP Systems may be the best solution for your business if you are seeking increased power reliability, decreased energy expenses and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

A few of the types of buildings and businesses that would benefit from our CHP Systems include:

• Airports

• Casinos

• Central Plants

• Colleges & Universities

• Dairies

• Data Centers 

• District Heating & Cooling plants

• Food Processing Plants

• Golf/Country Clubs

• Government Buildings and Facilities 

• Grocery Stores

• Hospitals 

• Hotels

• Manufacturing Plants

• Military Bases

• Nursing Homes 

• Office Buildings / Campuses

• Radio Stations

• Refrigerated Warehouses 

• Resorts 

• Restaurants 

• Schools

• Server Farms

• Shopping centers 

• Supermarkets 

• Television Stations

• Theatres

____________________________________________________

Press Release
Feb 14, 2012 
Washington, D.C. 
by the Renewable Energy Institute 

HR 4017, the Smart Energy Act, was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Charles Bass (R-NH) and Jim Matheson (D-UT).  The Smart Energy Act seeks to establish financing mechanisms for energy efficiency retrofits for buildings and also to set a national goal to double the amount of power generated by CHP Systems or "combined heat and power" which includes cogeneration and trigeneration systems, to 170 Gigawatts by 2020.

____________________________________________________

What is an Energy Master Plan?

Now that greenhouse gas reporting is a vital and urgent issue for thousands of business in the U.S., and as they will now have to report their greenhouse gas emissions to the EPA.  Our Energy Master Plan format has been updated to include "emissions abatement" strategies. 

Our energy master planning services are also focused in a broader focus as well for our customers interested in sustainable energy solutions for reducing their carbon footprint, fossil fuel intensity, total energy expenses, potential for blackouts as well as their overall vulnerabilities to being "tied" to their specific electric utility.  Our energy master planning services also improve the air quality and work environment for all of our client's stakeholders through our focus on triple bottom-line results. 

Our energy master planning services are not solely focused on our client's facilities' "demand side" of the energy equation, but also how our client's energy is acquired and purchased on their supply side.  This understanding that supply and demand side planning is equally important enabled a holistic review of how CUMC uses and pays for energy and the impact of these sources on the environment. 

Our energy master plan begins with a review of our client's past three years electricity, natural gas, oil, waste and water expenditures and depending on the final requirements and project scope authorized by the client, will typically include; 

• Perform ASHRAE " Level 2" Energy Audit

• Perform a "retro" commissioning study

• Provide a "benchmark" of client's energy use and their greenhouse gas emissions

• Identify automated demand response, demand side management and demand side response opportunities

• Review client's current energy procurement methods and develop new strategies for reducing energy expenses

• Identify opportunities for onsite power generation, including cogeneration, ecogeneration or trigeneration energy systems as well as renewable energy technologies such as;  Distributed PV, Solar Cogeneration and Waste to Fuel

• Review existing Power Purchase Agreements and all other energy agreements/contracts.

• Identify external funding opportunities such as the use of Power Purchase Agreements

• Identify opportunities for "fuel switching" or energy switching such as propane to natural gas and "cutting the cord" to the client's electric utility for an onsite power generation energy system.

• Identify current energy management system and/or building automation system potential

• Identify LEED opportunities

• Identify Smart Metering, Micro-Grid and Unified Smart Grid opportunities

______________________________________________________

About us:

We provide energy master planning, engineering, architectural and renewable energy project development services with expertise in:

• Anaerobic Digesters

• Architects and Engineers

• Architectural and Engineering

• Automated Demand Response - ADR

• Balance of Plant - BOP

• Balance of System - BOS

• Battery Energy Storage - BES

• Biomass Gasification

• Brayton Cycle

• Bulk Energy Storage

• Carnot Cycle

• Carbon Emissions Consulting

• Carbon Free Energy

• Cheng Cycle

• CHP Systems

• Clean Power Generation

• Cogeneration

• Compressed Air Energy Storage - CAES

• Concentrated Solar Power - CSP

• Concentrating Solar Power

• Decentralized Energy

• Demand Side Management - DSM

• Dispersed Generation

• Distributed Generation

• Distributed Energy Resources - DER

• Distributed PV

• Distributed Solar Generation

• District Energy Systems

• EcoGeneration

• Economic Feasibility

• Emissions Abatement 

• Emissions Engineering

• Energy Conservation Measures

• Energy Efficiency Measures

• Energy Master Plan

• Energy Master Plans

• Energy Master Planning

• Engineering Feasibility

• Engineering Procurement Construction - EPC

• Evacuated Tube Collectors

• Flywheel Energy Storage

• Frequency Regulation

• Front End Engineering

• Front End Engineering Design - FEED

• Front End Loading

• Graz Cycle

• Greenhouse Gas Emissions consulting

• Greenhouse Gas Permitting

• Greenhouse Gas Reporting

• High Concentration PV

• High Voltage Direct Current - HVDC

• Integrated Energy Systems

• Interconnection Studies

• Kalina Cycle

• Molten Salt Storage

• Natural Gas Storage

• Net Zero Energy - NZE

• Net Zero Energy Buildings - NZEB

• Onsite Power Generation

• Organic Rankine Cycle - ORC

• Parabolic Troughs

• Peak Load Management

• Plasma Gasification

• Pollution Free Power

• Power Factor Correction

• Power Purchase Agreement consulting & PPA fundingProject Development

• Project Development

• Project Management

• Project Finance/Funding introduction to potential investors

• Rankine Cycle

• Recycled Energy

• Rooftop PV

• Salt Dome Storage

• Smart Grid

• Solar Cogeneration

• Solar Power Parks

• Solar Power Towers

• Solar Thermal Collectors

• Solar Trigeneration

• Solar Water Heating Systems

• Sustainable Building Solutions

• Sustainable Building Technologies

• Sustainable Urban Living

• Trigeneration

• Unified Smart Grid

• Virtual Power Plants

• Waste Heat Recovery

• Waste to Energy

• Waste to Fuel

• Zero Emission Energy

• Zero Emission Power

What is Automated Demand Response?

Automated Demand Response is a Demand Side Management solution that is specifically designed for a customer's specific location, energy/power requirements, and also for the specific electric rates for that customer's location. Automated Demand Response does not involve human intervention, but is initiated at a facility through receipt of an external communications signal.  Automated Demand Response is a rather new area of DSM technologies and may provide a lucrative revenue stream for customers who can curtail electric load in response to demand incentives, ICAP payments, and/or commodity prices.  Automated demand response technology seeks to automatically, through software and hardware applications, to respond to variations in the electricity/power market prices. 

Demand Response or Demand Side Management can be achieved through demand reduction, by shifting load to a less expensive time period, or by substituting another resource for delivered electricity (such as natural gas or onsite power generation, also known as "distributed generation." 

Demand Response (DR) is a set of activities to reduce or shift electricity use to improve electric grid reliability, manage electricity costs, and ensure that customers receive signals that encourage load reduction during times when the electric grid is near its capacity. The two main drivers for widespread demand responsiveness are the prevention of future electricity crises and the reduction of electricity prices. Additional goals for price responsiveness include equity through cost of service pricing, and customer control of electricity usage and bills. The technology developed and evaluated in this report could be used to support numerous forms of DR programs and tariffs.

A recent pilot test to enable an Automatic Demand Response system in California has revealed several lessons that are important to consider for a wider application of a regional or statewide Demand Response Program.

The six facilities involved in the site testing were from diverse areas of our economy. The test subjects included a major retail food marketer and one of their retail grocery stores, financial services buildings for a major bank, a postal services facility, a federal government office building, a state university site, and ancillary buildings to a pharmaceutical research company. Although these organizations are all serving diverse purposes and customers, they share some underlying common characteristics that make their simultaneous study worthwhile from a market transformation perspective. These are large organizations. Energy efficiency is neither their core business nor are the decision-makers who will enable this technology powerful players in their organizations. The management of buildings is perceived to be a small issue for top management and unless something goes wrong, little attention is paid to the building manager's problems. All of these organizations contract out a major part of their technical building operating systems. Control systems and energy management systems are proprietary. Their systems do not easily interact with one another. Management is, with the exception of one site, not electronically or computer literate enough to understand the full dimensions of the technology they have purchased. Despite the research teams development of a simple, straightforward method of informing them about the features of the demand response program, they had significant difficulty enabling their systems to meet the needs of the research. The research team had to step in and work directly with their vendors and contractors at all but one location. All of the participants have volunteered to participate in the study for altruistic reasons, that is, to help find solutions to California's energy problems. They have provided support in workmen, access to sites and vendors, and money to participate. Their efforts have revealed organizational and technical system barriers to the implementation of a wide scale program.

What is Demand Response and How is it Different from "Demand Side Management"?

"Demand Response" is a subset of Demand Side Management (DSM) or a potential  Demand Side Management program solution which helps make the electric grid much more efficient and balanced by assisting the electric grid's commercial and industrial customers reduce their electric demand, and/or shifts the time period when they use their electricity, and/or prioritizes the way they use electricity, and in so doing, reduces their overall energy costs. A Demand Side Management Program will include measures that promotes the following:

• Reduced customer peak and overall energy demand

• Improves the electric grid's reliability

• Balances the electric grid through increased efficiency

• Energy efficiency

• Manages electricity costs

• Conservation through both behavioral and operational changes

• Load management

• Fuel switching

• Distributed energy

• And provide systems that encourage load shifting or load shedding during times when the electric grid is near its capacity or electric power prices are high

Demand Response has also been defined as a "Demand Side Management" subset that is a set of time dependent activities that reduces or shifts electricity use of selected customers.

Electric power generation and distribution systems are strongly affected by supply-side policies (how, when, and where to generate electricity, how to couple generation into the grid, how to transmit and distribute generated electricity) and demand-side policies (pricing schemes, conservation efforts, customer premises automation, and, in extreme circumstances, rolling blackouts).  Demand-side programs focus on reducing the peak-to-average demand profiles through automation in the customer premises.

What is Battery Energy Storage?

Battery Energy Storage, and Battery Energy Storage systems, use stored electrical power in batteries, and feed this energy to the electric grid (building, or facility) at times when it makes economic sense. For a "Net Zero Energy" building or facility, a Solar Cogeneration, or Solar Trigeneration energy system is used that stores excess solar power in the Battery Energy Storage system during the daytime, for use when the sun goes down, and during inclement weather.


What is Bulk Energy Storage?

Bulk energy storage refers to various methods to "store" electricity within an electrical power grid.

Electrical energy can be stored during times that electrical generation from power plants exceeds the consumption by customers and the stored energy can then be utilized at times when consumption of electricity exceeds generation of electricity. Bulk energy storage permits power generation to be maintained at a more constant level, avoiding the sharp spikes in power generation so that the power plants can be more efficiently operated - reducing fuel consumption thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

According to the Energy Storage Council (www.EnergyStorageCouncil.org), "Bulk energy storage is truly one of the most promising new areas of the electricity industry. The Energy Storage Council believes that bulk energy storage will become the "sixth dimension" of the electricity value chain following fuels/energy sources, generation, transmission, delivery, and customer energy services."

What are Demand Response Programs?

Demand Response Programs are programs usually designed and offered by electric utilities that offers those clients that sign-up for specific DR programs with financial incentives and other benefits that help those participating customers to curtail energy use.  These actions by the electric utilities and participating clients provide a reliable, predictable amount of power (megawatts) that the ISO's and RTO's can count on during an emergency when energy supplies are low, and there is an inadequate amount of available power generation. The electric utilities typically require that those customers that enroll in their DR program(s) install certain software and hardware, that communicates with these client's online energy management systems, and can control these client's electric power requirements as needed.

What is Demand Side Management?

According to the Department of Energy, Demand Side Management or "DSM," refers to those "actions taken on the customer's side of the meter to change the amount or timing of energy consumption. Utility DSM programs offer a variety of measures that can reduce energy consumption and consumer energy expenses. Electricity DSM strategies have the goal of maximizing end-use efficiency to avoid or postpone the construction of new generating plants."  Therefore, Demand Side Management, is the process of managing the consumption of energy, generally to optimize available and planned generation resources.

While not every business is a candidate for onsite power generation, such as an onsite cogeneration or trigeneration energy system, however, your company may be a great candidate for other energy-saving solutions. One of these is Demand Side Management, or "DSM". We help commercial, industrial and utility clients by providing cost-effective DSM solutions.

Background on Demand Side Management

Demand-side management (DSM) programs consist of the planning, implementing, and monitoring activities of electric utilities that are designed to encourage consumers to modify their level and pattern of electricity usage. 

In the past, the primary objective of most DSM programs was to provide cost-effective energy and capacity resources to help defer the need for new sources of power, including generating facilities, power purchases, and transmission and distribution capacity additions. However, due to changes occurring within the industry, electric utilities are also using DSM to enhance customer service. DSM refers only to energy and load-shape modifying activities undertaken in response to utility-administered programs. It does not refer to energy and load-shape changes arising from the normal operation of the marketplace or from government-mandated energy-efficiency standards. 

Historical Information of DSM (1999) 

In 1999, 848 electric utilities report having demand-side management (DSM) programs. Of these, 459 are classified as large, and 389 are classified as small utilities. This is a decrease of 124 utilities from 1998.(1) DSM costs were almost unchanged at 1.4 billion dollars in both 1998 and 1999. 

Energy Savings for the 459 large electric utilities increased to 50.6 billion kilowatt hours, 1.4 billion kilowatt hours more than in 1998. These energy savings represent 1.5 percent of annual electric sales of 3,312 billion kilowatthours(2) to ultimate consumers in 1999. 

Actual peak load reductions for large utilities decreased in 1999 to 26,455 megawatts. Potential peak load reductions of 43,570 megawatts were an increase of 2,140 over 1998. 

In 1999, incremental energy savings for large utilities were 3.1 billion kilowatt hours, incremental actual peak load reductions were 2,263 megawatts. 

Technologies Used in Demand Side Management:

These energy conservation technologies are implemented to reduce total energy use. Specific technologies include energy-efficient lighting, appliances, and building equipment, all of which can be found on the EREN Buildings Energy Efficiency page. For energy efficiency at industrial sites, see the EREN Industrial Energy Efficiency page. 

Load Leveling:

These technologies are used to smooth out the peaks and dips in energy demand — by reducing consumption at peak times ("peak shaving"), increasing it during off-peak times ("valley filling"), or shifting the load from peak to off-peak periods — to maximize use of efficient baseload generation and reduce the need for spinning reserves. 

Load control:

Energy management control systems (EMCSs) can be used to switch electrical equipment on or off for load leveling purposes. Some EMCSs enable direct off-site control (by the utility) of user equipment. Typically applied to heating, cooling, ventilation, and lighting loads, EMCSs can also be used to invoke on-site generators, thereby reducing peak demand for grid electricity. Energy storage devices located on the customer's side of the meter can be used to shift the timing of energy consumption. 

Issues Involving the Implementation Demand Side Management Solutions Include: Public Benefits Programs, Rate Schedules, Time-of-Use Rates, Power Factor Charges, and Real-Time-Pricing

Public Benefits Programs

Prior to electricity industry restructuring, utilities were responsible for a variety of programs (including DSM) that meet social objectives. Under restructuring, funding for these programs is typically through a small surcharge ("wires charge" or "system benefits charge") on utility bills. 

Rate Schedules

Utilities can structure their rates to encourage customers to modify their pattern of energy use. 

Time-of-Use Rates

Time-of-use rates involve charging higher prices for peak electricity as a way to shift demand to off-peak periods. Interruptible rates offer discounts in exchange for a user commitment to reduce demand when requested by the utility. 

Power Factor Charges

Power factor charges can be implemented to discourage commercial and industrial utility customers from partially loading their electrical equipment, as this requires the utility to generate extra current to cover the resulting system losses. 

Real-Time Pricing

Real-time pricing is where the electricity price varies continuously (or hour by hour) based on the utility's load and the different types of power plants that have to be operated to satisfy that demand.

What are Energy Conservation Measures?

An Energy Conservation Measure is defined as the installation or modification of an installation in or the remodeling of an existing building or facility in order to increase energy efficiency and; reduce energy consumption, operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions. Energy Conservation Measures includes a number of various products and services, all designed to improve the energy efficiency of a building, home, business or facility, while reducing energy consumption, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy Conservation Measures - in the broadest sense - include the following;

• Automated Demand Response

• Demand Side Management

• Energy Efficient Lighting

• Installation of either an onsite Cogeneration or Trigeneration plant

• Waste Heat Recovery

• Installation or modification of insulation in the building's structure and building's system(s) within the building or facility;

• Installation or modification of storm windows and doors, multiglazed windows and doors, and heat absorbing or heat reflective glazed and coated window and door systems; installation of additional glazing; reductions in glass area; and other window and door system modifications that reduce energy consumption and operating costs;

• Installation or modification of automatic energy control systems;

• Replacement or modification of heating, ventilating, or air conditioning systems;

• Application of caulking and/or weather stripping;

• Replacement or modification of lighting fixtures to increase the energy efficiency of the lighting system without increasing the overall illumination of a building unless the increase in illumination is necessary to conform to the applicable state or local building code for the proposed lighting system;

• Any other modification, installation, or remodeling approved by the director of administrative services as an energy conservation measure for one or more buildings owned by the state.

What is Frequency Regulation?

The electric grid, because supply and demand of electricity is always changing requires continuous and instantaneous balancing of supply and demand of electricity – this continuous and instantaneous balancing of supply and demand of electricity is known as "frequency regulation."

What is Intelligent Load Shedding?

"Intelligent Load Shedding" is a near instantaneous method for shedding electrical load that is synonymous with "Automated Demand Response."

What is "Load Leveling"?

Load leveling, also referred to as "peak shaving," is a demand side management solution that reduces the use peak demand and amount of electricity by commercial and utility customers. Load leveling is a strategy that may significantly reduce the peak demand as well as the energy expenses for clients that have implemented a peak-shaving solution.

What is Load Response?

Load Response and Load Response programs operate in response to requests for peak load reductions with little, if any, discretion in compliance on the part of the customer. The buyer or operator, such as a traditional utility, load serving entity, curtailment service provider, or grid operator, directs load response programs.


What is Load Shedding?

"Load Shedding" is a very effective way of preventing electric grid blackouts. Load shedding is typically required by an electric utility company of its' commercial and industrial clients - when there is not enough electricity available to meet the demand, and to prevent the grid from going down, which is called a "blackout." "Rolling blackouts" are an extreme method of load shedding.

Most electric customers are informed of "load shedding" requirements or events, and in some cases, electric service interruption, from minutes, to several hours in advance. 

Load shedding is normally a "last resort" option and a controlled method of rotating or sharing the available electricity between all of the grid's (or electric utility's) customers. 

By spreading the load shedding measures to the largest available area, customers are usually not interrupted of their electrical service for more than 15 minutes at a time. customers can be informed of interruptions in advance. 

What is Price Response?

Price Response and Price Response Programs operate based on voluntary actions of customers in response to economic signals. The differences between Price Response and Load Response programs are a matter of degree. The most pronounced difference is price response programs rely on wholesale clearing prices as a primary signal or method to reimburse customers for their participation, and are much more likely to be voluntary. Some load response programs have the same characteristics, but are skewed toward a command-and-control methodology.


What is Peak Shifting?

Peak Shifting is a highly cost-effective method of reducing electric utility expenses.  When electric utility commercial or industrial customers use electricity can make a big difference on their monthly electric bills. By shifting the time of day that electric power is used, a commercial or industrial customer can reduce their " demand charge" portion of their electric bill during peak times of the day.  This reduces the overall cost of power each month for the customer. 

Unlike most products, electricity can’t be stored after it's generated.  Electricity must be generated - and consumed - at the time of demand by a utility's customer.  Electricity usage continuously varies throughout the day, and varies from month-to-month and season-to-season.  Each day, there are "peak" demand periods of usage during which time the electric utilities must generate additional amounts of electricity to meet these peak demands for all of their customers. 

To meet this additional peak demand for electricity utilities use “peaking generators” also called "peaking plants" or simply "peakers."  These peaking plants are the least efficient methods of generating power, meaning they generate less power with more fuel (and their associated greenhouse gas emissions) compared with the utility's base-load generators.  These peaking plants typically burn oil or natural gas to produce the electricity and are brought on line only during "peak periods" of the day and run for short periods. 

While peaking generators generally cost less to build than other types of generators, they also have relatively high fuel costs because they are typically much less efficient in the use of fuel. 

Therefore, "Peak Shifting" is a method that addresses shifts the time of day when electricity is used, reducing the need for peaking plants and can reduce a commercial or industrial customer's electric bills, if correctly implemented.

What is Thermal Energy Storage?

Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is a "load leveling" or demand side management solution which seeks to reduce energy costs by producing and storing energy when the cost of producing the energy provides the least cost, and then releasing that energy from storage, when the cost of using the energy is the highest.

What are Uninterruptible Power Supplies?

Uninterruptible Power Supplies, also known simply as "UPS" as well as a battery backup system, maintains a continuous supply of electric power to a building, or certain electrical devices within a building by supplying power from the UPS system whenever power is not available from the grid or utility company.

Typically,  Uninterruptible Power Supplies are located between the source of the normal power supply - such as the electric utility company - and the electric load the UPS system is protecting. When electric power from the grid fails - whether through a lightning strike, failed transformer, or a black-out occurs, the UPS will instantly recognize the loss or interruption of power from the grid, and switch from the grid power to UPS power. 

Uninterruptible power supply systems can be designed to protect small or large loads, including systems small enough to protect one or more computers, to critical life support systems that may be found in a home or hospital, to  telecommunications equipment where an unexpected power disruption could threaten life or health or serious business disruption or computer data loss. 

Small Uninterruptible Power Supplies systems can protect loads as small as just one computer to large UPS systems that will power and protect a company's entire data center or a building such as an office building or hospital.  These systems can be as large as 3-20 megawatts and typically work in conjunction with a genset or a cogeneration plant.

More About Price Response and Load Response Programs

Load response is a type of demand side management solution that commercial and industrial customers may choose to employ in response to wholesale electricity prices or other market incentives which can serve several important system-wide functions.

For example, retail customers can ease tight capacity situations and mitigate reliability concerns by reducing their electric power usage or consumption. By reducing consumption in response to price signals or other financial incentives, retail customers also can reduce peak wholesale electricity prices, mitigate price volatility, and reduce opportunities for market manipulation.

It is not necessary for all customers to participate in these emergency or economic load response programs; even the response of a small percentage of customers can produce significant benefits for the electric grid and its customers.

In order to participate in load response programs, customers need load response “tools” or solutions that can assist them in reducing their electric power usage at the appropriate times.

The two main categories of load response tools are communications devices and mechanisms for modifying a customer’s usage of electricity supplied by the grid during peak hours and conditions. Customers have two basic mechanisms for reducing their demand on the local electricity grid. They can simply reduce their electricity at key times through load response management, energy efficiency or energy conservation measures and improvements, or the customer can shift their source of electricity from the grid to on-site cogeneration or trigeneration power and energy systems thereby reducing their use of grid electricity but not their overall use of electricity.

Emergency load response can be implemented with readily available technology. For example, load response software can be installed in a building (e.g., an industrial facility, an office building, or commercial establishment, or even a home) that would connect to the outside world (signals sent by the Independent System Operator) with building control systems (e.g., thermostats, light dimmers). The building owner or operator could choose to respond to the signal or not. With currently available software, building operators could be notified through e-mail, cellular phone, and alpha-numeric paging of an expected reliability threat and could respond as simply as pressing a “yes” or “no” button included with the system. An affirmative answer would trigger predetermined changes to building systems (e.g., the lights could dim twenty percent, the AC thermostat could rise two degrees) for a set time.

Emergency load response to serve a reliability function is not new technology. For years,  electric utilities and system operators have offered special rates to customers who were willing to curtail their load upon request from the utility or system operator to avert short-term reliability problems. On hot days when demand threatens to overwhelm the available capacity on the system, customers willing and able to lower the amount of electricity they draw from the grid offer a resource that can be tapped to delay or avoid the need for more drastic measures, including rolling brown-outs or rolling black-outs. Customers participating in load response programs don’t just avoid costs associated with consuming at high prices at peak periods; they can receive payments from “selling” the power they don’t use at market prices.

Simply put, the electricity that the customer decides not to use at peak times can be sold back into the energy market at peak prices.

_______________________________________________________

Greenhouse Gas Emissions  
Linked to the Loss of Polar Bears

Hubbert's Peak Oil Predictions Now Proving True?

Marion King Hubbert was a geologist and scientist who worked at Shell Oil company's research lab in Houston, Texas.  Hubbert made several important contributions to geology, geophysics and petroleum geology.  Hubbert is most recognized for the "Hubbert Curve" and " Hubbert Peak Theory" which is now referred to as " Peak Oil. 

Hubbert's life work determined that the world has a finite amount of petroleum that can be produced.  (Similarly, there is a finite amount of coal.) Many scientists and engineers believe we have reached Hubbert's "peak oil" limit.  Hubbert's espouses that when 50% of domestic crude oil production has been reached, that there will be such significant upward demand on prices of the limited supplies of oil production, that the U.S. economy will experience severe economic, social, and political turmoil.

Hubbert's Peak Oil predictions have proven to be true and this is validated as the U.S. in the early 1970's produced about 60% of its' oil demand and imported 40%.  That equation has flipped since then, because our domestic oil production has been on the decline since 1970, so now, due to our declining domestic oil production, we have to import 60% of our oil supplies, to meet our country's oil/energy demands.

The Next Oil Shock Could be the "mother" of All Oil Shocks

How severe our economic calamity and next "oil shock" will depend upon a number of factors, including when this occurs, as well as the following:

1.  the dependence of the individual country upon its own crude oil production to meet its energy needs and to subsidize consumer imports; 

2.  the rate of relative decline in crude oil production; 

3.  the degree of difficulty encountered in replacing missing energy inputs; 

4.  the degree to which our country had prepared in advance for this inevitable geological and economic calamity.

Examples of past "oil shocks" and the economic and political calamities that followed:

United States: Our peak crude oil production of domestic oil occurred in 1970; the first "oil shock" and oil crisis followed in 1973 with the Arab/OPEC Oil Embargo.

Iran: Their peak crude oil production occurred in 1974; They had their islamic revolution 1979 that overturned government and replaced it with radical islam.

Soviet Union: Their peak crude oil production was in 1989; what happened next? 
Their country disintegrated and the collapse of the Soviet Union followed in 1991. 

Indonesia: Their peak crude oil production was in 1991; their financial and government crisis followed in 1997.

Iraq: Iraq's crude oil production was in 1989; they then invaded Kuwait (for their oil) in 1991.

Using Mr. Hubbert's predictions, that beginning around 2000  we would see peak (global) oil production, then, if the country's not weaning themselves off of their oil addiction, and had not begun making the switch to renewable energy, that the negative economic and political calamities would soon follow, including ever-increasing prices of energy that is from fossil fuels. 

Now is the time to begin weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels and making the transition to and increasing the use of renewable energy. If you don't believe in climate change, or global warming, GREAT! Join us in the switch to renewable energy and a fossil-free economy!

___________________________________________________

America's "Clear and Present Danger"

America Has INCREASED its' Dependence on Foreign 
Sources of Energy by 50% Since 1973.

America is even more "addicted" to foreign oil today, than we were in 1973 - 1974 when OPEC, Saudi Arabia and other suppliers from the Middle-East  stopped selling us their fossil fuels, and created a significant blow to our economy.

"Sadly," Monty Goodell continues, "most Americans have forgotten the long lines of people waiting in their cars - lined up and waiting for gasoline at their nearby gas station, with lines that were many blocks long.  And, after waiting 4-5 hours, many even waiting overnight in many places, to finally take their turn to fill up their car with gasoline, only to find that the gas station had run out of gas." 

"Let me Repeat.... That was 1973 when we imported 40% of our daily energy requirements in the form of crude oil from overseas, and from foreign countries - and many of these from countries that don't like us.

Today, over 35 years later, America has yet to learn the lesson.  We cannot continue our reliance on energy from foreign countries that supply us with 60% of the crude oil that our refineries use as a feedstock for producing gasoline and diesel fuel for our cars and trucks comes from overseas. 

America is "over the barrel" and it's not our barrel, but the barrels of oil that we are addicted by and owned by other countries.  Why have we not learned the lessons we needed to learn in 1973 when we were cut-off from the vital energy supplies we need? 

Countries like China, are growing rapidly, and have an insatiable need for crude oil. China, with their booming economy, is increasingly growing in its clout and control over international supplies of crude oil - whether they do this through their ability to buy as much oil as they need on a daily basis, or whether they simply but American drilling rigs, technology, and explore and produce oil and gas from their own fields. China, is buying large amounts of oil for their country, and causing upward pricing on declining supplies. What happens if Russia, with all of their oil and natural gas, along with China and Venezuela, with or without the help of OPEC, decided to NOT sell oil to us????

To be sure, greenhouse gas emissions are a problem, and to some, greenhouse gas emissions are also a Clear and Present Danger, but not to the extent that it presents an imminent Clear and Present Danger. 

America's reliance for 60% of our energy "needs" coming from foreign suppliers is un-acceptable.

The "driver" to get America to begin reducing and eliminating fossil fuel use should be our nation's national security and the welfare and safety of its citizens. And this can all begin with developing and investing in our own renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies, let's start by putting solar on every rooftop that has a clear and unobstructed view of the Southern sky. See www.RooftopPV.com  or  www.DistributedPV.com  for more information.  Let's create incentives begin with adopting a national "Feed In Tariff" as Germany did in 1990. 

America, we simply do NOT have the luxury of time on our hands.  We need to end our dependence and reliance on foreign fossil fuels, especially from countries that don't like us! We need to rapidly begin expanding renewable energy resources and renewable energy technologies from our vast and abundant renewable energy resources, such as; solar, solar energy systems, solar cogeneration, solar trigeneration, "solar on every roof," waste to energy, waste to fuel, biomass gasification, B100 Biodiesel, Biomethane, Synthesis Gas, geothermal, E100 Ethanol (from sugar cane and NOT from corn), and wind, where it makes economic sense."   

For more information, call or email:

American Energy Plan
www.AmericanEnergyPlan.com

Energy Master Plans
www.EnergyMasterPlan.com

Wind Power Generation
www.WindPowerGeneration.com

Zero Emission Energy
www.ZeroEmissionEnergy.com

Zero Emission Power
www.ZeroEmissionPower.com


^{______________________________________________________}

We support the Renewable Energy Institute by donating a portion of our profits to the Renewable Energy Institute in their efforts to reduce fossil fuel use through renewable energy and their goals to end fossil fuel pollution by reducing/eliminating Carbon Emissions, Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

The Renewable Energy Institute is "Changing The Way The World Makes and Uses Energy by Providing Research & Development, Funding and Resources That Creates Sustainable Energy via 'Carbon Free Energy,' 'Clean Power Generation' and 'Pollution Free Power' Through Expanding the use of Renewable Energy Technologies."

Energy Efficiency Measure
www.EnergyEfficiencyMeasure.com

info@EnergyEfficiencyMeasure.com

Renewable Energy Institute

Copyright © 2004
All Rights Reserved