EPA Kicks Off Fourth-Annual Energy Star National Building Competition with More Than 3,000 Buildings (HQ)

Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the 2013 Energy Star National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings. Teams from more than 3,000 buildings across the country are competing to see who can most reduce their buildings’ energy use. In support of President Obama’s Climate Action Plan, which calls for buildings to cut waste and become at least 20 percent more energy efficient by 2020, the competition specifically targets wasted energy in commercial buildings and motivates businesses to improve energy efficiency, reduce harmful carbon pollution, and save money.

“Battle of the Buildings is a great opportunity for businesses to save money while reducing carbon pollution that contributes to climate change,” said EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. “These are the kinds of smart, innovative solutions that are going to help solve the environmental challenges we face today.”

The number of participants in the Battle of the Buildings has increased from 14 buildings in 2010—the competition’s first year—to more than 3,200 buildings in 2013. Altogether, last year’s competitors cut their energy costs by more than $50 million and reduced annual greenhouse gas emissions equal to the electricity used by more than 43,000 homes.

More than 25 different types of commercial buildings are facing off in this year’s Energy Star National Building Competition, representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The diverse field of competitors includes the Hard Rock Hotel in Orlando, Fla., a Catholic cathedral and rectory in Seattle, New York City’s historic 100 Park Avenue building, and Busch Stadium—home of the St. Louis Cardinals.

Competitors measure and track their buildings’ monthly energy consumption using Portfolio Manager, EPA's Energy Star online energy measurement and tracking tool, and work over the year to cut energy waste through improvements that range from equipment replacement to changes in occupant behavior. Midpoint “weigh-in” results will be posted in December, with the winner announced in April 2014.

EPA features a list of the competitors and their weigh-in results on the Energy Star website, a live Twitter feed where competitors will post updates on their progress, an interactive map of the competitors’ locations, and a user-generated photo stream where competitors can upload pictures of their energy-saving efforts.

Commercial buildings in the U.S. are responsible for approximately 20 percent of both the nation’s energy use and greenhouse gas emissions at a cost of more than $100 billion annually. By improving the energy efficiency of the places Americans work, play, and learn, the competitors will save energy and reduce harmful carbon pollution that contributes to climate change.

EPA’s Energy Star program helps people across America make the best choices to save energy, save money, and fight climate change – at home, at work, in their businesses, and in their communities. Only products, homes, and buildings that meet strict standards of energy efficiency and performance can earn the Energy Star label. In 2012 alone, Americans saved $24 billion on their utility bills and prevented greenhouse gas emissions equal to those of 50 million vehicles with the help of Energy Star.

Learn more about America’s number one resource for energy efficiency: www.energystar.gov

More information on the competition: www.energystar.gov/BattleOfTheBuildings

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Sunpentown SD-65E Energy Star 65-Pint Dehumidifier

Designed to remove excess moisture from your home quietly and efficiently. A necessity for those suffering from dust mite, allergies or simply for those who wants to keep their indoor humidity at a comfortable level. Air that is too damp can cause itchy skin and nasal passages, condensation on windows, water damage to materials, mold growth and rotting of wood materials in your home. SPT dehumidifiers remove moisture from the musty air so you can enjoy year-round comfort in your home or office. Humidity level for this unit can be set as low as 35% with Normal or Turbo fan speed. Features a retractable lifting handle, washable air filter and casters for easy mobility.

Price: $295.00

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Scotland to deploy largest hydro electric wave energy farm date (with video)

Fergus Ewing, Scotland's energy minister, has announced plans for the deployment of 40 to 50 Oyster hydro-electric wave devices off the country's northwestern shore. The new facility will be capable of producing 40MW of electricity, which should be enough to power approximately 30,000 homes—making it the largest such facility in the world.

To generate electricity from ocean waves the project will utilize two separate mechanisms. The first is the Oyster—a device that uses wave motion to pump water to the second part of the system, a hydro-electric station—it converts the water pumped to it to electricity. The Oyster device sits just offshore (it's bolted to the ocean floor) in water 10 to 12 meters deep. In essence it's a large buoyant flap that is pushed back and forth by wave action—that motion is used to drive hydraulic pistons that push the water ashore.

The Oyster is big, weighing in at roughly 200 tons—the flap alone is roughly 18 by 12 by 4 meters in size. Each Oyster device is capable of pushing enough water to the onshore station to produce 315kW of electricity. During good weather, just 2 meters of the top of the flap can be seen. To produce large amounts of electricity, multiple Oyster devices will be deployed, all connected to the same hydro-electric station.

A company called Aquamarine Power will build the Oyster devices, some of which have already been successfully tested at another location in Scotland. The only hold up, a company rep told the press, was the timetable for installation of the undersea cable which is to distribute the electricity from the hydro-electric station to the grid. It will be put in place by European energy giant SSE which announced separately that they wouldn't be able to finish laying the cable for the system until 2017. For that reason, the project overall isn't expected to go online until sometime 2018.

During the announcement, Ewing noted that Scotland is uniquely situated to take advantage of wave energy, noting the country offers 10 percent of Europe's total wave power potential. The total expected cost of the project has not been announced, but money to pay for the new system will come from the government's £18 million Marine Renewables Commercialization Fund.

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Sunpentown SD-65E Energy Star 65-Pint Dehumidifier

Designed to remove excess moisture from your home quietly and efficiently. A necessity for those suffering from dust mite, allergies or simply for those who wants to keep their indoor humidity at a comfortable level. Air that is too damp can cause itchy skin and nasal passages, condensation on windows, water damage to materials, mold growth and rotting of wood materials in your home. SPT dehumidifiers remove moisture from the musty air so you can enjoy year-round comfort in your home or office. Humidity level for this unit can be set as low as 35% with Normal or Turbo fan speed. Features a retractable lifting handle, washable air filter and casters for easy mobility.

Price: $295.00

Click here to buy from Amazon

The case of optimism about the future of renewable energy

Professor Eric Martinot, senior director of research with the Institute for sustainable energy policies in Tokyo, told students and teachers at a seminar on April 18 that renewable energies have become "mainstream" and are "an important part of our energy system".

Martinot has just completed a two-year project entitled Global renewable energy futures report, a collection of 170 personal interviews conducted with industry executives, the CEOs of companies in renewable energy, the utility leaders, officials and researchers.

"Still we are thinking in the future of renewable energies such as 1990 or as it is the year 2000," said Martinot. "Our thinking is right behind the reality that renewable energies are today and where to go based on the trends of technology, cost and market finance."

Martinot gave an overview of various scenarios and projections of the oil industry, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and environmental groups. The data show that investment in renewable energy is a key example of the current growth and predicted path. Investment in renewable energy is predicted to double, if not 2020, then 2040.

"During the last three years, from 2010, the global investment in renewable energies exceeded investments in fossil fuels and nuclear power generation capacity. That's very striking that most of the people,"he said.

Despite this growth, Martinot said: "the existing sources of finance will not allow us to achieve high levels of renewable energy. Loans of the Bank and the financial balance of utility are the two main mechanisms of current finance and going to miss." In the future it will have to wait to see new sources of investment, pension funds, oil companies and Community funds.

Renewable energy currently supply around 20% of the world's electricity - with hydroelectric energy of about 15 percent of that and all other renewable energies (wind, solar, geothermal and biomass) that make up five per cent. Martinot sees potential in the expansion of renewables for heating and cooling in the near future.

"We have all the technologies that we need now, we don't have to wait for the high shares of heating and cooling from renewable energy technology, but this will involve huge changes in building construction, architecture and building materials, the construction industry," he explained. "It may take decades for that to change."But we can do it."

Integration of renewable energies in the network, buildings, houses and vehicles is where he sees the greatest opportunities of investment, infrastructure and research.

"Electricity grids have been operated and designed for the past 100 years on the basis of two things: first, energy storage is impossible, and number two, who has offered to meet the demand," said. Due to the variability of renewable energy, the integration and management of storage and demand are needed.

Martinot believes that we are on the way to the fight against these challenges. "We're seeing both turned them on its head because it has become a practice of energy storage and is working on a commercial basis in a number of projects." We are also seeing the so-called "demand response" where demand has really can be adjusted to meet supply, rather than the other way around. "

Utilities in Denmark and Germany, for example, are using new tools to manage the variability of wind and solar, and are able to switch to natural gas and heat when necessary.

The construction sector is another opportunity to integrate renewable energy current with the demands of the typical House of the family. Martinot described houses of the future that use solar energy for heating and water hot, electric vehicles with batteries for the home page for the power and energy storage, storage of passive heat in the construction of buildings and geothermal heat pumps to power homes.

"If you were able to standardize this type of construction in architectural practices in the world could reduce the cost and make if more common in the homes of the people", said.

Admitted Martinot is bullish on renewables and has high hopes that we can reduce carbon emissions and provide affordable energy.

His research shows that we can be optimistic about the future of renewable energy sources, such as Governments, utilities and energy companies are expanding investment, research and development across a variety of sectors-renewable energy.

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Energy companies testing "liquid air" as a means of storing backup electricity

Highview Power Storage, a British company that develops energy storage systems for utility companies has received $18 million in funding from several backers to investigate the use of "liquid air" as a means of storing electricity for backup purposes. Liquid air is air that has been chilled to the point of liquefying—when warmed it expands, allowing for the possibility of driving turbines to create electricity.

One of the main problems with most renewable energy sources is that they can't produce electricity all the time—only when the wind is blowing, for example, or when the sun is shining. Because of that, developers have created energy backup systems. Such systems can store excess electricity for use when the primary source is unavailable. Most current systems rely on batteries, which work very well, but can become costly in the long term. Highview Power Storage is looking at using electricity from the grid to cool air till it liquefies, then storing it in huge tanks until it is needed.

The process is both simple and inexpensive. Air is pulled in from the environment, cleaned to remove C02 and water vapor (both freeze to a solid) and then chilled to -310F (-190C). The liquid is then stored in vacuum sealed tanks. When the need arises, the liquid is exposed to warm air, causing it to expand and in so doing, drives a turbine that creates electricity. The whole process has been found to be approximately 50 to 60 percent efficient, which means heating the liquid air creates just over half as much electricity as was used to chill and store it. That's not very good compared to batteries, of course, which are typically 90 percent efficient, but liquid air has other benefits. Foremost among them is that liquid air can store power for decades, while batteries need to be replaced periodically. Storing air is obviously a lot cleaner as well.

Highview Power Storage isn't the only company testing liquid air as a power source—Berkeley California based LightSail announced recently that it had raised $37 million to study the use of liquid air as a means of storing electricity. SustainX, based in New Hampshire also recently announced it had raised $20 million to do the same. In related news, engineering giant Ricardo is currently testing the possibility of using liquid air to power automobiles, though they remove the oxygen, leaving just liquid nitrogen.

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Study IDs two compressed air energy storage methods, sites for the Northwest

Researchers at PNNL and BPA have identified two possible sites in eastern Washington state to build compressed air energy storage facilities that could temporarily store the Northwest’s excess wind power. Enough Northwest wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month could be stored in porous rocks deep underground for later use, according to a new, comprehensive study. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration identified two unique methods for this energy storage approach and two eastern Washington locations to put them into practice.

Compressed air energy storage plants could help save the region's abundant wind power – which is often produced at night when winds are strong and energy demand is low – for later, when demand is high and power supplies are more strained. These plants can also switch between energy storage and power generation within minutes, providing flexibility to balance the region's highly variable wind energy generation throughout the day.

"With Renewable Portfolio Standards requiring states to have as much as 20 or 30 percent of their electricity come from variable sources such as wind and the sun, compressed air energy storage plants can play a valuable role in helping manage and integrate renewable power onto the Northwest's electric grid," said Steve Knudsen, who managed the study for the BPA.

Geologic energy savings accounts

All compressed air energy storage plants work under the same basic premise. When power is abundant, it's drawn from the electric grid and used to power a large air compressor, which pushes pressurized air into an underground geologic storage structure. Later, when power demand is high, the stored air is released back up to the surface, where it is heated and rushes through turbines to generate electricity. Compressed air energy storage plants can re-generate as much as 80 percent of the electricity they take in.

The world's two existing compressed air energy storage plants – one in Alabama, the other in Germany – use man-made salt caverns to store excess electricity. The PNNL-BPA study examined a different approach: using natural, porous rock reservoirs that are deep underground to store renewable energy. The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Bonneville Power Administration have identified two locations in eastern Washington state that could store enough Northwest wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Interest in the technology has increased greatly in the past decade as utilities and others seek better ways to integrate renewable energy onto the power grid. About 13 percent, or nearly 8,600 megawatts, of the Northwest's power supply comes from of wind. This prompted BPA and PNNL to investigate whether the technology could be used in the Northwest. To find potential sites, the research team reviewed the Columbia Plateau Province, a thick layer of volcanic basalt rock that covers much of the region. The team looked for underground basalt reservoirs that were at least 1,500 feet deep, 30 feet thick and close to high-voltage transmission lines, among other criteria.

They then examined public data from wells drilled for gas exploration or research at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. Well data was plugged into PNNL's STOMP computer model, which simulates the movement of fluids below ground, to determine how much air the various sites under consideration could reliably hold and return to the surface. Researchers at PNNL and BPA have identified a site they call Yakima Minerals that is about 10 miles north of Selah, Wash., and could house an 83-megawatt geothermal compressed air energy storage facility. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Two different, complementary designs

Analysis identified two particularly promising locations in eastern Washington. One location, dubbed the Columbia Hills Site, is just north of Boardman, Ore., on the Washington side of the Columbia River. The second, called the Yakima Minerals Site, is about 10 miles north of Selah, Wash., in an area called the Yakima Canyon.

But the research team determined the two sites are suitable for two very different kinds of compressed air energy storage facilities. The Columbia Hills Site could access a nearby natural gas pipeline, making it a good fit for a conventional compressed air energy facility. Such a conventional facility would burn a small amount of natural gas to heat compressed air that's released from underground storage. The heated air would then generate more than twice the power than a typical natural gas power plant.

The Yakima Minerals Site, however, doesn't have easy access to natural gas. So the research team devised a different kind of compressed air energy storage facility: one that uses geothermal energy. This hybrid facility would extract geothermal heat from deep underground to power a chiller that would cool the facility's air compressors, making them more efficient. Geothermal energy would also re-heat the air as it returns to the surface.

Researchers at PNNL and BPA have identified a site they call Columbia Hills north of Boardman, Ore., on the Washington state side of the Columbia River, that could house a 207-megawatt conventional compressed air energy storage facility. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

"Combining geothermal energy with compressed air energy storage is a creative concept that was developed to tackle engineering issues at the Yakima Minerals Site," said PNNL Laboratory Fellow and project leader Pete McGrail. "Our hybrid facility concept significantly expands geothermal energy beyond its traditional use as a renewable baseload power generation technology."

The study indicates both facilities could provide energy storage during extended periods of time. This could especially help the Northwest during the spring, when sometimes there is more wind and hydroelectric power than the region can absorb. The combination of heavy runoff from melting snow and a large amount of wind, which often blows at night when demand for electricity is low, can spike power production in the region. Power system managers have a few options to keep the regional power grid stable in such a situation, including reducing power generation or storing the excess power supply. Energy storage technologies such as compressed air energy storage can help the region make the most of its excess clean energy production.

Working with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, BPA will now use the performance and economic data from the study to perform an in-depth analysis of the net benefits compressed air energy storage could bring to the Pacific Northwest. The results could be used by one or more regional utilities to develop a commercial compressed air energy storage demonstration project.

Details on the Northwest's two potential compressed air energy storage sites:

Columbia Hills Site

Location: north of Boardman, Ore., on Washington side of Columbia River
Plant type: conventional, which pairs compressed air storage with a natural gas power plant.
Power generation capacity: 207 megawatts
Energy storage capacity: 231 megawatts
Estimated levelized power cost: as low as 6.4 cents per kilowatt-hour
Would work well for frequent energy storage
Continuous storage for up to 40 days

Yakima Minerals Site

Location: 10 miles north of Selah, Wash.
Plant type: hybrid, which pairs geothermal heat with compressed air storage
Power generation capacity: 83 megawatts
Energy storage capacity: 150 megawatts
Estimated levelized power cost: as low as 11.8 cents per kilowatt-hour
No greenhouse gas emissions
Potential for future expansion

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DeLonghi DD50P 50 Pt. Energy Star Dehumidifier with Patented Pump

Having a dehumidifier in your home has never been easier with the DeLonghi 50 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump. It's your choice how you want to collect the water; you can either activate the patented pump function, which continuously discharges moisture through the 16’ provided hose without having to ever empty a bucket; drain passively out of the unit with the 3' provided hose or manually empty the collection tank when needed. Either way you choose it's easy to monitor the water level with the frontally located transparent water tank. All DeLonghi dehumidifiers are Energy-Star qualified, so you can save on energy bills, plus they contain the eco-friendly refrigerant R410A.

Every unit is extremely user-friendly; you control the ideal humidity level that best suits your needs by simply adjusting the humidistat. You can also monitor the relative humidity and temperature with the easy to use LCD electronic controls. Maintenance is a snap; you just rinse the washable air filter when it becomes dirty. Additional features include easy roll castors and handles, a 24-hr timer, 2 fan settings, an anti-frost device, low temperature operation down to 41°F, and tank control system with alarm.

 

50-Pint Energy-Star qualified dehumidifier with patented pump function. View larger

Worry-Free Pump Function

The patented pump function allows the unit to continuously discharge moisture without having to empty a bucket. Water can be pumped upward to drain out a basement window or into a sink.

LCD Electronic Controls

Choose the ideal humidity level by adjusting the humidstat. The electronic controls allow you to monitor relative humidty and temperature. You can set the 24-hour timer and go.

Visible Water Level

With its frontally located tank and transparent water level window, you can easily see how much water has been collected.

Easy Mobility

Castor wheels and handles makes it convenient to move the unit throughout your home.

Price: $364.00

Click here to buy from Amazon

DeLonghi DD45P 45-Pint Energy Star Dehumidifier with Patented Pump

Having a dehumidifier in your home has never been easier with the De'Longhi 45 Pint Dehumidifier with Pump. It's your choice how you want to collect the water; you can either activate the patented pump function, which continuously discharges moisture through the 16' provided hose without having to ever empty a bucket; drain passively out of the unit with the 3' provided hose or manually empty the collection tank when needed. Either way you choose it's easy to monitor the water level with the frontally located transparent water tank.

All De'Longhi dehumidifiers are Energy-Star qualified, so you can save on energy bills, plus they contain the refrigerant R410A. Every unit is extremely user-friendly; you control the ideal humidity level that best suits your needs by simply adjusting the humidistat. You can also monitor the relative humidity and temperature with the easy to use LCD electronic controls. Maintenance is a snap; you just rinse the washable air filter when it becomes dirty. Additional features include easy roll castors and handles, a 24-hr timer, 2 fan settings, an anti-frost device, low temperature operation down to 41?F, and tank control system with alarm.

Price: $336.00

Click here to buy from Amazon

Soleus Air DP1-30-03, 30 Pint Portable Energy Star Dehumidifier, with Humidistat

A great choice, this 30 Pint Energy Star rated dehumidifier removes up to 30 pints of moisture from the air every 24 hours. With digital humidistat on continuous mode and garden hose connection for continuous drainage, this unit takes care of itself. A bucket-full audible alarm and indicator light and clean washable filter indicator light, we assist your maintenance. 3 different fan speeds and low temperature operation down to 41°F gives you many options. With durable rolling casters and carry handles, allowing for easy transport from room to room. Size measures 19.5 (H) by 13.4 (W) by 10.3 (D) inches. Features 1-year warranty and is Energy Star rated.

Price: $249.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Soleus Air DP1-70-03, 70 Pint Portable Energy Star Dehumidifier, White

Effortlessly remove excess moisture from the air with this energy-efficient portable dehumidifier. Great for damp basements or any musty room of the house, the unit not only helps allergy sufferers breathe easier, it also helps prevent problems often caused by excess humidity--peeling paint, damaged wood, and mold growth. Durable rolling casters make it easy to move the lightweight dehumidifier from room to room, wherever it's needed most.

The dehumidifier quietly removes up to 70 pints of water from the air every 24 hours. When the water bucket has filled to capacity, the unit will automatically shut off and the "bucket full" indicator will light up. Water can be automatically emptied by attaching a standard garden hose (not included) to the continuous drainage port on the side of the dehumidifier. This will allow the unit to run continuously without having to empty the water bucket. The dehumidifier also provides a push-button electronic control panel for selecting one of three fan speeds, increasing or decreasing the room-humidity level, or setting the two- to four-hour timer, which turns the unit off automatically after the after the elapsed time.

Other highlights include an "on" indicator light, an automatic defrost function, low-temperature operation down to 40 degrees F, loss of power protection with auto restart, and a permanent washable filter. The unit not only provides exceptional performance and convenient features, it has also earned an Energy Star rating, which means it meets strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star products can help save up to a third on energy bills, as well as on greenhouse gas emissions. All of which means more comfortable indoor air without excess costs or impact on the environment. The 850-watt dehumidifier measures 11 by 15-1/3 by 23-5/8 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

Price: $367.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Soleus Air DP1-70-03, 70 Pint Portable Energy Star Dehumidifier, White

Effortlessly remove excess moisture from the air with this energy-efficient portable dehumidifier. Great for damp basements or any musty room of the house, the unit not only helps allergy sufferers breathe easier, it also helps prevent problems often caused by excess humidity--peeling paint, damaged wood, and mold growth. Durable rolling casters make it easy to move the lightweight dehumidifier from room to room, wherever it's needed most.

The dehumidifier quietly removes up to 70 pints of water from the air every 24 hours. When the water bucket has filled to capacity, the unit will automatically shut off and the "bucket full" indicator will light up. Water can be automatically emptied by attaching a standard garden hose (not included) to the continuous drainage port on the side of the dehumidifier. This will allow the unit to run continuously without having to empty the water bucket. The dehumidifier also provides a push-button electronic control panel for selecting one of three fan speeds, increasing or decreasing the room-humidity level, or setting the two- to four-hour timer, which turns the unit off automatically after the after the elapsed time.

Other highlights include an "on" indicator light, an automatic defrost function, low-temperature operation down to 40 degrees F, loss of power protection with auto restart, and a permanent washable filter. The unit not only provides exceptional performance and convenient features, it has also earned an Energy Star rating, which means it meets strict energy-efficiency guidelines set by the EPA and U.S. Department of Energy. Energy Star products can help save up to a third on energy bills, as well as on greenhouse gas emissions. All of which means more comfortable indoor air without excess costs or impact on the environment. The 850-watt dehumidifier measures 11 by 15-1/3 by 23-5/8 inches and carries a one-year limited warranty.

Price: $367.99

Click here to buy from Amazon