Energy Efficiency prospects: What to watch

Elisa WoodBy Elisa Wood
February 6, 2012

 

Events unfolding in two US Northeast states – New York and Massachusetts – signal increased business opportunity for energy efficiency companies, green architects, lighting contractors, smart grid innovators and others in the business of saving energy.

 

First, the energy efficiency world should keep an eye on debate over the possible shutdown of the Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York.

 

New York regulators recently tasked Consolidated Edison, New York City’s utility, with figuring out how to make up for the loss of the 2,040 MW Indian Point. Federal licenses for the plant expire by the end of 2015. And while the plant seeks relicensing, it faces some potent opposition. So the state wants to be prepared.

 

The back-up plan, drafted by Con Edison with the New York Power Authority, focuses largely on power plants and other energy infrastructure. But it also calls for 100 MW of energy efficiency that the utility would seek in addition to programs it already has underway.

 

The utility envisions much of the 100 MW of peak demand reduction coming from large buildings through LED lighting, advanced energy control systems, steam air conditioning,  advanced heating, ventilation and cooling, and energy storage systems.

 

Time is short – if Indian Point does close in 2015 New York needs to start ramping up its energy efficiency backup now,  says Con Edison. To that end, the utility has asked the New York Public Service Commission to approve $300 million for the efficiency program in April.

 

Given the time constraint, it’s also important to create an incentive package “that rapidly encourages interest and participation by customers,” Con Edison said. Specifically, Con Ed wats to see customers receive payback in 12 months or less for the energy efficiency investments.

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February 7, 2013 | | Tags: , , , , , , , | No Comments »

Is Occupy Wall Street occupying the wrong street?

Elisa WoodBy Elisa Wood
October 26, 2011

My Dad and I have a running joke when we’re in the car together. “Look,” he’ll say. “Gas is cheap. It’s down to $3.39.” Cheap, he means, compared with the month before when it was $3.79 per gallon.

The joke illustrates a good point. A few years ago we were flabbergasted by gasoline prices that exceeded $3 per gallon. Now we’re really happy when it doesn’t hit $4 per gallon.

When it comes to energy, we’re like frogs in water coming to a slow boil. We’ve gotten so accustomed to high oil prices, we don’t notice anymore that we’re cooked.

In my two decades writing about energy, this is one of the most poignant facts I’ve run across: Oil price spikes preceded 10 of our 11 last recessions.  This statistic portrays in a nutshell the grip that petroleum holds on us.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not letting the banks off the hook.  But by focusing so much passion on the banks in casting blame for today’s economic downturn, is Occupy Wall Street letting a major culprit slink off unnoticed down the alley?

The Econbowser.com, source of the 10 out of 11 stat, says that in 2008 high oil prices caused a drop in overall spending, which served as “the knockout punch for an economy that was already wobbly.” The article goes on to say that “there’s no question that more favorable fundamentals are exactly what we would have had if the price of oil had never gone over $100 a barrel.”

But there’s good news too. When oil prices are high, the innovators emerge. And that’s what is happening today. Over the last few months I’ve run into some pretty intriguing – possibly game changing – new energy technologies. Here are a few.

This week I interviewed Riggs Eckleberry, CEO or OriginOil, a company that has found a highly efficient way to harvest algae and extract its oil, a process that takes advantage of algae’s sensitivity to electrical fields. The approach promises to save both energy and water in processing algae. As Eckleberry puts it, algae is a renewable “petroleum that is being made fresh instead of fossilized.” He sees algae becoming an important part of the energy mix in the short-term and a serious competitor to petroleum in the long term.

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October 27, 2011 | | Tags: , , , , , | No Comments »

What’s Denver doing on the EV-Ready list?

Cara Miale

Guest Blog by Cara Miale
April 20, 2011

Looking at the list of the most EV-ready cities just released by Ford, it’s no surprise many of them are coastal. On the east and west coasts energy is pricey, so the pressure is on to achieve innovation that will control costs and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.

But what’s up with Denver out there in the middle of the map, all by its lonesome?

Government leaders in Colorado, and Denver specifically, have long been committed to sustainability and energy efficiency. Denver has worked hard over the years not only to position itself as a national leader in sustainability, but also to lead by example.

Denver was home to the first “Green Fleet” of city-use vehicles in the early 1990’s, which now includes 138 hybrid electric vehicles. The city hosted the greenest Democratic National Convention to date, and shows continued focus through clean-energy legislation. Its concentration of clean-energy workers and companies is on the rise, and Colorado continues to attract more venture capital financing for clean-tech start-ups than nearly any other state.

And, we’re not so alone after all. Denver is also participating in a U.S.-China “Eco Partnership” sponsored by U.S. Department of the Treasury, which is focused on the implementation of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

On the forefront of the EV-push is the Colorado Plug-In Working Group, which engages communities (like Denver and Boulder), government and private businesses to facilitate EV market growth. Current members are no strangers to the scene: Xcel Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the Rocky Mountain Institute, Denver Metro Clean Cities Coalition and the Governor’s Energy Office.

In putting together its list of EV-ready cities, Ford looked at several criteria including complementary state and regional activities. Of these, Denver has no shortage:

  • Intellectual resources abound. Colorado’s universities are actively researching how to increase efficiency of electricity generation and transmission and testing smart grids, and collaborating with Colorado-based national labs.
  • Greenprint Denver was established by then-Mayor Hickenlooper to position Denver as a national leader in sustainability and integrate environmental impact considerations into the city’s programs and policies.
  • The Utilities & Transmission Program at the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) has its sights set on working with utilities to increase the proportion of demand-side management within their resource portfolios.
  • Denver P2 Partners, a pollution prevention program, works with small businesses to increase participation and adoption of sustainable practices that go beyond compliance. It’s developed industry-specific criteria to target environmental issues and concerns specific to auto repair shops. Reducing transportation pollution is one of five criteria that auto repair shop must address to maintain certification through the program. While “educational training on hybrid and alternative fuel vehicle maintenance” is listed as an elective criterion, a partnership with Denver P2 Partners could be easily expanded and used to enlist auto repair shops to support EV implementation. 
  • Voluntary Ozone Reduction program. The City & County of Denver’s Environmental Transportation Coordinators hit the streets during critical summer months to educate employees about ozone pollution and  ways to reduce ozone levels.
  • Recharge Colorado Rebate Program has pumped more than $90 million into the Colorado economy since late April 2010.
  • A year ago, Colorado company UQM Technologies received a $45 million grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to expand operations of its electric motor factory, accelerating electric vehicle projects across Colorado.
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April 20, 2011 | | Tags: , , , , | No Comments »

Electric Cars and the Kindness of Strangers

Cara Miale

Guest blog by Cara Miale
March 23, 2011

As if we don’t have enough phobias already, now there is range anxiety, a malady brought on by the electric car. But it’s okay; there is a cure, or rather an app for that.

Studies indicate that many electric car drivers – and those considering joining the ranks – suffer the fear of running out of power and being stranded with a dead battery. A little planning ahead could take the pressure off; there are an estimated 1,400 vehicle charging stations in the United States today and the number is growing. Even though most people drive less than the 100 miles a day allowed by many EV’s, range anxiety remains a logistical – and largely psychological – impediment to widespread electric vehicle adoption by consumers.  One 2010 study showed range anxiety even caused EV drivers to modify their driving behaviors, decreasing the travel range and limiting most trips to no more than 25 miles.

Several companies have stepped up to ease the pain. The navigation system in the new electric Ford Focus finds electrical charging stations nearby and can help the driver conserve power by suggesting turning off the A/C or taking a more leisurely route. Google Maps, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) recently added electric vehicle charging stations to its popular platform, allowing users to search for and pinpoint more than 600 charging stations.

PlugShare, a new free app from Xatori, goes one step further with a personal touch: users can find home charging stations close by, and even list their own as a safe-haven for range-anxious drivers. PlugShare works with iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and you don’t need an EV or a special outlet to join. Accounts are customizable; those who wish to share can list their name, number and address as well as what types of energy they have available and where to find it (like the garage). The integrated app uses handy icons to identify private and public standard outlets, EV plugs and charging stations. With just a few clicks, you can identify the nearest charging station, call or text the person who listed it, and get directions. PlugShare hopes to launch a study of the app’s impact on the environment so users can celebrate the positive impact they’re making, not unlike other resource-sharing models like Denver B-cycle (members can track their miles ridden, calories burned, carbon off-set and money saved – and compare their stats to other members of the B-cycle community).

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March 23, 2011 | | Tags: , , , , , , | No Comments »

Electric vehicles: A win for Detroit and EE

By Reid Smith

At this week’s Detroit Auto Show, electric vehicles are on top. Two of the year’s highest-rated cars are electric. The plug-in hybrid electric Chevy Volt was awarded this year’s “Car of the Year,” just beating out the all-electric Nissan LEAF.

But regardless of which car wins, the message is clear: electric cars are generating a lot of excitement.

It’s not just the auto industry that will benefit. The EV industry offers growth to other industries as well, including the energy efficiency sector.

Utilities win because a growing electric auto fleet means more use of electricity to replace gasoline. GM sold between 250 and 350 Chevy Volts in December and Nissan has sold fewer than 10 LEAF sedans in the past two weeks, which means utilities need to begin thinking about how they will manage growing demand as more EVs hit the market. One way utilities can manage additional load is through energy efficiency programs, special energy pricing rates, and demand response.

Both GM and Nissan are selling their electric vehicles in selected test markets. The utilities in these test markets have been preparing energy management strategies and are now starting to collect the first real electric vehicle energy data. “Our role is to do everything we can to make EV’s successful,” said Chris Chen, market development manager for San Diego Gas and Electric, a test market for the Nissan LEAF. http://www.intelligentutility.com/resource/demand-webcast/electric-vehicles-tale-three-cities

The new data will tell utilities when consumers are charging their electric cars and how much their use will affect the grid. Because less energy is generally used at night, the existing electric infrastructure and power load can accommodate the extra energy required from electric vehicles, at least for a few years, if customers charge at night as expected. Utilities plan to encourage customers to charge their cars at night and to manage energy use to maximize the current grid’s potential.

One utility, San Diego Gas and Electric, is trying out three rate-incentive pricing schemes in different areas of its service territory. “We are trying to see if lower off-peak rates will encourage different charging patterns,” said Chen.

Another utility, DTE Energy in Michigan, is educating consumers about energy use and time-of-day rates through special energy workshops and sessions for businesses, partners, and consumers, said Jeff LeBrun, principal marketing analyst at DTE Energy.  Michigan is also the headquarters to several battery manufacturers, which are growing along with the electric vehicle industry. LG Chem, one Michigan battery company, is the chosen manufacturer for both the Chevy Volt and Ford’s electric Focus, set to be released later in 2011.

Utilities such as San Diego Gas and Electric are also looking at demand response programs designed specifically for electric vehicles. As more and more vehicle charging stations are installed, demand response programs can help manage surging energy loads and peak loads. It’s likely the demand response market will develop with the electric car market.

But how fast will the electric market grow? Will your next car likely be electric?

Right now, utilities project that electric vehicles will develop slowly because car companies are limiting the number of units sold and are gradually ramping up production.  A slow-growing industry is good for utilities, which have time to test different electric vehicle adoption and energy management strategies. Limited expansion is good as long as consumer demand continues. About 50,000 people are on waiting lists for electric vehicles.

Consumers will adopt electric vehicles as long as utilities make the transition to ownership a positive experience. In many ways the success of the electric vehicle industry ultimately depends on the utility’s ability to manage energy and promote energy efficiency, thus being able to provide electric vehicle owners with the proper energy infrastructure and simplicity that they demand.

Visit Reid Smith at www.realenergywriters.com and pick up his free weekly newsletter and podcast.

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January 12, 2011 | | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | No Comments »
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