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TransActions - November 2000 (Vol
500)
A Resource Whose Time Has Come The growing dependence on imported oil combined with the recent steep increases in the price of natural gas has generated a surge of interest in technologies that use renewable energy sources to generate electricity. Renewable energy sources include wind power, geothermal energy, biomass, solar energy, hydroelectric and other less developed natural sources of energy such as ocean waves and tides. While renewable energy has been the subject of recent publicity, its technologies have been developing rapidly for the past decade. A close look at today’s renewable energy technologies reveals that, in many cases, renewables are quite competitive with other forms of electric generation. A review of the current status of several renewable energy technologies provides an understanding of the role that these energy sources can play in meeting the current and future needs of the United States. Wind Energy Wind was the fastest growing source of electricity in the world in the 1990s. Improvements in wind generating technologies have reduced the cost of wind generated electricity more than 80 percent in the last 20 years. Electricity generated by wind turbines installed in 2000 costs approximately 4 cents per kilowatt hour and U.S. manufacturers of wind turbines expect to reduce the cost to 2.5 cents per kilowatt hour by 2003. Wind is already generating substantial quantities of electricity in the United States – about 5 billion kilowatt hours was produced in 1999. Installed capacity of wind generation should reach 2,500 Mw in 2000 and is projected to increase to 5,000 Mw by 2005 and 10,000 Mw by 2010, reducing carbon emissions by over 10 million metric tons of carbon equivalent. In recent weeks, electric utilities in Texas have announced significant commitments to wind generators including Reliant Energy’s commitment to buy power from the 208 Mw King Mountain Wind Ranch to be built south of Odessa and TXU’s announcement that it would purchase electricity from a 160 Mw wind farm to be developed by the nation’s largest wind energy producer, FPL Energy LLC. Geothermal Power Geothermal power plants utilize heat from deep within the earth’s interior to produce electricity. In a geothermal plant, production wells are drilled thousands of feet deep to extract energy in the form of steam and hot water. The steam is separated from the hot water and used to power steam turbine generators that generate electricity. The steam and water are then recombined and returned far below the surface via injection wells. Sites suitable for geothermal energy production are located throughout the western United States, Alaska and Hawaii. Approximately 2,800 Mw of geothermal generating capacity are currently installed in the United States, producing electricity at a cost of 5 to 8 cents per kilowatt hour. Research sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy is aimed at reducing the levelized cost of geothermal power to 3 to 5 cents per kilowatt hour by the year 2007. Biomass Energy Biomass energy takes many forms but has the common denominator that this energy is derived from biological material, such various crops and timber waste products. Electricity can be produced from biomass by directly burning bio-material such as bagasse, the byproduct produced in the processing of sugar cane. Many sugar refineries burn bagasse to produce the electricity needed to operate the refinery and generate additional surplus electricity to sell to the local utility. This method is called direct fired combustion. With more than 7,000 Mw of installed direct fired capacity, biomass is the second most utilized renewable power generation resource in the U.S. (the largest renewable source is hydroelectric). Another method of producing electricity from biomass is called biomass cofiring. This term refers to the practice of introducing biomass as a partial substitute fuel in high efficiency coal boilers. This is the nearest term low-cost option for the efficient conversion of biomass to electricity. Demonstrations and trials have shown that effective substitutions of biomass energy can be made up to about 15 percent of the total energy input with little more than burner and feed intake system modifications to existing stations. Biomass material can be converted into a clean burning gas fuel through a process called gasification. Gasification systems use high temperatures and an oxygen starved environment to convert biomass into a gas (a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen and methane) that can be used to fire a combustion turbine generator. Finally, biomass material is used as the feedstock to create ethanol that can be used as a fuel additive to cut down a vehicle’s carbon monoxide and other smog-causing emissions. Ethanol can be produced from plentiful, domestic cellulosic biomass feedstocks such as bioenergy crops (herbaceous and woody plants), agricultural wastes (corn stalks, bagasse, etc.), forestry residuals and municipal solid waste. The U.S. Department of Energy anticipates that the first commercial biomass ethanol plants will begin operation in the United States within the next few years. Solar Power The energy of the sun can be captured through the use of solar thermal devices or photovoltaic (PV) cells to generate electricity. Solar thermal devices use various means to concentrate the sun’s energy to create steam which is then used to drive a steam turbine-generator to generate electricity. PV cells convert sunlight directly into electricity. On a small scale, PV cells are used to power watches and calculators. However, PV cells are also capable of generating electricity on a commercial scale. At the present time, PV systems are delivering electricity for as low as 12 to 20 cents per kilowatt hour. While this cost is not competitive with new gas fired generation, PV systems have wide application in remote areas and in distributed generation. As described above, many renewable technologies that only a few years ago were very expensive and not sufficiently developed for commercial applications are now receiving serious consideration from utilities planning their next generating projects. Many consumers have demonstrated a willingness to pay a premium for the environmental benefits of the “green power” produced by renewable technologies. Several states have established Renewable Portfolio Standards that mandate a percentage of electric generation come from renewable energy sources. For example, in December 1999, the State of Texas published regulations that require 1,280 Mw of new and existing renewables by 2003 and 2,880 Mw by 2009. As the cost of renewable energy continues to decline and the environmental, fuel diversity and energy security benefits are recognized, renewable energy will play an increasingly important role in meeting the future needs for electric generating capacity. For more information, contact Bill Jacobs at 770-425-8100 e-mail:info@gdsassociates.com. HOW ENERGY EFFICIENT IS YOUR OFFICE BUILDING OR K-12 SCHOOL? ENERGY STAR® Benchmarking lets you know. ENERGY STAR® Benchmarking is an easy-to-use online software tool sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and can be accessed from http://www.epa.gov/buildings/. By including some characteristics of your specific building – such as physical attributes, operating characteristics and energy consumption, you can compare energy efficiency results to those of buildings throughout the country that are known to be energy efficient. At the moment, the ENERGY STAR® benchmarking tool is only available for typical office buildings and K-12 schools, but that covers a lot of ground. (Expanded use is coming soon for retail buildings, etc.) "Benchmarking" means to compare something to an acceptable standard and that is what the EPA software does. With it, you can:
The goal of Benchmarking commercial buildings is to quantify the energy performance of an entire building, in relation to similar energy efficient buildings and to communicate the “value” of energy efficiency to an organization. ENERGY STAR® Benchmarking will improve building performance by addressing the following:
The Benchmarking tool can also be considered to have some application in the Monitoring and Verification area. As an M&V tool used in project implementation, it would be possible to measure a percent increase or achievement of a specific percentile level. It is also anticipated that the benchmarking tool may be able to be coordinated with the ISO set of standards. Presently, the reference database of buildings only includes office buildings and K-12 school buildings. Promotion of Benchmarking will initially be targeted to key customer groups such as schools and commercial property managers. Another possibility might be to have utilities or associations act as a host site. Additional Benchmarking tools are anticipated as early as this fall for retail buildings and other structures. A mechanism exists for receiving feedback on issues and concerns and for sharing plans and experiences. This allows for modifications and enhancements to be incorporated into upgrades in the software. Some current issues and concerns that have been raised are:
Some anticipated modifications and enhancements to the EPA software are:
The ENERGY STAR® Label is a "symbol of commitment" by the building owner or manager. This Label is an actual plaque that can be displayed proudly! Applying for an ENERGY STAR® Label is merely the next step that can be taken following benchmarking of a building. The Benchmarking tool also includes a Performance Rating System on a scale of "0 to 100." Only those buildings that are rated at "75 or greater" qualify for consideration for a Label. Additionally, a building must be verified as maintaining a healthy and productive indoor air environment that is consistent with industry standards. This is accomplished by enlisting the aid of a Licensed Building Professional or Registered Professional Engineer who then completes a Statement of Energy Performance. A document is available from the EPA to assist the PE in verifying building characteristics and energy consumption. It should be referred to as the "Licensed Building Professional Guidance to the ENERGY STAR® Label for Buildings" and was last revised in December 1999. The ENERGY STAR® Label for Buildings is also expected to accomplish the following:
For more information, contact Bill Startt at 770-425-8100 e-mail:info@gdsassociates.com.
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