EREN Network News

February 17, 1999

News and Events

• Geothermal Heat Pumps Coming to Federal Facilities
• Washington Municipal Utility to Sell Green Power
• Industry Participants Recognized at Industrial Exposition

Site News

• Micro Hydropower

Energy Facts and Tips

• Renewable Energy Purchases: History and Recent Developments
• Geothermal Heat Pumps for Home Heating and Cooling

About this Newsletter

News and Events

Geothermal Heat Pumps Coming to Federal Facilities
DOE announced on February 11th that it had selected five energy service companies to provide geothermal heat pump systems to federal facilities throughout the United States. The contracts, coordinated by DOE's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), could provide as much as $500 million in work. The installations are expected to save 20 to 40 percent of the current energy consumption at each site. Two U.S. Navy buildings near Virginia Beach, Virginia, will be the first to be retrofitted with geothermal heat pumps, which save energy by relying on the relatively stable temperatures found underground. See the DOE press release.

See also the EREN Web site for more information on FEMP.

Washington Municipal Utility to Sell Green Power
DOE's Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) announced on February 10th that it had signed a two-year agreement to provide 10 megawatts (MW) of green power to Washington's Snohomish Public Utility District (PUD). The power will come from three wind-powered turbines in Wyoming and an existing small hydroelectric power plant. Snohomish PUD is the second largest public power utility in the Pacific Northwest, serving more than 240,000 customers in Snohomish County and Camano Island, north of Seattle. See the BPA press release.

Industry Participants Recognized at Industrial Exposition
At last week's Industrial Energy Efficiency Symposium and Exposition, the contributions of 42 representatives from industry, organizations, universities, and national laboratories were acknowledged with Industry Recognition Awards. Dan Reicher, DOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, presented the awards to formally acknowledge those who have played a significant role in the "Industries of the Future" process. For more information, see the DOE press release.

Site News

Micro Hydropower
The Micro Hydropower site was developed by a rural energy specialist at the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences in The Netherlands. The site features a series of documents on micro hydropower basics. A micro hydropower discussion group with message archives, information about hydropower publications, and Internet links are also available.

For this and other recent additions, see the EREN Web site.

Energy Facts and Tips

Renewable Energy Purchases: History and Recent Developments
DOE's Energy Information Administration has recently published "Renewable Electricity Purchases: History and Recent Developments." The report includes detailed breakdowns of renewable electricity sales from 1992 to 1996, when nonutility renewable generating capacity exceeded 17,000 megawatts. It also includes a discussion of the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA), which stimulated much of the renewable electricity growth in the 1980s. The report is available in PDF format on the EIA Renewable Fuels Web page.

Geothermal Heat Pumps for Home Heating and Cooling
If you're considering upgrading your home's heating and cooling system, consider installing a geothermal heat pump. Geothermal heat pumps save energy by drawing heat from the relatively warm ground during the winter. During the summer, they draw heat from your home and transfer it to the relatively cool ground. Because the ground temperature is relatively constant compared to outside air temperatures, geothermal heat pumps are usually much more efficient than comparable air-source heat pumps. For more information about geothermal heat pumps, see the fact sheet from the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse.

The DOE/EPA Energy Star program also evaluates and labels geothermal heat pumps. See the Energy Star Web site.

About this Newsletter

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