July-August 2003
Conservation Update
Feature Article
Putting Efficiency into Energy-Efficiency Programs: Vermont's Story
by Kristin Tromly, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
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Michael Dworkin, chair of the Vermont Public Service Board (left), and Blair Hamilton, managing director of Efficiency Vermont (right), receive the Innovations in American Government Award in Washington, DC, on May 8, 2003. |
In 1999, Vermont formed Efficiency Vermont, the first utility in the nation wholly dedicated to helping its customers save energy. Efficiency Vermont provides energy-efficiency services throughout the entire state, providing technical advice and financial assistance to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. By all measures, Efficiency Vermont has been hugely successful.
Before Efficiency Vermont was formed, the state's utilities were required by law to help customers save energy even though selling more energy would mean increased revenues. The state's 22 utilities all developed and ran their own energy efficiency programs, with no statewide coordination. Smaller utilities, some with fewer than 1,000 customers, were especially burdened trying to meet statutory requirements for delivering energy efficiency. Advocacy groups and regulators often made energy efficiency an issue in rate and planning cases, increasing regulatory costs. And regulators were charged with ensuring that all 22 utility efficiency programs were complying with state law.
The energy efficiency utility has spread the efficiency message across the state. Vermont utilities are free to focus on becoming leaner in the face of increasing competition. Customers now contact one organization for energy efficiency services. Efficiency Vermont served 67,846 unique customers (20.4% of eligible customers) from 2000 to 2002. (Efficiency Vermont measures results by unique customers, to avoid overstating benefits.) By comparison, the participation rates for Vermont's two largest utilities in 1998 and 1999 were less than 5%.
Table 1: Customers Participating in Efficiency Vermont 2000-2002
| Commercial and Industrial | Residential | Total | Eligible Electric Customers | Participation of Eligible Customers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation (3-year Cumulative) | 1,270 | 66,576 | 67,846 | 332,487 | 20.4% |
In 2002, Efficiency Vermont helped 32,306 electricity customers complete efficiency investments that saved 38,369,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy annually. These savings cost ratepayers 53% less than what utilities would have paid for this energy on the wholesale supply market. Efficiency Vermont surpassed the 2002 annual energy savings target by 59% and its 3-year target by 17%. These measures eliminated 411,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions that would have been generated from conventional energy sources. Vermont leads the nation in ENERGY STAR® qualified room air conditioners as a percentage of sales and ranks third in the country for percentage of homes built to ENERGY STAR requirements.
In addition to these impressive statistics, Efficiency Vermont has garnered awards and recognition from around the country, winning the prestigious Innovations in American Government Award from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. At the awards ceremony, Michael Dworkin, chair of the Vermont Public Service Board, said, "Efficiency Vermont has rightfully earned a place among a group of organizations that are truly making the world a better place. By helping Vermonters use energy more efficiently, Efficiency Vermont will save Vermont homes and businesses millions of dollars and eliminate hundreds of thousands of tons of greenhouse gas emissions—all at half the cost of generating and distributing new power."
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also honored Efficiency Vermont with awards.
Creation of Efficiency Vermont
The idea of an energy efficiency utility was first considered as part of electric utility restructuring deliberations in 1996 and 1997, but the Vermont legislature put the brakes on restructuring. At the same time, the Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) reported on utility energy efficiency efforts since 1990. The report recommended creating a statewide, nonutility entity to provide efficiency services. The benefits outlined were:
- Increased availability and uniformity of services
- Reduced regulatory contentiousness and cost
- Reversal of a downward trend in utility spending since 1993
- Greater administrative and delivery effectiveness and efficiency.
The Idea Takes Shape
In 1996, DOE funding supported the statewide consolidation of low-income multifamily energy efficiency services, paving the way for the Efficiency Vermont statewide model (see below). In 1999, the legislature gave the Vermont Public Service Board (PSB) the authority to create an energy efficiency utility with an annual funding cap of $17.5 million. The legislature did not set an expiration date for authorizing the utility. The state's regulated utilities, the DPS, and business, consumer, and environmental groups spelled out details of the utility's operation in a negotiated settlement.
According to Blair Hamilton, managing director of Efficiency Vermont, electric utilities were receptive to the idea of a statewide efficiency utility. "It was something that everyone signed on to. The important part was that in the process, the major investor-owned utilities said, 'We are willing to let this go. In fact, it might be a good thing.' It lets them concentrate on what they see is their core business in what is a changing market moving towards increased competition. It allows them to get leaner and more efficient," says Blair.
DOE Support Paved the Way
Vermont has been a DOE Rebuild America partner since 1996 when it received a grant of $115,000 to create the Residential Energy Efficiency Program (REEP). This innovative proposal combined all of Vermont's utility low-income multifamily residential demand-side management programs into a single statewide effort closely coordinated with Vermont's Weatherization Assistance Program.
It has succeeded in dramatic fashion.
REEP became the model for statewide delivery of utility programs that has since been institutionalized in Vermont law and practice by the creation of the nation's first energy efficiency utility, Efficiency Vermont. With the creation of the energy efficiency utility, continuity was maintained for REEP, as Efficiency Vermont incorporated REEP into its services.
Through 2002, REEP has:
- Served 5,900 units of multifamily housing, representing nearly 25% of the low-income multifamily housing stock.
- Attained annualized savings of 12,258,000 kWh.
- Attained fossil fuel savings of more than 20,000 million Btu, and water savings of more than 30,000 cubic feet.
- Leveraged $8 million of total investment with program incentives of $1.7 million.
- Attained a better than 90% participation rate in multifamily new construction and major rehabilitation.
- Begun reaching the nonsubsidized housing market.
The REEP program was recently honored by the American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy as one of the nation's 32 Exemplary Programs in energy efficiency.
Vermont Energy Investment Corporation, a nonprofit energy efficiency services company, was the lead implementation entity in the original REEP program. It is now the contractor administering Efficiency Vermont.
Operation of Efficiency Vermont
Efficiency Vermont is operated by Vermont Energy Investment Corporation under an extensive and detailed contract with the PSB. A third-party contract administrator, hired by the PSB, handles day-to-day contract administration on behalf of the PSB. Another entity, the fiscal agent, receives the funds collected by the utilities and disburses funds against bills submitted by Efficiency Vermont. Because the funds collected never become state funds, they are less exposed to redirection, and potentially burdensome state procurement requirements are minimized.
Structure of Vermont's Energy Efficiency Utility
Efficiency Vermont is funded by a direct charge on customers' electricity bills. The charge averaged 1.5 mills ($0.0015) per kWh, in 2000, increasing to 1.8 mills per kWh in 2001 and to 2.2 mills per kWh in 2002. Actual expenditures for Efficiency Vermont were $5.6 million in 2000, $8.8 million in 2001, and $11 million in 2002. Although the charges varied by service territory until January 2003, they are now uniform statewide.
Efficiency Vermont designs, markets, and implements energy efficiency services. The contract with the PSB contains negotiated performance measures for the Efficiency Vermont contractor, and provides an incentive of 2.9% of the contract value if the contractor attains 100% of the performance results.
The performance contract for the first 3 years had 35 specified measures of performance. Efficiency Vermont has three types of performance indicators: Program results, activity milestones, and market effects. Most of the incentive award is for electric energy savings and the economic value of all resource savings.
Each year the DPS reviews the savings claims made by the Efficiency Vermont contractor. The DPS also assesses and reports on market potential, sets efficiency baselines, evaluates the program, and makes recommendations to the PSB on directions and priorities. The Efficiency Vermont contractor is given wide latitude regarding program design and implementation. Each year, the contractor submits an annual plan, which is reviewed before the PSB in a public forum with opportunity for comments.
Results and Plans for the Future
Results
Utilities, customers, and the business community are all pleased with the performance of the efficiency utility. Utilities are supportive and refer customers to Efficiency Vermont. Customers report that they like having a single, statewide source for all efficiency services, which they can contact via its Web site or toll-free phone number. Efficiency Vermont has worked hard to develop partnerships with statewide dealer and vendor networks, design and engineering professionals, economic development agencies, and business and trade associations.
One of Efficiency Vermont's most impressive achievements is its contribution to the portfolio of resources to meet the state's energy needs. "If you look at electricity consumption data for Vermont, we are now meeting 2% of Vermont's energy needs from our investments in efficiency over our first three years. We estimate that we will hit 10% of the energy needs within 10 years," boasts Blair Hamilton.
Plans for the Future
After the first 3 years of Efficiency Vermont's operation, the PSB chose to extend the current contract for another 3 years, with new, more aggressive performance goals. Implementation after 2005 will be put out for bid.
The Harvard Innovations in American Government Award includes $100,000 to fund efforts that encourage replication of the energy efficiency utility in other states. Efficiency Vermont plans to use the funds to help other states bring more efficiency to the delivery of energy efficiency services.
State Energy Offices Bulletin
Stories submitted by state energy offices about their projects.
Arizona
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The new Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Building was designed to receive Green Building Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. |
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Arizona State Government Goes Green
The State of Arizona recently constructed two buildings designed to receive Green Building Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). To receive certification, the new Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Building (ADEQ) and the new Department of Administration Building earned points in five USGBC categories: Site Preparation, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality, and Material and Resource Management.
Funding for these two large buildings (which have a combined area of 485,000 square feet) posed a challenge for the state. The solution was a process called privatized lease-to-own, whereby a private developer designed, built, and operates the buildings on the Capitol Mall, leasing them to the state. At the end of the 25-year lease term, the state will own the buildings, saving $200,000 to $300,000 per year that would have been spent on leasing costs. The result is an energy- and water-efficient building that is an environmentally sound, comfortable workplace.
Examples of energy-efficient features in the buildings include points for exceeding ASHRAE 90.1-1999, daylight dimming for perimeter office lighting, occupancy sensors for lighting in all areas, low-e glazed windows, ENERGY STAR-labeled white reflective roofing, carbon dioxide sensors to ensure adequate fresh air and energy efficiency, and variable frequency drives on all motors. In addition to water-efficient plumbing fixtures, bleed water from the cooling tower is collected for landscaping. A 100-kilowatt photovoltaic system, provided by Arizona Public Service Company was installed on the roof of the five-level ADEQ parking garage to provide electricity to the grid and covered parking on the roof.
Colorado
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Governor Bill Owens accepts the Energy Governor's Leadership Award from Jim Keyes, chair of the Johnson Controls Board of Directors. Credit: Courtesy of OEMC |
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Colorado Governor Owens Receives Energy Leadership Award
Colorado's Governor Bill Owens was honored June 11 with the Energy Governor's Leadership Award at the 14th Annual Energy Efficiency Forum in Washington, D.C. The topic of the forum was "Energy Efficiency: The Path to Economic and National Security."
"It is a pleasure to accept this award on behalf of the many Coloradoans committed to cutting energy costs and saving taxpayer dollars," Owens said. "Colorado is blessed with an abundance of resources�resources that contribute to our high quality of life—and we must remain devoted to protecting them for future generations to enjoy."
Owens received the 2003 Energy Governor's Leadership Award for his efforts to increase energy efficiency and conservation in Colorado's state agencies. The Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation advances energy efficiency in the state by leading Rebuild Colorado, a Rebuild America partnership. In his remarks, Owens cited Rebuild Colorado's success in saving energy through performance contracting. Owens has issued an executive order establishing energy efficiency and conservation practices for state agencies and implemented energy-saving initiatives in government buildings. These measures have already realized nearly $2 million in energy cost savings. These projects promise to deliver an additional $8 million in energy costs for Colorado.
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Colorado's Office of Energy Management and Conservation purchased seven wind anemometers to loan out across the state. Credit: OEMC |
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Colorado Launches Anemometer Loan Program
On June 25 the Colorado Governor's Office of Energy Management and Conservation purchased seven 20-meter anemometer towers and anemometers to be used in a state loan program to capture invaluable wind resource information and provide it to stakeholders. This loan program is made possible by a partnership and matching funds from the U.S. Department of Energy's Wind Powering America Program. The anemometers will capture data for about a year. The data will be analyzed by a third party and will be available to the public. Upon completion of the data collection the anemometer will be available to move to other Colorado sites.
"OEMC initiated this program due to the tremendous interest in generating wind energy," said Rick Grice, OEMC executive director. "Our goal is to assist communities, landowners, and other stakeholders in making informed decisions on a site's wind energy resources. The data collected from the anemometers is invaluable in this process."
The anemometers have been installed in Lamar (about 35 miles southeast of Aurora), Julesburg, Montrose, and Leadville. Two other sites have been selected, one in Walden and one in Meeker; both will be installed later this year. Selections were based on statewide wind mapping information as well as the participants' stated purposes for wind energy use. The awareness of current electricity suppliers' net metering and interconnection policies, distance to transmission lines, transmission capacity availability, and likely funding for the wind project were also factors in the selections.
District of Columbia
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Students and their families learned about energy efficiency through a six-month education program. Credit: DC Energy Office |
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Washington, D.C., Students Save Energy at Home
More than 95 families boasted success in lowering energy consumption at the Energy Evaluation Awards Program in June, sponsored by the D.C. Energy Office. Through the Energy Efficiency Evaluation Program, approximately 25 teachers and 95 students and their families made efforts every day-for six months-to learn or practice something related to energy efficiency. The Energy Efficiency Evaluation Program was the first of its kind for D.C. school kids and it turned out to be a success-more than 60% of the participating families realized some type of reduction in consumption.
Through the program, an energy efficiency curriculum was developed that included weekly suggestions on topics such as controlling thermostats, closing doors, and sealing air leaks. Parents were contacted and asked to sign utility bill authorization forms that allowed their bills to be monitored. An energy material demonstration workshop was performed for teachers and parents that gave fundamental instructions on how to use the materials, including fluorescent light bulbs and caulk guns, that were given out. Energy stickers and other motivators were sent home weekly. The students were excited at the thought of saving energy, but they were also encouraged by Game Boys and Foot Locker gift certificates that were awarded if their household consumption went down during the six months.
The DC Energy Office went into partnership with the local gas and electric company to monitor the utility bills for every family participating. The bills for the six-month trial period were weather normalized and compared to the same time period of the prior year.
Iowa
Iowa Schools Cut Bus Emissions
Iowa's fleet of nearly 5,000 school buses is emitting 27% less harmful soot thanks to an ongoing voluntary cleanup effort that began in 2001. The emission reduction effort is part of the Bus Emission Education Program (BEEP), a nonprofit collaborative effort of state and private groups. In July BEEP honored 75 Iowa school districts at the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association conference in Des Moines for their work in reducing emissions, saving fuel, and prolonging engine life.
Twice annually, school buses undergo voluntary emission tests that examine the amount of light blocked by soot and particulate matter. Dense, black tailpipe smoke signals engine deterioration, wasted fuel, and a need for immediate repairs. The results are given to the schools, who use the data to target repairs of higher emitting buses in their fleets. The BEEP initiative is the first voluntary school bus emission testing program in the nation. BEEP is a partnership of the Iowa Department of Education, Department of Natural Resources, School Administrators of Iowa, Iowa Pupil Transportation Association, and Mirenco Inc.
"This is a tremendous and unprecedented voluntary cleanup of harmful pollutants," said Department of Natural Resources Director Jeffrey Vonk, who presented awards to schools at the Iowa Pupil Transportation Association meeting in Des Monies in July.
Kansas
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Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius signs HB 2131 into law on April 31st making Kansas the first state to adopt the 2003 version of the International Energy Conservation Code. Left to right standing behind Kansas Governor Sebelius are Gene Meyer, K-State Engineering Extension; Dave Holtwick, Homebuilders Association of Greater Kansas City (KC-HBA); Sam Crawford, Chair of KC-HBA Build Green Committee; William D. Wall, International Code Council; Joe King, Coriolis; Jim Ploger, Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) energy manager; Alex Silver, Black & Veatch & Member of State Energy Resources Coordinating Council; Liz Brosius, Kansas Geological Survey; Brian Moline, KCC chairman; and John Wine and Cynthia Claus, KCC commissioners. |
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Kansas Adopts New Energy Building Codes
The National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) reports in early June that Kansas is adopting the 2003 version of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed the bill (HB 2131) into law on April 31st for Kansas to adopt the IECC, which takes effect on July 1, 2003.
The new code provides for a Home Energy Ratings System (HERS) rating of 80% for new residential buildings. Kansas thus becomes the 16th state in the country to include a HERS component to its building energy codes. For background on home energy ratings, see NASEO's HERS resolution.
The last time energy codes were updated in Kansas was 1997, and technology and the understanding of the importance of energy codes have both come quite a long way in the last six years. In fact, Kansas is the first state in the country to adopt the 2003 IECC. For a summary of the changes in the 2003 IECC from that of 2002, see a presentation Eric Makela of the International Conference of Building Officials and published by DOE's Building Energy Codes project (PDF 721 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.
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Credit: Kansas Corporation Commission |
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Topeka Solar Rally
The capital of Kansas becomes the solar center of North America in the middle of May when it hosts the Formula Sun Grand Prix and the Solar BikeRayce USA. At these events, dozens of high school and college teams assemble in Topeka to race their custom-built electric vehicles powered by solar photovoltaic (PV) cells.
The first race, which took place on May 14 - 16, was the Formula Sun Grand Prix where teams of university students race full-size PV cars. The winner completes the most number of laps in the course of the three-day event. The winning team from the University of Minnesota completed 365 laps of the 2.1-mile course for a total of 767 miles. This race also serves as a qualifier for the 2,300-mile American Solar Challenge in July. The team from Kansas State University was first to qualify for the Challenge by completing 140 miles in a car covered with 1,300 solar cells that supply power to a lithium ion battery. For more information about the Kansas State team, see article by J.R. Mendoza the May 15th issue of The Topeka Capital Journal.
The Solar BikeRayce took place on May 18th and featured 35 teams of high school students racing electric bicycles and small cars powered by PV cells. California's Los Altos High School won this event completing the course at an average speed of 25 miles per hour (mph) over the 63-mile (100-kilometer) course. Kansas' Concordia High School won the sprint contest by clocking the fastest speed at 53.2 mph.
Both events are sponsored by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) since 1993 and this year took place in Heartland Park in Topeka. The races were part of a larger series of events featuring solar energy cosponsored by KCC, including a workshop held on May 15th for energy professionals and local building code officials and a fair open to the public on May 17th in Heartland Park.
Louisiana
Louisiana Schools Recognized
The long, hot, humid days of summer did not stop officials of six school boards and one police jury from traveling to the capital city for recognition as "good stewards" in the state's new Energy Fund program. The Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) held a "Stewardship Awards" ceremony in July to honor and call attention to the participants. "These school systems are now on their way to saving hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in energy operating costs," said DNR Secretary Jack Caldwell.
By using Petroleum Violation Escrow (PVE) funds governed by the U.S. Department of Energy's State Energy Plan, the DNR has granted the first of seven energy and water conservation projects, which are expected to result in $1.86 million annual energy savings. According to Secretary Caldwell, the state's Energy Office at DNR will continue to work with schools, hospitals, and other public institutions to implement energy conservation measures to achieve long-range energy savings. "This public-private initiative provides low-cost financing to publicly funded entities," he said.
The State Bond Commission authorized $13.6 million in tax-exempt bonds last fall. Proceeds are now being used to fund energy and water retrofits and performance contracts with local entities. In addition to energy savings, the school systems and parish government contracts are expected to create some 400 jobs statewide through the construction year, and $2.1 million is projected in total sales tax revenue. According to DNR Energy Fund Manager Louis McArthur, these contracts are known as performance contracts in which building improvements are made with monies that would normally be spent on paying utility bills. Multiple projects are pooled to achieve greater economies of scale. DNR can reduce transaction costs by pledging Energy Fund dollars that are used to buy down the interest costs associated with the bond pool.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts Grants for 100 Solar Systems
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) announced $3.5 million in grants for more than 100 new solar electric systems across the state. There are 21 recipients for the grants that range in amounts from $42,000 to $500,000. In addition to solar energy, the grants will foster development of new and renovated energy efficient buildings.
MTC is the development agency for renewable energy for Massachusetts. The grants are from the state's Renewable Energy Trust, which is funded by a small surcharge called a "systems benefit charge" paid by electricity consumers. The Trust has awarded $3.8 million for 350 new solar systems to be installed in 2003 and 2004. According to the MTC, the Massachusetts solar industry has annual sales of more than $43 million, of which 78% is for exports.
The Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources oversees the state's energy programs funded with the systems benefit charge using a small amount of funding from DOE's State Energy Program. For more information about its activities, see DOER's programs and publications.
Massachusetts Launches Green Power Partnership with $30 Million
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC) announced an innovative program to support construction of new renewable energy facilities on June 4th. The program, called the Massachusetts Green Power Partnership, is the largest program of its kind in state history.
Under the partnership, the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust will purchase certificates from electricity generators using renewable energy resources and, in turn, offer them for sale to residential and commercial electricity customers. These customers buy the certificates as their participation in the green power program. The purchase by the trust will have the effect of providing a price floor for the certificates, which enables the generators to sign long-term contracts with electric power distributors. Long-term contracts are a hallmark of the financial dealings of renewable energy suppliers because their costs, although fixed over the long term, are more heavily loaded toward the beginning of the contract periods than are those of power generators using fossil fuels. On the other hand, ongoing costs for fuel and maintenance are often much lower for renewable generators, which allows them to compete with conventional generators over longer periods.
MTC manages the Renewable Energy Trust, which is funded through a small surcharge on the electricity bills of Massachusetts consumers. The purpose of the program is to enable the state to meet the Massachusetts renewable portfolio standard, which requires that the state produce 4% of its electricity from renewable resources by 2009.
Robert L. Pratt, executive director of the trust, said the agency will spend $30 million buying certificates from renewable power generators. Over time, he expects these sales to earn a profit and spur development renewable energy and green power projects worth $200 million, enough to supply electricity for 150,000 homes.
To understand better how green power certificates work, see an explanation on DOE's Green Power Network.
New York
New York's Gunnar Walmet Honored by ACEEE
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy recently named Gunnar Walmet as a Champion of Energy Efficiency. Walmet is Industry and Building R&D Program Director at the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Presented to outstanding industrial sector leaders on July 31, the awards recognize leadership and accomplishment in the energy efficiency field. Winners were selected based on demonstrated excellence in program implementation, research and development, energy policy, private sector initiatives, and international initiatives.
Walmet has been a leader in developing one of the most important state-based industrial energy efficiency R&D programs in the country. He has also been a national leader in the area of promoting industrial energy efficiency, encouraging other states and the federal government to follow the example set by NYSERDA. Walmet is a longtime supporter of ACEEE's industrial program, encouraging ACEEE to establish the program in the early 1990s, and supporting the establishment and continued success of the ACEEE Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Industry, which has been hosted by NYSERDA in New York since 1995.
Oregon
Oregon Holds Geothermal Collaborative Summit
On July 16, federal and state government representatives met in Portland to discuss strategies for developing geothermal energy in Oregon. The gathering included staff from the state's congressional delegation, the governor's office, State Energy and Minerals Offices, as well as the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, and EERE representatives. They discussed their perspectives on geothermal development in the state and explored opportunities for collaboration in addressing issues, barriers, and opportunities.
Pennsylvania
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This 10-kW wind turbine is now part of an fun and educational show at the Hersheypark Amusement Park in Hershey, Pennsylvania. |
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Hershey Sweetens Show with Wind and Solar
Hersheypark provides thrills, rides, and now also an educational program about electricity produced by solar and wind energy. Founded by Milton Hershey as a park for employees at the Hershey's Chocolate Bar factory in 1907, the amusement park is located in Hershey, Pennsylvania about 10 miles east of Harrisburg and hosts for 2.4 million visitors a year.
The park unveiled a 60-foot tall wind turbine on June 26th as part of the new Renewable Energy Project in the Green Team staging area. The project received financial support from the Sustainable Energy Fund of Central Eastern Pennsylvania; Community Energy, Inc. of Wayne, Pennsylvania; and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The wind turbine is rated at 10 kilowatts (kW) and was manufactured by Bergey Windpower of Norman, Oklahoma; it was provided to the park with partial funding from DOE's Wind Energy Program. The output of the turbine combined that from 60 photovoltaic (PV) panels that are soon to be installed by Community Energy will total 30,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year.
The Green Team is a lively entertainment show about clean energy, sponsored by DEP and Sustainable Energy Fund, with partial funding supplied by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) State Energy Program starting last year. (DEP has funded the show with its own funding sources for the last four years.)
At the dedication, DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty said, "The Renewable Energy Project is a great way to get a very important environmental message across to people of all ages. The Green Team, the wind turbine and the solar panels are all pieces to a much larger environmental puzzle, to which everyone can contribute." For more information about the project and the dedication, see DEP press release.
Pennsylvania Commits $5 Million for Renewable Energy
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced a new grant program on June 26 to promote renewable and innovative energy technologies. Called Pennsylvania Energy Harvest, the grant program will build awareness of and markets for clean energy. Pennsylvania has committed $5 million to the grants in 2003 that will be awarded through a competitive solicitation; applications are due September 19th.
Pennsylvania Energy Harvest will fund renewable energy development, biomass energy projects, waste coal reclamation for energy, demonstration of innovative energy efficiency technologies, and distributed generation infrastructure improvements like smart electrical meters. DEP will give special consideration to projects that assist farmers and that reclaim waste coal. The initiative goals are to improve air quality, preserve land, protect local watersheds, and provide economic opportunities.
DEP Secretary Kathleen A. McGinty announced the Pennsylvania Energy Harvest during a June 26 news conference.
"Pennsylvania Energy Harvest will encourage energy innovation by funding projects that use sources which in some respects are unique and especially important to Pennsylvania," McGinty said. "Pennsylvania has the potential to become a national leader in clean energy generation."
Funding sources for Pennsylvania Energy Harvest include the Pennsylvania Clean Air Fund, Growing Greener, and the U.S. Department of Energy's State Energy Program (SEP). For details and for a grant application, see Pennsylvania Energy Harvest.
Utah
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Utah's Matheson Courthouse saved $75,000 in utilities costs last year after it underwent a retrocommissioning. Credit: Utah Energy Office |
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Utah Courthouse Saves $75,000 in Utilities Costs
The Utah Energy Office and the state's Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM) recently announced it saved $75,000 in annual utilities costs for the Matheson Courthouse. Primarily, the savings were generated by retrocommissioning the courthouse building to optimize the performance of the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.
The $75,000 utilities savings for the Matheson Courthouse were achieved in calendar year 2002he same year measures were implementednd represent an 18% reduction in the $400,000 annual utilities costs for the 450,000-square-foot building. Savings in 2003 are expected to be even higher. The project and the resulting savings are parts of Governor Mike Leavitt's 1000-Day Economic Plan. The plan promotes a conservation ethic that was also expressed by Governor Leavitt when he established the State Buildings Energy Efficiency Program (SBEEP). Utah's SBEEP and its retrocommissioning program are sponsored by the State Energy Program.
Unlike energy efficiency measures that overhaul the building with retrofits such as new lighting or control systems, retrocommissioning is the tune-up of building systems. Retrocommissioning projects typically cost much less than retrofit projects, resulting in shorter payback periods. A retrocommissioning project employs analytical procedures that verify and calibrate control sensors; test and balance the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems; optimize the operation and control of building equipments; and optimize the scheduling and sequencing of building systems.
Vermont
Vermont Recognized for Innovation
Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government awarded Efficiency Vermont its Innovations in American Government Award on May 8th in a ceremony in Washington DC. The award is widely recognized as the "Oscar" of government awards. The purpose of the Innovations in American Government Award is to draw attention to exemplary achievements in government problem solving and serves as a catalyst for transforming creative and effective ideas into widely established best practices. Picked from a field of 1200 nominees, Vermont's efficiency utility was one of five award winners for 2002.
The award was for pioneering a new approach to providing energy efficiency services. Under this approach, the efficiency utility, called Efficiency Vermont, provides state consumers and businesses with energy efficiency services statewide. The arrangement does away with the classic conflict that many traditional utilities have in providing efficiency services that reduce their sales.
Efficiency Vermont has operated as the nation's first statewide energy efficiency utility since 2000. Vermont Governor Jim Douglas said about the award, "We are proud that the nation can look to Vermont for solutions to America's energy challenges. We all benefit from energy efficiency." For more about the program and the award, see Efficiency Vermont's press release.
Just a month earlier, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) had recognized Efficiency Vermont as one of the country's exemplary energy efficiency programs. Specifically, ACEEE recognized Efficiency Vermont's Multifamily Low-Income Program as one of the best of its kind in the country.
DOE can take some pride in having helped Vermont get these programs off of the ground. Efficiency Vermont's Low-income Multifamily Program began as a Rebuild America partnership with funding through DOE's State Energy Program (SEP) in 1996. The Energy Efficiency Division of the Vermont Department of Public Service (DPS) used the Rebuild partnership program as a model in the development of Efficiency Vermont. Since then the DPS has provided monitoring and evaluation of efficiency utility programs and uses Efficiency Vermont incentives and activities as match for several DOE-funded programs. Some of Vermont's Petroleum Violation Escrow funds are used through the SEP to provide "fuel-blind'" services through Efficiency Vermont. However, the bulk of the funding for the efficiency utility is from a systems benefit charge paid by electricity consumers in the state. For more information, see the ACEEE best programs list, April 2003 (PDF 107 KB). Download Acrobat Reader.
Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands Wins NEED's State of the Year
The National Energy Education Development (NEED) recognized the U.S. Virgin Islands in June as State of the Year. NEED credits growth and outreach for the Virgin Islands NEED Project to the support and encouragement of the Virgin Islands Energy Office (VIEO).
Now in its second year, the Virgin Islands NEED program reaches more than 100 teachers and their students. Of course, teaching about energy in a tropical climate has its challenges. Virgin Islands students don't need to audit heating systems in their homes, because there are none. And they don't need to consider the cost of natural gas, because it isn't available. Instead, students learn about the energy resources available and how to conserve them.
The VIEO supports science fair efforts to encourage student interest in energy, and it recognizes winning students annually. In 2002, the winners of the U.S. Virgin Islands Science Fairs attended the NEED National Energy Conference for Educators in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2003, students from the Virgin Islands will participate in an exchange program with the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's Camp KEEP (Kids for Energy and Environmental Protection).
State Energy Information
New state Web sites and publications, and DOE pubs dealing with energy efficiency and renewable energy in the states.
Handbook for Regulators on Tradable Renewable Certificates
The Center for Resource Solutions published this handbook, which outlines ground rules for a market for tradable renewable energy certificates. The handbook was developed under the guidance of a steering committee composed of state utility commissioners and their staff and was reviewed at the winter 2003 meeting of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
Renewable Energy and State Economies
Council of State Governments published this report as part of its "TrendsAlert" series outlining the potential benefits of renewable energy sector development to state economies and will be valuable to state decision-makers as they consider the future of their states' energy sectors; 48 pp (PDF 982 KB)
Residential Energy Efficiency Database
The National Energy Affordability and Accessibility Project at the National Center for Appropriate Technology publishes this database and state- and utility-run energy efficiency programs
State Energy Web Sites
New York, Oregon Programs Work to Reduce Demand for Electricity
The National Energy Affordability and Accessibility Project (NEAAP) published this short report on two state programs designed to augment weatherization and help the working poor with energy efficiency. It's part of NEAAP's quarterly Online Journal; 2 pp.