Energy Exchange

Energy Efficiency In The Catacombs

By EDF Blogs / Published: August 10, 2011

By: Koko Iyoho, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Trinity Episcopal Church in Asheville, North Carolina; MGIM graduate from North Carolina State University

My EDF Climate Corps Public Sector fellowship took me to Trinity Episcopal Church in Asheville, North Carolina. Listed in the National Register of Historical Places, Trinity is a 100-year-old structure that has 30,000 square feet. Trinity has three floors with two stained-glass enclosed sanctuaries, which illustrate the stories of the early church. Achieving energy savings without compromising the integrity of historical buildings poses quite a challenge. However, before my arrival, the church already took commendable energy efficiency initiatives: replacing 70% of T12 fluorescents with T8s, installing Energy Star office equipment, and upgrading its HVAC system. I found a lot of energy savings, but my most exciting finding took me to an unexpected place – “The Catacombs.”

My search for energy efficiency had begun with the basic areas of lighting and temperature settings. I found savings by installing lower wattage bulbs, replacing incandescent lights with fluorescents, switching to LED exit signs, and using temperature controls and setbacks. These retrofits showed significant energy and cost savings, but my financial analysis showed room for improvement. One clue was the basement floor, which has an uninterrupted cold air supply. The mystery was that Trinity’s basement had exceptionally high humidity levels despite the use of several dehumidifiers. To solve this puzzle, I put on my detective goggles and joined a weatherization expert to investigate the source of the high humidity. Our quest led us to “The Catacombs.”

The basement is referred to as The Catacombs because of its likeness to ancient underground cemeteries, but thankfully, without burial chambers. It is an underground area consisting of a network of tunnels, pipes, and ducts, but also of several mounds of bare earth. Basements are naturally prone to high levels of humidity because of moisture seeping from the earth outside the walls and floors. In this case, mounds of earth are piled up inside a significant portion of the basement, contributing to higher than normal humidity levels. We had solved the mystery. Also, according to the weatherization specialist, if the bare earth is encapsulated with a vapor barrier, along with other weatherization opportunities we identified, there is potential to save the church about 15% in heating and cooling costs with a 9-year payback. What great energy savings!

With this finding, The Catacombs would no longer contribute to rising energy consumption at Trinity… not unless actual ghosts moved in.

EDF Climate Corps Public Sector (CCPS) trains graduate students to identify energy efficiency savings in colleges, universities, local governments and houses of worship. The program focuses on partnerships with minority serving institutions and diverse communities. Apply as a CCPS fellow, read our blog posts and follow us on Twitter to get regular updates about this program.

Posted in EDF Climate Corps / Comments are closed

The Sun Is Shining At Groce United Methodist Church

By EDF Blogs / Published: August 8, 2011

By: Sam Sink, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Groce United Methodist Church in Asheville, NC; M.S. Technology candidate at Appalachian State University

As an EDF Climate Corps Public Sector fellow at Groce United Methodist Church in Asheville, North Carolina, I have the opportunity to make a positive impact on the community. Because churches have historically been places where people share ideas and learn about emerging world trends, it is fitting that I am at Groce sharing ways to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

I began with a traditional energy assessment of the church’s electrical systems and building usage to establish a baseline for energy consumption. So far, I have identified energy cost savings that could reduce the current electrical consumption by 25%. This amounts to 30,000 kWh saved and 20 tons of carbon dioxide reduced. Groce and I are pleased with these savings, but I had to come up with creative ideas to raise the bar and save more energy.

Inspiration came to me one hot day in June… Solar energy!

I have a background in renewable energy generation, which helped me analyze options for solar panels to curb energy consumption. I identified a section of roof at Groce that had perfect southern exposure and conducted a site assessment that yielded impressive results.

The roof site I identified has the potential to carry a 20kW photovoltaic array, which will reduce Groce’s energy requirements from the grid by an additional 19% and eliminate another 16 tons of carbon dioxide. The solar panel payback period is 5 years, and it has the potential to offset carbon pollution from coal fired power plants for 30 years.

The greatest benefit from the photovoltaic array is not the savings or the reduced carbon load, but the educational awareness. By exposing the children of the community at Groce and Asheville to renewable energy technology, and providing a sense of pride and ownership of the solar panels, we are fostering conversations about energy in the years to come. The installation of solar panels at Groce will spread the message that energy savings strategies are more than traditional lighting retrofits and programmable thermostats. I look forward to hearing buzz from the congregation and community about how cool it is that Groce is leading the way to a green future.

Posted in EDF Climate Corps / Read 2 Responses

Is Government Getting Out Of The Clean Energy Business?

By Andy Darrell / Published: August 5, 2011

Source: Front Page Magazine

Tuesday’s debt deal makes one thing clear: whatever it is that you may want government to spend money on, there will likely be less money to go around in the future. That said, I think it’s time to rethink government’s role in the clean energy marketplace. Whether or not it has money to spend, governments at all levels can do a lot to build a robust American market for clean energy. Here are some suggested ways forward:

First, engage the private sector. Our government is highly skilled and effective when it comes to enabling clean energy research, which in turn leads to high-risk investments in emerging clean technologies, but it cannot pay for everything. This is not the era of the New Deal, and we’re not China. We are, however, a nation of innovators with the ability to mobilize private capital second to none. So let’s get innovators, entrepreneurs and regulators in a room together and begin to work on projects that establish what economists have been telling us for years: clean energy and efficiency will make and save money. In some places, government can be a convener – for example, cities across the country (and the world) could work with their real estate and banking communities to aggregate efficiency upgrades at a scale large enough to attract major investment from institutional investors and other sources of capital. Government could basically be a source of data and the initial step in drawing parties together to help broker deals

Second, lead by example and cut waste. From energy needed to fuel our troops on the front lines to the air conditioning used for government officials in Washington and state and local capitols – there’s a huge amount of money to be saved and strategic advantage to be won by running our government’s own energy use more effectively. In fact, EDF’s Climate Corps Public Sector is currently engaging in this type of exercise in its efforts to reduce the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) energy use by more than 45 percent. These types of energy efficiency efforts should appeal to all sides of the political aisle: government will do more with less; we’ll send less money overseas for imported oil; we’ll pioneer new technologies through smart energy applications; and Americans will be put to work upgrading government buildings with less wasteful technology. If there’s a role for money here, it’s to finance upfront costs that get replenished out of energy savings – possibly a mix of private and public capital.

Finally, open the energy marketplace to truly fair competition. America’s utilities are governed by an arcane mix of rules that get in the way of innovation and tend to favor traditional fossil fuels. Our grid is a long way from a smart grid. Don’t even get me started on subsidies for oil and coal companies. Rules that shape the energy market and grid are set at the federal, regional and state levels. It’s time for a national effort to make it easier for households and businesses to use renewable sources of energy like solar and wind, as well as enable drivers to plug in their electric cars. Homes and businesses should be able to sell extra solar electricity into the grid easily and without limit. There should be a simple way to aggregate the benefits of efficiency; for example, consumers should be able to sell saved energy to compete with new power plants and this cleaner energy should be valued by regulators on par with new supply. Consumers should be able to charge electric cars at off-peak times, which could end up costing as little as about three cents a mile to operate. We can have all this – if we get the rules right at Public Utility Commissions (PUCs) across the country.

The role of government would change. It would become a source of data, culled from public sources like demographics and building department filings. It would help ensure that information is disclosed, like the SEC requires disclosure of information to investors on the stock market. It would change the rules to remove barriers to clean-energy investment inherent in our current electric grids and markets. It would use its bully pulpit not to harangue, but to create the negotiating table around which unlikely partners come together. It would enforce rules clearly and consistently to protect health and environment. It would use its own buildings, agencies, vehicles and supply chain to test and develop technologies – to be out front and demonstrate what works. And where possible, it could be a source of grants or loans, but that role would be overshadowed by the value of the vibrant private energy market that it would support by doing all of these other described duties.

If the government commits to moving ahead in this way, America will leap ahead in the clean energy sector – and we’ll be moving so fast that its citizens will barely have time to lament the relatively smaller amount of government spending.

Posted in Energy Efficiency, Grid Modernization, Renewable Energy, Washington, DC / Read 1 Response

The Thermostat Game

By EDF Blogs / Published: August 5, 2011

By: Eliza Davis, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC; MEM candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University

My first month as a Climate Corps Public Sector fellow at Shaw University in Raleigh, NC, has flown by. My EDF partner, Jen Weiss, and I had a whirlwind of meetings with energy specialists, and have explored the ins and outs of Shaw’s campus. We have ventured far and wide in search of energy savings, checking natural gas meters and counting the number of light bulbs in classroom buildings. However, we made one of our greatest discoveries in our very own workspace.

Jen and I work in Estey Hall, a beautiful, red brick administration building. It was constructed in 1864 as a dormitory for women. Because of its age, the building is difficult to uniformly heat and cool. Walking through the hallways and into rooms, we noticed defined layers of temperature. We decided to track thermostat settings to get to the bottom of these temperature discrepancies. What we found surprised us!

Not only were many of the thermostats set at 70 degrees or below, but many newer programmable thermostats were on the energy wasting ‘hold’ setting. This means that the rooms are kept at the same temperature, day or night, full or empty, and regardless of outdoor temperature. Programmable thermostats can reduce energy costs by allowing you to set different temperatures based on the time of day and expected room occupancy.

After figuring out the reasons behind the layers of temperature at Estey Hall, we expanded our investigation to thermostats around campus. We uncovered thermostats of all styles and ages: small square controls that only allow for an up or down adjustment, fancy programmable models, and rectangular hotel-style air conditioner units that have ‘warmer’ to ‘cooler’ dials. Overall, we found that despite the type of thermostat, most offices, classrooms, and meeting spaces were kept cool all day long.

So began our experiment to see if anyone would notice slight increases in temperature in large meeting spaces. We increased a few of the 69-degree thermostats to a range between 72 and 76 degrees. Thus began the thermostat game. Every morning we rushed eagerly to thermostats to check the settings, and lo and behold – the thermostats were reset and left at or below 70 degrees.

Our survey of Shaw’s thermostats showed us that there is a significant potential for savings with temperature management. In the history of the Climate Corps Public Sector program, temperature management makes up one-third of projected energy savings. Shaw University can easily reduce energy use and carbon pollution through the introduction of more programmable thermostats and a campus-wide energy management system.

The thermostat game taught us the most important lesson: A device is only as good as its operation. We recognize now that energy conservation education will be an important part of our recommendations for Shaw, and we are excited about developing ways to raise awareness about energy use on campus.

Posted in EDF Climate Corps / Tagged Shaw University - 2011 | Read 1 Response

Would Your Building Pass An Energy Efficiency Background Check?

By EDF Blogs / Published: August 3, 2011

By: Jian Huo, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow in Mecklenburg County, NC; MEM candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University

This summer, my EDF partner, Adam Hart, and I are running energy efficiency “background checks” on buildings at Mecklenburg County Real Estate Services in North Carolina. Of the county’s 100 facilities, we identified 15 energy-intensive sites and arranged site tours of them for a closer look. In our energy assessments of the facilities, the red flags for energy waste were older machines with low energy efficiency, lighting, and HVAC systems.

Lighting – Metal Halides in Gyms and Pools

The county’s indoor gyms and pools are equipped with over 300 metal halides that are 400W and 1000W, which run more than 50 hours per week. Due to their long re-strike time, daylight sensors and occupancy sensors cannot be used to help save energy. However, switching to lower wattage LED lights can cut current energy use by 85% and allow for the installation of daylight sensors and occupancy sensors for further energy reduction. Changing lights in the high ceilings will

be a great challenge, especially in the pool areas. Although it seems time consuming and risky to change lighting above water, maintenance can put scissor lifts on the movable walkways to get to the metal halides and replace them.

HVAC – Heat Pumps Without Controls

HVAC is the most complicated and intimidating part of the whole building system to a Climate Corps Public Sector fellow with little background in engineering. Even after Adam and I did background checks on all the sites, we had no direct solution for upgrading those giant and inefficient machines. So Adam and I started to conduct interviews with HVAC experts and facility managers, acquiring valuable information along the way. With newfound information, we tackled the County and Courts Office Building, which has heat pumps that are not connected to the central control system, but instead controlled with individual thermostats. Because the heat pumps may not work stably under high temperatures, the air conditioning controls are never set back when the facility is vacant. Energy savings will be easily achieved if the heat pumps are looped into the control system, allowing for the set back of air conditioning and heating controls during unoccupied hours.

Overall, our recommended changes to lighting and HVAC systems at facilities in Mecklenburg County Real Estate Services have great potential to cut energy usage and reduce greenhouse gas pollution. By doing background research of the buildings’ systems, touring sites, and talking to the right people, Adam and I were able to tackle the red flags of energy waste at the county’s facilities. After the retrofits are made, all of their buildings will pass our “background check.” Would yours?

Posted in EDF Climate Corps / Tagged Mecklenburg County - 2011 | Read 2 Responses

Middletown Township: First In Energy Efficiency

By EDF Blogs / Published: August 1, 2011

By: Jim Hildenbrand, 2011 Climate Corps Public Sector Fellow at Middletown Township, New Jersey; MEM candidate at the Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University

Although Middletown is one of New Jersey’s largest towns, its carbon footprint is small for its size. In 2010, Middletown attained Sustainable New Jersey Bronze status by committing to sustainable actions that involved tracking greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating solid waste through improved recycling, and educating the public on ways to reduce its environmental impact. The Township has received $700,000 in state and federal grants, conducted efficiency upgrades with at least 60% of costs covered, and a comprehensive energy assessment. In short, Middletown is committed to the environment.

However, with these environmental initiatives comes the challenge of tracking effort and making progress. For instance, one effort could be undone or made redundant by another. I dedicated the first half of my Climate Corps Public Sector fellowship to fully understand what had happened, what will happen, and what may happen.

Now in the second half of my fellowship, the pace has not slackened and I am evaluating a variety of opportunities for energy savings. About 20 of Middletown’s buildings consume 9,000 megawatt-hours per year. Each building is unique and no two buildings serve the same purpose. While this adds to the challenge, it has been a lot of fun. I explored a turn of the century schoolhouse that was retrofitted into a boxing ring. I also traversed the floors of the headmaster’s house of a former all-boys school that is now used as the seat for the historical society, a gymnasium, and a drug rehabilitation program.

My approaches to energy efficiency span the spectrum. One size does not fit all in the realm of energy savings. For one building, I examine the possibility of consolidating thermostat controls to prevent its six rooftop units from working against each other. In another, white roofing is the best option to help lessen the cooling load. Just as no two buildings are the same, no two approaches toward energy efficiency are either. This customized approach to reducing energy bills and greenhouse gas pollution will keep Middletown’s environmental impact to a minimum and inspire neighboring towns to do the same.

Posted in EDF Climate Corps / Tagged Middletown Township - 2011 | Comments are closed