Obama and the reinvention of the energy efficiency

The energy efficiency industry received a nice boost this week while President Barack Obama on the State of the Union. Obama calls for cutting energy consumption by half in the next 20 years.

Such attention is an important point in the history of the energy efficiency movement. It seems to reinvent itself again, and so that should have wide appeal.

First, check how far the energy efficiency in the perception has come.

More than a decade we equated conservation with austerity measures, turned the thermostat in winter and in summer. It was called "Conservation" or the more clunky term ' demand management.'

At the beginning of the smart grid, the preservation in "Energy efficiency," a way of saving energy through technology was reinvented. No sacrifice required, energy efficiency could bring even more comfort - the lighting, the lighter on the eyes and devices that make sure that your home is cool, only when you get home.

Now we enter a third stage, which seem era "Energy productivity", where the emphasis is on the economic result of the energy efficiency: more for the money power.

"By doubling the productivity we rings going out of every dollar on energy, support the families, the improvement of the quality of their lives through the released money more either save or spend on other things" said Kateri Callahan, President of the Alliance to save energy. "

Callahan was the explanation, as new objectives, which released last week, Alliance Commission national energy efficiency policy introduced. (The Commission is run by Tom King, President of national grid and U.S. Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat from Virginia.)

The Commission wants to double by the year 2030 energy productivity, or twice as much economic power for each dollar of energy to maintain. That sounds half much like Obama's call of wasted energy in 20 years. Actually, Obama's speech follows, Callahan noted: "twenty national energy experts spent a year developing a plan to double productivity of U.S. energy, and it took only a few days the White House publicly to embrace it."

What is the game?

We have improved our energy productivity for many years, if also somewhat haphazard. The advent of the computer has helped. (It takes less energy to move an electron as a car or a person.) Had we not done, these profits, according to the report, we must today, about 50 percent more energy to maintain our way of life.

Nevertheless, we are wasting much energy. The Commission proposed a series of steps on a large energy-productivity target: $270 billion of GDP for every quadrillion (quad) BTU consumed in the year 2030. To put this in perspective, we are at only about 135 billion $ per Quad now, according to the report.

Energy productivity is for economic prosperity. The report found that our energy productivity add doubling 1.3 million jobs in the year 2030 and budget of about $1000 per year savings. In addition, such productivity could increase national industrial production of $100 billion by the year 2030 according to the report.

It takes some serious work to achieve the goal. Update energy infrastructure, advanced technologies, we must educate and a favourable regulatory climate, the Commission explained to motivate consumers and Institute. These steps become hundreds of billions of dollars cost, but the potential exists to collect $1 trillion on energy savings.

It is a large undertaking, one that could substantially increase the energy efficiency industry. And there is no bad start, always a plug from the leader of the free world on national television.

ELISA Wood is a long-time energy writer whose blog a week comes to the RealEnergyWriters.com

Hainan Province of China is considering electric vehicle demonstration project

Beijing-industry leaders and experts were all positive for the future of Hainan Province electric vehicles market in 2012 world's new energy vehicle (GNEV) Conference in Boao and Haikou, Hainan Province, China in January two cities instead. Experts pointed out, an electric vehicle demo Island to make the challenges and opportunities of the province, and said further research along with favorable government policy is necessary.

The province is expected to improve its infrastructure for energy talks and electric vehicles with the construction of 14 special charging stations, 30 recharge battery-swap stations and 3,000 rushing Poland 24 simple charging stations by 2013 after Chen Wanxin, Vice-Director of the provincial Ministry of industry and information technology. This would save an estimated 10,000 electric vehicles until the year 2015 on the provincial roads serve dangers 7.8 million liters of fuel per year. This ambitious goal of 10,000 vehicles is half of the new energy vehicles of all China's roads today and is very likely to Hainan, which make such vehicles to keep highest density.

Wang Lu, Vice-Chairman of the Chinese people's political Consultative Conference of Hainan Province, said at the opening the province of growth of the sector sees long-term growth electric vehicles as one of their most important strategies for the province as a whole, since the sector give a powerful impetus to the local economy. He continued that Hainan is process of building of automotive of industrial park, under the direction of FAW Haima, where more advanced core technologies with respect to electric vehicles, batteries, motors and electrical controls, as well as the research and development of technical metrics for industry standards will be introduced. This is set to pure electric vehicles to promote the commercial exploitation and industrialization of the plug-in. Zone in the northwestern part of the province, and a 330,000 square metre plot of land for the development of electric vehicles in Wanning, a city in the South-Eastern coast of the province is also reserved for the automotive industry the province plans for a 2.7 million square feet of space in the Lingao Jinpaigang industrial.

According to the provincial energy conservation and demonstration programme of eclectic vehicles is Haikou developed into a leading research, development, manufacturing and testing center for energy saving and electric vehicles by 2015. The vehicles are on track are widely accepted by the public transport system and other sectors, including Government cars. In addition, there is the use of electric vehicles in line with the environmental requirements of the province of destination of an international tourism island.

Above all, many domestic automakers were generally optimistic, what the province-electric vehicles market, with some their move of them already made. Haima, the only complete vehicles manufacturer in the province, developed electric vehicles for six years (since 2006). Min Jiang, an engineer in product planning, technological research center of JAC, a Chinese national car manufacturer, said that Hainan Province already has all the right elements for the development of an electric car industry. She also have other automakers said commercial investment and establishing facilities as soon as the Government confirmed it with a focus on public buses for transport and tourism, and will hold a transparent blueprint for the support of the industry shows.

Developers will invest in next five years 1.9 trillion into clean energy.

NEW York-developers and financiers invested $1.9 trillion build clean energy power plants worldwide from 2012 to 2018 as demand for electricity rises, according to the Pew Charitable trusts.

Development costs for solar and wind farms and other types of renewable energy assets rising to $327 billion in 2018 by about $200 billion in the last year, according to a report, which is now published on the Bank's website.

These numbers can increase even more if Governments to create national energy policy, contain the obligations for renewables, Phyllis Cuttino, Director of Pew said clean energy program in Washington, yesterday in a telephone interview. The incentives should give duration defined clarity of the industry.

The "political role", she said. "You've got to have a renewable energies target or a standard. Or something in the tax code. Or to remove market obstacles. There are several guidelines that you can use to get there, but you have to do something. You can have not only no national energy policy."
Global energy consumption is expected to increase by 47 percent by 2010 to 2035 and investments in the renewable energy industry can $5.9 trillion in the same period the Pike research LLC was prepared according to the report, approach.

"" "" Said industry has clearly given us, "what we need is we need to have certainty," said Cuttino. "It was an unequal playing field, tilted in favor of established technologies. And we need to get over the hump."

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IEA: Shift the energy balance includes renewable energy, energy efficiency

The International Energy Agency (IEA) on the 12th of November released the edition of 2012 of the World Energy Outlook, which noted that North America leads the shift in the global balance of energy - and this change includes a motion on renewable energy and energy efficiency. IEA flagship publication presenting a scenario show that energy efficiency could have a big impact on the global energy and climate policy trends.

The report points specific steps in six broad areas, which discusses the "efficient world scenario ' a scenario that shows what improvements in energy efficiency can be achieved, through measures which are justified in economic terms to make it easy. The steps to include energy efficiency in the decision-making process in politics, economy and society and its economic profits, and including efficiency, ensure to make clearly visible. The IEA report calls for political leaders to provide a mixture of regulations at the least energy-efficient approaches to deter efficient actions while incentivizing the most energy.

The report also projects that renewable energy sources could the world's second largest source of electricity by 2015 closed on coal as the primary source of 2035. The projection notes that based that amounted to more subsidies, $88 billion in 2011.

Renewable energy industry weighs for Obama win

Salt Lake City, UT--with the 2012 election over and President Barack Obama secured re-election, producers of renewable energy already provided search us, what they expect will be four more years of more support for their efforts.

A collective sigh of relief

According to Ed Feo, co-founder of USRG renewable finance (USRGRF), the last night of Obama brings victory "a continuation of politics, which are favourable to renewable energy." FEO is also, that one of the most important imminent expiration of wind power emits production tax credit on December 31 to the hand as one, as a consequence of the election result will probably robust support. "I think that will promote Obama management for the" FEO said.

FEO is not the only one that Obama to take victory as a new breath of life for a group of industries is 2012 can be occurred which during certain points concerning future during the election campaign. For Scott Sklar, President of the Stella group, the Obama has re-election "consequential positive impact on growth and development of the U.S.-energy efficiency and renewable energy."

"The President clean energy, one of the best three planks of his Administration has made," said Sklar in a press release today. "The President has extension of the wind energy production tax credit, supports, while his opponents the extension against and green jobs called, 'Imagination'." Sklar is forecasting double-digit growth in the market overall renewable energy as a result of ongoing procurement for energy efficiency of federal and national Governments, and shows announced report, the $282 billion of global private investments in 2012, as evidence of massive worldwide interest in renewables status on the this year's REN21 renewables global.

Industry experts give renewed hope

Rhone Resch, CEO of the solar energy industries Association (SEIA), shares the Sklar optimism and gets Obama "huge trailer of solar energy." Resch sees a continuation of support for solar power from the Obama management, he says that this significantly, the industry has been job growth. "Today, the solar industry employs more than 119,000 Americans at 5,600 companies, mostly small businesses in all 50 States - which is more than twice as many Americans in solar in 2009 work" Resch said in a press release published today.

Resch added that since Obama of the election in 2008, "the height the solar vehicle drive real estate, businesses and military bases of 1,100 megawatts in 2008 on more than 400 percent today - has 5,700 megawatts." "The Government issued a policy to allow the solar systems for the first time on public lands and target a large drivers of this growth was used to allow additional renewable energy projects on public land, to 10 gigawatts by the end of 2012." Resch cited also that figures show U.S. solar installations in 2012 will be "another year of record growth" for the solar industry.

Finding support from both sides of the political corridor, Denise Bode, CEO who was American Wind Energy Association (AWEA), which recently reported in 2012, the most profitable year for the U.S. wind industry, pointed to the last night renewal House representative Dave Reichert (R - WA), Steve King (R - IA), Tom Latham (R - IA) and Senator Dean Heller (R - NV) as positive steps for the wind industry. All four have offered support to the wind energy initiatives and potentially critical player for the extension of the PTC. "We saw election results, to authorize the Americans with an overwhelming majority of wind energy, and they vote for politicians who support them in the" bode said.

Addressing certain hurdles, the still in the way of the wind energy PTC's extension also lack of commitment under leadership in the House of representatives and suggestions that the PTC can only be extended if the tax credit finally expiring on agreement is available, said bode, "wind power will forever need a tax credit not." Bode added, "when the production tax credit for wind, wind support are the only energy source without federal income tax and that would be bad policy." Bode and the AWEA remain nevertheless optimistic that Obama provides the re-election, that the necessary leadership to ensure government support continued.

"We have more work to do"

Echo of Obama the words during his victory speech in Chicago last night - where the President "we have declared supporters, to do a lot" - FEO pointed out, that although profits are made, there is more to support the renewable energy initiatives to be carried out. "We need to expand financing instruments that represent other sectors - such as master limited partnerships - on renewable energy," said FEO.

Also, FEO stressed the need for investment in renewable energy by extending an incentive and continuous support the credit control systems such as PTC, and the investment tax credit (ITC) - the latter of which is planned, to see a significant decline in percentage terms at the end of 2016. "I think the Obama administration will push to extend or retain some support," said FEO.

Perhaps as a sign that it is not only the area of which, continued coal shares renewable energy that takes Obama seriously on his intention, the pursuit of more clean energy initiatives a steep jump on Wednesday after the election results. This news is no surprise that consciously the Obama plans stricter rules for oil and coal producers in his second term, including new EPA forced limits on CO2 emissions for coal-powered power plants, and even stricter restrictions on mercury and sulphur dioxide, is expected which to cause a sharp rise in the cost of the combustion of coal.

Voluntown of couple home wins Connecticut zero energy challenge

Voluntown - John Simonds, combine the Sun's energy with the heat of the Earth for the perfect system makes his 2,800 square foot House.

"These two are like peanut butter and chocolate." You go well together, "Simonds, said referring to the solar cells on a hill above his driveway, which generate electricity and the geothermal energy system, connected using ambient heat from the Earth by Wells in the side yard to a cellar system."

"We know that the pessimists are wrong," he continued, he sit in the living room of the beautifully designed Cape with his wife Delaine and her son Ben window shares, bathed, with light through the access roads, in 60 hectares of forest and meadows looking for. "It works."

Life for 35 years in North Stonington, the couple in the year decided to create a new energy-efficient House this 60-acre former farm property, which they had since 1985 owned 2009. It was a project, she wanted long, he said, undertake, for the benefits of saving money on energy costs, as well as the satisfaction of not burning of fossil fuels and contribute to climate change or add environmental damage by oil, extraction of coal and gas. Simonds say they spent $120 to $130 per square meter of apartment and the monthly energy costs $142.38, which is your lease payment for the two solar power panels build now.

"This is our heating costs, our summer cooling Bill, our power, our hot water - everything," he said. "We have no oil tank, we have no gas oven." "We have no electric bill."

Due to the success in establishing a low-cost and efficient energy home, the Simonds were recently the nationwide winner of Connecticut zero energy challenge.

The annual competition, sponsored by the Connecticut energy efficiency fund, Connecticut light & power and United illuminating Awards $10,000 to the owners of the House with the best general energy efficiency, design, natural materials and renewable energy built. Together with the solar panels and geothermal energy system of the Simonds includes top also energy-saving devices, lighting and insulation, among other features. CL & P was the House for energy efficiency as well as for its applicability and affordability, according to a press release.

"We are not rich people," said Simonds, added that the cost of the energy systems of rebates and tax credits were compensated. "I'm stone Mason by profession and my wife is a nurse." "If we can do it, anyone can do it."

On Saturday, the non-profit group of PACE (people's action for clean energy), and the clean energy finance and investment authority, is the State Chapter of the Sierra Club, North Stonington land Alliance tours the Simonds House sponsor.

Simonds, said that he and his wife hope that presents from their home, others inspire houses will be for the construction or retrofitting energy efficient.

"All it took was a decision on our part for renewable energy", he said.

Will show Cyber supported the future of energy efficiency?

The US economy is three times larger than China's, but when it comes to developing a clean energy industry, he keeps US China. Ranking moved the United States renewable energy much observed in the second – again – China in this quarter in Ernst & young published February 28.

But it's a clean energy segment in the United States leads: demand response.

Request-response comes into play, if there is high demand for electricity burdening the power grid, typically hot summer days. Utilities or carriers give factories and other enterprises a payment in return for them to peak hours to reduce their energy consumption. As a result, request-response not only unsightly power failures, but also us saves money, because it much cheaper is to save energy when the network is curious, as it is to generate more energy.

An industry, American grown, request-reply WINS now international attention. The concept abroad according to Gregg Dixon, senior Vice President for marketing and sales is increasingly described each, a Boston company, the demand response services. The company supplies now about 12,000 companies, universities, hospitals and other large energy consumers, not only in the United States, but also in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Other demand response companies, Johnson controls, Comverge and Silver Spring networks, Wipro and Honeywell, reports international expansion, the $1.3 billion global market for demand response to see, a compound annual growth rate of 37% by 2016 expected Pike research.

So demand response clearly a success story, at least when it comes to reducing the use of energy by companies and large institutions. The next challenge for request-response is the owner of the House. And unfortunately, that would be a more difficult market to crack. The average person displays little interest, take the time to reduce energy consumption at peak times.

"The concept of an economist point of view makes sense." But, if it is managed for us in a very simple way, only I see it use. And I'm a zealot on this stuff, "said Dixon."

A recent report by the American Council for an energy-efficient economy underlines the problem. It turns out House and apartment owners are not much energy save, even if devices give new energy them real-time feedback about the costs.

This home gadgets that contain screens, smart meters and Web interfaces, are to encourage people at peak times, cut, when energy prices are high. ACEEE home owners found but only a 3.8% achieved overall savings in nine pilot programs tested. Peak period, four of the pilots showed savings of up to 11.3%. The programmes were carried out in the United States, UK and Ireland.

However, there is an interesting exception, a group that responds. ACEEE not quite sure who they are, but she calls Cyber supported. Do you not fit in each of a demographic box; You're not at a certain age or income. But they make a swathe of the population, the energy savings of up to 25% by certain devices reached, providing you real time feedback on their energy consumption.

Some in the energy sector believe demand household response never over the Cyber supported to accept. Others see this group as a starting point for further studies, which can show us what energy conservation, promotion, whether it says cost, comfort, green altruism or even an emotional or intuitive reaction to technology, ACEEE.

It is to difficult, not to draw a parallel between this energy information gadget and the early days of the personal computer. First, the computer was regarded as a device that would be used extensively in business as demand response is today. Then Steve Jobs came, and we all know the rest of the story. If demand the attention of households collect response companies can, as they must be companies, might find the United States which has its new Apple.

Solar, wind survey get strong support in the Midwest

Most people in four Middle Western of States would pay to increase some higher electricity bills, clean energy and energy efficiency, a survey has found.

The survey of 1,600 voters found 9-15, Jan. that 51 percent of people in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and Ohio ready to $6 pay more per month on the electricity bill for energy conservation efforts and clean energy sources such as wind and solar energy. Another 37 percent of the respondents pay more while 8 percent were not willing to pay slightly more, would be $2 to $4.

The survey was jointly supported by democratic pollsters Fairbank, meslin, Maullin & Metz and Republican pollsters public strategies for a non-profit St. Paul Minnesota environmental partnership, the renewable energy. The survey has a margin of error of 2.9 percent.

The survey asked people who believed sources of energy should be increased. The top three were solar (87 per cent), wind (86%) and natural gas (85 percent), but majorities favored increase most types of energy, including coal and nuclear energy.

Biomass was it bad to pollsters explains what it is. Then, you support shot at 80 percent. Energy from biomass comes from grass, wood chips and other plant material.

Despite support for natural gas against three out of five respondents hydraulic Fracking, the rays of sand, to release water and chemicals u gas in shale. The technique, in Ohio and other States has increased output and driven gas prices down.

Steve Morse, executive Director of the environmental partnership, said that the political leaders on renewable energy and energy conservation survey sends a message.

"It makes no sense to be, because it will kill you politically," he said.