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Opportunities with the New Low-Temperature Heat Pump
December 1, 2006
A new type of air-source heat pump, known as the low-temperature heat pump (LTHP), is making its second attempt at a market entry. Initial indications show that it can maintain its rated heating capacity down to temperatures as low as 0° Fahrenheit.
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-06-15 | Author: Peter Criscione
Innovation in the Residential Water Heating Sector Bubbles Over: Gas Tankless and Condensing Units Improving but Still Costly
November 1, 2006
The standard for the efficiency of residential natural gas water heaters is locked in at just about the highest level for which tank-type water heaters are available. Therefore, pushing into higher efficiencies will require a change from conventional tank-type heaters. Two of the alternatives currently ...
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-06-12 | Author: Kristin Kamm
Serving Up Power to Data Centers
November 1, 2006
Data centers are the backbone of information storage, processing, and communication in several industries. Data centers that support Internet and other IT companies are huge facilities with great needs for electricity to operate banks of servers and the air conditioning that cools their electronic equipment. ...
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-06-14 | Author: Christie Rewey
Reduced-Wattage Fluorescent Lamps: Not-So-Super T8s
July 1, 2006
Four-foot linear fluorescent T8 lamps are among the most common lamps used in commercial facilities. In 2003 we wrote about the significant efficiency benefits of a new class of lamps known as super T8s. Today, lamp manufacturers are pushing hard to sell reduced-wattage versions of super-T8 lamps. This ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-06-10 | Author: Ira Krepchin
Best Practices in PV Rebate Programs: Helping Customers Install Quality Photovoltaic Systems
May 1, 2006
Many factors influence the operation of PV systems, including the equipment selected, the system’s design, and its installation. Utilities have little or no control over some of these factors, but for others, utilities can play a pivotal role. As this report explains, in addition to promoting high-quality ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-06-07 | Author: Dan Greenberg
Look! Up in the Chiller Room! It's a Screw Compressor, It's a Centrifugal—No, It's Turbocor! New Technology Flies into Town with Superbenefits
May 1, 2006
The Turbocor chiller compressor is an exciting new development in the cooling industry. It uses a magnetic field to levitate the compressor shaft, eliminating all mechanical friction and the need to use lubricating oil. Compared with conventional chiller compressors, it promises higher efficiency, quieter ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-06-08 | Author: Peter Criscione
HIF Update: Still Shining Brightly
April 1, 2006
It’s been more than five years since high-intensity fluorescent (HIF) lighting began to horn in on territory previously dominated by high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps for use in high-bay spaces such as warehouses, factories, large retail stores, and athletic facilities. HIF brought advantages in ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-06-05 | Author: Jim Rogers, Ira Krepchin
Going Up?: New Technologies Raise Elevator Efficiency
January 1, 2006
In the U.S., elevators consume about 5 percent of building electricity for a total of more than 2,000 gigawatt-hours per year. Over the past decade, elevator technology advances have included more-efficient drives and motors, better cabling, and advanced controls systems, all of which can improve the ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-06-02 | Author: Kristin Kamm
Efficiency Standards Set by the U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005
November 1, 2005
The U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005) signed into law on August 8 by President George W. Bush specifies new efficiency standards for 12 categories of electricity-consuming equipment, with some of those standards taking effect as early as January 1, 2006. EPAct 2005 also authorizes standard-setting ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-05-18 | Author: Dan Greenberg
Boomers, Bohemians, and Big City Blues: Increasing Residential Marketing Effectiveness with Geodemographic Segmentation
October 1, 2005
With catchy names like “Big City Blues” and “Beltway Boomers,” segments in the PRIZM NE geodemographic segmentation system are groups of households with common attributes and behaviors. Geodemographic segmentation is a cost-effective and underutilized tool in the energy industry. Using an E source ...
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-05-17 | Author: Barry Friedman
Lighting Controls: Is Wireless the New Wave?
September 1, 2005
Commercial space in the U.S. covers 60 billion square feet with 1 billion light fixtures—most of which aren't equipped with automated lighting controls. It would be expensive to rewire those spaces for sophisticated lighting controls, but wireless systems could provide an effective solution.
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-05-16 | Author: Ira Krepchin
Improving the Energy Performance of Green Buildings
July 1, 2005
Researchers at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently helped design, construct, and monitor six low-energy buildings. But when they analyzed the buildings' actual performance, they found that all six were using more energy than had been predicted.
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-05-11 | Author: Rachel Reiss
The New Efficiency Standard and Other Big Changes for the Residential Air-Conditioning Market
July 1, 2005
After 14 years without any alterations, the federal residential air-conditioning minimum efficiency standard for the U.S. will change on January 23, 2006, requiring manufacturers to produce equipment with a seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) of 13, up from the existing level of 10 SEER. A host of ...
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-05-13 | Author: Peter Criscione
Totally Devoted: Dedicated Outdoor Air Systems Offer Improved Indoor Air Quality and Energy Savings
May 1, 2005
Dedicated outdoor air systems (DOAS) are able to conserve energy and provide superior humidity control in commercial buildings as compared with conventional HVAC systems. They do it by conditioning outdoor ventilation air separately from building return air. However, DOAS have had little market penetration. ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-05-8 | Author: Kristin Kamm
Making Daylighting Systems Work
May 1, 2005
Daylight harvesting systems promise energy savings and peak demand reduction, along with harder-to-quantify benefits of a better indoor environment. Unfortunately, these systems often fail to live up to their potential. We look at what can go wrong and how to use these systems correctly.
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-05-9 | Author: Ira Krepchin
BPL Business Planning: An E Source Roundtable
March 1, 2005
Broadband over power line (BPL) technologies have been proved and validated in numerous technology tests and pilot programs. Utility regulators have signaled their support for broad deployment of BPL technologies. The next strategic challenge facing utilities will be deciding whether, when, where, why, ...
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-05-7 | Author: John Egan
Cycling Strategies for Air-Conditioning Load Control Programs
March 1, 2005
It’s obvious that direct load control isn’t going away anytime soon. In fact, our research demonstrates that the market penetration of such programs is increasing. Certainly it makes sense for utilities to make the best use of the technologies they already have to obtain maximum peak load reduction. ...
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-05-5 | Author: Rachel Reiss
Standardization Expands the Market for Combined Cooling, Heating, and Power Systems
March 1, 2005
Despite decades of promotion by manufacturers, gas-fired absorption chillers have a small share of the overall chiller market. Current and projected high gas prices will keep the technology’s market share from significantly increasing in the foreseeable future. But the advent of pre-engineered, prepackaged ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-05-6 | Author: Dan Greenberg
Broadband over Power Lines: What Regulators Think
January 1, 2005
Electric utilities are investigating a new technology that can deliver fast Internet service to customers while enabling a variety of programs and processes that could help utilities cut costs and deliver better-quality customer care. Known as broadband over power lines (BPL), the technology was tested ...
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-05-1 | Author: John Egan
Technological Advances Open Up New Opportunities for Demand-Controlled Ventilation
January 1, 2005
Improved sensor technology and modeling tools have made demand-controlled ventilation easier to implement in facilities ranging from clothing stores to movie theaters. But what’s the potential for energy savings in different types of buildings?
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-05-2 | Author: Peter Criscione, Kristin Kamm, Dan Greenberg
New Capabilities for High-Bay Metal Halide Technology
January 1, 2005
Metal halide technology for high-bay applications has improved thanks to electronic ballasts and ceramic arc tubes. Better color quality and efficiency open up some niches for metal halide systems, but fluorescent technology still provides better performance for most high-bay installations.
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-05-3 | Author: Ira Krepchin, Stan Walerczyk
Network Power Management Software: Saving Energy by Remote Control
November 1, 2004
Office computers in the U.S. account for about 9 percent of electricity consumption in the commercial sector. Much of this energy is wasted, because many computer users disable or fail to activate the power management features of their PCs. Verdiem Corp. has been developing and refining a software product ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-04-15 | Author: Dan Greenberg
Big Problems for Chiller Specifiers
September 1, 2004
Specifying a water-cooled centrifugal or screw chiller is a complex challenge. Standard ratings don’t accurately predict the performance of installed systems, and market information on the average efficiency of installed cooling plants is scant. We examine how these problems affect buyers trying to ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-04-11 | Author: Peter Criscione
The Latest Mass-Market Demand-Response Technologies: 2004 Thermostat and Switch Update
September 1, 2004
The experiment in two-way thermostats is still under way, but vendors are now manipulating one-way technologies to provide utilities and end users with some of the benefits two-way thermostats offer but at a lower price point.
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-04-13 | Author: Rachel Reiss
Controlling Lights the DALI Way
July 1, 2004
This report looks at the capabilities, benefits, and costs of a relatively new lighting control approach based on digitally addressable lighting interface (DALI) technology. DALI offers users the ability to tailor local lighting conditions to their individual needs.
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-04-08 | Author: Ira Krepchin, Kristin Kamm
Emerging Technologies for Bulk Energy Storage
July 1, 2004
There are a small number of emerging bulk energy storage technologies that hold varying degrees of promise in applications ranging from protection against very short duration power quality events to peak shaving and energy arbitrage. In our second annual report, we focus on the developmental status and ...
Content type: Core Report, Service Report | Document ID: ET-2 | Author: Dan Greenberg, Kristin Kamm, Ira Krepchin
Debunking the Myth of TVSS Energy Savings
May 1, 2004
Transient voltage surge suppressors (TVSSs) are intended to protect connected equipment from voltage surges. Typically, they do this quite well. But some manufacturers and vendors are still promoting the long-discredited myth that these devices save tremendous amounts of energy. The truth is that TVSSs ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-04-07 | Author: Dan Greenberg
LEED Scores Early Successes but Faces Big Challenges
March 1, 2004
The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) rating system, created by the U.S. Green Building Council, is increasing in popularity. Already, other government agencies and several energy service providers (ESPs) are using it to help market their efficiency and renewable energy programs. ...
Content type: Core Report | Document ID: ER-04-03 | Author: Rachel Reiss, Jay Stein
Photoluminescent Exit Signs Now a Viable Alternative
March 1, 2004
Photoluminescent technology has improved over the past few years, offering a higher-intensity light that lasts longer than was possible with older materials. As a result, the National Fire Protection Association has approved the technology for use as a possible replacement for powered exit signs. This ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-04-05 | Author: Ira Krepchin
The Polarized Debate over Polarized Refrigerant Oil Additives
January 1, 2004
According to their purveyors, when polarized refrigerant oil additives are injected into a refrigeration system, the additives improve heat transfer and boost system efficiency by 5 to 30 percent. E source members have called us to inquire about this product more frequently than for any other product. ...
Content type: Core Report, Research | Document ID: ER-04-02 | Author: Jay Stein
