Hi Future Power Technology Magazine: Clean Energy Edition!.

Hi Future Power Technology Magazine: Clean Energy Edition!. 

April 2012!.

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Hi HVAC Efficiency: 3 Part Series: Part 1: Innovations Offer Reductions In HVAC Energy Consumption But Are Often Ignored.

Hi HVAC Efficiency: 3 Part Series: Part 1: Innovations Offer Reductions In HVAC Energy Consumption But Are Often Ignored.

In recent years, the industry has devoted a great deal of effort to reducing the amount of energy used to operate buildings. During that time, a variety of innovative HVAC technologies and design strategies have been developed and proved in a wide range of projects. Those approaches, however, are often ignored when HVAC options are being weighed. That's unfortunate: Wider use of those HVAC strategies represents a substantial opportunity to cut energy consumption, since more than one third of the energy used in a building is for heating, cooling, and ventilation.

Those strategies are also crucial for projects aiming to achieve net-zero energy use. A net-zero energy (NZE) building is one where the total energy consumed over a period of one year, minus renewable energy generated on-site, is equal to or less than zero.

Designing a very efficient HVAC system, whether it's for a net-zero building or not, can be a significant task, and it is best accomplished through an integrated, holistic design approach. This approach requires the commitment and contribution of owners, architects, engineers, contractors, and other specialists. Building owners and facility managers play an integral part even beyond the design stage: Even the best-designed projects rely on the user's motivation to operate the building with a high level of energy efficiency — especially when striving for net-zero energy.

The appropriate selection of HVAC systems offers many opportunities to achieve great efficiency. But the first step in designing an efficient HVAC system, regardless of whether the project's goal is to achieve net-zero energy use, is to cut the demand for energy. This is accomplished by reducing building internal loads, by improving building envelope performance to reduce solar heat gains and conductive losses, and, at the same time, by maximizing the use of daylight.

Depending on the climate, cooling demand can be reduced by increasing building insulation and installing high-performance glass. Light-colored, reflective surfaces on roofs and walls and radiant barriers within ceilings are also important to avert solar radiation.

In recent years, there have been developments in dynamic building envelope technology that can alter performance in order to withstand peak periods. Smart glass or self-tinting products are controlled based on an electric signal. Phase-change materials can be installed in drywall in order to maintain surface temperatures during extended hot periods.

Internal electrical loads for lighting and power systems should also be reduced as much as possible to increase efficiency. About 39 percent of building energy use goes to lighting and office equipment. Reducing internal electrical loads also cuts the demand for cooling: For each kW consumed, a percentage of waste heat must be cooled.

PART 2: Consider These Passive Or 

Energy-Efficient Active HVAC Systems:

Once heat gain is reduced, passive HVAC systems or more energy-efficient active systems can be installed to satisfy occupant comfort.

Passive systems are effective in net-zero buildings because they allow the user to maintain comfort in a space without the need for energy. Common passive techniques include natural ventilation and the use of thermal mass.

Natural ventilation relies on outdoor air and appropriate high/low window placement to ventilate, bring in fresh air, and relieve hot air. Exposed thermal mass can often be provided in the form of concrete, water, or other materials to evenly regulate surface temperatures, even when exposed to heat. Exposed thermal mass is often used in conjunction with natural ventilation in order to pre-cool surfaces at night and store this coolth for daytime use.

Passive systems have two limitations: They can be slow to respond to changes in load, and they can have limited capacity. This makes the load-reduction strategies even more important. In mixed-mode buildings, passive systems are supplemented by active HVAC systems to operate during periods when outdoor temperatures are high or low.

Energy-Efficient Active Systems:

When it comes to active-system design strategies, it's important to remember that any measures that can help occupants maintain comfort without turning on building HVAC systems should be considered. Local personal workstation cooling systems or high-volume, low-velocity ceiling fans may allow facility staff to increase building temperature set-points while maintaining comfort. The premise of "adaptive comfort" is that people can accept a wider range of temperature if they have the means to make adaptive, local adjustments such as altering air velocity, modifying clothing levels, or changing the activity schedule.

For heating applications on small- to mid-sized commercial net-zero projects, electric heat pumps are often the preferred means for generating heat. The reason is that they can take advantage of electricity from on site renewable sources (e.g., from photovoltaics or wind turbines); that's why net-zero projects use natural gas heating systems less often than other types of projects. Other sources of heat, such as solar thermal collectors, are common ways to offset the electrical heating requirements.

Radiant systems, such as chilled or heated floors and ceilings, are effective for net-zero applications both in heating and cooling. These systems temper the environment without needing a fan to circulate air. Air-plus-water systems, such as active chilled beams, can also offset fan energy. A pump is required to circulate water; however, water is a much more efficient medium for transferring heat or cold than air.

For applications requiring large quantities of air, either due to ventilation or cooling demand, a means to offset fan energy should be considered.

The conventional method for doing this is to reduce supply air volume during temperate periods using a variable air volume (VAV) system. A VAV system uses a variable frequency drive in conjunction with the fan to modulate speed. Because fan power depends on airflow and static pressure, some systems look to save energy by reducing static pressure. An underfloor air distribution (UFAD) system can accomplish this goal by moving low-velocity air through a raised floor cavity to reduce the length of high-velocity air ducts. A UFAD system also supplies air at a higher temperature than VAV systems and often uses outside air to provide free cooling, leading to greater efficiency.

For larger applications, central plants employ water-cooled chillers with heat rejection from cooling towers. For this size of net-zero project, efficiency would be the driver for all mechanical components. There are opportunities, however, to use natural energy sources such as geothermal heating/cooling to modulate temperature in the HVAC fluids.

PART 3: Net-Zero Energy Buildings: Waste Heat Recovery And Renewable Energy:

Waste heat recovery and renewable energy are important strategies in net-zero energy buildings.

Because natural gas systems are less often used in net-zero buildings, there are fewer opportunities to recover energy from the heat-intensive processes. If natural gas is not used for heating, a project is unlikely to use fuel cells or micro-turbines, eliminating the ability to recover waste heat from those energy-generating systems.

On many projects, waste heat sources occur within the exhaust air streams or in condenser exhaust from heat pumps or chillers. Depending on the use of the incoming air and the quality of the outgoing air, heat can be transferred using air-to-air heat exchangers, air-handling-unit run-around coils, and thermal energy wheels. These systems either directly or indirectly transfer heat from one air stream to the next.

Another source of waste heat is the exhaust air from heat pumps or condenser water from chillers. If there is a simultaneous demand for heating (possibly in domestic hot water), this waste energy can be reused as a heat source.

Renewable Energy and Building Automation:

The steps outlined are important in another way for projects aiming to achieve net-zero energy use. Those projects decide which renewable power generation system (photovoltaic cells, building-integrated wind turbines, bio-fuel, or some other means) best matches the building demand and profile for the project type and region. Measures that reduce demand also help to reduce first cost of the generation system, and make it easier to deal with the source's intermittent power production. The protocol we've outlined makes it easier to size energy-generating systems at an appropriate and affordable capacity.

Building occupants also play an integral role in efforts to achieve energy efficiency, especially in net-zero buildings. If the user is unaware of the energy consumption in relation to the building energy generation, there is little chance of achieving a neutral energy balance (i.e., net-zero energy use) at the end of the measurement period. Building dashboards allow the user to monitor building energy consumption and to better understand when manual systems should be operated. For instance, the building dashboard may notify the user when outdoor air temperatures are acceptable for opening a window or inform the user when energy conservation may be needed on a cloudy day.

The design of a highly efficient HVAC system, especially for a net-zero project, is a complicated puzzle that requires all members of a project team to engage in the process. More than ever, there is reliance on all members to cooperate, motivate, and inspire their counterparts to achieve the common goal of energy neutrality. The reward is a net-zero building that can meet the needs of the present while having "zero" impact on the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Bruce McKinlay, PE, LEED AP, is a principal with Arup in Los Angeles and leads the firm's commercial property market in the Americas. He has collaborated on numerous sustainable projects where an integrated design approach has led to greater energy efficiency. He can be reached by email by clicking the following link here.

Jamey Lyzun, PE, LEED AP, is an associate at Arup and has 14 years of experience on projects. He has applied many of the techniques outlined in this article to assure that integrated strategies at the design phase can lead to low energy and sustainable outcomes during operation. He can be reached by email by clicking the following link here.

Hi Energy Department Announces $9 Million to Improve Energy Efficiency of Hotels, Hospitals, Offices and More!.

Hi Energy Department Announces $9 Million to Improve Energy Efficiency of Hotels, Hospitals, Offices and More!.

As part of the effort to double energy productivity by 2030 and reduce carbon emissions in commercial buildings, the Energy Department announced $9 million to encourage investments in energy-saving technologies that can be tested and deployed in offices, shops, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and other types of commercial buildings. The funding will facilitate the implementation of market-ready solutions across the U.S. to improve commercial building energy efficiency, with a goal of demonstrating 20 percent savings or more across a variety of approaches.

Last year, commercial buildings accounted for approximately 20 percent of total U.S. energy use, equivalent to about 18 quadrillion British thermal units of energy. Owners and occupants could cut energy waste, saving an estimated tens of billions of dollars annually, if they operated their buildings more efficiently and invested in energy-saving technologies. Additionally, accelerating investment in efficiency upgrades could also lead to greater demand for new building products and technologies, many of which are produced and developed in the U.S.

This funding opportunity encourages building owners and occupants to demonstrate widely-applicable and self-sustaining approaches that address key challenges and make building efficiency improvements easier. Examples include:

•Green leases that help building owners and lessees save money: Equitably align the costs and benefits of efficiency investments between building owners and tenants.

•Better information for better decisions: Use Department-developed energy modeling software to better identify and predict a building’s energy performance. The goal is to show how energy efficiency can result in lower energy bills and reduce overhead.

•Low-risk nature of financing energy efficiency projects: Assist lenders in obtaining better access to data and information resources that demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of investing in energy efficiency projects.

This funding opportunity seeks to support 5-10 projects that will increase energy savings in commercial buildings by advancing the use of tools, solutions and resources the Department has developed to help commercial building owners, managers and professionals overcome barriers to efficiency.

Organizations are encouraged to partner on applications to enhance the overall deployment impact by leveraging current deployment channels, market orientation and strategic relationships. The Department is interested in proposals that will impact a significant geographic and commercial buildings market sector, affect a minimum of 100 buildings, achieve at least 20 percent energy savings over 10 years, train workers, create jobs, and result in programs that will be self-sustaining after the funding period expires.

Hi' Ah-ram Online Reader: Renewable energy is Egypt's raft out of crisis: Experts.

Hi' Ah-ram Online Reader: Renewable energy is Egypt's raft out of crisis: Experts.

Power-generating windmill turbines of The Zafarana project, Egypt (Photo: Al-ah-ram).

"The solutions are known, but the will to implement them is absent, say energy experts discussing Egypt's energy crisis";

Scarcity of financial resources and the lack of a solid plan are the main reasons behind the perpetuation of Egypt's energy crisis, according to experts who attended the Cairo Energy Conference.

"The energy problem is well known. Its solutions are also well known, but there is no will to solve it," says Mohamed Shoeb, former president of the Egyptian Natural Gas Holding Company.

Shoeb and other experts, some of which are former officials, believe an advance can be achieved if the government thinks out of the box.

Many believe solar energy is a viable option for Egypt. "Some countries, like Germany, have a plan to generate all their electricity needs from renewable energy by 2050, and so should we," says Gala Othman, president of the Association of Wind Energy.

"Solar energy is no longer expensive. The cost of it has decreased by almost 90 percent during the last 10 years," says Shoeb.

Many experts say smart electricity meters that can reduce consumption in peak hours can help reduce electricity cuts. Instead of cutting off power, the government can reduce the consumption of households who have several air conditioners or power-hungry electrical devices in operation in peak hours.

Experts add that energy saving LED lightbulbs can reduce power consumption by 20 percent and would cost less to widely distribute than fuel imports.

"There are several ideas that can be studied and implemented, but we have been very slow," says Mohamed Moussa Omran, undersecretary of the Ministry of Electricity.

"We were the first in the region to start using solar energy, but were left behind. Countries like Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are introducing smart meters," he said.

"Transparency is missing, and that is a problem that needs to be solved. The government thinks the people are not capable of understanding the problem," says Shoeb.

Different parts of the government do not speak frankly to each other about the issue, he adds. 

"The discourse inside a governmental administration would most probably change if they interact with another one in a different ministry," he said.

Differences between the Ministry of Electricity and the Ministry of Petroleum over the issue have led to an exchange of accusations between previous ministers.

In a speech Saturday, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi said that the production and distribution of electricity were not developed to catch up with consumption.

He estimated that Egypt needs 2,500 Megawatts annually for the upcoming five years to meet rising demand, at a cost of $2.5 billion a year.

In addition to funds needed to build power stations, El-Sisi said that fuel needs would amount to $700 million per station per year.

He invited private investors to develop power stations as well as the power grid.

Power cuts have become frequent since August 2008, but were generally confined to summer months when air conditioning use increases the demand for power. In winter 2012/13, blackouts became common.

Close to 80 percent of Egypt's electricity is generated by natural gas, the production of which has lagged behind in recent years as political unrest and mounting government debts have discouraged foreign energy firms from developing new gas fields.

A (Hi) Need for Speed and a Roadmap to Sustainable Innovation.

A (Hi) Need for Speed and a Roadmap to Sustainable Innovation.

This year, more than 500 product development leaders from across the globe participated in the fourth product portfolio management (PPM) benchmark survey to share their priorities, risks, and pain points on the state of PPM.

As part of the study, a new framework for assessing a company's innovation program was developed. 

The Innovation Management Maturity Model™ gives organizations a critical tool for assessing the strength of their innovation program.

Download the report and learn: 

• The top pain points and risks, and how they affect innovation. 
• Where product centric companies are in terms of innovation management maturity and where they want to be. 
• Why there is such a need for speed and what organizations can do to get products to market faster. 

Click The Following Link Here To Download Or View & Save Below;

Hi Visit Events Eye "Green Build."

Hi Events Eye "Green Build."

!!JOIN THE GREEN REVOLUTION IN THE BIG EASY!!

In 2014, we're joining together in New Orleans from Oct. 22-24 for Leadership Jazz. 

The music of the green movement is undeniable – its lyrics are engaging individuals across the world, its innovation is reviving our spirit and its passion is fueling the future. 

Together our unique ideas are improvising a melody that is leading a successful transformation of our building and communities. 

The Big Easy is the perfect setting to celebrate this global impact, while also embracing the essence of community, culture and soul. In 2013, USGBC turned 20, and we invite you to join the revolution as we build momentum and march into the next 20 years.

Hi Event Intro...,

The (Hi) Green Playing Field!.

The (Hi) Green Playing Field!.

On The Positive Techies Innovations Playing Field Group;

Researchers in Japanese universities are working to explain the aerodynamics of birds and insects such as hummingbirds and butterflies. 

Their goal is to develop tiny robots weighing several grams that can fly by flapping its wings.

These days, the buzzword “nano” is widely used by scientists, engineers, medical practitioners, technocrats and industrialists. 

The concept was originally proposed by Nobel laureate Richard Feynman in 1959.

 

On The Green IT Playing Field Group;

Japan, US companies race to build IT infrastructure in Asia.

Kaneka has developed an LCD panel protective film that passes through twice more backlight than conventional films.

On The Chameleon's hole Green Playing Field Group;

How many senses does a human being have?

We have at least 21 senses not 5 senses.

“You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and we show you how deep the chameleon’s hole goes”.

On The Green Playing Field Transportation Group;

Is Tesla Motors overhyped in China?

Having achieved a spectacular comeback as an automaking juggernaut, Toyota Motor says it intends to pour a hefty sum into R&D and other forward-looking initiatives this fiscal year.

On The Climate Change Green Playing Field Group;

A journalist who gets climate change right.

A decade has passed since the launch of the government-led Cool Biz energy-saving campaign. Many consumers now seem to own enough light clothes to deal with the warmer office environment.

How Nanotech Technology is incorporated with HVAC advances?

Industrial Nanotech imparts how innovations with nano materials can improve HVAC processes.

The insulation and air quality efficiency of HVAC systems has not changed much in the past 50 plus years. However, new advancements in nanotechnology-based insulation and anti-microbial materials offer advantages that provide the ability to insulate in less space, increase longevity of performance, improve weathering and moisture resistance and increase air quality – all with an objective of affordability and cost-effectiveness.

WHAT ARE NANO MATERIALS?

Nanotechnology is simply the manipulation of materials at a smaller scale than was previously available. By manipulating matter at the nano scale, materials have the ability to be built from the atomic level up, with much less waste. Science has also found that materials can take on different attributes when you manipulate them at this scale, such as silver taking on anti-microbial properties.

Nano materials is one of the fastest growing branches of nano science and within this falls nano coatings. Coatings are being invented that have the ability to provide attributes such as heat resistance, rust prevention, resistance to contagions and a variety of other surface protection qualities.

IMPROVING HVAC INSULATION USING NANO COATINGS

Insulating HVAC systems is paramount to reducing building energy consumption and related greenhouse gas emissions. For years we have been trained to think that you need thickness in order to insulate. However, just as cell phones and computers have shrunk and yet become more powerful over the years, so has insulation.

The newest form of insulation incorporates a nano material with very low thermal conductivity into a clear, water-based acrylic latex to provide a thin film coating that can be painted onto a variety of substrates, such as duct work, piping and boilers, to insulate effectively and consistently.

One benefit that a thin film thermal barrier provides is the ability to resist infiltration from moisture, dirt, dust and other contaminates that typically cause degradation of fibrous insulation's like fiberglass or rock wool. By using a nanotechnology-based coating for the insulation of critical HVAC system parts, overall replacement and maintenance costs can be reduced and the ability to insulate outdoor and rooftop equipment without the issues that come with rain, snow and other weather exposure is provided.

Thermal insulation and protective nano coatings have been shown to reduce energy costs by between 10 and 40 percent, depending upon the application, with a consistent insulation value throughout the five- to 10-year lifespan.

REDUCING CONTAGIONS USING NANO COATINGS

Indoor air quality is another area where nanotechnology can assist in reducing contagions that may infiltrate an HVAC system. Building health is an increasingly important topic as it directly relates to the health of the workers inside any facility. Some of the advances in nano coatings address issues with mold and fungi growth and corrosion prevention, as well as provide anti-microbial properties.

Infiltration of mold or fungi into an HVAC system contribute to an unhealthy building. When traditional fibrous insulation becomes moist, it can become a breeding ground for these types of contagions. Other contagions can come from infiltration of outdoor air due to rusting duct work or piping, which leaves unwanted openings into the system.

Nano coatings are able to provide resistance to mold and fungi growth, prevent corrosion, and some are anti-microbial and can be used internally on duct work to reduce unwanted contagions. One anti-microbial coating incorporating nano silicon dioxide was shown in hospital trials to reduce bacteria by up to 50 percent on surfaces treated with the coating.

THE CHALLENGES OF THIS NEW TECHNOLOGY

As with any new and advanced technology there are challenges to adoption. One of these is that often measurement standards put in place and written into building codes were made to measure an older technology and do not always have the ability to measure new technological advancements. Standards tend to be behind industry innovations.

A challenge concerning the use of nano coatings for insulation is that the make-up of the material used allows the reduction of heat conduction in a thin layer and standards used, such as the R-value (R standing for resistance to heat flow), weigh thickness heavily into their equation of effectiveness, meaning they can’t be used to accurately reflect the energy saving ability of new thin film insulators.

To overcome this challenge, other building standard tests that measure direct heat conduction in energy units, such as watts or btus (British Thermal Units), that show the reduction in thermal transmission without skewing the result by thickness need to be used.

Another challenge is the fear factor any type of new technology brings, and nanotechnology is no stranger to this. People fear that nano-sized particles may infiltrate their skin or otherwise be a danger. However, nano scale particles are not used, but rather nanotechnology is incorporated in another way into materials, so there should be no fear of any infiltration of tiny particles. In addition, companies in the field offer health and safety testing to allay fears.

THE ADVANTAGES OF CHANGE

While you should do your homework before deciding on adopting any new technology for HVAC efficiency, it definitely can pay off to see what innovations are available from nanotechnology-based materials. Nanotechnology has now come out of the lab and has been making a difference in industry for at least a decade. It can enable huge improvements in energy efficiency, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and overall increased longevity, health and air quality of a heating and cooling system.

The earlier adopters of these advanced technologies are already experiencing the benefits of their willingness to change old ways of thinking. As with all new technology, this eventually promotes the needed change in standards – and in the not too distant future, we should see nanomaterials being incorporated into standards and specifications, and being increasingly used as a mainstream choice for efficient HVAC processes.

Hi Noise Reduction Innovation For Power Stations

Hi Aerodynamic noise control innovation technology;

New technology deployed at the largest US biomass power plant prevents creation of noise from fans while reducing power consumption.

The solution developed by the Industrial Noise and Vibration Center (INVC) from Berkshire, UK, relies on active noise reduction instead of suppressing the noise by silencers and acoustic enclosures.

“We have developed a way to prevent the noise being generated in the first place instead by designing aerodynamic inserts that fit inside the fan casing. You can think of these as akin to the aerodynamic features used on Formula 1 cars to control airflow,” said Peter Wilson, the INVC technical director.

The technology was installed at the 50 MW Schiller biomass power plant in New Hampshire - the largest biomass power plant in the US. The site had had problems due to the noise produced by the station’s ID fan. The installation itself only required 12 hours. According to a technical review evaluating the solution, not only noise reduction has been achieved but the plant  has also been consuming considerably less energy.

"We recorded a 10dB drop in noise, which is huge. We also recorded a reduction in the power used by the ID fan after Quiet Fan technology had been installed." said Jim Granger, the Senior Engineer at Schiller.

Conventional silencing technology to suppress the drone of large ID fans is rather costly and increases down-time of the installation. According to the evaluation data, the Quit Fan technology managed to achieve similar level of noise reduction costing about 80 per cent less.

How does the fan noise attenuating technology work?

A similar approach to that of the way that Formula 1 teams invest in the design of aerodynamic aids to control the airflow round their cars. As fan noise is the sum of the turbulence generated pressure fluctuations in the air shed by the blades, we have developed a range of aerodynamic inserts that are fitted inside the fan casing to smooth the flow. This reduces the pressure fluctuations – and hence the noise – at source without introducing the back-pressure often associated with silencers. This not only reduces the noise travelling down the intake and exhaust duct-work  but also that passing through the fan casing which may not only eliminate the need for silencers, but also the need for acoustic enclosures.

HVAC – Chiller – Condenser – Cooling Tower Noise Reduction:

Innovative new techniques developed to control the noise from HVAC and chiller / condenser systems without compromising efficiency. These typically provide around 10dB of additional attenuation compared with conventional noise reduction packages and silencers – and at a fraction of the cost.

Visit INVC Website for further information and to view case studies on noise reduction innovations.