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November 2006 | Home · Event Calendar · Getting Here · Contact Us | ||||
Upcoming EventsLighting Showcase and Expo View a complete calendar of upcoming events. News BitsWe've Moved!To better serve you and accomodate our growth, the nonprofit San Diego Regional Energy Office has moved to new, larger facilities. Stop by and see our new training rooms, offices and expanded display areas. Our new address is 8690 Balboa Avenue, Suite 100, San Diego, CA 92123-1502. Our phone numbers are the same. Updated Self-Generation Incentive Program Data is now available on the SDREO SGIP Data and Reports webpage.
Correction: In October's Energy Connection the name of the author of a News Bit was inadvertently left off. The author of Google to Share Energy-Saving Technology with Computer Industry was written by Justin Gerdes at Flex Your Power. We regret the error.
Tech TipRooftop Air Conditioners The rooftop air conditioners used for small commercial buildings are often poorly maintained. Faults introduced during installation or that develop over time can go undetected for long periods, resulting in high energy usage, shortened equipment life and adverse impacts on occupant health and comfort. Based on a study conducted by the Public Interest Energy Research Program (PIER), roughly 71 percent of the systems studied had some kind of problem that affected performance. Potential savings from maintaining HVAC systems are huge (the U.S. has 93 million air-conditioners). The following are some measures:
Quotables“The power industry must take the initiative in developing a workable plan to cap – and eventually reduce emissions of carbon dioxide from power plants. The argument for doing nothing because the link between power plant emissions, global warming and catastrophic climate change is uncertain is no longer valid. That’s because it is uncertain. There may be a link. Therefore, we, as a society, need to mitigate the risk. Our insurance is a carbon cap. There’s just no other way.”
— Robert Smock, Senior V.P.; PennWell Corporation
Speak OutEnergy Connection is a monthly publication of the San Diego Regional Energy Office. We welcome your feedback and would like to hear from you. To submit comments, questions or suggestions, please This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
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Border Energy Forum
Over the past few years China's renewables development has grown at an annual average rate of 25 percent, according to the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC). This year, China’s hydropower capacity will reach 110 million | Inside the San Diego Energy Resource Center |
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Featured PeriodicalFuel Cell is published bi-monthly by Webcom Communications Corp. and serves managers and technical professionals involved in developing and applying fuel cell technologies worldwide. The magazine features company profiles, industry news, new products, and a calendar of events. NOTE: Books, periodicals and videos can also be checked out free of charge. Please call toll-free: 1-866-SDENERGY for more information. - TOP - |
Name: Electronic Dimmable High Intensity Discharge (EHID) Hibay Fixture
Name: CABLE-USB232 Keyspan USB Serial Adapter 
Dictionary of Architecture and Construction, edited by Cyril M. Harris and published by McGraw-Hill, is a huge compendium by a renowned architectural editor and 50 expert contributors. It features more than 2300 line drawings and clear, concise definitions of more than 26,000 important architecture and construction terms. Special care was given to include the latest terms in legal areas, technologies, techniques, materials, organizational and historic architectural styles and trends.
| Energy Policies, Regulations & Legislative Updates |
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Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 2006! Proposition 87 would impose a per-barrel severance tax on oil extracted from California ranging from 1.5 percent to 6 percent, depending on the price of a barrel production, to raise $4 billion over time. The money raised would fund a program with research and production incentives for alternative energy, alternative energy vehicles, energy efficient technologies, and for education and training, with the goal to reduce petroleum consumption by 25 percent. Producers would be prohibited from passing the costs on to consumers, and the tax would be eliminated once the $4 billion is raised. A new state authority, the California Energy Alternatives Program Authority, would be created to oversee implementation of this program.
Regulatory California Solar Initiative (CSI) and Self-Generation Incentive Program (SGIP) (R.06-03-004) On October 24, the Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) requested comments on the draft California Solar Initiative ( CSI) Program Handbook. Comments are due no later than November 7, 2006, and reply comments are due no later than November 17, 2006. New Solar Homes Partnership On the week of November 6, the California Energy Commission ( CEC) will hold three meetings in Sacramento related to the New Solar Homes Partnership ( NSHP), the new construction residential portion of the California Solar Initiative. On Monday November 6, the meeting will focus on the design of the NSHP. On Wednesday November 8, the meeting will focus on particulars of the upcoming NSHP handbook. On Thursday, November 9, the meeting will focus on affordable housing issues. Sunrise Powerlink Transmission Project (A.05-12-014 consolidated with A.06-08-010) On October 2, in response to Commissioner Grueneich’s directive at the September 13 prehearing conference, SDG&E provided information related to the analysis of alternative routes that avoid Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Pursuant to the ALJ’s ruling on September 21, SDG&E held a workshop on modeling assumptions and the development of alternatives on October 13. In response to conservation groups request for additional scoping hearings, the CPUC the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and parties compiling the draft Environmental Impact Report (EIR) are required to accept public comment at a later date. On November 3, SANDAG's Regional Planning Committee voted to take no position on the line until the draft EIR is completed. Long-Term Procurement Plan (R.06-02-013) At the Long-Term Procurement Plan (LTPP) workshop on October 12, the Investor-Owned Utilities ( IOU) presented preliminary "sneak peeks" at the LTPP that each intend to file with the CPUC; the LTPP will outline plans for contracting generation resources from 2007-2016. On October 17, pursuant to the ALJ's instructions at the October 12 workshop, Mirant, NRG Energy, LS Power, and Constellation submitted a motion requesting the establishment of a schedule for proposals on how the CPUC should implement Assembly Bill 1576, which requires the CPUC to contract with a generating facility that has replaced or repowered an existing facility. The IOUs filed their responses to the motion on October 24. On November 1, a workshop was held to present and discuss the Joint Energy Auction Proposal of the IOUs, filed on October 20.
State Legislation (passed) Assembly Bill 1632 requires the CEC to compile and assess existing scientific studies about a major disruption to large baseload generation facilities due to aging or a major seismic event. The bill also requires the CEC to assess the potential state and local costs and impacts associated with accumulating waste at California's nuclear power plants, and further to assess other key policy and planning issues affecting the future role of nuclear power plants in the state. Assembly Bill 32 sets the stage for creating caps on greenhouse gas ( GHG) emissions and imposing penalties for non-compliance with those caps. It also requires reporting of GHG emissions to be coordinated by the California Energy Commission, the Air Resource Board and the California Climate Action Registry. Assembly Bill 2021 requires all electric and natural gas utilities to meet energy efficiency savings targets established by the California Energy Commission ( CEC) and the California Public Utilities Commission ( PUC). Senate Bill 1368 requires the PUC, in consultation with the CEC and the State Air Resources Board, to establish a GHG emission performance standard for all baseload generation of load-serving entities. In addition, it requires the PUC to prohibit electricity providers and corporations from entering long-term contracts which do not meet the CEC's standard.
Correction from October 2006 Energy Connection Assembly Bill 2778 Self Generation Incentive Program was signed on September 29. It will extend portions of the SGIP until 2012, including wind, renewable and non-renewable fuel cell technologies (cogeneration has been excluded).
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State PropositionsBorder Energy Forum (cont.)
At the Forum, Andrew McAllister, director of operations at SDREO presented initial results from SDREO’s Border Energy Savings Program (BESP), through which SDREO has been providing energy audits to maquiladoras in Tijuana and Mexicali. The energy savings potential in the Mexican industrial sector is enormous; electricity savings potential in the industries audited thus far range from seven percent to 22 percent of the total bill. BESP, funded by the North American Development Bank and the California Energy Commission, is developing models for project identification, financing and execution. The goal is to build a vibrant, sustainable market for energy efficiency in the US-Mexico border regions. For more information on the BESP, go to www.sdenergy.org.
Next year’s Border Energy Forum will be held in San Diego, and SDREO is excited to act as a key local partner to facilitate the event and plan interesting energy-related site visits for attendees. Look for a preliminary agenda and registration information sometime in the summer of 2007.
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Neighborhood Fuel Cells (cont.)
Surprising to most people, fuel cells are relatively small, quiet and can be located in your neighborhood while creating no pollutants. Because the power plant is local, it is less likely to be affected by errant cars or weather knocking down power poles causing dangerous and expensive blackouts. It is a new type of power plant that accepts fuel and air, and converts them into electricity and water vapor without any combustion or combustion waste.
Today several companies are developing fuel cells for stationary and transportation applications. Transportation fuel cells must respond quickly to driver demands for acceleration. In contrast, commercial and residential loads are fairly uniform and can utilize more robust technologies. The commercial and residential fuel cells provide high energy efficiency—efficiencies as high as or higher than large central power plants.
Stationary fuel cells operate 24/7 at a high efficiency and respond quickly to fluctuations in electricity demand. They can easily switch between a wide variety of fuels including natural gas, hydrogen, ethanol and bio-diesel fuel (automotive fuel cells require pure hydrogen as fuel) and they do not require the precious metal components that some of the predecessor fuel cell technologies used. Regardless of the fuel, the stationary fuel cells provide safe, clean, dependable, quiet and affordable electricity.
Almost all new large power plants are natural gas fueled and burn natural gas—only natural gas. If the natural gas supply is interrupted, the operators of these plants must shut them off, leaving entire cities blacked out. When natural gas prices soar, as they have done in recent years, these large power plants cannot switch to more economical fuels. On the other hand, a fuel cell could continue to operate during either a supply outage or an economic crisis by consuming other available and less expensive fuels.
Most large cities depend on electricity produced far from the city gates, which is then transmitted to the city via high voltage transmission lines. In recent years this system has become overloaded. The approval process to build more transmission lines can be slow (often taking more than 10 years to plan and build), oftentimes costly, and may not ever get built for a variety of reasons including the approval process, costs, environmental concerns and others. But, without more transmission lines, our cities have the potential to be power constrained as our need for power grows. Fuel cells, installed locally, provide an attractive alternative.
A neighborhood fuel cell can fit into a garage-sized building and, because of the extremely low emissions and low noise, nobody outside the garage would know that a power plant was operating inside. By deploying relatively small, but dependable and clean power plants throughout cities and neighborhoods, we can achieve higher reliability and greater energy security. When used in this distributed manner they provide greatly enhanced reliability and versatility to the operators of the electricity grid. In addition, grid operators will have less need to build new transmissions lines and substations when robust, distributed fuel cells are in place. Because the some stationary fuel cells can be fueled by a great variety of traditional and renewable fuels, they provide greater flexibility and reliability as fuel oil and natural prices and supply become more volatile.
Fully qualified fuel cells are commercially available and ready for deployment. The science has been proven and costs are on a steep downward trajectory as companies employ modern manufacturing techniques to evaluate and lower production costs.
The California Legislature recently passed AB 2778 (Lieber) that extends portions of the Self-Generation Incentive Program ( SGIP) to January 2012. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed this legislation into law. SGIP, administered by utilities and the San Diego Regional Energy Office, provides financial incentive to parties installing small generation systems that meet certain criteria. Fuel cells clearly meet the criteria. The time extension provided by AB 2778 provides surety to manufacturers and potential installers of fuel cells that they have the time to plan, permit and install fuel cells in California, and receive the benefits from this program.
Citizens can accelerate the adoption of efficient fuel cells by encouraging utilities and businesses to install and operate clean, distributed power generators. Because of the current need to increase fuel efficiency and to reduce air emissions simultaneously, the power industry and its regulators need to adopt fuel cells as a key part of the solution.
David A. Rohy is a former Vice-Chair of the California Energy Commission, and serves as a consultant to energy technology companies. Byron D. Sher is a former state senator who authored California’s renewable energy portfolio standards law, and he serves on the advisory committee or board of a variety of energy technology companies and advocacy groups.
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(cont.)
There are several reasons China must speed up its renewables development. The country is relatively poor in energy resources per capita. Its remaining reserves of petroleum, natural gas and coal are 7.7 percent, 7.1 percent and 58.6 percent, respectively, of the world average. At the current rate of extraction, China’s reserves of these resources could last 15, 30, and 80 years, respectively, compared with the rest of the world’s averages of 45, 61, and 230 years. Its industrial development and economic growth are also creating significant pollution consequences and renewables
Although the country has a strong renewables development program, there is still plenty of potential in untapped hydropower, wind, solar and biomass resources.
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Copyright 2006 San Diego Regional Energy Office
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