How American Businesses are Leading the Way in Green Building Technology

See how U.S. companies made the Shanghai Tower a shining example of green building. | Graphic by Matty Greene, Department of Energy.

In 2014, two daredevils broke into a construction site and climbed to the top of the second tallest building in the world: the Shanghai Tower. You may recognize it from their vertigo-inducing viral video, which leaves no doubt that the Tower is tall. What it doesn’t show is how much American businesses have had an impact on making the structure one of the greenest large buildings in the world.

Green buildings are more sustainable than conventional buildings by using fewer building materials, conserving energy and reducing waste. Thanks in large part to technologies from U.S. companies (and compared to conventional technologies) the approaches used in the Shanghai Tower:

• Reduce energy use by 21 percent
• Reduce water consumption by 40 percent
• Reduce the building’s carbon footprint by 34,000 metric tons per year, equivalent to taking more than 7,000 cars off the road.

From the architectural design and landscaping to temperature control and lighting, U.S. companies have made significant contributions to the Tower’s green design, which has earned a LEED Gold rating, as well as a China Green Building Three Star rating. Take a look at the graphic above to see some examples.

The Tower exemplifies how U.S. technology can drive economic growth while reducing carbon emissions, a path critical to addressing global climate change. As Secretary Moniz said in a recent speech, “Ultimately our focus is on the solutions to the climate-change challenge through technology. … American business will be called upon here to do the heavy lifting.”

That’s why 24 American companies are in China right now, joining Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and Deputy Secretary of Energy Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall for a joint trade mission focused on smart cities and green infrastructure. The trip aims to follow through on the climate change goals laid out by President Obama and President Xi last November.

The Shanghai Tower is just one shining example of how U.S. companies are leading the way in green building technologies. In Shanghai and around the world, American innovation is scaling new heights when it comes to sustainability.

Pat Adams

Digital Content Specialist, Office of Public Affairs

Energy Storage May Already Make Sense for Many Commercial Customers

Seth Mullendore 
May 12, 2015  |  

In the wake of Tesla’s recently announced entrance into the stationary energy storage market, there has been a wave of analysis of what this might mean for residential and commercial utility customers. The bulk of the headlines have centered on the sleek residential Powerwall, but far fewer have investigated the implications of Tesla’s commercial-scale product, the Powerpack. In a new report, titled US Solar & Alternative Energy: The Real Battery Storage Opportunity, the global financial research company UBS sees commercial and industrial (C&I) customers as the market opportunity for Tesla and other energy storage companies.

According to the report, the reason why residential systems may not offer as many economic benefits at this time, while C&I systems have the potential to net a positive return, has to do with how each customer segment is billed for its respective electricity use. Residential utility customers are billed based solely on the volume of electricity consumed, measured in kilowatt-hours (kWh). Commercial customers are also billed on a volumetric basis, but in addition, they pay a demand charge, a fixed charge calculated on the highest magnitude of electricity used each billing period, measured in kilowatts (kW). Demand charges can be significant, accounting for 35-40 percent of a C&I customer’s electricity bill in some parts of the country.

This maximum level of electricity demand is known as peak demand. By selectively discharging when a customer’s level of demand reaches a certain kilowatt threshold, energy storage can act to effectively cap peak demand — a process called peak shaving. The process is all managed through intelligent control system software, which can learn a building’s energy use trends over time to optimize energy storage performance accordingly. Reduced peak demand translates into fewer demand charges and lower customer utility bills.

So, residential customers do not pay demand charges, while commercial and industrial customers do. And it is in those demand charge markets where commercial battery storage will likely make the first foray — because reducing those charges is a straight economic play with a good rate of return. In fact, UBS estimates that energy storage as a way to reduce these demand charges is already economical in several U.S. markets, including parts of California and New York City.

The UBS report models the 20-year internal rate of return (IRR) for an energy storage system costing $400 per kWh, a price point UBS predicts will be reached by 2018. Tesla’s Powerpack is already approaching this target at about $50,000 installed cost for a 100 kWh system, or $500 per kWh. The report finds that energy storage systems begin to show a positive IRR at a demand charge of around $10 per kW. At a demand charges of $16 per kW, the IRR comes in at about 7 percent. A $20 per kW demand charge produces a return of about 12 percent. Demand charges in certain California and New York markets are already in the $30-$40 per kW range, meaning the economics are likely to be favorable even at today’s energy storage prices.

UBS goes on to note that additional value propositions, such as payments for participation in ancillary services and demand response programs, can further improve the economic argument in favor of energy storage.

One component that UBS fails to quantify, or even mention for C&I customers, is that energy storage systems can be set up to island, or disconnect from the grid, in the case of a grid outage. When islanded, energy storage can provide backup power for customers, allowing them to continue operations when the grid is down. While energy storage systems designed for demand charge reduction or ancillary services may not be able to power all of a facility’s systems throughout a power outage, they can certainly take on a reduced or critical load, augmenting the capabilities of existing backup generators and extending the lifetime of onsite fuel supplies during extended outages. When combined with solar power, a storage system could theoretically supply resilient power to critical loads for an unlimited duration.

In comparison to C&I customers, the UBS report finds that residential customers will have less financial incentive to purchase energy storage systems. UBS specifically examines the case of batteries for backup power as compared to fossil-fueled generators. Though the numbers for residential storage look less favorable as an alternative to natural gas generators, UBS fails to look beyond economics alone. The fact is, lithium-ion batteries offer a lot to like as opposed to generators. Generators can be ugly, noisy, and polluting, they are limited by available fuel supplies; and they emit carbon monoxide, a dangerous gas that can be fatal if not properly vented.

Lithium-ion batteries have no emissions, are quiet, and while looks aren’t everything…have you seen the new Tesla battery yet?

Lead image: Light bulbs. Credit: Shutterstock.

Solar Ready Vets: Preparing Our Veterans to Join the Growing Solar Workforce

The transition from military service into the civilian workforce can be a vulnerable moment.

Many veterans indicate that finding a job is one of the greatest challenges they face in their return to civilian life, and one aspect of that challenge is translating military skills and experience in a marketable way for civilian employers.

At the Department of Energy, we like to say we’re solutions people. And there is a great opportunity here to help by connecting our talented veterans with a dynamic sector in our economy that needs them. Solar electricity generation doubled last year alone, and the solar industry is adding jobs 10 times faster than the rest of the economy. That’s why the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense joined forces to create the Solar Ready Vets program, which provides training to help military personnel translate and build on their skill sets and transition to careers in this thriving renewable energy field.

http://energy.gov/articles/solar-ready-vets-preparing-our-veterans-join-growing-solar-workforce-0

HOW DO WIND TURBINES WORK?

#DidYouKnow a #wind turbine works like the opposite of a fan? Instead of using electricity to make wind, wind turbines use wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity to power homes and businesses. Learn more about how wind turbines work ⇢

http://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/how-do-wind-turbines-



U.S. Department of Energy

Amazing New Solar Panels Are Completely Transparent

Just so we’re totally clear, this is a huge deal. (Get it?)

posted on Aug. 27, 2014, at 3:51 p.m.

Kasia Galazka

BuzzFeed Staff

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kasiagalazka/transparent-solar-panels#.ou6byrdMk

Wind Vision Report from the U.S. Dept. of Energy

With utility-scale turbines installed in nearly every state, wind is already a major source of clean, domestic power for the nation. But what if wind supplied 35 percent of the country's electricity by 2050? That's one of the scenarios highlighted in our new ‪#‎WindVision‬ report, a detailed roadmap for America's wind energy future. Learn more: http://go.usa.gov/3aHGF

Program to Help Businesses Save Energy

http://www.ppulse.com/Articles-The-Green-Page-c-2015-02-26-120299.114136-Program-to-Help-Businesses-Save-Energy.html

February 27, 2015

Businesses have an opportunity to save energy and reduce operating costs by participating in Focus on Energy's Business Incentive Program (BIP) and Renewable Energy Competitive Incentive Program (RECIP). Focus on Energy, Wisconsin utilities' statewide program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, is proud to offer cash-back incentives and technical expertise to energy-intensive businesses like Capital Brewery.

Middleton-based Capital Brewery was founded in 1984 and has been brewing beer since 1986. The company worked with Focus on Energy and their utility, Madison Gas & Electric (MG&E), to complete two projects, including the installation of a 13 kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system and the installation of a high efficiency heat recovery system with controls. These equipment installations are helping the brewery save more than 19,000 kWh and 4,000 therms, resulting in a savings of more than $4,500 annually on their utility bill.

"It was the incentive and technical expertise from Focus on Energy that motivated us to do these projects," said Scott Weiner, president of Capital Brewery. "Capital Brewery is committed to sustainably brewing world class lagers and ales. We look forward to continuing our work with the Focus on Energy team and reducing our water and energy consumption as well as our carbon footprint."

"Breweries are a significant part of the industry and culture in Wisconsin," said Tamara Sondgeroth, director of operations for Focus on Energy. "By helping breweries make smart equipment choices combined with financial incentives, we are able to trim costs and help these businesses become more sustainable."

From lighting, to heating and cooling, and refrigeration systems, Focus on Energy offers both custom and prescriptive incentives to qualifying businesses. For more information on Focus on Energy's business programs, call 800.762.7077 or visit our focusonenergy.com.

Small Towns Achieve Big Savings with Lighting Upgrades

                             A worker installs energy efficient lights as part of the Smart Lights for Smart Cities program. | Photo courtesy of Mid-America Regional Council.

Crystal McDonald

Project Officer, Department of Energy.

                             

Dozens of small communities throughout Kansas and Missouri are saving big money and energy as a result of several high-impact lighting projects. Over the past three years, more than 5,700 energy-efficient lights were installed in communities with populations of less than 35,000 people. The new streetlights are expected to save 25 cities and towns a combined $25 million in energy costs and slash carbon emissions by more than 380 million metric tons, equivalent to removing 80 million cars off the road in one year. The upgrades were part of Smart Lights for Smart Cities, an energy efficiency initiative managed by the Mid-America Regional Council, a metropolitan planning organization serving the Kansas City area. The new lights—featuring induction and LED technologies—are brighter, more energy efficient, and easier to maintain than the mercury vapor and high-pressure sodium streetlights they replaced.

Building on support from an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) via the Recovery Act, Mid-America Regional Council became a charter member of the Energy Department’s new Better Buildings High-Performance Outdoor Lighting Accelerator. Better Buildings Accelerators bring together public and private sector leaders and experts to solve some of the nation’s toughest energy challenges.

The High-Performance Outdoor Lighting Accelerator works with state and local municipalities nationwide to increase the adoption and use of high efficiency outdoor lighting in the public sector. Key program areas are replacing more than 500,000 outdoor lighting poles and developing best practice approaches to municipal system-wide upgrades.

An increasing number of states and municipalities are turning toward high efficiency outdoor lighting. There was nearly a two-fold increase of LED installed stock in outdoor applications from 2012 to 2013. New high performance lighting technologies offer approximately 50% energy savings and cost savings with lower operations and maintenance due to a longer lifespan. The cost savings is significant as outdoor lighting costs across the U.S. total approximately $10 billion a year.

Learn more about EECBG and The High-Performance Outdoor Lighting Accelerator.

Energy Efficient Upgrades - Lighting

Lighting is a critical component of every small business. Employees must be able to see to perform their jobs, and objects and spaces must be aesthetically pleasing to encourage sales.

Depending on the type of business you operate, lighting accounts for 20% to 50% of electricity consumption. This means that significant cost savings can be achieved with energy-efficiency improvements, and due to continually improving equipment, lighting usually provides the highest return-on-investment of major upgrades.

https://www.sba.gov/content/lighting

Fact or Fiction – LEDs don’t produce heat

http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2005/05/fact-or-fiction-leds-don-t-produce-heat.html

Find Financing for Energy Efficient Upgrades

http://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/find-financing-energy-efficiency-upgrades

New programs from Focus on Energy!!

Contact us to reduce your energy costs today!



https://focusonenergy.com/business/businessprogramupdates

Top 6 Things You Didn't Know About Solar Energy

This article is part of the Energy.gov series highlighting the "Top Things You Didn't Know About..." series. Be sure to check back for more entries soon. 6. Solar energy is the most abundant energy resource on earth – 173,000 terawatts of solar energy strikes the Earth continuously. That's more than 10,000 times the world's total energy use. 5. The first silicon solar cell, the precursor of all solar-powered devices, was built by Bell Laboratories in 1954. On page one of its April 26, 1954 issue, The New York Times proclaimed the milestone, “the beginning of a new era, leading eventually to the realization of one of mankind’s most cherished dreams -- the harnessing of the almost limitless energy of the sun for the uses of civilization.” 4. The space industry was an early adopter of solar technology. In the 1960s the space industry began to use solar technology to provide power aboard spacecrafts. The Vanguard 1 -- the first artificial earth satellite powered by solar cells -- remains the oldest manmade satellite in orbit – logging more than 6 billion miles. 3. Fast track to today and demand for solar in the United States is at an all time high. In the first quarter of 2012, developers installed 85 percent more solar panels compared to the first quarter of last year. Total U.S. installations may reach 3,300 megawatts this year – putting the country on track to be the fourth largest solar market in the world. 2. As prices continue to fall, solar energy is increasingly becoming an economical energy choice for American homeowners and businesses. Still, the biggest hurdle to affordable solar energy remains the soft costs – like permitting, zoning, and hooking a solar system up to the power gird. On average local permitting and inspection processes add more than $2,500 to the total cost of a solar energy system. The Energy Department SunShot Initiative works to aggressively drive down these soft costs – making it faster and cheaper for families and businesses to go solar. 1. In California’s Mojave Desert, the largest solar energy project in the world is currently under construction. The project relies on a technology known as solar thermal energy. Once the project is complete 350,000 mirrors will reflect light onto boilers. When the water boils, the steam turns a turbine, creating electricity. The project is expected to provide clean, renewable energy for 140,000 homes and is supported by an Energy Department loan guarantee. More details on the Energy Department’s investments in large scale, innovative renewable energy projects in this slideshow. Want more solar? The National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Energy Information Administration, and Solar Energy Technologies Program are all great solar energy resources – for kids and adults alike.

40 Facts About Solar Energy - Conserve Energy Future

40 Facts About Solar Energy - Conserve Energy Future