By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2008-09-04 05:30
Heat pump reduces energy and water consumption dramatically
When talking about a heat pump, most people will think of a system taking heat at low temperature from the ground, the air, or a water reservoir. However, other configurations are possible. Sony City, the new Sony headquarters in Tokyo, receives heating and cooling from a heat pump connected to a nearby sewage water treatment plant.
By recycling the heat from the sewage plant, the system achieves a Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 5.19, which is exceptionally high. It means that the building receives 5.19 units of energy for each unit of primary energy that is consumed.
Read full story
By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2008-05-15 07:53
A new 'Compendium of Champions' by the ACEEE
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) recently published a compendium of exemplary energy efficiency programmes. It is the second report of this kind; the first being completed in 2003. The Compendium contains the profiles of 90 of America’s leading energy efficiency programmes sponsored by the utility sector (electricity and natural gas). They are either funded by utility rates, public benefits charges, or other similar utility revenue mechanisms. The 90 programmes were selected from a large number of nominations.
Together, the selected programmes achieved annual savings of 2,400 GWh of electricity, 400 MW of peak demand, and 125 million therms of natural gas (= 13.185 TJ or 3.663 GWh).
Read full story
By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Thu, 2008-03-13 18:49
But expensive to implement
In recent years, peak summer demand for electricity has been rising more steeply than the average energy demand, especially in sunny countries where air conditioning is becoming standard.
Contrary to what you might expect, electricity generation and retail companies are not pleased with these consumption peaks. With the current pricing model, the cost of providing the marginal peak kWh is often higher than the revenue. Electricity transmission and distribution companies also see a high peak demand as a burden since it requires extra transmission capacity. A high peak demand is also negative from an environmental point of view, because it often requires the use of peak power production units with a poor environmental performance.
Read full story
By Bruno De Wachter / Published on Mon, 2007-08-27 07:30
… and the role of power utility companies
If we are to build a sustainable energy future for Europe, a key role will be reserved for electricity. Its simplicity and cleanliness at the point of use, combined with the feasibility of clean power generation, make it a preferred energy carrier.
That is the main conclusion of Eurelectric’s study 'The role of electricity'. A summary of that paper was released in March 2007. While it is easy to agree with the general conclusion, the study would gain relevance if it did not limit itself to advocating only those technologies in which power utility companies play a key role.
Read full story
