The Feng Shui of Building Management
Great tips on saving power from the poster child of efficiency
How 'Energy Sleuths' Pursue the Ideal Green Building
The practice of commissioning, in which an engineer monitors the efficiency of a structure from its design through its initial operation, may be the most effective strategy for reducing long-term energy usage, costs and greenhouse gas emissions from buildings. So why is it so seldom used?
DOE Connects High-Efficiency Window Suppliers with Buyers
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has launched the Highly-Insulating R-5 Windows and Low-e Storm Windows Volume Purchase Program, as part of a multi-year integrated strategy to help drive the use of high-efficiency windows.
Most Large Companies Plan to Increase Spending On Climate
Seventy percent of firms with revenue of $1 billion or more say they plan to increase spending on climate change initiatives in the next two years, a global survey reported.
EIA: Renewable Energy to Grow Rapidly Over the Next 28 Years
Renewable energy is expected to be the fastest-growing energy source through 2035, according to projections from DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA). But coal power and natural gas consumption will also continue to rise, causing a 43% increase in energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.
Photo by BeTanabatas
Yes. Crickets are sensitive to changes in temperature and chirp at faster rates when the ambient temperature rises. This frequency of chirping is directly proportional to the temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. In 1897, Amos Dolbear formulated and published the relationship between the chirping frequency of the snowy tree cricket and the ambient temperature.
According to Dolbear's Law, the temperature outside can be estimated by counting the number of chirps in a 15-second period and adding 40. For example, if you hear 35 chirps in 15 seconds, then the temperature should be approximately 75°F.
35 chirps in 15 seconds + 40 = 75°F
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has an online calculator that converts the number of cricket chirps to the corresponding temperature.
Although the chirp rate of the more common field cricket (which is black in color) varies with temperature, the mathematical formula is slightly different from Dolbear's Law, and some indicate that it is slightly less accurate. The Great Plains Nature Center has published that the relationship between number of chirps of a field cricket and the ambient temperature can be determined by counting the number of chirps in a 15-second period and adding 37. For example, if 35 chirps are heard in 15 seconds, then the temperature should be approximately 72°F.
More about crickets . . .
Crickets are a member of the Orthoptera order, which includes grasshoppers, locusts, and katydids. They have long antennas and flattened bodies, and are most often recognized by their chirp. Since only the male's wings have teeth that act as a comb and file instrument, they, unlike female crickets, can produce the song-like chirp. The chirp is generated by lifting their left forewing, which has the teeth, to a 45-degree angle and rubbing it against the upper hind edge of their right forewing, which has a thick scraper. Crickets have sensory elements just below the joints of their front legs that allow them to hear
the chirping of other crickets.
Crickets can produce a loud monotonous chirp or a soft, more subtle chirp depending on the purpose of the song. Crickets may chirp loudly to attract a female, alert other crickets of danger, or to aggressively deter another male. Once females are near, a softer chirp is produced to court the nearby female.
In some countries, particularly China and European countries in the Iberian Peninsula, crickets are kept in cages as pets and are thought to be good luck. In other countries, such as Brazil and Barbados, folklore suggests that gray crickets indicate financial wealth, whereas black crickets signify illness or death.
For more information on crickets and other insects, visit The Library of Congress, Insecta Inspecta World, or The Iowa State Entomology Index.
Article courtesy of Questline. Photo by lincoln-log
Today we're premiering a midweek edition of Energy Management News. Rather than recapping the previous week's news every Monday morning, we're now going to give you energy management and sustainability highlights a couple of times each week. If you prefer these shorter, more frequent posts, be sure to let us know.
The Many Facets of Green Building Innovation
The process and adoption of innovation are the result of several forces at work, not all of them necessarily aligned: The need to customize the product to fit the specific needs of the client and the need for scope, scale and speed. You also must understand the group for which you are innovating.
A Pocket Full of Power
A new startup has created an economical, pint-sized fuel cell that could be just the thing for emerging markets. One prototype (built around a container that once held breath mints) will generate two to three watts of power.
USPS Inks $28.7M Deal to Cut Energy Costs at nearly 2,300 Locations
The U.S. Postal Service has signed a $28.7 million contract to install energy-management systems in up to 2,250 post offices as part of its plan to cut energy costs 30 percent by 2015 from 2003 levels, reports Bloomberg Businessweek.
Great Lakes to Get Great Big Wind Turbines
Traditionally, offshore wind farms have been located on the coast, but GE and LEEDCo hope to generate 1000 MW of wind energy from Lake Erie within the next decade.
Tax Fraud Plagues Carbon Trading Program
According to Bloomberg New Energy Finance, tax fraud is the carbon trading market's most egregious form of cheating, affecting about seven percent of this $125 billion market in 2009.
And now for something completely different . . .
iPhone More Important Invention Than Flush Toilets?
A question for the ages: Is the iPhone a more important invention than the humble toilet? Amazingly, for many Britons, it is. A recent survey indicates the iPhone is literally the greatest thing since sliced bread - at least in the UK.
Expect Higher Priced Electricity, Gas
Prices of residential electricity, motor gasoline and natural gas are expected to rise in the short term and over the next few years, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's latest Energy Outlook Report.
Energy Use Drops: It's Not Just the Economy
We've been hearing a lot about a drop in energy consumption as a result of the economic downturn. But lately, several reports have noted that the economic slowdown is not the only reason energy consumption is falling. Aggressive energy efficiency efforts also have impact.
Payback for Lighting Controls: Less than Three Years
Even in places where power is cheap, you can save money with lighting controls pretty quickly.
LED Lighting Targets Walk-in Freezers
PowerSecure International's EfficientLights business has expanded its LED lighting portfolio with the introduction of two new LED lighting products, targeted at walk-in freezer/coolers and open refrigerated shelves at retailers including grocery and drug stores.
Giving Green Buildings a Smarter Skin
New research inspired by principles from nature aims to make buildings smarter and more efficient. A proposed new building membrane would monitor and use moisture and sunlight to control humidity, light and temperature without using electrical power or mechanical equipment.
The New, Improved Senate Climate Bill
A U.S. Senate compromise bill aimed at battling global warming would cut emissions of greenhouse gases 17 percent by 2020, according to a summary given to senators and obtained by Reuters on Tuesday.
Global Leaders Meet to Collaborate on Energy Efficiency Goals
Leaders from 16 countries and the European Commission met this week for the first Policy Committee meeting of the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC) to promote global collaboration on energy-saving programs and policies.
EIA Examines the Impacts of Alternate Future Scenarios on Energy Trends
What impact will future economic trends and policies have on the amount and type of energy use in 2035? That's a question addressed by 38 alternative cases included in the full Annual Energy Outlook 2010, released on May 11 by DOE's Energy Information Administration (EIA).
Apology for Smart-Meter Foul-up Shows Utilities Are Learning to Listen
After almost three years of customer complaints, Pacific Gas & Electric has come to an unprecedented conclusion: the customer is always right.
Ontario Addresses Smart Grid Privacy
In her 2009 Annual Report, Ontario, Canada's Information and Privacy Commissioner, Dr. Ann Cavoukian, calls privacy a crucial element of the Smart Grid being developed in the province. Ontario.
Photo by oedipusphinx
Do Electric Vehicles Really Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?
Few people are fooled by Nissan's claim that the LEAF is a zero emissions vehicle. Zero tailpipe
emissions does not mean zero emissions. "Electric vehicles just shift emissions from the tailpipe to the smokestack," many critics claim.
JCPenney to Reduce Energy Use 20% by 2015
JC Penney has committed to reduce energy consumption 20 percent per gross square foot by 2015 by increasing energy-efficiency improvements and implementing conservation practices, according to the company's 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility Report.
Is Greener Code the Answer to Greener Data Centers?
The tech industry has been making big strides in boosting efficiency by exploiting by rethinking their approaches to data center cooling and IT hardware. But a new aspect of data center energy use is getting increasing attention lately: software coding.
‘Cool' Roofs Lower Energy Costs
Con Edison's green and white roofs atop of its training and conference center in Long Island City help prevent energy losses, provide other environmental benefits, and reduce heating and cooling costs, compared to traditional dark roofs, according to research from Columbia University.
Why Google's So Interested in Wind Energy
Google's investment in a wind energy project has some folks wondering why the search engine giant is straying from its core business.
Corn Ethanol Industry Trying to Ride the Gulf Spill to Higher Revenue
The Renewable Fuels Association, the main trade group of the corn ethanol industry, is urging the President to take immediate action in response to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately their solution is to begin using more corn ethanol today and even more tomorrow, which is really no solution at all.
Interior Department Approves Cape Wind, the First U.S. Offshore Wind Farm
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on April 28 that it has approved the first U.S. offshore wind farm, the 130-turbine Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound. The agency is requiring additional binding measures to minimize any adverse impacts of construction and operation.
President Taking Action to Help Transform Commercial Buildings
The Obama Administration is authorized to play a more active and supportive role in improving the energy efficiency and sustainability of America's multifamily and commercial building stock, according to a report released on April 29 by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Consumers Worried About Smart Meters' Health Risks
The California Public Utilities Commission is being urged to put a moratorium on Pacific Gas & Electric's planned July deployment of smart meters in Fairfax, located just north of San Francisco.
California Utilities Dinged Over Missed Energy Efficiency Goals
California's investor-owned utilities were rebuked on Tuesday for failing to reach energy efficiency goals over a three-year period, putting them at risk for penalty payments.
Photo by cliff1066(tm)
Architect Group Names the Top Ten Green Buildings for 2010
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has selected the top ten green buildings for 2010, citing examples in six states and two foreign countries of buildings which make the best use of energy efficiency strategies such as natural daylighting, shading, and ventilation.
U.S. Offices Lag in Efficiency, Conservation
U.S. office buildings are not keeping pace with building automation, leading to lost productivity and added costs, according to a survey of U.S. office workers by IBM. Only 33 percent of respondents rated their office buildings "high" in terms of environmental responsibility.
Fun Tools to Spark Energy Conservation: Shame, Guilt, Embarrassment
What will it take to convince the average person to manage and reduce their energy consumption? One of the most compelling ways could be to make energy consumption transparent to communities, using the persuasive power of the group to trigger those hard-hitting emotional responses like shame and guilt, or competition.
Energy Efficiency vs. Renewable Energy - Which Matters Most for the Economy
Which will play the biggest role in future U.S. economic growth: the new energy that we find ... or the energy that we avoid using?
Five Tips for Selecting LED Lighting Systems
LED lighting retrofits can offer businesses two key benefits: some fixtures can deliver up to an 85 percent energy savings and the life span of LEDs average about 50,000 hours, reports Retrofit Magazine. But before making a decision on a retrofit, businesses first have to evaluate their current lighting layout and future requirements.
Are We Thinking About Energy All Wrong?
The energy world operates under the premise that more is better. But is that the right way to think about power?
"Skinnier" Buildings: EPA Announces Energy Conservation Competition
The Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program has launched a competition aimed at streamlining buildings that are presently deemed energy monoliths.
The California Smart Meters Story Continues to Evolve
California was the first state in the US to move ahead with full-scale deployment of smart meters. That decision can be traced back to the energy crisis of 2000-01 which analysts showed was caused in part by the failure to transmit dynamic pricing signals to retail customers.
Fjords, Caves and Mines: The New Tools for Building Data Centers
It's the computing room for the Hall of the Mountain King.
Sea Wind Power
Today there isn't a single offshore wind turbine in the United States. Meanwhile Europe, China and Japan are far along in developing a water based wind power industry.
Photo by Wonderlane