Energy Costs Articles
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Energy bill could open Southeast’s EE market
I live a kind of Tale of Two Cities, or rather tale of two regions. My work requires that I spend a lot of time covering the Northeast power markets, but I live in Southeast. So after reporting on the rich world of efficiency incentives available in places like Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York, wasn’t I surprised to find my local utility offers pauper’s fare, nothing more than an energy ...
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Will society unplug?
As a society, we’re accused of being too plugged-in, too reliant on our computers, televisions, and charged-up cell phones. Turns out, we are willing to unplug.A study by SmartPower (http://www.smartpower.org/) found that unplugging unused appliances, those sucking up vampire energy, is an energy savings act people are willing to do. And they don’t just say they will unplug – they do unplug.This ...
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Implementation of European energy saving initiatives in Greece and national perspectives
Energy has been throughout history a necessary lever for development and evolution. Utilisation of various energy sources contributed in technological development and made the industrial revolution an actual reality. This process has had its price though, since the irrational use of natural resources and finite energy reserves by sole criteria the convenience in production and the maximisation of ...
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Efficiency stimulus will lower energy bills, says federal report
Depending on your position, the federal stimulus money is either a jobs builder or a national budget buster. The Energy Information Administration offers another take. In a recent analysis, the EIA finds that stimulus money should reduce what consumers and businesses pay to heat, cool and light buildings. The federal agency this month updated its annual energy outlook to compare how energy ...
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Even rebels like efficiency
Clean energy advocates favor a federal requirement that a certain amount of our electricity come from green sources, a concept known as a portfolio standard. No year in history has offered more promise for the policy. President Obama is pushing for at least 10% of our electricity to come from renewable sources by 2012, and 25% by 2025. Congressional Democrats have obliged by putting several ...
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Making efficiency easy with on-bill financing
Even if hostile governments corner all of the oil, the polar caps melt, and Oprah, herself, says, “It is time to save energy!” consumers will not pursue efficiency in a big way unless it is easy and painless.That is why a growing number of state regulators are taking a close look at a concept known as on-bill financing. When a customer upgrades a heating system, insulates walls, or undertakes ...
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Energy from biogas
From an ecological and economical perspective, biogas is an important source of energy. The fossil resources are limited, and they impose a high burden on the environment. A resourceconserving alternative made from biomass poses a different scenario. The raw material is renewable, and conversion only releases as much CO2 as was previously contained by the source material. With the technological ...
By Triangle Ltd
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Rural electrification by photovoltaic solar energy in Algeria
The economic and social development in Algeria in the last years has been in need of continues increasing in demand of electricity, especially in the isolated countryside. Solar energy represents a significant potential in Algeria, the country receives more than 3,000 hour of sunshine per year with a high level of radiation. The average of daily solar irradiation is from 5 to 7 kW hour m−2 the ...
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Combined photovoltaic and energy storage systems: an integrated electrification solution for small islands
The numerous small Aegean Sea islands present serious problems related to insufficient infrastructure, low quality of electricity available at very high production cost, as well as problematic connection with the mainland. On the other hand, the high solar potential of the area may encourage photovoltaic-based applications characterised by rather low maintenance support demands. In this context, ...
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What!! - No energy manager?
Though energy prices seem to be subsiding, the fact is that energy costs will be rising – soon and especially in Pennsylvania when electric rate caps begin to expire at the end of this year.Most large commercial and industrial firms are preparing. They typically employ energy management personnel that focus on reducing energy usage by procuring energy at the best rates, apply for low-cost loans, ...
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Oxidizer operating cost reduction strategies
The mainstream media today is full of allusions to energy awareness and conservation. Just as visible these days are media references to astronomical dollar figures that can boggle the mind. This article does not seek to break out of that mold, but rather to conform to it – as Oxidizer Stack Heat Recovery offers a tremendous opportunity for both energy conservation and energy cost ...
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The effect of reinforced concrete frames on the thermal performance of residential villas in hot climates
This paper investigates the impact of reinforced concrete (RC) frames and structures on the thermal performance of a typical residential villa in Kuwait. In the approach, a simplified method to calculate the effective overall heat transfer coefficient and the overall thermal resistance of a construction was used in conjunction with a comprehensive building energy simulation program (ESP-r), to ...
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Optimal scheduling and operation of hybrid biomass/wind/PV energy system for rural areas
In this paper, a hybrid energy system consisting of biomass, wind, solar photovoltaic (SPV) and battery, is proposed. The sources are operated to deliver energy at optimum efficiency. An optimisation model is developed to supply the available energy to the loads according to the priority. It is also proposed to maintain a fair level of energy storage to meet the peak load demand together with ...
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A green global recovery? Assessing US economic stimulus and prospects for international coordination
Well-tailored “green” components of a recovery effort can create jobs and stimulate the economy while achieving significant energy cost savings for businesses, consumers and the government. As the 111th Congress begins and a new president takes office, the economic crisis dominates the US policy agenda. The financial system remains in a tenuous state despite massive bank recapitalization, and ...
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Starting your own home-based solar energy business
To be a solar energy, you do not need to be a college graduate or a seasoned sales executive. All you need to be is someone with the desire to make a difference in the World, and someone who shares the belief that home solar power will make that difference. That's it. There has never been a better time than now to create a solar energy business. The cost of energy, across all industry ...
By Solargies
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Energy efficiency markets chooses its favorites of 2008
We appreciate the entries submitted for Energy Efficiency Markets’ first annual ‘best of’ contest. It is difficult to select winners in an industry that is burgeoning with innovation. We hope you find our selections as intriguing as we did. Please continue to email us about interesting projects – we’d like to highlight them periodically in our weekly newsletter:1. Best appliance: Energy ...
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Corn stover for ethanol production: Potential and pitfalls
This study uses a national agro-environmental production model to evaluate the environmental and economic impacts of introducing a market for corn stover to support a stover-based ethanol industry. Prompted by volatility in oil markets, growing concerns about global warming, and an interest in supporting farms and rural communities through stronger agricultural markets, several groups in the ...
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Two-Mass Technology
Two-Mass refers to a style of vibratory equipment where one mass (an exciter) is used to drive a second mass (trough). The exciter mass typically contains a motor and is connected to a trough using a combination of springs. Combining the two masses and the springs, a resonant frequency can be calculated. When the operating frequency of the motor is close to this calculated natural frequency, the ...
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Will support for efficiency hold in 2009?
The stars are aligned to make 2009 a good year for energy efficiency — or at least, most of the stars. President Barack Obama has assembled an energy team that supports clean technologies. Most notably, Obama named Steven Chu as energy secretary on December 15. Chu is a Nobel Prize winner and director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a leader in bringing energy efficiency ...
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Reducing your energy usage - Take the 6 Steps
Energy experts predict that electric rates will increase 20-30% after rate caps expire in the PECO (2011) and PPL (2010) territories. In one scenario, PECO stated that electric rates (after rate cap terminations) will be based current usage and demand. So, now is the time to start thinking of how you can reduce your facility’s energy consumption.Things You Can Do to Prepare1. Benchmark your ...
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