Monthly Archives: May 2019

Batteries and Energy Efficiency Programs

A few months ago, I posted a blog article on new trends with battery power, including a description of Massachusetts’ latest energy efficiency plan – the first in the nation – which encourages energy efficiency funds to be used for energy storage projects that reduce peak demand, and otherwise encourage the implementation of batteries to store power at a facility.

There has been some criticism of this part of the plan since it was issued. There is no question that batteries are beneficial to reduce peak demand on a grid, to steady the unsteady generation of solar and wind power, to have as a backup in case of a horrendous storm. However, batteries are also inherently inefficient energy-wise. In the process of gathering, storing, and then releasing power, some electricity is lost. Therefore, for every kilowatt-hour of electricity stored in a battery, more electricity must be generated in the first place. Of course, if this electricity is generated from renewable sources, there is no additional cost (no fuel to obtain) and no GHG emissions.

Therefore, batteries are no help for energy efficiency and GHG emission reduction goals, except in the context of solar and wind technologies. An office complex utilizing battery storage will, by itself, not cause less electricity used for the lights, computers, elevators, AC, etc.

Nobody can argue that battery storage can help make the grid more reliable in case of very high peak demand and storm damage. While Massachusetts is unique in encouraging battery development and implementation, other organizations believe the first and perhaps only priority should be in energy efficiency and reducing demand for energy, while growing the economy.

Supporters of battery storage argue that encouraging usage will help maximize the benefits of solar and wind generation, encouraging more clean power nationwide displacing dirtier fossil fuel-generated power, including peaker plants or fuel-generated plants that operate in conjunction with solar and wind plants.

Therefore, the Massachusetts program should be read as a program to encourage smart energy “management”, rather than for efficiency alone. States and nations need to move toward better energy management, which is not only efficiency, but operations and reliability, as well.

CCES has the experts to help your firm or entity manage your energy better, a growing issue as energy costs rise faster than inflation. Whether it is battery power, renewable power, or just being more efficient to be “green” and save costs, CCES can help you reach your goals and save costs. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

NYC Enacts New Rule Requiring GHG Emission Limits for Commercial, Residential Buildings

On April 22, 2019, Earth Day, the City of New York enacted the “Climate Mobilization Act” into law (“Intro 1253”). This law will impose mandatory GHG emission limits for large buildings, beginning in calendar year 2024. This new rule is clearly the most ambitious Climate Change rule taken by a U.S. municipality.

Buildings are responsible for about 70% of NYC’s GHG emissions; half of this comes from large buildings. Therefore, NYC has focused on the building sector to meet their 80% X 2050 emission reduction goals, starting with its own energy code and with local laws requiring benchmarking, energy audits, retro-commissioning, and sub-metering.

Rule Overview

Intro 1253 goes further, containing GHG emission intensity limits on nearly all buildings of at least 25,000 square feet of floor area beginning in 2024. The law defines the term “building emissions” as “GHG emissions as expressed in metric tons of CO2e emitted as a result of operating a covered building.” Thus, the limits on GHG emissions will apply not only to Scope 1 or on-site sources (such as those from a building’s boiler) but also include Scope 2 or off-site sources caused by a demand, such as purchased steam or electricity consumed in building operations. The building emissions intensity limits are tailored to specific Occupancy Groups. They will be be ratcheted down in 5-year intervals after 2029 to reduce GHG emissions from covered buildings by 80% by 2050.

The table in the link below summarizes GHG emission limits from different listed building types. https://energywatch-inc.com/breaking-new-york-city-council-passes-first-of-its-kind-ghg-emissions-cap-for-buildings/

Exemptions

A major category exempt from this law is “rent regulated accommodations”, such as those with rent-stabilized units, lest rents may be raised markedly for needed upgrades. Intro 1253 does require the owners of such excluded rental multifamily buildings to implement several prescriptive energy conservation measures, such as repairing leaky heating systems, insulating pipes for heat and hot water, weatherizing windows and ductwork, and installing timers on exhaust fans. Among the other rule exemptions are public housing and houses of public worship. Not-for-profit hospitals and health-care facilities are not exempted from the rule but will need to meet less stringent standards.

Paths To Compliance

Intro 1253 provides a number of pathways to reduce GHG emissions. Thus, reductions may be credited to an owner for “renewable energy credits” (RECs), so long as the RECs are generated by a renewable source located in or directly deliverable to NYC. For calendar years between 2024 and 2029 deductions for up to 10% of reported annual emissions may also be taken for GHG offsets (offsite emission reductions) purchased by a building owner. Additional deductions from a building’s calculated emissions for the output of a clean distributed energy resource must be located at, on, in or directly connected to the building.

This new law does not allow for emissions trading among covered buildings. However, the City is studying the feasibility of such a trading scheme and will report to the Mayor and Speaker of the City Council by no later than January 1, 2021.

Intro 1253 imposes significant civil penalties for exceeding the annual building emissions limit and the degree of excess emissions. These penalties could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

What You Can Do NOW To Reduce The Cost and
Aggravation of Complying

Owners of covered buildings should take advantage of the “head start” before the 2024 compliance date to begin developing strategies for addressing the requirements of Intro 1253. Technical experts can estimate whether a building, as it is operating today, would comply with the 2024 limits and, if not, options to achieve compliance in time. The owner has time to choose the best option(s) to comply, reducing costs and risk if the owner waited longer. And future planning is critical. The technical assessment can anticipate the likely operation and emissions of systems in 2024. This early determination of strategies can save a building owner a lot in avoided compliance costs.

Intro 1253 is reality. Building owners in NYC will need to determine their GHG emissions and possibly modify or upgrade energy systems to comply with the standards. Other cities and states will be watching and Intro 1253 could well be a model that others will emulate. Don’t just push this aside to another time or year. Look into this soon, be active, and take steps soon to comply, saving you money and raising your asset value. Watch out for more CCES blog articles on this rule and how to comply as the City of New York provides more details!

CCES has the experts in both energy engineering and greenhouse gas (“carbon”) emissions to help you assess your covered buildings and their compliance status, and can recommend smart and prudent steps to ensure compliance early on, saving you much money, improving asset value, and reducing the worry about compliance. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

High Efficiency Transformers – A Demand Side Strategy for NetZero Projects

by Lisa Westerfield, Technical Group Services

The most popular energy efficiency measures to reduce demand side loads include high-performance envelopes, daylighting, glazing, passive solar heating and then some. People often overlook the fact that power losses supplied by inefficient transformers can increase a building’s energy costs by as much as 6-12%.

Locked away in an electrical closet for the life of a building, transformers take high voltage power from the grid and convert it to lower voltage power that can be used by everything that runs on electricity in homes, offices, and manufacturing facilities.

The process of converting (stepping down) voltages involves some waste in the form of heat. Common examples of transformers that step-down power to even smaller voltages, that cell phones and laptops use, are at the cubes located at the ends of chargers. After they’ve been plugged in for a while, they warm up. That warmth is electricity that’s being lost in the form of waste heat.

Prior to 2007, efficiency requirements were non-existent for transformers. Recognizing the impact that inefficient transformers have on the built environment, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 was enacted. The policy required all dry type transformers rated 600V or less to meet NEMA TP-1 requirements by January 2007. In 2016, the DOE amended 10 CFR 431 (DOE 2016). By decreasing losses from 29-36% depending on the size of the transformer, the DOE estimated that that the new energy efficiency standard will save consumers up to $12.9 billion for equipment sold from 2016 – 2045.

While the DOE 2016 standard is a step in the right direction, those looking to do better, lower energy costs, and design NetZero projects need every edge they can get to reduce the demand side load and the renewable footprint. Transformers that are more efficient than the DOE standard exist.to help.

Powersmiths makes transformers with an additional 30-50% less losses than the DOE 2016 standard. These efficiencies are achieved by using a higher grade of steel for the core, using copper for the windings, offering models in each kVA size that are optimized for the application load, and offering more kVA sizes so that the whole system does not need to be oversized. The additional reduction in losses translates into an additional reduction in energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions by 6-12%. Put into perspective – On a NetZero project estimated to use 100 panels, would need 6-12 less panels.

To learn more about “Powersmiths Solutions for NetZero Buildings” go to https://www.powersmiths.com/netzero/

For more information, contact Lisa Westerfield, LEED AP, Technical Group Services at 609-947-1960 or at lisa@tgs-inc.com

Talking Points: Lighting Upgrades

Part of a series taking important energy concepts and wording them so you can pass basic information to your colleagues, supervisors, and contacts.

Background

There is no hard and fast rule, but for many businesses lighting is a significant, if not majority, source of energy usage. Therefore, reducing energy, a fast-growing cost center, should start with lighting. There has literally – not figuratively, literally – been a revolution in technology allowing equipment to operate just as well, if not better, while using significantly less energy. Leading the way is lighting technology.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs) in general, use about half of the electricity (wattage) of an equivalent fluorescent lamp producing the same amount (lumens) of light. For incandescents, wattage reduction is 70% or more. LEDs is not a “new” technology as some think; it was invented in 1927. It was not popular for a long period because of its high cost and limitations on how it can be used. Over time, these issues have been overcome, LEDs can fit in virtually every existing fixture or ballasts, and its cost has dropped markedly and likely bottomed out. Now, it’s a “no-brainer” to replace with LEDs.

The Many Benefits of LED Lighting

• Save significant energy costs. As mentioned above, LED lamps use half or less the wattage of conventional lamps. One may think that replacement may represent “only” a “minor” drop in, say, 16 watts per lamp, and, thus, is “not worth it”. However, many commercial buildings operate hundreds, if not thousands, of lights over many hours per day and days per year. Therefore, the electric usage (kilowatt-hours) and cost savings by switching to LEDs is significant. Switching to LEDs also reduces peak load, reducing that high charge utilities typically charge based on peak demand.

Depending on the LED project, it is typical to see simple paybacks of 1 to 3 years. Since most LED lights are warrantied for 7 years, you will have 4 to 6 years of “gravy”. In fact, many LED replacement projects have a return on investment in the range of 20 to 40% per year. What bank or Wall St. investment pays this well, with no risk (reduced wattage is reduced wattage)?! And the single act of changing to LEDs leads to an increase in future savings as cost is based on electric rates, which only going up every year!

Some managers, even when they are convinced that LED lamps are the way to go, will only replace existing lights as they burn out. Given these robust financial benefits, switching all your lighting to LEDs makes the most economic sense, and represents cost savings that occur and will be quite visible in your first electric bill.

• Longer life spans. LED lamps typically last much longer than fluorescent lamps translating into lower maintenance and replacement costs. LED lights are warrantied for 7 years or more, while fluorescents must be replaced, typically, every two years. Having to change lamps less often saves building management time and aggravation in replacing lamps and frees Maintenance to concentrate on more important issues. Also, fewer lamp changes means fewer trips up and down a ladder or cherry picker, reducing the risk of accidental falls. Finally, the long lifetime also reduces the quantity of lamps you must keep onsite for replacement, freeing up valuable space for other purposes.

• Cool. LEDs release much less heat than other lamp types. Therefore, switching to LEDs can reduce indoor temperatures by 1-2°F, and therefore lower AC usage during hot weather, further reducing your electricity usage, peak demand, and, therefore, cost.

• Superior color, increased comfort. LED lamps produce light that is more pleasing to the eye given its clear light and high marks on the Color Rendering Index (CRI). This also indicates accurate true color reproduction. LEDs can be programmed to change its color temperature as the day goes on to reduce eye strain and stress, increase worker productivity, and raise visiting customer comfort and mood.

But There’s More!

If that were not enough, there are other strategies that one can implement to reduce energy usage through lighting. It is important to start with a lighting evaluation. Are there dark spots? Might you be delivering too much light to places, not only wasting electricity, but also causing eye strain and frustrated workers? There may be opportunities to de-lamp, remove one or several lamps in different areas to deliver the right amount of light.

And there is lighting controls. Operating even an efficient LED lamp is wasting electricity if it is lighting an area not being used. It is often assumed that all lights are turned off by the last user when a space is vacated. However, the reality is often people forget to turn off lights (as well as Housekeeping), and they remain on lighting an empty space for many hours or all night. Lighting controls effectively save electricity by turning off lights when a space is not in use and turning them back on when people enter. These controls can operate based on the space’s occupancy, a set schedule, or amount of sunlight entering the space. Significant electric cost savings can be achieved by intelligent use of lighting control technology.

I hope that this overview of lighting opportunities gives you the information to forge ahead and implement sound strategies sooner rather than waiting, rather than later, to upgrade your lights for greater user comfort and productivity and to save electric costs.

CCES has the experts to help you assess your space and determine which lighting and other energy strategies will provide you with the most direct financial benefits. We can perform the preliminary assessment, rank the options for you, and project manage the strategies you select to ensure locking in to those maximum financial benefits. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.