Category Archives: Energy Management

Can We Meet the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals?

As many of us know, scientists believe we can still avoid the worst impacts of climate change if we can stop pumping so much greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere. Nature will take care of itself in time and we will return to close to normal. The numbers cited is that worldwide we need to reduce GHG emissions by 80% from a 1990 baseline by 2050. In fact, a number of municipalities and other entities have “80 X 50” campaigns. Since most entities did not track GHG emissions in 1990, they pick a different baseline, but still wish to reduce by 80% to show they are doing their part.

But can the world do this? Of course, GHG emissions are tied to energy usage, particularly fossil fuel combustion. Using less energy and more of that energy from renewable sources will help. Lifestyle changes (less meat and dairy) should help, too. However, problems lurk.

Electricity usage will likely double by 2050.
Several commentators predict this and should not be a surprise as electricity production did double from 1990 to 2015. And with electrification being encouraged (electric cars, heat pumps replacing boilers), another doubling is quite conceivable. So while it will be nice to shut down fossil fuel-fired power plants for renewable power in the future, if we have such a future increase in electric demand, we may have to continue to hold onto old fossil fuel-fired plants for longer. Or can we prioritize the construction and utilization of renewable plants?

Increasing population and middle class.
The world’s population is expected to rise by at least 1½ billion between now and 2050. That’s not good to meet a goal of decreasing GHG emissions by 80%. But what’s worse is that the demographers state that many poor people already here will move to the middle class – perhaps as many as 2 billion. These people will go from low energy users, such as not owning a car, and few or no electric “toys” (TVs, computers, etc.) to having all these things. In other words, 2 billion more high energy users and high GHG producers. This is not hypothetical. Much has been reported of regions of China, India, Brazil, Russia growing a middle class, leading to increased electricity generation (and not necessarily from renewable sources), car ownership, and meat eating. How can we encourage economic growth, but do so in a sustainable way to not increase GHG emissions so much? And what about those of us who have access to electricity, but whose lifestyles are expansive and we can afford the latest “toys” or be more comfortable than past generations (air conditioner in every room, activated ahead of time from the office, bigger, fancier cars, etc.).

And there is the lack of political will to incorporate GHG reduction technologies and strategies across nations.

Well, I hope I haven’t depressed you and made you give up hope that climate change will cause mass destruction around 2050. Actually, I am an optimist. No, there will be adverse effects. But as an engineer, I believe in technology that not only reduces GHG emissions, but has other practical benefits, including saving costs that business leaders and the public will latch onto for our benefit.

Clean Fuels and Diversification.
In 1990, 99% of electricity was generated by fossil fuels plus hydro, and much of this was coal. Now, sustainable sources of power (solar, wind, etc.) and natural gas are upstaging coal and oil and the trends are likely to continue (see Nov. 2019 newsletter). It is now cheaper to build and operate a renewable power plant than a coal-fired one.

Energy Efficiency is a Mainstream Business Strategy.
It was not long ago that a person suggesting a company or plant be more energy efficient would be ignored. Energy was cheap; efficiency strategies expensive so that the cost could not be paid back. Plus, anything that might “mess with” the process was considered risky. It was considered OK to overpay costs, such as energy, to have a repetitive process.
This has changed. All the major business schools teach the importance of being more energy efficient and sustainable, in general. Many MBA degrees specialize in sustainability. Many current CEOs may not feel comfortable with these subjects, but the new generation sure does. Plus, there is more real-life examples of buildings that invested in energy efficiency or in sustainability and came out way ahead.

Localized Distributed Generation.
It used to be that electricity was produced by a huge power plant, perhaps hundreds of miles away, with electricity transmitted by lines. Losses during transmission were common, understood and accepted as normal. Now, there is a movement called distributed generation, encouraging construction of small generator plants closer to where the electricity is used – even at major sites themselves. Co-generation also yields steam which can have uses, both in comfort and in processes. This increased efficiency plus reduced losses as electricity is transmitted much shorter distances means much less fuel combusted and less GHG emissions to produce the electricity used all around.

Improved Farming Methods and Reduction in Meat/Dairy Consumption.
While the focus here is energy, certainly agricultural practices and methane released by tens of millions of cows kept alive (and emitting) to produce so much meat and milk we drink contribute to climate change. Even large farmers are incorporating practices which happen to increase yields and reduce GHG emissions. And certainly, there is a growing vegetarian/vegan movement, which can reduce GHG emissions some more.

Progress and awareness of strategies and technologies like these have a chance to lessen the blows of climate change, which will benefit all of us.

CCES has the experts to help you develop a sustainability and/or energy efficiency program to meet your climate change or other goals and reap the many benefits. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Climate Change Study Mandatory in Italy’s Schools

Italy will next year become the world’s first country to make it compulsory for schoolchildren to study climate change and sustainable development, Education Minister Lorenzo Fioramonti said. Fioramonti said all state schools would dedicate 33 hours per year, almost one hour per school week, to climate change issues starting next academic year. In addition, many traditional subjects, such as geography, mathematics and physics, will begin to be studied from the perspective of sustainable development. He stated: “I want to make the Italian education system the first education system that puts the environment and society at the core of everything we learn in school.”

He played a part in the government’s 2020 budget presentation which included taxes on airline flights, plastics, and on sugary drinks to address greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental issues. Surveys showed 70-80% of Italians backed taxing sugar and flights, as a way to discourage consumption which is harmful to the environment, while generating resources for schools, welfare, or lowering the income tax.

Fioramonti said the new government, which has gotten off to a shaky start with weeks of bickering over the budget, will only last if it enacts unique and brave actions, such as Climate Change curricula and taxes to discourage behaviors deemed bad for Climate Change.

CCES has the experts to keep you current on Climate Change laws and facts and can help you be on the right side of the Climate Change movement. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Energy Efficiency Programs Can Help Users’ Health

Many articles in this series show how building design can influence energy usage. Characteristics can be built in to save energy usage and cost, independent of behavior. These same energy efficiency strategies can also influence the health of those that spend time in the building, whether residents or workers who spend 40 hours per week there. A recent article from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy compiles recent evidence behind this conclusion. https://aceee.org/research-report/h1901

A poorly-sealed building envelope not only allows conditioned air, which required energy to be expended (electricity or fuel combustion), to leave, but also allows pests, moisture, and air pollution to enter interior spaces, raising the exposure of users to allergens, mold, and disease. Leaky windows and poor insulation can lead to drafts and extreme temperatures, triggering asthma attacks and leading to other respiratory illnesses. Inefficient appliances can affect air quality through incomplete combustion or improper venting. Together, these conditions contribute to increased rates of cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, heart disease, and stroke in the US, disproportionately affecting low-income people.

Energy efficiency programs can make homes healthier and save lives, while directly benefiting families financially. The problem is that energy efficiency upgrades require upfront costs to correct a condition or procure a new or better technology, upfront capital that poorer families (or companies) do not have.

The link between energy efficiency and public health is not recognized as energy efficiency programs have historically been implemented either by energy utility companies or government agencies focused on energy management; there has been no or little contribution from public health institutions. It is recommended that research be done to identify energy program elements that would also have the greatest impact on public health and data collection of collateral public health effects in buildings after undergoing energy upgrades. This bridging the gap may need the intervention of other government agencies, such as departments of health and housing. For example, elements of the national Affordable Care Act can use energy efficiency programs to help its goal of a healthier society (making fewer health insurance claims). If a given community is a focus of a weatherization or home energy efficiency program, data should be collected, not only concerning the amount of Btus of energy saved by the program, but also whether there has been a reduction in the number of emergency room visits for children experiencing asthma attacks, for example.

While the ACEEE study followed 23 potential frequently measured health indicators, most programs tracked 3 or fewer of them. Many of the energy programs did take steps to assess and communicate their health impacts, and, in some cases, bring in health care professionals to raise the effectiveness of the program. More needs to be done to show this cross-effectiveness of energy efficiency and health.

CCES has the experts to help you assess not only the cost savings of a potential energy efficiency program, but the potential health benefits, as well. We can help you design a program to measure and heighten beneficial health effects as your reduce energy usage, costs, and greenhouse gas emissions. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Progress and Regress in Clean Energy

The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently published its annual World Energy Outlook (https://webstore.iea.org/world-energy-outlook-2019), a major report forecasting global energy trends to 2040. The report has changed its projections since last year, significantly increasing projected offshore wind farms, solar installations and battery-powered cars due to both the growing affordability of these technologies and progress of developing nations to progress toward clean energy goals. However, their rapid growth is not sufficient to slash overall global GHG emissions and meet reduction goals.

The report states that global GHG emissions will not decline as is needed but will continue to rise for the next 20 years, mainly because of the overall rise in demand for energy globally. While the rise in renewable energy is encouraging, it is not large enough to satisfy the extra demand. Fossil fuels will supply the rest of the demand.

Global consumption of coal is declining. The report notes that investment in new coal-fired power plants has dropped sharply recently. Renewable energy with battery storage is now a cheaper way to produce power and is predicted to surpass coal by 2030, rising to 42% of global generation. Natural gas will also cut into coal’s portion, which would drop to 34%. Coal will not go away, as hundreds of young coal plants will continue to operate to fulfill initial investments; policies to retire such plants early are not in place.

Solar power with battery storage is growing fastest of all renewables. However, offshore wind may make bigger gains in the near future. Land-based systems are difficult to approve, but major offshore projects are in the offing. Offshore wind is expected to supply as much as 18% of the European Union’s electricity by 2040 from the current 2%. Major new projects are planned for the U.S., China, South Korea and Japan.

The report states that the transportation sector has mixed news. Last year, 2 million electric cars were purchased globally, helped by declining costs, improved infrastructure (places to “fuel up”), and financial incentives. The IEA expects the electric car market to continue to grow; gasoline/diesel use for the transportation sector will peak by the mid-2020s. However, sales of large SUVs, which use more gasoline than conventional cars, has grown from 18% of passenger vehicles sold in 2000 to 42% today. If this continues, the report notes, it could negate much of the fossil fuel savings of the electric car boom. Carmakers are researching how to manufacture battery-powered versions of SUVs.

Another avenue to reduce GHG emissions is to improve the energy efficiency of buildings and vehicles through building codes and fuel economy standards. The report states that the energy intensity of the global economy improved by only 1.2%, a lower than usual rate. Many nations are weakening these policies, thinking this will lift their economy. In the US, the Trump administration plans to roll back light bulb standards.

The report also notes concerns about Africa, which is projected to grow over the next few decades at a faster pace than China did in recent years. If Africa supplies the energy for such growth with fossil fuel sources, then global GHG emissions could rise greatly. The African continent, researchers say, has greater potential than China and others for solar energy if it can be allowed to be developed properly.

CCES has the experts to help your company or building learn more about energy to become more efficient, save costs, and reduce GHG emissions. We can help you tap into existing incentive programs (which you may be paying into without realizing it) to pay some of the upfront costs and quicken the payback. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

What Is POE Lighting?

Power over Ethernet or PoE lighting refers to the ability to use an Ethernet cable to power light fixtures and transmit data between the lamp and the control software. A single cable can both supply power and control the fixtures attached to the network. The Ethernet cable plugged into the fixture provides the fixture not only its on-off power, but through a unique IP address can automatically control the fixture through its software. For each unique IP address the user can program the features it wishes into the light. Such commands from software can be carried by standard Cat 5/6 cable already used by sensors and wall switches.

Data can be collected from attached devices, such as switches or motion sensors, to prompt specific lighting commands. The user can maximize efficiency or comfort by affecting the dimming, timers, sensors, lighting colors, daylight harvesting, etc. based on the appropriate software.

PoE also means information can be sent from the fixture, such as actual energy usage, lumens of light produced, and the condition of the fixture for maintenance purposes instead of waiting for a component to fail.

PoE not only allows the user to control its lighting from a computer or even a mobile phone, but the software can replace more expensive existing equipment, such as a motion sensors, to allow implementation to be more competitive price-wise.

Most PoE systems generate almost no residual heat, which is valuable for temperature control (reducing AC needs) or other potential impacts to the building, such as heat above the ceiling.

Being software-based, PoE likely requires less expensive labor (IT professionals rather than certified electricians) to be used to install or upgrade such systems. In some cases, PoE may be exempt from permits or inspections required of most electrical systems.

PoE is now being produced by a variety of different vendors, giving the user choices.

We are entering a world where fixtures are not simply devices that produce light for a given room or area, but can address other issues, such as security, carbon monoxide concentration, dimming, mood, energy efficiency (turning on and off when needed), providing alarms when necessary for evacuations and to aid first responders, and providing information back to the user thanks to PoE lighting.

CCES has the experts assist you in your lighting needs, whether it is merely switching to more efficient LED lighting, upgrading lighting to improve the productivity of your workers or comfort of your customers, or exploring whether PoE is right for you. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or karell@CCESworld.com.

New Research To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

See the companion article on new research to promote renewable power. Research is going on in other GHG reduction technologies. After all, there are two ways we can reduce GHG emissions drastically to forestall the effects of Climate Change, for which scientists now predict there is a 90% chance of major deleterious effects. One is a worldwide cultural change and doing actions that will reduce such emissions to meet goals, spurred on by government rules and incentives. That, honestly, is not working, as is the nature of governments and politicians. The other is with new technologies that will reduce GHG emissions, yet are affordable and will fit people’s lifestyles. This article details a few that are in the research phase that have the potential to be effective.

Carbon Capture & Sequestration (CCS)

CCS is a technology that would take CO2 out of a power plant exhaust and insert it deep in a rock formation, returning the carbon to underground. The USEPA is interested in this technology but is concerned about the long-term fate of the CO2 (it may still exit into the atmosphere in time, negating the effort). This summer, a bill was proposed in the House of Representatives, identical to one in the Senate, which would authorize a new type of exempt facility bond to be issued for qualified CCS facilities. The Senate has already passed an act nicknamed “USE IT”, which would support CCS technology through technology prizes, R&D programs to promote the technology, permitting guidance, a mechanism for tax-exempt bonds, and a regional permitting task force. The chances for long-term legislative encouragement seem to be growing stronger.

Nuclear Energy With Less Risk

A company, General Fusion, is working on a new commercially viable nuclear fusion energy power plant. It would produce no GHG emissions, emitting only helium as exhaust, requiring less land than other renewable technologies currently, with no chance of a meltdown scenario and no long-term hazardous waste.

Alternative to Battery Storage

It has been estimated that 20-25% of global GHG emissions derive from the transportation sector. One of the biggest issues holding back the electric cars is the limitations of riding due to current batteries. Researchers have discovered new materials offering an alternative to battery power and proven to be thousands of times more powerful than a supercapacitor. In theory, the new technology could have the potential for electric cars to travel to longer distances, as long as gasoline-fired cars before a recharge is needed, which could take just minutes to achieve. If this can be achieved affordably, then polluting cars can be replaced in large quantities.

Meat Substitutes

It has been estimated that as much as 30% of global GHG emissions derive from the growing desire for meat and dairy in our diets and the methane emissions of over a billion cows used to produce this. One alternative is lab-grown meat and substitutes that look and taste like the real thing. Two companies, Beyond Meat and Impossible Burger, have created plant-based meat burgers from vegetable protein found in plants that appear to fool many people in taste tests. If demand for cow-based meat declines, that would certainly reduce GHG emissions.

Taken together, these technologies would offer people alternatives that are acceptable and affordable and, at the same time, reduce GHG emissions.

CCES has the experts to help your company use existing technologies to be more efficient, use less energy, reduce your carbon footprint, and benefit in other ways. Contact us today at karell@CCESworld.com or at 914-584-6720.

Save Money, Develop a Preventative Maintenance Program for Your Boilers

Equipment, such as a building’s boiler, is often taken for granted. You turn it on (or a thermostat turns it on), and it provides heat and domestic hot water for your building or space. Perhaps you do a little checking in the summer, and it’s ready for the heating season. And many boilers last a decade or two or longer. But that does not mean that your boiler is operating efficiently. A boiler that is not maintained (or well-maintained) can be costing you lots of money in wasted fuel combustion every year, not do its job, and not last as long (forcing increased capital costs). A preventative maintenance program for your boiler will save you in these areas much compared to the effort it takes to implement it. According to a study conducted by the National Board of Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors, poor maintenance practices causes most boiler incidents. (https://www.nationalboard.org/SiteDocuments/Bulletins/SU03.pdf).

Each Preventative Maintenance program should be unique to your building, its needs, the equipment, and the workload of personnel. Therefore, the recommendations are merely that, recommendations. Your program should reflect your equipment and needs. Here are some of the things that your staff or contractor should look at.

A basic issue is that Preventative Maintenance programs should be written down. There should be a document listing the steps that need to be done, when and/or how often they should be done, and who is responsible. There should be a place to check off when and by who each item was completed, the results, and any comments on the boiler’s results or “behavior”. Just saying one does an item or two, but not recording it is not a true Preventative Maintenance program. Management should oversee that staff takes the program seriously and look at the results and comments for critical trends.

A good Preventative Maintenance program can be divided into 5 categories: items which must be done daily, weekly, monthly, semi-annually, and annually. Again, this should be tailored to your equipment and needs. Daily maintenance could include blowdown of water columns and recording boiler temperature and pressure, gas or oil pressures, feedwater temperature and pressure, stack temperature, and visual inspection of soot, and water or oil leakage.

Weekly could include testing each Low Water Cutoff to ensure it shuts off boiler at its set point, pressure controls, flow controls (i.e., combustion air), fuel valves (able to open and close completely at appropriate commands), and motor operation (needs greasing).

Monthly could include checking the burner diffuser (presence of cracks or sooting), check the electrode for obstructions or damage, checking the burner tubes from the outside for damage or cracking, and inspect the outside of the boilers for any hot spots.

Semi-annual inspections (shutting down the boiler briefly once during the heating season) could include cleaning and inspecting the probe and piping of the Low Water Cutoff, clean strainer, check pumps that they are aligned and operating properly, and check the accuracy of your analyzers for combustion, O2, CO2, and other parameters.

Annual inspections could include opening all doors and performing a physical inspection of the fireside tubes, clean and replace tubes, as needed, and inspect the refractory and insulation, and upgrade, as necessary.

And again, take time to review the sheets that the workers or contractors fill out for each inspection to determine if certain trends are present and major upgrades may be necessary. It is better to catch problems early, compared to the boiler breaking down in the middle of the heating season.

CCES has the experts to help you assess your boiler and your Preventative Maintenance program and advise you on how to make it effective for your needs. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Energy Strategies For The C-Suite

For many firms, energy is recognized as its third largest expense, behind labor and real estate costs. Some companies spend millions of dollars directly on energy each year—and more indirectly (supply chain, transportation, etc.). However, except for energy-intensive industries, most firms have historically taken energy for granted. When they turn on the switch, the equipment goes on and vice versa. They don’t pay much attention to the volatility and risks of energy availability and costs.

In the last few years, however, energy is climbing up the corporate agenda, due to greater environmental and climate change awareness, increasing pressures on natural resources, as recent large-scale fires in Latin America show, and innovations in energy technologies together with dropping renewable energy prices.

In recent years, more critical business functions depend on reliable electricity and fuels. IT, data centers, and cloud computing have grown in complexity. These are energy-dependent and energy-intensive operations. Lose electricity for even a few seconds, and millions of dollars worth of data, not to mention records, reputation, lawsuits, are lost or become issues. Major companies are realizing this and are thoroughly evaluating risk related to energy. And conclusions are reaching the C-Suite, as risks are becoming existential for many companies. C-Suiters are also influenced by the growing quilt of energy- or climate change- rules, as well as the growing costs of energy.
More major firms are devoting effort to increase renewables in their energy mix and improve energy efficient, given the large costs involved. But it is not just “high tech” companies; others understand energy is a significant business issue. Agriculture is responsible for about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions. A number of leading firms in the food field have developed and are meeting stringent energy and carbon goals.

Whether your firm is major or not, it is a good idea to develop and implement an energy management plan. However, it is critical not to just “jump in there”. Planning is critical for your energy plan to succeed and minimize its costs. Perhaps the most important area is “political” success; “political” meaning getting all major factors on board, including, and most importantly, the CEO him or herself and all other major players in the company, so there is unity behind the effort and respect for the results. It is also important to coordinate efforts, to ensure you have enough staff to track energy at all levels throughout the company’s assets. Finally, it is important – before you start – to work through that there are resources to invest in smart energy projects (energy efficiency and/or the switch to renewables). Good, potential projects will not wither and not go forward. If these areas are worked out – or if you know the potential barriers that may occur in certain circumstances – the chances of success are raised tremendously.

CCES has the experts to help your firm develop and execute a smart energy plan with distinct financial benefits. We have helped firms prepare their plans to understand their strengths and weaknesses so they go in with firm goals and procedures to do it right. Contact us today at (914) 584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Asia Moving From Smokey Energy To Renewables

Momentum is building for green energy in Asia, a region long known for fossil fuel dependency. Asia uses a lot of some of the most polluting sources of energy around, coal and wood. Particulate pollution from coal power plants and from individuals burning wood in non-professionally designed and built units is thick it coats buildings, cars, and, most important, lungs. There are many images of Asians associated with masks performing routine events on a daily basis.

But things are changing. China was faced with worldwide shame and condemnation at the Olympics it hosted in 2016 by the images of people and athletes wearing masks or breathing from oxygen tanks to avoid the toxic smog – despite efforts to clean the air in the months before the games. Ironically, China was the number one manufacturer of solar panels then, but nearly all for export. However, China quickly changed its policy, learning that the visible and potent air pollution not only made them a laughing stock, but had an adverse effect on their economy given the robust health effects it has on workers (lost productivity) and costs to take care of so many sick – costs and lost lives that could have been avoided. Plus, the government understood that visible air pollution was a factor that could lead to unrest and rioting. China now has the world’s largest installed capacity of renewable power, accomplished in a short time.

Vietnam is another example. This country had been aggressive in growing economically and attracting capital investment in industrial facilities. However, the huge growth in coal-fired power plants and wood burning from convenient jungles has worsened the country’s air quality and causing profound health effects. They are on an ongoing path to reduced fossil fuel combustion coordinated with economic growth.

Other Asian nations have realized that it is critical to invest in clean energy and green technology, not only for the sake of climate change, but also for healthier air quality and a better economy. And they are doing so. The collapse of a fossil fuel power plant in Laos that killed 40 people was another spur toward renewables. Governments are investing in renewable power and have learned it is less labor intensive and now less costly to build. While it is unlikely that renewables will fully replace fossil fuels soon, more Asian countries are investing in renewables.

Working with US and European giants like GE and Siemans, several Asian companies are now planning to build renewable projects. Thailand’s Meta Corporation is a leader, preparing to design a 220-megawatt solar project in Myanmar, the region’s largest project. Philippines’ AC Energy plans to spend over $1 billion on solar and wind projects by 2025. India is expected to invest $80 billion over the next 4 years in wind energy. Like China, India has massive public health problems due to air pollution yet is trying to expand electricity to the over 400 million people who have no access to it.

Of course, coal is still king in such nations as China and Malaysia. While renewable technology can replace coal, these and other governments feel an obligation to coal workers and are afraid of potential disruptions that could happen of anything “new.” So there is a lot to overcome financially and psychologically before Asia is high in renewables.

CCES has the experts to help you assess your company’s energy needs and sources. We can help you plan to have a resilient, flexible group of energy sources and determine if renewable power is right and beneficial for you. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.

Want to Be More Energy Efficient? Go After The Weak Point!

Numerous studies demonstrate that so much of our energy usage comes from the buildings we spend time in, whether they be our home, office, school, or other place. An ideal building, of course, will keep conditioned air (heated in the winter, cool air in the summer) in the building and minimize infiltration of non-conditioned air from the outside. There are many places in a building from which such an exchange can happen. With the exception of large openings, the most common place where air can be exchanged is at windows. Windows being transparent can also allow air to go through, and are much thinner than any walls. As one says in the field, “A bad wall is better insulation than a good window.” So a focus on any area to minimize air movement from inside to outside or vice versa is to strengthen the windows.

The problem with upgrading windows to minimize conditioned air loss is that new windows are expensive compared to the cost of electricity saved by using the air conditioner less in the summer or gas or oil saved by using a boiler less in the winter. Often building owners wait until there is a noticeable draft before upgrading windows; at that point the conditioned air effect is great. Because windows often have a long payback – often beyond what is “acceptable” at many companies – one idea is to create a hybrid project of window upgrades and LED lighting, whose payback is short. Together, they could yield an acceptable payback to upgrade windows before it is very late. If a company separates projects and only goes for short paybacks then window upgrades can take a great amount of time. Window film is a way to improve insulation properties somewhat fairly inexpensively without the capital cost or installation.

Recent research is trying to turn windows into not only better insulation for a building, but into electricity-generating items, too. Materials scientists have embedded light-absorbing films in window glass to keep heat out in the summer. But films can also be used to generate electricity; solar panels on windows. Such films, however, give windows a reddish or brown tint that building owners and architects find unappealing.

Newer solar window technology absorbs more invisible UV or IR radiation, leaving the glass clear while blocking the UV and IR radiation that can normally transfer through the window, resulting in unwanted heat in the building and raising the demand on the AC system. These new UV/IR absorbing windows can cut heat gain while generating electricity. For a glass building it could be possible that the building will power itself.

Research is also ongoing about a new class of opaque solar cell materials, called perovskites. They are improving in efficiency, approaching 22%, only a little behind standard crystalline silicon whose top efficiency is about 25%. Perovskites provides the interesting potential option that they can also be adjusted chemically to absorb specific frequencies of light if it is important to remove a certain frequency from the area or allow other frequencies to travel through.

CCES can help you assess the conditioned air losses in your building and recommend upgrading your windows or other ways to tighten your building and save energy usage, demand, and cost. Contact us today at 914-584-6720 or at karell@CCESworld.com.