DOE Reaches 50% Milestone Toward Commercial Zero-Energy Buildings
Craig DiLouie, Editor
Posted November 17, 2008
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) have released the first technical support documents to show 50 percent energy savings in commercial retail buildings. The two reports provide recommendations on how to achieve 50% energy savings over the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Standard 90.1-2004 in grocery stores and medium-sized retail buildings.
Conducted by NREL's Commercial Buildings team, under the direction of DOE's Building Technologies Program, the studies support DOE's goal of producing market-ready, net-zero energy commercial buildings by 2025. They follow the August 2008 launch of DOE's Net-Zero Energy Commercial Building Initiative (the umbrella initiative of the net-zero energy goal) and the National Laboratory Collaborative on Building Technologies, which focuses scientific expertise and resources of five national laboratories toward reaching the goal. NREL is one of the laboratories in the collaborative.
The reports found that achieving 50% energy savings is possible for medium-sized retail buildings with plug load levels no greater than 1.76 W/sq. ft. (18.9 W/sq. m.) and for grocery stores in each climate zone in the United States. According to the reports, reaching 50% is a positive return on investment at today's energy prices and can be met without photovoltaic electricity generation.
DOE commissions technical support documents to describe the assumptions, methodologies, and analyses used to achieve certain levels of energy performance. In many cases, the documents are the basis for Advanced Energy Design Guides (AEDGs) — "how to" guides that show how to achieve above-code exemplary energy performance for buildings. AEDGs target architects, engineers, and other design practitioners and demonstrate that a pathway to energy savings exists today with available technology.
* The ASHRAE AEDGs are developed by ASHRAE, DOE, the American Institute of Architects, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the U.S. Green Building Council. To date, four AEDGs have been published and all have targeted 30 percent energy savings: * The ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Office Buildings—Office Buildings up to 20,000 sq.ft. * The ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Retail Buildings—Retail Spaces up to 20,000 sq.ft. * The ASHRAE Advanced Energy Design Guide for K-12 School Buildings—Elementary, Middle, and High School Buildings* The ASHRAE 30 percent Advanced Energy Design Guide for Small Warehouses and Self-Storage Buildings—Warehouses up to 50,000 ft.2 and self-storage buildings that use unitary heating and air-conditioning.
In addition to the ASHRAE design guides, the results of these studies will be shared with DOE's Retailer Energy Alliance, an alliance of leading retailers dedicated to reducing the energy use and environmental footprint of retail buildings.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Energy management, energy conservation, saving elctricity
Johannesburg - A change at the helm of the ministry that controls South Africa's state utility Eskom may delay projects to expand electricity generation in a country gripped by a power crisis that will take years to resolve.
New President Kgalema Motlanthe surprised analysts by naming former justice minister Brigitte Mabandla to the public enterprise department, which runs Eskom.
The utility has since January this year battled to keep the lights on in South Africa after a near-collapse of its grid.
The rolling power cuts affected aluminium smelters and shut gold and platinum mines, sending metal prices soaring, and by some estimates cost Africa's biggest economy R50bn by August, slowing fast-paced economic growth.
The government offered a mea culpa, saying it ignored warnings from experts to invest in new power generation. The power crisis could last until 2013, but South Africa has said plans to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup should be unaffected.
Analysts said Mabandla would have to get to grips with plans to build a slew of new power stations and help Eskom raise cash internationally, right in the middle of a global credit squeeze.
Her term will last seven months before scheduled general elections, and there is little time for meaningful changes, and worse still if a new minister is named after the polls, as it may disrupt plans to handle the power crisis.
"I don't think we needed this kind of changes at this stage. It will take her seven months just to settle," said Johan de Kock, head of research at Metropolitan Asset Managers.
"I expect a delay of a couple of months if not more on various decisions on contracts for expansions," he said.
Nuclear plant
One of the key tasks for Mabandla this year would be the approval of huge deals to expand power generation, including a new nuclear plant, which could be worth billions of dollars.
The market is watching to see how soon or if at all Mabandla will give her approval to plans to build the country's second nuclear power plant. France's Areva and US-based Westinghouse Electric have bid for the contract.
Areva has said it expected a decision last week, but added Mbeki's exit could have pushed back the timing.
"She has to walk in completely cold," Johan Botha, a senior economist at Standard bank said.
"She won't put hand to paper to approve the big contracts like the nuclear one before she has been fully briefed."
Mabandla was unavailable to comment. She has not publicly spoken of her plans since she was sworn in on Friday.
South Africa's National Treasury, which has already fast-tracked R60bn over the next three years to pay for Eskom's 343 billion rand, 5-year expansion.
Eskom has said it plans to get the extra cash from the government, tariffs, the World Bank and global capital markets, and that a ratings downgrade by Moody's may hurt its chances.
Fani Zulu, Eskom's spokesperson, said Moody's downgrade of Eskom would lessen the amount it can raise from capital markets, but a roadshow in Europe showed there was still some appetite.
The new minister is expected to be briefed on Eskom soon.
Rock the boat
"She has to face foreign investors, and play the PR (public relations) role for Eskom in attracting funds to the sector," Nicky Weimar, a senior economist at Nedbank said.
"The more she knows about the sector the better."
Analysts said there were plans for further Eskom changes, and the minister may open the door for rivals to Eskom.
"There is some market talk of plans to move Eskom to the Treasury, which understands funding issues, or house it under the Department of Minerals and Energy," Botha said.
Weimar said despite her short time in office, Mabandla may take a fresh look at Eskom's status as a monopoly.
"The minister drives policy," Weimar said. "She could review public enterprises policy on generation or distribution, and end its role as a monopoly."
Global Insight's senior economist Ronel Oberholzer said moving Eskom elsewhere or changing the country's energy policy would require rigorous debate. She said what most investors wanted was a quicker end to the power shortage crisis.
"I can't see her trying to stir things up, she may try to play it safe," Oberholzer said.
New President Kgalema Motlanthe surprised analysts by naming former justice minister Brigitte Mabandla to the public enterprise department, which runs Eskom.
The utility has since January this year battled to keep the lights on in South Africa after a near-collapse of its grid.
The rolling power cuts affected aluminium smelters and shut gold and platinum mines, sending metal prices soaring, and by some estimates cost Africa's biggest economy R50bn by August, slowing fast-paced economic growth.
The government offered a mea culpa, saying it ignored warnings from experts to invest in new power generation. The power crisis could last until 2013, but South Africa has said plans to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup should be unaffected.
Analysts said Mabandla would have to get to grips with plans to build a slew of new power stations and help Eskom raise cash internationally, right in the middle of a global credit squeeze.
Her term will last seven months before scheduled general elections, and there is little time for meaningful changes, and worse still if a new minister is named after the polls, as it may disrupt plans to handle the power crisis.
"I don't think we needed this kind of changes at this stage. It will take her seven months just to settle," said Johan de Kock, head of research at Metropolitan Asset Managers.
"I expect a delay of a couple of months if not more on various decisions on contracts for expansions," he said.
Nuclear plant
One of the key tasks for Mabandla this year would be the approval of huge deals to expand power generation, including a new nuclear plant, which could be worth billions of dollars.
The market is watching to see how soon or if at all Mabandla will give her approval to plans to build the country's second nuclear power plant. France's Areva and US-based Westinghouse Electric have bid for the contract.
Areva has said it expected a decision last week, but added Mbeki's exit could have pushed back the timing.
"She has to walk in completely cold," Johan Botha, a senior economist at Standard bank said.
"She won't put hand to paper to approve the big contracts like the nuclear one before she has been fully briefed."
Mabandla was unavailable to comment. She has not publicly spoken of her plans since she was sworn in on Friday.
South Africa's National Treasury, which has already fast-tracked R60bn over the next three years to pay for Eskom's 343 billion rand, 5-year expansion.
Eskom has said it plans to get the extra cash from the government, tariffs, the World Bank and global capital markets, and that a ratings downgrade by Moody's may hurt its chances.
Fani Zulu, Eskom's spokesperson, said Moody's downgrade of Eskom would lessen the amount it can raise from capital markets, but a roadshow in Europe showed there was still some appetite.
The new minister is expected to be briefed on Eskom soon.
Rock the boat
"She has to face foreign investors, and play the PR (public relations) role for Eskom in attracting funds to the sector," Nicky Weimar, a senior economist at Nedbank said.
"The more she knows about the sector the better."
Analysts said there were plans for further Eskom changes, and the minister may open the door for rivals to Eskom.
"There is some market talk of plans to move Eskom to the Treasury, which understands funding issues, or house it under the Department of Minerals and Energy," Botha said.
Weimar said despite her short time in office, Mabandla may take a fresh look at Eskom's status as a monopoly.
"The minister drives policy," Weimar said. "She could review public enterprises policy on generation or distribution, and end its role as a monopoly."
Global Insight's senior economist Ronel Oberholzer said moving Eskom elsewhere or changing the country's energy policy would require rigorous debate. She said what most investors wanted was a quicker end to the power shortage crisis.
"I can't see her trying to stir things up, she may try to play it safe," Oberholzer said.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Energy management and carbon credits
Cape Town - Millions of rands' worth of prepaid electricity units have been sold illegally, according to a written Parliamentary answer circulated on Wednesday.
Democratic Alliance MP Manie van Dyk asked the Minister for Public Enterprises how many electricity credit-dispensing machines there are and how many have been stolen, and what the loss to Eskom was.
The minister, who was Alec Erwin until last Thursday, but is now Brigitte Mabandla, replied that there were 1 800 of the credit-dispensing units (CDUs) and 52 have been stolen in the past three years. Eleven of those have been recovered.
"From the recovered CDUs, some indicate that millions of rands of pre- paid electricity units have been sold," the minister said, adding that it is not possible to quantify the full monetary loss.
The minister explained that the units were designed to operate independently because remote data communications were not available 20 years ago when Eskom started vending.
Safety features
"Although safety features were built in over time, illegal manipulation of stolen CDUs can result in ongoing vending until the equipment physically fails," Van Dyk was told.
"Eskom has moved to a much more secure online vending system, and is busy closing most offline CDUs, thus removing any future risk of misuse and financial losses."
The minister said that forensic investigations conducted in the past have linked some Eskom staff to this theft, with resultant disciplinary measures taken against the employees in question.
Democratic Alliance MP Manie van Dyk asked the Minister for Public Enterprises how many electricity credit-dispensing machines there are and how many have been stolen, and what the loss to Eskom was.
The minister, who was Alec Erwin until last Thursday, but is now Brigitte Mabandla, replied that there were 1 800 of the credit-dispensing units (CDUs) and 52 have been stolen in the past three years. Eleven of those have been recovered.
"From the recovered CDUs, some indicate that millions of rands of pre- paid electricity units have been sold," the minister said, adding that it is not possible to quantify the full monetary loss.
The minister explained that the units were designed to operate independently because remote data communications were not available 20 years ago when Eskom started vending.
Safety features
"Although safety features were built in over time, illegal manipulation of stolen CDUs can result in ongoing vending until the equipment physically fails," Van Dyk was told.
"Eskom has moved to a much more secure online vending system, and is busy closing most offline CDUs, thus removing any future risk of misuse and financial losses."
The minister said that forensic investigations conducted in the past have linked some Eskom staff to this theft, with resultant disciplinary measures taken against the employees in question.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Building Automation and Lighting Control
Posted October 2008
See this whitepaper published in the fall issue of Lighting Management & Maintenance Magazine, published by NALMCO.
Demand is the sum of all electric power required to run a building’s equipment currently in operation. As equipment is turned on and off, demand rises and falls. Peak demand is the highest level of demand recorded by a demand meter during a given time period. This is the most expensive power the utility has to produce, as the utility must build sufficient capacity to satisfy these short periods or buy the power needed from other sources at market rates. Many utilities pass these costs on to their customers as a demand (kW) charge added to charges for energy consumption (kWh). According to ConsumerPowerline, in fact, demand charges can represent 40% of electric utility costs.
Utilities would rather have their customers reduce their demand peaks instead of their entire load profiles, so many utilities, Independent System Operators (ISOs) and other power providers offer incentives to curtail non-critical loads either at scheduled times or on request during a grid emergency. CAISO (California), ERCOT (Texas), PJM (Northeast), NYISO (New York) and ISONE (New England) are examples of organizations offering demand response programs. These demand response programs give utilities an alternative to building more power plants or buying expensive power from supplemental sources.
Even without tapping into such a program, building owners can reduce costs by shaving their peaks using a strategy called load shedding, either on a schedule or in response to price signals.
Lighting provides good opportunities for load shedding because it usually occurs when daylight is available and is available for year-round demand reduction. Assuming the building’s hours of operation will not change, building owners have two options to reduce peak demand with lighting.
First, they can shut off non-critical lighting loads either manually (through master switches accessible to the facility operator) or automatically (through a scheduling system such as an intelligent relay panel), and either by space or using some type of bi-level switching scheme. Second, they modify their lighting to be step-switching or dimmable with a central point of control.
Because people need light to work, dimming is preferable to ON/OFF switching in areas lacking daylight. Generally, dimming is also preferable to step-level switching (or ON/OFF switching with daylight available) in occupied spaces in which the occupants perform stationary or critical tasks, such as offices, where changes in light output should be unnoticeable to a high degree. In addition, dimming is more suitable when light fixtures are in the normal field of view and/or lamps are visible to occupants.
See this whitepaper published in the fall issue of Lighting Management & Maintenance Magazine, published by NALMCO.
Demand is the sum of all electric power required to run a building’s equipment currently in operation. As equipment is turned on and off, demand rises and falls. Peak demand is the highest level of demand recorded by a demand meter during a given time period. This is the most expensive power the utility has to produce, as the utility must build sufficient capacity to satisfy these short periods or buy the power needed from other sources at market rates. Many utilities pass these costs on to their customers as a demand (kW) charge added to charges for energy consumption (kWh). According to ConsumerPowerline, in fact, demand charges can represent 40% of electric utility costs.
Utilities would rather have their customers reduce their demand peaks instead of their entire load profiles, so many utilities, Independent System Operators (ISOs) and other power providers offer incentives to curtail non-critical loads either at scheduled times or on request during a grid emergency. CAISO (California), ERCOT (Texas), PJM (Northeast), NYISO (New York) and ISONE (New England) are examples of organizations offering demand response programs. These demand response programs give utilities an alternative to building more power plants or buying expensive power from supplemental sources.
Even without tapping into such a program, building owners can reduce costs by shaving their peaks using a strategy called load shedding, either on a schedule or in response to price signals.
Lighting provides good opportunities for load shedding because it usually occurs when daylight is available and is available for year-round demand reduction. Assuming the building’s hours of operation will not change, building owners have two options to reduce peak demand with lighting.
First, they can shut off non-critical lighting loads either manually (through master switches accessible to the facility operator) or automatically (through a scheduling system such as an intelligent relay panel), and either by space or using some type of bi-level switching scheme. Second, they modify their lighting to be step-switching or dimmable with a central point of control.
Because people need light to work, dimming is preferable to ON/OFF switching in areas lacking daylight. Generally, dimming is also preferable to step-level switching (or ON/OFF switching with daylight available) in occupied spaces in which the occupants perform stationary or critical tasks, such as offices, where changes in light output should be unnoticeable to a high degree. In addition, dimming is more suitable when light fixtures are in the normal field of view and/or lamps are visible to occupants.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Energy management and carbon credits
How does a compact fluorescent light bulb work?
> What's the difference between a compact fluorescent light bulb and a fluorescent bulb?
> What compact fluorescent light bulb do I buy to replace an incandescent (regular) bulb?
> Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with a dimmer switch?
> Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb on my 3-way lamp?
> Why does my compact fluorescent light bulb flicker or appear dim when I first turn it on?
> Can I use a CFL in applications where I will be turning the lights on/off frequently?
> Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb in an enclosed light fixture?
> Can I use a Can I use a CFL bulb outside?
> Can I use a CFL in any position?
> Can I use a CFL in applications involving vibration such as a ceiling fan or garage door opener?
> Can compact fluorescent bulbs create interference with electronic equipment, such as radios?
> Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with an electronic timer or photocell (AKA electric eye)?
> Does the EPA recommend the use of CFL bulbs?
> Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much?
> Should I be concerned about using CFLs in my home or should I take any special precautions?
> What do I do with a CFL when it burns out? What is the proper disposal of a CFL bulb?
> What should I do if a CFL breaks?
> What is mercury, what are the sources of mercury emissions, and what are the risks?
> Do light bulbs (such as compact fluorescent bulbs) give off hazardous amounts of ultraviolet (UV) light?
> How much heat (or infrared radiation) is emitted by regular and compact fluorescent light bulbs?
> What is the white powder I see inside my fluorescent bulb?
How does a compact fluorescent light bulb work?Fluorescent light bulbs (including compact fluorescents) are more energy-efficient than regular bulbs because of the different method they use to produce light. Regular bulbs (also known as incandescent bulbs) create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. A lot of the energy used to create the heat that lights an incandescent bulb is wasted. A fluorescent bulb, on the other hand, contains a gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light (UV) when the gas is excited by electricity. The UV light hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb and the coating changes it into light you can see. Because fluorescent bulbs don't use heat to create light, they are far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.
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What's the difference between a compact fluorescent light bulb and a fluorescent bulb?The primary difference is in size; compact fluorescent bulbs are made in special shapes (which require special technologies) to fit in standard household light sockets, like table lamps and ceiling fixtures. In addition, most compact fluorescent lamps have an "integral" ballast that is built into the light bulb, whereas most fluorescent tubes require a separate ballast independent of the bulb. Both types offer energy-efficient light.
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What compact fluorescent light bulb do I buy to replace an incandescent (regular) bulb?While a regular (incandescent) light bulb uses heat to produce light, a fluorescent bulb creates light using an entirely different method that is far more energy-efficient — in fact, 4-6 times more efficient. This means that you can buy a 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb that produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt regular incandescent bulb.
Don't worry about the math, though — we make it easy for you to figure out which compact fluorescent bulb to buy by displaying the equivalent regular watts you're used to prominently on the package. Just look for the wattage you would normally buy in a regular bulb.
In case you're curious, here are the watts needed by regular incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs to produce the same amount of light.
Standard Bulb
CFL Bulb
60w
=
13w-15w
75w
=
20w
100w
=
26w-29w
150w
=
38w-42w
Because the wattage of a CFL bulb is much lower than that of an incandescent, you can use higher wattage CFL giving you the equivalent light of a higher wattage incandescent. For example: If your fixture says not to exceed 60 watts, you can use a 15 watt CFL to get the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb or use up to a 42 watt CFL and increase the amount of light.
Related information: How does a compact fluorescent light bulb work?
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Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with a dimmer switch?To use a compact fluorescent bulb on a dimmer switch, you must buy a bulb that's specifically made to work with dimmers (check the package). GE makes a dimming compact fluorescent light bulb (called the Energy Smart Dimming Spirals®) that is specially designed for use with dimming switches. We don't recommend using regular compact fluorescent bulbs with dimming switches, since this can shorten bulb life. (Using a regular compact fluorescent bulb with a dimmer will also nullify the bulb's warranty.)
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Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb on my 3-way lamp?GE does make CFL bulbs for use in 3-way lamps. Check the package for this application. If a regular CFL is use in a 3-way switch, it will work on the middle (medium) setting and it should not damage the bulb. The 3-way switch does not alter the performance of the bulb.
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Why does my compact fluorescent light bulb flicker or appear dim when I first turn it on?The first compact fluorescent bulbs flickered when they were turned on because it took a few seconds for the ballast to produce enough electricity to excite the gas inside the bulb. Thanks to the refined technology in our new GE compact fluorescent bulbs, there is now no significant flicker (less than 1 second). However, these bulbs do require a short warm-up period before they reach full brightness, which is why they may appear dim when first turned on. Compact fluorescent bulbs are best used in fixtures that are left on for longer periods of time, rather than in fixtures that are turned off and on frequently.
Related information: How does a compact fluorescent light bulb work?
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Can I use a CFL in applications where I will be turning the lights on/off frequently?Compact fluorescent light bulbs work best if they are left on for over 15 minutes each time they are turned on. These types of lamps can take up to 3 minutes to warm-up. Warm-up will probably not be noticeable from a user stand point, but the lamp needs to warm-up in order to reach the point of most efficient operation. Frequently switching them on and off will shorten the life of the product. If the life of the lamp is shortened significantly, you will not reap the financial benefits (includes energy & life of lamp), that are common to CFL lamps.
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Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb in an enclosed light fixture?Compact fluorescent light bulbs may generally be used in enclosed fixtures as long as the enclosed fixture is not recessed. Totally enclosed recessed fixtures (for example, a ceiling can light with a cover over the bulb) create temperatures that are too high to allow the use of a compact fluorescent bulb.
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Can I use a CFL bulb outside?Many CFL bulbs can be used outdoors if used in an enclosed fixture. To be certain, look for the package or bulb to say that it can be used outdoors and verify the lowest operating temperature for the area where the product is being used.
Related information: My outdoor light has a timer. Can I use a CFL bulb?
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Can I use a CFL in any position?Yes, GE screwbase CFL bulbs can be used in any operating position unless there is text printed on the lamp or packaging that indicates a required operating position.
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Can I use a CFL in applications involving vibration such as a ceiling fan or garage door opener?Generally it is not recommended to use CFLs in vibrating environments. Vibration can cause the electronics in the CFL to fail. There is one CFL bulb (FLE11) that is available for use in a ceiling fan. Check the package for this application.
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Can compact fluorescent bulbs create interference with electronic equipment, such as radios?Many electronic devices, such as radios, televisions, wireless telephones, and remote controls, use infrared light to transmit signals. Infrequently, these types of electronic devices accidentally interpret the infrared light coming from a compact fluorescent bulb as a signal, causing the electronic device to temporarily malfunction or stop working. (For example, your television might suddenly change channels.) Fortunately, this only happens when light is produced at the same wavelength as the electronic device signals, which is rare.
To reduce the chance of interference, avoid placing compact fluorescent bulbs near these kinds of electronic devices. If interference occurs, move the bulb away from the electronic device, or plug either the light fixture or the electronic device into a different outlet.
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Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with an electronic timer or photocell (AKA electric eye)?Some electronic timers and photocells contain parts that are incompatible with compact fluorescent light bulbs; using these bulbs in incompatible products will result in a shorter light bulb life. To find out if an electronic timer or photocell is compatible with compact fluorescent bulbs, check with the manufacturer of the timer or photocell.
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Does the EPA recommend the use of CFL bulbs?Yes. CFLs, when compared with standard incandescent bulbs, offer many benefits. First, they help save energy and money. They use 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 60-watt incandescent with a 13-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Second, CFLs offer convenience, because they last longer, and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any fixture. In addition, CFLs produce about 70% less heat than standard incandescent bulbs, so they're safer to operate and can help cut energy costs associated with home cooling. When shopping, always look for ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs.
Download the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) faq sheet on CFLs. (PDF, 70 KB)
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Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much?CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing - an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts.
There is currently no substitute for mercury in CFLs; however, manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products over the past decade.
Download the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fact sheet on Mercury in CFLs. (PDF, 17 KB)
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Should I be concerned about using CFLs in my home or should I take any special precautions?CFLs are safe to use in your home. No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger to you or your family when used properly. However, CFLs are made of glass tubing and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the lamp from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lamp by its base, and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket by its tubes. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly, learn how to properly dispose.
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What do I do with a CFL when it burns out? What is the proper disposal of a CFL bulb?Follow these guidelines to dispose your CFL properly:
Like paint, batteries, thermostats, and other hazardous household items, CFLs should be disposed of properly. Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage if better disposal options exist. To find out what to do first check www.earth911.org (where you can find disposal options by using your zip code) or call 1-877-EARTH911 for local disposal options. Another option is to check directly with your local waste management agency for recycling options and disposal guidelines in your community. Additional information is available at www.lamprecycle.org. Finally, IKEA stores take back used CFLs, and other retailers are currently exploring take back programs.
If your local waste management agency offers no other disposal options except your household garbage, place the CFL in a plastic bag and seal it before putting it in the trash. If your waste agency incinerates its garbage, you should search a wider geographic area for proper disposal options. Never send a CFL or other mercury containing product to an incinerator.
ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs have a two-year warranty. If the bulb fails within the warranty period, return it to your retailer.
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What should I do if a CFL breaks?Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFLs, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is getting cut from glass shards. Research indicates that there is no immediate health risk to you or your family should a bulb break and it's cleaned up properly. You can minimize any risks by following these proper clean-up and disposal guidelines:
Sweep up—don't vacuum—all of the glass fragments and fine particles.
Place broken pieces in a sealed plastic bag and wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up any stray shards of glass or fine particles. Put the used towel in the plastic bag as well.
If weather permits, open windows to allow the room to ventilate.
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What is mercury, what are the sources of mercury emissions, and what are the risks?Mercury is an element (Hg on the periodic table) found naturally in the environment. Mercury emissions in the air can come from both natural and man-made sources. Utility power plants (mainly coal-fired) are the primary man-made source, as mercury that naturally exists in coal is released into the air when coal is burned to make electricity. Coal-fired power generation accounts for roughly 40% of the mercury emissions in the U.S. EPA is implementing policies to reduce airborne mercury emissions. Under regulations issued in 2005, coal-fired power plants will need to reduce their emissions by 70 percent by 2018.
CFLs present an opportunity to prevent mercury emissions from entering the environment because they help to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants. A coal-fired power plant will emit 13.6 milligrams of mercury to produce electricity required to use an incandescent light bulb, compared to 3.3 milligrams for a CFL.
Even in areas without significant coal-fired power generation as part of the electricity mix (e.g., Alaska and the Pacific Northwest), there are other, equally positive environmental impacts from saving energy through the use of CFLs: reduction of nitrogen oxides (which cause smog), and prevention of substantial quantities of CO2, a greenhouse gas (which is linked to global warming), as well as other air pollutants.
Airborne mercury poses a very low risk of exposure. However, when mercury emissions deposit into lakes and oceans, they can transform into methyl mercury that builds up in fish. Fish consumption is the most common pathway for human exposure to mercury. Pregnant women and young children are most vulnerable to the effects of this type of mercury exposure. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that most people are not exposed to harmful levels of mercury through fish consumption. However, the FDA and state agencies do issue public health advisories.
EPA offers additional information and resources on all sources of mercury at www.epa.gov/mercury.
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Do light bulbs (such as compact fluorescent bulbs) give off hazardous amounts of ultraviolet (UV) light?Regular fluorescent light bulbs used in your home and office do not produce a hazardous amount of ultraviolet light (UV). Most light sources, including fluorescent bulbs, emit a small amount of UV, but the UV produced by fluorescent light bulbs is far less than the amount produced by natural daylight. (Ultraviolet light rays are the light wavelengths that can cause sunburn and skin damage.)
Your safety is important to us; that's why, for all of our light bulbs designed for general public use, we strive to minimize the amount of UV light emitted.
If you're looking for a low-UV bulb for an especially sensitive area (like a photography dark room), try our Saf-T-Gard® bulbs. They block most ultraviolet light emissions, and they're also shatter-resistant.
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How much heat (or infrared radiation) is emitted by regular, halogen, and compact fluorescent light bulbs?Regular light bulbs, known as incandescent bulbs, create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. Halogen light bulbs create light through the same method. Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat (also called infrared radiation). To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, use a lower watt bulb (like 60 watts instead of 100).
Fluorescent light bulbs use an entirely different method to create light. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that, when excited by electricity, hits a coating inside the fluorescent bulb and emits light. (This makes them far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.) The fluorescent bulbs used in your home emit only around 30% of the heat of their equivalent incandescent bulb, making them far cooler.
> Return to Top
What is the white powder I see inside my fluorescent bulb?The white powder that you see inside a fluorescent lamp is called phosphor, which is a substance that emits white, visible light whenever it absorbs light waves. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that gives off invisible light when excited by electricity. This invisible light travels to the phosphor coating on the bulb, where it is transformed into light visible to the human eye.
> What's the difference between a compact fluorescent light bulb and a fluorescent bulb?
> What compact fluorescent light bulb do I buy to replace an incandescent (regular) bulb?
> Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with a dimmer switch?
> Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb on my 3-way lamp?
> Why does my compact fluorescent light bulb flicker or appear dim when I first turn it on?
> Can I use a CFL in applications where I will be turning the lights on/off frequently?
> Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb in an enclosed light fixture?
> Can I use a Can I use a CFL bulb outside?
> Can I use a CFL in any position?
> Can I use a CFL in applications involving vibration such as a ceiling fan or garage door opener?
> Can compact fluorescent bulbs create interference with electronic equipment, such as radios?
> Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with an electronic timer or photocell (AKA electric eye)?
> Does the EPA recommend the use of CFL bulbs?
> Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much?
> Should I be concerned about using CFLs in my home or should I take any special precautions?
> What do I do with a CFL when it burns out? What is the proper disposal of a CFL bulb?
> What should I do if a CFL breaks?
> What is mercury, what are the sources of mercury emissions, and what are the risks?
> Do light bulbs (such as compact fluorescent bulbs) give off hazardous amounts of ultraviolet (UV) light?
> How much heat (or infrared radiation) is emitted by regular and compact fluorescent light bulbs?
> What is the white powder I see inside my fluorescent bulb?
How does a compact fluorescent light bulb work?Fluorescent light bulbs (including compact fluorescents) are more energy-efficient than regular bulbs because of the different method they use to produce light. Regular bulbs (also known as incandescent bulbs) create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. A lot of the energy used to create the heat that lights an incandescent bulb is wasted. A fluorescent bulb, on the other hand, contains a gas that produces invisible ultraviolet light (UV) when the gas is excited by electricity. The UV light hits the white coating inside the fluorescent bulb and the coating changes it into light you can see. Because fluorescent bulbs don't use heat to create light, they are far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.
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What's the difference between a compact fluorescent light bulb and a fluorescent bulb?The primary difference is in size; compact fluorescent bulbs are made in special shapes (which require special technologies) to fit in standard household light sockets, like table lamps and ceiling fixtures. In addition, most compact fluorescent lamps have an "integral" ballast that is built into the light bulb, whereas most fluorescent tubes require a separate ballast independent of the bulb. Both types offer energy-efficient light.
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What compact fluorescent light bulb do I buy to replace an incandescent (regular) bulb?While a regular (incandescent) light bulb uses heat to produce light, a fluorescent bulb creates light using an entirely different method that is far more energy-efficient — in fact, 4-6 times more efficient. This means that you can buy a 15-watt compact fluorescent bulb that produces the same amount of light as a 60-watt regular incandescent bulb.
Don't worry about the math, though — we make it easy for you to figure out which compact fluorescent bulb to buy by displaying the equivalent regular watts you're used to prominently on the package. Just look for the wattage you would normally buy in a regular bulb.
In case you're curious, here are the watts needed by regular incandescent bulbs and compact fluorescent bulbs to produce the same amount of light.
Standard Bulb
CFL Bulb
60w
=
13w-15w
75w
=
20w
100w
=
26w-29w
150w
=
38w-42w
Because the wattage of a CFL bulb is much lower than that of an incandescent, you can use higher wattage CFL giving you the equivalent light of a higher wattage incandescent. For example: If your fixture says not to exceed 60 watts, you can use a 15 watt CFL to get the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb or use up to a 42 watt CFL and increase the amount of light.
Related information: How does a compact fluorescent light bulb work?
> Return to Top
Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with a dimmer switch?To use a compact fluorescent bulb on a dimmer switch, you must buy a bulb that's specifically made to work with dimmers (check the package). GE makes a dimming compact fluorescent light bulb (called the Energy Smart Dimming Spirals®) that is specially designed for use with dimming switches. We don't recommend using regular compact fluorescent bulbs with dimming switches, since this can shorten bulb life. (Using a regular compact fluorescent bulb with a dimmer will also nullify the bulb's warranty.)
> Return to Top
Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb on my 3-way lamp?GE does make CFL bulbs for use in 3-way lamps. Check the package for this application. If a regular CFL is use in a 3-way switch, it will work on the middle (medium) setting and it should not damage the bulb. The 3-way switch does not alter the performance of the bulb.
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Why does my compact fluorescent light bulb flicker or appear dim when I first turn it on?The first compact fluorescent bulbs flickered when they were turned on because it took a few seconds for the ballast to produce enough electricity to excite the gas inside the bulb. Thanks to the refined technology in our new GE compact fluorescent bulbs, there is now no significant flicker (less than 1 second). However, these bulbs do require a short warm-up period before they reach full brightness, which is why they may appear dim when first turned on. Compact fluorescent bulbs are best used in fixtures that are left on for longer periods of time, rather than in fixtures that are turned off and on frequently.
Related information: How does a compact fluorescent light bulb work?
> Return to Top
Can I use a CFL in applications where I will be turning the lights on/off frequently?Compact fluorescent light bulbs work best if they are left on for over 15 minutes each time they are turned on. These types of lamps can take up to 3 minutes to warm-up. Warm-up will probably not be noticeable from a user stand point, but the lamp needs to warm-up in order to reach the point of most efficient operation. Frequently switching them on and off will shorten the life of the product. If the life of the lamp is shortened significantly, you will not reap the financial benefits (includes energy & life of lamp), that are common to CFL lamps.
> Return to Top
Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb in an enclosed light fixture?Compact fluorescent light bulbs may generally be used in enclosed fixtures as long as the enclosed fixture is not recessed. Totally enclosed recessed fixtures (for example, a ceiling can light with a cover over the bulb) create temperatures that are too high to allow the use of a compact fluorescent bulb.
> Return to Top
Can I use a CFL bulb outside?Many CFL bulbs can be used outdoors if used in an enclosed fixture. To be certain, look for the package or bulb to say that it can be used outdoors and verify the lowest operating temperature for the area where the product is being used.
Related information: My outdoor light has a timer. Can I use a CFL bulb?
> Return to Top
Can I use a CFL in any position?Yes, GE screwbase CFL bulbs can be used in any operating position unless there is text printed on the lamp or packaging that indicates a required operating position.
> Return to Top
Can I use a CFL in applications involving vibration such as a ceiling fan or garage door opener?Generally it is not recommended to use CFLs in vibrating environments. Vibration can cause the electronics in the CFL to fail. There is one CFL bulb (FLE11) that is available for use in a ceiling fan. Check the package for this application.
> Return to Top
Can compact fluorescent bulbs create interference with electronic equipment, such as radios?Many electronic devices, such as radios, televisions, wireless telephones, and remote controls, use infrared light to transmit signals. Infrequently, these types of electronic devices accidentally interpret the infrared light coming from a compact fluorescent bulb as a signal, causing the electronic device to temporarily malfunction or stop working. (For example, your television might suddenly change channels.) Fortunately, this only happens when light is produced at the same wavelength as the electronic device signals, which is rare.
To reduce the chance of interference, avoid placing compact fluorescent bulbs near these kinds of electronic devices. If interference occurs, move the bulb away from the electronic device, or plug either the light fixture or the electronic device into a different outlet.
> Return to Top
Can I use a compact fluorescent light bulb with an electronic timer or photocell (AKA electric eye)?Some electronic timers and photocells contain parts that are incompatible with compact fluorescent light bulbs; using these bulbs in incompatible products will result in a shorter light bulb life. To find out if an electronic timer or photocell is compatible with compact fluorescent bulbs, check with the manufacturer of the timer or photocell.
> Return to Top
Does the EPA recommend the use of CFL bulbs?Yes. CFLs, when compared with standard incandescent bulbs, offer many benefits. First, they help save energy and money. They use 2/3 less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs, and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing a 60-watt incandescent with a 13-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Second, CFLs offer convenience, because they last longer, and come in different sizes and shapes to fit almost any fixture. In addition, CFLs produce about 70% less heat than standard incandescent bulbs, so they're safer to operate and can help cut energy costs associated with home cooling. When shopping, always look for ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs.
Download the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) faq sheet on CFLs. (PDF, 70 KB)
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Is it true that CFLs contain mercury? Why and how much?CFLs contain a very small amount of mercury sealed within the glass tubing - an average of 5 milligrams (roughly equivalent to the tip of a ball-point pen). Mercury is an essential, irreplaceable element in CFLs and is what allows the bulb to be an efficient light source. By comparison, older home thermometers contain 500 milligrams of mercury and many manual thermostats contain up to 3000 milligrams. It would take between 100 and 600 CFLs to equal those amounts.
There is currently no substitute for mercury in CFLs; however, manufacturers have taken significant steps to reduce mercury used in their fluorescent lighting products over the past decade.
Download the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) fact sheet on Mercury in CFLs. (PDF, 17 KB)
> Return to Top
Should I be concerned about using CFLs in my home or should I take any special precautions?CFLs are safe to use in your home. No mercury is released when the bulbs are in use and they pose no danger to you or your family when used properly. However, CFLs are made of glass tubing and can break if dropped or roughly handled. Be careful when removing the lamp from its packaging, installing it, or replacing it. Always screw and unscrew the lamp by its base, and never forcefully twist the CFL into a light socket by its tubes. Used CFLs should be disposed of properly, learn how to properly dispose.
> Return to Top
What do I do with a CFL when it burns out? What is the proper disposal of a CFL bulb?Follow these guidelines to dispose your CFL properly:
Like paint, batteries, thermostats, and other hazardous household items, CFLs should be disposed of properly. Do not throw CFLs away in your household garbage if better disposal options exist. To find out what to do first check www.earth911.org (where you can find disposal options by using your zip code) or call 1-877-EARTH911 for local disposal options. Another option is to check directly with your local waste management agency for recycling options and disposal guidelines in your community. Additional information is available at www.lamprecycle.org. Finally, IKEA stores take back used CFLs, and other retailers are currently exploring take back programs.
If your local waste management agency offers no other disposal options except your household garbage, place the CFL in a plastic bag and seal it before putting it in the trash. If your waste agency incinerates its garbage, you should search a wider geographic area for proper disposal options. Never send a CFL or other mercury containing product to an incinerator.
ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs have a two-year warranty. If the bulb fails within the warranty period, return it to your retailer.
> Return to Top
What should I do if a CFL breaks?Because there is such a small amount of mercury in CFLs, your greatest risk if a bulb breaks is getting cut from glass shards. Research indicates that there is no immediate health risk to you or your family should a bulb break and it's cleaned up properly. You can minimize any risks by following these proper clean-up and disposal guidelines:
Sweep up—don't vacuum—all of the glass fragments and fine particles.
Place broken pieces in a sealed plastic bag and wipe the area with a damp paper towel to pick up any stray shards of glass or fine particles. Put the used towel in the plastic bag as well.
If weather permits, open windows to allow the room to ventilate.
> Return to Top
What is mercury, what are the sources of mercury emissions, and what are the risks?Mercury is an element (Hg on the periodic table) found naturally in the environment. Mercury emissions in the air can come from both natural and man-made sources. Utility power plants (mainly coal-fired) are the primary man-made source, as mercury that naturally exists in coal is released into the air when coal is burned to make electricity. Coal-fired power generation accounts for roughly 40% of the mercury emissions in the U.S. EPA is implementing policies to reduce airborne mercury emissions. Under regulations issued in 2005, coal-fired power plants will need to reduce their emissions by 70 percent by 2018.
CFLs present an opportunity to prevent mercury emissions from entering the environment because they help to reduce emissions from coal-fired power plants. A coal-fired power plant will emit 13.6 milligrams of mercury to produce electricity required to use an incandescent light bulb, compared to 3.3 milligrams for a CFL.
Even in areas without significant coal-fired power generation as part of the electricity mix (e.g., Alaska and the Pacific Northwest), there are other, equally positive environmental impacts from saving energy through the use of CFLs: reduction of nitrogen oxides (which cause smog), and prevention of substantial quantities of CO2, a greenhouse gas (which is linked to global warming), as well as other air pollutants.
Airborne mercury poses a very low risk of exposure. However, when mercury emissions deposit into lakes and oceans, they can transform into methyl mercury that builds up in fish. Fish consumption is the most common pathway for human exposure to mercury. Pregnant women and young children are most vulnerable to the effects of this type of mercury exposure. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that most people are not exposed to harmful levels of mercury through fish consumption. However, the FDA and state agencies do issue public health advisories.
EPA offers additional information and resources on all sources of mercury at www.epa.gov/mercury.
> Return to Top
Do light bulbs (such as compact fluorescent bulbs) give off hazardous amounts of ultraviolet (UV) light?Regular fluorescent light bulbs used in your home and office do not produce a hazardous amount of ultraviolet light (UV). Most light sources, including fluorescent bulbs, emit a small amount of UV, but the UV produced by fluorescent light bulbs is far less than the amount produced by natural daylight. (Ultraviolet light rays are the light wavelengths that can cause sunburn and skin damage.)
Your safety is important to us; that's why, for all of our light bulbs designed for general public use, we strive to minimize the amount of UV light emitted.
If you're looking for a low-UV bulb for an especially sensitive area (like a photography dark room), try our Saf-T-Gard® bulbs. They block most ultraviolet light emissions, and they're also shatter-resistant.
> Return to Top
How much heat (or infrared radiation) is emitted by regular, halogen, and compact fluorescent light bulbs?Regular light bulbs, known as incandescent bulbs, create light by heating a filament inside the bulb; the heat makes the filament white-hot, producing the light that you see. Halogen light bulbs create light through the same method. Because incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, about 90% of the energy they emit is in the form of heat (also called infrared radiation). To reduce the heat emitted by regular incandescent and halogen light bulbs, use a lower watt bulb (like 60 watts instead of 100).
Fluorescent light bulbs use an entirely different method to create light. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that, when excited by electricity, hits a coating inside the fluorescent bulb and emits light. (This makes them far more energy-efficient than regular incandescent bulbs.) The fluorescent bulbs used in your home emit only around 30% of the heat of their equivalent incandescent bulb, making them far cooler.
> Return to Top
What is the white powder I see inside my fluorescent bulb?The white powder that you see inside a fluorescent lamp is called phosphor, which is a substance that emits white, visible light whenever it absorbs light waves. Both compact fluorescent bulbs and fluorescent tubes contain a gas that gives off invisible light when excited by electricity. This invisible light travels to the phosphor coating on the bulb, where it is transformed into light visible to the human eye.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Clipsal C Bus Energy Management
Small Business Footprint
We can make it easy for small businesses (typically up to 15 employees) to take immediate and meaningful action on climate change. We do this by investing in renewable energy projects that effectively keep carbon in the ground.
We can calculate and offset greenhouse gas emissions generated by your daily business activities like electricity use, flights, car travel, waste and more.
By measuring and offsetting your company's 'carbon footprint', the sustainability of your small business will be grounded in real and measurable positive change.
The benefits of taking actions today
Take a leadership position on the issue of climate change - creating value for your business.
Have a competitive edge over other businesses that are not prepared for climate change.
Risk management to help your company's bottom line.
Better-prepare for a regulated carbon environment.
Communicate and promote your positive climate change action to key internal and external stakeholders.
Become a Climate Friendly business
By offsetting all of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your business activities, your company will be acknowledged as a Climate Friendly Business.
You will be provided with a digital marketing kit which includes a certificate of recognition, a Climate Friendly Business logo as well as a communications template in order to promote your company's positive action against climate change.
Related Links:Corporate ServicesHome Office Calculator
We can make it easy for small businesses (typically up to 15 employees) to take immediate and meaningful action on climate change. We do this by investing in renewable energy projects that effectively keep carbon in the ground.
We can calculate and offset greenhouse gas emissions generated by your daily business activities like electricity use, flights, car travel, waste and more.
By measuring and offsetting your company's 'carbon footprint', the sustainability of your small business will be grounded in real and measurable positive change.
The benefits of taking actions today
Take a leadership position on the issue of climate change - creating value for your business.
Have a competitive edge over other businesses that are not prepared for climate change.
Risk management to help your company's bottom line.
Better-prepare for a regulated carbon environment.
Communicate and promote your positive climate change action to key internal and external stakeholders.
Become a Climate Friendly business
By offsetting all of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with your business activities, your company will be acknowledged as a Climate Friendly Business.
You will be provided with a digital marketing kit which includes a certificate of recognition, a Climate Friendly Business logo as well as a communications template in order to promote your company's positive action against climate change.
Related Links:Corporate ServicesHome Office Calculator
Monday, September 29, 2008
Lighting Control and Automation
Sep 10 2008 10:14AM
Johannesburg - Anglo American and Eskom have signed an agreement to guarantee the country's power supply, they said in a statement on Wednesday.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), a strategic co-operation would be established to identify and implement solutions to guarantee the integrity of the electricity supply, they said.
"The MOU provides a framework for Anglo American and Eskom to co-operate on their respective future energy requirements, including energy provision and coal supplies."
The MOU also aimed to facilitate the optimisation of scarce resources; conceptualisation and implementation of energy efficiency programmes; skills development; sustainable development; and research and development initiatives, such as clean coal technologies and carbon sequestration potential.
"It is of critical importance that we play our part in addressing South Africa's energy challenge," said Anglo American chief executive Cynthia Carroll.
Anglo American was committed to working with Eskom to finding solutions to support the country's national energy needs, she said.
"This MOU will facilitate a co-ordinated approach to developing new and creative cost-effective solutions to serve and benefit the country and ensure consistent energy supply to the nation."
According to Eskom chief executive Jacob Maroga, the power utility had been working with Anglo American for some time "as part of the national response to the energy supply challenge.
"This MOU will provide a framework from which we can work together to optimise synergies, scarce resources and skills, and to secure and stabilise power generation and distribution," he said.
The news YOU choose.
Visit Laaik.it and add and rank the news you want. You get to be an editor.
Johannesburg - Anglo American and Eskom have signed an agreement to guarantee the country's power supply, they said in a statement on Wednesday.
Under the memorandum of understanding (MOU), a strategic co-operation would be established to identify and implement solutions to guarantee the integrity of the electricity supply, they said.
"The MOU provides a framework for Anglo American and Eskom to co-operate on their respective future energy requirements, including energy provision and coal supplies."
The MOU also aimed to facilitate the optimisation of scarce resources; conceptualisation and implementation of energy efficiency programmes; skills development; sustainable development; and research and development initiatives, such as clean coal technologies and carbon sequestration potential.
"It is of critical importance that we play our part in addressing South Africa's energy challenge," said Anglo American chief executive Cynthia Carroll.
Anglo American was committed to working with Eskom to finding solutions to support the country's national energy needs, she said.
"This MOU will facilitate a co-ordinated approach to developing new and creative cost-effective solutions to serve and benefit the country and ensure consistent energy supply to the nation."
According to Eskom chief executive Jacob Maroga, the power utility had been working with Anglo American for some time "as part of the national response to the energy supply challenge.
"This MOU will provide a framework from which we can work together to optimise synergies, scarce resources and skills, and to secure and stabilise power generation and distribution," he said.
The news YOU choose.
Visit Laaik.it and add and rank the news you want. You get to be an editor.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Energy Crisis compounded by leadership crisis
Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki told the country on Sunday night he was stepping down after his ruling African National Congress demanded he leave office over allegations he abused power in the corruption case against new party leader Jacob Zuma.
Mbeki told the nation in a live televised broadcast he had tendered his resignation which would become effective from a date to be determined by Parliament, which is meeting on Monday.
Here are some questions and answers related to South Africa's biggest political crisis since the country's first multi-race elections in 1994.
Will the government collapse?
A number of pro-Mbeki cabinet ministers have threatened to resign in solidarity with their deposed leader. An exodus could paralyse or bring the government down, forcing the ANC-dominated Parliament to dissolve and call early elections.
Zuma and ANC officials are working behind the scenes to keep the Cabinet intact during a transitional government. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has indicated he is not resigning.
ANC Treasurer-General Mathews Phosa said in a televised debate the party will announce the acting state president on Monday, adding the party wanted the current cabinet to remain.
Who will lead a transitional government?
Zuma, who is the frontrunner to win the presidential election next year, holds no position in the government and is unlikely to assume the presidency during a transitional period set to last about six months until elections due in April 2009.
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka should, after Mbeki's resignation, assume the presidency. She is not liked by Zuma's camp and has already indicated she will follow Mbeki.
A Cabinet minister, possibly Manuel or ANC Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, could fill the breach. Zuma supporters, appear to favour Baleka Mbete, the Speaker of Parliament.
How unstable will South Africa become?
Mbeki's removal is the gravest crisis to confront the ANC since it came to power in 1994 after the end of white minority rule. It coincides with a slowdown in the economy, which is struggling to contain inflation and an electricity crisis.
There is speculation pro-Mbeki loyalists may quit the ANC and form a breakaway party. Such a move could clip the conservative, pro-business wing of the ANC, effectively making it a captive of powerful trade unions and the small, but influential, communist party.
Investors are wary of a Zuma-led government despite his reassurances there will be no major policy changes. He seen by some as an untested leader and his strong backing from the left has caused jitters.
South Africa's currency, the rand, could weaken if the transition goes badly.
How is Africa, rest of the world affected?
Foreign policy will take a backseat to domestic issues in a Zuma-controlled government. The ANC has vowed to intensify its battle against poverty and high unemployment, having grumbled about how much time Mbeki spent on the world stage.
South Africa's influence overseas could be dented by the loss of Mbeki, who has successfully mediated an end to a number of African conflicts and acted as a broker between rich industrialised nations and the developing world.
The departure casts a cloud over Zimbabwe, where Mbeki's mediation led to a power-sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. It is unclear who would mediate if the deal, now at an impasse, falls apart.
Zuma has been tougher on Mugabe's government, but he may not have the time to intervene if the crisis flares up.
What happens next?
The ANC's parliamentary caucus is expected to meet on Monday to draw up the strategy for formally removing Mbeki and decide on a new acting president.
Mbeki's willingness to step aside without a fight makes it unlikely that Parliament, where the ANC holds a two-thirds majority, will resort to impeaching him or putting forth a non-confidence vote in him or his government.
Once Mbeki resigns, Parliament will have 30 days to appoint a new president
Mbeki told the nation in a live televised broadcast he had tendered his resignation which would become effective from a date to be determined by Parliament, which is meeting on Monday.
Here are some questions and answers related to South Africa's biggest political crisis since the country's first multi-race elections in 1994.
Will the government collapse?
A number of pro-Mbeki cabinet ministers have threatened to resign in solidarity with their deposed leader. An exodus could paralyse or bring the government down, forcing the ANC-dominated Parliament to dissolve and call early elections.
Zuma and ANC officials are working behind the scenes to keep the Cabinet intact during a transitional government. Finance Minister Trevor Manuel has indicated he is not resigning.
ANC Treasurer-General Mathews Phosa said in a televised debate the party will announce the acting state president on Monday, adding the party wanted the current cabinet to remain.
Who will lead a transitional government?
Zuma, who is the frontrunner to win the presidential election next year, holds no position in the government and is unlikely to assume the presidency during a transitional period set to last about six months until elections due in April 2009.
Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka should, after Mbeki's resignation, assume the presidency. She is not liked by Zuma's camp and has already indicated she will follow Mbeki.
A Cabinet minister, possibly Manuel or ANC Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, could fill the breach. Zuma supporters, appear to favour Baleka Mbete, the Speaker of Parliament.
How unstable will South Africa become?
Mbeki's removal is the gravest crisis to confront the ANC since it came to power in 1994 after the end of white minority rule. It coincides with a slowdown in the economy, which is struggling to contain inflation and an electricity crisis.
There is speculation pro-Mbeki loyalists may quit the ANC and form a breakaway party. Such a move could clip the conservative, pro-business wing of the ANC, effectively making it a captive of powerful trade unions and the small, but influential, communist party.
Investors are wary of a Zuma-led government despite his reassurances there will be no major policy changes. He seen by some as an untested leader and his strong backing from the left has caused jitters.
South Africa's currency, the rand, could weaken if the transition goes badly.
How is Africa, rest of the world affected?
Foreign policy will take a backseat to domestic issues in a Zuma-controlled government. The ANC has vowed to intensify its battle against poverty and high unemployment, having grumbled about how much time Mbeki spent on the world stage.
South Africa's influence overseas could be dented by the loss of Mbeki, who has successfully mediated an end to a number of African conflicts and acted as a broker between rich industrialised nations and the developing world.
The departure casts a cloud over Zimbabwe, where Mbeki's mediation led to a power-sharing deal between President Robert Mugabe and opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai. It is unclear who would mediate if the deal, now at an impasse, falls apart.
Zuma has been tougher on Mugabe's government, but he may not have the time to intervene if the crisis flares up.
What happens next?
The ANC's parliamentary caucus is expected to meet on Monday to draw up the strategy for formally removing Mbeki and decide on a new acting president.
Mbeki's willingness to step aside without a fight makes it unlikely that Parliament, where the ANC holds a two-thirds majority, will resort to impeaching him or putting forth a non-confidence vote in him or his government.
Once Mbeki resigns, Parliament will have 30 days to appoint a new president
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Energy Management And Carbon Footprints
Nicole Rego
Johannesburg - Power utility Eskom's drive to encourage South Africans to save electricity is bearing fruit, with the latest data showing a decline in energy consumption.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said estimated consumption for electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.5% when compared with May 2007. The data is contained in its most latest report on electricity generated and available for distribution.
The decline translates into a reduction of approximately 520 Gigawatt-hours (GWh).
One Gigawatt-hour hour is equal to one million kilowatt hours, and a kilowatt hour is enough energy to power a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours.
"In the first five months of 2008, consumption of electricity was affected by numerous factors that led to reduced levels of consumption, such as load shedding and a continuous drive from Eskom in encouraging users to save on electricity consumption," said Stats SA.
Economists agreed that the planned blackouts, known to South Africans as load shedding, was one of the biggest contributors to the data's decrease.
Investment Solutions economist Chris Hart agreed, but said that the decrease "reflected the slowdown in the economy".
ETM economist Russell Lamberti said the economy's slowdown was showing in the data: "I think we as South Africans are probably saving more electricity, but there is no doubt that the economy is under strain."
Lamberti said that looking forward, the country would see electricity consumption data start to moderate.
The Stats SA data also showed that the estimated total production of electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.1% when compared to the same month last year, which is a reduction of 487 Gigawatt-hours.
Johannesburg - Power utility Eskom's drive to encourage South Africans to save electricity is bearing fruit, with the latest data showing a decline in energy consumption.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said estimated consumption for electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.5% when compared with May 2007. The data is contained in its most latest report on electricity generated and available for distribution.
The decline translates into a reduction of approximately 520 Gigawatt-hours (GWh).
One Gigawatt-hour hour is equal to one million kilowatt hours, and a kilowatt hour is enough energy to power a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours.
"In the first five months of 2008, consumption of electricity was affected by numerous factors that led to reduced levels of consumption, such as load shedding and a continuous drive from Eskom in encouraging users to save on electricity consumption," said Stats SA.
Economists agreed that the planned blackouts, known to South Africans as load shedding, was one of the biggest contributors to the data's decrease.
Investment Solutions economist Chris Hart agreed, but said that the decrease "reflected the slowdown in the economy".
ETM economist Russell Lamberti said the economy's slowdown was showing in the data: "I think we as South Africans are probably saving more electricity, but there is no doubt that the economy is under strain."
Lamberti said that looking forward, the country would see electricity consumption data start to moderate.
The Stats SA data also showed that the estimated total production of electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.1% when compared to the same month last year, which is a reduction of 487 Gigawatt-hours.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Lighting Control and Automation
Johannesburg - About 10 million high-energy consuming light bulbs will be replaced nationally in November with energy-saving bulbs, deputy president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka announced on Tuesday.
"South Africans need to know that the electricity crisis is not over yet. Unless we save energy, we run the risk of experiencing a situation not dissimilar to the one we were confronted with last summer," Mlambo-Ngcuka said after a meeting with the Stakeholder Advisory Council (on Electricity) at the Union Buildings.
She said government was saving 1 000 megawatts at present, but the target was to save 3 000 megawatts.
"At least 10 million incandescent light bulbs will be replaced with about 10 million CFLs (energy saving) light bulbs throughout the country."
Air-conditioners, swimming pool pumps, and geysers had a devastating effect on electricity consumption in South Africa, Mlambo-Ngcuka said
"South Africans need to know that the electricity crisis is not over yet. Unless we save energy, we run the risk of experiencing a situation not dissimilar to the one we were confronted with last summer," Mlambo-Ngcuka said after a meeting with the Stakeholder Advisory Council (on Electricity) at the Union Buildings.
She said government was saving 1 000 megawatts at present, but the target was to save 3 000 megawatts.
"At least 10 million incandescent light bulbs will be replaced with about 10 million CFLs (energy saving) light bulbs throughout the country."
Air-conditioners, swimming pool pumps, and geysers had a devastating effect on electricity consumption in South Africa, Mlambo-Ngcuka said
Monday, September 15, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Green Building and Energy Management
1.2 MW plant installed off the coast of Northern Ireland
A new type of renewable energy has been connected to the European grid: tidal energy turbines. The SeaGen Tidal System has been installed in the Strangford Narrows, about 400 metres off the coast of Northern Ireland, by Marine Current Turbines Ltd (MCT). The installation was completed last April and the generators were successfully connected to the grid on 17th July. It produces 1.2 MW of power, operating 18 to 20 hours a day. The total manufacturing and installation cost was nearly £10 million.
Like a wind turbine, but more predictable
The Seagen Tidal System consists of a fixed structure bearing two 16m diameter axial flow rotors, each connected to a generator via a gearbox. In contrast with other existing tidal power plants — such as the one on the Rance in France — this system does not require a barrage closing in an estuary. It is sited offshore on a large piling.
The technology is similar in many respects to a wind turbine. However, its principle advantage compared to most other renewable sources is that tidal energy is entirely predictable. In addition, its visual impact is much smaller since it is almost entirely submerged. The slow rotation speed (10 to 15 revolutions per minute) is unlikely to pose a threat to either fish or marine mammals.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Electrical savings
Cape Town - President Thabo Mbeki's National Stakeholder Advisory Council on Electricity (NSCAE) has warned that if consumers do not further reduce power usage, there could be a shortfall in coming weeks.
As a result, says the council, major users - mostly in the minerals value chain - will continue to bear the "burden of the emergency" in the form of reduced supply.
While business representatives council are optimistic that there'll be a significant contribution to power supply through co-generation projects in the coming months, the council - established at May's National Electricity Summit - has called on consumers to do better than their current 4% saving on electricity consumption.
"Both public buildings like retail malls, office and government buildings, as well as households can and must do more," the council said.
It is chaired by Mbeki and comprises senior leaders from government, business, community and labour - the four constituencies that make up the National Economic Development & Labour Council (Nedlac).
In a statement released after the meeting, the council said: "While we appreciate the savings that have been attained by the industry, we still believe more can be achieved through efficiency in production and maintenance.
"Higher electricity prices have become unavoidable, although it is agreed that government should mitigate the impact on poor households and communities. Households can reduce their bills by limiting electricity use."
In addition, the meeting agreed on the importance of fast-tracking a protocol for new connections and measures to encourage increased generation of electricity.
The NSACE will be the primary point of contact for business, labour and government in respect of policy implementation. The council also adopted an action plan to provide support for increasing energy efficiencies and upping the supply of electricity. This includes fast tracking co-generation, supporting Eskom's programme to build new capacity and improve its skills base, and enhance maintenance across the electricity supply chain.
Pricing of electricity is also on the council's agenda; it will monitor and advise on the new tariff directives at Eskom and local government level.
It also intends to engage with government on proposals for load shedding, rationing and new connections for large projects
As a result, says the council, major users - mostly in the minerals value chain - will continue to bear the "burden of the emergency" in the form of reduced supply.
While business representatives council are optimistic that there'll be a significant contribution to power supply through co-generation projects in the coming months, the council - established at May's National Electricity Summit - has called on consumers to do better than their current 4% saving on electricity consumption.
"Both public buildings like retail malls, office and government buildings, as well as households can and must do more," the council said.
It is chaired by Mbeki and comprises senior leaders from government, business, community and labour - the four constituencies that make up the National Economic Development & Labour Council (Nedlac).
In a statement released after the meeting, the council said: "While we appreciate the savings that have been attained by the industry, we still believe more can be achieved through efficiency in production and maintenance.
"Higher electricity prices have become unavoidable, although it is agreed that government should mitigate the impact on poor households and communities. Households can reduce their bills by limiting electricity use."
In addition, the meeting agreed on the importance of fast-tracking a protocol for new connections and measures to encourage increased generation of electricity.
The NSACE will be the primary point of contact for business, labour and government in respect of policy implementation. The council also adopted an action plan to provide support for increasing energy efficiencies and upping the supply of electricity. This includes fast tracking co-generation, supporting Eskom's programme to build new capacity and improve its skills base, and enhance maintenance across the electricity supply chain.
Pricing of electricity is also on the council's agenda; it will monitor and advise on the new tariff directives at Eskom and local government level.
It also intends to engage with government on proposals for load shedding, rationing and new connections for large projects
Energy management and carbon credits
Johannesburg - The estimated consumption of electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.5% compared with May 2007, Statistics SA said on Thursday.
The estimated volume of electricity consumed (available for distribution) for the three months ending May 2008 decreased by 1.5% compared with the three months ending May 2007.
Electricity consumption after seasonal adjustment for the latest three months ending May 2008 decreased by 0.6%, compared with the previous three months ended February 2008.
The estimated production of electricity, after seasonal adjustment, showed a decrease of 2.1% for the three months ending May 2008 compared with the preceding three months, Stats SA said.
The estimated total production of electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.1% compared with May 2007.
The estimated production of electricity during the latest three months ending May 2008 decreased by 1.1% compared with the same period of 2007.
International trade in electricity for 2008 to date showed annual decreases for electricity imported from outside South Africa (-20.7%) and electricity exported to neighbouring countries (-2.2%).
"The decrease in imports of electricity in the first five months of 2008 resulted from reduced availability from the Cahorra Bassa scheme owing to the planned refurbishment of an Eskom converter station, and the unavailability of the transmission network in Zambia, owing to system instability in that country."
The estimated volume of electricity consumed (available for distribution) for the three months ending May 2008 decreased by 1.5% compared with the three months ending May 2007.
Electricity consumption after seasonal adjustment for the latest three months ending May 2008 decreased by 0.6%, compared with the previous three months ended February 2008.
The estimated production of electricity, after seasonal adjustment, showed a decrease of 2.1% for the three months ending May 2008 compared with the preceding three months, Stats SA said.
The estimated total production of electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.1% compared with May 2007.
The estimated production of electricity during the latest three months ending May 2008 decreased by 1.1% compared with the same period of 2007.
International trade in electricity for 2008 to date showed annual decreases for electricity imported from outside South Africa (-20.7%) and electricity exported to neighbouring countries (-2.2%).
"The decrease in imports of electricity in the first five months of 2008 resulted from reduced availability from the Cahorra Bassa scheme owing to the planned refurbishment of an Eskom converter station, and the unavailability of the transmission network in Zambia, owing to system instability in that country."
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Green Building and Energy Management
The Green Building Council of South Africa will lead the transformation of the South African property industry to ensure that all buildings are designed, built and operated in an environmentally sustainable way that will allow South Africans to work and live in healthy, efficient and productive environments.
To promote, encourage and facilitate green building in the South African property and construction industry through market-based solutions, by:
Promoting the practice of green building in the commercial property industry
Facilitating the implementation of green building practice by acting as a resource centre,
Enabling the objective measurement of green building practices by developing and operating a green building rating system, and
Improving the knowledge and skills base of green building in the industry by enabling and offering training and education
To promote, encourage and facilitate green building in the South African property and construction industry through market-based solutions, by:
Promoting the practice of green building in the commercial property industry
Facilitating the implementation of green building practice by acting as a resource centre,
Enabling the objective measurement of green building practices by developing and operating a green building rating system, and
Improving the knowledge and skills base of green building in the industry by enabling and offering training and education
Monday, August 25, 2008
Energy management and carbon credits
As they grapple with rising energy costs, more homeowners are turning to remodelers for money-saving solutions. According to the results of the National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) quarterly Remodeling Market Index (RMI), 33% of surveyed remodelers report that they are increasingly called on to improve the energy efficiency of their client’s homes.The RMI measures remodeler perceptions of market demand for current and future residential remodeling projects.
NAHB is preparing for the upcoming National Green Building Standard, which includes a consensus rating system for remodeling. This standard provides a roadmap for green remodeling and assures consumers that remodelers know how to plan and complete authentically green remodels.According to the survey, remodelers have installed a number of efficiency-enhancing products in recent months, including:• Windows—73% of surveyed remodelers installed more energy-efficient windows that are insulated to prevent outdoor heat exchange.• Insulation—65% made upgrades such as insulation replacement and spraying foam or fiber insulation into enclosed walls and roof cavities, while 27% insulated foundations and 52% installed insulated exterior doors.• High-efficiency HVAC systems (56%)• High-efficiency kitchen appliances (47%)• Water-saving faucets and fixtures (46%)
NAHB is preparing for the upcoming National Green Building Standard, which includes a consensus rating system for remodeling. This standard provides a roadmap for green remodeling and assures consumers that remodelers know how to plan and complete authentically green remodels.According to the survey, remodelers have installed a number of efficiency-enhancing products in recent months, including:• Windows—73% of surveyed remodelers installed more energy-efficient windows that are insulated to prevent outdoor heat exchange.• Insulation—65% made upgrades such as insulation replacement and spraying foam or fiber insulation into enclosed walls and roof cavities, while 27% insulated foundations and 52% installed insulated exterior doors.• High-efficiency HVAC systems (56%)• High-efficiency kitchen appliances (47%)• Water-saving faucets and fixtures (46%)
Electrical savings
Despite having its highest score since January, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) continues to point to difficult conditions for the nonresidential construction market.
There have been six consecutive months with negative scores, indicating that business levels at U.S architecture firms continue to worsen.
As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI shows an approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the July ABI rating was 46.8, up slightly from the 46.1 mark in June (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The inquiries for new projects score was 54.6.
“Financing for new projects continues to be a problem,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “Many projects are being reconsidered due to construction cost increases. And while there are a good number of projects still in the queue, owners are taking longer to proceed to the next phase of the design process.”
There have been six consecutive months with negative scores, indicating that business levels at U.S architecture firms continue to worsen.
As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI shows an approximate 9- to 12-month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the July ABI rating was 46.8, up slightly from the 46.1 mark in June (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The inquiries for new projects score was 54.6.
“Financing for new projects continues to be a problem,” said AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker, PhD, Hon. AIA. “Many projects are being reconsidered due to construction cost increases. And while there are a good number of projects still in the queue, owners are taking longer to proceed to the next phase of the design process.”
Green Building and Energy Management
A green building is a building which is energy efficient, resource efficient and environmentally responsible- which incorporates design, construction and operational practices that significantly reduce or eliminate its negative impact on the environment and its occupants. Building green is an opportunity to use resources efficiently and address climate change while creating healthier and more productive environments for people to live and work in
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Green Building and Energy Management
Sydney - An abandoned baby whale that has been attempting to suckle boats in the waters off north Sydney will be euthanised because it is in such poor condition, an environmental official said on Thursday.
Veterinarians and marine researchers who spent the afternoon examining the whale found that it would likely not live through the night, said Sally Barnes, deputy director-general of the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change.
"The calf was in much worse condition than they originally thought and the injuries were a lot worse than they thought as well, probably from a shark attack," she said. "We have taken the hard decision to put it down, unfortunately."
The plight of the whale, which Australians have nicknamed "Colin," has dominated news coverage here since the creature was first sighted on Sunday in waters off north Sydney and began trying to suckle from boats it apparently mistook for its mother.
"Our hearts are breaking with what's happening with baby Colin," New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma said. "It's looking bleak, but every effort is being made."
The decision to euthanise the whale prompted a strong protest from a rescue group that designed a feeding apparatus intended to provide milk to the ailing calf.
"You said you'd give us a 24-hour stay of execution!" Brett Devine, a member of Devine Marine Group, shouted as environmental officials tried to calm him.
Dose of fatal drugs
Some Australians have accused wildlife officials of not doing enough to help the calf or trying to feed it.
Previous attempts to guide the whale back to open waters have failed, with the creature preferring to stick close to the boats. Officials with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service were considering earlier on Thursday whether to use an inflatable sling to tow the creature into deeper waters, where it has a better chance of connecting with other whales.
But in the end, there simply was no other option, a grim-looking Barnes said.
"This is certainly not what we would have hoped. We would have hoped that the animal would have been OK," Barnes said. "It's a very emotional thing."
As darkness fell, wildlife officials and veterinarians huddled in a private meeting to work out the logistics of the whale's fate.
They planned to sedate the animal, tow it to shore, and inject a dose of fatal drugs into its heart.
Veterinarians and marine researchers who spent the afternoon examining the whale found that it would likely not live through the night, said Sally Barnes, deputy director-general of the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change.
"The calf was in much worse condition than they originally thought and the injuries were a lot worse than they thought as well, probably from a shark attack," she said. "We have taken the hard decision to put it down, unfortunately."
The plight of the whale, which Australians have nicknamed "Colin," has dominated news coverage here since the creature was first sighted on Sunday in waters off north Sydney and began trying to suckle from boats it apparently mistook for its mother.
"Our hearts are breaking with what's happening with baby Colin," New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma said. "It's looking bleak, but every effort is being made."
The decision to euthanise the whale prompted a strong protest from a rescue group that designed a feeding apparatus intended to provide milk to the ailing calf.
"You said you'd give us a 24-hour stay of execution!" Brett Devine, a member of Devine Marine Group, shouted as environmental officials tried to calm him.
Dose of fatal drugs
Some Australians have accused wildlife officials of not doing enough to help the calf or trying to feed it.
Previous attempts to guide the whale back to open waters have failed, with the creature preferring to stick close to the boats. Officials with the New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service were considering earlier on Thursday whether to use an inflatable sling to tow the creature into deeper waters, where it has a better chance of connecting with other whales.
But in the end, there simply was no other option, a grim-looking Barnes said.
"This is certainly not what we would have hoped. We would have hoped that the animal would have been OK," Barnes said. "It's a very emotional thing."
As darkness fell, wildlife officials and veterinarians huddled in a private meeting to work out the logistics of the whale's fate.
They planned to sedate the animal, tow it to shore, and inject a dose of fatal drugs into its heart.
Monday, August 18, 2008
Energy management and carbon credits
JOBURG
AA-credit rating for City
By Lucille Davie
12 August 2008
INTERNATIONAL rating agency Fitch Ratings has upgraded Johannesburg's long-term credit rating to AA-, from last year's A+ rating, and its short-term rating to F1+ from F1.
A rating provides a relative measure of a city's creditworthiness. The best long-term rating is AAA, while the best short-term rating is F1+. The F1 rating refers specifically to the city's ability to pay its short-term debt.
Stating that the City's outlook remained stable, the agency said: "The upgrade reflects the City of Johannesburg's strengthening operating performance, driven by a growing tax base and subsidies from the national government."
The rating "also reflects higher provisions for asset depreciation, which help to self-finance its investments, now approaching R5-billion, up from R1-billion in [financial year 2004]".
Responding to the upgrades, City Treasurer William Mathanela said: "We are very excited about the investor confidence that the rating has shown - it means the City has done a lot of good work."
Fitch said the rating considered the City's long-term challenges to be "income inequality and low labour participation", which limited tax generation and collection.
"The ratings could be upgraded further if easing macroeconomic tensions help to alleviate rising cost pressures on the municipality's operating performance, and if the sale of its R2-billion net debtor-book is completed successfully, providing the municipality with corresponding liquidity."
The agency warned that ratings might be negatively affected if borrowing exceeded projections, which would lead to declining debt collection, and restricted tax revenue growth, if gross domestic product (GDP) growth weakened.
"[Johannesburg's] operating performance continues to be strong, underpinned by tax and fee collection rates of about 95 percent," Fitch Ratings indicated.
The City was committed to keeping expenses below 7 percent of expenditure, it said, but this would be influenced by a slowdown in GDP growth which would, in turn, limit the City's ability to pass on to consumers increasing costs of water, electricity and other service costs.
Fitch suggested that local economic growth should hover around 3 percent per year, given a boost from the public works in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.
"Estimated income per capita of about R60 000 is approximately 40 percent above the national average and should help to underpin an average operating revenue growth of close to 10 percent. Tax and fee rates linked to inflation and the continual expansion of the tax base should help to maintain a good match between revenue and spending."
Mathanela said the 3 percent was too low for a city the size of Joburg - it would probably be around 4 to 5 percent.
However, the rise of commodity prices and frequent power cuts could have a negative effect on the local economy, causing operating costs to rise, said Fitch.
Mathanela was particularly happy to have the asset register complete, because it provided a higher provision for depreciation, and investors now knew the total assets of the City, giving them increased confidence in its growth prospects. "The past year has been a good year."
There were long-term challenges for the City, however, Fitch said. The fact that the national government oversaw revenue and expenditure weakened its manoeuvrability. On the other hand, the 2007 Municipal Fiscal Power Act had allowed cities to raise revenue by means of a 2 percent business levy for inner city regeneration.
"Income inequality and the still high percentage of population infected with HIV remain the main burden on future economic growth, with their demand for higher social and health costs over the medium term."
There were other factors that would slow growth. "A potential burden stems also from pension and potential unfunded liabilities, which the City seeks to control by implementing self-insurance policies.
Joburg's population is believed to be around four million. It remains the financial hub of the country, contributing about 16 percent of GDP and some 15 percent of employment. The City's GDP will remain at an average 6 percent annually until 2010
AA-credit rating for City
By Lucille Davie
12 August 2008
INTERNATIONAL rating agency Fitch Ratings has upgraded Johannesburg's long-term credit rating to AA-, from last year's A+ rating, and its short-term rating to F1+ from F1.
A rating provides a relative measure of a city's creditworthiness. The best long-term rating is AAA, while the best short-term rating is F1+. The F1 rating refers specifically to the city's ability to pay its short-term debt.
Stating that the City's outlook remained stable, the agency said: "The upgrade reflects the City of Johannesburg's strengthening operating performance, driven by a growing tax base and subsidies from the national government."
The rating "also reflects higher provisions for asset depreciation, which help to self-finance its investments, now approaching R5-billion, up from R1-billion in [financial year 2004]".
Responding to the upgrades, City Treasurer William Mathanela said: "We are very excited about the investor confidence that the rating has shown - it means the City has done a lot of good work."
Fitch said the rating considered the City's long-term challenges to be "income inequality and low labour participation", which limited tax generation and collection.
"The ratings could be upgraded further if easing macroeconomic tensions help to alleviate rising cost pressures on the municipality's operating performance, and if the sale of its R2-billion net debtor-book is completed successfully, providing the municipality with corresponding liquidity."
The agency warned that ratings might be negatively affected if borrowing exceeded projections, which would lead to declining debt collection, and restricted tax revenue growth, if gross domestic product (GDP) growth weakened.
"[Johannesburg's] operating performance continues to be strong, underpinned by tax and fee collection rates of about 95 percent," Fitch Ratings indicated.
The City was committed to keeping expenses below 7 percent of expenditure, it said, but this would be influenced by a slowdown in GDP growth which would, in turn, limit the City's ability to pass on to consumers increasing costs of water, electricity and other service costs.
Fitch suggested that local economic growth should hover around 3 percent per year, given a boost from the public works in preparation for the 2010 World Cup.
"Estimated income per capita of about R60 000 is approximately 40 percent above the national average and should help to underpin an average operating revenue growth of close to 10 percent. Tax and fee rates linked to inflation and the continual expansion of the tax base should help to maintain a good match between revenue and spending."
Mathanela said the 3 percent was too low for a city the size of Joburg - it would probably be around 4 to 5 percent.
However, the rise of commodity prices and frequent power cuts could have a negative effect on the local economy, causing operating costs to rise, said Fitch.
Mathanela was particularly happy to have the asset register complete, because it provided a higher provision for depreciation, and investors now knew the total assets of the City, giving them increased confidence in its growth prospects. "The past year has been a good year."
There were long-term challenges for the City, however, Fitch said. The fact that the national government oversaw revenue and expenditure weakened its manoeuvrability. On the other hand, the 2007 Municipal Fiscal Power Act had allowed cities to raise revenue by means of a 2 percent business levy for inner city regeneration.
"Income inequality and the still high percentage of population infected with HIV remain the main burden on future economic growth, with their demand for higher social and health costs over the medium term."
There were other factors that would slow growth. "A potential burden stems also from pension and potential unfunded liabilities, which the City seeks to control by implementing self-insurance policies.
Joburg's population is believed to be around four million. It remains the financial hub of the country, contributing about 16 percent of GDP and some 15 percent of employment. The City's GDP will remain at an average 6 percent annually until 2010
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
www.thorntongroup.co.za
In most work/office environments we can make quite dramatic gains in our energy efficiency by simply changing settings, buying more carefully and changing our work habits.
No cost energy saving hints
•
Switch off all PCs at the end of every day and weekends.
•
If you going to be away from your computer any longer than 15 minutes switch off your screen.
•
Make sure all printers and photocopiers are switched off at the end of every day and weekends.
•
Don’t replace if you can share a printer or copier instead.
•
Activate sleep or power-down features when possible.
Technical energy saving options with varying cost
•
Buy energy efficient equipment (Energy Star rated etc).
•
Use laptop computers wherever practical. They consume between 70-90% less energy than desktop computers.
No cost energy saving hints
•
Switch off all PCs at the end of every day and weekends.
•
If you going to be away from your computer any longer than 15 minutes switch off your screen.
•
Make sure all printers and photocopiers are switched off at the end of every day and weekends.
•
Don’t replace if you can share a printer or copier instead.
•
Activate sleep or power-down features when possible.
Technical energy saving options with varying cost
•
Buy energy efficient equipment (Energy Star rated etc).
•
Use laptop computers wherever practical. They consume between 70-90% less energy than desktop computers.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Green Building & Energy Management
Green building practices urged
12 June 2008
SOUTH AFRICA is lagging far behind other countries in the adoption of sustainable green building practices.
This was revealed at a conference held at Cedar Park Hotel on 9 June, to discuss green building practices and other techniques new buildings should embrace.
Speaking at the conference, Pristine Technology Solutions' managing director, Mazuro Gundidza, said green buildings still had a long way to go in South Africa.
"South Africa lags behind Europe and the United States in that eco-friendly design is not readily available - something that will hopefully be addressed by the newly established Green Building Council (GBCSA) in South Africa."
The GBSCA will provide guidelines and a certification system for commercial green building and in the long run, also for green commercial interior design.
"Internationally, the move to green building has been described as a phenomenon and the benefits are significant. South Africa may have been slow on the uptake of the concept, but the fact remains that it is striving towards establishing green building," he said.
Green buildings conserve the Earth's natural resources through the efficient and intelligent use of energy, materials, water and the building site. One of the greatest benefits of green buildings is their reduced use of electricity and energy, which helps to cut dependence on fossil fuels.
For green building to be driven forward, it needed to be accepted by all industry stakeholders and a fundamental mind shift needed to take place, focusing on the initial capital cost of a building, Gundidza said.
"Considering South Africa's current power crisis and a possible water crisis, green building will not only save energy, but also place our country on the map of protecting resources."
The chief executive officer for the Council for the Built Environment, Bheki Zule, said green building had a pivotal role to play in South's Africa's energy crisis.
"Green building will result in the saving of energy and the reduction of emissions. This provides opportunities for other investments by the consumer and contributes to creating a more economically comfortable life for households."
David Botha, the executive director of the South Africa Institution of Civil Engineering, said changing climatic patterns had raised awareness of the need to save energy and safeguard natural resources.
"We need a rational approach to green buildings and to assess the total costs not only to the pocket but also to the environment," he said.
"It's no use having a house that runs on computers and fancy climate controls, made in Singapore or Taiwan, if these computers are costing us more in terms of environmental impact than the use of simpler methods like opening and closing a window by hand."
Rodney Milford, of the Construction Industry Development Board, said the South African government had plans to retrofit its106 000 buildings countrywide with energy efficient measures. "This process is currently under way and over 100 buildings in Tshwane, Western Cape and Free State have already been completed."
The departments of Minerals and Energy and Public Works had set an overall target for energy demand reduction of 12 percent of the projected energy consumption, to be met by 2015.
Many countries have developed their own standards of energy efficiency for buildings. The United States Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system, which is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance buildings.
Canada has also implemented "R2000" guidelines for buildings built after the year 2000. Incentives are offered to builders to meet the R2000 standards in an effort to increase energy efficiency and promote sustainability.
The Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia also promotes green building techniques, while the UK Building Regulations set requirements for insulation levels and other aspects of sustainability in building construction.
Source: Joburg.org.za
12 June 2008
SOUTH AFRICA is lagging far behind other countries in the adoption of sustainable green building practices.
This was revealed at a conference held at Cedar Park Hotel on 9 June, to discuss green building practices and other techniques new buildings should embrace.
Speaking at the conference, Pristine Technology Solutions' managing director, Mazuro Gundidza, said green buildings still had a long way to go in South Africa.
"South Africa lags behind Europe and the United States in that eco-friendly design is not readily available - something that will hopefully be addressed by the newly established Green Building Council (GBCSA) in South Africa."
The GBSCA will provide guidelines and a certification system for commercial green building and in the long run, also for green commercial interior design.
"Internationally, the move to green building has been described as a phenomenon and the benefits are significant. South Africa may have been slow on the uptake of the concept, but the fact remains that it is striving towards establishing green building," he said.
Green buildings conserve the Earth's natural resources through the efficient and intelligent use of energy, materials, water and the building site. One of the greatest benefits of green buildings is their reduced use of electricity and energy, which helps to cut dependence on fossil fuels.
For green building to be driven forward, it needed to be accepted by all industry stakeholders and a fundamental mind shift needed to take place, focusing on the initial capital cost of a building, Gundidza said.
"Considering South Africa's current power crisis and a possible water crisis, green building will not only save energy, but also place our country on the map of protecting resources."
The chief executive officer for the Council for the Built Environment, Bheki Zule, said green building had a pivotal role to play in South's Africa's energy crisis.
"Green building will result in the saving of energy and the reduction of emissions. This provides opportunities for other investments by the consumer and contributes to creating a more economically comfortable life for households."
David Botha, the executive director of the South Africa Institution of Civil Engineering, said changing climatic patterns had raised awareness of the need to save energy and safeguard natural resources.
"We need a rational approach to green buildings and to assess the total costs not only to the pocket but also to the environment," he said.
"It's no use having a house that runs on computers and fancy climate controls, made in Singapore or Taiwan, if these computers are costing us more in terms of environmental impact than the use of simpler methods like opening and closing a window by hand."
Rodney Milford, of the Construction Industry Development Board, said the South African government had plans to retrofit its106 000 buildings countrywide with energy efficient measures. "This process is currently under way and over 100 buildings in Tshwane, Western Cape and Free State have already been completed."
The departments of Minerals and Energy and Public Works had set an overall target for energy demand reduction of 12 percent of the projected energy consumption, to be met by 2015.
Many countries have developed their own standards of energy efficiency for buildings. The United States Green Building Council developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design green building rating system, which is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high performance buildings.
Canada has also implemented "R2000" guidelines for buildings built after the year 2000. Incentives are offered to builders to meet the R2000 standards in an effort to increase energy efficiency and promote sustainability.
The Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia also promotes green building techniques, while the UK Building Regulations set requirements for insulation levels and other aspects of sustainability in building construction.
Source: Joburg.org.za
What Is a Carbon Footprint?
What is a 'carbon footprint'?
A carbon footprint is a calculation of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a specific activity - such as flying or driving - or for an individual, business or organisation. Climate Friendly's calculators are internationally recognised as some of the most credible and in-depth available. Individuals can use our calculators for energy, flight and car emissions on our website and we work with business customers on footprint calculations as part of their overall climate change strategy. We qualify Climate Neutral™ status as including all emissions associated with energy use, flights and car transport. Many of our business customers choose to include additional emissions areas such as waste, paper use and employee travel, which we call "Climate Neutral Plus™".
A carbon footprint is a calculation of the greenhouse gas emissions associated with a specific activity - such as flying or driving - or for an individual, business or organisation. Climate Friendly's calculators are internationally recognised as some of the most credible and in-depth available. Individuals can use our calculators for energy, flight and car emissions on our website and we work with business customers on footprint calculations as part of their overall climate change strategy. We qualify Climate Neutral™ status as including all emissions associated with energy use, flights and car transport. Many of our business customers choose to include additional emissions areas such as waste, paper use and employee travel, which we call "Climate Neutral Plus™".
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Green Energy and Carbon Credits
the business of climate change
Going Climate Neutral is a simple, affordable and visible way for businesses to cut their greenhouse emissions. By neutralising the carbon emissions from the day to day running of your business, your corporate sustainability record will be grounded in real and measurable positive change.
Using our calculators and safe online payment system, your business can easily neutralise the carbon emissions from car travel, air travel, and your office electricity use. You can also offset single events, such as conferences or meetings that involve significant amounts of travel or power usage.
Businesses who wish also to neutralise their freight, paper use and taxi use should contact us for a carbon footprint and quote.
Climate Friendly also offers business gift packages for Christmas, employee or any gift occasion so that you can give the gift of Climate Neutral.
Larger businesses, or businesses with complex car and air travel data (such as large car fleets or a large number of flights to multiple destinations) should also contact us for assistance.
Many businesses already have processes to reduce their carbon emissions - switching off lights and computers after hours, for example. But you can become a climate leader by supporting the switch to a renewable energy economy, a long-term solution to global warming.
When you buy renewable energy credits through Climate Friendly, you are putting renewable energy back into the power grid to replace the energy from fossil fuels that your business has used. Your money goes only to new and accredited renewable energy projects, such as wind farms, which creates further demand for renewable energy products.
This three-fold approach is the basis of our philosophy: Reduce, Renew and Neutralise.
See our 20 tips for reducing your energy consumption below.
Climate Friendly Tips - 20 things your business can do to help the planet
No matter how big or small your business, you can take steps to reduce your energy emissions.
Do an energy and/or environmental audit - Understand the impact your company is having on the environment by auditing your energy use, emissions, waste and other environmental impacts. Once you know, develop a strategy to reduce these impacts over time. Climate Friendly can help, see https://climatefriendly.com/business for more information.
Buy renewable energy/GreenPower - Countries like Australia, Germany and the US offer energy for consumers from renewable sources only such as solar, wind and geothermal energy. If you have the opportunity, make the switch and you can save an average of 7 tonnes of emissions a year. For information see Climate Friendly’s renewable energy offer at www.climatefriendly.com/electricity, ask your energy retailer or, in Australia, see www.greenpower.com.au.
Green your event - When holding conferences and other large events do what you can to reduce its environmental impact buying locally, choosing energy-efficient and environmentally aware venues, purchasing renewable energy/GreenPower and offsetting remaining emissions.
Open the windows, turn off the air con - Air conditioning is one of the biggest users of electricity in the summer and a great contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. When appropriate, turn of the air con and open the windows for some fresh air. For enclosed spaces, switch your air conditioner to economy cycle, which lowers energy use and makes the most of the fresh air.
Shade your office - Install awnings or shading over windows and walls exposed to the sun. This will help keep the heat out, the air conditioners off and the power bill low.
Change your light bulbs - A switch from conventional light bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescents can be one of the most effective things your business can do to reduce emissions and stop global warming and it saves you money.
Turn off lights - It sounds simple but turning off the lights when leaving the office can make a big difference to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Timers are an effective way of ensuring light are not left on after hours and motion sensors can be installed so lights are on only when needed.
Look at your layout - Moving office furniture to maximise the use natural sunlight from windows means less electricity use, lower costs and nicer views.
Think about your hot water - How much hot water is really necessary in your office space? Leaving tea urns and water boilers on all day in your office kitchen uses a lot of energy, up to 90% of which can be wasted. For small offices a quick boil kettle may be all you need. If larger urns and water boilers are necessary, switch them off at the end of the day and look into getting energy efficient, insulated models.
Switch to solar hot water or gas heating - This can save as much as two to three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year and greatly reduce energy costs.
Make conference or Skype calls instead of trips - Set a company policy that makes international trips a rarity rather than a regular thing and make the most of your communication options such as conference, video or Skype calls. Fewer flights mean less travel time and savings of up to 10 tonnes of emissions per international trip. If you need to fly, consider offsetting the emissions at www.climatefriendly.com/flight.
Encourage or financially support your employees to use public transport - Cars contribute 41.7 million tonnes of Australia's overall carbon dioxide emissions and similar amounts in other countries. Encourage your employees to use public transport or financially support them by using a voucher or annual train, bus or ferry scheme.
Install bike racks and showers - Help your healthy-minded employees reduce their carbon emissions and get fit by providing safe bike lock up areas and showers for cyclists, walkers and runners.
Work from home, save the trip - Even a day at home a month can make a difference to reducing transport emissions. Where appropriate, allow your employees to work from home occasionally.
Buy efficiency - When buying high energy using equipment such as computers, copy machines, fleet cars, etc. look for or ask for the energy ratings and choose the best energy-saving option accordingly - saves you money and the earth.
Look at laptops - Next time you're replacing office computers, remember that laptops and notebooks use up to 90% less energy. If LCD screens are too small when connected to an energy efficient monitor, they still only use around half the energy of a normal desktop computer.
Maintain your equipment - Regularly check air conditioning vents, pipes and filters and maintain office equipment to ensure it is operating efficiently. Regular maintenance prevents leaks and wasted energy and ensures you get the best out of expensive equipment.
Buy recycled - Buying used or recycled office furniture and materials such as paper, means less energy use, emissions and pollution. Recycle as much of your office waste and unwanted goods as possible.
Switch off standby and turn off monitors - Leaving computers, printers and photocopiers on stand-by can account for much of your office's energy use, and therefore emissions and costs. Turn off computers and other equipment off at source at the end of the day and when not in use. Install timers on monitors and other equipment to ensure they are off when not in use. So simple, so effective.
Install waterless urinals - Every year, billions of litres of fresh drinking water are wasted in urinals flushing. Waterless urinals use absolutely no water while meeting the highest hygienic standards. So make the switch, save your water bill and the environment.
For more information:
Energy Saver, US Dept. of Energy: www.energysavers.gov
Energy Star, US: www.energystar.gov
The Green Building Council, US, UK, Australia, etc.: www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19 www.gbcaus.org
National Energy Foundation, UK: www.nef.org.uk/energyadvice/savingenergy.htm
SDGE, US: www.sdge.com/business/ee_tips.shtml
Mercury Energy, New Zealand: www.mercury.co.nz/Business/savepower_computers.aspx
UK Net Guide - Saving Energy in the Workplace: www.uknetguide.co.uk/Business/Article/Saving_Energy_In_The_Workplace.html
City of San Jose, US: www.sanjoseca.gov/esd/natural-energy-resources/ER-Tips-office.htm
Going Climate Neutral is a simple, affordable and visible way for businesses to cut their greenhouse emissions. By neutralising the carbon emissions from the day to day running of your business, your corporate sustainability record will be grounded in real and measurable positive change.
Using our calculators and safe online payment system, your business can easily neutralise the carbon emissions from car travel, air travel, and your office electricity use. You can also offset single events, such as conferences or meetings that involve significant amounts of travel or power usage.
Businesses who wish also to neutralise their freight, paper use and taxi use should contact us for a carbon footprint and quote.
Climate Friendly also offers business gift packages for Christmas, employee or any gift occasion so that you can give the gift of Climate Neutral.
Larger businesses, or businesses with complex car and air travel data (such as large car fleets or a large number of flights to multiple destinations) should also contact us for assistance.
Many businesses already have processes to reduce their carbon emissions - switching off lights and computers after hours, for example. But you can become a climate leader by supporting the switch to a renewable energy economy, a long-term solution to global warming.
When you buy renewable energy credits through Climate Friendly, you are putting renewable energy back into the power grid to replace the energy from fossil fuels that your business has used. Your money goes only to new and accredited renewable energy projects, such as wind farms, which creates further demand for renewable energy products.
This three-fold approach is the basis of our philosophy: Reduce, Renew and Neutralise.
See our 20 tips for reducing your energy consumption below.
Climate Friendly Tips - 20 things your business can do to help the planet
No matter how big or small your business, you can take steps to reduce your energy emissions.
Do an energy and/or environmental audit - Understand the impact your company is having on the environment by auditing your energy use, emissions, waste and other environmental impacts. Once you know, develop a strategy to reduce these impacts over time. Climate Friendly can help, see https://climatefriendly.com/business for more information.
Buy renewable energy/GreenPower - Countries like Australia, Germany and the US offer energy for consumers from renewable sources only such as solar, wind and geothermal energy. If you have the opportunity, make the switch and you can save an average of 7 tonnes of emissions a year. For information see Climate Friendly’s renewable energy offer at www.climatefriendly.com/electricity, ask your energy retailer or, in Australia, see www.greenpower.com.au.
Green your event - When holding conferences and other large events do what you can to reduce its environmental impact buying locally, choosing energy-efficient and environmentally aware venues, purchasing renewable energy/GreenPower and offsetting remaining emissions.
Open the windows, turn off the air con - Air conditioning is one of the biggest users of electricity in the summer and a great contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. When appropriate, turn of the air con and open the windows for some fresh air. For enclosed spaces, switch your air conditioner to economy cycle, which lowers energy use and makes the most of the fresh air.
Shade your office - Install awnings or shading over windows and walls exposed to the sun. This will help keep the heat out, the air conditioners off and the power bill low.
Change your light bulbs - A switch from conventional light bulbs to energy efficient compact fluorescents can be one of the most effective things your business can do to reduce emissions and stop global warming and it saves you money.
Turn off lights - It sounds simple but turning off the lights when leaving the office can make a big difference to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Timers are an effective way of ensuring light are not left on after hours and motion sensors can be installed so lights are on only when needed.
Look at your layout - Moving office furniture to maximise the use natural sunlight from windows means less electricity use, lower costs and nicer views.
Think about your hot water - How much hot water is really necessary in your office space? Leaving tea urns and water boilers on all day in your office kitchen uses a lot of energy, up to 90% of which can be wasted. For small offices a quick boil kettle may be all you need. If larger urns and water boilers are necessary, switch them off at the end of the day and look into getting energy efficient, insulated models.
Switch to solar hot water or gas heating - This can save as much as two to three tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year and greatly reduce energy costs.
Make conference or Skype calls instead of trips - Set a company policy that makes international trips a rarity rather than a regular thing and make the most of your communication options such as conference, video or Skype calls. Fewer flights mean less travel time and savings of up to 10 tonnes of emissions per international trip. If you need to fly, consider offsetting the emissions at www.climatefriendly.com/flight.
Encourage or financially support your employees to use public transport - Cars contribute 41.7 million tonnes of Australia's overall carbon dioxide emissions and similar amounts in other countries. Encourage your employees to use public transport or financially support them by using a voucher or annual train, bus or ferry scheme.
Install bike racks and showers - Help your healthy-minded employees reduce their carbon emissions and get fit by providing safe bike lock up areas and showers for cyclists, walkers and runners.
Work from home, save the trip - Even a day at home a month can make a difference to reducing transport emissions. Where appropriate, allow your employees to work from home occasionally.
Buy efficiency - When buying high energy using equipment such as computers, copy machines, fleet cars, etc. look for or ask for the energy ratings and choose the best energy-saving option accordingly - saves you money and the earth.
Look at laptops - Next time you're replacing office computers, remember that laptops and notebooks use up to 90% less energy. If LCD screens are too small when connected to an energy efficient monitor, they still only use around half the energy of a normal desktop computer.
Maintain your equipment - Regularly check air conditioning vents, pipes and filters and maintain office equipment to ensure it is operating efficiently. Regular maintenance prevents leaks and wasted energy and ensures you get the best out of expensive equipment.
Buy recycled - Buying used or recycled office furniture and materials such as paper, means less energy use, emissions and pollution. Recycle as much of your office waste and unwanted goods as possible.
Switch off standby and turn off monitors - Leaving computers, printers and photocopiers on stand-by can account for much of your office's energy use, and therefore emissions and costs. Turn off computers and other equipment off at source at the end of the day and when not in use. Install timers on monitors and other equipment to ensure they are off when not in use. So simple, so effective.
Install waterless urinals - Every year, billions of litres of fresh drinking water are wasted in urinals flushing. Waterless urinals use absolutely no water while meeting the highest hygienic standards. So make the switch, save your water bill and the environment.
For more information:
Energy Saver, US Dept. of Energy: www.energysavers.gov
Energy Star, US: www.energystar.gov
The Green Building Council, US, UK, Australia, etc.: www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19 www.gbcaus.org
National Energy Foundation, UK: www.nef.org.uk/energyadvice/savingenergy.htm
SDGE, US: www.sdge.com/business/ee_tips.shtml
Mercury Energy, New Zealand: www.mercury.co.nz/Business/savepower_computers.aspx
UK Net Guide - Saving Energy in the Workplace: www.uknetguide.co.uk/Business/Article/Saving_Energy_In_The_Workplace.html
City of San Jose, US: www.sanjoseca.gov/esd/natural-energy-resources/ER-Tips-office.htm
Friday, August 8, 2008
Green Power
Green Power Providers
The rise in the availability of power from green sources has been astronomic. The demand currently outstrips supply giving huge confidence to renewable energy providers to invest in massive projects. Just recently it was announced that a huge windfarm is to be established offshore and provide London with up to a quarter of its power. This sort of scheme was unthinkable only a few years ago.
What’s more, it is a truly global phenomenon. Every part of the developed world wants green power and they don’t mind paying for it as its price rapidly approaches the price of power generated by conventional means.Initially, green power was sold by fledgling power companies and environmental bodies. The RSPB for example, a bird conservancy group from the UK, sold power from renewable sources to the energy conscious and were swamped with demand. Other companies saw how popular this new energy was proving to be and jumped on the bandwagon. The same pattern was evident in other nations and the scale of alternative energy production grew enormously.
RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATESWhat has now emerged is a system of giving credits to energy produced from renewable resources. They are called Renewable Energy Certificates. The certificate says that the owner holds access to any number of MW of alternative power and these certificates are bought and sold. Certificates emerged because clarification was needed on who held which power and how much. The end user can now be sure that the power they are using comes from a renewable resource and that they are not using power that may have been ‘sold’ to somebody else. According to the US system there are different grades of green power and they also use Renewable Energy Certificates called ‘green tags’
The rise in the availability of power from green sources has been astronomic. The demand currently outstrips supply giving huge confidence to renewable energy providers to invest in massive projects. Just recently it was announced that a huge windfarm is to be established offshore and provide London with up to a quarter of its power. This sort of scheme was unthinkable only a few years ago.
What’s more, it is a truly global phenomenon. Every part of the developed world wants green power and they don’t mind paying for it as its price rapidly approaches the price of power generated by conventional means.Initially, green power was sold by fledgling power companies and environmental bodies. The RSPB for example, a bird conservancy group from the UK, sold power from renewable sources to the energy conscious and were swamped with demand. Other companies saw how popular this new energy was proving to be and jumped on the bandwagon. The same pattern was evident in other nations and the scale of alternative energy production grew enormously.
RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATESWhat has now emerged is a system of giving credits to energy produced from renewable resources. They are called Renewable Energy Certificates. The certificate says that the owner holds access to any number of MW of alternative power and these certificates are bought and sold. Certificates emerged because clarification was needed on who held which power and how much. The end user can now be sure that the power they are using comes from a renewable resource and that they are not using power that may have been ‘sold’ to somebody else. According to the US system there are different grades of green power and they also use Renewable Energy Certificates called ‘green tags’
Renewable energy
Christopher Flavin, president of US-based think-tank Worldwatch, says the "action" on renewable energy is happening "at the national and state levels and in private industry where business is booming - 38 billion US dollars of investment in renewables in 2005, according to our estimate."
WindMany experts see wind power as the renewable source of energy with the greatest potential for growth and investment. Government and investor interest has increased significantly as wind has evolved into a more cost-effective mode of producing electricity. The Global Wind Energy Council reports that in 2005 alone, the total number of wind-produced megawatts (MW) produced on the global market increased by over 40 percent.
The wind sector stands to grow by leaps and bounds if global reliance on renewable energy continues its upward trajectory. Germany, currently a global leader in wind power production and consumption, produced roughly 26.5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of wind-generated electricity - the most of any form of renewable. This figure could dramatically increase in the coming years if the German government stays committed to reaching its goal of 20-25 percent reliance on renewables by 2010.
And that is only in Germany. Other countries, including Spain, India, and China are also embracing wind power on a large scale. Recognizing the opportunities of wind energy, industrial and financial giants, such as the Allianz Group, which made its first investment in a wind farm project in Sicily, Italy, in December 2005. Wind will play a central role in Allianz's plans to invest 300 to 500 million euros in renewables over the next five years.
WindMany experts see wind power as the renewable source of energy with the greatest potential for growth and investment. Government and investor interest has increased significantly as wind has evolved into a more cost-effective mode of producing electricity. The Global Wind Energy Council reports that in 2005 alone, the total number of wind-produced megawatts (MW) produced on the global market increased by over 40 percent.
The wind sector stands to grow by leaps and bounds if global reliance on renewable energy continues its upward trajectory. Germany, currently a global leader in wind power production and consumption, produced roughly 26.5 billion kilowatt hours (kWh) of wind-generated electricity - the most of any form of renewable. This figure could dramatically increase in the coming years if the German government stays committed to reaching its goal of 20-25 percent reliance on renewables by 2010.
And that is only in Germany. Other countries, including Spain, India, and China are also embracing wind power on a large scale. Recognizing the opportunities of wind energy, industrial and financial giants, such as the Allianz Group, which made its first investment in a wind farm project in Sicily, Italy, in December 2005. Wind will play a central role in Allianz's plans to invest 300 to 500 million euros in renewables over the next five years.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Energy Management and Carbon Credits
Stephen Collinson
Washington - Barack Obama on Monday branded John McCain a stooge of profit-soaked US oil giants, as the White House rivals duelled on high gasoline prices and energy policy exactly three months from election day.
Celebrating his 47th birthday, the Democrat launched a stinging counter-attack after the Republican McCain had last week cast him as a vacuous celebrity unfit to lead at a time of gathering crisis.
Unveiling a new energy plan, Obama promised a 10-year, $150bn drive to cut US "addiction" to oil from global hotspots like the Middle East and Venezuela.
"Breaking our oil addiction is one of the greatest challenges our generation will ever face," Obama said in Michigan, the general election battleground state which is home to the crippled US auto industry.
"It will take nothing less than a complete transformation of our economy."
The Illinois senator proposed a windfall tax on big oil firms to bankroll a $1 000 per family rebate to help defray soaring energy costs.
After McCain's media onslaught of last week, Obama also hit back with his own new advertisement claiming the Arizona senator was "in the pocket" of oil firms basking in record profits.
"After one president in the pocket of big oil ... we can't afford another," the ad said, in a reference to President George W Bush, a former oil executive.
Big Oil's most successful speculating...
Obama campaign spokesperson Hari Sevugan said: "As it turns out, Big Oil's most successful speculating wasn't in the oil fields, it was in Washington where they invested millions in John McCain and got their money's worth."
Obama's plan calls for an expanded use of "clean coal", solar energy, windpower, the development of new biofuels, cuts in consumption, and the creation of five million new jobs in the "green energy" sector.
But McCain argued the ambitious blueprint would fail without an immediate expansion in offshore oil and gas prospecting, and a new generation of nuclear power plants.
"Anybody who says that we can achieve energy independence without using and increasing these existing energy resources either doesn't have the experience to understand the challenge we face or isn't giving the American people some straight talk," he told reporters in Pennsylvania.
McCain's campaign meanwhile denied the senator had taken "Big Oil" donations, and accused Obama of trawling for contributions himself from oil industry employees.
"Barack Obama's latest negative attack ad shows his celebrity is matched only by his hypocrisy," McCain's spokesperson Tucker Bounds said in a statement.
Republicans also pounced on Obama's call on Monday on the US government to sell 70 million barrels of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a bid to lower prices, pointing out that he had opposed such a plan a month ago.
Obama's foes also accused him of backtracking for political gain on the question of expanding offshore drilling, which he opposes but now says he would accept if it would ease political deadlock over sweeping energy reforms.
Obama energy plan 'is shallow'
Republicans also mocked Obama by delivering tyre gauges to reporters, highlighting the Democrat's comment that drivers could save gas by properly inflating tyres, which McCain claims is proof the Obama energy plan is shallow.
However, the Obama campaign noted that the US Department of Energy and the NASCAR auto racing series tell drivers to keep tyres inflated to improve gas mileage.
Obama's assault on McCain coincided with a new Rasmussen daily tracking poll showing the two rivals locked in a tie - 44% each, ahead of the general election on November 4.
When undecided voters who were "leaning" to one candidate or the other were included, McCain led by 47 to 46%, the first time he had posted an advantage since Obama secured the Democratic nomination in June.
The latest Gallup daily tracking poll on Monday had Obama up by three points, 46 to 43, after his lead dipped to just one point late last week.
After he returned from a triumphant tour of Europe just over a week ago, Obama had led the Gallup poll by nine points.
But there was encouraging data for Obama in another survey published by the Washington Post, which showed him leading McCain 47% to 37 among low-wage white workers, a constituency he has struggled to attract.
Washington - Barack Obama on Monday branded John McCain a stooge of profit-soaked US oil giants, as the White House rivals duelled on high gasoline prices and energy policy exactly three months from election day.
Celebrating his 47th birthday, the Democrat launched a stinging counter-attack after the Republican McCain had last week cast him as a vacuous celebrity unfit to lead at a time of gathering crisis.
Unveiling a new energy plan, Obama promised a 10-year, $150bn drive to cut US "addiction" to oil from global hotspots like the Middle East and Venezuela.
"Breaking our oil addiction is one of the greatest challenges our generation will ever face," Obama said in Michigan, the general election battleground state which is home to the crippled US auto industry.
"It will take nothing less than a complete transformation of our economy."
The Illinois senator proposed a windfall tax on big oil firms to bankroll a $1 000 per family rebate to help defray soaring energy costs.
After McCain's media onslaught of last week, Obama also hit back with his own new advertisement claiming the Arizona senator was "in the pocket" of oil firms basking in record profits.
"After one president in the pocket of big oil ... we can't afford another," the ad said, in a reference to President George W Bush, a former oil executive.
Big Oil's most successful speculating...
Obama campaign spokesperson Hari Sevugan said: "As it turns out, Big Oil's most successful speculating wasn't in the oil fields, it was in Washington where they invested millions in John McCain and got their money's worth."
Obama's plan calls for an expanded use of "clean coal", solar energy, windpower, the development of new biofuels, cuts in consumption, and the creation of five million new jobs in the "green energy" sector.
But McCain argued the ambitious blueprint would fail without an immediate expansion in offshore oil and gas prospecting, and a new generation of nuclear power plants.
"Anybody who says that we can achieve energy independence without using and increasing these existing energy resources either doesn't have the experience to understand the challenge we face or isn't giving the American people some straight talk," he told reporters in Pennsylvania.
McCain's campaign meanwhile denied the senator had taken "Big Oil" donations, and accused Obama of trawling for contributions himself from oil industry employees.
"Barack Obama's latest negative attack ad shows his celebrity is matched only by his hypocrisy," McCain's spokesperson Tucker Bounds said in a statement.
Republicans also pounced on Obama's call on Monday on the US government to sell 70 million barrels of oil from the US Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a bid to lower prices, pointing out that he had opposed such a plan a month ago.
Obama's foes also accused him of backtracking for political gain on the question of expanding offshore drilling, which he opposes but now says he would accept if it would ease political deadlock over sweeping energy reforms.
Obama energy plan 'is shallow'
Republicans also mocked Obama by delivering tyre gauges to reporters, highlighting the Democrat's comment that drivers could save gas by properly inflating tyres, which McCain claims is proof the Obama energy plan is shallow.
However, the Obama campaign noted that the US Department of Energy and the NASCAR auto racing series tell drivers to keep tyres inflated to improve gas mileage.
Obama's assault on McCain coincided with a new Rasmussen daily tracking poll showing the two rivals locked in a tie - 44% each, ahead of the general election on November 4.
When undecided voters who were "leaning" to one candidate or the other were included, McCain led by 47 to 46%, the first time he had posted an advantage since Obama secured the Democratic nomination in June.
The latest Gallup daily tracking poll on Monday had Obama up by three points, 46 to 43, after his lead dipped to just one point late last week.
After he returned from a triumphant tour of Europe just over a week ago, Obama had led the Gallup poll by nine points.
But there was encouraging data for Obama in another survey published by the Washington Post, which showed him leading McCain 47% to 37 among low-wage white workers, a constituency he has struggled to attract.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
LED lighting as an energy saving initiative
LED Lighting Standards Arrive
Craig DiLouie, Editor
Posted July 7, 2008
Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), in cooperation with national standards organizations, have taken the lead in developing the first two standards for solid-state lighting in the U.S.
Standards are important to ensure that products will have high quality 
and their performance will be specified uniformly for commerce and trade. These standards—the most recent of which published last month—detail the color specifications of LED lamps and LED light fixtures, and the test methods that manufacturers should use when testing these solid-state lighting products for total light output, energy consumption and chromaticity, or color quality.
Solid-state lighting is expected to be twice as energy efficient as fluorescent lamps and 10 times more efficient than incandescent lamps, although the current products are still at their early stages.
NIST is working with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support its goal of developing and introducing solid-state lighting to reduce energy consumption for lighting by 50% by the year 2025. The department predicts that phasing in solid-state lighting over the next 20 years could save more than $280 billion in 2007 dollars.
The Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) published a documentary standard LM-79, which describes the methods for testing solid-state lighting products for their light output (lumens), energy efficiency (lumens per watt) and chromaticity. Details include the environmental conditions for the tests, how to operate and stabilize the LED sources for testing and methods of measurement and types of instruments to be used. This standard is available from the IESNA.
The solid-state lights being studied are intended for general illumination, but white lights used today vary greatly in chromaticity, or specific shade of white. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) published the standard C78.377-2008, which specifies the recommended color ranges for solid-state lighting products using cool to warm white LEDs with various correlated color temperatures. The standard may be downloaded from ANSI’s Web site. Click here for more information.
DOE is launching the ENERGY STAR program for solid-state lighting products this fall. NIST scientists assisted DOE by providing research, technical details and comments for the Energy Star specifications. The ENERGY STAR certification assures consumers that products save energy and are high quality and also serves as an incentive for manufacturers to provide energy-saving products for consumers.
The solid-state lighting community is continuing to develop LED lighting standards for rating LED lamp lifetime and for measuring the performance of the individual high-power LED chips and arrays. NIST scientists are taking active roles in these continuing effortsTuesday, July 29, 2008
Electrical Energy Crisis a worldwide crisis
Craig DiLouie, Editor
Posted July 28, 2008
Responding to worsening conditions in the nation’s housing and financial markets, single-family home builders continued to slow the pace of new construction in June, according to the latest data recently released by the U.S. Commerce Department.
Starts of new single-family homes declined 5.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 647,000 units in June. This was the slowest pace in 17 years, and marked a decline of 64.5% from the peak of the building boom in January of 2006. Meanwhile, issuance of building permits for single-family homes declined 3.5% to a rate of 613,000 units.
Overall housing starts and building permits posted misleading gains of 9.1% and 11.6%, to 1.07 million units and 1.09 million units, respectively, for the month, largely due to a one-time bump in multifamily activity that was related to newly instituted building code changes in New York City. Excluding the Northeast multifamily data, there was a 4% decrease in overall housing starts and a 0.7% gain in building permits for the month.
Multifamily housing starts, fueled by a big jump in the Northeast, posted a 42.5% gain to a rate of 419,000 units in June. Multifamily permits, also skewed by the Northeast/New York City data, posted a 39.4% gain to 478,000 units.
The latest regional data showed that Northeast housing starts more than doubled in June (as a result of the New York City data), while Midwest starts posted a 10.5% decline, starts in the South posted a 0.4% gain and starts in the West registered an 8.2% decline in June. Building permits (again affected by the New York City data) showed a 73% gain in the Northeast for June, along with more typical numbers such as a 2% decline in the Midwest, a 3% gain in the South and a 0.9% gain in the West.
Energy Management and Green Building
ohannesburg - Eskom has ordered a controlled shutdown of unit two of the Koeberg power station following a technical fault, the power supplier said on Tuesday.
"The nuclear reactor side of the unit has not been affected and will be kept in a safe and stable condition," read a statement issued after Monday night's shutdown.
The shutting down procedure, repairs and restarting would take about three weeks to complete. It would increase the vulnerability of the country's power system, particularly in the Western Cape.
"Eskom will do all it can to mitigate the increased vulnerability during this period. This includes increasing the use of the two new open cycle gas turbine stations in the Cape."
Eskom appealed to all South Africans to conserve electricity during this period to reduce the risk of load shedding.Friday, July 25, 2008
Energy and security crisis
Durban - Residents and businesses in the south of Durban could be without power for a week after a pylon collapsed, Beeld newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The pylon, which carried cables between the substations at Lotus Park and Isipingo, collapsed after thieves stole the bolts that kept it grounded, said Tony Dold of the eThekwini municipality.
This means that Prospection, Isipingo and surrounding areas would be without power for days, if not an entire week, said Dold.This is so typical of the South African psyche. Feed yourself today, who care about tomorrow, Who cares about the cost to the economy when you are starving and unable to eat or feed your own family, would I steal to survive???? absolutely!!!
So where are the jobs the ANC promised to the people. Funds allocated to labour intensive projects are being pocketed by the local officials so "Stealing" is practised by our senior officials and leaders so why is it so surprising that our crime rate cannot be curbed?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Enery Management and Demand Management
Nicole Rego
Johannesburg - Power utility Eskom's drive to encourage South Africans to save electricity is bearing fruit, with the latest data showing a decline in energy consumption.
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said estimated consumption for electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.5% when compared with May 2007. The data is contained in its most latest report on electricity generated and available for distribution.
The decline translates into a reduction of approximately 520 Gigawatt-hours (GWh).
One Gigawatt-hour hour is equal to one million kilowatt hours, and a kilowatt hour is enough energy to power a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours.
"In the first five months of 2008, consumption of electricity was affected by numerous factors that led to reduced levels of consumption, such as load shedding and a continuous drive from Eskom in encouraging users to save on electricity consumption," said Stats SA.
Economists agreed that the planned blackouts, known to South Africans as load shedding, was one of the biggest contributors to the data's decrease.
Investment Solutions economist Chris Hart agreed, but said that the decrease "reflected the slowdown in the economy".
ETM economist Russell Lamberti said the economy's slowdown was showing in the data: "I think we as South Africans are probably saving more electricity, but there is no doubt that the economy is under strain."
Lamberti said that looking forward, the country would see electricity consumption data start to moderate.
The Stats SA data also showed that the estimated total production of electricity in May 2008 decreased by 2.1% when compared to the same month last year, which is a reduction of 487 Gigawatt-hoursSunday, July 20, 2008
www.thorntongroup.co.za
Johannesburg - State-owned power utility Eskom's greatest challenge during the last year was "keeping the lights on", CEO Jacob Maroga said on Thursday.
Maroga told a presentation of the power utility's annual results for 2007/8 that Eskom's inadequate reserve margin had been a major worry - and since 1999 the power utility has seen a decline in this margin.
"Any power system needs spare capacity to handle real time technical problems without impacting on customers," he said.
In 2007 the reserve margin was 5.6%, but Eskom aspired to 15%, Maroga added.
Revenue stood at R44.4bn from R40bn in the previous comparable period.
Electricity sales growth was 2.9% against 4.9% in the previous year.
Primary energy costs increased by more than R5bn to R18.3bn due to steep increases in coal costs and the extended use of diesel-powered open-cycle gas turbines.
Operating profit for the year - before the impact of embedded derivatives and net finance costs - stood at R3.2bn from R6.5bn the previous yearFriday, July 18, 2008
Energy Crisis
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