Steam heating systems are common in older commercial buildings in urban areas; these systems need reasonable maintenance. However, even systems that are properly maintained can present problems.
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In the past week or two, we evaluated whether or not we wanted to respond to a request for proposal to deliver a commercial and industrial (C&I) custom efficiency program. The metrics of the RFP were doomed to a disservice for this particular utility’s customers, and therefore, of course we passed. What do I mean? The project term was one year. In that year, the program needed to be designed and promoted, customers needed to be recruited, projects developed, AND implemented within the year. Give me a break! Here again, large C&I is treated like an upstream program for LEDs…
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Recently I have been preparing a presentation on a broad array of energy efficiency issues for executives and facility managers of large commercial and industrial facilities. I was wisely advised by the utility product manager to keep it engaging and interactive. I think I’ve whined in this blog before about how I despise dopey group exercises. Sorry, can’t make it. I have a teleconference. I have a plane to catch. I think my tuberculosis may be flaring up. So instead, I am thinking, as was also suggested, that rather than sending small groups at this session into the corner to…
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Due to components such as coils, filters, and diffusers, all air distribution systems are resistant to airflow. To overcome this resistance, fans produce enough pressure to transport air to conditioned spaces.
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I just completed my draft of the forthcoming paper titled, “Know-How and the Incessant Energy Diet”, for the AESP 2014 National Conference. In preparation for that, I thought, this is more work than writing Energy Rant blog posts because I have to scrounge for expert research to back my assertions because “this is the way it is – trust me”, isn’t good enough for a published paper. Fortunately, I found plenty of ammo to make my point in a couple evaluation publications including this one conducted by our friends at Research into Action regarding the Southern California Edison Retrocommissioning program. …
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A few weeks back I lampooned the federal government’s desire to implement energy efficiency policy, and in particular, Shaheen Portman. You can view the key elements of that in that post, but one thing mysteriously missing is automobile mileage – the crown jewel of federal energy efficiency regulations. Why is this? I don’t know, but one thing I can explain is how these regulations are as modern as building codes for ancient pyramids. Nobody knows why pyramids were ever built, but I’m sure it involved male instincts prior to the development of calculus. For example, put a guy in charge of…
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