August 2014 - Michaels Energy

Aug 25

Energy Code (non) Compliance; Could it be… SATAN?

By Jeff Ihnen Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant No Comments

I spent last week at ACEEE’s Summer Study for Buildings, and one topic area I maximumly followed was energy codes and code compliance. In past years, I would rank codes and standards second to the bottom, just above lighting for my priorities. The reason for my sudden interest is the vaporizing gravy train of widgets, especially lighting and the need for other savings mechanisms. Why not code compliance?States are updating energy codes willy nilly to the next rounds of ASHRAE 90.1 / International Energy Conservation Code. As the Church Lady used to say, “Isn’t that special?” The problem is the…

Aug 19

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Energy Baselines: Goalposts with Legs

By Michaels Energy Briefs

Some programs use dual baselines: one for the remainder of the expected life of the old equipment and a second baseline for the remaining life of the new equipment. Expensive! Complicated! Still arbitrary!

Aug 18

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Energy Efficiency Potential Studies – Rulers, French Curves, and Tarot Cards

By Jeff Ihnen Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant One Comment

ACEEE just released its first assessment of energy efficiency potential studies (potential studies) across the land – its first in 10 years! Hallelujah! I’ve been waiting all this time. That may not be true, but certainly I am interested in potential studies, so this is a great excuse and opportunity to write about it. Potential studies are used by states and utilities to determine technical, economic, and achievable energy savings for purposes of setting savings targets and designing EE portfolios by assessing key technologies and market applications…among other things. Technical potential is the savings that could be achieved if all…

Aug 11

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Energy Efficiency Baselines – Do or Don’t, Not This or That

By Jeff Ihnen Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant 2 Comments

This week’s post is brought to you by AESP’s 2014 Summer Conference, which went off last week in San Francisco. I was speaking with a lifelong esteemed consultant from the Bay Area during the opening reception, and his disclosure was that regulators in a certain state are wrenching down too tightly on baseline assumptions. At the same time, they are unyielding in their energy-saving targets. This is a problem because it leaves customers that haven’t been picked over with artificial barriers.During the closing plenary, I noted a similar comment by Janice Berman from Pacific Gas and Electric. Her comment, stated…

Aug 07

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Weather Normalization

By Michaels Energy Briefs

Comparing energy savings from monthly billed data can be misleading without a weather adjustment. Comparing a hot summer to a cold summer will give the appearance of energy savings.

Aug 04

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Electric Vehicles; I’ll Take the Bus, Thanks

By Jeff Ihnen Energy Efficiency, Energy Rant 2 Comments

When consumers are considering the purchase of an electric vehicle, what are they thinking? Good question. I would be thinking, how can I fully utilize it and what are the limitations? The limitation nearly anyone would consider include the limited driving range. What can I do with the 70 mile or so cap between charges? Obvious (I think) answers include driving to work and running errands around the city. But there are a boatload of other owner and societal issues no one mentions – not this article from Green Tech Media, which is based on this report from the Edison…

Energy Code (non) Compliance; Could it be… SATAN?

Energy Baselines: Goalposts with Legs

Energy Efficiency Potential Studies – Rulers, French Curves, and Tarot Cards

Energy Efficiency Baselines – Do or Don’t, Not This or That

Weather Normalization

Electric Vehicles; I’ll Take the Bus, Thanks

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