April 2008 Meeting Announcement
Topic: New Energy Technologies
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Meeting Details
Entry Fee: $20 for chapter members, $25 for non-members
Reminders: P.E.'s will earn 1 Professional Development Hour (PDH) at this session
Theo Breitenstein, President, Emacx Systems, Inc., will describe intelligent load control for buildings and facilities. Mr. Breitenstein will discuss the technology's background, objectives, funding sources, timeline, development challenges including a case study.
Tom Reed, Chairman, Climate Energy , will discuss Climate Energy's Freewatt microcogeneration (MCHP) technology for use in a residential setting. The Freewatt Micro-CHP system is comprised of a MCHP cogeneration unit developed by Honda, paired with a high efficiency furnace or boiler and control system produced by Climate Energy. This system provides heat for the home with the added benefit of electricity production. The ultra-quiet MCHP unit produces about 12,000 Btu's per hour of heat and 1.2 kilowatts of electric power.
Thomas Mills, Jr., Chief Operating Officer, Pace Controls , LLC , will discuss Pace Controls and their efforts to develop a product for intelligent building controls including their paricipation in the buildingSMART Allliance. The Pace energy saving controller will be highlighted.
March Meeting Summary
Recent advancements in renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, combined with consumer awareness of global climate change, have pushed renewable energy back into the spotlight. At the March, 2008 AEENY meeting, we were joined by three of New York's leading experts in renewable energy, and the policies that govern them. Carol Murphy is the Executive Director for the Alliance for Clean Energy New York , and a member of the Governor's Renewable Energy Task Force. Carol joined us via speakerphone from Albany , and summarized for us the policies and politics of renewable energy in Albany . Anthony Pereira , President of AltPower, spoke on the current market drivers for photovoltaics in and around the tri-state area. Finally, John Netteton from the Cornell University Coop Ext/NYC spoke on the long-term sustainability prospects for biofuels.
Carol Murphy spoke on the large breadth of issues that the Governor's office will be taking on in the current legislative cycle, including energy efficiency, load relief, and demand side management incentives. Specific to renewable energy, it seems that legislators have taken up the cause to enhance the existing New York State net metering laws. Adjustments to the laws, she said, would include making commercial customers eligible for net metering, and would also very likely include an increase to the allowable production limit (currently limited to 10kw for residential customers). Carol also mentioned that steps may be taken by the legislature to create incentives for the development of "Green Collar" jobs within the state, which could be used to encourage business and job growth within the renewable energy sector.
Anthony Pereira, whose company AltPower deals almost exclusively with the installation of photovoltaic solar panels in residential and commercial locations, reported that on the whole, PV technology is starting to hit its stride. Efficiency of PV panels is at all-time highs, and production is at full tilt, which in many markets has translated into lower material costs for installation and better returns on investment. Additionally, states have been providing support through subsidies and tax benefits to encourage use of the technology. In addition to the standard tax write-off, some states have introduced innovative enticements to encourage new renewable energy production within the state, including accelerated depreciation rates on capital investment, and guaranteed rates for which the utility will buy S-RECs (solar renewable energy credits) - sometimes as high as $0.45/kwh. But, according to Anthony, New York State and New York City are being underserved by the Public Authorities in charge of building the renewable energy capacity of the State and City. To prove his point, Anthony encourages people to look across the Hudson. In New Jersey , added incentives and smoother bureaucratic processing mechanisms has made it easier for customers to by larger solar panel systems, which in turn can be allowed to feeding more energy back into the grid, thereby increasing the State's total percentage of renewable power, and earning additional money for their owners.
Finally, John Nettleton discussed how biofuels fit into the concept of Sustainable Development. Simply put, there is just not enough agricultural land to produce all the world's food plus all (or most) of the world's corn-based ethanol. Growing demand for biofuels worldwide is impacting agricultural commodities in a big way, esp . as food crops (corn, soybeans) are used for feedstocks. Compare the caloric content of the most common ethanol fuel (E85: 65,400 Btu/gal) to the most common biodiesel fuel (B20: 120,000 Btu/Gal), shows higher efficiency for a gallon of biodiesel than on a gallon of ethanol, with diesel engines c. 30% more efficient than internal combustion to start (you would immediately gain 30% mpg increase by providing tax credits to switch to a diesel from a gas-powered vehicle, for example. While fuels from low input high diversity grasses are more sustainable, these shifts have to be combined with reduced demand. Such fuels, produced essentially from unmanaged weedy species, reduce both fertilizer and pesticide pollution, and store carbon at a higher rate, resulting in a more sustainable life cycle profile. The first question is not "how do we power our fleet with new 'stuff', but what transport policies will offer a better chance of using biofuels sustainably over the long-term?
Spring 2008 AEE-NY Program Calendar (Third Tuesdays)
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AEE-NY is pleased to present this program in cooperation with the Environmental Business Association of New York and the EBA Energy Task Force.