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| News and Events: Technical Assistance, Incentives, and Funding Opportunities: Upcoming Events and Activities: Resources and Guides:
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| Montgomery County Receives 2018 Tennessee Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award
The Governor’s Environmental Stewardship Awards (GESA) recognize exceptional voluntary actions that improve or protect the environment and natural resources with projects or initiatives not required by law or regulation. Montgomery County was recognized in the category of energy and renewable resources for its energy upgrades throughout County facilities. TDEC OEP and the Clarksville-Montgomery County Green Certification Program provided technical assistance by helping the County determine which improvements would be most beneficial. The County retrofitted 23,000 lights and fixtures to LEDs; replaced chillers, boilers, and hot water storage tanks with more efficient alternatives; refurbished four cooling towers; maximized HVAC automation and variable frequency drive systems; and installed low-flow toilets in County buildings. The $5 million retrofit and upgrade is a self-funded energy efficiency project, saving Montgomery County Government $358,827 in its first year. Learn more about Montgomery County’s activities here.
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| Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport to Expand its Solar Farm with an Aim to Become 100% Energy Self-Sufficient The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, also known as Lovell Field, may soon become the nation's first airport to be entirely energy self-sufficient via solar power. Airport officials have recently agreed to move ahead with initial work on the third phase of its existing solar farm, which is already 2.1 megawatts in scale and meets 72% of the airport’s electric power requirements. The newest phase would help create enough electricity to offset Lovell Field’s remaining power bill. 90% of the new solar construction work will be paid through a federal grant with the airport paying the remainder. Click here to read more.
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| UTK Ranked Top by EPA's Green Power Challenge
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) has won the top spot in the Green Power Challenge Southeastern Conference, with the most kWh of green power consumed of any participating university. The Green Power Challenge, hosted by U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership, pitted collegiate athletic conferences against each other in a competition to consume the most clean electricity. Although the Big Ten Conference took home the big victory for the overall Challenge, UTK accounted for 250,070,000 of green kWh consumed in 2017, more than half of the 347,962,973 kWh consumed by the entire Southeastern Conference. UTK was previously recognized as part of the 2017 Green Power Partnership Top 30 College & University list. To learn more about the Green Power Partnership and UTK’s green power initiatives, click here.
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| Vanderbilt University Engineers Making Wind Turbines More Sustainable
Vanderbilt University’s Lasir lab (laboratory for systems integrity and reliability) is working to improve the sustainability and efficiency of wind turbine production. Traditionally, these 250 foot, 12 ton blades take two-to-three days to produce. Vanderbilt has worked to design turbine blades made of a new resin called Elium, which could result in faster and less-expensive turbine production. In addition, Elium, unlike its predecessor materials, is a recyclable material that does not prevent the blade’s fiberglass from being recycled upon retirement. Learn more about Vanderbilt’s efforts here.
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| TVA's New Gas-Fired Plant Now Ready for Operation, Diversified Power System Better for Bottom Line
TVA recently announced that its new Allen Combined Cycle Natural Gas Plant in Memphis has been completed and is ready to operate. This plant replaces the coal-fired Allen Fossil Plant, which operated for more than 58 years before it was retired on March 31, 2018. TVA claims that the $900 million, 1,000-megawatt natural-gas fired plant will significantly cut emissions of carbon dioxide and gases that cause smog, while providing power to about 580,000 homes. For more information, click here. TVA also reported an estimated $5.3 billion in operating revenue through the six-month period ending March 31, 2018. This represents a 5% increase from last year, driven by high power demand through the cold winter months. Despite this higher demand, TVA’s expenses have remained relatively flat due to increased hydroelectric production and low-cost natural gas. TVA Chief Executive Officer Bill Johnson said that efforts made to diversify TVA’s power system will result in lower customer rates. Learn more about TVA’s revenue here.
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| Star LED Mountain City Facility to Supply Home Depot
Star LED’s Mountain City, Tennessee location, spanning over 50,000 square feet, will now supply products to Home Depot and will train Home Depot executives on LED lighting and energy efficiency technologies. With over 2,000 facilities nationwide, Star LED’s new Mountain City location was selected as the retailer’s distribution center for all Home Depot orders and sales, which could bring more jobs to Johnson County. Click here for more information.
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| Nissan North America Earns 2018 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award
Last month, Nissan North America was recognized by U.S. EPA with the 2018 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award, the highest honor given to organizations that are dedicated to protecting the environment through more energy efficient operations. This marks the seventh consecutive year that EPA has recognized Nissan for its continued commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy management at its U.S. facilities. Nissan's efforts to reduce energy usage include switching to more efficient technologies like LED lighting, engaging all employees in energy management, and including energy efficiency in design, such as the use of an environmentally friendly paint process that has cut energy usage by more than 30%. Nissan manufacturing operations in the U.S. include the Nissan Vehicle Assembly Plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, which was the largest producing automotive assembly plant in North America for the last four years. This facility and Nissan's plant in Canton, Mississippi were recently awarded ENERGY STAR® Certification for the 12th year in a row, cementing Nissan's spot among the top 25% of the automotive manufacturing industry for superior energy management. Click here to learn more.
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| TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCENTIVES, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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| U.S. DOE Announces $34M for Innovative Building Technologies Research and Development
Buildings are the single largest energy-consuming sector in the U.S. economy, representing approximately 75% of the nation’s electricity use and 40% of its total energy demand. Americans spend nearly $400 billion each year to power homes, offices, schools, hospitals, and other commercial and residential buildings. In response to this, U.S. DOE has announced up to $34.5 million in funding to support building technology research and development (R&D) under two key opportunities: Buildings Energy Efficiency Frontiers & Innovation Technologies (BENEFIT) and Solid-State Lighting Research. BENEFIT 2018 will fund up to $19.5 million for approximately 15-25 cost-shared projects focused on early-stage R&D to enable the development of novel technologies that can improve efficiency, reduce the energy costs of the nation’s buildings, and facilitate interaction with the electricity grid. Under this funding opportunity, U.S. DOE is interested in six topic areas: - Advanced Separation Technologies for Building Energy Efficiency
- Advanced Building Materials
- High-Performance Windows
- Novel Approaches for Cyber-Physical Systems in Buildings
- Integration Research of Advanced Commercial Energy Efficiency Packages
- Advancements in Natural Gas and Other Fuel-Driven Equipment
Concept papers for BENEFIT are due no later than June 8, and full applications are due August 23. U.S. DOE’s Building Technologies Office (BTO) will host a webinar explaining this funding opportunity on May 8, 2018. Register for the webinar here. The second funding opportunity for Solid-State Lighting (SSL) Research will fund up to $15 million for approximately 10-15 cost-shared projects that will conduct early-stage, innovative research to drive further breakthroughs in solid-state lighting technology. This funding will accelerate the development of high-quality light-emitting diode (LED) and organic light-emitting diode (OLED) products with the potential to reduce lighting energy use for American families and businesses and to enhance U.S. global competitiveness. Under this funding opportunity, U.S. DOE is interested in four topic areas: - Core Technology Research for LEDs, OLEDs, and Cross-Cutting Lighting Research
- Proof-of-Concept and Prototype Development for LEDs and OLEDs
- Advanced Fabrication R&D
- Innovative Lighting in a Limited Mock Field Application
Full applications for SSL are due June 18. BTO will host a webinar explaining this funding opportunity on May 7, 2018. Register for this webinar here.
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| Classroom and Online Training: Expand Your Energy Management Skills
Training for Certified Practitioners in Energy Management Systems (CP EnMS) is now available online. Both classroom and online training courses prepare professionals for the CP EnMS certification exam. Certified Practitioners can provide critical technical assistance to industrial and commercial facilities seeking to implement an energy management system that conforms to ISO 50001 (as needed for AMO’s 50001 Ready and Superior Energy Performance programs). They can also assist facilities in developing energy performance indicators (EnPI) and baselines for use in tracking performance improvements and identifying effective metrics. The next in-person classroom training will take place from June 11-14 in Atlanta, GA. The next online session will take place in September 2018. For more details on specific course offerings, click here.
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| TVA Incentives for New Homes, New Construction, and Building Revitalization
TVA’s EnergyRight Solutions for Business + Industry offers new construction and building revitalization incentives to qualifying entities. For information on how to qualify and apply for the incentives, click here. TVA also offers a suite of HVAC and water heating equipment incentives for new homes. Click here to learn more about these incentives and how to apply.
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| UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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| ACEEE Accepting Presentation Ideas for its Rural Energy Conference
The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is still accepting presentation ideas for its Rural Energy Conference, ACEEE’s first event to explore energy efficiency in rural and small-town America. The conference will take place October 22, 2018 in Atlanta, GA. ACEEE is interested in presentation topics such as financing and designing rural efficiency programs, alleviating the residential energy burden, serving low-income households in sparsely populated areas, and using efficiency to spur local economic growth (particularly in agricultural, manufacturing, and mining-dependent counties). Additional topics of interest to ACEEE include: distributed energy resources in rural areas, beneficial electrification, broadband-enabled energy efficiency, and evaluation, measurement, and verification. Presentation proposals must include the following: - A 200-word description, tentative presentation title, and selection of one of the following conference tracks: 1) Rural Energy Efficiency Program Design, 2) Rural Energy Burden & Equity, or 3) Rural Economic Development.
- Presenter contact information and bio or link to LinkedIn profile.
Presentation ideas must be submitted by June 7, 2018. Click here to submit. Click here to learn more about the conference.
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| Webinar: Powering Energy Efficiency and Impacts Project Framework
Supported by a financial assistance award from U.S. DOE’s Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP) project, a team led by the Upper Coastal Plains Council of Governments (UCPCOG) is piloting a new Powering Energy Efficiency and Impacts Project Framework (PEEIF) initiative to enhance the efficiency of energy service delivery to low-income households in northeastern North Carolina. Together, the UCPCOG team established a legal framework and constructed a geospatial database tool to integrate and share information among local and state government entities and electric utilities to help the respective organizations better target energy service interventions and evaluate intervention performance. A webinar on June 21, 2018 from 2:00 – 3:30 PM EDT will feature discussion from the project team on their lessons learned, their process for implementing a successful data sharing agreement, and how to leverage the PEEIF tool. Register for the webinar here.
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| ACEEE's International Symposium on Energy Efficiency
Join ACEEE for its 2018 International Symposium on Energy Efficiency on June 26, 2018 in Washington, D.C. This symposium will highlight energy efficiency best practices with a particular focus on opportunities for improvement in the United States. At this event, ACEEE will release its biennial International Scorecard, which examines the energy efficiency policies and performance of the world’s 25 largest energy-consuming countries. The scorecard evaluates countries based on 35 metrics and shows how all can substantially improve their energy efficiency. The symposium will feature panels on scorecard findings, lessons learned from high-performing countries, opportunities for the United States, and notable efforts and opportunities for global companies. Registration will open in Spring 2018. Click here to learn more about the event and to reserve hotel accommodations at the symposium rate.
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| The REcharge Academy is a week-long renewable energy training workshop and provides unique opportunities for educators to learn about wind and solar power. The training blends lectures from experts and tours of energy facilities with replicable, hands-on K-12 lessons to give educators classroom content as well as energy context. After successfully completing an Academy training, attendees become REcharge Instructors and are certified to teach REcharge programs in their own areas. Scholarships are available for interested attendees. The next REcharge Academy training will take place in Harrisonburg, Virginia from July 23-27. To register for the training, click here.
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| IACMI Summer 2018 Members Meeting
The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI) will hold is Summer 2018 Members Meeting in Knoxville from July 24-27. The meeting will showcase the innovative capabilities of IACMI's Tennessee partners, including the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The meeting will highlight advancements in all IACMI technology areas, member successes, technical project updates, workforce development initiatives, and much more. Attendees can network with IACMI members, discuss IACMI project advancements, and tour several IACMI facilities in the area. Register for the Summer 2018 Members Meeting, and book a hotel room at the Knoxville Hilton by July 2, 2018, to secure the group rate. A detailed agenda will be available soon.
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| 2018 U.S. Energy and Employment Report
The 2018 U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER), which was compiled by the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO) and the Energy Futures Initiative, is based on data collected in 2017 from employers in electric power generation and fuels production; transmission, distribution, and storage; energy efficiency; and motor vehicles. In 2018, the USEER has found that the Traditional Energy and Energy Efficiency sectors today employ approximately 6.5 million Americans. These sectors increased in 2017 by about 2%, adding 133,000 net new jobs, or roughly 7% of all those created in the country. This finding highlights the critical role that energy markets play in economic growth and job creation at the state and local levels. The report is available for download at https://www.usenergyjobs.org/, and a video recording the 2018 USEER launch event is available at http://www.naseo.org/energy-jobs-report. A special feature of the 2018 USEER includes a state-by-state analysis, detailing employment and hiring difficulty by sector and technology. These snapshots provide foundational information that may be useful for each state's energy planning, program design, policy development, and stakeholder engagement efforts. Reach more about the USEER here.
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| 2018 Better Buildings Progress Report
U.S. DOE has tracked the progress made by more than 900 public and private-sector organizations that are driving energy efficiency in the U.S. through their participation in the Better Buildings Initiative. This includes 380 trillion Btus, or $3.1 billion, in reported cumulative energy and cost savings recorded through the Better Buildings Challenge. Moreover, partners across the Better Buildings Initiative have shared their innovative approaches and successful strategies to accelerate the adoption of energy efficient technologies and practices. The new 2018 Better Buildings Progress Report highlights this progress in the commercial, industrial, residential, and public sectors to improve energy productivity. Click here for more information.
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| SEIA 'Solar Means Business' Report
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) recently released its annual Solar Means Business report, which tracks on-site commercial solar installations and ranks top corporate solar users. This year’s report contains data from over 4,000 companies, totaling more than 2.5 gigawatts of solar capacity across approximately 7,400 solar projects. Target earned the top spot in the report for the second year in a row, with 204 MW of installed solar capacity, which is more than the installed solar capacity of 23 U.S. states. Click here to read the full report.
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| 1) U.S. DOE Releases Wind Turbine Database and Viewer U.S. DOE recently released the U.S. Wind Turbine Database and Viewer, a comprehensive dataset of U.S. wind turbine locations and characteristics. The database contains information on more than 57,000 turbines, constructed from the 1980s through 2018, and includes characteristics such as the turbines' make and model, height, rotor diameter, year of installation, and rated capacity. This project was funded by U.S. DOE's Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO) and was developed in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. DOE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the American Wind Energy Association. 2) American Wind Energy Association Publishes 2017 Market Report The American Wind Energy Association recently released its 2017 U.S. Wind Industry Annual Market Report. According to the report, wind energy is the largest source of U.S. renewable electricity generating capacity, and the American wind energy industry employs a record 105,500 people across all 50 states. Wind power generated 6.3% of U.S. electricity in 2017, with 14 states generating more than 10% of their electricity from wind. 3) First-of-Its-Kind Report Benchmarks Costs for U.S. Small Wind Projects A recent Pacific Northwest National Laboratory report, Benchmarking U.S. Small Wind Costs, is the first of its kind to benchmark costs for small wind projects installed in the United States. The report provides a starting point to help expand the U.S. distributed wind market by identifying potential opportunities to reduce costs and by providing a benchmark to track cost-reduction progress. Click here to learn more.
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