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| News and Events: Technical Assistance, Incentives, and Funding Opportunities: Upcoming Events and Activities: Resources and Guides:
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| EPA Announces Four 2017 ENERGY STAR® Certified Manufacturing Plants in TN
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced last month that 93 manufacturing plants earned ENERGY STAR certification for their superior energy performance in 2017. Together, these plants reduced their energy bills by almost $340 million, saved more than 60 trillion British thermal units (TBtu) of energy (enough to meet the annual energy needs of almost 360,000 American households), and avoided 4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The ENERGY STAR industrial program provides industry-specific energy benchmarking tools and other resources for 17 different types of manufacturing plants. These resources allow an industrial plant to compare its energy performance to others in the same industry and to establish meaningful energy performance goals. Plants from the automotive, baking, cement, corn refining, food processing, glass manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and petroleum refining sectors are among those that qualified in 2017. This year, corn refiners Tate & Lyle (Loudon) join three previously certified Tennessee-based manufacturers in EPA’s recognition, including Bayer US (pharmaceutical manufacturing in Cleveland), Buzzi Unicem USA (cement manufacturing in Chattanooga), and Nissan North America (automobile assembly in Smyrna). Read more about the announcement here.
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| Five Fellows Selected for ORNL's Innovation Crossroads Earlier this month, U.S. DOE announced the second cohort of innovators to join Innovation Crossroads, the Southeast region’s first entrepreneurial research and development (R&D) program based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Five innovators were selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants and will begin work at ORNL in May 2018. Innovation Crossroads is part of U.S. DOE's Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program, which places top technical talent within national labs as entrepreneurial research fellows to advance solutions to manufacturing and energy innovation challenges. The program's dual focus on early-stage R&D and entrepreneurial development enables the innovators to transform their breakthrough ideas into U.S.-based companies. The two-year fellowship provides a cost-of-living stipend, comprehensive business development plan assistance, and up to $350,000 to use on collaborative R&D at ORNL, the nation's largest science and energy laboratory. On May 8, 2018, 10:00 AM – 1:15 PM EST, the Tennessee Advanced Energy Business Council (TAEBC) will introduce these Innovation Crossroads innovators to the Energy Mentor Network, whose goal is to foster the growth of Tennessee advanced energy technologies and startups by connecting entrepreneurs with mentors and industry specific expertise. Lunch will be provided at this event. RSVP here.
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| TVA Updates Power Portfolio Summary, Emphasizes Move Away from Coal
TVA recently released a power portfolio update that explains the company’s changing power generation. The summary emphasizes TVA’s move away from traditional coal-based electricity production and toward cleaner forms of power generation. TVA intends to add more natural gas units to its grid mix in place of retired coal plants. TVA has also added the twenty-first century’s first new nuclear plant; nuclear power will now account for 40% of all TVA-generated power, up from 26% in FY2007. Additionally, TVA produces clean, natural power with its 29 hydroelectric dams, making up 10% of TVA’s current power generation mix. TVA also plans to increase its production of renewable power through solar, wind, and biogas technologies in the future. Read more about the changing power portfolio at https://www.tva.com/Energy/Our-Power-System. As a part of its transition to cleaner technologies, TVA recently retired its Allen Fossil Plant, which was the largest single source of air pollution in Shelby County. The plant burned 7,200 tons of coal daily, emitting more than 11,000 tons of sulfur dioxide, 2,600 tons of nitrogen oxides, and the equivalent of 5.4 million tons of carbon each year. TVA is readying the plant for eventual salvage and demolition. A replacement natural gas plant, the Allen Combined Cycle Plant, is slotted to begin producing power in the coming months. The combined cycle plant will emit approximately 1% of the sulfur dioxide that the coal facility discharged. It will also slash nitrogen oxide emissions by about 80% and carbon dioxide emissions by about 37% compared to the old Allen plant. Read more on the story here.
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| Tennesee Sees Significant Solar Job Growth in 2017
According to the Solar Foundation’s 2017 National Solar Jobs report, U.S. solar industry jobs increased in 29 states and in the District of Columbia last year. States with significant solar job gains of 20 percent or higher include Tennessee, Utah, Montana, Minnesota, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maine. Tennessee specifically reported a 24% year-to-year growth, with an increase from 3,548 solar jobs in 2016 to 4,411 solar jobs in 2017. The Volunteer State now ranks #14 in the nation for solar jobs with a 2017 ratio of solar workers to overall workforce of 1 in every 668 people. Read more about nationwide solar job growth here.
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| TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, INCENTIVES, AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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| Nominate Champion of Energy Efficiency in Buildings
The nomination period for the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)’s Champion of Energy Efficiency in Buildings awards is now open. Winners will be selected based on demonstrated excellence and lasting impact in the following categories: - Research and Development (R&D): Excellence in R&D that includes baseline or background research as well as products and practices.
- Implementation and Deployment: Effective design and implementation of programs or projects, including achievement of significant impacts on energy use.
- Energy Policy: Excellence in energy policy including writing, educating, promoting, and supporting energy efficiency at the federal, state, or local level.
- Buildings Leadership: Exceptional personal leadership in the development, implementation, and growth of important energy efficiency initiatives.
- Lifetime Achievement: Continuous leadership that produces sustained impacts.
To submit a nomination, please complete the nomination form (MS Word, zipped) and email it or mail it by June 1, 2018. ACEEE encourages submissions for leaders who may have been nominated in a prior year but were not ultimately selected to receive an award. To learn more about the awards and to read about previous winners, click here. If you have questions, please see the awards FAQ or contact Champions@aceee.org.
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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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| UPCOMING EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
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| The Solar Power Southeast conference will be held May 15-16, 2018 in Atlanta, GA. This conference will gather more than 700 attendees and 50 exhibitors from the solar field. Solar Power Southeast will provide attendees with regional networking opportunities as well as the chance to gain knowledge on the trends and policies impacting solar in the Southeast. For more information on the event, visit http://events.solar/southeast/. Register for the event here. SEIA and SEPA members are eligible to receive conference discounts.
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| Environmental Show of the South
The Environmental Show of the South is the largest and most comprehensive environmental conference and tradeshow in the region. Its goal is to provide high-quality, low-cost environmental training as well as updates on government/industry developments and trends. The 47th annual event will be held May 16-18 at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Attendees will hear speakers from leading environmental agencies, industry partners, law firms, and service providers. Attendees will also learn about compliance from regulators and the regulated community alike and can speak one-on-one with permit writers. TDEC Office of Energy Programs Assistant Commissioner Molly Cripps will provide an update on the VW Diesel Settlement, TDEC's process for developing a proposed Beneficiary Mitigation Plan for Tennessee, and the types of Eligible Mitigation Actions that can be funded by Tennessee’s Environmental Mitigation Trust allocation. Additionally, the event features an exhibit hall where attendees can meet vendors offering a full spectrum of environmental goods and services. An event agenda is available here. Register for the event here.
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| Webinar: U.S. DOE Building Energy Asset Score Tool
Under a cooperative agreement with U.S. DOE through the Cities Leading the Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP) project, the City of Portland has been exploring strategies to leverage annual benchmarking and disclosure data with the use of permit data, the U.S. DOE Standard Energy Efficiency Data Platform (SEED) database, and the U.S. DOE Building Energy Asset Score Tool. This project has extensively examined the relationship between Asset Scores generated on a subset of city buildings and the actual benchmarking data collected on the buildings. The goal was to use Asset Score to help identify building characteristics that might predict or correlate with actual building performance data. A webinar on this project will be held on May 22 at 12:00 – 1:30 PM CDT. It will feature speakers from the City of Portland, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Energy Trust of Oregon, Earth Advantage, the New Buildings Institute, and U.S. DOE. 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 Next Nexus: Exemplary Programs that Save Energy and Improve Health
ACEEE has released a new report that highlights best practices for organizations looking to bring indoor health benefits and energy savings to their communities. A webinar officially launched the report last month and honored the first-ever winners of the Health and Energy Linked Programs (HELP) Awards, which were created by ACEEE to recognize exemplary programs that address the health impacts of energy use. A recording of that webinar, along with a link to the report itself, can be accessed here.
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| ACEEE Launches Two Toolkits for Achieving Energy Savings in Buildings
ACEEE has developed a new toolkit to inform local officials as they seek to achieve greater energy savings in buildings. The toolkit provides a brief overview of leading, high-impact strategies for achieving city-level energy savings in buildings. The toolkit includes local government policy options for both new and existing buildings. Policies that target new buildings in the toolkit include building energy codes, building code compliance, and green building requirements and certifications. Policies for existing buildings include requirements for energy audits, retrofits, retrocommissioning, and benchmarking and transparency requirements. This ACEEE toolkit examines intelligent efficiency applications in the commercial and industrial sectors such as building automation systems that replace on-site hardware with cloud-based data analytics and production management systems with the ability to compare operating conditions against historical data and recommend changes to optimize energy use.
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| 2017 State of Wind Development in the United States by Region
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) researchers recently published the 2017 State of Wind Development in the United States by Region report, which provides a comprehensive examination of U.S. wind energy development and deployment. The report is compiled by NREL with input from six Regional Resource Centers, which have received funding from U.S. DOE and provide regional information to communities to help them evaluate wind energy potential and learn about wind power's benefits and impacts. The report summarizes the status of and drivers for U.S. wind energy development in 2017, including state-level information on workforce development, manufacturing and economic development, key stakeholder groups, and development challenges.
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| U.S. National Electrification Assessment
The Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) houses an Efficient Electrification Initiative, which explores electrification in the context of the global energy system—analyzing the customer value of advanced, end-use technologies that efficiently amplify benefits of cleaner power generation. Coupling EPRI’s modeling capabilities with its extensive research on end-use technologies and grid planning and operations, the initiative is assessing inter dependent aspects of electric technologies’ adoption, electrification’s potential to enhance control and flexibility, and the impacts on grid operations and planning. As part of this initiative, EPRI recently released a U.S. National Electrification Assessment (USNEA) that examines potential customer adoption of electric end-use technologies over the next three decades, along with key implications for efficiency, the environment, and the grid. The study finds that, across a range of assumptions, economy-wide electrification leads to a reduction in energy consumption, spurs steady growth in electric load, and reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—even in scenarios with no assumed climate policy. Some key findings are outlined below: - Customers will increase their reliance on electric end uses. Today, electricity is 21% of U.S. energy use. This is up from 3% in 1950. By 2050, electricity will be 32-47% of total U.S. energy use (see report to reference four electricity growth scenarios).
- Final energy consumption will decrease. Continued growth in economic activity will be offset by energy and system efficiencies. In particular, a transportation shift from internal combustion engine powered vehicles to electric vehicles will net a large final energy reduction.
- Natural gas use will increase. Abundant and low cost natural gas will continue to be utilized, inducing a continued shift to natural gas for electric generation and heating.
- Low-carbon electric generation will expand. The growth of renewables and natural gas for electric generation means carbon intensity of electric generation will continue to decrease.
- Emissions will decrease. Expanded electrification, coupled with energy efficiency and renewable power generation, will lower system-wide carbon emissions.
- Pressures will increase to modernize grid infrastructure, operations, and planning. Winter electric peaks will become the new normal, driven by heating applications and electric vehicle demands. Investment in a flexible, resilient, and integrated grid will be needed.
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