Reducing Home Energy Costs

Figure 1 - Real U.S. Electricity Prices In reviewing the electricity price trends over the past 50 years (see Figure 1) the current average U.S. real electricity prices (in 2007 dollars) are at a level consistent with the industry’s lowest real levels experienced in the 1960s. These relatively low real electricity costs have had the general tendency to discourage energy efficiency initiatives...

Offshore Drilling

Offshore Drilling Rigs Worldwide daily consumption of oil generally exceeeds 80-85 million barrels thereby driving the petroleum industry to continually search the planet for new reserves. Since the world’s oceans comprise almost 75 percent of the earth’s surface, it stands to reason that much of the world’s future new oil reserves will be discovered underwater. Underwater exploration,...

Energy Star Heating and Cooling

ENERGY STAR Label-Energy Efficiency Heating and cooling accounts for almost half of the total energy used by a typical residential customer. Independent of specific purchasing decisions and the choices regarding the selection of heating and cooling equipment, there are a number of operating and maintenance activities consumers should do to maximize the efficiency of these devices These activities...

Basics of Electricity

Units of Electricity Electricity Grid  The most basic units in electricity are: Voltage (V): Measured in volts, voltage relates to the pressure of electric flow. Current (I): Measured in amps, current can be viewed as the amount of electricity flow Resistance (R): Measured in ohms, resistance, as the term implies, addresses the amount of constraint on the flow of electricity These units are...

Low-Income Residential Electric Customers

Unpaid Electric Bills – A Growing Problem Collecting unpaid electric bills has become a major and growing challenge to electic utilities as the number of low or no-income customers grows with changing economic conditions. Since 2006, utilties have seen a 70 to 80 percent increase in their uncollectible receivables, requiring the industry to implement programs that rely on the collaboration...

Nuclear Power’s Role in Reducing Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Reducing CO2 Emissions is a Desirable Goal Regardless of one’s view of the significance or even existence of global warming, few dispute the notion that the reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is both desirable and necessary from an environmental stewardship perspective. Recognizing that the generation of electricity from fossil fuels (e.g. natural gas and coal) is a major source in CO2...

Cyber Security – A Growing Priority for the Electric Grid

Cyber Security Requires a Change in Strategy Electric Grid With the electric industry trend toward implementing Smart Grid and AMI, the definition of electric grid security has broadened from guarding against weather-related outages to protecting against the possibility of cyber attacks. The challenge is even more pronounced as the nature of the threats is likely to evolve as the sophistication...

Network Planning for SmartGrid Communication

There are a number of factors that drive the plans and programs of a SmartGrid implementation; these include: Economic Pressures, Cyber Security, Overall System Reliability, Energy Efficiency, and Customer Participation However, one can argue that none of these factors is more important to overall success than the manner in which an electric utility incorporates communications into its Smart...

Introduction to Artificial Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the conversion of sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into usable fuel and it is typically discussed in relation to plants where the fuel is carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Using only 3 percent of the sunlight that reaches the planet, plants collectively perform massive energy conversions, converting just over 1,100 billion tons of CO2 into food sources for animals every...

Solar Energy at Night

The energy emanating from the sun can be converted into electricity by using: Photovoltaic Cells where semiconductor materials absorb photons and releases electrons, or Solar-Thermal Turbines that generate steam from the sun’s heat, spinning a turbine to produce electricity. Since cloudy days and nighttime limit the practical conversion time of the sun’s energy, traditional applications of...