Energy Storage – Essential to Renewable Energy

Electric energy storage has becoming a more dominant topic of the overall energy management discussion primarily because of the: Increased production of electric vehicles being plugged into outlets for recharging every evening, Advent of net-zero homes, and Expansion of intermittent solar and wind generation into the mainstream of energy supply options. As these factors begin to take on greater...

Gasoline Consumption in the U.S.

Gas Consumption Begins at the Pump Petroleum is used in everything from medications to lubricants, partially explaining its high usage in the U.S.’s heavily driven consumer economy. According to the EIA, the U.S. consumes approximately 21 million barrels of oil daily, the majority of which is refined into gasoline. To put this in perspective the U.S. consumes more gasoline than South America,...

Energy Efficiency – Home Appliances

Though often taken for granted, home appliances exist to allow us to operate more efficiently on a day-to-day basis. And, though not critical to our well-being, they definitely save us time and labor, but questionable as to whether they save us money. Even those refrigerators, microwaves and dishwashers that come with energy and money-saving features need to be operated properly if one is to...

Introduction to Micro Grids

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle With the increased importance of electricity in our day-to-day lives and overall economic prosperity, the notion of depending on outdated, centralized power grids that inefficiently deliver power and occasionally fails to meet basic needs for power may be insufficient, if not outdated. This has brought about the application of localized power grids, as part of an...

SmartGrid and Renewable Energy: The Unresolved Questions

Wind Turbine Farms As the electricity industry forges ahead in defining and ultimately implementing SmartGrid and transitioning to a supply portfolio that includes renewable energy sources, there are a number of unanswered questions and obvious objections that must be confronted to ensure the full benefits of improved reliability, increased energy efficiency, and reduced CO2 emissions.  These...

The Inevitability of Smart Grid

Expansion of Driving Forces Point to Smart Grid Wind Turbine Farm Much of the current industry discussion around Smart Grid tends to focus on its benefits related to improved environmental stewardship through energy conservation and the introduction of renewable energy resources. Although these benefits will have a permanent role in the overall business case for Smart Grid investments, there are...

Reducing Home – Related Energy Costs

In reviewing the electricity price trends over the past 50 years (refer to figure 1) real electricity prices are at a level consistent with the industry’s lowest real level of the 1960s. Since many consumers are interested in reducing their overall household costs, there are certainly opportunities to reduce costs related to the use of electricity. However, the first step requires an...

Home Appliances – Energy Consumption vs. Conservation

Refrigerator/Freezer According to the EIA, U.S. residential, commercial and industrial customers consume 25 percent of the electricity generated worldwide, with more than 30 percent of that consumption, or 1.14 trillion kWh, used in homes. This seemingly high level of energy consumption in the residential sector can be attributed to the energy required to operate home appliances. Even though the...

Lowering Heating Bills – A Simple Proposition

With the continued increase in costs to heat homes in the winter and mounting financial pressure to make ends meet, homeowners are challenged to afford the comfort of an optimally heated home. This article identifies a number of simple and relatively inexpensive actions that can result in lower heating bills. Ceiling Fans Ceiling Fan Be sure to establish the fan’s direction in the clockwise...

Energy Star – Promoting Energy Conservation

Energy Star Label The Energy Star program, currently covering over 50 product categories, was started by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1992. As currently positioned in the market, the Energy Star label highlights those products that are more energy efficient than other products in the same category. Most commonly found on appliances, the label can now be found on roofing materials...