Zero Energy Buildings

A Common Definition for Zero Energy Buildings

Thousands of project teams throughout the country seek to push the envelope and develop zero energy buildings. A zero-energy building produces enough renewable energy to meet its own annual energy consumption requirements, thereby reducing the use of non-renewable energy in the building sector. This definition also applies to campuses, portfolios, and communities.

"A zero-energy building, also known as a zero net energy (ZNE) building, net-zero energy building (NZEB), net-zero building or zero carbon building is a building with zero net energy consumption. These buildings consequently contribute less overall greenhouse gas to the atmosphere than similar buildings. They do at times consume non-renewable energy and produce greenhouse gases, but at other times reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas production elsewhere by the same amount. A similar concept approved and implemented by the European Union and other agreeing countries is nearly zero energy building (nZEB), with the goal of having all buildings in the region under nZEB standards by 2020.

Even though a building with ‘nearly zero energy consumption’ has a higher initial cost, the benefits of its construction are remarkable.

·        Not affected by a future increase in energy costs

·        Offer improved thermal comfort due to the uniform internal building temperature

·        Have hardly any energy requirements, thus, hardly any operational cost to cover the energy needs of the building

·        Enjoy reduced overall net monthly cost of living and offer a higher quality of life

·        Offer Improved reliability – many technologies for renewable energy resources and energy conservation have a long lifespan and low maintenance cost

·        Have a higher resale value

·        Contribute to the protection of the environment as nearly zero energy consumption means nearly zero emissions which cause the greenhouse effect

·        Exemption of possible future legal restrictions; from taxes on carbon dioxide emissions to mandatory energy renovations which are costly

·        Helps significantly to improve the building’s aesthetics

Any building or construction characterized by ZNE consumption and zero carbon emissions calculated over a period. Zero-energy buildings (ZEBs) usually use less energy than traditional buildings as well as generate their own energy on site to use in the building; hence, many are independent of the national (electricity) grid. ZEBs have emerged in response to stringent environmental standards, both regulatory and voluntary, introduced to address increasingly significant environmental issues such as climate change, natural resource conservation, pollution, ecology, and population.

ZEBs need to produce their own energy on site to meet their electricity and heating or cooling needs. Various microgeneration technologies may be used to provide heat and electricity to the building, including the following:

·       Solar (solar hot water, photovoltaics [PV]).

·       Wind (wind turbines).

·       Biomass (heaters and stoves, boilers, and community heating schemes).

·       Combined heat and power (CHP) and micro-CHP for use with natural gas, biomass, sewerage gas, and other biogases.

·       Community heating (including utilizing waste heat from large-scale power generation).

·       Heat pumps (air source [ASHP] and ground source [GSHP] and geothermal heating systems).

·       Water (small-scale hydropower).

·       Other (including fuel cells using hydrogen generated from any of the above renewable sources).

Sources

BTO (Building Technologies Office) - https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/building-technologies-office & https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/zero-energy-buildings

Internet Article - http://www.geg.com.cy/the-companies/energy-and-beyond/zero-energy-home/

Zero-energy building - https://en.wikipedia.org

(Encyclopedia Britannica, 2012)

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Energy Efficiency - "The New Era"

History shows that every technical application from its beginnings presents certain unforeseeable secondary effects which are more disastrous than the lack of the technique would have been.— Jacques Ellul

America fails to capture some two-thirds of the power it generates, much of it through simple waste, according to federal data.

Even Canadian government reports unwittingly acknowledge the starkness of the problem while calling for more efficiency. A 2013 study on energy trends, for example, lamented that “Canada was producing economic values more efficiently” but each household was using “a greater number of energy‐consuming goods and services per capita than in 1990.”

Energy efficiency is one of the most powerful resources we have for meeting our energy and environmental goals. It is also an enormous economic opportunity.

Setting aside the significant environmental impact, this energy waste costs American businesses and households billions of dollars every year. In commercial buildings alone, where annual electricity costs are roughly $190 billion, about 30 percent of this energy goes to waste.

The Challenges Ahead are:
1- The magnitude of energy efficiency savings must be increasing dramatically;
2- The sources of energy efficiency savings must diversify;
3- Measuring and ensuring the persistence of energy efficiency savings must become commonplace;
4- Energy efficiency outcomes must be integrated with a carbon reduction framework, and
5-Energy efficiency must be understood and valued as part of an evolving grid, with utility-scale renewables, distributed energy resources (DERs), and significant load variability.

Energy conservation involves both reducing what we use and using it more efficiently. The terms energy efficiency implies that the activity or task can be accomplished using less energy, while energy conservation implies that there is less need for a particular activity in the first place. In other words, conserving energy means less activity thereby reducing consumption.

Both energy efficiency and energy conservation have an economic benefit because they lower energy costs by reducing demand, as well as reducing the environmental impact of harmful emissions. The issue here, of course, is not that we use or waste energy in our daily lives, it's about the type of energy we consume and the effects it has on other aspects of our lives, for example, our environment, our health and our general standard of comfort and living.

Sources:
Why Is America Wasting So Much Energy? - Article By Terry Sobolewski and Ralph Cavanagh Nov. 7, 2017
The Next Level of Energy Efficiency. Article By Dian M.Grueneich
August 2015.
The Curse of Energy Efficiency. Article By Andrew Nikiforuk Feb 2018.

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Thermography OR Infrared Scanning

Thermography OR Infrared Scanning 

Energy auditors may use thermography -- or infrared scanning -- to detect thermal defects and air leakage in building envelopes.
Infrared thermography (IRT), thermal imaging, and thermal video are examples of infrared imaging science. Thermographic cameras usually detect radiation in the long-infrared range of the electromagnetic spectrum (roughly 9,000–14,000 nanometers or 9–14 µm) and produce images of that radiation, called thermograms.

Thermography measures surface temperatures by using infrared video and still cameras. These tools see a light that is in the heat spectrum. Images on the video or film record the temperature variations of the building's skin, ranging from white for warm regions to black for cooler areas. The resulting images help the auditor determine whether insulation is needed. They also serve as a quality control tool, to ensure that insulation has been installed correctly.

A thermographic inspection is either an interior or exterior survey. The energy auditor decides which method would give the best results under certain weather conditions. Interior scans are more common because warm air escaping from a building does not always move through the walls in a straight line. Heat loss detected in one area of the outside wall might originate at some other location on the inside of the wall. Also, it is harder to detect temperature differences on the outside surface of the building during windy weather. Because of this difficulty, interior surveys are generally more accurate because they benefit from reduced air movement.

Infrared scanning allows energy auditors to check the effectiveness of insulation in a building's construction. The resulting thermograms help auditors determine whether a building needs insulation and wherein the building it should go. Because wet insulation conducts heat faster than dry insulation, thermographic scans of roofs can often detect roof leaks.

Thermographic scans are also commonly used with a blower door test running. The blower door helps exaggerate air leaking through defects in the building shell. Such air leaks appear as black streaks in the infrared camera's viewfinder.

Sources:
Energy Saver is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE).
Wikipedia - Thermography.

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GHG (Greenhouse Gas ) Emissions

GHG (Greenhouse Gas ) Emissions

Climate change is one of the most important environmental issues of our time. Climate change is caused by the increase in concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These increases are primarily due to human activities such as the use of fossil fuels or agriculture.

A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiant energy within the thermal infrared range. This process is the fundamental cause of the greenhouse effect.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions are the carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) gases released into the atmosphere as a result of energy consumption at the property. GHG emissions are expressed in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), a universal unit of measure that combines the quantity and global warming potential of each greenhouse gas.

Emissions are reported in four categories, each is available as a total amount in metric tons (Metric Tons CO2e) or as an intensity value in kilograms per square foot (kgCO2e/ft2):

Direct Emissions – Direct Emissions are emissions associated with onsite fuel combustion (e.g. combustion of natural gas or fuel oil).

Indirect Emissions – Indirect Emissions are emissions associated with purchases of electricity, district steam, district hot water, or district chilled water. These emissions occur at your utility’s plant, but they are a result of your property’s energy consumption and therefore contribute to your overall GHG footprint.

Biomass Emissions– Biomass Emissions are emissions associated with biogenic fuels such as wood or biogas (captured methane). Biogenic fuels are combusted on site but do not contribute to direct emissions.

Total Emissions – Total Emissions is the sum of Direct Emissions and Indirect Emissions.

Sources:
Natural Resources Canada NRCan
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency EPA
ENERGY STAR
Wikipedia

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Energy Star Portfolio Manager - Overview

Energy Star Portfolio Manager - Overview

ESPM-(ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager) is a useful and well-designed online tool to measure and track energy and water consumption, along with the greenhouse gas emissions. The tool can benchmark the performance of a building or a complete portfolio of buildings. The required data inputs for ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager are energy bills and building’s basic information. The ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager Web-based solution can set an energy use target and see how much energy a property under design might use compared to similar existing buildings nationwide. In total, ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager can track more than 100 different metrics and uses them to compare a building’s performance against a yearly baseline, national medians, or similar buildings under a portfolio.

The ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager:
(1) assigns buildings an ENERGY STAR score between 1 and 100, which compares a building’s energy performance to similar buildings nationwide, (2) calculates a building’s greenhouse gas emissions from energy use, (3) allows comparing cost savings across buildings under a portfolio, (4) generates ENERGY STAR performance documents for each building by summarizing important energy information, and (5) allows for the sharing of performance data with others.

ESPM is a powerful Energy Management Tool – Helps business and organizations by offering a platform to:
Assess whole building energy and water consumption
Track changes in energy, water, greenhouse gas emissions, and cost over time
Track green power purchase
Share/report data with others
Create custom reports
Apply for ENERGY STAR certification

Energy management solutions, in brief, means to track energy utilization trends in your buildings, helping you increase operational efficiencies. Monitor and manage consumption in real-time and get alerts notifying you of changes, so you can proactively make adjustments and improve your bottom line.

We offer you free Consultancy, and you will have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Act now, our team will make it easy for you to discover our government rebates and taxes incentivizes which will make all the energy improvements within your hands. Our mutual co-operation and our powerful solutions are all that you need to succeed, improve your building performance, qualify for significant certificates like ENERGY STAR, BOMA, LEED, ...and save money. You will never worry or overpay again.

Sources:
Natural resources Canada NRCan
https://www.energystar.gov/buildings
Internet Article Written by Francis Palma, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Screaming Power Inc

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Source Energy

Source Energy

EPA(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) has determined that source energy is the most equitable unit of evaluation. Source energy represents the total amount of raw fuel that is required to operate the building. It incorporates all transmission, delivery, and production losses. By taking all energy use into account, the score provides a complete assessment of energy efficiency in a building.

Commercial buildings use all types of energy, from electricity to natural gas to steam. To compare this diverse set of commercial buildings equitably, we must express the consumption of each type of energy in a single common unit.

We are familiar with site energy, which is the amount of heat and electricity consumed by a building as reflected in your utility bills. Looking at site energy can help us understand how the energy use for an individual building has changed over time. An image depicting the difference between the source and site energy.

Site energy may be delivered to a building in one of two forms: primary or secondary energy. Primary energy is the raw fuel that is burned to create heat and electricity, such as natural gas or fuel oil used in onsite generation. Secondary energy is the energy product (heat or electricity) created from a raw fuel, such as electricity purchased from the grid or heat received from a district steam system. A unit of primary and a unit of secondary energy consumed at the site are not directly comparable because one represents a raw fuel while the other represents a converted fuel.

Therefore, to assess the relative efficiencies of buildings with varying proportions of primary and secondary energy consumption, it is necessary to convert these two types of energy into equivalent units of raw fuel consumed to generate that one unit of energy consumed on-site. To achieve this equivalency, EPA uses source energy.

Using Median Site and Source Energy Use Intensity (EUI)

The national median source EUI is a recommended benchmark metric for all buildings. The median value is the middle of the national population – half of the buildings use more energy, half use less energy. The median works better than the mean (arithmetic average) for comparing relative energy performance because it more accurately reflects the mid-point of energy use for most property types and removes the effect of high-value outliers that may skew the data.

Sources:
Natural Resources Canada NRCan
https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/

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Energy Facts

Energy Facts

Energy, in physics, the capacity for doing work. It may exist in potential, kinetic, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, or other various forms. There are, moreover, heat and work—i.e., energy in the process of transfer from one body to another. After it has been transferred, energy is always designated according to its nature. Hence, heat transferred may become thermal energy, while work is done may manifest itself in the form of mechanical energy.
About 5,000 years ago, the energy people consumed for their survival averaged about 12,000 kilocalories per person each day. In AD 1400, each person was consuming about twice as much energy (26,000 kilocalories). After the Industrial Revolution, the demand almost tripled to an average of 77,000 kilocalories per person in 1875. By 1975, it had tripled again to 230,000 kilocalories per person.
Energy is critically important to the Canadian economy as Canada is among the largest energy producers and the highest per-capita energy consumers in the world. Our nation’s prosperity and competitiveness are tied to achieving sustainable economic growth and a successful transition to a lower carbon future. Canada is committed to creating a cleaner environment for future generations by investing in clean technologies and increasing energy efficiency.
A wide variety of factors have an influence on the level of GHG emissions in Canada. In Canada, and around the world, almost 80% of GHG emissions from human activities come from energy consuming activities such as transportation, energy and electricity production, heating and cooling of buildings, the operation of appliances and equipment, production of goods, and the provision of services.
In general, Canadians use more energy because of our extreme temperatures, large land mass, and dispersed population.

SOURCES:
Natural Resources Canada NRCan
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Internet Article by By Karin Lehnardt, Senior Writer 2017

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What is the energy use intensity (EUI)? "Energy Performance Metrics"

Energy use intensity, or EUI. Primarily, the EUI expresses a building’s energy use as a function of its size or other characteristics. EUI is expressed as energy per square foot per year. It’s calculated by dividing the total energy consumed by the building in one year (measured in kBtu or GJ) by the entire gross floor area of the building. Generally, a low EUI signifies good energy performance. However, individual property types will always use more energy than others. For example, an elementary school uses relatively little power compared to a hospital.

In the past two decades, our industry has seen a significant shift toward a focus on energy efficiency and sustainability. To accurately gauge whether this shift has had a quantifiable impact, terms such as Energy Use Intensity (EUI), Power Use Effectiveness (PUE), and Gallons/Day have become commonplace. These simplified metrics are useful tools in tracking the performance of a building, but they have limits. For example, an airport may be a hub for popular airlines and see higher traffic
than a similarly-sized airport on the other side of the city. The resulting higher energy use per square foot would be a mark of failure rather than a success of building performance. But that’s not accurate. To be truly useful, we need to rethink our metrics, not to shift the goal posts, but to more accurately measure performance.

Performance metrics are vital in determining how efficiently or effectively a facility is operating or is designed to work. By compiling measured energy, water, and waste effluent data into databases such as ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, benchmarks can be established for various building types and buildings in different climates. Benchmarks are then used as starting points in designing new facilities or investigating energy cost savings opportunities in existing buildings.

Many individuals and groups are involved with a building over its lifetime, and all have different interests in and requirements for the construction. Although these interests differ, the value of using metrics reflects a small number of driving factors: Controlling energy costs and energy consumption, Minimizing environmental impacts,  Enhancing the image through marketing, and  Improving load forecasting, energy management, and reliability.

Sources:
Performance Metrics Tiers | Department of Energy. https://www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/performance-metrics-tiers
Energy Conservation Policy: sustainNU - Northwestern .... https://www.northwestern.edu/sustainability/program-areas/built-environment/energy-conservation.html
What is the energy use intensity (EUI)? | ENERGY STAR .... https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-and-managers/existing-buildings/use-portfolio-manager/understand-metrics/what-energy
New Thinking About Building Performance Energy Metrics .... https://www.glumac.com/new-thinking-performance-metrics/

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ESMS Consulting Services

ESMS Consulting Services

ESMS Consulting (Energy Saving and Management Services)  -   is a new service company (sole proprietorship) specializes in providing residential and commercial sectors with solutions of energy efficient products, and energy cost-saving principles and techniques. Our mission is to achieve sustainable and cost-effective solutions for our clients. We provide independent strategic advice and technical support in implementation and improvements to commercial, industrial and institutional clients seeking to optimize their energy use.

Our federal government, as well as all provincial governments, offers energy improvements support in the form of non-repayable grants, favorable loans, and tax credits. While Ontario and Quebec have the most significant number of programs available, all provinces announce new plans frequently to support their regional priorities and compete with the other regions.

Natural Resources Canada NRCan makes it available for everyone to improve and maximize energy efficiency, reduce cost, and save money for individuals and organizations.

Energy management is based on a structured approach that can be used to manage energy in existing buildings. This approach integrates a variety of elements that are traditionally overlooked. It focuses on more than just investing in technological changes such as retrofits to improve energy performance and recognizes the significant impact that both the culture of an organization and the behavior of building occupants have on overall energy use.

Energy management solutions, in brief, means to track energy utilization trends in your buildings, helping you increase operational efficiencies. Monitor and manage consumption in real-time and get alerts notifying you of changes, so you can proactively make adjustments and improve your bottom line.

We offer you free Consultancy, and you will have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Act now, our team will make it easy for you to discover our government rebates and taxes incentivizes which will make all the energy improvements within your hands. Our mutual co-operation and our powerful solutions are all that you need to succeed, improve your building performance, qualify for significant certificates like ENERGY STAR, BOMA, LEED, ...and save money. You will never worry or overpay again.

Happy Canada Day. God blesses Canada - July 1, 2018.

Sources: 
Natural Resources Canada NRCan.

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ECONOMICS OF ENERGY

Economics of Energy

Wikipedia says" ...Energy economics is a broad scientific subject area which includes topics related to supply and use of energy in societies. "

Energy economics is the field that studies the human utilization of energy resources and energy commodities and the consequences of that utilization. In physical science terminology, “energy” is the capacity for doing work, e.g., lifting, accelerating, or heating material. In economic terminology, “energy” includes all energy commodities and energy resources, products or resources that embody significant amounts of physical energy and thus offer the ability to perform work. Energy commodities - e.g., gasoline, diesel fuel, natural gas, propane, coal, or electricity – can be used to provide energy services for human activities, such as lighting, space heating, water heating, cooking, motive power, automatic operation.

Energy resources - e.g., crude oil, natural gas, coal, biomass, hydro, uranium, wind, sunlight, alternatively, geothermal deposits – can be harvested to produce energy commodities. Energy economics studies forces that lead economic agents – firms, individuals, governments – to supply energy resources, to convert those resources into other useful energy forms, to transport them to the users, to use them, and to dispose of the residuals. It studies roles of alternative market and regulatory structures on these activities, distributional economic impacts, and environmental consequences. It investigates economically efficient provision and use of energy commodities and resources and factors that lead away from economic efficiency.

Energy economics recognizes the fundamental physical realities that 1) no energy is created or destroyed but that energy can be converted among its various forms, and 2) power comes from the physical environment and ultimately is released back into the physical environment.
Thus, energy economics is the study of human activities using energy resources from naturally available forms, though often complex conversion processes, to forms providing energy services.

The role of energy in economic activity is to study in details modern methods of assessing energy technologies, projects, and policies, and debates concerning alternative future energy scenarios. It also analyses both fossil fuels, renewable and nuclear energy sources as well as energy efficiency and conservation. Additional topics include the environmental impacts of energy use including climate change and the role of power in economic development.

We offer you free Consultancy, and you will have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Act now, our team will make it easy for you to discover our government rebates and taxes incentivizes which will make all the energy improvements within your hands. Our mutual co-operation and our powerful solutions are all that you need to succeed, improve your building performance and save money. You will never worry or overpay again.

Sources:
1- Energy economics - Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_and_the_Macroeconomy
2- Economics of Energy - Stanford University.  https://goo.gl/LvhJ5u

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What your 1 – 100 ENERGY STAR score means?

The 1 – 100 ENERGY STAR score is a screening tool that helps you assess how your building is performing. It’ll help you identify which buildings in your portfolio to target for improvement or recognition. A score of 50 is the median. So if your building scores below 50, it means it’s performing worse than 50 percent of similar buildings nationwide, while a score above 50 says it’s playing better than 50 percent of its peers. Moreover, a score of 75 or higher means it’s a top performer and may be eligible for ENERGY STAR certification. The ENERGY STAR score provides a comprehensive snapshot of your building’s energy performance. It assesses the building’s physical assets, operations, and occupant behavior in a quick and easy-to-understand number. As a rule of thumb, In an analysis of more than 30,000 buildings that benchmarked consistently in Portfolio Manager over a 3-year period, EPA found that buildings that start with lower ENERGY STAR scores and higher energy use achieve the most significant savings.

We offer you free Consultancy, and you will have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Act now, our team will make it easy for you to discover our government rebates and taxes incentivizes which will make all the energy improvements within your hands. Our mutual co-operation and our powerful solutions are all that you need to succeed, improve your building performance and save money. You will never worry or overpay again.

Energy management solutions, in brief,  means use smart sensors to remotely track energy utilization trends in your buildings, helping you increase operational efficiencies. Monitor and manage consumption in real-time and get alerts notifying you of changes, so you can proactively make adjustments and improve your bottom line.

Sources:
https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/facility-owners-and-managers/existing-buildings/use-portfolio-manager/interpret-your-results/what

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Clean Energy

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy is derived from natural processes that are replenished at a rate that is equal to or faster than the speed at which they are consumed.

There are various forms of renewable energy, deriving directly or indirectly from the sun, or from heat generated deep within the earth. They include power generated from solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydropower and ocean resources, solid biomass, biogas and liquid biofuels.

Renewable energy sources currently provide about 18% of Canada’s total primary energy supply. Wind and solar energy are the fastest growing sources of electricity in Canada.

In general, Renewable energy is any which comes from renewable natural resources, such as wind, rain, sunlight, geothermal heat, and tides. It is referred to as “renewable” because it doesn’t run out. You can always get more of it.

What is Clean(Green) Energy?

“Clean energy” is just any form of energy which we can create with clean, harmless, and non-polluting methods. Most renewable energy sources are also clean energy sources. But not all.

One such example is geothermal power. It may be a renewable energy source, but some geothermal energy processes can be harmful to the environment. Therefore, this is not always clean energy. However, there are also other forms of geothermal energy which are harmless and pure.

Clean energy makes the less impact on the environment than our current conventional energy sources do. It creates an insignificant amount of carbon dioxide, and its use can reduce the speed of global warming – or global pollution.

What is Sustainable Energy?

Sustainable is a general term used for energy sources whose continued usage does not cause reversible changes and rapidly replenishes. It could return to its original form or is unaffected by consistent usage. The number of solar voltaic panels or wind farms has no impact— what so ever— to the amount of Sunshine or climatic conditions that control wind speed or patterns. Wood-chips and stems, leaves ( called plant biomass by more refined colleagues ) are sustainable means of energy production because they can regrow over and over; replenishable.

What is Alternative Energy?

When we speak of alternative energy, we refer to sources of usable energy that can replace conventional energy sources (usually, without undesirable side effects). The term “alternative energy” is typically used to refer to sources of energy other than nuclear power or fossil fuels.
A form of “alternative energy” might also be renewable energy, or clean energy, or both. The terms are often interchangeable, but not the same.

As you can see, alternative energy, renewable energy, and clean energy are very similar. However, it is essential to know that there are differences.


Sources: 
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
Internet article was written by "Kilanko Paul, Process engineer," Nov 15, 2016.
https://www.ukutilitiesltd.com

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Building Automation System(BAS) as a tool of Energy Management system(EMS)

BUILDING AUTOMATION SYSTEM(BAS) AS A TOOL OF ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM(EMS)

People spend about 90 percent of their lives indoors and the buildings where we spend our lives, have a massive impact on it.

There remains widespread confusion around how EMS can best be leveraged to minimize energy use and maximize cost savings. As a result, many building professionals are missing out on opportunities to diminish their energy footprints.

The nucleus of this issue revolves around the fact that these professionals too often use the terms EMS and BMS/BAS interchangeably when they are fundamentally different.

In the 1970s and ‘80s—due to increased energy prices—the demand for a more cost-effective building sent the BAS industry into a whirl of development to make buildings smarter. Taglines like “smart building solutions” started dotting the competitive landscape as building-automation companies were able to leverage cheapening computer technologies and bring them into the building space. This period was a golden age for the BAS industry. During this peak demand to reduce consumption, BAS manufacturers globally created new and relevant technologies related to controlling a building. Competition increased, and the direct digital-control solution became the standard expectation in buildings everywhere. However, most systems were disparate and only designed to control specific operations of a building, with other vital components not being visible or integrated through the controlling mechanisms.

BAS can save a business between 5% and 30% on utility costs by managing HVAC and lighting systems. HVAC and lighting are the two largest users of energy in modern buildings and are usually the first systems to be automated. Wireless BAS systems can monitor every zone of the building and make instant adjustments to maintain comfort while lowering energy usage. Lighting can be reduced remotely in various areas of the building to save energy costs.

Digitalization means buildings are becoming more and more connected and the importance of having all building data insight is continuously increasing. Whether you wish to enhance occupant comfort and productivity or to improve operational and energy efficiency, building management systems, enable you to connect, monitor and operate your facility smoothly. 

Energy management systems and building automation systems serve two very different functions. Perhaps the easiest way to understand the difference is to think of your building as a car. An energy management system is the dashboard of your vehicle: it allows you to see all the controls and understand how all components are operating. With this high-level view, you accurately direct your car.

That’s when the building automation system comes in. BAS acts as the steering wheel: you can direct the car by telling it what to do. You can set it on “cruise” mode to drive on autopilot, but you’ll still need to run frequent, necessary checks to make sure everything is working correctly.

Your building operates the same way. A good energy management software provides an overview of your portfolio operations, with the option to explore a potential problem before it happens. You then use this information to set your building automation system to run most efficiently.

Sources: 
Internet Article by ANNA BUGLAEVA, JULY 22, 2015
Building automation - Buildings - Siemens Global Website. 
https://facilityexecutive.com/2015/12/ems-bms-or-both/

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Energy Star Canada - Welcome Introduction

Energy Star Canada - Welcome Introduction

ENERGY STAR is the international symbol for energy efficiency – a simple way for consumers to identify products that are among the top energy performers on the market.
Products bearing the ENERGY STAR symbol help save energy and money and protect our environment.

ENERGY STAR Canada is a voluntary partnership between the Government of Canada and organizations in public, private and not-for-profit sectors to promote energy efficiency.

ENERGY STAR makes it easy for Canadian to make energy efficient choices that help them save money on energy bills, increase their competitiveness, and fight climate change.

Partnering with the United States
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) administers and promotes the use of the ENERGY STAR name and symbol in Canada under an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Canada became an international partner in the program in 2001.
NRCan works closely with the EPA to develop ENERGY STAR technical specifications for products. It also develops Canadian specifications for certain ENERGY STAR certified products.

Three tools for energy efficiency In Canada

ENERGY STAR is one of three devices that consumers, governments, and businesses use to advance energy efficiency in Canada.
•    Canada’s Energy Efficiency Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for energy-using products.
•    EnerGuide is Canada’s energy-efficiency labeling program and rating system for significant appliances, room air conditioners and some heating and ventilating equipment.
•    The ENERGY STAR symbol identifies products that have met or exceeded technical specifications for high efficiency.

Joining the ENERGY STAR Initiative in Canada is easy and makes good business sense. Here is why:

•    ENERGY STAR gives you turn-key access to a first-class brand—tested, certified and backed by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan).
•    As an ENERGY STAR Participant, you get authorized to use the ENERGY STAR symbol and clear instructions on how to use it.
•    ENERGY STAR is a proven sales tool, widely recognized and respected by consumers.
•    NRCan sends you up-to-date information through product bulletins, communiqués and our newsletter ENERGY STAR News/Nouvelles.
•    You can talk directly to an ENERGY STAR account manager in your field.
•    ENERGY STAR website will include you as a partner.  Listing allows Canadian consumers, including procurement departments, to find you.
•    You can connect with other Participants, share experiences and even run a joint promotion.
•    Participants get positive recognition for being part of the forward-looking ENERGY STAR community.
•   As an international partner in the U.S.-based ENERGY STAR program, Canada’s initiative is aligned with our most important trading partner.

Source: Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

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Zero Carbon Buildings (ZCB)

Zero Carbon Buildings (ZCB)

Wikipedia says that " ... Low-carbon buildings are buildings designed and constructed to release very little or no carbon at all during their lifetime."

WHAT IS A ZERO CARBON BUILDING？

A zero carbon building is a building with zero net energy consumption or zero net carbon emissions on an annual basis. In recent years, low/zero carbon buildings have attracted much attention in many countries because they are considered as an important strategy to achieve energy conservation and reduce greenhouse gases emissions. Some examples of the other existing zero carbon buildings in the world include:

Self-sufficient solar house, Freiburg, Germany
Plus Energy House, Ministry of Federal Ministry for Transport, Building and Town Planning, Germany
Beddington Zero Energy Development, London
Pusat Tenaga Malaysia’s ZEO Building, Malaysia
BCA Academy, Singapore
The Samsung Green Tomorrow House, South Korea

A zero carbon building is defined as one that is highly energy-efficient
and produces onsite, or procures, carbon-free renewable energy in an amount sufficient to offset the annual carbon emissions associated with operations.

Canada has one of the most advanced green building sectors in the world and is well positioned to meet the challenge of reducing and eventually eliminating GHG emissions from building operations. Over the last decade
green building certification programs have raised the bar for energy-efficiency, renewable energy and sustainability practices and, as a result, have changed the way buildings are designed, constructed, maintained, and operated.

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Energy Management Effect On Carbon Footprint

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most prevalent Greenhouse gas (GHG) produced by human activities. Industrialization has been among the primary factors for increased CO2 production, mostly through the consumption of electricity and the burning of fossil fuels.  A lack of competitive pressure for developing environmentally friendly management practices generally prevails among industrial firms, although marginal improvements in energy management practices and energy efficiency are evident. Most studies found that energy audit and energy efficiency are two critical factors for reducing carbon emissions. Also, studies found that energy awareness, knowledge, and commitment are related to energy efficiency. One key outcome . was the development of a new theoretical model of energy management practices. The findings of studies have opened new research and development opportunities to identify alternatives to monetizing environmental concepts such as carbon emissions and energy efficiency.
1. Carbon Footprinting is a tool to help reduce carbon emissions and is becoming a fundamental regulatory requirement. It is one part of sustainability, not the whole, and needs to be viewed within
the overall environmental context.
2. Carbon Footprinting is also an evaluation tool to help increase energy efficiency.
3. International harmonization of carbon footprint definitions, methodology, and data is needed.
4. There is a need to resolve uncertainty on some critical issues: energy, biogenic, and end-of-life stage.

Energy efficiency means using less energy to provide the same service. For example, a compact fluorescent bulb is more efficient than a traditional incandescent bulb as it uses much less electrical power to produce the same amount of light. Similarly, a useful boiler takes less fuel to heat a home to a given temperature than a less efficient model.
The phrase 'energy efficiency' is often used as a shorthand to describe any energy-saving measure, though technically it should be distinguished from energy conservation – a broader term which can also include forgoing a service rather than changing the efficiency with which it is provided. Examples of energy conservation involve turning down a thermostat in the winter or walking to the shops rather than driving there.
Increasing energy efficiency often costs money up-front, but in many cases, this capital outlay will be paid back in the form of reduced energy costs within a short period. This makes efficiency improvements an attractive starting point for reducing carbon emissions.
The scope of the savings – and the techniques required – depending on the situation and location. For homes in cold countries such as Canada, the most effective measures include increasing insulation, draught proofing, installing good-quality double-glazed windows and switching to more efficient appliances and light bulbs. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) estimates that these improvements could reduce annual CO2 emissions from British homes by around 17 million tonnes by 2020 – about a tenth of the 2008 residential total.
By contrast, increasing efficiency in non-domestic buildings often means focusing on ventilation and air-conditioning, in addition to lighting, heating, and appliances. Many such buildings have achieved savings of around 25% after undergoing a refit to increase efficiency.
Energy-intensive industries, such as iron, steel, and cement manufacture, have become more efficient over time due to new equipment and better re-use of waste heat. For example, a hot pipe containing a chemical that needs to be cooled can be used to heat up other chemicals (this is known as 'heat integration'). Motors are used widely in industry for a variety of tasks, such as pumping, mixing and driving conveyor belts. The installation of efficient, correctly sized motors and drives can result in energy savings of 20–25%.
Vehicles have also become more energy efficient over the decades' thanks to factors such as improved engines and lighter, more aerodynamic designs.
Improving energy efficiency does not necessarily translate into reduced CO2 emissions: the savings depend on the situation. If the energy is supplied from fossil fuels – such as petrol in a car or electricity from a coal-fired plant – then improved efficiency will cut emissions. But if the energy is supplied by a low-carbon source such as electricity from nuclear or renewables, then improving efficiency may have little impact on emissions. (When comparing electric and non-electric appliances, it's important to consider the effectiveness of the power generation, too: switching from a 90% efficient gas boiler to a '100% efficient' electric heater will increase energy use and emissions if the electricity comes from regular fossil fuel power plants, which themselves are highly inefficient, losing much of the energy in their fuel as waste heat.)
Energy efficiency is always a good idea. Whether it results in energy savings depends on what we do with the money we saved. In some cases, efficiency savings can be offset by changes in user behavior – the so-called 'rebound effect'. One example would be that insulating a home may make it more economical for the resident to maintain a higher temperature, increasing the standard of comfort but reducing the energy savings.
Nonetheless, improving energy efficiency is a vital tool for reducing CO2 emissions, alongside energy conservation and low-carbon energy sources such as renewables and carbon capture and storage.

Source: Article written by Dr. Tamaryn Napp, Professor Nilay Shah, and Professor David Fisk.

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What is a Baseline?

What is a Baseline?
One of the most significant challenges to effectively managing energy is accurately determining an energy management system's impact on energy use and cost. Energy use is often dictated by a large number of dynamic, interrelated factors. That makes it unclear whether changes in consumption are the result of implemented energy efficiency measures, changes in other factors affecting your energy use (like the weather), or some combination of both.
So, how do you separate the effects of your energy management system from other factors? To do so, you need an energy baseline.

Energy Baselines, Defined:
An energy baseline is a reference tool. It allows you to compare energy performance before and after a change is made to your site or system. The baseline establishes the “before” by capturing a site or system's total energy use before making improvements. It accounts for energy affecting factors like temperature or production volume. The baseline is accomplished by modeling the site’s performance before changes, typically employing a statistical technique called linear regression.

The baseline serves three fundamental purposes:
1. It allows you to zero in on what’s contributing to good or evil energy performance by providing an apples-to-apples comparison of energy use between two different periods.
2. It can forecast energy use and cos through manipulation of the energy affecting factors.
3. It can be used for monitoring and verify savings from energy efficiency projects.

Baselines can be established using nothing more than utility bills, data on the energy affecting factors during the selected billing periods, and Excel.
However, this requires know-how and the effort of collecting the relevant data each time compared to baseline is performed.

Source: Article - Michael John, Implementation August 19, 2015

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The wholesale price of electricity

The wholesale price of electricity 

IESO - The Independent Electricity System Operator -  is the Crown corporation responsible for operating the electricity market and directing the operation of the bulk electrical system in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is one of seven Independent System Operators in North America.

Here's a step-by-step explanation of how Ontario's IESO (http://www.ieso.ca/en/learn/about-the-ieso/user-guide) maintains a reliable supply of electricity and, at the same time, determines the wholesale price of electricity.

Step 1 - How much electricity do we need?
Each day, the IESO issues forecasts of how much energy will be needed throughout the following day and up to the month ahead - including an "energy reserve," of roughly 1400 MW above what is actually consumed. This is the extra supply that is on standby and called upon in emergencies. These forecasts are continually updated as new information comes in such as changes in weather. Typically, the IESO's day-ahead forecasts are highly accurate, with less than a two percent variance from the actual demand figures.

Step 2 - Let the bidding begin.
Generators and importers of electricity review the forecast information and determine how much electricity they can supply and at what price. They send these "offers" to supply electricity into the IESO. Similarly, large-volume consumers of electricity that have the ability to change their consumption patterns on very short notice decide whether there are times of the day when they can cut back on energy use, and offer that into the market as well.

Step 3 - Matching Supply with Demand.
The IESO then matches the offers to supply electricity against the forecasted demand. It first accepts the lowest priced offers and then "stacks" up the higher priced offers until enough have been accepted to meet customer demands. All suppliers are paid the same price - the market-clearing price. This is based on the last offer accepted.
This "stacked" price approach encourages generators to keep their offer prices low in expectation of selling all or most of their potential energy output at the prevailing market price. Without the stacked market-clearing price, the overall result could be a much more
volatile marketplace. The Market Clearing Price approach ensures the lowest possible price while maintaining the reliability of the system.

Step 4 - The Price is Set.
The IESO collects bids and offers until two hours before the energy is needed, so "pre-dispatch" prices or the price of electricity before the bidding window has closed, can fluctuate as new bids come in. The IESO will issue its instructions to power suppliers based on the winning bids, who then provide electricity into the power system for transmission and distribution to customers. The IESO runs a real-time market, meaning purchases of electricity are made as they are needed.
There are occasions, when the best-priced energy may not be available due to limitations on the transmission lines. In this case, that generator's offer is still used to help set the price, but another generator may be asked to provide the electricity.
You can watch market information throughout the day on the Demand and Price Information page which features price and demand graphs that continually update.

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Monitoring and Targeting (M&T)

Energy management is the use of technology to improve the energy performance of an organization. To be fully effective it needs to be an integral part of an organization’s wider management processes - and any corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy.

An energy policy

An energy policy is a written statement of senior management's commitment to managing energy and its environmental impacts. Often it forms part of a wider corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy. For large organizations an energy policy should be no more than two pages long; a few paragraphs may be sufficient for smaller organizations.

An energy strategy

An energy strategy is a working document setting out how energy will be managed in an organization. It should contain an action plan of tasks, which will initially involve understanding the organization’s current position and establishing the management framework. As the processes are established, the tasks should address the identification and implementation of specific energy-saving projects.

A complete and effective energy strategy will address the following aspects:

·        Organizing roles and responsibilities and ensuring there are sufficient resources available.

·        Compliance with energy and climate change regulations is required of businesses and the public sector.

·        Investment in projects will be needed to take full advantage of cost-effective energy efficiency opportunities.

·        Procurement of buildings, equipment, and services should take due account of the implications for energy efficiency and energy-related costs.

Monitoring and Targeting (M&T)

The purpose of monitoring and targeting (M&T) is to relate your energy consumption data to the weather, production figures or other measures in such a way that you get a better understanding of how energy is being used. It will identify if there are signs of avoidable waste or other opportunities to reduce consumption.

Data collection may be manual, automated, or a mixture of the two. Once an M&T scheme has been set up, its routine operation should be neither time-consuming nor complex. An M&T scheme will provide the essential underpinning for your energy management activities.

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