Recent bie_becc_2015 items

A Demonstration of an Energy Feedback Research Platform in a Field Study of Real-Time Social Comparisons

Mon, 19 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

A Demonstration of an Energy Feedback Research Platform in a Field Study of Real-Time Social Comparisons

Renewable Energy, Infrastructure and GHG Implication of Electrified Transportation: Metro Vancouver Case Study

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This study is aimed to assess the fleet composition for the new portion of light and medium duty vehicles (LMDV) in Metro Vancouver forecasted for the year 2020. Accordingly, the analysis evaluates the sensitivity of the regional electricity demand on transportation electrification policies. Considering electricity and hydrogen as transportation infrastructures, sixteen scenarios of zero tailpipe emission Electric Vehicle (EV) penetration in the new fleet are investigated. The study assesses the efficiency of EV technologies, quantifies energy demand for the electric transportation, and summarizes the implications of using renewable electricity to power the transportation sector.

The analysis shows that wind energy is the superior resource in terms of life cycle Greenhouse Gases (GHGs). The life cycle GHGs of electricity production via wind turbines ranges from 390-3000 tonnes yr- 1 and for photovoltaic cells from 1300-9900 tonnes yr-1 of CO2eq across the scenarios. Furthermore,...

Strategic Energy Management. Keys to Behavioral and Operational Change.

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of Energy Trust of Oregon’s Strategic Energy Management (SEM) initiative. Commercial SEM is designed to deliver comprehensive energy services to large, typically multi-site, customers through behavioral and operational changes, while also identifying potential capital projects. This paper addresses both process findings and an analysis of savings estimation techniques.

The evaluation sought to ensure that the initiative was achieving claimed savings at a reasonable cost and to provide feedback on program design and implementation. This meant both investigating the methods used to calculate savings and understanding how participants had incorporated energy saving policies and practices into their standard operating procedures.

Key operational findings included:

SEM takes time if organizational changes are to be implemented. A cohort approach, using multiple workshops with representatives from...

Practicing Energy, or Energy Consumption as Social Practice

Thu, 15 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Practicing Energy, or Energy Consumption as Social Practice

Co-designing with office workers to reduce energy consumption and improve comfort

Mon, 12 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

According to the EC Action Plan for Energy Efficiency, a reduction of up to 30% in energy use within the office and commercial building sector can be achieved through occupant behavior change. Multiple studies support similar estimations for countries outside of the EU (e.g. Lopes et al. 2011). Depending on the building type, office occupants can perform various low energy actions to increase office comfort (e.g. Barlow & Fiala, 2007). However, sustained behavior change ensuring energy-efficiency may be difficult when not embedded and enforced in everyday office practices.

This paper describes an approach based on co-creation methods as a means to engage office occupants to make them conscious of the impact that their actions have on comfort and energy use by reflecting on results from measurements and observations. Methods to create awareness include co-designing of a monitoring platform, self-reporting mechanisms and feedback systems, enabled by modular hardware...

Characterizing Customer Preferences: How the Doritos® Nachos Method Works for Electricity Service Plans

Mon, 12 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Residential electricity customers typically pay the same rate all day every day for electricity. These customers get the caviar of on-peak electricity for the same price as the canned tuna off-peak electricity. Utilities are considering offering customers variations in rate structures, such as time-of-use pricing, to reduce on-peak electricity use. But how will utilities know how to design electricity service plans that customers will choose? EPRI researched approaches for determining stated preferences for hypothetical offerings and determined that discrete choice experimentation (DCE) would be more effective than market segmentation. Many commercial product manufacturers use DCE for product development. A classic case is the development of the addictive snack, Doritos® Nachos. To test the DCE approach, EPRI embarked on research with several utilities to develop discrete choice experiments for selected electricity service plans (time-of-use and fixed bill, compared to the status...

Changing Industrial Energy Behavior Via Education: Case Study of an Energy Efficiency Refrigeration Certification

Mon, 12 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Changing Industrial Energy Behavior Via Education: Case Study of an Energy Efficiency Refrigeration Certification

Why Doesn't 25 Years of an Evolving Energy Code Make More of a Difference?

Thu, 8 Oct 2015 00:00:00 +0000

New and more stringent building energy codes are implemented with the assumption and expectation that significant energy conservation will occur. While simulation and various analysis methodologies may be reasonably sound at estimating the energy impact, the actual impact is largely dependent upon new code enforcement and occupant behavior. This work is based upon the research question: Do homes built to a newer energy code deliver measurable energy savings compared to homes built to a much earlier energy code? This residential research study was focused on comparing measured energy use of new code to old code homes. The new code group represented homes built to the 2007 Florida energy code, with 2009 supplement. The old code group were built to the code in effect from June 1, 1984 to Dec. 31, 1985. Energy monitoring equipment was installed to measure whole house, space heating/cooling, and domestic hot water energy use. Interior temperature and relative humidity were also monitored....