What's New
1996-7 Archives
Contents
November 1997
August 1997
June 1997
April 1997
March 1997
November 1996
- Aerosol Sealing Technology
- Energy Efficiency as an Insurance Loss-Prevention Strategy
- Energy Efficiency in California Laboratory-Type Facilities
November 1997
Leaking Electricity Home Page
A surprisingly large number of appliances—from computer peripherals to cable TV boxes to radios—continue to consume electricity even after they have been switched off. Other appliances, such as cordless telephones, remote garage door openers, and battery chargers don't get switched off but draw power even when they are not performing their principal functions. The energy used while the appliance is switched off or not performing its primary purpose is called "standby consumption" or "leaking electricity."
For more information, contact Alan Meier, (510) 486-4740 or visit the web site.
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August 1997
"Accuracy of Home Energy Rating Systems"
None of the three Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) we tested showed any clear relationship between the predicted and actual energy cost of a rated house. While accuracy does not appear to be major concern of the HERS industry or lenders who participate in HERS programs, it is important for consumers who invest based on HERS ratings. Accuracy can be improved with additional research and possibly fundamental modifications in the rating systems.
For more information, contact Ed Vine, (510) 486-6047.
Download the report, (554 KB PDF).
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June 1997
"Office Buildings Inside Factories"
Recent Research in the Building Energy Analysis Group
A large fraction of the energy consumed inside a "high-tech factory" is much like that of an office building. Why is this important? Office-like energy use is often overlooked because the building is officially a factory. The high-tech sector is the fastest-growing part of the US economy, so the number office buildings hiding in these factories will increase.
For more information, contact Alan Meier, (510) 486-4740 or visit the web site.
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April 1997
User Guide to Power Management in PCs and Monitors
It should be. The EPA has worked with manufacturers of office equipment (including PCs and Monitors) so that much new equipment can enter low-power ("sleep") modes when not in active use. This has the potential to save significant amounts of energy, but only when the feature is properly enabled and working. The Building Energy Analysis Group has produced a "User Guide" to help people understand how power management works, how to enable it, and how to troubleshoot common problems.
For more information, contact Bruce Nordman, (510) 486-7089 or visit the web site.
Download the "User Guide", (165 KB PDF).
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March 1997
Recent Research in the Building Energy Analysis Group
An important aspect of comparing energy efficiency standards on refrigerators is the impact of energy test procedures. Two years ago, Japan implemented a new test procedure. As a result, the listed energy use of Japanese refrigerators suddenly jumped 40%.
For more information, contact Alan Meier, (510) 486-4740 or visit the web site.
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November 1996
Aerosol Sealing Technology
Aerosol sealing is a new technology for internally sealing air leaks in heating and cooling ducts. This technology blows aerosolized adhesive particles into the duct system and deposits them at the leakage sites, sealing the leaks without depositing on duct surfaces. There is a section which takes you on a tour, showing the ducts of a house being sealed and other neat stuff.
For more information, contact Mark Modera, (510) 486-4678 visit the web site.
Energy Efficiency as an Insurance Loss-Prevention Strategy
The insurance industry has taken interest in global climate change as a source of losses. This web site describes how selected energy-efficiency strategies bear the benefit of simultaneously reducing the likelihood of catastrophic climate-related insurance losses as well as ordinary losses due to fire, freeze damage, professional liability, and the like.
For more information, contact Evan Mills, (510) 486-6784 or visit the web site.
Energy Efficiency in California Laboratory-Type Facilities
Laboratory-type facilities use a considerable amount of energy resources. They are also important to the local and state economy, and energy costs are a factor in the overall competitiveness of industries utilizing laboratory-type facilities. Although the potential for energy savings is considerable, improving energy efficiency in laboratory-type facilities is no easy task, and there are many formidable barriers to improving energy efficiency in these specialized facilities. The central aim of this project is to provide knowledge and tools for increasing the energy efficiency and performance of new and existing laboratory-type facilities in California.
For more information, contact Dale Sartor, (510) 486-5988 or visit the web site.
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