News and Events by CCRES June 14, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources News and Events June 14, 2012

Energy Department Invests $7 Million in Solid-State Lighting The Energy Department announced on June 7 that it will invest more than $7 million in three innovative solid-state lighting projects, to be carried out by companies in California, Michigan, and North Carolina. The projects aim to lower the cost of manufacturing high-efficiency solid-state lighting technologies such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). LEDs and OLEDs are generally ten times more energy-efficient than conventional incandescent lighting and can last up to 25 times as long. By 2030, these technologies have the potential to nearly cut in half the amount of electricity used for lighting in the United States, which could save up to $30 billion a year. The three projects include one led by Cree, Inc. of Durham, North Carolina, to develop an optimized, cost-competitive LED fixture design that uses fewer raw materials and can be readily integrated into buildings. In addition, KLA-Tencor Corp. of Milpitas, California, will develop a measurement tool to help reduce variation in LED production quality, potentially helping to improve LED performance, color quality, and brightness while reducing manufacturing costs. And k-Space Associates, Inc. of Dexter, Michigan, will build on its optical monitoring technology to enable high-precision measurements of the thickness and composition of OLED layers during mass production, paving the way for future large-scale production of OLEDs. See the DOE press release, a detailed description of the selected projects, and the Energy Department's Solid-State Lighting website.  Energy Department Invests in Innovative Manufacturing Technologies The Energy Department announced on June 12 it has awarded more than $54 million for 13 projects across the country to advance transformational technologies and materials. These projects, which are leveraging approximately an additional $17 million in cost share from the private sector, can help U.S. manufacturers increase the energy efficiency of their operations and reduce costs. The projects will be in California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Utah, and will develop cutting-edge manufacturing tools, techniques, and processes that will be able to save companies money by reducing the energy needed to power their facilities. From improving manufacturing processes that reduce the energy needed to make components for aircraft and vehicles, to lowering the production costs of carbon fiber for a wide range of clean energy products, these projects represent a major investment in the solutions that will transform energy-intensive manufacturing technologies and materials used by industry in the United States. The results of these projects could produce large improvements in energy productivity, reduce pollution, and boost product output, while creating jobs and helping American companies expand export opportunities globally. Each project will advance technologies early enough in their development cycles to permit the full scope of their technical benefits to be shared across a broad cross-section of the domestic economy. Collectively, these projects are part of the Obama Administration’s effort to support the creation of good jobs by helping U.S. manufacturers reduce costs, improve quality, and accelerate product development. See the DOE press release and the project descriptions. Popular Choice Winners Named for “Apps for Energy” Competition The Energy Department announced on June 6 the Popular Choice winners for the "Apps for Energy" competition. "VELObill," the winner of the public vote, will receive $8,000, while "Innovative Solar Demand Response," took second place and will be awarded $4,000. App developers submitted more than 50 innovative mobile and Web applications that will help utility consumers save money by making the most of their “Green Button” electricity usage data. The Popular Choice awards reflect the results of public voting, which ran from May 17 to May 31 and involved more than 12,000 participants. Other winners in the competition were selected by a panel of expert reviewers and announced May 22 at Connectivity Week, a gathering of smart grid industry leaders in Santa Clara, California. See the May 30 EERE Network News article on the previous winners. In April, the Energy Department launched Apps for Energy, challenging developers to create apps that were designed to make the best use of the data provided through the President’s Green Button initiative, through which nine major utilities and electricity suppliers will provide more than 31 million customers with access to data about their own energy use. The top Popular Choice winner, "VELObill," makes it easier for utility customers to view their energy usage, measure whether it is high or low, and compare it to that of their peers. With this information in hand, users can create an energy-saving action plan tailored to their individual needs and preferences. The second-place winner, "Innovative Solar Demand Response," sizes a solar photovoltaic and battery storage system based on the customer's average peak energy demand for each hour of the day. The system is sized to release stored energy during peak times, when energy production is more costly. See the DOE press release and the full list of "Apps for Energy" submissions. Chicago Joins the Better Buildings Challenge The Energy Department and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced on June 5 that Chicago, Illinois, is joining the Better Buildings Challenge, part of an initiative launched last year by President Obama to catalyze investment in commercial and industrial building energy upgrades and support new jobs across the country. As a partner in this national initiative, Chicago is committing to reduce energy use by 20% across nearly 24 million square feet of public and private building space within the next five years. The Better Buildings Challenge supports the Obama Administration's blueprint for an economy built to last, reducing energy costs in buildings—which last year consumed more than 40% of all the energy used by the U.S. economy—while boosting U.S. competitiveness in the global clean energy race. Chicago plans to upgrade 10 million square feet of city-owned buildings and nearly 14 million square feet of privately owned buildings that have partnered with the city. The City of Chicago and its partners will share their most successful energy-saving strategies and solutions so that others can follow. To date, more than 60 organizations are partnering with the Energy Department for the Better Buildings Challenge and have committed nearly $2 billion in energy efficiency financing to improve the energy efficiency of more than 1.6 billion square feet of building space and to reduce energy waste across more than 300 manufacturing facilities. See the DOE press release and the Better Buildings Challenge website. New Method Ensures the Effectiveness of Residential Building Energy Codes The Energy Department recently released a new methodology for evaluating homeowner savings through residential energy codes. These codes are commonly adopted by states and local code enforcement jurisdictions across the nation to make homes more efficient and cheaper to power. DOE's new approach is based on a life-cycle analysis that balances initial costs with the longer-term savings these codes make possible. By demonstrating savings available to homeowners, this methodology will aid the adoption of cost-effective, energy-saving codes for residential buildings, and help families save money over the lifetime of their home. The methodology provides policymakers with an estimate of the economic benefits of energy codes though a life-cycle cost assessment over a 30-year period, based on a set of parameters typical for an average mortgage. The assessment includes both single-family and multifamily buildings, as well as a variety of common building foundation and fuel types. Costs of efficiency measures are derived from the Energy Department's Residential Cost Database and balanced against energy cost savings, mortgage payments, and other financing impacts over the life of the home. DOE intends to use this new method to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of these residential energy codes. See the Energy Department's Progress Alert and the new Residential Code Methodology on the DOE's Building Energy Codes Program website. New Advisory Committee to Boost Federal Deployment of Clean Energy The Energy Department announced on June 1 a new interagency advisory committee to accelerate deployment of innovative products and technologies in the federal sector. The Senior Executive Committee for Technology Deployment, a subcommittee of the Interagency Technology Deployment Working Group, brings together leaders of technology deployment programs from across the federal government to implement the Obama Administration's comprehensive strategy to reduce energy costs in agency facilities, while boosting U.S. competitiveness in the global clean energy race. The Senior Executive Committee features founding representatives from the Energy Department, General Services Administration, and the Department of Defense, including the Army and Navy, and is expected to grow. The committee will support the transition of energy efficient technologies from research and development to successful commercialization by developing consistent processes to test and evaluate innovative and underutilized technologies, and share information on technology performance and economic value agency-wide. The committee's activities will be coordinated agency-wide by the Energy Department's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP). See the DOE Progress Alert and the FEMP website.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

Saving Energy and Money with Aerogel Insulation By Leo Christodoulou, PhD, Program Manager, Advanced Manufacturing Office Most of us are familiar with the classic Thermos bottle. The bottle keeps hot liquids hot with its vacuum insulation material—but without good insulation, the heat from the liquid is wasted. Likewise, on a much larger scale, about 950 trillion BTUs (British Thermal Units) of heat energy is lost every year due every year to the poor insulation of pipes, valves, traps, and components from industrial steam distribution systems. This is almost one percent of total domestic energy consumption—the equivalent of wasting close to 165 million barrels of crude oil or just over 7,500 million gallons of gasoline. As part of the President’s all-of-the-above strategy to solve America’s clean energy challenges, the Energy Department is investing in an innovative insulation material that saves energy and money for industrial facilities while also helping to support 50 full-time clean energy jobs for Americans. With help from the Energy Department’s Advanced Manufacturing Office, Aspen Aerogels created Pyrogel and Cryogel, insulation products that use aerogel insulation technology. Aerogel insulation saves energy and money because of its structure—which is comprised of lightweight silica solids that take up only three percent of its total volume. The remaining 97% of the insulation is composed of air in the form of extremely small pores. Because the air has little room to move, it traps the heat effectively – saving energy and money. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES June 07, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources News and Events June 07, 2012

DOE to Launch an Energy Innovation Hub for Critical Materials Research The Energy Department announced on May 31 its plans to invest up to $120 million over five years in a new Energy Innovation Hub that will identify problems and develop solutions across the lifecycle of critical materials. Rare earth elements and other critical materials have unique chemical and physical characteristics—including magnetic, catalytic, and luminescent properties—that are important for a growing number of energy technologies. These critical materials are also at risk for supply disruptions. The new hub, funded by up to $20 million in Fiscal Year 2012, will carry out research aimed both at having a reliable U.S. supply of rare earths and other critical materials, as well as finding efficiencies and alternatives that reduce the amount of critical materials that are needed. The work will aim to advance U.S. leadership in energy-related manufacturing, including the production of electric vehicles, wind turbines, efficient lights, and other products. Universities, national laboratories, nonprofit organizations, and private firms are eligible to compete and are encouraged to form partnerships when submitting their proposals. The award selection is expected this fall. This will be the fifth Energy Innovation Hub established by the Energy Department since 2010. See the Energy Department press release, the Energy Innovation Hubs website, and the funding opportunity announcement. Administration Backs a $26 Million Competition for Advanced Manufacturing The Obama Administration announced on May 29 a $26 million multi-agency Advanced Manufacturing Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge to foster innovation-fueled job creation through public-private partnerships. The challenge will support projects that aim to help grow a region's industry clusters by strengthening connections to regional economic development opportunities and advanced manufacturing assets; enhance a region's capacity to create high-quality sustainable jobs; develop a skilled and diverse advanced manufacturing workforce; increase exports; encourage the development of small businesses; and accelerate technological innovation. This is the third round of the Jobs Accelerator competition, which is being funded by the Energy Department; the U.S. Department of Commerce's Economic Development Administration and National Institute of Standards and Technology; the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration; the Small Business Administration; and the National Science Foundation. In this round, approximately 12 projects are expected to be chosen through a competitive inter-agency grant process. These coordinated investments will help catalyze and leverage private capital, build an entrepreneurial ecosystem, and promote cluster-based development in regions across the United States. The deadline for applications is July 9, 2012. See the interagency press release, the Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge webpage on Manufacturing.gov, and the grant opportunity on Grants.gov. First Commercial Product Meets Rooftop Air Conditioner Challenge The Energy Department announced on May 24 that Daikin McQuay's Rebel rooftop unit system is the first to meet DOE's Rooftop Unit (RTU) Challenge. Five manufacturers—Daikin McQuay, Carrier, Lennox, 7AC Technologies, and Rheem—are participating in this challenge to commercialize highly efficient commercial air conditioners that satisfy a DOE-issued specification for energy savings and performance. When built to meet the specification, these units are expected to reduce energy use by as much as 50%, relative to units built to current standards. Nationwide, if all 10- to 20-ton RTUs met the specification, businesses would save more than $1 billion each year in energy costs. The five companies have until April 1, 2013, to submit a product for independent evaluation according to the specification. Manufacturers nationwide have a strong motivation to produce highly energy-efficient air conditioning units for commercial buildings. Members in DOE's Commercial Buildings Energy Alliances (CBEA), such as Target, Walmart, and other participating commercial building owners have expressed an interest in equipment that meets the new energy efficiency specification at an affordable price. The Energy Department is evaluating potential demonstration sites for high-performing products that meet the RTU Challenge and is also developing analytical tools that enable businesses to more accurately estimate the energy and cost savings of using high-performance RTUs in their facilities. The specification for the RTU Challenge, aimed at spurring the market introduction of cost-effective, high-performance commercial RTU air conditioners, was developed by DOE technical experts and informed by industry partners. See the Energy Department's Progress Alert and the CBEA webpage. Energy Department Names Finalists for the Better Buildings Federal Award The Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center in Atlanta, Georgia, is one of eight finalists for the Energy Department's first annual Better Buildings Federal Award. Credit: FEMP The Energy Department announced on May 30 eight finalists for the first-annual Better Buildings Federal Award. This competition recognizes the federal government's highest-performing buildings and challenges agencies to achieve the greatest reduction in annual energy intensity, the amount of energy consumed per square foot. The federal building that achieves the greatest energy savings over a one-year competition period wins. The finalists, which represent a range of building types, sizes, and agency functions, were selected based upon past and current sustainability efforts that demonstrate leadership and promote ongoing energy savings. They include buildings in Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, New Mexico, Texas, and West Virginia. When selecting finalists, the Department's Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP) considered energy efficiency measures deployed in the facility, best practices in energy management and building operations undertaken by facility personnel, and institutional change programs and other tools that were used to encourage broad sustainability efforts within the facility. From now until September 30, 2012, the selected finalists will compete in a head-to-head competition to achieve the greatest reduction in Fiscal Year 2012 energy intensity. See the Energy Department Progress Alert and the Better Buildings Federal Award webpage.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

The Clean Energy Economy is Creating Jobs The clean energy economy is here, and creating jobs all across the country. In fact, some may even be in your neighborhood. Recently, Environmental Entrepreneurs reported 137 clean energy job announcements that could create 46,000 jobs in 42 states. From manufacturing plants, to power generation projects, to energy efficient retrofits, more than 126 companies, cities, and organizations are creating jobs across this great land. From Atlanta to Michigan to Arizona, workers are finding jobs in the clean energy field. In Atlanta a new streetcar will increase mobility for citizens traveling between downtown and the greater Atlanta region. This project will create almost 1,000 construction jobs alone. In Madison County, Indiana, just outside Indianapolis, a 200-megawatt wind farm is being built. Besides generating electricity for up to 60,000 homes, more than 300 workers have been hired to help build the farm. Read the complete story on the Energy Blog. #askEnergy: Live Twitter Chat with A Solar Expert What do you want to know about solar energy? Now is your opportunity to ask. This Friday, June 8, at 2 p.m. EDT we are hosting a live Solar Twitter Chat. The discussion will be lead by R. Ramesh—our resident solar expert and director of the Energy Department’s SunShot Initiative. To participate, send your questions and comments using #askEnergy. Whether you want to know the pros and cons of cadmium telluride or how solar panels work—no question is too basic or complex. And, if you have an idea for, let's say, making solar energy more accessible to American families and businesses—share it with us during the discussion. To learn more, including ways to participate using email or Facebook, see the Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES May 31, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources News and Events May 31, 2012

Energy Department Awards $11 Million for Clean Energy Small Businesses The Energy Department announced on May 23 a total of $11 million in innovative research and technology grants of up to $150,000 awarded to nearly 67 small businesses in 22 states. The grants were awarded under the department's Small Business Innovation Research program, part of the Obama Administration’s broader support for job-creating small businesses and startup companies nationwide. These businesses are located in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. The businesses will work on 75 research projects including designing better wind turbines and fuel cell technology. They will then be eligible to compete for a second phase of the program with awards up to $1 million over two years. For example, the Seachange Group in Maine will work on a process that determines the best conditions for thermochemical conversion of biomass into drop-in transportation fuels, which has potential for under-developed rural communities. And Creare Incorporated of New Hampshire will focus on improving battery pack thermal management for electric vehicles. See the DOE press release and the description of all the projects. First Winners Announced for 'Apps for Energy' Competition The Energy Department on May 22 announced the first round of winners for the "Apps for Energy" competition, selected by a panel of judges. App developers submitted more than 50 innovative mobile and Web applications that will help utility consumers save money by making the most of their "Green Button" electricity usage data. Eligible apps included those for mobile phones, computers, tablets, software programs, and more. Popular Choice awards will also be announced after the conclusion of a public voting period on May 31. Competing developers created apps that are designed to make the best use of the data provided through the Green Button initiative, which recently announced that nine major utilities and electricity suppliers will provide more than 31 million consumers access to data about their own energy use. The winners are sharing prize money provided jointly by the Energy Department and three private-sector cosponsors of the competition. The grand prize winner for the best overall app was Leafully, a Seattle-based team, which created an app that helps utility customers visualize their Green Button data as a variety of units, such as the amount of trees needed to offset an individual’s energy usage. Leafully encourages users to set energy savings goals and to share their progress on Facebook. The Best Student App Grand Prize was from "wotz," a group of University of California, Irvine, students who submitted an app that lets users explore and play with Green Button data. It provides several games based on the "shape" of data, and offers creative comparisons to illustrate usage. See the Energy Department press release. DOE Announces $3.2 Million to Help Consumers Manage Energy Consumption The Energy Department announced on May 22 phase I awards totaling nearly $3.2 million that will encourage utilities, local governments, and communities to create programs that empower consumers to better manage their electricity use through improved access to their own electricity consumption data. These projects will complement the Apps for Energy prizes by demonstrating how convenient tools and services can help consumers make more informed decisions about their energy consumption and helping to stimulate the market for the development of additional innovative energy applications. Awards were in seven states: Arizona, California, Iowa, Maine, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, and Texas. For phase II, the department will select one recipient to apply the tools and software to an entire service territory, region, or community For example, the City of Dubuque, Iowa, will match a $500,000 DOE award to implement a Smarter Energy Conservation portal that gives residents access to their electricity consumption data. It uses advanced analytics, dynamic visualization, and activity-based engagement to help consumers better understand their consumption. See the DOE press release. 'Year One' Leader in EcoCAR2 Contest Named A student from the Mississippi State University team works on their car, which was honored in the EcoCAR 2012 Competition. Credit: Mississippi State University Mississippi State University was named "Year One" overall winner on May 24 at the EcoCAR 2012 Competition in Los Angeles. EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future is a three-year contest sponsored by the Energy Department, General Motors (GM), and 25 other government and industry leaders. The challenge gives students from 15 collegiate teams the opportunity to gain real-world, eco-friendly automotive engineering experience while striving to improve the energy efficiency on a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. For Year One, with $100,000 in prize money up for grabs, the contest emphasized engineering design though modeling and simulation to select and virtually test the teams' plug-in hybrid electric vehicle architecture. Teams also started developing their hybrid control strategy using hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation tools and designing major vehicle subsystems, including the hybrid powertrain, energy storage, and high-voltage electrical systems. Throughout the events in Los Angeles, EcoCAR 2 teams put their designs to the test, giving presentations to industry and government professionals based on their mechanical, electrical, control and HIL strategies; project initiation approval; outreach and business plans; and trade show display. Mississippi State, which has placed first three times in its nine years of competitions, was followed by Ohio State and the University of Waterloo. The 15 teams also received the keys to the GM-donated 2013 Chevrolet Malibus they will spend the next two years rebuilding, testing, and refining. See the DOE press release and the EcoCAR2 website.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

SunShot Shoots for the Moon with First Grand Challenge Event By Ramamoorthy Ramesh, director SunShot Initiative & Solar Energy Technologies Program About two years ago, my good friend Arun Majumdar, director of ARPA-E, coined the term "SunShot" in one of our meetings. We decided then that all of the solar program efforts going forward would focus on the common goal of making solar electricity cost-competitive by the end of the decade. Such a goal was incredibly ambitious, so it was fitting that the initiative’s name would be inspired by President Kennedy’s "moon shot" speech that launched NASA's effort to put a man on the moon. We have been doing everything in our power to reduce energy costs for consumers and to ensure that American innovators and companies can lead the global transition to a clean energy economy. As the price of solar panels has decreased, the solar energy industry in the United States has exploded. Solar installations doubled from 2009 to 2010, and the domestic market grew to $6 billion in 2010. We now know that SunShot goals are within our reach. By tapping into the best and brightest minds in science, industry, and academia, we are already making progress. The SunShot Initiative is funding more than 250 projects that explore every possible way to drive down the cost of solar, from developing an efficient solar cell that’s as thin as a human hair to creating a GIS-based tool that can perform site assessments from space. But there is much work left to do. The SunShot Grand Challenge: Summit and Technology Forum next month will give us the opportunity to highlight the progress of the past two years and reassess the challenges that must be overcome in order to reach the 2020 goal. We are inviting everyone who is contributing to this effort to join us at what promises to be an exciting event June 13–14 in Denver, Colorado. For the rest of the story, read the complete Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

News and Events by CCRES May 24, 2012

Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources News and Events May 24, 2012

Consumers to Save with New Energy Efficient Washers and Dishwashers Energy efficiency standards for residential clothes washers and dishwashers are designed to save consumers $20 billion in energy and water costs. Credit: Dennis Schroeder/NREL The Department of Energy on May 16 announced energy efficiency standards for residential clothes washers and dishwashers that are expected to save consumers $20 billion in energy and water costs. The clothes washers standard will save households approximately $350 apiece over the lifetime of the appliances. And home dishwashers will use approximately 15% less energy and more than 20% less water, directly providing consumers with savings on monthly bills. Today, clothes washers and dishwashers account for approximately 3% of residential energy use and more than 20% of indoor water use in U.S. homes. The new standards for clothes washers will reduce the energy consumption of front-loading clothes washers by 15% and reduce water consumption by 35%, while the standards will reduce energy consumption by top-loading washers by 33% and reduce water consumption by 19%. The new standards—developed in partnership with companies such as Whirlpool, General Electric, and LG Electronics, industry advocates, national environmental organizations, consumer groups, and other stakeholders—build on previous minimum energy efficiency requirements for clothes washers and dishwashers. They go into effect starting in 2015 and 2013, respectively. The announcement is the most recent in a series of efficiency standards made by the Obama Administration that have covered nearly 40 different products, and will together save consumers nearly $350 billion on their energy bills through 2030. See the DOE press release and the Building Technologies Program website. Energy Department Announces Funding to Test a Wave Energy Device The Energy Department on May 18 announced that $500,000 is available this year to test the technical readiness of technologies that can harness energy from waves to supply renewable power to highly-populated coastal regions. The funding will support one project to deploy and test a wave energy conversion device for one year at the Department of Navy's Wave Energy Test Site off of the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe Bay, Oahu. This funding will demonstrate and accelerate wave power technologies that could further develop the country's significant ocean energy resources. These efforts complement an ongoing collaboration with the Navy, underscoring how increased cooperation between the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and the Energy Department can further the nation's objectives toward renewable energy development. Through the funding opportunity, the Energy Department will provide technical support to test and evaluate the best wave energy options to provide power to DOD facilities. The Energy Department estimates that there are over 1,170 terawatt hours per year of electric generation available from wave energy off U.S. coasts, although not all of this resource potential can realistically be developed. The Navy has supported wave energy conversion research with the expectation that this technology can be used to assist DOD in reaching its agency goal of producing or procuring 25% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025. The Energy Department expects to select a proposed wave energy device that is substantially complete and ready for testing and data collection without significant modification. The testing will include a comprehensive performance assessment—as well as a review of all pre- and post-deployment activities, operations and maintenance activities, and related analysis—to advance understanding of these innovative technologies and identify areas of performance improvement that will benefit this emerging industry as a whole. See the Progress Alert and the funding opportunity announcement. Winners of Design Competition to Advance Energy Efficient Lighting Named The winners of the indoor lighting category of the fourth-annual Next Generation Luminaires Design Competition were announced recently at the LIGHTFAIR International conference in Las Vegas. The competition, sponsored by the Energy Department, the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America, and the International Association of Lighting Designers, was launched in 2008 to promote excellence in the design of energy-efficient light-emitting diode (LED) commercial lighting fixtures, or "luminaires." Solid-state lighting, which includes both LED and organic light emitting diode technologies, has the potential to save $30 billion a year in energy costs by 2030. A panel of eight judges, including experts from the architectural lighting design community, evaluated the next generation luminaires entries based on lighting quality, appearance, serviceability, efficacy, value, dimming, and lifetime. The Best in Class winners came from three different manufacturers and covered three different lighting types. Intense Lighting was awarded Best in Class for its MBW2 LED Track accent lighting fixture; Albeo Technologies Inc. won Best in Class for its H-Series LED high-bay fixture; and Lithonia Lighting earned Best in Class for its ST Series LED utility/general purpose fixture. Design competitions are a key part of DOE's national strategy to accelerate technology advancements from laboratory to marketplace and boost the adoption of energy efficient lighting products. See the DOE Progress Alert, the Building Technologies Program Solid-State Lighting Web page, and the Next Generation Luminaires website. Interior Advances Offshore Atlantic Transmission Line The U.S. Department of the Interior and its Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced on May 14 a finding of "no competitive interest" for the proposed Mid-Atlantic offshore wind energy transmission line. The decision clears the way for the project to move forward with the environmental review necessary to grant the company, Atlantic Grid Holdings, LLC, a right-of-way for the proposal to build a "backbone" transmission line that would enable up to 7,000 megawatts of wind turbine capacity to be delivered to the grid. The proposed project is a high-voltage, direct-current subsea transmission system that would collect power generated by wind turbine facilities off the Atlantic coasts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia. The first such offshore infrastructure proposed in the United States, the system's parallel, redundant circuits would total about 790 miles in length. The proposed transmission line would be constructed in phases to connect offshore wind power to the grid based on the company’s estimates of when offshore wind generation facilities will be in place. A right-of-way grant occupies a corridor 200 feet wide, centered on the cable with additional widths at the hubs. The right-of-way grant corridor is anticipated to extend about 790 miles. Full construction of all phases of the multi-stage project would take about 10 years. Before proceeding with the review of this project, BOEM had to determine whether there were other developers interested in constructing transmission facilities in the same area. Last December, BOEM put out a request for competitive interest in order to gather that information. BOEM also solicited public comment on site conditions and multiple uses within the right-of-way grant area that would be relevant to the proposed project or its impacts. See the Interior press release.

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)   special thanks to U.S. Department of Energy | USA.gov

Apps for Energy Public Voting Starts Back in April, we launched Apps for Energy—challenging developers to build mobile and web applications that bring Green Button electricity data to life. You answered our call—sending in innovative, creative and fun apps that help consumers make informed decisions about their energy usage data in ways that save energy and money. Now that Apps for Energy submissions are in, we want your input. Starting May 17, you can vote for your favorite Apps for Energy submissions as part of our public voting contest. To participate, visit our challenge page at appsforenergy.challenge.gov. There, you can browse our submission gallery and view photos, videos and detailed descriptions for more than 50 web and mobile applications. Your vote will help determine the Grand Prize and Second Place winners for the Apps for Energy Popular Choice Awards. You can vote only once—but for as many submissions as you'd like until the close of public voting on May 31. For the complete story, see the Energy Blog. Croatian Center of Renewable Energy Sources (CCRES)

Bloomberg launches Sustainability page

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)

shares to you

BLOOMBERG

 Bloomberg has recently launched new sustainability pages.

Bloomberg

connects influential decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. Strength - quickly and accurately delivering data, news and analytics through innovative technology - is at the core of everything we do. With over 15,000 employees in 192 locations, Bloomberg deliver business and financial information, news and insight around the world.

Sustainability Most Popular

• 
  

  Tesla Falls After Executives Leave Before Electric Model S Debut

   
• 
  

  VW to Expand Car Financing to Win Loyalty

   
• 
  

  South America Boom Backfiring With Complacency From Commodities

   
• 
  

  Water Risk in Supply Chains Draws Investor Scrutiny

   
• 
  

  Child Labor for Victoria’s Secret Cotton Examined by U.S.

SUBSCRIBE NOW to Bloomberg Businessweek, the one magazine that gives you a fresh look at the latest international business news, global economic, technology and industry trends, company profiles, government policy and much more.

When you subscribe to Bloomberg Businessweek you get:

OPENING REMARKS

A richly reported essay on one of the week’s most important stories.

COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE

The latest must-know global news in sections such as Markets & Finance, Companies & Industries, Global Economics, Politics & Policy, and Technology.

INSIGHTFUL FEATURES

In-depth stories that go beyond the headlines to offer broader perspective on critical topics shaping the world today.

INTELLIGENT PURSUITS

A new section covering the culture of business and the rewards success brings including travel, money, gadgets, books, and more.

VITALITY

From the bold covers, to the engaging layout, to the more contemporary design, you will want to read it.

We know you’ll be impressed.

Global
Economics

Companies
& Industries

Politics
& Policy

Markets
& Finance

Technology

Color-coded navigation helps you find what you need fast.

Every week

keeps you a step ahead of today’s business world with complete coverage of critical issues:

• Business News
• International Business
• Stock Market News
• Global Economy
• World Markets
• Financial News
• Company Profiles
• Industry Trends
• Technology News
• Energy Trends
• Political Policies
• Government Regulation
• Corporate Law
• Financial Advice
• International Exchanges
• Corporate Leadership

Prepare for your week ahead.

Subscribe now
and get 85% off!

 

  Customer Support

Directory

• The Americas

• T +1 212 318 2000
• Contact via Skype

• Europe, Middle East, and Africa

• T +44-20-7330-7500
• Contact via Skype

• Asia-Pacific

• T +65-6212-1000
• Contact via Skype

>> Customer Support Feedback

• Argentina

• T +54 11 4321 7700

• Australia - Melbourne

• T +61 3 9228 8700

• Australia - Sydney

• T +61 2 9777 8600

• Brazil

• T +55 11 3048 4500

• Canada - Montreal

• T +1 514 669 4410

• Canada - Toronto

• T +1 416 203 5788

• Chile

• T +56 2 487 4000

• China - Beijing

• T +86 10 6649 7500

• China - Shanghai

• T +86 21 6104 3000

• Colombia

• T +57 1 313 7640

• Dubai

• T +971 4 364 1000

• Egypt

• T +20 22 461 8511

• France

• T +33 1 5365 5000

• Germany

• T +49 69 9204 1210

• Greece

• T +30 210 741 9000

• Hong Kong

• T +852 2977 6000

• India - Mumbai

• T +91 22 6120 3600

• India - New Delhi

• T +91 11 4179 2000

• Indonesia

• T +62 21 2355 3000

• Israel

• T +972 3 754 1146

• Italy

• T +39 02 8064 4225

• Japan

• T +81 3 3201 8900

• Korea

• T +822 3702 1600

• Kuwait

• T +965 2225 1643

• Malaysia

• T +60 3 2302 7800

• Mexico

• T +52 55 5242 9200

• Netherlands

• T +31 20 589 8500

• New Zealand

• T +64 4 498 2200

• Peru

• T +51 1 614 6800

• Philippines

• T +63 2 789 7000

• Portugal

• T +351 21 340 4660

• Russia

• T +7 495 937 6770

• Saudi Arabia

• T +800 8 440 438

• Singapore

• T +65 6212 1000

• South Africa

• T +27 11 286 1949

• Spain

• T +34 91 700 9600

• Sri Lanka

• T +94 1 1235 1333

• Switzerland - Geneva

• T +41 22 317 9200

• Switzerland - Zurich

• T +41 44 224 4111

• Taiwan

• T +886 2 7719 1500

• Thailand

• T +66 2 654 7300

• Turkey

• T +90 212 317 3900

• UAE

• T +971 4 364 1000

• UK

• T +44 20 7330 7500

• US - East Coast

• T +1 212 318 2000

• US - West Coast

• T +1 415 912 2960

• Venezuela

• T +58 212 277 3700

• Vietnam

• T +84 4 39 350 950

CROATIAN CENTER of RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES (CCRES)