U.S. Utilities focus on Energy Efficiency

U.S. utilities are focusing on energy efficiency to lessen the need to build new power plants while they await what they see as inevitable carbon regulation, executives said at the four-day CERA conference in Houston that ended on Friday.

Uncertainty over the form and cost of regulation of carbon dioxide emissions has many utility executive hedging their bets on new power plants while consumer conservation programs are viewed as a safe way to give consumers more tools to control energy consumption in the face of rising costs.

Data centers take the LEED

Highmark Inc.'s new 28,000-square-foot data center in Harrisburg, Pa., isn't just energy-efficient, it was also one of the first to attain the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) building certification, issued by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

For businesses that want the cachet of going green, LEED is the ultimate status symbol. While attaining the certification is a laudable goal, not all of the recommendations make sense for buildings that house data centers, and getting the certification can be a reach -- especially when retrofitting existing data centers.

While most data center managers associate going green with energy efficiency, LEED certifications are much more about overall impact on the environment and social responsibility. For example, having a recycling program is mandatory to attain LEED.

'Going Green' big at Builder's conference

The drive toward "green" residential construction takes center stage this week at the world's largest light construction conference and trade show. The National Association of Home Builders will announce national green building standards and a green builder designation at the International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla.

Both represent "what seems to be the future of home building," said Calli Schmidt of the NAHB. The national effort is growing out of individual states' green building initiatives in recent years. That includes Michigan, where Grand Rapids builders helped drive a statewide set of green building guidelines in recent years, said Schmidt.

Ameren Illinois Utilities propose Energy Efficiency plan

The Ameren Illinois Utilities have filed an energy efficiency plan with the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) designed to help customers save money by reducing their natural gas usage.

Customers will be given a variety of options from which to cut their energy costs. For example, the plan proposes incentives for residential customers to install high-efficiency furnaces, automatic programmable thermostats, water heater and hot water pipe insulation, wall insulation and low-emissivity double-pane windows.

There also will be programs for low-income customers and incentives for apartment building owners and commercial customers that will help them improve energy efficiency.

Data Center University Includes Green Courses

Heading into its third year, Data Center University offers more than 45 online courses, including classes on energy efficiency and green IT practices. Data Center University was launched by American Power Conversion in 2006 and offers a course catalog running the gamut of power and cooling basics to blade server integration.

Optimizing data centers has become an important issue for companies that are looking to save money, lessen their impact on the environment, or both. Recent studies have show businesses are migrating to, or want to switch to, greener computing practices for various. Not only does cutting power and cooling costs at data centers save money, but it also cuts the amount of energy consumed.

Many of Data Center University's courses have environmental, and economical impacts. Introductory, intermediate and advanced classes look at different levels of power and cooling. Other classes teach how to establish energy-efficiency benchmarks and environmental monitoring. The University also offers an Associate Certification test that covers knowledge of all aspects of data centers

Europe outpaces US in energy efficiency

Across Europe, countries are experimenting with policies to encourage homeowners, renters and landlords to make buildings more energy-efficient. They've been prodded by the European Union, which as part of its effort to fight climate change has set an ambitious goal to cut energy consumption in buildings 11% by 2020.

In the U.S., some companies such as Citigroup Inc. and a handful of states such as California have launched efforts to improve energy efficiency in buildings. But in general, the U.S. has been slower to devise policies to address the problem. The EU, meanwhile, has mandated that member states renew their building codes every five years and create standards to calculate the energy efficiency of buildings.

Another measure calls for all buildings to submit a report card, or "energy certificate," which can be shown to prospective buyers or renters. The hope is that grading buildings on their energy efficiency will spur landlords and owners to undertake renovations.

'Renewable' Label wrong For Nuclear

Last year, the South Carolina Senate approved a bill that would classify a host of energies -- solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, hydrogen -- as "renewable." But the bill was amended to also include nuclear power, which does not make sense because uranium fuel comes from a finite source just like oil and coal does.

The House this week voted 114-0 to remove nuclear energy from the list of renewable resources and returned the bill to its original intent.

The classification of nuclear as "renewable" is more than just senseless. It diverts attention from the original intent of the Energy Efficiency Act, which was to promote South Carolina's emerging, homegrown energy economy. Furthermore, allowing power companies to boost their "renewable" power ratings with nuclear-generated power creates loopholes for future energy production standards and discourages serious investments in real energy conservation.