Abstracts of presentations made in Track D at EUEC 2015 in San Diego California.
DOE_Logo

D1.1 The Quadrannial Energy Review
Mitchell Baer, Director – Office of Energy Security Analysis, US DOE

 

The Office of Energy Security and Systems Analysis within the Department of Energy has embarked
on a 3-year project to prepare annual installations of the Quadrannial Energy Review, coordintated
with other Federal agencies, state governments, public groups, industry associations and legislative
representatives at all levels of government. The first installation pertained to Infrastructure, prepared
between January 2013 and 2014; the second and third instatllations will address energy supply and
end-uses of energy. The presentation will summarize the 3-year project and focus on the Infratructure analysis.

D1.2 Economic Effects on the U.S. Refining Industry of EPA Clean Air Act Greenhouse Gas Controls & Potential Carbon Tax & Cap-and-Trade Systems
Bill Smalling, Attorney, The Law Office of C. William Smalling
As of 2013, the U.S. Congress has not enacted major energy–climate change-related legislation.
However, in early 2011, the National Research Council of the National Academies, Committee on
America’s Climate Choices, issued its report, America’s Climate Choices, which concluded that
respecting the nature and magnitude of future risks should begin “the process of substantially reducing
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.” This article assumes that a bill similar to the cap-and-trade (CAT)
Waxman-Markey (WM) or similar to a hybrid CAT-carbon tax (CT) Lieberman-Warner Climate Security
Act of 2007 (LW) will eventually be passed. To summarize consumer prices during the forecast period,
gasoline prices could rise by $1.00 per gallon above the no GHG control scenario. Total U.S. refining
capacity losses could be up to eight million barrels per day. Refining-sector employment job losses
could be up to 400,000. If a CAT or CT is passed in the United States, the current CAA GHG regulation
cost plus the CAT-CT costs will, in the writer’s estimation, reduce the U.S. refining industry to one-half its
current size. If this projection seems outlandish, consider that, according to a March 2011 Department
of Energy report, in the past 20 years, federal regulations (such as the CAA) were a significant factor in
the closing of 66 U.S. refineries. Refinery closures and the recession have led to a loss of over 3000 direct
jobs and 506,000 barrels per day decrease in capacity.

sandagD1.3 Energy Roadmap Program: A Utility-Local Government Partnership
Susan Freedman, Senior Regional Energy/Climate Planner, San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG); Josh Brock, San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)

 

The Energy Roadmap Program (ERP) for local governments is a public-private partnership between
SANDAG and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). It provides municipal energy assessments and
innovative community planning to cities in the San Diego region and is an integral part of the region’s
implementation of the CA Global Warming Solutions Act and CPUC Long Term Energy Efficiency
Strategic Plan. Since 2010, the ERP has delivered comprehensive, user-friendly energy management
plans to aid local government sustainability efforts. The program is voluntary and 75 percent of eligible
jurisdictions have completed Roadmaps. Each city’s Roadmap is customized to their needs. Completed
reports have been presented to City Councils and other stakeholders in the region. Some results thus far
include: Reductions of 3.2 million kWh, 500 kW, and 1250 tons CO2e identified; $450,000 in bill savings
identified from rate switching; and With SDG&E, energy trainings are offered to grow institutional
knowledge. The ERP also assists cities with implementation of energy projects and/or programs of
most interest to each. Implementation activities can result in: Reduced government spending on utility
bills and gasoline; Integration of sustainability, energy efficiency, and emission reductions into general
plans and climate action plans; Qualifications to participate in future funding opportunities related to
energy efficiency; Increased investment in community energy efficiency.

SterneKesslerGoldsteinFoxD1.4 Proactive Patent Prosecution Strategies in view of Post-Grant Challenges
Peter Jackman, Director, Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox PLLC

 

As Inter Partes Review (IPR) at the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has become an increasingly, &
effective, favored avenue for challenging validity of issued patents, patent portfolios are more
susceptible to attacks by competitors. In addition to speed & cost savings, IPRs offer significant
strategic advantages to patent challengers such as a lower burden relative to the district courts, a
broader claim construction, & judges with technical training. Technology innovators must not only
understand the significant change in the post-grant patent challenge landscape, but must proactively
adjust their patent prosecution strategies as well. This session will provide an overview of the IPR process
& current statistics as well as patent prosecution strategies to implement before, during & after patent
grant to help pre-empt third party threats.

BurnsMcDonnellLogoD1.5 FERC Approved Definition of BES & Its Impact to Your Organization
Linda Lynch, Senior Reliability Compliance Specialist, Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company; Michael C. Johnson

 

 

Since November 2010, when the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) directed the North
American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) to revise the definition of the term “Bulk Electric System”
(BES) to ensure that it captures all facilities necessary for the reliable operation of the interconnected
transmission system, companies have been struggling as to whether they own or operate BES elements
& are subject to NERC Reliability Standards requirements. The most recently approved BES definition is
a continent-wide uniform process for identifying BES assets & is effective July 1, 2014. The BES definition
establishes a bright-line threshold for all facilities operated at or above 100 kV, except defined radial
facilities. It provides an exemption process & criteria for removing by self-determination previously
identified BES facilities. This revised definition however will subject “newly” identified BES facilities to
NERC compliance requirements. In this course we will cover the NERC BES Core Definition & criteria
for inclusion or exclusion, & the recommended steps that should be followed for the self-determination
process. Also, the definition of Elements will be discussed & how they may, or may not, be considered
as a BES. In the initial design or redesign for generation resources, transmission or distribution substations,
it is critical that you understand whether it is a BES element & its impact to the reliability of the BES.

Sera1D3.1 Non-Energy Benefits(NEBS): Where are we & why fo they matter so much?
Lisa Skumatz, Principal, Skumatz Economic Research Associates

 

 

Energy efficiency programs are designed to save energy, but concurrently deliver a variety of other
effects as well – called Non-Energy Benefits (NEBs) or non-energy effects. This presentation traces the
progress in NEBs research over the last 20 years, the current status, best practices in model- & surveybased
measurement approaches, & the highest priority remaining challenges. NEBs accrue to utilities
(payment improvements, T&D, system reliability, etc.), participants (comfort, bill payments, health
& safety, productivity, etc.), & society (job creation, emission reductions). Monetized NEBs provide
valued information for three key applications: program refinement & incentives / barriers analysis,
program marketing & targeting, & the incorporation of NEBs (or classes thereof) in regulatory costbenefit
tests – including the TRC & Societal Test. These tests historically include all costs, but have
ignored classes of net benefits (essentially assuming their values were zero), leading to 1) bias in the
tests, & 2) underinvestment in energy efficiency programs & measures. This presentation reviews the size
of omitted NEBs, summarizes the NEBs & test options already in place in some states, & brings attendees
up to date on states currently debating incorporation of NEBs in revised tests – using “adder”, “easily
measured”, “hybrid” & fuller incorporation of NEBs in tests. Examples, numerics, & policy elements are discussed.

NexantD3.2 Building Energy Efficiency in China
Ying Hu, Professor, School of Architecture & Fine Art, Dalian University of Technology; Yang Hu & Wenshu Fan, Nexant

 

In this paper, the authors first briefly introduced the up to date energy consumption trends in China, and
their relationships with Chinese economics. The development of the Chinese building energy efficiency
policies was then thoroughly discussed. With a focus on the building energy efficiency designs at the
city of Dalian, China, the authors highlighted the importance of the building energy efficiency through
the process of building design, construction, and management.

NationalGridLogoD3.3 Encouraging Energy Efficient- Lighting Quality
Edward Bartholomew, Commercial Lighting Program Manager, National Grid

 

 

A presentation on how lighting quality is being supported by utilities through targeted incentives. This
talk will explore the advanced lighting strategies that promote a holistic “design” approach to energy
efficiency. it will explore how the lighting design process can be motivated to reduce energy use
Through case studies and research he will demonstrate how an integrated lighting design process
promotes a quality visual environment while reducing energy use. At the end of the talk participants
will have a better grasp of targeted utility lighting incentives. Participants will learn how to craft
incentives that promote lighting quality. Participants will learn how to measure and evaluate lighting
technologies and strategies to determine energy effectiveness. Participants will learn how quality
lighting is in alignment with sustainability values especially those that support LEED credits.

processD3.4 Don’t Let Your Money Just Blow Away
Allen Ray, Director – Air – Gas Handling Group, ProcessBarron

 

One of the largest parasitic loads on a boiler or an industrial process is from the horsepower requirements
of the mechanical draft fans. In today’s competitive market, it is wise if not imperative to examine
these fans and their draft systems to evaluate optimizing efficiencies and the return on investment of
these power conservation upgrades. These power-reducing upgrades can also substantially reduce
emissions and the overall carbon footprint. Evaluation criteria includes actual operating performance,
the cost of power or the cost of generation of power, cost of down time, value of improvements to
maintenance issues, allotted payback time and initial capital investment to perform the upgrade.
Fan or draft system modifications can range from correcting inlet or outlet conditions on the fan to a
complete rotor re-design and replacement or possibly a complete fan replacement on an existing
foundation. Matching the fan performance to the system requirements, or “right-sizing” the fan, and
selecting the proper blade design is also critical for efficient operation. After the modification have
been completed, a post evaluation will be done to determine the actual amount of realized power
savings, improved capacity, lower maintenance costs and reduction in carbon emissions. A case
history detailing the step by step process for upgrading a set of fans will be presented that saved in
excess of 25,000,000 kW-hours per year equating to saving over $2.0 million per year.

ucsdD3.5 Light-weight vapor chambers effected by nano-capillary pump cooling
H. Paul Wang, Professor, Department of Environmental Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan; H. Y. Kan, National Cheng Kung Universit; W.-K. Li, National Tsing-Hua University; JamesmWang, UC San Diego

Novel light-weight & ultra-thin vapor chambers (VC) effected by nano-capillary pump loops containing
wick structures of 10-30 nm were prepared to enhance heat dissipation efficiencies of high-power
light-emitted iodides (LEDs). Experimentally, the light-weight VC filled with water vapor & ionic liquid as
working fluid attains a high thermal transfer efficiency (3500 W/m-K), approximately about nine times
higher compared to pure copper.

Will-County-Logo3D3.6 Partnerships that Promote Energy Efficiency
Marta Keane, Resource Recovery Program Specialist, Will County

 

 

Since 2010 Will County has engaged in partnership building to educate residents, businesses and
schools on energy efficiency, water conservation and increased recycling. The County has highlighted
homes with solar panels, a LEED college, a LEED restaurant, the Nissan Leaf, the Chevy Volt, the Ford
Cmax, Natural Gas garbage trucks, and much more. At the same time, the County has offered
information on improvements undertaken at their own buildings, including a Cool Roof, Green Roof
and Reflective Roof on three buildings. Lighting changes have been coupled with the installation of a
revolving door, computerized elevator that generates energy from its braking system and more. The
improvements, along with the contractors involved are publicized through press releases, the county’s
website dedicated to “green” information, through social media, and an electronic newsletter. The
County has held three business forums with mixed speakers highlighting energy efficiency products,
financial savings, and ease of implementation. These forums have included exhibitor space to further
communication between the hard to reach business owners and the innovative entrepreneurs. The
County has advertised using radio, billboards and newspaper to reach our nearly 700,000 residents
across 450 square miles. In communicating success, working cooperatively, energy efficiency improves.
Will County has already reduced our buildings consumption of energy by 13 percent.

EDFD5.1 New Utility Business Model – New York’s Reforming Energy Vision
John Finnigan, Lead Counsel, Environmental Defense Fund

 

 

New York has opened a proceeding to re-shape the utility business model and the Environmental
Defense Fund (EDF) filed comments in this case. New York played a leading role in developing today’s
utility business model. Thomas Edison developed the first power plant on Pearl Street in Manhattan in
1882, serving 85 lighting customers. Edison’s business model was simple – keep adding more customers
and keep building larger power plants. This was a win/win model for Edison’s customers and for his
utility companies. Customers won because the ever-larger power plants were more efficient, so Edison
could sell electricity at a lower per-unit cost every time he built a new plant. As the price per kilowatt
of electricity kept declining, customers used more electricity. The utility companies won because
their total revenues steadily increased. This presentation will update current developments in this
proceeding and discuss the major issues the New York Commission is addressing.

RTPD5.2 Developing & Implementing a National Energy Policy
Kenneth Skipka, Principal, RTP Environmental Associates, Inc; Louis Theodore at Theodore Tutorials

 

 

The paper provides an empirical non-biased approach to solving the variety of energy management
challenges that exist within the U.S. and elsewhere. The approach is designed to be generic in form and
provides the steps that need to be taken to develop a long term solution to the energy management
needs of a nation. In effect, a design for a national energy program is provided. The basic guiding
principles are discussed along with the adjustments that need to be made to correct the variety of
problems resulting from in-place practices. A key feature of the presentation will be the roles of evaluating
the various consequences of individual actions, the biases that influence energy management
decisions, potential solutions to address issues of concern, and the unintended consequences that
all solutions inherently contain. Properly evaluating the chain of events that almost always result from
any action to resolve energy issues is essential to selecting the most appropriate solution from the
many options available. The issue of bias is discussed, along with the consequences that can result,
thereby limiting progress, increasing cost, wasting resources and the inevitable cleanup after the fact.
The proposed solution to energy management utilizes a public/private partnership as the choice for
the management team concept and radical management as the choice of management style for
the organization. The approach is generic, allowing policy development for individual regions.

synapse-logoD5.3 CO2 Price Forecast: Planning for Future Environmental Regulations
Patrick Luckow, Associate, Synapse Energy Economics; Joseph Daniel, Spencer Fields, Elizabeth A. Stanton & Bruce Biewald

 

 

Prudent utility risk management necessitates the use of a reasonable estimate for the future price of
carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Failure to do so when evaluating resource investment decisions with
multi-decade lifetimes exposes utilities, investors, & ratepayers to unnecessary risk. Because there is not
yet a comprehensive federal policy regulating carbon emissions, forecasting a future CO2 price can
be challenging—akin to the challenge of forecasting long-term fuel prices for electricity generation.
However, given the current regulatory environment, many utilities have come to recognize that
assuming there will be no CO2 price in the coming decades is unrealistic & may lead to significant
unexpected future costs; U.S. electric utilities are increasingly incorporating CO2 price projections into
long-term electricity sector planning & investment decisions. This work will summarize our research into
CO2 forecasts being used in utility integrated resource plans (IRP). A review of 91 IRPs released in the
2012 – 2013 timeframe identified 46 that included a CO2 price. This is similar to the level we found in
2008 – 2011, when national cap-and-trade policies were being considered. Synapse has used this IRP
research—along with a review of the most recent information on federal regulatory measures, state &
regional climate policies, & policy research—to inform our CO2 price forecast: the only forecast of its
kind made freely available to the public.

TVAD5.4 How to Sustain a Best-in-Class Utility while improving the Bottom Line
Monte Matthews, Sr. Mgr. Disclosure & Performance, Tennessee Valley Authority

 

 

 

This presentation represents a Utility Industry analysis of key issues which allow financial market
convergence with sustainable practice. Examples provided from the Tennessee Valley Authority’s
sustainability journey, as well as results from other world class companies and organizations, attempt
to clarify sustainable performance and how it can impact key financial trends. The presentation will
include an explanation of sustainability program challenges and maturity, as well as potential future
trends. The presentation will also touch on using existing management system tools to help implement
programs to improve sustainability and financial performance in areas such as materiality, integrated
reporting, indicators and target setting. The presentation is meant to provide tangible examples of
sustainability success stories, and how these efforts can positively impact the company’s economic
and financial bottom line.

genzymeD5.5 How to Sustainably Reduce your Carbon Footprin while Increasing Financial Performance
Dr. Steven Driver, Global Energy Manager, Genzyme – Sanofi

 

Genzyme, a subsidiary of Sanofi is a biotechnology company located in Cambridge Massachusetts
specializing in treatment of rare diseases. Genzyme has been managing a successful energy program
for the past several years working toward a ten year 20% carbon and 25% water reduction by the year
2020. To meet this environmental challenge, managing an effective sustainability program is essential.
The twenty minute presentation is focused on the owners’ perspective of how to sustainably reduce
carbon foot while increasing financial performance. Attendees will learn principles and practices
around how to keep buildings sustainable with respect to the energy they consume along with actual
case studies validating the sustainable commissioning concept. A focus is put on how building
commissioning processes play a key role in keeping LEED certified buildings and manufacturing
operations reliable and efficient over time. Participants will also learn about setting financial and
carbon targets, implementing low cost energy measures, and understanding how utility rebates
impact the overall financial portfolio. The importance of integrating energy measures into the ISO
50001 energy management system will also be reviewed.

kwantera-logoD6.1 Big Data & Efficient Energy Prices
Mark DeSantis, CEO, kWantera

The combination of evolving deregulation of the US & EU energy markets together with recent
advances in data analytics & so called ‘Big Data’ technologies now offers an unprecedented
opportunity for optimal real-time energy pricing for buyers & sellers alike. The main challenge to date
for optimal pricing has been optimal real-time bidding & variety of traditional data analysis tools have
been applied to this challenge. Yet inefficiencies remain. However, recent advances in massive realtime
data analysis, such as those utilized by Amazon, Google & Facebook to name a few, has now
given energy buyers a very affordable & accessible everyday means to finding the opportune time to
bid, the optimal price to bid (whether to buy or sell) as well as the ideal quantity to bid in the wholesale
energy markets. Countless factors, weather, congestion, market conditions, demand to name a few,
impact the pricing of energy. The effort to get the best price is made more complicated by additional
factors including the dynamic nature of real-time spot markets & the need to continuously monitor &
process vast amounts of disparate information.

CarnegieD6.2 Energy Data Accelerator the stakeholder engagement
Azizan Azizz, Assistant Professor & Senior Research Architect, Carnegie Mellon University; Flore Marion & Erica Cochran

 

 

The U.S. Department of Energy leads many initiatives to improve energy efficiency and reduce
energy use in the United States. One of those programs is the Energy Data Accelerator launched in
December 2013. This Accelerator is designed to demonstrate, low-cost, standardized approaches for
accessing, providing, organizing, and utilizing energy data for the purpose of whole building energy
performance benchmarking. Partners in the Accelerator are utilities and local governments who want
to help building owners access whole-building energy usage data for the purposes of benchmarking
commercial buildings. The 21 Partners agree to demonstrate streamlined, best-practice approaches
for building owners to access whole-building energy usage data―with a specific focus on providing
building owners with aggregated energy usage information in multi-tenant buildings. During this
presentation we will share findings of the Energy Data Accelerator program and the stakeholder
engagement methodologies utilized by the partner cities and utilities to engage their stakeholders and
achieve the accelerator and energy goals by December 2015.

globalscapeD6.3 “Secure File Transfer via Satellite or Mobile”
Brian Henger, Enterprise Account Manager, Globalscape; Elizabeth Laurin

 

Globalscape software solutions help energy and utility companies around the world solve data transport
issues. If you work in the energy industry, location can be an issue. Field workers, landmen, partners,
remote field stations, and others rely on timely and accurate information. Sometimes traditional ways
of transferring data cannot meet the requirements of global enterprises. However, Globalscape has
secure and reliable file transfer software solutions that work wherever you are. Learn how Globalscape
provides real business solutions that are secure, automated, simple to administer along with seamless
integration that meet your companies requirements in multiple protocol environments.

sughrue_logoD6.4 That’s My Idea: Clean Energy Inventorship Disputes and How to Avoid Them
Margaret Welsh, Associate, Sughrue Mion, PLLC

 

While inventorship disputes are no more or less common in the energy industry than other industries,
these types of disputes can easily derail an otherwise lucrative clean energy invention. A review of
some recent disputes provides lessons learned to help innovators (at the company and individual
level) mitigate potential risks. This presentation provides an overview of the importance of properly
naming inventorship with respect to patents, and reviews case studies from the clean energy industry
to provide guidance for inventors when claiming ownership of an innovation. For example, in Northern
Cable and Automation, LLC. v. General Motors Co., the parties disputed ownership of a patent relating
to battery technology in hybrid cars. In Genifuel Corporation et al. v. Oyler, a named inventor of a
fuel algae patent was accused of not being an actual inventor. And in General Electric v. Wilkins, an
inventor was allegedly missing from a wind turbine patent. In these disputes, the enforceability and
validity of a patent was challenged because of inventorship questions. These cases stress the criticality
of properly naming inventors in a patent application and shed an interesting light on a potential
unforeseen problem for inventors and their inventions.

lucidD6.5 Utility Smart Meters + Intelligent Building Technology: A Look to the Future of Connected Buildings
Joseph Aamidor, Senior Product Manager, Lucid

 

 

There has been a lot of talk about smart meters, and many deployments, but many of the benefits
remain difficult to realize. That’s because 15-minute interval data sources are difficult to access, the
technologies are fragmented, and getting to actionable intelligence is time-consuming and difficult.
But, this is starting to change. The software industry is rapidly evolving to help a proliferation of smart
devices interact nicely with one another, and more importantly, to help them interact with various
individuals. In this session, discover what’s possible with smart meter data when they are coupled with
innovative cloud-based technology. Find out how Arlington Independent School District, the 9th largest
school district in Texas, is leveraging commercial building technology to give new meaning to Smart
Meter Texas data for faculty, administration and 64,000 students in Texas–think scheduling optimization
for facility managers, ROI tracking for finance, and friendly character gauges that engage students in
energy savings. Learn how the City of Washington D.C.’s Department of General Services is working to
halve its carbon footprint by 2032 with the support of smart meter data and powerful SaaS technology
that can for instance, showcase the real-time standings for their D.C. Green Schools Challenge, a
school vs. school electricity reduction competition.