Alan Meier

Energy impacts of recycling disassembly material in residential buildings

In order to stop the global warmth due to the CO2 concentration, the energy use should be decreased. The investment of building construction industry in Japan is about 20% of GDP. This fraction is much higher than in most developed countries. That results the Japanese building construction industry including residential use consumes about one third of all energy and resources of the entire industrial sectors. In order to save energy as well as resource, the recycle of the building materials should be urgent to be carried out. In this paper, we focus on the potential energy savings with a simple calculated method when the building materials or products are manufactured from recycled materials. We examined three kinds of residential buildings with different construction techniques and estimated the decreased amount of energy consumption and resources resulting from use of recycled materials. The results have shown for most building materials, the energy consumption needed to remake housing materials from recycled materials is lower than that to make new housing materials. The energy consumption of building materials in all case-study housing can be saved by at least 10%. At the same time, the resource, measured by mass of building materials (kg) can be decreased by over 50%.

Consumer discount rates implied by purchases of energy-efficient refrigerators

Consumer purchasing patterns for a standard and an energy-efficient refrigerator are presented. These models differed only in their initial cost and electricity consumption. Consumers tended to buy the more efficient model in regions with higher electricity prices. A distribution of implied consumer discount rates is constructed. Roughly 25 of the consumers behaved as if they had real discount rates above 60%, 15 between 35 and 60%, and 25 less than 35%.

Strategic landscaping and air-conditioning savings: A literature review

Abstract The careful siting of vegetation around a building has long been recognized as a means of cooling. However, the extent of the airconditioning energy savings has not been widely recognized nor quantified. Several researchers have measured the energy reductions caused by different kinds of vegetation in a variety of locations. Air-conditioning energy savings as high as 80% have been measured, although 25–50% were more common. Large savings were found in both dry and humid locations. The landscaping appears to influence heat gain through several processes, including shading from the sun, shielding from infiltration, and the creation of a cooler micro-climate around the building. These processes are poorly modeled in popular computer simulation models.

SUPPLY CURVES OF CONSERVED ENERGY FOR CALIFORNIA'S RESIDENTIAL SECTOR

A new method of presenting the potential for conservation is discussed. Supply curves of conserved energy provide a consistent accounting framework for assessing diverse conservation measures. They also permit simple comparison of conservation measures among themselves and with conventional energy supplies. The technique is applied to Californias residential sector and illustrative policy conclusions are presented. Roughly 34% of the natural gas and 25% of the electricity used by the residential sector could be saved at costs of conserved energy below current marginal prices.

Supplying energy through greater efficiency : the potential for conservation in California's residential sector

Conserved energy is treated as a new energy source. Its potential is measured with supply curves that have been previously used only for economic assessments of tangible energy sources. Data on energy savings in individual homes and in the use of specific appliances are examined and then their conclusions are extrapolated to California residential sector. These estimates make it possible to compare the cost of energy conservation with the cost of searching for new conventional energy supplies or the cost of building new power plants. (MHR)

Sulfur Control In Coal Fired Power Plants: A Probabilistic Approach to Policy Analysis

The optimum level of sulfur pollution control for a coal fired power plant is the point where the sum of societal costs, due to pollution, and control costs is minimized. This basic microeconomic concept has been of limited practical value due to considerable uncertainty in estimating both costs. A probabilistic approach is used to characterize these uncertainties quantitatively for a hypothetical 1000 Mwe plant located near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Only mortality effects within a distance of 80 km of the plant have been included. The results allow explicit consideration of attitude toward risk and appropriate level of investment to prevent deaths. Limitations of the findings are discussed. Implications are described for policy based on alternative sets of values and assumptions.

A thermal analysis of the model conservation standards for new homes in the Pacific Northwest U.S.A.

Energy-efficiency standards have been proposed for new, electrically-heated houses constructed in the Pacific Northwest (U.S.A.). Before implementation, several hundred houses were built to the new standards in order to determine their costeffectiveness. In order to estimate the energy savings, weekly energy consumption data for total utility, space heating, water heating, and appliances were collected for the houses built to the new standards and an equal number of Control houses. After adjustments for climate, floor area, internal gains, and inside temperature, the homes built to the new standard used about 45% less electrical space heat than the Control homes.

How to review a technical paper

Abstract Peer review of journal articles and other technical reports is a key element in the maintenance of academic integrity. This article assists the reader in the efficient preparation of constructive reviews. The parts of a typical review are listed, as well as formats for the most common situations. Common defects of technical papers are discussed.

MONITORED ENERGY PERFORMANCE OF NEW AND RETROFITTED BUILDINGS

ABSTRACT We present results of several compilations of monitored energy performance of buildings and equipment. We compare the performance of over one hundred monitored low-energy homes. Measured results from residential and commercial building retrofits are summarized.

Conservation will always be with us

The rapidly changing energy situation has led to new analyses of energy conservation from both physical and economic perspectives. A physics perspective suggests that the technical prospects for improved efficiency remain very great. An economics perspective suggests that conserved energy may be used to offset new energy supplies. Together, they suggest a continuing and important role for energy conservation.