Barbara Atkinson

Lighting Controls in Commercial Buildings

Abstract Researchers have been quantifying energy savings from lighting controls in commercial buildings for more than 30 years. This study provides a meta-analysis of lighting energy savings identified in the literature—240 savings estimates from 88 papers and case studies, categorized into daylighting strategies, occupancy strategies, personal tuning, and institutional tuning. Beginning with an overall average of savings estimates by control strategy, successive analytical filters are added to identify potential biases introduced to the estimates by different analytical approaches. Based on this meta-analysis, the best estimates of average lighting energy savings potential are 24 percent for occupancy, 28 percent for daylighting, 31 percent for personal tuning, 36 percent for institutional tuning, and 38 percent for multiple approaches. The results also suggest that simulations significantly overestimate (by at least 10 percent) the average savings obtainable from daylighting in actual buildings.

A review of U.S. and Canadian lighting programs for the residential, commercial, and industrial sectors

We discuss both the technical potential for lighting savings and the achievable potential from existing programs aimed at realizing those savings in both the U.S. and Canada. Approximately 422 TWh or 57% of projected lighting electricity could be saved in the U.S. by 2010 if most cost-effective, commercially available measures were implemented in all applicable buildings. The estimate includes 306 TWh or 66% of projected commercial lighting energy, 60 TWh or 47% of residential lighting energy, and 56 TWh or 38% of industrial lighting energy. We estimate the achievable savings potential from utility programs and regulations (35 to 46%, or 261 to 345 TWh of all U.S. lighting energy). According to this analysis, about 70 to 80% of the technical potential could be saved in 2010 by a combination of regulations and utility programs.

PROMOTING ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION FUELS: THE ROLE OF GOVERNMENT IN NEW ZEALAND, BRAZIL, AND CANADA

We discuss policies and programs designed to accelerate adoption of alternative fuel vehicles that were implemented in the 1970s and early 1980s in New Zealand, Brazil, and Canada. We describe the evolution of government and industry programs, the degree of market adoption of alternative fuels, and the interaction between the government, industry, and consumers. The experience in the countries, particularly Brazil, demonstrates that it is possible to develop a large market for alternative fuels within a reasonable time period if there is a favorable financial environment and efforts are undertaken to overcome uncertainty on the part of industry and consumers. Substantial market penetration required a strong commitment of effort and resources by the government, particularly in the early stages of market development, when fuel suppliers, the vehicle conversion industry, and automakers were wary of investing in new technology for which the market was uncertain. Consumers were reluctant to invest in vehicle conversion, even when the return on investment was quite favorable. Assurance of fuel availability and technical quality of vehicles have proven to be important factors.

Realized and Projected Impacts of U.S. Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential and Commercial Appliances

This study estimated energy, environmental and consumer economic impacts of U.S. Federal residential energy efficiency standards that became effective in the 1988-2006 period, and of energy efficiency standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts and distribution transformers. These standards have been the subject of in-depth analyses conducted as part of DOEs standards rulemaking process. This study drew on those analyses, but updated certain data and developed a common framework and assumptions for all of the products in order to estimate realized impacts and to update projected impacts. It also performed new analysis for the first (1990) fluorescent ballast standards, which had been introduced in the NAECA legislation without a rulemaking. We estimate that the considered standards will reduce residential/ commercial primary energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in 2030 by 4percent compared to the levels expected without any standards. The reduction for the residential sector is larger, at 8percent. The estimated cumulative energy savings from the standards amount to 39 quads by 2020, and 63 quads by 2030. The standards will also reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by considerable amounts.The estimated cumulative net present value of consumer benefit amounts to

Advanced technologies for residential appliance and lighting market transformation

241 billion by 2030, and grows to

Energy and Carbon Impact of New U.S. Fluorescent Lamp Ballast Energy Efficiency Standards

269 billion by 2045. The overall ratio of consumer benefits to costs (in present value terms) in the 1987-2050 period is 2.7 to 1. Although the estimates made in this study are subject to a fair degree of uncertainty, we believe they provide a reasonable approximation of the national benefits resulting from Federal appliance efficiency standards.

Application of Uncertainty in Life Cycle Cost Analysis of New U.S. Fluorescent Lamp Ballast Energy Efficiency Standards

Abstract This article describes an assessment of options for and barriers to improved efficiency in four key energy consuming residential products: refrigerator/freezers, clothes washers, electric water heaters, and lighting equipment. National energy savings were calculated using the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratorys (LBNL) Residential Energy Model, which projects the number of households and appliance saturations over time. Energy savings are shown for the period 1998 to 2015. The analysis shows that significant energy savings beyond those achieved through existing efficiency standards are possible. In the face of market and other barriers, however, realizing the technical potentials described in this paper will require an active policy approach to market transformation. Since this article was completed, LBNL has commenced a new set of analyses of energy savings potential in refrigerator/freezers and clothes washers. These and subsequent analyses may enhance technical information given here, furthering an understanding of energy efficiency potential in the residential and commercial sectors.

A methodological framework for comparative assessments of equipment energy efficiency policy measures

Climate change policy requires generation of carefully considered estimates of possible energy and carbon savings from various policies. There is always uncertainty in such estimates; we describe how these savings estimates were arrived at for the case of energy efficiency standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts. Several standards scenarios are described in detail along with all the assumptions that had to be made. We worked closely with the ballast industry to develop all of the engineering data needed to estimate energy savings when magnetic ballasts are replaced with electronic ballasts. Current market data was collected from distributors to establish ballast prices.

A Meta-Analysis of Energy Savings from Lighting Controls in Commercial Buildings

Life cycle cost analysis is often used in evaluating potential energy efficiency standards for appliances and lighting. Usually, point estimates are used for each input variable. There is always uncertainty in such estimates; we describe how we developed the distributions representing the variability in electricity price, equipment price, operating hours and ballast lifetime for the analysis of energy efficiency standards for fluorescent lamp ballasts. We worked closely with the ballast industry to develop all of the engineering data needed to estimate energy savings when magnetic ballasts are replaced with electronic ballasts. A survey was performed to establish ballast prices. The life cycle cost (LCC) outputs are also in the form of a distribution, we discuss how to interpret these distributions.