James A. Dirks

Investigating the nexus of climate, energy, water, and land at decision-relevant scales: the Platform for Regional Integrated Modeling and Analysis (PRIMA)

The Platform for Regional Integrated Modeling and Analysis (PRIMA) is an innovative modeling system developed at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to simulate interactions among natural and human systems at scales relevant to regional decision making. PRIMA brings together state-of-the-art models of regional climate, hydrology, agriculture and land use, socioeconomics, and energy systems using a flexible coupling approach. Stakeholder decision support needs underpin the application of the platform to regional issues, and an uncertainty characterization process is used to identify robust decisions. The platform can be customized to inform a variety of complex questions, such as how a policy in one sector might affect the ability to meet climate mitigation targets or adaptation goals in another sector. Current numerical experiments focus on the eastern United States, but the framework is designed to be regionally flexible. This paper provides a high-level overview of PRIMA’s functional capabilities and describes some key challenges and opportunities associated with integrated regional modeling.

The Prospects of Alternatives to Vapor Compression Technology for Space Cooling and Food Refrigeration Applications

This article identifies and describes five alternative cooling technologies (magnetic, thermionic, thermoacoustic, thermoelectric, and thermotunnel) and qualitatively assesses the prospects of each technology relative to vapor compression for space cooling and food refrigeration applications. Assessment of the alternatives was based on the theoretical maximum percent of Carnot efficiency, the current state of development, the best percent of Carnot efficiency currently achieved, developmental barriers, and the extent of development activity. The prospect for each alternative was assigned an overall qualitative rating based on the subjective, composite view of the five characteristics.

Economic Energy Savings Potential in Federal Buildings

The primary objective of this study was to estimate the current life-cycle cost-effective (i.e., economic) energy savings potential in Federal buildings and the corresponding capital investment required to achieve these savings, with Federal financing. Estimates were developed for major categories of energy efficiency measures such as building envelope, heating system, cooling system, and lighting. The analysis was based on conditions (building stock and characteristics, retrofit technologies, interest rates, energy prices, etc.) existing in the late 1990s. The potential impact of changes to any of these factors in the future was not considered.

Lost Opportunities in the Buildings Sector: Energy-Efficiency Analysis and Results

This report summarizes the results and the assumptions used in an analysis of the potential “lost efficiency opportunities” in the buildings sector. These targets of opportunity are those end-uses, applications, practices, and portions of the buildings market which are not currently being addressed, or addressed fully, by the Building Technologies Program (BTP) due to lack of resources. The lost opportunities, while a significant increase in effort and impact in the buildings sector, still represent only a small portion of the full technical potential for energy efficiency in buildings.

Impact of 2004 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Buildings-Related Projects on United States Employment and Earned Income

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is interested in assessing the potential economic impacts of its portfolio of projects on national employment and income. A special purpose version of the IMPLAN input-output model called ImBuild II is used in this study of all 37 buildings-related projects reported to the Office of Management and Budget on February 3, 2003 for inclusion in the revised FY 2004 budget request. Energy savings, investments, and impacts on U.S. national employment and earned income are reported by project for selected years to the year 2030. Energy savings and investments from these projects have the potential of creating a total of 297,000 jobs and about

Baseline Inputs for BEAMS: Data used in preparing Methodological Framework for Analysis of Building-Related Programs: The GPRA Metrics Effort, June 2004

4.16 billion in earned income (2002

Impact of the FY 2005 Building Technologies Program on United States Employment and Earned Income

) by the year 2030.

Impact of the FY 2005 Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program on United States Employment and Earned Income

This report contains the appendix to the PNNL report, Methodological Framework for Analysis of Buildings-Related Programs: The GPRA Metrics Effort.

Aggregate Building Simulator (ABS) Methodology Development, Application, and User Manual

The Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is interested in assessing the potential economic impacts of its portfolio of subprograms on national employment and income. A special purpose version of the IMPLAN input-output model called ImBuild II is used in this study of all 21 Building Technologies Program subprograms in the EERE final FY 2005 budget request to the Office of Management and Budget on February 2, 2004. Energy savings, investments, and impacts on U.S. national employment and earned income are reported by subprogram for selected years to the year 2030. Energy savings and investments from these subprograms have the potential of creating a total of 396,000 jobs and about

Analyzing the Life Cycle Energy Savings of DOE Supported Buildings Technologies

5.6 billion in earned income (2003