MSPE Engineers Week



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DATES: 2nd Tuesday of September, November, February, and April.

NEXT PRESENTATION: September 13th – Presentation by Chuck Petruccio of GE Lighting, on Hi-Bay HID fixture replacement with T-8 or T-5 fixtures. Pro and cons of T-8 vs T-5 fixtures with real case examples will be presented.

November 8th Field Trip: (to be confirmed) – 1. Election meeting (and) 2. Tour of GM Livonia Powertrain plant’s Hi-Pressure Sodium fixture upgrade to T-8 fixtures with motion sensors. Plant still has HPS fixtures in section next to installed T-8s so this will be an excellent example of technology change out. MUST RSVP for security access.

February 7th Presentation: (to be confirmed) – Presentation on energy savings and Cooling Tower water conservation from water treatment.

April 11th Presentation: (to be confirmed) – Presentation on energy savings associated with compressed air compressor controls upgrading.

MEETING LOCATION: University Technology Learning Center (UTLC) Gallery at Lawrence Tech located 100’~ west of the Lodge freeway and on the north side of 10 mile road. The UTLC is building 7, center structure, immediately north of main parking lot A.

COST: FREE for Chapter Members Guests = $25 Students/Seniors = $19

AGENDA: 4:30 p.m. -- Board Meeting (closed session)

5:00 p.m. -- Social Time (Cash Bar)

6:00 p.m.-- Dinner

6:45 p.m.-- Chapter Business

7:00 p.m -- Presentation/Questions

7:30 p.m.-- Adjourn (additional Social time available)

High School and College Students and seniors are welcome to attend all EMAEE meetings at a reduced dinner fee of $19. This invitation will be for all meetings this year. An accurate count is needed for the dinner. Please respond as directed on the attached registration form. Thanks! GUESTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME AT OUR MEETINGS

[pic] Notes from the Editor!

Shame, shame, shame, shame on you, Mr. President for supporting and allowing to pass an Energy Bill that pays billions of dollars in subsidies for drillers along with an undisclosed amount of favors and tax credits for energy producers.

Dropped from the final Energy bill are:

▪ a requirement for utilities to increase the amount of electricity generated from renewable sources

▪ a requirement that the administration figures out how to cut back on oil use by 2025

▪ notable research programs and sizeable conservation incentives

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Chapter Vice President and Treasurer Officers elections to be held at the November 8th meeting.

Some of the results from the recent Energy Engineers' 2005 Market Survey of the Energy Industry are:

▪ 81% of the survey respondents believe global warming must be addressed in a National Energy Policy

▪ 93.9% of survey respondents believe investment tax credits and accelerated depreciation should be implemented to encourage adoption of efficient end-use technologies

▪ 98% of survey respondents indicated the National Energy Plan should identify new energy supplies from a multitude of sources and promote energy efficiency

▪ 92% of survey respondents indicated the National Energy Plan should encourage investment in new power transmission and new transmission lines.

Complete details of the survey are available free of charge at . Simply select the topic 2005 Market Survey of the Energy Industry to review the results.

See you at the September 13th meeting!

Keith A. Willis

[pic] Bits and Pieces!

We are looking for energy/environmental projects that deserve promotion for results achieved. Tell me your story and we will publish in our newsletter. If your project is truly notable, we will nominate for a chapter or regional award. Note regional awards get international attention.

Know someone in school that could use a few bucks? Tell David Everest (Chapter VP) and that person may qualify to earn one of our scholarships.

Does your company want attention in the industry? Sponsor one of our meetings or advertise in our

newsletter. Contact me for further information.

Do you have a customer that needs funding? Does your company have an energy project that didn’t get budgeted this year? Do you need help developing a project? Contact me for sources of available energy funds and contract/project development help.

The following links are for AEE Member Services: see for job opportunities for reviewing local chapter Web pages. The web at also lists several new on-line courses for your further education or refresher-use.

[pic] April 12th Meeting

Site visit to the Ford Rouge factory tour. The first Model Ts took 11 days to roll off the assembly line. The Rouge factory changed assembly to less than 90 seconds a vehicle and did so with green energy and resource conservation. Through video tapes and tours, we saw how Ford’s soybean conversion plant turned soybeans into plastic auto parts. We learn how the 1920 power plant supplied both heat and electricity making it one of the first combined heat and power distributed generation plants in the country. We witness glimpses of several other technological innovations including the use of a green roof and rain water collection for recycling, that this plant implemented into daily use and finished with a tour of the actual assembly of the F-150 vehicles.

Thank you David Everest for setting up and paying for this factory tour and to the chapter Treasurer (Paul) for picking up the bar tab for this thirsty-crowd!

[pic] Does Energy Bill Provide a Much-Needed Jolt?

Condensed from an article by Katrina C. Arabe, found in ThomasNet, 8-15-05 issue

Critics charge that the newly signed bill will do little to reduce current gas prices or reliance on foreign oil while proponents point out that it will benefit the environment. Who's right?

Last week, President Bush signed the country's first comprehensive energy bill (it's 1,724 pages long) in more than a decade. While he called it vital to the U.S. economy, he acknowledged that it offered no short-term relief from surging gasoline costs. The $14.5 billion legislation, passed by Congress after four years of debate, seeks to increase oil, natural gas and electricity supplies and encourages the use of alternative energy sources.

Supporters of the energy bill say it will...

• provide environmental benefits from incentives to electric utilities to curb coal emissions and from tax breaks for reducing foreign oil dependence through the use of fossil-fuel alternatives such as biodiesel and nuclear energy.

• boost oil drilling to reduce reliance on foreign sources (for example, it streamlines federal requirements to make it easier for producers to drill for oil and natural gas in the Rocky Mountains).

• make coal into a cleaner-burning fuel.

• stretch gasoline supplies through the increased use of home-grown, corn-based ethanol (though critics counter that the call for a boost in ethanol production is nothing more than a farm subsidy and will not help ease dependence on foreign oil).

Environmental groups and some Democrats are critical of...

• its extensive tax breaks, subsidies and loan guarantees which are seen as massive giveaways to big energy companies already posting near-record profits.

• its failure to curtail oil imports with more stringent fuel mileage requirements for gas-guzzling SUVs and other vehicles. This op-ed piece points out that "energy experts, at least the ones who aren't sucking industry sugar, agree that better mileage efficiency offers the fastest, cheapest and most productive way to displace a notable portion of our oil use and our dependence on sources abroad."

• its over-emphasis on oil and gas recovery and lack of focus on conservation and the development of alternative sources of energy.

• its blatant big-energy favoritism. According to this opinion piece, "Federal support for developing and marketing new energy sources, which are struggling to get established, is boosted, but still only to about a third of the largess that's to be lavished on the traditional energy industries."

Who's really benefiting?

"Big energy lobbyists may be cheering the bill's enactment, but ordinary Americans had better hold fast to their wallets," says Anna Aurilio, legislative director of U.S. Public Interest Research Group, as reported in this Reuters story. "As gasoline prices careen out of control, the bill keeps America speeding down the wrong road toward more oil consumption, more drilling, and more pollution."

Currently, the country relies on foreign oil to meet 60% of its daily petroleum demand of almost 21 million barrels. Gasoline use accounts for 2 out of every 5 barrels consumed.

Most Americans will feel the impact of the new law in 2007 when daylight-saving time is extended by three weeks in the spring and a week in the fall to save energy. Consumers will also be able to get tax breaks for installing more energy-efficient windows and solar panels on their homes and purchasing hybrid vehicles.

Columnist Tom Teepen has this to say about the legislation: "The best that can be said of the final bill is that its giveaways are not as wanton or its policies as irrelevant as in earlier versions."

What do you think of the newly passed bill?

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[pic] Sci-Fi Gadgets becomes Real!

1. First Fuel-Cell Motorbike is Snazzy but Silent

A revolutionary new motorcycle is powered by a high-pressure hydrogen fuel cell! Dubbed the Emissions Neutral Vehicle (ENV), the bike derives its power from a briefcase-sized fuel cell unit that is completely detachable. The compact fuel cell is even capable of powering anything from a motorboat to a small house, says the builder. The lightweight aerodynamic bike has no gears and a top speed is about 50 miles per hour. but with further refinements, it's expected to top that. The nearly zero-emission hybrid bike can travel for about 100 miles without refueling. The ENV is light, fast and fun, has good ground clearance, great off-road suspension travel and a very carefully considered power to weight ratio.

But it might not appeal to many traditional motorcycle aficionados, who thrill to the roar of the engine and the speed of the ride. The cycle is about as loud as a personal computer fan. Additionally, hydrogen refueling stations are hard to find. DTE Energy and the DOE are building a hydrogen refueling station in the Southfield-10 mile area but will not open until late 2006. The technology is here and available for resale but the infrastructure needs to catch up!

2. 180 MPG --- available today!

Many enthusiasts are "rewiring" their plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) cars claiming to get up to 180 mpg. Enthusiasts are already building such cars in their garages by adding more batteries and a plug to conventional hybrids. "I've gotten anywhere from 65 to over 100 miles per gallon," Ron Gremban, an engineer at CalCars, a small nonprofit group based in Palo Alto, California, tells The New York Times. In comparison, Gremban gets 40 to 45 miles per gallon on his unmodified Toyota Prius. Meanwhile, EnergyCS, a small company that has worked with CalCars, has converted another Prius, installing more sophisticated batteries. They say they get an astounding 180 miles per gallon and can go for more than 30 miles on battery power alone. That means that many people could stay away from the filling station for months, given that most Americans drive fewer than 30 miles a day.

Some companies are already working to capitalize on PHEV technology. EnergyCS, who "green-tuned" the Prius by replacing its 1.3-kilowatt-hour nickel metal hydride battery with an advanced 9-kWh lithium ion battery pack, would like to market conversion kits, weighing about 170 lbs., to Prius owners. Additionally, large companies are exploring plug-in technology. DaimlerChrysler, for instance, is crafting a fleet of up to 40 PHEV delivery vans--a project sponsored by the Electric Power Research Institute, several utilities, government agencies and the carmaker itself. The vans will start undergoing tests this year.

But Prius manufacturer Toyota Motor Corp. isn't too keen on the idea--yet. "We keep looking at the concept, and at some point it might be feasible, but it isn't there yet," David Hermance, Toyota's executive engineer for environmental engineering, tells BusinessWeek. Even DaimlerChrysler is not exactly rushing into plug-ins, saying that its first hybrid models will be conventional--with plug-ins as possible options down the line. Another roadblock--it remains uncertain how much extra people are willing to pay for the cars. Hybrids already add $2,000 to $5,000 more to production costs, and the larger batteries for plug-ins would mean several thousands of dollars on top of that. These more advanced batteries also take up more space and add several hundred pounds.

Still, plug-ins are winning support from high levels. For instance, the bipartisan National Commission on Energy Policy made plug-ins a key component of its energy strategy last December. Also the Set America Free coalition, a group of conservatives and environmentalists, is lobbying for $2 billion in incentives, asserting that "if all cars on the road are hybrids and half are plug-in hybrid vehicles, U.S. oil imports would drop by 8 million barrels per day."

Sources: Condensed from “Giving Hybrids A Real Jolt” by John Carey, BusinessWeek, April 11, 2005

magazine/content/05_15/b3928103.htm and “Hybrid-Car Tinkerers Scoff at No-Plug-In Rule” by Danny Hakim, The New York Times, April 2, 2005

2005/04/02/business/02plug.html?incamp=article_popular_5

3. Best Way to Make Mars Habitable: Inject Greenhouse Gas (condensed from an article written by Robert Roy Britt, as appeared on Yahoo)

The best way to make Mars habitable would be to inject a synthetic greenhouse gases into its atmosphere. The stuff could be shipped to Mars or manufactured there. Scientists and science-fiction authors have long pondered terraforming Mars, melting the vast stores of ice in its polar caps to create an environment suitable for humans. Another point of view holds that Mars was likely warmer and wetter in its distant past, and it might have harbored life, so bringing it back to a previous state makes sense. The topic is highly controversial.

The Polar Regions contain vast stores of water ice and carbon dioxide, or dry ice. Theorists have said in the past that melting the poles might thicken the atmosphere, which like a blanket would insulate the surface and eventually create a more Earth-like climate. Studies suggest Mars had surface water and bouts of rain in its early history.

Artificially created gases could be 10,000 times more effective than carbon dioxide in warming up the Red Planet, the study determined. The gases that would work the best are fluorine’s and could be made from elements readily available on Mars. Adding 300 parts per million of the gas mixture into the Martian air would trigger a runaway greenhouse effect, according to the models. The polar ice sheets that would slowly evaporate. The newly released carbon dioxide would cause further warming and melting. Atmospheric pressure would rise. The process would take hundreds or thousands of years to complete, the scientists report.

4. THERMAL DEPOLYMERIZATION or how to turn any carbon-based feedstock into oil!

Condensed from a Discovery article, there sits a machine in an industrial park in Philadelphia that can change anything into oil. It can supplement our dwindling supplies of oil while slowing down global warming.

The Thermal Depolymerization Process or TDP is designed to handle almost any waste product imaginable including, tires, plastic bottles, old computers, wetland muck, garbage, cornstalks, oil-refinery wastes, red-bag medical wastes (yes, body parts and fluids), and even biological weapons such as anthrax spores. For example: if a 175-pound man fell into one end of the machine, he would come out the other end as 38 pounds of oil, 7 pounds of usable gas for fuel, 7 pounds of minerals, as well as 123 pounds of sterilized water; imagine being the first to have a drink from that source!

If the process works as well as its creators claim, not only would most toxic waste problems become history, so would imported oil. Converting all the U.S. agricultural waste (alone) into oil and gas would yield the energy equivalent of 4 billion barrels of oil annually. Note that the U.S. imported 4.2 billion barrels of oil in 2001. Is it possible that the Thermal Depolymerization Process could be the first step towards the repair of our planet?

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I've wondered if and when future generations would not only recycle their own waste, but go back and clean up the messes left by previous generations (including ours). Could thermal depolymerization be a first step toward the repair of our planet?

5. TINY METALS, BIG EXPLOSIONS

"Nanotechnology is grabbing headlines for its potential in advancing the life sciences and computing research," Defense Tech pal John Gartner notes in Technology Review. "But the Department of Defense has found another use: a new class of weaponry that uses energy-packed nanometals to create powerful, compact bombs."

Sandia National Laboratories, the Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory are researching how to manipulate the flow of energy within and between molecules, a field known as nanoenergentics, which enables building more lethal weapons such as "cave-buster bombs" that have several times the detonation force of conventional bombs such as the "daisy cutter" or MOAB (mother of all bombs).

Researchers can greatly increase the power of weapons by adding materials known as superthermites that combine nanometals such as nanoaluminum with metal oxides such as iron oxide, according to Steven Son, a project leader in the Explosives Science and Technology group at Los Alamos.

"The advantage (of using nanometals) is in how fast you can get their energy out," Son says.

Son says that the chemical reactions of superthermites are faster and therefore release greater amounts of energy more rapidly.

"Superthermites can increase the (chemical) reaction time by a thousand times," Son says, resulting in a very rapid reactive wave.

6. WHY CHINA & INDIA WILL BE “STEALING” WORLD COAL & OIL PRODUCTION condensed from an article by Addison Wiggin, found in The Daily Reckoning

With the world population adding 250,000 new people every day...or 1 million new people every four days...even the minimum amount of electricity needed to sustain an exploding population is a heck of a lot of juice. No energy crisis is more critical to a society than one in which the lights go out. Over 95% of the demand for coal over the next three decades will come from the electricity market. And China and India will be responsible for 70% of that new demand. There's enough coal just in the known reserves to burn - at current rates - for another 300 years. In North America alone, we've got 254 billion tons of proven coal reserves - more than 25% of the world total (compare that to Saudi Arabia, with 24% of the world's oil).

But there are a few problems with coal. With three-quarters of China's 400,000 megawatts of installed electrical power capacity coming from coal, China's skies are also turning black with coal smoke. Seven of the world's ten most polluted cities are in China. Acid rain is a serious problem. So Chinese and U.S. companies are both making huge leaps with clean-coal technology. It's coal, but reprocessed in different ways to burn clean. With so much coal in the ground...every breakthrough in clean-coal technology could be worth billions to energy investors.

One of the ways to burn coal cleanly that's getting a lot of attention is called coal liquefaction, or liquid coal. The coal gets crushed into tiny particles, mixed with hydrogen and certain liquids and comes out as synthetic oil that burns much cleaner than regular coal. Almost any coal-burning power plant can also burn oil. But liquid coal is also getting a lot of attention for another reason... Dry coal is hard to transport. You can move it in trucks. You can move it on trains and barges. You can even do it by conveyor belt. But one thing you cannot do is move it through a pipeline.

Most of China's huge stash of raw coal is in the North. But most of China's big factories and economic centers are in the South, where there is no coal. And the train system in China can only move a little less than half of all the coal that needs to be shipped! Even though there's plenty of coal in the North to burn, the South has to actually import coal from other countries. But once coal can be liquefied cheaply and fed through pipelines that will change.

The Chinese plan to replace 10% of their oil imports with liquid coal by 2013. And it will also have huge advantages for running power plants that Chinese trains and trucks can't get to as easily or regularly.

7. NANOTECHNOLOGISTS’ NEW PLASTIC CAN SEE IN THE DARK --- tailoring matter to harvest the sun’s invisible rays --- “Painting on Energy” Condensed from a paper by Professor Ted Sargent, Nortel Networks – Canada Research Chair in Emerging Technologies at U of T’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering

Researchers at University of Toronto have invented an infrared-sensitive material that could shortly produce nanotechnology-material having the capacity to turn the sun’s power into electrical energy or a paint that when used indoors, provides a home with “smart” walls responsive to the environment in the room and enables the cooling/heating.

Nanoparticles were suspended in a solvent and dried like paint to make a large-area energy device. Particles made from semiconductor crystals remained dispersed in everyday solvents just like the particles in paint. The tiny nanocrystals could then catch light at very long wavelengths. The result – a sprayable infrared detector, described as a solution-processed photovoltaic operating in the infrared areas.

Regarding the quest for renewable energy sources, flexible, roller-processed solar cells have the potential to harness the sun’s power. These flexible photovoltaics could harness half of the sun’s spectrum not previously accessed. Calculations show that, with further improvements in efficiency, combining infrared and visible photovoltaics could allow up to 30% of the sun’s radiant energy to be harnessed, compared to six per cent in today’s best plastic solar cells.

What does that mean for a typical fully air conditioned manufacturing plant of 1,000,000 sqft? This technology could be applied to the roof, creating an energy savings of >$1,000,000 a year while extending the roof life, lowering the air conditioning load, and doing so without creating any Greenhouse gases!

8. NASA BUILDING NANOBOT SWARM -- April 26, 2005 By Katrina C. Arabe

It's something you only see in cartoons--shape-shifting clusters of microscopic robots with amazing powers. But it's not pure sci-fi after all. NASA is already testing the robot predecessor for these nano-sized swarms:

Engineers at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration are one step closer to a technology that's straight out of the realm of animated superheroes: microscopic robots that travel together forming a constantly rolling and shifting mass.

Currently, they're conducting tests on a robot they aim to shrink to nanobot size (the prefix "nano" stands for one-billionth; thus, a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter). The miniaturized robot will eventually become part of what NASA dubs "autonomous nanotechnology swarms" (ANTS). The researchers plan to imbue ANTS with artificial intelligence so they could excel at decision-making as well as intuitively know when and how to walk and swarm.

A nanobot swarm would have "abundant flexibility," according to NASA, changing its shape as the situation requires. For instance, to make it through the Martian atmosphere, it could become an aerodynamic shield. Then when it reaches the Red Planet's surface, it could turn into a snake-like form, sliding over rough terrain. It could also sprout an antenna when it needs to transmit data.

What's more, it could repair itself and continue functioning even when it sustains damage. Just think of how human bodies supplant damaged cells with new ones, says Steven Curtis, lead researcher for ANTS, a joint project of Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. "In a similar way, undamaged units in a (nanobot) swarm will join together, allowing it to tolerate extensive damage and still carry on its mission," he says.

For more on the exciting--almost fantastical--promise of nanotechnology, check out this primer.

Condensed from “NASA Turning Nanobot Swarm from Fiction Into Science” by Robert C. Cowen, The Christian Science Monitor, USA Today, April 7, 2005

tech/news/robotics/2005-04-07-ants-nasa_x.htm?POE=click-refer

9. PENTAGON ACTIVATES SOLAR AIR CONDITIONING, HEATING, LIGHTING, AND POWER SYSTEM

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The solar heating, air conditioning, power and lighting system installed at the guard station of the Pentagon Heating and Refrigeration Plant is one of the most advanced solar energy systems in the United States. Despite its modest appearance, the system incorporates 12 advanced features that demonstrate new and improved ways of using solar energy to reduce fossil and electrical energy use. It demonstrates these new and advanced technologies in an unobtrusive way within the conventional construction of a small 400-squarefoot building.

The guard station solar project incorporates the following 12 unique technologies:

• Solar thermal tile air heating roof system.

• Reflective roofing laminates and selective surface absorbers to boost solar roof air temperature.

• High temperature, multi-stage solar roof with peak operating temperatures above 212 degrees F.

• Photovoltaics (PV) beneath solar thermal tiles for electricity generation and heat production.

• PV panels separate from the solar roof for grid independent power generation and operation.

• Grid connected, off-peak, supplemental battery charging controlled by PV-sensing relays.

• PV-powered cooling fans for PV temperature control, switch gear cooling, and solar roof heat recovery.

• Desiccant dehumidification of outside air using solar "waste heat" in the summer. -Solar heat driven desiccant evaporative cooling of outside air.

• Solar pre-heating and pre-cooling of a heat pump to boost heat pump performance and cut electrical energy use.

• Rainwater recovery from the solar roof to supply the indirect evaporative cooling stages.

• Automatic winter tank drain-down to prevent freezing.

Many of these features have never before been demonstrated, such as the solar air heating tiles with PV absorbers below for simultaneous electricity and heat production in one weather tight roof. The desiccant evaporative cooling system is also a unique development, since it relies on solar air heating to drive a desiccant air conditioning system. The high temperature summer airflow from the solar roof is an ideal energy source for the desiccant regeneration, which is accomplished with hot air. In the wintertime, the solar roof supplies heating energy to the guard station. The electric power produced drives the heating and cooling system fans and pumps throughout the year and provides security lighting at night.

Solar Heat and Electricity

The new use of photovoltaic materials in a solar heating system is made possible by the use of "air" as the heat transfer agent under the solar thermal tiles. Sunlight passing through the tiles hits the PV materials, which simultaneously generate heat and electricity. The electricity from the PV runs the heat recovery and cooling fans that collect solar heated air from the PV surfaces below the tiles. The electricity from the PV also energizes controls in the lighting and battery charging circuits. Placing the PV system below the tiles keeps the PV warm, which improves the electric generating capacity of the amorphous PV panels. The fans also keep the PV cool enough (below 180 degrees F) during peak summer conditions, to protect the panels from thermal damage. The PV deployed below the roof surface represents just 3 percent of the total roof collector area. The PV panel surface area contributes 68 watts of electric power and 345 watts of thermal air heating to the roof's peak summer heating capacity of 11,700 watts thermal (40,000 Btu/hr).

Solar Air Conditioning

The new solar-desiccant-evaporative air conditioning system reduces summer humidity levels of outside air and cools the air before supplying it to the guard station. The desiccant drying stage removes the humidity from the air. The dry air allows ultra efficient evaporative cooling to take place even in humid climates from the mid-Atlantic to the Gulf coast. Because indirect evaporative cooling is used, no humidity is added to the air headed to the guard station. This aspect of the system demonstrates how outside air can be pre-conditioned before entering an existing building HVAC system, using "excess" solar heat in the summer. This is particularly important for buildings like laboratories or industrial facilities with l00 percent outside airflow and high energy use and cost in dehumidifying and cooling the air.

The solar-desiccant-evaporative system has reduced dew point temperatures by as much as 16 degrees and reduced dry bulb temperatures by 10 degrees F during a mid-day test in July. When minor adjustments are made to the water flow and airflow between stages, a 20+ degree drop in dry bulb temperature is expected. At peak performance, the existing system has demonstrated 3.6 units of cooling/dehumidification output for every 1 unit of electrical input and all of the electrical input from the utility grid is at night, during "off-peak" hours.

Solar Assisted Heat Pump

Another advanced feature of the system is a modern update of an older solar heating technology that was conceived during the 1970s, but never commercialized. At that time, "solar assisted heat pumps" were recognized as beneficial for cutting energy use by heat pumps. In the 1970s, heat pump technology was at an early development stage and showed marginal efficiency improvement from solar pre-heating. However, modern heat pumps have overcome those inefficiencies and can substantially reduce energy use with solar air pre-heating.

During cold weather, heat pump energy use can be cut by 35 percent or more with the addition of solar air pre-heating systems. In many cases, solar heated air from the roof or walls can be easily directed to the nearby roof top or ground mounted heat pumps. Similarly, cooler air supplied to the heat pump in summer will cut electricity use by the heat pump in delivering air conditioning. The Pentagon system was designed to demonstrate how solar air pre-heating and pre-cooling of heat pumps can cut high electricity use in the winter and summer.

Direct Current Power

All electrical equipment in the system operates off of Direct Current (DC) power that is delivered at 24 volts DC to a battery bank within the building. The use of DC power instead of AC power saves energy in three ways. First, it eliminates conversion losses from converting DC to AC power in an inverter. Second, the external rotor DC motors in the fans use about one-third of the power of comparable AC motors moving the same amount of air. The third reason DC power saves energy is related to the use of peak demand reduction during the summer cooling season.

The PV system is sized to supply all the power needed during the winter months. During the peak air conditioning season in the summer, the solar-desiccant-evaporative system will often consume more power than the PV panels can generate. The batteries provide the necessary capacity to operate the solar desiccant-evaporative system throughout the day. When the sun sets, the PV system activates a "110 Volt AC to 24 Volt DC" battery charger that brings the batteries up to full charge during the nighttime hours. This hybrid battery charging approach makes the maximum use of the PV output during the peak electric demand and shifts the grid connected battery charging to an "off-peak" period when electrical demand on the utility grid is lower.

Rainwater Recovery

The Pentagon system collects rainwater for the evaporative cooling stages because the guard station's remote location has no ready source of water. Rainwater recovery was actually the lowest cost option, since installation of a "city" water system would have required hand digging 200 feet of trench over other utility lines buried under asphalt. However, the rainwater system offers other benefits, such as reduced storm water runoff from the roof, and reduced consumption of "city" water. The PV system provides automatic pumping for the evaporative cooling stages and drain down of the storage tank for winter freeze protection.

Lessons Learned

One of the lessons learned from this project is that the multistage roof and external PV panels will not be required in future versions. Only a single tile roof surface, with PV panels integrated below the solar thermal tiles, is required to provide the necessary high temperature heated air and electricity for the heating, air conditioning, lighting, and power. Water heating and thermal storage for night time and cloudy day use can be easily accommodated with an air-to-water heat exchanger.

The project was initiated in 2003 and the system began automatic operation and testing in the summer of 2004. Dr. Get Moy, Director of Installations Requirements and Management for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Installations and Environment), said, "I am excited that the Pentagon has demonstrated the successful application of these advanced energy technologies, where they will be visible to energy users across the Department of Defense and the federal government."

10. LASER WEAPON FIRM TARGETED

It isn’t easy pinning down Ionatron Inc., the Tucson, Arizona laser weapon firm.

Company execs say they're working on a real-life ray gun which uses femtosecond lasers – light pulses that last less than a ten-trillionth of a second – to carve conductive channels of ionized oxygen in the air. Through these channels, Ionatron's blaster supposedly sends man-made lighting bolts, frying anyone unfortunate enough to step into their path, up to 800 meters away.

The feds have given the company $12 million to chase these ray gun dreams.

11. I HATE FLUORESCENT condensed from an article by Eric Strandberg

As a lighting consultant I often hear people say, "I hate fluorescent". Many of us think of cold, institutional spaces when we think of fluorescent (FL) lighting. This is because of

• the poor color qualities of the old style lamps (T-12)

• the noise and flicker from magnetic ballasts

• the indifferent lighting design applied to many commercial spaces.

Justifiably, we object to buzzing ballasts, flickering lamps, and poor color quality.

Today's new fluorescent products can solve of all of these problems... except indifferent design.

Color quality of light has two parts

The most obvious is color temperature; this is whether the light appears 'warm' or 'cool'. Color temperature is expressed in Kelvin (a scientific scale) with 3000K being similar to incandescent (yellow/warm) and 5000K being similar to sunlight (blue/cool). FL lamps come in these and other color temperatures. Which one you choose is subjective, like paint colors. Today, the most popular color temperature is 3500K, not too cool, not too warm. This color is often preferred for retail, office and other high activity spaces. (I use it above my drafting table at home).

The other part of light quality is color rendering, this is the ability of a light source to reveal the "true" relationship between colors. Light sources with poor color rendering cloud the difference between similar colors. For example a slate green wall may appear to be the same color as a gray blue wall, or dark amber paint may look the same as light brick. Color rendering is expressed numerically on the color rendering index (CRI), which is a scale from 0 to 100, with higher values being better. Most old style FL lamps have poor color rendering (50 - 60) which makes people and surfaces look unfavorable (dull colors & gray complexions). The newer FLs have a very good CRI (from around 75 up to as high as the 90s), which reveal colors very accurately.

Flickering lamps and buzzing ballasts are legitimate problems that can both be solved

All FLs use a ballast, (an electrical device) to operate the lamp. Historically these ballasts have been magnetic devices, (core & coil), that operate at 60 cycles per second, which some people perceive as flicker. Also, the magnetic ballast can physically vibrate which causes an audible buzzing or hum. Electronic ballasts, (solid state), operate at 24,000 cycles per second and higher, eliminating the flicker completely. Also, with electronic ballasts there is no blinking when the lamps are being lit, they just turn right on. This blinking is not a big factor commercially since the fixtures tend to stay on all day but in hospitality applications the lack of blinking can go a long way toward acceptance. Also, because the new electronic ballasts are solid state there is no audible hum or buzz.

Because they are large radiant tubes, FL lamps are good at providing general or ambient light, and evenly washing large architectural planes (walls and coves). An abundance of even, shadow less light is just what we want in many spaces like storage, utility rooms and workshops. Appropriately applying fluorescent lighting in lobbies or conference areas where more drama and atmosphere is usually wanted can be a challenge. Indirect cove lighting, luminous soffits, and light shelves are all ways of creatively using linear fluorescent lighting in these areas.

If the heart of a lighting system is the light source then the body and soul is the light fixture and the designer's artful use of it. Knowing how to get a proper balance of ambient, task and accent light in our work and living spaces is part of the designer's art. Often, when we criticize poor lighting it is really bad or indifferent lighting design as much as bad light sources that we find objectionable.

[pic] ESMS NEWS

Here is a preview of this issue of ESMS News 2005. . .

The science (many say "Art") or the assessment of indoor air quality and indoor environmental conditions is developing and changing at a rapid space. This is driven by work experiences of indoor environmental professionals, sharing of those experiences at conferences and workshops, and to some extent by new research findings. Mostly it is mandated by the need for consistency in work practices.

Many organizations have developed and are constantly revising guidelines and standards for assessment. Although most of these share common assumptions and techniques, they differ in ways that reflect the orientation and mission of the organization that under writes the creation and maintenance of the document.

Click here for the ESMS News!

[pic] AEE Member-Get a-Member

This year’s totally new Member-Get-a-Member Campaign offers you a chance to not only introduce your colleagues to the many benefits and opportunities of membership in AEE, but to earn exciting prizes for yourself as well. Everyone who helps recruit members earn valuable gifts!

As we enter our 28th year, AEE is stronger than ever. Our membership has grown to 10,000, and AEE’s influence continues to grow around the world. Here is your chance to be our partner in advancing AEE’s position in the energy industry. Help AEE, help yourself, and help your associates all at the same time.

How a colleague can join! Have the new member you are referring fill out the special membership form. Make sure they put your name in the “referring member’s name” box so you will receive credit for the referral.

Put the AEE logo and special membership form on your website. Ask visitors to your site to use the form to join the AEE and to put your name in the “referring member’s name” box so you will get credit for the referral. . Click here for logo and link.

.For more information on how to participate in this year’s campaign and to see the valuable gifts you can earn, contact Ruth Marie: (770) 447-5083, Ext. 210 or info@

[pic] My Favorite Web Sites

Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy at eren.

Energy Star Program at

U.S. Department of Energy at

Energy Education – Energy Quest at energyquest.

Green Power Network at eren.greenpower/

Alliance to Save Energy at

Association of Energy Engineers at

U.S. Green Building Council at

Michigan Energy Office at energyoffice

[pic]

Don’t gamble with your Environmental and Energy issues ……. use the skills of an experienced Certified Energy Manager or Business Energy Professional to help you. Contact one of the Board Members for more information.

[pic] Meeting Schedules

[pic]

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

[pic] Chapter Officers

President ------------------- Keith Willis, Ph.D, CEM, BEP

734-523-0224 ------- term expires 12-31-06

doctorwillis@

Vice-President/Scholarships -------- David Everest, Ph.D.

313-964-1700 ------- term expires 12-31-05

david.everest@ (new)

Treasurer --------------------------------- Paul Dobry, CEM

248-276-6123 ------- term expires 12-31-05

DobryP@trinity-

Secretary & Awards ------------------ Bruce Snyder, CEM

248-823-2174 ------- term expires 12-31-06

bsnyder@ids-

New Technologies --------------------- Don Edwards, CEM

248-874-2189 ------- term expires 12-31-05

edwardsd@

Membership/Attendance --- Ed Cox

248-420-3402 ------ term expires 12-31-06 sawcox@

Website Administration ---- Open

Nominations ------------------ Open

Training ---------------------- Open

[pic] Chapter Membership Dues!

EASTERN MICHIGAN CHAPTER – ASSOCIATION OF ENERGY ENGINEERS

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

NAME: ____________________________

E-MAIL ADDRESS: ________________________

COMPANY: ________________________

WORK PHONE: ___________________________

ADDRESS: ________________________

FAX: ____________________________________

CITY: ____________________ STATE: _____

ZIP CODE: _____________

DUES: Individual Memberships: _______ @ $65.00

Company Memberships: _______ # of People

(See Schedule Below)

_______ Total $

CHAIRPERSON/COMMITTEES OF INTEREST:

_____ Web Master _____ Program _____ Newsletter _____ Other

(_____________________________________________)

MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 2006

Dues for year 2006 for local membership of EMAEE are due by the end of February 2006. Membership runs from January 1 through December 31, and includes all meeting attendance fees and meal cost (cash bar). Four meetings typically held 2nd Tuesday of February, April, September, and November. The dues structure beginning January 1, 2004 will be as follows:

Single Member: $65/person

Corporate Members: $120 for 2 people

$175 for 3 people

$230 for 4 people

$285 for 5 people

$50 each additional

member over 5

(Corporate Members are defined as more than one person from the same company.)

PLEASE RETURN APPLICATION TO:

Paul Dobry, CEM ---------- DobryP@trinity-

[pic] Scholarship Program

Information and application may be requested from David Everest, Ph.D.

[pic]

-----------------------

* * * MEETING NOTICE * * *

(Non-Members Welcome to Attend)

DATE: Tuesday, September 13th, 2005

PLACE: Lawrence Technological University, 10 mile and Lodge Freeway (new location)

AGENDA

4:30 Chapter Officers’ Meeting (closed session)

5:00 Registration

5:00 Social hour Cash Bar

6:00 Dinner

6:45 Chapter Business

7:00 Presentation & Questions

7:30 Adjourn (additional social time available til 9)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - DETACH & RETURN - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Please make checks payable to EMAEE (cost includes dinner; a cash bar will be available)

Cost: EMAEE Chapter Members = Free, Guest = $25; Seniors and Students = $19.

Please Circle: AEE Member EMAEE Chapter Member Non-Member

E-Mail Address:______________________________________ Are you a CEM? _________ (yes)

Work Phone Number: _________________________________

Are you interested in becoming a chapter member? Costs are $65 based on the calendar year which includes

Dinner and meeting costs at the 4 regular chapter meetings. Please circle “Yes” and attach a check for

$65 or see one of the officers at the next meeting. Thank you.

_____ Yes, I wish to become a chapter member. I am enclosing $65.

_____ No, I wish to attend the next meeting as a Guest. I am enclosing $25 for this specific meeting only.

Return Registration Form to:

Name/Title: ____________________________________________________________

Company: ____________________________________________________________

Mailing Address: ____________________________________________________________

Phone number: ____________________________________________________________

Email Address (to receive newsletters): ________________________________________________

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