Advanced Energy Perspectives

Just last year we noted that the U.S. was uniquely poised to become a major exporter of liquid natural gas (LNG). This week we saw another step in that direction as the Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it had conditionally authorized Oregon-based LNG Development Co., LLC (Oregon LNG) to export LNG to countries without a Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. Oregon LNG would export the domestically produced gas from its terminal in Warrenton, Oregon. The facility is authorized to export up to 1.25 billion standard cubic feet of LNG per day for the next 20 years, though the project is subject to final regulatory authorization and environmental review.

“We will not grow our economy in spite of our climate goals, but because of our climate goals.” That was the message from Kish Rajan, director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, to the nearly 300 business and government leaders gathered in Sacramento August 6 to discuss the “Pathway to 2050” for energy and climate in California.

 

With the subtitle “delivering on the promise,” the second annual Pathway to 2050 event featured speakers and panels addressing subjects ranging from financing options for disruptive technologies to utility business model and regulatory reform, all geared toward accelerating advanced energy business growth to meet California’s goal of 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) plan to regulate carbon emissions is just the latest challenge facing the U.S. electric power system. Technological innovation is disrupting old ways of doing business and accelerating grid modernization. Earlier this year, AEE released Advanced Energy Technologies for Greenhouse Gas Reduction, a report detailing the use, application, and benefits of 40 specific advanced energy technologies and services. This post is one in a series drawn from the technology profiles within that report.

 

One key building material that greatly impacts the efficiency of a building is insulation. Up to 45% of a building’s heat can be lost through the roof. The effectiveness of insulation can be determined by its thermal resistance, represented by R-value. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power, with R-30 being the recommended minimum value for an uninsulated attic in the U.S. Efficient insulation can be created from a number of different materials including fiber glass, polystyrene, spray foam, rigid foam boards, mineral wool, or recycled paper. Insulation can come in the form of batts, rolls, loose fill, spray in, concrete blocks, or even radiant barriers. The most common locations for insulation in a building are exterior walls, unfinished attic and basement spaces, and floors above exposed spaces (e.g. above garages).

This article was originally published as a guest opinion piece on Inside Bay Area.

 

California is the leader of energy innovation in the United States. This status is rooted in the state's unique assets in entrepreneurship, intellectual property and venture capital combined with policy commitments to cleaner energy and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

 

We can see signs of progress all around: wind and solar farms in the desert, electric vehicles on the highways and solar on rooftops. The state is reaping benefits of these innovations in energy efficiency savings, cleaner air, jobs and business growth. The advanced energy economy is having an impact.

 

But California is at a critical juncture. The state's commitment to energy progress is about to be tested.

Energy efficiency, an advanced energy technology with great economic benefits, faces a unique challenge. Residential energy efficiency projects require upfront costs and pay back reliably, but over time. It can be tough to convince homeowners to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to insulate their homes in order to save a few bucks a month in heating and cooling bills.