Real Prospects for Energy Efficiency in the United States PDF Download

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309156866
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 349

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Book Description
America's economy and lifestyles have been shaped by the low prices and availability of energy. In the last decade, however, the prices of oil, natural gas, and coal have increased dramatically, leaving consumers and the industrial and service sectors looking for ways to reduce energy use. To achieve greater energy efficiency, we need technology, more informed consumers and producers, and investments in more energy-efficient industrial processes, businesses, residences, and transportation. As part of the America's Energy Future project, Real Prospects for Energy Efficiency in the United States examines the potential for reducing energy demand through improving efficiency by using existing technologies, technologies developed but not yet utilized widely, and prospective technologies. The book evaluates technologies based on their estimated times to initial commercial deployment, and provides an analysis of costs, barriers, and research needs. This quantitative characterization of technologies will guide policy makers toward planning the future of energy use in America. This book will also have much to offer to industry leaders, investors, environmentalists, and others looking for a practical diagnosis of energy efficiency possibilities.

Author: Mat Santamouris
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1136534806
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 152

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Book Description
Energy Rating is a crucial consideration in modern building design, affirmed by the new EC Directive on the energy performance of buildings. Energy represents a high percentage of the running costs of a building, and has a significant impact on the comfort of the occupants. This book represents detailed information on energy rating of residential buildings, covering: * Theoretical and experimental energy rating techniques: reviewing the state of the art and offering guidance on the in situ identification of the UA and gA values of buildings. * New experimental protocols to evaluate energy performance: detailing a flexible new approach based on actual energy consumption. Data are collected using the Billed Energy Protocol (BEP) and Monitored Energy Protocol (MEP) * Energy Normalization techniques: describing established methods plus a new Climate Severity Index, which offers significant benefits to the user. Also included in this book are audit forms and a CD-ROM for applying the new rating methodology. The software, prepared in Excel, is easy to use, can be widely applied using both deterministic and experimental methods, and can be adapted to national peculiarities and energy policy criteria. Energy Performance of Residential Buildings offers full and clear treatment of the key issues and will be an invaluable source of information for energy experts, building engineers, architects, physicists, project managers and local authorities. The book stems from the EC-funded SAVE project entitled EUROCLASS. Participating institutes included: * University of Athens, Greece * Belgium Building Research Institute, Belgium * University of Seville, Spain * Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden

Author: José Manuel Andújar
Publisher: MDPI
ISBN: 3039287028
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 412

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Book Description
Buildings are one of the main causes of the emission of greenhouse gases in the world. Europe alone is responsible for more than 30% of emissions, or about 900 million tons of CO2 per year. Heating and air conditioning are the main cause of greenhouse gas emissions in buildings. Most buildings currently in use were built with poor energy efficiency criteria or, depending on the country and the date of construction, none at all. Therefore, regardless of whether construction regulations are becoming stricter, the real challenge nowadays is the energy rehabilitation of existing buildings. It is currently a priority to reduce (or, ideally, eliminate) the waste of energy in buildings and, at the same time, supply the necessary energy through renewable sources. The first can be achieved by improving the architectural design, construction methods, and materials used, as well as the efficiency of the facilities and systems; the second can be achieved through the integration of renewable energy (wind, solar, geothermal, etc.) in buildings. In any case, regardless of whether the energy used is renewable or not, the efficiency must always be taken into account. The most profitable and clean energy is that which is not consumed.

Author: Klaus Rennings
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3790828491
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 265

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Book Description
As the residential buildings sector accounts for around 30 percent of the final energy demand in Germany, this sector is increasingly becoming the focus of public attention with regard to climate change. In this book, decisions on energy consumption by private households are examined. The analyses are based on several empirical methods. The results show that the road to more sustainable energy consumption in residential buildings is not hampered by a lack of will on behalf of the consumers. However one should be realistic that there are many instances where improving thermal institution involves additional economic costs for individual households.

Author: Ana-Maria Dabija
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030406717
Category : Architecture
Languages : en
Pages : 281

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Book Description
This book is the result of recent research that deals with the built environment and innovative materials, carried out by specialists working in universities and centers of research in different professional fields ─ architecture, engineering, physics ─ and in an area that that spans from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf, and from South Eastern Europe to the Middle East. This book takes the necessity of re-shaping the concept of building design in order to transform buildings from large scale energy consumers to energy savers and producers into consideration. The book is organized in two parts: theory and case studies. For the theoretical part, we chose from the wide range of sources that provide energy efficient materials and systems the two that seem to be endless: the sun and vegetation. Their use in building products represents a tool for specialists in the architectural design concept. The case-studies presented analyze different architectural programs, in different climates, from new buildings to rehabilitation approaches and from residential architecture to hospitals and sports arenas; each case emphasizes the interdisciplinarity of the building design activity in order to help readers gain a better understanding of the complex approach needed for energy efficient building design

Author: Robin Brimblecombe
Publisher: CSIRO PUBLISHING
ISBN: 1486303781
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Book Description
Positive energy homes enable people to live healthy and comfortable lives with energy left over to share. Creating a house you love that produces surplus energy is surprisingly easy with a thorough understanding of how buildings work and careful attention to detail in construction. The Passive House standard, with its well-proven track record, forms the basis for creating positive energy homes. This book explores the Passive House ‘fabric first’ approach, as well as the science and practicalities of effective ventilation strategies, smart options for heating and cooling, daylight harvesting, and efficient lighting and appliances. Positive Energy Homes provides home owners world-wide, architects and builders with an understanding of the principles and technical details of building these houses.

Author: Amritanshu Shukla
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 135165845X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 296

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Book Description
The book covers chapters ranging from introduction to recent technological challenges, case studies of energy-efficient buildings with policy and awareness issues, fundamentals and present status along with research updates and future aspects on topics focusing on energy-efficient construction, materials Provides comprehensive information on energy efficient buildings including policy and energy audit aspects with case studies Examines application of PCMs in passive heating and cooling in buildings; role of active TES and energy saving potential

Author: Babao?lu, Cenay
Publisher: IGI Global
ISBN: 1799849791
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 622

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Book Description
As the field of public administration has been changing due to globalization, government reforms, and increasing governance practices within intergovernmental networks, research and teaching in public administration also adapted itself to these changes. Public policy research and instruction has become transformed and has diffused into other countries with the help of international organizations and other agents of change and transfer. Research in this field is seen as an opportunity for a definitive shift from traditional models of public administration in the sense that policies may be better designed, articulated, and governed through a collaborative approach, while service provision could be enhanced in terms of proximity, representativeness, and innovativeness. The Handbook of Research on Global Challenges for Improving Public Services and Government Operations provides comprehensive approaches to the study of public administration and public policy from a comparative perspective and includes sound theories and concepts for understanding opportunities and challenges governments face when seeking to improve public services and government operations. The book is a compilation of selective high-quality chapters covering cases, experiences, and practical recommendations on topics related to public administration, public policy, social policy, public management, and public affairs. This book is ideal for policymakers, students, and researchers in the field of public administration, public policy, governance, public management, public affairs, citizen engagement, and administrative sciences and management along with practitioners, stakeholders, and academicians interested in the best practices of various countries in public administration and policy.

Author: David C. Green
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319113496
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 61

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Book Description
The book contains the data required to measure and manage energy consumption in residential buildings. This book describes energy information in detail so that any homeowner can measure energy use on a continuing basis, make decisions regarding how to conserve energy, implement improvements, then monitor the results of those improvements. In the past, it has been difficult to collect residential energy consumption data in real-time. This book helps overcome that challenge by teaching readers how to use self-installed data collection devices that monitor consumption of circuits or appliances, along with freely available information to benchmark against other homes in the area. It demonstrates how information derived from many sources, such as the kWh listed on an electric bill, can be combined into simple calculations that illuminate how well conservation efforts are working from day to day, month to month, or year to year. Homeowners have ultimate control over the decision making process required to realize energy savings. This book simplifies the tasks of collecting, calculating and reporting energy information to the homeowner, putting the power to conserve energy in the hands of the people who will ultimately benefit the most directly from conservation efforts.

Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309254043
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 150

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Book Description
The United States is responsible for nearly one-fifth of the world's energy consumption. Population growth, and the associated growth in housing, commercial floor space, transportation, goods, and services is expected to cause a 0.7 percent annual increase in energy demand for the foreseeable future. The energy used by the commercial and residential sectors represents approximately 40 percent of the nation's total energy consumption, and the share of these two sectors is expected to increase in the future. The Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS) and Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) are two major surveys conducted by the Energy Information Administration. The surveys are the most relevant sources of data available to researchers and policy makers on energy consumption in the commercial and residential sectors. Many of the design decisions and operational procedures for the CBECS and RECS were developed in the 1970s and 1980s, and resource limitations during much of the time since then have prevented EIA from making significant changes to the data collections. Effective Tracking of Building Energy Use makes recommendations for redesigning the surveys based on a review of evolving data user needs and an assessment of new developments in relevant survey methods.