First Half of 2010 is the Warmest on Record on Earth
The first six months of 2010 were the warmest on record, according to a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) analysis.
The agency’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) finds that combined global land and ocean surface temperatures averaged 57.5°F for January through June, which is 1.22°F above the 20th-century average.
By comparison, the second-warmest January-June on record was in 1998, when the average global temperature was 1.19°F above the 20th-century average.
Land temperatures were the second-warmest on record, falling behind 2007, while ocean surface temperatures were also the second-warmest on record, falling behind 1998. In addition, every month from March to June 2010 was the warmest on record for the globe. See the NOAA press release and the NCDC analysis.
11 International Clean Energy initiatives Launched
The U.S. is helping launch 11 international clean energy initiatives, DOE announced on July 20. The initiatives will eliminate the need to build more than 500 mid-sized power plants worldwide over the next 20 years.
They will cut energy waste, help deploy smart grid and electric vehicle (EV) technologies, support renewable energy markets, expand access to clean energy jobs resources and jobs, and support women pursuing careers in clean energy.
Announced during the first Clean Energy Ministerial, a two-day gathering in Washington, D.C., the initiatives promote economic growth while reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants.
Ministers from 23 governments and the U.S. attended. The countries represent over 80% of world energy consumption and about the same percentage of the global market for clean energy technologies.
As part of the "Global Energy Efficiency Challenge," the U.S. is leading projects that will deploy super-efficient appliances, improve industrial and building efficiency for large-scale facilities, implement smart grid technologies, and help put millions of EVs on the roads.
For example, under the Super-efficient Equipment and Appliance Deployment (SEAD) Initiative, government/ private sector partnerships will encourage buyers to choose super-efficient appliances. At the same time, SEAD-focusing on lighting and televisions-will back stronger appliance standards that push the most inefficient machines off the market.
In the public-private Global Superior Energy Performance Partnership, participants will encourage operators of large buildings and industrial facilities to measure and manage energy by establishing certification programs to recognize facilities that adopt approved energy management systems and achieve significant efficiency improvements.
In the transportation sector, the Electric Vehicles Initiative will enhance global cooperation on development and deployment of EVs. According to the International Energy Agency, this outreach will help put participating countries on the path to deploying at least 20 million EVs by 2020, while reducing global oil consumption by roughly 1 billion barrels over the next decade.
A majority of governments at the gathering joined the International Smart Grid Action Network, which would support the spread of EVs, improve reliability of the electrical system, promote the growth of renewable energy, and help consumers and businesses reduce energy use.
Governments also came together on an additional seven initiatives that will support the growing global market for renewable energy and carbon capture technologies; bring solar LED lanterns to more than 10 million of the world’s poorest citizens by 2015; launch virtual clean energy solutions centers to help developing countries transition to low-carbon technologies; and encourage young women to pursue careers in clean energy. See the DOE press release and Ministerial fact sheet (PDF 76 KB), and the DOE Energy Blog Ministerial discussion Web site.
$30 Million for Small Business Clean Energy Technologies
DOE announced on July 14 that $30 million in funding is available to qualified small businesses to support commercialization of promising new clean energy technologies.
The initiative builds on efforts by DOE’s existing Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program to develop near-term clean energy technologies and to support American small businesses. Small companies previously awarded Phase II grants through SBIR or STTR are eligible for funding. This is the first time DOE has offered Phase III awards under these small business programs. The money will come from the Recovery Act and FY2010 budget appropriations.
Projects that include developed technologies with a strong potential for commercialization and impact on U.S. manufacturing and job creation are encouraged to apply.
Among the technology areas of interest are: biomass technologies for algal biofuels production; buildings technologies for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and solid state lighting OLEDs; advanced materials and bio-fueled solid oxide fuel cells; and high temperature tools and sensors for geothermal technologies.
Other areas of inquiry include: industrial technologies ranging from sensors and controls to advanced materials; solar technologies aimed at lowering the cost of photovoltaics; vehicle technologies focused on internal heating in DC bus capacitors as well as magnetic materials for motors. Also considered will be lightweight vehicle materials, advanced wind power technologies, electricity delivery and energy reliability such as smart grid technologies, and superconducting and advanced materials for energy storage.
Successful applicants may receive up to $3 million over 3 years to research, develop, and deploy new technologies. See the DOE press release, the funding opportunity announcement, and the DOE SBIR/STTR Web site.
Recovery Act Boosts Advanced Vehicle Investments
On July 14, DOE released a report on the economic impact of Recovery Act investments on advanced batteries and vehicles.
"Recovery Act Investments: Transforming America’s Transportation Sector" documents how Recovery Act funds are being matched with private capital to create green jobs, help construct new plants, add new manufacturing lines, install EV charging stations nationwide, and help build the emerging domestic EV industry from the ground up.
Companies have matched-at minimum-dollar for dollar the $2.4 billion in Recovery Act seed money for advanced battery and EV grants. Investments are also increasing battery production capacity, lowering battery costs, and adding vehicle charging locations. The US will have the capacity to produce 20% of the world’s electric batteries by 2012 and up to 40% by 2015 because of the investments.
All nine new battery plants that will open as a result of Recovery Act investments have started construction, and four of those will be operational by the end of the year. In addition, 21 other plants will make battery or electric vehicle components with the help of Recovery Act grants.
Before the Recovery Act, high battery costs meant a car with a 100-mile range would need a battery that cost $33,000. Now, higher-volume domestic manufacturing could bring that cost down to $16,000 by the end of 2013 and to $10,000 by the end of 2015.
The report was released prior to President Obama’s July 15 visit to Compact Power in Holland, Michigan. Compact Power matched more than dollar-for-dollar the $151 million Recovery Act grant awarded it last August. The company’s new plant will manufacture batteries to support 52,000 Chevy Volts a year and will supply batteries for the new electric Ford Focus. See the DOE press release and the full report (PDF 341 KB).
DOE to Implement Cool Roofs across Federal Government
DOE announced on July 19 a series of initiatives to more broadly implement cool roof technologies on federal facilities across the country.
As part of these efforts, DOE will install cool roof on its facilities whenever cost effective over the lifetime of the roof, during construction of a new roof or replacement of an old one. Re-roofing for DOE’s Washington D.C. headquarters, Idaho National Lab and Brookhaven National Lab are underway, covering over 350,000 square feet.
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within DOE, has installed more than 2 million square feet of cool and white roofs at NNSA sites across the country. Through the Roof Asset Management Program, NNSA currently saves an average of $500,000 a year in energy costs and expects to save more than $10 million over the next 15 years. Overall, NNSA has reduced building heating and cooling costs by an average of 70% annually on re-roofed areas by installing cool roofs and increasing insulation.
DOE released its "Guidelines for Selecting Cool Roofs" to help other government agencies to do the same. The guidelines provide technical assistance on types of roofing materials and how to select a roof that will work best on specific facilities. These measures follow President Obama’s Executive Order on Sustainability, issued in October 2009 and under which the federal government committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 28% by 2020.
DOE is also expanding cool roof research to enable technological innovation and guide policy implementation. The effort includes developing advanced testing protocols, conducting urban heat islands, and undertaking studies to further quantify the direct global cooling benefits associated with cool surfaces.
A recent study by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Lab found that using cool roofs and pavements in cities around the world can reduce air conditioning demand, decrease temperatures for entire cities, and potentially cancel the heating effect of up to two years of worldwide CO2 emissions. The Department also anticipates awarding new projects to develop higher performing, new innovative roofing materials under the DOE’s Small Business Innovation Research grant program. See the DOE press release, Secretary Chu’s memorandum (PDF 395 KB), Guidelines for Selecting Cool Roofs (PDF 909 KB), Secretary Chu’s YouTube video on cool roofs, and the LBNL study.
Home Size is Declining, Energy Efficiency a Factor
The size of new U.S. single-family homes completed in 2009 declined, dropping to a nationwide average of 2,438 square feet and reversing the trend of the past three decades, according to a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
New single-family homes were almost 100 square feet smaller in 2009 than in 2007, according to recently released U.S. Census Bureau data. One reason for the drop, NAHB noted, was homeowners’ desire to keep energy costs in check.
Despite the tendency toward a somewhat smaller footprint, overall energy use has been growing. One reason could be the spread of air conditioning. Census Bureau data show that less than half of all new single-family homes completed in 1973 had air conditioning while nearly nine-out-of-ten new homes are air conditioned.
Not surprisingly, there are regional differences in those nationwide findings. The proportion of homes with air conditioning ranged from a low of 69% in the West to a high of 99% in the South. The Northeast and Midwest were at 75% and 90%, respectively.
Still, even as energy use climbs, so does energy efficiency. "Residential Energy Consumption Survey," a U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) report released in 2005, confirms that while both floor size and overall energy consumption have been trending upwards for decades, energy consumption per square foot has been dropping.
The survey shows that new households were smallest from 1970-1979, averaging 1,863 square feet. They steadily increased through 2005, according to the EIA report. Likewise, overall household energy consumption was lowest from 1980-1989, but has been rising ever since.
However, even as residences have grown, the amount of energy used per square foot has declined from a high of 89 cents per square foot during the 1970-79 decade to 68 cents per square foot in structures built from 2000-2005. See the NAHB press release and page three of the EIA 2005 "Residential Energy Consumption Survey" (PDF 51 KB).
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EREE Network News is a weekly publication of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).
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