05/14/2008 06:22 AM

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Weekly Clean Energy Roundup: May 14, 2008

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The AWEA press release also notes that more wind turbine components are now being manufactured in the United States. At least 17 manufacturing facilities were either brought online or expanded in 2007 and early 2008, and over the past three years the percentage of U.S.-made components has increased from less than 30% to more than 50%. That trend looks likely to continue, as Siemens has announced plans to double its wind blade manufacturing capacity in Iowa, while Vestas Wind Systems plans to build a manufacturing plant for wind turbine towers in Colorado.

Siemens just opened its Iowa facility in 2007, and the planned expansion will add another 200 jobs at the plant. Likewise, Vestas just opened a wind blade manufacturing plant in Colorado, and is now "resolved to build the world's largest tower factory" in the same state. The factory will require an investment of nearly $150 million, and when it is completed in mid-2010, it will convert 200,000 metric tons of steel into about 900 towers each year, employing about 400 people. See the Siemens press release and page 5 and 6 of Vestas' first-quarter interim financial report (PDF 88 KB).

DOE Chalks Up 500 Energy Saving Assessments at Major Industries

DOE's Save Energy Now program has completed its 500th Energy Saving Assessment. Since 2006, teams from DOE's Save Energy Now program have analyzed the efficiency of pumps, fans, compressed air systems, and heating and steam systems at 500 of the nation's most energy-intensive industrial facilities. The teams use specifically targeted software to identify cost and energy savings and then train the facility personnel to use the software, so the technology can be applied at other plants. The energy assessments typically show saving opportunities of 5%-15% of each plant's total energy use, and if all those opportunities were pursued, it would yield an average annual savings of about $1.7 million per plant.

The 500th assessment was conducted at the Dow Chemical Company in Freeport, Texas. Dow Chemical is a good example of the success of the Save Energy Now program, because assessments were carried out at 16 of Dow Chemical's facilities in 2006 and 2007. The assessments identified $31 million per year in potential savings, and as of April, 13 of those facilities have implemented projects that should yield $7.7 million in annual savings. Additional projects that are now in progress should yield another $7 million in annual energy savings.

Altogether, the Energy Saving Assessments in facilities across the country have identified ways to save an estimated 80 trillion Btu of natural gas dash;the amount used by roughly one million U.S. homes. If all of the assessments' recommendations were fully implemented, they could avoid an estimated 7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, while saving more than $800 million in natural gas costs alone. See the DOE press release and the Save Energy Now Web site.

Long Island Utility to Launch a 10-Year Energy Efficiency Program

The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) plans to invest nearly a billion dollars in energy efficiency over the next 10 years under its new Efficiency Long Island program, which was unveiled last week. The $924 million program will start on January 1, 2009, and will offer residential and business customers an array of incentives, rebates, financing options, and other programs to help reduce their energy use.

The program will be funded through a modest energy efficiency fee based on electricity use. It will be offset somewhat by a reduction in base rates to remove funding for the energy efficiency portion of LIPA's Clean Energy Initiative, which expires at the end of the year. Over the next decade, Efficiency Long Island is expected to reduce the island's peak demand by 500 megawatts (MW), equal to about one large power plant.

For residential customers, the program will encourage the purchase of energy efficient products, the installation of high-efficiency central air conditioning and heat pumps, the application of duct sealing and tune-ups for central air conditioners, and the retrofit of entire homes. The program will also encourage the construction of Energy Star homes and will provide continued support for LIPA's Residential Energy Affordability Partnership, which helps lower-income households reduce their energy bills through energy efficiency. For commercial customers, the program will address energy efficiency in both new and existing buildings. See the LIPA press release and the Efficiency Long Island Web site.

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