Energy Management and Renewable Energy Newsletter

News and Updates:

Fort Worth Ahead of Dallas on Solar Energy
Informational Tools Explain How Distributed Generation and Demand Response are Used in the ERCOT Region
Sustainable Materials Management 2020 Anaerobic Digestion Funding Opportunity - $3 million
Electrify America Request for Comments
Unlocking the Cost-Saving Potential of Electric Fuel 2020 White Paper
New Funding Opportunity to Validate Novel Building Technology Performance in Public Buildings
DOE Announces $11 Billion in Energy Cost-Savings from Better Buildings Initiative Partners
U.S. Clean Energy Sector Loses 18% of Jobs During Pandemic
U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production in 2019 Hit Records with Fewer Rigs and Wells

Webinars and Online Courses:

How to Update Building Codes - A Primer and Resources for Cities in Need - July 1
LEED for Cities and Communities: Continuous Improvement Towards Net Zero - July 6
Electric Vehicles, Charging and Their Status in Sustainable Infrastructure - July 7
Local Government Clean Energy Trends and Resources - July 8
CleanTX 2020: Texas Cities’ Climate Action Plans - July 15
Using CCA to Achieve Clean Energy Goals - July 15
ENERGY STAR Higher Education Benchmarking Initiative - July 15
Procurement Options to Support Energy Reduction - July 16
ENERGY STAR Beat the Peak - Using Water Wisely for Commercial Outdoor Space - July 22
Lease Purchase Financing and the Interest Rate Environment - July 22
ENERGY STAR Energy Treasure Hunts During COVID-19 - July 23
Financing Solution for Combined Heat and Power (CHP) - July 23
Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA) Grid Evolution Summit - July 28 -30
Virtual Conference: 2020 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings - August 17 - 21

Fort Worth Ahead of Dallas on Solar Energy

Fort Worth has slightly more total solar energy, and 50% more solar per capita, than Dallas, according to a new report released by Environment Texas Research & Policy Center. The results came from the seventh edition of Shining Cities 2020: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy, ahead of the approval by the Dallas City Council of a new climate plan which includes new goals for solar energy.

The report, the most comprehensive survey available of installed solar capacity in major U.S. cities, found that Fort Worth comes in 5th place in Texas with 28.72 megawatts (MW) of solar and Dallas in 6th place with 27.36 MW. On a per capita basis, Fort Worth has about 50% more solar, with 32 watts per person to Dallas’ 18 watts per person. Solar capacity for Dallas increased 24% last year, however, enough to move the city up from 26th to 23rd place nationally, leaping ahead of Seattle, Kansas City and Raleigh. Greenville, Plano, Arlington, and Grand Prairie rounded out the top cities in the Metroplex, each of which had more solar installed than Atlanta, Nashville, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Orlando.

For more information about Environment Texas Research & Policy Center or for additional copies of the report, please visit www.environmenttexascenter.org.

Source: Environment Texas

Informational Tools Explain How Distributed Generation and Demand Response are Used in the ERCOT Region

As Distributed Generation (DG) and Demand Response (DR) continue to play a larger role in ERCOT, it is becoming increasingly important that the grid operator understand how these resources complement other resources and support grid reliability.
To help with this effort, ERCOT has published an easy-to-read explainer document and accompanying video on how DG and DR are used in the ERCOT region. These new tools are available on ERCOT.com on the Distributed Generation web page.

Source: ERCOT

Sustainable Materials Management 2020 Anaerobic Digestion Funding Opportunity - $3 million

Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is an alternative to landfilling that results in environmental benefits in the form of renewable energy (biogas) and a product that can improve soil health (digestate). The goal of this funding opportunity is to accelerate the development of new or enhance/increase existing anaerobic digestion capacity and infrastructure in the United States.
It is anticipated that a total of approximately $3 million will be awarded under this announcement, depending on the availability of funds, quality of applications received, and other applicable considerations.
The EPA anticipates award of 10-40 cooperative agreements resulting from this announcement, subject to availability of funds and the quality of the evaluated applications received. Awards will range in value from $50,000-$300,000.

Applications are due by July 14, 2020. Additional information is available on Grants.gov under Funding Opportunity Announcement EPA-OLEM-ORCR-20-02 and EPA website.

Electrify America Request for Comments

Electrify America, which is charged with carrying out a portion of Volkswagen Settlement Funding for the purposes of supporting zero-emission vehicles, is accepting comments to inform its third round of investment. NCTCOG plans to submit comments, but encourages local governments who are interested in supporting electric vehicles to consider also submitting directly. Electrify America respectfully requests all submissions by 7:00 PM CDT on July 31, 2020 to ensure their team has sufficient time to review and fully consider the content in their Cycle 3 investment plans.

To submit comments, please follow this link.

Unlocking the Cost-Saving Potential of Electric Fuel 2020 White Paper

This newly released white paper by Amply Power attempts to distill and simplify the interaction of complex electricity rate structures with fleet vehicle requirements by providing a comparative assessment of how electricity rate structures in the Top 25 U.S. Metropolitan areas impact the cost to “fuel” different vehicle fleets. According to Amply Power's Dollar-per Gallon-equivalent (DPGe) calculations, which allow fleet operators to make mile-for-mile comparisons of electric fueling costs versus gasoline/diesel costs, 21 out of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. including Dallas/Fort Worth save energy costs when electric vehicles are used instead of diesel.

To read the full document click here.

New Funding Opportunity to Validate Novel Building Technology Performance in Public Buildings

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) announced a new Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled “Building Technologies Proving Ground – Public Sector Field Validation.” This FOA allows state, local, and tribal government entities to compete for up to $10 million in funding for 5–10 new awards. Selectees will have the opportunity to validate high-impact building technologies for public and commercial buildings.
Projects funded through this FOA will enhance the energy efficiency of buildings and provide flexibility services to the electric grid. Many of these technologies can enable dynamic building interactions with the power grid that provide new value streams to commercial building owners.

Applicants must submit a Concept Paper no later than Monday, July 27, 2020 at 4:00 p.m. CDT. to be eligible to submit a full application.

More information is available in the FOA announcement.

DOE Announces $11 Billion in Energy Cost-Savings from Better Buildings Initiative Partners

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced nearly $11 billion in energy-cost savings by more than 950 public and private sector organizations in DOE’s Better Buildings Initiative. To date, partners have saved nearly 1.8 quadrillion British thermal units of energy, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 27 million homes in America over one year. The 2020 Better Buildings Progress Report, released at the Better Buildings, Better Plants Virtual Leadership Symposium, details partners’ progress in advancing energy productivity and highlights the 20 organizations that achieved their energy efficiency goals in the past year. DOE also recognized partners that met previous challenge goals and have set new goals to achieve even greater energy efficiency.
DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy also announced four new Better Buildings efforts: the Better Buildings Workforce Accelerator, the Better Buildings Sustainable Corrections Infrastructure Accelerator, the Integrated Lighting Campaign, and the Building Envelope Campaign. These efforts are aimed at increasing American energy productivity; catalyzing investments in renewable energy and energy storage in public facilities; integrating advanced lighting controls in buildings; and helping building owners and managers develop more energy-efficient walls, windows, roofs, and foundations.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

U.S. Clean Energy Sector Loses 18% of Jobs During Pandemic

According to the analysis of U.S. unemployment data conducted by BW Research Partnership, the U.S. clean energy sector has lost more than 620,000 jobs, or 18% of its work force, as stay-at-home orders and a weakened economy have slowed demand for solar panels and energy-efficient systems and curbed production of electric vehicles and clean fuels. The industry lost 27,000 jobs in May, a slower rate of decline than in April and March, when states first implemented lockdown orders to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Source: Reuters

U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production in 2019 Hit Records with Fewer Rigs and Wells

According to U.S. Energy Information Administration, increases in drilling efficiency pushed U.S. crude oil and natural gas production to establish new records of 12.2 million barrels per day (b/d) and 111.5 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d), respectively, in 2019. The number of U.S. oil and natural gas wells drilled each month per active rig has decreased since the peak in 1986 of 3.6 wells per rig per month. In 2019, an average rig drilled 1.5 wells per month. By drastically increasing the horizontal length of wells, producers have increased production despite using fewer rigs and drilling fewer wells.

Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration

CO-Benefits Risk Assessment (COBRA) Health Impacts Screening and Mapping Tool

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the latest version of the CO-Benefits Risk Assessment (COBRA) Health Impacts Screening and Mapping Tool. COBRA is a free EPA tool that helps analysts:

Explore how changes in air pollution, including from energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and programs, can affect human health at the county, state, regional, or national levels.
Estimate the economic value of the health benefits associated with policies and programs to compare against program costs.
Map and visually represent the air quality, human health, and health-related economic benefits from reductions in emissions of particulate matter (PM2.5), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), ammonia (NH3), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that result from policies and programs.

You can learn more about using COBRA, view Quick Start Tutorials on the model, read the User Manual with technical documentation, and download COBRA 4.0 from EPA’s COBRA web page at: https://epa.gov/cobra.

Local Action Framework: A Guide to Help Communities Achieve Energy and Environmental Goals

This guide, developed by the EPA, is designed to help local and tribal governments plan, implement, and evaluate new or existing energy or environmental projects. It covers six energy and environmental project implementation phases:

1. Engage and Communicate

2. Develop a Greenhouse Gas Inventory

3. Set Goals and Select Actions

4. Obtain Resources

5. Take Action

6. Track and Report

To access the EPA's guide click here.

How to Update Building Codes - A Primer and Resources for Cities in Need

The North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and the South-Central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as Resources (SPEER) are co-hosting a webinar on How to Update Building Codes. The webinar will focus on existing resources available through NCTCOG and SPEER, along with a primer on the overall process for adopting new codes.

Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2020
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT

LEED for Cities and Communities: Continuous Improvement Towards Net Zero

Presented by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), this session will highlight ways in which LEED helps communities in achieving Net Zero goals by showcasing projects from across the world, U.S., Latin America and Mexico. The Cities and Communities program is the leading global rating system for evaluating, transforming and nurturing urban sustainability and quality of life.

Date: Monday, July 6, 2020
Time: 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM CDT

Electric Vehicles, Charging and their Status in Sustainable Infrastructure

In this USGBC session learn about how this market is moving forward and adding new segments beyond traditional automobile models, how EV owners use and charge their vehicles safely, and how architects and developers can incorporate EV charging infrastructure readiness into new construction and remodeling projects for residential and business fleet applications.

Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2020
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT

Local Government Clean Energy Trends and Resources

This webinar will highlight local government clean energy trends across the U.S. and showcase the Renewables Accelerator’s Local Government Renewables Action Tracker along with other tools and resources to help cities move forward on procuring clean energy themselves. Representatives from World Resources Institute (WRI) and Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), alongside guest speakers from local governments, will discuss how the Renewables Accelerator is helping local governments explore and access their available green power supply options.

Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Time: 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM CDT

ENERGY STAR Higher Education Benchmarking Initiative

This July, ENERGY STAR is launching a new campaign for higher education: ENERGY STAR College and University Comparison Campaign. The campaign seeks to provide a new way for colleges and universities to understand how their campus building energy performance stacks up against that of peer institutions, based on key institutional characteristics. The hope is that this information will spark dialogue and action on energy efficiency.
Join this session to learn more about the opportunity and how your institution can participate.

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT

Using Community Choice Aggregation to Achieve Clean Energy Goals

This SolSmart webinar will focus on community choice aggregation (CCA) as a potential strategy for local governments to achieve their clean energy goals. The webinar will provide an overview of what CCA is, how it works, and considerations for local governments interested in establishing or participating in a CCA program. The webinar will highlight case studies from CCAs across the U.S. that support local renewable energy development.

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Time: 1:00 PM CDT

Procurement Options to Support Energy Reduction

A variety of procurement options are available to local governments to get energy efficiency projects started, ranging from purchasing cooperatives to cooperative procurement to RFPs. Join this webinar hosted by North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) to learn about some of these opportunities and how your local government can leverage them to streamline administrative burdens associated with acquiring energy efficiency products and services.

Date: Thursday, July 16, 2020
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM CDT

ENERGY STAR Beat the Peak - Using Water Wisely for Commercial Outdoor Space

Outdoor water use peaks during the summer, raising water bills and straining water supplies. Learn how to design and maintain attractive, healthy landscapes while minimizing irrigation and water losses during the dry summer months and throughout the year. Featured speaker from Banyan Water will highlight their case study implementing their Irrigation Insight software on the HP campus to monitor water usage from city and reclaimed water sources daily to maximize available recycled water and minimize domestic water costs.

Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Time: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM CDT

Lease Purchase Financing and the Interest Rate Environment

Join this inaugural webinar of the Texas Chapter of the Energy Services Coalition (ESC-TX) Education Subcommittee. These webinars are designed to educate members of the ESC chapter as well as the general public.
For the first webinar Lisa Tames will discuss the advantages of Lease Purchase Financing and will explain the recent disruption in the interest rate environment.

Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2020
Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM CDT

ENERGY STAR Energy Treasure Hunts During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenges for conducting energy treasure hunts that usually involve teams of people roaming around a facility. But despite social-distancing and other safety requirements, some companies are developing ways to conduct treasure hunts using remote and virtual techniques and modifying how hunts are done on site. This session will examine strategies for conducting treasure hunts during COVID-19 and feature speakers from companies who have adapted their treasure hunts for the current times.

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2020
Time: 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CDT

Financing Solution for Combined Heat and Power (CHP)

Join the Department of Energy’s Upper-West and Southcentral CHP Technical Assistance Partnerships on July 23, for a webinar hosted by the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) focusing innovative ways to finance the development of efficiency and resiliency strategies including combined heat and power (CHP) systems. A panel of subject matter experts will discuss a variety of ways to finance projects including commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE), rebates and incentives, and Department of Energy tools and resources. Learn about the drivers, strategies, and best practices that have helped facilities successfully adopt CHP.

Date: Thursday, July 23, 2020
Time: 11:00 AM CDT

2020 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings Virtual Conference

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) is taking the 2020 Summer Study on Energy Efficiency in Buildings virtual this year! The theme for the 2020 Summer Study is “Efficiency: The Core of a Clean Energy Future” in recognition of the rapidly evolving ecosystem of the energy industry. From resilience to health, distributed energy resources to renewables to grid integration and virtual batteries, energy efficiency remains critical to our success. Whatever the surrounding goals for expansion of clean energy systems and services, the ability to design and operate efficient buildings is an essential foundational requirement.

Early bird registration is now open and the "Schedule at a Glance" is up ! Register now at less than half the in-person fee.

Who Should Attend:
Policymakers; utility staff; architects; builders; financial and insurance professionals involved with buildings; clean-tech investors; building products, equipment, and appliance manufacturers; building owners and operators; engineers; local, state, and federal agency personnel; energy researchers; NGOs; consultants; behavioral scientists; and energy efficiency professionals.

Date: August 17 - 21, 2020
Register online here