EETD Communications

Contact: Allan Chen (510) 486-4210, a_chen@lbl.gov Technical contact: Paul Mathew (510) 486-5116, PAMathew@lbl.gov

Berkeley, CA—Scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, in cooperation with the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), are releasing for beta testing a computer-based tool to help the world’s semiconductor manufacturing facilities (“fabs”) evaluate and improve their energy efficiency.
“We developed FABS21 to allow the operators of semiconductor manufacturing facilities to continuously benchmark and improve energy and water efficiency of semiconductor facilities,” says Paul Mathew, a Staff Scientist in the Environmental Energy Technologies Division of Berkeley Lab.

“Resource efficiency is not just an environmental initiative; it is also an important business process that can reduce costs for fabs,” said James Beasley, ESH Technology Manager for ISMI.  “ISMI is pleased to be partnering with Berkley Lab on this project. Finding ways to conserve resources is vital to the long-term growth of the semiconductor industry, and tools such as the FABS21 benchmark database help ISMI and the industry address the challenges of sustainable manufacturing.”

Benchmarking is the process of comparing a building’s or facility’s energy and water use to those of peer facilities.
The tool draws on previous research at Berkeley Lab into benchmarking for high-technology facilities such as laboratories, data centers, and clean rooms. It also makes use of the survey methods and data collected through the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). Berkeley Lab researchers worked with ISMI’s Green Fab working group to validate the benchmarking methodology.
Development of FABS21 is sponsored by ISMI, the global consortium of the world’s major semiconductor manufacturers.

Users can benchmark their facilities using up to 46 different building and system level metrics, which fall into two categories. They can benchmark the overall facility energy and water efficiency, for example, as kWh/square centimeter of wafer output, and gallons per square foot of manufacturing space. These metrics will help facility operators who are applying for certification in the LEED-EBOM (Existing Buildings Operations and Maintenance) rating system.

FABS21 also gives users system-level metrics, which are used for “action-oriented benchmarking.” With this information, users can identify potential actions to improve specific system areas such as ventilation air flow efficiency (Watts/cubic feet per minute), and chiller plant efficiency (kW/ton). The tool has metrics for environmental conditions, ventilation, cooling & heating, process equipment, and lighting & electrical systems.

Users can benchmark a facility across a set of years, as well as compare to a group of similar facilities. They can filter the peer facilities dataset based on climate zone, facility type, and cleanliness level.
FABS21 is being beta-tested by members of ISMI and is expected to go into full release in November 2009.
Development team members include Paul Mathew, Martin Stoufer, of the Information Technology division, and Anthony Ma of EETD.

Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located in Berkeley, California. The Lab conducts unclassified scientific research for DOE’s Office of Science and is managed by the University of California. Visit our website at http://www.lbl.gov.

ISMI is a global alliance of the world’s major semiconductor manufacturers, dedicated to reducing cost per wafer and ultimately cost per die, through cooperative programs focused on manufacturing effectiveness. ISMI’s current program portfolio includes ESH, next-generation factories, 450mm, continuous improvement, and metrology.   ISMI is a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEMATECH (www.sematech.org).

FABS21 beta tool website:
http://fabs21.lbl.gov/Fabs21/
High technology buildings research at Berkeley Lab:
http://hightech.lbl.gov/
About the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative:
http://ismi.sematech.org/

LEED for Existing Buildings:
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=221

A report just released by the National Academies of Science estimates the “hidden” costs of energy production and use. These costs, which include human health effects, physical damages to buildings and other structures, and reduction in grain crop harvests caused by air pollution are not reflected in market prices of coal, oil, other energy sources, or the electricity and gasoline produced from them.

Known to economists as external costs, the report estimated these costs at $120 billion in the U.S. in 2005,  Health damage from air pollution associated with electricity generation and motor vehicle transportation is the largest single item.

Thomas McKone, a senior scientist in Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division (EETD), and Adjunct Professor in the UC Berkeley School of Public Health, was one of 18 distinguished experts in public health, economics, and energy science who wrote the report. The report was released by the National Research Council (NRC) at the request of Congress. As a branch of the National Academies of Science NRC organizes studies using the best available science by drawing on NAS membership and carefully selected experts.

Read the rest here:

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2009/10/21/hidden-costs-of-energy/

Researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) released a new study on the installed costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the U.S., showing that the average cost of these systems declined by more than 30 percent from 1998 to 2008. Within the last year of this period, costs fell by more than 4 percent.

The number of solar PV systems in the U.S. has been growing at a rapid rate in recent years, as governments at the national, state, and local levels have offered various incentives to expand the solar market. With this growth comes a greater need to track and understand trends in the installed cost of PV.

“A goal of government incentive programs is to help drive the cost of PV systems lower. One purpose of this study is to provide reliable information about the costs of installed systems over time,” says report co-author Ryan Wiser.

Read the rest here:

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2009/10/21/new-berkeley-lab-report-shows-that-the-installed-cost-of-solar-photovoltaic-systems-in-the-us-fell-in-2008/

Researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) are working with Silicon Valley companies to demonstrate energy-efficient data center technologies.

The Silicon Valley Leadership Group (SVLG) in partnership with the California Energy Commission has encouraged SVLG member companies to demonstrate new or underused energy efficiency strategies for data centers. Intel, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Sun Microsystems, Netapp, Oracle, and many others, have answered the call, demonstrating a variety of new technologies in the facilities of Silicon Valley companies.

Read the rest here:

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2009/10/12/energy-efficient-data-centers/

Berkeley, CA — The White House announced its intention to nominate Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Berkeley engineer and scientist Arun Majumdar to become the first director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E).

ARPA-E’s goals are to create technologies that have the potential to reduce the nation’s reliance on foreign energy supplies, reduce energy-related greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy efficiency. It focuses on high-risk, high-payoff technologies that promise to transform the energy landscape.

Majumdar’s nomination must undergo Senate confirmation.

Read the rest here:

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2009/09/18/arpa-e-nomination/

Congratulations to EETD’ Deputy Director Ashok Gadgil for winning a Heinz Award. It was announced this morning. Gadgil is being recognized “for his work as a researcher, inventor and humanitarian.” The Berkeley Lab article is here:

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2009/09/15/ashok-gadgil-wins-heinz-award/

A UC Berkeley press release can be found here:

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2009/09/15_heinz.shtml

The Heinz Award page on Gadgil:

http://www.heinzawards.net/recipients/ashok_gadgil

Advanced energy-efficient technologies in lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), and control systems are heading for the buildings, laboratories and data centers of several federal agencies.  With $1.8 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, experts at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) will provide the technical expertise to help federal energy managers perform these projects and monitor their performance. The bulk of the funds, $1.4 million, are from the Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), while the remainder, $445,000, is from the Department of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program.

Read the rest here:

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/press-releases/2009/09/09/arra-funding-federal-agencies-energy-efficiency/

Berkeley Lab Scientists To Present Findings on Dangers of Greenhouse Gas Emissions to California’s Power Lines and Other Energy Infrastructure

at Climate Change Conference in Sacramento

Berkeley, CA—New research shows that climate change in California will make power plants, transmission lines and other portions of the state’s energy infrastructure vulnerable to flooding, fires and other disasters, according to leading scientists from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. This research and other new work on greenhouse gas emissions in California and around the world will be presented at the Sixth Annual Climate Change Symposium in Sacramento next week.

The conference will be held September 8 to 10 at the Sacramento Convention Center and is sponsored by the California Energy Commission, the California Environmental Protection Agency and the California Resources Agency.

Scientists from Berkeley Lab’s Environmental Energy Technologies Division will make presentations on three aspects of the dangers to California’s energy infrastructure from increasing temperatures, rising sea levels and changing precipitation due to climate change. Other scientists will present work on a variety of topics, ranging from research showing that methane and nitrous oxide emissions are even greater than currently estimated to research on soot emissions from inefficient stoves in developing countries.

Details of the presentations are given below. Please contact Allan Chen or Julie Chao to arrange on-site interviews before or after the presentations.

Methodology and Preliminary Findings for Potential Threats to Power Plants and Transmission Lines in California

Jayant Sathaye and Larry Dale, Sep. 9, 4:10 pm

Impact of Temperature Change on Energy Infrastructure Operations

Andre Frossard Pereira de Lucena, Sep. 9, 4:30 pm

Impact of Flooding and Wildfires on Energy Infrastructure

Peter Larsen, Sep. 9, 4:50 pm

A research team led by Jayant Sathaye, with Larry Dale, Andre Frossard Pereira de Lucena and Peter Larsen, is estimating the impact of temperature, precipitation, sea level rise and wild fires due to climate change on California’s energy infrastructure, which includes power plants, transmission lines, pipelines, gas and oil refineries and storage facilities. Power plants will be affected by flooding, and high temperatures will reduce their generation, requiring more power plants or efficiency improvements. Infrastructure along the coast and in the delta is vulnerable to flooding and inland to forest fires. Their findings are preliminary since work started only two months ago and will continue until next June. These three talks will address different areas of ongoing research within this project.

Results of One Year of Measurements at Two Towers in Central California and Complementary Aircraft Measurements

Marc Fischer, Sep. 10, 8:20 am

Marc Fischer and his colleagues are conducting atmospheric measurements and inverse modeling to quantify non-CO₂ greenhouse gas emissions from central California to help develop a state-wide network for verifying GHG emissions reductions mandated by state legislation (AB 32). Their measurements demonstrate that methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) mixing ratios in the Bay Area and Central Valley are significantly enhanced relative to air entering California, and their inverse models suggest that actual CH₄ and N₂O emissions are greater than current inventories estimate. The research will improve the certainty of the emission estimates and separation of different emission sources (industrial, residential, agricultural and transportation).

Black Carbon Snow Albedo Reduction and Emissions from Cookstoves

Thomas Kirchstetter, Sep. 9, 2:00 pm

This presentation will discuss planned research to measure the change in black carbon (soot) emission that might result from replacing inefficient methods of cooking used in developing nations with efficient cookstoves, such as the Berkeley Darfur stove, which was developed by Berkeley Lab researchers for displaced persons in Darfur. Thomas Kirchstetter will also discuss current work to measure changes in the reflectance of snow from deposition of atmospheric black carbon in the snow.  Black carbon contamination of snow, even in very small amounts, has been found to increase the rate of snow melt.  This research helps improve the accuracy of models of climate change and predictions of loss of California snow.

New Energy Balances for the State of California

Stephane de la Rue du Can, Sep. 9, 3:00 pm

Stephane de la Rue du Can will discuss work to update the California Energy Balances database and flow chart. Accurate energy consumption data are prerequisite to a reliable inventory of California’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, as well as to developing effective plans for reducing those emissions. See the earlier version of this flow chart here:

http://industrial-energy.lbl.gov/node/104

http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/sabl/2005/November/06-cal-energy.html

Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located in Berkeley, California. It conducts unclassified scientific research and is managed by the University of California for the DOE Office of Science. Visit our website at http://www.lbl.gov.

More information on the Symposium:

http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/events/2009_symposium/index.html

Mathematicians from the Lab’s Computational Research Division (CRD) are receiving Recovery Act funds to help increase the reliability of the electrical grid and improve the nation’s ability to respond to energy disruptions. By advancing the technologies needed to implement a smart grid, Berkeley researchers will play an important role in avoiding costly, cascading blackouts like the August 2003 blackout that affected eight northeastern U.S states and Canada.

http://www.lbl.gov/cs/Archive/news090109.html

The Sixth Annual Climate Change Research Symposium, sponsored by the California Energy Commission, will take place next week in Sacramento. Registration is still open. There will be six papers presented by authors from the Environmental Energy Technologies Division. (More to come about this shortly.)

Find out more here:

http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/events/2009_symposium/index.html

For those of you interested in clean technology investment for India, UC Berkeley, in cooperation with the Berkeley-India Joint Leadership on Energy and Environment (BIJLEE), is holding a two-day meeting geared to investors and entrepreneurs. October 28-29, Haas School of Business.

http://executive.berkeley.edu/programs/cleantech-india/

Berkeley Lab and China’s Tsinghua University forged ties on August 12 to promote the development and implementation of building energy efficiency, a move intended to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S and China.

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2009/08/13/energy-efficiency-china/

Jim Gunshinan blogs about electronic vampires on KQED Quest’s site.

http://www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2009/08/27/is-your-house-haunted-by-electronic-vampires

Several current and former EETD energy efficiency researchers are discussed in this article in the journal Science. A great overview of energy efficiency research.

http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/325/5942/804

Smart grid software and hardware technology developed by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) helped Northern California power utility Pacific Gas and Electric Company and several of its commercial and industrial customers demonstrate that they can reduce power usage automatically and quickly—in less than 10 minutes—in support of grid reliability. This approach is sometimes called Fast-DR (fast demand response).

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2009/08/19/smart-grid-success/

We have just posted a new web page about jobs in energy efficiency, with links to some job listings. Please look it over, and send us your suggestions for additional links. Email the webmaster of that page. As more employers become aware of energy efficiency as a source of job creation, we hope to offer more links with listings, as well as reports outlining the staffing needs of energy-efficiency related industries.

http://eetd.lbl.gov/einfo-jobs.html

Check out Jim Gunshinan’s blog entries from the National Weatherization Training Conference. They are talking about training fro green jobs, among other things. Jim is the Managing Editor of Home Energy magazine.

www.kqed.org/quest/blog/2009/07/24/weatherization-gets-down-to-business

EETD scientist Evan Mills has finished a new report outlining the benefits of commissioning new and retrofit commercial buildings—potential for saving a median of 13% of the energy use of new buildings and 16% in building retrofits, based on a study of 643 buildings representing 99 million square feet. Commissioning is the process of testing and fine-tuning building systems in a new or retrofit building before it is occupied to make sure that they are working up to specification. Good commissioning saves energy and reduces energy bills. The word was originally used in connection with applying this process to naval ships when they were finished, but before they went into service.

Download the report here:

http://cx.lbl.gov/2009-assessment.html

Here’s a nice story about a young inventor who was inspired by EETD’s Ashok Gadgil to invent technology to help developing nations.

http://newscenter.lbl.gov/feature-stories/2009/07/20/young-inventor/

I missed this when it happened a few months ago, but the Indoor Air Quality Scientific Findings Resources Bank added substantial new material in the section on indoor dampness, biological contaminants and healt:

http://eetd.lbl.gov/ied/sfrb/dampness-summary.html

The website is a knowledge base of peer-reviewed scientific material on indoor air quality, much of it written to understood  broadly by those without special training in the field.

http://eetd.lbl.gov/ied/sfrb/sfrb.html