EETD Communications

New efficiency standards proposed to take effect in 2014, announced recently by the U.S. Department of Energy, continue a 40–year trend of improving energy efficiency of this essential home appliance. The standard is a negotiated agreement between environmentalists, consumer advocates, and manufacturers. As proposed, the standard could save consumers as much as $18.6 billion over thirty years, and would also eliminate the need for up to 4.2 gigawatts of generating capacity by 2043, equivalent to eight to nine coal–fired power plants nationwide. The savings would reduce cumulative carbon dioxide emissions by 305 million metric tons between 2014 and 2043.

EETD’s Energy Efficiency Standards Group was a major contributor to DOE’s technical and economic analysis, including conducting the analysis of life cycle costs and consumer national impacts. This is the 3rd 25% or greater increase in efficiency from U.S. standards (1993 and 2001 were the other implementation dates). Energy Analysis Department Head James McMahon says, “a new top-freezer refrigerator in 2014 will consume less than 22% of the electricity annually of a new refrigerator sold in 1974.”

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DOE Proposes Higher Efficiency Standards for Refrigerators

Friday, October 1, 2010, 12:00 noon – 1:00 PM
Building 50 Auditorium
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Speaker: Dr. Joseph Lstiburek

A great deal of “green architecture” does not work and the failures are not discussed because failures dealing with green don’t fit into the environmentalist “template” of green being easy and cost-effective. The failures typically involve basic physics, engineering and construction practice—areas that the architectural profession has abandoned. Architects are trained as artists—not in the technology of construction. So the engineering profession has the answers? Wrong. Engineers are trained as computer programmers if they trained at all. Where do you go to get an engineering degree dealing with the building enclosure and HVAC systems? Nowhere in the United States. The blind are consulting with the inept. As for government policy? Cash for Caulkers? Home Star? What a mess. So what is the answer? Ah, come to the session. The answer is in the title: Don’t Do Stupid Things.

For those of you in the Berkeley, California area, please consider coming to this lecture, at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. For gate passes and other information, contact JoAnne Lambert, JMLambert@lbl.gov

More information:

http://eetd.lbl.gov/dls/lecture-10-01-10-lstiburek.html