Category Archives: energy savings

Whos Backyard is Next? With San Diego Power Plant Shut, SDG&E Turns To Fossil Fuel

Posted on June 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

natural gas power plant

With San Diego’s nuclear plant shut for good, utility officials are reviving a proposal for a major new natural gas power plant in an industrial zone south of San Diego.

Plans for the Pio Pico Energy Center, adjacent to an existing power plant in unincorporated Otay Mesa, were rejected in March by the California Public Utilities Commission, saying there was no need for the facility until at least 2018. But the door was left open for a repeat application.

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San Diego Gas & Electric President Mike Niggli said circumstances have changed with the closure of the San Onofre nuclear plant.

“I think what we see now is the opportunity to take a facility that has been through the entire process of having a competitive bid, the lowest cost facility for our customers, and have that come on as a good solid supply,” Niggli said.

Under the previous application, the Pio Pico project would cost utility customers more than $1 billion under a 20 year contract. Exact terms were not made public under rules designed to protect competitive bidding.

The power plant application kicks off efforts to redraw the Southern California energy grid without San Onfore’s twin reactors, which generated enough energy to power 1.4 million homes. Advocates for alternatives to fossil fuels vowed to challenge the proposal, saying it would cut short efforts to meet energy needs though through conservation, rooftop solar and energy efficiency and other clean technologies.

Under California law, those resources are given priority over the development of fossil fuel plants in an effort to reduce air pollution and forestall climate change.

SDG&E officials have argued that Pio Pico and other quick-start natural gas plants will be needed to offset more solar and wind energy generation that varies with the weather. Utilities are required to generate one-third of their electricity from renewable sources by 2020.

The state announced Monday that it is moving forward with new energy storage requirements that can help even out the availability of power generated by wind, solar and other renewable sources.

California’s main grid operator is forecasting adequate energy supplies for this summer, but also is actively preparing consumers to conserve energy on short notice in the event of extreme hot weather or the failure of power plants and transmission lines or both.

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Green Buildings for Tough Times

Posted on June 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

Start with the basic principles that govern how energy crosses a building enclosure: convection (air leakage), conduction (movement through walls, for example), and radiation (of sunlight through windows, for example). I choose building components that best address energy flow by design, and that require proper installation, but not extra labor and skills, to make them work.

Can we build an energy-efficient, stick-framed envelope insulated with fiberglass? Sure, but it takes a lot of work and requires skill, persistence, and a ton of caulk. Air leaks through stick-framed walls at the top and bottom plates; between the drywall and the sheathing; around windows and doors; and through light fixtures, switches, and outlets.

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We can still use stick framing and dramatically reduce air leakage with properly applied sprayed polyurethane foam, reducing the need to caulk holes from wiring or plumbing. Foam costs 3 or 4 times as much as fiberglass, but if it’s applied as directed, it fits tightly, insulates, and doubles as an excellent air seal—far better than fiberglass. If we’re concerned about heat loss through studs, we can either shear the exterior with rigid foam sheathing, or better yet, use SIPs, which eliminate a great deal of framing lumber.

I spray open-cell foam directly to the underside of the roof deck, from the ridge down to the tops of the walls, creating a conditioned attic. This stops air leakage to the outside through any penetration in the ceiling, eliminates the need for roof ventilation, and does not, in my opinion, lead to premature deterioration of the shingles. All HVAC supply and return ducts are within the conditioned space, access to plumbing and wiring in the attic is simplified, and recessed ceiling lights need not be airtight or protected from insulation. Admittedly this insulation method costs more, both because foam costs more than fiberglass, and because there’s more surface area to cover. Nevertheless, foam seals out air leakage better than fiberglass, and the home’s energy performance is greatly improved.

Read entire article at: http://www.homeenergy.org/show/article/magazine/130/nav/issues/id/1868?utm_source=June+4%2C+2013+e-newsletter&utm_campaign=HEM+Enewsletter&utm_medium=email

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