Getting to Net Zero: Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment - Call For Presenters

Call for Panelists
Deadline for Responses: February 15, 2013

A day-long workshop, Getting to Net Zero: Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment, is being organized for the Green California Summit Education Program (April 18) in Sacramento, CA by CaliforniaGeo. The workshop will include three panels covering topics related to achieving net zero using today’s technologies effectively. They will also address the myriad of emerging and existing mandates, policies and regulations that will support this transition.

Panelists are needed to cover the topics listed below. This will be a unique opportunity to educate and inform an audience of local and state government officials as well as representatives of the private and non-profit sectors. As each of these sectors anticipates implementing sustainable energy policies and building designs, your input will be appreciated and highly valued.

Please note that these are designed to be informative and not to be oriented towards promoting one product or technology over another. Rather, it is meant to demonstrate how each technology fits into the matrix of applications that can be tailored to individual needs, designs, mandates and budgets.

To be included as a panelist in this workshop, please contact me ASAP. We are organizing the panels now, so please expedite your response.

Phil Henry, CaliforniaGeo, 916.668.6868, Email Me

Deadline for Responses: February 15, 2013

Session Descriptions and Topics for Panelists

Getting to Net Zero: Sustainable Energy in the Built Environment

Getting to Net Zero, whether it’s in a single building, a campus, a community or an entire state, will require an evolution in thinking about renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. No single technology or set of technologies will solve energy needs across the board. Rather, it will take a matrix of these clean technologies to specific climates, needs, policies and mandates to get beyond fossil fuels to zero net energy usage. First and foremost it means lowering the overall demand on electricity and natural gas by implementing energy efficiency measures and utilizing the reliable production of distributed renewable energy. This full-day workshop will include panels of top experts who will lead you in an exploration of existing and developing technologies and the convergence of policies and goals that are supporting a net zero future for California – and soon. By the end of the day, you will have learned how to adapt to the paradigm shift in energy production and energy efficiency.

Session 1: (75 minutes)
Where We’re Headed: The Big Picture on Net Zero

The opening panel is a policy overview and an exploration of our objectives as a society. Subject experts on California’s Global Warming Solution’s Act, AB 32, the Governor’s Executive Order and other sustainable energy mandates and policies will explain the various components in real concise terms. The mandates within these laws and policies are creating paradigm shifts in the way we think about energy use and delivery. Contrary to the current thought stream, achieving Net Zero California within the near future is achievable with current technologies. This session will connect the dots between the technologies, policies, mandates and objectives to determine how to best achieve net zero.

Topics to be covered by panelists*:

1. Governor Brown’s 12 gigawatt of distributed generation by 2020 goal
2. Governor Brown's Executive Order B-18-12 Energy Efficiency
3. CPUC’s Zero Net Energy Program
4. CEC's Integrated Energy Policy Report
5. Implementation of Prop 39, Financing for Energy Efficiency
   1. AB-29 Proposition 39: implementation (Williams) to fund colleges for energy efficiency retrofits and clean energy projects
   2. AB-39 Proposition 39: implementation (Skinner)
   3. SB-39 Energy: school facilities: energy efficiency upgrade projects (De León)
6. How do the above align to create a Net Zero California?

*Note - While overviews of the above topics will be presented in this session, speakers may also be invited to provide more details in other sessions within this workshop.

Session 2: (75 minutes)
Distributed Generation: An All-In Approach

Decreasing demand and increasing supply through the application of emerging renewable technologies, is the subject of this session. Large solar arrays are spreading across the California desert, a source of renewable energy to help the state meet its energy goals. But with so much wasted energy on the long distance grid, all signs point to a future focused on local distributed generation - producing energy at the load. This session will illustrate the ways in which distributed generation will require a mix of geothermal heat pump systems, solar thermal, wind turbines, solar PV all of which use renewable energy sources.

Topics for speakers:

1. Energy use in the built environment – where’s the energy going?
2. Distributed generation overview
3. The role of the CPUC and CEC
4. Benefits of distributed generation compared to large solar arrays and wind farms.
5. The role of energy efficiency
6. Up to date information on state of the art of available technologies :
   1. Wind Turbines
   2. Solar Thermal
   3. Solar PV
   4. Geothermal heat pumps

Session 3: (60 minutes)
Getting Serious About Energy Efficiency

The amount of the electricity and natural gas required to run our buildings is the primary barrier to achieving net zero. Envelope management is crucial, but there are only so many light bulbs to change, windows to replace and insulation that can be upgraded. What hasn’t been done seriously is tackling how we cool and heat buildings and create domestic hot water. Without addressing HVAC and DHW systems, we’re only paying lip service to energy efficiency, because most of the energy that’s being consumed in California and the nation is due to space heating, air conditioning and domestic water heating. The ecosystem of energy efficiency applications includes behavior modification, envelope management and a mix of technologies including solar thermal, geothermal heat pumps, cool roofs and others. All the pieces of the puzzle can interact in some way, directly or indirectly. This session will focus mainly on the two technologies that offer the most comprehensive energy savings: solar thermal and geothermal heat pumps. Let’s get serious about meeting our goals.

Topics for speakers:

1. Are Negawatts real?
2. Adjusting the thermostat has limited value and come with a comfort penalty
3. Impact on energy consumption with implementation of solar thermal and geothermal heat pumps
4. Energy efficiency technologies as a supply side management tool
5. Overview of energy efficiency technologies in terms of load reduction
6. Choosing the right mix of technologies for specific buildings.

 

This should be attractive to competent energy auditors, raters, solar contractors and deep energy retrofitters in the SF / Sacramento corridor. If such a symposium came to Jacksonville I'd be all over it.

One thing I don't see mentioned is pool and other pumping. There are huge gains to be made in right-sizing and variable speed pumps.

Many technologies are oversold or misapplied. Solar thermal, radiant barriers, and new windows head the list.

Then there are the flat out scams, such as residential power factor "correctors".

 

I was involved with a Net Zero home.

Keep in mind a log home with a wood stove is Net Zero (as I had to mention to an architect with his nose in the air). But that is not what we're talking about.

What we do end up with is something designed by committee.

 

A log home with a wood stove may be net zero as to heating, but that leaves out balance of home loads.

Net Zero is far more attainable if one assiduously attacks the "negaWatts" (envelope, mechanicals, glass, water heating, lighting, refrigeration, laundry, pool pumping) before caring a wit about onsite generation. Unfortunately insulation has far less "sex" appeal than PV or windmills.

 

Curt:

I get that. I learned more than I ever needed to know about near net-zero homes in the last 24 hours. I read a paper by one of the PEs at Taco today. We are the cutting edge with geo. We, geo heads, all get that we aim at a moving target. We win when it comes to lowest cost for fuel. It does not matter if it is a leaky double wide or a Hobbit cave.

MHO.

Let me know if you need the paper. I am sure John H. White, Jr. will make it available. We need to get him to type here as well as HeatingHelp. The paper included a run down on active chilled beams and all the alphabet scores you real engineers crave.

LOL

Mark

 

Well there is net zero energy usage, the focus of the trak, and there is net zero emissions which goes to the ultimate goal if the climate and Mother Earth is important to you.
The log cabin may qualify as net zero energy building but it fails the net zero emission test. Bringing the net zero emissions concept home to our industry, I can't tell you how many utility folks have used the emission driven logic to discount the value of deploying geo in their service area. It is the old, we get our electricity from coal fired plants and sell natural gas, greener and better to use more gas and electricity than switch to geo argument we have all heard before.

Anyway, if you want to get your head around this stuff I suggest you have a look at California's Energy Future - The View to 2050 which was co authored by one of our Session 1 speakers.

Phil

 

I am old enough to remember the Mother Earth News started here in Ohio by Jon Shuttlecock. He sold out and moved to warmer climes. An article I will always remember from the early '70s about a guy in France that heated his home with radiant low temp panels warmed by a roll or two of HDPE woven through his compost pile.

Direct transfer, no heat pump needed.

Since those days I have learned about controlling heat transfer for comfort. Net zero had not been invented yet, so all we readers of the MEN knew was "do no harm". Just like medical folks.

Given the Ohio weather I would love to attend. Thanks for the invite Phil.

Mark