Synapse: This Week's News for LA’s Best Buildings
Energy Management Proves Cost Effective in Industrial and Commercial Facilities
Emerging methods to manage energy use in industrial and commercial facilities are more than paying off through reduced energy costs, according to a new report. The findings are published in a report released today, prepared for the North American SEM Collaborative (NASEMC) by researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE).
The report provides the most comprehensive snapshot to date of strategic energy management (SEM) —a systematic process to holistically manage energy use to improve efficiency. These management methods, which are at an early stage of adoption but growing in use, are often supported by electric and gas utilities, which provide technical assistance and incentives to spur continuous operational, maintenance, and energy management system changes to reduce energy needs.
Pioneering NREL Analysis Empowers Los Angeles in Its Pursuit of 100% Renewables
Los Angeles is a famously sprawling metropolis, spanning from the sparkling Pacific Ocean on its west to the rugged San Gabriel and Santa Ana mountains and San Joaquin Hills on its east.
LA's power system is equally expansive: the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) is the nation's largest municipal utility, serving more than 4 million residents over 465 square miles, with more than 3,600 miles of transmission lines to move electricity into the city and more than 10,400 miles of distribution lines to deliver power to customers.
LADWP's footprint extends beyond the city itself, with transmission lines stretching across much of the western United States to tap into valuable energy resources in the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, and Desert Southwest.
How Could DOE’s $40B Loans Program Fund Efficiency? The New Director Has These Ideas
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many low- to moderate-income households have struggled to pay their energy bills, as millions have lost critical income and many face higher utility bills because of increased time spent at home. Their homes, in particular, would benefit from energy-saving upgrades to reduce utility costs.
Yet such upgrades have historically attracted a relatively small share of financing. To address this inequity, ACEEE is holding an interactive session at this month’s Finance Forum: “Financing Efficiency in Low- to Moderate-Income and Affordable Multifamily Housing.” The panel will look at new capital sources and financing structures that target efficiency upgrades in this hard-to-reach market.
Bringing Back Clean Air
With the promise of vaccines curtailing the spread of COVID, states and economies are beginning to open up again, and we find ourselves getting back not only the good but also some of the negative aspects of pre-pandemic life. Businesses are powering back up, and cars and trucks are roaring down our streets again. As they do, the crisp, fresh air and sparkling blue skies that even city-dwellers experienced over the last year are increasingly being replaced with haze, grime, and invisible pollutants.
UCLA, LABC Collaborate on Making Electric Vehicles Accessible to Everyone
The Los Angeles Business Council partnered with the University of California, Los Angeles to develop a strategy for equitable EV adoption. Gov. Gavin Newsom's 2021-2022 budget calls for $1.5 billion to help the state convert to EVs and the LABC/UCLA collaboration prioritizes the conversion of publicly owned fleets to electrics that can be deployed in underserved communities that suffer from poor air quality.
Source: Siemens