Challenges and Opportunities for Climate Action in Rural Maine

Growing concerns over environmental issues and sustainable living have resulted in increased interest in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The real estate market is no exception, with homeowners increasingly considering the market value of green and sustainable buildings, which can offer both energy efficiency and potential health benefits. This study investigates the level of interest among homeowners in investing in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures for their homes and how it relates to their perception of the market value of green or sustainable buildings in the real estate market. A survey was conducted in the Paphos urban complex in Cyprus, with 180 participants over the age of 18. The participants were selected through a random sampling method and were representative of the general population in terms of gender, age, and income. Data were collected on their attitudes towards renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, as well as their perceptions of the market value of green buildings. The data collected were analyzed using various statistical methods, including Cronbach’s α coefficient, the non-parametric Friedman test, descriptive statistics, and factor analysis, with the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) being used for coding and analysis. Results indicate that 64% of the homeowners surveyed were interested in investing in renewable energy sources, and 72% were interested in energy efficiency measures. Additionally, findings suggest a moderate level of interest (58%) among homeowners in investing in renewable energy sources and that this is positively associated with their perception of the market value of green buildings. Furthermore, homeowners with higher income and education levels tend to be more interested in investing in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures and perceive green buildings as having higher market value. This study provides insights into the factors that drive homeowners’ investment in renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures, shedding light on the relationship between homeowners’ perceptions of the market value of green buildings and their interest in such investments.

Factors which influence Nova Scotia farmers in implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy measures

The need for energy efficiency captured the attention of all sectors of our society in the 1970s when energy supplies dwindled and prices increased. Interest in energy efficiency continued during the 1980s primarily due to environmental concerns and secondarily because of economic and industrial competitiveness issues. Energy supply disruptions caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and recent hikes in energy prices have generated a renewed interest in energy efficiency. An example of this renewed interest is that the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated, developed, and implemented a national campaign to save energy now in 2006. In the past, the industrial sector has responded to energy shortages and its price increases with varying effectiveness, but small and medium-sized plants generally lacked the resources to cope effectively. One of the U. S. government’s responses to this situation was to offer these small and medium-sized plants technical assistance such as Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program. One such center was established at Bradley University in 1993. Since its inception, the Bradley University Industrial Assessment Center (BU IAC) has functioned very successfully. Periodically BU IAC has been doing an in-house critical review of its performance and effectiveness. These reviews included outcomes such as total assessment recommendations, (ARs); diversity of ARs; quantifications of identified opportunities to save energy, minimize waste, and enhance productivity; implementation rates analysis; and impacts on energy engineering education. The purpose of this paper is to describe the impacts of the Industrial Assessment Center program on energy engineering education. The impacts on employment, salaries, and job performance of BU IAC graduates are discussed in this paper. The impacts of the BU IAC in improving the quality of in-class instruction by its Director(s) are explained in this paper.

The need for energy efficiency captured the attention of all sectors of our society in the 1970s when energy supplies dwindled and prices increased. Interest in energy efficiency continued during the 1980s primarily due to environmental concerns, and secondarily because of economic and industrial competitiveness issues. Energy supply disruptions caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and recent hikes in energy prices, have generated a renewed interest in energy efficiency. In the past, the industrial sector has responded to energy shortages and its price increases with varying effectiveness, but small and medium-sized plants generally lacked the resources to cope effectively. One of the U. S. government's responses to this situation was to offer these small and medium-sized plants technical assistance, such as the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) program. The IAC Program has been successfully functioning during the past three decades. However, large energy users (LEUs) were not included in this program. Two years ago the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) launched the SAVE ENERGY NOW (SEN) initiative to help American businesses, factories, and manufacturing facilities save energy and continue to thrive during times of diminished supplies and rising energy costs. Energy supply disruptions caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and recent hikes in energy prices, are impacting everyone in the United States, including the nation's industrial sector. SEN was a part of the national campaign called Easy Ways to Save Energy unveiled by Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman. As a key element of Save Energy Now, DOE sent teams of qualified efficiency experts to the nation's most energy-intensive manufacturing facilities to conduct 200 Energy Savings Assessments (ESAs) in 2006, and a similar number was done during 2007. The purpose of the assessments was to identify immediate opportunities to save energy and money, primarily by focusing on steam and process heating systems. The SEN program has been effective and successful mainly because it was based upon the applications of some software tools coming out of the Best Practices Program of the DOE, specifically two tools: the Steam System Assessment Tool (SSAT) and the Process Heating Assessment and Survey Tool (PHAST). This article describes some of the applications of PHAST to LEUs and explains the outcomes of these applications.

There is growing interest in energy efficiency (EE) among state policymakers as a result of increasing environmental concerns, rising electricity and natural gas prices, and lean economic times that motivate states to look more aggressively for cost-saving opportunities in public sector buildings. One logical place for state policymakers to demonstrate their commitment to energy efficiency is to 'lead by example' by developing and implementing strategies to reduce the energy consumption of state government facilities through investments in energy efficient technologies. Traditionally, energy efficiency improvements at state government facilities are viewed as a subset in the general category of building maintenance and construction. These projects are typically funded through direct appropriations. However, energy efficiency projects are often delayed or reduced in scope whereby not all cost-effective measures are implemented because many states have tight capital budgets. Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC) offers a potentially useful strategy for state program and facility managers to proactively finance and develop energy efficiency projects. In an ESPC project, Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) typically guarantee that the energy and cost savings produced by the project will equal or exceed all costs associated with implementing the project over the term of the contract. ESCOs typically provide turnkey design, installation, and maintenance services and also help arrange project financing. Between 1990 and 2006, U.S. ESCOs reported market activity of {approx}$28 Billion, with about {approx}75-80% of that activity concentrated in the institutional markets (K-12 schools, colleges/universities, state/local/federal government and hospitals). In this study, we review the magnitude of energy efficiency investment in state facilities and identify 'best practices' while employing performance contracting in the state government sector. The state government market is defined to include state offices, state universities, correctional facilities, and other state facilities. This study is part of a series of reports prepared by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) and the National Association of Energy Services Companies (NAESCO) on the ESCO market and industry trends. The scope of previous reports was much broader: Goldman et al. (2002) analyzed ESCO project costs and savings in public and private sector facilities, Hopper et al. (2005) focused on ESCO project activity in all public and institutional sectors, while Hopper et al (2007) provided aggregate results of a comprehensive survey of ESCOs on current industry activity and future prospects. We decided to focus the current study on ESCO and energy efficiency activity and potential market barriers in the state government market because previous studies suggested that this institutional sector has significant remaining energy efficiency opportunities. Moreover, ESCO activity in the state government market has lagged behind other institutional markets (e.g., K-12 schools, local governments, and the federal market). Our primary objectives were as follows: (1) Assess existing state agency energy information and data sources that could be utilized to develop performance metrics to assess progress among ESPC programs in states; (2) Conduct a comparative review of the performance of selected state ESPC programs in reducing energy usage and costs in state government buildings; and (3) Delineate the extent to which state government sector facilities are implementing energy efficiency projects apart from ESPC programs using other strategies (e.g. utility ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs, loan funds).

The concern of utilities about meeting energy demand and the customers' interest in energy efficiency have resulted in the development of the demand side management (DSM) concept. DSM deals with the planning, implementation, and monitoring of those activities that change the time pattern and magnitude of customers' load curve. This is done by adopting efficient technologies and processes that can be directly substituted for less efficient ones and also managerial techniques and alternative energy sources like co–generation resulting in significant overall reductions in energy use. This paper discusses the conceptual framework of DSM and its evaluation for electricity conservation and load management. It identifies the issues by describing the general mechanisms by which DSM programmes effect load shape change and balance the needs of utility and customer.

Introduction. The growing interest in energy efficiency and energy dependence of countries stimulates the scientific community to explore and analyze the main determinants that influence changes in relevant processes. In particular, the generally accepted Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 include seven goals focused on available energy resources and energy efficiency through the development of green energy and clean technologies. In addition, in 2019, the EU and Ukraine began implementing the «European Green Agreement», which aimed to transition to a carbon-neutral economy and increase energy efficiency.The aim of the study is to analyze the impact of key determinants on energy efficiency policy of the national economy in the context of integration of the European Green Agreement.Research methods. It is necessary to note the main tools that were involved in the bibliometric analysis: databases Scopus and Web of Science (to analyze the trends of publishing activities); VOSviewer (to visualize the results of meta-analysis). The study used the Granger causality test to verify hypothesis on the casual relationships between the selected indicators. Data from the following databases were used: Eurostat, Ukrstat and the European Environment Agency.Results. The obtained results confirmed the bidirectional causality between energy efficiency and renewable energy, as well as the unidirectional causality between greenhouse gas emissions and energy efficiency.Perspectives. Requires further research on the developing of effective instruments for activating the green investment market.

The US Department of Energy has conducted research into clothes laundering for nearly 60 years. An examination of reports stored in a digital repository at the Department of Energy traces the growth of interest in energy efficiency. Prior to the mid‐1970s, this research was confined mainly to studies of decontamination of protective clothing used by agency employees. Starting in 1976, however, work at various national laboratories began to examine laundering from an energy efficiency perspective. Studies in the 1970s include exploration of methods to use solar and geothermal energy to boost washing and drying efficiency and guidance for improving energy use in the fabricare industry and hospitals. Towards the end of this decade, federally funded research began looking at standards for energy efficiency in household appliance. Progress towards implementing mandates related to appliances and communicating with consumers through labelling about these standards are outlined in reports periodically to the present date. Reports of particular interest include a large, community‐based study of laundry habits, a detailed plan for improving household energy efficiency on military bases and recommendations for home builders based on climate zones. The reports are not confined to US‐based consumers or appliances but include studies based in China and Sweden, among others. While not widely disseminated, the results outlined in these studies provide valuable information for building best practices in both developed and developing countries.

It was about 60 years ago when electricity was first introduced in Bhutan and today, more than 99.97 percent of households are electrified. Since electricity is superior to other form of energy, everybody prefers it. The electricity demand is increasing rapidly with development in all fronts. Distribution system are currently experiencing rapid changes in domestic load growth. With increasing domestic electricity consumption, Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB) recognizes the importance of energy management and reduction at the consumer end to further minimize carbon emission and to increase the exports. While achieving 100 percent electrification of Bhutan, the increased consumer reduces the export, reducing the total revenue generated. The study identifies possible barriers of energy efficiency in domestic and industrial sectors. The lack of policy framework is one of the main reasons for the decline in interest in energy efficiency. The government subsidy is another cause of the same. This in turn led to negligence of Energy Efficiency (EE) programs by the consumers. On the contrary, consumers feel that the cost of energy is high, despite the fact that urban dwellers' expenditure capacity and productivity upgradation potential are also high. Based on a case study of residential and commercial buildings in the Phuntsholing region, as well as industrial sectors in Pasakha, this paper examines the metrics needed to make energy efficiency upgrade decisions. The study finds respondents were more likely to choose equipment that suited their budget rather than those that are energy efficient. Another big impediment to investment in energy efficiency in the region is a lack of energy efficiency awareness and information.

The intensive development of photovoltaic (PV) micro-systems contributes to increased interest in energy efficiency and diagnosing the condition of such solutions. Optimizing system energy efficiency and servicing costs are particularly noteworthy among the numerous issues associated with this topic. This research paper addresses the easy and reliable diagnosis of PV system malfunctions. It discusses the original PV system energy efficiency simulation model with proprietary methods for determining total solar irradiance on the plane of cells installed at any inclination angle and azimuth, as well as PV cell temperature and efficiency as a function of solar irradiance. Based on this simulation model, the authors developed procedures for the remote diagnosis of PV micro-systems. Verification tests covered two independent PV systems over the period from April 2022 to May 2023. The obtained results confirm the high credibility level of both the adopted energy efficiency simulation model and the proposed method for diagnosing PV system functional status.

What is stopping energy efficiency in Russia? Exploring the confluence of knowledge, negligence, and other social barriers in the Krasnodar Region

Interest in energy efficiency has grown in recent years as a result of increasing energy prices and greater concern for the externalities generated by fossil fuel combustion. Although energy efficiency measures have the potential to generate win-win situations whereby households gain financial benefits from reduced energy costs and society benefits from the generation of fewer energy consumption related externalities, energy efficiency appears to suffer from underinvestment. One potential explanation for this underinvestment is the lack of information that households and landlords have regarding the savings associated with energy efficiency measures. In this paper we test three types of energy efficiency strategies in an experimental design that utilizes institutionally owned homes that are rented to college students. Using data on actual natural gas consumption during the heating season, our results indicate modest energy savings associated with the installation of attic insulation and the provision of financial incentives for conservation. These results are supported by observations of ambient temperature data, which show that households receiving incentives, on average, reduced the ambient air temperature by 1.5 degrees F.

Comparison of energy efficiency incentive programs: Rebates and white certificates

The necessity to ensure energy efficiency in the industries is of significant importance to attain reduction of energy consumption and greenhouse gases emissions. Energy management is one of the effective features that ensure energy efficiency in the industries. Energy management models are the infancy in the industrial energy domain with practical guidelines towards implementation in the organizations. Despite the increased interest in energy efficiency, a gap exists concerning energy management literature and present application practices. This paper aims to methodologically review the energy management assessment models that facilitate the assessment of industrial energy management. In this context, the minimum requirements model, maturity model, energy management matrix model, and energy efficiency measures characterization framework are discussed with implications. The study concludes with interesting propositions for academia and industrial think tanks delineating few further research opportunities.

This article focuses on how Sweden's largest tenant–owners' organization, HSB, deals with energy efficiency. The aim is to examine HSB's energy goals, how they are determined and how they should be implemented at four levels: the national association, the regional office, the local housing co-operatives and the tenant–owners. Representatives of all four levels were interviewed. Achieving energy goals calls for common strategies involving all levels of HSB. The analysis indicates that ambitious energy goals have not been followed up with similarly ambitious implementation plans by the organization. Champions in HSB mobilize support for energy efficiency at the regional and co-operative levels, but have no effect on household engagement. The lack of interest in energy efficiency on the part of households was not only due to the collective metering of energy, but also because energy constitutes only a small part of household life.