Your Information Source for Home & Building Automation

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(IS-2009-104) Insulation Energy Savings: Key Issues and Performance Factors
This report from Honeywell explains the benefits of building insulation in achieving the
national goal of energy consumption reduction in commercial buildings. Closed-cell spray
polyurethane foam (ccSPF) insulation is described. This material is impervious to most
heat flow and to vapor. It can be applied to building materials, roofs, and walls. An
analysis of the performance of this material in various environments is presented.
(IS-2009-103) Understanding Cost-Effectiveness of Energy Efficiency Programs:
Best Practices, Technical Methods, and Emerging Issues for Policy-Makers
This report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency examines how to measure
the effectiveness of energy efficiency programs. A combination of the following
measurements are recommended: the participant cost test (PCT), the utility/program
administrator cost test (PACT), the ratepayer impact measure test (RIM), the total
resource cost test (TRC), and the societal cost test (SCT). Additional benefits include
greenhouse gas reductions and a portfolio of renewables. Methods and examples for
applying these measures are presented.
(IS-2009-102) ENERGY STAR Snapshot: Measuring Progress in the Commercial
and Industrial Sectors
This report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) examines trends in
commercial and industrial building performance rating and certification. EPA ratings are
used the most by schools and offices. The states leading in increased adoption of EPA
ratings are California, Illinois, Ohio, and New York. The leading cities are Los Angeles,
San Francisco, and Houston.
(IS-2009-101) IP for Smart Objects
This paper from the Internet Protocol for Smart Objects (IPSO) Alliance is an overview of
the benefits of equipping devices with Internet protocol interfaces for communications.
The Internet protocols are summarized. The claimed benefits of IP are open, lightweight,
versatile, ubiquitous, scalable, manageable, stable, and end-to-end.
(IS-2009-100) Video Consumer Mapping Study
This report from Nielsen Media examines consumer preferences for viewing video. It
examines shifts in practices with the introduction of streaming video via the Internet. The
viewing of 376 Americans were observed in their homes for a few days each. Viewing
was categorized by screen: TV, PC, mobile, and others (e.g., GPS, cinema). 98-99% of
viewing is on the TV among all ages and uses live TV (not DVD or DVR). PC is the
number-two medium, then radio, then print. TV views saw about 60 minutes of ads and
promos per day. Consumers tend to under-report their TV viewing and over-report their
PC and mobile viewing.
(IS-2009-99) 2008 Ex Post Load Impact Evaluation for Pacific Gas and Electric
Company's SmartRate Tariff
This report from Pacific Gas and Electric describes a limited trial of time-of-use pricing of
electricity among 10,000 customers. Peak charges were 60¢ per kWh for residential and
75¢ per kWh for non-residential customers; off-peak was 3¢ per kWh. The average load
reduction for residential customers was 16.6% and reached 19.2% on a few critical days.
Reductions by non-residential customers were slightly lower and decreased over time.
(IS-2009-98) A National Assessment of Demand Response Potential
This report from the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) fulfills a
congressional mandate to examine progress on demand response programs. FERC
projected the effectiveness of demand response by 2019 under four levels of
aggressiveness toward promoting demand response: business as usual, expanded
business as usual, achievable participation, and full participation. Under the full
participation scenario the projected growth in peak demand for electricity can be cut to
zero from the projected 20% growth under the business-as-usual scenario. State-bystate
analyses are presented along with recommendations for achieving each scenario.