What's New
2005 Archives
Contents
November 2005
September 2005
August 2005
- Berkeley Lab Scientist Sees Risk to Insurance Industry From Climate Change
- Harnessing Wind Energy in Eritrea
- World Environment Day 2005
- Web Site Advises Californians How to Cut Energy Use 20%
May 2005
- Reducing the Developing World's Expensive, Polluting Fuel-Based Lighting
- Energy-Saving Paper Sensor Passes Major Milestone
- BEST Winery Tool Helps Reduce Energy and Water Costs
February 2005
- Study Estimates $80 Billion Annual Cost of Power Interruptions
- Controlling Natural Gas Prices: Energy Efficiency to the Rescue
- ProForm: Calculating Complicated Energy Problems the Easy Way
January 2005
November 2005
Balancing California's Energy
How much energy does the California economy use, how is the energy supplied, and what is it used for? For reasons related to the economy, the environment, and energy security, a lot of people are interested in these questions. The California Energy Commission recently funded scientists in Berkeley Lab's Environmental Energy Technologies Division to help find some answers. They did so by developing the California Energy Balances Database (CALEB), and issuing a report.
Berkeley and Sandia Labs Develop Airport Protection Guidelines
A report developed by a joint team of researchers from the U.S. Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories is being distributed to airport executives and emergency planners and will help security managers of airports and other transportation facilities reduce the risk of chemical and biological attacks.
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September 2005
Taking the Measure of China's Energy Strategies
EETD's China Energy Group has produced a report, Evaluation of China's Energy Strategy Options, which lays out paths to accomplishing that country's energy growth goals with the help of strong incentives to increase energy efficiency, as well as steps to strengthen the energy supply side, including renewable energy sources.
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August 2005
Berkeley Lab Scientist Sees Risk to Insurance Industry From Climate Change
The insured share of the world's total economic losses from weather-related catastrophes is rising, increasing from a negligible fraction in the 1950s to 25 percent in the last decade, says an EETD scientist.
Harnessing Wind Energy in Eritrea
Berkeley Lab scientists help African nation pursue alternative energy sources.
World Environment Day 2005
The United Nations' World Environment Day 2005 took place in San Francisco June 1 to 5. Berkeley Lab and its Environmental Energy Technologies Division participated in two of these events.
Learn more about World Environment Day.
Web Site Advises Californians How to Cut Energy Use 20%
California utilities are once again offering 20 percent rebate programs to residential and small commercial customers. If you save 20 percent of your energy bill during the three summer months, compared to last year's use, they will rebate 20 percent of your bill. If you live in California, EETD's 20% Solution website, developed in 2001 to help the state weather electricity shortages, can help you figure out how to reduce your home energy bills.
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May 2005
Reducing the Developing World's Expensive, Polluting Fuel-Based Lighting
The use of highly-efficient, cost-effective white light-emitting diodes as a replacement for inefficient, polluting kerosene lamps common in the developing world, could potentially save tens of billions of dollars per year worldwide, according to Evan Mills of EETD.
Energy-Saving Paper Sensor Passes Major Milestone
The paper industry is one step closer to saving millions of dollars each year. An innovative laser ultrasonic sensor designed and built by scientists from EETD was recently successfully tested at a paper mill in Jackson, Alabama. The sensor measures a paper's bending stiffness and shear strength—two hallmarks of paper quality—as it speeds through a production web.
BEST Winery Tool Helps Reduce Energy and Water Costs
California wineries now have an easy-to-use, computer-based tool and a handbook to help them reduce energy and water costs, thanks to researchers at EETD and Fetzer Vineyards, with whom the lab worked to develop the tool.
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February 2005
Study Estimates $80 Billion Annual Cost of Power Interruptions
A study conducted by EETD researchers Kristina Hamachi-LaCommare and Joe Eto for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Electric Transmission and Distribution estimates that electric power outages and blackouts cost the nation about $80 billion annually.
Controlling Natural Gas Prices: Energy Efficiency to the Rescue
A new study by researchers at EETD suggests that renewable energy and energy efficiency can help keep natural gas price increases in check. The study, titled Easing the Natural Gas Crisis: Reducing Natural Gas Prices through Increased Deployment of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, was written by Ryan Wiser, Mark Bolinger, and Matt St. Clair.
ProForm: Calculating Complicated Energy Problems the Easy Way
ProForm, a free spreadsheet program developed by researchers at EETD, has been answering questions like these for users all over the world. Its developers have recently released a new and easier-to-use version, now available for download.
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January 2005
A Tsunami Relief Project: Providing Safe Drinking Water
Berkeley Lab scientist Dr. Ashok Gadgil is the inventor of "UV Waterworks", a device that can purify drinking water for a refugee camp or a village of 2,000 for about one cent per person per week. For emergency relief use, WaterHealth International, the company manufacturing the technology, has enhanced this core with raw and clean water tanks, pumps, filters, and electronic controllers. WHI will ship these devices on a cost recovery basis, for about $10,000 per unit, forgoing their normal profit on the product. Through a cooperative effort between WHI and several organizations, including the International Finance Corporation (IFC), philanthropic entities and Global Giving, there exists the ability to leverage a $1 tax-deductible contribution to achieve $4 of direct relief in Sri Lanka and India.
- Letter from Berkeley Lab Director Steve Chu and former Lab scientist Art Rosenfeld. (56 KB PDF)
- WaterHealth International
- Sri Lanka relief
- India relief
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