ACEEE Reports On New Energy Find "Intelligent Efficiency"

Jun 5: A report released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) indicates that America now has a major new source of energy that could rival the contribution made to the economy by natural gas, coal, and nuclear power. The report concludes that up to about a quarter (22 percent) of current U.S. energy consumption could be replaced by what experts are calling "intelligent efficiency." The key to understanding the rise of "intelligent efficiency" is to stop thinking about energy efficiency simply in terms of individual devices (e.g., autos or refrigerators) and to start thinking about it in terms of complex systems (e.g., entire cities, transportation systems, and other networks) connected through Internet and computer technologies. 

    As the ACEEE report concludes: "System efficiency opportunities produce energy savings that dwarf component-based efficiency improvements by an order of magnitude. System efficiency is performance-based, optimizing the performance of the system overall -- its components, their relationships to one another, and their relationships to human operators. One of the cornerstones of systems-based efficiency is information and communication technologies, such as the Internet, affordable sensors, and computing capacity that are the foundation upon which systems efficiency are built…If homeowners and businesses were to take advantage of currently available information and communications technologies that enable system efficiencies, the United States could reduce its energy use by about 12-22 percent and realize tens or hundreds of billions of dollars in energy savings and productivity gains."

    R. Neal Elliott, ACEEE's associate director for research, "This is not your father's device-driven approach to energy efficiency. A large portion of our past efficiency gains came from improvements in individual products, appliances, and equipment, such as light bulbs, electric motors, or cars and trucks. And while device-level technology improvements will continue to play an important role, looking ahead we must take a systems-based approach to dramatically scale up energy efficiency to meet our future energy challenges. Through intelligent efficiency, utility systems, interconnected cities, transportation systems, and communications networks can become the new normal across the United States and will undergird national and regional economies that, even in the face of increasingly scarce resources, grow and thrive."

    Stephen Harper, global director of environment and energy policy, Intel Corporation said, "There is resounding agreement that information and communications technology can make a huge impact in addressing the twin challenges of energy security and climate change. This new work by ACEEE should help both industry and government better understand 'smart policies' necessary to fully realize the potential of technology in this arena." Larry Plumb, executive director, Verizon said, "ACEEE's report highlights that communications and digital technologies are transforming how efficiently we use energy, from appliances in customers' homes, to cars and roads in transportation systems, to the power lines and generators in the electric system. It's well understood that digital communications has boosted economic productivity. Now people are recognizing this technology also has a big role to play in addressing society's long-term energy challenges."

    Arkadi Gerney, senior director for policy Opower said, "As devices get smarter and the communications networks that connect those devices become more ubiquitous, the potential for efficiency gains that save energy and save businesses and families money are increasing. And, as this report shows, truly unlocking the potential of intelligent efficiency systems also depends on engaging energy consumers with smarter behavioral strategies and advanced analytics that turns an avalanche of data into actionable insight."

    Clay Nesler, vice president, global energy and sustainability, building efficiency, Johnson Controls said, "Johnson Controls has many real life examples where intelligent efficiency solutions have dramatically reduced building energy use, most notably at the Empire State Building. This practical and effective approach to improving and managing building energy efficiency can be cost-effectively applied to both new and existing commercial buildings." Paul Hamilton, vice president, government affairs, Schneider Electric said, "This report is further evidence of the real revolution happening in our industry, the convergence of energy management and information that's allowing companies to achieve significant savings of 30 percent or more. It's time for businesses and government to get involved and engaged in the partnerships and programs that will make this more of an everyday reality."

    According to ACEEE, opportunities exist along a continuum of technology and human behavior, and we classify the resource into three broad categories across this continuum: (1) People-centered efficiency; (2) Technology-centered efficiency; and (3) Service-oriented efficiency. There are technologies that are just beginning to be implemented that promise even greater savings. The report provides ten case studies of intelligent efficiency in our homes, buildings, industry, and transportation sectors that demonstrate the potential benefits of scaling up this resource.

 

    ACEEE says tremendous potential exists for greater adoption of intelligent efficiency, but significant barriers exist. Policy can facilitate the deployment of systems built around intelligent efficiency in several key ways, such as leading by example in the public and private sectors, enhancing information infrastructure, and redefining regulatory business models to promote greater system efficiency.

 

    Access a release from ACEEE and link to the complete 63-page report (click here, registration required for the report). [#Energy/Efficiency]

 

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