New Technology

Florida Power & Light Non-Wires Program Success

Florida Power & Light's success with a Non-Wires program provides encouragement to BPA's Non-Wires Solutions efforts.

FPL has postponed or eliminated the need for 4,100 megawatts of new generation and associated transmission through direct control of selected appliances and other equipment in participating customers’ homes and businesses.

-- Mike Hoffman (503) 230-3957

BPA will co-sponsor a team of 35 students/teachers from five different disciplines at Washington State University in the 2005 Solar Decathlon. The team has two years to design, build and operate a solar powered house to be entered in a fall 2005 competition against 18 other universities. The team has spent one year getting donations from the Northwest solar industry by asking, "What technology do you want showcased in this model?"

This is the second decathlon sponsored by the US Department of Energy, Renewable Energy, the National Renewable Energy Lab, and private industry. The first competition did not include cost as a factor, and the winning team spent approximately $650,000 on their model. Cost is now a factor in selecting a winner. Matt Taylor, Assistant Professor at the WSU School of Architecture and Construction Management has capped their project investment at $125,000, which will give an edge to his group.

-- Becky Clark (503) 230-3158

Smart Building Controls

RICHLAND, Wash. – Can information technology and smart building controls reduce the need to build expensive new electricity transmission lines? Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory think they might. In a demonstration with the Bonneville Power Administration, PNNL is exploring the impacts of reducing electrical demand and on-site energy production at several buildings in Richland, where PNNL performs research for the federal government.

For complete PNNL news release,
please click here.

BPA began a Cold Climate Heat Pump (CCHP™) Performance Pilot Project in November 2004. Goals include determining if the technology performs as expected and estimating the savings achieved by using a CCHP versus a standard air source heat pump. CCHPs are currently monitored in Corbett and Chiloquin, Oregon, and plans are in place to add up to eight more monitoring installations in the region. Data will be downloaded to BPA Energy Efficiency on a weekly basis. Results of the pilot project should be available by Spring 2006.

The Cold Climate Heat Pump is a new heat pump technology designed to provide high efficiency heating down to 0° F and below. The key to the CCHP's performance is its combination of a two-cylinder primary compressor, a back-up booster compressor, and an economizer (a plate heat exchanger).

During periods of moderate ambient temperatures, only the primary compressor runs. At colder ambient temperatures the booster compressor also runs to supplement the primary compress. The economizer is used to maximize efficiency and comfort at temperatures from 20° to well below 0°F. The CCHP can also be used as an air conditioner in summer.

Currently, one company, Nyle, based in Maine, manufactures the CCHP for the residential market in 2.5, 3.5, 4, and 5 ton sizes. Nyle is seeking HVAC installation firms in the Northwest to help ensure proper installation of the product.

Standard air source heat pumps are typically sized to provide enough capacity down to 30° F, at which point, inefficient electric resistance heat is used to supplement the refrigeration cycle to maintain proper temperature of the house -- efficiency falls off dramatically as outdoor temperature drops below this 30° "balance point". By contrast, the CCHP uses the booster compressor and economizer below 35°, which avoids the use of resistance heat.

Energy savings in climates with many hours of temperatures under 30° F are significant. From manufacturer's data, BPA Energy Efficiency engineers estimate energy savings to be about a quarter of annual electric consumption when using a CCHP versus a standard air-to-air heat pump east of the Cascades.

In addition to energy savings, the CCHP can be an effective winter peak-load reduction measure. At best case, each residence could deliver a demand reduction on the order of 10-12 kW, assuming that the standard air-to-air system was running continually during a 3-4 hour peak hour window. Demand savings in extreme cold temperatures may be close to 5 kW per home.

The incremental cost for a CCHP versus a high efficiency air-to-air heat pump is in the 20 to 30 percent range, which equates to about an additional $2,000 installed cost.

-- Adam Hadley (503) 230-4631