Developing Flexible, Networked Lighting Control Systems That Reliably Save Energy in California Buildings

An important strategy to meet California's ambitious energy efficiency goals is to use innovative wireless communications, embedded sensors, data analytics and controls to significantly reduce lighting energy use in commercial buildings. This project developed a suite of networked lighting solutions to further this goal. The technologies include a platform for low-cost sensing, distributed intelligence and communications, the “PermaMote,” which is a self-powered sensor and controller for lighting applications. The project team also developed a task ambient daylighting system that integrates sensors with data-driven daylighting control using an open communication interface, called the “Readings-At-Desk” (RAD) system. To address the problem of building occupants being confused about how to operate traditional lighting control systems, the research team created content that could be the basis for a user interface standard for lighting controls. Finally, to address the difficulty of ensuring that advanced lighting control systems actually deliver their promised energy savings, the project team developed a new method for evaluating and specifying lighting systems’ performance. The research team validated these technologies in the laboratory, showing significant lighting energy savings, up to 73% for the PermaMote sensor system from occupancy control and daylight dimming features, compared to the same light source (LED replacement lamps) operated via simple on/off scheduling. The project team also developed a proposed standard lighting data model and user interface elements, which were contributed to the ANSI Lighting Systems Committee (C137) for standardization. Existing data models are incomplete and inconsistent, whereas the lighting-specific data model developed here is clear and comprehensive, to serve as a starting point for creating common, universally agreed upon semantic definitions of key lighting parameters, to promote interoperability. For the task on verifiable performance of lighting systems, the project team developed a more effective metric for capturing the actual energy impact of a lighting system over time — the energy usage intensity (kWh/ft2/year). Three commercial lighting systems were tested in FLEXLAB® using this new metric, and the tests show a wide range in the accuracy of the self-reported energy-use metric, from 0.5% to 28% error compared to direct measurement of lighting energy using dedicated submeters. Overall, the project team estimates that these advanced technologies can reduce California office lighting energy use by 20% (above and beyond normal advanced lighting controls mandated by Title 24), resulting in about 1,600 GWh/year in savings

Empirical Assessment of the Appliance-Level Load Shape and Demand Response Potential in India

Over the next 15 years, electricity demand from the key residential and commercial appliances is projected to be nearly 300 GW or ~65% of India’s total peak demand. The objective of this study is to characterize appliance level demand and temporal variation, and identify the overall DR potential in India. We use Bangalore Electricity Supply Company territory (peak load of 3,505 MW in 2016) as a case study, using actual one-minute resolution load data for 2,979 distribution feeders and a detailed load survey. Our results show that agricultural pumping and space cooling (residential, commercial, and industrial) are the main contributors to the peak demand – with shares of 23-27% and 14-23%, respectively. Both sectors have about 1,000 MW of DR potential – agricultural pumps offering load shifting service while space cooling offering shimmy service that is capable of dynamically adjusting to react to short-run ramps and grid disturbances. Residential electric water heaters contribute nearly 18% of the winter morning peak demand and can also offer about 500 MW in shimmy service. Overall, we find that shifting and shimmy services offer 1,199 MW and 1,511 MW total DR potential, respectively

Feasibility and Impact of Biomass and Renewable Energy Hybrid Systems

This study aims to assess the techno-economic potential of biomass and hybrid biomass-RE systems for India’s evolving grid by considering the biomass supply chain, fuel availability, and technical operation constraints. It estimates the potential value of biomass-based power plants to the Indian grid in 2030, with high RE penetration, and evaluates the capability of biomass-based power plants to provide the necessary grid balancing services that would be required. We conclude that biomass plants can add significant value to the system in terms of capacity and energy while improving the overall affordability, stability, and reliability of grid power. Biomass-based systems would significantly improve the capacity value of India’s 2030 projected RE resource mix (450 GW of solar-plus-wind installed capacity). However, the total value to the grid would be lower than the levelized cost of new systems without accounting for environmental and waste management benefits. If streamlining the supply chain could reduce biomass fuel costs, and hence variable costs, the economics could be more favorable

Electricity Price Communication in California and Beyond

As California seeks to meet its ambitious goals for carbon reduction and support of an electric grid with high levels of renewable energy supply, there is a growing need for large amounts of flexibility from the demand side. This report outlines a system architecture and technology infrastructure to enable dynamic pricing to be used to finely tune coordination between the grid and its customers. Taking a cue from the success of internet architecture, this system — Price-Based Grid Coordination — emphasizes simplicity and universality. It enables a wide variety of ways for prices and other signals to pass from the grid to individual flexible loads and other devices, including multiple possible locations for the intelligence that combines price signals with device functional needs. The report includes a reference data model to knit together information at the utility level, communication protocols, and customer devices, to be independent of any particular protocol. The report also contains a roadmap for technology standards development needs, and a review of the current California policy developments that intersect dynamic pricing

Mobile unit for retinopathy of prematurity screening and management at urban Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Outcomes and impact assessment

Purpose: To study the outcomes and impact of a mobile unit for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening and management at urban Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Study Design: Public health intervention study. Methods: This study was conducted in 2012. Staff of a mobile unit assessed all infants aged 32 weeks or less and/or weight 1250 g or less admitted in five NICUs between 2009 and 2011. An ophthalmologist performed bedside ROP screening through dilated pupils using indirect ophthalmoscopy. ROP was graded and managed as per the International Classification of ROP treatment guidelines. Counseling and laser treatment were the interventions. The incidence, grade, and determinants of ROP were estimated. Direct and indirect costs were calculated to estimate the unit cost of screening and managing a child with ROP using the mobile unit. Result: The study sample included 104 preterm/underweight infants. The prevalence of ROP of different grades in either eye was 32.7% (95% confidence intervals: 23.7–41.7). ROP Stage I was present in 75% of these eyes. The mobile unit could help in preventing/reducing visual disability in 5 infants with advanced stages of ROP. The unit cost of ROP screening, identifying one child with ROP, and addressing visual disability due to ROP was US $310, 950, and 6500, respectively. Conclusion: A mobile screening is likely feasible and cost-effective method to detect ROP and offer timely intervention in urban areas with limited resources

Pathways for Electrification of South Asia’s Transportation Sector

In this policy brief, we summarize insights from recent studies on decarbonization pathways for the transportation sector in South Asia, particularly India. Lithium-ion battery prices have declined sharply over the last ten years. Therefore, in the short-to-medium term, battery-electric drivetrains are a cost effective alternative to petrol and diesel combustion engines. Electrification of transport would have immense environmental benefits for South Asia, which is home to 42 out of the top 50 world's most polluted cities. Given that oil consumption in India is dominated by heavy-duty-vehicles (HDVs), we focus on techno-economics of trucks and buses, along with high-mileage commercial vehicles such as app-based taxi services. We conclude that truck, intra-city and inter-city buses are already cheaper on the basis of total cost of ownership (TCO) over the lifetime of the vehicle. We describe the current policy scenario, challenges and outline recommendations for accelerating deployment of electric vehicles

Why Regional and Long-Haul Trucks are Primed for Electrification Now

Zero emission freight trucks are needed to both improve public health and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions but at the same time are generally believed to be uneconomical. However, recent dramatic declines in battery prices and improvement in their energy density have created opportunities for battery-electric trucking today that were seldom anticipated just a few years ago. At the current global average battery pack price of $135 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (realizable when procured at scale), a Class 8 electric truck with 375-mile range and operated 300 miles per day when compared to a diesel truck offers about 13of ownership (TCO) per mile, about 3-year payback and net present savings of about US$200,000 over a 15-year lifetime. This is achieved with only a 3% reduction in payload capacity. Even this small penalty can be reversed cost-effectively through light-weighting, in any case, only matters for a small fraction of trucks which regularly utilize their maximum payload. Electric trucks appear poised to also meet the performance demands for a large share of regional and long-haul trucking today. The estimated average distance traveled between 30- minute driver breaks is 150 miles and 190 miles for regional-haul and long-haul trucks respectively in the US. Thirty minutes of charging using 500 kW or mega-Watt scale fastchargers would add sufficient range without impairing operations and economics of freight movement. However, as with almost any clean technology, higher upfront capital costs of both vehicles and charging infrastructure are major barriers when electric trucking is in its infancy. Without strong policy support, coordinated investments in both vehicle manufacturing and fuel infrastructure will not be forthcoming on the scale needed to harness the true potential of battery electric trucks

Why Regional and Long-Haul Trucks are Primed for Electrification Now

Zero emission freight trucks are needed to both improve public health and reduce global greenhouse gas emissions but at the same time are generally believed to be uneconomical. However, recent dramatic declines in battery prices and improvement in their energy density have created opportunities for battery-electric trucking today that were seldom anticipated just a few years ago. At the current global average battery pack price of $135 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) (realizable when procured at scale), a Class 8 electric truck with 375-mile range and operated 300 miles per day when compared to a diesel truck offers about 13of ownership (TCO) per mile, about 3-year payback and net present savings of about US$200,000 over a 15-year lifetime. This is achieved with only a 3% reduction in payload capacity. Even this small penalty can be reversed cost-effectively through light-weighting, in any case, only matters for a small fraction of trucks which regularly utilize their maximum payload. Electric trucks appear poised to also meet the performance demands for a large share of regional and long-haul trucking today. The estimated average distance traveled between 30- minute driver breaks is 150 miles and 190 miles for regional-haul and long-haul trucks respectively in the US. Thirty minutes of charging using 500 kW or mega-Watt scale fastchargers would add sufficient range without impairing operations and economics of freight movement. However, as with almost any clean technology, higher upfront capital costs of both vehicles and charging infrastructure are major barriers when electric trucking is in its infancy. Without strong policy support, coordinated investments in both vehicle manufacturing and fuel infrastructure will not be forthcoming on the scale needed to harness the true potential of battery electric trucks

Gram Positive Bacteria Carriage among Health Care Workers: An Under-Reported Source of Infections?

Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes are two highly infectious pathogens implicated in a significant percentage of healthcare associated infections. They produce wide range of infections, from mere folliculitis & furuncles, cellulitis, myositis, & glomerulonephritis to conditions with very significant morbidity such as necrotizing fasciitis & Toxic Shock syndrome, and thus represent an important subset of infections that need to be tackled urgently. To assess prevalence of nasal as well as oropharyngeal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus & Streptococcus pyogenes among health-care workers and its antimicrobial resistance pattern. One nasal swab & two oropharyngeal swabs were collected from each participant, with one nasal & oropharyngeal swab cultured on blood agar & mannitol salt agar for Staphylococcus aureus, and the second oropharyngeal swabs were cultured on Crystal violet blood agar for Streptococcus pyogenes, further subjected to susceptibility test by disc diffusion method on Muller-Hinton agar as per CLSI guidelines 2019. Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus carriage was 9% which includes 4% It is nasal, 4.5% oropharyngeal & 0.5% both. Prevalence of MRSA, MLSB & mupirocin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was 1.5%,4% & 0%respectively. Prevalence of oropharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pyogenes was 1.5%. This study feature the need of screening of Health-care workers for nasal as well as oropharyngeal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus & Streptococcus pyogenes & further its antimicrobial resistance pattern