First Record of Testate Amoebae on Glaciers and Description of a New Species Puytoracia jenswendti nov. sp. (Rhizaria, Euglyphida)

This study documents for the first time the presence of testate amoebae on glaciers. Three shallow firn cores of 10 m depth were obtained from the Mocho-Choshuenco and Osorno volcanoes, Southern Andes, Chile, in October and November, 2005. Euglyphid testate amoebae were detected in 28 samples that correspond to the spring-summer layers of the firn cores. Inspection of 454 collected individuals reveals the presence of four different taxa. Three of these taxa, Trinema lineare, Trinema enchelys and Puytoracia bergeri have previously been reported in ice-free environments. The fourth taxon corresponds to a new species Puytoracia jenswendti nov. sp. The observation of food content and reproductive activities in a significant fraction of specimens evidence that testate amoebae are competent to inhabit glaciers. The testate amoebae found in the firn cores display clear seasonal variations in abundance indicating that these records can provide a new and novel proxy as paleoindicator for firn/ice core dating and for estimation of past glacier mass balance

Energy Management Working Group: Accelerating Energy Management

Countries participating in the Global Superior Energy Performance (GSEP) Energy Management Working Group (EMWG) are leveraging their resources and taking collective action to strengthen national and international efforts to facilitate the adoption of energy management systems (EnMS) in the industrial and commercial building sectors. EnMS can help organizations potentially conserve 10%-40% of their energy use by institutionalizing the policies, procedures and tools to systematically track, analyze, and improve energy efficiency. The EMWG harnesses the collective expertise of 11 member countries to provide assistance on policies and programs, advocate for energy management, and develop technical resources. Though national policies and programs to drive EnMS implementation vary, EMWG members of EMWG successfully collaborating on projects to build and improve the business case for energy management, workforce capacity, and measurement and verification. Each activity has the support of one or two country sponsors that provide strategic leadership and resources

Achieving Superior Energy Performance in US Manufacturing

U.S. industry has the capacity to significantly improve its overall energy performance and help meet both private-sector and national goals for energy and the environment. TheUS Department of Energy’s Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) is partnering with industry to drive a 25% reduction in industrial energy intensity by 2017—and also contribute to an 18% reduction in carbon intensity economy-wide by 2012. To expedite progress in achieving these targets, ITP and industry are collaborating with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), non-profits, USEPA and NIST to facilitate the development of energy management standards and certification for manufacturing plants. The paper will describe the program criteria and opportunities for participation in the future

Certifying U.S. Manufacturing Plants for Energy Efficiency

U.S. industry has the capacity to significantly improve its overall energy performance and help meet both private-sector and national goals for energy and the environment. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) is partnering with industry to drive a 25% reduction in industrial energy intensity over a 10 year period—and also contribute to an 18% reduction in carbon intensity economy-wide by 2012. To expedite progress in achieving these targets, the Superior Energy Performance partnership1 , a collaboration involving ITP, many industrial companies, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), non-profits, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is facilitating the development of energy management and certification standards for manufacturing plants. To become certified, a plant would need to adopt energy management practices meeting the ANSI standards and demonstrate continual improvement in energy intensity. Certification of plants would provide strong incentive and recognition for effective plant energy management and would lay the groundwork for energy efficiency and carbon reduction that would favorably position the plant in achieving greater market value. The paper will describe the overall strategy of certifying manufacturing plants and how plant certification fits into the DOE Industrial Technologies Program overall strategy to partner with industrial companies and entire manufacturing supply chains to improve energy intensity by 25% in 10 years

ISO 50001 and SEP Faster and Cheaper - Exploring the Enterprise-Wide Approach

ISO 50001 and other management systems (e.g., ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) allow for implementation and certification at the enterprise level. The "Central Office" concept, which allows a small group of employees to manage and facilitate the organization’s energy management system (EnMS) at the enterprise level, was introduced within the ISO 50003 standard to provide guidance to ISO 50001 certification bodies. Four industrial companies have partnered with the United States Department of Energy to pilot the enterprise-wide ISO 50001/SEP concept under the Better Buildings Superior Energy Performance (SEP) Enterprise-wide Accelerator. Each organization developed a Central Office to host their EnMS while implementing ISO 50001/SEP at multiple physically separated sites. The four corporate partners tailored their Central Office implementation model to meet their own specific circumstances and needs. This paper reviews the commonalities, differences, and benefits of each of these enterprise-wide implementation models, including organizational structures, Central Office staff responsibilities, and key strategies. The cost savings and benefits of using the enterprise-wide approach were assessed, including the cost per site compared with that of a conventional, single-site ISO 50001/SEP implementation approach. This paper also discusses the drivers for the cost reductions realized through these enterprise-wide approaches. The four partner companies worked with 30 total sites. On average, these 30 sites improved energy performance by 5% annually over their SEP achievement periods, saved more than $600,000 annually in energy costs and reduced implementation cost for ISO 50001 and SEP by$19,000 and 0.8 Full Time Equivalent × years (FTE-yr) of staff time per site. The results can inform other organizations seeking to implement enterprise-wide ISO 50001/SEP, as well as energy efficiency organizations seeking to promote wider adoption of ISO 50001 implementation

Status of the U.S. Department of Energy's Motor Challenge Showcase Demonstration Projects

This paper describes the status of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Showcase Demonstration Projects. These projects are part of the DOE Motor Challenge Program, and are aimed at demonstrating increased electric motor system efficiency through the integration of a variety of technology and applications options. These include: energy efficient electric motors, adjustable speed drives, and motor-driven equipment (e.g., pumps, fans, and compressors) within industrial operations and processes. Each Showcase Project team consists of a host demonstration site and supporting partners (e.g. utilities, motor and process equipment suppliers, and contractors). Each team is expected to provide DOE with sufficient data to substantiate and document the energy and environmental performance of the project and the economic cost/benefit of the results. Additionally, teams will provide appropriate information to DOE to allow for DOE contractors to perform an independent performance validation report and to prepare a comprehensive case study document. DOE provides each Showcase Team access to technical experts who will assist on questions which may arise during the course of the project. DOE will also sponsor special workshops to allow Showcase teams to exchange information and discuss lessons learned. At the conclusion of each project DOE will publish and distribute a comprehensive case history document. This paper presents the status of the projects, the results of the independent performance validation, and the lessons learned to date

Glacier mass balance interpreted from biological analysis of firn cores in the Chilean lake district

The first analyses of biological components in glaciers of the Chilean lake district are presented based on microalgae biovolume, pollen and other microorganisms detected in shallow ( 10 m) firn/ice cores. Three cores were retrieved, two at Volca´n Mocho-Choshuenco (398550 S, 728020W; summit at 2422ma.s.l; east glacier at 2000ma.s.l.), and one at the summit of Volca´n Osorno (418060 S, 728300W; 2652ma.s.l.). Microalgae, protozoa and pollen quantified in the samples obtained from the two summit cores show clear fluctuations interpreted as seasonal signs. In contrast, dD and many chemical species from the summit cores show strong dampening at depth, probably due to water percolation. The limited information provided by isotopic and chemical analyses is used to support the seasonal interpretation of biological parameters from the summit cores, with microorganism maxima inferred to occur in summer and pollen maxima in spring. A good comparison is found between massbalance estimations from the Volca´n Mocho-Choshuenco summit core and values obtained near that site by means of the stake method. It is concluded that biological analyses of firn/ice cores provide reliable estimations of annual and seasonal markers from these temperate glaciers

ISO 50001 and SEP Faster and Cheaper - Exploring the Enterprise-Wide Approach

ISO 50001 and other management systems (e.g., ISO 9001 and ISO 14001) allow for implementation and certification at the enterprise level. The "Central Office" concept, which allows a small group of employees to manage and facilitate the organization’s energy management system (EnMS) at the enterprise level, was introduced within the ISO 50003 standard to provide guidance to ISO 50001 certification bodies. Four industrial companies have partnered with the United States Department of Energy to pilot the enterprise-wide ISO 50001/SEP concept under the Better Buildings Superior Energy Performance (SEP) Enterprise-wide Accelerator. Each organization developed a Central Office to host their EnMS while implementing ISO 50001/SEP at multiple physically separated sites. The four corporate partners tailored their Central Office implementation model to meet their own specific circumstances and needs. This paper reviews the commonalities, differences, and benefits of each of these enterprise-wide implementation models, including organizational structures, Central Office staff responsibilities, and key strategies. The cost savings and benefits of using the enterprise-wide approach were assessed, including the cost per site compared with that of a conventional, single-site ISO 50001/SEP implementation approach. This paper also discusses the drivers for the cost reductions realized through these enterprise-wide approaches. The four partner companies worked with 30 total sites. On average, these 30 sites improved energy performance by 5% annually over their SEP achievement periods, saved more than $600,000 annually in energy costs and reduced implementation cost for ISO 50001 and SEP by$19,000 and 0.8 Full Time Equivalent × years (FTE-yr) of staff time per site. The results can inform other organizations seeking to implement enterprise-wide ISO 50001/SEP, as well as energy efficiency organizations seeking to promote wider adoption of ISO 50001 implementation