Pace Energy and Climate Center 2015 Annual Report

In 2015, Pace Energy and Climate Center continued a 27-year tradition of successfully advancing clean energy policies and solutions in communities across the State of New York and the Northeast region, across the United States, and around the world. As a unique organization that operates at the boundaries between law, policy, business, and regulation, we continue to bring innovative thinking, strong analysis, technological understanding, and stakeholder engagement to the vital climate and energy challenges facing us today. We have been pleased to become a key player in the New York Public Service Commission’s Reforming the Energy Vision (“REV”) initiative. REV seeks to devolve the electric utility of the future to accommodate new renewable and distributed energy resources, improve resiliency, and avoid significant increases in customer bills. We operate with a small staff of highly capable experts, multiplied by the commitment and energy of student interns, and leveraged through a community of clean energy stakeholders. Pace identifies and understands the issues, crafts the solutions and improvements needed, and uses the tools of law and policy advocacy to change the way things are done—for the better. In 2015, we continued and strengthened program efforts in many areas, expanded our reach an influence into new areas, and scored important victories in ensuring that clean, efficient, and renewable energy would be an increasing part of our lives, today and tomorrow. Facing the challenges of climate change up close, we design and implement solutions at the same scale—at the level of state and local policy and action—that will empower and support community initiatives wherever Pace works. All our work is made possible by the generous support of our funders and the continued commitment of Dean David Yassky, the staff and faculty of the Pace Law School, and the entire Pace University team. Standing behind them is a strong network of Pace alumni and donors who help keep us all going. We couldn’t do it without each of them

Pace Energy & Climate Center 2016 Annual Report

The Center staff and many allies are deeply involved in the business of electric utility transformation. We live and work in a remarkable time. Decades of steady, thoughtful leadership on clean energy issues is now bearing fruit. Clean energy is not just the right thing to do, it is increasingly recognized as the right choice economically, technically, and for all members of society. Our work, especially in 2016, has been about making sure that we seize the moment and secure the benefits of clean energy use for all communities in New York, the Northeast U.S., across the country, and throughout the world. Never has it been more important that we succeed in our work. The challenges of climate change, the changing path of policy, and the moral imperative of building a clean energy foundation for future generations drive us every day. While we don’t work actively in Washington, D.C., changes there threaten our work. The Center focuses on waging a strong offense at the state and community level, and on effectively communicating the benefits of clean energy development and policy. In 2016, we answered the call for clear-eyed policy leadership in the many New York Public Service Commission’s (“NYPSC”) Reforming the Energy Vision (“REV”) initiative proceedings under way. Our work multiplied as the Commission transitioned from vision to implementation and execution, and so did our impact. See the Appendix for the active NY PSC proceedings in which the Center is engaged! The Center continued its regional leadership as a champion of super-efficient combined heat and power, strong solar energy market policy, and interstate cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We expand the reach of our ideas and support through formal regulatory interventions, thought leadership, and good old-fashioned research and writing. The Pace Energy and Climate Center continues to operate as a small, agile, interdisciplinary team of talented and committed individuals, and continues to benefit from the support of the best law student interns anywhere. Our network of collaborators at other organizations has grown over the year, as has our reputation in the media

Energy Interdependence

The rapid pace of growth in China's total energy consumption over the past decade and the seemingly unrestrained rise of oil prices have generated a critical mass of discussion about China's energy security. The principle concern over energy security in China is the perception that the Chinese economy is highly dependent on a stable supply of energy and cannot tolerate the slightest interruption or shortfall

An Energy Audit: The First Step Toward Home Energy Efficiency

A comprehensive, diagnostic energy audit will not only pinpoint the source of the problem but also prioritize recommended improvements to maximize the return on investment.energy audit, home energy audit, energy efficiency, Tennessee, Pro Energy Consultants, Derek Pace

Socio-Economic Instability and the Scaling of Energy Use with Population Size

The size of the human population is relevant to the development of a sustainable world, yet the forces setting growth or declines in the human population are poorly understood. Generally, population growth rates depend on whether new individuals compete for the same energy (leading to Malthusian or density-dependent growth) or help to generate new energy (leading to exponential and super-exponential growth). It has been hypothesized that exponential and super-exponential growth in humans has resulted from carrying capacity, which is in part determined by energy availability, keeping pace with or exceeding the rate of population growth. We evaluated the relationship between energy use and population size for countries with long records of both and the world as a whole to assess whether energy yields are consistent with the idea of an increasing carrying capacity. We find that on average energy use has indeed kept pace with population size over long time periods. We also show, however, that the energy-population scaling exponent plummets during, and its temporal variability increases preceding, periods of social, political, technological, and environmental change. We suggest that efforts to increase the reliability of future energy yields may be essential for stabilizing both population growth and the global socio-economic system

High Frequency Radar Wind Turbine Interference Community Working Group Report

Land-based High Frequency (HF) Radars provide critically important observations of the coastal ocean that will be adversely affected by the spinning blades of utility-scale wind turbines. Pathways to mitigate the interference of turbines on HF radar observations exist for small number of turbines; however, a greatly increased pace of research is required to understand how to minimize the complex interference patterns that will be caused by the large arrays of turbines planned for the U.S. outer continental shelf. To support the U.S.’s operational and scientific needs, HF radars must be able to collect high-quality measurements of the ocean’s surface inand around areas with significant numbers of wind turbines. This is a solvable problem, but given the rapid pace of wind energy development, immediate action is needed to ensure that HF radar wind turbine interference mitigation efforts keep pace with the planned build out of turbines

Maine Distributed Solar Valuation Study

During its 2014 session, the Maine Legislature enacted an Act to Support Solar Energy Development in Maine. P.L Chapter 562 (April 24, 2014) (codified at 35‐A M.R.S. §§ 3471‐3473) (“Act”). Section 1 of the Act contains the Legislative finding that it is in the public interest is to develop renewable energy resources, including solar energy, in a manner that protects and improves the health and well‐being of the citizens and natural environment of the State while also providing economic benefits to communities, ratepayers and the overall economy of the State. Section 2 of the Act requires the Public Utilities Commission (Commission) to determine the value of distributed solar energy generation in the State, evaluate implementation options, and to deliver a report to the Legislature. To support this work, the Commission engaged a project team comprising Clean Power Research (Napa, California), Sustainable Energy Advantage (Framingham, Massachusetts), Pace Energy and Climate Center at the Pace Law School (White Plains, New York), and Dr. Richard Perez (Albany, New York). Under the project, the team developed the methodology under a Commission‐run stakeholder review process, conducted a valuation on distributed solar for three utility territories, and developed a summary of implementation options for increasing deployment of distributed solar generation in the State. The report includes three volumes which accompany this Executive Summary: Volume I Methodology; Volume II Valuation Results; Volume III Implementation Options

Management of metabolic resources for a 20-km cycling time-trial using different types of pacing

Pacing is crucial for improving human performance in time-trial physical exercise. This study examined the effect of different types of pacing (self pace, variable pace and even pace) on the energy expended from the aerobic system and anaerobic system for a 20-km time-trial cycling exercise. In addition, the degree of homeostatic disturbance caused by each type of pacing was analysed to find out the effect of pacing on the human body. Furthermore, the relationship between the Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) and blood lactate concentration was investigated, and associated to these types of pacing. Here, in this study, we showed that even pace was aerobic energy system dependent, and variable pace was anaerobic energy system dependent. Also, the Hazard Score index demonstrated that the variable pace time-trial caused the greatest homeostatic disturbance and there was a positive relationship between RPE and blood lactate concentration

Photovoltaics (PV) as an Eligible Measure in Residential PACE Programs: Benefits and Challenges

Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing is one of several new financial models broadening access to clean energy by addressing the barrier of initial capital cost. The majority of the PACE programs in the market today include PV as an eligible measure. PV appeals to homeowners as a way to reduce utility bills, self-generate sustainable power, increase energy independence and demonstrate a commitment to the environment. If substantial state incentives for PV exist, PV projects can be economic under PACE, especially when partnered with good net metering policies. At the same time, PV is expensive relative to other eligible measures with a return on investment horizon that might exceed program targets. This fact sheet reviews the benefits and potential challenges of including PV in PACE programs

How do firms organize for sustainable energy consumption? An investigation of the Maltese hotel sector

The aim of the paper is to investigate the capabilities of firms in a mature service sector to adopt innovative sustainable energy technologies and practices and the processes through which these firms obtain and exploit knowledge about energy management practices. The hotel sector in Malta is used as the empirical setting. Interviews were undertaken with 26 hotel managers and 14 engineering consulting firms in Malta. The interview data from the hotels were clustered to derive patterns of environmental action characterized by particular firm capabilities. The findings distinguish between hotels that adopt a narrow range of energy efficient measures and those with a higher innovative potential that modify routine maintenance activities and make deeper organizational changes to shift towards improved energy efficiency. Accounting for the range of innovative potential are different combinations of capabilities for problem-solving around energy efficiency and for collaborating with external actors (engineering consulting firms in this study). The paper concludes by providing some implications for policy.Bajada New Energy, General Membrane, EcoGroup, Econetique, Energy Investment, JMV Vibro Blocks, Solar Engineering, Solar Solutionspeer-reviewe