The OurEnergyLibrary aggregates and indexes publicly available fact sheets, journal articles, reports, studies, and other publications on U.S. energy topics. It is updated every week to include the most recent energy resources from academia, government, industry, non-profits, think tanks, and trade associations. Suggest a resource by emailing us at info@ourenergypolicy.org.
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Natural gas is a naturally occurring fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane and small amounts of impurities such as carbon dioxide (CO2). It may also contain heavier liquids that can be processed into valuable byproducts including propane, butane and pentane. Natural gas plays a vital role in the U.S. economy, constituting 25 percent of total U.S. energy consumption—second only to oil—and roughly one fifth of all U.S. electricity generation. Unlike other fossil fuels, natural gas plays an important role in almost every sector, in applications including generating electricity, providing heat and power to industry, buildings, homes and vehicles, and as …
View Full ResourceMethane makes up as much as 90 percent of natural gas, a fossil fuel used extensively in the United States to produce electricity, heat buildings, and fuel factories and vehicles. Currently, when natural gas is extracted by hydraulic fracturing or other techniques, significant amounts of methane are wasted: from wells during the extraction process, from processing equipment while compressing or drying gas, and from poorly sealed equipment while transporting and storing it. In fact, at least 2 to 3 percent of all natural gas produced by the U.S. oil and gas industry is lost to leaks or vented into the …
View Full ResourceMethane makes up as much as 90 percent of natural gas, a fossil fuel used extensively in the United States to produce electricity, heat buildings, and fuel factories and vehicles. Currently, when natural gas is extracted by hydraulic fracturing or other techniques, significant amounts of methane are wasted: from wells during the extraction process, from processing equipment while compressing or drying gas, and from poorly sealed equipment while transporting and storing it. In fact, at least 2 to 3 percent of all natural gas produced by the U.S. oil and gas industry is lost to leaks or vented into the… View Full Resource
Foundation heat exchangers (FHXs) used in residential ground source heat pump systems represent a potential cost savings due to their lesser first cost over other types of heat exchangers. By simulating a foundation heat exchanger system for two low-energy house constructions in seventeen United States locations, a preliminary map detailing the feasibility of FHX systems in the United States has been developed, with most of the country showing at least marginal feasibility for the technology. The FHX simulation process uses decoupled models of house and basement; the coupling between the two zones creates a difference of around 1.0°C (1.8°F) in …
View Full ResourceEnergy efficiency can be defined as utilizing minimum amounts of energy for heating, cooling, lighting and the equipment that is required to maintain conducive conditions in a building [1,2]. An important factor impacting energy efficiency is not only the building envelope but also the management of energy within the premises. The amount of energy consumed varies depending on the design of the building, the available electrical systems and how they operate. The heating and cooling systems consume the most energy in a building; however control system such as programmable thermostats and building energy management systems can significantly reduce the energy …
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The 2011 Integrated Energy Policy Report provides a summary of priority energy issues currently facing California. The report provides strategies and recommendations to further the state’s goal of ensuring reliable, affordable, and environmentally responsible energy sources. Energy topics covered in the report include progress toward statewide renewable energy targets and issues facing future renewable development; efforts to increase energy efficiency in existing and new buildings; progress by utilities in achieving energy efficiency targets and potential; improving coordination among the state’s energy agencies; streamlining power plant licensing processes; results of preliminary forecasts of electricity, natural gas, and transportation fuel supply and …
View Full ResourceWith growing concern over rising energy costs and the environmental impacts of supplying our energy needs, there is a great need to find economical and environmentally sound energy alternatives. However, amidst the push to expand renewable energies, one option that is rarely discussed is geothermal energy. One reason that geothermal is often overlooked is because of the lack of understanding how the technology works and a view that it is new and unproven. Actually, people have used geothermal energy for over 10,000 years with the first recorded use when Paleo-Indians settled around hot springs and used them as a source …
View Full ResourceNearly all of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the residential and commercial sectors can be attributed to energy use in buildings. Embodied energy – which goes into the materials, transportation, and labor used to construct the building – makes up the next largest portion. Even so, existing technology and practices can be used to make both new and existing buildings significantly more efficient in their energy use, and can even be used in the design of net zero energy buildings—buildings that use design and efficiency measures to reduce energy needs dramatically and rely on renewable energy sources to meet …
View Full ResourceEnergy efficiency and conservation are officially China’s top energy priority. These are considered the “low-hanging fruit” in the quest to reduce energy use and cut demand. Energy conservation investment projects have priority over energy development projects under the Energy Conservation Law of 1997, with government-financed projects being selected on “technological, economic and environmental comparisons and validations of the projects.” China is the world’s largest market for new construction, and new building standards have been in development since 2005 with national energy design criteria for residential buildings. In the power generation sector, many smaller, less efficient coal-fired power plants have been …
View Full ResourcePublic policies to promote the diffusion of energy-efficient technology for providing energy services in residential and commercial buildings, which were introduced in the United States in the 1970s, are receiving new attention as a means of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Energy efficiency (EE) is currently undergoing a dramatic resurgence, stimulated by its potential contribution to CO2 emissions reduction. In 2009, prior to the U.S. House of Representative’s approval of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (H.R. 2454, often referred to as Waxman-Markey after its two primary sponsors) in June, the combined increase in federal EE funding—in the administration’s …
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