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Thursday, September 9, 2010

Help save energy and a Giveaway.

I am asking for a few minutes of your time to help save energy.  After you have read below and voted, please leave a comment here in my blog.  I will draw from the comments for a $25 gift card to Studio Calico.  I will leave comments open through Monday, September 9th, and announce a winner Tuesday.

My dad, Bob and his partner, Scot  have built a company that provides a proven technology that cuts energy waste on large air conditioning systems by over 50%.  They are in a world-wide competition sponsored by GE called, “Ecomagination Challenge” and they just entered on Friday. The current leader is from China and they entered over a month ago so they have a solid lead.  Will you help their company become recognized as the leader they are?

Below is a letter from my Dad's partner, Scot talking about the challenge and the links to their proposals follow.  I would love it if you took a few minutes to vote.

Please click on one or all  \of the links below and cast your vote. You will need to enter an e-mail address and confirm and then cast your votes. It will take a few minutes of your time, but you’ll be helping a great cause.


Re: Casting your vote for our technology.

Hello everyone,

If you are getting this e-mail, it means that we have bumped into each other at one time or another over the last 30 years or so, or we have a mutual acquaintance.  I am writing to ask for your support – we are competing in the General Electric “Ecomagination Challenge”.  It is a GE initiative to identify viable strategies to reduce energy waste and consumption, and also viable methods to cost effectively produce and utilize renewable energy and improve grid/system performance on a global basis.  The winners of the competition will get a cash award, but more importantly, this will be a platform that can be used to help the world reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and the pollution that results from that process.

The winners are selected by a combination of votes from the general public and evaluation by technical experts on the Ecomagination Challenge team, so public votes are extremely important.

We recently entered six ideas in the competition, and would ask you to spend approximately 2-3 minutes clicking on the links below and evaluating a short summary of the submitted ideas.  We were limited to a 50 word summary for public consumption, but we were allowed a 500 word summary with more technical detail for the judges evaluation.  Since the people I am sending this to are typically more detail and technically oriented than the general population, I have included the long versions below at the bottom of the e-mail, in case you have some time, or more interest in what we are proposing to do to help the world out of it’s current energy jam.

If, after you have evaluated our proposals, you feel that our ideas are worthy of your vote, I would also ask that you consider forwarding our request to others that you might know that might be interested in the topics we are proposing, and asking them to consider voting for some or all of our proposals.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.

Scot M. Duncan, P.E.
Vice President
Retrofit Originality Incorporated

Load Based Optimization System (LOBOS) for HVAC Systems

Air conditioning systems in large buildings are wasteful of energy, due to how they are controlled and the constant speed nature of the major equipment.  LOBOS, when used with variable speed equipment has proven that it can cut air conditioning energy consumption by 40% to 60% or more.



Load Based Optimization System (LOBOS) and LOBOS-Demand Response

Integrated Energy Efficiency and Demand Response systems like the Load Based Optimization System can dramatically cut energy waste at power plants and buildings.  Properly applied DR systems can cut spinning reserve power plant losses that have to run “just in case” there is a grid issue.



150% Efficient Air Conditioning Energy Storage Battery

Thermal Energy Storage, or “Permanent Load Shifting”, when used with Load Based Optimization System design strategies for large buildings, can reduce HVAC related peak electrical demands by 80%+, while reducing overall energy consumption by 50% +, and enabling the use of wind power generated at off-peak times.



High Efficiency Dehumidification System (HEDS)

For most of the U.S., summers are muggy.  Air conditioning systems do a poor job of drying the air and the air delivery method can promote biological growth.  The HEDS can reduce cooling plant energy waste by 25%+ on peak humidity days, while eliminating reheat energy waste.



A Smart Grid-Integrated Efficiency Solution

Combining the Load Based Optimization System, LOBOS-DR, Permanent Load Shifting and the High Efficiency Dehumidification System can solve many problems.  Peak HVAC related electrical demands can be served by wind power generated at night, and biological growth can be nearly eliminated, saving 100’s of millions of $$.



Cost Effective Near Net Zero Energy (NZE) Solution

Net Zero Energy buildings are a laudable goal, but the typical Return On Investment takes 30+ years.  Commercial office buildings take even longer to pay back the investment.  Combining properly designed building envelopes with other efficiency solutions can result in cost effective near NZE buildings.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

voted! there are some brilliant ideas there, and we need creative, innovative thinkers tackling the problems facing construction, old infrastructure, and an over-burdened power grid. good luck to them!!

Erin said...

just voted. Very cool ideas. Love the innovative solutions they have come up with to help reduce our energy consumption. Wishing them lots of luck!

*reyanna* said...

So cool! I love stuff like this! I registered and voted! :-)

Oh! And thanks for the chance to win!

Rowie said...

great ideas here! all the best to them ;0) i voted!

Rebecca Keppel said...

How cool! It is so good to hear people are working for new ideas. I voted :)

Abby said...

This are awesome ideas! Best wishes to them!!! just voted!!

Gina said...

That's very cool!!! I voted for them. :)

Kristii said...

I voted!!! Great ideas!!! Good Luck to them both!!!!

Keshet said...

Great giveaway and what cool ideas! Voted!

Missy said...

Voted! Thank you for your generous giveaway! These are all wonderful ideas to help us in our energy crisis!

naomi_m said...

I voted. I hope this gets them some notice.

cornellgj said...

I voted too! Thanks for the giveaway. What wonderful ideas...hope this helps them out!

Erin M said...

Thanks for bringing this to our attention Michelle! I wish your Dad & his partner the best of luck in this contest. Such a great opportunity to help ALL of us out. I will pass the contest website on to my husband too. He enjoys learning about alternative energy & conservation.

Ruth said...

This is something I would have voted on regardless of the GC. That is just an added bonus!

Anonymous said...

Voted! Brilliant ideas. I hope to see these implemented in the near future! Thanks for sharing and your generous giveaway. :-)

Mernin said...

What great ideas! I hope they success in the challenge! Thanks for the chance to win...

Unknown said...

All voted!! These are some really amazing ideas- thanks for linking this up!

Oh and of course- thanks for the chance to win the SC card!!

riri mahadi said...

voted, voted and soooo voted.

amazing ideas, just made feel better for the kind of world that my sons will be facing later ....

thanks for sharing :)

Geralyn said...

These are such great ideas! I voted. Thank you for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Registered and Voted :) ... good luck to them!

Christie Wildes said...

I voted too...great ideas!! :)

Mandy said...

Voted!great ideas! Good luck to them!

Marti said...

Ok- these are some great ideas! I voted. Good luck to them! And thank you for the chance at this generous giveaway!

Unknown said...

I registered and voted too. Some really really great ideas there.

Kimber-Leigh said...

i registered and voted! great ideas :)