Sign up for our free newsletter
Free D.C. news, delivered to your inbox daily.
Association of Energy Engineers
Sept. 13–15
Washington Convention Center
The Industry
energy technology, management, and policy
The Attendees
3,500 industrial, utility, and government effici-onados—and vendors racing to turn green to gold
The Issues
•Manure to Manna: What could be better than powering on-site fuel cells with sewage waste gases? UTC Power’s PureCell systems have yielded more than 1.25 billion kilowatt-hours from ADG (anaerobic digester gas) that is usually just burned off.
•Powerful Incentives: Need to justify a high-efficiency HVAC upgrade? One panelist suggested an avian-flu outbreak could transform your substandard air-handling system into a lightning rod for lawsuits. Fun fact: Zinc not only stimulates hair growth but also kills the deadly Legionella, which still sends as many as 18,000 people to U.S. hospitals each year.
•Skip the Flip: Evident on the show floor: that a multimillion-dollar high-tech cottage industry has sprung up in response to humankind’s increasing reluctance to switch off the lights manually. Gadgets include Occu-Smart motion-sensor-controlled bi-level lighting from LaMar Lighting Co. Recently improved with “adjustable sensor technology and longer lamp life with a patented 100-hour lamp conditioning circuit,” the product is touted to cut energy use up to 85 percent.—Rob Tierney