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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