South Carolina Rural Electric Co-op Pilot Project Moves Forward

Buddy De Lozier (right), of Central, inspects a new heat pump with a homeowner participating in the pilot program.
EESI has been partnering with South Carolina rural electric cooperatives on a pilot project to provide residential homes with energy efficiency retrofits. Work on all 125 participating homes is now complete, concluding the pilot’s implementation phase. Upgrades varied depending on the needs of each home, but typically included repair or replacement of heating/cooling units and the corresponding duct work, attic insulation, and air sealing. Homeowners, who otherwise could not afford the upfront costs, pay for these improvements through “on-bill financing,” a low-interest loan that is paid back over time as part of their monthly electric bill. It is expected that the monthly loan payment will be offset by the new energy savings. For many homeowners, bills should still be lower after including the loan payment.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Thank you so much to all who contributed to the great success of our year-end campaign, enabling us to keep working toward advancing sustainable energy this year and beyond!

We heard from individuals who sent in checks and gave online. Some wrote notes of encouragement and support. Some donors contacted their employers to double the impact of their gift through corporate matching programs. Others are monthly sustaining donors, giving year-round, which is convenient and also helps to reduce administrative costs. Some individuals, companies, associations, and family foundations have joined or renewed as EESI Associates—giving $1,000, $2,000, or more each year. Whatever the size or method of your gift, you helped us exceed our year-end campaign goal of $30,000! You are making it possible for our country to transition to a clean energy future. Thank you again!

Fast Action Climate Mitigation Measures Can Help Avoid 2°C Danger Limit

Photo courtesy of University of California San Diego.A new study in Science led by Drew Shindell of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, identifies 14 fast action measures to reduce emissions of black carbon, methane gas, and ground-level ozone. These measures have the potential to deliver major benefits for climate, public health, and agriculture, and would prevent 0.5°C of warming by 2050—half of the warming otherwise expected.

EPA Publishes Interactive Map of Greenhouse Gas Emitters

On January 11, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released an interactive online map that identifies sources of major greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters in the United States, including chemical factories, paper mills, and power plants. The data, current through 2010, covers 80 percent of U.S. GHG emitters from large industries. Using the interactive map to compile data on power plants, researchers found that 20 coal-fired plants in 15 states account for the majority of the greenhouse gas emissions, including one power plant in Georgia that released 23 million metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2010. When the emissions from the top ten power plants in the U.S. are combined, they contributed 187.3 million metric tons of GHG emissions in 2010, equivalent to the average emissions of 36 million cars.

Issue Brief: Solar Thermal Energy for Industrial Uses



Solar Thermal Energy for Industrial Uses



Heat is often under appreciated in public policy discussions on energy, frequently overshadowed by transportation energy and electric power. However, heat accounts for 37 percent of energy consumed within most developed countries, and 47 percent of the world’s energy consumption. While many people associate solar energy with electricity-producing photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar can also be used for heating purposes. Solar thermal energy is most commonly used to heat outdoor swimming pools and residential water in the United States, but it can also be used for many types of industrial processes. This issue brief will examine the role that solar thermal technology currently plays in industrial heating processes and outline opportunities for increased application within the U.S. industrial sector.

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About EESI

The Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) is a non-profit organization established in 1984 by a bipartisan Congressional caucus to provide timely information and develop innovative policy solutions that set us on a cleaner, more secure and sustainable energy path.

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